Beyerdynamic DX160 iE/DX120 iE: Affordable in-ear headphones for audiophiles

[MUSIC] These are the Beyerdynanic DX 160 iE and DX 120 iE, in-the-ear headphones that retail for $115 and $89, respectively. Hi, I'm David Carnoy and welcome to another CNET Video Review of a pair of headphones. In this case it really is a pair, as these Beyerdynamics share so much in common it doesn't seem worth doing two separate video shoots for them. In case you've never heard of Beyerdynamic, it's a German headphone company that makes some very good sounding headphones, some of which are very expensive. The models you see here represent the company's attempt at serving up more mainstream headphones at more affordable price points. And then these both are up there with the best in years we've heard in their price range. These two Bear dynamics sound similar but there's a bit more life and detail with the DX 160 IE sound so we naturally spent more time with that model. Both come with seven different sizes of silicone tips, one pair of complite tips and carrying cases. The more expensive DX160 comes with a hard carry case, while the DX120 comes more of a pouch style case. Unfortunately, neither features a mic or phone control, which is too bad. The cables are a little unusual; the headphones have two parts, flat cables, the wide top part terminates in a 3.5 millimeter plug. And it is an extension cable. The Y cable is just 14'' long whereas the extension adds another 35". These guys feature black, all metal ear pieces with 10 mm drivers and impedance is rated at 47 ohms. Comfort and sound isolation were average for this type of design, pretty good but not great. The DX160IE delivers a lot of bass, but it's not a thick or muddy definition. It's excellent and this headphone set and click with rock, jazz, electronic and classical music. Mid range detailing is excellent but treble clarity's somewhat lacking. DX120 meanwhile is a tad bit laid back, and that's a plus if you listen to a lot of less than stellar Mp3s and streaming sources. Compared to another $100 in your audiophile favorite, the Hifiman RE-400. That model's a little bit more accurate but doesn't have as much bass. It's a matter of taste which one you prefer but bass fanatics should be quite happy with the DX160 though as with all in-ear, the quality of that bass is dependent on how tight a seal you can get. I'm David Carnoy and those are the Beyerdynamic DX 160 iE and DX 120 iE, a pair of bona fide audiophile in-ear headphones for around 100 bucks. Thanks for watching. [MUSIC]