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Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE: Two-minute review
Here’s a thing very few of the best wired earbuds supply, no less than within the mass-produced shopper house: specialised tuning for every member of your band – sure, even the bass participant. However that is what Beyerdynamic did on the very begin of the 12 months, releasing not one but four sets of IEMs tuned simply barely in another way, in a bid to offer every of your musician mates what they want.
The set I’ve beneath evaluate right here is the DT 72 IE, “for guitarists and singers”. These IEMs boast a “subtly tuned bass” in order to not overwhelm throughout efficiency. The optimized frequency response right here can also be listed as between 200-500 Hz to compensate for the occlusion impact. It is a identified problem whereby the notion one’s personal voice is just too loud, hole, and even boomy as a result of ear canal’s obstruction (with stated IEMs, funnily sufficient) and the trapping of sonic vibrations inside.
What of the rest of the range? DT 70 IE is billed as the set “for mixing and critical listening”. DT 71 IE is “for drummers and bassists” with a sound signature that Beyerdynamic says “enhances low frequencies while ensuring detailed reproduction of cymbals, percussion and bass guitar overtones”. DT 73 IE is the pair for the orchestral musician, pianist or keyboard player, with extra care taken on treble overtones (there’s a subtle boost from 5kHz upwards).
I think it’s fair to say that given the asking fee of whichever set you pick (which is $499, or anywhere from £431 to £479 in the UK, so around AU$900) these are IEMs for the successful musician – something emphasized by acclaimed jazz pianist, gospel artist and producer Cory Henry and Gina Miles (winner of The Voice Season 23) who both agreed to help showcase the new products in January of this year.
Am I certified to offer these singer-specific buds an intensive appraisal? I would say so. It has been some time, granted, however I’ve carried out in a number of large musicals, movies, and a good few gigs over time, usually with a trusty pair of low-cost and cheerful Shure SE215 in (or hanging out of) my ears. Hey, I sang solo and coated leads, y’know…
The Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE should not like my outdated Shure workhorses, although, reader. That is what I’d have purchased myself if I would been making one thing apart from a lowly performer’s wage, and/or had the promise of labor engagements lasting for greater than six months at a time. The latter is one thing not even the most effective of us repeatedly will get… and I used to be removed from the most effective.
However let’s put the fragile subjects of coin and expertise to at least one facet. The DT 72 IE are very properly made. The case is material however pocketable and holds its form – the 1.4m cable won’t tangle, is near-silent and comes with a 3.5mm termination and 6.35 mm adapter. The headshells are superbly small. Your equipment are additionally resoundingly high-end: alongside the 5 pairs of silicone ear ideas, you additionally get three in Comply reminiscence foam (which I am going to at all times go for, in the event that they’re provided). You even get a spare set of earwax guards and detailed directions on how you can swap them out, if and when the necessity arises.
You may must form the ear hooks your self, however as soon as you are taking a second to get it proper, I discovered them very snug and likewise hardly noticeable (from a visible perspective) as soon as in my ear. Thus far, so profitable.
What about for sound? I fired up my FiiO M23 and some of my outdated audition requirements. Now, I had no entry to the professional mixer, mic or acquire phases I used to get pleasure from, again within the day – so full disclosure: I could not set any of that up. What follows is my evaluation of the DT 72 IE as listening units to investigate my very own recorded vocals and likewise to report a fast demo – en path to a last-minute audition, say.
And, good grief, did I hear additional element and even a little bit of vib to be pleased with in my very own rendition of The Present Should Go On from 2018, sung as an aerialist/singer in a German Queen tribute present referred to as We Are the Champions. All true, I promise.
It is as if guitar riffs and my voice has been plucked from the soundstage and held above the combination in a surgical layering system, like gadgets to be admired (or admonished) apart from all else. It is precisely what your lead vocalist of axe man wants, to hone their craft and I want I would had them when performing each day. If I would had the DT 72 IE, I’d’ve realized I used to be only a contact flat when attempting to succeed in “for ready up there may be the Heaviside layer” on that cruise ship gig…
Any drawbacks to the DT 72 IE sonically? That is an analytical hear, quite than an thrilling one. From a listener’s perspective, issues can really feel just a bit flat from time to time. It is because the bass injection has been pulled again and so, dynamically, tracks can really feel only a contact uneventful. Beyerdynamic has expressed as a lot and provides one other mannequin for important listening and/or mixing, but it surely’s nonetheless price stating for individuals who need one thing to put down tracks with and to hear purely for the pleasure of doing so.
Personally, I really like them. In case your favourite side of recorded music is the lead singer and/or the guitar solos, you will have discovered the set of IEMs for you. No, they are not impartial – that is the entire level.
Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Price and release date
- Released on January 23, 2025
- Priced $499 / from £431 (around AU$900)
It’s important to state that the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are not unique – IEMs pitched squarely at vocalists exist (from companies such as Moondrop, 64 Audio and even Sennheiser) and the 64 Audio U12t, for example, costs four times as much as the Beyer product you’re reading about.
The Sennheiser IE 100 Pro, however, (a popular choice among the musicians I know) cost around a fifth of the DT 72 IE’s asking fee. So it really is a mixed bag…
Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Specs
|
Drivers |
Dynamic (closed) |
|
Weight |
3g per earpiece (without ear tip) |
|
Frequency range |
5Hz – 40kHz |
|
Waterproof rating |
None |
|
Other features |
No in-line mic, plenty of accessories |
Should you buy the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|
Features |
What these earbuds are designed for has been beautifully achieved – no more, no less |
5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
If picking out the vocal or guitar is what you need, they deliver. If you want to listen casually, too, they may not be for you – but that’s hardly fair |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Beautifully svelte earpieces and cable, only let down by the need to bend (and re-bend) the ear hooks yourself |
4.5/5 |
|
Value |
To call them ‘mid-range’ feels unfathomable, but the prices you can pay in this niche sector of the market are variable, to say the least |
4/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Also consider
This particular product is a tad niche for TechRadar (we’re not a dedicated musician or performer site, as you’ll know) but personal experience has taught me that Shure’s 215 SE are sometimes the entry-level possibility right here, as are the Sennheiser IE 100 Professional – each of that are rather a lot cheaper than the mannequin listed above.
Are they pretty much as good? No, that would not be truthful given the dearth in worth – and that is the purpose I need make right here: when you have the cash, the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are very, excellent for singers and guitarists.
Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: How I tested
- Tested across two weeks
- Used at home, listening to my vocal recordings and regular testing tracks
- Predominantly tested using my iPhone (and hi-res Flac files on my laptop)
I had to go back to 2018 (the last time I sang professionally, and the year before I became a full-time audio journalist) in the name of testing the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE.
I revisited a time when money was tight but professional fulfilment was plentiful. I had work! Lots of it – and I also had a post-grad degree to pay for. I listened to both my own vocals (even the ones recorded quickly as voice memos on my iPhone, to learn a tricksy harmony line in rehearsal) and then to everything from Melissa Etheridge to Ginuwine – both of whom I love for what they’ve given to music.
And know this: the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE were never uncomfortable and always enlightening during my testing.
- First reviewed: August 2025