How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• beyerdynamic DT 1770 — biggest strength: a closed, wired reference design with 250-ohm Tesla drivers, 5 Hz–40 kHz response, and swappable velour/leatherette pads that let you shift between a more open and a more closed presentation.
• beyerdynamic DT 1770 — biggest trade-off: it is wired only, needs serious amplification at 250 ohms, and has no mic, no Bluetooth, and no noise cancelling.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro — biggest strength: OmniPlay connectivity across up to five devices with 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, three USB inputs and line-in, plus ANC, a ClearCast Pro mic with AI noise rejection, and a 60-hour battery system.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro — biggest trade-off: it is a 38-ohm wireless consumer headset, not a calibrated studio reference, and its tuning and mic are aimed at communication and entertainment rather than critical mixing decisions.
• Who each pick is for: the DT 1770 is for producers, engineers, and anyone doing repeatable mix work at a desk; the Arctis Nova Pro is for gamers, streamers, and hybrid workers juggling a PC, a console, and a phone at the same time.
The DT 1770 is a closed studio reference headphone, and every spec on the sheet points at that job. The 45 mm dynamic Tesla neodymium drivers, the 250-ohm impedance, and the 5 Hz–40 kHz frequency range describe a headphone designed to be driven by a proper interface or amp rather than a phone dongle. That 250-ohm figure is the important one: it tells you this is a headphone that expects real voltage behind it, and it rewards a clean, quiet signal chain. If you are mixing on a laptop headphone jack, you are not getting what this headphone was built to deliver.
What I find genuinely smart about the design is the pad swapping. beyerdynamic ships both velour and leatherette ear pads, and the intention is clear from the sheet — velour for a more open, breathing presentation when you are mastering, leatherette for a more closed, isolating feel when you are tracking or monitoring. Two cables are included as well, a coiled one and a straight 3 m one, both detaching at a mini-XLR connector on a single side. That single-sided detachable cable matters more than it sounds: cables are the first thing to fail on any headphone, and being able to replace one without sending the whole unit in is a real long-term benefit. The ear pads and headband are replaceable too.
This is a headphone for people who sit down and listen analytically. Producers tracking vocals in a room with a live mic, engineers checking low-end balance, anyone who needs a closed back so sound does not bleed out and room noise does not bleed in. It is made in Germany, comes with a carrying case, and carries a two-year parts-and-labor warranty when bought from an authorized dealer.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Who It's For
The Arctis Nova Pro is built around one idea: never make the user unplug anything. OmniPlay supports up to five connected devices with three USB inputs, line-in, and Bluetooth, and you can mix up to four audio sources at once — PC, console, and mobile audio playing simultaneously rather than one at a time. That is the feature that separates it from almost everything else in its class. Mixing Discord chat from your PC over game audio from a PlayStation is a normal Tuesday here, not a workaround.
Audio-wise, the 40 mm hi-res neodymium drivers cover 10 Hz–40 kHz, and the headset is certified for 96 kHz/24-bit wireless audio over 2.4GHz or Bluetooth, with the LC3+ codec keeping latency low and fidelity high. At 38 ohms, it is easy to drive from essentially anything, which is the opposite philosophy from the DT 1770. Active noise cancellation is onboard with an updated algorithm, and the ClearCast Pro omnidirectional mic uses AI noise rejection to cut up to 96% of background noise — a genuinely relevant number if you stream or take calls in a noisy room.
The operational details are thoughtful. Two rechargeable batteries are included, so you can keep one charging while the other runs, and a 15-minute charge is quoted for a top-up. Battery life is rated at 60 hours. Bluetooth 5.3 gives roughly 10 meters of range. There is a touch-based volume control and media control, plus a mobile app for EQ and mixing. It is a white, over-ear headset with fabric, faux leather, and metal in the build, and it ships with a transmitter, a pop filter, and two USB-C cables. Warranty is one year.
Who should buy it: gamers running multiple systems, streamers who need a broadcast-clean mic without a separate interface, and remote workers who want one headset for calls, music, and games. Who should skip it: anyone whose priority is a neutral, repeatable reference for mix decisions. ANC and consumer tuning change the sound, and the wireless chain adds a codec in the path. It is a communication and entertainment tool, not a measurement tool.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for mixing and mastering → beyerdynamic DT 1770. Closed-back reference tuning, 250-ohm Tesla drivers, and pad swapping between velour and leatherette are all aimed at critical listening.
• Best for voice and streaming → SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. The ClearCast Pro mic with AI noise rejection and a pop filter is included; the DT 1770 has no microphone at all.
• Best for isolation from room noise → SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. Active noise cancellation is a headline feature; the DT 1770 relies on passive closed-back isolation only.
• Best for repairability and long-term ownership → beyerdynamic DT 1770. Detachable mini-XLR cable, replaceable pads and headband, two cables and two pad sets in the box.
• Best for low-fuss setup → SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. At 38 ohms it runs from a USB-C port or Bluetooth; the DT 1770 at 250 ohms wants a proper amp or interface.
• Best for latency-critical gaming → SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. Low-latency 2.4GHz wireless with the LC3+ codec is the point of the design.
• Best for battery-free, always-on sessions → beyerdynamic DT 1770. It is wired. There is nothing to charge and no 60-hour clock running down.
If I were buying for my own desk and my priority was making mix decisions I could trust, I would buy the beyerdynamic DT 1770. In my opinion, the closed reference design, the 250-ohm Tesla drivers, the swappable velour and leatherette pads, and the detachable single-sided cable add up to a tool that will still be doing its job years from now, and the replaceable parts make that realistic rather than optimistic. The Arctis Nova Pro is the better product for almost everything else — gaming, streaming, calls, multi-device chaos — and if that is your day, I would recommend it without hesitation. But for mixing specifically, the DT 1770 is the one I would put on my head.
how to connect studio headphones
Studio headphones like the DT 1770 connect through a wired jack — a 3.5 mm plug with a 1/4-inch adapter included in the box, terminating at a detachable mini-XLR connector on the headphone itself. Because the DT 1770 is 250 ohms, it is best driven from an audio interface, mixer, or dedicated headphone amp rather than a laptop's built-in output. A wireless headset like the Arctis Nova Pro connects differently, over USB-C, 2.4GHz via its transmitter, or Bluetooth 5.3.
how to test studio headphones
The practical test is a familiar, well-recorded track you know inside out, listened to at a modest, consistent level. With the DT 1770, the fair test includes swapping between the supplied velour and leatherette pads, since they deliberately change the presentation, and checking that bass stays balanced rather than boosted. For a wireless headset like the Arctis Nova Pro, test both the 2.4GHz and Bluetooth paths, since the codec and connection type can affect what you hear.
how to bluetooth studio headphones
The DT 1770 has no Bluetooth — it is a wired-only, 250-ohm closed studio headphone, and there is no wireless mode to enable. If Bluetooth is a requirement, you either add a separate Bluetooth transmitter to a wired headphone or choose a headset built for it, like the Arctis Nova Pro with Bluetooth 5.3 and roughly 10 meters of range. Those are two different design goals, not two settings on one product.
can you mix with just headphones
Yes, plenty of work gets done on headphones alone, and a closed reference model like the DT 1770 is built for exactly that — closed back for isolation, balanced bass, and high resolution across a 5 Hz–40 kHz range. The honest caveat is that headphones cannot reveal room-related problems the way monitors can, so checking a mix on more than one system is still wise. A consumer wireless headset with ANC and gaming tuning, like the Arctis Nova Pro, is the wrong reference for that job.
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