Wired headsets may seem a bit old-fashioned these days. After all, with so many great wireless headset options, tethering to your computer with a cable seems like quite a limitation. Plus, it limits your options in terms of the role it can play in your life – many great wireless headsets support Bluetooth and 2.4GHz RF connections, making them ideal for travel, while many contemporary phones don’t have a 3.5mm audio output ports no longer.
Still, when it comes to superior audio quality, many people point to wired headsets, which deliver better results than their wireless counterparts. This means that any wired gaming headset will have one main purpose – providing great sound while you’re sitting in front of your computer. And if you ask me $330/€300 first of all, like the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro that I’m wearing now, it better be something special. Normally I wouldn’t post a general review at the beginning of a review, but in this case I’ll make an exception: this one is exceptional.
So what do you get for your moolah? Well, this particular version of the MMX 330 Pro is described as an open-back headset, which means there are vents in the ear cups that expose the back of the drivers to open air. Properly open, the rear speakers almost completely expose the rear of the drivers, and are the kind of cans that will make audio geeks squirm with ecstasy at the mere mention of them, thanks to a perceived “more spacious” soundstage and excellent sound placement.
However, this design will leak a significant amount of sound into the space around you and will have less than ideal passive noise isolation – whereas closed speakers provide both, but usually have a more narrow, narrower soundstage.
Specification of the Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro open model
Semi-open headphones are something of a compromise and I would say that Beyerdynamics definitely fits this category better. The compact ear cup vents greatly expand the soundstage, but aren’t so open that they leak huge amounts of sound or provide zero passive noise isolation. It’s a bit of a middle ground, and this headset is even better for it.
The drivers in this case are Beyerdynamic’s 45mm Stellar.45 units, the same ones found in the DT900 Pro X and DT700 Pro in the game guide.
Yes, the same drivers are here in this much more gaming-focused headset. And they are Excellent. I’ve used several sets of studio headphones over the years, and while they can be amazingly correct, they can also be quite tiring for long listening periods. There are no such worries here. Everything is precisely and beautifully placed in the soundstage, but the overall effect is still hot, pleasant and comforting.
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The bullets whizz past your ears in Gray Zone Warfare with a tingling sizzle, while the rasps and crunches in my nightmare version of Satisfactory have a depth to them that I hadn’t noticed before. It’s often said that the most crucial thing in a gaming headset is a great set of drivers, even if they’re not specifically designed for gaming, and that’s made clear here.
Musically, these drivers really get down to business. What is most impressive is the pretty, golden quality of staging and reproduction. This minimal ear cup ventilation really widens the soundstage and narrows it down a bit if you cover them with a bit of duct tape (yes, out of curiosity, I put some inexpensive duct tape on a set of $330 headphones). This headset is simply a wonderful canvas on which to paint your songs, with a sparkling, confident quality, from low bass to high treble.
Speaking of low-end, the MMX 300 Pro has more bass than I expected from an open-back setup. Not in a terribly over-the-top, Beats-style way (I could write several articles about my hatred of the Beats, but this isn’t the place), but more so, if there is a significant sub-bass chosen in your music, like Fritz Kalkbrenner’s “Facing the Sun” – this set can put it right where it needs to be.
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Smaller drivers will either completely ignore this ultra-low range, muddy it, or turn it up to the sky. No, here it is exactly where you want it in the mix, low, gloomy, jaw-tingling and velvety while the guitar part shimmers above it. It’s really impressive and the first time I listened to it I exclaimed loudly to my partner:
“Man, this stuff is good.”
And then there is comfort. In compact, I think this is the softest and most comfortable headset I have ever worn. Velor ear cups hug your ears the same way your favorite couch caresses the back of your body, and the memory foam headband provides support and comfort in every way.
There is even a compact cutout on the inside of the band to prevent pressure on the fontanel, making this set an absolute pleasure to wear all day long. It’s also a subtle item, so you won’t have a problem wearing it in a professional setting, unlike other brightly colored headsets I could mention. As a warrior who works in an office all day, I can’t think of a few better headsets to attach to your bonce.
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Considering this, as a semi-open back kit (Beyerdynamic may disagree with this, but I’m sticking with it), you may annoy your colleagues a bit. Again, there is some sound leakage here, but it’s not as bad as with a fully open back set. A good compromise, but it’s worth remembering that people nearby will still be able to hear what you’re listening to at high volume.
Unlike the DT900 Pro X, the MMX 300 Pro has a proper tilting microphone for gaming. It’s a cardioid condenser microphone, and the bad news: it’s not detachable. The good news is that it sounds great and reproduces a prosperous, hot tone with plenty of crisp detail. There’s no noise-cancelling software here, so you’ll hear a compact amount of background noise, and if you hold it too close to your mouth, it’s a bit explosive. That being said, holding it at a reasonable distance results in truly excellent voice capture by the headset.
Beyerdynamic describes this as “broadcast quality” and I tend to agree. I’d still give it some very delicate noise reduction before using it on anything professionally recorded, so it’s a shame there isn’t any available here as part of the package. But regardless, the sound quality is excellent and background noise is minimal from the raw microphone signal. It’s certainly a cut above almost all other gaming headsets when it comes to recording prosperous, well-balanced vocals, so overall this is another win for Beyerdynamics.
However, you do have a slightly bulky cable to deal with. The set includes an adapter that allows you to connect the microphone and headphone sockets to one 3.5 mm output. While it’s perfectly crafted and provides a reassuring thickness, it feels a bit overdone.
Buy if…
✅ Are you looking for exceptionally good sound: There’s no two ways about it – the MMX 330 Pro sounds fantastic, and the rear vents really expand the soundstage for both atmospheric gaming audio and musical chops.
✅ You don’t mind the cable: This is just a wired headset, so you’re tied to that cable, for better or for worse.
Don’t buy if…
❌ Do you want to take your cans on a trip: The Audeze Maxwell is still the better choice due to the versatility of connection options, although when it comes to sound, it’s a close call – and the MMX 330 Pro is more convenient.
❌ Are you the private type: There is a compact amount of sound coming from this vent, so be prepared for your co-workers to hear it loudly at their desks.
I would also prefer something braided to prevent tangling. Still, there’s a useful built-in mute switch and volume knob, and it’s decently long, so placing it on the back of a desktop computer shouldn’t be a problem.
So this is an extremely comfortable gaming headset, with proper studio-grade drivers, a stunning sound profile, an excellent microphone, and build quality that feels like it will last a long time. The only thing that puzzles me is the price, as one of our favorite audiophile gaming headsets, the wireless planar magnetic, as well as the truly brilliant Audeze Maxwell, can be had for about the same money.
Would I choose Maxwell over MMX 300 Pro? Yes. Just. This is mainly due to the freedom of choice that wireless headsets provide and the amazingly good planar magnetic drivers. The Beyerdynamic set is a really worthy competitor, though, and if I didn’t worry about taking cans with me when traveling, I think choosing between them would be a matter of flipping a coin.
Considering the audio delight on offer here and the overall quality of the headset, I think the $330 price tag is actually reasonable – even for a wired set. This is luxurious, high-tech and boutique equipment that proves it in every way. It’s not often that I come across a headset that truly impresses with its sound quality, comfort, and overall design, but the Beyerdynamic MX 330 Pro is exactly that. It’s nice to have nice things, right?
