I’m a huge fan of Beyerdynamic headphones. They’re usually extremely comfortable and have the best sound staging and tuning that works just as well for pinpointing combatants in Warzone as it is for mastering studio music. The company entered the gaming space last year with the new MMX 100 and MMX 150 headsets, which were very well received. Hell, my daughter inherited my MMX 100, which we both love. So I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the wireless version, and it’s finally here — meet the MMX 200 Wireless Multi-platform gaming headset.
This $400 headset from Beyerdynamic takes the MMX 100 and strips all the dangling wires, adds a bit of weight for the radio and battery but keeps the same signature sound. This is one of the cleanest, most precise wireless headsets out right now, bordering on the Gaming Audiophile side of things. That might not be a good thing depending on your experience with headphones that don’t try to drown you in boomy bass.
However, at this price point, the MMX 200 Wireless has extremely stiff competition from the likes of the excellent Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed and the cheaper Corsair HS80 Max. Those two offer a lot more than the MMX 200 in terms of software hubs, EQs, and more. Furthermore, convoluted device switching and somewhat clinical listening experience make the new Beyerdynamic MMX 200 Wireless a less compelling choice than its competitors.
Beyerdynamic MMX 200 Wireless Review
As is tradition with Beyerdynamic headphones, the MMX 200 is very comfortable. The design is traditional, with two very large, rounded and generously cushioned pleather ear cups held by metal hangers connected to a cushioned headband. The hangers slide in and out of the headband to give you adjustment, and the headband has a tight clamping force that does need a few days to loosen up.
The massive ear cups easily cover the ears and provide an excellent sound seal which the 40mm drivers can use to project a wide and crystal clear soundstage. The cushioning is so plush and soft that you never feel any stress on or around your ears. The cups are also swappable, so if the leather ever gets torn up, you don’t have to buy a whole new headset.
The outer cups don’t look much like traditional Beyerdynamic headphones but rather simple closed-back plastic with branding on both sides. The similarly plastic headband has an embossed Beyerdynamic text, and the whole headset feels rather sturdy and durable. At 360g, it’s not the heaviest thing, but you will be aware of its weight.
Controls for the headset are located on the left ear cup and come in bright orange that contrasts beautifully with the two colorways available — Grey and Black. The large volume dial is also clickable and can be used to switch the Augmented mode on or off. I do wish you could do other things with that action like on the HS80 Max.
Below the volume dial is a multifunction button or ‘Meta Link Switch,’ which is primarily used to switch between low latency wireless and Bluetooth. This is where the MMX 200 is a bit convoluted, requiring three quick presses of the button to switch to Bluetooth and two for low latency — that could have just been a long press. Well, in Bluetooth, long pressing and some other combinations of presses are used to manage calls and media playback.
The power button is located alone on the right ear cup, and the MMX 200 always gives you voice prompts letting you know the battery level or pairing status. Aside from that, there are two ports on the cup: a USB Type-C connector for charging and wired listening and a 3.5mm headphone jack for the detachable boom mic.
The mic comes with a solid but flexible arm and a large pop filter. Positioning this mic is much easier than the rigid mics on the HS80 Max and Epos H3Pro Hybrid. And the mic is one of the best-sounding wireless headset mics I’ve tested so far. My voice sounds so natural and clear that I dare say I could use the MMX 200 to record some great voiceovers for TikTok or YouTube.
It doesn’t have the best noise isolation, easily picking up voices and sounds around me, but overall, it sounds great. The MMX 200 also has built-in mics designed to be used while in Bluetooth and on the go. These are significantly worse than the boom mic, but they are there if you don’t want to look like a total dork on the train while you take a phone call.
Connection and battery life
The MMX 200 connects in four different ways: Low latency wireless via a USB dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, and wired, either via a USB cable or an optional USB to 3.5mm cable. The USB dongle is a Type-C connector, which is great for plugging into your PlayStation 5, Windows, and Mac laptops. It’s quite tiny and a great space saver. I even plugged it directly into my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it worked perfectly. Beyer is kind enough to supply a USB-C to A adapter for those without Type-C ports.
The connection is solid with an effective range of 30 feet in line of sight. Go through a couple of walls, and things get spotty real quick. Bluetooth fares much better in these circumstances. Though figuring out how to pair was another rather convoluted process.
Unlike other headsets that just require a long press of the power button to initiate pairing, the MMX 200 goes another route. First power it on, then quickly triple press the Meta Link Switch to enter pairing mode. You might also need to long press the Meta Link switch to get it to pairing mode. It depends. It’s frustrating.
If your device doesn’t support either low latency or Bluetooth wireless, like the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Ones, you will have to buy the optional USB to 3.5mm. That sucks, but at least you can then use the Hybrid mode, which lets you simultaneously connect to a Bluetooth device like your smartphone. That’s the only way you can have two devices connected simultaneously — yes, I know, convoluted.
There’s also an Augmented mode, which is basically what other headphones call Transparency mode. This uses the built-in mics to turn the MMX 200 into an open-back headset so you can hear your own voice or people and sounds in your environment. Great if you are waiting for the doorbell or just want to keep an ear on your kids while you play. It’s fine, I’ve certainly heard better implementations, but I do admit its usefulness as I often find myself lifting off one earcup to listen to the outside world around me.
Finally, battery life. At just about 35 hours, the MMX 200 is acceptable but far from impressive. The competition easily manages about double that, which seriously puts the Beyer offering on the back foot. Typically, I managed about four to five days of about 6 hours of use before needing a recharge. That’s not bad, to be honest, and if you are just using them for gaming, say 3 hours a day, then you get almost two weeks out of them. There’s no fast charging either, so that’s a bit of a letdown in case you want to go out on the commute with them and need a quick top-up.
Gaming and media performance
The MMX 200 are Beyerdynamic, and to some people, they immediately know what to expect. Beyer says Studio quality sound, which means a very flat sound signature with very clear highs and restrained bass. That doesn’t mean they are boring to listen to, no sir. These cans can get you bobbing your head easily thanks to a perfectly tuned mid and bass. The highs are also tuned to be far less fatiguing than some other Studio headphones.
All this is to say, they sound great for games and media consumption. The 40mm drivers deliver an excellent range so that I could easily distinguish between the hiss of a steam vent and the hiss of a grotesquely mutated prison mate in Calisto Protocol. Every squelch of blood and flesh as I stomped fallen enemies was disturbing. On the flip side, even the bass is restrained; the thunderous sound of my boot stomps or the boom of my shotgun were so deliciously satisfying.
Spatial awareness is also key with a gaming headset because it allows you to accurately identify which direction a sound is coming from. The MMX 200 does a fantastic job. Again in the Calisto Protocol, I could easily pinpoint where enemies were scurrying through the vents above and below me. It’s very impressive. In Call of Duty Warzone or Destiny 2 Crucible, I was able to easily and correctly pinpoint enemies.
Outside of games, the story was much the same though compared to my DT 900 Pro X, I felt the MMX 200 severely lacking in the mids and bass. Music just didn’t hit hard, instead sounding, for lack of a better word, clinical. Yes, you can hear every instrument and the layering, but it lacked joy. It’s hard to convey with words, but the MMX 200 didn’t spark joy while listening to music.
I would have loved the option to have some EQ to boost the low end and bring back some joy, but Beyer doesn’t have a hub like Logitech or JBL. Now you might not care so much about that since this is a gaming headset. I, on the other hand, use my headset for work and play, so these things are a consideration if you are like me.
Verdict
The Beyerdynamic MMX 200 are a very good set of gaming headsets for sure, but as I’ve pointed out, they can be quite convoluted in some ways that really dent the experience. In terms of overall sound performance, they are great but not necessarily better than the competition. Using them wasn’t a revelation that I was expecting from Beyer. However, playing games with these headsets was always a joy thanks to the clarity, sound staging, and positional accuracy. Listening to music wasn’t as joyful and somewhat worse than my other Beyerdynamic headphones.
But really, it’s some of those odd choices around controls, device management, and lack of a software hub that make the MMX 200 fall behind competitors and very hard to recommend at $400. Cheaper headsets like the Corsair HS80 Max easily match the MMX 200 in performance but for significantly less money. As I mentioned at the start of this review, I really had high hopes for this headset after my experience with the wired MMX100, but unfortunately, the package as a whole doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Beyerdynamic Australia kindly provided the MMX 200 to PowerUp! Gaming for the purpose of this review
