Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 250 Ohm Open Headphones

DT 990 Premium 250 ohms ReviewComparisons: HD 600, (have demoed focal clear, LCDX, HD 800s, HD 820, HD 599 if needed to compare)The first thing you notice is the clamp force is so LIGHT but they won't fall of your head. By the way forgot to add this but this version does lock into place whenever I adjust the headband to how big it is. The gray version seems to have trouble locking in from what I heard but this definitely does not.These are a comfy pair of headphones, way better than HD 600 which after 3 hours the headband would give me a headache on them.To me HD 600 headband was uncomfy and the earpads were very stiff. I tried the HD 599 as well and the DT 990 comfort on these are better than all 3 of these right out of the box.Bass is definitely noticeable ... MoreDT 990 Premium 250 ohms ReviewComparisons: HD 600, (have demoed focal clear, LCDX, HD 800s, HD 820, HD 599 if needed to compare)The first thing you notice is the clamp force is so LIGHT but they won't fall of your head. By the way forgot to add this but this version does lock into place whenever I adjust the headband to how big it is. The gray version seems to have trouble locking in from what I heard but this definitely does not.These are a comfy pair of headphones, way better than HD 600 which after 3 hours the headband would give me a headache on them.To me HD 600 headband was uncomfy and the earpads were very stiff. I tried the HD 599 as well and the DT 990 comfort on these are better than all 3 of these right out of the box.Bass is definitely noticeable when you first put them on with the first hip hop song I played. They literally blew me away.I also tried the LCD-X recently and they got you basically 80% of the bass quantity, which is very good valueimo since the LCDX are a lot more expensive. It's not overbearing for me as someone who isn't really a basshead. It's actually enjoyable to go to a v-shaped sound signature instead of neutral.In terms of music the first thing I noticed when comparing the HD 600 vs DT 990 is that music seems more intimate with the HD 600(closer, smaller soundstage) and DT 990 seems further away. I feel like vocals may be a bit recessed on the DT 990. I sorta understand why I need less volume on the HD 600 than my DT 990. It's probably because of the larger sound stage on the DT 990 making it feel more further away with vocals which makes videos feel less louder. That said my onboard audio was able to handle the HD 600 as well at similar volumes just slightly less than the DT 990. Feels like there is better separation on the DT 990. Switching on HD 600 and DT 990 is night and day difference. I feel like you would forget the DT 990 slightly recessed mids after running them for a few hours and won't be bothersome after a while unless you compare your more mid forward headphones with them a lot.At least to me it seems that way.In terms of treble, I did not seem to suffer as much of these ear piercing amounts and don't really agree with what people say. A lot of people disliked these pairs but I'm one of them that didn't.Sound stage and imaging just to add on. I had the HD 598, although the pads were pretty much not in good shape, the sound stage was very similar to them 598, big and spacious enough for the price range and good for gaming. The imaging as well was perfect and better than the 598 imo, I could tell where a enemy was, there voice, gunshots or footsteps were easy to tell which direction they are in and how far they are.In terms of amps, I noticed no improvement over using one(JDS Labs atom, a very capable amp that is basically end game unless you want to spend 3 times as much, very neutral too and beats magni 3 in measurements.) in comparison to my onboard audio (realtek ALC1220 and ESS sabre 9018 dac), my LG v20(about 10-15/75 on the hifi quaddac), and on the Samsung J320p(about 40%-60%). Usually on the onboard audio I go to about 10-20% at most and on the amp I use low gain at 7 o clock to 10 o clock depending on what I'm listening to(6 o clock is no volume). The only reason I would recommend an amp for this is if you did not get enough volume. If you don't get enough then an amp is something I would recommend to you to get, just try it without the amp so you can see how you feel about it and possibly save money for better headphones in the future.I feel like harder to drive headphones would benefit more, as I just tried the HD 800s and the sound stage blew me away, literally amazing, but when not driven at listenable volume levels it just isn't there as much. So you might consider an amp for later then if you decide to go the high end route of headphones.Overall, these are an enjoyable pair of headphones and the contrasts between the headphones I tried made me really want to get more into this headphone world. I wasn't really that much into headphones and didn't realize how well they sound but I'm excited to try more and these were a great starting headphone into this brand new world. The HD 600 ended up being returned because of it's intimate sound stage and bass being a little too low for me, which also didn't end up benefiting from a solidstate amp as many people say for some reason. The DT 990 seemed like a better all rounder than the other whether I'm gaming, watching casual videos, or listening to music.UPDATE 1/26/19:After playing around using the 3.5 mm I did notice that it did not lock into place on my phone, or in computer head phone jack. Sometimes if I just tilt it a little one earcup can turn off completely. This also may worry me like if I do accidentally get up and at the right angle I can possibly break the 3.5mm off my computer. It does feel a little worrysome, that said the 3.5mm on the HD 600 did not have this problem as it did lock into place. Either I wouldA: Use the 6.3mm, way more sturdy and locks into place in my amp.B: Get a 6.3mm to 3.5 mm that actually does lock into place with a cord attached to it for extra protection.C: Be extra careful with your headphone. You don't want to get up and walk around and accidentally trip on the cord and force your headphone jack to split off.It would annoy me a bit thankfully I do have an amp with 6.3mm so I don't need to worry about it. It happened rarely although.Also the headband isn't as easily replaceable as the DT 990 Pro where it has straps on it if you look on picture on amazon, it does have screw to unscrew the headband part only while this Massdrop DT 990 Premium doesn't. I order a strap on headband I bought off ebay for $5 that was knitted and I'm just going to clip that on to keep the headband part in good condition and for more added comfort to these(which they don't really need). Technically you can take off the WHOLE headband part where it is attached to the earcups but... There are wires attached to the top portion of which I'm not sure how I would do this. The manual didn't explain it (just warranty info) although I can slightly pull the headband cushion part out off the sliders I feel a little scared I might break it/ruin warranty. If anyone knows how to do this please say.Shipping for me also took like 3 days from the date of my purchase to get to my house in NJ, I was expecting a month but that was reasonably quick.

A lot of bass and treble,. At first i pair it with a O2 from JDS labs, omg that treble is so piercing to my ear. This is my first pair of BD so i was expecting it to be ear piercing but not this much, this level treble is so bad, i can even hear every breath from the voice actor or the singer. (btw i got the 600 ohm version)I had to leave it running over night but nothing can tame that treble to my liking, very fatigue when listening to in long session compare to hd650 from sennheiser.However, ever since i pair it with my little dot mk2 with cv4010 tube, which just come recently, the sound from this headphone is pure gold. The treble piercing is no longer there and the bass is much tighter compare to my o2. And with the DT990 600ohm, there is also no more hissing ... MoreA lot of bass and treble,. At first i pair it with a O2 from JDS labs, omg that treble is so piercing to my ear. This is my first pair of BD so i was expecting it to be ear piercing but not this much, this level treble is so bad, i can even hear every breath from the voice actor or the singer. (btw i got the 600 ohm version)I had to leave it running over night but nothing can tame that treble to my liking, very fatigue when listening to in long session compare to hd650 from sennheiser.However, ever since i pair it with my little dot mk2 with cv4010 tube, which just come recently, the sound from this headphone is pure gold. The treble piercing is no longer there and the bass is much tighter compare to my o2. And with the DT990 600ohm, there is also no more hissing from my little mk2, they was flaw when they are alone but together, i am telling you this is so good. These had been my favourite couple so far in headphone and amp. Very detail with tight and punchy bass, very fast headphone - just to my liking.If you buying this headphone, pls pair it with a tube amp in the least, it would make your life much more enjoyable. if you pair it with SS amp, prepare to hear the treble and i am telling you if you are like me who fortunate enough to be able to hear very high frequency, your ear is not gonna appreciate that. That is what you can expect from this headphone.Other than that, the build quality is typical for a BD, flawless! And the earpad is the most comfortable even compare to hd650 and he4xx. Tonly complain is the undetachable cable, but it looked like it gonna last for a long time before i have to change it so it would not be a problem in the near future.

I'm not really good at picking apart the fine details of sound, but darn these things have high treble.After swapping the stock pads with some brainwavz oval hybrids I had kicking around, it brought it to a listenable level. And I mean that in earnest, I couldn't even use these things to listen to music before padswapping! Not trying to hate on the treble heavy sound signature, it just genuinely hurt my ears. Maybe I'm sensitive, I don't know, but that's my experience at the very least.But hey, these pads bring it to a more neutral sound, even if it sound like it's muffling by just a tiny bit. More comfortable with different pads, too, regardless. Headband is nice and soft, clamping isn't bad at all (my head's pretty large, I've been told.)The comfort rating ... MoreI'm not really good at picking apart the fine details of sound, but darn these things have high treble.After swapping the stock pads with some brainwavz oval hybrids I had kicking around, it brought it to a listenable level. And I mean that in earnest, I couldn't even use these things to listen to music before padswapping! Not trying to hate on the treble heavy sound signature, it just genuinely hurt my ears. Maybe I'm sensitive, I don't know, but that's my experience at the very least.But hey, these pads bring it to a more neutral sound, even if it sound like it's muffling by just a tiny bit. More comfortable with different pads, too, regardless. Headband is nice and soft, clamping isn't bad at all (my head's pretty large, I've been told.)The comfort rating with stock pads? I'd say 3/5.But with the brainwavz oval hybrid pads, it's bumped up to a 4.5 / 5, really. Genuinely.Sound quality is pretty good anyways, would recommend some kind of amplifier/power source to drive 'em, etc etc. I don't really have much more to say in that regard.Build quality? I mean, I pretty much just got these, but they feel solid. Like, REALLY solid! Sort of rubbery texture on the outside grates, which I like. A lot of what I think is metal around on everything, too. Headband's quality is also on point as mentioned above. My only concern in this field is the adjusters. They don't really feel all too clicky/smooth, more... grindy, like there's not much of a groove for the adjuster to go into. Or something. Oh, it wobbles a bit too. Which is nice for earpad positioning, but feels kind of weak when I'm forcing the cups to go up or down with my hands.Comparatively to my DT880 32 OHMs edition, the actual cord has a bit of rubberized texture to it, too, on the 990s in this review. The 880s have a slick, plastic feel to the cord, unlike these.Don't think I have much else to say about these cans. Was a bit expensive, but they're pretty decent anyways. I like 'em, I like the look and feel of 'em. If you wanna put another $30/$60/whatever into them for actual listenable sound (again, just my opinion,) I'd say yeah. But if you're looking for a better initial product, I'd try the 880s.Their sound signature is a lot more friendly than this one. And, hey, there's always parametric EQ!

If you were to ask somebody what their favorite kind of headphones are they would declare something like Dre Beats, JVC, or maybe even Skullcandy. While those are all really good headphones they are all missing one very important element - studio production quality. Now Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro may not be much to look at and they may even remind you of your mother's or grandmother's headphones, with their 10ft curly chord and their large, over-ear structure - but with the fact that they possess a true open-back design (which offers impressive spaciousness), transparent immense bass delivering dominant sound, soft, circumoral, completely replaceable ear pads, robust, comfortably padded and adjustable spring steel headband design, and a range of 5 ohms up to 250 ohms - ... MoreIf you were to ask somebody what their favorite kind of headphones are they would declare something like Dre Beats, JVC, or maybe even Skullcandy. While those are all really good headphones they are all missing one very important element - studio production quality. Now Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro may not be much to look at and they may even remind you of your mother's or grandmother's headphones, with their 10ft curly chord and their large, over-ear structure - but with the fact that they possess a true open-back design (which offers impressive spaciousness), transparent immense bass delivering dominant sound, soft, circumoral, completely replaceable ear pads, robust, comfortably padded and adjustable spring steel headband design, and a range of 5 ohms up to 250 ohms - there's no wonder that they are one of the best mixing and mastering headphones on the market. They are made in Germany and the company has been in business since 1924. They cost no more than a set of Dre Beats but, unlike regular "commercial headphone sets", their pitch-perfect sound will blow you away. When mixing and mastering they do tend to bring out the ugly in the music. They are designed this way so that you know exactly where the piece is flawed and where to fix it. They are truly a one-of-a-kind experience and hands down the best headphones I've ever owned. By the way... They are also amazing for gaming.

I received the DT990 600ohm a few days ago, earlier than expected. My initial impression is, they're OK. I've also decided this is my last set of mid-fi headphones.A little background. My current headphone collection includes 6xx, 4xx, m100, SR80. I primarily drive these headphones via an Aune X1S/X7S stack on my desk or a DarkVoice 336 SE in my living room. I also have a Topping NX4 and EarStudio ES100 for portable use. I primarily use the 6xx with the DarkVoice and the 4xx with the X7S in balanced mode. So they are currently my most familiar reference point for open back headphones.My first listen to the DT990 was via the X7S. I primarily listenened to classic rock, jazz, hip-hop and R&B. I immediately recognize the boosted treble. Overall I didn’t find it ... MoreI received the DT990 600ohm a few days ago, earlier than expected. My initial impression is, they're OK. I've also decided this is my last set of mid-fi headphones.A little background. My current headphone collection includes 6xx, 4xx, m100, SR80. I primarily drive these headphones via an Aune X1S/X7S stack on my desk or a DarkVoice 336 SE in my living room. I also have a Topping NX4 and EarStudio ES100 for portable use. I primarily use the 6xx with the DarkVoice and the 4xx with the X7S in balanced mode. So they are currently my most familiar reference point for open back headphones.My first listen to the DT990 was via the X7S. I primarily listenened to classic rock, jazz, hip-hop and R&B. I immediately recognize the boosted treble. Overall I didn’t find it terrible, but like the SR80 I can see where it could get fatiguing over a long listening session depending on the type of music you are listening to. The low end on the DT990 is present without being boomy and the mids are somewhat recessed. In short the DT990 sound signture is V-Shaped. The DT990 doesn’t sound bad via the X7S, but they don’t wow me. That said, listening to the 4xx or 6xx via the SE out on the X7S is an equally underwhelming experience. When the 4xx & 6xx are driven via the balanced out they both shine. Unfortunately this is not an option with the DT990. If you have the X7S plan on getting balanced cables for your headphones. The SE out is just OK.Today I listened to the DT990 via the DarkVoice. Same classic rock, jazz, hip-hop and R&B playlist. The tubes reduce some of the treble harshness I heard via the X7S and the low end remains satisfying with mids a little recessed. The vocal presentation I experience and love with th DV/6xx combo is just not there with the DT990. The soundstage and imaging are really good. Led Zepplin’s Whole Lotta Love is great for testing this out. Again, the DT990 don’t sound bad, they are just not has pleasing to my ear as the 6xx via the DarkVoice.On the comfort front, I like the DT990 a lot. They are light and fit my head well. I have no problem wearing them for extended periods of time. The overall build quality seems pretty good and they should last a long time if cared for properly. The case they can delivered in is very nice as well.Now that I have had a chance to listen to the DT990 I think my days of buying mid-range headphones is over. I am ready to move up th price curve and see what else is out there. I’ll keep listening to th DT990 for another week or 2 to see if my opinion changes, but as of now I spect I’ll be selling these. I think I like a more balanced sound signature and when I’m in the mood for big bass the m100 get the job done.

DT 990 600 Ohm Headphones

You know the saying, "Your mileage may vary." Mine certainly does. The conventional wisdom is that these are shrill, peaky cans - the worst offender in the Beyerdynamic legacy lineup (DT770, DT880, DT990) of treble monsters, inexplicably trying with all their might to **** your ears.I found them quite pleasant. Yes, they are bright, even sibilant. On some tracks, you'll want to EQ them, pad swap them or turn the volume down. But part of the disdain comes from a lot of people raised on the Sennheiser HD6XXs, with their rolled-off highs, introducing the infamous Sennheiser veil.Without a doubt, rolled-off highs make it a lot easier to spend hours and hours with a steady stream of music pumping into your ears. Cans that emphasize - or at least filter less - all ... MoreYou know the saying, "Your mileage may vary." Mine certainly does. The conventional wisdom is that these are shrill, peaky cans - the worst offender in the Beyerdynamic legacy lineup (DT770, DT880, DT990) of treble monsters, inexplicably trying with all their might to **** your ears.I found them quite pleasant. Yes, they are bright, even sibilant. On some tracks, you'll want to EQ them, pad swap them or turn the volume down. But part of the disdain comes from a lot of people raised on the Sennheiser HD6XXs, with their rolled-off highs, introducing the infamous Sennheiser veil.Without a doubt, rolled-off highs make it a lot easier to spend hours and hours with a steady stream of music pumping into your ears. Cans that emphasize - or at least filter less - all that HF detail will be more ear-fatiguing. No argument there. But if you've come to a place in your journey where safe is a tad boring, and where rolled-off highs seem veiled and lifeless, take a walk on the wild side, at least for the sake of variety.My first cans were Grados, which are also bright and lively. In time, I gravitated toward the HD800, then planars like the LCD2, the LCD2c and the LCD-X. The HD800 was more like the DT990, in terms of being bright and peaky, but it was a lot clearer than the HD6XXs. Audeze's planars proved to be quick, like the HD800, but with rolled-off highs that needed to be EQ'd.What got me to take a second look at the DT990 was the DT1990, with its blazing-fast Tesla driver. The DT1990 proved to be incredibly detailed, but not without also being peaky and sometimes sibilant. The Audezes made me realize how much I missed the high end and the DT1990 gave it to me with a vengeance. But I found myself craving it for the detail it elicits.These are a cheaper version of the DT990, with no Tesla driver, but with surprisingly rich detail made more palatable by EQing the low bass. I've tried pad swapping with Dekoni's Elite sheepskin pads but I don't like the muddier result. As with the Grado 325, you can **** a lot of the griping about overly-aggressive treble by simply bringing up the bass, either with EQ or with the right pads. When you bring up the bass, you lessen the likelihood of over-cranking the volume to get more bass - and getting overkill with the treble.Forget the graphs. Forget the crowd. If you want to get more detail for less - and you're willing to pad-swap or EQ - these are spectacular cans. Be forewarned that this price point means the cables are not detachable. If that's a dealbreaker, look for something else. I, personally, never saw the big deal in detachable cables, which I have on other cans but rarely detach.

Excellent sound, and Super Comfortable; Great High-end Consumer Sound

I absolutely recommend this pair of headsets. Although concerns about the pads might be warranted after a year or so of use, the comfort that they provide while listening is well worth potentially buying some replacement pads. The sound itself is excellent. Paired with a quality soundcard, all the sounds pop. You can even begin to notice the quality by which certain pieces are mastered since it so accurately captures all the notes. That is how good these headphones are. For the sub $200 price, I would absolutely buy this again.

Fantastic headphones for home listening

Came across these on a hunt for new headphones to go with my digital piano and also give a more pleasant experience occasionally listening at home from all devices (full separates set-up, laptop, phone etc). Called Richer Sounds as there seemed a chance they might have some of the widely recommended [32 Ohm] Beyerdynamic 880's in stock somewhere (flatter EQ response and less "open" than these apparently, although obviously I cannot personally compare) and the person taking the call said they didn't but mentioned these straight away. As far as I could tell the only "downside" was they might give a little extra bass and leak a little more sound (being open rather than semi-open) so I decided to give them a go, rather than chance 880s at £60 dearer from amazon. Glad I ... MoreCame across these on a hunt for new headphones to go with my digital piano and also give a more pleasant experience occasionally listening at home from all devices (full separates set-up, laptop, phone etc). Called Richer Sounds as there seemed a chance they might have some of the widely recommended [32 Ohm] Beyerdynamic 880's in stock somewhere (flatter EQ response and less "open" than these apparently, although obviously I cannot personally compare) and the person taking the call said they didn't but mentioned these straight away. As far as I could tell the only "downside" was they might give a little extra bass and leak a little more sound (being open rather than semi-open) so I decided to give them a go, rather than chance 880s at £60 dearer from amazon. Glad I did - they arrived 3 days later (despite being ordered on a Boxing Day Sunday) and they have been in constant use since. As far as the digital piano goes, it was like getting a new piano with the extra detail they provided; the bass frequencies were a little more prominent than I was used to, but of course they are a practice tool and for making me work harder on left hand and pedalling that is perfect.They are great for all styles of recorded music I have tried them with so far, although I will now be keeping them well away from lo-quality mp3s as you really notice the flaws in these. I was never a fan of wearing noise-cancelling headphones at home as it is strange to shut out ALL noise (not be able to hear the door etc) so it is really good for this, you can almost have a conversation with someone whilst they are on without unintentionally shouting at them. And despite this, the noise leakage to outside isn't that significant although I am not going to test this on a busy train any time soon. I feared the 3m cable would be like trailing round a guitar lead, but actually it is light and an ideal length, even just long enough for me to avoid repositioning my desk and turntable! So all in all, an excellent purchase.

Precision German audio engineering

I was at first a bit sceptical about how much of a difference a good pair of headphones makes, but after upgrading to these after running more budget-oriented EPOS/Sennheiser GSP 300s, I can safely say that they are worth every dollar. The sound quality is like night and day - you hear parts of music that you've never noticed before, with an excellent soundstage to boot. And all this running off a fairly average, mid-range X570 motherboard sound. I can also recommend the DT 990 Edition for its build quality and comfort. I've often had issues with wearing other headphones over extended periods for work and play, but the velour earpads are exceptionally comfortable and I've never had problems with sore ears since using them. All-in-all, excellent cans.

They Broke After just a couple weeks of use

After only 4-8 weeks of use my left side of my headphones complete stopped working. The right side of the headphones still works, but due to the manufacturers design the headphones aren't easily fixable. Wouldn't recommend these headphones to others but a plus was their comfort, so if you want to risk it for the comfort go for it. Overall my experience with these headphones has been awful.