Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms

by beyerdynamic

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• ASIN: B0011UB9CQ
• Item model number: DT990 Pro Headphones
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 19, 2004

Product Description

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO open dynamic headphones are suitable for the most demanding professional and audiophile applications. The reduced weight of the diaphragm and moving coil result in a similar pulse characteristic as electrostatic headphones and, in combination with a carefully tailored frequency response, offer a natural and balanced sound.Soft ear pads and adjustable, sliding earpieces together with a very flexible coiled cable ensure that DT 990 headphones give you listening comfort during extended periods of use.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable Sound, Comfortable, July 24, 2011

By 

A. Luque - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms (Electronics)

Before buying these headphones I compared them to offerings from Grado (the Sr325i) and Sennheiser (HD595). As soon as I heard music through the Beyerdynamic Dt990's the other headphones suddenly seemed like a distant afterthought.

There are two versions of this headphone. The "Pro" model which is obviously marketed toward studio use and the "premium" model which is a slightly different design marketed for consumer use. Assuming you compare similar impedence models (i.e the 250 ohm model in both cases) then they are exactly the same headphone except for the pro having a coiled cable and slightly higher clamping force (and cosmetic differences).

For over $100 less, I went with the "Pro" model and I am truly impressed. Let me break it down:

Build Quality: 9.5/10
Before I knew these were made in Germany I suspected it. Even though the cups are plastic, it's a VERY rigid plastic that's carefully cut and molded in shape. You could probably stomp on these and they'd survive. There's a very substantial aluminum "fork" that connects the cups to a steel headband structure that allows for quite a bit of articulation so that you can obtain a precise fit. My only complaint is that the coiled cable is... a little annoying sometimes. It can catch on basically any angled surface with ease. In studio use I can imagine a coiled cable would be invaluable in preventing accidentally ripping a piece of equipment off the shelf so I won't penalize it too much.

Comfort: 9.5/10
These headphones are like having stuffed animals cuddling with your ears. They feature these really nice velour earpads that make you feel like you're wearing earmuffs. The reason that I took .5 off is because the "Pro" version has a really high clamping force. That is, initially you feel like they squeeze your head too much. Thankfully, this is very easily remedied by stretching them slightly with some books. Since the headband is high quality spring steel you can adapt the headphones perfectly to your head using this method. Oh... I should mention that if you live in a tropical climate or anywhere warm those velour earpads will make you sweat a ton. For most people I envision this isn't really a problem.

Sound Quality: 10/10
Let me start by saying that these are not really suited for "monitor" headphones. They do not have a perfectly flat response curve and do colour the sound a little bit. That said, for mastering headphones in a studio or for listening to music this "colour" lends music a wonderful vibrance that other headphones just don't do. They do have quite a bit of EXTREMELY detailed trebble and deliver a wonderful detailed but voluminous bass. With these every cymbal sounds crystalline, I can hear the rosin of a violin bow when it's playing, and every electronic synth is delivered with detail that not even the recording engineer thought was there.

This headphone NEEDS an amp to perform properly. They sell portable battery powered amps that drive them well, but in all honesty you want to listen to these in a quiet room for them to truly shine. Paired with a good amp you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Another note: Since these are open air headphones sound DOES leak out (and in). If you work in a cubicle/library or plan to use them outdoors you should instead look at closed-back headphones. If not, the open-air design allows for a very spacious soundstage that you'll grow to appreciate.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best I've ever tried, November 5, 2011

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms (Electronics)

Extremely comfortable, durable, sound is exceptionally dynamic, deep (the bass is bottomless,but not too heavy), and the open-back frame creates a very "open" and dimensional soundstage. I'm more biased towards beyerdynamic as I believe their products tend to have the best balance of sound, but this is all personal preference.
The only negatives are the size of the phones, and the soundleak due to the open back design; however, this only matters if you plan to use these outside of the studio or any mixing circumstances.
These headphones are not meant to be worn casually in everyday situations; the sound leak makes these hard to wear in public places(meaning other people can hear your noise, and vice versa), not to mention the resistance will drain the battery life on your ipod fairly quick.
If you need some inexpensive studio monitors, or you just want one of the best consumer audio products for under 300, go for it.
just as a reference I currently own some Westone UMX3's, Sennheiser HD 25 II's, and the have tried multiple beyerdynamic products.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Headphones for the price., June 6, 2010

By 

Raja.G.N (CHENNAI, INDIA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms (Electronics)

Bought these headphones a couple of week ago and i must say this is a really sweet sounding headphone with good bass. These might not be the most detailed and transparent headphones i have heard or may not have the best mid range(which is a bit reserved) but apart from that every thing else is excellent.If you want an out of a box very good sounding headphone which are not over analytical and fairly easy to drive these must the right headphones for you.These headphones suit Rock, Electronic music really well. The build quality is great and rugged, personally i don't believe in the different ohm version can sound different with respect to this model so i went for the pro version which is the cheapest and i was not disappointed one bit.Another amazing thing about this headphone is that they don't really need good amplification or source to sound good cause they work well any amplifier and source, but i am sure they might sound even better with an amplifier which has the right synergy for this.

Over all i would say if some one is looking for a headphone under 250$ and not planning on spending a great deal on cables or amplification must seriously consider this.