Customer Reviews

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Open Studio Headphones 250 Ohms

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I cannot tell you when i put those cans on my head, sound quality and frequency response are better than the Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones and Audio-Technica ATHM40FS Precision Studio Headphones as i have two friends who own these two and they told me that the Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro are better than their headphones, i tested this myself, yes the sound quality is much better. For Bass lovers these headphones provide a little boost for the low frequencies, Bass guitar, Bass drums, their low end frequency response is at 5 Hz and still can deliver clear articulated bass response, not suitable for people who do not like bass, also the treble is a little high, but this can be adjusted with the EQ. These headphones has no flat response like the 880s. I like to listen to Rock, Trance, Spanish,Cris Rea, Kitaro music and these cans delivers those kinds of music with unprecedented precision, when listening to Mp3 you will notice that 128 kb/sec quality is different from 320 kb/sec quality, and that is not the case with most other headphones i tried before, this is my first audiophile headphone. You will listen to the details of every musical instrument, without any overlap with other instrument, and when you will turn on the volume, there will not be any distortion, and you will continue to enjoy the music, but take care after 1 or 2 hours you will feel that your ears will hurt you.
If you have a home audio amplifier or a portable amplifier you will listen better to music and you can unleash the power of these cans.
They are built with quality components, not plastic but metal headband, with comfortable velour ear padding, it is written in the inner side of the headband " Made In Germany", Sennheiser HD 280 headphones are made in Ireland.
The delivery to Egypt was fast through Aramex without any problems, the product arrived in a hard paper boxing for protection, it was perfect.

There is some disadvantages, the opened design of these cans will diffuse the sound and people around when you listen to your music, if you are at work or on a plane these cans are not for you, if you are at the studio or home or a quite place they are for you as you will not disturb people around you, they do not block outside sound, they do not have noise cancellation but have a good sound isolation, i was not annoyed by outside noise when listening to music on a moderate volume but they attenuate the outside noise at an acceptable level.

If you like fancy headphones, they do no look like Dr Dre headphones, these cans are not for people who seeks fashion headphones.

The advantage of the opened design is that they are the best sound reproduction like Sennheiser HD 650, i checked many review sites before taking this decision and then bought it, after buying these cans and making more research, i discovered that there are compared to the well known best headphones; Sennheiser HD 800 with slight difference that will be noticed only by professionals in studios. In that site that compares between them it was advised that they are almost similar in Frequency response , distortion, but the price is almost the 1/8 s for the Beyers. If you are a sound producer or a sound professional go for the HD 800s and of course you can afford it's price

Conclusion, if you want to buy the best headphone with this price go for it without hesitation, you will not regret the money you paid for it.

Superior frequency range - excellent sound - absolutely worth the price for me. This is my second set, the first set is still going strong after 2.5 years of hard use and many 3 foot drops to the hard floor.

I have had my Sennheiser HD555 for 2 years, recently had the MK II's and now also have the Sennheiser 598 and these Beyer DT990 Pro's. I will discard out of the comparison the AKG's because I don't believe them worthy. The upper/mid range is very good the sound-stage/imaging ok, but Base is severely lacking. They feel cheap. I have had 20$ sony's giving a more pleasant listening experience.
I thought, when I first heard them, that the Senn HD555 were fantastic - and beat all previous headphones by a mile with the quality of sound, nice, warm sound, lovely Base, sound-stage and VERY comfortable. The Senn HD598's are an improvement over the HD555's. The Base is lower, tighter(less muddy around the edges)and the upper end is much sharper and extends further than the 555's. - the sound-stage is slightly wider, therefore separation with more complex pieces of music more defined, giving a more rewarding listening experience. They, again are very comfortable, but not as much as the 555's.
The Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro's are the headphones I have been looking for. For most of the music I listen to they outperform all the above. The ear pads are divine, cover/seal the ears well. The headband is overly tight however, for me, causing slight discomfort after and hour or so - PLEASE FIX THIS BEYER!! Now the sound! Fantastic!! The Base goes Very Low with no distortion, but does not outshine the fine and powerful Mid range and the extended and again powerful high end. The Sound-stage is massive, considerably exceeding the Senn's so you become much more immersed in the music (or movie). The Base is very tight and defined, really a pleasure. One exception to the praise is that SOMETIMES the highs are a little metallic/shrill sounding, this works wonders with strings but IF you listen to a lot of strong VOCAL forward/predominant music you would probably prefer the Senn HD598, they were superior for this kind of music. With Dance, Electronica, Classical, Pop, Movies - the DT's SHINE, I mean they really are fantastic and I don't often say that about a gadget.

Senn HD555: Slightly inferior to the HD598 in the upper/low end. Most comfortable.
Senn HD598: Intimate, Vocals forward (reducing sound-stage), natural vocals, slightly less Base(also less defined/looser Base), Comfortable. Excel in vocal predominant music.
Beyer DT990: Expansive sound-stage, 'sometimes' shrill high end, beautiful overall sound across the range. Vastly superior for music involving strings, choral, classical, electronica/dance, pop, movies. Headband puts a little too much pressure on.
++ It should be noted that I sometimes use portable devices. My iriver will NOT power these or the Senns adequetly, however my daughters IPOD Touch has plenty enough power, no issue at all on that!++

I couldn't be happier with these. As long as the sound signature is to your preference, they are a great value. Before this I had a Sony MDR V6 and a Sennheiser HD280, and for around twice as much money, the DT990 sound more like 3 or 4 times as good. These numbers are little arbitrary, but the point is that these sound so much better than my previous headphones, especially considering the price.

This is how I'd describe their sound signature:

- Deep, powerful, incredible bass. It's not boomy or bloated but it is very prominent. It's like high quality subwoofers for your head.
- Highs are detailed, well resolved, and bright. They aren't as sibilant as the V6, but they can still get fatiguing.
- The mids are pleasant and natural, but they do seem less emphasized than the bass and highs.
- Greatly increased detail and body. Textures are more visceral.
- Incredible, huge soundstage. This is my favorite thing about these headphones, the sound is just so 3D and enveloping.

Regarding the need for a dedicated amp, I drove these pretty well on my laptop headphone jack. Sometimes the max volume wouldn't be quite enough, but it was certainly adequate. My Ipod, on the other hand, could barely get them to an acceptable volume. I also have an old NAD preamp and a Cmoy amp -- these do a better job than the laptop headphone jack for sure, but I wouldn't say they are truly necessary.

As for build quality, these things are solid. I was surprised at how light they are, but they seem extremely durable.

I bought it after looking up the reviews on different websites. I have a wireless Sennheiser RS180 for a while and do not have experience on wire headphone. I am happy to have DT 990 pro because I can hear much more details and the reproduction is very good.

First off, let me say that this item came defective with the right speaker not working at all. I am in the process of returning it to seller and getting it replaced (thanks Amazon!). Anyways, I have tried these specific headphones before; just for clarification these are the 250ohm impedance pro versions. They sound absolutely spectacular! I prefer headphones with crystal clear highs and deep punchy bass for my music. I am not a fan of neutral headphones but I do not have a job occupation requiring those. These are as the item description says "Semi-Open" Backed Headphones. This means air will leak in/out. There is only a slight noticeably effect of noise-isolation, the equivalent being pvc pipes being placed over your ears. You will hear people talk and your environment around you. If this isn't your cup of tea, I definitely recommend the DT770 80/250 ohm "closed" headphones as they provide lots of noise isolation. That being said the open design does wonders in quiet environment. I am not an audiophile or a mixing artist, I just love listening to music and trying different headphones, and these are probably my favorite open designed headphones as of late. I do own the Tesla T1 and the HD 800 but for the money you pay for the DT990's the next step of is for only a little bit more detail. They work great for "all-around" headphones. I use them for gaming (Xbox 360/Ps3 with Astro MixAmp Pro), music (with Fiio E7/E9 setup), and movies. There is not much these headphones cannot do. As an example, on the PS3 for a Battlefield player such as myself, you can hear the ricochets and explosions around you with extreme detail (as if you were there). For music, I listen to everything, meaning classical, electronica, classic rock, alternative, dubstep, hip hop/r&b, ambient, etc. They sound amazing at every genre. Some may say that the mids are recessed with the overwhelming bass but that effect, while present, is very hard to notice.

Now back to condition. The only reason I am giving this 4 stars is because of quality of item when it arrived. It did arrive defective. I received the item from Recording Store, and they swiftly and politely gave me a return label, and am in the process of receiving my new pair. I will hopefully edit when I receive this new pair, but continue to have high hopes. I have had this issue in the past seeing that Beyerdynamic still hand-makes some or all parts on the higher up headphones. Luckily the seller had a return policy but if that failed, Beyerdynamic has a repair policy that works just as well mind you it does cost so use return policy/warranty if it isn't too late. That being said the condition of these headphones since they are hand-made can be varied. Of the 7 pair of cans from Beyer I own, my first DT770 32 ohms arrived with a noticeable +4dB difference on the right side, my DT880's the same but on the left, and now these DT990's. Even with dealing all that, are they worth it? It depends on you the consumer about promptness, but I assure you the sound quality and build quality (minus the defective parts) are most definitely worth the trouble (assuming you even get a defective pair).

All-in-all:

Pros: Great sound quality and build quality, great all-around headphone.
Cons: Virtually no noise isolation, watch/listen for defects.

I got these for someone who said he couldn't tell much difference between these and his Beats Studio phones other than needing to bring up the volume on his computer more to hear at the same level.

So we plugged them into a NuForce Icon HD amp and he said that he REALLY liked these after that. He likes 'em much more than his Beats Studios now and picked these over the Sennheiser HD598 cans once he got to listen to them as he'd have them (plugged into the amp).

So get a good amp and these things are rich, lively, detailed, and wide sounding. Very nice phones... leaving most others in the dust.