beyerdynamic DT 990 Premium 250 Ohm Headphone (Black/Silver)

by beyerdynamic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 8.5 inches ; 8.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000F2BLTW
• Item model number: DT 990 Premium 250 Ohm
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 29, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Velour earpads make long periods of extended listening easy on the ears. View larger

250 Ohm Version - Designed for Home Stereo and Critical Listening

This is the 250 ohm version of the DT 990 Premium line, designed explicitly for use with dedicated stereo equipment such as home theater systems and headphone amplifiers. Conventional headphones with lower impedance ratings offer higher volumes at the same level of input, but need heavier drivers to compensate for low impedance or risk sounding muddy and distorted. The lower mass of the drivers of a higher-impedance headphone delivers unparalleled clarity and response, but takes more power to achieve the same loudness. So a higher-impedance headphone such as the 250-ohm DT 990 is ideal for use in home stereo applications, where clarity and dynamic response are paramount, as well as for use with high-performance home theater equipment and headphone amplifiers.

Hear every note, every beat, and every detail just as it was intended

A gold plated 3.5 mm stereo jack with 1/4" inch adapter is included and is therefore suitable for use with almost all headphone amplifiers.

Open, On-Ear Design with Velour Earpads

The DT 990 features an open-back circumaural (over-the-ear) design for rich audio performance that's designed for critical listening. The open design of the headphones allows increased fidelity to the original recording and a more natural sound stage. The driver design of the DT 990 gives your music full reign, with natural response and crisp linearity. You'll hear every note, every beat, and every detail just as the artist originally intended.

Dynamic Transducer for Increased Fidelity and Performance

Without exception, beyerdynamic manufactures the dynamic transducer systems that go into their headphones in-house. From the magnet and diaphragm to the careful wiring and circuitry, beyerdynamic controls quality at all levels of manufacturing, ensuring superior engineering in their headphones down to the smallest detail.

An extremely strong neodymium magnet system offers the DT 990 highly detailed sound reproduction quality, and is mechanically very robust. This increased efficiency also leaves the DT 990 with greater power reserves for precise linear response that is especially suited for high-performance audio applications where precise audio reproduction is the most important consideration, and dedicated equipment is available such as a headphone amplifier. The large 250-ohm voice coil provides unrivaled response clarity and increased impulse fidelity.

	DT 990			DT 880			DT 770			DT 860	DT 660	DT 440
	32	250	600	32	250	600	32	250	600
Application	MP3 and PC	Home Hi-Fi	High End	MP3 and PC	Home Hi-Fi	High End	MP3 and PC	Home Hi-Fi	High End	32 Ohm for MP3 and PC
Sound Characteristics	Strong Bass & Treble			Neutral & Linear			Strong Bass & Treble			Crystal Clear	Powerful	Balanced
Construction	Open			Semi-Open			Closed			Open	Closed	Open
Headband	Spring Steel Headband									Plastic Headband (foldable)

What's in the Box

• The beyerdynamic DT 990 Headphones (250 Ohms)
• Screwable 6.35 mm / 1/4" adaptor
• Leatherette Carrying Bag

Technical Specifications

• Transmission Type: Wired
• Impedance: 250 ohms
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 35,000 Hz
• Sound Pressure Level: 96 dB
• Construction: Circumaural (over-the-ear)
• Cable & Plug: Straight connecting cable with mini-jack plug (3.5 mm) & 1/4" adapter (6.35 mm)
• Net Weight: 290 g

Product Description

High Definition made in Germany. The open designed DT 990, one of the classics from beyerdynamic that have set the standard for reference headphones. The superior craftsmanship captures the dynamism and excitement of the audio signal like no other. Three dimensional acoustics and an unrivalled level of wearing comfort to satisfy the most discerning audiophile - high end made in Germany! The beyerdynamic Consumer headphones range includes superior high end headphones for discerning HiFi enthusiasts at home. The DT 990 with its lamella optics will be an eye-catcher for fans of sophisticated designs. This high end product represents beyerdynamic's tradition to combine superior audio quality with state-of-the-art material and perfect workmanship. The distinctive headband features a high comfort and the modular construction allows replacement of all serviceable parts including the ear pads. Impedance is 250 ohm. The DT 990 includes a gold vaporised mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm) and 1/4" adaptor (6.35 mm). The DT 990 is also supplied with a high-quality carrying case. All beyerdynamic headphones include a 2 year parts and labor warranty serviceable in the U.S.A. Frequency response- Dynamic , Nominal SPL - Open, Nominal impedance- 5 - 35,000 Hz, Nominal headband pressure- 96 dB , Weight without cable - 250 ohm, approx. 2.8 N, 9 oz.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning sound is right, May 13, 2007

By 

Travis Dockweiler "tdockweiler" (kalamazoo, mi USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I previously had the AKG 701 headphones as my main headphones. The problem with those is that after several hours they would really hurt my head. They did sound very, very good though. I never realized how much they lacked in the bass department until I put on some old Sennheiser HD-555's.

I "upgraded" to these expecting them to sound about the same or slightly better than my AKG 701s. The difference is HUGE. These sound much, much better. The first week i've been listening to music much more often because these make it sound so much better.

These are by far the most comfortable headphones there is. Easily. No pain and I wear them for up to 5 hours at times when i'm at the computer.

They also work well with my 15gb ipod video, but a headphone amp is suggested. The volume isn't too low on the ipod with these and I actually need to decrease the volume. I wasn't expecting the ipod to be able to power these. Thanks to these, i'm now avoiding mp3 format and have been going with FLAC and Apple Lossless formats.

I'd imagine though that these will not work well with the ipod shuffle or smaller devices. I haven't tested this yet.

I own 6 different pairs of headphones and these are the best. Better than the AKG 701's, Sennheiser HD-555's and Grado SR-80's.

The price on these is very good. I think it's a deal considering my former headphones were much more expensive.

44 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and Durable Audiophile Quality Headphone, March 9, 2006

By 

Alan Seals (Midland, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I have had the 990's for almost 15 years now and they have held up very well. The only change in design I can see is the ones I bought all those years ago had black cushions instead of the current grey. I listen to these straight from the headphone jack of a Revox B-226 Signature CD player, which at $1600 probably has an above average quality headphone jack for a home CD player.......but it drives them fine. I have not tried them on a portable.

They have held up very well though the head-cushion padding is falling apart. Still.......they have held up well and still sound great. About a year after I bought them, I upgraded to the Grado HP-2 headphone for $495. At first I did not like the Grado's as well, but after I gave them time to burn in, I felt the more expensive Grado's had better overall and accurate sound.

But for as little as $160 now, these BeyerDynamics are a great buy. I would also advise people (who live in an area large enough to have electronic store that carry high end headphones) to audition the competition from Grado and Sennheiser for similar prices.

One warning...if these are out of your price range be careful about buying some of the cheaper Beyers. I have heard some of these and they DON'T measure up to the 990's or the competition under $100. If you have under $100 to spend, I recommend the Grado SR-60's ($69) or the Grado SR-80's ($95).

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Alternative to Sennheiser or AKG, April 21, 2007

By 

J. D. Meyer (San Francisco, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

I tried out a friend's pair of these after listening to Sennheiser HD600s and AKG 701s in a store, and then bought this pair. While I know headphones need to play in and everyone hears differently, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with these. Actually I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the Senns or the AKGs, but these have to my hearing a better, fuller low end. They are much more comfortable than my old Koss Pro 4AAs, and the presence of the sound is exceptional. Any headphone in this range is going to point out the shortcomings of your source, but these are very smooth. I connected them to my iPod Nano and they sounded great, no problem driving them. I've got them hooked now to my PC for [...] and it's very sweet.

I've played them with vinyl and CDs. I suppose the AKGs are incrementally more accurate and the Sennheisers kinder to the source, but these are fine.