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I keep coming back
Posted by Wholly on 2012-10-23Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Comfortable, Amazing
Cons: A little plain visually
I was going to post this as a con, but it got a little long. Because they sound so amazing it is hard to not turn it up - which can be annoying to those nearby.
Get an amp. You won't like them without one.
Now for the review title - because they're open and I work in a cube farm it is really hard to put them on knowing that others will have to enjoy what I'm listening to as well. So I leave them at home for a month. I see them, calling. And then I pull out the amp and light them up and remember WHY I bought these when my hair stands up on end. From the clear and deep bass to the amazing detail in the mids and highs they just sound amazing. I'm glad I have some other good options but I always come home to my 990s.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
One of the best open cans out there
Posted by NA Blur from Bozeman, MT on 2011-09-08Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Airy Sound, Bass, Comfort
Cons: Cable Length
First let me say that I own many great headphones including the ATH-M50 and AH-D2000. I also use a Grace m903 for most of my headphone testing as I find it a neutral sounding amp.
I was looking for a headphone to compliment my AH-D2000's both in design and sound signature. The D2000 being dark, slightly bass heavy, and closed made me want something not as dark, more imaging based, and open. I tried Grado SR225i's, Grado RS-1i's, and the Beyerdynamic DT990.
The Grado SR225i's are too bright and have the same comfort issues as all Grados using bowl pads. The frequency range according to the Gradolabs site only goes from 20 Hz up to 22 kHz. The SR-80 goes from 20 Hz to 20 kHz so the 225i really only gains 2 kHz on the high end. This and the bowl pads add to the brightness. So I moved onto the RS-1i's, which are a great sounding headphone with both an extended bass and high range. The RS-1i goes from 12 Hz up to 20 kHz making them much more balanced sounding and certainly less bright. The bowl pads once again allowed the driver covers to rest on my ears which after 30 minutes made my ears hurt. I simply cannot justify a headphone that does not fit perfectly.
Enter the Beyerdynamic DT990 ( 250 Ohm ). The frequency response is bass boosted, but there is also a nice upward and wide peak at the 6 kHz to 11 kHz range. This makes the DT990 not only slightly bass boosted but brings the highs into balance with the bass. Add in some amazing comfort with velour pads and a well thought out headband and I was ready to test these puppies.
Out of my iPod they DT990 sounded nice and airy, the bass was impactful, and the sense of space was tremendous. I did have to turn up the volume to 80% to reach a satisfactory listening level, but it worked.
Since I do 90% of my headphone listening at home near my PC I really intended to use these amped which is why I chose the 250 Ohm version. It seemed to be a happy medium between the 32 Ohm portable option and the 600 Ohm hi-fi option.
Amped the bass was a little more controlled. The soundstage increased 10% and the highs brightened nicely. The DT990 is really a nice compliment or perhaps supplement for a D2000. You really get a ton of air and separation without too much boom.
Although the sound was not as direct as the D2000 it was very upfront and clear. No part of the frequency range seemed left out. The highs had a pleasant downward tilt making the DT990 bright enough without being annoying like the lower tier Grados.
I had no issued with comfort and could wear these for hours. They are not as light as some other open cans, but it did not affect the comfort.
The design is just about flawless. The swivel engineering is nicely executed and the headband padded. The ear cups surround the ear and the cable terminates from the left ear so there is no Y-cable fuss.
I recommend these to anyone. If you plan on using them more on a portable device get the 32 Ohm version. You get all of the same sound characteristics without having to drive them very hard.
With my AH-D2000's I was unable to hear the difference between 320 kbps and 128 kbps, but I sure could with the DT990.
The DT990 is a truly amazing can at its price point.
16 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Did you?
DT 990 PRO
Posted by lrogers from lrogers on 2011-04-01Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Transparent, Full, Open
Cons: Quite uncomfortable after some time
I own the PRO version of these headphones, but I wish I got these. According to the Beyerdynamic site, the only difference between these and the PRO version is the tightness of the headband.
I tried on a friends pair of the DT 990 PRO's, and was so impressed with the sound that I got a pair. At the moment, I liked how tight they were. (I typically like headphones a *little* tighter.) But after about 20min of using my new pair, I had a HUGE headache.
I've tried stretching them out, as others have suggested, but after ~5 days of stretching, they've not moved a bit. At this point, the amazing quality of sound keeps me listening to them, but I really regret getting the PRO version. I think they look a bit better than the regular ones, but the comfort is entirely not worth it.
Go with the DT 990's. Not the PRO's. They're way more comfortable and sound identical.
9 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Did you?
awesome detail
Posted by MR. MUSIC from WEST DEPTFORD NJ on 2010-12-22Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: very comfortable/ detail sound
Cons: need some power to fully enjoy them
SUPER PAIR OF HEADPHONES FOR SOUNDSTAGE, DETAIL, AND COMFORT.
THE BASS IS DEEP AND RICH BUT NOT SO DEEP AS TO BE DISTRACTING TO THE MUSIC. BASS HEADS NEED NOT APPLY. I WISH ALL HEADPHONES WERE AS COMFORTABLE.
7 out of 11 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
Stunningly musical headphones
Posted by Moeman from Toronto, ON on 2010-09-30Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Incredible, subtly layered bass, differentiation of instruments, imaging, extremely comfortable
Cons: Neutral they are not, but personally great for me
I might be a good person to review these phones; then again, maybe not. I am a committed audiophile who has always owned good headphones, but never really understood what all the fuss was about. I had been running my Sennheiser HD570s through my Marantz SR8001 AVR. I have a pair of Quad 22L speakers with upgraded speaker wire and connectors, and am extremely pleased with the sound from XRCD, SACD and vinyl. I do not own an iPod and do not listen to computer audio because MP3s do not sound good. I used the Sennheisers late at night to listen to music - OK, but nothing special. Even bought an inexpensive Pro-ject headphone amp a few years ago after a friend told me how much difference a dedicated amp makes, but returned it on the basis that it really did not improve the sound to my ears.
However, with two young kids in the house and not many chances to listen to my system as I would like to, I looked at putting together a headphone-only system. Bought a used Pioneer Elite Universal Player and NAD tuner. I decided to purchase the 600 Ohm DT 990 after reading several reviews, particularly one from Chris Martens of AVguide. I also read a Stereophile review of the Little Dot Mk. III Tube Amp, which again brought up the elusive (for me) concept that headphones can indeed sound wonderful. I am waiting for the Little Dot to arrive, but in the meantime have purchased a NuForce Icon HDP, which is a combination headphone ampDAC. This product has received excellent reviews, and its functionality made perfect sense for my situation.
I received the headphones first, and noticed immediately that they sounded better than my (admittedly older and cheaper) Sennheisers through my AVR. They are certainly warmer and more musical; I have seen Sennheisers described as having a bit of a clinical sound, and that is how I would characterize it compared to the DT990s. But I suspected the real test would come when I received the Icon HDP - and I was right. This headphone ampDAC really demonstrates what the DT990s can do.
From a music-loving audiophile's perspective, these headphones are wonderful. The overall musicality is tremendous. Chris Martens' review struck me with one comment - they are not neutral, but that is actually no bad thing. He normally insists on neutrality from components, but found that the sound balance of the DT990s was extremely enjoyable. "Putting more meat on the bones" of the music is a very apt description. Indeed, I am hearing things with these headphones that I do not hear through my speakers. The bass quality is astonishing. You can hear the timbre of individual instruments in the bass register; you can hear individual strings vibrate and decay. A well-recorded jazz trio album will leave your jaw on the floor once the bass player starts "walking".
I listen to a lot of Cuban and Latin music. It is hard to think of a style other than classical where there are more instruments with different, often subtly so, timbres all playing at once. It is the essence of Cuban music, and these headphones just nail it. Voices are firmly anchored in my brainstem as the playing occupies the space around it. I do not find the treble overly harsh, but am looking forward to receiving the tube amp and comparing the sound with the Icon HDP. SACD and XRCD sound great, but I am also getting fantastic sound from FM radio - the host's voice is centred at the base of my skull, and you can hear any natural sibilance and breath patterns when he or she is speaking.
In conclusion, I believe the lack of neutrality contributes to the musicality of this headphone. I also favour neutrality in my audio and video sources, but for some reason, the lack of it (and it's not a HUGE lack by any means) simply works wonders with these headphones. They are extremely comfortable to wear, even for a guy with a giant rectangular head like me. Design and materials are classic no-nonsense German - high quality, but some may find them a bit drab, which is why I docked them one star in the "Look and Feel" category. Look at the "Manufaktur" option on beyerdynamic's website to build a personalized pair.
As I stated at the beginning, I do not own an iPod or listen to computer music because I cannot stand the poor quality of MP3s. My listening is high-resolution CD and FM radio, and I am a 2-channel music lover first and foremost. A word of caution, though - be prepared to spend some extra money, because you absolutely need a good headphone amp to get the most from these headphones. They sound comparatively flat and lifeless through the headphone jack of a standard audio component, and I am not even sure you could drive them with a portable player. (Not sure why you would want to.) These headphones have exceeded my expectations in every regard, and I give them my highest recommendation. (Unless you've heard the T1, but I'll save that for another day :-)
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great Sound
Posted by Mr.Phil from Indiana on 2010-06-22Posted on Beyerdynamic DT 990
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Bass, Detail, Comfort
Cons: Not many
In my opinion,
Criticism of this headphone has been harsh and negative reviews have mainly come from people who have not properly amped this pair of phones. Paired with a tube amp, these are a beautiful work of art. Tubes will reduce the extreme harshness of the highs and sweeten the sound up.
What it turns into with a proper source/amp setup, is a great value in headphones. The explanation of headroom hit it on the nail when they said that these phones add meat to the recordings. That is exactly what I experienced. I felt totally immersed in the sound and sitting in the crowd.
Some phones reproduce sound but seem thin or disengaging, these phones had my toes tapping and I cannot even listen to other sets of phones that I have anymore.
I would definately recommend these for people also considering a tube amp to power them. a great combo.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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