DT 990 Edition

I have read plenty of reviews on many different brands of headphones. Thanks to a few gift cards I was able to shop for some quality headphones. I narrowed it down to either the Sennheiser hd 598's or the 32 ohm Beyerdynamic 990 dt's. I heard both are great but I settled on the beyer's. It's been over a month and in total I have burned in my new phones about 70 hours using my ipod playing overnight and the static from unclear radio stations. I listen to them about 2 hrs a day, everyday. To sum them up in one word...PHENOMENAL!! I love these things. For a while I wasn't listening to my music anymore. Don't know why. I own about 300 CDs. I listen to almost everything but prefer metal(too many genres in this department to list), along with hardcore,punk,ska,rock,rap,r&b,reggae, and speedcore. The 990's make me want to listen to all of my CDs all over again as if I was hearing them for the 1st time! I have heard my CDs a thousand times over and with the 990's I can hear things I have never heard before!! Absolutely ridiculous!! I have adjusted to the digital age and crammed all my CDs into my iPod Classic . I use the EQ a bit on it to see how the different genres sound. When I want a little more bass I'll use the R&b or hip hop setting. This setting sounds great with most of my music. Although on some of the grind core I listen to, I have to tone down the bass a bit cause it sounds distorted. With the classical EQ setting, it makes the grind sound tame but in a really great way. The bass is crystal clear!! It's mind blowing! The speedcore is even tamed as well on this setting! If that is possible because that type of music usually destoys any kind of speaker due to it's rumbling bass, ear piercing pitches and digital drums/drum machine. The 990's excel with that genre and by no means are these phones bass emphasized. But when put to the test with extreme music, they can handle the chaos! And with the right eq setting,any genre of music is enhanced. They can definitely handle a lot more power than my iPod. The 32 ohm version was made to cater to portable devices. That being said, I have to turn up the volume to about 85% on the iPod to get it where I want it. Almost blasting my ears out but not quite. I am curious to see how a good amp/dac combo would enhance the experience. The 990's have a 250 and 600 ohm version as well. I would assume those 2 sets would surely benefit amped up. A few more notes on the 990's. They are incredibly comfortable and can be worn for hours. They are sturdy as well. Another thing I noticed when listening is the treble sounds incredibly high even with the EQ adjustments. Almost ear piercing high. I've heard the term bright used by other reviewers when describing the treble. And the bass, I just want more. Like i said, they can handle whatever is thrown at them. I'm already spoiled with these, hehe. I recommend the 990's to anyone who loves music and wants it to come alive! I know they are expensive. I couldn't have got em without a little help, ie gift cards and those horrible credit cards!! With this economy and now obamacare! Who can pay things off anymore??!!Debt is great ain't it!! All in all if you love music, get these. Also looking into getting the Phillips Fidelio X1 or X2. Not sure but need to do more research and start saving up. Hope this helps! UPDATE: Had these for a year and they are goin strong!! Still sound just as good or better then when I got em! BTW, I did get a $50 Samson headphone amp. After combining the Beyer's with the amp, I didn't notice much of a difference. They did not improve the sound quality, the only thing that changed was the volume. The phones sounded louder but that was it. The bass, mids, and highs were not clearer or sounded any different. Perhaps one of the various Fiio amps or a tube amp would help? Need to do more research to find the right combo. Maybe I'm just nitpicking or being too critical. Don't know enough about headphones and amps and prob never will. But I do know I love the Beyer's. Either way, just get these headphones. Their awesome!!Take it easy:)

The short version of this review is that I am 100%, absolutely pleased with these headphones and would buy them again. The long - What do I like? Sound - Pristine reproduction, almost completely uncolored. Pure, clean bass and excellent sound imaging. Instrument / performer location is nearly transparent with these, creating a wide soundstage. A great test album for these 'phones is the Bill Evans Trio album "Exporations". "Nardis", "Israel" and "Elsa" feature some very low acoustic bass from Scott LaFaro and very delicate brush work on the drums. These are the first headphones that I have heard that reproduce this so well. Classical music sounds excellent as well - John Eliot Gardiner's recording of Beethoven's Symphonies on period instruments is ridiculous on these. It sounds so good! Modern rock is also handled with ease - uncolored and clear. Perfect bass response, and when you want a boost in the bass, the DT990s handle the extra kick easily. I used the EQ on my headphone amp to boost the bass as a test, and found no problems or muddiness. IMHO, these phone do not need the bass boosted - they sound great with no EQ. Comfort - The most comfortable headphones I have worn. I don't think there is any problem here for anyone. Construction - Okay, these are only a few weeks old. I cannot attest to the long-term durability. I can say that they appear ot built very well. The cord is heavy and appears to be durable. The constuction is solid, yet lightweight. I think it'll do just fine over time. Comparison - I do NOT own 43 different pairs of expensive headphones. (As it seems many reviewers claim to own!) I have one other pair of "real" headphones; Grado mid-priced (~$100) headphones that sound great as well. The DT 990 kills them, leaves them in the dust so to speak - as they should for the price difference! (But I still love the Grados!) What I was able to do a few months ago was visit this absurd electrincs shop in Tokyo (Akihabara) and audition a ton of 'phones with my own MP3 files. The DT 900s were among them. The only headphones that I thought were this good were the Sennheiser's with "wood-trim" and the DT 880. (Sorry, I forgot the model number of the Sennheiser) I cannot give you a run-down of this model compared to that model ad infinitum. The DT 990s sounded better (to me) than many 'phones costing quite a bit more - some AKGs (I think the Quincy Jones model) and Audio Technica were hundreds more expensive and IMHO were inferior to these. I can tell you that I love the sound of these and do not regret buying them. I am not going to comment on noise isolation. These are open type 'phones, as anyone intelligent enough to read has already discovered in the product description. If you are reading this and don't know what that means, do an internet search on that term. Plus that, they are GERMAN made and engineered! (If you don't know it by now, literally every product made in Germany is superior to similar products made elsewhere with one exception - dental floss.) This product again reinforces my admiration for German engineering. Simply awesome product! I hope that this review helps you to decide what to buy. I had a very difficult time deciding, and had the good fortune of being able to visit Tokyo prior to buying. I was able to audition dozens of headphones in a store there, Akihabara. I don't think that you will find that here in the US. (If there was a store like that here, all of the audition headphones would either be broken or stolen, sadly.) Update - December 30, 2012 - Fantastic 'phones!!!! I am fully aware that nearly all headphones exhibit some type of "break-in" where the audio qualities may change slightly after some hours of use. I can only say that the Beyerdynamics sound better to me than they did a month ago. Hard to qualify that, really... I think that they sound more "open" and transparent. Excellent 'phones, no change in my opinion from earlier. Just a very fine audio product and the best headphones I have heard. Easily in the category of "Would buy again." Update - January 2014 - Better than ever - cannot knock these at all. Worth the money, sound great, look and feel as good as the day they were new. Sound better than new. Very happy with these after living with them a bit now... I recently bought the much cheaper Bro' of these Beyerdynamic DTX 910 Stereo Headphones for Portable and Home usage (Silver Black) for use away from home, and am very pleased with those for $70.

I bought the Beyerdynamic DT 990's (32ohm) as a potential upgrade to my current headphones. I own the Grado SR80i's as well as the Audio Technica ATH-M50's. I've been comparing the DT990's on portable devices, iphone, itouch and an Asus Memopad tablet. The DT 990's are by far the least sensitive of the three headphones - I have to turn the volume up more to achieve equivalent volume. I've been doing my best to adjust the volume as I listen to each to make the comparison as fair as possible. The output is loud enough without the need for a headphone amp. The ATH-M50's are the most sensitive, followed by the SR80's. All three of these headphones are excellent and I could recommend all of them without hesitation. The SR80i's and the DT 990's are the most similar (open back) and I spent most of my time comparing these two. The ATH-M50's are closed back and have a different sound. I prefer the open back sound in general, but sometimes like the isolation provided by the closed back cans. The DT990's are extremely comfortable and out of the box sound great. They're well balanced and spacious. The high end compared with the SR-80i's have slightly more high-end sizzle. The middle is extremely pleasant and vocals, both male and female are fantastic. The bass is present, but less pronounced than either the Grado's or Audio-Technicas. I will update this review over time if the bass opens up with continued use. The difference between the SR80i's and the DT 990's are subtle and I'm not sure whether the slight improvement in the high-end makes them worth keeping. Keep in mind the DT 990's cost ~ $260.00, while the SR-80's cost ~ $99.00. In my opinion the Grados are by far the better value. I will spend a lot more time listening to DT990's before making a final judgment, but after a couple of days I'm certainly pleasantly surprised by how well the Grados compare. It's possible the DT 990's might benefit from a headphone amp, but I specifically bought the 32 ohm version in order to avoid having to use an amp. In summary (for now) the DT-990's are excellent headphones with a great sound stage and extremely comfortable. They are marginally brighter than the Grado's, but the difference is subtle. The Grados have a slight edge on the bass response at least out of the box. If money is no object the DT 990's would probably be the pick, but if I factor in value the Grado's might just win out. The Audio-Technicas are also fantastic in their own way. They have a more traditional headphone sound and provide a bit more sound isolation. If that's your preference they're also a great value.

I have long been a music purist who prefers a quite flat EQ in headphones which allow me to experience the music the way it was mastered. I am a frequent traveler and have not invested in a good pair of over ear headphones in a long time. I am a huge fan of Shure 530 series earbuds which are fairly neutral and work well with lower powered devices such as an Iphone or Ipad when I travel. As a music purist I prefer FLAC files for travel as they are an exact replica of the music you hear from a CD. When you have good speakers or high quality earbuds you can certainly tell the difference between complete digital recordings and MP3's. When selecting a good over ear headphone I had a tough time deciding which OHM tier to focus on. I have a home computer with a top end soundcard capable of powering a 600 or 250 OHM headset. On the other hand perhaps I don't want to sit next to my computer or my home theater setup to power these bad boys. I opted for the 32 OHM version somewhat reluctantly believing that I would be somewhat disappointed. While I have not compared this exact head set to it's 250 and 600 OHM version's, I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with the DT990's. They are perhaps the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn and I can easily wear them for 2-3 hour's without any fatigue or soreness. The headsets elasticity/rigidity as it wraps around your head is fantastic! I never feel any sense of tightness on the top or sides of my head and also never feel any impact of the weight. Another feature in high and headphones is dual lines which split to each can to ensure absolute accuracy of sound delivery/arrival. I have not found this to be a concern and find the sound reproduction to be fantastic. These headphones like most high and headphones really have a sweet spot in the mid's and highs. They are not over weighted on the low end and at times leave me feeling I have missed some of the bass reproduction. The reality is that most mass market headphones, such as beats by Dre over emphasize the low end to appeal to a particular consumer. Unfortunately this overemphasis on the low end drowns out the true sound reproduction of most other headphones, not so with the Beyerdynamic DT990's, these bad boys are crystal clear. I'm certain that stepping up to the Beyerdynamic Tesla series would lend itself to some similar improvements, however for the price you cannot go wrong with the DT990's. While they regularly sell for $350 here on Amazon, if you watch the pricing it can change daily and I was able to pick up a set for $305 shipped! Part of the reason I was so interested in picking up a great set of over hear headphones is to really immerse myself in music the way I used to before MP3's and the digital-ADD era. With Facebook, email push, text messaging and a number of other notifications we all experience in this digital world it's nice to escape into an album and really listen to it beginning to end. With the Beyerdynamic 990's re-experiencing music has been a pleasure and I would certainly encourage anyone to welcome them into your home.

The Beyerdynamics DT990/600 is a work of art. The only mar to this construction is the metal arms that go into the headband can twist and make a popping noise, makes me wonder if they slip out of the track. But no worries so far, just don't twist the cup, it does not turn sideways or anyways but up and down. On the inside of the metal adjustment band there are dots to line up and once adjusted the headband doesn't come unadjusted easily. Set it and forget it. The velvet sleeves fit over my ears but do rest on my earlobes. They cause me no discomfort but YMMV. I can wear these headphones forever and have forgotten they are on my head. The headband is very comfortable for me. The sound quality of these are just fine. They are not flat sounding, they have a u shaped curve that accents the bass and treble. Some say this leaves the mid's recessed. I knew this coming in. Personally I find I can hear the mids just fine but if you want in your face mids, get Grado's. Some say the highs are too in your face, I'm 53 and have average hearing loss so I knew I needed the bumb in highs, you may not like the highs coming from these cans, but they are great for me. The bass is the best thing about this set of cans, but I may be a bass head. At Head-Fi.org there is a how to EQ your headphones that works for any headphone, it may work wonders for all your headphones (for some ear canal resonance distortion?) I find that I can hear every sound with great separation and detail. I don't find a great sound stage in these cans, no matter to me, when things are suppose to warble between left and right it does it well. This is where the cans get good to me; they make my head bounce, my feet tap and make me want to dance, but I'm scared the headphones would fly off. No headbanging with these, they will come off. I listen to prog rock mostly and the DT990/600 do some serious rocking, you won't be disappointed. IF, big IF you amp the DT990/600. It must be amped to realize it's potential. It needs a FiiO E9 at least. I have my set amped by my Pioneer receiver. Just coming out of your computer or mp3 player you will be disappointed. Even out of the headphone amp on my Auzentech Forte 7.1 soundcard, which is supposed to handle 600 ohm headphones, the volume will not satisfy me. So I connect it digitally to the receiver and let it amp it. I can recommend the Beyerdynamic's DT990/600 if you use an amp with it, and like bass and treble. The mids are just great, but if you don't like treble these might not be for you. Ditto if you don't care for bass. I understand they are great for classical, but I have no experience in this. But if you like music and want to rock, or want to 'dig into' the micro sound and hear every separate note, then these are the headphones for you.

Best headphones for this price. I consider myself an audiophile and own (or owned) several headphones in $50 - 400 price range and monitor speakers in up to $2000 range. Also, since I live in New-York I could test-drive dozens of headphones in up to $400 range and nothing could beat Beyerdynamic DT-990 Premium. Pros: - Crystal clear highly detailed sound. You can give them music of any complexity and they will handle it very well. They will not produce just some mess or start distorting instruments. You will still hear every instrument clear and undistorted. - Wide and airy sound stage. You don't feel like the sound source is near your ears. It feels like the stage is around you and music is light and flowing in the air around you. - The bass is perfect. They can handle any bass, they will not start crackling. The amount and quality of bass are ideal. I don't want any more or less. It feels very natural. - Excellent build quality. Feels premium. I have been using them every day for 3+ years and they are still in great condition. - Very comfortable to wear them for any period of time - Price. They are not in a cheap range, but I doubt you will find anything better for the same price. Cons: - Personally, I prefer a little bit warmer sound. But they are definitely not cold, they are neutral. - Again, personally, sometimes, I prefer a little increase in the voice range (~1KHz), but these headphones are, again, neutral. But voice lovers can use equalizer to fine-tune whatever they want. Also, when I just got them, I thought that their high frequencies are too high, but later, after comparing with other reference headphones and monitor speakers I understood that their highs are actually correct (I had just gotten used to my previous Sennheizer headphones with weaker highs). After some time I got used to their high frequencies and now they seem very good to me. I have another audiophile friend who has been crazy about music for the last 30 years and has a lot of hi-fi equipment. After he had listened to these headphones, he agreed with me that he had never listened to such good headphones in this price range and he ordered one pair for himself straight away! :) I highly recommend these headphones to all people who love music and value real quality sound.

I have had my DT990 250ohm headphones for over a month now, and they have roughly 100-150 hours on them. I listen to my headphones all day long, as I am an online student. I bought them to replace my Sony MDR-7506's which I am still very happy with. When I first plugged them into my uDAC-2 and listened to them, I was massively disappointed. I mean DEVASTATED. I HATED them. They sounded muffled, distant and completely lacking any dynamics. I went back to my Sony's to compare, and I immediately wished I could turn back time. The Sony's sounded far better, clearer and more engaging. Figuring I was going to need to sell them, I let the DT990's burn-in for the rest of the day to make sure. In the next few hours I started noticing that everything sounded pretty decent. I wondered if it was more my ears getting used to the sound, so I popped my Sony's on again to compare. I actually preferred the 990's now. Over the next few days it only got better, and now there is simply no comparison at all. The Beyerdynamics are far superior, and sound great. I am very confused with the terms people are using to describe these headphones, like 'bright.' I cannot for the life of me understand what these people are talking about. These are not too bright, or harsh in any way. Perhaps some people have very sensitive ears, I don't really know. The bass is incredibly deep and powerful, and the mids are pretty good. Admittedly, the mids are a tad recessed, a product of the scoop shaped EQ that these headphones come with. For me though, the way that they engage you in the music with their clarity and bass makes up for it. You will really enjoy listening to these. The uDAC-2 was more than enough to power these, but my PC alone could not do it. They were much too quiet without an amplifier. The ability to hear outside noises is better than a noise-canceling type headphone, but with the volume up is still quite encapsulating. The sound coming out from them at high levels is definitely audible, but not obnoxious. At mid-low volume they are almost silent. The comfort is insane, they go completely over your ear and you forget you're wearing them. I thought my Sony's were comfortable, but now the way that they are 'on' my ear is annoying. The Beyer's are just so comfortable, even after hours and hours of listening. I never experienced any fatigue at all from these, despite listening to them at very high levels for extended periods of time. They sound great with games, movies, TV, music, anything you throw at them. Overall, I just can find anything wrong with these headphones. They sound great, look great and feel great. If you can get an amp for them, I would say they are a no-brainer. Just a blast to listen to.

I got these after reading a Gazillion reviews and after just writing a review on another brand after my wife got me a pair of Sennheiser HD280's. These are simply on a completely different level! I don't really mean to wax poetic; but; Holy Guacamole Batman! Let's start with some basics... Shipping and Unboxing... As usual Amazon did an amazing job, got these to me in two days (don't have prime? What are you waiting for?!!!) The packing was well thought out, and quite clever I might say. the cans were positioned in a way that they would not jostle around. Nice! The headphones come in a very nice carrying case with more than adequate foam padding to ensure my precious babies don't get harmed ;) Look and feel... D.A.M.N. these cans eek quality, from the velour ear pads to the aluminum and high end plastic construction. They feel luxurious, are insanely comfortable and look amazing, if I might say so. My Sennheiser's look cheap and bland in comparison (still sound great though), these DT-990's look so good i am going to get stand to display them! That said, this is all about the sound though, isn't it? So let's get to that... These headphones are ridiculous, I will start off by stating publicly that I don't consider myself to be an "Audiophile" (too hispter for my tastes) I am just a music lover that has been listening to music for the past 45 years. I am an IT exec that was in his past a sound engineer and radio DJ. I know what kind of sound I like and I LOVE THE WAY these cans produce sound. I am beyond impressed and i haven't even waited for the burn in! The sound stage is greatly expanded. I know this sounds crazy, but it is almost like i am seeing the music instead of listening to it. Trust me, I sat in a darkened room, listening to remastered version of my favorite album, Dark Side of The Moon and it was simply delightful! Dudes if you knew me you'd know delightful is not a word I'd ever use, but WOW! The bass is tight, detailed and fast. Not heavy like bass head cans, but very real and present. The mids are there and not at all drowbned by the highs as I read others opine. I seriously am thrilled! I usually research my buys to the nth and this one paid off. They are not sibilant, at least not for my 50 year old ears. I did not find the aforementioned v shaped sound. i simply adjusted my EQ to my liking and simply enjoyed the music. a lot, A LOT - A LOT! Impressed doesn't cut it. i am an no B. S. type of guy and I can say without hesitation these headphones delivered and then some. color me impressed! Me = Happy Happy Camper :)