beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

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beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

Regular price: SG$ 430.00
Sale price: SG$ 430.00
Regular price: ~~SG$ 710.00~~
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Description

The famous DT 990 Premium, 600 ohm version; Stereo Headphone for high power requirements, headphone amps, home audio applications. Connectivity Technology: Wired
Made in Germany, innovative "Bass reflex" system for excellent audio performance
Open design, includes carry case, 11 oz light weight
Gold vaporized stereo 3.5 mm mini-jack & 6.35 mm adapter
2 year manufacturer warranty only when purchased from an authorized beyerdynamic dealer.
Frequency Response - 20 - 23,000 Hz and Impedance - 28 ohms

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Customer Reviews

600 Ohm. Horrible bass distortion even with quality amplifiers. Too much top end.I ordered the 600 ohm version, as I have several powerful headphone amplifiers, and wanted the sonic benefits of the higher impedance. However, either the headphones are simply distortion monsters, or defective, or none of my amps would drive them properly. I'm not convinced they are defective, because I think the odds of two bad drivers are slim, and the severe distortion was present in both channels.I have a DarkVoice 336SE OTL tube amplifier, typically extremely well-suited for high-impedance cans, and it runs my Sennheiser HD650 300 Ohm headphones beautifully. But there was massive bass distortion at all but the lowest volume levels. I was listening to things like contemporary jazz and country ballads through a quality outboard DAC with no EQ. Every bass note sounded like blown woofers or massive amplifier clipping.The Alex Cavalli CTH Tube Hybrid (Solid State and Tube gain stages) fared slightly better but was still bad. And, an XDuoo XD-05 fully solid-state amplifier couldn't do the trick, either.Beyond the distortion, the upper treble was simply too prominent, like someone took the upper sliders on an EQ and cranked them up.They get a second star for supreme comfort, looks, and apparent build quality.Sending them back.2Good upgrade but not quite where I wanted my sound to be First decent set of headphones I've ever bought, never spent more than $60 beforehand so.. I'm probably not going to give any insight except to others like myself with a more limited budget/experience. These headphones are very nice compared to what I'm used to, the comfort level is unmatched. I wear a 7 3/4 fitted hat... pretty big I know, headphones are fully extended and can be worn in complete comfort for many hours.I bought these primarily for PC gaming and listening to music in FLAC format. My computer's motherboard, while high end for the time period (X58A-UD7 Rev.2) has onboard audio that is lacking by today's standards. Even though I bought the 32ohm set, the volume at max was lower than the Turtle Beach headset I was using, so within a few days I bought the Behringer Microamp HA400 to power this set. Now, I know this amp isn't even on the radar when it comes to mid/high end listening, I had to get what I could afford. The amp serves it's purpose well, no processing just added power. I set the dial to around 60% in most cases.While the sound I get is crisp and much better than what I've used in the past, I really feel like a aftermarket sound card would do wonders for the overall quality. The mids and highs come through good and are crisp, the bass is also good it just doesn't give the drive I thought it would. At this point I'm not sure if it's just due to the open back design or my onboard audio. Probably a bit of both. If I could go back and do it all over again with this experience in mind, I'd probably have gotten the 990 Pro's as I like that design far more and needed an Amp anyway. That or just go with 770's still with the amp.For people with new mid/high end PC's, the fact that most boards now come with onboard audio that has improved dramatically. I believe this particular set is still a good choice. Also for anyone else that is going the route I did and picking good studio phones over a headset, this clip mic has been great and I'm told is crystal clear: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_20 4I put on a song and was extremely confused on how horrible the "highs" soundedNOTE TO ALL POTENTIAL BUYERS: THESE HEADPHONES **NEED** A BREAK IN PERIOD BEFORE YOU HEAR THE FULL QUALITYWhen I first got them, I put on a song and was extremely confused on how horrible the "highs" sounded. I read and realized they need a break-in period since they're professional grade. Very slowly over the course of a month, they were barable. Over a few months they are literally better than almost any headphones I've used (especially under $200).They are almost a direct competitor to my 600ohm Sennheisers as far as sound (post break-in period). The build quality is great and comfortable around the speakers itself. The actual aux cable feels very cheap, the only downside I can possibly think of.5Big head and ear support. Yay! I love these headphones. I've gone through many from Sennheiser, Sony, AR, Koss, Grado, and more. I was reluctant to spend $200 on these as I'd spent more before and been unhappy. However, these were worth every penny.I have some hearing loss, so rather than turn up the TV or Stereo and make my household and neighbors suffer, I use headphones all the time. These are so comfortable that I could wear them all day and never feel any painful pressure spots.I also have a big head and sizeable ears. Most other headphones either squeeze tight or touch my ears and cause pain after a short time. The cups on these are large enough they don't touch my ears. They stay firmly in place without squeezing inward on my head too much. The cloth covered cup pads are very soft and comfortable and seem to avoid looking dirty after prolonged use.The outer shell of the cups is plastic, but seems sturdy. I've dropped them a few times on a tile floor without damage. The cups adjust up and down easily but don't slip and this mechanism seems durable. The cord is quality.They sound great with music, TV and games. They have a pleasant amount of bass, but not overpowered. Voices are clear.My only complaint is that the pad on the head is coated with the same thin synthetic rubber that covers most headphone pads. Though it is still intact, I expect it will eventually flake off leaving the dreaded black dandruff.Despite this one issue, I recommend these headphones over all others. 5Give them timeHave had them for close to 5 years now and they are still going strong. If you are going to get a pair of them it does take some time to break in as far as the sound goes; they start off pretty harsh in the treble side of things but soften out overuse into an clear, crisp, and snappy sound.I am currently using mine on my pc for music and gaming.For my setup, it is fiberoptic from my pc to a FiiO D3 Digital to Analog Audio Converter, then to a Bravo Audio V2 Tube Amp; with a (cause the tube that comes with it sucks) Genalex Gold Lion 12AU7 Tube.If you go my route make sure you do your research on the tube because that being my 3rd tube (broke my 2nd after knocking my amp off my desk) I can tell you that a different tube can make your setup sound completely deferent.5Treble CannonsEar cups are nice velour and are very large and comfortable. Headband is soft leatherette with thick cushioning. However the headband has a reputation for going kind of bad over time. So I'd look into removing and replacing it early rather than when it's leaving nasty black goo everywhere. These headphones are a bit on the heavy side, so the headband could be wider for better comfort. However, they feel lighter on the head than they would seem to at first glance. The headclamp is fairly loose even on my large head, so comfort is overall excellent.Build quality is otherwise excellent except for one area. The sliders holding the earcups on suck. Neither side stays reasonably locked in place, and I find myself re-adjusting the headphones every time I put them on, because their own clamp force pushes them back in. They are hard to pull out in a reasonable way as well. I always feel like I am putting unnecessary wear or torque on my nice cans. I solved the problem by putting them in place then putting a thick wrap of electrical tape around the stem to block it from sliding in. It works great. So a cheap Beyerdynamic headband and some tape and boom, very solid and high wear headphones.Beware, if you get the 600 ohm version of these, you better mean it, because these babies take SERIOUS power to truly drive properly. The 600 ohm/80mW capable amp in my Sound Blaster ZxR took them to listenable levels for youtube and they sounded decent for games and movies. Music, however, was an entirely different matter. The ZxR really strained with pretty much all sources and couldn't really maintain a listenable volume for a lot of stuff. Also, the overall fullness of sound in all music was very lacking. I upgraded to a Schiit Asgard 2 headphone amp with over twice the power output of the soundcard at 600ohm/190mW. The sound quality was much improved. However volume was not a large jump, so turning it to near max for 24/7 use was still a requirement. Not for cranking them but just for basic listening. The poor Asgard could barely do it despite its great power with the rest of my headphone collection.I eventually moved up to a Schiit Valhalla 2 OTL tube amp with over twice the output of the Asgard 2 at 600ohm/450mW. It was finally enough to power these babies at full tilt, and they handled the power beautifully. These are by far some of the best high volume headphones I've ever listened to. It wasn't worth the cost of learning their needs, but dang do they put that power to good use! Awesome sound pressure and articulation. Indescribable at higher volumes. Their titanic power handling ability is an immense asset with a truly capable amp to back them up!Treble response is incredibly sharp and detailed on these cans. When I moved to the tube amp it had the side effect of taming the frequency spikes somewhat. I still had to use a very minor(-1 or -2dB) EQ change to drop their upper treble to comfortable levels. I don't think there's any real sibilance or screech but they are just incredibly sharp and emphasized. Definitely worth noting that the source makes a huge difference here. Some of my warmer vinyl recordings require no EQ at all. Likewise really well produced music is less likely to have huge issues. Gaming and movies as well really benefited from the extra treble response and detail, and I could generally get away with leaving the EQ off. Modern pop though, and metal, and a lot of other noisy, trebly music was just a little too hot on these without EQ. Not a major issue as there are plenty of fast, easy, and reliable EQ methods out there. However, the real saving grace is that the unpleasant spikes are in a very small range, and were very easy to tune out on both the SS and Tube amps. I prefer not to EQ headphones when I can help it, so it was great that they needed so little. Detail is uncompromising in the extreme. Absolutely revealing and resolving with superb precision! The timbre, response, and quality of it are incredibly pleasing to my ears. Like actual physical pleasure. Their tone is just awesome and energetic. I can handle the slightly hot treble because the amount of nuance and texture these reveal is astonishing! Simply amazing. I have never heard the like in any other headphone.Mids are a little recessed and dry but are nearly as fast and energetic as the treble. Very flat with a little growl. Not particularly smooth or refined but excellent detail and nothing is ever lost to the other frequencies. Vocals are perfect and instrument reproduction is near lifelike. Well produced music sounds INSANE on the DT990s. Their lack of warmth helps the mids maintain composure in exceptionally challenging music. However, there is always that glossy sheen on the incredibly bright treble hanging over the mids. The DT880s, AKG K712s and other headphones of this class handle mids with a more natural tone.Bass response is exceptional but nowhere near as overpowering as others seem to imply. Very snappy and tight response. Extension is good and deep without trying to reach too low. A little flubbiness on the lowest notes but otherwise great texture and definition. They give a satisfying thump, but their real strength is in the audible spectrum; mid and upper bass. Just incredibly full and well-defined low end. These are great for following bass guitar tracks, or for movie soundtracks, and work amazingly for classic rock. These aren't the fastest cans out there, but they are energetic and musical. A good amp helps with their bass response and quickness a bit. As far as open headphones go these probably have the most bass emphasis I've heard. Maybe not the most articulation or detail but plenty of oomph.Conclusions:Despite their intense energy and power, these can get pretty fatiguing after long listening sessions. I can use these fine for hours as daily headphones, but they can very quickly make my ears tired if I am not careful with the volume. I would more readily recommend these if they didn't basically require you to be a treblehead to get real enjoyment out of them. Their stock treble always has that potential for harshness, despite the incredible detail. For me, that's a blessing. For others, it maybe a curse.I would recommend the large majority of users steer clear of the 600 ohm and 32 ohm versions of these headphones. They both present challenges to driving them. The 250 ohm is enough and just about any proper amp will drive them with ease. The 600 ohm may have slightly better overall response and tone at high power, but the difference in usability is huge. I have since sold my 600ohm model and moved down to the 250ohm, and am much happier.5There are better options at this price pointI recently needed to replace my pair of over the ear headphones so I began my search for a good pair of headphones in the $150-$200 range. Immediately Senhiser, Beyerdynamic, and Audio Technica stood out. I first received a pair of the Audio Technica ATH M-50x which had good sound but were very uncomfortable if worn for more than an hour or so. Then I picked up a pair of the Beyerdynamic DT 770. These headphones had amazing sound quality and comfort but the passive sound isolation was mediocre at best. Which is why I ordered a pair of the Beyerdynamic Premium 990 which are open back. I figured that the sound quality and comfort would be similar but the open back quality would allow me to talk with others while I played music. Unfortunately the 990's had worse sound quality than the 770 (a bit harsher sounding and not as clear) and were very uncomfortable even after only a couple of hours. During this time I also ordered a pair of Senhiser HD 599 headphones. While these headphones have a significantly different sound signature than the others I have tried, they were of similar quality. Overall the HD 599's were slightly less comfortable than the 770's but the open back quality was convenient and the sound was quite nice. I would have been satisfied with the HD 599's but they were the only pair of headphones I could not drive with my desktop. They produced terrible static. This did not occur when I used the 599's on other devices or when I used other headphones (even those with similar impedance and SPL) driven by my desktop computer. This prevented me from keeping them. I have attached a breakdown of my thoughts below:------------Sound Quality------------Beyerdynamic DT 770 (80 Ohm) - WinnerHighs - Quite good representation, much cleaner than SenhiserMids - Quite good representationLows - A little closed sounding but overall they are handled wellOverall this is how the music should sound. They perform the most similar to my pair of Martin Logan Motion 15's (bookshelf speakers)Beyerdynamic Premium 990 (32 Ohm)Highs - Similar to the 770's but rather harsh soundingMids - Nothing special, no major issuesLows - Not as powerful as the 770's but more spacious. Seemed a bit washed out due to the open back designSenhiser HD 599 (50 Ohm) - Close 2nd BestHighs - Not quite as poppy as they should be. They are a bit muted in the sound signature which can make them less fatiguing than other, more analytical, headphones.Mids - A bit to high level for me, it tended to make punk rock music sound very close and muddiedLows - A bit boomy but very spaciousAudio Technica ATH M-50xHighs - Quite good representation, a bit cold thoughMids - Nothing special, no major issues thoughLows - Too over-emphasized-----------------Comfort---------------Beyerdynamic DT 770 - WinnerPerfect. I wore these on multiple occasions for more than 7 hours and never noticed any pressure points or discomfort. The headband is larger than average to distribute the pressure. The clamp pressure is also a bit more than average but this was not an issue due to the soft, replaceable, ear pads.Beyerdynamic Premium 990I could not wear these for more than a few hours. The headband is made of a much harder material than the 770's and causes a painful pressure point on the top of my head. I believe this is made worse by the lower clamping force since more of the weight is on the top of your head.Senhiser HD 599I could wear these for several hours as long as I moved them around every 30-40 minutes. More comfortable than the 990's. Significantly less clamping force than the 770's.Audio Technica ATH M-50xThese were the least comfortable. I could only stand to wear them for an hour or so before I had to take them off. All of the discomfort came from the top of my head.----------------Usability---------------Beyerdynamic DT 770These come with a permanently attached 10ft cable. That was a lot of cable to get in my pocket every time I got up from my desk. The cable also has more insulation making it much thicker and stiffer than average.Beyerdynamic DT 990These come with a permanently attached 10ft cable. That was a lot of cable to get in my pocket every time I got up from my desk. The cable also has more insulation making it much thicker and stiffer than average. The open back design was also a plus for me since I work in a semi-quiet office environment and I could still hold a conversation with someone while listening to music. But I could not hear others quite as well as I could with the HD 599's.Senhiser HD 599The interchange-able cables with different lengths worked perfect for home listening as well as on the go. The cable is also thinner and more flexible than the Beyerdynamic cable. The open back design was also a plus for me since I work in a semi-quiet office environment and I could still hold a conversation with someone while listening to music. The only downfall is the issue I had with compatibility between some devices and this pair of headphones where I would hear static or computer noise when driving them with a computer.Audio Technica ATH M-50xI really love the long coiled cable that came with these. To me this is the best option since I dont have to lug around a long cable or risk losing extra cables. With that being said, it also came with a ~ 9ft straight cable and 3ft straight cable if the coiled cable is too much for you.3Excellent value worth much more...Perfect headphone for a beginner audiophile. Low frequency bass is not overwhelming but is definately there(just the right amount without going into booming mode). Mid and high bass are tight and do not bleed into mids. The mids...THE MIDS...very precise mids and highs are very well executed. Only draw back to this headphone is that you've got to be very clear that it's an open-back phone and the sound will bleed both ways. Oh...and if you like very loud it will need at least a portable amp to provide enough power. I'm currently using lg g8 thinq and a fiio a5: maybe not perfect but it can and will get very loud.Edited on Feb. 1, 2020These are by far the most versatile wired headphones at this price point. Throw some electronic music at them and they are fast and precise; some rap and they become bass cannons without losing their composure; jazz and blues and it feels like you're live at a local concert; some classic...spacious and neutral with good separation of instruments. They do need a dac/amp combo and equalizing to truly shine.5Amazing headphonesI simply cannot believe how an amazing pair of cans can breathe new life into my music. Upon hours and hours of research I decided to 'go big or go home' and splurge on these, and I'm so glad I did.They are paired with a Cowon Plenue D and it's a perfect fit. I re-ripped all of my CD's again as ALAC and high quality MP3 instead of the 192/256 kbps that I had used for over 10 years, and I think every link in the chain has made this possible for my big old ears. They sound perfect. Check out rtings com for breaking down every single aspect of these and other headphones. Without them I would've probably bought another pair of Sennies.One thing to note, if you are unfamiliar (as I was just a week ago) these bleed a lot of sound IN and OUT, so even if I have my music turned up I can hear running water, my air purifier, or my dog drinking out of his bowl. Just something to keep in mind, if you have a lot of ambient noise, I'd go with the closed back 770s.Another con is that the cord is not replaceable and it is also very long (10 feet I believe) I wish it was coiled at this length or better yet, replaceable. Oh well... I still LOVE the perfect sound they produce. No over emphasis on any aspect of sound, just perfect balanced sound. If I listen to rap or rock I might turn the bass up a tad on my player otherwise the EQ is left alone.5Absolutely wonderful pair of headphones. Would recommend for anyone looking for a great sound experience, for gaming and music.[Edit - One month after purchase: Buy these. You won't regret it.]I purchased the 32 ohm version of these headphones for $170 as I bought them Open Box (Perfect Condition) from a different seller on Amazon. I attached images for this review because it is very truly in perfect condition and I'm very happy with my purchase. The box was very clearly used and beat up, but the headphones themselves were very nice and the only signs of previous use were fingerprints on the metal parts of them which were easily removed.Sound Quality:I'm no expert on audio but I do prefer to have the best audio I can for a decent price, and these just about fit the bill. They are open-back headphones and the soundstage is amazing. These are my first ever pair of open-back headphones and I am blown away by how awesome they sound. The bass is perfect but not overpowering. The mids are fine, they aren't nearly as recessed as some people claim. The highs can be a bit tinny and painful but I think that's just from being so used to bassy headphones before these. After a day or two of use I've gotten adjusted to the sound of the highs and the clarity is really nice. If it bothers you too much you can always download an EQ program to soften them a bit.[Edit - One month after purchase: The highs have softened by a ton and are really pleasant. I'm not sure if it's due to break-in or just me getting used to them, but they are astounding sounding headphones. Best purchase I made this year, without a doubt. Great for gaming, watching movies/shows, and listening to music. Fantastic!]Build:Absolutely phenomenal! These are extremely light at 290 grams and the metal parts are sturdy. My only complaint with the build is that the adjustable parts of the headband are a bit wobbly and tend to "snap" into place randomly if you didn't adjust it perfectly. It's a minor issue that really doesn't take away from the experience, it's just a bit of a scare every once in a while if you forget they do that sometimes. Definitely not worried about them breaking at all, I think it's just a compromise from having more adjustability in the ear cups. The grills are metal and tend to attract fingerprints, as well as the tabs on the headband. The supports connecting it to the headband are also metal but have a more matte finish that doesn't seem to attract prints at all. The other parts are plastic with the headband being covered in an interesting layer of leather/foam material.[Edit - One month after purchase: No problems with build at all, still. The cable seems to coil up on its own which is a bit of a pain, but really the least of my concerns.]Comfort:Pretty darn good. I'm used to having gaming headsets that are designed for hours and hours of use, and at this rate, I don't think any earcups will be as comfortable as the ones on Razer headphones. I don't know how they make those so insanely soft and plush, but they will forever be my favorite. The DT990 ear pads have an extremely soft velour covering over an angled plush material that contours your head better than typical earcups. They aren't as plush as my old Razer headsets, but they don't really need to be because these headphones are so light. The ear cups are absolutely massive and I can't imagine anyone having trouble fitting their ears in these, even people with bigger heads. I have a medium/small head and small ears and these adjust to even smaller sizes than I need, but I'm not sure that people with absolutely massive heads will get quite the size they need. I added a photo of them fully extended, if that may help. The headband is soft but still firm, but they are so light that doesn't really matter. The clamping force is okay, they don't feel like they'll fall off my head easily but I do wish it was just a *tiny* bit looser. It's not unbearable at all though, and it seems like I just need to get used to it. The open back nature also adds to comfort, somehow. It doesn't feel like the sound is coming from anywhere, it's just there near your ears, instead of traditional closed-back headphones which feel like the sound is actually being projected from a source into your ears. For these, the sound just... happens. It's really lovely. Very easy to forget you're even wearing headphones.[Edit - One month after purchase: The clamping is no longer an issue. I can wear these all day with no headaches. Either got used to them or they loosened up a bit with use. Either way, they're wonderful. I tried replacing the ear cups with leather ones, but they made the sound signature less unique and the openness of the headphones was compromised more than I'd like. After going back to the originals, I'd have them no other way. Brainwavz XL Large Sheepskin Leather Replacement Memory Foam Earpads - Suitable For Many Other Large Over The Ear Headphones - Sennheiser, AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex, Sony (Sheepskin Leather)]Accessories:These came with a carrying case/bag that is leather and zips closed that is packed with nice foam. Not much extra room in there and I feel like it could have been downsized and contoured more, instead of being a huge rectangular shape. Also came with a screw-on adapter for amps, but I don't use it because I don't have an amp (or need it for the 32 ohm version). The cable is attached, which I would prefer it be detachable. It is very long and should have no issues reaching any of your systems, but it is definitely no good for mobile use unless you have a way to store a ton of cables wherever.Additional Notes:I bought these primarily for gaming and exclusive desktop use (so mostly gaming, music, watching videos, shows, etc. Basically everything you'd use headphones for) and so far they have been excellent for everything I have used them for. I may need to find a way to amp up the volume a bit, because currently everything is maxed on my computer to get the desired loudness, but for most situations it has more than enough volume. Just a few games lack in the super loud end, but it's really not a big deal. I think it's because I have an older motherboard, so newer computers or people with amps absolutely shouldn't have any issues with volume. Also, the open-back sound leakage is NOT BAD! I was so worried these would leak too much sound for other people, but I can barely even hear it leaking out at max volume. It definitely does leak but if you're in a room by yourself blasting music, I doubt anyone walking past your room with an open door would even hear a thing. You could probably listen in the same room as someone else and not have an issue either, just keep the volume lower.Sound quality: 9.5/10Build quality: 8.5/10Comfort: 9/10Accessories: 6/10Overall, I'm very happy with these headphones. Definitely would recommend for anyone looking for an audio upgrade in the mid-high tier.[Edit - One month after purchase: Buy these. You won't regret it. Seriously. If you're looking for a more flat response, the DT880s may be a better choice, but these are extremely good at what they do and frankly I would choose these again, recommend them to everyone I know, and give them as gifts. Even for $200, these are great. Total bargain.]5Go To HeadphonesI am not an audiophile, but I listen to music at least an hour a day. I own 4 pairs of headphones. B&O H6, B&W P5, Bose Soundlink2 and AudioTechnica Mx50. I wanted to try a pair of open back. Wow. At first, I didn't think my FiiO E17K amp did not bring out the best in these. At 6db gain, I couldn't get the volume I wanted. Changing to high gain drove the DT990's to better levels, but I would recommend a higher level of amp. Back to the DT990's, the bass is warm, mid range and highs are very crisp. I was most impressed with the soundstage. Much better than any of my closed back phones. I listen primarily to Blues, Jam bands (Panic, Tedeschi Trucks), some rock and light Jazz. I especially love how crisp Santana's While My Guitar Gently Weeps sounds. I convert all my music to flac and listen through the amp bypassing my soundcard with USB. The cable, believe it or not, is almost too long. Never thought I would say that, but it is twice as long as the B&O. I had a hard time deciding if I should get these or Sennheiser HD 650. My advice, save the $150, buy these and buy a good amp to drive them.5STRONG, POWERFUL, SOPHISTICATED SOUND... and COMFORTABLE TO WEAR!HERE'S THE LINK TO THE HEADPHONE STAND IN MY PHOTOS: LUXA2 HO-HDP-ALE1SI-00 E-One Aluminum Headphone Stand for Beats, Sony, Sennheiser, Philips, Skull Candy, Plantronics, Bose, JVC, Gaming, and DJ. Silver** FOR MUSIC TRACKS TO TEST BASS RESPONSE AND OTHER DYNAMICS OF THE DT990 EDITION (32 Ohm), SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MY TEST PROCEDURE AND MUSIC SELECTIONS **INITIAL IMPRESSION: The miracle of these headphones is their smooth but strong detail, taking good clean signals and effortlessly conveying a panorama of sound and imagery. It is impossible to say, "These are bright!" or "These are boomy!" or anything like that. If they have a personality, it is that they do everything well, without complaint or coloration. Listening to the DT990 headphones, I want to personify them, admire and respect them. They seem to know what they are about and don't need to be told what to do because it knows more about itself than you or I ever could. Don't educate it, don't direct it, don't admonish it, don't teach it. It doesn't need your help. It is already light years ahead of you, but is polite enough to not rub it in your face. They are like a British double-agent that can lay waste to 10 thugs in the kitchen, brush himself off, and walk unperturbedly and perfectly groomed into the dining room to greet a lady. These headphones sound and feel that composed, that sophisticated, that powerful.Well, enough of that. Before I go any further, let me tell you that the equipment in my audio chain includes a Windows 7 PC, an Audioengine D1 DAC, a Carver C-4000 preamp, and a Sony Dolby Pro-Logic IIx headphone amp. I did most of my critical listening through the Audioengine D1 by itself. ** See below for test music I used and how I configured my audio chain for critical evaluation. **SO, WHICH VERSION TO BUY? 32 OHM or 250 OHM (600 OHM not considered): The differing impedances made me question sound quality. If the 32 Ohm was for portable devices, then did that mean they had dumbed it down? Would the 250 Ohm leave me stuck with something I couldn't use because it required more powerful headphone amps than were in my audio chain already? So, I consulted the engineer who refurbished my Carver preamp a couple years ago, asking if the headphone amp in my C-4000 was powerful enough for the 250 Ohm version, or if I would be better off with the 32 Ohm version, that my aim was to not sacrifice sound quality but nonetheless not be stuck with headphones my equipment could not power strongly enough. As well, I got the opinions of some members of the Audioholics online community. Regarding sound quality, everyone I asked said the 32 Ohm version would sound great for any kind of listening, that there would be no discernible, real-world difference between the 32 Ohm and 250 Ohm versions. Even Beyerdynamic's website indicates, "In general, it can be stated that the resolution and precision of the high mids and highs is slightly better at higher impedances.... The sound differences between the various impedances are very slight and most people can only actually hear them when the sounds are compared directly.... The low-resistance, 32-ohm headphones are also an absolutely high-quality variant with excellent transmission characteristics that match the best competitors in the price class." More importantly, Beyerdynamic's website, and the individuals I contacted above, all said it was the ability of the amp to power the headphones that mattered. So, in my case, the decision to buy the 32 Ohm DT990 really came down to what my equipment could drive. Since my current headphones were 24 Ohms, it was a cinch to go with the 32 Ohms. Plus, I didn't want to end up with 250 Ohm headphones, run into a situation where they could not be used, and find I'd have to buy 32 Ohm headphones anyway. See more about impedance in the next paragraph.TECHNICAL INFORMATION REGARDING IMPEDANCE: In my research I discovered what appears to be the main concern regarding headphone INPUT impedance. It is related to an amp's OUTPUT impedance and how the amp achieves optimal damping of the speaker. Called the "damping factor," this indicates how well the amp controls the speaker motor assembly and diaphragm so that the speaker's movements accurately replicate (i.e. track or resolve) the electrical waveform. It also concerns how ably the amplifier limits the voltage created by the speaker's own movement, achieving this limiting by allowing current to pass from the speaker back into the amp unimpeded, or almost so. (Sort of like shoving somebody, and when they try to shove you back, their arms pass through you.) Let's stop for a moment and think about this in terms of wires and magnets, volage and current: remember in school, when you took coiled wire and turned it inside an array of magnets? You produced electricity, right? When a speaker moves - even if you do it by hand, because its voice coil is in a magnetic field it will PRODUCE electricity and send current out to whatever is connected to it. If that current coming from the speaker goes back to the amp while it is operational, and meets any meaningful impedance, voltage back at the speaker then rises and interacts with the speaker's magnetic field, thus introducing unwanted additional movement in the speaker itself. Not good. But how do engineers fix it? Again, good damping is needed. To optimize damping, the first rule is that the INPUT impedance of the speaker should be 10 times (some say 8) the OUTPUT impedance of the amp. The second rule is that an amplifier must have output impedance below 1 Ohm for best performance. Sounds like that could be a problem, causing every potential headphone consumer to track down the output impedance of any headphone amp before making an informed purchase, right? Well, not really. Since the OUTPUT impedance of solid state amps is almost universally very low, it is fairly easy and safe to make headphones with low INPUT impedances which allow for excellent damping by just about any decent amp. Another way of putting this is that low impedance headphones can sound great if solid state amps are designed with the above rules in mind - and practically all of them are. How can you be sure? Well, just check the manufacturer's amp specs for the lowest impedance headphones the amp will drive, regardless of whether they publish the output impedance of the amp. (Publishing the output impedance of a solid state amp is like being a tire manufacturer and publishing that your tires hold air.) That spec will as a general rule reveal the underlying design approach, which should be very low amp output impedance. For instance, my Audioengine D1 has no listed specs for its amp output impedance, but they do publish that the D1 accepts headphones as low as 10 Ohms. With the above in mind, I was confident both that the D1 effectively drives and controls (i.e. dampens) headphones with impedances down to 10 Ohms, and that the internal amp is at or below good design criteria for an amp's output impedance, which is 1 Ohm or lower. Decision time: the 10 Ohm minimum headphone input impedance stipulated for the Audioengine D1 amp is below the DT990's 32 Ohms - with plenty of room to spare. Furthermore, the DT990 has low enough impedance to be easily driven to loud volumes, which I desire. Problem solved! Let me grab my wallet.OPEN vs HALF-OPEN vs CLOSED-BACK: I chose the open-back DT990 Editions because I actually wanted the room ambiance that bleeds through with open-back headphones. (I adopted this preference after I got a pair of Koss Porta Pro headphones over 25 years ago.) Aside from overall preference, the specific reason I wanted the open-back DT990 Edition is that I mostly watch movies. The added sense of space via the room's subtle ambient noise coming through the back of the headphone cups, and the better bass extension, form an appealing approach to movie watching. Plus, I am confident of Beyerdynamic's electrical and mechanical driver damping. I do not worry the diaphragm is going to get sloppy because it is in free air.LOW FREQUENCY EFFECTS IN MOVIES (MUSIC IS REVIEWED BELOW): I put in the Telarc "The Great Fantasy Adventure Album" CD to demo five tracks which Telarc says have low frequency content all the way down to 5 Hertz. I wanted to see how the DT990 headphones would stand up to those five tracks, how the cans would handle the thunderous T-Rex from Jurassic Park, the arrows being shot into a wooden target in Splitting Hairs, and the more traditional fantasy/techie The Anvil of Crom, Cybergenesis, and the Terminator Theme. After listening to these with the DT990, all I can say is, "Wow... and ouch!" While such low frequencies can't be heard, with the DT990 you will feel lots of pressure, and the ear cups may seem to move a bit, producing something akin to an itch or buzzing sensation on or around the ear. Hold the cups in your hands while playing an extended low frequency selection from the above, or from John Wick, Total Recall (2012), or the first five minutes of Prometheus to see what I mean. What I listen for when evaluating low frequency extension, aside from amp clipping, is the rattling and slapping of headphone driver diaphragm breakup. However, with those kinds of low frequencies the DT990 headphones were clean and smooth no matter what I threw at them. The bass is so strong, I find I have to turn down the bass to 10 o'clock below 40 Hz for nearly all of my movie listening. For music, I put the bass back to 12 o'clock, except for those musical pieces which are truly bass heavy (see below). Please be aware that because the DT990 plays frequencies as low as 5 Hz, there is a potential risk of harm to your hearing. (NOTE: If you are using a Windows computer as your source, and you are not getting the low frequencies you expect to hear, make sure your audio playback device is configured for "full range/large speakers" instead of "satellite/surround" speakers, which is the default.)COMFORT: Mine felt a bit tight. I believe others said the Pro versions were tight. That makes sense. But I don't recall any reviews which said the Editions were tight. Well, mine were tight. But, it was an easy fix: I did a bit of anxious (un)bending of the headband to get them to loosen up a bit, and now they are fine. I do agree that these are quite comfortable. Neither did they make my head or ears feel warm.MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING: I keep a handkerchief on the headphones when they are in their Luxa2 E-One headphone stand I got from Amazon (see link above). I do this to keep dust off them, and because it looks nice. I do plan on buying a set of replacement ear cushions. For, while the velour of the ear cushions may be cleanable and could last a long time, I read that the foam deteriorates more quickly. For interim cleaning, I think I will just use a wash cloth dampened with a diluted alcohol and water solution to get the oil off the pads.FINAL COMMENTS: These are superb sounding, extremely well built headphones, that are easily-driven to very loud levels by amps with output around 2 volts. They are engineering marvels in one sense, art in another, fiscally responsible investment in yet a third. Overall, they are completely satisfying and seemingly impossible to regret. Continue reading below to do some testing of your own. I think you will agree these are outstanding headphones! Highly recommended!!** DT990 TESTING PROCEDURE AND MUSIC SELECTIONS BELOW **SOURCE MATERIAL: All songs ripped from purchased retail CD/DVD media and saved as lossless .wav files with bit depth=16-bit and sample rate=44.1/48KHz (CD/DVD quality)SOURCE EQUIPMENT: IBM-compatible PC, Windows 7 SP1 (x64), Microsoft Generic USB Controller (Driver: 6.1.7601.18208)PLAYBACK EQUIPMENT: - VLC Media Player (x64), ver. 2.2.1, surround=off, otherwise all settings at default - Audioengine D1 Digital-to-Analog Converter Headphone Amp and Preamp ---- D1 Input used for testing: USB ---- D1 Output used for testing: Headphone jack ---- D1 Settings in Windows Playback Devices: Exclusive Mode (direct stream from VLC to D1) - Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition, 32 Ohm versionPLAYBACK SETTINGS: - All hardware/software configurations at default or as above - All volume settings at 65%-70%BEFORE YOU TEST YOUR HEADPHONES: If using Windows, make sure Windows is not treating your playback device as being connected to "satellite/surround" speakers, which is the default. Be sure to configure your output device as if connected to "full range/large" speakers!MUSIC USED: The music below highlights the Beyerdynamic DT990's ability to faithfully and forcefully reproduce bass and sub-bass (200Hz to below hearing) while remaining dynamic and composed across the entire audible spectrum. REMINDER: Do not listen at high volumes. Some low frequencies cannot be heard, but rather felt as pressure on the ears and head. As well, bass you can hear in these songs may have a much lower, indiscernible harmonic which itself poses a risk to your hearing. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra w/Jesus Lopez-Cobos conducting, Bizet Carmen Suite Symphony No. 1 CD (Telarc) - Carmen Suite for orchestra, No. 1, Act 1, Prelude: from the Telarc CD, this is a challenging test for any headphones... rich and very powerful Korn, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 CD - Another Brick in the Wall, Pts 1,2 & 3: very heavy drums and bass guitar... meaner, darker than the original Hayley Westenra, Celtic Treasures CD - Let Me Lie: powerful, deep, poignant... listen for composed presentation, her voice should not break up - Summer Rain: rolling bass at 0:45 is more felt than heard... the low bass contrasts nicely with her soaring voice Ramsey Lewis, Boston Acoustics "Music for Bottom Feeders" CD - People Make The World Go 'Round: prominent and sultry bass, sharp drums, smooth piano Alanis Morissette, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie CD - UR: bass is heavy, stompy... song builds around it nicely Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction CD (Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs) - Symphony of Destruction: torture test for punchy bass and low, crunchy guitar Dave Weckl, Boston Acoustics "Music for Bottom Feeders" CD - Heads Up: probably my number 1 demo track for demonstrating lively and tight dynamics... drums and bass are stellar Extreme, III Sides to Every Story CD - Cupid's Dead: phenomenally precise and punchy w/awesome vocals... a relentless groove Dave Matthews Band, The Central Park Concert DVD, Disc 1 - Crush: superb recording, kick and snare drums are out of this world Tool, Lateralus CD - Reflection: hypnotic, percussion-laden track... one of a kind Harry Gregson-Williams, Total Recall (2012) Soundtrack CD - The Tripping Den: deep bass that sounds/feels like a wrecking ball has just dropped to the ground Le Castle Vania, John Wick [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] CD - The Drowning: it starts out very low, but then steps down... and down... and down5

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beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

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beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

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beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

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