beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro Reviews

very comfortable

Best trait is the comfortable part. You can stay for hours with these headphones on.

Sound is decent enough.

Cons: The cable is built in, so if smth happens to the cable, it is RIP.

They really have too much of high frequencies

Originally I bought DT990 Pro to use in my synth set-up (without a computer) but the coiled cable quickly became problematic, so I plugged it into my computer, replacing DT770 as mixing headphones.

My first impression when I played some music was like: "My ears! It hurts!" because of the amount of high-frequency content. This was the reason to do the first test with high-frequency rich genres like Trance and Techno.

Here are my observations:

Trance is the most unbearable to listen to. About 90% of tracks attacked my ears with ear-piercing cymbals. It's better with Techno but I got mixed results here as some Techno tracks are more muffled and some have boosted high-frequencies as in Trance music. Besides cymbals like razors, high-frequency content didn't have good separation and it sounded like all cymbals are just one huge mess.

The low end was ok in most cases. It didn't have impact, weight or transient as DT770 but it is there. This is what I thought before I moved to the other music genres.

My other impression was that I don't hear any more stereo space in these headphones than in DT770, which is ridiculous as 770 are closed and 990 are open. I should be able to hear a huge difference.

I tried MP3s and uncompressed flac/wav files. I couldn't stand compressed music most of the time. I'm forgivable in that matter but on DT990 I could hear much more unpleasant artefacts that together with the not-so-great production quality of Trance make the listening experience much less fun than with consumer-grade headphones or even DT770. After listening to more than 100 Trance and Techno tracks I had the feeling that some of them were made or at least tested with DT990 because they were sounding good while others (even those from famous producers) were flat, lifeless and sounded like coming from a tiny box.

To summarize my impressions of Techno and Trance: the majority of tracks in these genres sound bad and unpleasant on DT990.

The second test was with a variety of genres, from Jazz to Ambient, Pop, 80's etc. Here's where "the fun" started. I tried a bunch of reference music for audiophiles out of curiosity (I'm not one of them!).

Immediately I could hear a wide stereo space with instruments filling it from far left to far right. Trance and Techno at best have half of it which is a shame. I could also hear dynamics and "vertical" space between vocals and other instruments in or close to the centre. Another thing that genres in my first test lacked. And I can't blame only dynamic compression which is usual;y too high in modern electronic music because this problem appeared even in older tracks that I know weren't treated with compressors (or just a tiny bit).

DT990 Pro revealed its full glory in this test. Horizontal and vertical space became filled with the joy of good sound. Of course, high frequencies are in front too. DT990 has simply too much of it. But at least it didn't hurt my ears.

The low end is a mixed bag. In some tracks, I missed more of it but I could still hear the punch/transients. Also, genres like Jazz are not bass heavy in the first place. Genres like RnB gave often different experiences. The bass guitar was often enormous and put Trance and Techno to shame. Who could think that "bass genres" will lose to 80's Pop songs? It's probably because DT990 has boosted mid-bass but it has a very good bass extension so it should give genres with sub-bass more "oomph" than I experienced.

DT990 Pro are definitely better with non-electronic dance music genres if someone wants to buy these headphones for casual listening.

Another story is studio use and critical listening. These headphones can reveal every (or at least a lot of it) detail, badly done mixing and mastering. I don't know how they will work as mixing headphones (I'm still on holiday and too lazy to check) but I can already feel that a correction curve will be necessary to at least attenuate a bit of high frequencies. Otherwise, mixers may try to attenuate high frequencies more than they should.

To summarize:

I wouldn't recommend DT990 Pro for casual listening. Most of your favourite songs may be unbearable to listen to. Besides that, as long as you can still hear a high frequency range up to 16kHz as I do, this part of the spectrum will be always taking the space and in front position.

Some people may enjoy genres like Jazz, RnB etc. on those because of the wide stereo space. As long as it doesn't have exaggerated cymbals, you may be fine. If you prefer deeper, more towards mid and bass range sound, avoid DT990 at all costs.

For critical listening, these headphones seem to be alright but once again, high frequencies are spoiling it. Same problem for mixing because besides that, separation in high-end is not that great. I wouldn't recommend DT990 as the only mixing reference for genres like Techno or Trance.

Great Headphones

The headphones are sturdy and well built. The ear pads are soft and extremely comfortable, perfect for long sessions. They offer superb sound quality, very detailed and accurate sound, good separation and sense of depth and great soundstage. It is really hard to find anything better in this price range.

Best headphones I've ever had

I'm a mix engineer and these headphones are 100% perfect for me. I hear everything. Awesome, wide stage. Clear sound without distortion and artifacts at any volume

Perfect!

The sound and the quality was so impressive! So far this was my favorite Headphone compared to other branded headphones I have.

Guys!! This is one well recommended!

You'll love it, specially it is open headphone and when you use this together with your studio monitor with the same level of sounds.. Woosshhh... Perfect!! It is really perfect!

Just buy them.

I love these. The sound is so crisp and the accuracy is amazing. I use these for mixing and I can definitely hear every single detail going on in the mix. The low-frequency and even the sub-frequency response are also surprisingly good!

These are very comfortable and light headphones. Even after a multiple-hour session they don't get too uncomfortable. Also, they let air in since they're open backs, so they won't get hot in the summer.

Amazing build quality too. All the parts feel very reliable.

LOVE THEM

I love their sound, they sound so close to my studio speakers

amazing

easy and had it for 2 years good

Great sound and quality, bit heavy

I bought this pair of headphones for electronic music production and they're great for that. I can hear everything clearly. Unfortunately, the 990s are a bit too heavy for my liking. They are, however, super comfortable around the ears - even with glasses on there's no pressure and I could wear them all day long if I had to.

Very good.

Amazing gear for studio, gaming or only listening. 250 ohm open back has the good depth but it slightly quiter than expected. But more than enough.

Doesn't need a review

It's reference headphones, man, sound quality is there, comfort is there, they are close to perfection.

Only side note is the slight lack of mediums, they might sound "empty" at first, especially on acoustic recordings of string instruments, but they are excellent for monitoring and mixing. If it sounds good with these, it sounds good everywhere.

fantastic headphones.

using these with a rødecaster pro, they work great, really good and clear sound both for voice recording for podcasts and music.

will definitely be getting a 2nd pair when the need arrises.

Dt-900

Great headphone, stood the test of time, great clarity and superb definition

Buy it now.

Legendary Beyerdynamics. I had 770, 1990, and now 990. The quality is amazing, smooth low-end and crispy high-end. I wouldn't consider buying other headphones if something happens to my 990 that i own now, i will buy exactly the same. 770 and 990 are the only headphones that i can use for hours without the need to take a break, it's pretty comfortable.

Merciless mixing headphones

I often saw these described as "merciless" for mixing, in the sense that if there is anything even remotely "off" in the mix, these headphones will not be reserved when letting you know about it. And after using them for some years, I have to agree. At the end of the day, this is what every mixing engineer would want, something that immediately shines light on anything that isn't quite right.

They are also good for regular listening. My only complaint is that they initially felt too tight, however after carefully stretching the headpiece (which is made from metal) I was able to shape it better to my head.

realy good

amazing ears. as you can read in all the reviews here. great clarity and room depth. amazing for reverbs and understanding room space. simply great

Awesome headphones

great headphones, I'm kicking myself for not getting these earlier. They have a great bass response and they are open-back, so the highs are very open, detailed, and simply a treat to hear. Overall these are very fun (for bass heads like me) and silky smooth(for classical and acoustics) to hear With great stereo separation, you can pinpoint mistakes in your mix. I use them for hours while producing or mixing without any ear fatigue. If you are trying to decide between ATH M-50 and Beyerdynamic, good with Beyerdynamic for overall neutarl sound. More bass heavy then ATH-M50

The best one, for me.

Effectively, this headset is the best one I've ever tried. Since it's open at the back, the sound gets purer and I think it's a great thing when recording your voice.

Moreover, the price is very affordable and it's worth the price!

In terms of comfort, it is very comfortable but if it was just me I would have made it a little bit smaller.

Anyway, great product.

Great clean sound

Amazing and clean sound and super comfortable on the head.

Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 Ohm

Great high end and balance. Not headphone's for bass lovers, but fantastic mid range and separation of sounds. Clarity is very high, with a sweet tone.

Comfortable enough to listen to for hours. The only issue I have is the headband - I prefer a swede one for comfort. 9.7/10