Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 250 Ohm

I have only just started using the headphones a few days ago but I really recommend them. The sound quality has been excellent out of the box, as I am still wearing them in, but so far very impressive.

The sound stage is considerably wider and easier to distinguish different instruments or 'layers' to the music. They are also great for gaming, detailing the exact locations of enemies and allowing me to hear echoes and high pitched sounds that i never heard before.

I have two slight issues with the build...One is where the cables come out of each side into the headband. The cable comes out of the speaker and if you rotate the cups to far the metal hooks press into the soft rubber part of the cable where it comes out..if these accidently rotate too far they would snap the rubber cabling...The cable ends could have easily had a small plastic stopper beside them to prevent this issue..I am been very careful as to not snag these cables when removing or placing the phones on my head.

The cable that comes out the bottom is also solid attached, so if this detiorates over time it isnt easy to replace, and it has no quick release if i snag it. Those are my only two concerns about build...the cables should have been better protected and easier to user replace..though they do stress that every part of these headphones is replaceable..that would inevitably mean a 4 week wait and expensive charges IF anything did go wrong.

Comfort wise..these things excel. I wanted something open i could wear for hours gaming and they are not letting me down. The pads are soft and open, and the clamping force is quite low overall. The headband has soft memory foam covered in faux leather and feels very nice.

After several hours wearing I had slight pressure on one side of my jaw but much less than any other headphones I've tried.

This review was initially a bit different - I edited it after having owned them for over a month when I decided to sell them. Read on why.

I used them with an Audioengine D1 DAC/amp, and listen to a wide variety of metal, rock, punk, pop and electronic music.

So the pros and cons are exactly as stated above. Comfort is good, I do feel the headband putting a slight pressure on my head after 2+ hours of use, but nothing to worry about. The velour pads are extremely comfy and ears do not get warm.

Bass is really great in my opinion. You'd have to be a really serious basshead to think these lack it. I listen to some dubstep and Dn'B, sounds very good on these. Same goes for the mids, it simply sounds good.

BUT...

As it turns out the treble which is very strong can be too much for some people, me being included to that group. The problem I have with them is that 9 out of 10 songs with vocals become extremely sibilant to my ears on a bit higher volumes. I had to turn down the volume quite a bit to be able to listen to bands like Paramore, where Haley Williams vocals get very piercing and painful to listen to. Some say that it's a recordings fault for being sibilant, but it cannot be purely the recording when pretty much all music with vocals is like this.

Now I should point out though that this is extremely individual, I'm sensitive to treble, others are not, and if you're not sensitive to it, then the DT990 might be exactly what you're looking for in a fun headphone. So while this mini-review might look more like a rant, it's not meant to be that, my overall rating is still 4/5 stars because it definitely is a good headphone, it's just not for everyone.

I reviewed the 32 ohm version of the DT990 Premium Open headphones and I have to tell you it was a joy.  

I'll touch on the major points here but if you want to see my full video review or read my written review, you can head over to the link below....

http://www.headphonereviewhq.com/reviews/beyerdynamic-dt990-premium-review/

Briefly, here's what I loved about the DT990 Premiums.  First, they might be the most comfortable set of headphones I've ever put on my head - yes, even better than the T1's or Beyerdynamic's other high end sets! The build quality is incredible and the midrange is probably the best you can get on a set of headphones in the $300's.  The prices seem to be all over the board when you look around on Amazon - the best deals seem to be on the 250 ohm versions and that's probably what I'd go for anyways considering even the 32 ohm version really needs an amp to bring out its full potential.  The bass is detailed and slightly boosted over normal, and really the only weak spot is the treble - it's good, but it doesn't have the ability to reproduce the finest levels of detail that I've grown accustomed to (even in cheaper headphones such as the ATH-M50's).  

Definitely stop by and check out my full review at:

http://www.headphonereviewhq.com/reviews/beyerdynamic-dt990-premium-review/

And while you're at it, swing by and visit my YouTube channel at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/headphonereviewhq/

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These are my first audiophile grade headphones so forgive my vocabulary.

I use them primarily to listen to Trance.

I have no other headphones to compare.

They are paired with a Millet Hybrid MiniMax Amp.

I will just say that for my listening choice these headphones feel perfect.  The bass is mostly clear and precise and goes as deep as necessary.  They bass isn't too much where it hides the rest of the music.  It feels natural and just a part of the flow.

It really makes me ... to listen to my system in my car sometimes because the quality of these headphones make me want more out of car audio.

Some people point out about the recessed mids and over the top highs.  I can understand how sometimes the mids may be not as good as they should be.  I can feel that way sometimes, but I am not sure if that is just peoples comments getting into my head.  As far as the highs, I just get used to it.  Also I use the noise sharpener for foobar to correct it as necessary.

Overall as my first step into head fi I am very very pleased with the combination I have now.

You can't go wrong with these.

I would make it short.

1.This headphone has strong resonance in 80~100Hz, you would need a very strong amp to overcome the emf, or would got a notable unnatural bump in upper-bass.

2.About the infamous recessed mid- I guess it's a slight,but critical QC fault:

Inside  leather bag, the humidity is been lower than normal condition by desiccant,makes the damping coating on the diaphragm lose it's function, just need sometime to got proper work.

3. Compare DT880, what you can got extra from DT990 : Highs with natural brilliance , richness low-mid and bass. not "flat" as DT880, but makes everything more believable and vivid , a step up transparency,and the most important thing is :a unusual believable holographic field. 

4.Tone character is close the "Yin" side, upper mid and lower highs has the typical Germany-sound feature,as Burmester,Lindemann and ASR, in short, it's a kind of engry of highs, Sweet, clarity, but need proper tune to avoid overly bright or "hot". Especially the upper mid ,this band is always the Achilles' heel of full-range driver.

5.In some best conditions, DT990 would got a unique perspective:It's a head stage no stage, a sound field  really a field in front of, Kind hard to describe, a feeling of realism,not only "disappear", but has a stunned ability of rebuild whole scene, A Stage of The Arts class performance.

Some of best headphone can rebuild the scene as well. But really different thing is: The scene  DT990 rebuild  didn't has a notable "Vanishing point". 

Headphone's "King of the Bokeh" ? Maybe, really stunned beautiful sound-scape.

6.Finally summary : One of the best/underrate headphone under $500.