Lol, that graph, makes it sound like the have a similar sound up until the treble. Couldn't be further from the truth.

And god no, bass boosting the DT990 would murder the sound quality. The Q701 loves a good bass boost BECAUSE it's not that bassy to begin with.

I wonder how the 32ohm's graph would look like. I guarantee it'd probably have a bigger bass hump, and less treble peak. It's pretty bassy, so I'm thinking you probably wouldn't like it. It has a lovely impact, but even for me, it's borderline too much. That's probably why the 600ohm gets the most love. It's clearer, less bassy, but I still say the treble is hottest.

Yes, Beats Audio... it was the only option available.

I remember really liking the DT880 bass (250ohm version).  Treble was perfectly fine.  Bass was fun.  I don't remember the mids much, but I think they were OK. The soundstage could have been larger.  I would love Beyer to make something with the signature of the DT880 but with a huge soundstage and good positioning.  Is that the T90?  I still don't know, but FWIR so far the bass isn't as impressive as you'd expect it to be.  Maybe it makes up for that in other areas...
 
I thought zombie_X would have them by now, and be able to give some impressions.

So I bought the Harman Kardon AVR 335 receiver for $175 and I'm one happy son of a b!tch!  I no longer feel the Q701's have the little bit of lacking strength when I was using them with the AX720.  Really glad I invested in this receiver versus getting the Astro Mixamp and then turning around and getting a receiver for my real speakers.  I can't believe receivers now days with Dolby Headphone are above $800 to obtain.  Ridiculous!

Rabinzero, glad you got something that will work for you

Mad Lust Eeeenvy,
I wasn't slamming on the DT990 for lack of mids, how could I, never having heard them? But I like slightly forward mids, was looking for that. I've also come to appreciate the Q701 smooth treble over the more grainy AD700... makes some challenging songs fun instead of a little grating on the ears. Lol@ your beats audio sound, you know I've heard that there's this guy called NamelessPFG who wrote a guide on pc audio. Dunno where I heard about it though.

Chicolom, did I not post in that forum yet? No I didn't! Not sure what to say other than I also like my Q701?

Glad everyone's having good times!

Oh, why would I buy a soundcard when I use my NFB5? Lol. I only used the soundcard to test how the DT990 fares on it, being obviously inferior to the NFB5. Soundcards are useless for those of us who have external dacs. That is, unless you wanna get something with a virtual surround decoder. I don't play on PC, so it has no use for me.

I'm probably not gonna keep the DT990 though. I don't feel bad about returning it, as it was already used.

The HE400 is all the headphone I need at home. I do like that it's easier to drive than the HE400 though.... hmm. I have a slight headache today, so I want to be at 100% before I make my decision. No denying, that the DT990/32 is stellar for the $200 I spent. Better than the DT990 pro (less bass bloat), and easier to drive.

Quote:

chicolom said:

I remember really liking the DT880 bass (250ohm version).  Treble was perfectly fine.  Bass was fun.  I don't remember the mids much, but I think they were OK. The soundstage could have been larger.  I would love Beyer to make something with the signature of the DT880 but with a huge soundstage and good positioning.  Is that the T90?  I still don't know, but FWIR so far the bass isn't as impressive as you'd expect it to be.  Maybe it makes up for that in other areas...
 
I thought zombie_X would have them by now, and be able to give some impressions.

Click to expand...

Yea when I had my DT880 pro-250 pro I liked them alot. was great headphones, but my need of close because of the noise in my apt complex and outside. I sold them to get closed back headphones. Man people can shout loud outside even with the windows close. But the person I sold the DT880 pro-250 to are very happy as it prolly there first real headphone.

Hmm, I may have to detract my statement about the 32ohm Beyers sounding like crap without an amp. The DT990/32 sounds DAMN good off my Sansa Fuze. Clear, snappy, and lively. Definitely not as good as off my NFB5, but it does sound plenty awesome. Damn, my PC soundcard must be REALLY crappy if a portable device makes the DT990 sound good...

SERIOUSLY. I like it off my Fuze! That's two things that sounds good unpamped. The Sansa Fuze, and the Vita (though the Vita needs just a little more juice for headroom in terms of power...)

I may have to keep it just because of that... the HE400 can't do that.

No lie, I prefer the DT990/32 over the Pro 900. Open sound, thumping bass like a closed headphone, and surprising efficiency? Oh yes.

Quote:

rabinzero said:

So I bought the Harman Kardon AVR 335 receiver for $175 and I'm one happy son of a b!tch!  I no longer feel the Q701's have the little bit of lacking strength when I was using them with the AX720.  Really glad I invested in this receiver versus getting the Astro Mixamp and then turning around and getting a receiver for my real speakers.  I can't believe receivers now days with Dolby Headphone are above $800 to obtain.  Ridiculous!

Click to expand...

Yamaha receivers come with Silent Cinema, Yamaha's version of headphone surround sound, it's even on their $180 receivers.

Quote:

mad lust envy said:

...I'm probably not gonna keep the DT990 though.

...I may have to keep it just because of that... the HE400 can't do that.

Click to expand...

 
LOL, you and your post-editing-flip-flopping.

No, no. I mean I'm probably gonna send them back, but then I tried them out of my Fuze, and was really impressed, making me rethink the decision to return them.

If I had bought them new, I'd definitely keep them. Because it's already been opened, I don't feel bad. I've just put in some burn in for the next person...

Still, I'm 50/50 atm.

This may be the first time I use almost the full 30 days to make my decision...maybe.

It depends on whether I see myself splitting my headphone time between the HE400 and DT990s. Right now, I don't think the DT990s would take time away from my HE400s. Honestly, the DT990's signature is MORE to my preference than the HE400s, but the HE400s are too damn good that I can excuse the fact that they aren't v-shaped.

Honestly, if I had owned the DT990/32 a long time ago, I think my head-fi history would've been VERY different. I would've built my setup around it.

I'd probably would've ended at the DT990/32 and the Pro 900 (as the closest closed headphone that sounds like it.)

BTW, the price has gone down to $262 today on Amazon. It was $375 yesterday. :rolleyes:

I wonder if Amazon hates head-fiers for using them as a headphone rental agency.
 

Hahaha. What I'm scared of is that I'll find the HE400 bass light after listening to the DT990 if I decide to keep them. The HE400 really isn't, but I absolutely love the bass on the DT990s (especially after my headache went away, lol).

ARGH.

Here, let me (not) help. How would you rate the DT 990 Premium (250 ohms)? You've just about tested the entire 990 line-up...might as well finish it.

Lol. I haven't heard the 250ohm Premium, just the Pros. They all sound very much alike, though the Pros have a boost in bass over the Premiums, as Zombie stated. The Premium 32 ohm is quite bassy as is. I can see why I didn't care for the Pro's level of bass. It was too much for my ears.

Ironically, the Pro 900 has even more bass, but the way the bass hits isn't as fatiguing.

All in all, the 600ohm with a treble reduction would be the best DT990 in sheer SQ. The 32ohm comes next and honestly doesn't need anything changed, but it isn't as technically clear as the 600ohm. It does have a better balance for me, which is why I like it more. I'm willing to bet the 250ohm DT990 is practically identical to the 600ohm.

I'm glad I went with the 32ohm, as it really doesn't require too much amping, whereas the 250ohm would need about as much as the 600ohm (desktop amp to get it to it's fullest potential). At that point, I'd just choose whichever is cheapest. For my use, the 32ohm works with a portable amp, which is what I got with the E17. I did expect the DT990/32 to need a treble reduction... which doesn't seem to be the case.



I assume the DT990 on the graph is the 250ohm.

That's too similar to consider it anything other than almost identical. The biggest differences are only about 2db apart, which realistically isn't enough to make a difference in real life testing. The 10,000hz treble peak is identical, which is the problem area on the DT990s for people. I'm willing to bet the 32ohm has a slightly lower peak there. A few decibels, easily.

eric_c said:

Here, let me (not) help. How would you rate the DT 990 Premium (250 ohms)? You've just about tested the entire 990 line-up...might as well finish it.

Click to expand...

Hahaha! Had to laugh
It appears as if MLE doesn't like to "sit still," which may make Amazon or his wallet unhappy... But that exact trait is very valuable to this guide and it's readers For example, MLE aren't you at all curious if the mid-Ohm DT990 250 Premium would have the perfect balance between the 32Ohm's cohesion & non-fatiguing signature and the 600 Ohm model's clarity? I admit that I kinda am, though I lack the DT990 experience you have. You know as well as any that freq graphs don't tell the whole story, and it looks like the 250 Ohm version has slightly more optimal Freq anyway (mids, bass extension, more even treble...).

PS I estimate another 30 hours of burn in are left on my Q701s