[JuanCamiloso]

I tried the DT1990 and the Amiron, and for me, the Amiron was more comfortable. 

 

[stenog]

Hey guys so i bought akg k712 pro but i am not that satisfied with comfort i am thinking about returning it back at shop and buying DT 1990 how are they comfort wise? its the most important factor for me.

Yes if comfort is the most important factor, you should consider the Amiron. And it's not a bad headphone either .

 

[LaCuffia]

Just one thing to note is the pads on the 1990 are deeper than on the Amiron. The Amiron pads are softer and more comfortable but if your ears stick out a lot I guess they could touch the fabric covering the driver. The Amiron also has a much lighter clamping pressure.

 

[stenog]

Could be a problem with the Amiron.

 

[bookemJ]

Hey guys so i bought akg k712 pro but i am not that satisfied with comfort i am thinking about returning it back at shop and buying DT 1990 how are they comfort wise? its the most important factor for me.

So I only have about 6 hours of use on mine in a combined 2 days. I'm coming from imo a very comfortable very light(249g vs 712pro 235g) sennheiser headset. I would say the first hour or 2 my head wasn't used to the clamp n it was a little worrying but after a couple more hours I actually enjoyed the snugness of the 1990s. The weight feels very premium and not overwhelming at all. The leather headband is soft but I prefer the velvety texture of the sennheisers so far, but that could change with more wear time.

Keep in mind I bought my 1990s used so the clamp may have been a bit lighter than original and I wear a 7 1/4 hat.

 

[GoreMotel]

Hello! I'm going to get a pair of DT 1990's this week and I was wondering if the Fostex HP-A4BL DAC/amp, which I'm using now, will be able to power them properly? Or would I need to invest in something more powerful? The specs for the unbalanced phones terminal state the following: 
 
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/HP-A4BL.shtml#content-3-tab-tab
 

Maximum output :150mW or more (32 ohm)

 
The Grado RS2e's I have work fine, but they are 32ohm and I don't know if this pair of 250ohm Beyer's will work well.

 

[Slaphead]

Hello! I'm going to get a pair of DT 1990's this week and I was wondering if the Fostex HP-A4BL DAC/amp, which I'm using now, will be able to power them properly? Or would I need to invest in something more powerful? The specs for the unbalanced phones terminal state the following: 

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/HP-A4BL.shtml#content-3-tab-tab


The Grado RS2e's I have work fine, but they are 32ohm and I don't know if this pair of 250ohm Beyer's will work well.

The 1990s are surprisingly sensitive for their 250Ω rating, and you can get them to work from a portable device reasonably well.

I use a Mojo with mine and when I'm listening to Rock or EDM the volume setting is on double red, which, counterintuitively is one of the lowest volume settings on the Mojo.

I have to stop short of saying yes they'll be fine wth the HP-4ABL as I've never heard one, but the chances are high that you'll get a reasonable result from it straight off the bat, and it's certainly worth trying before you invest in another DAC/Amp solution.

 

[Dsnuts]

Look forward to hearing these next week.

 

[GoreMotel]

I can now confirm that the Fostex HP-A4BL DAC can power these headphones without a problem. I set the volume to around 40% on low gain, any higher than that and it's too loud for me.

This might become my favorite pair of headphones I ever owned. I probably won't be using my Grado RS2e's that much anymore.

 

[Mzen]

Would you mind giving some further impressions from your experience? I've had my eye on this DAC/AMP and headphone combo for a couple of months now, but there isn't much information about the HP-A4BL around the Internet.

And please, make it as detailed as you possibly can :^)

 

[GoreMotel]

Well, I am not that versed in the world of audio equipment, but I'll try.

Starting with the looks and build quality: it's a nice and sturdy little unit, with all the controls in front. The volume knob feels great. It has a separate power supply. It's made in Japan.

Features: USB input, optical input and output, RCA output (for powered speakers). It can go into standy automatically. Balanced and unbalanced headphone output. You can quickly switch between headphone and RCA output at the push of a button, which to me is fantastic - no more having to unplug your headphones to use the speakers, like on some other DACs. The volume knob will control the volume of your powered speakers.

Sound: well what can I say, other than I think that my headphones sound great with it (Beyerdynamic DT 1990 & DT 770 - both at 250ohm; Grado RS2e at 32ohm; Audio Technica ATH-AD900x at 38ohm). I can't be more descriptive here, as I don't know what to say really.

There's a thread dedicated to the HP-A4BL here on Head-Fi, you'll find more pertinent opinions there:

Fostex HP-A4BL (the A4 with balanced output)

 

[Mzen]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I already was aware of that thread, but nobody seemed to have impressions of the pairing with the DT 1990 PRO.

Since it sounds good and powers the 1990s with little effort, I think I might pull the trigger on this one. Been wrecking my brain trying to figure out if I should go with the Fostex, Aune X1S or the NFB-11 from Audio GD, so your input has been very helpful. Once again thank you.

 

[Xerox]

Greetings fellow head-fi:ers,

I've been lurking around here for quite some time but felt the need to post my experience with both the 1990 pro and the 1770 pro. So without further ado I'll start with a compare review of them both, then follow up with some questions I very much hope will be answered (please don't skip them at the end!). Alright, let's get started.


REVIEW

For the past 2 weeks I have spent much of my time learning and deciding on which headphones that would best suit my needs. I listen mostly to EDM and got a chance to test these beauties (1990), along with the 1770 pro. For reference I've been playing piano a little over 17 years and I've also listened to various headphones (see the list at the bottom). It was a pretty easy choice really, I fell in love with the 1990. Simply because of the dramatic increase in soundstage and imaging when compared to the 1770.

The soundstage is not ridiculously large but still just perfectly large enough to keep all the detail crystal clear. The transparency/clarity in the 1990 are phenomenal, quite more than the 1770. I believe the highs/treble are not too sharp as I've read some say, they are at a perfect balance for me even tho I'm pretty/very sensitive. I also felt that the 1770 had a tad sharper treble/highs than the 1990 at some songs, sometimes making them difficult to listen to.

The mids are more pronounced in the 1990, giving instruments the space they deserve while keeping vocals quite below the pain threshold. Even tho the 1770 have noticeable more sub bass/low end, the 1990 have for my taste more than enough (and I do like bass). For a basshead, I believe the 1990 may sound a little thin, but I strongly doubt that you won't enjoy them nonetheless (was a basshead myself). The bass is accurate, tight, punchy and without delay.

For me, the most important aspect when deciding on the 1990 was that I had a lot easier to immerse myself in the music since I love detail, transparency, soundstage and imaging. Something the 1990 do way better than the 1770 in my opinion.


QUESTIONS

Now that I (atlast) have chosen the 1990 pro, I'm wondering what DAC+AMP would be a good combo. Today I only have a Asus Xonar DX and my current budget for both a DAC+AMP is somewhere around 500 dollars (give or take 100 bucks if it's really worth it).

My initial thought for a DAC was to get a Modi Multibit since I've read that the sound quality is quite noticable when upgrading from a Modi 2 or even a Modi 2 Uber (Even tho I don't understand why). Is this correct? Will Modi Multibit be a good choice? If so, why? If not, what would be a better choice and why? Also, will the USB input give out most sound quality?

I've also come to understand that a tube amp will give off a more silky sound while a solid state amp will give more edge. Therefore I believe my preferences is with a tube amp's characteristics. I've become interested in the hybrid Vali 2, but have heard that it produces a low noice/buzzing/humming sound in the background. Is this true? Either way, will this amp be a good pair with the Modi Multibit and 1990, or should I consider a Magni instead, or a completely different (tube?) amp?

Last but not least, should I for some reason consider a DAC/AMP combo like the Jotunheim instead? If so, why? And how well will the 1990 handle bad sources like youtube/netflix/spotify/mp3? (*Shivers a little...*)


Many many thanks in advance! I hope my review was worthwhile reading.


LIST OF HEADPHONES TESTED

Low-end
Creative Aurvana Live!
Superlux HD660
Massdrop HiFiMAN HE-350
Bose QC35
B&W P7 Wireless
Beyerdynamic DT 1350
Audio Technica ATH-M70x

Mid/high-end
Audio Technica ATH-A1000Z
Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro
B&W P9
Denon AH-D7200
Technics EAH-T700
Sennheiser HD800

 

[jmills8]

I have a new Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro for sale. I bought an up grade cable for it.

 

[Xerox]

Anyone with any answers to my questions above? I would have been heartily grateful if so.