[Dsnuts]

So I got to hear the Amiron home and T1 second gen at RMAF. Friday night. Got to talk to the Beyer folks a bit as well. Amirons got the widest stage and sound relaxed a bit of a u shaped sound to me. The T1s had excellent imagery and clarity. Seems to me our DT1990s are somewhere in the middle of these 2 in sonics. Hearing the T1 2nd gens didn't make me actually want to buy them as they sounded similar to the DT1990s. Not a huge difference from what I was hearing. Plus they are definitely harder to drive.

Glad I have a pair of DT1990 pros. IMO these and the Amirons are the best bang for buck Beyer cans at the show. Xelento earbuds left me more impressed than the T1 for some reason.

 

[Luminance]

Has anyone tried them with 880/990 (EDT 990V silver) or T1 first gen (EDT T1V) earpads?
I love my 1990 with the A pads, but sometimes I would like a little more bass. But the balanced pads already add too much bass for me and are not as comfy as analytical.

Figured I would ask before purchasing

 

[cardeli22]

The headphones are on sale in Amazon.it for 447 Euros. They seem to also ship to Canada and the USA for those interested: https://www.amazon.it/Beyerdynamic-...08386002&sr=8-1&keywords=beyerdynamic+dt+1990

 

[Neobenedict]

Hey guys, I'm looking at up/sidegrading to a pair of dt 1990s. My usual listening setup is as follows: schiit modi -> numark mixer (with the bass and treble eqs increased to my liking on these very neutral headphones) -> schiit valhalla 2 -> dt 880s (600 ohm impedance). Also I listen to my music quite loud, but I expect the headphones will perform equally well at higher audio levels.

The 880s have served me well and while I don't have any major complaints, the dt 1990s look like a worthy upgrade. One of the most important things for me is comfort (and this is why I do not like closed headphones - my ears can't breathe) - are the dt 1990s as comfortable as the 880s? I can wear these 880s all day and never get fatigued. The headband is important, as is the fabric inside the can itself.

Also the headphones look amazing. I know that's not the point, but hey, whatever.

Additionally, will there be a noticable upgrade in the sound? If things sound more... real, then I'm all for it. The 880s do seem to lack mid bass by default and EQing can only do so much. I don't want my ears rumbling though (and I know I would only get that with closed headphones anyway). Is tube rolling a placebo or can it make a very noticable difference (in this price range of an amp)? It's worth noting I've had these tubes for 3 years now and not had to replace them.

I also have a pair of se215 IEMs for when I'm travelling. Despite their issues (resonance/sibilance in the highs can be ever so slightly annoying), I feel they're more immersive. But I think that's the trade off for them being IEMs. Problem with IEMs is I can't wear them for long periods of time, and like I said, the treble of those things (at least, for the se215s) can be painful at times. The bass works but it can also be a bit muddy. Anyway hopefully just giving a bit of insight to my baseline here.

I know the best way to answer all these questions is to *try* the headphones, but that isn't really an option for me at this time. I often make leaps of faith with new (expensive) equipment in general and I'm never disappointed, but this is £450, and I should ask questions before buying. The DT 880s were about half that when I bought them a few years ago.

 

[George Taylor]

Hey guys, I'm looking at up/sidegrading to a pair of dt 1990s. My usual listening setup is as follows: schiit modi -> numark mixer (with the bass and treble eqs increased to my liking on these very neutral headphones) -> schiit valhalla 2 -> dt 880s (600 ohm impedance). Also I listen to my music quite loud, but I expect the headphones will perform equally well at higher audio levels.

The 880s have served me well and while I don't have any major complaints, the dt 1990s look like a worthy upgrade. One of the most important things for me is comfort (and this is why I do not like closed headphones - my ears can't breathe) - are the dt 1990s as comfortable as the 880s? I can wear these 880s all day and never get fatigued. The headband is important, as is the fabric inside the can itself.

Also the headphones look amazing. I know that's not the point, but hey, whatever.

Additionally, will there be a noticable upgrade in the sound? If things sound more... real, then I'm all for it. The 880s do seem to lack mid bass by default and EQing can only do so much. I don't want my ears rumbling though (and I know I would only get that with closed headphones anyway). Is tube rolling a placebo or can it make a very noticable difference (in this price range of an amp)? It's worth noting I've had these tubes for 3 years now and not had to replace them.

I also have a pair of se215 IEMs for when I'm travelling. Despite their issues (resonance/sibilance in the highs can be ever so slightly annoying), I feel they're more immersive. But I think that's the trade off for them being IEMs. Problem with IEMs is I can't wear them for long periods of time, and like I said, the treble of those things (at least, for the se215s) can be painful at times. The bass works but it can also be a bit muddy. Anyway hopefully just giving a bit of insight to my baseline here.

I know the best way to answer all these questions is to *try* the headphones, but that isn't really an option for me at this time. I often make leaps of faith with new (expensive) equipment in general and I'm never disappointed, but this is £450, and I should ask questions before buying. The DT 880s were about half that when I bought them a few years ago.

I don't have 880s, but do have both 770s and 1990s. I can tell you the 1990s are more comfortable than the 770s, mainly due to being slightly lighter. Other than that, not much difference at all, 1990 may be a little more clampy. But that may be because the 770s are more broken in. I find the 1990s to be great all around cans, and with the ability to switch out the pads, you can alter the sound a bit without rolling tubes. Like I said, I don't have the 880s, so I can't really compare them sound wise. However, I can tell you I find the 1990s to be mostly neutral. Even somewhat analytical, depending on what you're listening to.

 

[Neobenedict]

I don't have 880s, but do have both 770s and 1990s. I can tell you the 1990s are more comfortable than the 770s, mainly due to being slightly lighter. Other than that, not much difference at all, 1990 may be a little more clampy. But that may be because the 770s are more broken in. I find the 1990s to be great all around cans, and with the ability to switch out the pads, you can alter the sound a bit without rolling tubes. Like I said, I don't have the 880s, so I can't really compare them sound wise. However, I can tell you I find the 1990s to be mostly neutral. Even somewhat analytical, depending on what you're listening to.

"Not much difference" in terms of comfort or sound quality?

I know for a fact that many people consider the 880s to be *really* neutral. And it shows without me being able to EQ them - which isn't a problem - I can EQ these as well. If there is an increase in clarity or "feel" overall, I consider that an upgrade.

 

[George Taylor]

"Not much difference" in terms of comfort or sound quality?

I know for a fact that many people consider the 880s to be *really* neutral. And it shows without me being able to EQ them - which isn't a problem - I can EQ these as well. If there is an increase in clarity or "feel" overall, I consider that an upgrade.

Sorry, comfort. FWIW, I find the 770s to be comfy as well as the 1990s.

 

[Luminance]

Depends on the version. DT 880 Pro (250 ohm) is for studio use and has a quite strong clamp. There is also Premium version, which was made for average consumer and has a light clamp. So the comfort of that one should be better.
DT 1990 has strong clamp also, similar to the DT Pro version.
BUT, the analytical earpads DT 1990 comes with are probably the most comfortable pads Beyerdynamic has ever made, so despite that strong clamp, they feel very well on the head. The balanced pads are a bit stiffer and are not as comfy, but are still fine. They just need more time to accommodate.
The analytical pads are the ones I prefer actually and I have no comfort issues at all.

 

[imran27]

Read a lot but still unable to decide.

I am looking forward to a big purchase, Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO is on my list but so are Audeze EL-8C, HiFiMan HE-400S/I, HE-500, Sennheiser HD660S (I can wait for that), AKG K712 PRO.

I tried the DT 1990 PRO, they are amazing. It was at a headphone studio, I don't know if it was A-pads or B-pads but it was great.
I tried K712 a couple of years ago and they became my favorites since then till I tried DT 1990.
Audeze EL-8C are also a great pair, planar.

I really love the DT 1990 but I also don't want to miss out on the planar stuff. The AKG K712 pro is also too good to ignore, the Sennheiser though I haven't tried anytime.

I prefer neutrality and imaging/separation/positional audio with excellent details, kinda like DT 1990.

 

[LouisPhu]

Read a lot but still unable to decide.

I am looking forward to a big purchase, Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO is on my list but so are Audeze EL-8C, HiFiMan HE-400S/I, HE-500, Sennheiser HD660S (I can wait for that), AKG K712 PRO.

I tried the DT 1990 PRO, they are amazing. It was at a headphone studio, I don't know if it was A-pads or B-pads but it was great.
I tried K712 a couple of years ago and they became my favorites since then till I tried DT 1990.
Audeze EL-8C are also a great pair, planar.

I really love the DT 1990 but I also don't want to miss out on the planar stuff. The AKG K712 pro is also too good to ignore, the Sennheiser though I haven't tried anytime.

I prefer neutrality and imaging/separation/positional audio with excellent details, kinda like DT 1990.

I think you would get better advice if you provided us with your preferred sound signature/music you listen to.

 

[imran27]

I think you would get better advice if you provided us with your preferred sound signature/music you listen to.

I don't have a genre preference.

I like neutral, detailed sound with good instrument separation. Slightly warmer is okay, slightly brighter is also okay but not dry, harsh and lifeless like the K702.

My current headphone is the Brainwavz HM5 (Velour angled pads), love them.

I haven't tried the Sennheisers, but all others I mentioned are pretty good. I just haven't tried them for long enough time to make a decision.

 

[kman1211]

I don't have a genre preference.

I like neutral, detailed sound with good instrument separation. Slightly warmer is okay, slightly brighter is also okay but not dry, harsh and lifeless like the K702.

My current headphone is the Brainwavz HM5 (Velour angled pads), love them.

I haven't tried the Sennheisers, but all others I mentioned are pretty good. I just haven't tried them for long enough time to make a decision.

Honestly the DT 1990 is probably your best bet of the bunch. I’ve heard all the others except the HD 660S, I have owned both the K712 and DT 1990, the DT 1990 is the more neutral and accurate headphone of the two. Honestly for what you want it will probably be either the Beyers or the Senns(if the measurements hold any indication). The HD 600 or DT 880 are also worth considering.

 

[imran27]

Honestly the DT 1990 is probably your best bet of the bunch. I’ve heard all the others except the HD 660S, I have owned both the K712 and DT 1990, the DT 1990 is the more neutral and accurate headphone of the two. Honestly for what you want it will probably be either the Beyers or the Senns(if the measurements hold any indication). The HD 600 is a good choice as well.

Awesome. Thanks.

I assume they'll be better than the HE-400i/500 too? Because these HiFiMan are known for fast deep bass which I really want but if they aren't as natural as the DT 1990 then I think 1990 it is

 

[kman1211]

Awesome. Thanks.

I assume they'll be better than the HE-400i/500 too? Because these HiFiMan are known for fast deep bass which I really want but if they aren't as natural as the DT 1990 then I think 1990 it is

No problem. I have owned the HE-400i, the treble and mids weren’t quite natural to my ears, it has this unnatural sharpness to it. I haven’t spent time with the HE-500 in a long time as it’s discontinued.

 

[imran27]

No problem. I have owned the HE-400i, the treble and mids weren’t quite natural to my ears, it has this unnatural sharpness to it. I haven’t spent time with the HE-500 in a long time as it’s discontinued.

Thanks a lot, so now AKG K712 PRO, HiFiMan HE-400i are out of the discussion.

Now I need some comments on the Audeze EL-8C, as per some reviews they are as good or better than HD600 and they are planar (this is what looks attractive on paper). Also, they are pretty much in similar price bracket:
* Audeze EL-8 Closed (new): ₹53k
* Audeze EL-8 Closed/Open (refurb): ₹29k
* Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO: ₹50k

If EL-8C is worth it then the refurb will be the one to buy, it's from a trusted source so can't really go wrong with the quality there.