Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro or DT880
Jun 14, 2005 at 5:00 AM Post #2 of 29
In the headphone hobby "better" is relative thing. . . . . . Meaning it totally depends on what sound presentation you value. With Beyer headphones the higher numbering does not necessarily mean it's the better headphone. Beyer unlike most brands has much more variety in their "house sound", thoughout the various models. The dt880 is generally considered the top of the line for Beyer, but you could possibly prefer one of their other phones based on your own personal tastes & needs.

- augustwest
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 8:40 AM Post #6 of 29
it really depends on a bunch of factors..
music you'r going to listen the most , sound you're searching , the amp you're giving them , the source you'll be setting ( soundcard or cdp ) for them ..

I still haven't had an occasion to listen to dt880 extensively , anyhow i can speak about dt990 as a beautiful can that portray very nicely classical music - they forcely need an amp ; and can sound very easy on ears even if a bit bass bloated - thing that you might very well like since the bass is not boomy when they're nicely amped.
Moreover , they've not the last word on detail , this is for sure and very noticeable when you compare them with dt880 / hd650 .
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 9:14 AM Post #7 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by SaturnNyne
That isn't the Pro model.


I bought the product last month from this source because I wanted to see how it would compare with my DT880.

Like the man said, they send the Pro.
tongue.gif


BW
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 9:24 AM Post #8 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward
I bought the product last month from this source because I wanted to see how it would compare with my DT880.

Like the man said, they send the Pro.
tongue.gif


BW



nice to know this man ...

biggrin.gif
but how they compare ?( or just link us to your impression if you wrote them time they arrived )
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 10:35 AM Post #9 of 29
Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts
They just have the wrong pic up. What they'll send is Pro model.


Hot damn, never seen that mentioned before. That's disappointing, I've been planning on getting these for a while and I much prefer the look of the non-Pro model.
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 4:34 PM Post #11 of 29
The clamping force will have a influence on the sound. If a higher clamping force pushes the drivers closer to the ear, than the sound will change more to the darker side. A low clamping force will change the sound to a morer thinner and brilliant sound.
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 4:58 PM Post #12 of 29
No review or impressions. I did talk about them in an email to a friend, if anybody's interested.

"Not sure just what I expected with the DT990, but it wasn't this! The DT990 is the open version of the DT770, so I anticipated bass. I have that. Listening absolutely flat, no EQ, no bass boost, it has a nice thump to the lower register. I started off with a wind band recording that's one of my reference discs. The Beyer was made for this music, laying down a solid floor in which the music sounds securely rooted. Better yet, this is articulated bass, no subwoofer bray to it. A drumroll resolves into individual beats and I suddenly recognize not just a single instrument but two. Not as quick on its feet as the SA5K, (what is?), but the control makes the HD650 seem blurred in comparison.

"Now here's where it gets weird. My wind band disc is a reference because the first cut includes a cymbal at one point that can sound like a dropped flatware drawer when badly reproduced. The Beyers give me a lovely metallic splash. Nice. Switch to an anthology of British light music for orchestra, a beautifully recorded Hyperion CD I know like the back of my hand. Where did all this detail come from? I'm hearing little things I've never noticed before. A background triangle appears for a brief glittering interlude. I turn the volume down a bit and press on. The sound is forward, typically Beyer, a bit bright and just the way I like it. Funny, lower volumes are just as clear, as detailed, as articulated. Nothing gets lost in the mix. The mids remain front and center, balancing the glitter on top and the thump on the bottom. Of course, this may all be due to emphasis designed into the cans, which would make them anathema to the purist, but I rather like what I'm hearing. This is a fun listen. Less refined than the 880 but more lively. Chamber music is beautifully detailed, no suggestion of what lurks in the bassy depths intrudes.

"Probably belongs in the weird category as well. Soundstage. Interesting sort of semi-surround sound kind of effect. Not like the DT880s, which is wider, but more like a hemisphere spread out in front of me.. Doesn't sound exaggerated at all. It's not a "look at me" sort of effect. Frankly it reminds me of near-field speaker listening. Very different from the piped-in sound I associate with the Senns, for example.

Tried some cello, since if anything should reveal an intrusive bass it's the lower register of that instrument. Not a hint of shading or darkening. The Yo-Yo Ma/Marricone recording spends a lot of time way down low, and the bass remains firmly in place. Neither am I encountering the recessed midrange that some have reported, but I'm keeping an eye out. The Dire Straits/Telegraph Road disc is probably a poor test because Knopfler always sounds recessed as a vocalist on that track. On the other hand, it certainly demonstrates that the DT990 can thump. Hard.

"After five days, the cans seem to be mellowing a bit (or I am). The bass is less prominent and the balance seems to be shifting toward the DT880s. Detail continues to be striking. So does the soundstage. I notice it especially when I switch to either the K501s or the Sonys. The Beyers are warmer and, yes, bassier, but the sound seems to enfold me with an ambiance I find attractive."

BW
 
Jun 18, 2005 at 10:20 AM Post #15 of 29
Me also drawn to DT990 ...
 

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