Shahrose
Headphoneus Supremus
i posted these impressions in another thread but it got overshadowed by other posts so i thought i might as well make another thread. some people have asked me for this comparison through pm's so instead of answering those individually, i'll post my impressions publicly.
the beyers were burned in for 1000+ hours and the prolines for 350 hours or so.
right off the bat, let me say one thing: the dt990s are much harder to drive than the pl750. i've found that the prolines have a profound ability to sound good out of almost anything (as long as the source is clean). i can hardly tell a difference between my DAP and my amp when using these headphones. that's not to say that you can run them off a crappy integrated soundcard and they'll perform their best; every TOTL headphones benefits from extra juice (current). for the dt990s, i found the bass got tighter and transients became better as well as an increase in detail/soundstage depth with an amp. it wasn't a mind blowing difference but it was definitely greater than the proline-amp combination.
so here's what i think.
bass: 750 have more extension, significantly more volume, with slightly less texture, and slightly less tightness than the dt990s. 750s win in this area overall. even with eq u can't do anything to the dt990s for them to be able to create bass like the 750s. the drivers just aren't capable of matching the 750s in this regard. impact-wise though, both are very close since the dt990s have this midbass hump inherent in their frequency response. both have very controlled bass, they won't add anything where there isn't really. basically, if you like the bass to be more dominant in the frequency range, you'll prefer the 750s (without being muddy), and if you like a leaner/cleaner approach, you'll want the dt990s. i love the bass on both as i feel this area is a strong suit for the two headphones.
midrange: dt990s have a more recessed midrange, so the midrange volume is lower but the midrange quality is better on the 990s than the 750. tones of instruments and voices are more realistic on the dt990. that doesn't mean the 750 is bad, just that dt990s excel. once u eq down the highs, you find that the dt990s have an excellent, natural midrange. it's just recessed. the prolines have a slight midrange suckout (not nearly as much as the dt990s) which makes the treble and bass stand out a bit over the mids. the midrange and the overall sound of the 750 is more visceral, closer, with a bit more detail than the dt990s. you can really hear the nuances in voices and it feels close and intimate, as if the vocalist is singing just for you, right in front of you. in comparison, vocals sound distant on the dt990s.
treble: the dt990s have a very sharp treble that i can't stand without eq'ing (on modern treble-boosted recordings). but i do eq, and the quality of the highs is excellent. the treble adds a pleasing sparkle and has an airy quality to it. the pl750's treble is of slightly less quality i feel, as i find the beyers to be less grainy, more refined and a bit more extended. the 750s don't have a massive treble accentuation like that of the beyers, but there is an emphasis on the lower treble. both headphones will ruthlessly reveal bad recordings because of the treble emphasis.
tonal balance: this is the frequency balance of the 2 phones without eq. here the pl750s win. great (but not perfect) tonal balance that doesn't need changing really. there's an emphasis on bass (from the subbass to the midbass) and there's a small emphasis on the lower treble, which is only really apparent with bad recordings. no part of the freq spectrum is offensive to the ears, whereas the 990s have sibilant treble and a slight midbass hump (but i enjoy the midbass hump, adds punch, and gives it a realistic texture). overall, despite the treble spike on the beyers, they do sound more natural to me. timbres of instruments, other sounds, and voices sound like they do in real life.
soundstage: not a fair comparison (open vs closed) but the 990s mop the floor with the 750s when it comes to width/air. very easy to notice, and one of the first things that u notice (along with more comfort and a spiked treble response of the 990s), the 990s sound almost like open speakers, while the 750s sound like good quality headphones. really, this is one of the main reasons i just couldn't sell the dt990s. once properly amped, they have an incredible soundstage and after using these for a while and switching to the pl750, everything feels like it has been squashed together and distance to the instruments has been lessened.
i have mixed feelings with regards to S-logic though. it actually makes the soundstage smaller, but it's more circular. when you have the headphones positioned correctly (the inner front side of the earpads should almost be touching the front of your ears) the soundstage wraps around your head almost and it feels like you're looking/hearing a stage of performers close to you and all around you. this gives the prolines a very rich, visceral quality to vocals and timbres that i mentioned earlier. it gives a sense of immediacy and closeness to the sound which gives you a lot of detail and really involves you, similar to supra-aural headphones, while retaining the soundscape and sense of distance/air of circumaural headphones. it really is unique. it basically mixes most of the positive aspects of both supra-aural and circum-aural headphones. overall though, i prefer the dt990's soundstage by a slight margin as it's less fatiguing (open design) and more speaker-like/holographic. i believe if someone compared the pl2500 to the dt990s, it would be a much closer match-up here.
PRAT: this is timing, speed, fun factor, dynamics. the pl750s win. they're more fun, get my feet tapping. now this is not to say that the 990s lack in this department, they just don't quite match the ultrasones.
they pl750 are a quick pair of headphones, and very transparent as well, moreso than the dt990s. i remember reading someone else's review on the prolines and they said something to the effect of "they go from soft to loud in a very dramatic fashion". i really couldn't have said it better myself, so that's the description i'll stick with (this may be in part due to the isolation/noise attenuation of the closed design). also, i'd like to add that the bass can lose it's speed/tightness on the prolines when used with a subpar source or amp.
comfort: easily goes to the dt990s, i can't even tell they're on my head after a couple minutes. everything's lighter and softer on the dt990s, they feel like pillows, yet they have enough clamp to not fall off. pl750s are also comfortable for me, with good velour pads and a tighter clamp, but not compared to the most comfy cans i've ever used (dt990s). the ultrasones also have the problem of the jutting left-earcup-wire rubbing against my shoulder. a few people have complained about this and the slight microphonics it creates.
build quality: dt990s win. almost indestructible, nice leather padding, the velour padding is softer and more plush. feels like it's better quality. pl750 also have good build quality, very tough plastic, and pretty good velour padding, but again, not as good as the dt990s.
conclusions:
overall if i were to pick one, i'd pick the pl750, but that's just because u don't need to eq them to make them sound really good, whereas i feel eq is required for the dt990s (but their drivers are very capable of delivering high quality sound). if i have an eq on hand though (and i do), i might be inclined to go with the dt990s, since they're comfier, more durable, and easier to listen to as they're open headphones.
my opinions may change over time, but as of right now, this is how i feel these two headphones stand comparatively.
EDIT: after a few more months of listening and experimenting with different genres, as well as upgrading a few of my up-stream components, i've made some changes to my review to more accurately reflect what i hear. all the equipment used is listed in my sig.
the beyers were burned in for 1000+ hours and the prolines for 350 hours or so.
right off the bat, let me say one thing: the dt990s are much harder to drive than the pl750. i've found that the prolines have a profound ability to sound good out of almost anything (as long as the source is clean). i can hardly tell a difference between my DAP and my amp when using these headphones. that's not to say that you can run them off a crappy integrated soundcard and they'll perform their best; every TOTL headphones benefits from extra juice (current). for the dt990s, i found the bass got tighter and transients became better as well as an increase in detail/soundstage depth with an amp. it wasn't a mind blowing difference but it was definitely greater than the proline-amp combination.
so here's what i think.
bass: 750 have more extension, significantly more volume, with slightly less texture, and slightly less tightness than the dt990s. 750s win in this area overall. even with eq u can't do anything to the dt990s for them to be able to create bass like the 750s. the drivers just aren't capable of matching the 750s in this regard. impact-wise though, both are very close since the dt990s have this midbass hump inherent in their frequency response. both have very controlled bass, they won't add anything where there isn't really. basically, if you like the bass to be more dominant in the frequency range, you'll prefer the 750s (without being muddy), and if you like a leaner/cleaner approach, you'll want the dt990s. i love the bass on both as i feel this area is a strong suit for the two headphones.
midrange: dt990s have a more recessed midrange, so the midrange volume is lower but the midrange quality is better on the 990s than the 750. tones of instruments and voices are more realistic on the dt990. that doesn't mean the 750 is bad, just that dt990s excel. once u eq down the highs, you find that the dt990s have an excellent, natural midrange. it's just recessed. the prolines have a slight midrange suckout (not nearly as much as the dt990s) which makes the treble and bass stand out a bit over the mids. the midrange and the overall sound of the 750 is more visceral, closer, with a bit more detail than the dt990s. you can really hear the nuances in voices and it feels close and intimate, as if the vocalist is singing just for you, right in front of you. in comparison, vocals sound distant on the dt990s.
treble: the dt990s have a very sharp treble that i can't stand without eq'ing (on modern treble-boosted recordings). but i do eq, and the quality of the highs is excellent. the treble adds a pleasing sparkle and has an airy quality to it. the pl750's treble is of slightly less quality i feel, as i find the beyers to be less grainy, more refined and a bit more extended. the 750s don't have a massive treble accentuation like that of the beyers, but there is an emphasis on the lower treble. both headphones will ruthlessly reveal bad recordings because of the treble emphasis.
tonal balance: this is the frequency balance of the 2 phones without eq. here the pl750s win. great (but not perfect) tonal balance that doesn't need changing really. there's an emphasis on bass (from the subbass to the midbass) and there's a small emphasis on the lower treble, which is only really apparent with bad recordings. no part of the freq spectrum is offensive to the ears, whereas the 990s have sibilant treble and a slight midbass hump (but i enjoy the midbass hump, adds punch, and gives it a realistic texture). overall, despite the treble spike on the beyers, they do sound more natural to me. timbres of instruments, other sounds, and voices sound like they do in real life.
soundstage: not a fair comparison (open vs closed) but the 990s mop the floor with the 750s when it comes to width/air. very easy to notice, and one of the first things that u notice (along with more comfort and a spiked treble response of the 990s), the 990s sound almost like open speakers, while the 750s sound like good quality headphones. really, this is one of the main reasons i just couldn't sell the dt990s. once properly amped, they have an incredible soundstage and after using these for a while and switching to the pl750, everything feels like it has been squashed together and distance to the instruments has been lessened.
i have mixed feelings with regards to S-logic though. it actually makes the soundstage smaller, but it's more circular. when you have the headphones positioned correctly (the inner front side of the earpads should almost be touching the front of your ears) the soundstage wraps around your head almost and it feels like you're looking/hearing a stage of performers close to you and all around you. this gives the prolines a very rich, visceral quality to vocals and timbres that i mentioned earlier. it gives a sense of immediacy and closeness to the sound which gives you a lot of detail and really involves you, similar to supra-aural headphones, while retaining the soundscape and sense of distance/air of circumaural headphones. it really is unique. it basically mixes most of the positive aspects of both supra-aural and circum-aural headphones. overall though, i prefer the dt990's soundstage by a slight margin as it's less fatiguing (open design) and more speaker-like/holographic. i believe if someone compared the pl2500 to the dt990s, it would be a much closer match-up here.
PRAT: this is timing, speed, fun factor, dynamics. the pl750s win. they're more fun, get my feet tapping. now this is not to say that the 990s lack in this department, they just don't quite match the ultrasones.
they pl750 are a quick pair of headphones, and very transparent as well, moreso than the dt990s. i remember reading someone else's review on the prolines and they said something to the effect of "they go from soft to loud in a very dramatic fashion". i really couldn't have said it better myself, so that's the description i'll stick with (this may be in part due to the isolation/noise attenuation of the closed design). also, i'd like to add that the bass can lose it's speed/tightness on the prolines when used with a subpar source or amp.
comfort: easily goes to the dt990s, i can't even tell they're on my head after a couple minutes. everything's lighter and softer on the dt990s, they feel like pillows, yet they have enough clamp to not fall off. pl750s are also comfortable for me, with good velour pads and a tighter clamp, but not compared to the most comfy cans i've ever used (dt990s). the ultrasones also have the problem of the jutting left-earcup-wire rubbing against my shoulder. a few people have complained about this and the slight microphonics it creates.
build quality: dt990s win. almost indestructible, nice leather padding, the velour padding is softer and more plush. feels like it's better quality. pl750 also have good build quality, very tough plastic, and pretty good velour padding, but again, not as good as the dt990s.
conclusions:
overall if i were to pick one, i'd pick the pl750, but that's just because u don't need to eq them to make them sound really good, whereas i feel eq is required for the dt990s (but their drivers are very capable of delivering high quality sound). if i have an eq on hand though (and i do), i might be inclined to go with the dt990s, since they're comfier, more durable, and easier to listen to as they're open headphones.
my opinions may change over time, but as of right now, this is how i feel these two headphones stand comparatively.
EDIT: after a few more months of listening and experimenting with different genres, as well as upgrading a few of my up-stream components, i've made some changes to my review to more accurately reflect what i hear. all the equipment used is listed in my sig.
