First timer, advice on the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (32 or 250 Ohms)

[AlexBeginner]

Hello everyone, greetings from Lithuania (that's in Europe by the way )

Been a few months lurker here. You guys have and make an amazing community here, got a lot of info for a beginner, thank you all for that.

So, my name is Alex, I'm 21 (yesterday was my birthday )) ) , I'm quite interested in the whole audiophile business really, and someday want to become one. It all started for me from choosing a 2.1 speaker system for my laptop, but later I understood that I'm more of a headphone kind of guy.

So far I only got a laptop (Asus K55VD), an mp4 player (Sony Walkman NWZ-E 474) and my first (well,not first,but something a little bit expensive than what I usually had) headphones the Sony MDR-V55.

Don't get a big paycheck, so I'm always saving up for equipment. Reason for the whole little sony setup is because I work at an electronics store, getting discounts for sony products.

So, thats a little about me.
 

After reading a lot here, I decided I want Beyerdynamic DT 990 model headphones for home only use, mainly to listen to music. I listen to dubstep, minimal/deep house, electronic music, very often rock and calm music mainly with some bass.

I now have an opportunity to get Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 32 Ohm or 250 Ohm headphones for a reasonable price, since my friend lives in Germany. (150 euros, that's my max budget)
I've read that the 250 Ohms version sounds a lot better than the 32 does. So far I can't afford an amp (in my country there's very little to choose from, and if there is, it costs a lot for me (50-100 bucks more than what you guys get in the States).

So my main question is : would it be a very bad idea to get the 250 Ohms model and listen to them from my laptop for like 3-4 months until I save up some money for an amp?

Or maybe I picked the wrong headphones for my type of music? Note, that I'm limited to choosing from seinnheisers, some audio-technica models, and Denon (mostly DJ types, some 700 model)

P.S. if it would be of any help, I'm using a foobar player with a WASAPI plugin, and I'm to keen on listening to music very loud actually (if that is the biggest problem with the Ohm difference), and not an actual basshead, don't get me wrong, I love good bass, but that's still, that's no the main thing for me in music.

That is all, thank for your attention, hope to read some advice from you gurus


Oh, and my sorry if posted this in the wrong section.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Get the 32ohm and later on, get yourself a Fiio E10 DAC/AMP.
 
Very best,

 

[talisman42]

Quote:

Heya,
 
Get the 32ohm and later on, get yourself a Fiio E10 DAC/AMP.
 
Very best,

 
When I had the DT1350, I thought they were amazingly efficient for the rated ohms. Maybe the 250ohm version can be driven comfortably with a portable amp?

 

[MaximumSandvich]

I own the DT990 250 ohm premium version.

It sounds loud enough to listen to just out of a headphone jack on a (big) laptop. A netbook not so much. Ipod actually does OK with it, but the cord is so long that it's not really practical with an Ipod.


I run it without an amp from my laptop when gaming (cables get annoying if I have it plugged into the amp) and sometimes have to turn it down (from ~50%, I don't even have to crank it to max) because it can be too loud in some parts of some games (like the inside of the sawmill in team fortress 2)

The 250 costs about the same as the 32, and will give you the option to upgrade in the future without replacing (like if you decide to buy a fiio e7 or e17, both of which I have owned and highly recommend)

Beyer's 250 ohm headphones are easier to drive than other brands, and although these won't work with an ipod shuffle, a substantial laptop can more-than power them to listenable levels.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

 
When I had the DT1350, I thought they were amazingly efficient for the rated ohms. Maybe the 250ohm version can be driven comfortably with a portable amp?

 
Heya,
 
600 ohm Beyers run fine off most things too. Beyers are very efficient, despite their impedance ratings. It's due to sensitivity.
 
But a lot of questionable information floats around about the different impedance versions of the same headphone regarding Beyer. And not every portable player and laptop has the same level of current output or voltage output at the jack, which is why people have such variable experiences regarding these. The safest route for him is to get something that will run well even off something that has low voltage. So, lower impedance would work there.
 
That said, I run a 600ohm Beyer with my portable amp just fine (E11).
 
End of the day it doesn't really matter, but for someone who is on a budget, and using basic stuff and a computer, lower impedance is a better start into things. Adding an amplifier later does introduce new things, so there is room to upgrade that even on a low impedance headphone where increased current is beneficial (even if voltage is not required, thanks to low impedance).
 
Very best,

 

[AlexBeginner]

Yeah, it's a laptop (not a netbook or an ultrabook). My MDR-v55 are 40 Ohms and when I listen to them the foobar volume is at aprox. from -16 dB to something like -8 dB (only plugin is WASAPI).
They'll be ONLY for home use, no portable players.

And by the way, I was considering a FiiO 9 amp (the renewed one) and even later a FiiO DAC to go with it. Good idea for those headphones?

 

[MaximumSandvich]

Yeah, it's a laptop (not a netbook or an ultrabook). My MDR-v55 are 40 Ohms and when I listen to them the foobar volume is at aprox. from -16 dB to something like -8 dB (only plugin is WASAPI).

They'll be ONLY for home use, no portable players.


And by the way, I was considering a FiiO 9 amp (the renewed one) and even later a FiiO DAC to go with it. Good idea for those headphones?

I drive my beyer 990 250s from a Fiio E09k and e17 connected voltron-style through the dock on the E9 designed for the e17.

Even with the amp alone,


you will be able to deafen yourself if you want to. The E17 improves the sound quality and soundstage alot though, and is also an amp. Get that if you're going to get one fiio thing.

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

Yeah, it's a laptop (not a netbook or an ultrabook). My MDR-v55 are 40 Ohms and when I listen to them the foobar volume is at aprox. from -16 dB to something like -8 dB (only plugin is WASAPI).
They'll be ONLY for home use, no portable players.

And by the way, I was considering a FiiO 9 amp (the renewed one) and even later a FiiO DAC to go with it. Good idea for those headphones?

Heya,
 
I wouldn't get the E9. You won't need it's power output.
 
You'd be better off with the Fiio E10. Cheaper, has the DAC and the AMP covered. All the power you'll need for most headphones. And it has a fantastic bass switch that instantly adds +3 db to bass without distortion. It makes the DT990 monstrously bassy, you'll be all smiles.
 
Very best,

 

[AlexBeginner]

For now being the amp is not even on the paper, due to a few months of saving up money for it.

So as I understand, we got through the "powering them up without any equipment" topic (thank you guys for the advices on the FiiO DAC/Amp rather than just an Amp and then a DAC, much appreciated).
But I would also want to hear about certain music genres for these headphones. Will they do for the music genres I posted previously?
 

 

[Makiah S]

You guys thing I could power a DT 990 600Ohm with a cMoy BB 2x9V and a Hifiman hm 601?  The Hifiman has a Line Out as well as High gain...

 

[Myrthin]

Hi Alex, my wife is from Vilnius so I will respond. Don't listen to loud music on headphones. You love music so why would you want to go deaf? It's very easy to damage your hearing. I have the 250 ohm 880s. At work, I listen with my iPad. They are loud enough for me and the sound quality is good. A bit of background, I am a drummer, so I know well the allure of loud music. But better than loud is quality sound. And, when it gets down to it, that is the advantage of getting good quality equipment. I am I pressed with the beyerdynamics that I selected though I have not heard the 990s.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Hi Alex, my wife is from Vilnius so I will respond. Don't listen to loud music on headphones. You love music so why would you want to go deaf? It's very easy to damage your hearing. I have the 250 ohm 880s. At work, I listen with my iPad. They are loud enough for me and the sound quality is good. A bit of background, I am a drummer, so I know well the allure of loud music. But better than loud is quality sound. And, when it gets down to it, that is the advantage of getting good quality equipment. I am I pressed with the beyerdynamics that I selected though I have not heard the 990s.

yea I know man trust me when you turn the VOLUME up you distort the quality, Quiter music is always better, the track retains everything as it was meant to be [I like my LINE out on my Hifiman] 
 
the only issue I have with volume is ofc when ur on a bus and OMG it needs to be loud :/ 

 

[MaximumSandvich]

Quote:

yea I know man trust me when you turn the VOLUME up you distort the quality, Quiter music is always better, the track retains everything as it was meant to be [I like my LINE out on my Hifiman] 
 
the only issue I have with volume is ofc when ur on a bus and OMG it needs to be loud :/ 

 
Not if you've got the steel/aluminum backed shure srh440 (built like a tank, super isolation, too cheap to be worth stealing)
 
or for maximum isolation the etymotic MC5 - those have the highest (passive) noise isolation of any headphone, earphone or canalphone according to etymotic's website (something like 40db passive nose isolation)

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
Not if you've got the steel/aluminum backed shure srh440 (built like a tank, super isolation, too cheap to be worth stealing)
 
or for maximum isolation the etymotic MC5 - those have the highest (passive) noise isolation of any headphone, earphone or canalphone according to etymotic's website (something like 40db passive nose isolation)

yea but isolation sacrifices sound quality, why u think open cans sound so good <3
 
Plus I'm already blind and have a weak sense of smell, I think my ears can take the abuse! Since the brain has dedicated extra power to them lol [I'm kdding of course]

 

[AlexBeginner]

Hey guys, got myself the DT770 Pro 80 Ohms model , very pleased with them. I'm hearing new sounds in my old songs that I've never heard before. Detail is very good, so is the separation. The bass is more than enough for me, and it's really there if the track actually has it. Overall I'm glad I decided to buy these.
How much do they take to burn in guys?

For 80 ohms, I still have about a 50-40% of volume reserved on foobar. So I believe I'd be better off with a DAC or at least a DAC/Amp combo. What would you recommend under 150-200 dollars? FiiO e17 Alpen?