Need the sound of a dt 990 pro but closed back
Aug 30, 2018 at 7:15 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

waytoodeep03

Head-Fier
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Posts
86
Likes
9
my wife says my 990s aggravate her at night.

So i need some cans with the same type of sound(crisp highs, wide soundstage and very very nice bass) the bass even feels wooferish on my ears at times.


Does that exist in a closed can? The 770s are not as good btw as the 990s
 
Sep 2, 2018 at 1:31 AM Post #2 of 9
Due to design restrictions with closed headphones, this is pretty much impossible (unless it is a hand tunable headphone with room correction type circuit built in, which, afaik doesn't exist as a headphone product).

Based on my recollection of DT990 Pro, you would probably get closest with some of Beyer's own closed circumaurals like DT 1770 Pro, T5P or the new Amiron Wireless (also works with a 3.5mm cable).
 
Sep 2, 2018 at 2:14 AM Post #3 of 9
While not exactly like a dt990 pro, alot of closed cans have a great detailed sound signature and with suprising staging. I have mrspeakers alpha primes that sound excellent with audeze el8s as a comparison. I got mine used. There's some other companies that do closed t50rp mods too like modhouse and dekoni.

Other good options:
mrspeakers aeon closed
Audioquest nightowls
Zmf

Monoprice has closed variants of their planars, the m565c for instance.

Audeze had alot of closed options.

2nd halycon on closed beyers the t70 and t90 also

Denon d5000s and 7000s i see suggested often.

Fostex th900
 
Last edited:
Sep 2, 2018 at 10:03 AM Post #5 of 9
Ole Tyll used to hate on closed backs big time, he never thought they could live up to a good open back. In his Mr. Speakers ether c flow video he compared them to an m50x and said they were comparable.

There are pleanty of "semi open" phones that still have pretty good isolation that shouldn't bother your SO, while still having better air around instruments and soundstage. Heck even my t20rp and auteur have pretty good isolation that doesn't bother my girlfriend sleeping in the next room over.

My closed set is a pair of tacstar 82 pro, $50-60. Very comfortable and very well reviewed, check them out herw on head-fi they have a sort of cult following. The come with bass boost sliders-neutral, bass heavy, and shake yo head. I only wear them when I can't wear open, like when my kiddos are running around making commotion in the same room.

Also, I have yet to hear/feel a dynamic have the same type of rumble and accuracy in the bass that a good planar has fwiw.
 
Last edited:
Sep 2, 2018 at 5:08 PM Post #6 of 9
AKG 550 should also be a contender. It definitely doesn't sound like the 990, but it has an expensive soundstage for a closed headphone, solid bass, etc. But it's much less irritating than the 990; it's a better balanced headphone, more within the AKG family type sound.
 
Sep 3, 2018 at 7:04 AM Post #7 of 9
I have to chime in on my AKG K550 experience:
- fairly balance, but slightly thin
- very little bass authority or impact below 60Hz (driven from near zero impedance, linear, dual-mono discrete class A amp with plenty of power)
- not a lot of sound isolation
- Nowhere the near soundstage (width, depth, location) as my Audiotechnica W5000 or Foster Massdrop THX-00
For me K550 are very problematic due to low camping force, dependency of sound based on head size/shape, not a lot of headband tunability (Beyer headbands can be bent for tighter/loser clamp).
So, YMMV for K550, but it is much more challenging headphone in terms of fit than the circumaural full-size Beyers, imho.
 
Sep 3, 2018 at 8:36 AM Post #9 of 9
Dude he want Dt990 closed back..
none in your list sound close to that.
Who's the dude?
i need some cans with [...] crisp highs, wide soundstage and very very nice bass)

I have to chime in on my AKG K550 experience:
- fairly balance, but slightly thin
- very little bass authority or impact below 60Hz (driven from near zero impedance, linear, dual-mono discrete class A amp with plenty of power)
- not a lot of sound isolation
- Nowhere the near soundstage (width, depth, location) as my Audiotechnica W5000 or Foster Massdrop THX-00
For me K550 are very problematic due to low camping force, dependency of sound based on head size/shape, not a lot of headband tunability (Beyer headbands can be bent for tighter/loser clamp).
So, YMMV for K550, but it is much more challenging headphone in terms of fit than the circumaural full-size Beyers, imho.
My take from your post is that you do have serious fitting issues. You should try to bend your 550 headband so that you have a tighter grip on your head, and that will likely fix your isolation and 'little bass authority impact below 60hz' issue. The 550 has MAJOR bass authority, moreso than the 990s, that's mostly why I recommended them, also they have quite a large soundstage for closed headphones. Check out even the measurements; the 990 has its severe bass bump at 100-200 hz, the 550 has some bass boost in 100-200hz, but it has a MAJOR bump at 20-60hz, and they basically, IMHO, destroy open headphones like AKG Q701, B DT990, hifiman 400i, etc., open headphones with its lower bass amount.

https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGK550.pdf
http://www.changstar.com/www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,858.0.html

Its low bass is quite impressive. It's not the most accurate/detailed, both in bass and generally when compared to open & more expensive headphones, but the lower bass boost you get with the 550, plus factoring their very nice sound response / lack of coloration (way better balanced than the 990, imho, even with bass boost they sound quite balanced), the very expansive soundstage for closed headphones, it's a very good package and it's fairly cheap. IMHO, the 990 is quite of a mess sonically, and will often sound downright atrocious because of its FR aberrations: Super bright often makes voices/sounds just super annoying and sound incredibly bad... When the 990s is met with a recording which makes them sound bad, they really sound like absolute offending and unlistenable garbage.

The 550s are better balanced, while still imho meeting the requirements; "crisp highs, wide soundstage and very very nice bass". Well two at least. The treble of the 550 is ok; not bad, not great. It's decent and a little elevated. Really not that much, but kinda. imho it's good enough as to not bother you at all while listening; which is pretty much my main criteria for being good/bad. But it won't offend you or be unlistenable to on any material.

They're just a good closed heapdhone. But they're not the 990. But I'm sure there's many others, likely better headphones out there. Just thought I'd throw them in the pot, if it sounds interesting good, if not disregard! :wink:
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top