[Dave Anderson]

I have pretty much decided to buy a pair of Beyerdynamic DT990 pro headphones. The question is, which version? Most people seem to favour the 250ohm model. Is there any difference in sound quality between the 250ohm and 80ohm models? I don't have a headphone amp at present but would be willing to buy something inexpensive such as the Schiit Magni if the 250ohm model sounded better. Any views or comments most welcome. Thanks.
 
Dave.

 

[manbear]

I don't think there is an 80 ohm model of the DT-990. Perhaps you are thinking of the DT-770 (in which case the 80 ohm model is supposed to have the most bass). People typically recommend the 250 ohm pro model of the DT-990 because it is the cheapest, hence the best deal. You can find threads comparing the different versions. It seems like the 600 ohm versions of all the Beyers are regarded as the best, but not by much.

You would probably want an amp for any of the different versions, but the 32 ohm version is most likely to sound good without an amp. Something like the Magni would work fine for all the different versions.

 

[Dave Anderson]

Strange, you could be right as there does not appear to be a 80ohm version on the Beyer website. However, an online music store I viewed offers the DT990 pro in both versions (80ohm or 250ohm) at the same price. Hmm, very odd.
 
Dave.

 

[manbear]

I think someone posted a link to that store before. The store is confused and making a typo.