[Penarin]

I use Grado 125s for PC gaming and music.  Great sound all around.

 

[Thommohawk]

I'll say the DT 990 Pro is a fantastic option for what the OP is after, I say this because I was in the exact same boat as him and the DT 990 Pro has been awesome for me from day 1. But when I paired them with the Fiio E7/E9 dac amp unit the audio quality to my ears rose by a further order of magnitude! 
 
PS3>Fiio E7>Fiio E9>Beyer DT990 Pro = Incredibe!! 
 
Hell even just PS3>Fiio E9 directly>Beyers sounds amazing! OP go for it....if you regret it I'll eat my hat. Price to performance ratio on that rig in immense.
 
If you're on PC audio, I wouldn't recommend the Essence STX with the Beyer's - too much oomph. But  who knows maybe you'll like it.

 

[Reign1]

Are vocals an issue with the DT990 Pros? I've heard the recessed mids cause them to be just average. Vocals are relatively important for me (I listen to mostly rock, but stuff like Pat Benatar where the vocals are a large part of the experience).

 

[stv014]

Quote:

If you're on PC audio, I wouldn't recommend the Essence STX with the Beyer's - too much oomph. But  who knows maybe you'll like it.

 
The Essence STX uses basically the same headphone amplifier as the FiiO E9. If there is any major frequency response difference, check the EQ or other DSP settings

 

[Reign1]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the DT990 Pro. There is a considerable price difference between them and the DT880s, and I think I'll prefer a set with a little more color than the 880s which are evidently very neutral.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[Thommohawk]

Quote:

I ended up pulling the trigger on the DT990 Pro. There is a considerable price difference between them and the DT880s, and I think I'll prefer a set with a little more color than the 880s which are evidently very neutral.
Thanks for all the input.

 
I think you made the right decision. I don't think you'll be disappointed. They should serve you well for the money you paid.
 
Also to answer your question about vocals, I don't think they're in any way recessed in and of themselves, it's more like the rest of the music is playing around it but not drowning vocals out. And in songs where the emphasis is on vocals anyway you won't have issue with them sounding dull or anything.
 
And to the guy saying the Essence is basically the same amp as E9 - are you sure ? My DAC must be making all the difference then.

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

 
I think you made the right decision. I don't think you'll be disappointed. They should serve you well for the money you paid.
 
Also to answer your question about vocals, I don't think they're in any way recessed in and of themselves, it's more like the rest of the music is playing around it but not drowning vocals out. And in songs where the emphasis is on vocals anyway you won't have issue with them sounding dull or anything.
 
And to the guy saying the Essence is basically the same amp as E9 - are you sure ? My DAC must be making all the difference then.

He is right, the difference is ironically the opamps, because the DAC in the STX is very good.
 
Quote:

The Essence STX uses basically the same headphone amplifier as the FiiO E9. If there is any major frequency response difference, check the EQ or other DSP settings

arg I would rather step on those horrible JRC opamps, all the harshness and bloated muddy bass disappeared when I put other opamps in, TH4032, AD797, list goes on

 

[stv014]

Quote:

arg I would rather step on those horrible JRC opamps, all the harshness and bloated muddy bass disappeared when I put other opamps in, TH4032, AD797, list goes on

 
I guess the O2 must be really poor then, since all the op-amps in it are JRC, even the comparator in the power management circuit

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

I guess the O2 must be really poor then, since all the op-amps in it are JRC, even the comparator in the power management circuit

Blah blah blah 

 with the ASUS it is not good, its harsh, its sloppy, and you know the rest, it doesn't mean its a bad chip, but in this application, it really is not that good.

 

[Reign1]

I'm starting to wonder if the D2000s would have been a better investment. I know they are closed but I heard they have a very good soundstage and better mids than the DT990 Pros.

Would the D2000s be the superior set for my purposes?

 

[TMRaven]

D2000s are moreso semi-open.  Their marketed 'acoustic optimizer' is just a slot that extends fully around their circumference, right behind the ring that connects to the yokes.
 
I've not heard the DT990 pros, but the D2000's mids are lesser than DT990 600Ω to me.  DT990 has better treble too.  The only reason you would get the D2000 over DT990 is for sub-bass-- which was a very big factor for me.

 

[Reign1]

Well I don't listen to dubstep/trance/d&b/deathmetal, and listen to very little rap, so probably sub-bass isn't too important in my case. Thanks for the input on the mids and treble.

 

[TMRaven]

Sorry had to fix a typo.  
 
The D2000 has a lush lower-mid section compared to the DT990s, and its bass can bleed into its lower mids at times.  Often the D2000 renders stuff a bit dark, while the DT990 can render its midsection rather lightly in comparison.  The DT990s are very thin sounding cans while the D2000 are very thick sounding.  For gaming, I think the DT990 would be the better can.  Movies I'm not too sure, I'd probably take the D2000s.

 

[Thommohawk]

To be honest, I demoed the D2000 in the local high street and the first thing I remember saying to myself is that they sounded similar to my DT 990 Pro's I mean they weren't wildly different to me. Build quality wise they're both seemingly very good, but you must remember that the D2000 has had many reported issues with the screw that connects the earcups to the frame of the headphone - that and the fact that it's almost double the cost of the DT 990 Pro - and also comfort wise personally I'd say the D2000 shades it as that headphones just slides onto your head with ease but again not worlds apart.
 
In the end there's not much in it in my opinion between the two, and it all comes down to price and if you are willing to spend double the money I guess. 
 
Also in my opinion the DT 990 Pro's are amazing for gaming and movies, especially blu ray, I would say that you'd be hard pressed to find a better headphone for these purposes especially for the money - I'm definitely going out on a limb with that statement as there's lots of competition - but they really are very good for gaming and movies. 

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

To be honest, I demoed the D2000 in the local high street and the first thing I remember saying to myself is that they sounded similar to my DT 990 Pro's I mean they weren't wildly different to me. Build quality wise they're both seemingly very good, but you must remember that the D2000 has had many reported issues with the screw that connects the earcups to the frame of the headphone - that and the fact that it's almost double the cost of the DT 990 Pro - and also comfort wise personally I'd say the D2000 shades it as that headphones just slides onto your head with ease but again not worlds apart.
 
In the end there's not much in it in my opinion between the two, and it all comes down to price and if you are willing to spend double the money I guess. 
 
Also in my opinion the DT 990 Pro's are amazing for gaming and movies, especially blu ray, I would say that you'd be hard pressed to find a better headphone for these purposes especially for the money - I'm definitely going out on a limb with that statement as there's lots of competition - but they really are very good for gaming and movies. 

 
Dunno about sound sig, but the open back of the DT990 will have an advantage in soundstage which means it will excel in gaming and movies. I am actually curious how it compare to the D2k.
Which amp did you use? The D2k is hammered a bit by an impedance mismatch. The quality of a DAC reeally does come through with it.
 
The D2k has the uncanny ability to put a smile on your face because it has an IMO lovely sound sig, its smooth and musical and never fails to put a smile on your face when paired up correctly, and thats one of the reasons I recommend it, its an all rounder with a mostly balanced sound, good bass thats there when you need it but doesn't overpower or annoy when not needed, highs that sparkle, but are smooth, and a slightly warm sound that makes it intimate. It is really a smile generator in disguise.
 
and the cable will last the cold war and any office chair you throw at it.