Professional vs Home: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro vs Beyerdynamic Amiron Home

[kman1211]

sounds like you dont recommend t1.2/amiron, dt1990pro the way to go?

For what the person wants. I personally like the T1.2 Black and Amiron Home more than the DT 1990.

 

[kyotousa]

Would you say T1.2/amiron and dt1990pro are all at the same level playing field, just sound different?

How about mainly vocal and Orchestra/Classical music. I think my Hifiman HE4XX is really lacking with orchestra/classical field.

 

[kman1211]

Would you say T1.2/amiron and dt1990pro are all at the same level playing field, just sound different?

How about mainly vocal and Orchestra/Classical music. I think my Hifiman HE4XX is really lacking in that filed.

The Amiron Home and DT 1990 Pro are roughly equal but different sound signatures. The T1.2 is more resolving and refined, it does more audibly pull ahead on better gear but on most gear it’s on a similar playing field. There is a lot of subtle nuances the T1 does better, it doesn’t necessarily sound immediately better, it’s a headphone that takes time to properly appreciate. For orchestra/classical and vocals I like the T1.2 Black the best for those of the Tesla Beyers I’ve owned.

 

[393699]

In the Amiron Home thread, I was asked a while ago to give a comparison between the Amiron and the DT 1990. I ended up selling my Amiron a few weeks after I got my DT 1990. I will copy and paste what I said here below.

Looking back over the last few pages, I saw a couple people asking me about the differences in sound between the Amiron and the DT1990, since I own both. Without trying to make this too long, I can give a bit of a comparison here. Here is a quick run down of these two headphones.

In terms of sub bass, both headphones are about equal. With the mid bass, the Amiron is more elevated. When using the DT1990 with the analytical pads, it does not have any mid bass bump at all. It is rather flat across the entire bass range up to the lower mids. With the balanced pads, there is certainly a hump there. I am not a fan of a mid bass hump on a headphone. I really dislike when mid bass bleeds into the mids on a headphone. I will always EQ this down on a headphone which has it with stock tuning. Even when comparing with the balanced pads though, the Amiron mid bass is still higher and broader in its elevation than the 1990. It bleeds into the lower mids more. Overall, the DT1990 has a faster, tighter, and more engaging bass. It has fast decay in the lower bass frequencies, and is not boomy at all. Both headphones need a mid bass reduction to sound correct though (if using the balanced pads on the 1990). With the analytical pads, the mid bass on the 1990 is completely flat. The bass on the Amiron is warmer and softer across the range. It has a bit of a loose character to its presentation. Keep in mine I am comparing the Amiron against the 1990 with the balanced pads though.

With the mids, the Amiron is more layed back. It is recessed in the mids, partially from that heavy mid bass hump that bleeds in. The Amiron is recessed from 1kHz to 5kHz. Vocals are layed back, and not harsh at all. All of the detail is there. Instrument location is correct. The soundstage is vast, and imaging is excellent. The Amiron offers all kinds of details in the music that most other warm headphones just do not produce. It really is a unique headphone. With the mids being recessed though, there is a sense of distance between you and instruments, as well as the vocals. Nothing in the music is up front at all. The Amiron is not designed to offer a dynamic and energetic listening experience. It is all about sitting back with a quality beverage and enjoying a relaxing listen with the music of your choice.

With the DT1990, the mids are a tiny bit recessed, but only just slightly. Instruments are more defined and up front. Vocals are not layed back. They are right in the center of your head. Imaging is pinpoint, and extremely accurate. Like the Amiron, the DT1990 also reveals all kinds of details in music, but it does so with even more focus. It demands your attention. Soundstage on the DT1990 is slightly less wide than the Amiron. The 1990 is certainly not narrow though. In exchange for it being not quite as vast as the Amiron, it gives you a more focused and realistic presentation. Instruments on the DT 1990 have better separation and layering. The Amiron is already good at detail retrieval. The 1990 pushes this a full step forward, and nothing in the music is able to hide from you.

Regarding the treble, as we all know, the Amiron is certainly more layed back. It is not a bright headphone at all. The treble response is clean, non-fatiguing, and organic. This is a headphone that you can listen to for hours. In my opinion, it could use a little more extension in the upper treble. It is slightly rolled off in the highest frequencies. This is a headphone that you can easily turn up and get blasting because it just has a relaxing sound signature. I can not imagine anyone claiming this headphone is bright or piercing. If that is the case, the person needs to get their hearing checked.

With the DT1990, the treble is more detailed. It is certainly brighter as well, and not layed back. It is a bit bright between 6-10kHz. As a result though, every detail that is present in music is exposed. Just like the Amiron does, the DT1990 also exposes clicks, distortion, pops, sighs, bangs, echos, grain, and any other defect that is present in recordings. The difference between it and the Amiron in this regard is that the 1990 will not ever leave you guessing if you just heard something. You will immediately say "wow, I have never heard that popping sound there before, or that thumping noise in the last track". From top to bottom in the frequency response of this headphone, the 1990 just hammers you with details.

My genres are hard rock and heavy metal. For this type of music, I think the DT1990 is the better headphone. The reason for this, is because it just attacks the music. It pulls all the detail out of it. Instead of the headphone saying " I am going to let the artist show you what is on the album", the headphone says "hey artist, you sit back, and let me show the listener myself". Guitars are engaging, and have a nice bite to them. Instruments sound layered, and details are pushed forward. It is a real toe tapper of a headphone for heavy styles of music. The thing is though, for anyone who has not heard either headphone, I actually recommend both headphones, unless you have a specific sound you want. If you want a headphone that has pinpoint imaging, is engaging, and has up front detail retrieval, the DT1990 is a great choice. If you want a more relaxing listen, where you want a sound which is reminiscent of listening to vinyl, then the Amiron is a great choice. If you want both of these experiences, then I recommend both headphones.

 

[stinkytofus]

In the Amiron Home thread, I was asked a while ago to give a comparison between the Amiron and the DT 1990. I ended up selling my Amiron a few weeks after I got my DT 1990. I will copy and paste what I said here below.

Looking back over the last few pages, I saw a couple people asking me about the differences in sound between the Amiron and the DT1990, since I own both. Without trying to make this too long, I can give a bit of a comparison here. Here is a quick run down of these two headphones.

In terms of sub bass, both headphones are about equal. With the mid bass, the Amiron is more elevated. When using the DT1990 with the analytical pads, it does not have any mid bass bump at all. It is rather flat across the entire bass range up to the lower mids. With the balanced pads, there is certainly a hump there. I am not a fan of a mid bass hump on a headphone. I really dislike when mid bass bleeds into the mids on a headphone. I will always EQ this down on a headphone which has it with stock tuning. Even when comparing with the balanced pads though, the Amiron mid bass is still higher and broader in its elevation than the 1990. It bleeds into the lower mids more. Overall, the DT1990 has a faster, tighter, and more engaging bass. It has fast decay in the lower bass frequencies, and is not boomy at all. Both headphones need a mid bass reduction to sound correct though (if using the balanced pads on the 1990). With the analytical pads, the mid bass on the 1990 is completely flat. The bass on the Amiron is warmer and softer across the range. It has a bit of a loose character to its presentation. Keep in mine I am comparing the Amiron against the 1990 with the balanced pads though.

With the mids, the Amiron is more layed back. It is recessed in the mids, partially from that heavy mid bass hump that bleeds in. The Amiron is recessed from 1kHz to 5kHz. Vocals are layed back, and not harsh at all. All of the detail is there. Instrument location is correct. The soundstage is vast, and imaging is excellent. The Amiron offers all kinds of details in the music that most other warm headphones just do not produce. It really is a unique headphone. With the mids being recessed though, there is a sense of distance between you and instruments, as well as the vocals. Nothing in the music is up front at all. The Amiron is not designed to offer a dynamic and energetic listening experience. It is all about sitting back with a quality beverage and enjoying a relaxing listen with the music of your choice.

With the DT1990, the mids are a tiny bit recessed, but only just slightly. Instruments are more defined and up front. Vocals are not layed back. They are right in the center of your head. Imaging is pinpoint, and extremely accurate. Like the Amiron, the DT1990 also reveals all kinds of details in music, but it does so with even more focus. It demands your attention. Soundstage on the DT1990 is slightly less wide than the Amiron. The 1990 is certainly not narrow though. In exchange for it being not quite as vast as the Amiron, it gives you a more focused and realistic presentation. Instruments on the DT 1990 have better separation and layering. The Amiron is already good at detail retrieval. The 1990 pushes this a full step forward, and nothing in the music is able to hide from you.

Regarding the treble, as we all know, the Amiron is certainly more layed back. It is not a bright headphone at all. The treble response is clean, non-fatiguing, and organic. This is a headphone that you can listen to for hours. In my opinion, it could use a little more extension in the upper treble. It is slightly rolled off in the highest frequencies. This is a headphone that you can easily turn up and get blasting because it just has a relaxing sound signature. I can not imagine anyone claiming this headphone is bright or piercing. If that is the case, the person needs to get their hearing checked.

With the DT1990, the treble is more detailed. It is certainly brighter as well, and not layed back. It is a bit bright between 6-10kHz. As a result though, every detail that is present in music is exposed. Just like the Amiron does, the DT1990 also exposes clicks, distortion, pops, sighs, bangs, echos, grain, and any other defect that is present in recordings. The difference between it and the Amiron in this regard is that the 1990 will not ever leave you guessing if you just heard something. You will immediately say "wow, I have never heard that popping sound there before, or that thumping noise in the last track". From top to bottom in the frequency response of this headphone, the 1990 just hammers you with details.

My genres are hard rock and heavy metal. For this type of music, I think the DT1990 is the better headphone. The reason for this, is because it just attacks the music. It pulls all the detail out of it. Instead of the headphone saying " I am going to let the artist show you what is on the album", the headphone says "hey artist, you sit back, and let me show the listener myself". Guitars are engaging, and have a nice bite to them. Instruments sound layered, and details are pushed forward. It is a real toe tapper of a headphone for heavy styles of music. The thing is though, for anyone who has not heard either headphone, I actually recommend both headphones, unless you have a specific sound you want. If you want a headphone that has pinpoint imaging, is engaging, and has up front detail retrieval, the DT1990 is a great choice. If you want a more relaxing listen, where you want a sound which is reminiscent of listening to vinyl, then the Amiron is a great choice. If you want both of these experiences, then I recommend both headphones.

have you tried t1.1 or t1.2? how do they stack up compared to dt1990 and amiron

 

[393699]

I have not heard the current 2019-2020 T1. I have heard the previous Gen 2 version. I only had a brief session with it, but I was very impressed when I heard it. The current T1 is different from the first gen and the original second gen. In 2019, the tuning of the T1 second gen was changed to a warmer sound signature.

 

[gorman]

I'm thinking about upgrading from my DT 880 (250) which I amplify from an old (vintage?) Corda HA-1 Mk II. I've ordered a Topping D10 to use as source.

First of all: do these two constitute a clear upgrade from DT 880? Them being both 250 ohm I think that for now my amplifier should be able to provide plenty enough current.

Second: I have somewhat big ears (8cm x 4cm more or less). Do the ear pads in these have bigger "holes" than the DT 880? Are they more comfortable that DT 880? From what I understand Amiron should probably be the more comfortable of the two models.

Third: here's specs for my current amp. Would I have compelling reasons to upgrade it if getting either of these two models or am I right in believing it should drive them well?

Lastly, before posting I have read the whole thread and I was quite surprised by @DW75 selling the Amiron Home for the DT 1990. For a long while it looked as he had found personal audio nirvana with the Amiron.

 

[393699]

I still think that the Amiron is an excellent headphone. I just like the energetic attack of the DT 1990 Pro better. It is a better choice for using with hard rock and heavy metal music, which is what I listen to. I will always have fond memories of my time with the Amiron. If you enjoy the sound signature of the DT 880, the DT 1990 is a direct upgrade. It takes everything the DT 880 does, and improves upon it in every way.

 

[gorman]

I still think that the Amiron is an excellent headphone. I just like the energetic attack of the DT 1990 Pro better. It is a better choice for using with hard rock and heavy metal music, which is what I listen to. I will always have fond memories of my time with the Amiron. If you enjoy the sound signature of the DT 880, the DT 1990 is a direct upgrade. It takes everything the DT 880 does, and improves upon it in every way.

You didn't touch upon comfort and amplification. If you can provide insights, I'd appreciate them.

I have to say that I listen to all kind of music. Not a lot of heavy metal, to be honest, but hard rock yes (Zeppelin, Deep Purple). I love prog rock, I love ethnic stuff, singer songwriters... so quite a diverse amalgam of music genres. Maybe in that case Amiron would be better?
But comfort is really important. I don't want to "feel" the headphones constantly reminding me of their presence, if possible. DT 880 are close but not there.

Also, I plan to eq toward the harman curve with AutoEQ, much to the horror of purists, I don't know. But I found that transformative for my DT 880.

 

[393699]

The DT 1990 has a tighter clamp than the Amiron Home. It is not an insane or painful clamp, but it is there. It takes about 3 weeks or so of use for the clamp to loosen. Both headphones are rather comfortable to me. In terms of amping, their requirements are the same. Both headphones scale as well as you go up in amp and DAC quality. Both headphones would be an excellent upgrade for you. I ended up doing a comparison of the two headphones after I got the DT 1990. I will copy and paste what I said here below.

In terms of sub bass, both headphones are about equal. With the mid bass, the Amiron is more elevated. When using the DT1990 with the analytical pads, it does not have any mid bass bump at all. It is rather flat across the entire bass range up to the lower mids. With the balanced pads, there is certainly a hump there. I am not a fan of a mid bass hump on a headphone. I really dislike when mid bass bleeds into the mids on a headphone. I will always EQ this down on a headphone which has it with stock tuning. Even when comparing with the balanced pads though, the Amiron mid bass is still higher and broader in its elevation than the 1990. It bleeds into the lower mids more. Overall, the DT1990 has a faster, tighter, and more engaging bass. It has fast decay in the lower bass frequencies, and is not boomy at all. Both headphones need a mid bass reduction to sound correct though (if using the balanced pads on the 1990). With the analytical pads, the mid bass on the 1990 is completely flat. The bass on the Amiron is warmer and softer across the range. It has a bit of a loose character to its presentation. Keep in mine I am comparing the Amiron against the 1990 with the balanced pads though.

With the mids, the Amiron is more layed back. It is recessed in the mids, partially from that heavy mid bass hump that bleeds in. The Amiron is recessed from 1kHz to 5kHz. Vocals are layed back, and not harsh at all. All of the detail is there. Instrument location is correct. The soundstage is vast, and imaging is excellent. The Amiron offers all kinds of details in the music that most other warm headphones just do not produce. It really is a unique headphone. With the mids being recessed though, there is a sense of distance between you and instruments, as well as the vocals. Nothing in the music is up front at all. The Amiron is not designed to offer a dynamic and energetic listening experience. It is all about sitting back with a quality beverage and enjoying a relaxing listen with the music of your choice.

With the DT1990, the mids are a tiny bit recessed, but only just slightly. Instruments are more defined and up front. Vocals are not layed back. They are right in the center of your head. Imaging is pinpoint, and extremely accurate. Like the Amiron, the DT1990 also reveals all kinds of details in music, but it does so with even more focus. It demands your attention. Soundstage on the DT1990 is slightly less wide than the Amiron. The 1990 is certainly not narrow though. In exchange for it being not quite as vast as the Amiron, it gives you a more focused and realistic presentation. Instruments on the DT 1990 have better separation and layering. The Amiron is already good at detail retrieval. The 1990 pushes this a full step forward, and nothing in the music is able to hide from you.

Regarding the treble, as we all know, the Amiron is certainly more layed back. It is not a bright headphone at all. The treble response is clean, non-fatiguing, and organic. This is a headphone that you can listen to for hours. In my opinion, it could use a little more extension in the upper treble. It is slightly rolled off in the highest frequencies. This is a headphone that you can easily turn up and get blasting because it just has a relaxing sound signature. I can not imagine anyone claiming this headphone is bright or piercing. If that is the case, the person needs to get their hearing checked.

With the DT1990, the treble is more detailed. It is certainly brighter as well, and not layed back. It is a bit bright between 6-10kHz. As a result though, every detail that is present in music is exposed. Just like the Amiron does, the DT1990 also exposes clicks, distortion, pops, sighs, bangs, echos, grain, and any other defect that is present in recordings. The difference between it and the Amiron in this regard is that the 1990 will not ever leave you guessing if you just heard something. You will immediately say "wow, I have never heard that popping sound there before, or that thumping noise in the last track". From top to bottom in the frequency response of this headphone, the 1990 just hammers you with details.

My genres are hard rock and heavy metal. For this type of music, I think the DT1990 is the better headphone. The reason for this, is because it just attacks the music. It pulls all the detail out of it. Instead of the headphone saying " I am going to let the artist show you what is on the album", the headphone says "hey artist, you sit back, and let me show the listener myself". Guitars are engaging, and have a nice bite to them. Instruments sound layered, and details are pushed forward. It is a real toe tapper of a headphone for heavy styles of music. The thing is though, for anyone who has not heard either headphone, I actually recommend both headphones, unless you have a specific sound you want. If you want a headphone that has pinpoint imaging, is engaging, and has up front detail retrieval, the DT1990 is a great choice. If you want a more relaxing listen, where you want a sound which is reminiscent of listening to vinyl, then the Amiron is a great choice. If you want both of these experiences, then I recommend both headphones.

 

[gorman]

If anybody could measure the earhole on the ear pads of both I'd be very grateful. Trying to understand if they're bigger than DT 880. Thank you in advance.
I guess measuring the "depth" of the ear pads might be harder... but in case somebody can, it could be useful as well.

 

[393699]

The pads on the DT 1990 and the DT 880 are the same size.

 

[zazex]

You didn't touch upon comfort and amplification. If you can provide insights, I'd appreciate them.

I have to say that I listen to all kind of music. Not a lot of heavy metal, to be honest, but hard rock yes (Zeppelin, Deep Purple). I love prog rock, I love ethnic stuff, singer songwriters... so quite a diverse amalgam of music genres. Maybe in that case Amiron would be better?
But comfort is really important. I don't want to "feel" the headphones constantly reminding me of their presence, if possible. DT 880 are close but not there.

Also, I plan to eq toward the harman curve with AutoEQ, much to the horror of purists, I don't know. But I found that transformative for my DT 880.

Both are just about as comfortable as you're going to find. Beyerdynamic
build quality and comfort are superb.

My guess is that you'll prefer the DT 1990's. They'll provide more of the edge
and brilliance you probably expect to hear in hard rock and progressive rock.
I also think that the 1990's would be more satisfying on well produced singer songwriter
albums -
e.g. Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, some Dylan, even some early
Elton John - not totally sure what defines "singer songwriter" - Paul Simon?
Sufjian Stevens? --

I like the Amiron's more, mostly because they give a different presentation
than any other headphone (that I've heard). For example, the mix of detail retrieval
and roll-off is amazing.
Every time I start to feel that maybe the top is slightly too blunted,
some way high up treble will suddenly appear, proving that my
concern about the treble is unfounded.

Also, I think that the posts just above by DW75 are full of useful and
accurate info in this regard.

 

[arielext]

I'm thinking about upgrading from my DT 880 (250) which I amplify from an old (vintage?) Corda HA-1 Mk II. I've ordered a Topping D10 to use as source.

First of all: do these two constitute a clear upgrade from DT 880? Them being both 250 ohm I think that for now my amplifier should be able to provide plenty enough current.

Second: I have somewhat big ears (8cm x 4cm more or less). Do the ear pads in these have bigger "holes" than the DT 880? Are they more comfortable that DT 880? From what I understand Amiron should probably be the more comfortable of the two models.

Third: here's specs for my current amp. Would I have compelling reasons to upgrade it if getting either of these two models or am I right in believing it should drive them well?

Lastly, before posting I have read the whole thread and I was quite surprised by @DW75 selling the Amiron Home for the DT 1990. For a long while it looked as he had found personal audio nirvana with the Amiron.

I have had Meier amps for as long as I am in this hobby and they match Beyerdynamic headphones like a glove. I know the more recent Meier amps use even better components (got a corda classic and headfive myself) and that his amps got some bad reviews on another site when used on max volume. Did amps change a lot since 2004? Yes. Did they become better? Yes. Will you every hear it? Well ... if you do the amp isn't transparent Amps got cheaper, amps got insane s/n ratio's nowadays but in the end ... they amplify the input signal.
Do you have issues with your current amp? If not there is actually little use to upgrade (imo and ymmv).

 

[gorman]

The pads on the DT 1990 and the DT 880 are the same size.

Same for Amiron as well? Or are those larger?