[retskrad]

I hear some say its dt880, but isn't dt990 the flagship? Like sennheiser hd600 and hd650. 

 

[zanox]

It's the DT 990. but mostly people prefer the neutral sounding dt 880's as people find the DT 990's too bright.

 

[billybob_jcv]

The DT990 is fully open, the DT880 is semi-open, the DT770 is fully closed.

 

[retskrad]

I just did some research on thee headphones, what exactly is the application for the dt990? Beyerdynamic says the dt880 is for critical listening, but doesn't the dt880 make the dt990 redundant? Why would, lets say I who is the engineer, buy the dt990 instead of the dt880? 

 

[billybob_jcv]

lol - you would have to ask the Marketing dweebs at Beyerdynamic that question. They could probably tell you some flowery BS about fully open headphones having a wider soundstage for a more immersive sound, or that the DT990 is able to resolve more detail, etc, etc. In reality, it's probably just different flavors of good.

 

[Me x3]

  I hear some say its dt880, but isn't dt990 the flagship? Like sennheiser hd600 and hd650. 

 
The Flagship status doesn't mean so much beyond the walls of the marketing world.
 
DT990 brings some very special things to the table such as wider soundstage and a more vibrant/palpable presentation. The price it pays (quite high indeed) is neutrality.
 
Something similar happens with Senns HD6x0. Most people tend to prefer the more neutral and older HD600 over HD650.
HD600 has some extra energy in the mid-bass and has a soft treble. HD650 is probably an emphasized HD600: more mid bass and darker treble.
 
DT880 has a very slight u-shaped sound signature, with very good extension at both ends. DT990 is an emphasized DT880: full bass and crystal clear treble with a lot of presence.
 
In both cases the (now former) flagships might be blamed of having too much of a good thing. Some people love them, some prefer their more neutral siblings.
 
HD600 and HD650 are probably more alike than DT880 and DT990. That -for sure- has to do with HD6x0s being very similar headphones.
On the Beyer camp, DT880s are semi-open while DT990s are fully open, so different acoustics in them.
 
Just in case you find this useful:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/735041/beyerdynamic-dt880-pro-dt990-pro-comparison-w-pictures
 
Best Luck!
 
 

 

[retskrad]

Thanks for a detailed response. Back to my question, what would the application be for the dt990, where there's the dt880 to use, because of the need for neutrality, or not "V-shaped" frequency response?

 

[Me x3]

  Thanks for a detailed response. Back to my question, what would the application be for the dt990, where there's the dt880 to use, because of the need for neutrality, or not "V-shaped" frequency response?

I don't think Beyerdynamic designed DT990s with a specific application in mind.
That's really up to you, a neutral tonal balance is very important for many applications, but it's not the only variable in this game.
 
DT990's treble is more extended and reveals any noise up there with ease.
The wider soundstage is another advantage for someone doing analytical listening.
 
Last but not least, just for music pleasure, a lot of people prefer some kind of v-shaped sound signature over total neutrality. Many people like/want some kind of boom in the bass.
 
The age and hearing of the listener could be another thing to consider, older people tend to be less sensitive to treble

 

[Argyris]

I pretty much agree with what everybody else above has said. The DT990 is like a DT880 with a smiley curve EQ applied. Both headphones are functionally similar, with the DT990 having a different (ostensibly more open) grill and different tuning than the DT880.
 
The reason the DT990 and DT880 coexist is that they satisfy different tastes--the DT880 is the linear, analytical one, whereas the DT990 adds the extra bass and treble that tend to wow first time listeners. This, above all, is why I think Beyer refers to the DT990 as its "flagship." It has a more initially pleasing sound for many people, IMO, which likely translates into more sales among non-enthusiasts. The DT880, to the untrained ear, might sound a bit boring or insubstantial. On the other hand, I feel that a more neutral signature (like the DT880's) gives it better genre bandwidth, and I happen to like (rather than merely respect, as do some listeners) the DT880's bright-leaning neutral antics, so maybe my preferences just happen to line up with what the DT880 offers better than the DT990.
 
All this is academic. Whichever headphone you prefer is the one you should listen to, whether or not it's considered the "flagship" of the range.

 

[zanox]

It really depends on your taste. DT 990's are very fun sounding headphones - you can easily get involved in music . They have a bigger soundstage , have more air to it and sounds 3D compared to the DT 880's. The soundstage is really beautiful. It has much air to sound cohesive and not disconnected even though having a wide soundstage. The DT 880's also have a wide and airy soundstage but not wider and airier than the DT 990's.  Also, the bass hits you harder on the 990's. It's mostly mid bass though. The DT 880's are more refined in the bass category. The DT 880's bass is tighter and more textured but not as impactful.
Because of full bass and treble, mids are suffered a little on the 990's, but they are very much cleaner. DT 880's mids are not much behind but still a bit recessed and not as detailed as the 990's. The treble on the 880's doesn't go up there like the DT 990's treble, but it is sparkly enough. The 990's bring more sparkle and air to the table thus sound brighther than the already bright DT 880's. If your ears are treble sensitive, then I would suggest you to look somewhere else. These are bright sounding cans.
I went with the 990 because I just simply wanted to enjoy music and not care much about audiophile stuff. Also, my 990's are very good for gaming so that makes the gamer inside me happy and content . DT 990's are very good with almost every genre but shine with trance and hip hop while the 880's shine with acoustics .

 

[retskrad]

Ah, so maybe the application for the dt990s were to hear if the mix is too bright and if noises or weird things going at the higher frequencies.
 
Makes sense, because I went to the store and tried them and my mainstream pop music collection sounded like crap, while my soundtracks and classical sounded so good.

 

[zanox]

  Ah, so maybe the application for the dt990s were to hear if the mix is too bright and if noises or weird things going at the higher frequencies.
 
Makes sense, because I went to the store and tried them and my mainstream pop music collection sounded like crap, while my soundtracks and classical sounded so good.

So what do you think about them?you like them?
And they would reveal flaws in recordings. ****ty recordings are going to sound ****ty. The treble on the 990's is not bad as some people claim it is. it sounds beautiful with the right recording.

 

[retskrad]

I liked them, but like I mentioned earlier, my music collection consists 90% of pop, hiphop, in other words they are crappy quality so the dt990 would be a bad match for me. In general I found them unnatural, they only produce mid bass to be honest, and the midrange is there, but VERY recessed. On the other hand, they are very good with good source quality material, the soundstage and high quality treble. I think they are the first headphone I've tried that is the most 3d, if it makes sense.

 

[Me x3]

 
I liked them, but like I mentioned earlier, my music collection consists 90% of pop, hiphop, in other words they are crappy quality so the dt990 would be a bad match for me. In general I found them unnatural, they only produce mid bass to be honest, and the midrange is there, but VERY recessed. On the other hand, they are very good with good source quality material, the soundstage and high quality treble. I think they are the first headphone I've tried that is the most 3d, if it makes sense.

 
In my experience DT990s only shine with well recorded music.

 

[retskrad]

They take revealing to a whole new level haha.