Very intimate, accurate and comfortable Not bass heavy Good imaging Light weight in comparison to similar rivals An overall pleasent listening experience, even over long periods

open- meaning there will be spill (pro model only) They seem to be slightly bright between 8kHz-16Khz BIG and 'old skool' in appearance

Ok lets get one thing straight, these are one of the few headphones that have a realistic and unaccented bass/sub response- something that really gets on my nerves with cheaper models. The pro version is open aired, meaning they arent great for recording musicians, but excellent for editing and pre mixing. I also highly recommend them for any other listening purpose. When I tested this pair of headphones I spent a good hour comparing them with the top end sanheisers, sony's and AKG's as well as a handfull of other high end consumer brands. whilst doing this i was in a studio environment A/B'ing with a pair of dynaudio bm6a's. As far as imaging and general response the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO phones were in a league of their own. I find them perfect for a home studio environment or professional editing workstations. They're quite comfortable and easy to adjust and I could use them for hours on end.

Tough, comfortable, no-fatigue, punch, strength, drive, gripping, improvisation (it has exceeded my expectations) Yey! Thick Springy cord!

Aesthetics - They should be called DT 1980's! Urgh! The cord - I wish it could be unplugged.

When I first used these headphones they were very bright and the bass was heavily layered almost enough to be described as woolen. But as with all Hi-Fi products they need to burn in, they can’t perform properly until you have about 72 hours of audio burn. I’ve used these for about 20+ hours and they are getting better and better. I own a pair of HD-590's and these are coming close. I sure there’s a few more days left till I hear their maximum threshold of audio reproduction. As for fatigue I my self fatigue at high volumes when listening for about two hours - these phones, I feel "do not" fatigue. Some said the cord was too short, I found the cord to be just right but that’s because I sit less than half a meter from my Marrentz Ki PM6010 OSE amp (the cord does stretch to about 3m-ish). I’ve listened to all my favorite audio categories- R&B, classical, light/heavy rock, dance, little pop and industrial. So in conclusion these headphones are slightly bright and a little improvised, but that’s the way I like it. I still appreciate the 590's for being very neutral. But the real reason why I got these phones is that they are tough and require little maintenance and above all sound good (I would say very good but I do not have a wide enough point of reference).

Similar Products Used:

HD 590, HD 495, HD 490, SONY HDR-G52 and bunch of other low end Sony's.

Price

cold, short cable, not for long music sessions!!!

Hey Guys! I bought the BEYERDYNAMIC DT 990 PRO Version in December 2002 in Germany/Hamburg for about 170$. I must say that I'm not really happy with it. The sound is sometimes a bit cold, and the cord/cable is tooooo short!!!!! This headphone is maybe good for DJs but not for privite music sessions, because you have to take it off after an hour because your ears will hurt! So I have to look for a GRADO soon and will sell my BEYERDYNAMIC soon.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD 590, 600

Bass, with an open detailed and calm sound and very comfortably.

None!

My previous review (Dairybeat), was on the DT 990; this is on the DT 990 PRO. I had sold the DT 990's and have been very restless since then. From the Philips ...890, to the Sony MDR-CD480, to the Sennheiser HD600, to the Grado RS1 and now back again to the Beyerdynamic DT 990, but now the PRO version. I think I've found my peace again. All phones had their pros and cons for me, which is always very personal. So far with the DT 990 PRO it's just 'pros'. Full tight gripping bass, with a calm detailed open sound (like the Grado's RS1, but they lack a little in bass). The DT 990 PRO, are very much like my main speakers the Klipsch RF-7, I only can't feel the bass, but apart from that, the bass and everything else is there for me with these phones, they're absolutely great and compared to the price of the Grado's a real bargain!

Similar Products Used:

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Philips ...890 Sony MDR-CD480 Sennheiser HD600 Grado RS1

You can listen to them for hours without fatigue.

It's lacking a bit in dynamics, bass is a little woollen.

I used them fot many years and still do, but they have to take 2nd place now to my latest addition: Sennheiser HD-600. The Beyer is less dynamic, less open, with a darker sound and the bass a little more undefined. Apart from that, still a good pair of cans, and very comfortable.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD-600.

They do a better job of finding mistakes in music than any other headset I''ve tried. Very clear and transparent. I chose them because of the open-air design and wide frequency response. They ended up being a good investment and I''m quite pleased with them. I do techno so they get the sh*t blasted out of em all the time. On occasion I''ve had them on for 18 hours a day and yeah they get pretty uncomfortable by then but that''s understandable. Oh I think they are blown cuz they rattle a bit on the deep end when they are at high volume. That happens to all of my headphones (sniff). The most outstanding quality about these phones is the high end detail and comfort.

On the downside my first pair of earpads wore out pretty fast. When I reordered them I was happy to discover that they redesigned the pads to be tougher. The original ones were black and softer. You''d put them on and you''d want to keep them on because they felt like...like...I dunno but it felt like a loving hug. Now the pads are pretty soft to the touch but a lot more durable. Replacements are about 30 bucks. As far as weaknesses...let''s see...The bass is just a little too weak for high volume dance music. A lot of people say the 990''s are very warm but I think they could use some solidity on the ultra low end. My only other complaint after continued use is that the chord gets kinda stretched out and saggy. When you first buy them it retracts tightly but after about a year it hangs on the floor.

I''ve been using them to fine tune my mixes towards the completion of each of my songs. The 990''s allow me to find all those audio defects that I missed while tracking.

Good basses, pleasant to use (it does not make your hears tired).

Maybe a bit expensive?

It sounds good, well built, pleasant to use. Professionnal standart. Never let me down. Great basses. It sounds precise but not aggressive.

Similar Products Used:

SENNHEISER HD 530

solid! and beatifull bass.

cable i think it''s to short

My first pro headphones ,and i think it would be my last!!

Sound, durability, comfort, pride of ownership

initial cost

An excellent pair of headphones which, for the price, are outstanding. Sound is clear, neutral, detailed without sounding cold and clinical. Easy to forget you're listening to headphones ! very durable in general - I've owned mine for over 10 years (these things are like having a Mercedes - should last many years although the initial cost is higher than some other brands) SUPERB...sound as good as my DYNAUDIO speakers costing $2000.

Similar Products Used:

sennheiser, akg.

Low fatigue, comfortable design. Not overly bright. Accurate base.

A little rolled overall, slightly dark sound

I bought these a few years after my MB Quarts finally died [sad day], for late night listening and /or TV. I auditioned the DT931s as well [through a Creek w/NAIM front] and found them way too bright. I looked for some time for new MBs, but no one had them and the US rep in Mass was incredibly rude and unhelpful.

I find the 990s to be somewhat recessed and on the dark side of the spectrum. They almost remind me of having old Mirage M series speakers pasted to the ears- pleasant but with a definite flavor. By comparison against some of the Grados, however [60, 90, 125], they are much more open and a little more forward.

The bass is quite enjoyable and never exagerated- indeed I use them as a reference against my loudspeakers. Highs are reasonably accurate and have never been too bright or sibilant. Mids are fair if a bit in the background.

They seem to require a fairly robust amp to run them well. I use the headphone amp in my LINN Majik, and have to run at at least 40+ [out of 60] to get reasonable volume out of them.

They track pace well enough and aren't short on dynamics.

If you have been looking at Sennheisers, those are a bit more open and airy, but maybe at the expense of increased fatigue for long listening. To make analogies between the two- if the Beyers sound like Mirage, then the Sennies would be more like a Snell.

Don't think of saving your coiff with these either- they are comfortable but clearly hair-unfriendly.

Similar Products Used:

HD580s, Grado 90/125, MB Quart