beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO
Professional-Standard 250Ω Open-Back Headphones
MADE IN GERMANY
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO (250 Ω, includes both a 10'/3m straight and a 16'/5m coiled cord, 3.5mm plugs with screw-on ¼″ adapters, 13.2 oz./375g without cord, $469). bigger. I'd get mine at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, store demo or used headphones — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new DT 1990 PRO. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new headphones before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
October 2022 beyerdynamic Reviews Headphone Reviews Tube Amp Reviews Audio Reviews All Reviews
Introduction top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
The beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO are superbly-made, exquisitely comfortable professional headphones with clean, clear, smooth, natural and open sound.
They have natural, accurate sound ideal for mixing and mastering, but this means they don't add anything to the lower bass and upper treble to sweeten the sound as consumer headphones do. These DT 1990 PRO headphones lead you to make your music sound great; they don't add anything to make music sound better than it actually is for enjoyment's sake.
Use these for creating music, while Hi-Fi oriented consumer headphones will sweeten everything to sound a little better than it actually does. The plain and accurate sound of these professional headphones shows you music as it is, not enhanced as you'd like it to be.
The DT 1990 PRO let you hear exactly what you have; they don't add anything to make it sound better. This means the music you create with these will sound great everywhere, rather than if you used consumer headphones which are designed to make everything sound good.
Because of this, they are thinner-sounding than consumer headphones which boost the bass. Pros tend to listen at live levels much louder than consumers, which brings out the deepest bass due to the way our ears are much less sensitive to deep bass at low levels. If you want deeper bass with these, crank it up to concert level and enjoy.
Likewise the upper treble isn't tweaked to sweeten the sound and add "air;" these will sound plainer than consumer Hi-Fi headphones — which is the whole point so you can tweak your recording while you're producing it to sound awesome on anything.
These are ultra-comfortable to wear all day and all night, whether working on a music or video project. I can edit for hours and hours and hours with these, and they still feel great. Their big velour pads are perfect!
Everyone who's worked in radio or recording knows beyerdynamic microphones and headphones. I've been using them since the 1980s, and they've been around since the 1920s. The vocals on Billy Joel's classic album 52nd street were recorded with a beyerdynamic 250 microphone. For all you know, maybe your favorite recording was made with a beyerdynamic microphone, too!
beyerdynamic was founded in 1924 and has been the top maker of the world's best professional headphones since 1937. AKG and Sennheiser weren't even founded until the 1940s. For all I know, this makes beyerdynamic the inventor of pro headphones.
These use beyerdynamic's top Tesla technology for super sensitivity. Even at 250 Ω they are plenty sensitive for use with mobile and iOS devices. At 250 Ω they are extremely easy for any mobile or pro amplifier or headphone output to drive, and drive without distortion, Yes, most amplifiers and headphone outputs have more distortion trying to drive 32 Ω headphones and work much better with 250 Ω headphones — so long as the 250 Ω headphones are as sensitive as these for use with mobile outputs.
These are the genuine MADE IN GERMANY article from the world's oldest and best maker of professional headphones for almost 100 years; these aren't rubbish from China. For the price, I can't see why anyone wouldn't love a set of these. You can spend so much more and get so much less.
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New compared to DT 990 intro top
Comes in one universal 250 Ω impedance rather than the bewildering array of 32 Ω, 250 Ω and 600 Ω versions of the DT 990.
New 45mm Tesla drivers, which add enough sensitivity that we no longer need a 32 Ω version for mobile use.
Comes with two different field-replaceable mini-XLR cords. (The DT 990 have a captive cord.)
Comes with two different field-replaceable sets of earpads.
The default set of earpads offers what beyerdymanic calls a "slight bass boost," while the second set offers "flat" response. Hint: If you're used to consumer headphones, even the "slight bass boost" earpads that come attached sound much thinner because they're more accurate than consumer headphones.
Good intro top
Clean, clear, smooth, open and accurate sound with accurate — not emphasized — bass.
Extremely comfortable for all-day and all-night use.
Superb GERMAN construction quality and durability.
Replaceable cords and earpads.
Lightweight and tough.
Stay on your head as you move or walk around.
Trivially easy to drive at 250 Ω. Work just as well plugged into an iPhone as they do with a dedicated amplifier like my Benchmark DAC1 HDR.
Ready to plug-and-play as soon as you get them.
MADE IN GERMANY.
Bad intro top
Nothing.
Missing intro top
They don't fold for storage and travel; these are big-boy headphones.
Thank goodness no expense was wasted on a fancy box, as is typical for consumer products. Consumers are impressed by fancy boxes with magnetic clasps, silk linings or especially the 5,000-year-old Gyojiwood used to make the vessel in which the STAX OMEGA SR-009 ships, but those fancy boxes mean that money which could have gone into making a better product — didn't. Bless manufacturers of serious products like beyerdynamic and Grado who use plain boxes because pros know the quality is on the inside, not in flashy packaging.
No Bluetooth; just regular wired headphones for serious use.
No iPhone/iPad/iPod remote, but you conceivably could build a cord with one.
No mic for phone calls. No worries, if I get a call on my iPhone the audio comes through the DT 1990 PRO and the iPhone's mic picks up my voice — you just can't talk with your iPhone in your pocket.
No GPS.
No Wi-Fi.
No batteries to charge, replace or change.
No electronics whatsoever; completely passive transducers.
Nothing to go obsolete.
No problems!
Specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
DT 1990 PRO Box Bottom. bigger.
Type specifications top
Passive dynamic, around-the-ear, open-back headphones.
Transducers specifications top
45mm drivers.
Tesla Neodymium magnets.
Earpads specifications top
Soft gray velour fuzz over what feels like soft foam.
Perfect!
Earpiece Pressure specifications top
6.6 Newtons (23.75 ounces), which is on the firm side and works great with their big, soft earpads to keep them from floating around.
Spring steel headband.
Cords & Connectors specifications top
Two included cords and two included ¼" adapters. bigger.
Two cables included:
One straight 10' (3m) and another coiled 16' (5m) cable.
The coiled cable is the best; it's only arm's length when you're not pulling on it.
Each has a mini-XLR on one end to plug into one earcup, and a 3.5mm plug with screw-in ¼″ adapter on the other end.
Yes, you get two ¼″ adapters, one on each cable.
It's nice, wiggly cable with serious metal connectors and big, firm rubber strain reliefs on both ends. While this is fine for pro gear mounted in racks, the strain reliefs are long and firm enough that I'd worry about bending 3.5mm connectors if pulling on a cable.
Single mini-XLR socket. bigger.
Frequency Response specifications top
Rated "5 ~ 40,000 Hz," no decibel tolerance listed.
Impedance specifications top
Rated 250 Ω.
Sensitivity specifications top
102 dB at 1 mW at 500 Hz. (1 mW into 250 Ω is 500 mV or -6.02 dBV.)
108 dB SPL at 1 V at 500 Hz (4 mW into 250 Ω).
Maximum SPL specifications top
125 dB SPL at 200 mW at 500 Hz. (200 mW into 250 Ω is 7.07 V or +16.99 dBV.)
Power Handling specifications top
200 mW (about 7.07 V into 250 Ω).
Distortion at 1 mW specifications top
0.05% at 500 Hz.
Serial Number specifications top
Hot foil stamped into the inside of the left harp.
Weight specifications top
13.225 oz. (374.9 g) actual measured weight without cord.
Rated 13.1 oz. (370 g), sans cable.
HARDCASE PRO 717.967 rated 11.4 oz. (322g).
Quality specifications top
Designed and MADE IN GERMANY.
Case specifications top
Included HARDCASE PRO. bigger.
Included HARDCASE PRO. bigger.
The included hard case has space to hold the included second set of soft earpads, as well as a small zippered pouch for both included cords and two 3.5mm to ¼″ adapters.
Model Numbers specifications top
Complete set Art. Nr.: 710.490 (EAN 4010118710490).
Replacement Parts
K 1000.07 10'/3m straight mini XLR to 3.5mm cable & ¼″ adapter: 710.725 (EAN 4010118710728).
WK 1000.07 16'/5m coiled mini XLR to 3.5mm cable & ¼″ adapter: 710.733 (EAN 4010118710735).
Analytical "Neutral" EDT 1990VA earpads: 917.699.
Balanced "Bass Boost" EDT 1990VB earpads: 916.900.
HARDCASE PRO: 717.967 (EAN 4010118717963).
Included specifications top
Headphones.
Two cords with two 3.5mm to screw-on ¼″ adapters.
Extra set of Analytical "Neutral" EDT 1990VA earpads Nr. 917.699.
Printed instructions.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
October 2022
$469.
July 2022
$549.
Microcorrugated Cardboard Box. bigger.
Performance top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Overall Sound Image & Soundstage Bass
Sensitivity Isolation Leakage Ergonomics
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
The DT 1990 PRO are superbly-made and marvelously comfortable headphones with clean, clear, open and detailed sound with accurate, taut bass.
These have a very accurate sound from top to bottom for professional mixing and mastering, rather than the HiFi sound with sweetly boosted upper treble and boosted bass to impress the innocent.
Sound performance top
As we expect for mastering headphones, the sound is unexciting. The sound is only going to be exciting if you recorded it that way. It's like being there rather than seeing it on the news or in a movie with special effects and graphics added.
The low end isn't boosted, and it is deep and flat if you boost the overall volume enough to hear it.
Image & Soundstage performance top
The stereo images are precise. You'll hear exactly what was recorded.
Bass performance top
The bass is accurate and unboosted; just what you need for mixing and mastering at live concert levels to ensure your final product will sound great everywhere.
While at soft levels our ears' natural loss of sensitivity will hide much of the bass (pros usually listen much louder), the lack of boominess means that you will hear the deepest bass quite clearly so long as you're playing these loud enough to hear it.
In other words, at an ear-splitting live 100 dB SPL we hear clearly down to 20 Hz, but at a moderately loud 80 dB SPL we need to boost 20 Hz by about +12 dB to sound the same, and at a modestly soft 60 dB SPL (audiophile) level we need about +24 dB of boost at 20 Hz to sound great. The bass of the DT 1990 PRO PRO is optimized for concert-level sound and will sound thinner played softly.
Sensitivity performance top
These are extremely sensitive in power terms, meaning that even at 250 Ω they sound almost as loud as ordinary 32 Ω headphones in most mobile devices. The DT 1990 PRO have almost as much voltage sensitivity as most 32 Ω headphones, which is superb and leads to less amplifier distortion with many devices than with 32 Ω headphones.With iOS I have the volume set to one-half to three-quarters with just about any music or movie; just perfect.
Isolation performance top
These are open headphones, there is little to no isolation.
Leakage performance top
As open headphones these do leak sound.
Someone a couple of feet away will hear them if it's quiet.
Ergonomics performance top
Soft and cozy! These feel sooo good all day and night long!
They also feel great walking around. They are light and have reasonably strong headband pressure so they stay stuck on my head.
The earpieces are so soft and pliable that they feel prefect with the moderately firm headband pressure.
Be careful: the straight cord has no play, and the mini-XLR connector locks into the earpiece, so if you stand up while the cord is caught on something, you may pull them off your head or break something. Use the coiled cord.
By comparison, some cords are coiled or use non-locking connectors that unplug themselves if you do the same thing. Be careful with these because the cord locks into the earpiece with a click.
Each earpiece extends in clicks for size adjustment. The clicks are perfect: light enough to adjust easily and tight enough to stay put. beyerdynamic has been doing this for nearly a hundred years so they get this right.
They don't fold for travel.
The long mini-XLR connector on the left earpiece can poke your left shoulder depending on your shape and how you are sitting or relaxing.
There are plastic nubs at each earpiece so you won't damage a console or fine furniture when you put them down.
User's Guide top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Amplification
The DT 1990 PRO work great plugged directly into portable devices.
Go right ahead and use a dedicated headphone amplifier if you insist (I love my Benchmark DAC1 HDR), but honestly, they also sound fantastic plugged right into an iPad, iPhone, iPod or with Apple's Lightning to 3.5mm adapter or Apple's USB-C to 3.5mm Adapter.
While Apple's devices and their Lightning adapters and USB-C to 3.5mm adapters have excellent low-source-impedance headphone outputs and sound great with these, I can't vouch for off-brands like Android, Samsung, HTC or other iPhone copies.
Levels
These are balanced to sound best played at live levels, sounding thinner if played at softer audiophile levels.
Probably because the DT 1990 PRO have such smooth and clean sound, practically unlimited output levels and frequency response optimized for concert-level playback, it's tempting to play them way too loud. They sound awesome played at full concert level all day long
~ however ~
It's easy to damage your hearing. If your ears start ringing or buzzing, even long after you've stopped listening, cool it for a while.
Cables
The DT 1990 PRO comes with two swell cables.
I wouldn't waste money on any different cables. Accessory cables are a big money-maker for people selling them, but don't give any better sound than what's already included. You're much better off saving your money to buy more music or making your studio better rather than wasting it on snake oil or cables.
If two cables sound different, then at least one of them is defective.
This isn't as much of a problem for pro headphones; it's the nutty audiophiles who waste their time with aftermarket cables, not people actually making the music.
Earpads
The DT 1990 PRO comes with two sets, each with slightly different sound.
The Balanced "Bass Boost" EDT 1990VB earpads Nr. 916.900 come attached, with the Analytical "Neutral" EDT 1990VA earpads Nr. 917.699 are shipped sitting loose in the case.
The default Balanced "Bass Boost" earpads have many holes in the back, while the Analytical "Neutral" earpads have only four holes in the back.
Even the default "Balanced "Bass Boost" earpads have accurate bass, and it's what I've had on for this entire review.
The Analytical "Neutral" earpads have even slightly less bass, for playing at even higher levels.
Phone Calls
It has no mic, but your iPhone's mic will pick up your voice as it usually does with its own mic and route the received sound to your DT 1990 PRO.
It works fine for phone calls so long as you keep your iPhone close. Don't put your phone in your pocket, because the other side will no longer hear you.
Recommendations top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
The DT 1990 PRO feel great working all day making music. For enjoying music, they lack the boosted bass and upper treble that can makes music sound better at softer listening levels; for enjoying music the Amiron or Aventho can sound better played at rational levels.
For music enjoyment with the four newest offerings from beyerdymanic: the DT 700 PRO X, DT 900 PRO X, these DT 1990 PRO and the DT 1770 PRO, I prefer the DT 900 PRO X. Remember, as pro headphones, these are all designed to make you work harder to make the music you're creating sound its best.
These have nothing to go obsolete: no internal batteries to try to replace, no electronics (these are completely passive) and no Bluetooth that might not be compatible with new versions in a few years. These are simple passive headphones that should last you for decades and decades of pleasure, just like a pair of passive loudspeakers. Heck, my 1979 sealed-box B&W 801F and 1984 electrostatic Quad ESL-63 are still my favorite loudspeakers today and I've owned them for many, many decades and never needed service on either. In the scope of how long you'll be loving these DT 1990 PRO, the price is nothing, and if you don't love them, send them back within 30 days for a full refund.
I'd get my DT 1990 PRO at Amazon, who usually offer a 30-day 100% cash-back return if you don't LOVE them after enjoying them with your own music. You also can get them at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, store demo or used headphones — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new DT 1990 PRO. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new headphones before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken Rockwell.
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