Now, this was a simple straight forward review with no fancy edits. I like the little text effects just to add to the video a bit. Your presence and thought process was well executed in a good time lenght. Good job man, keep making videos like this 👍
I put the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads on the DT 1990 Pro's and they added a little more bass and slightly smoothed out the treble giving them a sound signature I really love and make them a great all around headphone. Music, Movies, Gaming, Recording are all stellar. The pads are also more comfortable than the stock pads for longer listening sessions. Highly recommend the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads for the DT 1990 Pro's
Wow i think this sold it for me. I was thinking about the 1990 because i have 770s, 990s, and hd6xx, and wasn't sure between getting 1990s or maybe lcd2. I really liked this style of video. The lists really stood out to me!
Thanks for uploading this, it was really reassuring because I have the 1990 Pro. Got em on sale for $450 a year and a half ago during the holiday season.
Would be interesting to have this comparison updated with the "successors" HD-660S2 (more bass... not cheaper) and the Amiron Home (according to beyerdynamic "compareable" - where the DT 1990 is tailored to be more analytical, for studio use, while the Amiron is aimed for home-listening to be more enjoyable - which I understand was also the aim for the 660S2)
I have opted for the 660s as I got them for 300 quid and spend an evening at a time listening. They are an upgrade on my old 770 pros and the DT 990s typically came in at £170 more. than the Sennheisers. Thanks for the review.
I agree with most of the points apart from the imaging. Judging side by side, the 660s seems to have more precise localisation of things. Like when playing fps games, the crunch of the footstep is a tiny bit more pronounced on the DT1990, but the ability to tell exactly where the person is, has always been slightly easier on the 660s. (FOR ME)
Have a pair of dt 1990 pro and 660s sitting in my room. Personally, I preferred the 1990 almost immediately. They seemed to have more details with a better soundstage. Im still trying to understand the appeal of the 660s but Im entirely new to headphones and maybe I dont know what to look for
DMS Please don't hate me but I'm actually planning on buying these for gaming!! i'm noticing a lot of un-sponsored pro players & streamers starting to use high end headphones, most commonly the DT 990's & HD 700'S (which according to DMS reviews are both particularly bright headphones) this makes sense as contrary to how Gaming Headset companies like Turtle Beach & Astro market their headphones, it turns out massive amounts of Bass could actually be bad for gaming! one example is if someone is spamming an RPG at you whilst unbeknownst to you his teammate flanks from the side, you won't be able to hear his teammates footsteps if your headset is prioritizing the bass of the explosions... my theory is that high end headphones with good highs & separation should help alleviate that situation!
Ofc it's better . Usually gamer will buy anything that is slapped with "gaming" stuff. Most gaming headphone is closed back has really bad sound quality. If u love to play fps games like counter strike or r6siege u would want an open back headphone because of the wide soundstage.i would recommend the dt 990 or the massdrop akg k7xx for gaming . For those who say the dt 990 is bright , you will get used to it after awhile or u can use the equalizer.
Theres something i dont get from this reviewers like Joshua, Zeos or DMS3... they all conclude that the DT1990 is better in almost every category over the 660s..... but then.... they all stick with the 660s for personal use instead of the "BETTER" Dt 1990! WHATS UP WITH THAT!
I chose the HD 660s and I am extremely happy them. However I never tried the DT 1990. I. Am very surprised to hear that the HD 660s are brighter. The measurements suggest the opposite by far
@@o.f.ftrack3444 DT1990 would get a 3/10 especially for the price. But still overly bright, earpiercing highs if you dont't have any sort of hearing loss(due to age).They are not a good headphone, maybe for monitoring if you are looking for something in the highs. 660s for me is what everyone said the 650 would be. 650 themself sound like shit, especially because they sound really compressed like no soundstage at all. 660s sound natural, nothing is really over emphasized, softer sound then the 650 and just the right amount of soundstage. Really good pinponting of sounds in sames. 660s is the best headphone I have heard up on until today and in my opinion the best one Sennheiser has ever made. 660s -> 9/10 but -1 for the price so 8/10. If they were like 300 $ I would give even more recomendation. Closest Headphone to the 660s ist def. the 58X, with just a little more highs, and 1-2 step less seperation which equals more muddiness.
I own DT 1990 Pro and HD 660 S. To be honest, if DT 1990 Pro is undoubtedly more appropriate in the monitoring work. Just as it is positioned. But if the discussion is about home-music appreciation, the 1990 sound gives people a boring feeling. It sounds a bit "closed", very steady but doesnt a pleasant feeling. HD660S sounds really "open". Its sound field width worse than 1990 but very open, 1990's driver a bit far form your ears beacuse its harder and thicker ear pads. HD660S has a smaller sound field but its fully open so it sounds very nature and you will not have the "closed back headphones feeling". The most important point is, HD660S has a beauty, smooth mid which 1990 doesn't have.
I found the HD 660S to have very similair sound to the DT990 250 ohm edition, but the HD 660S have less bass (not existant if you are listening to electronic music), not as comfortable (specially if you use glasses) and the sound didnt impress me, the resolution of the sound is very and I do mean very comparable to the DT 990 but with a bit less treble, also…… they cost 3 times the cost of the dt 990.... got them tested them for good 10h (music: rock, metal, electronic, games, movies, anime) and was NOT impressed one bit. Was using a fostex hp-a4bl amp.
I just bought a DT 1990 Pro bundle. Been using them for music and gaming for about a week and half now. I have finally found my end game headphones. I'm not sure how much better you can get then these. The DT 1990's are absolutely superb. Build quality is top notch. I'm running them on a Schiit Audio Modi 2 Multibit DAC and Magni 3 amp. They definitely take a little more juice then some of my other headphones.
Ryan W. Are these good for gaming like overwatch and Fortnite where I don't care about explosions but want great footsteps and locations are most important and then for music edm hip hop. This is the top of my budget as I am going to sell my brand new campfire audio LYRA II for $499 to get a new headphone from my hd 650 and 599 for gaming
They're excellent for gaming. Almost every review out there for the DT 1990's all talk about the imaging and detail on these. It's superb. I play a lot of Black Ops 3 right now on PC. The detail and sound separation on these are awesome in game for enemy footsteps, etc. Regarding music genres, I listen to Rock/Metal and a lot of Synthwave. The 1990 Pro's sound incredible playing everything so far. Where my M1060's only excelled in certain genres, these Beyer's excel at everything. That's one of the reasons they're twice the cost.
I also have both. I agree almost with everything apart from comfort and highs. My wife and I totally agree that the DT1990 are way more comfortable, especially with the softer analytical pads. I can eq both headphone to sound almost identical - and both need some eq to sound right. The DT1990 needs some adjustments around the 8khz mark and the HD660s need a strong treble and bass (40hz) boost. After all the DT1990 still sound better, better soundstage, more air/sparkle in voices and bass sounds way more effortless, deeper and detailed. I can enjoy listen to both of them all day long. Without eq the 660s sound dark and the DT1990 can sound a bit sibilant, which only is a problem in certain music. Balanced cable and audio pipeline didn't made much difference and the one sided (left) cable on the DT1990 is also superior and more convenient. There is one other point in favour of the 660s: They are more open - so when you talk you voice doesn't sound so unnatural like with more closed headphones. Initially the DT1990 might look more expensive (currently ~10%), but look up what a ear pads and balanced replacement cable costs for the HD660s ... and considering the better build and travel case of the DT1990 - TL;DR DT1990 wins ....
@@ohnonate Generally the 1990, for sure if you EQ. BUT if you are treble sensitive, the 660s might be better. I will say that with time the comfort on the 660s is getting better than the 1990, especially with less clamping force. I upgraded for music and movies to the Arya Stealth and still use the 660s for podcasts, (video) calling, youtube. Meanwhile my wife is enjoying the 1990s. Also for some reason I don't hear the sibilant treble spike anymore on the 1990s, you mileage may vary ...
I'm not sure if I just got a bad batch but I owned an HD 660s and this DT 1990 pro that I received today is terrible. It sounds like a cheap headphone. The sound is like distorted and the bass sounds cheap. There's like a hissing sound at higher volumes. I wish I hadn't replaced my HD 660s with this Dt 1990.
Good head to head comparison. If they were in my price range I would have found this video really helpful. I like the format I would like to see IEM's compared. What I would really like to see is an escalating series starting with inexpensive IEM's the "winner" (I know that there aren't necessarily winners, but describing your opinion/favorite and that one) challenges the next price bracket and so on.
Firts i`ve order the Hifiman Sundara and this thing was so boring and lifeless and no punch at all and the imaging was so extremly left and right that I couldnt lissen to hard panned stereo tracks. It was a pain. So I send it back and get a dt 1990. Almost the same price but the difference is huge. The 1990 has a really good soundstage and in the front a nice punch and clarity. I was searching a long time for a good open back and I am more than happy with this things! The analytical pads are so well ballanced and the ballanced pads are for people who likes the scooped mids and bass boost ...so the names of this pads are kind of confusing :) For everyone who searching and reading and watching and searching ...just buy this ones and you will not regret it!
As of this posting on Amazon DT1990 pro is $600. The Sennheiser HD660s is $400. $200 price difference that clearly puts the Sennheisers way ahead I would think unless money isn't a consideration.
Great channel man! Can you please review the SHURE 1840? The main headphone reviewers I follow have not reviewed these (DMS, Metal571, Joshua Valour, Z Reviews, Headphone show).
After looking through a bunch of reviews, I must say that this was one of the best and most useful. I'm leaning towards the 1990s, especially as they are actually cheaper now. Thanks, keep it up!
I have both, both are fabulous, especially running from the Jotunheim. I use the DT 1990 Pro almost exclusively for gaming through the GSX 1000 gaming amp due to its god tier sound staging.
Well to be honest both of them are "fun", but both of them seem to have quite neutral sound signature. I am into Rock, Metal and Classical, so I prefer the HD 660s for my music needs as I don't like heavy bass extension but the DT 1990 Pro is not that far behind. I feel the latter has better bass (with a hint of sub-bass) than the former which makes it more versatile in terms of the music you can enjoy but the former is far more neutral which I prefer. All in all, both are excellent, if you enjoy many different genres of music, I would suggest the DT 1990 Pros but keep in mind, if you are not abusing it's god tier sound stage, you are not getting your money's worth. If you are Mids to Treble head like me with no sharp spikes whatsoever, then go with the HD660s. Sorry for the long winded comment, even I can't pick between the two
And to see that someone else cant choose, im literally in limbo with these two as I game just as much as i listen to music. FFUUU... Im coming from a pair of Audio Technicas open back gaming "hi fi" headphone and hmm.... what to choose? Well, I have no clue.
If you are buying the Jot, then i suggest the HD 660s as you can run them true balanced with a XLR termination cable. That is what I use when listening to music. I use the DT 1990 Pro from my Sennheiser GSX 1000 Surround Gaming Amp, the surround sound feature works wonder with the headphones, a much bigger albeit a tad bit ridiculous step-up from the DT 990s which many competitive gamers use.
Great review. I'm a sound engineer and my 1990s make my Masterings way more tamed in the highs. End result is a much more enjoyable sound. These headphones are made for professionals. Audiophiles just happen to use them I suppose. But lets not forget their main purposes.
If you didn’t know anything about headphones you’d think the 1990s were ten times the cost of 660s, the build is beautiful. I love the 600 range, and the modular design is well proven, but it does feel cheap and plasticy by comparison.
I agree with you, I just bought the 1990s and I can tell you they do sound great, but they're heavy because of their design, as they're made from metal, in the other hand the 660s are made out of plastic which weighs less, and less fatiguing for longer sessions definitely! So if you're a person who values comfort and spends more time on them, don't get the 1990s it will not be a enjoyable experience.
which headphone would you say has the best audio direction (kinda a daft question but I want to use my high end headphones for music and gaming. So would love to know which one has the best direction detection for audio, or direction seperation for different sounds at once and recognizing the direction/ accuracy)
Very good discussion. Most Beyers have that annoying treble peak, it sounds like this one doesn’t? The mid range has to be good for me to like the headphone, so I guess I would gravitate toward the 660 S
I love my DT 1990s except i have large ears and my cartilage hurts after a while. Have made them looser which helps (clamp force out of the box was ridiculous).
Ares I think you should make a damn video yourself and organize whatever the fuck you want cuz it’s your “ own “ and nobody can tell you jack shit.. this video was awesome no flaws.. way more information then I needed to pick which one I wanted.. good job bro thumbs up 👍.. I have dt 1770’s for tracking to go along with my Neve rnhp..going to get these 1990s to mix and master cuz I can’t have studio monitors because the people next door are amazing
Great review!!! I recently ordered Sennheiser HD660s with the Mayflower Desktop Objective2 ODAC Rev B. ....... Trying this setup out for gaming and music etc.... I've been doing a lot of research as there's a lot to learn when it comes to sound (which i'm surprisingly fascinated by). I'm wondering if the Cans / DAC/AMP i've gone with are a decent setup to get me started? I'm currently using the ASTRO a40 w/ Mixamp Pro TR...... And I found out from a friend who's a sound engineer that they suck LOL... Any input on my selection is appreciated!! I'd like to tell him what I went with confidently haha
In Romania these are 400usd (660) and 650 usd (1990), so there's no comparing them. It seems like it's kinda the same everywhere. Maybe compare the 1990's with the Elex? They're closer in price
Yeah I mean on USA amazon the 660s are 420ish now vs 1990's are 550 but before the 660s were 500 at msrp at the time of this video I assume. with the now like a 130 dollar price gap changes a bit.
Ordered 1990 recently and was disappointed. There's significant rumble in right earcup in the lower frequencies. Before that I was using 990 for a long time, and there were no problems. So eventually I had to order Sennheiser 660S2. It's totally impossible to work with this rumble with 1990
In my opinion that i have both of them Is that HD660S image better, DT1990 has big out of your head soundstage , HD660s has in your head vocals and soundstage i would say Better for music. Also DT1990 sound brighter to me and colder.
thank you for the video, for long time, I see beyerdynamic, i run away. maybe i should hear them again. heard the 660s in a shop, I liked it , seems fixed some 650s shortcomings , only a little peaking or sharp on top.
I was literally JUST reading comparisons of these two headphones last night. DMS psychic confirmed. Pulled the trigger on the DT1990. Can’t fucking wait!
Im thinking to buy 1770 or 1990 or Austrian Audio Hi-X55 or airpods max I like bass and i want the more and more imaging with details with sound stage Which u recommend please
Ordered the HD660s before watching this video and while watching the video immediately checked the out the dt1990’s. Turns out its 200$ more than the 660s here in India so no regrets here.
I am lucky .... I have both and I love them both.... This is a very fair review apart from possibly (imo) the brighter highs on the 660S. Both are now being used with Cardas Cross Cables which improve both....
@@Submersed24 Hi, This a tricky one to answer but I would say the Sennheiser are likely to be the better all rounder but if the DT 1990 pro suits you then the detail is pretty amazing.... For me I would just about give it to the DT 1990 pro............ For the record I still own and love both these headphones. I hope this helps!
Hey mate, Just ordered the dt 1990 pro, i was wondering if i had a Go XLR Mini do i still need a mix amp? Or am i fine with just the XLR, this may be a stupid question.. Let me know!
I owned the DT-1990's and could not wait for some sucker to buy them on ebay from me. It seems all Beyerdynamics have the same problem....Screeching highs, and I could not take it anymore. It ruined classic rock and 70's music for me. After I got rid of them I bought the Sennheiser 660s and I have been happy ever since. Maybe you should touch on what types of music compliment each headphone, just a suggestion. It would help with the evaluation and my interest in buying said headphones.
no not all beyers have problems, people got problem to provide right source for DT880 600Ω, that is the best product beyer ever did at least for music listening (just listening Fleetwood Mac from the 70' sounds like perfection)
@@soulfulfool I posted this three years ago. I'm wearing the HD-660s right now and they are still a superior headphone to any Beyer product I have ever tried.
Exactly, I think a lot of people still missinterpret elevated highs(beyers peak) for more detail. I own both. I think the 660s is the better Headphone.
Might be stupid question, but still gonna ask :D If i like the sound signature of Beyerdynamic custom one pro, which of these 2 (hd 660 s, dt 1990 pro) would sound closer to beyers cop? I know Beyerdynamic is known for their brighter approach, but the thing is, custom one pro is different, they are not bright (i think).
Yo dms, I’m looking for gaming headphones and I’ve came to these 2 headphones, which ones would you get for gaming? And also I’m getting a dac and amp for it, but I still don’t know which to get, dt 1990 or he 660s ??
Hi DMS! Could you please suggest a cheap microphone setup for testing headphones? I want to try modding my headphones but I would like to be able to analyse the effects in some way. Thanks! Cool top knot btw.
Hi does anyone knows a good amp/DAC for those two I have a Fiio K3 and I plan to upgrade for one of those; Would the k3 be enough for any of those? What amp/DAC is recommended for those, thanks.
I realy like the comparrison. I was wondering of the dt1990 sound thin to you. Sins i have got the dt770 wich sound extreamly thin to me. Currendly im using the akg k712 and consider the dt1990. as an upgrade. My appology for my English.
hi I ask for advice to all of you: between dt1990 vs hd 660 vs beyerdynamic T 70. I listen a bit of everything I'm looking for a headset that sounds very well detailed but that does not sacrifice the pleasure of listening. thanks thank you
Great vid. I wanna upgrade from my DT770 250ohm to DT1990 but i'm curious about the sound leakage. Is it audible from 2 meter distance ? How about DT1770 ?
What I'm missing in this is how both of them are reacting to EQ-ing. A lot of flaws in tonality can be corrected by EQ, if the Headphone allows it (does not distort).
I was not a fan of the HD 660s, there was too much treble and not enough bass for my liking, purchased the 1990 pro and love it. It is so comfortable, and everything I wanted. It sounds better for gaming, music, and movies that provides a better immersion. The 660s would be better for those who need to hear higher pitch things easier, as the low end is not very much there.
Anyone think this guy kinda sounds and looks like Connor from Detroit Become Human. Nice video also. Really hoping the Beyer 1990's pads aren't too small for me/are comfy enough. Prefer not having my ears touched but oh well. Got the Dekoni Elite Velours on the way too - apparently they complement these phones very nicely in both comfort and sound departments.
1990 DT PRO looks good but unfortunately, it can't run balanced. I've already invested alot on a balanced setup from the DAC, amp and even the cables so I pulled the trigger on the sennheiser 660S. I wish I could listen to the 1990 DTs sometime in the future
It seems like you really are leaning towards the DT1990s. I’m between these two headphones and looking up every review I can on both of these. I will be using them for gaming and listening to music with them for medium periods of time (3-4 hours) but can get sensitive to harshness in the headphones (had Klipsch rp150ms and they would give me headaches from listening to music for awhile) are the 1990s still a better choice than the 660s? Or should I stick with the 660s
If this helps anyone: I swapped my HD650 for the DT1990 and I'm not looking back. HD650 sounded great for $200-300 and are worth it. But You always feel like there is something missing (to me it was highs). DT1990 has everything and if you need something added or taken away - handles EQ perfectly. I tested many headphones double and triple the price including LCD's - I did NOT feel like they are worth the asking price. DT1990 = the new sweat spot in audio!
You can now get the 1990 for 429€ all over the place. Beyer Dynamic dropped the price for them. So amazon, Thomann and co. Alls selling them for 429 which ist fair in my opinion
I'm looking for the best gaming headset and this seems to be a good contender. Budget is under 2K $ mostly looking for soundstage and imaging are these my best bet?
For extra comfort. A DIY headband comfort strap mod is needed. You can ad some strap-on cushions from amazon. But IMO the comfort strap is the way to go.
To me the dt1990 is not really open , they are semi open because they have only some halls not a full open back like hd660s , this is the reason they have more bass imo
Now, this was a simple straight forward review with no fancy edits. I like the little text effects just to add to the video a bit. Your presence and thought process was well executed in a good time lenght. Good job man, keep making videos like this 👍
Received my 1990s today. Absolutely blown away. So much detail, it's so much fun.
I put the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads on the DT 1990 Pro's and they added a little more bass and slightly smoothed out the treble giving them a sound signature I really love and make them a great all around headphone. Music, Movies, Gaming, Recording are all stellar. The pads are also more comfortable than the stock pads for longer listening sessions. Highly recommend the Dekoni Elite Hybrid pads for the DT 1990 Pro's
just ordered my DT-1990's. It will be a nice upgrade from this 30 dollar hyperx gaming headset ive been using
The Friendly Mexican lmao yeah no shit. Make sure you amp it!
thats quite a jump lol hope u enjoy it, but i heard u'll need a decent AMP to drive the DT1990 still
Can confirm. When DMS and Z say that the better amp you use the better they sound, they are not lying.
Why didn't u just get the 990s they're great and way cheaper
dt 1990 are far better
I have the 1990 and love them.
Wow i think this sold it for me. I was thinking about the 1990 because i have 770s, 990s, and hd6xx, and wasn't sure between getting 1990s or maybe lcd2. I really liked this style of video. The lists really stood out to me!
Hi guy, did you finally bought it? If yes, how big is the difference with 990? Thx
Thanks for uploading this, it was really reassuring because I have the 1990 Pro. Got em on sale for $450 a year and a half ago during the holiday season.
Where did you find them for $400-450? I want to see if they have the same deals this holiday season
I'm pretty sure I bought them from worldwidestereo.com
Would be interesting to have this comparison updated with the "successors" HD-660S2 (more bass... not cheaper) and the Amiron Home (according to beyerdynamic "compareable" - where the DT 1990 is tailored to be more analytical, for studio use, while the Amiron is aimed for home-listening to be more enjoyable - which I understand was also the aim for the 660S2)
I just bought both of them and i prefer the hd660 by far .. im not an expert obs im using the element dac/amp
I have opted for the 660s as I got them for 300 quid and spend an evening at a time listening. They are an upgrade on my old 770 pros and the DT 990s typically came in at £170 more. than the Sennheisers. Thanks for the review.
You like them over the 990pros or 770 ?
The intro music sounds sooo good trough my 1990`s
Your right about that!
I agree with most of the points apart from the imaging. Judging side by side, the 660s seems to have more precise localisation of things. Like when playing fps games, the crunch of the footstep is a tiny bit more pronounced on the DT1990, but the ability to tell exactly where the person is, has always been slightly easier on the 660s. (FOR ME)
This is true, but reversed
@@DCer0 not for me. I have them both with me.
I have the DT1990 and they are just perfect allrounders. I can listen with these to almost every genre without missing something.
wich genres do you think they are the least
appropriate
Classical or live-performances in general. The soundstage on these is really poor. They are great for everything else though.
Reso | Jesse thanks for the honesty. It's a shame these are lacking for classical music
I have them both and personally I prefer the 660s. The beyer is absolutely amazing though and has much better base and crisper highs.
What does the 669 do better? Cheers
@@ohnonate69
Have a pair of dt 1990 pro and 660s sitting in my room. Personally, I preferred the 1990 almost immediately. They seemed to have more details with a better soundstage. Im still trying to understand the appeal of the 660s but Im entirely new to headphones and maybe I dont know what to look for
DMS Please don't hate me but I'm actually planning on buying these for gaming!! i'm noticing a lot of un-sponsored pro players & streamers starting to use high end headphones, most commonly the DT 990's & HD 700'S (which according to DMS reviews are both particularly bright headphones) this makes sense as contrary to how Gaming Headset companies like Turtle Beach & Astro market their headphones, it turns out massive amounts of Bass could actually be bad for gaming! one example is if someone is spamming an RPG at you whilst unbeknownst to you his teammate flanks from the side, you won't be able to hear his teammates footsteps if your headset is prioritizing the bass of the explosions... my theory is that high end headphones with good highs & separation should help alleviate that situation!
this actually makes so much sense!
The 990's and 700's are death by treble. Too big a spike.
DT1990 are currently one of the best, if not THE BEST, set of cans for gaming. No haters here.
Ofc it's better . Usually gamer will buy anything that is slapped with "gaming" stuff. Most gaming headphone is closed back has really bad sound quality. If u love to play fps games like counter strike or r6siege u would want an open back headphone because of the wide soundstage.i would recommend the dt 990 or the massdrop akg k7xx for gaming . For those who say the dt 990 is bright , you will get used to it after awhile or u can use the equalizer.
Can’t recommend the HD 700 for non-professional gaming, especially if you’re sensitive to high treble.
Theres something i dont get from this reviewers like Joshua, Zeos or DMS3... they all conclude that the DT1990 is better in almost every category over the 660s..... but then.... they all stick with the 660s for personal use instead of the "BETTER" Dt 1990!
WHATS UP WITH THAT!
It's more enjoyable and pleasant to listen to.
Comfortable, less intense and fatiguing after prolonged use.
Easily one of the better reasoned and eloquent comparisons of these two headphones available online. Thanks !
I chose the HD 660s and I am extremely happy them. However I never tried the DT 1990. I. Am very surprised to hear that the HD 660s are brighter. The measurements suggest the opposite by far
I own both. The 660s is defenitley not brighter then the 1990.
The 660s is definitely not brighter than the dt1990.
@@JGPliskin0502 which do you prefer and how would you rate the two headphones?
@@o.f.ftrack3444 DT1990 would get a 3/10 especially for the price. But still overly bright, earpiercing highs if you dont't have any sort of hearing loss(due to age).They are not a good headphone, maybe for monitoring if you are looking for something in the highs. 660s for me is what everyone said the 650 would be. 650 themself sound like shit, especially because they sound really compressed like no soundstage at all. 660s sound natural, nothing is really over emphasized, softer sound then the 650 and just the right amount of soundstage. Really good pinponting of sounds in sames. 660s is the best headphone I have heard up on until today and in my opinion the best one Sennheiser has ever made.
660s -> 9/10 but -1 for the price so 8/10. If they were like 300 $ I would give even more recomendation. Closest Headphone to the 660s ist def. the 58X, with just a little more highs, and 1-2 step less seperation which equals more muddiness.
here in 2022 and this review is all i needed to make a decision. thanks for the detailed yet brief review.
Fantastic review! You've pushed me over the edge. 1990s, here I come.
haha same here! especially in 2020, where you cannot just test them in a store, reviews is everything we got
@Lagunakid24 They can indeed be harsh, depending on what you are listening to. I'm adjusting to my liking with a parametric eq.
I went for the 660S in my opinion a better all rounder and fitting comfort is better it is very balanced handphone
I own DT 1990 Pro and HD 660 S. To be honest, if DT 1990 Pro is undoubtedly more appropriate in the monitoring work. Just as it is positioned. But if the discussion is about home-music appreciation, the 1990 sound gives people a boring feeling. It sounds a bit "closed", very steady but doesnt a pleasant feeling. HD660S sounds really "open". Its sound field width worse than 1990 but very open, 1990's driver a bit far form your ears beacuse its harder and thicker ear pads. HD660S has a smaller sound field but its fully open so it sounds very nature and you will not have the "closed back headphones feeling".
The most important point is, HD660S has a beauty, smooth mid which 1990 doesn't have.
I found the HD 660S to have very similair sound to the DT990 250 ohm edition, but the HD 660S have less bass (not existant if you are listening to electronic music), not as comfortable (specially if you use glasses) and the sound didnt impress me, the resolution of the sound is very and I do mean very comparable to the DT 990 but with a bit less treble, also…… they cost 3 times the cost of the dt 990.... got them tested them for good 10h (music: rock, metal, electronic, games, movies, anime) and was NOT impressed one bit. Was using a fostex hp-a4bl amp.
great review!!!!! i thought about buying the dt-1990 but I do not like bright headphones so ill stick to my HD600 and
HD650
I just bought a DT 1990 Pro bundle. Been using them for music and gaming for about a week and half now. I have finally found my end game headphones. I'm not sure how much better you can get then these. The DT 1990's are absolutely superb. Build quality is top notch. I'm running them on a Schiit Audio Modi 2 Multibit DAC and Magni 3 amp. They definitely take a little more juice then some of my other headphones.
Ryan W. Are these good for gaming like overwatch and Fortnite where I don't care about explosions but want great footsteps and locations are most important and then for music edm hip hop. This is the top of my budget as I am going to sell my brand new campfire audio LYRA II for $499 to get a new headphone from my hd 650 and 599 for gaming
They're excellent for gaming. Almost every review out there for the DT 1990's all talk about the imaging and detail on these. It's superb. I play a lot of Black Ops 3 right now on PC. The detail and sound separation on these are awesome in game for enemy footsteps, etc. Regarding music genres, I listen to Rock/Metal and a lot of Synthwave. The 1990 Pro's sound incredible playing everything so far. Where my M1060's only excelled in certain genres, these Beyer's excel at everything. That's one of the reasons they're twice the cost.
I have some 17's, heard the 19's, there are better, I prefer my Audeze LCD-X, the 990's are special though, one of the best.
any headphones with amp can easily overkill for games like OW and fortnite imo...
x3LightNinG to get the most out of the dt1990 a dac is needed
I also have both. I agree almost with everything apart from comfort and highs. My wife and I totally agree that the DT1990 are way more comfortable, especially with the softer analytical pads. I can eq both headphone to sound almost identical - and both need some eq to sound right. The DT1990 needs some adjustments around the 8khz mark and the HD660s need a strong treble and bass (40hz) boost. After all the DT1990 still sound better, better soundstage, more air/sparkle in voices and bass sounds way more effortless, deeper and detailed. I can enjoy listen to both of them all day long. Without eq the 660s sound dark and the DT1990 can sound a bit sibilant, which only is a problem in certain music. Balanced cable and audio pipeline didn't made much difference and the one sided (left) cable on the DT1990 is also superior and more convenient. There is one other point in favour of the 660s: They are more open - so when you talk you voice doesn't sound so unnatural like with more closed headphones. Initially the DT1990 might look more expensive (currently ~10%), but look up what a ear pads and balanced replacement cable costs for the HD660s ... and considering the better build and travel case of the DT1990 - TL;DR DT1990 wins ....
Hi Stephan, just wondering what you would suggest for Jazz and classical orchestral music? DT1990 or the HD660? Cheers
@@ohnonate Generally the 1990, for sure if you EQ. BUT if you are treble sensitive, the 660s might be better. I will say that with time the comfort on the 660s is getting better than the 1990, especially with less clamping force. I upgraded for music and movies to the Arya Stealth and still use the 660s for podcasts, (video) calling, youtube. Meanwhile my wife is enjoying the 1990s. Also for some reason I don't hear the sibilant treble spike anymore on the 1990s, you mileage may vary ...
@@stephanrudolph great feedback
I've gone down a 1990 rabbit hole lol and probably going to upgrade from my 770's to the 1990's. Great review
WHERE IS NEWSHEAD?
I'm not sure if I just got a bad batch but I owned an HD 660s and this DT 1990 pro that I received today is terrible. It sounds like a cheap headphone. The sound is like distorted and the bass sounds cheap. There's like a hissing sound at higher volumes. I wish I hadn't replaced my HD 660s with this Dt 1990.
Definitely should ask beyerdynamic or whatever store to replace it because that definitely isn’t right.
Good head to head comparison. If they were in my price range I would have found this video really helpful. I like the format I would like to see IEM's compared. What I would really like to see is an escalating series starting with inexpensive IEM's the "winner" (I know that there aren't necessarily winners, but describing your opinion/favorite and that one) challenges the next price bracket and so on.
great comparison. And what about 660s through balanced vs the dt1990?
Firts i`ve order the Hifiman Sundara and this thing was so boring and lifeless and no punch at all and the imaging was so extremly left and right that I couldnt lissen to hard panned stereo tracks. It was a pain. So I send it back and get a dt 1990. Almost the same price but the difference is huge. The 1990 has a really good soundstage and in the front a nice punch and clarity. I was searching a long time for a good open back and I am more than happy with this things! The analytical pads are so well ballanced and the ballanced pads are for people who likes the scooped mids and bass boost ...so the names of this pads are kind of confusing :)
For everyone who searching and reading and watching and searching ...just buy this ones and you will not regret it!
As of this posting on Amazon DT1990 pro is $600. The Sennheiser HD660s is $400. $200 price difference that clearly puts the Sennheisers way ahead I would think unless money isn't a consideration.
AWESOME REVIEW. One of the best and most clear reviews on these models. Have you compared dt1990pro vs T1 gen2???
Great channel man! Can you please review the SHURE 1840? The main headphone reviewers I follow have not reviewed these (DMS, Metal571, Joshua Valour, Z Reviews, Headphone show).
After looking through a bunch of reviews, I must say that this was one of the best and most useful. I'm leaning towards the 1990s, especially as they are actually cheaper now. Thanks, keep it up!
Praise be to Newshead you made this. I have been needing to know more about HD660s before I take the leap.
That said, the 1990s win. I need all the things on that side of the list.
Just copped some hd660s for 309 on amazon. Not amazing but still good price. Waiting for delivery today. Will try to update with first impressions.
I have both, both are fabulous, especially running from the Jotunheim. I use the DT 1990 Pro almost exclusively for gaming through the GSX 1000 gaming amp due to its god tier sound staging.
Sanjarih Jamshed which one do you think is more "fun" not like crazy v shape but for hip hop edm as well as classic rock
Well to be honest both of them are "fun", but both of them seem to have quite neutral sound signature. I am into Rock, Metal and Classical, so I prefer the HD 660s for my music needs as I don't like heavy bass extension but the DT 1990 Pro is not that far behind. I feel the latter has better bass (with a hint of sub-bass) than the former which makes it more versatile in terms of the music you can enjoy but the former is far more neutral which I prefer. All in all, both are excellent, if you enjoy many different genres of music, I would suggest the DT 1990 Pros but keep in mind, if you are not abusing it's god tier sound stage, you are not getting your money's worth. If you are Mids to Treble head like me with no sharp spikes whatsoever, then go with the HD660s. Sorry for the long winded comment, even I can't pick between the two
And to see that someone else cant choose, im literally in limbo with these two as I game just as much as i listen to music. FFUUU... Im coming from a pair of Audio Technicas open back gaming "hi fi" headphone and hmm.... what to choose? Well, I have no clue.
Oh, and im also buying a Jotenheim Balanced AMP DAC
If you are buying the Jot, then i suggest the HD 660s as you can run them true balanced with a XLR termination cable. That is what I use when listening to music. I use the DT 1990 Pro from my Sennheiser GSX 1000 Surround Gaming Amp, the surround sound feature works wonder with the headphones, a much bigger albeit a tad bit ridiculous step-up from the DT 990s which many competitive gamers use.
Great review. I'm a sound engineer and my 1990s make my Masterings way more tamed in the highs. End result is a much more enjoyable sound. These headphones are made for professionals. Audiophiles just happen to use them I suppose. But lets not forget their main purposes.
Its crazy good with Orchestra music, with the A pad.
If you didn’t know anything about headphones you’d think the 1990s were ten times the cost of 660s, the build is beautiful. I love the 600 range, and the modular design is well proven, but it does feel cheap and plasticy by comparison.
I agree with you, I just bought the 1990s and I can tell you they do sound great, but they're heavy because of their design, as they're made from metal, in the other hand the 660s are made out of plastic which weighs less, and less fatiguing for longer sessions definitely! So if you're a person who values comfort and spends more time on them, don't get the 1990s it will not be a enjoyable experience.
which headphone would you say has the best audio direction (kinda a daft question but I want to use my high end headphones for music and gaming. So would love to know which one has the best direction detection for audio, or direction seperation for different sounds at once and recognizing the direction/ accuracy)
dt 900 pro x has been the best in my testing
Got the 660s with the apogee groove for 389€ with Student discount and love them! (wouldnt have bought them for a much higher price though)
Very good discussion. Most Beyers have that annoying treble peak, it sounds like this one doesn’t?
The mid range has to be good for me to like the headphone, so I guess I would gravitate toward the 660 S
I love my DT 1990s except i have large ears and my cartilage hurts after a while. Have made them looser which helps (clamp force out of the box was ridiculous).
I think you should have a more organized chart for comparisons and a final score to compare.
Make a "DMS Score" so that Z will be super envious that he doesn't have a "Doug score" style scoring system.
lol yes
Scores mess with people's judgement.
Ares I think you should make a damn video yourself and organize whatever the fuck you want cuz it’s your “ own “ and nobody can tell you jack shit.. this video was awesome no flaws.. way more information then I needed to pick which one I wanted.. good job bro thumbs up 👍.. I have dt 1770’s for tracking to go along with my Neve rnhp..going to get these 1990s to mix and master cuz I can’t have studio monitors because the people next door are amazing
Great info and assisted me in my decision. Thank you.
I want something between the 990 and the 1990. 😔
Buy the 1490 .
Buy a 999
Great review!!! I recently ordered Sennheiser HD660s with the Mayflower Desktop Objective2 ODAC Rev B. ....... Trying this setup out for gaming and music etc.... I've been doing a lot of research as there's a lot to learn when it comes to sound (which i'm surprisingly fascinated by). I'm wondering if the Cans / DAC/AMP i've gone with are a decent setup to get me started? I'm currently using the ASTRO a40 w/ Mixamp Pro TR...... And I found out from a friend who's a sound engineer that they suck LOL... Any input on my selection is appreciated!! I'd like to tell him what I went with confidently haha
Awesome comparison!! Can you please review the Amiron Home?
In Romania these are 400usd (660) and 650 usd (1990), so there's no comparing them. It seems like it's kinda the same everywhere. Maybe compare the 1990's with the Elex? They're closer in price
Yeah I mean on USA amazon the 660s are 420ish now vs 1990's are 550 but before the 660s were 500 at msrp at the time of this video I assume. with the now like a 130 dollar price gap changes a bit.
Nice to see you back from that sneaky hospital vacation.
Ordered 1990 recently and was disappointed. There's significant rumble in right earcup in the lower frequencies. Before that I was using 990 for a long time, and there were no problems. So eventually I had to order Sennheiser 660S2. It's totally impossible to work with this rumble with 1990
In my opinion that i have both of them Is that HD660S image better, DT1990 has big out of your head soundstage , HD660s has in your head vocals and soundstage i would say Better for music. Also DT1990 sound brighter to me and colder.
DMS. For imaging, stage and separation - gaming.. are the 1990s still on top for 600 bucks worth?
thank you for the video, for long time, I see beyerdynamic, i run away. maybe i should hear them again. heard the 660s in a shop, I liked it , seems fixed some 650s shortcomings , only a little peaking or sharp on top.
I was literally JUST reading comparisons of these two headphones last night. DMS psychic confirmed. Pulled the trigger on the DT1990. Can’t fucking wait!
great review. can you tell me if the earpads are better for big ears on the 660 or the 1990? thanks a lot =)
DMS, how do you rate the ER4SR/XR sound signature? Is the 1990 similar? Is anything?
Hi there DMS!! What about the NDH 20 against these two, sir?? All the best!!
DMS, what are them headphones called? The gaming ones you told me about
Use the 1990 to make music. Use the 660s to listen to that music.
Best advice ever. Thank you
But don't the 660s lack bass? I thought the 1990 sounds better to listen
This is quite possibly the best comment i've come across on any headphone review.
Im thinking to buy
1770 or 1990 or Austrian Audio Hi-X55 or airpods max
I like bass and i want the more and more imaging with details with sound stage
Which u recommend please
Thank you for a very detailed review have liked the sound of the 1990 for so long just can’t afford them yet
Ordered the HD660s before watching this video and while watching the video immediately checked the out the dt1990’s. Turns out its 200$ more than the 660s here in India so no regrets here.
hey i own the dt1990 and love them
but im wondering if the 660s would be a good addition to my 1990s? i really like the look of both
I am lucky .... I have both and I love them both.... This is a very fair review apart from possibly (imo) the brighter highs on the 660S. Both are now being used with Cardas Cross Cables which improve both....
@@philipnunn1816 which one is more fun to listen to? I'm looking for something I can make music with and enjoy listening to
@@Submersed24 Hi, This a tricky one to answer but I would say the Sennheiser are likely to be the better all rounder but if the DT 1990 pro suits you then the detail is pretty amazing.... For me I would just about give it to the DT 1990 pro............ For the record I still own and love both these headphones. I hope this helps!
@@philipnunn1816 ahh thanks! I actually ended up getting the sundura because I heard it has really great soundstaging
@@Submersed24 Not heard the Sundara personally but I hear they are supposed to be good... I hope you enjoy them!
I ordered the Dt-1990. Wider bandwidth than the senn. More engaging, and vivid.
Yes, they are very fun to listen to.
I really like your review, what do you think of the Denon A HD5200 ?
Great comparison! :)
What source/s did you use for the comparison?
Hey mate, Just ordered the dt 1990 pro, i was wondering if i had a Go XLR Mini do i still need a mix amp? Or am i fine with just the XLR, this may be a stupid question.. Let me know!
I owned the DT-1990's and could not wait for some sucker to buy them on ebay from me. It seems all Beyerdynamics have the same problem....Screeching highs, and I could not take it anymore. It ruined classic rock and 70's music for me. After I got rid of them I bought the Sennheiser 660s and I have been happy ever since. Maybe you should touch on what types of music compliment each headphone, just a suggestion. It would help with the evaluation and my interest in buying said headphones.
no not all beyers have problems, people got problem to provide right source for DT880 600Ω, that is the best product beyer ever did at least for music listening (just listening Fleetwood Mac from the 70' sounds like perfection)
@@soulfulfool I posted this three years ago. I'm wearing the HD-660s right now and they are still a superior headphone to any Beyer product I have ever tried.
Great video! Can you give insight if you think the LCD 2c is worth the $200 more from the 1990
Steve K I owned both at the same time and sold the 2Cs, so I'd say no.
Steve K it depends on what sound you are looking for
correct. The LCD2 will be vastly different from the 1990. one is for chilling and the other, well isnt.
For me 1990 sound so artificial so bright, 660s sound more real polite . Luckily 1990 sold easily.
Exactly, I think a lot of people still missinterpret elevated highs(beyers peak) for more detail. I own both. I think the 660s is the better Headphone.
@@JGPliskin0502 Its all about taste but yeah 660s are better for me also.
Might be stupid question, but still gonna ask :D If i like the sound signature of Beyerdynamic custom one pro, which of these 2 (hd 660 s, dt 1990 pro) would sound closer to beyers cop? I know Beyerdynamic is known for their brighter approach, but the thing is, custom one pro is different, they are not bright (i think).
Yo dms, I’m looking for gaming headphones and I’ve came to these 2 headphones, which ones would you get for gaming? And also I’m getting a dac and amp for it, but I still don’t know which to get, dt 1990 or he 660s ??
Wait till the end of next month. Something new is coming out that is amazing for gaming. I’ll have a video on it.
Oh ok cheers mate
Hi DMS! Could you please suggest a cheap microphone setup for testing headphones? I want to try modding my headphones but I would like to be able to analyse the effects in some way. Thanks! Cool top knot btw.
Dayton EMM6 is pretty cheap
Hi does anyone knows a good amp/DAC for those two I have a Fiio K3 and I plan to upgrade for one of those; Would the k3 be enough for any of those? What amp/DAC is recommended for those, thanks.
I realy like the comparrison.
I was wondering of the dt1990 sound thin to you. Sins i have got the dt770 wich sound extreamly thin to me. Currendly im using the akg k712 and consider the dt1990. as an upgrade. My appology for my English.
Greetings from greece !
How are you these with metal music amd gaming??
hi I ask for advice to all of you: between dt1990 vs hd 660 vs beyerdynamic T 70. I listen a bit of everything I'm looking for a headset that sounds very well detailed but that does not sacrifice the pleasure of listening. thanks thank you
Have you done any pad swapping on the 1990s? Might be interesting. Adding comfort?
Great vid. I wanna upgrade from my DT770 250ohm to DT1990 but i'm curious about the sound leakage. Is it audible from 2 meter distance ? How about DT1770 ?
i have diarrhea
What I'm missing in this is how both of them are reacting to EQ-ing. A lot of flaws in tonality can be corrected by EQ, if the Headphone allows it (does not distort).
Acidcoast hd660s has no flaws , perfect sound top to bottom
@@bratosin1 typical sennboy
Would an Aune X7S do they Beyers justice or NFB11.28-R2R.11 and up?
So would you say ZMF Auteur is like a slightly warmer and more musical DT1990?
I was not a fan of the HD 660s, there was too much treble and not enough bass for my liking, purchased the 1990 pro and love it. It is so comfortable, and everything I wanted. It sounds better for gaming, music, and movies that provides a better immersion. The 660s would be better for those who need to hear higher pitch things easier, as the low end is not very much there.
Anyone think this guy kinda sounds and looks like Connor from Detroit Become Human. Nice video also. Really hoping the Beyer 1990's pads aren't too small for me/are comfy enough. Prefer not having my ears touched but oh well. Got the Dekoni Elite Velours on the way too - apparently they complement these phones very nicely in both comfort and sound departments.
1990 DT PRO looks good but unfortunately, it can't run balanced. I've already invested alot on a balanced setup from the DAC, amp and even the cables so I pulled the trigger on the sennheiser 660S. I wish I could listen to the 1990 DTs sometime in the future
It seems like you really are leaning towards the DT1990s. I’m between these two headphones and looking up every review I can on both of these. I will be using them for gaming and listening to music with them for medium periods of time (3-4 hours) but can get sensitive to harshness in the headphones (had Klipsch rp150ms and they would give me headaches from listening to music for awhile) are the 1990s still a better choice than the 660s? Or should I stick with the 660s
1990 is brighter but less harsh.
If this helps anyone: I swapped my HD650 for the DT1990 and I'm not looking back. HD650 sounded great for $200-300 and are worth it. But You always feel like there is something missing (to me it was highs). DT1990 has everything and if you need something added or taken away - handles EQ perfectly. I tested many headphones double and triple the price including LCD's - I did NOT feel like they are worth the asking price. DT1990 = the new sweat spot in audio!
What do you power it up with ?
How about Hifiman Sundara vs DT 1990 at this price range ?
For movies what's the better option
You can now get the 1990 for 429€ all over the place. Beyer Dynamic dropped the price for them. So amazon, Thomann and co. Alls selling them for 429 which ist fair in my opinion
I'm looking for the best gaming headset and this seems to be a good contender. Budget is under 2K $ mostly looking for soundstage and imaging are these my best bet?
behemothinferno get the Sennheiser HD700 with a VVS dac
can you add Audeze EL8 to the comparison?
I need to listen for 6-14 hours a day so I’m going with the 660s
For extra comfort. A DIY headband comfort strap mod is needed. You can ad some strap-on cushions from amazon. But IMO the comfort strap is the way to go.
To me the dt1990 is not really open , they are semi open because they have only some halls not a full open back like hd660s , this is the reason they have more bass imo
Yeah no
Can i get the full potential of dt1990 using K5 pro?
Anyone got a good recomendation for a AMP and DAC for the DT1990. Im planning on getting one, and want to make sure im getting the most out of them :)
Schiit Magni
Ifi Zen Dac
Thank you ! Fantastic reviewer