AKG K712pro with a Fiio K7. I already have the K7 and I ran a pair of K702 for almost a decade, now "lost" somewhere in my mom's attic in a different country from where I live. I gave those things a beating and they still hold up.
Same. I do love brighter phones generally (800S, Caldera), so I’m probably biased. But I think these sound way better than alternatives at the price. They are a tad sharp with the A pads, but with the B pads, they’re fun, detailed, and comfortable to listen to all genres to my ears. I’d still HIGHLY recommend people these
There are some aspects that seem to go missed, but understandably so. For example, my setup allows me to suspend the single cord from off to the side and above so that the cord doesn't get in my way at all. It's really nice for my use-case. I also use these on a PC exclusively and EQ them to suit my needs (gaming/music) as well. I do agree with the overall premise that they're too expensive for what they do compared to the rest of the market, but perhaps I'm just a biased consumer that wants more competition in the headphone space too. ;)
I don't agree either! It's an amazing headphone and extremely involving. I can't stand the dull Sennheiser signature and the lack of bass. The 1990 are fantastic for music listening, jazz and classical. I will never sell them
This! When I bought the DT 1990 Pro I also bought the Dekoni Hybrid Elite pads since Zeos recommended that to ever so slightly cut down the brightness and make them slightly warmer… they are perfect even still today. I have zero desire to spend $500 or $600 again on another headphone in that price range. If I’m gonna drop the money, I might as well go up to $1,000+ because I don’t think I’m going to find anything in the $500 range will “blow it out of the water.” More like a marginal improvement at best.
The reason why you would still buy a DT1990 is because it EQs like a champ. The drivers are seriously impressive and do whatever you want them to do. Dekoni elite velour pads largely fix the issues with the 8k peak. EQ puts it where ever your preference is.
Not enough people are talking about how awful hifiman build/design is, I had an intermittent connection on the Edition XS so I opened the earcup and I was fucking horrified to see there was absolutely no provisioning for the driver cables, they were just mashed in there
It's crazy how much the pads can affect the sound. Looking at the diyaudioheaven DT 1990 review Dekoni Elite Velour can reduce the 8k peak by ~8db compared to balanced pads and smoothing out the ~4.7k sharp drop. Never tried them, but a lot of people are prizing them. Why Beyerdynamic would release their headphones with such a sharp high frequency sounding pads?
@@ivayloivanov3744 you would be surprised how many headphones and IEMs have a peak in that area. Some people like it for perceived detail. You have to consider that the DT1990 are headphones for studio mastering. They're designed to reveal traits of a recording or mix to an engineer. They are a tool and not designed for a subjective listening experience.
I don't understand how this was very recommended by Joshua and DMS and now they both say it's not worthy while the contender hd600 series still is. I got a pair of 660s and 1990 and imo 1990 is far superior. I honestly like that treble peak, especially in hi-hats and snares.
@@miroslavpaulovic17 ZEN DAC 2+ZEN AMP 2 + many "bright" headphones Beyer, Sony [MDR-MV1], Fostex (I like that treble, electric jazz, classic rock, not so vocal oriented), HD 650 only before sleep, tempted to get HD 490 pro and new Fostex t-50rp mk.4 and/or 808. Further a 'vintage' Luxman P-750u MARK II.
Let's be clear. The fact that there are now more alternatives doesn't make the DT1990 Pro suddenly a bad headphone. EQ is free and can tame the sometimes forward treble and make these really enjoyable.
@@Leonhart_93 personably no matter the headphone I always add bass, and let the rest as it is unless there’s really a frequency I don’t like (maybe the 8k peak of the 1990 if I had this headphone)
@@retrofizz727 Same, I am never completely happy with them out of the box because none of them is perfect. HD 600 is mostly perfect but I used inside a slightly different material that the foam to be less muffled and I EQ them for a few dB of more bass.
@@Leonhart_93 Personally I like to just get used to the sound signature of the headphone and also I'm just not an audiophile so it's hard for me to tune headphones to make them sound like I want them to sound. So unless out of the box there's a frenquency hike that makes my ears bleeding, I don't touch anything other than bass. Also worth mentioning that IMO it might be a good idea to wait for it to burn in before EQ, I find headphones to sound different after a week or two, but I know this is a controvertial topic in the audiophile world lol.
I just bought these a few weeks ago and I am extremely happy. I decided to upgrade and the sound quality difference was night and day. Gaming is a much nicer experience compared to the gaming “headphones” and listening to music is a much more enjoyable experience.
Absolute nonsense that these suddenly aren't as good because of other releases. They're excellent for their price. Content makers producing controversial videos for views. Keep enjoying them.
Josh dosen Said that the Dt 1990 isn’t good. He only said that for that price there are other competitors, that do the Job at a specific points better. And yes if you compare your Gamingheadset or at least something like the DT 770 of 990 to the 1990, then your Right, These headphones are a massives Upgrade. I also think that these headphones are most of the time to detailed and Sharp. It is very pleasing if you hearing with reduced highs and a good recorded Track. But some older Songs, for example Michael Jacksons older Recording didn’t sound pleasing on this type of headphone. I completely agree his recommendation for the hifiman or the senheiser. All in all this is an expensive Hobby. Not every one can afford multiple pairs of headphones.If you only buy a DT1990 then you will have a really great headphone. If you start to compare you start to see flaws and differentes.
@@humanwaveformAnd the original commenter is talking about using them for gaming and music listening. There are far better gaming/music headphones for much cheaper In 2024
@@ZenTunE- I agree, I'm not a fan of the tuning. But that tuning has been the same the entire time when this channel was touting these as amazing several years ago. The only thing that has changed is the reviewers taste in tuning. But silly videos like this shame people into feeling their purchase was poor, then they'll go out and spend all over again. Many can't afford to do that. This video is purely about views and not subject matter. This is click bait pure and simple, especially considering the recent review of the DCA E3 which I've owned and is far more intense and ear splitting than the 1990.
few thoughts on this: 1- the price dropped...kind of. While they are still officially shown for 600€ on the Beyer page the de-facto price is at 390-430€, since you will never have an issue getting them either as an open box deal or on a regular sale for around that, which makes them a pretty good deal on that level (also makes me think about how giganticthe profit margin on headphones is -.- ) 2 - the myth of the tanky build of the 1990s. This is something literally ONLY claimed by reviewers, who use them for a few weeks and then bugger of to the next one , because if you run them as a a daily driver for at least a year or two, there is specially ONE flaw in the design, which are the plastic cramps, that hold the entire headband together left and right. If one of those breaks-and they break easy due to being made from really cheap plastic hold together by metal screws - you better get a new one asap, because otherwise you will shredd the cheap, thin cable, that connects the cups, which will cause shorts and ultimately no sound and the need to repcase the cable. And ofc the replacements for these little cramps are rather expensive for what they are (25€ for original beyer branded ones, if memory serves correctly). I solved that by following a mod guide, that shows how to make them ballanced with a connector for each cup - also something people offer to do for money online, if you are afraid of soldering. And there are also no-name 3D printed ones available on ETSY and Ebay. 3- replacement Ear pads are hard overpriced at over 50€ for one lousy pair. (to be fair: hillariously expensive replacement ear pads seem to be the "buisness modell" of most bigger brands-my fav example a is the DROP HD58x, where new pads cost a third of the headphone. i mean the f***?) 4 - Beyer doesnt offer all the spareparts anymore based on what you could get 3 years ago and what you can get today on their page. And available spareparts is always one of my main reasons to buy from an established brand over - for example - some chi-fi manufacturer. 5 - the sound is still oustanding compared to other headphones between 300-600€. Saying something like "for todays "standard" they are too bright" is ...uhm...an odd thing to do, because A. its personal prefernce and B. it's easy to fix either by EQ or some extra damping in the cups (there are plenty of pads available for all kind of headphones and a scissor does wonders, if need be). I will never understand why some reviewers will praise one headphone brand for being SO good -when EQed (we all know which one i talk about^^) - while others seemingly have to be amazing right out the box, because...reasons. What i whish for is a headphone build like the Sennheiser HD600 line (these are REALLY hard to damage in a significant way by normal daily usage) with the sound signature of the DT1990 pros for 300-500 bucks - that would pretty much be my perfect pair of headphones for daily usage. OR Beyer would bring a revision of the 1990 pro, with the option for two connectors and/or ballanced, plus the same easy plug-connectors inside the cups the new pro line comes with (no soldering involved if a driver dies, which is really nice). Overall i understand neither the intention nor the need for this "review" other than giving the impression to "shill" the named alternatives - specially the new Sennis. Kind of a low point in your history to be honest *shruggs*
With EQ or Passive Filter to fix the treble, the DT 1990 is still pretty good in “recent times”. I hate that term as people swear by stuff like the HD 600 for the last 20 years so time as a measure is pointless in this case. They are still as good as they were when released it’s just that there are more options to consider now than back then and to be honest I don’t think the other offerings necessarily kill and outdate them automatically. Way back when you compared Sundaras, 660S and the DT 1990 you were still fond of them, even when comparing them to the Ananda Nano you felt DT 1990 is better. So as I said time is not a good measure for this case. I believe that headphones in that 300-500$ region are like flavors and I don’t think that there is a truly definitive answer for what’s best it will depend a lot on the person. Of course we all would like to see Beyerdynamic make a tuning without the treble peak and without compromising some other qualities that the DT 1990 bring to the table but I really doubt it will happen.
+1. I own them and they're wayyy better build than the hifiman lineup together. Even to say better made than Sennheisers, serving wayyy more years than any headphone.
@@yashgarg6743 Yeah build quality is definitely above a lot of the other options on the market. Parts are easily replaceable and are able to be ordered from the manufacturer (I know some people have issues with Sennheiser to order replacement pads for example while with Beyer almost everything is serviceable). I even compared them to 660S and the bass on the DT 1990 (with analytical pads that have less bass) is extended way better. The treble on the 660S I wouldn't consider neutral but it's a smoother representation than DT 1990 which can be harsh. The mids aren't that much different both are tuned well in that region with maybe vocal separation going in favor of HD 660S. I like both headphones and I think both of them have their own place in someone's collection depending on what music they listen to and what they want in headphones. So the argument Joshua put out as "time got to them" I really don't agree. However I do think if someone is able to find the DT 1990 for 300-400$ (used in good shape or new) is way better than paying full price.
@@DeDovla I had 660s for a good amount of time, and 1990s just beat them in almost every aspect. Tonality, timber vocal detail and depth everything. One thing 660s have over 1990 is comfort, they disappear on head.
@@b.z9940 because using foam discs affects more than just the 8kHz peak. It also dampens frequencies above that and might make the headphones lose “airiness”. However some people like it like that and that is a good solution as well.
@@phrog322 I don't think thats how headphones work. There's no value for money if there's little change in headphones besides a different frequency response or tuning. Driver technology also has very little advancement over the years. You are simply not buying a headphone just for their niche features? Or maybe an all metal build? Most headphones released decades ago already had the best value for money. The DT 990 Pro is still being bought and owned by old and new recording studios worldwide.
This is a poor review for not mentioning the benefits of using EQ or just getting the Dekoni elite velour pads which tames the treble and makes the DT1990 easily the best overall package at $500.
These are still amazing headphones, especially for those without perfect treble hearing ability, and can often be found on sale. They are about $100 overpriced for today. I preferred the DT-1770Pro, although they have a little too much in the 500Hz region, but I use them on a computer and use EQ which easily sorts them out. The spaciousness, the feeling, detail and bass are by far the best on any headphone I tried at the price. The 1770s have slightly less treble than the 1990s, which I think is perfect for my 50 year old ears, and the bass hits harder than the 1990s which makes the 1770s the best gaming headphones for a reasonable price. I do not subscribe to this idea that you HAVE to spend at least a 1000 on a headphone, this is a sad RUclipsr culture thing where these people mostly (not all) lie about their impressions which is what’s wrong with headphone marketing today. It’s the number one reason why it’s impossible not to spend a fortune these days, and the manufacturers have followed the trend and made their lower end headphones awful.
4 месяца назад+1
I would like to test these against the K702 and the K712pro. I ran the AKG K702's for half a decade and they were excellent for gaming. Imaging and soundstage were great, especially for the price. A new pair is now £126 on Amazon, although I would like to get my hands on an older pair made in Austria(?).
Top Headphones age like fine wine and is the opposite of Phones for example. A great pair of headphone from a reputable brand (Beyer) can last you decades, even an entire lifetime, just to be passed on to your kids. They simply do not "gone with the times". The video makes no sense if this headphone was excellent 4-5 years ago, it should remain excellent for the following decade. I think it's just a way to incentivize purchase of other/newer headphones for monetization sakes. Unless of course, that I misunderstood, and the DT 1990 Pro is still very much worth it in 2024 and beyond.
I own both hifiman edition xs and the 1990 pro, both are very good but also very different, I can't imagine myself selling the 1990 pro just because I own the edition xs...The DT1990 pro are imoa still one of the best headphones in the market, they are beautiful and have solid design, unless you genuinely intend to break them they will last forever! They are also my "by default" headphones for gaming. I got them new for 329 euros and at this price I don't think there's a headphone who can compete.
I bought these around four years ago, and have worn them almost every day for listening, gaming and music producing. They are showing no signs of wear whatsoever and I'm super impressed. The solid beyer build quality is really showing here. They are bright for sure, but my ears have grown used to it.
They're built like a tank with all parts serviceable. Once you F up a hifiman product, good luck getting them fixed. Cheaper price tag comes with cost cutting. To tame the treble, you can but foam attenuation kit from dekoni, even slap on the velours. Pair with dark source like tubes. They're going to serve you for life.
I’m one of those that bought these headphones because you recommended them. Some 4 years later, I still love them to bits and addressed your main concern by pairing them with the ADI-2 DAC FS which comes with a built in EQ so I could tame the brightness. 💪
Hallo, I just happened to read your comment. I have the same combination of headphones and DAC. I haven't had the RME for that long. Do you use a present for the DT1990 or have it configured individually? Thanks! Jens
@@jensnickisch6691 I am not sure how exactly the EQ tool works on RME devices - but in general to tame the brightness I recommend either one of the following: 8000Hz -8dB Q4.0 or 7700Hz -7dB Q3.0 The second one is a bit closer to a passive filter by diyaudioheaven (as graphs on crinacle website confirm), the first one is a recommendation by Amir on AudioScienceReview. If you want a more Harman-like EQ (made by Amir from AudioScienceReview) for DT 1990 Analytical Pads try this: Preamp: -6.0 dB Filter 1: ON PK Fc 23 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 0.680 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 210 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 2.000 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4520 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 5.000 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -8.0 dB Q 4.000 I would honestly recommend against AutoEQ people or Oratory1990 approach -> Their EQs use too many filters and are often unnecessary. Even in Amir's EQ this filter at 210hz is not too apparent it just counters the bass boost from the first filter. To be honest this EQ from Amir seems like all you need as a baseline - from there you can EQ more if needed (disable some filters, change the gain of these filters etc).
Here's why the 1990s are worth it even in 2024: (1) They are very well EQ-able without any distortion in the bass even when pushing it in the bass and overall volume. (2) Thus, you can easily EQ them to the Harman target. (3) Everything outside of frequency response is great: Sound stage, imaging, dynamics, and "immersion" (although that arguably is a result of the former). I did direct comparisons with 660S, Sundara, Focal Clear Mg -- all EQ'd roughly to Harman target via oratory's presets. The 1990s came out clearly ahead compared to the first two, and while the Clear Mg is clearly superior in the low end and dynamics/punch, their narrower sound stage made me feel a little too claustrophobic for comfort. I don't think the 1990 is the best headphone out there (e.g., I'd give the win to the LCD-X, and headphones like the Arya Organics are straight on a different level), but for those who EQ their headphone anyway, it's still an exceptionally good headphone, even for its price, and even in 2024.
I own beside a Sennheiser HD800 and a T+A Solitaire P an Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. It is a decent headphone, which I like very much. It is still worth it in 2024
I was swayed by Josh's original video to purchase the dt1990s. I wasn't very happy with how they sounded and it was only after my purchase that I found all the negative feedback about these cans. I came to enjoy them over the years, but I never used them consistently until I purchased my Wa7 gen 2 + Wa7tp. These really came alive with that amp and all of my issues of them being too bright or fatiguing went away. I feel like I'm on the tail end of my journey through equipment upgrades and improving my system, so if anyone just starting this hobby decides to read this comment, please take my advice: Don't focus too heavily on the opinions of others like I did. It was such a headache combing through review after review, forum after forum, trying to find information on how the dt1990s (and most of my other gear) sounded, to ultimately be disappointed because it wasn't what I was expecting. Videos/reviews/forum posts are a useful tool for insight, but by their nature, they are surface level information and can never truely show you what your experience with a product will be like. Take everything with a grain of salt and take every chance to try these items for yourself before you buy.
Ah yes, buy an amp and power supply for $2,000 to fix a problem with the treble peak that EQ could've done for free. Audiophiles never fail to surprise me with their stupidity.
I have 2 pairs of the DT1990 Pro, Yes, they are that good. Bright?? We must have different ears. Why the bass punches more on these than a planar isn't obvious, they are Dynamic. And I do Bass Boost my music in my CD Player. I own over 100+ Full size headphones from all walks of life. As to what I would get now? ...nothing, I'm happy with what have achieved. But if you insist, I'm still missing from my collection the Ultrasone Signature Master MK II. I do own the other Ultrasone's headphones that are not in production anymore, but I must admit, I do like their house sound.
- Repairability: Nothing glued, detachable cable and pads, just normal screws. Beyerdynamic sells replacement parts (what a rarity these days). Also they still sell parts even for the headphones the beetles used back in the day so you can have some confidence you'll be able to buy parts in 15 years. - Comfort: You can wear these for hours and hours without feeling fatigue/condensation. - Build quality: These are built like an absolute tank. If you're looking for just a pair of daily drivers which only show a single scratch after a decade of use, these are the ones. - Single cable: When just sitting still and listening, I don't seem to mind having a cable coming from each side. When I have to move in my chair on the other hand I find it very annoying. With this pair of headphones I've just fastened my amp to the left bottom side of my desk with duallock and by using the coiled cable I have a lot of freedom of movement. If you're not a fan of the brightness like me, buy some AKG K240 foam discs and replace the stock ones. Those bring the top down to actually pleasant levels.
Jumping on the DMS train its too bright, try amping it properly. All that DMS ever goes on about is the 6XX which sounds like two amazon echo dots held up to your ears .Try amping the DT1990 and the HE1000SE another headphone that DMS took a dump on and stuck in D TIER on a Audio GD Master19 and then tell me its too bright.
Depends alot of the experience of the listener , is like buying cars , if you have a civic you really belive is the best of the best , then when you hop in a bmw , holy shit another planet, then grab a porsche , hmm wait a second, way better , it a rabbit hole than never ends , just buy the best headphones that you afford
@@bratosin1 this is the truth lol and so many people are in denial, saying things like "Porsche is a waste of money, my civic is just fine". Sure but i bet you haven't been in a Porsche...
These are my daily drivers for my video editing and gaming on PC, they sound phenomenal using the Analytical Pads, using a Questyle M15i to drive them. Incredible audio experience on all levels. Only downside is it could only be ran single ended due to its design. I love these cans!
Hmmm...I think videos like these would be more useful if the tone were more about if its time for current owners to upgrade to something new. Not talking about Josh specifically but seeing new tier list etc that trash older headphones that we spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on at various youtuber recommendations is insulting. Its like in pc gaming when a new gfx card comes out its nice to have the new hotness, but your old one still gives you the same amount of performance as the day you bought. So if I replace my DT1990 pro and drop another $500+ how much more performance am I getting for my money????
In the “Ananda Nano vs Everything” video he said the 1990 Pro is one of his favorite headphones of all time, therefore suggesting to buy it rather than the Ananda Nano. A few months later and suddenly the DT 1990 Pro isn’t worth it anymore? I think you are getting confused, rather than say isn’t worth it I would say there are more option added since its launch that are definitely competing and worth considering.
I bought the Amiron Home a year or so ago, largely because of Joshua's review, and liked it. But something about the sound seemed off to me. Then, just about 4 months ago I bought the DT1990. It took a long time for me to burn in the DT1990's, and in fact I was ready to return it several times. So I was still open to acquire a higher level product and, yes, Josh kind of sold me on the Arya Organic, and I got a pair. Love the Arya's But, interestingly to me, my 1990's also started sounding really good, and now I often go back and forth between the Organics and DT1990 during a listening session. Both headphones have great detail and soundstage, although the 1990's have greater detail while the Organics win at soundstaging. But the 1990's are also more dynamic, so different types of music sound better on one or the other. But you got to EQ the 1990's.
I've got these and meze 109 pro. The sound is very similar but 109pro is just better: more volume and depth. Ergonomics is better with 1990. Basically dt1990 is great workhorce and 190pro is for great comfort and pleasure of listening.
I got into a car accident in 2022 and had to sell the 1990s to pay for the repairs. I miss it every day. With that being said, it sounds like you do nothing but praise the headphone in the video. You’ve had a very inconsistent opinion of the 1990 ever since your initial review and recommending the 660s2 over this is wild considering, I would argue, they are two different headphones. I think overall though this was a good video, I just wished you either went full into explaining the downsides of the 1990 or just said it was still a good headphone. It comes across like you’re fence sitting.
Hello guys, Could I get recommendation for headphones that have vocal timbre of HD650 or HD598 or Momentum 3 that is suited for female vocal. With bass of Philips X2HR or tuned down Sennheiser Momentum 3. That would also have nice sound staging and imaging for games. I love the Momentum 3, but their bass is little bit too heavy, they also lack resolution and sound staging + imaging. I did not mind the Hd650, but they lack bass for me and sound staging leaves a lot to be desired. The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X already are little bit too bright for me, their vocal is ok, their bass still not good enough. Philip’s X2HR peak was aggravating, vocal timbre was ok, but they are too wide for gaming and have mediocre imaging. HD 560S were just lackluster neutral for me, with bad imaging for games for me and no sight of Sennheiser vocal timbre. HD 58X the worst vocal timbre out of sennheisers. So for now for music I usually use Momentum 3 (tuned down bass like in DMS review), Philips X2HR (with eq down peak), HD650 (if I had too much brightness) and AirPods Pro 2. For gaming usually it’s Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X with EQ down peak. Next headphones I am planning to try are Hifiman Edition XS, DT 1990 Pro and Sennheiser HD660S. But any other recommendations?
What is better and sounds better I use the current Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro and considering either the Audeze Maxwell or Beyerdynamic DT 1990. I really like wireless but I rather have what sounds better and is better overall and I these would be for gaming and music listening.
I bought these headphones on release, I really love the imaging and the build quality is amazing. My personal love is super neutral, imaging and sound staging. You hear a lot of sound in this. A lot of music I listen to has a lot of bass but I need to listen to all other instruments and vocals at the same time. There is a surprising amount of bass for headphones. I have not listened to the 490s but 6xx series seemed too narrow in sound stage for my use case. I would love to try out the 109 Pros 🤔.
As others have mentioned the Dekoni pads tame the top end, but I always end up going back to the stock pads. The Dekoni pads seem to rob me of what I love about these headphones, which is the punch, slam and thwack factor. I have DT880 600ohm, Tygr 300r, HD6xx and HD58x...all which mostly sit up on the shelf, because there is no point listening to them since the DT1990 crush them by a wide margin.
So summarized : if you like details and crispiness it’s still a no brainer 😂 I agree as i compared it to a few other headphones and none of them offered this sparkle
I miss my DT1990s, they were so comfortable with the velour elite pads from dekoni. They were built like tanks, were comfortable to wear all day, looked cool as hell. I wish there was something similar.
I love my DT1990, they are still worth it to me but only because I have multiple use cases, setups and preferences. They are not the most easy listen, nor the last word in wearing comfort. With the right amplification like the Quad PA-One+, they smooth out a bit in the treble and their imaging/soundstage is even more impressive. You can stretch the headband a bit and in time they do loosen up. I have a Quad ERA-1 which in a few ways is a bests the 1990 like timbre, texture and spaciousness. It hits hard in the bass too, yet it doesn't have the excitement or level of micro detail. The DT1990 holds its place between lower Hifiman and Meze offerings but should really go to $400 instead of $500 to sit in between to the Edition XS, Sundara, Verum 2 and Maxwell to stay in the conversation. Yes, they are better built, repairable and come with more accesories but that's not a make or break thing for a lot of people.
I like neutral/neutral bright and these are excellent. EQ them to diffuse field target and they sound lovely. Beyer being available in our third world country and being build extremely well, means they beat pretty much everything else.
if you put on wicked cushion on the dt 1990 the sharpness is history and you still have the imaging and clarity. I own both dt 1990 and hifiman xs and I love them both on my Geshelli with sparkos and aune s17 pro. really orgasmic
I have been using these headphone for gaming for the past 4 years and LOVE them, I keep looking for a better option but I don't see anything. I do enjoy my Kiwi Orch2 for IEM gaming, but NOTHING beats the comfort of these headphones, that said I have been eying the Maxwell, but lack of replaceable batter makes me very hesitant, I hate EOL a product because the battery is dead. I guess I will keep using them!
Hi Joshua, I bought the dt1990 following your advice long time ago. While I'm enjoying the exceptional detailed gaming experience, I agree many times the headphones sound too bright. Like in Billie Jean to give the most obvious example (or other bright tracks like Party, Girls Generation). Can't buy a new headphone this year, so I must accomodate for now. Have you ever EQed the DT1990? Any good EQ profile or personal experience to share in order to "mitigate" the problem? I already bought the Dekoni Velour pads and that helped a tiny bit. There are many resources with prebuilt parametric EQ to try (Oratory,Crinacle, Autoeq) but I don't like any of them. Every one seems based on measurments that show a peak around 8k, while listening to my pair I ear a HUGE peak at 7k, while 8k seems very recessed instead. So I find all of those settings pretty useless to me, they really kill the soundstage and headphones sound pretty "souless". Thank you for your always interesting videos
Beyerdynamics like the DT770 and 990 are EXTREMELY harsh. I use a Neumann NDH30 for editing my voice overs and the DT770s make me de-ess too much. They're exceedingly bright and that makes details too far forward and makes imperfections stick out so much that it makes one feel the need to work even harder to fix things no one will actually hear.
Just throwing another Beyer in for the cheap and good stuff (also gaming but with proper pads also getting better in general): DT880s + Deconi Suede (normal) Pads makes it much punchy in base...pretty crazy that a pad does this. So, this is since years my recommendation for every gamer + a little music.
@JoshuaValour Could you comment on using these with EQ? I feel like they offer great value at the price for non-FR stuff like imaging, bass delivery and dynamics, while their main deficiency is their FR. With EQ, which is free and everyone can use it, do they outshine the competition? Especially as sundara and sennheiser are quite lacking in the punch and slam category and these aren’t.
I bought the Beyerdynamic DT1990 pro for music production. Trance music, to be specific. You have to calibrate them through Sonarworks SoundID, and after that, they sound balanced enough. The harsh top end around 10k will be reduced and the lows/mids will be boosted in a great way. Sonarworks has a separate soundprofile for the analytical pads and the balanced pads. Before calibration, I was actually a little disappointed by the thin sound. After calibration, they are just fine and will reveal everything in the soundspectrum.
Hey man, for mixing and mastering electronic music.... wich one is the best? I can not afford a pro studio so i wanna go big with headphones.... hifiman arya? Or there is something better 😁
Currently using Custom One Pro+, and I wonder if these are an upgrade? I tried the DT-880 Pro Black Edition, but I am not impressed at all, and went back to the Custom One Pro+ again.
Using Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee and a DT1990 pro for a couple of years now and I enjoy both the sound signatures. The DT1990 with Dekoni pads for movies is awesome. I like the HD58X for its value. However, the DT1990 does have a great build quality meant to last and does sound very good as well, especially with Dekoni pads. In terms of sound signature I do prefer the DT1990 over the HD58X. If I were to recommend one over the other it would be HD58X because it is a much cheaper option. By the same logic almost all headphones over 300/400 dollar mark need to be avoided. The Sub-300 category and maybe 400 should give most listeners everything they need to listen and enjoy good music. Beyond that it is all ... inflation.
I owned the DT 900 proX for a few days and resold them for a much lower price, losing a lot of money. The soundstage was narrow, the sound was dull, no sound width and an obvious lack of bass (and yet I hate headphones full of bass). I was very angry with myself, I think I had been a little too quickly seduced by their appearance : notably superbly thick pads, a solid and also beautiful headband, 2 cables, etc. So I went back to the older Dt 990 Pros which have everything I like in headphones sonically and which today don't cost very much after all. Is the DT 1990 Pro superior ? You say (at 2:32) that often headphones with more detail are also more bright. I have a little (but only a little) bright in certain listening situations, usually when the audio source is not very good or average, but when plugging my DT 990 pro into my iFi audio Zen CAN amp (it -even connected to the iFi audio Zen DAC) this aspect really disappears, the sound is suddenly smoothed without losing any of its definition quality. For audio files, it depends. I don't do monitoring and yet the DT 990 pro (open headphones) are perfect for listening to learned music (Schoenberg, Bartok, Mahler, Beethoven, etc.) or for original recordings of jazz from 1920-40. It is also excellent for spoken vocals. It adds no or very little colorization or transformation of the sound (admittedly a little bass is undoubtedly added, which suits me just enough). The problem with all so-called audiophile headphones (Meze, Sivga P2 pro, Audeze, etc.) is that the bass are relatively pronounced and the midrange is more important than the clarity (according to my in-store tests). The result is that we can detect a form of artificiality, even if this can be very attractive in certain listening situations.
No comparison with Ananda Nano going for $500 now? Missed opportunity. The thing that these headphones do so well is pair with metal, punk, hardcore and anything EXTREME genre-wise, it's like the perfect combination for that. My theory is that Hifiman would be good at everything because they have better tech and better prices. My main question was how does the resolution of the 1990s compare with the Nanos? I listened to the 1990s just last night, they really do need tubes if you can't EQ. But I might get some EQ here. They're exceptional with Valhalla 2 and the upgrade pads, no EQ necessary. You wouldn't buy Meze 109 instead of these, those are a critical system phone, nearly daily driver material, but much more expensive. $530 and $800 bourgie stuff is not a real competition, and it appears the 109s need EQ as well. As for the rest, they hardly compare in sq or construction. The 1990 is beautiful and sound very good. The question is merely resolution, not things that can be solved with EQ. If you want a headphone that annihilates the 1990s, the Focal Elex are currently my favorite headphone, but the 1990s have their own place since they're in a location where I drop stuff all the time. I never have a frown on my face about the 90's, exceptional in their own right with proper system synergy. People forget how incredible 300 OHM dynamic drivers are, how magical, how even the dynamics are, how much they're capable of getting right. Which is why it's such a cruel shame what happened to Beyer and their T1 series. Ghastly.
Mine sound phenomenal through my Apollo Solo, using the Analytical pads. I personally heavily dislike the 600/660 series altogether, they feel cheap and ridiculously underwhelming.
Too bright? I don't feel that way at all. This headphone is pretty nice and the default sound is excellent. It has devent soundstage and the imaging is excellent. Buy the Dekoni elite velour earpads, and it's super comfortable and sounds amazing.
I still find it difficult to find a new headphone, that's a genuine upgrade from my HD650. I've owned this thing for more than 20 years now, and it still holds up so well
This is so biased and crude I was at Sweetwater and tried all the expensive headphones I compared these even to thr hd600s and these beyerdynamics were in fact BETTER
Hi .. can you recommend the best portable dac/amp for this headphone because i have one and im confused which portable dac/amp will buy to give the max performance it could
I do not think that the Audeze Maxwell was good for gaming. (or any other purposes) Almost no bass... channel imbalance... very flat sounding... heavy (uncomfortable) and expensive for most of the gamers out there. BUT I do think almost any around ear Beyerdynamic headphones are good for gaming. 👍
@@Xenaman In one of his videos, He shitted on the Stellia's badly! Even decided not to review them because of how badly they sounded to him. He did admit that he thinks they may be broken due to how badly they sound. I was deciding between that and the Sony Z1r. But now I'm not comfortable spending 3k on headphones that may have driver issues.
@@KillaHafiz89 I own the Stellia and they are fantastic headsets. The problem with Stellias, that the headset must seal your ears to really shine, if one does not seal the headphones correctly then you can't see the glory of the stellia..
@@Xenaman Where I live, there is no where I can go to try it out before buying. I guess I'll buy both the Stellia's and Sony Z1r's and just keep the ones I prefer. I'll return the other headphones.
I love these cans on the secondary markets. Buying these at around %50-%70 from the original price is perfect. These are bright but doesn't everyone know to EQ by now?
Thanks for the vid- As a gamer I've been looking at the DT1990 to replace my Sundaras and I'm still thinking it's the right play for me based on what you said. I'll be looking at your alternatives though
i completely agree on what u said in this video I personally use for production mix and mastering and I love it, especially cause are really sharp, but I use them with sonarwork for calm the highs and I have a +3 db correction below 100 hx for more sub 😹 I do techno so this is why , but also for movies those sub is awesome and imaging too, thank u Joshua as allay for your videos 🙏
About 6 months ago I had the 1990s and the 660s2s and returned the 1990s. Way to sibilant for me, the 660s2 with an EQ, boosted bass, slightly boosted treble made these headphones sound amazing. I’m currently running the hd800s and I think the duo between the hd800s and the hd660s2 compliment eachother nicely, hd800s for soundstage and imaging (great for gaming and comfort) with tons of detail, where the 660s2s fulfill the bass while still being extremely detailed. They’re both great but both need EQs for me, both bass boosted, hd800s I have the treble rolled back a tad just to take the edge off as theyre pretty bright, but no where as near bright as the 1990s. The 1990s did NOT scale well with volume, I like listening to music semi loudly, and the 1990s treble KILLED my ears.
What would you rather spend $500 on?
Hifiman edition xs
AKG K712pro with a Fiio K7. I already have the K7 and I ran a pair of K702 for almost a decade, now "lost" somewhere in my mom's attic in a different country from where I live. I gave those things a beating and they still hold up.
How about new Focal headphones?
Grado rs2x
A used meze 109
I'm 65 and these cans are going to the grave with me
I'm 4 and these are headphones
I actually prefer the dt1990 over all the alternatives Josh named in the video. But to each their own
Same. I do love brighter phones generally (800S, Caldera), so I’m probably biased. But I think these sound way better than alternatives at the price. They are a tad sharp with the A pads, but with the B pads, they’re fun, detailed, and comfortable to listen to all genres to my ears. I’d still HIGHLY recommend people these
There are some aspects that seem to go missed, but understandably so. For example, my setup allows me to suspend the single cord from off to the side and above so that the cord doesn't get in my way at all. It's really nice for my use-case. I also use these on a PC exclusively and EQ them to suit my needs (gaming/music) as well. I do agree with the overall premise that they're too expensive for what they do compared to the rest of the market, but perhaps I'm just a biased consumer that wants more competition in the headphone space too. ;)
Agreed
I don't agree either! It's an amazing headphone and extremely involving. I can't stand the dull Sennheiser signature and the lack of bass. The 1990 are fantastic for music listening, jazz and classical. I will never sell them
I can't agree with you more. Sennheiser HD6xx sounds boring to me, really low-fi.
Out There by ((( O ))) a good song too play, i was gonna originally get these but got the elex instead.. they have driver issues now x(
Too bright?...hmm...Joshua, use Dekoni Elite Velour pads...problem solved.
Ideal for classical music.
This! When I bought the DT 1990 Pro I also bought the Dekoni Hybrid Elite pads since Zeos recommended that to ever so slightly cut down the brightness and make them slightly warmer… they are perfect even still today. I have zero desire to spend $500 or $600 again on another headphone in that price range. If I’m gonna drop the money, I might as well go up to $1,000+ because I don’t think I’m going to find anything in the $500 range will “blow it out of the water.” More like a marginal improvement at best.
Same here. Loved the 1990s anyway, but the velours are like icing on an already fantastic cake
K240 foam discs also do the trick.
The reason why you would still buy a DT1990 is because it EQs like a champ. The drivers are seriously impressive and do whatever you want them to do. Dekoni elite velour pads largely fix the issues with the 8k peak. EQ puts it where ever your preference is.
And it'll last forever unlike HiFiman and some alternatives
Exactly, I’ve had never listened any headphone as versatile as 1990 in terms of responding to EQ
Not enough people are talking about how awful hifiman build/design is, I had an intermittent connection on the Edition XS so I opened the earcup and I was fucking horrified to see there was absolutely no provisioning for the driver cables, they were just mashed in there
It's crazy how much the pads can affect the sound. Looking at the diyaudioheaven DT 1990 review Dekoni Elite Velour can reduce the 8k peak by ~8db compared to balanced pads and smoothing out the ~4.7k sharp drop. Never tried them, but a lot of people are prizing them. Why Beyerdynamic would release their headphones with such a sharp high frequency sounding pads?
@@ivayloivanov3744 you would be surprised how many headphones and IEMs have a peak in that area. Some people like it for perceived detail. You have to consider that the DT1990 are headphones for studio mastering. They're designed to reveal traits of a recording or mix to an engineer. They are a tool and not designed for a subjective listening experience.
I don't understand how this was very recommended by Joshua and DMS and now they both say it's not worthy while the contender hd600 series still is.
I got a pair of 660s and 1990 and imo 1990 is far superior. I honestly like that treble peak, especially in hi-hats and snares.
i plannig DT 1990 PRO with ZEN DAC 3 and hopefully its great combo. I like treble :)
@@miroslavpaulovic17 ZEN DAC 2+ZEN AMP 2 + many "bright" headphones Beyer, Sony [MDR-MV1], Fostex (I like that treble, electric jazz, classic rock, not so vocal oriented), HD 650 only before sleep, tempted to get HD 490 pro and new Fostex t-50rp mk.4 and/or 808. Further a 'vintage' Luxman P-750u MARK II.
Let's be clear. The fact that there are now more alternatives doesn't make the DT1990 Pro suddenly a bad headphone. EQ is free and can tame the sometimes forward treble and make these really enjoyable.
Yeah I feel like a lot of people just forget about EQ.
Most of them won't want to hear about EQ, but it's a very easy solution when the headphone has a flaw only in a single frequency region.
@@Leonhart_93 personably no matter the headphone I always add bass, and let the rest as it is unless there’s really a frequency I don’t like (maybe the 8k peak of the 1990 if I had this headphone)
@@retrofizz727 Same, I am never completely happy with them out of the box because none of them is perfect.
HD 600 is mostly perfect but I used inside a slightly different material that the foam to be less muffled and I EQ them for a few dB of more bass.
@@Leonhart_93 Personally I like to just get used to the sound signature of the headphone and also I'm just not an audiophile so it's hard for me to tune headphones to make them sound like I want them to sound. So unless out of the box there's a frenquency hike that makes my ears bleeding, I don't touch anything other than bass. Also worth mentioning that IMO it might be a good idea to wait for it to burn in before EQ, I find headphones to sound different after a week or two, but I know this is a controvertial topic in the audiophile world lol.
I just bought these a few weeks ago and I am extremely happy. I decided to upgrade and the sound quality difference was night and day. Gaming is a much nicer experience compared to the gaming “headphones” and listening to music is a much more enjoyable experience.
Absolute nonsense that these suddenly aren't as good because of other releases. They're excellent for their price. Content makers producing controversial videos for views. Keep enjoying them.
@@markentwistle9970 They aren't suddenly bad, they've always had wack turning
Josh dosen Said that the Dt 1990 isn’t good. He only said that for that price there are other competitors, that do the Job at a specific points better. And yes if you compare your Gamingheadset or at least something like the DT 770 of 990 to the 1990, then your Right, These headphones are a massives Upgrade. I also think that these headphones are most of the time to detailed and Sharp. It is very pleasing if you hearing with reduced highs and a good recorded Track. But some older Songs, for example Michael Jacksons older Recording didn’t sound pleasing on this type of headphone. I completely agree his recommendation for the hifiman or the senheiser. All in all this is an expensive Hobby. Not every one can afford multiple pairs of headphones.If you only buy a DT1990 then you will have a really great headphone. If you start to compare you start to see flaws and differentes.
@@humanwaveformAnd the original commenter is talking about using them for gaming and music listening. There are far better gaming/music headphones for much cheaper In 2024
@@ZenTunE- I agree, I'm not a fan of the tuning. But that tuning has been the same the entire time when this channel was touting these as amazing several years ago. The only thing that has changed is the reviewers taste in tuning. But silly videos like this shame people into feeling their purchase was poor, then they'll go out and spend all over again. Many can't afford to do that. This video is purely about views and not subject matter. This is click bait pure and simple, especially considering the recent review of the DCA E3 which I've owned and is far more intense and ear splitting than the 1990.
few thoughts on this:
1- the price dropped...kind of. While they are still officially shown for 600€ on the Beyer page the de-facto price is at 390-430€, since you will never have an issue getting them either as an open box deal or on a regular sale for around that, which makes them a pretty good deal on that level (also makes me think about how giganticthe profit margin on headphones is -.- )
2 - the myth of the tanky build of the 1990s. This is something literally ONLY claimed by reviewers, who use them for a few weeks and then bugger of to the next one , because if you run them as a a daily driver for at least a year or two, there is specially ONE flaw in the design, which are the plastic cramps, that hold the entire headband together left and right. If one of those breaks-and they break easy due to being made from really cheap plastic hold together by metal screws - you better get a new one asap, because otherwise you will shredd the cheap, thin cable, that connects the cups, which will cause shorts and ultimately no sound and the need to repcase the cable. And ofc the replacements for these little cramps are rather expensive for what they are (25€ for original beyer branded ones, if memory serves correctly). I solved that by following a mod guide, that shows how to make them ballanced with a connector for each cup - also something people offer to do for money online, if you are afraid of soldering. And there are also no-name 3D printed ones available on ETSY and Ebay.
3- replacement Ear pads are hard overpriced at over 50€ for one lousy pair. (to be fair: hillariously expensive replacement ear pads seem to be the "buisness modell" of most bigger brands-my fav example a is the DROP HD58x, where new pads cost a third of the headphone. i mean the f***?)
4 - Beyer doesnt offer all the spareparts anymore based on what you could get 3 years ago and what you can get today on their page. And available spareparts is always one of my main reasons to buy from an established brand over - for example - some chi-fi manufacturer.
5 - the sound is still oustanding compared to other headphones between 300-600€. Saying something like "for todays "standard" they are too bright" is ...uhm...an odd thing to do, because A. its personal prefernce and B. it's easy to fix either by EQ or some extra damping in the cups (there are plenty of pads available for all kind of headphones and a scissor does wonders, if need be). I will never understand why some reviewers will praise one headphone brand for being SO good -when EQed (we all know which one i talk about^^) - while others seemingly have to be amazing right out the box, because...reasons.
What i whish for is a headphone build like the Sennheiser HD600 line (these are REALLY hard to damage in a significant way by normal daily usage) with the sound signature of the DT1990 pros for 300-500 bucks - that would pretty much be my perfect pair of headphones for daily usage.
OR Beyer would bring a revision of the 1990 pro, with the option for two connectors and/or ballanced, plus the same easy plug-connectors inside the cups the new pro line comes with (no soldering involved if a driver dies, which is really nice).
Overall i understand neither the intention nor the need for this "review" other than giving the impression to "shill" the named alternatives - specially the new Sennis. Kind of a low point in your history to be honest *shruggs*
With EQ or Passive Filter to fix the treble, the DT 1990 is still pretty good in “recent times”. I hate that term as people swear by stuff like the HD 600 for the last 20 years so time as a measure is pointless in this case.
They are still as good as they were when released it’s just that there are more options to consider now than back then and to be honest I don’t think the other offerings necessarily kill and outdate them automatically. Way back when you compared Sundaras, 660S and the DT 1990 you were still fond of them, even when comparing them to the Ananda Nano you felt DT 1990 is better. So as I said time is not a good measure for this case.
I believe that headphones in that 300-500$ region are like flavors and I don’t think that there is a truly definitive answer for what’s best it will depend a lot on the person.
Of course we all would like to see Beyerdynamic make a tuning without the treble peak and without compromising some other qualities that the DT 1990 bring to the table but I really doubt it will happen.
+1. I own them and they're wayyy better build than the hifiman lineup together. Even to say better made than Sennheisers, serving wayyy more years than any headphone.
@@yashgarg6743 Yeah build quality is definitely above a lot of the other options on the market. Parts are easily replaceable and are able to be ordered from the manufacturer (I know some people have issues with Sennheiser to order replacement pads for example while with Beyer almost everything is serviceable).
I even compared them to 660S and the bass on the DT 1990 (with analytical pads that have less bass) is extended way better. The treble on the 660S I wouldn't consider neutral but it's a smoother representation than DT 1990 which can be harsh. The mids aren't that much different both are tuned well in that region with maybe vocal separation going in favor of HD 660S.
I like both headphones and I think both of them have their own place in someone's collection depending on what music they listen to and what they want in headphones. So the argument Joshua put out as "time got to them" I really don't agree. However I do think if someone is able to find the DT 1990 for 300-400$ (used in good shape or new) is way better than paying full price.
@@DeDovla I had 660s for a good amount of time, and 1990s just beat them in almost every aspect. Tonality, timber vocal detail and depth everything. One thing 660s have over 1990 is comfort, they disappear on head.
i dont know why people use passive filter cables or EQ when u just can use the Foam Discs from the TYGR or Amiron Home to reduce the treble peak
@@b.z9940 because using foam discs affects more than just the 8kHz peak. It also dampens frequencies above that and might make the headphones lose “airiness”. However some people like it like that and that is a good solution as well.
So its like 4-5 years since you praised this headphone to the skies and now its gone with the times and not good anymore? How tf does that even work?
its like buying an iphone 6, it was a good phone and still is but now if you are buying new theres better value for money
@@phrog322I got your point, but headphones do not work like this. Just look at the age of top tier headphones.
@@phrog322 I don't think thats how headphones work. There's no value for money if there's little change in headphones besides a different frequency response or tuning. Driver technology also has very little advancement over the years.
You are simply not buying a headphone just for their niche features? Or maybe an all metal build?
Most headphones released decades ago already had the best value for money. The DT 990 Pro is still being bought and owned by old and new recording studios worldwide.
Tastes change, so do opinions, it is your responsibility to decide how much you'd like to take when making decisions.
he literally answers that question within the first minute of the video.
This is a poor review for not mentioning the benefits of using EQ or just getting the Dekoni elite velour pads which tames the treble and makes the DT1990 easily the best overall package at $500.
These are still amazing headphones, especially for those without perfect treble hearing ability, and can often be found on sale. They are about $100 overpriced for today. I preferred the DT-1770Pro, although they have a little too much in the 500Hz region, but I use them on a computer and use EQ which easily sorts them out. The spaciousness, the feeling, detail and bass are by far the best on any headphone I tried at the price. The 1770s have slightly less treble than the 1990s, which I think is perfect for my 50 year old ears, and the bass hits harder than the 1990s which makes the 1770s the best gaming headphones for a reasonable price. I do not subscribe to this idea that you HAVE to spend at least a 1000 on a headphone, this is a sad RUclipsr culture thing where these people mostly (not all) lie about their impressions which is what’s wrong with headphone marketing today. It’s the number one reason why it’s impossible not to spend a fortune these days, and the manufacturers have followed the trend and made their lower end headphones awful.
I would like to test these against the K702 and the K712pro. I ran the AKG K702's for half a decade and they were excellent for gaming. Imaging and soundstage were great, especially for the price. A new pair is now £126 on Amazon, although I would like to get my hands on an older pair made in Austria(?).
I bought mine new for 400euros in Germany 3.5 years ago. Keeping them until they break, absolutely love them.
they are easily repairable too and beyerdynamic offers replacement parts for 20 years after discontinuing a model
Top Headphones age like fine wine and is the opposite of Phones for example. A great pair of headphone from a reputable brand (Beyer) can last you decades, even an entire lifetime, just to be passed on to your kids. They simply do not "gone with the times". The video makes no sense if this headphone was excellent 4-5 years ago, it should remain excellent for the following decade. I think it's just a way to incentivize purchase of other/newer headphones for monetization sakes. Unless of course, that I misunderstood, and the DT 1990 Pro is still very much worth it in 2024 and beyond.
Minus 6-8 db on that treble peak and plus 6-9db on subbass and boom, one of my favorite headphones ever. Even kept them over the Clear OG's!
I think part of my influence to buy the DT1990s was your video from like 5 years ago. Mah hart, mah sole. :P
I own both hifiman edition xs and the 1990 pro, both are very good but also very different, I can't imagine myself selling the 1990 pro just because I own the edition xs...The DT1990 pro are imoa still one of the best headphones in the market, they are beautiful and have solid design, unless you genuinely intend to break them they will last forever! They are also my "by default" headphones for gaming. I got them new for 329 euros and at this price I don't think there's a headphone who can compete.
Do you know where and when 1990s go on sale? I’m also based in Europe
@@savvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvva Did u figure anything out?
@@IsSOfficialY umm… no, but I somehow ended up getting myself an Empyrean II…
I like how he still wears the 1990s in his profile pic though, lol
ikr, wat a poser
/s
I bought these around four years ago, and have worn them almost every day for listening, gaming and music producing. They are showing no signs of wear whatsoever and I'm super impressed. The solid beyer build quality is really showing here. They are bright for sure, but my ears have grown used to it.
Joshua became like dms 💀
They're built like a tank with all parts serviceable. Once you F up a hifiman product, good luck getting them fixed. Cheaper price tag comes with cost cutting. To tame the treble, you can but foam attenuation kit from dekoni, even slap on the velours. Pair with dark source like tubes. They're going to serve you for life.
Well he did fuck up his Arya and got the replacement parts for them
But can you find a better construction quality and while not looking silly for 500 bucks?
I’m one of those that bought these headphones because you recommended them. Some 4 years later, I still love them to bits and addressed your main concern by pairing them with the ADI-2 DAC FS which comes with a built in EQ so I could tame the brightness. 💪
Hallo, I just happened to read your comment. I have the same combination of headphones and DAC. I haven't had the RME for that long. Do you use a present for the DT1990 or have it configured individually? Thanks! Jens
@@jensnickisch6691 I am not sure how exactly the EQ tool works on RME devices - but in general to tame the brightness I recommend either one of the following:
8000Hz -8dB Q4.0 or 7700Hz -7dB Q3.0
The second one is a bit closer to a passive filter by diyaudioheaven (as graphs on crinacle website confirm), the first one is a recommendation by Amir on AudioScienceReview.
If you want a more Harman-like EQ (made by Amir from AudioScienceReview) for DT 1990 Analytical Pads try this:
Preamp: -6.0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 23 Hz Gain 6.0 dB Q 0.680
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 210 Hz Gain -1.5 dB Q 2.000
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 4520 Hz Gain 4.0 dB Q 5.000
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain -8.0 dB Q 4.000
I would honestly recommend against AutoEQ people or Oratory1990 approach -> Their EQs use too many filters and are often unnecessary. Even in Amir's EQ this filter at 210hz is not too apparent it just counters the bass boost from the first filter. To be honest this EQ from Amir seems like all you need as a baseline - from there you can EQ more if needed (disable some filters, change the gain of these filters etc).
Here's why the 1990s are worth it even in 2024:
(1) They are very well EQ-able without any distortion in the bass even when pushing it in the bass and overall volume.
(2) Thus, you can easily EQ them to the Harman target.
(3) Everything outside of frequency response is great: Sound stage, imaging, dynamics, and "immersion" (although that arguably is a result of the former).
I did direct comparisons with 660S, Sundara, Focal Clear Mg -- all EQ'd roughly to Harman target via oratory's presets. The 1990s came out clearly ahead compared to the first two, and while the Clear Mg is clearly superior in the low end and dynamics/punch, their narrower sound stage made me feel a little too claustrophobic for comfort.
I don't think the 1990 is the best headphone out there (e.g., I'd give the win to the LCD-X, and headphones like the Arya Organics are straight on a different level), but for those who EQ their headphone anyway, it's still an exceptionally good headphone, even for its price, and even in 2024.
instead of using EQ, try using the TYGR/Amiron Foam Disc
I own beside a Sennheiser HD800 and a T+A Solitaire P an Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. It is a decent headphone, which I like very much. It is still worth it in 2024
I was swayed by Josh's original video to purchase the dt1990s. I wasn't very happy with how they sounded and it was only after my purchase that I found all the negative feedback about these cans.
I came to enjoy them over the years, but I never used them consistently until I purchased my Wa7 gen 2 + Wa7tp. These really came alive with that amp and all of my issues of them being too bright or fatiguing went away.
I feel like I'm on the tail end of my journey through equipment upgrades and improving my system, so if anyone just starting this hobby decides to read this comment, please take my advice:
Don't focus too heavily on the opinions of others like I did. It was such a headache combing through review after review, forum after forum, trying to find information on how the dt1990s (and most of my other gear) sounded, to ultimately be disappointed because it wasn't what I was expecting.
Videos/reviews/forum posts are a useful tool for insight, but by their nature, they are surface level information and can never truely show you what your experience with a product will be like. Take everything with a grain of salt and take every chance to try these items for yourself before you buy.
Ah yes, buy an amp and power supply for $2,000 to fix a problem with the treble peak that EQ could've done for free. Audiophiles never fail to surprise me with their stupidity.
@@300y1True! I thought that was the point I was making. But thanks for adding on 👍
I have 2 pairs of the DT1990 Pro, Yes, they are that good. Bright?? We must have different ears. Why the bass punches more on these than a planar isn't obvious, they are Dynamic. And I do Bass Boost my music in my CD Player.
I own over 100+ Full size headphones from all walks of life.
As to what I would get now? ...nothing, I'm happy with what have achieved. But if you insist, I'm still missing from my collection the Ultrasone Signature Master MK II. I do own the other Ultrasone's headphones that are not in production anymore, but I must admit, I do like their house sound.
- Repairability: Nothing glued, detachable cable and pads, just normal screws. Beyerdynamic sells replacement parts (what a rarity these days). Also they still sell parts even for the headphones the beetles used back in the day so you can have some confidence you'll be able to buy parts in 15 years.
- Comfort: You can wear these for hours and hours without feeling fatigue/condensation.
- Build quality: These are built like an absolute tank. If you're looking for just a pair of daily drivers which only show a single scratch after a decade of use, these are the ones.
- Single cable: When just sitting still and listening, I don't seem to mind having a cable coming from each side. When I have to move in my chair on the other hand I find it very annoying. With this pair of headphones I've just fastened my amp to the left bottom side of my desk with duallock and by using the coiled cable I have a lot of freedom of movement.
If you're not a fan of the brightness like me, buy some AKG K240 foam discs and replace the stock ones. Those bring the top down to actually pleasant levels.
Fr just got the dekoni velour pads and I really enjoy the sound. These headphones are insanely good for open world games and atmospheric music
Jumping on the DMS train its too bright, try amping it properly. All that DMS ever goes on about is the 6XX which sounds like two amazon echo dots held up to your ears .Try amping the DT1990 and the HE1000SE another headphone that DMS took a dump on and stuck in D TIER on a Audio GD Master19 and then tell me its too bright.
I got my pair a few months ago. In my eyes they are virtually perfect.
Depends alot of the experience of the listener , is like buying cars , if you have a civic you really belive is the best of the best , then when you hop in a bmw , holy shit another planet, then grab a porsche , hmm wait a second, way better , it a rabbit hole than never ends , just buy the best headphones that you afford
@@bratosin1 this is the truth lol and so many people are in denial, saying things like "Porsche is a waste of money, my civic is just fine". Sure but i bet you haven't been in a Porsche...
These are my daily drivers for my video editing and gaming on PC, they sound phenomenal using the Analytical Pads, using a Questyle M15i to drive them. Incredible audio experience on all levels. Only downside is it could only be ran single ended due to its design.
I love these cans!
Hmmm...I think videos like these would be more useful if the tone were more about if its time for current owners to upgrade to something new. Not talking about Josh specifically but seeing new tier list etc that trash older headphones that we spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on at various youtuber recommendations is insulting. Its like in pc gaming when a new gfx card comes out its nice to have the new hotness, but your old one still gives you the same amount of performance as the day you bought. So if I replace my DT1990 pro and drop another $500+ how much more performance am I getting for my money????
In the “Ananda Nano vs Everything” video he said the 1990 Pro is one of his favorite headphones of all time, therefore suggesting to buy it rather than the Ananda Nano. A few months later and suddenly the DT 1990 Pro isn’t worth it anymore? I think you are getting confused, rather than say isn’t worth it I would say there are more option added since its launch that are definitely competing and worth considering.
I love my DT 1990 Pro headphones and will never change them.
My daily driver for the last 3 years
I bought the Amiron Home a year or so ago, largely because of Joshua's review, and liked it. But something about the sound seemed off to me. Then, just about 4 months ago I bought the DT1990. It took a long time for me to burn in the DT1990's, and in fact I was ready to return it several times. So I was still open to acquire a higher level product and, yes, Josh kind of sold me on the Arya Organic, and I got a pair.
Love the Arya's But, interestingly to me, my 1990's also started sounding really good, and now I often go back and forth between the Organics and DT1990 during a listening session. Both headphones have great detail and soundstage, although the 1990's have greater detail while the Organics win at soundstaging. But the 1990's are also more dynamic, so different types of music sound better on one or the other.
But you got to EQ the 1990's.
If you can get Beyer T1 second gen that’s a better gaming set than the 1990 pro tbh.
no doubt
I've got these and meze 109 pro. The sound is very similar but 109pro is just better: more volume and depth. Ergonomics is better with 1990. Basically dt1990 is great workhorce and 190pro is for great comfort and pleasure of listening.
I got into a car accident in 2022 and had to sell the 1990s to pay for the repairs. I miss it every day.
With that being said, it sounds like you do nothing but praise the headphone in the video. You’ve had a very inconsistent opinion of the 1990 ever since your initial review and recommending the 660s2 over this is wild considering, I would argue, they are two different headphones.
I think overall though this was a good video, I just wished you either went full into explaining the downsides of the 1990 or just said it was still a good headphone. It comes across like you’re fence sitting.
DT1990 + Dekoni Elite Velour is my endgame.
Hello guys,
Could I get recommendation for headphones that have vocal timbre of HD650 or HD598 or Momentum 3 that is suited for female vocal.
With bass of Philips X2HR or tuned down Sennheiser Momentum 3.
That would also have nice sound staging and imaging for games.
I love the Momentum 3, but their bass is little bit too heavy, they also lack resolution and sound staging + imaging.
I did not mind the Hd650, but they lack bass for me and sound staging leaves a lot to be desired.
The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X already are little bit too bright for me, their vocal is ok, their bass still not good enough.
Philip’s X2HR peak was aggravating, vocal timbre was ok, but they are too wide for gaming and have mediocre imaging.
HD 560S were just lackluster neutral for me, with bad imaging for games for me and no sight of Sennheiser vocal timbre.
HD 58X the worst vocal timbre out of sennheisers.
So for now for music I usually use Momentum 3 (tuned down bass like in DMS review), Philips X2HR (with eq down peak), HD650 (if I had too much brightness) and AirPods Pro 2.
For gaming usually it’s Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X with EQ down peak.
Next headphones I am planning to try are Hifiman Edition XS, DT 1990 Pro and Sennheiser HD660S.
But any other recommendations?
What is better and sounds better I use the current Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro and considering either the Audeze Maxwell or Beyerdynamic DT 1990. I really like wireless but I rather have what sounds better and is better overall and I these would be for gaming and music listening.
I bought these headphones on release, I really love the imaging and the build quality is amazing.
My personal love is super neutral, imaging and sound staging. You hear a lot of sound in this.
A lot of music I listen to has a lot of bass but I need to listen to all other instruments and vocals at the same time.
There is a surprising amount of bass for headphones.
I have not listened to the 490s but 6xx series seemed too narrow in sound stage for my use case.
I would love to try out the 109 Pros 🤔.
As others have mentioned the Dekoni pads tame the top end, but I always end up going back to the stock pads. The Dekoni pads seem to rob me of what I love about these headphones, which is the punch, slam and thwack factor. I have DT880 600ohm, Tygr 300r, HD6xx and HD58x...all which mostly sit up on the shelf, because there is no point listening to them since the DT1990 crush them by a wide margin.
I still love mine very much but I switched the pads for dekoni ones to tame the harsh treble response 😅
DT880 Pro-X Manufaktur and a Magni Unity
nah, the bravura in the background is such a flex
I think you should review the Focal Stellia and compare it the the Sony MDR-Z1R and the other flagship closed backs!
So summarized : if you like details and crispiness it’s still a no brainer 😂 I agree as i compared it to a few other headphones and none of them offered this sparkle
I bought the passive filter for my DT1990Pro and there's a big difference.
I miss my DT1990s, they were so comfortable with the velour elite pads from dekoni. They were built like tanks, were comfortable to wear all day, looked cool as hell. I wish there was something similar.
I love my DT1990, they are still worth it to me but only because I have multiple use cases, setups and preferences. They are not the most easy listen, nor the last word in wearing comfort. With the right amplification like the Quad PA-One+, they smooth out a bit in the treble and their imaging/soundstage is even more impressive. You can stretch the headband a bit and in time they do loosen up.
I have a Quad ERA-1 which in a few ways is a bests the 1990 like timbre, texture and spaciousness. It hits hard in the bass too, yet it doesn't have the excitement or level of micro detail.
The DT1990 holds its place between lower Hifiman and Meze offerings but should really go to $400 instead of $500 to sit in between to the Edition XS, Sundara, Verum 2 and Maxwell to stay in the conversation. Yes, they are better built, repairable and come with more accesories but that's not a make or break thing for a lot of people.
This is constantly compared to the Neuman's NDH-30. I'd love to see your review of the Neuman NDH - 30
I like neutral/neutral bright and these are excellent. EQ them to diffuse field target and they sound lovely. Beyer being available in our third world country and being build extremely well, means they beat pretty much everything else.
if you put on wicked cushion on the dt 1990 the sharpness is history and you still have the imaging and clarity. I own both dt 1990 and hifiman xs and I love them both on my Geshelli with sparkos and aune s17 pro. really orgasmic
I don’t agree, it’s still in the top 5 of the best headphones you can get PERIOD!
Agree!
nah
I have been using these headphone for gaming for the past 4 years and LOVE them, I keep looking for a better option but I don't see anything. I do enjoy my Kiwi Orch2 for IEM gaming, but NOTHING beats the comfort of these headphones, that said I have been eying the Maxwell, but lack of replaceable batter makes me very hesitant, I hate EOL a product because the battery is dead. I guess I will keep using them!
Hi Joshua, I bought the dt1990 following your advice long time ago. While I'm enjoying the exceptional detailed gaming experience, I agree many times the headphones sound too bright. Like in Billie Jean to give the most obvious example (or other bright tracks like Party, Girls Generation). Can't buy a new headphone this year, so I must accomodate for now. Have you ever EQed the DT1990? Any good EQ profile or personal experience to share in order to "mitigate" the problem? I already bought the Dekoni Velour pads and that helped a tiny bit. There are many resources with prebuilt parametric EQ to try (Oratory,Crinacle, Autoeq) but I don't like any of them. Every one seems based on measurments that show a peak around 8k, while listening to my pair I ear a HUGE peak at 7k, while 8k seems very recessed instead. So I find all of those settings pretty useless to me, they really kill the soundstage and headphones sound pretty "souless". Thank you for your always interesting videos
Checkout Dekoni Elite Velour pads. They reduce the sharp 8k peak that is annoying for some people.
Beyerdynamics like the DT770 and 990 are EXTREMELY harsh. I use a Neumann NDH30 for editing my voice overs and the DT770s make me de-ess too much.
They're exceedingly bright and that makes details too far forward and makes imperfections stick out so much that it makes one feel the need to work even harder to fix things no one will actually hear.
Just throwing another Beyer in for the cheap and good stuff (also gaming but with proper pads also getting better in general): DT880s + Deconi Suede (normal) Pads makes it much punchy in base...pretty crazy that a pad does this. So, this is since years my recommendation for every gamer + a little music.
@JoshuaValour Could you comment on using these with EQ? I feel like they offer great value at the price for non-FR stuff like imaging, bass delivery and dynamics, while their main deficiency is their FR. With EQ, which is free and everyone can use it, do they outshine the competition? Especially as sundara and sennheiser are quite lacking in the punch and slam category and these aren’t.
I bought the Beyerdynamic DT1990 pro for music production. Trance music, to be specific. You have to calibrate them through Sonarworks SoundID, and after that, they sound balanced enough. The harsh top end around 10k will be reduced and the lows/mids will be boosted in a great way. Sonarworks has a separate soundprofile for the analytical pads and the balanced pads.
Before calibration, I was actually a little disappointed by the thin sound. After calibration, they are just fine and will reveal everything in the soundspectrum.
Holy cow is that a Warwick Bravura back there? 🤯
Hey man, for mixing and mastering electronic music.... wich one is the best?
I can not afford a pro studio so i wanna go big with headphones.... hifiman arya? Or there is something better 😁
Currently using Custom One Pro+, and I wonder if these are an upgrade?
I tried the DT-880 Pro Black Edition, but I am not impressed at all, and went back to the Custom One Pro+ again.
Can you do similar video on HD800s?
Using Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee and a DT1990 pro for a couple of years now and I enjoy both the sound signatures. The DT1990 with Dekoni pads for movies is awesome. I like the HD58X for its value. However, the DT1990 does have a great build quality meant to last and does sound very good as well, especially with Dekoni pads. In terms of sound signature I do prefer the DT1990 over the HD58X. If I were to recommend one over the other it would be HD58X because it is a much cheaper option. By the same logic almost all headphones over 300/400 dollar mark need to be avoided. The Sub-300 category and maybe 400 should give most listeners everything they need to listen and enjoy good music. Beyond that it is all ... inflation.
I owned the DT 900 proX for a few days and resold them for a much lower price, losing a lot of money. The soundstage was narrow, the sound was dull, no sound width and an obvious lack of bass (and yet I hate headphones full of bass). I was very angry with myself, I think I had been a little too quickly seduced by their appearance : notably superbly thick pads, a solid and also beautiful headband, 2 cables, etc. So I went back to the older Dt 990 Pros which have everything I like in headphones sonically and which today don't cost very much after all. Is the DT 1990 Pro superior ?
You say (at 2:32) that often headphones with more detail are also more bright. I have a little (but only a little) bright in certain listening situations, usually when the audio source is not very good or average, but when plugging my DT 990 pro into my iFi audio Zen CAN amp (it -even connected to the iFi audio Zen DAC) this aspect really disappears, the sound is suddenly smoothed without losing any of its definition quality.
For audio files, it depends. I don't do monitoring and yet the DT 990 pro (open headphones) are perfect for listening to learned music (Schoenberg, Bartok, Mahler, Beethoven, etc.) or for original recordings of jazz from 1920-40. It is also excellent for spoken vocals. It adds no or very little colorization or transformation of the sound (admittedly a little bass is undoubtedly added, which suits me just enough). The problem with all so-called audiophile headphones (Meze, Sivga P2 pro, Audeze, etc.) is that the bass are relatively pronounced and the midrange is more important than the clarity (according to my in-store tests). The result is that we can detect a form of artificiality, even if this can be very attractive in certain listening situations.
No comparison with Ananda Nano going for $500 now? Missed opportunity. The thing that these headphones do so well is pair with metal, punk, hardcore and anything EXTREME genre-wise, it's like the perfect combination for that. My theory is that Hifiman would be good at everything because they have better tech and better prices. My main question was how does the resolution of the 1990s compare with the Nanos?
I listened to the 1990s just last night, they really do need tubes if you can't EQ. But I might get some EQ here. They're exceptional with Valhalla 2 and the upgrade pads, no EQ necessary.
You wouldn't buy Meze 109 instead of these, those are a critical system phone, nearly daily driver material, but much more expensive. $530 and $800 bourgie stuff is not a real competition, and it appears the 109s need EQ as well. As for the rest, they hardly compare in sq or construction.
The 1990 is beautiful and sound very good. The question is merely resolution, not things that can be solved with EQ.
If you want a headphone that annihilates the 1990s, the Focal Elex are currently my favorite headphone, but the 1990s have their own place since they're in a location where I drop stuff all the time. I never have a frown on my face about the 90's, exceptional in their own right with proper system synergy. People forget how incredible 300 OHM dynamic drivers are, how magical, how even the dynamics are, how much they're capable of getting right.
Which is why it's such a cruel shame what happened to Beyer and their T1 series. Ghastly.
Mine sound phenomenal through my Apollo Solo, using the Analytical pads. I personally heavily dislike the 600/660 series altogether, they feel cheap and ridiculously underwhelming.
Too bright? I don't feel that way at all. This headphone is pretty nice and the default sound is excellent. It has devent soundstage and the imaging is excellent.
Buy the Dekoni elite velour earpads, and it's super comfortable and sounds amazing.
Josh I'd really like to see a direct comparison between the DT 1990 pro and the Aune AR5000.
I still find it difficult to find a new headphone, that's a genuine upgrade from my HD650. I've owned this thing for more than 20 years now, and it still holds up so well
Is the 1770 pro good for competitive games ? Or are there any better other headphones ? sennheiser hd 490 pro plus for example ?
This is so biased and crude
I was at Sweetwater and tried all the expensive headphones I compared these even to thr hd600s and these beyerdynamics were in fact BETTER
Hi .. can you recommend the best portable dac/amp for this headphone because i have one and im confused which portable dac/amp will buy to give the max performance it could
Like he said, for gaming they're great, but for everything else, the hifiman anandas stealth magnets at the reduced new price of 399 blow these away.
if you're an edm listener you want the bass to hit this hard. Highly recommend these.
Heard it yesterday and too bright for me. Even 770 was better.
This was my first audiophile headphones and the only reason I don't sell it is that it does a fantastic job as a gaming headset :)
I just watched a video from 8 weeks before this one and you recommended these...
Would be cool if you try the DT 900 PRO X. It’s not that bright
Bro your timing is on point, I literally just came back from the audio store to try it lol
I do not think that the Audeze Maxwell was good for gaming. (or any other purposes)
Almost no bass... channel imbalance... very flat sounding... heavy (uncomfortable) and expensive for most of the gamers out there.
BUT I do think almost any around ear Beyerdynamic headphones are good for gaming. 👍
If they fix the treble it could be an end game. But Beyer fixing treble? Lol lol lol
Will you ever review the focal stellia ?? You had all focals but this one is missing even tho its one of there best headsets.
@@Xenaman In one of his videos, He shitted on the Stellia's badly! Even decided not to review them because of how badly they sounded to him. He did admit that he thinks they may be broken due to how badly they sound. I was deciding between that and the Sony Z1r. But now I'm not comfortable spending 3k on headphones that may have driver issues.
@@KillaHafiz89 I own the Stellia and they are fantastic headsets. The problem with Stellias, that the headset must seal your ears to really shine, if one does not seal the headphones correctly then you can't see the glory of the stellia..
@@Xenaman Where I live, there is no where I can go to try it out before buying. I guess I'll buy both the Stellia's and Sony Z1r's and just keep the ones I prefer. I'll return the other headphones.
@@KillaHafiz89 if you can afford it, why not? ;)
Spreading managed democracy with good soundstage and imaging.
I love these cans on the secondary markets. Buying these at around %50-%70 from the original price is perfect. These are bright but doesn't everyone know to EQ by now?
is it worth getting the t5 over these ( i currently use 177x go)
Thanks for the vid- As a gamer I've been looking at the DT1990 to replace my Sundaras and I'm still thinking it's the right play for me based on what you said. I'll be looking at your alternatives though
i completely agree on what u said in this video I personally use for production mix and mastering and I love it, especially cause are really sharp, but I use them with sonarwork for calm the highs and I have a +3 db correction below 100 hx for more sub 😹 I do techno so this is why , but also for movies those sub is awesome and imaging too, thank u Joshua as allay for your videos 🙏
What would you recommend for mastering engineers?
The 1770s
Used these everyday for like 5 years these are my jam
Just slap a toilet paper
Gee man. I love my set. Quite a harsh opinion.
The DT770 Pro X is worth it in 2024. My new favorite closed back.
About 6 months ago I had the 1990s and the 660s2s and returned the 1990s. Way to sibilant for me, the 660s2 with an EQ, boosted bass, slightly boosted treble made these headphones sound amazing. I’m currently running the hd800s and I think the duo between the hd800s and the hd660s2 compliment eachother nicely, hd800s for soundstage and imaging (great for gaming and comfort) with tons of detail, where the 660s2s fulfill the bass while still being extremely detailed. They’re both great but both need EQs for me, both bass boosted, hd800s I have the treble rolled back a tad just to take the edge off as theyre pretty bright, but no where as near bright as the 1990s. The 1990s did NOT scale well with volume, I like listening to music semi loudly, and the 1990s treble KILLED my ears.
From a gamer's perspective if i wanted beyerdynamic, I would choose DT900 PRO X. Easier to drive, cheaper, more balanced.