Audio review
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Review: Two Labs Say Bright, One Says Flat
Sonarworks calls it a treble iceberg starting at 6.5 kHz. Headphone Check says practically no overemphasis anywhere. Both measured the same headphone.
By Paulo GerchonPublished 2 min read
Illustration, not a photo — we don’t have a licensed image of this product yet.
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Good · researched from 3 sources
Comfortable enough to wear all day and cheap enough to be an obvious first open-back, with a treble character that two of three sources call bright. Do not buy it as a mixing reference on the strength of the Pro in its name.
- Buy if
- Long listening sessions, on a 9.6 out of 10 comfort score · Gaming and detail listening, where the treble lift helps · Anyone who wants an open-back at entry-level money
- Skip if
- Mixing or mastering, on Sonarworks' explicit scepticism · Any environment with background noise · Anyone who wants a replaceable cable
We don’t list prices, because Amazon’s change hourly.
Three measurements, two conclusions
Sonarworks: a U-curve, with a treble iceberg starting around 6.5 kHz that makes instrument overtones hard to judge.
SoundGuys: excess energy in the highs against their studio target, with emphasis across 50 to 300 Hz and again from 2 kHz to 20 kHz.
Headphone Check: practically no overemphasis or dips across the audible range, balanced across the whole spectrum.
Two against one, and the two agreeing are both describing a bright headphone with lifted bass, which is the reputation the DT 990 has carried for years.
SoundGuys' observation about who that suits is the useful one: gamers, who find footsteps easier to place, and mixers who want a less grating listen. It is a flavour, not a fault, and it is not neutrality.
Which matters if you believe the word Pro
Sonarworks is sceptical about using these for mixing, saying the coloured signature needs considerable time to learn before serious professional work is viable, and recommending the DT 880 Pro instead.
They also found notable harmonic distortion in the sub-bass, which undermines monitoring anything with real low end.
Headphone Check disagrees and calls them suitable for critical listening.
The safe reading: buy these to enjoy music and to hear detail, not to decide whether a mix has too much 8 kHz in it.
The comfort is not contested
SoundGuys scored comfort 9.6 out of 10. Large velour-wrapped pads, a light chassis, and weight distributed by a suspension band.
Headphone Check describes an airy, lightweight feel from the open construction and pleasant comfort at the ear and the head.
Sonarworks notes the clamping force is well distributed.
For headphones you wear for six hours at a desk, that is worth more than a decibel of treble either way. Sonarworks' one caveat is that the velour deforms and wants replacing about once a year, and Beyerdynamic sells the pads.
The cable will kill them
It is not removable.
SoundGuys names this as the durability concern, and it is the right one. Pads are replaceable. The headband is replaceable. The cable is soldered in, and a cable is the part of a headphone most likely to fail.
For a design that otherwise looks built to outlast its owner, that is a strange place to save money.
And they hear everything
Open-backed, with isolation scored 0.7 out of 10 by SoundGuys.
Everyone in the room hears what you are listening to, and you hear the room. At 250 ohms they also want more than a phone, though both SoundGuys and Sonarworks agree that any ordinary audio interface or headphone amplifier is enough.
There are 80 and 600 ohm versions if the 250 does not suit your setup.
How it scored
The overall 7.7 is the weighted average of these five criteria — we never adjust it by hand.
Sound quality
SoundGuys measured excess energy in the highs against their studio target. Sonarworks describes a U-curve with a treble rise from 6.5 kHz. Headphone Check finds practically no overemphasis.
Value
Headphone Check scored 4.63 out of 5 and calls it a classic. Sonarworks calls it decent value for entry level while recommending the DT 880 Pro for professional work.
Build quality
SoundGuys rates build 7.5 out of 10 and flags the non-removable cable as the main durability risk. The velour pads are replaceable through Beyerdynamic.
Comfort
SoundGuys scored comfort 9.6 out of 10, crediting large velour pads and a light chassis. Sonarworks notes the pads deform and need replacing about annually.
Ease of use
250 ohms, which Sonarworks says requires dedicated amplification while SoundGuys says most USB interfaces suffice. Open-backed, so SoundGuys scores isolation 0.7 out of 10.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- SoundGuys scored comfort 9.6 out of 10 with large velour pads and a light chassis
- Headphone Check calls the reproduction balanced across the whole spectrum
- Replaceable velour ear pads available through Beyerdynamic
- SoundGuys says most USB interfaces and low-end amplifiers drive it adequately
- Headphone Check praises the spatial staggering and imaging
- A design that has stayed in production and in studios for decades
What we didn’t
- Sonarworks describes a treble rise from 6.5 kHz that obscures instrument overtones
- Sonarworks reports notable harmonic distortion in the sub-bass
- The cable is not removable, which SoundGuys names as the durability risk
- SoundGuys scored isolation 0.7 out of 10, since it is open-backed
- Sonarworks is sceptical about using it for mixing without learning its colouration
- Sonarworks says the pads deform and need replacing about once a year
Specifications
| Type | Open-back, over-ear |
|---|---|
| Impedance | 250 ohms nominal; 242.65 ohms measured by Headphone Check |
| Weight | 381 g per SoundGuys; 271 g without cable per Headphone Check |
| Cable | Non-removable, 1 m coiled extending to about 3 m |
| Pads | Velour, replaceable through Beyerdynamic |
| Stated frequency range | 5 Hz to 35 kHz |
| Isolation | 0.7 out of 10 per SoundGuys |
| Variants | 80, 250 and 600 ohm; this review covers the 250 |
| Folding | It does not fold |
How we researched this
We have not had this unit on the bench. This review synthesises the manufacturer’s published specifications, independent measurements and owner reports listed below. Every figure on this page comes from one of those sources rather than our own measurement.
3
sources reviewed
SoundGuys supplies the frequency response finding against their studio target, the isolation and comfort scores, the weight and the cable criticism, and scored it 6.6 out of 10. Headphone Check supplies the measured impedance and SPL, the weights with and without cable and a contrary assessment of the frequency response, and scored 4.63 out of 5. Sonarworks supplies the most detailed treble analysis, the sub-bass distortion finding, the drive requirements and the mixing verdict. The three disagree about how bright these are, and all three positions are reported rather than reconciled. This review covers the 250 ohm variant.
What we read
Common questions
Are the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro too bright?
Can I mix on them?
Do they need an amplifier?
How comfortable are they?
What is the weak point?
The bottom line on the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Comfortable enough to wear all day and cheap enough to be an obvious first open-back, with a treble character that two of three sources call bright. Do not buy it as a mixing reference on the strength of the Pro in its name.
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