beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition 600 Ohm Over-Ear-Stereo Headphones. Open design, wired, high-end for use with headphone amplifiers

[Edit - One month after purchase: Buy these. You won't regret it.]I purchased the 32 ohm version of these headphones for $170 as I bought them Open Box (Perfect Condition) from a different seller on Amazon. I attached images for this review because it is very truly in perfect condition and I'm very happy with my purchase. The box was very clearly used and beat up, but the headphones themselves were very nice and the only signs of previous use were fingerprints on the metal parts of them which were easily removed.Sound Quality:I'm no expert on audio but I do prefer to have the best audio I can for a decent price, and these just about fit the bill. They are open-back headphones and the soundstage is amazing. These are my first ever pair of open-back headphones and I am blown away by how awesome they sound. The bass is perfect but not overpowering. The mids are fine, they aren't nearly as recessed as some people claim. The highs can be a bit tinny and painful but I think that's just from being so used to bassy headphones before these. After a day or two of use I've gotten adjusted to the sound of the highs and the clarity is really nice. If it bothers you too much you can always download an EQ program to soften them a bit.[Edit - One month after purchase: The highs have softened by a ton and are really pleasant. I'm not sure if it's due to break-in or just me getting used to them, but they are astounding sounding headphones. Best purchase I made this year, without a doubt. Great for gaming, watching movies/shows, and listening to music. Fantastic!]Build:Absolutely phenomenal! These are extremely light at 290 grams and the metal parts are sturdy. My only complaint with the build is that the adjustable parts of the headband are a bit wobbly and tend to "snap" into place randomly if you didn't adjust it perfectly. It's a minor issue that really doesn't take away from the experience, it's just a bit of a scare every once in a while if you forget they do that sometimes. Definitely not worried about them breaking at all, I think it's just a compromise from having more adjustability in the ear cups. The grills are metal and tend to attract fingerprints, as well as the tabs on the headband. The supports connecting it to the headband are also metal but have a more matte finish that doesn't seem to attract prints at all. The other parts are plastic with the headband being covered in an interesting layer of leather/foam material.[Edit - One month after purchase: No problems with build at all, still. The cable seems to coil up on its own which is a bit of a pain, but really the least of my concerns.]Comfort:Pretty darn good. I'm used to having gaming headsets that are designed for hours and hours of use, and at this rate, I don't think any earcups will be as comfortable as the ones on Razer headphones. I don't know how they make those so insanely soft and plush, but they will forever be my favorite. The DT990 ear pads have an extremely soft velour covering over an angled plush material that contours your head better than typical earcups. They aren't as plush as my old Razer headsets, but they don't really need to be because these headphones are so light. The ear cups are absolutely massive and I can't imagine anyone having trouble fitting their ears in these, even people with bigger heads. I have a medium/small head and small ears and these adjust to even smaller sizes than I need, but I'm not sure that people with absolutely massive heads will get quite the size they need. I added a photo of them fully extended, if that may help. The headband is soft but still firm, but they are so light that doesn't really matter. The clamping force is okay, they don't feel like they'll fall off my head easily but I do wish it was just a *tiny* bit looser. It's not unbearable at all though, and it seems like I just need to get used to it. The open back nature also adds to comfort, somehow. It doesn't feel like the sound is coming from anywhere, it's just there near your ears, instead of traditional closed-back headphones which feel like the sound is actually being projected from a source into your ears. For these, the sound just... happens. It's really lovely. Very easy to forget you're even wearing headphones.[Edit - One month after purchase: The clamping is no longer an issue. I can wear these all day with no headaches. Either got used to them or they loosened up a bit with use. Either way, they're wonderful. I tried replacing the ear cups with leather ones, but they made the sound signature less unique and the openness of the headphones was compromised more than I'd like. After going back to the originals, I'd have them no other way. Brainwavz XL Large Sheepskin Leather Replacement Memory Foam Earpads - Suitable For Many Other Large Over The Ear Headphones - Sennheiser, AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex, Sony (Sheepskin Leather)]Accessories:These came with a carrying case/bag that is leather and zips closed that is packed with nice foam. Not much extra room in there and I feel like it could have been downsized and contoured more, instead of being a huge rectangular shape. Also came with a screw-on adapter for amps, but I don't use it because I don't have an amp (or need it for the 32 ohm version). The cable is attached, which I would prefer it be detachable. It is very long and should have no issues reaching any of your systems, but it is definitely no good for mobile use unless you have a way to store a ton of cables wherever.Additional Notes:I bought these primarily for gaming and exclusive desktop use (so mostly gaming, music, watching videos, shows, etc. Basically everything you'd use headphones for) and so far they have been excellent for everything I have used them for. I may need to find a way to amp up the volume a bit, because currently everything is maxed on my computer to get the desired loudness, but for most situations it has more than enough volume. Just a few games lack in the super loud end, but it's really not a big deal. I think it's because I have an older motherboard, so newer computers or people with amps absolutely shouldn't have any issues with volume. Also, the open-back sound leakage is NOT BAD! I was so worried these would leak too much sound for other people, but I can barely even hear it leaking out at max volume. It definitely does leak but if you're in a room by yourself blasting music, I doubt anyone walking past your room with an open door would even hear a thing. You could probably listen in the same room as someone else and not have an issue either, just keep the volume lower.Sound quality: 9.5/10Build quality: 8.5/10Comfort: 9/10Accessories: 6/10Overall, I'm very happy with these headphones. Definitely would recommend for anyone looking for an audio upgrade in the mid-high tier.[Edit - One month after purchase: Buy these. You won't regret it. Seriously. If you're looking for a more flat response, the DT880s may be a better choice, but these are extremely good at what they do and frankly I would choose these again, recommend them to everyone I know, and give them as gifts. Even for $200, these are great. Total bargain.]

Ear cups are nice velour and are very large and comfortable. Headband is soft leatherette with thick cushioning. However the headband has a reputation for going kind of bad over time. So I'd look into removing and replacing it early rather than when it's leaving nasty black goo everywhere. These headphones are a bit on the heavy side, so the headband could be wider for better comfort. However, they feel lighter on the head than they would seem to at first glance. The headclamp is fairly loose even on my large head, so comfort is overall excellent.Build quality is otherwise excellent except for one area. The sliders holding the earcups on suck. Neither side stays reasonably locked in place, and I find myself re-adjusting the headphones every time I put them on, because their own clamp force pushes them back in. They are hard to pull out in a reasonable way as well. I always feel like I am putting unnecessary wear or torque on my nice cans. I solved the problem by putting them in place then putting a thick wrap of electrical tape around the stem to block it from sliding in. It works great. So a cheap Beyerdynamic headband and some tape and boom, very solid and high wear headphones.Beware, if you get the 600 ohm version of these, you better mean it, because these babies take SERIOUS power to truly drive properly. The 600 ohm/80mW capable amp in my Sound Blaster ZxR took them to listenable levels for youtube and they sounded decent for games and movies. Music, however, was an entirely different matter. The ZxR really strained with pretty much all sources and couldn't really maintain a listenable volume for a lot of stuff. Also, the overall fullness of sound in all music was very lacking. I upgraded to a Schiit Asgard 2 headphone amp with over twice the power output of the soundcard at 600ohm/190mW. The sound quality was much improved. However volume was not a large jump, so turning it to near max for 24/7 use was still a requirement. Not for cranking them but just for basic listening. The poor Asgard could barely do it despite its great power with the rest of my headphone collection.I eventually moved up to a Schiit Valhalla 2 OTL tube amp with over twice the output of the Asgard 2 at 600ohm/450mW. It was finally enough to power these babies at full tilt, and they handled the power beautifully. These are by far some of the best high volume headphones I've ever listened to. It wasn't worth the cost of learning their needs, but dang do they put that power to good use! Awesome sound pressure and articulation. Indescribable at higher volumes. Their titanic power handling ability is an immense asset with a truly capable amp to back them up!Treble response is incredibly sharp and detailed on these cans. When I moved to the tube amp it had the side effect of taming the frequency spikes somewhat. I still had to use a very minor(-1 or -2dB) EQ change to drop their upper treble to comfortable levels. I don't think there's any real sibilance or screech but they are just incredibly sharp and emphasized. Definitely worth noting that the source makes a huge difference here. Some of my warmer vinyl recordings require no EQ at all. Likewise really well produced music is less likely to have huge issues. Gaming and movies as well really benefited from the extra treble response and detail, and I could generally get away with leaving the EQ off. Modern pop though, and metal, and a lot of other noisy, trebly music was just a little too hot on these without EQ. Not a major issue as there are plenty of fast, easy, and reliable EQ methods out there. However, the real saving grace is that the unpleasant spikes are in a very small range, and were very easy to tune out on both the SS and Tube amps. I prefer not to EQ headphones when I can help it, so it was great that they needed so little. Detail is uncompromising in the extreme. Absolutely revealing and resolving with superb precision! The timbre, response, and quality of it are incredibly pleasing to my ears. Like actual physical pleasure. Their tone is just awesome and energetic. I can handle the slightly hot treble because the amount of nuance and texture these reveal is astonishing! Simply amazing. I have never heard the like in any other headphone.Mids are a little recessed and dry but are nearly as fast and energetic as the treble. Very flat with a little growl. Not particularly smooth or refined but excellent detail and nothing is ever lost to the other frequencies. Vocals are perfect and instrument reproduction is near lifelike. Well produced music sounds INSANE on the DT990s. Their lack of warmth helps the mids maintain composure in exceptionally challenging music. However, there is always that glossy sheen on the incredibly bright treble hanging over the mids. The DT880s, AKG K712s and other headphones of this class handle mids with a more natural tone.Bass response is exceptional but nowhere near as overpowering as others seem to imply. Very snappy and tight response. Extension is good and deep without trying to reach too low. A little flubbiness on the lowest notes but otherwise great texture and definition. They give a satisfying thump, but their real strength is in the audible spectrum; mid and upper bass. Just incredibly full and well-defined low end. These are great for following bass guitar tracks, or for movie soundtracks, and work amazingly for classic rock. These aren't the fastest cans out there, but they are energetic and musical. A good amp helps with their bass response and quickness a bit. As far as open headphones go these probably have the most bass emphasis I've heard. Maybe not the most articulation or detail but plenty of oomph.Conclusions:Despite their intense energy and power, these can get pretty fatiguing after long listening sessions. I can use these fine for hours as daily headphones, but they can very quickly make my ears tired if I am not careful with the volume. I would more readily recommend these if they didn't basically require you to be a treblehead to get real enjoyment out of them. Their stock treble always has that potential for harshness, despite the incredible detail. For me, that's a blessing. For others, it maybe a curse.I would recommend the large majority of users steer clear of the 600 ohm and 32 ohm versions of these headphones. They both present challenges to driving them. The 250 ohm is enough and just about any proper amp will drive them with ease. The 600 ohm may have slightly better overall response and tone at high power, but the difference in usability is huge. I have since sold my 600ohm model and moved down to the 250ohm, and am much happier.