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Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro Impressions

pablolie

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I just added these headphones to my stable, and after listening to them for one weekend (and as I am using them as we speak in my remote work rig) - I must say I am very pleased with them. On my stationary workstation, I have listened to them through the Audioengine D1 as well as Arcam rPAC (without EQ thus far) with Jriver Media Center (in exclusive mode).

I listened to classical, mostly acoustic jazz. To relax while I am working I also listen to New Age, but the latter is not that critical to me.

With classical music, I truly enjoy the "stage" that is presented in my head. It's very cleanly done. Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante's "The Four Seasons" highlights that ability (it's a great recording for that). And the violins don't come across overly aggressive and piercing, as can sometimes be the case - I was afraid, based on some reviews, there'd be some off-putting sibilance in these cans, but I can't say that's the case. Quite the contrary, it sounds very refined.

One of my personal reference recordings is Kevin Mahogany's "Pride and Joy", especially the tracks "Never can say goodbye" and "tears of a clown". Kevin's amazing voice (he's missed) sounds full and immediate, and the guitar in "tears of of a clown" as well as the entire jazz ensemble (acoustic bass, piano and especially the amazing percussion) in "Never can say goodbye" is 100% spot on.

I also love my Shure SRH1540, but as they are closed -which is great for some stuff, and they are awesome cans too-, in comparison they sound a bit more shy and contained than the Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro.

I'd be curious about others' impressions.

PS: Yes, I am about to buy a headphone amp with a bit more juice. But in general, the DT1990 don't seem as hard to drive as some say - maybe it's because I don't listen at high volume levels.

PS2: On the latter, trying to decide between JDS Element 3 and Shiit Jotunheim (w/ DAC Module).
 
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twsecrest

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Ever listened to the Beyer Dt990 and if so, how do they compare to the Dt1990?
 

Zensō

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I like the DT1990 Pro and use them regularly for mixing. The build quality is amazing and they’re fairly comfortable for shorter sessions. Unfortunately, they have a terrible treble spike and are arguably unusable without EQ. Fortunately, they respond well to EQ and perform quite well once the treble is brought under control.


 
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pablolie

pablolie

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I find their behavior with my current DAC totally awesome. Maybe it is because I don't listen to any overly electronic music, it's classical and jazz, which tends to be balanced both in the lower bass and the highest highs (my hearing cuts off at 16kHz, unlike my cat's :)) . I am getting the JDS Labs Element 3 tomorrow, I'll be curious if there's a change...
 
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Zensō

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I find their behavior with my current DAC totally awesome. Maybe it is because I don't listen to any overly electronic music, it's classical and jazz, which tends to be balanced both in the lower bass and the highest highs (my hearing cuts off at 16kHz, unlike my cat's :)) . I am getting the JDS Labs Element 3 tomorrow, I'll be curious if there's a change...
If you take a look at the linked files there’s a 7db treble spike centered at around 8kHz that will jump out regardless of the type of music or which DAC is used. If you like that extreme sibilance that’s cool, but if you’re shooting for accuracy, EQing out the spike will make the overall sound more balanced and get you much closer to the original recording.

Congrats on your Element, JDS is awesome!
 
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Hi pablolie. I already have the r70x but i want more detail (i am keeping r70x) i listen to mostly Soundtracks and classical music. Would these be pretty good headphones if i want more detail?
 

twsecrest

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The Audio Technica ATH-R70X headphones are 470-Ohm, so your two sources (Icon & Groove) might not be giving the R70X the kind of power it needs to be fully functional.
Try plugging the R70X into something like a A/V receiver (if you have one) and see if the sound improves.

For something to buy, Schiit Magnius headphone amplifier and a balanced headphone cable, that might do the trick.
 
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