• expired

BeyerDynamic DT 990 Pro Open Back Studio Headphones $179 (was $289) + Delivery @ Mwave

1090

A great deal on some highly rated open-back headphones.

Expiry extended to 04/10/2021 - while stocks last.

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Open Back Studio Headphones - 250 Ohms - Frequency Response: 5 - 35.000 Hz - Sound Pressure Level: 96 dB - Cable & Plug: Coiled connecting cable with mini-jack plug (3.5 mm) & ¼“ adapter (6.35 mm) - 459038 - 2 Years Limited Warranty
Manufacturer Warranty: 2 Years Limited Warranty

· Circumaural headphones for professional mixing, mastering and editing, 250 ohms
· Transparent, spacious, bass and powerful sound
· Soft, circumaural and replaceable velour ear pads
· Robust, comfortably padded and adjustable spring steel headband design
· Made in Germany
The DT 990 PRO is an open dynamic headphone of exceptional quality suitable for the most demanding professional and audiophile applications. The reduced weight of the diaphragm and moving coil result in a similar pulse characteristic as electrostatic headphones, and in combination with a carefully tailored frequency response offer a natural and balanced sound.

Soft earpads and adjustable, sliding, earpieces together with a very flexible coiled cable ensure listening comfort during extended periods of use

Edit: The 80 Ohm Limited Edition are also on special for the same price ($179, was $289). Thanks Cpt Dumpling

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 80 Ohm Open Back Studio Headphones - Limited Edition - 80 Ohms - Cable & Plug: Coiled connecting cable with mini-jack plug (3.5 mm) & ¼“ adapter (6.35 mm) - 2 Years Limited Warranty
Manufacturer Warranty: 2 Years Limited Warranty

· Circumaural headphones for professional mixing, mastering and editing, 80 ohms
· Transparent, spacious, bass and powerful sound
· Soft, circumaural and replaceable velour ear pads
· Robust, comfortably padded and adjustable spring steel headband design
· Made in Germany
The DT 990 PRO is an open dynamic headphone of exceptional quality suitable for the most demanding professional and audiophile applications. The reduced weight of the diaphragm and moving coil result in a similar pulse characteristic as electrostatic headphones, and in combination with a carefully tailored frequency response offer a natural and balanced sound.

Soft earpads and adjustable, sliding, earpieces together with a very flexible coiled cable ensure listening comfort during extended periods of use

Related Stores

Mwave Australia
Mwave Australia

closed Comments

  • +8

    the 80Ohm limited edition are on sale for same price too
    https://www.mwave.com.au/product/beyerdynamic-dt-990-pro-80-…

    • +1

      Thanks for the heads up, have added this into the original deal.

    • Which works better for PC and iPhone between 80Ohm and 250Ohm?

      I have Sennheiser HD555 (50 Ohm), I have to turn the volume down to lowest level 1% on Windows and Mac…

      • You can run the 250 Ohm on the iPhone as well as the PC.

      • +1

        Some review states that the bass is lacking with 250 ohms on phones, even though it does get loud.

        And that makes sense due to the equation Power = amp^2/resistance. Too much resistance (ohm) means not enough power.

        • +1

          Actually power is current^2 * resistance (* not /), or voltage^2 / resistance. The maximum power is when the impedance of the headphones matches the impedance of the amplifier, and the power transfer will decrease on either side of that value.

          • +1

            @Jamosium: I hope I got the formula correct…

            P = IV; V=IR; therefore P = I^2*R. Nup, you're correct. My bad.

            Yeah, I think I was trying to refer to P=V^2/R, where the max voltage of an amplifier typical on phones and motherboard audio is limited, and therefore headphone with large impedance (such as 250ohm) might not get that loud.

      • +1

        80Ohm will run better, but you'd be better off using an amp for either of them. If you really need critical listening on an iphone then sure go for the 250, otherwise 80 is great for fun listening.

  • +1

    Hope they have the earopads on specials too, they may need replacing by the end of the upcoming Summer season
    full-sized headphones and summer not necessarily a good mix

    • +4

      Unless you're in an aircon room.
      This is the same problem as with all over-ear headphones.

      • -1

        Can get decent MHIAA units for the price of a few sets of these headphones.

    • +3

      Yeh, not really for outdoors lol.

  • +4

    I'd go the 6XX if after a great open-back design, but the BeyerDynamics are fantastic for closed back options. I think they're far superior to the very popular ATH-M50X.

    • +2

      AKG K371 is the newly crowned champ.

      Maybe the silver 1more Triple Driver On-Ear if you're after something quirky and already have good headphones for timbre.

      Above that you're looking at the Audeze Penrose, maybe the Focal Elegiac, some Dan Clark offerings with the updated LCD-XC sandwiched in the middle of them.

      • What about HD560s for open back for around $200?

        • +1

          Back up over $280 at the moment I think.

          Have posted below with $200ish options, the AKG K612 Pro being the most similar.

      • +1

        All of those are incredibly uncomfortable or overpriced, and poor suggestions for the average user who’d be much happier with some comfy Beyers.

        • +1

          Nothing wrong wit hthe K371 for almost everyone. The 1more is almost an on-ear, it's just unique value when it's sold for $159 like it is on Amazon. The rest are fine for comfort, if getting increasingly heavier as you go up in price due to the planar tech involved (Focals being the exception).

          Bit weird that you're prioritising your headphone checklist the same as you would a pair of earmuffs.

          • +4

            @jasswolf: The K371 tuning is great, but the pads compress far too much. This results in the ear touching the baffle for a lot of people - which is particularly nasty here as there's no foam or padding.
            This is a very common complaint for the AKGs and a good reason why they (very unfortunately) cannot be a blanket recommendation like the DT770 has been for so long.

            1more's are just ridiculous.

            Penrose headband design coupled with the weight creates a lot of pressure on the top of the head. Have a look through the Head-Fi thread and users resorting to Dekoni Nuggets to alleviate the pain. On top of this, the Penrose also has shallow cups with no foam covering the baffle.

            The Focal Elegia (discontinued) requires EQ to sound half reasonable, and have their own problems with weight. Also, on sale they're still $800.

            DCA's stuff (along with the LCD range) aren't worth discussing except amongst audiophiles who have well and truly drunk the cool-aid.

            • @seerious: That was my main issue with the k371 when I got them, too shallow and bottom bit behind the ear doesn't maintain the seal properly.

              Brainwaz regular oval pads solves this issue. It's a perfect fit with thicker pads and the opening is slightly bigger too.

            • @seerious:

              • Elegia is still stocked in Australia, agree about the EQ but people always start asking for options above the Penrose
              • Work down the clamping force on the K371 and the Penrose and adjust the headband to see if you can get different results… headphone 101
              • 1More are a unique driver solution that punch above the price point, it's a fun v-shaped signature, albeit with piezo timbre because it's handling a lot above 10kHz… you get a big soundstage and good imaging in return
              • DCA closed back options start at around $700, and they're good… for closed backs
              • LCD-XC is highly regarded with the updated tuning, but I'm not a fan of going to end-game levels for a closed back either, at least with current headphone driver technology

              Look back through the history of my comments, where I just tell people to get either the K371 or the Penrose and call it a day for closed backs. This is just me getting ahead of the 4 people asking for more options.

      • Yup for closed back k371 all the way. Beyerdynamic is either love it or hate it signature. Need to eq 8.3k by quite abit and they sound divine. Doesn't play well with pop songs due to sibilance

      • Jasswolf. Do you own the Audeze Penrose? If so, what is your experience of the noise floor issue these days? That and the less than stellar mic is what puts me off buying this. (I play on a console). Cheers

    • +3

      The BeyerDynamics are open back.

      • +3

        Yes - for clarity, I mean other BeyerDynamic models that are closed back

        • Ah, I misread.

        • Like the DT770 and DT770 Pro (if still made), maybe they have other models now

  • +14

    Patiently waits for Jasswolf to join the conversation*

    • +15

      Good timing!

  • Haha just like clockwork! Learn/ed quite a lot from your input!

  • +13

    Death by treble here. These headphones were originally from the 80s, and they have been surpassed.

    Beyer have in fact just announced a refresh for the 770 and 990 lineup with a new driver, unfortunately coming in at USD $329 MSRP, but they look promising from the pad and dampening moves they appear to have made.

    For something better than the older model that's similarly priced:

    • AKG K612 Pro (Amazon) for a reference and competitive gaming slant

    • HIFIMAN HE400SE (Amazon) for a little more 'fun' either side of the mids with less precise imaging than the AKG, smaller soundstage, and poorer timbre… potentially bright though

    • DT 880 (80 ohm or higher, probably Amazon) if you desperately want the Beyer house sound without losing the ability to hear a cymbal over time

    • I'm looking at getting some headphones for video editing (never bought any studio quality ones like you've mentioned).

      Reddit and tech websites have told me about the MDR7506 and ATH-M50x.

      Would any of those two I've mentioned be worth looking for my purpose?

      • Yeah either would be great. I owned both at one stage, ended up keeping the Sony's.

        • I never liked the ATH-M50x? Not sure why they're so popular.

          • @Droz: The m50x phones are generally more accurate than the Sony's but less lively. Definitely not for everyone. They're more monitor style phones for someone not looking for a wide soundstage.

          • @Droz: Cheap and a good flatish response. Also for people with pinheads or clamping pressure really sucks.

            • @mickeyjuiceman: They're not flat, they're W-shaped. They're exciting and clear for people coming from free earphones or gaming headphones.

        • Wait one cotton picken minute, I'm not taking headphone advice from an autoimmune disease!

      • +8

        The MDR-7506 is an ancient pair of headphones, that were flat on much older systems. Plug them into something modern, and the treble will not be helpful unless you're trying to detect hiss.

        The ATH-M50X is a consumer headphone but isn't flat/reference without heavy EQ (which is somewhat doable). Imaging is good, but the staging that goes with it is incredibly flat, almost two-dimensional.

        To give you an idea of what to look over on a budget with some respect to an enjoyable listen (open or closed):

        • Sennheiser HD 6XX if you're focused on timbre, particularly vocal timbre, but it's a very forgiving headphone and you may want to consider the HD 600 (much more expensive though)
        • AKG K371 for Harman-ish with a tiny bit of warmth, very flat for the most part, but good as a consumer sound for final mix
        • AKG K612 Pro for something properly flat with good imaging if you are struggling to find money for monitor speakers, or just as another nice reference

        After that for closed back reference, you're climbing quickly to expensive Shure, Fostex, and the aforementioned Dan Clark and Audeze options. EQ will probably be your friend in the professional space, but the distortion characterstics on the 6XX, the M50X and the K612 are all low enough that you can play around with them as required.

        They're all well known headphones and you'll find a lot of help making them work for you, but you need to learn their quirks for yourself so you don't make mistakes with levels, keeping spatial information in your mix, etc. But if you're serious about editing, tracking and mastering, most of what we're talking about here is only going to cover a couple of aspects of that in any given pair.

        Headphones don't truly replace speaker systems or IEMs, and vice versa, at least with today's technology.

        • Wow thanks for the comprehensive response.

          I've got more of a video production background so getting more info on the headphones for the sound accompanying my videos is really useful!

          Will need to go back and reassess after your response. Lots of terms I need to familiarise myself with.

          • +2

            @Ethan Bargain-Hunt: My bad there, I've used 'flat' two different contexts: flat tonality (flat, aka reference without bass shelf) is good, flat imaging is bad (not enough spatial information in the sound, usually lacking in air frequencies).

            Timbre is just the aspects of the sound that aren't immediately apparent in typical technical measuring an analysis (particularly frequency response). A little warmth in the bass (small mid-bass addition) is part of how headphones typically provide natural timbre, but this can detract from EDM sounds/music, or even create bass bloat for a poorly dampened driver.

            AKG K361 ($100-$120), or Shure SRH440 ($90-$110) and SRH840 ($160-$200) might provide a decent base for you to do your work as well, but I've not had much time with them. Best prices are all on Amazon.

      • +2

        Don't get the M50x. The earcups are small-ish, really not recommended for long sessions

    • +2

      Thanks for the input! Definitely some alternative options worth exploring.

    • +3

      Hello Jasswolf, just wondering it there a big difference between the Austria K712 PROs and the Slovakia ones? I'm not using my pal's K712 pro from Austria and it's amazing. a bit messed on grand concert but perfect tremble.

      I would have bought it off him but he said no./.

      Then I went to a pair of K612 pro and it didn't work out.. at all…. had to return it to amazon.

      And I have realized current new K712 pros were all made in Solvakia, would there be a huge difference from the Austria ones?

      If I wanted to get something like the current Austria K712 pro, would you recon paying a grand extra to get the K812?

      I'm using laptop and PC as source now… I know amps are good so maybe I will throw couple grands one day.

      Thanks in advance.

      • +1

        When factory lines change, there's always some issues during handover, but they would have access to the same measuring equipment, be able to recreate the same listening conditions. Austrian AKG 600 or 700 series is only available on the second hand market.

        I think some aspects of the design may have cheapened out but the designs are such that there's a lot of room for error because of the low distortion characteristics of the design.

        If you're not using an amp, you really do need to be to get the most out of the 600 and 700 series AKGs. That's probably why it sounds too lifeless, with limited treble and loose/weak bass.

        USB-C dongles that can give desktop class performance start at around $80 on AliE on sale (with cashbacks), and you might do well with the Tempotec Sonata E44 when it comes back into stock in October/November. Can take both balanced and unbalanced via the same chain (need to use its supplied adaptor for unbalanced).

        • +1

          Thanks for your reply Jasswolf, it's just that I use K712 and 612 pros on the same environment, and the results are much more different than I expected…

          I think I will give amps/DAC any recommendations for K712 pros, with budget around 1k? could be reasonably up and down if it's worth the extra or less money can do similar.

          • @HD9990: I'm not familiar enough with the 712 Pro to give amp pairings, but I would also note that AKG as a company is probably smart enough to tune the headphone to sound best after the pads have slightly worn in.

            If you're listening to it fresh out of the box, make sure the headphone clamp isn't too much or too little, and that the pads have settled. A dummy head or a block/stack of books of correct thickness will help you with both headband stretching and beginning to flatten the pads.

            K712 is a little warmer in the bass, but after 800Hz it gets a bit wonky, again trying to generate a listenable version of the Diffuse Field curve. At those prices, you might just be happier with the Sennheiser HD 6XX (demo the 650 locally), or the Audio Technica ATH-R70X.

      • I've owned a pair of the Slovakia K712 Pros since 2017 and I think they're great.
        They've held up fine that entire time with nearly daily usage.
        After 4 years I'm a little worried about the thin elastic and I don't think it tensions as well as it used to, but I won't complain if that goes after how long I've owned them.

        I found the bass to be a bit lacking when I first got them compared to my 6XX but it could also be that they needed greater amplification, and over time I found that the K712 became my favorite sound signature between the two.

        I imagine there's minute differences between the Slovakia and the Austria ones, but it's definitely not enough to hurt the value proposition of the headphones.
        What is enough is the price though, I see places charging $600-$800 for the K712 pros when I got mine new for $269…

    • Hey jasswolf,

      Just wondering if you had an further details (web link etc) on the 770/990 models refresh?

      Cheers

    • +1

      @jasswolf is the real MVP here.
      Funnily enough, I just had my DT880s delivered today after a huge amount of research. My main purpose is hobby music production but will also game with them (so I'll probably get one of the modmics but….ermmm more researc - open to suggestions for that!). Very happy with the DT 880s, they are super clear, almost annoying clear as I can hear imperfections in some of my favourite songs by professional artists!

      PS: DT 880s were about $260 on amazon until recently. But I went local (easier warranty stuff if needed) with a discount code at Melbourne Hifi and they were $285 delivered.

    • I got the 32 ohm 880s and they are sexy. Can thoroughly recommend.

    • +1

      I use open back phillips with a vmoda boom mic and have no issues with bleed.

      These don't have a removable cord though, so you'd have to modify them to use the vmoda mic.

      • +1

        shp9500 or X2HR?

      • Yeah, it's unfortunate about the cord. I just bought some DTs and I'm looking at other mic options now. ModMic seems a decent way forward but pricey and I don't know which one I'd get yet. I'm also considering a cheap desk mic instead but worried about keyboard clicks and audio bleed being audible to who i'm chatting to (something like the FIFINE K669B Condenser Microphone).

    • +1

      For FPS gaming like counterstrike/valorant I have tried Philips SHP-9500, AKG-K7XX, AudioTechnica ATH-R70x, Sennheiser PC37X, Beyerdynamic DT990, Aiaiai TMA-2 Studio.

      For some reason I found the Aiaiai TMA-2 the best for locating footsteps etc, probably as they are the only closed back headphones in the bunch, which is weird as most people will tell you open back headphones means better soundstage. What they really mean is open back headphone means a bigger sound stage.. But that doesn't mean it's easier to locate sound within that bigger soundstage, it's really the opposite.

      So If I were you I'd get a good set of closed back headphones, which will alleviate the problem of sound leaking into the mic as well. Headphones like Kingston HyperX are good enough on a budget. But if you want to spend more there are heaps of options.

      • For some reason I found the Aiaiai TMA-2 the best for locating footsteps etc, probably as they are the only closed back headphones in the bunch, which is weird as most people will tell you open back headphones means better soundstage. What they really mean is open back headphone means a bigger sound stage.. But that doesn't mean it's easier to locate sound within that bigger soundstage, it's really the opposite.

        Dynamic driver open backs don't maintain the bass shelf you're seeking without making compromises. An EQ'd AKG K612 Pro might go close. Footstep sounds would be in the bass and mids anyway.

        I'm also going to take a wild guess that you don't have a decent amp, which would make the bass very loose on any vaguely high impedance headphone.

      • There's two main factors involved for location of sound. Soundstage and more importantly imaging. Soundstage is how BIG of a sphere for example around your head a headphone can make, imaging is how accurate you can point where that sound is coming from in that sphere. The best option is to have a large soundstage with good imaging, but very few headphones can pull that off. The reason you found the TMA-2 better is probably because its imaging hit the sweet spot for your ears with its smaller soundstage.

      • I also felt my cheaper closed backs were better for listening to footsteps than my open headphones (dt990, shp9500, akg k702 and hd 58x)

        However the open backs were all better for identifying the direction and distance of the steps while the closed backs were better at hearing the footsteps quickly and clearly.

        Edit: i should add i think the game makes a big difference, this was for apex legends which is notorious for awful sound design

        Perhaps in a game with good sound design things will turn out different, havent compared them for other games though

    • None of these are going to have massive bleed for a small capsule boom mic, unless there's something wrong in the cable config and it doesn't correctly ground, but that's via the cable, not the mic.

      AKG K612 Pro or Audio Technica ATH-R70X if you want to spend more. Get a decently powered dongle (Sonata E44), or an amp and a DAC setup.

  • +1

    How do these compare to ATH-AD700? Been using them for around 10 years on my PC - amazing sound quality for the price

    • +1

      The beyers are better especially in the low frequencies, but not enough to upgrade imo. You have really good headphones.

    • +1

      Stick with them. Solid set.

    • I have both (and love both) - the AT's are slightly better SQ overall but like aids (lol) said the beyers are a bass monster. Superb for rock, rap and the like.

    • Get the AKG K612 Pro if you want to maintain some of that soundstage with better tonality.

    • Also been using my AD700s for over a decade - love them!

    • I have both, and have also had my AD700's for over 10 years. The AD700 wins for soundstage and imaging, which is really important if you're a gamer and place importance on where a sound is coming from.

      The bass is a lot nicer on the Beyers - fast and punchy, but I find them more uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time. Yes, they are built like tanks, but have the weight to match.

      I've been out of the loop on modern headphones as I prefer IEMs and speakers these days, but I wouldn't consider the 990s a significant upgrade to the AD700s. More like a side-grade with a different sound signature and ergonomics with slightly less imaging quality.

  • +2
    • K702's are only $210.25 there also.

      • -1

        $212.12 with free delivery, so it's cheaper than K612

      • +2

        K702 is a slightly superior from the perspective of technical execution, also has a detachable cable, but for the frequency response is Diffuse Field which is extremely picky for most genres of games and music.

        K612 Pro is way more along the lines of Harman but without the bass shelf (raised bass under 100Hz). Out of the box, it is way better, with the only downside being the fixed cable.

        Higher number is not always better, particularly in the AKG lineup.

        • +1

          Good rundown!

  • +4

    These are my go-to mixing cans and I absolutely love em - can highly recommend if you're after openbacks

  • +1

    These are studio headphones. Primarily used for mixing. For mixing purposes these are great.
    If you want an attenuated sounding profile then look elsewhere as these are fairly balanced with a slight boost in treble.
    Also youll need a headphone amp able to drive 250 ohms.

    • slight boost in treble

      Slight? They go wild after 5kHz. Here they are against the most recent edition of the HIFIMAN Sundara, which is a good reference tonality with some sparkle, and the Beyer just comes at you with a couple of picks to the ear.

      In some ways they rival the treble intensity of the original Sennheiser HD 800, but that's a completely different class of headphone in terms of detail and technical performance, plus you'd just buy the 800S these days.

      • Both of those you mentioned are a step up price wise.
        its not a perfect headphone but its well recommended in the audio engineering world, and obviously it wont be ur only headphone as youll need a few of them for cross references.
        Gamers shouldnt really be getting these, better of with those marketed gaming headphones as id imagine they would want more of an excited frequency range and more bass. Unless you dont mind relatively neutral sounding headphones.

        • +1

          I'm using examples of commonly-known bright headphones, and showing how these exceed them. 6-9 kHz is painful, and then it comes back at you again at around 17kHz with way too much intensity, like hammer to the head when people would be chasing a light sizzle.

          These were popular over 10 years ago because people's DACs and amps rolled off the treble a lot. Now, not so much, but the endless cycle of content means these keep getting re-recommended without any consideration of technological progress.

          To put it as politely as possible: it's not very smart. It's a v-shaped headphone, lacking separation for the price point.

  • +1

    Just a heads up that the black version of this (which imo look better) are also available for $199 if you're a umart premium member or $229 if you're not.

    https://www.umart.com.au/Beyerdynamic-DT990-Pro-Black-80-Ohm…

    • Those ones are also $179 at Mwave - Cpt Dumpling commented about it earlier (I added it to the original post a little further down)

  • I wonder if these complement the 6XX at all. I do like sales!

    • +1

      Nah, not really. Good compliments from $500 and below would be the HIFIMAN Sundara, maybe the Focal Elear on sale (though you'll also want to buy the Focal Clear pads).

      Other options that lean slightly in other directions to improve imaging and soundstage are the AKG K612 and the Audio Technica ATH-R70X.

      • +5

        If you're paying $500 for compliments, that's too much bro.

  • Slightly off-topic, but I've been looking at the 770's for a while now - could anyone comment on them? I'm generally a fan of closed-back designs, but I've been seeing mixed opinions on the net about the level of bass that it delivers.

    • I prefer these, esp. if there are other people around who are likely to come and tell you that's 'too loud', (all the open models leak a fair amount of SPL)

  • Hi Jasswolf, of these headphones you mention what would pair well with my Oppo HA-2 SE DAC? It sits around and doesn't get used much and I should really put it to work. Cheers

    • Also assume I should aim for 80Ohm or higher

    • Not familiar with it, but if you're just after a relaxed open back listen with natural sounding vocals and instruments, the Sennheiser HD 6XX is an easy buy.

  • Sold mine. Prefer my Philips Fidelio

  • +1

    I have had mine for 11 years now - they are awesome - that is all

  • -3

    I've seen this headset go for sale many times. Not much of a bargain. Goes on sale at stores that sell it Verry like month or 2

    • +5

      This is about the "regular" bargain price, you're right. But still worth posting when it comes around because there is always a market for them (i.e. I finally bought a pair of DT 770s due to this posting). Plus if Beyerdynamic retires these for their refreshed models then it might be coming to the end of these great deals (as the new ones are much more expensive).

  • +2

    I had issues creating an account. It would look like it was successful after entering my details but it wasn't. I fixed it by turning off my adblocker and by using the manual address form - I'm not sure which of these made the difference. Also it seems ridiculous that the only instant payment option that doesn't charge a fee is Afterpay - oh well!

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