The crowning fact about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is that it is relatively a better product than any other in the same budget.
I am a sound engineer, means I create music tracks and edit music. As a sound engineer, we generally need two types of audio output system to monitor the tracks – a studio headphone and a monitor speaker. Before using Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, I was using the entry-level beginner studio headphones, which simply couldn’t satisfy me.
Then, I opted to use this headphone and for the first time when I plugged in the DT 990, it was magic for me. I could properly listen to the sound that I was recording and editing. Be it a tonal impropriety or vocal inconsistency.
Everything was clear and I was left speechless for a moment. Though, it also made me little demotivated as I could see lots of mistakes in my work. (If you are also a sound engineer, I think you can feel my pain. 🙂 )
Over the last six months, not only have I been praised for my works but also people are contacting me for several projects.
So, yeah I would say that Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro has given a boost to my career.
Let’s get into the detailed review now!
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro review

If you have not heard it earlier, Beyerdynamic is a renowned brand in the audio industry. Their products are handcrafted in Germany with sincere workmanship. They provide satisfactory service.
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro comes with a soft carrying case, 3.0 m coiled cable with a drawstring bag, soft circumaural and replaceable velour ear pads, 6.35 mm jack adapter and instruction manual.
This headphone comes with a removable jack, so, you can use the headphone in your mobile too.
These are open-backed headphones that are spacious thus comfort level is exceptionally good.
With the single-sided cable, you can frequently put on and take off the headphone. The cables never get tangled up. The extra soft and adjustable ear cups again add to the comfort level.
Further, the spring steel headband is designed powerfully and it fits securely over your head. It is little tight on my head but totally negligible. The headphone gives enough space and detailed tonal depth because of the open-back design.
The headphones are durable, lightweight, and most of the parts are replaceable. I have it used for 6 months, daily, night and day, and it’s still in good condition.
When it comes to impedance, it is 250 ohms, which is quite good. Whenever I put on the headphones, the phrase seems true – ‘music touches the soul’.
I can enjoy the stereo and three dimensional sound at its best. The bass sounds mild and the treble booster gives a pleasant and satisfying sound while listening deeply.
It sounds even better if you use it with an audio interface. (If you are interested, here is the audio interface I use – Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd.)
While mixing, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro can even note small changes in the positioning of the audio source.
The headphones have nominal sound pressure level of 96 dB. Therefore, it has best-in-class sound quality and technology.
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro looks classy and sturdy. It fits perfectly and the ear cups are soft. Its iconic black color suits everyone, every time.
Perfect studio headphones for DJing, mixing, mastering, editing, and gaming

Now, let’s discuss its applications. I will say this is a reliable headphone for any sound fanatic plus this is a pro studio headphone for mixing, mastering, and editing.
Be it a DJ, musician, sound artist, or pro YouTuber, many professionals trust this product.
If you are a pro gamer, this headphone will boost your gaming experience. It is quietly popular in the gaming world too. Adventurous games require quality headphones. As the audio quality is very subtle, you can hear the important noises, footsteps and the direction it is coming from.
Also, it emerges you in the gaming verse without having any discomfort. That’s what I have got from my gaming experience.
Overall, this product is a great value for the money. Probably my best spend when it comes to gadgets.
What I don’t like about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Let me be honest. This post is not sponsored and I’m not going to leave here only the pros of the product. Obviously, I find some cons but these are negligible considering the great sound quality it gives.
- I feel the headphone lacks deep bass (but soothingly mild)
- The cable cannot be replaced
- Not suitable for sports activities due to the open design
What to consider while choosing studio headphones
We need a top-class headphones to enjoy music. A low quality headphones do not do justice to a good music. So, if you want to get the best out of headphones while selecting, you need to know some basic tech-knowledge about how headphones function.
1. Brand matters
Big brands are always trustworthy because it needs the vigor to build a reputation. You may not agree but brand is important when choosing the best studio headphones or any other good budget headphones.
2. Open-back or closed-back headphones?
In a laymen term, open-back headphones actually allow air to pass through the ear cups while closed-back headphones restrict the outer air. This means if you don’t want to listen to anything that is going around, get disturbed by outside noise, or want to pay sharp attention to the music details, then you will have to choose closed-back headphones.
This type of headphones are highly recommended for DJing, recording, or mixing audio.
But, if you feel congested in such environment and want a space to breathe and feel comfortable and don’t want to get bothered with outside sounds, your choice should be open-back headphones.
Open-back headphones are good choice for everyday use like watching movies and listening to music at home.
3. Look for built and comfort level
If you are an audiophile, a gamer, or anybody who uses headphones frequently, then you should go for really comfortable ones.
From my understanding, comfort is a much underrated point, when it comes to selecting headphones. You are going to put it over your ears for around 4-6 hours in extensive work hours, it better be comfortable; otherwise what is the point?
Because, when your ears are sweating, how would you concentrate on the work?
Circumaural (around the ear) headphones with spring steel are preferable. Soft ear cups are the must requisites for comfort. In case you wear glasses, I suggest you to go for thicker ear paddings with metal or steel headband.
4. Low vs high impedance – which model to pick?
The higher the impedance value, the greater the power is needed by the headphones to produce volume. High-impedance headphones have better sound experience but will need an appropriate amplifier in this case.
By not compromising on quality and power, you can select a headphone having mid-range impedance.
A headphone has an impedance typically ranging from 8-600 ohms, while 32 ohms is pretty common.
Most of the professional or studio headphones have higher impedance.
5. Sensitivity
This isn’t quiet important while choosing a headphone to buy. But, for your knowledge, sensitivity measures how efficiently headphones convert the electrical signal into sound. It means how loud the headphones will play at any power level.
For recording and mixing, a higher sensitivity device is preferred. It is needed to hear small details. Most earphones or headphones come with a sensitivity rating of around 100 dB.
But remember, more than 120 dB sensitivity can be harmful to ears.
6. Sound quality
This is important but how will you be able to find out how the sound quality would be before purchase? Not possible. I will suggest you to read reviews and see what experts are saying particularly about the quality of sound.
In my case, a lot of people in my circle are musicians. Thus, it gives a chance to experience multiple headphones and experience the quality in first hand.
7. Design
Design must be complimenting to your persona. I chose black, which looks classy.
8. Isolation
In a studio, the first thing you need is silence; isolated silence. Your headphone should also perform in the same manner. You don’t want the ticking sound to penetrate the headphone rubbers and come out to be recorded by the microphone.
The headphones are completely isolated from any kind of sounds coming out whatsoever. Also, they are fully noise cancelled, that means, there will be no sounds from outside to disturb you either.
The competition – which is the best studio headphones brand?
Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, and Sennheiser are the three cutting-edge high-end headphones manufacturers. The first and third come from Germany and the second is a Japanese brand. Another Japanese company is Sony. All of them started their journey in the late WWII period.
These four companies are always in a fight to grab the highest market share for studio headphones. Sony is the top brand for general headphones and grabs a 30% of whole headphone users of USA, while Audio-Technica is at 3%, and Beyerdynamic is at only 2%.
That’s not bad, because the latter two companies manufacture high-performance headphones, and there are way less sound-engineers than regular headphone users. So, from that perspective, it’s quiet impressive.
Final say
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is my favourite headphone so far. It serves all the purposes from watching movies to listening to music on your phone. The best part is that it is affordable.
If you love mixing and mastering, want to be a DJ, music reviewer, or critic you can just grab one and set to work.
(Reviewed by Sound Engineer. Approved & edited by Lazy Dad)