The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are sturdy audiophile headphones. They're well-suited to professional applications, but their open-back design isn't ideal for everyday casual use. They feature a sturdy metal frame that can clamp tightly on the head and plastic earcups that won't help block any external noise.
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Our Verdict
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO aren't meant for sports use. They have a stable fit but are too cumbersome.
- Sturdy and durable build.
- Stable and well-padded.
- Loud leakage, by design.
- No isolation from ambient noise, by design.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO aren't designed for commuting. The open-back design intentionally doesn't isolate.
- Sturdy and durable build.
- Stable and well-padded.
- Loud leakage, by design.
- No isolation from ambient noise, by design.
- Slightly tight on the head.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO aren't designed for office use unless you work in an isolated environment.
- Stable and well-padded.
- Loud leakage, by design.
- No isolation from ambient noise, by design.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are wired-only headphones and can't be used wirelessly.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are passable for wired gaming, so long as you don't need mic support or have your own standalone mic. They have an exciting sound with extra bass that can help emphasize sound effects while dialogue and instruments are crisp and bright. Their open-back design also ensures a somewhat open and spacious sound.
- Sturdy and durable build.
- Stable and well-padded.
- No isolation from ambient noise, by design.
- Slightly tight on the head.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are a very good choice for audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response is well-aligned with our target curve, and there's little deviation from their overall bright sound profile. There's a bit of bass roll-off, which is to be expected with open-back headphones, and a boost in the mid-treble helps bring out audio artifacts during editing tasks. Their L/R drivers are generally well-matched, despite a mismatch in the phase that falls outside most people's audibility. They exhibit very little group delay and low levels of harmonic distortion, which is indicative of tight tolerances and solid quality control.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO have an open-back design that purposefully allows external audio in. As a result, they have a terrible noise isolation performance that leaves you at the mercy of pretty much all external noise, whether it's engine rumble or background chit-chat. They also leak a lot audio and aren't well-suited to quiet environments.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are wired headphones that don't have a built-in mic.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO have excellent frequency response consistency. Regardless of your face shape or facial features, you'll be able to achieve consistent audio delivery between reseats, and our frequency response results will be in line with what you experience.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Sep 22, 2025:
We've rectified an issue that affected the Bass, Mid, and Treble Compliance scoring, as well as Peaks and Dips with these headphones.
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Updated Jul 29, 2025:
We've updated the Sound Profile box with a link to a downloadable folder of EQ settings that will help you match these headphones' frequency response to different target curves available in our Graph Tool.
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Updated Apr 28, 2025:
We've updated the review to mention the Beyerdynamic DT1990 PRO MKII in the Wired Connection box.
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Updated Apr 25, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO come in two different color variants: 'Black' and 'Gray'. We tested the 'Black' variant but expect other color variants to perform similarly. If you encounter another variant of these headphones, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are wired open-back headphones that are well-suited to professional audio applications or for audiophile use. They offer a more open sound than their closed-back sibling, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, but this comes at the expense of poor noise isolation, along with loud leakage. There's some roll-off in the bass range that's quite common in open-back designs, so it's worth looking at the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO if you're looking for open-backs with better bass extension.
See our recommendations for the best headphones under $200, the best audiophile headphones, and the best headphones for music.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x are designed with different use cases and preferences in mind. The Beyerdynamic are better built and feel sturdier thanks to their metal frame. Their open-back design gives them a wider, more immersive soundstage at the expense of leaking more audio. On the other hand, if you need headphones that provide some passive noise isolation or if you like to listen to listen to music where basslines and kicks are prominent, like techno and house, the Beyerdynamic are a safer choice.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO and the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X are similarly performing audiophile headphones with different strengths. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the PRO X have a different driver design that's advertised to reproduce loud sound without distortion, whether connected to an amp or a smartphone. They also have a wider and more out-of-head passive soundstage. However, the 990 PRO's mid and treble responses are more balanced, whereas the 900 PRO X features some dips in the low-mid and low-treble ranges that can impact their clarity. They 990 PRO use a coiled audio cable, but it isn't detachable.
Both the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO and the Sennheiser HD 560S share open-backed designs. They also have broadly similar sound profiles, with the Beyerdynamic offering a bit more low-end, while the Sennheiser have a more even top-end, but some may prefer the high-frequency sheen on the Beyerdynamic. The Beyerdynamic feel better built and comfortable, though they clamp a bit harder. On the other hand, the Sennheiser have a lighter-feeling fit, so choosing between them may come down to your personal taste.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are better critical listening headphones than the Sennheiser HD 600. The Beyerdynamic offer a better value thanks to their excellent build quality and balanced sound profile. They feel a lot more durable than the Sennheiser and have better bass extension. While the two have similarly detailed mid-range responses, the Sennhesier don't sound as sharp as the Beyerdynamic on bright tracks. They also come with detachable cables.
Test Results
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO have a bright sound profile that's well-suited to professional applications and any task that relies on hearing imperfections and small details in audio.
We've uploaded a folder of EQ settings that you can download to tweak the headphones' sound to match some of the target curves in our Graph Tool.
These headphones have excellent frequency response consistency. Regardless of your face shape, of if you have long hair or glasses, you'll experience similar audio delivery. There isn't a lot of deviation between reseats either, so once you find a good fit, you'll experience consistent audio delivery.
These headphones do a great job at following our bass compliance target. The bass response is tilted across the whole range, so while there's some underemphasis in the low-bass, the high-bass is boosted somewhat. As a result, EDM and hip-hop tracks that utilize sub-bass elements, like 808s, will lacks boom and rumble. That said, the boosted high-bass means you'll still hear the attack of kick drums and bass guitars clearly.
These headphones do outstandingly well at following our mid-range target, with almost no deviations at all. This means that mid-range elements, including vocals and lead instruments, sound extremely natural and well-balanced in relation to each other.
Their compliance with our treble target is superb. The lower part of this range is well-balanced and renders the upper harmonics of vocals in a detailed, transparent way. There's some over-emphasis in the middle of the range though, that adds some zing to percussion and cymbals.
These headphones have a good peaks and dips performance, meaning the frequency response doesn't deviate much from their bright sound profile. The treble range features a few small peaks that can add brightness to sibilants.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO have very good stereo mismatch performance. The L/R drivers are very well-matched in terms of frequency and amplitude, with neither channel audibly louder than the other in any frequency range. They do exhibit a phase mismatch in the high treble, though. This mismatch occurs in a range that we lose sensitivity to over time, though, so it's unlikely to be audible in everyday content.
The group delay performance is good. Group delay mostly falls under the audibility threshold across the entire range, with only one spike in the mid-bass region. Given these headphones don't reproduce too much low-bass anyway, you're unlikely to be able to hear this. Otherwise, the treble reproduction is transparent and transients in the bass-range are tight and snappy.
These headphones have a disappointing PRTF performance. Their open-back design allows for some interaction between the sound produced and your outer ear, which results in a more open sound. That said, it lacks the width of other open-back headphones like the Sennheiser HD 800 S, so audio seems like it's coming from inside your head rather than from speakers positioned around you.
The harmonic distortion performance is outstanding. There's very little coloration of your audio due to unintended harmonics, even at elevated listening levels, and certainly no audible distortion.
These headphones are only available in a 250-ohm variant, and we'd recommend pairing them with an amp to help drive them. They'll lack bass and volume when connected directly to mobile end devices.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 are decent-looking reference headphones. They have a relatively compact and utilitarian design. However, the materials used in their build give them a little more flare and high-end appeal. The ear cups are covered in a suede-like fabric. The headband is made completely of metal and has a stylish and detachable padding cover.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO are comfortable headphones but are a bit tight on your head. They have large, well-padded ear cups that fit comfortably around most listeners' ears. However, the headband is a little too rigid, which make the headphones tight enough to become uncomfortable during long listening sessions. If you want open-back headphones that are a bit more comfortable, check out the Philips SHP9600 or the Philips Fidelio X2HR.
Like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 and the Beyerdynamic DT 880, the Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO aren't designed with portability in mind. They're big and bulky and don't fold into a more compact format or have swiveling ear cups that lay flat to take up less storage space. They're on the larger side for over-ear headphones and would only fit in a bag or a big purse.
These headphones come with a soft pouch that doesn't add much bulk but doesn't offer much protection. They would be safe from scratches but not from falls. On the upside, the fabric is somewhat waterproof and will shield the headphones from minor water damage.
They have a solid, sturdy build, just like the Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X. The headband has a rugged metal frame that can handle a decent amount of physical stress. Unfortunately, the open-back ear cups are made of plastic, which makes them less durable compared to the rest of their build, but they're dense enough not to get damaged from a couple of drops.
These headphones are moderately stable on your head. They aren't designed for sports and will slip off your ears during high-intensity physical activities or while running. However, the tight fit these headphones provide is more than enough to keep the headphones on your head during casual listening sessions.
They have poor noise isolation. Due to their open-back design, these headphones offer no isolation in the bass or mid-range and only a slight amount of passive isolation in the treble range, thanks to their over-ear fit.
These headphones are bad at isolating you against common scenarios. Their open-back design means you're mostly at the mercy of the noise around you, whether this is the rumble of airplane engines, the hustle and bustle of a busy street, or the sounds of a busy office.
These headphones leak a lot of audio. Even if you're listening to audio at moderate volumes, others around you can hear it.
These headphones have a built-in coiled audio cable. It has negligible audio lag, which is good for working with latency-sensitive content. If you're concerned about future repairs or the cable's longevity, check out the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII; they sound very similar to the DT 990 but come with some extras, including two detachable cables.
These headphones have audio compatibility with PCs when plugged into your PC's headphone port. That said, you'll need an external mic if you want to send audio.
These headphones feature audio compatibility with PlayStation family consoles, though you'll need to purchase a standalone mic if you want to communicate with your teammates.
These headphones feature audio compatibility with Xbox family consoles, though you'll need to pick up a separate mic if you want to communicate with your teammates.