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cmk

The Big Showdown!

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As promised, I know I'm threading on difficult ground, these 2 cans from Beyer are their latest stab at the headphone King of the Hill for dynamic cans.

 

Some history

Their previous offerings of these very same ranges offered an interesting alternative to the Senn range, and possibly, due to its being less well known, were priced somewhat lower than their brethren. Nevertheless due to their intense competition, which was not helped by neighbours AKG, prices for these cans have been quite good value. Soundwise, the previous 880 suffered from a somewhat lean balance which while sounding detailed, was tiring to listen to for extended periods of time. On the other hand, the 990 suffered from an overly full and powerful bass and a less detailed midrange which ruled it out of the race for a truely high end can.

 

Fast forward to the present

Acknowledging the shortcomings of the previous models, Beyer has come up with revisions to these cans, which address all these issues, or do they? Read on...

 

For the previous top model, the DT880, which I reviewed here, they have come up with a really world class headphone.

 

Having obtained the golden opportunity to test out the other new top model, the DT990, I just couldn't pass this up. So here I am again at it, and this time I hope to do an A/B comparison which will determine who is the new King of the Hill.

 

For the basic look and specs for these cans, look at the Beyer Premium line site for more details.

 

DT990

As I owned the previous 990, I initially had my doubts about how much could they improve the sound of this can. My initial fears were realised when I listened to them straight out of the box - overwhelming bass, recessed mids, and a bright treble, how much worse could it get than that. If you've been playing with cans, you should know never to judge it before it has fully run-in. Hence I reserved judgement on them until the cans had sufficient time to develop its fully potential.

 

I plugged them into my home digital rig, powered by the Diva amp - after changing the tubes to something I had in my stash. It is amazing how the balance of the cans can completely change the way it sounds and how it presents the music. The overwhelming bass was replaced with deep and accurate bass. The treble hash all but vanished and the mids sounded fuller and more fleshed out.

 

The music making

and what beautiful sounds it makes, is so wholesome and complete, no spectrum of the music is left out. Playing Beethoven's Kreutzer Violin Sonata, Perlman/Argerich Live, this pieces brings out the benefits of having a full range headphone. The details of the violin are shown very clearly, much like the 880, but where the 880 just hints at the piano playing in the background, the 990 presents the grand piano for what it is, a full live sized grand with the impact and power and grandeur it should possess. The impact of Argerich banging on the bass notes provides an extraordinary accompaniment to Pearlman's Strad singing the higher notes. Those of you who have played a piano before will know, the sound a full grand makes is simply wonderful, it is unmistakeable in its power, fullness, and rich tone.

 

Revisiting Zuill Bailey's debut recording, the cello's body is fully fleshed out, perhaps a tad too well, the bass here reverberates, its as if you were sitting next to the instruement with your ear next to the strings - this is especially on the Bach Cello suites. If you like bass, this is a boon to you, I do, so well...Moving on to the sole Beethoven piece on this CD, again the impact of a full grand piano is important to the piece, in providing the impact and tempo. The 880 gives an interesting presentation as well, very enjoyable too. The higher harmonics of the piano are better served by the 880 in this instance, while the 990 gives the music better flow.

 

I've probably heard Holly Cole's "Don't Smoke in Bed" over a hundred times before. The bass line in the first track is especially strong, and here the 990 does not over do it, the bass is kept in check. There is also a sense of space with the strings providing support. Track 10 is one of my favourites, it has pace with the double bass and piano providing the simple beat, while Holly sings "You can cry if you want to". You can hear it melody and loudness building up as she sings each line until the end. The 880 emphasizes Holly's voice, giving more focus to the song. The detail retrieval from the mids is really something to specially listen for. On the first track, unfortunately the highlight on the vocals means that the sibilance at the beginning of this song is also more obvious.

 

Avril Lagne CD is a tough CD to reproduce due to the load of dual electric guitars and drums, but its a load of fun if its done right. As with all rock, it has to be listened at the "appropriate" volume level, or it loses its IMPACT. I've always believed that if you want to listen to rock, it has to be loud, else forgetaboutit. Here the 880 has a bit of a hot treble, the instrument separation is very good, overall still quite enjoyable. The 990 has a completed different presentation, it bass line is much more evident, while the soundstage appears to be larger, the treble is less strident as the bass takes more prominence.

 

Summary

990

Pros = even tonal balance, bass, detail retrieval, pace, impact, bigger soundstage.

Cons = treble sibilance on some music.

 

880

Pros = midrange detail, fleshed out mids, extraordinary detail separation.

Cons = treble sibilance, bass not fully developed.

 

The 880 gives a more up front presentation, while the 990 gives a slightly more laid back presentation. This is not a criticism of either can, just the way they present the music.

 

I gave another listen to my old 990pro (modded), and while it shares many of the characteristics of the current 990, it just doesn't have the refinement of the new model, so it looks like I have to get the new 990.

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Guest davidcsk2112

Very comprehensive review, cmk. I just received my DT990 a few days back. Am burning them in presently biggrin.gif

Edited by davidcsk2112

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oh.. i saw that you used Avril Lagne music to review.. heard from a radio program that she hates asians.. maybe we should let her hate us and then we also stop listening to her stuff..

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Well, I've not heard anything of the sort, and I don't believe everything I hear unless it comes from the horse's mouth. FYI, she has performed in Singapore, so if she hates Asians, why come here?

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well, for one thing, money!!

 

hear from the horse's mouth as in hear her direct live?? how you think that's gonna happen. think the raido progrma was quoting a magazine or newspaper report..

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Ummm...radio station quoting a mag, now we all know how reliable those can be, and its 2nd hand info BTW.

 

I'm not going to chase this one or lose any sleep over it, if you can find that article which quotes her making such a statement, then we can take it up in another thread, okay?

 

Meanwhile, kindly go

 

user posted image

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Thanks cmk, this is one for the pin-up. Btw, love pervades, hate begone......at least it is so and will be so in this forum.

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