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Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Comparison |
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 • DT 990 PROs look better from the front; ATH-W5000s look better from the sides.
• DT 990 PRO has equivalent or better audio quality than the ATH-W5000s.
• Both have some issues with comfort that seem highly dependent on the individual user.
• DT 990 PROs, of course, cost significantly less, but are nowhere near as classy looking. |
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Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9 Comparison |
Page 8 of 12 |
Grado Labs SR60 Comparison |
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Design
Within this comparison is an interesting aesthetic conundrum. From the sides, the ATH-W5000s look significantly classier, thanks in part to their wooden ear cups. From the front, however, they make your head look like Saturn (we think this is silly; should you be reading this in the future, where halos have come into fashion, feel free to assert your own assessments over our own).
Sound Quality
The DT 990 PROs had a significantly more even frequency response than the ATH-W5000s, although they too had some issues towards the high-end. Both have a relatively even response, but the DT 990 PROs manage to snag this category.
There really isn't much to say regarding distortion other than, "Hey, guys, where'd you put that distortion? I can't seem to find it anywhere!" We really wouldn't recommend saying this, actually, because we tried saying this in the office once and no one really thought it was funny, not even the guy who is into headphones.
Look at these two tracking graphs. Knowing that tracking displays the relative volume levels of each channel, we feel it's easy to discern which had the most even playback. This being said, the ATH-W5000s weren't horrible-terrible, they just had that issue towards the high end.
Isolation
Neither are good.
Comfort
The DT 990 PROs are some of the most comfortable headphones we've tried on. The only issue we found with them is that, during very long listening sessions of over 6 hours, you might want to re-adjust the band slightly to avoid feeling pressure. They feel secure without feeling tight, and are just magically comfortable in general. The ATH-W5000s have a slight fit issue, which you can see in the pictures below: they don't really contour to the head well.
Both sets of headphones are comfortable. Sometimes the DT 990 PROs can cause some top-of-the-head pressure, sometimes the ATH-W5000s feel big. We recommend trying both on.
| Wear |
ATH-W5000 |
Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Verdict
In this match-up, we really do like the DT 990 PROs more. Sure, they don't look nearly as expensive as the ATH-W5000s, but we're not you, so we feel haven't the foggiest how much such a thing will mean to you, personally.
In terms of audio quality, we side with the numbers, which side with the DT 990 PROs. The numbers continue to side with the DT 990 PROs across the board, including our value score. The DT 990 PROs are great and well-priced for what they offer. If you're looking for fancy, however, the ATH-W5000s win.
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ATH-W5000
ATH-W5000
ATH-W5000
