Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO

Short-Term Use (9.00)

These headphones are ridiculously comfortable for a set of over-ears. The padding feels like it was made from Beanie Baby pelts. The things fit well, not crushing our delicate, grape-like head or sliding around with the slightest tilt or nod. Clearly, they’re big and open-backed, so you wouldn’t be taking these on a run, but if you did the DT 990 PROs probably would slide around quite a bit. We really don’t have many complaints regarding comfort.

All this being said, pretty please try these things on before you buy them. If that’s not an option because the store has a dumb policy about your lice infestation, then the first thing you should do is settle down for a long listening session. If you don’t like them, return them. Our comfort level is entirely subjective and, in all likelihood, different than yours.

Extended Use (4.00)

We didn’t run into any comfort issues after wearing these things for 6+ hours. The band’s padding kept it from feeling like it was made of metal, the pads on the ear cups were soft enough so they didn’t feel like too much pressure… these are very wearable headphones.

UPDATE: After using the DT 990 PROs for a while, we had to update this score. Although they were very comfortable initially, the DT 990 PRO’s top band can quickly become uncomfortable with repeated use. Afer a week or so of near-constant use, we noticed the band started to feel less and less comfortable after a few hours.

Cable Connectivity (12.57)

Measuring cable length was a bit difficult since it’s coiled. What we did is measure the point at which the tension of the cord’s springiness makes wearing the headphones uncomfortable. We were able to stretch the DT 990 PROs a full 10 feet away from its cord, making them absurdly easy to hook up just about anywhere. Any further than 10 feet and you’ll have to fight the headphones as they attempt to flee your head.

Also included: a 1/4-inch adapter that screws onto the 1/8-inch plug. This is a great inclusion for people with fancy pants amps. The screw-on aspect is also excellent because without it, the 1/8-inch plug probably wouldn’t stay put for long.

Customizability (1.50)

The DT 990 PROs don’t have much in the way of customization. You can adjust the band’s length and you can swivel the cups around a bit, but there’s not much else to do. Some headphones come with removable faceplates or other little trinkets you can bedazzle your headphones with. Sadly, this is not the case with the DT 990 PROs.

Portability (0.15)

Like most over-ears with leagues-long cords, the DT 990 PROs aren’t very portable. First of all, they’re gigantic. Second of all, their cord is very long and very thick. Its coils don’t allow for easy management; you couldn’t just shove the excess in your pocket comfortably. You also shouldn’t be taking these anywhere because of their open backs. Open-backed headphones don’t have much of a barrier between the outside world and your soundstage, meaning everyone can hear your music and you can hear whatever other people are doing. This is a bad situation because you might feel inclined to bump your volume to overcompensate, making your ear drums explode like a claymore mine. Those around you will also have to put up with whatever horrible music you were listening to. Keep your ear drums safe and avoid annoying the general public by keeping your DT 990 PROs at home.

Maintenance (2.50)

The DT 990 PROs aren’t the easiest to maintain headphones we’ve seen. You can take off the ear cups, but once you do you’re presented with some sort of plastic puzzle box that doesn’t open easily. We didn’t want to outright break our review unit, so after a few minutes of trying to pry the center piece away from the headphones we gave up. We might update this section at a later date if we get a pair of these for the office, because we have no qualms about outright destroying things we’ve paid our own money for.

Other Features (5.00)

Battery

The DT 990 PROs do not require batteries to run. You are free to listen to music for as long as your device has a battery charge.