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Introduction
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01.Tour & Design
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02.Sound Quality
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03.Isolation
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04.Comfort
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05.Usability
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06.Sennheiser HD 650 Comparison
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07.Audio-Technica ATH-W5000 Comparison
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08.Denon AH-NC732 Comparison
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09.Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Comparison
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10.Conclusion
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11.Snippets
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12.Ratings & Specs
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13.Comments
Sennheiser HD 800
Previous: Page 8
Denon AH-NC732 ComparisonNext: Page 10
ConclusionBeyerdynamic DT 990 PRO Comparison
Design
The DT 990 PROs don’t have much of a design flair, but we like that about them. They look like nice headphones without yelling, ‘I AM A NICE PAIR OF HEADPHONES’ directly into the faces of astonished onlookers. The message the HD 800s convey is, ‘My time machine has broken down and I am stranded in this, a most distant past.’
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Frequency Response
Apparently there’s an agreed-upon ideal for excellent frequency response, because both Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic have produced very similar-sounding headphones here.
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Distortion
Again, no one will notice any distortion here.
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Tracking
If you apply our new tracking test limits to the Beyerdynamic’s graph, you’ll find the two headphones have very similar results.
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Isolation
Neither have good isolation. Use them in a private listening environment.
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Comfort
Both headphones are very, very comfortable. The problem with the DT 990 PROs, however, is the band doesn’t have the best padding. After a few hours, it started to hurt our soft skulls. We didn’t find this was as much an issue with the HD 800s.
| Wear | |
|---|---|
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| Sennheiser HD 800 | Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO |
Verdict
This match-up is basically a personal challenge to you, as an audiophile. The DT 990 PROs are significantly less expensive and offer much the same audio quality. People who aren’t really into headphones will notice virtually no difference between these two. Those that are will find the HD 800s offer superior clarity as well as a host of other subtle qualities.
Shop for the Sennheiser HD 800
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