Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII

The DT 1990 PRO MKII sounds incredible, with a 90th percentile sound score and detail that'll make you rediscover your music library. But comfort is rough and there's no wireless or ANC. Worth it for studio work, not for casual listening.

The sound is the star here. That 90th percentile ranking translates to detail retrieval that makes you hear things in songs you've played a hundred times. The open-back design gives you a wide, natural soundstage, and the TESLA.45 driver keeps the treble smooth instead of harsh. The 30 ohm impedance means you don't need a beefy amp to get good volume, though it'll scale up nicely with better gear. The two pad options are a nice touch, the Producing pads add some low-end weight while the Mixing pads keep things neutral and precise. Build quality sits at the 76th percentile, solid but not flashy. The weak spots are comfort and connectivity. A 454g weight plus a spring-steel headband sounds fine on paper, but the comfort score tells a different story.

Stacked against the Sennheiser Momentum M5AEBT, the Beyerdynamic wins on pure sound quality but loses on convenience, the Sennheiser brings wireless and ANC while the DT 1990 PRO MKII is wired-only with no noise cancelling. The Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B and Technics EAH-A800 are more lifestyle-focused with better comfort and connectivity scores, but they can't touch the Beyerdynamic's resolution and soundstage. The JBL Tune 670NC and TOZO HT3 are budget options that beat it on price and portability but sit in a completely different league for critical listening. If you need wireless or ANC, look elsewhere. If you need to hear every detail in a mix, this is the pick.

At USD 600 to USD 700 depending on the vendor, this is not a casual purchase. You're paying for German build quality, a top-tier driver, and a sound signature tuned for studio work. The price spread across the three US listings is worth checking, and Newegg's open-box option can save you some cash if you don't mind a previously opened box. For a dedicated mixing or mastering headphone, the value is there. For everyday listening, you can get 90% of the fun for half the price elsewhere.

The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII is a serious tool for people who take sound seriously. It's an open-back studio headphone built in Germany with a 45mm TESLA.45 driver, a 5Hz to 40kHz frequency range, and a low 30 ohm impedance that plays nice with laptops and interfaces alike. You get two sets of ear pads to shift the sound from analytical to a bit more bass-forward, plus straight and coiled cables and a hard case.

Our database puts the sound quality in the 90th percentile, which means it's one of the best on the market right now. But comfort lands near the bottom at the 10th percentile, and the mic is basically an afterthought. This is a headphone for mixing and critical listening, not for taking calls or wearing all day without a second thought.

Skip these if you need wireless, active noise cancelling, or a built-in mic, because the DT 1990 PRO MKII has none of that. Also skip if comfort is a priority, the 10th percentile comfort score suggests these get fatiguing over long sessions. If you want a do-everything headphone for commuting, calls, and casual listening, look at the Sony or Sennheiser options instead.

Buy this if you mix, master, or edit audio and want a reference-grade open-back headphone that reveals everything. The sound quality is genuinely top-tier, and the pad-swapping trick gives you two useful sound profiles. Skip it if you want wireless, noise cancelling, or all-day comfort, because this thing fails hard on those fronts.