The beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII ranks #48 out of 512 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Beyerdynamic
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#48 beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII: $599.99 Amazon $599.99 eBay
Pros: An open-back studio headphone with a 45 mm TESLA.45 driver and a preference score of 87. Lower mids through presence stay within 1 dB of target, so voices and instruments sound natural, and the 30 ohm design runs from modest sources.
Cons: Treble is bright, with a 9.1 dB peak near 8.2 kHz and a 7.4 dB peak near 11.2 kHz that can sound harsh, and sub bass is about 3.4 dB low. At 94 dB SPL/mW sensitivity it benefits from an amp, and the Sennheiser HD 600 rates higher for less. See headphone amps and DACs with enough power to drive it.
Is the beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 87).
Skip it if
- you need isolation or will use it in public: open-back headphones leak sound both ways.
| Released | 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.29 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 45mm TESLA.45 dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 87 (1 squig.link measurement, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 30 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 94 dB SPL/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.8 lbs (376 g) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 87.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +1.1 dB | 1.79 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.4 dB | 0.87 |
| Peak | 628 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.30 |
| Peak | 2,731 Hz | +4.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,630 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,489 Hz | +2.9 dB | 3.53 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.3 dB | 6.00 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 71.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.4 dB | 0.80 |
| Peak | 621 Hz | +1.1 dB | 2.91 |
| Peak | 2,731 Hz | +4.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,630 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,490 Hz | +2.9 dB | 3.52 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.3 dB | 6.00 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 99 out of 100, up from 44.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 198 Hz | -5.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,647 Hz | +6.0 dB | 2.67 |
| Peak | 3,672 Hz | -2.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,235 Hz | +2.6 dB | 4.55 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -3.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 96 out of 100, up from 73.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.2 dB | 0.93 |
| Peak | 2,748 Hz | +3.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,709 Hz | -3.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -5.6 dB | 5.68 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 71.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 54 Hz | +1.0 dB | 2.06 |
| Peak | 198 Hz | -3.4 dB | 1.07 |
| Peak | 636 Hz | +1.0 dB | 3.91 |
| Peak | 2,731 Hz | +4.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,629 Hz | -2.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,490 Hz | +2.9 dB | 3.53 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.3 dB | 6.00 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -5.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 99 out of 100, up from 56.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.4 dB | 0.79 |
| Peak | 620 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.16 |
| Peak | 2,732 Hz | +4.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,680 Hz | -2.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,296 Hz | +5.5 dB | 1.98 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 98 out of 100, up from 78.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 64 Hz | +1.1 dB | 2.58 |
| Peak | 202 Hz | -2.1 dB | 1.50 |
| Peak | 2,721 Hz | +4.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,714 Hz | -2.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,206 Hz | +5.6 dB | 1.56 |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII measures across the audible range, against the Harman over-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is a single measurement, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: a single measurement from the squig.link database of gadgetrytech. Thanks to them for publishing their work.