Sometimes the original is betterā¦
Hi guys, new here. My friend let me borrow his 1990 Pro and Schiit Hel 1 dac/amp today.
Today I used it for a few hours for gaming, as I am looking to upgrade from my Cloud Revolver S for competative fps gaming only.
So, I think they 1990Pro obviously has far better audio quality than the Revolver S, aswell as there is so much more detail in the DTs, and imaging and soundstage easily surpassed the Cloud Revolver S as expected from a much higher end headphone. I really do like these DTs, but there is a huge problem for me, the gunshots volume are just far too blazingly loud compared to my Revolver S.
Ontop of that, I am not sure if all the extra detail I now hear is too distracting from a competative standpoint. When I switch back to the Revolver S, everything sounds very calm and relaxed, then I switch to the 1990Pro and bang, there is so much more fine detail fed to my ears from everywhere ingame. But the imaging and soundstage is far superior, that it kind of counter balances it out from a competative view. But then there is the issue of the gun shots being far too loud for my bleeding ears with the 1990 Pro.
I tried the sound lock program, and didnt like it although it worked to reduce the gunshot volume. But it makes all sounds dampened and sound weird when there is gunshots, so I did not like the sound lock app.
Next I tried EqAPO and roughrider VST plugin. Effectively works better than sound lock to lower the volume of the gun shots ingame, but it still muzzles the sound quality a bit and also I feel like it messes with the natural sound stage and imaging of the headphones. So I am not 100% convinced to use this method to lower the gunshot volume ingame.
The 1990 Pro was used with the stock pads. I did not try the other pads, because my mate said it can be a pain to get them on/off, so I didnāt want to mess with it as I donāt want to ruin his headphones. I hear there are other pads available to purchase that can reduce the harshness, I canāt remember the name of them.
Tommorow I may try PeaceEQ or Oratory1990 eq.
Was hoping I donāt have to, because I donāt want to mess with the sound stage, quality and imaging of these headphones.
Or should I return these headphones to my friend and look at other headphones in the market? Or do you think I should stick to gaming orientated headphones so I am not faced with these sorts of problems?
As with every audio equipment. Use it for a couple of days until you get use to the sound. Dont rush and change gear so fast. Unless the treble of the dt1990 is unbearable.
Here is an answer:
So if i change to the other pads in the box, or the elite velour pads, will this negatively effect the sound stage and imaging?
I want to keep these headphones for those two qualities if I can find a way to tone down the excessively loud gunshot volume without hurting those 2 qualities.
ā¦ 
plus 10
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The dt1990 comes with the B-pads installed. This ones have more bass, and sound its more forward.
The A-pads (analytical) are more neutraly tuned. I think this is the sound you are looking after since the bass is going to be reduce. I also think this are the one recomended for gaming. Be warned coming from a closed back or regular consumer headphones, this ones are going to sound way different. You need let yourself adjust, because they are going to sound bright and lean.
The difference in sound does not bother me, I can easily get used to it, and actually like it.
The only thing that bothers me is the volume of gunshot ingame. I only have the schiite hel volume dial at about 30%, windows and ingame volume 100%, and the gunshots are still blisteringly loud! This is the only thing that bothers me so I will try my best to find a way to lower it without effecting the sound stage and imaging if thatās even possible.
Im going to try the analytical pads when i get home later, hopefully that helps a bit.
Thatās the DT1990. Itās harsh. For gaming, try to find a used HD800(S).
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Another thing you could try is adjusting individual settings withing the game sound.
For example, when I onwed the beyerdynamic t1.2nd I lowered everything else, and left dialog up (because t1.2nd tunning with recessed mids). With Focal headphones I do the opposite, lower the dialalog, and everything up.
Edit: This is game dependent. Some games have better sound engine than others.
I changed to analytical pads.
And I used the RoughRider plugin for eqAPO, and changed the RoughRider sensitivity to -20dB and this sounded alot better in terms of reducing gunshot volume and retaining clarity and detail in all other sounds. Unlike last night when I was using -30dB sensitivity in RR plugin which made all other noises sound really weird and unatural.
Still need to play around with it more before i decide if I keep the 1990s or opt for something else.
Iād demo the TYGRs before I pulled the trigger on DT1990s. Iāve got both and preferred them last time I was playing FPS consistently.
Sure ill check it out, can you elaborate why you prefer tygr over 1990s please?
When I was changing pads, I noticed the base pad underneath had a small crease in it, i.e. it wasnāt entirely flat, as shown in the photo I took below.
I tried to flatten it out but I wasnāt successful.
Would leaving that crease in there like that have any negative effects on the sound?
Hi, I am using HyperX Revolver S too, and I have the DT 900X but donāt like it. Iām eyeing the DT 1990 PRO, but the DT 900X also has the same problem you are talking about.
I can confidently attribute this to the fact that these headphones have flat drivers and not angled (the HyperX is angled, by the way). This makes āhotā sound like vocals and gunshots centered on your head, which makes them unbearable. Lower them down, you canāt hear everything else in the background. This may also apply when listening to certain orchestras, watching movies, and anything that has room and spatial cues.
Angled drivers have a more laidback presentation but less engaging and analytical (not so good for mixing and performing surgery on voice), but it is more realistic as it creates a concert-like soundscape. Their āhotā sounds are centered slightly in front of your head, which reduces the effect of harshness (it can still be harsh) and allows you to tolerate it better (HyperX Revolver S is VERY harsh in that regard). These headphones image anything with room and spatial cues more convincingly (Minecraft can be over-immersive, lmao), but they are sometimes over-forgiving. All stereo musics sound good but never great. Bad songs also become good even.
Thatās why Beyerdynamics and some Sennheisers with their flat drivers are gold for studio analytical work when you want to hear flaws in the recording and fix them (ironically less for mixing/mastering actually because speakers/angled drivers do that better). Since they center hot sounds inside your head, they sound cleaner, tighter, more present, and thus are more revealing. When it comes to listening to stereo music, I do find them much better than angled drivers. Anything with 3D, though, angled drivers win.
Oh, and HD800s have angled drivers. Thatās why itās often (but not always) considered by many as an endgame gaming headphone but not much for studio (donāt). Hifiman is also known for their big soundstage, and Focal for their spaciousness. Both have angled drivers.
In summary, if you want headphones that sound good for competitive gaming + immersion at the same time with a more natural soundstage (but sometimes at the compromise of less pinpoint imaging [flat drivers pinpoint better]), find angled driver ones or stick to IEMs. I have heard more positive reviews from angled drivers when it comes to gaming than not, but itās still a matter of preference. The more Beyerdynamics T1 (V1 or V2) might be better for gaming in fact.
I wonder what the new mkii dt 1990 pros will be like for gaming?
Would it still be harsh on the ears with gunshots?
Probably. There is more bass, and the sharpness is smoothened out, but the peak still exists, and the sound profile is brighter with some congested/restricted treble feeling. Imaging is less coherent (less immersive?), but
verticality is better(?) and vocals are more shaped (you can imagine a personās mouth movements). The treble or hot sounds are more forward. At least thatās what I hear from YouTube demos and some peopleās reviews. Itās a sidegrade; you might or might not like it.
To be fair, you should demo headphones with angled drivers too. The imaging is not as sharp as them Beyers, but as far having the right sound balance + soundstage realism, they are more natural. If you donāt like MKI, I donāt think you will like MKII either. Itās similar.
Didnāt you like HyperX Revolver S? What made you change? I am still using them to this date, and it still has the best natural soundstage in my opinion. Itās forgiving toward bad mixes too, which you should expect from the majority of games. I play VALORANT, Apex, Overwatch, Minecraft, CS2, anything you can think about. I was like high Immortal 3 and held high ranks across various competitive games. But, the fact that it makes bad mixes sound good, it also makes good mixes sound ājust goodā but never āgreatā.
If you havenāt, try plugging the HyperX straight to your PC front-jack or your new dac/amp you borrowed from your friend. You probably used the high impedance rear jack (which 99% of guides tell you to, but hopefully you didnāt), which gives lots of bass boost and muddiness. Try without the sound card too; itās MUCH better. ALSO, turn off Windows Audio Enhancements and Effects from Sound Settings. I am not talking about resolution btw. Resolution wise, DT 1990 will 1000000% win. If you decide to buy them and still have your HyperX by your side, and in the end feel like HyperX is better for gaming, you can keep the DT 1990 for music. It opens a whole new world (and will make you addicted to music).
Hey, so I am not sure when I was talking about borrowing the dac/amp from a friend. But I have actually purchased the schit hel 2e and dt 1990 pro and used them for over a year now.
I do love the dt 1990 pro for gaming, it has heaps good imaging and sound stage, but it does suck for ear piercing gun shot volume!
I have been using rough rider plugin with eualizerAPO, and it has toned the loudness down a bit.
But I did wish that I didnāt have to resort to messing with eqs just to use the dt1990 pros for gaming.