First to clear a few things up. The usage of my headphones is roughly about 50% for gaming and 50% for music. My current setup is a Schiit Modius + Asgard 3. I stream my music via Tidal Hifi and i have some flac files on my pc. I’d like to always have 2 main headphones with different approches to play back sound. Atm these 2 are the beyer dt 990 edition 250 ohms as high-cannons and audioquest nighthawk carbons as my relax cans. I feel like now it’s the right time to upgrade to a better detail-focused headphone and sell my 990s. I have never listened to any planars or electrostatics, so I have absolutely no experience with how these would compare.
Hopefully you guys can help me to find a headphone. My price range is 350$ to 600$. After seeing Z’s review of the goldplanar gl2000 I am not sure if it’s worth to save the money or if they are overhyped.
Dt 1990 better stage better detail better bass better mids smoother treble then the dt1990. If you are happy the way the 990 fits you and the way it sounds and presents the 1990 are a safe bet
Z review of the gl2000 is overhypte more reliable reviewer say its not better then a sundara
Yeah the DT 1990 also came to my mind. The reviews that I read/watched seemed very positive over all. I will definetly consider it.
And yes that is what i thought about the gl2000 review too, I mean I don’t want to trust on 1 persons opinion only about a headphone. He really praised it and it seemed too good to be true.
TBH, I don’t think you’ll find much of a true upgrade to the DT990 in the price range you’ve specified. You’ll get different sounds, but not necessarily better. The DT1990 will be a slight upgrade but also is hard to find under $450. I would save awhile longer, not for GL2000, but something in that price range. Since you’re also into gaming I think you should save and look into the DT1990 or Focal Elex. IMO planar magnetic headphones are very hit or miss until you get to $1k, where the best IMO is LCD-2 prefazor, and that’s a very different sound than what you’re after.
Last option for now… See if there is a used Focal Elegia out there for under $450. It’s a little different sound than DT990 but is still aggressive and detailed. It also is good for gaming. It is closed-back, tho.
Yeah I totally get your point and I was initially looking out to spend not more than that, but if you think the Focal Elex are a good choice i will add it to my list. Honestly, I was already digging into it, but I will definetly have to save up for it. The price tag is pretty hefty for a student like me…
The Elegia will probably not fit my taste, as I prefer open headphones while I am gaming and listening to music.
So if something like the Elex, DT 1990 or maybe even LCD-2 pf will be my pick and I already spend a good amount of money on these, should i upgrade to a balanced amp too? And how is the comfort with the 1990 and Elex? When I wear cans, I normally do it for many hours at a time and so this is also a strong factor for me.
Yes the 1990 is perfect for gaming also very good for music i use it as my main driver. Its very sturdy its build to last you decades it comes with 2 sets of pads for 2 different sound signatures and there are a few very good dekoni pads that increase the comfort and the sound signature very well. You also can get every single spare part from beyerdynamic so you dont have to worry about your headphones dying on you after warranty.
Thank your for your evaluation of the 1990s.
Some people don’t like the round earcups of the 1990s and the comfort overall, but imo beyer headphones are one of the more comfy for me. And hell yeah even though the DT 990s are “just” like 180$ they are built well and I expected that from the 1990s too. Could you also specify what material of dekoni pads you mean, please?
Since you can drive it. An do think it has plenty of detail for what it is. It’s also and excellent pick up if you wanna try planar’s and much more tried and true than a gl2000 which I also put in the overhyped category, why not try sundaras?
The reason why I haven’t tried Sundaras is a mixture of the reports I read about the frequency spikes, even tho newer models should’nt have that problem anymore (hopefully) and the reputation of Hifiman products themselfes. I mean we all know about the build quality issues and i fear that they don’t last on me for long. On the other hand I can trust the build quality of the DT 1990, because beyers are always built to last, and the Elex doesn’t seem to be a flimsy headphone too. I mean it’s great if it sounds nice and stuff, but I want my headphones to last without me worrying to break it.
There are the elite velours very comfy well paded soft memory foam. The soundsignature is between the stock balanced and analytical pads they increase also the stage i can wear this pads for more then 10 hours without discomfort
There are also the choice suede they look and feel the same but they increase the bass with 4-5 db and take 4-5db from the mids and treble region
The most expensive one are the elite hybrids the have a leather outside but the piece that touches your head is velour they increase the lows with 5 db without touching the mids and highs
I like the elite velours the most what i do extra is i use the inner foam disc from the amiron wireless/ tygr 300 its a new typ of foam disc from beyer they increase the stage and imaging they have more bass impact and they smooth out the treble peak very well it takes the 1990 a stage up and cost only 3 bucks perfect combo with the elite velours
I am fully willing to bet that the new he400se with a grill mod is better than the sundara for gaming and is only $90 on taobao + like $30 for the grills. If you’re looking for a new pair for gaming, you’re probably not going to beat 990s in your price range.
Yep that looks way more comfortable than my 990s and if it is true what you say about the way it impacts the sound signature it might be the winner. I love velour pads. That might be what i want. Elex still seem like a future option. Thank you for the pictures.
Firstly, I am thankfull for your recommendation, but my primary focus here isn’t gaming, I know that I should have clearified it a bit better. Honestly, the headphones I use the most at the time are my Nighthawks, even for gaming. I don’t play competitive shooters that much. Relaxed/uncompetitive games are what I play the most. The reason why I want to upgrade to a better, maybe even more balanced headphone that has detailed sound is mainly music.
Okay well it seems like I have to increase the budget a bit more. Great compromises are not what I am looking for. If I buy something like an Elex for 700$ I want it to be my endgame.
If you want a real endgame get a pair of he6se. They pop up for $590 or $700 brand new on adorama from time to time but they are with every penny of the $1800 MSRP and absolutely stomp every focal headphone imo. They do need some serious power though. They’re worth it enough that I’d say sell your asgard, get a magnius, 789, or a90, and quit looking for anything else. Im finally at a point where I could safely say I don’t care to have any other headphones and could be content with just my HE6se with a grill mod and dekoni hybrids or huge xl velour for generally everything, GL2000 for a lot of music and movies and dt990 600ohm with a balance mod for gaming
Well I was not aware than you can get them that cheap, but sounds like a hell of a deal to me. I found a link to the adorama page on a forum thread (699$), but if I search it myself I only find it for msrp. Is there something wrong?
The link has a coupon code built into it I think. Also if you open that link in a browser directly there’s usually a drop box with different used or open box deals for cheaper. Right now there’s an open box for $639 on that adorama link.
