Headphones — Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII

The DT 1990 PRO MKII is the open-back studio headphone in the second-generation PRO line from beyerdynamic, hand-built in Germany and intended mainly for mixing, mastering and editing. Compared with the first DT 1990 PRO, the redesigned driver drops impedance to 30 ohm, and beyerdynamic has slightly attenuated the region around 8 kHz.

Key specs that matter

A 45 mm TESLA.45 dynamic driver covers 5 Hz to 40,000 Hz. Sensitivity is 94 dB SPL at 1 mW and 500 Hz, and total harmonic distortion is quoted below 0.05 percent. The headphone weighs about 376 g without the cable and sits over the ear with open-back cups. Like its closed sibling, it is a wired design with a detachable lead, so the owner can fit a fresh lead after wear.

Engineering and use context

The TESLA.45 motor uses a neodymium magnet with flux density above one Tesla, a diaphragm made of PEEK polymer, and a voice coil wound from aluminium-coated copper wire. Drivers are measured to tight tolerances during production so left and right stay matched. The open back lets air and sound pass freely through the cups, which means the model offers little isolation and leaks to the room, so it belongs in a control room rather than a recording booth. Two pairs of velour ear pads come in the box. One set is labelled Producing and the other Mixing and Mastering, so one headphone can serve two tasks by swapping pads. The cable plugs into a lockable 3-pin mini-XLR connector, and beyerdynamic supplies two detachable cables - a straight 3 m cable and a coiled 5 m cable - with a 6.35 mm stereo jack at the other end. Parts such as pads and cables are replaceable, and a hardcase is included. beyerdynamic lowered the impedance so that the headphone would suit more of the devices found in modern home and project studios.

Pairing

The low load means the DT 1990 PRO MKII can be driven from an audio interface, a mixer, a laptop or a portable player without a separate amplifier. A dedicated headphone amplifier is still an option for owners who prefer one in a studio rack or on a desktop.

Alternatives

The beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO MKII shares the TESLA.45 driver in a closed-back housing aimed at tracking and monitoring.