A blog post from Community Voices author* – Oliver Weiblen
COMMUNITY VOICES: DT 1990 PRO MKII – FROM DESKTOP SETUP TO MOBILE ENJOYMENT
THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE!
If you’re a hi-fi enthusiast, audiophile, music lover—or however you choose to define yourself—and you look back on your “career” in music listening, it feels like we’re living in paradise these days.
Back then (and trust me, I speak from experience!), we surrounded ourselves with countless devices, fridge-sized speakers, pricey cables, and vast collections of vinyl and CDs. Today, all you really need is a smartphone, a pair of headphones, and a music streaming service.
A few years ago, I stepped away from the active audiophile life—family and kids took priority—and with that, I also escaped the endless debates about speaker placement, room acoustics, and the occasional raised eyebrow at my admittedly eclectic taste in music: somewhere between jazz, metal, country, classical, and French pop.
Now, I’m re-entering the scene—with a slightly different approach.
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Nowadays, music is consumed far more through headphones than just a few years ago—and I’ve also switched my setup to “phones only.” Naturally, my expectations for my new go-to headphones were high.
In the end, I chose the beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII, which I’ll be showcasing here in two different use cases. This isn’t a test or a full review—just a brief glimpse into how they perform in everyday use.
First Setup: High-End Sound at the Desktop
In my first setup, I use Apple Music on my Mac Mini as my trusted streaming service. The handoff to the analog world is handled by an external DAC via USB – in my case, Explorer2 from Meridian Audio, which is sadly only available second-hand these days, but still well worth it. You could plug headphones directly into it, and the DT 1990 PRO MKII already sounds excellent at this stage. However, it clearly benefits when the musical fare is served with powerful amplification.
I opted for the G103 MKII from Lake People – like my beyerdynamic headphones, also made in Germany.
The amplifier isn’t primarily about volume here—it’s about control and sonic authority. And personally, I prefer analog volume control via rotary knob over a +/- tap function. I believe I’ve hit the sonic jackpot with this setup. I’ve never heard music with such detail and calm precision. The DT 1990 PRO MKII reveals every nuance even at low listening levels, and even at volumes that aren’t exactly healthy, it never sounds harsh or overwhelmed.
It’s worth mentioning that after extended listening sessions, I ultimately opted for the analytical ear pads. I strongly recommend taking your time with this decision – because on first listen, the rounder, warmer bass response of the “producing pads” might sound more pleasant, and the headphones certainly perform well with them too.
However, I’ve listened to far too many mediocre headphones from various manufacturers in the past that cater to mainstream tastes and sound overly bass heavy. Eventually, it becomes overwhelming. Personally, I’m glad that with DT 1990 PRO MKII, the music is given room to breathe thanks to its realistic bass reproduction.
Tip from the beyerdynamic blog team: Discover our Mixing & Mastering ear pads or the Producing ear pads for your DT 1990 PRO MKII.
The impressively wide soundstage these headphones create also invites some experimentation with crossfeed. Since an SPL Phonitor headphone amplifier wasn’t within my budget, I opted for a software solution – Goodhertz Can Opener – and I haven’t regretted it. The DT 1990 PRO MKII already delivers excellent spatial imaging, but with crossfeed, the stereo center becomes even more focused, resulting in a playback experience that feels more dynamic (especially since bass and drums typically originate from the center).
I’m sure I’d be 100% satisfied with what beyerdynamic delivers even without crossfeed. But I do believe that this subtle effect allows you to squeeze just a little more out of an open-back headphone like the DT 1990 PRO MKII.
Second Setup: Mobile Music Enjoyment – DT 1990 PRO MKII on the Go
In this next setup, I’d like to focus on using the DT 1990 PRO MKII in a more mobile context—though by “mobile,” I mostly mean listening on the balcony or in a hotel room. For buses and trains, this fine piece of gear is a bit too bulky and heavy for my taste.
The music source here is an Android tablet, again using Apple Music. The connection to the analog world is handled by the beyerdynamic PRO X USB-C cable, which I use instead of the built-in headphone jack—and I’d like to go into a bit more detail about it.
I ordered this adapter along with the headphones, and as is typical for beyerdynamic, the build quality is excellent. The setup is self-explanatory—USB-C on one end connects to the tablet or smartphone, and Mini-XLR on the other docks into the DT 1990 PRO MKII. Done! No annoying app installation, no account creation or registration, no drivers—just plug and play. That’s how we like it. Thank you!
Aside from volume control and play/pause, there’s nothing else to adjust—which is perfectly fine by me. I’m here to listen to music, not to fiddle with settings.
And since this setup sounds flawless right out of the box – without any EQ or computational audio – I don’t need any of those DSP gimmicks anyway.
Comparison of Setup Variants
So how does the compact mobile music system stack up against the aforementioned “full-size rig”?
Well – in a direct A/B comparison, the setup with the amplifier clearly has the upper hand. The mobile variant is limited by USB power delivery, whereas the external amp connected to the Mac benefits from a stable mains supply.
But realistically, who constantly compares two setups for audible or perceived differences? When I’m sitting in my music corner at the computer – wow, it sounds fantastic!
And just as enjoyable was a mild summer evening spent on the balcony with my tablet and the headphone-DAC combo I described earlier. I simply listened to music – and listened well! Over two and a half hours, I didn’t miss a single sonic detail and just enjoyed the experience.
The DT 1990 PRO MKII feels right at home even with the PRO X USB-C cable: clear, detailed, fast, and with a spacious soundstage comparable to the desktop setup. Sure, you won’t get “Wacken-level” volume here, but it’s more than enough to have a good time.
One small caveat, though: the DT 1990 PRO MKII doesn’t sound “pretty.” It delivers exactly what was produced musically and sonically. Nothing is sugar-coated, flattered, or softened. Great productions sound absolutely stellar, while third-rate ones (and unfortunately, there are plenty) have their flaws laid bare. The truth doesn’t always sound beautiful. The principle of “garbage in – garbage out” works frighteningly well here.
Jetzt ist es doch so etwas wie ein Review geworden … macht nichts! 🙂
Bottom line: Buy it!
P.S.: The components from third-party manufacturers mentioned here are part of my personal setup and are not intended as advertising or purchase recommendations. The sonic characteristics discussed regarding the DT 1990 PRO MKII are, without a doubt, transferable to any other combination of hardware and software.
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