Beyerdynamic - DT 990 PRO (80 Ohm)

It depends on which model you got. The DT 990s come in a range of impedance levels- if you got the 80 ohm version or the Pro X model (48 ohm), chances are your motherboard really is enough to power them and buying an amp would have minimal benefits. If you're happy with the sound, don't go out of your way to spend more money on them.

I don't have a DAC myself but I believe Fiio's are meant to be good value. Again though if you're happy with the sound you're happy with it.

DT 990 Edition is at 32 ohm, no need amp. You should read about open back Vs closed back and see the difference and which is important to you. Beyerdynamic is infamous for its exaggerated sibilance range which is the treble. Some can't handle, I didn't like it but got used to it. Definitely worth mentioning.

I have the opposite reaction. Metal sounds horrible on my 990. It's about the only genre so far I'm not happy with on 990. Are you EQing it?

Hmm that's interesting. Rage against the machine sounds amazing on it but I wouldn't say that's metal. Gojira on the other hand sounds like ass. What are you listening to? Id like to try it out

Did you use the 1990 one from the pdf? Although my 990 isn't there, I tried a different ohm one and didn't enjoy it at all. What's your secret?

I'm glad I only read about stuff like this after I bought my 990 which I think is considered the most harsh sounds? I love it. Yeah the treble is a little harsh but I got used to it in a week, I don't even notice it anymore unless I pay attention. Everything else is amazing. It's a WAY better than PC38X that people recommend every time when it comes to gaming.

IMO open backed headsets make locating objects in 3D space easier for me vs. closed back. But headphones go north $ wise once you add gear like amp/dac, so here are some normal options. (No amp needed) Sennheiser HD 599 with their clip on mic - ~$165 if you find deal Price tracker included cuz you def missed out on holiday deals so you might wanna wait https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B07Q7S7247 https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0FRVVG2JQ Philips Fidelio X2 i think works with clip on mics as well A step up would be like beyerdynamic DT 990 80 Ohms, those really plushy, but IDK about mic options, you may have to get a boom/clip on but if you wanna dive deep an amped set up with beyerdynamic DT 990 250 Ohms is also option. If $150 is too much, their are a few sub $100 with mics included I can find. HyperX Cloud Series can be found pretty cheap and isnt too bad. You got a TON of options tho, so shop around.

I currently have the Dt990 pros, though 80 ohms I believe, and I'm really happy of how they turned out to sound. Though keep in mind they are open back, so if there is some noise outside, you will hear it. Bonus points is that all the cushions are replaceable, so if one does start to wear down you can just get new ones and you're good to go for another few years.

DRT 990 Pros have been great for me, I like open backs so I can monitor the volume of my voice and not piss off my GF when I’m playing. It’s right at the boundary of your budget tho

Open and closed backs are entirely different. Open backs leak sound, but are less fatiguing and usually give you a more accurate sound. Closed don’t leak as much sound. The AT M50’s are not comfy for long periods and are not great sounding. Very hyped in the mids. They do not cover your entire ear. They are fine for tracking purposes. The DT 990 Pro is way more comfy. They are flatter in the mids, but have hyped lows and highs. I have both of those. It really depends on whether you need isolation or not. If not and you are going to be spending a lot of time using headphones, then you should get open backs. They are better for mixing as well.

The DT900's are only 48ohm, much easier to drive - DAC is kinda overkill. I have 250ohm 990 pro's as well so I know where you're coming from, but 'horses for courses', not everyone needs the same. DAC is a big expense for little benefit in OP's case.

I bought my DT990 pros 2 years ago. They have been great. Recently i also bought a DAC (FiiO k5 ess) because music with lots of instruments sounded “muddy” (I don’t know to describe it I’m not an audiophile). That fixed my issue, now my music sounds incredible.

I didn't do much comparing, but I had several headphones over the years, most of them pressed pretty hard on my head, giving me headaches and such but I've had Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pros for like 8 years now and I could wear them all day, they feel light and comfortable, no pressure sores anywhere and they are easily repaired if something breaks, over the time, due to how I put them on and take them off some small retainers or something broke and I just ordered replacements and swapped them out myself, same goes for the earmuffs, can be replaced when they get filthy and they sound really amazing aswell, but I'm no audiophile so I can't talk about the audio quality, but there is definitly a reason every PC in my audio engineering class had one of those :D

only now read your bonus about being stuffed into a backpack, so I probably wouldn't take the DT-990 Pros since they aren't really made for travel haha

The HD518s were my first good pair of headphones. Really loved listening to music on them because they just had a pleasant, warm sound. But when I later upgraded to the DT 990 Pros with their surgical like ability to present music it was a whole different feeling. Suddenly lots of songs just sounded kinda crappy due to bad mastering and/or mixing. I still like them for that, its a way different approach to enjoying music than the HD650s that I got later are. Pretty sure they also gave me mild tinnitus.