Having owned Beyerdynamic’s DT990 PRO and acclaimed T90 headphones early on in my journey to #AudioNirvana, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I was offered a review unit of the T90’s recently-released successor, the Amiron Home. I was dead wrong. In other words, wow. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

If you’re familiar with the house sound of Beyerdynamic’s high-end headphones, you’ll feel right at home when you fire up the Amiron Home, which doesn’t stray too, too far from what has been a successful sonic signature for decades. Instead, the Amiron Home offers a much-welcomed refinement of it—a fine-tuning that easily makes this headphone an end-game contender. Yes, you read that right—it’s that good. 

For the Amiron Home, Beyerdynamic engineers have been hard at work refining everything loved about the T90 (spaciousness, clarity, realism)—and fixing everything that was hated about it (namely sibilance and the peaky and sometimes strident treble). Beyerdynamic also states that it further refined its Tesla technology for the Amiron Home, modifying the transducers to further diminish unwanted vibrations and completely eliminate annoying treble resonances. I’m not one to usually buy into a brand’s marketing speak right off the bat, but the way Beyerdynamic describes the Amiron Home is almost exactly how my ears hear it—and that’s an amazing feat because you’ve got to be picky along this hi-fi highway.

Home Sweet Home

At first listen, the Amiron Home is not at all what I expected, and that’s a good thing. Being fondly familiar with the overly-excited bass and treble of the DT990 PRO (review), the cutting clarity and cool, edgy traits of the T90 (review), and the clinical precision of the T1, I thought the Amiron Home would fall somewhere in line with the three. The honest truth, though, is that the Amiron Home is really a headphone all its own, picking and choosing traits of each to evolve into something much more. In fact, the Amiron Home is likely the richest and most balanced Beyerdynamic headphone I’ve heard to date.

“Amiron Home is our invitation to pure musical enjoyment: Just sit back in your favourite chair and let the sound carry you away.”

Yes, please. 

From top to bottom the Amiron Home is crisp, clean and controlled. It exhibits excellent detail retrieval. It’s tonally rich and engaging. It has presence and space. It’s intimate and cohesive. It’s everything you could want in a headphone, and maybe more, because it exhibits all of this without ever overdoing any of it. 

So let’s start at the beginning. 

Early on The Spirited Uncle M taught me that reaching the elusive state of Audio Nirvana isn’t just about how good your gear is, it’s also about how good your recordings are. Enter Dave Grusin’s Homage to Duke, a digital master by GPR Records, and one of the best sounding Redbook CDs I have heard. While this album won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, it really reveals exactly what your gear is capable of, which makes it an excellent test album for discerning listeners—exactly who Beyerdynamic is targeting with the Amiron Home.

“More precise than ever, the sound tuning will amaze even the most discerning music enthusiasts.”

Again, I won’t argue with Beyerdynamic’s claims. Right from the start of Homage to Duke, I was thrust into the studio alongside the ensemble. Cymbals shimmer and cut cleanly through the clutter, ringing incredibly true to life with really nice timbre and decay. Bass notes, whether from strings or kick drums, reach deep and hit with speed, punch and precision. Horns and pianos are full of gusto. Vocals are both natural and engaging.

Overall, the Amiron Home has a sweetness and balance throughout its dynamic range that its predecessors lacked—you can forget bass bloat or bloom that drowns out the mid-range and that dreaded harsh sibilance and tizzy, tipped-up treble that you’ve likely seen cursed on audio forums around the WWW. The Amiron Home truly delivers on its promise to bring you concert-quality sound that’s defined by precise bass, transparent mids and clear highs.

The Amiron Home’s rich tonality and resolution were particular standouts for me. The new tuning brings much-needed warmth to the Beyerdynamic line. I dare say that the Amiron Home makes the Sennheiser HD650—a headphone commonly regarded for its lush mids and traditional analog sound signature—sound quite hollow while also besting it at just about everything with the exception of, perhaps, overall soundstage width. For me, the Amiron Home’s overall sound is what I’ll call believable; it’s realistic and natural. Add in the crispness achieved throughout the dynamic range and you gain a great deal of detail being pushed into your ears without ever coming off as overly aggressive or fatiguing.

From the most sensitive snare strikes, to the gutsiest trumpet blasts, it’s easy to take in all the Amiron Home can render. On “Caravan” for instance, I could practically make out the sound of the drum tips’ impacts separate from the actual notes of the drum heads and cymbals. This sort of theme continues in Matthew Halsall’s “Finding my Way” off of Fletcher Moss Park. The elaborate drum work throughout this track is really enjoyable to sit back and absorb through the Amiron Home as it excels at instrument separation and layering, giving each musician depth and a clear and cohesive phantom position that reveals the micro-details of their performance.

What’s most refreshing about the Amiron Home is that it accomplishes all of these feats with damn near every genre of music. Ben Howard, Bjork, Daughter, Dave Grusin, Ghostpoet, Matthew Halsall, Miles Davis, Lucy Rose, Moderat, Odesza, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime, The Counting Crows, and on and on.... While most headphones I’ve owned or reviewed excel in some areas but suffer in others (Yes, even my several times more expensive Audeze LCD-X, Hifiman HE-6, and Sennheiser HD800 have their faults), the Amiron Home, in my opinion, is a strong performer through-and-through.

Where the Magic Happens

In the words of The Spirited Uncle M, however, I must caution to the up-and-coming audiophile, “Sh*t in, sh*t out.” As stellar as the Amiron Home can be, feed it bad recordings or through questionable gear and you’ll be left wondering what the hell happened to your “high-end” headphones. The Amiron Home, like any true audiophile-grade high-fidelity headphone, is pitiless—it’s not going to hide the pitfalls of your song selections or system like the lush and euphoric Meze Headphones 99 Classics might be able to. The “downside” of such clarity is that the Amiron Home will only sound as good as what’s in front of it. But if you’re dropping $599 on the Amiron Home, chances are you’ve already invested a good amount of time and money into building your music collection and front end.

Don’t mistake my warning as me saying that the Amiron Home will only sound good out of top-tier gear. In fact, with its highly-efficient dynamic transducers, the Amiron Home can sing loud and proud out of something as simple as a tablet streaming hi-res audio if you really want or need it to. Better though is a small desktop amp/DAC combo, like the JDS Labs Objective2 and OL DAC, which the Amiron Home starts to flex its muscle with. But the Amiron Home is truly intended to be plugged into a highly resolving home audio system—that’s when the magic really happens.

My main listening room rig is made up of the Eddie Current Balancing Act amplifier, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC and Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD player. I’m not trying to boast here, but the organic transparency of the Yggy blended with the tubey goodness of the ECBA turn the Amiron Home into something enchanted to my ears.

Daughter’s haunting music becomes ever more holographic. Miles Davis and John Coltrane become phantom figures in the listening room. Jenni Potts turns into something angelic among Odesza’s electronic vibes. The Amiron Home scales. It’s spacious, but intimate. It’s cutting, but comforting. It’s layered, but cohesive. It tricks you into thinking you’re in the concert hall or studio, and then it hits you right between the eyes. It’s the definition of high-fidelity audio.

Fits & Finishes

Oh yeah, the Amiron Home is pretty darn comfortable too. It’s almost an afterthought that it’s on my head. Beyerdynamic headphones have always been some of the easiest for me to wear, but the Amiron Home takes fit and finish up a notch. The circular ear pads are roomy and use high-quality Alcantara coverings that let your ears breathe, and the supple headband padding is wrapped in Microvelour, both of which are very soft and high-end in look and feel. These changes, combined with the light clamping force and even weight distribution, allow the Amiron Home to sit very lightly on the head. Even after extended, hours-long listening sessions, I never experienced any hot spots from headband pressure despite the fact that the Amiron Home weighs in at a middle-of-the-road 340 grams. However Beyerdynamic pulls this off makes no difference to me, because all I care about is that it makes for an excellent listening experience.

Bring It Home

From fit and finish, to sound quality and price-to-performance, Beyerdynamic nails it with the Amiron Home—there’s no denying that this is a high-end, hi-fi headphone (it’s even handmade in Germany to boot). It’s exciting and engaging, uniquely fresh and refined, and easily an endgame headphone. The Amiron Home has found a home in my listening room, so I think I’ll head back there now. Audio Nirvana awaits.

A lot has been written about Beyerdynamic’s T90 Tesla headphone. It’s easily one of those headphones that falls in the “love it or hate it” category. The sound signature is interesting, it’s involving, but it’s definitely not for every ear.

The T90 is often referred to as the DT990’s big brother. In a sense that is true and in many ways it is so much more. Having had both, I feel confident saying that you will love the T90 if you like the DT990. While the frequency responses are relatively similar, the T90 is a truer reference level headphone. It takes everything good about the DT990 and makes it better: Smoother treble, wider soundstage, tighter bass, more space and depth, and, of course, better build quality (particularly when compared to the DT990 PRO). 

In all, the T90 is much more refined, and it should be when you consider the price difference. Compared to its higher priced sibling, the T1, I truly believe you are getting probably 80-90% of the performance for a fraction of the cost. My particular gripe with the T1 is the angled driver that makes performance very dependent on the cup placement on your head. The T1 will sound very different depending on how the driver is lined up with your ear, and this is something I personally can’t stand. Otherwise, I’d say the T1 is simply a touch more refined across the frequency range, but this is a classic case of diminishing returns as prices rise.

Anyway, all that said, I find the T90 to be one of the pickiest headphones I have ever used. I’ve gone from absolutely loving it... can’t stop listening, “Just one more song,” to “Get these things off now.” So I guess I have a love/hate relationship with it. The T90 is quite sensitive, it gets loud very easily, it’s incredibly revealing, the treble can get peaky easily and what all of that means is that without a high quality source with the power to get the drivers really moving and recordings that match the T90’s characteristics, they can be incredibly unpleasant to listen to. 

For example, mated with my Ray Samuels Audio “The Raptor” tube headphone amp, the T90 performs admirably. Despite some background gain hiss, the T90 balances out the Raptor’s warm, lush tube sound to create a dynamic, full-bodied atmosphere that engulfs your ears and transports you into the concert hall. This combination always has my toes tapping and head bopping across all of my preferred genres. It’s easily one of my favorite headphones with that amp. The T90s driven by my Woo Audio WA6-SE on the other hand is absolutely underwhelming at best, and this saddens me. I can’t technically explain why, but the sound is thin, the treble is incredibly sibilant, and they lose all of the gusto that they had with the Raptor or the solid state Grace Model 901. With the terrific little ALO Audio Pan Am I use on my PC, the T90 performs somewhere between the Raptor and WA6-SE, regaining some warmth and a mellowed out high end with nice treble extension. But my point here is that the T90 is very amp dependent and it will likely take some trial and error to get the T90 performing to its full capabilities, and this is why I believe it is often loved or hated. 

I’ve owned a lot of headphones: AKG K701, Beyerdynamic DT990 PRO (review), Beyerdynamic T90, Brainwavz HM5, Grado GS-1000i (review), HiFiMan HE-500, Sennheiser HD650 and Shure SRH840 (review). Each of these is unique in its sound signature, but the T90 is one that I think can really excel at everything and every genre, but it’s all about getting the synergy right with your amp/DAC. Get it wrong and you’ll likely hate every second of your listening session. Get it right and the T90 absolutely sings. It shimmers; it has soul. It’s engaging for all of the right reasons and it will take you another step closer to Audio Nirvana.

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If you’re in the market for audiophile-grade headphones, you’ve probably heard of Germany’s professional audio electronics manufacturer Beyerdynamic. In the business of handcrafting premium headphones since 1924, Beyerdynamic is synonymous with hi-fi audio and head-fi enthusiasts worldwide. It’s no surprise then, that when setting out to find a headphone that would deliver high-end performance free from the esoteric claims and sticker shock that have become commonplace in the world of audiophilia, Beyerdynamic’s offerings come highly recommended.

Sitting back to enjoy a great stereo system is my preferred listening experience, but due to the fact that I spend more time in a cube farm on a regular basis, headphones have become a must-have for me. The warm sonic signature and reasonable comforts of the closed-back Shure SRH840 professional monitoring headphones that I previously reviewed fill my at-work listening needs perfectly. But, that first step into “premium” headphone sound piqued my interest in acquiring a nice pair of cans for my late-night listening sessions at home.

What I wanted: Crisp, detailed highs; moody, full-bodied mids; punchy bass; a wide, airy soundstage, and comfort to boot. As usual, I started scouring the Internet in search of the perfect headphone that would deliver exceptional sound quality, comfort, value and performance. Thankfully, I found a pair to try before paralysis from analysis set in.

Enter the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO 250-ohm monitoring headphone.

With an MSRP of $300 but often on sale for a mere $130, this headphone straddles the line of diminishing returns by delivering excellent performance at a reasonable price. While several versions of the DT 990 exist, minor changes to the headband, driver housing, cable and packaging allow the same critical internals of the higher priced DT 990 versions (MRSP $430) to be used in the DT 990 PRO application at a lower price point, making it economically feasible for pro audio business purposes while giving consumers an affordable option for those that care less about aesthetics and more about getting the best sound per dollar.

“Sound You Can Rely On”

As described by Beyerdynamic, the DT 990 PRO is their “Professional acoustically open headphone for monitoring and studio applications.” And while the box claims these cans offer an “analytical sound,” I would argue that the frequency response provides just enough sizzle in the highs and a slight boost in the bass to make it a dynamic and enjoyable headphone to listen to. In short, the DT 990 PRO uses hand-made neodymium drivers nestled inside composite open-back driver housings that help these cans deliver a quick, transparent and surprisingly wide and airy soundstage.

For those of you that know me or have been following this blog, you know that I listen to a wide variety of music that includes jazz, blues, electronica, folk, hard rock/metal, reggae and more. Well, I’ve been nothing but surprised by how well the DT 990 PRO performs. Instruments have excellent separation; vocals are crisp and clean; cymbals and horns shimmer with a nice sense of realism; bass notes are consistently tight, fast and punchy without ever being “boomy” or bloated; and the mids, albeit slightly recessed sometimes due to the bass hump around 100 Hz, refrain from being muddied or dull. Overall, the DT 990 PRO presents a rich, full-bodied, engaging sound that centers the mind’s eye well.

A word of caution, however: As you’d expect with a headphone designed for studio monitoring and mastering, these cans are revealing—bad recordings and low bit-rate digital files will likely sound bright, edgy, unrefined and unpleasant, but pair them with good recordings and a nice source and these babies sing.

Do these need an amp? Not necessarily; the DT 990 PRO can get plenty loud on mobile devices and still sound good, but if you want the best performance with the lowest noise floor and greatest dynamics, a headphone amp is recommended.

Are they boomy? No. The bass does have some added emphasis compared to the DT 880 PRO, but it is still tight and accurate.

Are they bright? They’re crisp and detailed, and if you’re sensitive to high frequencies they may come off as bright, but overall I’d say they manage to stay away from being harsh.

Should I get the DT 990, DT 880 or DT 770? That’s really up to you and your needs. The DT 990 is an open-back headphone—sound will leak, but you’ll have a wider soundstage and the presentation is dynamic. The DT 880 is a semi-open headphone specifically for reference monitoring—it has a more linear response that is very analytical compared to the DT 990 or DT 770. The DT 770 is a closed-back headphone that is pitchier than both the DT 990 and DT 770; the bass has greater emphasis, the mids are more recessed, and the highs jump more. The DT 990 PRO basically puts you between these “fun” and “analytical” headphones, leaving you with a dynamic compromise that seemingly performs well across all music genres.

“Superior Build Quality”

For those of you that are accident-prone, nearly all parts on the DT 990 PRO are replaceable, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it—these things are built for use.

Unboxing the DT 990 PRO, you’ll likely be struck with how light these cans are; including the 3-meter coiled cable (not detachable), these weigh in at 378 grams or 13.3 ounces on my scale. I’m not sure how that stacks up with other popular options on the market, but in relation to my Shure SRH840s, these sit significantly easier on my head… in fact, they’re hardly noticeable.

Beyerdynamic actually claims the weight reduction achieved in the composite driver housing lends a hand in creating the DT 990 PRO’s excellent sound quality. And while some may be struck by the light weight and composite driver housing as showing signs of weakness or lesser quality, the DT 990 PRO headphone simply saves much of its weight through its minimalist design and materials choices. The headphone is constructed from a spring steel headband wrapped in a slim, removable padding; the anodized aluminum forks are slim but decidedly solid; the composite driver housings, albeit flexy across the open back, are robust around the perimeter; and the velour ear cup pads are of good quality, free from loose seams, and the semi-soft pad conforms effortlessly to the head.

The Fit

Despite being a full-size circumaural (around-the-ear) headphone constructed of composite plastics, aluminum and steel, these cans are anything but bulky or heavy. In fact, the combination of their light weight, soft headband and cushy ear pads makes these an incredibly comfortable headphone to wear for hours at a time—I’ve even fallen asleep with them on several times.

While I have a relatively small oval head (21” circumference), I found the clamping tension to be just about right, maybe even a tiny touch loose for me. Still, the headphones manage to stay securely in place while moving/tilting the head and laying down, and I never experienced any fatigue or hotspots due to excessive pressure on the ears or head. Aside from the sensation of having two velour donuts circling my ears, it’s hard to tell that these are even being worn. My ears found plenty of room inside of the cups, and while the velour ear pads do absorb body heat quickly, the open-back design lets the headphone “breathe” just enough to keep the sweat at bay.

Overall, the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO headphone is a price-to-performance champ, delivering comfort, quality, and audiophile-grade sound at a price nearly every hi-fi enthusiast can afford.

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