DT990 Pro vs Phillips Fidelios (Which one should I buy?)

ThatGeekMatt

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Sep 21, 2013
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Hi, I am writing this to ask for your recommendation on what headphones I should get. It is coming up to my birthday and that means I will be getting a reasonable amount of money as my gift. With this money I want to buy a pair of open-back headphones as an upgrade from my HyperX Cloud 2s. Two headphones I have been looking at are the DT990 Pros and the Fidelio X2s.

I am a very intensive gamer, but I also love watching films and listening to/making music via my computer with my headphones.

Most of my sound files are FLAC so i can get the full experience.

Here are my reasons for the DT 990:
-Great soundstage
-"Like clouds when on your head"
-Cheaper than the Fidelio

Here are my reasons for the Fidelios:
-No sound card required to run (I was planning on getting the 250 Ohm variants of the DT 990 if I did buy them)
-Amazing overall sound (from your review)
-Suspension mechanism for the headband
-4dB higher sensitivity
-Detachable cable

I'm not sure whether I wanna get the DT990s and buy a sound card along with it (which means spending more than what I would on the Fidelios), or whether I just buy the Fidelios and leave the sound card 'till the future...
A response would be greatly appreciated, thank you :)
 
Solution
both of them are good headphones in their own way.

i'm not as familiar with the x2, but based on what i've read from other users here are a few vague comparisions:

dt990 will have a bit more soundstage but both have pretty wide soundstages although not ad500x/ad700x level
dt990 will have a bit more bass, but extends a little less but both are in the bassy category
dt990 will have more detailed treble but both have decent treble response
x2 lacks just a bit of the treble energy of the dt990 but is still reasonably detailed
dt990 is not as flabby in treble and bass as the x2 but both are good
x2 is easier to drive
x2 are likely a bit less analytical and may be a little less fatiguing

honestly it might come down to personal preference...
both of them are good headphones in their own way.

i'm not as familiar with the x2, but based on what i've read from other users here are a few vague comparisions:

dt990 will have a bit more soundstage but both have pretty wide soundstages although not ad500x/ad700x level
dt990 will have a bit more bass, but extends a little less but both are in the bassy category
dt990 will have more detailed treble but both have decent treble response
x2 lacks just a bit of the treble energy of the dt990 but is still reasonably detailed
dt990 is not as flabby in treble and bass as the x2 but both are good
x2 is easier to drive
x2 are likely a bit less analytical and may be a little less fatiguing

honestly it might come down to personal preference as to which you prefer. instead of a soundcard likely you would want a headphone amplifier for the dt990.

is there a local headphone shop near you (guitar center or similar) that you can hear the headphones at? this might be the easiest way to make a decision.
 
Solution