The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) is 600Ω at 96.0 dB (no reference unit printed); the Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Generation) is 32Ω at 100.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The DT 990 Edition (600Ω) needs 4.0 dB more than the T5 (3rd Generation) to reach the same loudness — 2.5 mW against 1.0 mW.
| Specification | DT 990 Edition (600Ω) | T5 (3rd Generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 600 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 96.0 dB | 100.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 98.2 dB/V | 114.9 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 2.5 mW | 1.0 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 1.23 V | 0.18 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 2.0 mA | 5.6 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 75.00 Ω | 4.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 266 | 280 |
One caution before reading the rows. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) printed a decibel figure with no reference unit, so this page reads it as per milliwatt. If it is really per volt, that model needs far more than the table says. Why the two readings differ by so much.
14 of the 280 sources have the power for the T5 (3rd Generation) but not for the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Apple USB-C dongle (EU), JadeAudio JA11, 11 more.
34 sources are low enough in output impedance for the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) under the one-eighth rule but not for the T5 (3rd Generation) (Zoom AMS-22, Audient EVO 4, ART HeadAmp 4 Pro, 31 more).
1 source stays below the audible-hiss threshold with the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) but crosses it with the T5 (3rd Generation) (Schiit Mjolnir 3).
266 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The DT 990 Edition (600Ω) is more demanding than 98% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the T5 (3rd Generation) than 54%.
| dB SPL | DT 990 Edition (600Ω) power | DT 990 Edition (600Ω) voltage | T5 (3rd Generation) power | T5 (3rd Generation) voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0.03 mW | 0.12 V | 0.01 mW | 18 mV |
| 85 | 0.08 mW | 0.22 V | 0.03 mW | 32 mV |
| 90 | 0.25 mW | 0.39 V | 0.10 mW | 57 mV |
| 95 | 0.79 mW | 0.69 V | 0.32 mW | 0.10 V |
| 100 | 2.5 mW | 1.23 V | 1.0 mW | 0.18 V |
| 105 | 7.9 mW | 2.18 V | 3.2 mW | 0.32 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, DT 990 Edition (600Ω) | Headroom, T5 (3rd Generation) | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 6.4 dB | 23.0 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR13 | $59 | 3.0 dB | 20.0 dB | 0.6 Ω | 1.0 µV |
| iBasso DC03 Pro | $69 | 3.2 dB | 19.9 dB | 0.12 Ω | 0.9 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 266 reach 100 dB on both. 66 of them also publish an output impedance low enough for both under the one-eighth rule and a noise figure that stays below the audible-hiss threshold with both.
The cheapest of the 66 is the FiiO KA11, at $29. It leaves 6.4 dB of headroom on the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and 23.0 dB on the T5 (3rd Generation), its output impedance is 0.7 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 75.00 Ω and 4.00 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 37 dB and 20 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| DT 990 Edition (600Ω) | 5 - 35.000 Hz | not printed | not printed |
| T5 (3rd Generation) | 5 - 50,000 Hz | not printed | not printed |
Beyerdynamic prints 5 - 35.000 Hz for the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and 5 - 50,000 Hz for the T5 (3rd Generation).
DT 990 Edition (600Ω): Beyerdynamic prints one range for the whole DT 990 Edition page, the same figure for every impedance version.
Neither range has a tolerance printed beside it, so a wider range on one sheet is not deeper bass or more treble.
Not a measurement; maker by maker.
Both have a page of their own. In full: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Generation). Each figure on this page is labelled on those pages with where it came from, including the ones Beyerdynamic never published — what that maker publishes, counted.