DT 990 Edition (600Ω) vs TYGR 300 R: which needs more amplifier?

The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) is 600Ω at 96.0 dB (no reference unit printed); the Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R is 32Ω at 96.0 dB (no reference unit printed). This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.

In amplifier terms these two are the same headphone. The gap between what they need for 100 dB is under half a decibel, which is smaller than the step between two clicks of most volume controls.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationDT 990 Edition (600Ω)TYGR 300 R
Impedance600 Ω32 Ω
Sensitivity96.0 dB96.0 dB
Sensitivity (voltage)98.2 dB/V110.9 dB/V
Power for 100 dB2.5 mW2.5 mW
Voltage for 100 dB1.23 V0.28 V
Current for 100 dB2.0 mA8.9 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
75.00 Ω4.00 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
266280

One caution before reading the rows. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R printed a decibel figure with no reference unit, so this page reads it as per milliwatt. If it is really per volt, each of them needs far more than the table says. Why the two readings differ by so much.

Where the two part company

14 of the 280 sources have the power for the TYGR 300 R 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 TYGR 300 R (Zoom AMS-22, Audient EVO 4, ART HeadAmp 4 Pro, 31 more).

266 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.

What each one needs from 80 to 105 dB

The DT 990 Edition (600Ω) is more demanding than 98% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the TYGR 300 R than 72%.

dB SPLDT 990 Edition (600Ω) powerDT 990 Edition (600Ω) voltageTYGR 300 R powerTYGR 300 R voltage
800.03 mW0.12 V0.03 mW28 mV
850.08 mW0.22 V0.08 mW50 mV
900.25 mW0.39 V0.25 mW90 mV
950.79 mW0.69 V0.79 mW0.16 V
1002.5 mW1.23 V2.5 mW0.28 V
1057.9 mW2.18 V7.9 mW0.50 V

The cheapest source that satisfies both

SourcePriceHeadroom, DT 990 Edition (600Ω)Headroom, TYGR 300 ROutput impedanceNoise
FiiO KA11$296.4 dB19.0 dB0.7 Ω1.7 µV
FiiO BTR13$593.0 dB16.0 dB0.6 Ω1.0 µV
iBasso DC03 Pro$693.2 dB15.9 dB0.12 Ω0.9 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 266 reach 100 dB on both. 67 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 67 is the FiiO KA11, at $29. It leaves 6.4 dB of headroom on the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and 19.0 dB on the TYGR 300 R, 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 24 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.

Try any other source.

What each sheet prints, and what it is worth

ModelAs printedToleranceStandard
DT 990 Edition (600Ω)5 - 35.000 Hznot printednot printed
TYGR 300 R5 - 35,000 Hznot printednot printed

Beyerdynamic prints 5 - 35.000 Hz for the DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and 5 - 35,000 Hz for the TYGR 300 R.

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 pages in full

Both have a page of their own. In full: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω) and Beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R. 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.

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