The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) is 250Ω at 96.0 dB (no reference unit printed); the Meze 99 Classics is 32Ω at 103.0 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) needs 7.0 dB more than the Meze 99 Classics to reach the same loudness — 2.5 mW against 0.50 mW.
| Specification | Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) | Meze 99 Classics |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 250 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 96.0 dB | 103.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 102.0 dB/V | 117.9 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 2.5 mW | 0.50 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.79 V | 0.13 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 3.2 mA | 4.0 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 31.25 Ω | 4.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 277 | 280 |
One caution before reading the rows. Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) 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.
3 of the 280 sources have the power for the Meze 99 Classics but not for the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) — Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Steinberg UR22C, Sony NW-A306.
19 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) under the one-eighth rule but not for the Meze 99 Classics (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 16 more).
277 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.
Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) and Meze 99 Classics. Each figure on this page is labelled on those pages with where it came from, including the ones Beyerdynamic and Meze never published — what Beyerdynamic publishes and what Meze publishes, both counted.