On power: 64 of the 65 audio interfaces here reach 100 dB SPL on the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω). It needs 2.5 mW at its 250Ω, and 1 of them do not get there.
Power is one of three questions and the one that goes wrong least often. The other two — whether the source’s output impedance leaves the frequency response alone, and whether you will hear its noise floor — are answered further down, separately, because a source can pass one and fail another.
The 1 that fall short are Steinberg UR22C. The closest of them, the Steinberg UR22C, delivers 2.4 mW into 250Ω against the 2.5 mW needed — 0.2 dB short.
The cheapest one that does reach it is the Zoom AMS-22 at $100, which delivers 4.0 mW into 250Ω — 2 dB of headroom over the 2.5 mW this headphone needs for 100 dB SPL.
100 dB SPL is a peak level, not a listening level. If you listen at 85 dB the same headphone needs 0.08 mW, which is 15 dB less, and the answer above changes for most of the category. The model page has the full ladder.
Under the one-eighth rule the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) wants a source below 31.25Ω. Of the 43 audio interfaces here that publish an output impedance, 29 are under it and 14 are not.
The furthest over is the Tascam US-2x2HR at 66Ω, which is 2× the ceiling. Above that threshold the source stops being a volume control and starts being part of the frequency response. The simulator shows what that looks like.
The other 22 publish nothing at all on this, so they are not on either side of that count. This site leaves them blank rather than assuming a figure.
Hiss depends on the source’s own noise floor and on how sensitive the headphone is. At 96.0 dB and 250Ω, the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) turns one microvolt of source noise into about -18 dB SPL — and the threshold where that stops being noticeable in a quiet room is around 20 dB SPL.
The one audio interface here that publishes a noise figure stays below that threshold with this headphone.
The remaining 64 publish no noise figure, so they cannot be placed on either side.
| Source | Price | Into 250Ω | Output impedance | Hiss in these | Power verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arturia MiniFuse 1 | $149 | 28 mW | 10 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| Arturia MiniFuse 2 | $149 | 28 mW | 10 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| Audient iD4 MkII | $199 | 59 mW | not published | not published | Comfortable |
| MOTU M2 | $219 | 43 mW | not published | not published | Comfortable |
| SSL 2 MkII | $229 | 48 mW | 1 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 4th gen | $279 | 26 mW | 11 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| MOTU M4 | $279 | 43 mW | not published | not published | Comfortable |
| Apogee BOOM | $299 | 31 mW | 0.5 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| Arturia MiniFuse 4 | $299 | 28 mW | 10 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| PreSonus Studio 68c | $299 | 34 mW | not published | not published | Comfortable |
| SSL 2 Plus MkII | $299 | 48 mW | 1 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
| Roland BRIDGE CAST | $340 | 35 mW | 10 Ω | not published | Comfortable |
Sorted by how many of the three questions the source answers well, then by price. A blank in a column is a blank in the manufacturer’s own documentation, not a zero.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) on other categories: USB dongles · portable players · desktop amplifiers.
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (250Ω) page has every source in the database against this headphone, and the matcher takes your own numbers.