Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro vs HiFiMan Edition XS

96 facts in comparison

Based on 5,183 Reddit opinions. Edition XS leads by 19 points.

5.2K opinions
Edition XS leads by 19pts
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
63%
C
Based on
2,895 Redditors

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro

~$199.99
1,314 opinions

tldr; Reddit opinions on the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro are mixed (62% positive across 2,897 mentions). Consider your specific needs and priorities.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
HiFiMan Edition XS
82%
B+
Based on
6,992 Redditors
Winner

HiFiMan Edition XS

~$209
3,869 opinions

tldr; Ananda alternative. Similar tier, different flavor. Great value planar.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
FEA
66
Points
63
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
48%81%
Comfort
74%31%
Value
96%97%
Build Quality
72%12%
Features
47%74%

Why is HiFiMan Edition XS better than DT 990 Pro?

  • Higher Reddit score (82% vs 63%)
  • Better sound quality (81% vs 48%)
  • Better bass (85% vs 60%)
  • Better features (74% vs 47%)
  • Value planar
  • Fun tuning
  • Comfortable
Based on 9,887 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the Edition XS

Winning by 19 points (82% vs 63%)

Better sound quality
Better bass
Better features
High confidence (9,887 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 9,887 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

990 Pro
6.3/10
2,895 mentions
Edition XS
8.2/10
6,992 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
990 Pro4.8/10
Edition XS8.1/10
BUILD QUALITY
990 Pro7.2/10
Edition XS1.2/10
BASS
990 Pro6.0/10
Edition XS8.5/10
COMFORT
990 Pro7.4/10
Edition XS3.1/10
FEATURES
990 Pro4.7/10
Edition XS7.4/10
VALUE
990 Pro9.6/10
Edition XS9.7/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

990 Pro: 2|Edition XS: 3
Sound QualityEdition XS
990 Pro48%
Edition XS81%
Build Quality990 Pro
990 Pro72%
Edition XS12%
BassEdition XS
990 Pro60%
Edition XS85%
Comfort990 Pro
990 Pro74%
Edition XS31%
FeaturesEdition XS
990 Pro47%
Edition XS74%
Value
990 Pro96%
Edition XS97%
990 Pro63%
Edition XS82%
Clear winner - Edition XS leads by 19 points

Key Specs

SpecBeyerdynamic DT 990 ProHiFiMan Edition XS
Brand
beyerdynamic
HIFIMAN
Manufacturer
beyerdynamic
HIFIMAN Electronics
Color
Gray
Black
Weight
0.5511 Pounds
0.8925 pounds
Height
9.1 inches

Key Highlights

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
HiFiMan Edition XSWinner
💰 Value planar
🎵 Fun tuning
😌 Comfortable
⚠️ Build quality

Topic Battles

990 Pro: 2|Tied: 1|Edition XS: 2
🎵Sound Quality
Edition XS wins
990 Pro
48%
Edition XS
81%
😌Comfort
990 Pro wins
990 Pro
74%
Edition XS
31%
💰Value
990 Pro
96%
Edition XS
97%
🔧Build Quality
990 Pro wins
990 Pro
72%
Edition XS
12%
Features
Edition XS wins
990 Pro
47%
Edition XS
74%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for HiFiMan Edition XS

Best Praise
+136 pts
Sorry everyone. I am really horrible at describing the sound and am very new to this hobby. I spent more time with the XS and the Arya Stealth. The XS seemed a bit warmer to me and the price made it worth it! The HE 1000Unveiled was beautiful sounding. Not as flat as the SE, it felt like it had a little more color in the tuning. That Unveiled would be my dream cans. I loved the Arya Organic too. They sounded huge! It felt like I was in a concert hall and could point out exactly where each instrument was coming from. Depth!, the bass was a little lacking, but it was clean. The Susvara had the best separation. Even better than the Organics to my ears. But they also felt distant, especially vocals. They were detailed. I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a dumbass. LOL. I think my next step up will be the organics.
r/headphones
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Top Criticism
+38 pts
Sundara: 3x (L driver failure, R driver failure, headband faulty) Edition XS: 3x (L driver faulty, faulty headband, damaged grills) Ananda Stealth: was fine but sold Arya Stealth: has been great, def seems to have higher QC. I'm stopping at Arya Stealth. I think the lower models have really crappy QC and Hifiman doesn't care. It's prob cheaper to keep the corners cut like they are and replace them than to invest in better QC. You get what you pay for. Unfortunately with Hifiman they sound levels ahead of their price point, but build quality is shit. I've had probably 10 Sennheisers over the years and never had a single issue.
r/headphones
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3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro

Best Praise
+102 pts
Your take froze the stream next to my house. That said, DT990 has benefits when EQ'd including stronger bass, bigger staging and a lack of a certain kind of harshness or contrast that bothered me with the 560s even after a Harman EQ.
r/headphones
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Top Criticism
+21 pts
Sadly the cult that seems to have formed around the 990s is completely undeserving. I am sorry you dont like them and were lead to believe you would. The 990s are sadly just not a very easy going headphone. They work for some people but for a large majority of people they are just not enjoyable. If you can return them I would suggest exploring that route and maybe look at the dt880 if you want to stay within beyer or the hd6xx if you in north america
r/headphones
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3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
HiFiMan Edition XS
$160$180$200Apr '25May '25Jun '25Aug '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Jan '26Feb '26Apr '26Low: $169.99
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
All-time low: $9.99(2017-03)
HiFiMan Edition XS
All-time low: $209(2025-10)

Which is Better?

HiFiMan Edition XS Wins
82%
XS
vs
63%
Pro

HiFiMan Edition XS leads by 19 points based on 9,887 Reddit opinions.

Why Edition XSWinner
  • Better Features (74% vs 47%)
  • More discussed (6,992 vs 2,895)
Why 990 Pro
  • Still a solid choice depending on your priorities

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

45%Positive
Positive
45%
Neutral
45%
Negative
10%
Based on 6,992 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

28%Positive
Positive
28%
Neutral
55%
Negative
17%
Based on 2,895 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, HiFiMan Edition XS or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
Based on 9,887 Reddit comments, HiFiMan Edition XS is the preferred choice with 82% positive sentiment vs Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro's 63%. HiFiMan Edition XS leads by 19 percentage points.
Should I buy HiFiMan Edition XS or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, HiFiMan Edition XS has stronger approval ratings (82% vs 63%). However, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about HiFiMan Edition XS?
Reddit users highlight: Value planar. Fun tuning. Comfortable. With 6,992 mentions and 82% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro has 2,895 mentions on Reddit with 63% positive sentiment. It's frequently discussed as a solid option.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 9,887 Reddit comments: 6,992 about HiFiMan Edition XS and 2,895 about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

5,183 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/15/2026