Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro vs HiFiMan Sundara

96 facts in comparison

Based on 3,062 Reddit opinions. HiFiMan Sundara leads by 14 points.

3.1K opinions
HiFiMan Sundara leads by 14pts
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 Sundara
77%
B
Based on
3,450 Redditors
Winner

HiFiMan Sundara

~$179
1,748 opinions

tldr; Planar gateway drug. $300, sounds like $600. The value king that started many journeys.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
FEA
66
Points
61
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
48%74%
Comfort
74%53%
Value
96%89%
Build Quality
72%43%
Features
47%46%

Why is HiFiMan Sundara better than DT 990 Pro?

  • Higher Reddit score (77% vs 63%)
  • Better sound quality (74% vs 48%)
  • Insane value
  • Planar magic
  • HFM QC lottery
Based on 6,345 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the HiFiMan Sundara

Winning by 14 points (77% vs 63%)

Better sound quality
Insane value
Planar magic
High confidence (6,345 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 6,345 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

990 Pro
6.3/10
2,895 mentions
HiFiMan Sundara
7.7/10
3,450 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
990 Pro4.8/10
HiFiMan Sundara7.4/10
BUILD QUALITY
990 Pro7.2/10
HiFiMan Sundara4.3/10
BASS
990 Pro6.0/10
HiFiMan Sundara6.2/10
COMFORT
990 Pro7.4/10
HiFiMan Sundara5.3/10
FEATURES
990 Pro4.7/10
HiFiMan Sundara4.6/10
VALUE
990 Pro9.6/10
HiFiMan Sundara8.9/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

990 Pro: 3|HiFiMan Sundara: 1
Sound QualityHiFiMan Sundara
990 Pro48%
HiFiMan Sundara74%
Build Quality990 Pro
990 Pro72%
HiFiMan Sundara43%
Bass
990 Pro60%
HiFiMan Sundara62%
Comfort990 Pro
990 Pro74%
HiFiMan Sundara53%
Features
990 Pro47%
HiFiMan Sundara46%
Value990 Pro
990 Pro96%
HiFiMan Sundara89%
990 Pro63%
HiFiMan Sundara77%
HiFiMan Sundara wins by 14 points

Key Specs

SpecBeyerdynamic DT 990 ProHiFiMan Sundara
Brand
beyerdynamic
HIFIMAN
Manufacturer
beyerdynamic
HIFIMAN
Color
Gray
Black
Weight
0.5511 Pounds
0.82011961464 pounds
Height
9.1 inches
12.1 inches

Key Highlights

Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
HiFiMan SundaraWinner
💰 Insane value
🎵 Planar magic
⚠️ HFM QC lottery
👑 Budget benchmark

Topic Battles

990 Pro: 3|Tied: 1|HiFiMan Sundara: 1
🎵Sound Quality
HiFiMan Sundara wins
990 Pro
48%
HiFiMan Sundara
74%
😌Comfort
990 Pro wins
990 Pro
74%
HiFiMan Sundara
53%
💰Value
990 Pro wins
990 Pro
96%
HiFiMan Sundara
89%
🔧Build Quality
990 Pro wins
990 Pro
72%
HiFiMan Sundara
43%
Features
990 Pro
47%
HiFiMan Sundara
46%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for HiFiMan Sundara

Best Praise
+190 pts
Wife asked me what I wanted for Xmas and I was looking at the closed back sundara as a possible replacement for my HD569 for use on the Sofa. So sent it over but she stated she’d already gotten me my big present. So figured I would try and pick them up in January. But then this arrived. Nice surprise, looking forward to trying them out!
r/headphones
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Top Criticism
+85 pts
I ordered a brand new (supposedly) pair of Sundaras from HiFiMan's Amazon store, and upon opening the box I noticed white dusty stuff on the open back of the headphones, in the finer mesh material. I knew HiFiMan has a reputation for QC issues but I was not expecting *mold*. I contacted customer service about it and sent photos and microscope images. Here's hoping they have a good response. Definitely disappointed but I guess that's the risk you take.
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 Sundara
$150$200$250$300Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Mar '26Apr '26Low: $169.99Low: $159
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
All-time low: $9.99(2017-03)
HiFiMan Sundara
All-time low: $159(2025-11)

Which is Better?

HiFiMan Sundara Wins
77%
Sundara
vs
63%
Pro

HiFiMan Sundara leads by 14 points based on 6,345 Reddit opinions.

Why HiFiMan SundaraWinner
  • 💰 Insane value
  • 🎵 Planar magic
  • ⚠️ HFM QC lottery
Why 990 Pro
  • Better Value for Money (96% vs 89%)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

39%Positive
Positive
39%
Neutral
50%
Negative
11%
Based on 3,450 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 Sundara or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
Based on 6,345 Reddit comments, HiFiMan Sundara is the preferred choice with 77% positive sentiment vs Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro's 63%. HiFiMan Sundara leads by 14 percentage points.
Should I buy HiFiMan Sundara or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, HiFiMan Sundara has stronger approval ratings (77% 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 Sundara?
Reddit users highlight: Insane value. Planar magic. HFM QC lottery. With 3,450 mentions and 77% 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 6,345 Reddit comments: 3,450 about HiFiMan Sundara 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.

3,062 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/27/2026