New addition to the stable.
I made the decision to take advantage of the $600. price on the HiFiMan Arya Stealth, here pictured with the Meze 109 Pro. I think 2025 is going to be a really uneventful year so far as new purchases. I've also upgraded my Fiio BTR7 to the newly released BTR17 and I purchased the Earmen stack which consists of Amplifier, Linear PS, DAC & Streamer.
Dec 19, 2024
It is at $311 right now.
"cooperred 35: If anybody's interested, here's the differences between the Pros and Premiums
The pro's have
* higher clamping force * more bass * coiled cord * simple old style "retro" look * available in 250 Ohm version only * easily replaceable headband padding with snap buttons * no carrying case * cheaper (normally)
Premiums have
* lighter clamping force * less bass, brighter, more "airy" sound * long (3m) straight cord * available in 32, 250, and 600 Ohm versions (the 250 has the same drivers as the Pro) * comes with a carrying case"
I bought my Premiums (in Germany they're called "Edition") second hand. The previous owner had them on some rubbish headphone stand, so the headband wasn't as tight as it should have been. In the end I fixed them up with the Pro's headband-clamp (part# 973361). Now the clamping force is quite tight, though not as tight as the HD25 or K518 (just to throw in something for reference). As far as I'm concerned, the sound signature didn't change at all. (Maybe due to used ear pads?)
On a side note, I tried to put some Custom One Pro ear pads on the DT990 and basically turned them into a nice looking but unbearably bass-heavy DT990 by Dre. So be sure to use the correct ear pads.
For example, if someone is liking the" DT990 Premium" sound and package, but wishes it had more bass impact, they can opt (based on general user conjecture, e.g.: more bass on the "Pro") to try and weigh the differences/similarities of the "Pro" model, and discover if it works for them in that regard.