[AjRocha]

Ok, I'm stuck between the Beyer DT770 Pro M's and the DT990 Pro. I listen to a lot of metal and rap so I would like to know which ones to get for my music taste. I've listened to the beyer DT770 Pros because my friend had them but I want to get a different pair but anyways I want to know which headphone will still have a nice amount of bass but best overall sound and which one has a higher volume. Also which headphone is better to walk around with, like say I'm walking to class and I pass crowds of people, if my volume is up loud enough, will I hear them because I know the 990s are open back, would I still hear them if my volume was up all the way?

 

[DaveK1977]

The 990s definitely leak a lot of sound both in and out.  If your volume is all the way up on a portable device, the 990 pro 250 like I have isn't terribly loud, so you'd certainly hear a lot of things around you, and everyone around you would know what you were listening to as well.

 

[AjRocha]

So even up all the way up, I'd still hear people around me?

 

[Strangelove424]

Yes, it's like that with every open back headphone. You cannot isolate yourself with sound waves alone, even if you can't hear conversation around you the general hum of people will mix with the driver's sound and muddy it. If I keep the air conditioner on while I listen to open backs, it can drown out the mids a bit. That's the double edged sword with open back, you are relying on the environment outside the headphone to relieve the buildup of sound waves behind the driver, which ideally makes it sounds more open, airy, and detailed. But if the environment around you is busy with lots of sound pollution, that gets inside the headphone and what was airy and detailed becomes busy and confused. I'd say in general open headphones are the kind you enjoy in peace at home, closed for when you are out and about.

 

[AjRocha]

Thank you for that response. I will be out and about with this headphones and I have no quiet time in my dorm because of my roomate so I guess open back wouldn't be the right choice. But what closed back headphone would be best for me?

 

[cswann1]

But what closed back headphone would be best for me?

 
For any use of headphones out of your house/apartment/dorm I strongly urge you consider investing in a good pair of IEMs for the following reasons.
 
1) Isolation. Isolation is far and away better than any FS on-ear or circumaural, open backed or closed headphone. And that works both ways.  People around you will not hear anything and depending on the IEM you will have extremely good isolation from outside noise interfering with your music, which lets you listen at lower volumes which is of great benefit to your long term hearing health.
 
2) Portability.  IEMs are made for on-the-go listening and stow away in a shirt pocket when not in use.  Any FS headphone will be hard pressed to sustain the rigors of being carried around and stowed in a backpack.
 
3) Sound.  Todays IEMs are miles better than what was around just a few years ago and even the more budget priced models offer very good sound quality.
 
4) (This is a purely personal reason) You won't look strange.  I know that it's pretty normal to see people out and about with a FS headphone on, but every-time I see someone wearing their big-ole honking headphones in public, I think to myself:  "Hey man, there are portable versions of those y'know".  That may seem a petty reason and to each his own, but It almost seems like people use their headphones as a fashion statement.   If you have some specific reason for not wanting have a headphone that is engineered specifically for the type of use we're talking about then best of luck finding a FS to fit the bill.