Dear Pro Audio Expert on the Subway,

Your Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros are open-back headphones intended for studio use. The back being open means that you have no isolation from outside noise and the rest of the car has no isolation from you. It kind of doesn’t matter, though, since they require 250 Ohms and the Android tablet you just plugged them into isn’t going to get anywhere near that, so they probably don’t get loud enough to really matter. I’m sure you already know all this and just don’t care, though. Of course.

You’ll get much more enjoyment from them when you get home with those sweet LPs you’re carrying and plug them into that $75 USB turntable you bought from Urban Outfitters. I’m sure it will be, like, all warm and analog, not at all shitty and distorted and cheap sounding.

Yup,

Chris