Question about Beyerdynamic T5p's

You won't change the fundamental sound of a headphone through EQ - it isn't magic. Amps are not tone controls. Here's the T5p datasheet:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicT5p.pdf

 

I believe Tyll used the words "abomination of harshness" talking about the T5p - other users seem to love them; makes me think they're a fairly polarizing piece. For the price, I'd suggest trying before you buy - or buy from somewhere that lets you send them back if you're unhappy. 

 

Perhaps you'll get some owner impressions, which is always helpful, but I'm guessing you'll get polarized responses.

 

 

 

 

The graph you'd want to look at is the frequency response graph. It shows you (on the y-axis) the volume of the sound, with the horizontal measurements being the frequency of the sound. Those frequencies are from sub-bass to high treble. So, looking at the FR graph for the T5p you can see that it has plenty of sub-bass, but has a slight dip in the bass right before 100Hz, meaning that some bass will be a bit quieter. It also has ever so slightly recessed mids and an accented treble range.

I would not suggest the T5ps (or anything in the flagship range) as a first-time purchase just because you want a luxury item. I don't mean to be rude, but I would spend time educating yourself before you just dump money into a hole. The T5p are not "the" best - they're very expensive and for some people they are probably the best. I can list probably a half-dozen other products for the same price (or near enough) that are also "the best." 

 

And I would not even CONSIDER buying something like the T5p (or even something at HALF the price) if you're listening to highly compressed garbage. If that's what you've got, look at something that will be more forgiving. Additionally (And this is more of a general piece of advice), look at what you want the headphone to do - and look at getting a headphone that satisfies that. In other words, if you're into bassy music and want a lot of bass response, get such a headphone. Don't just grab the most expensive thing you see and assume it will be the best (and if that's really what you're going to do, don't pick a Beyerdynamic; pick something that isn't as polarizing - like the Denon AH-D7000).

 

Also, here's a great analysis of headphone graphs from another thread - I think it applies here as well: http://www.head-fi.org/t/539510/my-best-sony-headphones-to-date-mdr-sa5000#post_7275555 (this is from a thread about the Sony MDR-SA5000). 

 

From reading the T5p graph, I see something colored and potentially slow sounding, with a mid-range suckout; I see something I would probably hate. Other people probably adore them (I've read a couple of praise posts for sure) - all depends on the listener. I know for certain that my personal favorites are not universally loved - some of them are quite expensive as well. It's just the nature of things.

 

 

Edited by obobskivich - 2/11/12 at 9:18pm

I wouldn't worry too much about this. CD quality is more than good enough (it qualifies as "transparent") - and even if you have some silly high bitrate "lossless codec" configuration doesn't mean the mastering/recording was done properly; it doesn't guarantee fidelity. Just buy CDs (or whatever you want - SACD, DVD-A, Vinyl LPs, etc).

 

I don't know if you're still looking for answers...
I upgraded from the P5s to the T5p. It's a very big jump. Overall it's a huge improvement to my ears. You definitely don't want compressed crap. Even 320kbps vs alac makes a difference to me through these. They do need some amping. I find they respond very well to the EQu app on my iPhone. I'll be receiving a fiio e17 soon. Using the Asus Xonar U3 sound card on my laptop, they're very good. Though the sound card produces a very noticeable hiss during quieter parts, still better than the built-in sound card.
If you have questions about them, feel free to ask me.