[hrbballman]

If you cannot audition both cans with your phonitor then there's a lot to be said for the advice above I think.  Makes sense to me even though I only briefly auditioned the T1.  Of course actually listening to both and deciding for yourself is always preferable.

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I will not have a chance to listen to either. I've always just made a leap based on reviews with headphones because I'm afraid that if I hear multiple I will then want them all. I've heard the hd800 is magnificent with classical. How does the t1 treat thisgenre? Thanks for all the input

 

[Chodi]

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I will not have a chance to listen to either. I've always just made a leap based on reviews with headphones because I'm afraid that if I hear multiple I will then want them all. I've heard the hd800 is magnificent with classical. How does the t1 treat thisgenre? Thanks for all the input

I  listen to classical music with my T1's for hours each day. I have both solid state and tube amps. I have auditioned the HD800 at home and stayed with the T1's. The HD800 are great at resolving that last bit of detail but they are very picky about the recording quality. I have a very large collection and I don't want to limit my enjoyment to hand picking only the best match with the HD800's. I found that the T1's sound great with almost everything. When I listen to music I don't want to be analyzing my headphones, I just want to enjoy the music. The T1's let me do that day after day. You do get a larger soundstage with the HD800 but the T1's produce such convincing depth that I think it is a trade off.  
 
I listen to a lot of chamber music and I find the HD800 soundstage to be unnaturally large for that genre. The T1's get it just right.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  I  listen to classical music with my T1's for hours each day. I have both solid state and tube amps. I have auditioned the HD800 at home and stayed with the T1's. The HD800 are great at resolving that last bit of detail but they are very picky about the recording quality. I have a very large collection and I don't want to limit my enjoyment to hand picking only the best match with the HD800's. I found that the T1's sound great with almost everything. When I listen to music I don't want to be analyzing my headphones, I just want to enjoy the music. The T1's let me do that day after day. You do get a larger soundstage with the HD800 but the T1's produce such convincing depth that I think it is a trade off.  
 
I listen to a lot of chamber music and I find the HD800 soundstage to be unnaturally large for that genre. The T1's get it just right.

Can I ask you what amp/dac/source you're using?

 

[Xenophon]

  I  listen to classical music with my T1's for hours each day. I have both solid state and tube amps. I have auditioned the HD800 at home and stayed with the T1's. The HD800 are great at resolving that last bit of detail but they are very picky about the recording quality. I have a very large collection and I don't want to limit my enjoyment to hand picking only the best match with the HD800's. I found that the T1's sound great with almost everything. When I listen to music I don't want to be analyzing my headphones, I just want to enjoy the music. The T1's let me do that day after day. You do get a larger soundstage with the HD800 but the T1's produce such convincing depth that I think it is a trade off.  
 
I listen to a lot of chamber music and I find the HD800 soundstage to be unnaturally large for that genre. The T1's get it just right.

I have no experience with the T1 other than a short audition so can't say too much about them but I agree 100% with your assessment of the HD-800 for classical music.  Brilliant cans but imho the Germans pushed things a tad too far on the resolution front if recording quality is not optimal (and most of the older classical recordings are not pristine) and I also find the soundstage a bit too large for most chamber music (orchestral otoh is perfect).  I drive them using the V800/V200 and think the combo works very well.  For more intimate classical I prefer the HifiMan HE-500, strange as that may seem because I also own the HE-6.  But imho we're at a level where it's very much a matter of sound signature preference rather than absolute technical performance.

 

[Chodi]

  Can I ask you what amp/dac/source you're using?

WA-2 is my main amp but I have a Lafigaro 332C tube amp (which gets little use these days) and a modified Matrix M Stage (which might surprise you with the T1's). My dac is a Yulong D-18. Source is all computer files lossless.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  WA-2 is my main amp but I have a Lafigaro 332C tube amp (which gets little use these days) and a modified Matrix M Stage (which might surprise you with the T1's). My dac is a Yulong D-18. Source is all computer files lossless.

I can see why you came to your findings. While the WA2 was amazing with the T1s, the HD800s can scale even higher beyond the WA2. Source too....
 
My initial review here (on the very first post) you'll notice that I too preferred the T1s (with MAD Ear+HD and PS Audio DLIII). But as I improved my front end over the years the HD800s really pulled ahead. And now here I sit with a GS-X MK2 and Bryston BDA-2 and I no longer own the T1s, but the HD800s are still right here. 

 

[fortitude]

  I can see why you came to your findings. While the WA2 was amazing with the T1s, the HD800s can scale even higher beyond the WA2. Source too....
 
My initial review here (on the very first post) you'll notice that I too preferred the T1s (with MAD Ear+HD and PS Audio DLIII). But as I improved my front end over the years the HD800s really pulled ahead. And now here I sit with a GS-X MK2 and Bryston BDA-2 and I no longer own the T1s, but the HD800s are still right here. 

 
The GS-X Mk2 + HD800 was perhaps one of the finest combo's I've ever heard.  +1

 

[Chodi]

  I can see why you came to your findings. While the WA2 was amazing with the T1s, the HD800s can scale even higher beyond the WA2. Source too....
 
My initial review here (on the very first post) you'll notice that I too preferred the T1s (with MAD Ear+HD and PS Audio DLIII). But as I improved my front end over the years the HD800s really pulled ahead. And now here I sit with a GS-X MK2 and Bryston BDA-2 and I no longer own the T1s, but the HD800s are still right here. 

I completely understand that it is all about synergy with the chain of equipment. Point I was making has to do with what I hear with my equipment. Not everyone can or will scale up with unlimited funds throughout their equipment chain (yes, I know this is the High End forum). The HD800 may out perform the T1's with the right equipment. On my equipment I get glorious sound and greater enjoyment from the T1's. I don't have the urge to throw it all out and start over. My comments were based on my personal preference with the equipment at hand.

 

[rrahman]

T1's don't get enough credit on headfi imo.  They are the bargain flagship.  IMO they fall behind the HD800 marginally and I prefer them to the HE6 by a considerable margin.  Given that the T1's are so cheap that's saying alot... I just saw a new one go for 631 dollars!  They'll never beat upper end stax, HD800s, or the Audezes, but in the <LCD2 price range they are the best option.

 

[Audio-Omega]

Where did you see that new one for $631 ?

 

[rrahman]

Ebay

 

[Chodi]

Ebay

I just checked Ebay and I didn't see it there for that price. If it was really available I would buy a second pair. Can you provide a link?

 

[rrahman]

  I just checked Ebay and I didn't see it there for that price. If it was really available I would buy a second pair. Can you provide a link?

Of course, auction ended.  It was sold for $631 on 9/30/13.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  I can see why you came to your findings. While the WA2 was amazing with the T1s, the HD800s can scale even higher beyond the WA2. Source too....
 
My initial review here (on the very first post) you'll notice that I too preferred the T1s (with MAD Ear+HD and PS Audio DLIII). But as I improved my front end over the years the HD800s really pulled ahead. And now here I sit with a GS-X MK2 and Bryston BDA-2 and I no longer own the T1s, but the HD800s are still right here. 

 
HD 800 with WA2 and GEC 6AS7G is pretty high up there though 

 

   
The GS-X Mk2 + HD800 was perhaps one of the finest combo's I've ever heard.  +1

 
+2

  T1's don't get enough credit on headfi imo.  They are the bargain flagship.  IMO they fall behind the HD800 marginally and I prefer them to the HE6 by a considerable margin.  Given that the T1's are so cheap that's saying alot... I just saw a new one go for 631 dollars!  They'll never beat upper end stax, HD800s, or the Audezes, but in the <LCD2 price range they are the best option.

+1

 

[magiccabbage]

  I can see why you came to your findings. While the WA2 was amazing with the T1s, the HD800s can scale even higher beyond the WA2. Source too....
 
My initial review here (on the very first post) you'll notice that I too preferred the T1s (with MAD Ear+HD and PS Audio DLIII). But as I improved my front end over the years the HD800s really pulled ahead. And now here I sit with a GS-X MK2 and Bryston BDA-2 and I no longer own the T1s, but the HD800s are still right here. 

I prefer HD800 with WA2. I also listened to the NAD M51 for 3 or 4 hours and coudn't really hear much of a difference between it and my ARCAM RDAC apart from a bit more smoothness. I didn,t sleep the night before and was really tired, that i hope made a huge difference in my listening experience. 
 
I was expecting the NAD to destroy the Arcam in every way and when i switched between the 2 nothing really happened. Ill have to try again, I was very worried for a while about the whole thing.