[truelies]

Seems very small improvement, not worth to upgrade.

 

[hugonl29]

Very happy with my new T1.2. My previous: have maybe 1000-1500 hours on the original T1, so have a good insight into it's character, weaknesses and strengths. I loved listening to songs from the past that I thought I really new by heart, but finding that the T1 showed me a whole deeper layer of hidden secrets in the songs, stuff the artists maybe wanted me to hear (genuis and a shame not many people will ever hear), but also the finest details giving away how the record was made in the studio, maybe they didn't want anyone to hear those details/flaws, but it did bring me closer to the artists, I felt like I was there in the studio when it was recorded. A very unique feeling of gratefulness, it changed the tracks from just a digital file into opening a door to the studio. Very addictive.
Well, in came the T1 gen 2. Now I have the same clarity, the same presence into the studio, the thrilling reality of the recording, but this time a very touching musicality is added that blows me away, it's quite simple, the warmth, the blood of the music is slightly lifted, taking the stage, without removing anything else. The high tones and details now really fit in, a very delicate topping of an emotional presentation. The lower bass is pretty much the same as the original: fast, precise and only there when it was intended by the artists, never blooming up in the spectrum, a very discreet and powefull bass, but never taking the whole stage. I love bass like that, it doesn't distract, but is there when it should be.

But the major improvement of the new generation 2: the soundstage has deepened, not widened, but deepened a lot, I can hear more rows in the orchestra, stretching almost infinitely into the distance. I think they fixed some acoustic reflections that where distorting the soundstage placement of the sources!
Maybe somebody can confirm?

Oh, and if you like female acoustic songs, you'll love the new gen2, it's gotten so much smoother, without losing clarity, female vocals really blend in now, it's a real treat! I can play at higher volumes, the treble doesn't limit listening volume, I can effectively move closer to the stage.
I'm also very sceptical if the new T1.2 needs a tube amplifier, I think it would make it too warm. It's perfect as it is now with unforgiving transistors. But that's my own opinion. Find out for yourself!

 

[supersonic395]

Looks like in Europe, Germany amazon now has the T1 2nd Generation available.

Still waiting for Amazon UK to get it though.

 

[billerb1]

Very happy with my new T1.2. My previous: have maybe 1000-1500 hours on the original T1, so have a good insight into it's character, weaknesses and strengths. I loved listening to songs from the past that I thought I really new by heart, but finding that the T1 showed me a whole deeper layer of hidden secrets in the songs, stuff the artists maybe wanted me to hear (genuis and a shame not many people will ever hear), but also the finest details giving away how the record was made in the studio, maybe they didn't want anyone to hear those details/flaws, but it did bring me closer to the artists, I felt like I was there in the studio when it was recorded. A very unique feeling of gratefulness, it changed the tracks from just a digital file into opening a door to the studio. Very addictive.
Well, in came the T1 gen 2. Now I have the same clarity, the same presence into the studio, the thrilling reality of the recording, but this time a very touching musicality is added that blows me away, it's quite simple, the warmth, the blood of the music is slightly lifted, taking the stage, without removing anything else. The high tones and details now really fit in, a very delicate topping of an emotional presentation. The lower bass is pretty much the same as the original: fast, precise and only there when it was intended by the artists, never blooming up in the spectrum, a very discreet and powefull bass, but never taking the whole stage. I love bass like that, it doesn't distract, but is there when it should be.

But the major improvement of the new generation 2: the soundstage has deepened, not widened, but deepened a lot, I can hear more rows in the orchestra, stretching almost infinitely into the distance. I think they fixed some acoustic reflections that where distorting the soundstage placement of the sources!
Maybe somebody can confirm?

Oh, and if you like female acoustic songs, you'll love the new gen2, it's gotten so much smoother, without losing clarity, female vocals really blend in now, it's a real treat! I can play at higher volumes, the treble doesn't limit listening volume, I can effectively move closer to the stage.
I'm also very sceptical if the new T1.2 needs a tube amplifier, I think it would make it too warm. It's perfect as it is now with unforgiving transistors. But that's my own opinion. Find out for yourself!

 
Great review !!!  Much appreciated.

 

[hugonl29]

Great review !!!  Much appreciated.

Thanks! So much emotion and subjective observations to describe such a highly technical piece of engineering seems counterintuitive, but then again, music is pure emotion, and the T1.2 does a good job in removing itself from the stage and leaving only the music there. It's the kind of glass door you walk into, because you didn't see it

Some more: love the new cables, thinner and lighter. I shortened my original because it was so heavy, now I can just leave it full length.
Had to widen the headband a lot, it was pressing hard on my head, but at the right width, with the new memory foam, I can forget I'm wearing headphones. Also with glasses, they disappear into the foam and there's no more pressure. Overal an improvement in wearing comfort.

BUT: I feel really reluctant to sell my original T1's.. They have a very lovable character: extremely clear and open, like a well polished, modern art filled penthouse apartment in the 52nd floor of a New York futuristic skyscraper. Everything gets enough space to breathe and you feel comfortable wearing a turtleneck and Armani boots.

The T1.2 would be the very refined, and warmer soho restaurant, more life and soul, you feel confortable wearing a shirt with sleeves rolled up, the candlelight warms your skin. Vibrations of the guests around and the smell of the steak warm you to the bone, but don't get too comfy, it's refined! Remember you're in the presence of class!

Hahaha
That's how i feel about the difference, speaking non technical

 

[billerb1]

Thanks! So much emotion and subjective observations to describe such a highly technical piece of engineering seems counterintuitive, but then again, music is pure emotion, and the T1.2 does a good job in removing itself from the stage and leaving only the music there. It's the kind of glass door you walk into, because you didn't see it

Some more: love the new cables, thinner and lighter. I shortened my original because it was so heavy, now I can just leave it full length.
Had to widen the headband a lot, it was pressing hard on my head, but at the right width, with the new memory foam, I can forget I'm wearing headphones. Also with glasses, they disappear into the foam and there's no more pressure. Overal an improvement in wearing comfort.

BUT: I feel really reluctant to sell my original T1's.. They have a very lovable character: extremely clear and open, like a well polished, modern art filled penthouse apartment in the 52nd floor of a New York futuristic skyscraper. Everything gets enough space to breathe and you feel comfortable wearing a turtleneck and Armani boots.

The T1.2 would be the very refined, and warmer soho restaurant, more life and soul, you feel confortable wearing a shirt with sleeves rolled up, the candlelight warms your skin. Vibrations of the guests around and the smell of the steak warm you to the bone, but don't get too comfy, it's refined! Remember you're in the presence of class!

Hahaha

That's how i feel about the difference, speaking non technical

 
Beyer should hire you to do their PR.  Good stuff.

 

[Arniesb]

Beyer should hire you to do their PR.  Good stuff.

+1

 

[TJ Max]

I'm also very sceptical if the new T1.2 needs a tube amplifier, I think it would make it too warm. It's perfect as it is now with unforgiving transistors. But that's my own opinion. Find out for yourself!

 
Good observation here. People say that the original T1 is best with a tube amp. I've never heard the original but I have the T1 .2 with a TEAC HA-501, and I think it sounds great. I wouldn't want it any warmer!

 

[TokenGesture]

I'm not sure it's possible to understand how a headphone ought to sound, only how someone prefers it to sound...

 

[hanselmann]

  Looks like in Europe, Germany amazon now has the T1 2nd Generation available.

Still waiting for Amazon UK to get it though.

Hi, you could ask POLARaudio, our UK distributor for availability. http://www.polaraudio.co.uk/

 

[elfkerben]

  About T1 2nd with Lehamn linear vs Beyerdynamic A20
 
After around 2-week audition with T1 2nd. and A20, I still can't resisit the temptation of trying new combo with T1 2nd. Especially lehmann linear, that was my dream amplifer a few years ago. Fortunately, someone on Ebay UK sold his Lehman linear at £370 and of course, I'm the buyer. 
 
As pre-amplifier to active-speaker: Lehmann linear wins
 
One of my requirement for my headphone amplifier is it must  has another output to my active speaker to form a compact desktop audio HIFI-system. However, I'm not totally satisified with Beyer A20 is that its output to my active speaker (Ruark MR1), its just simply pick up audio singal from the input sockets and "route it" to active speaker, which means my speaker doesnt gain any benefit from A20, it just passivley conncet to it. Unlike Lehmann linear, it can really play a role of pre-amplifier for my active speaker, and make a significant improvement creating a more refined sound on my Ruark MR1 speaker.
 
As headphone amplifier to T1 2nd: I'm struggling and feel a little disappointed
 
Let me talk about the price of those two amp 1st. In european market, Beyerdynamic A20 (£370 on amazon UK) is categorized into £300 to £500 middle-class level amplifier while Lehman linear cost around £650 (U.S 1119), some head-fi reveiw even put Lehmann linear into top-class amplifier. However, super weird enough, in China, a NEW lehmann linear only cost £390 which has the similar price to A20. So in chinese headphone-fi circle, Lehmann linear amp is regarded as entry level amp, some of chinese sellers said to me that Lehmann is not even a middle-class amplifier and recommended Lake people or vi­ol­ectric to me. Such a confusion of amplifier category determination on the market will more or less give consumers some impact psychologically, since the money we pay somehow vaule the quality accordingly. 
 
Comes to the amplifier sound for T1 2ND. The previous psychological impact i talked about does give me a quite hard time to tell which of them are supposed to be better? I do like A20's sound for T1, it softens the harshness of T1 especially in treble, bass is so bunchy and well-extended, just a tad boomy. Soundstage on A20 is wide.
 
For Lehmann linear, as it is supposed to be two times expensive than A20, I expect also 2 times better than A20. However, I'm very disappointed about that. The only thing I feel much better than A20 is the mid-treble, it's more natural than A20, especially for some female vocal, the some high-pitch is much more soothing. Bass on Lehmann, is tigheter and more well-controlled, however, lack of puchness and depth like A20, and it's not that well-extend as A20. The more dissappointing thing on Lehmann thing is: Under big dynamic music (like piano concerto : Rachmaninov Theme of Paganini), the whole sound got softened and weak. Something like a drunk man got his legs flaoting when the liquer shot hit.
 
Again, I don't know it's just my personal preference to a certain sound signature or the more expensive Lehmann should sound like this, and this should be a better sound signature and I should get used to it. 

 
I also think the beyerdynamic A20 is a first A-Class amp. So your conclusion for me also right. The air on top is really thin and so emotion and personal preferences are important. Every ear is special.

 

[hugonl29]

I'm not sure it's possible to understand how a headphone ought to sound, only how someone prefers it to sound...

So true! After all, it's just another part of the chain.

I think if you got the original T1 tuned just right for your taste, be it with tube or solid, cables, pads or dampening, or nothing at all, if you liked the T1, there is no real need to buy the new T1 gen 2.
You might have to start all over. It's still a T1, you won't be missing anything.

If you gave up on the original T1, or don't want to invest in different equipment, there is a real big chance that the gen 2 will work for you.
I feel the gen 2 is a well balanced HP right out of the box. It will likely appeal to more people than the T1.1 did.
Easier to match with a neutral amp.
I however felt my T1.1 was not tuned 100% to my taste. But 90% was close enough for years.
Because of my job, I'm always on the road, so a tube is no option. The T1.2 sounds just right for me with my mobile solid states. That's why I'm happy. If you listen at home, and like tube amps, can get a good deal on the T1.1 and a tube, it might be perfect for you. I'm just assuming that most people like the T1.1 with tube. After all similar the reports, there's a big chance it's true.

My preference of the T1.2 is a very personal one, and it doesn't say which one is better, T1.1 or T1.2.
If you're deciding between which one, either listen to both before you buy, or wait until there are more reviews and a certain pattern starts to develop, more evidence makes it more accurate.
My opinion is just too isolated it could be a dot far off the trend chart

In my frequency response measurements though I can clearly see a raised mid-bass and smoother highs, so I'm not far off, though it's just a curve, it doesn't say anything about the quality of the sound, nor of the soundstage, balance and so much other factors that contribute to the final perception.

But my careful hunch is that if people liked the T1.1 with a hot-rodded crack, s.e.x or wa2, but not so with the mainline or the wa22, it might be the other way around with the T1.2... Research needed.

 

[hanselmann]

Here is my multi-multi-multi quote answer. Hope it'll be helpful.
 
Quote:

   
Did you confirm this yourself or did you just read it and assumed things on your own?
 
Maybe I need to clarify that I meant the DT880 grey velours pads that come with the headphones.
 
The old T1 velours pads  definitely feel different from the DT880 grey pads. I am pretty sure that the new T1 pads are different from the DT880 grey pads too. Especially since Beyerdynamic said they made a few changes on the velours pad. See http://support.beyerdynamic.com/hc/en-us/articles/203829842-What-s-the-difference-between-the-T-1-of-1-and-2-Generation-
 
One explanation could be a slight difference in earcup sizes so that although the pads are the same, they get more stretched on the T1 and don't feel so soft on the ears. I would like to test this myself but I don't have a DT880 here unfortunately.
 
Maybe black velours and grey velours are just different. You can see that on the link for grey pads they don't include the T1's after all. Plus, there is a different in net weight. Again, would be nice to confirm this too.......

The current earpads for T 1 (2.Generation) are unlike any other earpads. The T 1 (1. Generation) had the stock EDT 990 VB earpads, but we had to chenge them, because of quality issues. This is how the EDT 1V cam up. Both are deprecated now. For T 1 (2. Generation) only EDT T1G2 work.
The new earpads have different filling and diffrent surface, both resulting in (necessary) acoustic properties.
 

  Morever,
 
I also telephoned to Beyerdynamic headquarter, forturnately, the guy picked up the phone claims that he is the project mangager for T1, once I asked him about the Rhinelander power efficiency for the new T1, he said that will be good enough. However, as the employee of Beyerdynamic, he still suggested me to try their A20 amplifier, which will be perfect for the T1, but a little bit surprised he didn't mention their flagship amp A2. 
 
What do you think guys? I just don't know the comparsion between rinderlander lvl those entrance decent amp and more advanced amp like Lehmann linear...

Yes, I claimed that. for a reason...

 

  Unboxing video is now live.
 

Thank a lot, Mike. Professional as always.
 

  Very  interested.  So the T1.2 uses the same 3.5mm connector as Hifiman HE1K?

I cnnot find pictures of the Hifiman's cables. We use standard 3.5 mm plugs with tip=signal, ring=ground, shaft=screen.
 

 
From post #40 in this thread:
 
Let me give you a little background info:
Yes, we changed the sound a bit, making it slightly more even in the treble and giving it some extra dBs in the low-mids and bass - broadrange, not just deep end. The T 1 is still far from being a bass-heavy, let alone muddy headphone. Remember: it's a beyer, so you treble and transparence -geeks will still be VERY happy with it. We just found, that tuning it to this direction, we can make it sound a bit more pleasing to our audiophile target group in general. (In other words: A string quartet will still sound beautiful, but some Quincy Jones basses will finally shine...)
 
Bottom line. If you are happy with the T1.1's, then stay happy and have $500 in your pocket for amps, DACs, music, beer. 

I agree with the bottom line under one condition: German beer.

 

Hey guys,
Is the cable of new t1 inherently balanced? I men that can one terminate the 3.5 mm socket and solder a 4pin xlr plug and have a fully balance 2nd gen T1?

The raw cable material is balanced, yes. Our balanced-mode cable is the same as the stock cable, but with a different plug.
Still, I absolutely don't recommend to do the cable mod job by yourself. The nylon sheath may end up in a mess. Our assembly workers had to gain quite some experience to get it right.
 

Here's some guy philosophy review of the T1 2nd gen. I found it to be interesting,

What a review.
Whre did I put my incense sticks?
 

When will they release the 4-pin xlr cable? Couldn't they just include it with these expensive headphones?

Frankly speaking: no, we couldn't. This cable is very expensive from the purchasing side and well on-par with many (significantly more expensive) aftermarket cables. For example, the raw material OCC 7N is even more expensive than silver-plated OFC. We hope, the extra 150 EUR for the balanced-mode cable is fair.
 

They have changed the earpads for the T1, last year or so.
http://www.beyerdynamic.de/shop/hah/spareparts/edt-t1v.html
before, they used the earpads from the DT880/DT990.

Correct, as said above.
 

  What's wrong with the stock cable? I was supposed to be high quality...

They are. Again: OCC 7N conductors, screened, aluminium plugs, very robust, smooth textile sheath, no soldering at the y-piece.
 

  I'm sure Beyerdynamic builds the A20 (and the A2 as well for that matter) to sound good with their own headphones. And both do. Beyerdynamic headphones are not power hungry nor do they exhibit other problematic traits (like wild impedance curves), so no need to look for something massive like the V281 etc.
 
If one likes the coloration often done by tube amps, thats a whole other story... in that case the A20 may not be the amp of choice. But that does not make the A20 an inferior amp...
 
The only quibble I have with the A20 is its fixed 100Ohm output impedance that makes it less of an ideal pairing with multi-BA in-ears or maybe some low-impedance headphones (personally I did not like the TH900 driven by the A20). The A2 alleviates that by offering a switch to select an output impedance of 100Ohm or near 0Ohm, making it a more versatile amp. Both the A2 and the A20 drive the T1 with authority and given the stark price difference I have absolutely no problem recommending the A20 instead of the A2 if budget is tight.

Thanks, plakat. You got the point completely right.
 

  Are any sites in the UK selling these yet?

If you are unsure, please ask POLARaudio, our UK distributor. www.polaraudio.co.uk

 

[raypin]

Very happy with my new T1.2. My previous: have maybe 1000-1500 hours on the original T1, so have a good insight into it's character, weaknesses and strengths. I loved listening to songs from the past that I thought I really new by heart, but finding that the T1 showed me a whole deeper layer of hidden secrets in the songs, stuff the artists maybe wanted me to hear (genuis and a shame not many people will ever hear), but also the finest details giving away how the record was made in the studio, maybe they didn't want anyone to hear those details/flaws, but it did bring me closer to the artists, I felt like I was there in the studio when it was recorded. A very unique feeling of gratefulness, it changed the tracks from just a digital file into opening a door to the studio. Very addictive.
Well, in came the T1 gen 2. Now I have the same clarity, the same presence into the studio, the thrilling reality of the recording, but this time a very touching musicality is added that blows me away, it's quite simple, the warmth, the blood of the music is slightly lifted, taking the stage, without removing anything else. The high tones and details now really fit in, a very delicate topping of an emotional presentation. The lower bass is pretty much the same as the original: fast, precise and only there when it was intended by the artists, never blooming up in the spectrum, a very discreet and powefull bass, but never taking the whole stage. I love bass like that, it doesn't distract, but is there when it should be.

But the major improvement of the new generation 2: the soundstage has deepened, not widened, but deepened a lot, I can hear more rows in the orchestra, stretching almost infinitely into the distance. I think they fixed some acoustic reflections that where distorting the soundstage placement of the sources!
Maybe somebody can confirm?

Oh, and if you like female acoustic songs, you'll love the new gen2, it's gotten so much smoother, without losing clarity, female vocals really blend in now, it's a real treat! I can play at higher volumes, the treble doesn't limit listening volume, I can effectively move closer to the stage.
I'm also very sceptical if the new T1.2 needs a tube amplifier, I think it would make it too warm. It's perfect as it is now with unforgiving transistors. But that's my own opinion. Find out for yourself!

 
mmmm......thanks!!!! Another comparo that I badly need. My T1.2 is coming very, very soon....and my 1-month old T1 is going very, very soon! lol!

 

[TokenGesture]

Can anyone compare T1.2 to the DT1770 for me?