[Chodi]

   
I don't think it's fading, it peeling. You'll discover that if you touch it with your fingernail, parts can peel off.
 
So you are either setting the phones down on things such that the logo is face down and rubs, Or you are playing your music way too loud! 

 
Anyway, mine have it too (after only 3months) and they are not counterfeit. Once they start looking bad, I'll likely just rub the rest off. I'm planning on keeping these for a long time and I'm more interested in what comes out the other side of the cups 

 
Thanks for clearing that up. Since I read the post and noticed this on my pair I was wondering how that could happen. Mine are certainly genuine also.

 

[magiccabbage]

   
I don't think it's fading, it peeling. You'll discover that if you touch it with your fingernail, parts can peel off.
 
So you are either setting the phones down on things such that the logo is face down and rubs, Or you are playing your music way too loud! 

 
Anyway, mine have it too (after only 3months) and they are not counterfeit. Once they start looking bad, I'll likely just rub the rest off. I'm planning on keeping these for a long time and I'm more interested in what comes out the other side of the cups 

 
I always put them back in the box - never leave them on the table or a hard surface. When I take them off my head I put my fingers on the part where the logo is, so I'm assuming that is the reason for the wear and tear. I never really turn them past 12.30 except for some really low recordings. What is not a safe listening level? 

 

[Andrew_WOT]

 

   
I don't think it's fading, it peeling. You'll discover that if you touch it with your fingernail, parts can peel off.
 
So you are either setting the phones down on things such that the logo is face down and rubs, Or you are playing your music way too loud! 

 
Anyway, mine have it too (after only 3months) and they are not counterfeit. Once they start looking bad, I'll likely just rub the rest off. I'm planning on keeping these for a long time and I'm more interested in what comes out the other side of the cups 

 
Thanks for clearing that up. Since I read the post and noticed this on my pair I was wondering how that could happen. Mine are certainly genuine also.

Seems like it slowly fades/rubs off on mine too.

 

[Loquah]

I fired up my PC, DAC and Crack this morning and started with a track from the HD Tracks version of Mark Knopfler's new album. I actually had to take off my T1s because I thought my speakers were somehow active instead of my headphones!
 
Needless to say, my speakers weren't on, the T1s are just that good! 

 

[RUMAY408]

  I fired up my PC, DAC and Crack this morning and started with a track from the HD Tracks version of Mark Knopfler's new album. I actually had to take off my T1s because I thought my speakers were somehow active instead of my headphones!
 
Needless to say, my speakers weren't on, the T1s are just that good! 

 
I was tempted to get "Privateering" off HDTracks.  Sounds like you like it.      

 

[Loquah]

   
I was tempted to get "Privateering" off HDTracks.  Sounds like you like it.      

 
It's not my favourite album from him, but it's a nice recording and a good mix of tracks. I read a review on All Music which summed it up nicely that they could have afforded to trim the album a little, but there's nothing awful on there and there are some gems. It's quite bluesy at times and quite country at times, plus little touches of the celtic sound (which I really don't like, but that might just be personal) that he played with on Golden Heart.
 
Either way it sounds really nice via the T1s. I just checked and it was the track, "Gator Blood", that had me seriously checking for speakers in the room.

 

[wisemanja]

   
I always put them back in the box - never leave them on the table or a hard surface. When I take them off my head I put my fingers on the part where the logo is, so I'm assuming that is the reason for the wear and tear. I never really turn them past 12.30 except for some really low recordings. What is not a safe listening level? 

 
You DO realize I was joking about the sound level, right? 

​ The joke was that if you were playing your music so loud that it was vibrating the logo paint off of the T1s, it would definitely be too loud!
But to answer your question, in general, you shouldn't be running levels much over 80-85 dB. I have a Radio Shack sound meter that I've used to set up home theater levels with. I just place it into the T1 cup approximately where my eardrum might be and it gives a fairly repeatable reading. I know when I'm approaching 90 dB because it really is becoming pretty loud, but I want to be listening when I'm 90, and playing at 90 and above is proven to cause damage which is both accumulative and accelerates as damage occurs.
What good is having great phones that reproduce all nuances so well if you can't hear it anymore?

 

[FangJoker]

When I was deciding on buying a headphone there were two contenders. T1 and the senn hd650. I went with the hd650 which I really like, but can't shake the feeling that the T1 is the one I probably should've gone with. I do like hard rock music and sometimes so soft 80s prom music (lol) and anywhere in between except no country, classical, hip hop, rap, or electronic dubstep.
 
I do have a schiit bifrost uber and valhalla and was wondering if this combo would sound great with the T1. I'm sure that if I sold my barely used hd650 with brand new toxic silver widow cables, I wouldn't lose very much money at all if I went with the razerdog open box T1.
 
Is the open box really new and unused, but the box was just opened? If it's lightly used I'd have to consider passing, but if it really is new I am real close to pulling the trigger on one. I think it's that I wanted headphones that were slightly faster that can keep it heavy metal.
 
So I guess I'd like to know for my music tastes and the amp/dac that I have, will it be a huge improvement or a slight improvement. I realize that both seem like total opposites from what I've been reading. Changing amp/dac is out of the question so if I did get the T1 it would have to work with it.  
 
Any thoughts from those who have both at sometime?
 
Thanks,
G

 

[Loquah]

When I was deciding on buying a headphone there were two contenders. T1 and the senn hd650. I went with the hd650 which I really like, but can't shake the feeling that the T1 is the one I probably should've gone with. I do like hard rock music and sometimes so soft 80s prom music (lol) and anywhere in between except no country, classical, hip hop, rap, or electronic dubstep.

I do have a schiit bifrost uber and valhalla and was wondering if this combo would sound great with the T1. I'm sure that if I sold my barely used hd650 with brand new toxic silver widow cables, I wouldn't lose very much money at all if I went with the razerdog open box T1.

Is the open box really new and unused, but the box was just opened? If it's lightly used I'd have to consider passing, but if it really is new I am real close to pulling the trigger on one. I think it's that I wanted headphones that were slightly faster that can keep it heavy metal.

So I guess I'd like to know for my music tastes and the amp/dac that I have, will it be a huge improvement or a slight improvement. I realize that both seem like total opposites from what I've been reading. Changing amp/dac is out of the question so if I did get the T1 it would have to work with it.  

Any thoughts from those who have both at sometime?

Thanks,
G

I have owned both. I planned to keep both, but with the T1s I just never felt the need to go back to the HD650s. For me, the T1s kind of do everything the HD650s do only better, plus you get better treble energy and detail.

Can't comment on Schiit pairing, but generally if the source chain is good (ie doesn't introduce excess noise) and not overly bright, the T1s will do great.

 

[hmorneau]

Maybe I should try to get a tube amp. Lot of people like the tube sound. I have never heard a tube amp, so I don't know if I would like it. 

 

[derbigpr]

When I was deciding on buying a headphone there were two contenders. T1 and the senn hd650. I went with the hd650 which I really like, but can't shake the feeling that the T1 is the one I probably should've gone with. I do like hard rock music and sometimes so soft 80s prom music (lol) and anywhere in between except no country, classical, hip hop, rap, or electronic dubstep.

I do have a schiit bifrost uber and valhalla and was wondering if this combo would sound great with the T1. I'm sure that if I sold my barely used hd650 with brand new toxic silver widow cables, I wouldn't lose very much money at all if I went with the razerdog open box T1.

Is the open box really new and unused, but the box was just opened? If it's lightly used I'd have to consider passing, but if it really is new I am real close to pulling the trigger on one. I think it's that I wanted headphones that were slightly faster that can keep it heavy metal.

So I guess I'd like to know for my music tastes and the amp/dac that I have, will it be a huge improvement or a slight improvement. I realize that both seem like total opposites from what I've been reading. Changing amp/dac is out of the question so if I did get the T1 it would have to work with it.  

Any thoughts from those who have both at sometime?

Thanks,
G

I have both now and my advice to you is if you like the HD650's, keep them. Don't expect T1's to give you an amazingly special and awesome sound improvement. The differences here are grossly over-exaggerated, as most things on the internet. Audition them before buying, DO NOT buy before, it's like throwing money into the wind hoping the wind will blow it back into your hands.

 

[Loquah]

I have both now and my advice to you is if you like the HD650's, keep them. Don't expect T1's to give you an amazingly special and awesome sound improvement. The differences here are grossly over-exaggerated, as most things on the internet. Audition them before buying, DO NOT buy before, it's like throwing money into the wind hoping the wind will blow it back into your hands.

 
I agree that the difference isn't massive - not like going from entry level to high-end, but there is definitely a noticeable improvement to be had (at least to my ears)
 
That said, I agree that it's always a good idea to audition because there will be those who dislike the T1 or prefer the HD650.

 

[derbigpr]

I agree that the difference isn't massive - not like going from entry level to high-end, but there is definitely a noticeable improvement to be had (at least to my ears)

That said, I agree that it's always a good idea to audition because there will be those who dislike the T1 or prefer the HD650.

I think the improvements people hear are purely related to sound signature preference, some like the brighter T1 sound much more, and will define it as being better. When directly comparing the T1 to HD650, HD650 will lose, because it will seem muffled or too dark, although that's not true, and that feeling is only present for a short period of time before your brain adjusts from one sound signature to another. T1 gives an illusion of more clarity and/or detail when switching to it from HD650 . But thats not how audio gear is can be properly judged, its impossible to properly evaluate gear without long term testing. If I listen to both headphones for lets say a week straight, I like the HD650 better at the end of it. Its a headphone that hides its pro's and throws con's at you. Compared to many headphones even below its price range, it would lose in a A-B test, at least with most listeners. Beyer is the opposite, its throws all it has at you on the first listen, but with time it kinda becomes obvious its not as great as it first seemed. Clarity and detail translate into listening fatigue and annoyance, and lack of body in certain music. The over-exaggerated clarity gets frustrating to live with, a headphone so picky about the sound file quality can get annoying. It makes me personally choose the music I will listen to not by the music itself, but by the quality of the recording. That is fun for a while when critically listening, and in critical tests, T1 would win against HD650 in most categories, but when it comes to just pure music enjoyment, HD650 is the king. At least for me. Its a very polarizing headphone for me, sometimes I like it, sometimes I hate it when switching between headphones. But whenever I stick to it for a longer period of time , I just have a hard time finding a reason to own any other headphone. Its the ultimate hi-fi headphone, perfect blend between analytical and warm musical sound, an absolute best buy in my opinion.

 

[FangJoker]

I guess I'll wait til the toxic silver widows come in and see if it makes a difference.  The headphones are not  broken in yet either.  I've been having average and great experiences with them.  I probably should check the  source material as some were bought online and even though everything is at least 320kbps, it still could have been a crappy translation.  I'll have to open the box of cds packed away and see how they sound.  I have been exclusively listened to music on the computer as it's so much more convenient. 
 
Thanks everyone to your opinions.  I'll just wait and see and maybe I'll still join the T1 club.

 

[Loquah]

  I guess I'll wait til the toxic silver widows come in and see if it makes a difference.  The headphones are not  broken in yet either.  I've been having average and great experiences with them.  I probably should check the  source material as some were bought online and even though everything is at least 320kbps, it still could have been a crappy translation.  I'll have to open the box of cds packed away and see how they sound.  I have been exclusively listened to music on the computer as it's so much more convenient. 
 
Thanks everyone to your opinions.  I'll just wait and see and maybe I'll still join the T1 club.

 
Good idea. The cables will definitely make a difference (albeit a subtle one)
 
I think derbigpr's comments highlight the challenge in this type of question / comparison really well. Where I find the HD650s always left me wanting just a little bit more than they could give, he finds the little bit more to become fatiguing. Different strokes for different folks and another vote for auditioning before buying (if possible).