Hi my name is Adam I have been into hi-res audio since I was in high school, and am now 38 years old. I have been doing reviews for some months now, bear with me since I am not the greatest writer actually I am pretty bad at it. Audiophile that I am not love quality music and sound that I am, my journey into the Head-Fi Forum started by doing a search online for some new cans and just about every search landed me here. So I like to keep my reviews simple for the average Joe or Jane can get a review that they can understand and not filled with terms that they can't make sense of.
This review is for the Beyerdynamic T51i the little brother of the T51p, Beyerdynamic has been around since 1924 and was started by an electrical engineer named Eugen Beyer in Berlin. Based in Germany most of there products are made by hand by skilled craftsman. I have been a Machinist and a certified Tool & Die Maker for more then 20 years, if anyone knows anything about this trade you will know the best Tool makers are out of Germany and are highly regarded. I would like to say thank you to Peter from Beyerdynamic for sending me a sample to review, I am not an employee or I am being compensated for reviewing the T51i. I guess I will start with specifications then work my way down, you can purchase them for $299 right from Beyerdynamics web page.
http://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headphones-and-headsets/at-home/music-pleasure/t-51-i.html
Technical Specifications
Transducer Type dynamic
Operating Principle closed back
Nominal Frequency 10-23,000 Hz
Nominal Impedance 32 ohms
Nominal SPL 111 dB
Sound Coupling to Ear supraaural
Power Handling Capacity 100 mW
Max. SPL 131 dB
Weight with out cable 174 g
Cable 1.2m/double sided straight cable
Connection mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
Packaging
So the Beyerdynamics came in a plain box with a nice hi-res photo, the headphones were packed in there carrying case. I am not sure how they come from a store or if you buy them directly , these were a pair of demo units. But it serves the purpose and gets them from point A to B. There isn't much more to say then that I would assume that if they were brand new they would be rapped in a plastic bag or something.
Accessories
1/4 jack adapter
Flight Adapter
Black Nylon Carry Case
The T51i comes with your basic accessories a 1/4 jack, flight adapter, and a nice carrying case. The case is very nice and has a carrying handle with a Velcro strap to keep them secured, the headphones lay flat inside the case with a molded cut out. Also included is a short adapter for non-apple products, there are other accessories that can be bought from there direct website. Beyerdynamic pretty much covers all your basic needs, the case is one of the nicer cases that I have seen for portable headphones.
Build and Comfort
For portable audio this is one of the main factors besides the sound, everyone from teens to old people use there portable devices now for music or even to answer calls. The T51i sports brushed metal ear cups with there logo on it, the fully adjustable headband is made of metal also. The ear cups swivel 90 degrees to insure comfort and slide up and down with notches on the band for a positive lock, the under side of the band looks like it has the same material the ear cups are made off. The ear pads are made from synthetic leather with memory foam underneath to form to your ear. The outer part is some kind of durable plastic with a satin black finish, all edges are smooth and sleek looking. It kind of looks like a retro modern look mixed into one, that works really well. Wearing these over a long train ride I found to be probably the most comfortable portable cans that I have worn. Compared to the V-Moda XS the T51i have less clamping force were the V-Moda's can be uncomfortable over long periods of time. The ear pads have got to be the plushest pads that I have ever felt and mold around your ear very well. Considering how much metal these headphones are made of they are pretty light in weight.
The cable is fixed and can't be removed but has really good strain relief, at this price point I would have like to seen a removable cable especially for being portable. The cable is rubber coated and it was very comfortable even ran down my shirt. I run the cable down my shirt with just about all headphones so it doesn't catch on anything and it just looks cleaner. The plug is gold coated and is a 90 degree angle with a very low profile and fit just about every phone I had with a case on it. The Y splitter is very nicely done with a plastic housing with a metal face strain relief was way above average.The volume control is a 3 button apple certified control in a metal housing for music and phone calls, I also used it on a Samsung Alpha the pause button work and I could also change tracks with a double click. Using it with an IPhone 6 and Mini IPad it work flawless, making phone calls the mic worked better then most other portable headphones that I have used. I had my daughter call me wearing the T51i's and couldn't tell she was on a headset and it sounded crystal clear. Isolation was very good considering it is an on ear headphone, it surprised me on how well they isolated even on a train.
Sound
The most important factor of the headphone to most people, headphones have become a fashion accessory like woman's hand bags. I have seen teens wear them around there necks and not even connected to anything. It reminds me of people wearing glasses with lenses in them that are not prescription and only for looks. I mainly used my Fiio X1 with WAV formatted files from CD's. These are very easy to drive from any source, I also tried a Fiio E07K amp that gave the T51i even deeper and tighter bass. They also use Beyerdynamics Tesla Technology for there drivers with high efficiency and low distortion. The T51i has a warm sound signature with the bass extended very well. The bass doesn't take over all the other frequencies though, the midrange is smooth and detailed especially with Pop and New Age music. When I say smooth I don't mean it's veiled or laid back compared to V-Moda's XS the XS mids are more forward and brighter sounding to my ears and the XS lacking the T51i's bass extension. The high frequencies have great clarity and smooth transitions. Considering they are closed back you wouldn't expect a good soundstage with the T51i. Soundstage is very hard to achieve with headphones since there right on your ear, a lot of people have different takes on it. I think it's more of imaging and placement that you mentally visualize I don't even know why you would call it soundstage for headphones. But call it what ever you want the T51i's give you a great image or soundstage and it is very easy to mentally picture the size of the venue with good placement of instruments. It also has good instrument separation with great layering of details. Using them to watch movies was no different they just sound awesome. During explosions in movies you can feel the deep bass rumble in your head. These are the type of headphones that you could enjoy all day, without having high frequencies or to much bass that would lead to be annoying and fatiguing they just sound well balanced with a natural warm sound. All vocal parts just sound so clear and life like you just have to hear them to see how good they sound. If anyone has a chance to audition these don't pass up the chance you wont be disappointed.
Conclusion
For the price you won't find anything better then the T51i's for on the go listening. I was honestly amazed at how well these performed for being so small, they sound better then a lot of full sized headphones that I have heard. The build quality is outstanding and will last for years and can probably take some abuse. The only thing I would have liked to seen is a removable cable, especially for portable headphones that are going to see a lot of use. I have spent a good amount of time listening to these in a very short amount of time that I have them for, they will definitely be on my list of things to buy. With technology advancing every day I am sure we will see more products shrink in size and the quality of sound go up, Beyerdynamic just does it does it better then every one else at this point in time in my opinion. I will recommend these to anyone that's looking for a fashionable headphone that has top notch sound for on the go or for people that just want a small sized headphone for at home. Thanks for reading I hope I helped anyone interested in buying these.
This review is for the Beyerdynamic T51i the little brother of the T51p, Beyerdynamic has been around since 1924 and was started by an electrical engineer named Eugen Beyer in Berlin. Based in Germany most of there products are made by hand by skilled craftsman. I have been a Machinist and a certified Tool & Die Maker for more then 20 years, if anyone knows anything about this trade you will know the best Tool makers are out of Germany and are highly regarded. I would like to say thank you to Peter from Beyerdynamic for sending me a sample to review, I am not an employee or I am being compensated for reviewing the T51i. I guess I will start with specifications then work my way down, you can purchase them for $299 right from Beyerdynamics web page.
http://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headphones-and-headsets/at-home/music-pleasure/t-51-i.html
Technical Specifications
Transducer Type dynamic
Operating Principle closed back
Nominal Frequency 10-23,000 Hz
Nominal Impedance 32 ohms
Nominal SPL 111 dB
Sound Coupling to Ear supraaural
Power Handling Capacity 100 mW
Max. SPL 131 dB
Weight with out cable 174 g
Cable 1.2m/double sided straight cable
Connection mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
Packaging
So the Beyerdynamics came in a plain box with a nice hi-res photo, the headphones were packed in there carrying case. I am not sure how they come from a store or if you buy them directly , these were a pair of demo units. But it serves the purpose and gets them from point A to B. There isn't much more to say then that I would assume that if they were brand new they would be rapped in a plastic bag or something.
Accessories
1/4 jack adapter
Flight Adapter
Black Nylon Carry Case
The T51i comes with your basic accessories a 1/4 jack, flight adapter, and a nice carrying case. The case is very nice and has a carrying handle with a Velcro strap to keep them secured, the headphones lay flat inside the case with a molded cut out. Also included is a short adapter for non-apple products, there are other accessories that can be bought from there direct website. Beyerdynamic pretty much covers all your basic needs, the case is one of the nicer cases that I have seen for portable headphones.
Build and Comfort
For portable audio this is one of the main factors besides the sound, everyone from teens to old people use there portable devices now for music or even to answer calls. The T51i sports brushed metal ear cups with there logo on it, the fully adjustable headband is made of metal also. The ear cups swivel 90 degrees to insure comfort and slide up and down with notches on the band for a positive lock, the under side of the band looks like it has the same material the ear cups are made off. The ear pads are made from synthetic leather with memory foam underneath to form to your ear. The outer part is some kind of durable plastic with a satin black finish, all edges are smooth and sleek looking. It kind of looks like a retro modern look mixed into one, that works really well. Wearing these over a long train ride I found to be probably the most comfortable portable cans that I have worn. Compared to the V-Moda XS the T51i have less clamping force were the V-Moda's can be uncomfortable over long periods of time. The ear pads have got to be the plushest pads that I have ever felt and mold around your ear very well. Considering how much metal these headphones are made of they are pretty light in weight.
The cable is fixed and can't be removed but has really good strain relief, at this price point I would have like to seen a removable cable especially for being portable. The cable is rubber coated and it was very comfortable even ran down my shirt. I run the cable down my shirt with just about all headphones so it doesn't catch on anything and it just looks cleaner. The plug is gold coated and is a 90 degree angle with a very low profile and fit just about every phone I had with a case on it. The Y splitter is very nicely done with a plastic housing with a metal face strain relief was way above average.The volume control is a 3 button apple certified control in a metal housing for music and phone calls, I also used it on a Samsung Alpha the pause button work and I could also change tracks with a double click. Using it with an IPhone 6 and Mini IPad it work flawless, making phone calls the mic worked better then most other portable headphones that I have used. I had my daughter call me wearing the T51i's and couldn't tell she was on a headset and it sounded crystal clear. Isolation was very good considering it is an on ear headphone, it surprised me on how well they isolated even on a train.
Sound
The most important factor of the headphone to most people, headphones have become a fashion accessory like woman's hand bags. I have seen teens wear them around there necks and not even connected to anything. It reminds me of people wearing glasses with lenses in them that are not prescription and only for looks. I mainly used my Fiio X1 with WAV formatted files from CD's. These are very easy to drive from any source, I also tried a Fiio E07K amp that gave the T51i even deeper and tighter bass. They also use Beyerdynamics Tesla Technology for there drivers with high efficiency and low distortion. The T51i has a warm sound signature with the bass extended very well. The bass doesn't take over all the other frequencies though, the midrange is smooth and detailed especially with Pop and New Age music. When I say smooth I don't mean it's veiled or laid back compared to V-Moda's XS the XS mids are more forward and brighter sounding to my ears and the XS lacking the T51i's bass extension. The high frequencies have great clarity and smooth transitions. Considering they are closed back you wouldn't expect a good soundstage with the T51i. Soundstage is very hard to achieve with headphones since there right on your ear, a lot of people have different takes on it. I think it's more of imaging and placement that you mentally visualize I don't even know why you would call it soundstage for headphones. But call it what ever you want the T51i's give you a great image or soundstage and it is very easy to mentally picture the size of the venue with good placement of instruments. It also has good instrument separation with great layering of details. Using them to watch movies was no different they just sound awesome. During explosions in movies you can feel the deep bass rumble in your head. These are the type of headphones that you could enjoy all day, without having high frequencies or to much bass that would lead to be annoying and fatiguing they just sound well balanced with a natural warm sound. All vocal parts just sound so clear and life like you just have to hear them to see how good they sound. If anyone has a chance to audition these don't pass up the chance you wont be disappointed.
Conclusion
For the price you won't find anything better then the T51i's for on the go listening. I was honestly amazed at how well these performed for being so small, they sound better then a lot of full sized headphones that I have heard. The build quality is outstanding and will last for years and can probably take some abuse. The only thing I would have liked to seen is a removable cable, especially for portable headphones that are going to see a lot of use. I have spent a good amount of time listening to these in a very short amount of time that I have them for, they will definitely be on my list of things to buy. With technology advancing every day I am sure we will see more products shrink in size and the quality of sound go up, Beyerdynamic just does it does it better then every one else at this point in time in my opinion. I will recommend these to anyone that's looking for a fashionable headphone that has top notch sound for on the go or for people that just want a small sized headphone for at home. Thanks for reading I hope I helped anyone interested in buying these.
If Beyedynamic put this can under $200 price ( let's say $199), it will become best buy portable cans.
For $299, people will think to choose full size cans regardless the purpose.