Beyerdynamic T51P

General Information

Like its award-winning predecessor T50P, the focus for design of the T51P is delivers unrivalled sound quality with our new and improved Tesla drivers. The closed design of the T51P also isolates external noise very effectively while on the go. The cable has also been improved to be more stable and has a satin finish which results in less cable noise. A light champagne tone lends the headphones a very elegant appearance and raises the T51P above the plastic monotony of most - even more expensive - headphones with its all-metal construction. Made in Germany. With its metal fully-adjustable headband and swiveling earcups the T 51 p fits perfectly on your head and confirms beyerdynamic's long-established reputation for producing headphones with excellent wearing comfort. The ear pads made of super-soft synthetic leather fit the contour of the outer ear thanks to its viscoelastic filling (a memory foam). Thanks to the swiveling earcups the T51P folds up compactly and fits in the included rugged nylon carry case. A high-quality 6.35mm adaptor is included for listening on premium hi-fi equipment or headphone amplifiers, smart phones, tablets and an airplane adaptor is also included so you can enjoy a superior experience of in-flight entertainment.

Latest reviews

rain_uk

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Sound surprisingly musical
Light weight, super comfortable
Design looks good
Cons: Cable can be a tad short for anything other than portable use and is not removable.
Cable is a touch springy rather than flat laying.
I had heard a demo of these years ago and instantly liked their insightful sound signature, years later and heavily discounted I finally got around to purchasing, they are revealing without having hot highs, bass is quite good for their size and well controlled. Light weight but sturdily built, cable is truly portable length, superb comfort. Carry case is slim but of soft material. Would have given 5 stars if it wasn't for the cable being springy and not replaceable/longer.

CJ Song

New Head-Fier
Pros: Light, well isolating, great sound for an on-ear
Cons: A bit too snug fit for me
I have been listening to this headphone for the last 2 years now.

I usually do not like bulk, so i carry a westone w30 for my commute.

However, whenever i can (i.e. small short trips), i take this on-ear headphone because as much as westone w30 is good for what it is, this on-ear is really quite a bit more better in terms of listening experience.

The sound is warm (not dark), well defined and dynamic. The earphones are somewhat (like all of these kinds) clamping - generating some heat in the ear in the long-run, but still light and very portable.

Over-ears are just a big no-no for me, and until i have a bit more space to afford for a W80, i plan to stick with these when i want a sound with more space than my w30

Mightygrey

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Lightweight; speed; on-ear comfort/seal; detail; low-end
Cons: Non-detachable cable; slightly veiled; price.
Background
Let me get out of the way up-front: I hate on-ear headphones. They're invariably a compromise - sacrificing either comfort, performance, or both(!) to achieve portability. I've tried, and wanted to enjoy many. I've had extensive testing time with the Audeze from Sine, for example. There was so much to love about them: the build, oh, the build; the practicality; and that planar speed and low-end in a package that can be used everyday. But god-dammit, I just can't get a good seal on these. Now I'm primarily an open-backed guy, but when I use closed-cans I want two things: some decent isolation (for both myself and the people around me), and comfort. Hence the reason why I own (and love) a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 870ohm, which I'll compare these to mostly, for obvious reasons. 
 
For transit/OTG, I use IEMS. I have a pair of Zero Audio's Carbo Tenores, which I use every day. I've never wanted to spend good money on portable on/over ears, as I've never found anything worth spending money on, and if I did, they invariably had one/two fatal flaws that I couldn't get past. So when my next-door neighbour at my office was looking to buy some new portable cans, I went with him to my local personal audio store to help him compare a few different cans:
 
1. Audeze Sine
2. Oppo PM-3
3. Meze 99 Classics
4. Beyerdynamic T51p
 
Spoiler-alert: (if you haven't guessed it from the title of this review) - he chose the Beyers. Audeze - bad seal. Oppo - supremely comfortable, but less portable and didn't had a huge advantage in perceived sound quality. Meze 99 Classics (which I also own): killer sound; but too bulky to be truly portable. So he bought the T51p's, and he's kindly let me spend a day or two with them to give them a road-test (in exchange for their DT770 stable-mates, of course). 
 
20161115_101435.jpg
 
 
Build/Fit
Came in the usual mid-range Beyer cardboard box, but inside an awesome padded transit case - nice. The cans themselves are made of a nice high-quality brushed aluminium with soft-touch black-plastic around the drivers, and faux-leather memory foam pads/padding. Being someone else's brand-new cans I'm not even going to see if they're removable! The (non-removable!) cable is an appropriate length for portable cans, but feels a little cheap and toy-like for a $300+ (AU) pair of headphones, portable or no. It's terminated in a 90-degree 3.5mm jack that feels sturdy enough to inspire confidence for throwing what ever you plug it into into pockets, bags and the like. Overall a nice presentation, but more on the utilitarian side than out-and-out premium/luxury. 
 
Being smallish, they're obviously light-weight and barely noticeable in terms of heft when carried/stowed. Onto the make-or-break test - Putting them on, they're...well, comfy! Very comfy. Enough clamping force to stay on and roll your head around, and the padding under the skeletonised headband does what it's supposed to. And the earpads fit nicely on my (admittedly) small ears! The material is plush, creates VERY decent passive isolation. Having given it a 2+ hour wearing test, I'm pleased to say I didn't get any hot-spots or sore points like I get with every other on-ear. Overall - supremely comfortable. Big tick. 
 
Sound
So onto the business-end of the review - how does it sound? In a word - excellent. For the review, I used solely lossless (FLAC/ALAC) files from both a Samsung Galaxy S7 using USB Audio Player Pro, and a Macbook 15-inch Pro (yes the one with actual holes for connecting things like cards, cords, and USBs...but that's another story). Digital > Analogue conversion and amplification was handled off-board, in this case by an Audioquest Dragonfly Black. 
 
Test albums:
 
- Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool
- Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
- Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
- Elvis Costello & The Attractions, This Year's Model
- Tool, Undertow
- Hiatus Kaiyote, Choose Your Weapon
 
I literally A/B'd these at first with the DT770's, which immediately felt strange - I didn't like them at all for the first track or two. Things sounded congested, lacking in impact and separation. Ok, some mental burn-in is obviously required, like with any new equipment. It became clear this was more a symptom of the difference in format between the two Beyers. The DT770's literally surround your ears with big, boomy housings which give more of a 'cavernous' type sound/feel. Owners of these will remark, rightly, that they have decent sound-stage for closed cans. The (relatively) tiny earpads of the T51's feel...small. The sound is more focused into your ears, but after a short while you start to hear things - headstage; left/right separation; and imaging.
 
Then, you realise that these have good detail. Like, really good. The busy cacophony of "Burn the Witch" on Radiohead's latest album is handled with aplomb, managing the transients and attack very deftly indeed. Not sure if this is an inherent feature of Tesla-drivers, but I like it. 
 
The overall colouration is ever so slightly dark, or warm, depending on how you like to describe it. It's absolutely non-fatiguing and inherently musical. It's what I'd describe as an enjoyable/'fun' voicing, that made me simply listen to albums start-to-finish. Which is a Good Thing. 
 
Bass/sub-bass/slam is remarkable and present, with surprising extension. Daft Punk's "Lose Yourself to Dance" has appropriate levels of "WHUMP", but not quite as deep or tight as the DT770s - which truly are bass-Kings as many rightly say. 
 
Mids are thick, detailed, but I'd have to say a little veiled to be honest. The aggressive guitar "crunch" in "Hummer" by Smashing Pumpkins isn't as forward or exciting as I'd like it to be, and I like it that way - owning two pairs of Grados, and being a guitarist I guess you could say I'm a bit of a Mid-junky. 
 
Vocals are sweet, detailed, but not overly intimate or transparent. Elvis Costello singing "Little Triggers", and "Fingerprints" by Hiatus Kaiyote (if you haven't heard them, do yourselves a favour) are enjoyable but don't have that "live"/immediate feel like they do in more transparent headphones. 
 
Treble is every so slightly veiled to my ears, moving back to the DT770's, the treble's noticeably "hotter". Listening the awesome drum-work of Danny Carey on Tool's "Ticks and Leeches", there's not quite as much sizzle in the high-hats, and equates to the T51's having a a little less drama, or "WOW" for me. But we're only talking degrees here for the sake of comparison.
 
 
In conclusion
These were a genuine surprise for me - I'd always balked at considering the T51p's because of a) the face that they're on-ear, and b) the price, or more accurately their price considering the fact that they're on-ear, and it looks like you're getting so much less headphone for the price compared to, say, the DT770s. 
 
The best thing I can so about them is that they truly aren't a compromise. They are, to my ears, a genuine audiophile experience, and one you can take with you/experience on-the-go. Hard for me to comment on the value-equation, as I'd rather spend that amount on a new pair of full-sized cans, but think that price/performance-wise they represent very good value compared to some of the company they're in, and that I tested them against. 
 
Oh, and my work-mate loves them. Then again, he did come from a pair of Boses...fair to say he's now caught the bug. 
 
Cheers, and thanks for reading.
 
Mightygrey. 
  • Like
Reactions: Viber
Sonic Defender
Sonic Defender
Nice review. I owned the DT770 80ohm myself for about a year and very much liked them. Despite their size I allowed myself to look like a dork and used them as my public portable. The shame. Anyway mate, if you can trust me, you NEED to try the B&W P7 wireless as a portable. Absolutely a killer portable and that is with Bluetooth Apt X so you are now free of the cables, and I assure you, there is no way anybody can tell the difference. Hopefully you have a place where you can demo them. Thanks for this review, I'm going to give the T51P a try. 
Mightygrey
Mightygrey
Cheers mate. I've never thought to take my DT770s outside the house - being comfortable and isolating they'd be perfect for the commute, but they're just so massive! I'll have to give the P7's a try next time I'm at my go-to hifi store.

Comments

There are no comments to display.
Back
Top