beyerdynamic Tesla T1

mnicnc404

New Head-Fier
Pros: Nearly perfect sound image, and so on.
Cons: A little hard to put on.
 
Beyerdynamic Tesla 1, often called T1, is a terrific headphone, indeed, but if I have to say, I’d say that T1 is an interesting headphone, rather than a terrific headphone, IMO.
 
Premise: I listen to classical music, like symphonies, concertos, piano solos, etc.
 
Let me talk about the normal pros first, which are outstanding but not so unique.
 
T1 has great transparency, same as HD800. Both cans have the ability to rebuild the “atmosphere” of the scene of recording. T1 and HD800 do much better in atmosphere rebuilding than other cans (I have to apologize for having not heard to PS1000, 007mk2 and other flagships singing.) do, at least better than K701, HD650, and DT990/880 do. 
 
T1 is very balanced, with great energy. With great balancing and tremendously wide dynamic range, T1 is able to play symphonies easily. I believe that HD800 is balanced as well, but sometimes, when HD800 is plugged into a “wrong” headphone amp, the bass disappears and the sound image becomes loose: even if HD800 has pin-point positioning, it’s not so enjoyable when listens to symphonies. Very weird. Of course, on the contrary, if HD800 is plugged into “right” amp, it will be enjoyable listening to symphonies with HD800. However, pleasure got by the listeners hearing to T1 and HD800 are different: It’s about the “scene type.” Lets talk about this later. 
 
And it’s the neutrality. Sound of T1 is very neutral; however, if compared with HD800, T1 loses. Some say that HD800 has “the art of neutrality.” I think the statement meets the exigency. I like neutrality, and I like T1 better, but I have to admit HD800 does better in neutrality, IMO. 
 
At last, let me talk about what makes T1 so phenomenal and what makes me love T1. Interesting and great, but more interesting.
 
I haven’t heard to many cans so far, but in my experience with K601, HD800, DT990 and so on, “stage” and “scene” created by T1 are totally different. Stage and image created by T1 are so right and normal that these created by other cans seem deformed a little, including these  created by HD800. I’ve heard a way of saying, which somehow can express my thought: to analogize, if T1 has a normal len, then other headphones have wide-angle lens, in which images of objects usually seem distorted. Holographic, I’d say, even if the stage created by HD800 is bigger than this created by T1 by a -not big but- obvious gap. Because of such great imaging, maybe, all details go to the position they ought to be at, making the whole music more natural. In my opinion and experience, no other cans has such ability, and just this characteristic makes T1 phenomenal. 
 
To sum up, T1 has these pros (some aren’t discussed):
 -Neutrality. (HD800 does a little better.)
 -Detailed.
 -Great transparency and ability rebuilding atmosphere.
 -“Normal,” “right” imaging and soundstaging. (HD800 has a bigger stage, but not so right.)
 -Grainless.
 -Energized.
 -Musical and exquisite.
 
BTW, I want to complain that I always spend much time putting my T1 to the right position on my head. To me, this is the only con of T1.
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recarcar
recarcar
So tempted to buy these! :I

brunk

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Very musical!
Cons: Non-detachable cables
This headphone is underrated and is deserving more credit than it's given. This headphone responds to everything very well, unlike Orthos or HD800.
brunk
brunk
@Jsplice= Yeah, just take your time and choose what suits you best. Don't listen to me or anyone else, trust your ears.
A
audiophilemb52
Well said, Brunk!
agooh
agooh
more than 500 hours to truly know the value of T1. I will not sell these ever. I own lcd3 fazor and fostex Th900 but something special about T1.

Skylab

Reviewerus Prolificus
Pros: World class sound and comfort from Beyer
Cons: Cable isn't as pretty as rest of headphone
This is not going to be as thorough or long as my normal reviews for now - but I wanted to get something in place.  I have always liked Beyer headphones, but they all had some very defining character or flavor - even the most neutral, the DT880/600, was a little hot in the treble and a little light in the bass, IMO.
 
Well, the T1 changes all that.  While maybe just a touch lush, it is possessed of an amazing transparency and neutrality.  While slightly behind the Sennheiser HD800 in terms of midrange transparency and soundstage realism, it beats all other dynamic headphones in those areas, and slightly bests the HD800 in terms of treble smoothness and realistic bass.  The T1 has an absolutely unique ability to make music sound natural, in my experience.  Music simply flows from the T1 in a way that makes it unbelievably enjoyable to listen to, but without requiring any kind of noticeable coloration to get that job done.  In my experience, it is that combination of neutrality, accuracy, and musicality that makes the T1, for me, the king of the dynamic headphones.
 
DSC02083.jpg

 
My basic description is as follows:
 
* Very neutral overall response, but perhaps just a tiny bit lush
* incredibly nuance and detail
* completely grainless
* an amazing transparency
* tremendous imaging and soundstaging
 
The T1 is, undoubtedly, a phenomenal headphone, and an enormous step forward from the DT880 (or its siblings). In terms of looks and build, it's basically like a much, much better build 880. Same basic size and shape on the exterior, but better materials and a higher level of workmanship. But sonically, it is on another level altogether.

This is a terrifically balanced headphone in terms of its sonic presentation, and as a result, it sounds VERY natural, or, more accurately, music coming from it sounds very natural.
 
One thing which I think is a VERY good sign - different songs sound VERY different from each other - there is absolutely no homogenizing of the sound. So you have to listen to a bunch of songs you know REALLY well to get the right measure of the T1 - as one recording will often sound very different from the next, due to the recordings themselves.

Comparisons: w/r/t the HD800, I don't have them anymore, and so I'm not sure my comparison would be valid. But from what I've heard over the last few hours, with no break-in, I think the two are in the same league, and there are subtle differences. From memory, the HD800 has the even more expansive soundstage, but the T1's have a presence to the mids that lends a sense of musical realism beyond what I ever felt from the HD800. The T1 has the stronger bass, although it’s in no way overbearing or bloated. And the T1 has the slightly less aggressive treble, while still being just as extended. They are also a very significant cut above the HifiMan HE-5, in every respect, as good as I feel those headphones are.
 
Summary:
Maybe the best description I can give the T1 is that it is highly musical, but without having to be a technological apologist An incredibly comfortable, well-engineered headphone, but one that still lets the music come shining through.
 
recarcar
recarcar
Thanks for the detailed review!
trick
trick
After reading this review alone, I think I have to save up and buy these now... Well said sir.
Sp12er3
Sp12er3
thanks for the short review, it was a nice read

Airwin

Head-Fier
Pros: Clean and overwhelming sound, comfy, resistant.
Cons: Price a bit, but you get what you pay for.

 
Knowing the 600 and 250 Ohm Beyers (880s), both are pretty good headphones and one of the best values in the market.

But the T1 got a better soundstaging than the 880s, is as fine in the highs, or even more detailed than the 600 Ohm 880, and solid sounding in the base like the 250 Ohm 880, and much more resistant.

Driven with a solid amp in balanced mode, the headphone is a absolute beauty.

No headphone is perfect, so the T1. He needs a little equalization to get even better. (Like Senn HD800 and others can getting better with a good EQ / digitally EQ)
Notching the 8 kHz peak a bit (-5 dB) and between 80 and 400 Hz a little (-3 dB), and there it is: My heady for the next few years.
 

NujaBlessed

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Most natural listening experience i've ever had
Cons: Heavy cable
The T1 is my entry into hifi headphones, and i couldn't be more pleased with the purchase. i will however be comparing these with my DT880. my setup is: computer > ibasso d7 >  bottlehead crack + speedball
 
The design of these are really just so refined and sophisticated, it does not look as retro like the dt880 with wires visible outside the headband. the colour scheme is much better on the T1 and for me, i would sum it up by saying it just looks so much classier. one negative for design would be the cable; extremely bulky and heavy.
 
Few headphones match the comfort of the DT880, but i feel the T1 does the unthinkable and bests the DT880 in comfort. The velour has a smoother consistency and the biggest improvement is the very nice leather headband which makes wearing them effortless and feel like there's really nothing on the head.
 
For SQ, i will start by saying that i feel the T1 is less of a "better" DT880 and more unique. as with most if not all beyers, individual models even in the same line have vastly different sound signatures. The T1 to me just sounds like a very natural depiction of whatever is being recorded. The tonal balance in the T1 is like nothing i've ever heard with no unwanted prominence in the highs, lows or mids. The treble sparkles, the mids are smooth and the bass is the most realistic of any headphone i've heard. Also, the T1 seems to push air or do something that really gives you the feeling of being in a jazz club or concert hall. You can not only hear, but also to an eerie extent, feel the strumming and beating of instruments. I have no opinion on micro-detail retrieval mostly because i don't listen for it. Micro-detail is for people who want to hear a person sneeze rather than the concert the person is at; what is the point?
 
Now, how does the T1 compare to the DT880? it blows it out of the water. As much as i like the DT880, i feel like they are not similar, with the 880 having a touch less bass than necessary and the treble being a bit too prominent though never reaching the brightness of my past grados. The T1 on the other hand has extreme neutrality, to the point where it feels like i'm in a concert hall. That being said, the soundstaging is where there is some similarity between the cans. The soundstage on the T1 is bigger, but i feel just right, to where there is an airyness to instruments but it can maintain the intimacy of something like a jazz club. Stellar imaging for instruments, which the DT880 has a bit of trouble with.
 
When you buy a hifi headphone, i feel it's a bit unnecessary to compare it to a mid-fi headphone because of diminishing returns, MUCH better components and furnishings not included in mid-fi headphones. Since i bought them used, i feel like the value was definitely there, not sure how i would've felt paying 1300$ though.
 
 
Overall, i didn't talk much about the DTt880, but i feel most people should be familiar with it. What the T1 does is improve on the soundstage and imaging of the DT880, but it brings to the table a natural and rich sound that i really have not experienced in any other headphone.
XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
great review , great headphones....that i cant afford

MacedonianHero

Headphone.Guru Editor
Pros: Incredibly balanced and the best all rounder I've heard
Cons: Nothing yet.
My comments echo Skylab's. These are simply the best dynamic headphones I've ever heard. While the may not be technically equal to the Sennheiser HD800s, they certainly make up in the fact that their overall presentation simply works better than every headphone I've heard to date.
 
I love the HD800s, but I limit listening to them to jazz, classical, and some prog rock. The T1s on the other hand are incredible all rounders and work with everything that I've ever thrown at them. They even rival my all time favourite rock cans the Grado RS1s.
 
These are simply amazing cans and my personal favourites! Well done beyerdynamics!
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JacquesYeoh

New Head-Fier
Pros: Amazing soundstage, Crystal clarity, punchy bass, build quality
Cons: Comforts (7/10)
Pre-notes:
 
First of all, this is my first review. If i said anything wrong, please be gentle on me
The headphones i owned before purchasing T1 are Shure SE215 and Audio Technika M50 Limited editions
Considering the price gaps, it is a pretty huge jump from these two products to Beyer T1
I have never expect myself to be that crazy, to purchase a 1.4k USD headphone
But after an audition with T1, I immediately changed my mind. 
 
I am by no means a professional audiophile. Im just a humble 22 years old fresh graduate with passions in music
All the comments given below are from a perspective of guitarist, home studio recording, classical music lovers and pop music lovers.
 
Unboxing
The unboxing experience of T1 is amazing. It comes with a huge aluminium casing (not portable), and the headphone is nicely sitting inside with protective foams
Thats it. The unboxing is pretty straight forward with only some documentations and no accessories are included
Really appreciate if Beyerdynamic offer a portable solid carrying case rather than an aluminium box. Most of us wont store our T1 into that box anyway
 
Build Quality
As the title says, Mercedes Benz. It is elegant, solid, classic and performance.
It doesn't have the fancy design like HD800 or Final Audio Pandora. Like every other beyer headphones, this beast is built to last for decades
When I first touched it, it felt Yin and Yang. The material of the headband is Yin, it is so soft and smooth that i wish I shaved my hair just to feel the smoothness
The materials of the rest of the headband are Yang. It is build with strong alloy materials with limited-to-none presence of plastic. 
For the cables, The quality of the cable is amazing. It is a Neutrik cable. Although it is not the best, but it does performs very very well with T1
 Also, for me it is definitely a good thing that they soldered the cable into the headphones. It will save my wallet from bleeding heavily in the future :)
 
Comforts
Comfort issues is always my issue, because the size of my head is VERY big. You cannot imagine how big it is. 
Although my head is huge, I am able to fit T1 comfortably on my head. The headband material is so smooth that makes me wants to shave my hair now
The only problem with comforts is that when I am wearing it, my ear has contact with the driver's layer
Yes. My head is big, my ear is big too. When playing certain punchy songs, my outer layer of my right ear can feel the trembles of the headphone. It makes me very uncomfortable sometimes
Well, after all I might be the only one who is facing this issue. The only way to solve this is to find the keep adjusting the headphone positon, find my sweet spot and stay still.
 
Combination with AMP/DAC
The AMP/DAC i used in this review is the latest Sony UDA-1 Desktop AMP/DAC and portable GoVibe Magnum. Both amplifier are rated to drive up to 300 ohms 
T1 Tesla technology might be the reason that it became AMP/DAC friendly.
Although T1 is rated as 600 ohms, my current setups is able to achieve optimal listening volume with only 60-70% of the maximum volume
 
Surprisingly, Sony UDA-1 and Beyerdynamic T1 is like a match of heaven. 
Sony UDA-1 has introduced a new level of clarity and incredible vocals together with Beyerdynamic T1
In the point of view of studio recording, I am a guitarist and i make home recordings every weekends
While playing back my recordings, i can precisely listen to details such as my strumming pattern (Up or down) and the sound of my finger scratched the fretboard
Also, when i'm performing several other guitar techniques, hammer on/pull off/ plucking/ sliding etc, I can precisely point out all the mistakes i make during the recording and refine it again and again.
 
From the point of view of music appreciation, I believe everyone knows T1 has a beautiful soundstage, king of the mid, high treble and punchy bass.
With the help of Sony UDA-1 and its DSEE engine, it adds in some sense of emotion when I'm listening to sad songs from Adele. It makes me want to cry
 
 
Suspicious Issues
The first unit I received has a very strange blasting/hissing sound when playing certain songs such as Magic, Coldplay and Lights, Ellie Goulding.
I am sure that this has nothing to do with the song quality or DAC. The format is lossless and the audition unit at the headphone store doesn't have this issue
Perhaps this has nothing to do with the build quality, or perhaps this is due to the headphone is not fully burned it yet, or perhaps it is a defect
I went back to the store and I tested 3 new units of T1 (Including mine). Out of 3 units, 2 units has this problem 

donthuang

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Transparency,vivid ,openness sound never heard before
Cons: Still a headphone
 
To a headphone over $1000, how should we ask for?
I am stunned by T1's ability about "Transparency", in Harry Pearson's means.
 
All right, Beyerdynamic wins(read:beating my heart) in this generation , maybe Stax C32 could compete against ?
 
This unlimited palpable(yes,you can even touch it!) is not about head-stage, sound-field ,or other terms, just Transparency,this is enough.

Peter Hyatt

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Soundstage Fidelity, Depth, Highs, Lows and everything in between
Cons: none since detachable cable now added...
The most perfect, all-round headphone!  The Beyerdynamic T1 (2nd gen) repaired the only 'negative' I could find in the first gen:  I wanted the detachable cable and the 2nd generation has done it. 
 
These have the most perfect, natural sound I have ever heard.  The soundstage is remarkable, the highs are rich without being shrill, and the bass is beautiful, natural and without any 'coloring' for those who listen to heavy bass music.  
 
The T1 is marvelous for anything; classical, folk, rock, blues, and so on.  It handles deep driving bass, just as well as it handles high vocals.  It is the most 'all round' useful headphone that is comfortable for hours and allows for clarity that is how it was intended to be heard. 
 
The T1 when used with Chord Mojo presents stunning clarity and music the way it was meant to be experienced.  These are perfect life long headphones! 
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ESL-1
ESL-1
Thanks for the review.  Would you have any thoughts on sonic differences from the original Tesla T1? 

MariusValentin

New Head-Fier
Pros: Build quality,transparency,imaging,soundstage!
Cons: Not detachable cable
Oh man ,I must say these headphones are incredible !
I upgraded from Sennhesier HD 650 to these beautiful cans ,and the difference is almost day and night. The first thing you will notice when you first listen , is the level of detail that will give you the "Wow Factor".especially if you listen to acoustics .
This song in particular "Govi -Euprathes" you can hear so many little hidden nuances ,that I could not hear them on my HD 650. It's a significant improvement  from  HD 650 and is worth  the extra money I paid for it.I  highly recommend these cans for anyone who wants to enjoy the  music.
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XxDobermanxX
XxDobermanxX
Many say this is a very underrated can
nigeljames
nigeljames
Yes, excellent can and I agree far better than the HD650 that I also once owned.
Cman775
Cman775
@Nigeljames Your opinion is correct but bear in mind that the HD 650 costs around 1/3 of the price. However if you can save up for it why not right?

NilsTentacles

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Sound, Comfort
Cons: Price
This is my review of the T1's. I purchased a pair from Meier-Audio in Germany and I paid €1900 for the entire combo including headphones, headpone-amplifier and DAC. This price is including a very nice discount. I received them on Tuesday this week (3/27/2012) and I've been breaking them in every day since then. This is actually the first product I own were I experience a very obvious break-in and the headphones have improved alot of time. The gear I've been using to feed the headphones with are all Meier-Audio products: Corda Classic and the Corda StageDAC (+a computer with FLAC-files). The sound is extremely transient fast. It sounds like they reveal everything in the recording. Or atleast I hear alot of things I didn't before (what a cliché, I know, but it's true). I'd say it's a very versitale sound. They can make extreme metal sound brutal, and they can make ambient music sound very soft. So I feel the headphone combo bring out what the artist intended. The sound has become more fluid over time which I also like alot. I get the same fluidity as my speakers, but with a higher resolution. The only thing I find I like more in my speakers (Klipsch RF82) is the bass and dynamics. But all in all the headphones and Meier-gear is state-of-the-art equipment. Enjoy!

Kiats

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Soundstage, balanced, detailed, liquid mids
Cons: Headband is a little flimsy
The Beyer T1 will always hold a special place for me. This is because this was my first flagship headphone. I had thought long and hard over choosing the HD 800, LCD 2/3 and the T1. Many thanks to Wilson and Claire for their ceaseless patience and unstinting hospitality as I went back and forth between the various candidates over a month or two. 
 
I finally settled for the T1 as my first pair for two simple reasons: the liquid mids and the fact that Jaben in Singapore had "balanced-ready" T1s whereby the T1s came modded with mini XLR connectors. Which was wonderful so that I could use them single ended or in due course balanced.
 
How time has flown and I now have a little collection of very nice headphones: AKG K702& K812, LCD 2 & 3, HD800, Beyerdynamic T1, Hifiman HE-6, HE-5LE, HE-500, Fostex TH900, plus all the higher end Grados (save for the PS1000) and the Abyss. 
 
 
Build Quality
 
The build quality of the T1 is pretty good. However, the adjustment mechanism of the headband does seem a little imprecise, while seeming to be a bit loose in most pairs I tried. This of course is of some concern since each end of the headband had a cut out of "T1" which surely is a stress point for the metal and will surely lead to metal fatigue and it giving way.
 
The stock cable which came with the T1 is probably the best stock cable I have seen on a TOTL can. Is anyone from Audeze, Sennheiser and AKG reading this? I recall that unlike the normal cable which Beyer tends to do in-house, for the T1, they sourced the cable from an external cable specialist. And it tells! I will frankly admit that my removable cables - SE or balanced are actually made from stock T1 cable and even though now I have really exotic cables in my modest cable library, I think that that the T1 still probably has best synergy with the stock cable. And that tells you something about the quality!
 
 
Comfort and Isolation
 
The T1 is actually quite comfortable. Very, in fact. While it doesn't fit me to a T as the AKG K812 does, it certainly feels more secure than the HD 800. The ear pads are a light touch - nice and cushy without being too soft.
 
Isolation is actually not bad in the bigger scheme of things. But of course because its an open can, isolation is not why you choose this can.
 
 
Music Genres
 
I have a pretty comprehensive music collection: the fact that it's stored in a 4 by 4TB NAS (and its almost reached capacity) speaks for its repertoire. Early church music, through the classic jazz era to today's jazz, rock, pop, acoustic vocals and even some trance (thanks to my good friends, Terence and Shawn, who are desperately trying to educate me).
 
What I discovered early on, especially once I had worked out that the T1 craves driving power, is the T1 is pretty much comfortable with most genres. Once I had ensured sufficient driving power for the T1 and ran it balanced, there was really no turning back. I think it struck me one day that I was literally rocking to Depeche Mode 101 and Keane's greatest hits. On the venerable T1! 
 
Of course, there is a special category which I love the T1 for: vocals. I remember reading somewhere, after I had purchased the T1, that it had liquid mids. That hit the nail on the head - the T1 has such lush and easy flowing mids. Wonderful for vocals.
 
 
Sound Quality
 
In my view, the T1 is fairly well balanced: the trebles are extended, the mids are bordering on lush. The bass, while it is quality bass, it is not quite in the same class as the AKG K812. I would say that the T1 also attracted me because I liked its soundstage - it was not too wide, but had some depth to it as well. And there were details galore.
 
I constantly read reviews complaining about the T1 sound and how its trebles are too much or that it compares poorly to the ethereal soundstage of the HD800. Well, all I will say is that I never quite understood the fuss over the trebles because I have always felt that the T1 had excellent controlled treble extension. As for the soundstage, the HD800 has a soundstage which is not suited for all genres - eg. with rock, the soundstage is spread out so far that there is a total lack of energy. On the other hand, the T1 is more versatile and is competent to very good with most genres.
 
 
Pairing
 
I currently run my T1 off a a desktop rig of modded Mac Mini (with external linear PSU) via USB to a Bricasti M1 DAC, with balanced out to the Bryston BHA-1 and RCA to a Woo Audio WA2. My favourite all round set up is to run the T1 on dual 3 pin XLR on the Bryston - the T1 really opens up: the tonal richness of the T1 run this way is really something to behold. Of course, when I want to listen to slightly more acoustic vocals or I want a more organic tone, I listen to the T1 via the WA2. 
 
 
Conclusion
 
I am grateful that Wilson and Claire were kind to me when I was first looking for a flagship can. And that I did choose the T1 with my ears. It still gives me immense pleasure. There is nothing more anyone could ask for.
Makiah S
Makiah S
mmm not sure if I want this can or the HE 560 honestly 
coletrain104
coletrain104
It is my understanding that a revision on the sound of this model was done in 2013, and the earlier model had more exaggerated treble, and less bass extension. Maybe that explains some of the reviews about it's treble.

Loquah

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Comfort, transparency, staging / imaging, versatility
Cons: Will absolutely reveal your weakest source links
Beyerdynamic are a well known name in the headphone industry and in the professional audio world. I have toyed with the idea of purchasing Beyers on many occasions, but never pulled the trigger... until now.

Specifications

  1. Style:  Semi-open
  2. Frequency response:  5 - 50,000 Hz
  3. Impedance:  600 ohms
  4. Nominal SPL:  102 dB

Overview

The T1s sit squarely at the top of the Beyerdynamic tree of headphones and were their first Tesla headphone. The Tesla nomination relates to the amount of magnetic force in the driver mechanism of the headphone. In general terms, 1 tesla of magnetic force is massive and it means that the drivers are very sensitive. I want to equate it to a car with lots of power and huge brakes, but that doesn't account for the handling and the T1s are also nimble and agile, not just quick to stop and start.
 
In a speaker (or headphone) driver, the ability of the voice coil (the bit that drives the movement) to respond rapidly and accurately is the key to transparent and accurate sound as well as efficient creation of volume without requiring massive power. At 600 ohms, the T1s would traditionally be considered "hard to drive", but the Tesla driver means it produces volumes comparable to 350 ohm headphones like the Sennheiser HD6X0s given equal amounts of power.
 
I have seen measurements that would suggest the T1's Tesla driver is quite noisy in terms of distortion at various frequencies and it doesn't measure as favourably as drivers like those found in the Sennheiser HD800s, but the proof's in the pudding for me and I wonder if sometimes technical inaccuracies can lend themselves to more enjoyable experiences - tube amplifiers are a perfect example where the distortion and "inaccuracy" of tubes actually makes them more musical and enjoyable. I try not to get caught up in too much sound science because it can interfere with the enjoyment of music, but I wanted to mention here that the measurements aren't everything based on what I'm actually hearing. I'm not saying the measurements are wrong or irrelevant, just that there might be more to it and it's the resultant experience that really matters.
 
While we're talking impedance, I've always favoured high impedance systems with "traditional" driver setups because, if they have sufficient power, they tend to provide better sound to my ears. I've always put this down to the high impedance helping to damp and control driver movement. So, if we combine the Tesla design's claimed agility and sensitivity with the high impedance's damping factor, this should make for an amazing headphone.
 

Design & Comfort

The T1s are designed almost identically to their siblings, the DT880s, DT990s, T90s, etc. It's a design that is clean and functional, but attractive. On the T1s, the round cups are made of metal and feel solid, but light in the hand. Each earpiece is covered with soft, black velour pads and the headband is made of leather and is nicely padded.
 
All-in-all there's nothing special about the external design of the T1s, but everything's done right. They're all quality materials and it appears to be a case of function and form being equally considered. The end result is a very comfortable headphone on par with the likes of the HD650s which have long been my standard measure of comfort.
There are two other design features worth mentioning.
 

Cable Entry

The cables for the T1s enter on the base of each earcup unlike many headphones that choose a single entry and then run a cable through the headband. Although this design might make the T1s a little more fiddly to store and put on and off, I believe it's a good design as I've often wondered about the quality of the cable used to run through headbands. This way you know that each driver is receiving an identical signal through identical length and quality cables. That may sound picky, but at this level I think it's worth consideration.
 
The T1 cables aren't removable which is concern for some, but many reports claim the stock T1 cable to be excellent and I certainly have felt no need to change it. There are always services to recable if you really feel the need, but I don't see myself ever walking that path (despite being a big believer in the improvements offered by the right cable) because I think Beyer did it well to begin with.
 
The cable entry is sturdy and well reinforced so I wouldn't expect any troubles at all from normal usage. Similarly sturdy is the large, gold-plated 6mm Neutrik plug which also boasts solid strain relief and reinforcement.
 
There's no doubting that the build quality of the T1s and all parts attached are excellent. To top it off, they come with a lightweight metal box with a moulded foam interior for storing and transporting the flagships. Bravo Beyer for doing a great job of designing a headphone with every piece at the same level of outstanding design quality.
 

Angled Drivers

The other design feature I want to highlight is the angled driver mounting. Hopefully you can see in the image above that the inside of the ear cup (left side in this image) has the driver offset and sitting behind a semi-transparent baffle. It's hard to capture clearly in the image, but the driver is placed forward of the centre of the cup and tilted back. The result is that the sound enters the ear from the front, not the side, when you're wearing the headphones. Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser both have this angled driver design and for good reason - it works. The angled drivers create a far more natural presentation of the sound and the imaging and the staging that results is nothing short of exceptional.
 

Sound

When someone spends $1000+ on a pair of headphones they expect some pretty exceptional sound so are the T1s worth the dough? You bet!
 
The T1s are an interesting headphone - as are most flagships. They have followers who love them and others who will tell you they're a complete waste of money. For me they are worth every cent and do what they do better than anything I've heard so far in my headphone journey. So I guess I should explain what it is exactly that they do.
 
In general terms, the T1s offer a crystal clear window into your music with perhaps a slight rosy tint. They probably aren't 100% accurate in the strictest sense, but they don't add musicality or warmth at the expense of detail and resolution. The number one reason I love these headphones is because they are enjoyable with everything that I have every listened to... provided they are connected to a decent amp. Let me explain.
 

Treble

graphCompare.php
The treble presentation is the most debatable aspect of the T1s. They have the "Beyer spike" at 8-9kHz which can cause some issues, but I believe it is also the source of the T1's magic. (Note: this final statement is based on opinion and some experimentation only so please take it with many grains of salt.)
 
The treble of the T1s is quite smooth overall, but the spike can bite given the wrong track through the wrong source. I personally found that it was a matter of getting used to it (my T1s were second-hand so I can't comment on burn-in). Today, if I drive my T1s with my Audio-gd NFB-5.2, Bottlehead Crack, or Bottlehead SEX, the results are all quite listenable.
 
Early on, I did find the solid state edginess of the NFB-5.2 to cause some troubles with the T1s, but I think that was also partly because I was coming from the ultra-smooth HD650s.
Many T1 users report great results when paired with tube amplifiers and I have to agree - the T1s are at their sweetest with tubes.
 

Treble Performance

 
You'll start to see a theme here soon, but I'll start by saying that the T1's treble is accurate, precise and agile. There's plenty of extension right up to the highest frequencies, but the drop-off above 1kHz keeps the sound smooth.
 
Detail and texture in the treble is outstanding with cymbals and percussion sounding textured and rich. Sometimes the T1s treble will even let you in on secret slip-ups made by engineers. I was listening to a George Michael track one day and thought I had a piece of hair stuck in one of the drivers because of an annoying buzz / vibration in one channel only. I swapped the RCA channels over to check if my new headphones were temporarily stuffed and discovered that the buzz was in the recording - a recording I've had for around 10 years and never before heard in this way!
 
Of course, highly resolving treble (especially with an 8-9kHz emphasis) will tend to show you some flaws in terms of noise and jitter in your system. I certainly notice the limitations of my DAC now. Even though it's a good DAC, it's not up to the standards of the T1 and will be finding a new home soon to make room for something more suitable. I also found that I benefited from an upgraded USB cable and different, better tubes in my Crack amp.
 

Midrange

 
I didn't expect incredible midrange from the T1s because everything I'd read seemed to talk about their treble presentation (for better or worse).
 
I continue to be amazed by the midrange quality from the T1s. The mids are smooth and clean with incredible texture and detail. Some headphones seem to create great mids by pushing them forward and smoothing over the bumps. The T1 seems to create greater mids by showing you everything there is to hear, but doing it smoothly and gently somehow. The nearest analogy I can give is that it's like the ultimate sports touring car where you can feel everything that's happening through the steering wheel and chassis, but you're completely comfortable while driving all out in it.
 
I absolutely love the way the T1s present pianos, synths, drums (specifically toms) and guitars. Everything has texture that I've never heard before in the recordings. Pianos have the same depth that you hear when they're live, every drum has texture and depth, synths and guitars have character, buzz, texture and detail. It really is a magical experience to rediscover your music library with the T1s.
 
I promised a theme when I spoke about the treble and that theme is agility. The thing which makes the T1 so special to my ears is its ability to move effortlessly from each sound to the next. Nothing ever gets muddy. Everything is clearly in its place, but still a part of the overall musical picture.
 

Bass

I was coming from the Fischer Audio FA-011 Limited Editions when I first tried on the T1s and the Fischers are a hard act to follow when it comes to bass quality and quantity. The T1s don't deliver the same quantity of bass as the 011 LEs, but the bass they deliver is probably more accurate while the 011 LEs are more on the fun side.
 
The bass from the T1s is solid and punchy - perhaps a little forward of neutral, but beautifully balanced with the overall sound. The bass supports and complements the overall presentation from the T1s without muddying or clouding the sound or being overshadowed by other frequencies.
 
The impressive part of the T1s bass is its depth. The T1s bass truly goes all the way down and you can clearly hear (and feel) rumbles from as low as 30Hz and perhaps lower as I haven't formally checked.
 
Once again, the delivery of the bass from the T1 is agile, just as it is with the mids and treble. Fast bass passages are clean and punchy while deep rumbles will vibrate your ears in impressive fashion while the mids and treble sing pure and clear over the top. The bass on the T1s doesn't stand out in any way during listening, but that's exactly why it's brilliant.
 

Staging and Imaging

 
 
The angled driver design is one of the key features of the T1s along with the >1 tesla of magnetic flux (energy / force). As explained earlier, the angled drivers are meant to deliver the sound waves to the ears in a more natural way which is supposed to result in better imaging. Well the Beyerdynamic sound engineers weren't wrong. The imaging and staging from the T1s is exceptional, bettered perhaps only by the Sennheiser HD800s.
 

Staging

 
The stage from the T1s extends a little outside the head to the left and right while also being quite tall and as deep as any headphone I've heard yet. It might not quite extend in front of you, outside the head, but it's close - right at your forehead if not slightly beyond it.
 
For me, the staging is pretty close to perfect - perhaps it is perfect? I feel like anything significantly larger could become less coherent or a bit unnatural whereas the T1's staging is natural and realistic while still being large enough to fool me regularly into checking for sounds outside of the headphones. For example, just this morning I was listening to "Gator Blood" from Mark Knopfler's new album, Privateering. I fired up the Bottlehead Crack and plugged in the T1s while my fiancée was still asleep. No sooner had the track begun than I took a massive double-take as a reached for the volume knob thinking that my desktop speakers were connected and active. Even after convincing myself that they couldn't be on, I still had to lift the T1 earcups away from my ears to check.
 
That kind of epic imaging doesn't happen on every track, but it's more a reflection of: (a) getting used to the sound of the headphones and (b) variations in recording quality limiting the performance of the headphones.
 

Imaging

 
Equal to the quality of the stage created by the T1s, the imaging is absolutely spot on. Instruments are clearly placed in all three dimensions and you can hear a singer's voice higher than the guitar they're playing and in front of the orchestra behind and beside them. I love the way instruments leap out of the background on the T1s, not in an artificial way, but just cleanly and clearly. Lower level headphones I've heard seem to blend from one instrument / sound / texture to the next like a painter allowing one colour to bleed into the next. If other headphones are slightly blurry in this regard, the T1s deliver everything in high definition. Sounds are crisp, sharp and defined, but not emphasised, edgy or separated - everything is coherent, musical, exciting and enjoyable.
 

Summary

I can honestly say that there isn't anything I dislike about the Beyerdynamic T1s. It's true that they will reveal a poor DAC, amp or recording and may sound harsh as a result (more so with a poor DAC or amp than poor recordings), but this is more because they are true to the source rather than them being flawed and difficult to drive. They also do seem to pair really well with tube amplification because of the smoother presentation, but I have also enjoyed them from solid state amps like the Audio-gd NFB-5.2, Aune S2 Panda Mk2, and Matrix M-Stage amp, all of which are mid-level at most so it's not like you have to break the bank on an amp to enjoy the T1s. That said, you will reap major benefits as you upgrade your source units with the T1. As with any top-end headphones, they scale very well with better gear giving outstanding results.
 
I am yet to find a track or genre that doesn't sound great on the T1s and I know from much discussion on Head-fi's T1 thread that I'm not alone in that regard. To me, these could be the ultimate all-rounder flagship. Other headphones like the LCD-2, HD800s, etc. may do certain things better, but I doubt you'll find a headphone that does anything better (without possibly getting into electrostatic territory which I can't comment on).

Final Comments

There are a number of mods around for the T1 including mods using felt, cotton wool, and acoustic foam inside the earcups to dampen some of the treble. I experimented with the felt mod when I first received the T1s, but every version I tried resulted in tamed highs, but a reduced soundstage and a loss of something magic about the T1s. I kept feeling like they were good with the mod, but exceptional and addictive without the mod.
 
I haven't exhausted all options so I'm not discounting the possible benefits of some of the other mods discussed, but the best things I found to maximise the T1's performance are a good system including a good USB cable (if using computer audio), a good DAC, and a nice amp (tube or solid state, but my preference is towards tube).
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mithrandir38
mithrandir38
I just picked up the T90's, which are just glorious. Funny enough, I'm interested in the T1's not just for the sound quality, but because unlike the T90's, the T1 has user-replaceable Cables
mithrandir38
mithrandir38
I just picked up the T90's, which are just glorious. Funny enough, I'm interested in the T1's not just for the sound quality, but because unlike the T90's, the T1 has user-replaceable Cables
sanakimpro
sanakimpro
Hey, Loquah! I bought the T1 half a year ago based on your review. Thanks so much and after the many hours of use, I agree with your review. It's a cure to my upgraditis, even when it hits HD 800 level. :wink:
 
Thanks for your well written review. I currently use O2/ODAC -> T1 and I find that most of the time, poor recordings come out terrible on the combo, but on well recorded ones, it pays off!

KopaZ

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: the mids, the soundstage, the imaging/detail.
Cons: cable is bulky, treble harshness for some people
 

Beyerdynamic Tesla T1 (Gen 1) review

*May include some crappy comical memes*

 1729057.jpg

 
After owning so much dynamic headphones, I stumbled upon the T1.

I loved it; except I *accidentally* made hole in the diaphragm while I was trying to reconnect that less-than-hair-thick-cable that I popped out from driver to circuit.

I still had some headphones that I had before buying the T1; Sennheiser HD598,650,700 and AKG K712 (and M70x, but m70x is closed back).

 

the closest headphones that produced "right" sound signature to me, was HD700, except it was slightly bright, with tight bass. I decided I'd just use this HD700 till end of my life.

 

Except we all know, when we realize something else does better job for you, you're not going to buy something worse than one you had/listened to it.

This was exactly what happened to my life. Make holes on bank account out of some $1400 military paycheck that I'd been screwing around, while I was on training (and couldn't pass the training because of damn push-ups).

 

I've decided to sell all my headphones, except for one closed-back and one open-back.

the Ah-d5000 (I solved the bass issue by EQing it), and the HD700.

Except I also sold the HD700 because I wanted the T1 sound back.

bye bye, Sennheiser.

 

TL;DR: being an audiophile does break your bank account.

 60499904.jpg

 



Welcome to Head-fi. Now, hand over your bank account so we can slaughter your piggy bank.

 

First Impression

 

The musicality.

smooth bass, mids, mids mids. the soundstage. very impressive, many wows.

the detail. I have yet to find any of my headphones having T1-like detail (except for AKGs, but my K712 was too bassy for me; didn't go really well with classicals either)



 


(more or less)

 

In-depth review

unboxing/packaging

Luckily, the last owner of this T1 had everything with the original packaging (thanks punit.)

It comes on a box, like all other headphones.

Except there's another aluminum box that looks like a tank armour (maybe I can shoot a crossbow bolt onto it, except the box looks really expensive to build).



Stronk Beyerdynamic case.

yep, obviously put something expensive on expensive-looking box so people can steal it!

 

Comfort/build

extremely comfortable. Only thing that can match T1 comfort that I had on my inventory was HD700.

HD700 pads are softer however; the headphones itself, is lighter than T1 (because most of the parts are made out of plastic *COUGH COUGH*)

The build?

 1729057.jpg

 


No, seriously.

Most parts are made out of steel.

There's steel frame inside the headband (which is leather), the cup is steel.

the only part that is not steel, is frame inside the headphones (but It wouldn't matter because they are covered by steel), and the plastic that covers ends of leather headband.

very, very strong steel headphones.

(jet fuel can't melt steel beams)

 

Some thoughts about design..
 
The Gen 1 T1 (yes, beyerdynamic released the Gen 2 T1 if you were wondering) does not have detachable cable, while my T1 from punit had the 4 pin mini xlr detachable cable mod (aka audzeze style), done by BTG audio. the stock cable, is bulky, heavy, and long (10 ft)

Im using 5N PCOCC silver-plated cable (4ft) for this review.

 

Sound

Source: MSI GT72 (here comes the *overpriced* gaming laptop)

USB connections to FiiO E18 > Audioquest Evergreen cable > Schiit (pronounced shih-tah) > 6.5mm gold plated jack > 3.5mm gold plated jack+5N PCOCC silver plated 4ft cable > T1

 

Summary: Insanely immersive, huge soundstage (only HD800 can beat the size of soundstage IMO, maybe AKG)

detail: you probably aren't going to scoop out of everything that you can find, but I was able to hear some breathing of vocalists and instrument players. HD800 is the way for scooping out the details. Overall sound signature is very natural, compared to the HD800, while HD800 mainly focuses of being neutral/reference class.

And dare I say that T1 gives sense of realism.

 

Bass:

you do get the sense of feeling that bass is there. T1 is not bass heavy IMO, but it certainly does have some impact.

Sub-bass reproduction, is very transparent

excellent if you don't want to have bass impact over other frequencies (unlike the bassheavy ah-d5000, which I had to EQ the bassrange by 3dbl)

from my memory, HD700 has more bass impact than the T1.

track used for bass testing: FTL: Faster Than light (Original SoTundtrack), Space Cruise (title track)/Last Stand

(256kbps AAC. damn you iTunes, where is my lossless download option)

 

Mids:

Best part of the T1, IMO.

maybe the part that makes T1 shining because of it's musicality over HD800. (But T1 certainly is not neutral compared to HD800) 

Liquid and Fun; at least for me. One more credit to the T1 for the musicality that it provides to my ear.

Clarinets from the Brahms sound just so fun, with the spacious/soundstage that T1 has.

(When I grow up, I'm gonna get a Stax-009...) 

Tracks used: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op 115: Adagio (Johannes Brahms), by BBC Music. (16bit 1411kbps PCM)

 

Treble:

HERE COMES THE LISTENING FATIGUE!!!

(not really)

Treble on T1 isn't that reavling compared to my 10-minutes session of HD800 and months of listening on HD700.

Musicality over detail, Im presuming. Again, you can see it's there, and for me, the treble on T1 isn't bothering me at all (im using magni 2 as amp with E18 as dac.)

Pokemon Omega Ruby&Alpha Sapphire soundtrack: Ever Grande City, 256kbps AAC (damn you iTunes again)

Klavierkonzert Nr. 17 KV 453-I, Allegro, 16bit 1411kbps PCM.

Not really revaling/netural as HD800, but it's not making me deaf or make my ear ring; so that's good.

you probably won't need them tubes to tame 8Khz bothersome treble on T1.

You certainly will (and probably put hot sauce over HD800) need a tube to calm the treble down on HD800.



that's me after demo of HD800 in stereo exchange, manhattan NY.
(except I didn't had earbleed, but my ear was pretty darn hurt. thanks, sennheiser)
 
Soundstage/Detail/Imaging
T1 a King derp of Dynamic headphones along with HD800, well.
Insanely large soundstage, precise and more like layered feelings of imaging.
I wouldn't tell someone that T1 is revealing, however. HD800 is way to go, IMO.
But, soundstage of T1 with imaging/airyness/detail sure does give sense that T1 is very fun headphones to listen with.
 
Overall:
Yeah, it's expensive. again, welcome to head-fi.
but for price range of  going around $600, while HD800 is at $900ish? your opinion, I guess.
Pros: pretty much everything to me, really, plus the fun sound.
Cons: (for people who don't have T1 with detachable cable mod) cable is heavy and bulky.
Yeah, I know high-ends were meant to use it at home, but my E12 drives T1 really well (40% volume knob at 0 gain).
The design: Typical beyerdynamic design, but it sure does look $waggy enough to wear it on your neck.
It might be more durable/look cooler if beyer used aluminum part for the plastic area that covers ends of headphones (aka where it shows S/N).
Very comfortable. often times, it just disappears from my head aswell.
 
stars1.jpg
I tip my fedora to you sir, Beyerdynamic.
My next headphones? Stax, I bet. someone should recommend me some fun sounding headphones that surpasses T1 imaging/detail/mids/staging.
 
Update 1:
I just got my asgard (not the asgard 2) amp.
T1 gets gets more of smoother, realistic sounding bass, while it gets slightly darker, it still retains it's tonal balance (i'd say the amp makes T1 more natural rather than netural).
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 



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Pokemonn
Pokemonn
LOL. I recommend you Fostex TH-900 as one of most fun headphone on earth...
KopaZ
KopaZ
damn that fostex looks sexy

Zombie_X

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Neutrality and naturalness of the sound.
Cons: Very unforgiving of poor quality recordings.
I won't get too technical or get too in depth int his review. I will just state what I believe these headphones do and how they sound, just very straight to the point.
 
The T1 is beyerdynamics' latest entry into full size open dynamic headphones. This model can achieve one Tesla with it's new driver and magnet system. This allows the T1 to be far more efficient and easier to amp than the DT880/600Ohm by quite a bit. This also means your amp won't strain to power them like some amps do with the DT880/600 (and this is from my experience). 
 
IMO the Tesla 1 is at about the same level of the HD800, but I vastly prefer the T1 as it sounds more natural and dare I say less synthetic than the HD800. The HD800 has a leaner sound with more prominent treble and less bass, though the bass on the HD800 is slightly more accurate.
 
Well onto the sound. I will be comparing to the HD800 in this review as I find them to be in the same league. I will go in sections: DETAIL, TRANSPARENCY, TREBLE, MIDRANGE, BASS, SOUNDSTAGE, CONCLUSION. 
 
DETAIL:
With this headphone you can hear a lot of things you may have never heard before, such as footsteps, raindrops, and even whispering. The detail retrieval is very close to that of the HD800, but rather more subtle sounding. The HD800 seems to revel in it's ability to bring out the smallest details. The T1 still has nearly the same amount of detail as the HD800, but it's just not so painfully obvious. The HD800 makes you want to focus on the details while the T1 is more of actually listening to the music, but that's my view on it.
 
TRANSPARENCY:
Man oh man these cans can reach deep into the music. They are so transparent that you can hear nearly everything that's there. I don't have the HD800 on hand but I would say the T1's are slightly more transparent. The transparency really shines in the midrange where the guitars and vocals are. The guitars are so crisp and clear and you can hear fingers sliding up the fret board and can hear little nuances in the voices of singers.
 
TREBLE:
The treble on the T1 is really great for many reasons. It extends just as high as the HD800, but unlike that headphone it is not as in your face. To me the T1's treble is very smooth without a hint of stridence or harshness. It also sound more natural to me. The treble is also very airy, not as airy as the HD800's, but very close. I also found the treble to be very detailed.
 
MIDRANGE:
The T1 has the best midrange I have ever heard. It has exceptional resolving capabilities as well as being more transparent than the HD800 in my mind. I also found the midrange to be more fleshed out than the HD800's, and though the T1 has neutral mids they are very slightly warmer. This warmness makes music sound more natural and lifelike. To me the HD800's mids were really good, but a little thin and could be somewhat lifeless on certain recordings. 
 
BASS:
The T1 definitely has more bass then the HD800 and this means more body and impact. I also found that the T1's lower most regions are a little rolled off, but not by that much. In fact I think the rolled off bass can make music sound more natural. The T1's bass still extends nearly as deep as the HD800's, but has more body and impact without sacrificing control or tightness. The bass of the T1 is more impactful than the DT770/DT880 but less than that of the DT990. The bass to me is perfect in it tonality and texturing capabilities which are really exceptional.
 
SOUNDSTAGE:
The soundstage is clearly much bigger than any of the DT770-DT990 variants and is also airy. I found it to be almost as big as the K702's soundstage, but has more depth and height to it. It's a really big stage that is nearly as big as the HD800's, but to me the HD800's is a little too big. The T1's is very spacious and provides great reproductions of spatial nuances and separation of instruments as well as providing a more accurate stereo image. Speaking of imaging, it's nothing short of incredible. You can place musicians on the stage really well and little nuances can be picked out really easily.
 
CONCLUSION:
I find the T1 to be a very good headphone and also the best reference all rounds out there. It has a very liquid and natural tonality that is heard to beat at any price. It's easily my no.1 recommendation for those who do not have a budget.
 
 
Also the T1's are very unforgiving of low quality audio and if fed crap, they will spit it back at you. As for me I don't really care as I will use them anyways :wink:
Kirnupiima
Kirnupiima
This made me buy them. The things you say here are just what I wanted from a headphone.
city98
city98
Are these heavy?
heart banger-97
heart banger-97
You said that you don't have hd800 in hand? Then how did you compare them?

Synthax

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Good frequency response, separation,rhythm and drive, details, layering. Coherence in presentation. Perfect for all string instruments sounds.
Cons: Unforgiving for harsh sonic material, bad recorded music or weak gear.
I like T1 V2 for overall competence in sound presentation. Solid build and comfort. There are better headphones in particular areas but these others are not that good all-rounders as T1 are.
 
I do listem many genres of music (I love movie scores, acoustic music, hard rock) but symfonic music is where T1 shines. The dynamics and layering is just great. You will never be bored with classical music on T1. The details, linearity, clear view for the sound is just amazing. I was looking for such a headphones for 2 years, hearing many others. And only few I was considering seriously were HE6, but I did choose solid german tradition in this matter. Beyerdynamic does not produce perfect headphones, but the headphones with less possible faults possible, while many other headphones did have lot of faults... In sonic reproduction and also in build. So the decision was basing on sound, and overall quality approach and durability of product ( I don't know why in US there is a lot of driver mismatches and so problems with Beyedynamic headphones...)
 
There is opinion that T1 V1 sound good with OTL amps. IT could be. But I did not find the OTL sound pleasing to me (in my particular experience) and the Solid State in my case was much better sounding. But what I want to say is: don't be afraid to check T1 V2 with SS amps. You may be surprised.
 
Are the T1 V2 bright as many people say about T1 line? Well, I'd say these are 'well lightened' in sound. The smoothness of heights and mids does not make them harsh, or strident (like for example TH900/600 are to me) V2 is a bit different from V1. How much? It is hard to describe. But I know people, like me, who didn't like V1 that much to buy it while V2 are in my possesion.
 
These are absolutelty worth to audition in our flooded heapphones market. These grow up with time in your audio chain, but are not for everyone. These are not great for example for modern pop and music like Justin Bieber or 'digital trash' rock. As such music is far away from good dynamics and nuances and 3-dimensonality (while in contradictory Daft Pank sounds perfect with them). Clou: the better the music the better the sound with T1.
 
Here's the list of headphones I was considering as final group during the research (audiotioned)
First position is best liked and the last less liked (my totally subjective likings):
 
T1 V2
 
HE6
Ultrasone Edition 5
Pandora Sonorous VII
LCD3
HE1000
LCD2
HD800
HE500
HE560
T90
TH900
LCD XC/X
AQ Night Hawk
TH600
HE400i
ATH-R70x
HD600
...

smitty1110

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: Detail, imaging, tonal balance, intimate feel to music, solid build quality
Cons: The cable is underwhelming, some strange soundstage stuff in unique cases
Boilerplate stuff
 
Audio setup -
    FLAC files in Media Monkey -> Amazon Basics TOSLINK cable -> Schiit Bifrost w/Uber upgrade -> Knukoncept Shielded RCAS -> Project Ember with 80's Amprex 7062 tube
 
Music -
    Nabucco, Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Chorus conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, 1965
    Why So Serious, Hans Zimmer, the Dark Knight OST
 
I'm the first own for these cans (which is unusual for me, but I did get they way under MSRP), and didn't really pay attention to them through the break in period of about 100 hours, but that's not a huge deal. MY last pair of Beyers was some heavily-used DT-990 600 ohms, so I started listening to these cans with some preconceived notions of the sound I would get out of these (read - DROP DA BASS, WUBWUBWUB). I can gladly say I was wrong, these headphones actually had less bass than both my TH 900s and my GS1000s, but it was actually good that way. The frequency response on these can is neutral, no irritating highs, no skull-shaking bass, and no overwhelming mids, and I actually took some time earlier today to test this out by messing around with synths in Propellerhead Reason to really cehck for irritating frequencies. I didn't manage to find any, which was quite amazing. The other amazing thing for me is that things sounds natural. When listening to Nabucco, it's like I'm sitting right next to or behind Laberto Gardelli, with the whole orchestra arrayed around me. This creates a very intimate presentation of the music, which was very pleasant for the most part. The imaging and detail retrieval are also fantastic, giving me the ability to pinpoint individual instruments in the orchestra, particularly from the brass section. Also, the sound stage is very wide, but not huge, which really helps with the intimate presentation of the music. The only real flaw is that when you listen to the funeral march from the opera, the procession starts to the right and slightly behind, seems to wrap it's way around your head like the Night Bus from Harry Potter #3 (a cymbal crash during that is actually fairly alarming, coming out of nowhere and seemingly happening right next to your right ear. Actually made me jump when I heard it), before exiting the soundstage to your left and behind you a bit. A bit surreal to hear, but that's the only real flaw that I ran across. Finally, the depth of the soundstage is fiarly substantial, but it again feels intimate and close, the instruments in the back are still very clear and close. All in all a very pleasant experience.
 
Fit and finish on these is generally very nice. The headband is very soft and comfortable, and the inner structure is metal, which is always a bonus. The metal also feels substantial, which means that I have high hopes for its longevity. The cups are well constructed of good quality hard plastic, and the metal mesh backs are well constructed and seem sturdy. The earpads are lovely, easily fitting around my ears while providing a sufficient seal, all without clamping too tightly. A really nice feature is how the drivers are physically mounted at an angle inside the cups, which probably contributes to the great soundstage. The only complaint is the cable. 4 conductor cable, 1/4" jack? Really? They went though the effort of separating the two channels completely, and you make it single-ended? And then, there's nothing wrapping around the two cables for the entire length, the only thing holding them together is a thin bit of connective rubber and a small band where the cables split. That's just sad, give the cable some love. I'm making plans to get it replaced, it's really ruining the aesthetic. Still, that's ultimately a small complaint, not taking much out of the rating because of that.
 
The final word on these is that they are great, especially if you get them at $1k or lower. At that price they're a steal, and even at their full MSRP they're really worth the money. I mean, they don;t need a special cable or serious tube rolling to find a good match. I tested a fair selection of my tubes, and this combination just so happens to be, literally, one of the most neutral, which synergized well with the cans. The fact of the mater is these are really the best "plug-n-play" cans I have at this level, and that really something special.
 
9.5/10
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Bogart24
Bogart24
Thanks.  Do you think the odd "Night Bus" phenomenon (great metaphor) during the funeral march was the fault of the headphones?  I'd attribute it to the recording.
smitty1110
smitty1110
Yes, I think it is from the headphones. Look at my GS1000 and TH 900 reviews, they both didn't have that effect. I do agree that's it's really odd, especially since I would assume that the cd was mastered with Speakers in mind, but I'd have to reach out to Decca to get more information. I should probably do that anyways, since I'm using the tract for very specific critical listening :)

tommarra

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Neutral, Comfortable, Well built, Detailed and comfortable sound, Soundstage!
Cons: High Impedence means you cant use it with portable sources like iPods
I have been a fan of Grado sound for over 4 years now. My first set of cans was Grado SR60 which I replaces with the RS2 and finally with GS1000. I loved their fastpaced and fun sound, they are and forever will be the perfect Rock and Metal and Bollywood cans! (Yes I am a big fan of music from India). But I could never wear them for more than an hour because my head would be hurting with what some call harsh treble.
 
Now before I go further in this review, I want to talk a little bit about my music philosophy (for whatever its worth
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 ): "When headphone makers such as Grado, Sennheiser, beyerdynamic, AKG release their headphones they never tell you what source or amplifier to use. Thus I believe that for a headphone to be 'really' good they must sound good with any amplifier as long as they are impedence matched."
 
The reason I mention this is because just because I get a new headphone I must not change my entire source / amplifier setup. Which essentially means that the headphones must be Neutral. They should sound exactly like the sound coming out of the 'headphone out' of the amplifier. Now many have suggested that the panacea to overcome Grado treble is to get a Tube amp like Woo Audio 6 or Zana deux, but I say why, the sound coming from the extremely detailed Benchmark DAC1 or the slightly warm Lavry DA10 should sound good and the headphones should not add to any harshness other than that present in the original recording.
 
Thats where Testla T1 come in. They are neutral: they donot provide any texture to the music other than what the source / amp provide. Therefore when I plug them to my Macbook Pro or Lavry Da10 or any other source they sound musical, they donot accentuate lack of detail in the Macbook pro output or muddle the bass in the Lavry DA10 warm headphone out. This is something which the GS1000 and RS2 lacked sorely. They needed me to use the EQ to sound 'natural', using Grado is like having headphones with a built in Loudness button, extremely groovy and fun but lacking the comfort and left you feeling as if you are listening to some part of the music - this is called by many as a dip in the mids.
 
Both GS1000 and T1 are extremely fast they have great sound stage but the T1 beats the GS1000 handily in width of soundstage. You can feel different instruments placed in 3D space as if you are present at the time of performance. This is especially true of Vinyl recordings that were not badly remastered to make CDs.
 
GS1000 have more visceral punch in the Bass which T1 definitely lacks. T1 is not Bass light but if you switch from Grado to T1 you feel something is missing, but as time passed I realized that I am not missing anything but gaining immense details in the mid bass and vocals.
 
T1 treble is more refined that Grado, which comes out a grainy in comparison.
 
In terms of comfort GS1000 are much more comfortable that T1. The light wooded construction, classy goat skin leather headband and the roomy bagel pads  were a perfect fit on my medium sized head. T1s are a lot heavy and cause my neck to hurt if I am sitting with them with neck bent to work on my computer. Having said that T1s feel more solidly built and come with 5 years of warranty from beyerdynamic as compared to 1 year with Grado GS1000.
 
Stock cables on GS1000 and T1s are 24AWG oxygen free copper, which to me sound just about okay for headphone application. It might be worthwhile to upgrade the cables to 18AWG (such as ones ALO audio provides), but I wouldnt recommend anyone to go for overpriced 24 AWG cable. I am an electrical engineer and there is no way 'snake oil' covered 24AWG cable will make any tangible difference in the sound of the headphones.
 
 
So which do I prefer, ofcourse the Tesla T1.Dont get me wrong GS1000 are better than every other headphone I have heard, save for the T1.
 
 

baratmea

New Head-Fier
Pros: One of the best allrounder, high quality sound.
Cons: Cable uppgrades a little hard, but not impossible.
Extremly good sound and a very good allrounder, perhaps the very best. Have tried mine on different amp's both tubes and transistors and it has never let me down yet.
They need some "breaking in" time.

I higly reccomend this if you are looking for some well buildt and amazing sounding headphones, and if not the price scare you, this have to be tested out if you are in the marked for some new High-End headphones.

TheWuss

Reviewer at Headphone.Guru
Pros: Terrific sound quality, great build quality
Cons: Heavy cable, $1300 price tag
Just throwing my two cents in... 
 
These headphones are terrific.  And having come from some of the older flagship headphones (K702, DT880, etc.), I can say these are clearly a more reference quality headphone.
 
The sound is revealing yet never harsh.  The treble response, to my ears, is sweet and very slightly rolled off.  It is part of the reason why these are not fatiguing headphones.  And the midrange?  Boy oh boy...  It's the most resolving midrange I've ever heard.  Voices and instruments not only sound fantastic, they sound more real than with other headphones I've heard.  And by some measure, I might add.
 
My only nit to pick with the T1 is a slightly difficult one to describe, and it pertains to the bass.  (And I'm perhaps in the minority on this as well.)  While the headphones have neutral bass quantity, and nice bass impact, I find that the bass recedes slightly during complex sections of some music.  It's not terribly objectionable, but something that my ears pick up on from time to time, and keep these headphones from reaching a pure 5-star audio quality rating, for me. 
 
Also, to be fair, there is a shadow of a chance that my amplification is not up to the task of driving these cans.  While they are rated at 600 ohms average, the impedance at ~100Hz is off the charts, and is reported to be somewhere near 1300 ohms.  Wow...  So, in order to get bass thump, you really need beefy amplification.  I will revise my assessment of this nit-picky problem if I come across an amp that helps resolve the receding bass...  Otherwise, it is, like I said, a minor quibble that I can live with, in an otherwise stellar set of cans.  Terrific in fact...
 
And, if the price tag were a little lower, it would be easy to recommend the T1 to anyone and everyone.
 
Edit:  My quibble with the disappearing bass seems to be tied to amplification after all.  I have just received the DNA Sonett amp, and the bass throught the T1 seems more fleshed out, and seems to sustain through busier sections of music. 
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