[librarian]

 
Sony R10, Audeze LCD-XC and Fostex TH900 beg to differ

I know, I was stupid to put it that way
 
But I'm so happy for my T70. And for me it has outclassed several headphones costing a lot more than the T70. I just thought this thread needed another perspective. I didn't want someone who never heard the T70 to think, that it was a total no-go. Lots of people, including me, find this headphone to be heavily underrated. I haven't heard any of the three headphones, you just listed. But from what I've read, I guess they are in a different category, less neutral.

 

[ourfpshero]

Wow! thanks op, for a real opinion. I am sick of fan-boy only reviews, acting like their latest purchase is the best headphone ever made. 

 

[HiFiBoi]

I have owned 2 pairs of T70p and for me they are the best headphones available for outdoor use with an Ipod (I live abroad and have no means for a sound system currently). Having worn open design headphones in the past (RS1 and K701, (Senn HD800, not worn outside)) with mini DAC and amp, I realised I was just being insane in my quest for the best sound possible at the cost of looking ridiculous and leaking sound like a outdoor festival.
 
My impressions, from the standpoint of someone wanting outdoor headphones. 
 
- Build is nice, they are comfortable and most importantly they are a good size and look passable without making you look like an idiot on the train while not sacrificing sound quality.
 
- You don't need an amp and they sound good with most file formats, so no bulky amp and cables. Gone are the days where I can be bothered carrying excess crap around.
 
- Pretty good sound isolation so you don't annoy others and can have them pretty loud in enclosed areas. 
 
- No other headphone in this price range met my requirements and the build on cheaper headphones is awful.
 
- Keep your ears warm in -15 Korean winters.
 
After auditioning many headphones, these, for me are the sweet spot in terms of what I need. The RRP is not their actual price as they can easily be bought well under that. I find them very versatile and I can't think of any competitor that can match them that are not massive or open-backed. 
 
As I have the audio bug, I have owned tons of hifi gear and these have stayed with me the longest which really says something to me.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Just bought some barely used Beyerdynamic T70s, off ebay.
They arrived a few hours ago and it appears the left channel is total dead, tried three different sources and swapped the 1/4" jack, also tested in a 1/8" jack, left channel is totally dead.
Wonder if it's worth trying to open them up and maybe fix whatever is broken, hopefully some wire just needs to be resoldered, rather get the T70s working then have to ship them back to the seller.
Anyone ever open up a T70?

 

[Synthax]

The problem that may be in your T70 is broken coil wire. It is very very thin and very delicate. It could be easy broken with fallen parcel for example. Particulary with this phones it is real possible. But to be sure you can look inside. These are very easy to open look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdn0Cya_QTQ
Instead of screwer I use fork to remove plastic ring below pads.

 

[PurpleAngel]

  The problem that may be in your T70 is broken coil wire. It is very very thin and very delicate. It could be easy broken with fallen parcel for example. Particulary with this phones it is real possible. But to be sure you can look inside. These are very easy to open look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdn0Cya_QTQ
Instead of screwer I use fork to remove plastic ring below pads.

Thanks for the video, guess I'll try to open the headphone cup.

 

[qveda]

T70 is the worlds best closed headphone. Actually, for me it even outclasses the open T1.

I'm starting to look at closed back headphones in the ~ $500-600 price range.  I just returned from a store in Portland where I listened to the T1, 880 and T70.  All the models were playing through an Auralic Taurus.  I was not very familiar with the Beyer phones and still new to the head-fi space, so probably don't have the experience and discernment of the reviewer, but I actually liked the T70 a lot !  
 
I haven't heard an Alpha Dog (also closed design). Of course it is a much different design. but would be very interested to know how they compare - being in about the same price range.    I would even consider getting both the T70 and Alpha Dog on a 30day trial to compare them.  

 

[Rafu64]

I had the T70p for a while and liked it very much. Easy to drive and the resolution was the best I have heard so far. But, unfortunately, is has a box-like tonality. The vocals in some songs sound metallic and unnatural. Try to listen to "Come to sin" from Bananafishbones with the T70p and you'll know what I mean. In the end, I gave the t70p back although I liked it very much with classical music.

 

[qveda]

Ah..good point, Rafu64,    When I was listening to the T70's, it was instrumental.  What closed headphones did you end up with?

 

[seamonster76]

What amp/source do you use? And how many hours on them? I find T70 and T70p to be very sensitive to upstream quality, and the brightness dies down after a relatively long break in.
 
T70 and T70p (I used to own both and now I have only T70p) sound way more open than most of the other closed phones I tried, including the new innerfidelity Wall of Fame NAD HP50. They certainly don't sound boxy to me.
 
Even between Fostex TH600 and T70p, I eventually decided to stick with T70p because they are more versatile (can be used on the go if needed) and they leak very little. Yes they do not have the lush midrange of TH600 (or ATH-W1000x FWIW) that a lot of people seem to prefer, but they have less sibilant sound.

 

[Rafu64]

  Ah..good point, Rafu64,    When I was listening to the T70's, it was instrumental.  What closed headphones did you end up with?

Haven't found my "ideal" headphones yet. Because I mostly listen at home I think I will opt for open or semi-open headphones. For the time being, I have the audio technica ATH AD2000x which have a phenomenal soundstage especially for classical music. Although they don't have quite the resolution as the t70p I prefer them to the t70p. I have considered to buy the T5p, too, but from what I can read in this forum I might be better off with the new Hifiman 560 or the Oppos. Next on my list for auditioning are the Hifiman 560 and the 400i (when available), the Oppo PM-1 and the announced new Fostex TH500RP. A lot of new headphones ahead within the coming two or three months.
Just another thought: I have seen that you have tested the DT880. I have tested this one, too. The DT880 didn't come close to the resolution of the t70p. For classical music the DT880 is not the optimum choice, in my view. At least if you are willing to spend up to 600 $.
 
@seamonster76: Yes, you are right. The t70p does sound like a semi open headphones. I got used to the sound very quickly so that I did't noticed a boxy effect at first. Just an overall brightness which was ok for me. The sub-bass is there, too, but not the upper bass. Could have accepted this, too. Real problem, however, were the vocals in some songs when comparing the t70p directly to other headphones. The effect surely depends on the material and the kind of song.

 

[seamonster76]

Right. I have tried DT770 and DT880 and I feel T70(p) are vastly superior to them. Not just resolution but also tonality and refinement.
 
 
And I also agree that T70 are probably not the best phones for home use. I definitely prefer my LCD at home over T70, but so far I have not found another pair in the same price range that 1) do not leak sound, 2) are acceptable for portable use without looking like an idiot out door, 3) sound like an open back, 4) are efficient, and of course 5) sound reasonably good. =)

 

[Rafu64]

Another advantage of the t70 is that these seem quite robust. I agree that they are one of the best headphones for portable use. Have you tried the t5p or the Ultrasone Signature pro? The t5p might beat the t70 but it is a different price league, too.

 

[Synthax]

T5p are more luxurious. But do we really need luxury in hi-fi gear? There are better way to cheer up our 'ego'.

 

[seamonster76]

I mainly use my T70p in office and maybe 10-20% on commute but I still love the flexibility. Also they response and scale very well to better upstream equipment, unlike the NAD HP50 I recently tried. I was so disappointed by them given so much hype but that's a different story. =)
 
Both T5p and SigPro are in a different price range. I have been thinking about T5p for a while as it has a more flat response curve, but I am not convinced I need such expensive phones in my office (yet!).
I got the T5p leather pads on a great deal for the T70p though and they improved the seal. All other pads I tried including the J$ and EDT770S actually degrade the sound on T70.