[groovyd]

Quote:

 
Nice. Care to elaborate on how they sound and how they compare to each other?

 
Both are very well balanced, meaning without any eq across all my rigs they sound great with all types of music.  Nothing is over pronounced, but they are still very dynamic in that if the recording has some good bass you get it.  Vocals are extremely detailed and my tube amp couples nicely with either of them giving a very warm midrange that really lets you hear the emotion in the singers voice.  No sibilance.  You can however easily hear the defects in a poor recording, so nothing is being covered up here.
 
The differences are pretty mild believe it or not.  Aside from one being closed and super efficient (driven easily from an iPod) and the other open and much tougher to drive they share a similar sound signature.  The closed seem to have a bit more mid bass and lack some of the clarity of the open.  Also the head feel is completely different of course.  The open are much more comfortable for long listening with the velour pads but the closed does a great job blocking out the outside world.  I'd say they each have their place and were designed appropriately for their intended environment.  I use the closed at work so no one can hear the music and i cannot hear them and the open at home with a Paradigm MilleniaOne CT playing in the background to get the intimate details of the headphones while still experiencing a bit of chest thump from the sub.
 
I have played around with the EQ on both and never found a setting better then flat.
 
My only complaint would be the adjustment of the headband is a bit loose.  I am a bit OCD about the sides being set the same and prefer to never change the headband adjustment and sometimes these slip out of their settings.  It would be great to have a little set screw in the inside where you could lock them into position. One other nitpick I guess is the cabling could be a bit lighter and less stiff on the T1s and it would be even better if they entered on only one side.
 
Forgot to mention the soundstage.  Every instrument has its proper position.  Very wide and open even on the closed.  The open is even wider and more open

 

[devhen]

Quote:

 
Both are very well balanced, meaning without any eq across all my rigs they sound great with all types of music.  Nothing is over pronounced, but they are still very dynamic in that if the recording has some good bass you get it.  Vocals are extremely detailed and my tube amp couples nicely with either of them giving a very warm midrange that really lets you hear the emotion in the singers voice.  No sibilance.  You can however easily hear the defects in a poor recording, so nothing is being covered up here.
 
The differences are pretty mild believe it or not.  Aside from one being closed and super efficient (driven easily from an iPod) and the other open and much tougher to drive they share a similar sound signature.  The closed seem to have a bit more mid bass and lack some of the clarity of the open.  Also the head feel is completely different of course.  The open are much more comfortable for long listening with the velour pads but the closed does a great job blocking out the outside world.  I'd say they each have their place and were designed appropriately for their intended environment.  I use the closed at work so no one can hear the music and i cannot hear them and the open at home with a Paradigm MilleniaOne CT playing in the background to get the intimate details of the headphones while still experiencing a bit of chest thump from the sub.
 
I have played around with the EQ on both and never found a setting better then flat.
 
My only complaint would be the adjustment of the headband is a bit loose.  I am a bit OCD about the sides being set the same and prefer to never change the headband adjustment and sometimes these slip out of their settings.  It would be great to have a little set screw in the inside where you could lock them into position. One other nitpick I guess is the cabling could be a bit lighter and less stiff on the T1s and it would be even better if they entered on only one side.
 
Forgot to mention the soundstage.  Every instrument has its proper position.  Very wide and open even on the closed.  The open is even wider and more open

 
Awesome impressions, thanks for that! I'm even more interested in the T1 and T5p now.....

 

[groovyd]

together these 2 phones really cover every use case.  Use the open at home with a nice fat tube amp for lushious sound and the closed at work with a smaller amp like the WA7 for top quality working tunes.  Then take the closed out with your ipod for on the road use.  They come with a real nice minimal travel case.  They will sound great both with and without an amp.  You will be impressed by the efficiency of the T5p and you will again be impressed by the sound and comfort of the T1.
 
Again my only qualm is to perhaps swap out the cabling on the T1 for something lighter and looser.

 

[Ilya--s]

Just got a second pair of Beyer DT911 from early run. it's was very hard to find them nowadays!
The first pair (left) is from early run & second one (right) from late run (both with original earpads):



Surprisingly, but even with same earpads, they sound different: DT911 (early run) has slightly better resolution, sound more natural & somewhat more euphonic. Also it's even more mid-forward then DT911 from late run.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Just got a second pair of Beyer DT911 from early run. it's was very hard to find them nowadays!
The first pair (left) is from early run & second one (right) from late run (both with original earpads):



Surprisingly, but even with same earpads, they sound different: DT911 (early run) has slightly better resolution, sound more natural & somewhat more euphonic. Also it's even more mid-forward then DT911 from late run.

wow the Dt 991 :O looks like a precusor to the Dt 990 <.< that's some serious fandom right there
 
well I've been a beyer fan since I got my first Dt 880 Pro 250 ohm, I'm now discovering how nice metal is with my Dt 880 Pre 600 ohm :O 
 
Ironically I always felt the Dt 880 wasn't warm enough for Rock music, with post rock it's not to interesting, there's too little decay and not enough attack for rock... but ironically enough, for metal it's very nice! My w1000x which is my Rock can has TOO much decay for metal, it's too sluggish [and trust me I've modded that bad boi to be MUCH tigther, quicker and punchier than stock] but for the LIGHTING fast attack of metal it's a little smeared over the Dt 880, which is lighting fast with it's mids and really has a nice lush Edge to metal that the W1000x kidna smooths over 
 
Another strange quirk to the Dt 880 and w1000x combo xD 

 

[vid]

The DT 990 had been out for years before the DT 911 came around.
 
I wonder how the 911 compare to the '80s 990?

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

The DT 990 had been out for years before the DT 911 came around.
 
I wonder how the 911 compare to the '80s 990?

Wait WHAT :O, why don't we ever hear about the DT 991s q.q 

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Wait WHAT :O, why don't we ever hear about the DT 911s q.q 

Oh it has been discountinued -.-, welp it sounds a little like a dt 880 so what ever q.q 

 

[Ilya--s]

The DT 990 had been out for years before the DT 911 came around.

I wonder how the 911 compare to the '80s 990?

I've heard about 4 pairs of old DT990 and actually all of them sounds very different - two pairs had tonal balance close to newer-DT880, third pair - close to newer DT990, and another pair sound like HD650. And not only damping material was changing during production, but also drivers was different!
Technically, both DT911 & DT931 superior to the old DT880 & DT990 in my opinion - both has greater resolution, dynamics, more deeper bass, better treble extension then pre-1990 beyer headphones. However, DT931 doesn't sound as natural as 880/990/911 & also lacking bass impact. It's remind me a K701, but from beyer

Oh it has been discountinued -.-, welp it sounds a little like a dt 880 so what ever q.q 

As far as I know, the chronological order of top-beyer headphones is follows:
DT880 -> DT990 -> DT911 -> DT931 -> DT880 -> T1

 

[vid]

Quote:

I've heard about 4 pairs of old DT990 and actually all of them sounds very different - two pairs had tonal balance close to newer-DT880, third pair - close to newer DT990, and another pair sound like HD650. And not only damping material was changing during production, but also drivers was different!

 
Thanks!
 
Did you note what kinds of pads they were using - original or modern? Based on my impressions of the old DT 990 using modern and original pads, I'd be inclined to think only the ones that sounded like the HD 650 were using the original pads. But who knows. When you say different drivers, do you mean a different diaphragm or a different filter around the driver (white/black/something else)?

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

 
Thanks!
 
Did you note what kinds of pads they were using - original or modern? Based on my impressions of the old DT 990 using modern and original pads, I'd be inclined to think only the ones that sounded like the HD 650 were using the original pads. But who knows. When you say different drivers, do you mean a different diaphragm or a different filter around the driver (white/black/something else)?

ugh, that's very cool... I'd love to grab a pair of the HD 650 sounding ones! 
 
Oh duh, how does the Dt 880 Preuim 600 ohm sound out of the Stock Amp Hm 801 with a JDS Labs C5
 
Assuming I enjoyed me Dt 880 pro 250 ohm out a hifiman 601 and a jds labs cMoy, this upgrade should be much better than what I had previously 

 

[Ilya--s]

Thanks!

Did you note what kinds of pads they were using - original or modern? Based on my impressions of the old DT 990 using modern and original pads, I'd be inclined to think only the ones that sounded like the HD 650 were using the original pads. But who knows. When you say different drivers, do you mean a different diaphragm or a different filter around the driver (white/black/something else)?

I mostly used an original (black) earpads:

A pair of DT990s that sound lile HD650 have had original pads, but another pair that sound like modern-880 also have had original ones.
Just forgot, that I also have heard a pair of Revox headphones, which a clone of vintage DT990. And it was sound very bright!

Yes, a different diaphragm AND different filter (damping) in front of driver.
Here a pic of (broken) driver from old 990:

Another driver from old-990 have had white plastic housing (I dont have a photo of this driver, but I can take my camera to a friend & take a photo of it).
While vintage-990 haven't had uniform sound signature, I believe that driver on photo above have more bass impact.

 

[vid]

^ Thanks, that's pretty interesting... Makes recommending the old DT 990 a bit more difficult.
 
I think my DT 990's driver looks a bit different than the one in the picture, but not sure. It has the same protective black netting, but I don't remember the driver being as flat at the back.

 

[Makiah S]

So guys, how well does an O2 drive a 600 ohm 880... I'm also seriously considering getting a iBasso PB2 [seeing as it can drive some serious power in a portable set up] 

 

[groovyd]

Is it possible for the T1 to take 6 months to open up?  I have been listening to mine every day since I got it 6 motnhs ago and it seems I am just now hearing even more in the music then ever before and the tone has really matured.  Much richer sound and it all seems to have changed just recently.