Cruelhand Luke
Headphoneus Supremus
Balanced isn't snake oil. In every device that ive had with the option of balanced or non, the balanced port delivers the power better. On all my balanced headphones, with all my balanced devices, the result is the same: the balanced option is preferable.Because balanced is snakeoil aka bs, and 3m cable indicates that the headphones aren't meant for mobile use (which they aren't).
At least T5 could be used on-the-go and as per my understanding, it's equipped with a shorter cable.
Of course headphones can be tuned with pads but if they don't intend for you to do so, then it's down to your own willingness to spend extra to get this feature. Perhaps you can afford to buy extra pads if you're willing to pay $999 for a pair of headphones. Typically luxury cars come with less equipment and has to be upgraded for significant amounts of money. Expensive =/= well equipped in many areas of life.
If you don't like it, return the headphones and buy something else.
And of course the naysayers will respond and say it's 'confirmation bias' or whatever. Nope. I tested it. I took multiple sets of identical headphones (yes, I used to buy 2 sets every time I bought headphones, I would mod one set and either return or sell the other, but it was really helpful to have a stock headphone around when i was modding) and I listened back to back. With 3 different headphone models, played through 2 different daps and one amp, the results were the same: balanced output drove the headphones better.
It wasn't a huge difference, in fact a normal person wouldn't notice much difference, but I'm a headphone nerd, I could tell.
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