[bowmanonesky]

Hello all please excuse my extremely poor spelling and grammar. I am very interested in buying the beyerdynamic t1 headphone and was wondering what amp would be best. As i will be also listening through my laptop i will need a dac. Here is the one i am interested in http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=583 if this dac would be a mistake please advise. Also regarding the amp i am aware the beyerdynamics a1 amp can power the t1 i am not sure if this is the best choice as it is quite expensive. please excuse me as i dont understand this headphone amp thing very well. i am wondering if certain amps can apply more bass to the t1 as bass is something that i listen to a lot? Thank you very much
 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Hello all please excuse my extremely poor spelling and grammar. I am very interested in buying the beyerdynamic t1 headphone and was wondering what amp would be best. As i will be also listening through my laptop i will need a dac. Here is the one i am interested in http://headphones.com.au/psingle?productID=583 if this dac would be a mistake please advise. Also regarding the amp i am aware the beyerdynamics a1 amp can power the t1 i am not sure if this is the best choice as it is quite expensive. please excuse me as i dont understand this headphone amp thing very well. i am wondering if certain amps can apply more bass to the t1 as bass is something that i listen to a lot? Thank you very much
 

 
 Plenty of DAC's out there will trump the dedicated up-sampling Cambridge Audio DacMagic+ - the big problem is
 the some what strident and harsh treble. Headphone amp (not that you'd be using it) is woeful and the spin through
 volume control with no notch or LCD screen makes it a rather strange proposition for Head-Fi.
 
 I'd opt for a Audio-gd NFB-10SE Dac/Amp ~ much cheaper, better componentry and specs all round - and yes
 it will drive your T1 with gusto, neutrality without that harsh edge.
 
 If you want a much warmer, softer sound - that is not neutral - then the Burson 160D could be an option.
 

 

[Gwarmi]

 
 If you're after a lot of detailed bass then the T1 may not be your ideal headphone, it's not light on the bottom end
 but it's also not a bass lover's dream.
 
 I'd look into the LCD-2 or LCD-3 - soundstage is smaller but the bass may be more rewarding.

 

[bowmanonesky]

Quote:

 
 Plenty of DAC's out there will trump the dedicated up-sampling Cambridge Audio DacMagic+ - the big problem is
 the some what strident and harsh treble. Headphone amp (not that you'd be using it) is woeful and the spin through
 volume control with no notch or LCD screen makes it a rather strange proposition for Head-Fi.
 
 I'd opt for a Audio-gd NFB-10SE Dac/Amp ~ much cheaper, better componentry and specs all round - and yes
 it will drive your T1 with gusto, neutrality without that harsh edge.
 
 If you want a much warmer, softer sound - that is not neutral - then the Burson 160D could be an option.
 

Thank you Gwarmi
So combo dac/amp are the way to go rather a tube amp with a portable dac? I really wanna get the most out of these headphones as they are quite expensive. So do you think the burson 16D looks like the best choice despite the no lcd?. Could you explain what you mean by warmer softer sound - that is not neutral? also would the Burnson 16D plug into my laptop?

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Thank you Gwarmi
So combo dac/amp are the way to go rather a tube amp with a portable dac? I really wanna get the most out of these headphones as they are quite expensive. So do you think the burson 16D looks like the best choice despite the no lcd?. Could you explain what you mean by warmer softer sound - that is not neutral? also would the Burnson 16D plug into my laptop?

 Warmer, softer sound is a description that you often hear associated with tubes - it's meant to describe how the sound
 is very euphoric and not decidely neutral - the direct opposite of bright and clinical.
 
 Burson 160D has a USB input - plug the USB end into your laptop, it will install it's own driver and that's it. Ready
 to play.
 
 A good tube amp choice is the Woo Audio WA2 - I really like the T1 with the WA2, however it's not cheap and you
 will still need a DAC.
 
 I know someone with a T1 who bought the WA2 tube amp - he ran out of money and could only afford a Nuforce
 uDAC-2 which he is using the RCA output to feed the WA2 tube amp - he's happy with the combination.

 

[idletime1213]

I did not like the HA160D too much with the T1. It's a great amp for many headphones, just not the Beyer. I agree with the Woo choices.

 

[nanaholic]

I use an Essence ST to WA2 to T1 and I'm quite happy with the sound.  
 
I also used to use the Burson HA-160 amp with the T1 - don't know how much different the DAC/Amp combo version is but it's not something I would say is warm or soft, if anything it was quite cold and analytical and tends to highlight harsh treble sibilance in poorly recorded songs compared with either the Woo Audio WA6 which I also owned at the time, and even the WA6 is already said to be one of the lesser "tube-y" sounding tube amps out there, so it's not a musical combination I would recommend if primary usage is enjoying music.  On the other hand I found that the HA160 T1 combo worked well with movies and games because it has excellent micro detail and positioning.

 

[netbususer]

I personally use the Schiit Valhalla and Bifrost for my T1's. I do enjoy the combination, but I feel that it could be better which is why I have the CSP2+ ordered at the moment.
 
Best of luck!

 

[barid]

Using the T1 with a Burson 160D right now.  I have not tried them with any other amp so I cannot offer comparisons.  I find the sound pleasing (definitely an upgrade over my HD650's and D5000's).  However as some people ahve mentioned above, many people have also told me it is much better from a tube amp.  I would not call it cold and analytical.......though perhaps in comparison to a tube amp it is.
 
I would describe the sound as detailed, with a decently large sound stage, some brightness, and a decent low end punch....but nothing bloated.  I don't know what else I can add, but I've been pleased with the combo thus far.

 

[bowmanonesky]

Ok thats decision, the WA2 for the amp to power these. If anyone has this compo and thinks this is wrong please correct me. Ok now i need a dac that will connect to my laptop. I can't have the Essence ST soundcard. Is there any other good dac that anyone could recommended other then the nuforce.i thought the cambridge dac magic was good because of the awards it one. i guess thats how much i know lol. What would be the difference between the beyerdynamic a1 and the woo? i am really sorry for this guy and i really appreciate it.
Thanks
 

 

[idletime1213]

Look at the DACport LX for a very good DAC that is reasonably priced.

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

Ok thats decision, the WA2 for the amp to power these. If anyone has this compo and thinks this is wrong please correct me. Ok now i need a dac that will connect to my laptop. I can't have the Essence ST soundcard. Is there any other good dac that anyone could recommended other then the nuforce.i thought the cambridge dac magic was good because of the awards it one. i guess thats how much i know lol. What would be the difference between the beyerdynamic a1 and the woo? i am really sorry for this guy and i really appreciate it.
Thanks
 

 It really depends on whether you are definitely decided on the Beyerdynamic T1 being your *one and only* headphone with the A1 - the output
 impedance of the A1 amp is 100 ohms - this does not disturb the 600 ohm Beyer T1 but let's say you buy a second hand eg, Shure, Audio Technica
 or Grado down the track for what ever reason then the A1 will make for a pretty poor match.
 
 The WA2 is more versatile in that sense with any headphone from 32 ohms to 600ohms like the T1. Other than that, it's a choice between the
 solid state sound of the A1 and tube sound of the WA2 - the standard tubes in the WA2 can be easily pulled out and changed (known as
 tube rolling) - this will allow you to easily experiment with different tubes that will change the sound quite significantly from stock.
 
 How much cash can you spare for the DAC assuming you bought either the A1 or WA2 - they seem to cost about the same.

 

[bowmanonesky]

Quote:

 It really depends on whether you are definitely decided on the Beyerdynamic T1 being your *one and only* headphone with the A1 - the output
 impedance of the A1 amp is 100 ohms - this does not disturb the 600 ohm Beyer T1 but let's say you buy a second hand eg, Shure, Audio Technica
 or Grado down the track for what ever reason then the A1 will make for a pretty poor match.
 
 The WA2 is more versatile in that sense with any headphone from 32 ohms to 600ohms like the T1. Other than that, it's a choice between the
 solid state sound of the A1 and tube sound of the WA2 - the standard tubes in the WA2 can be easily pulled out and changed (known as
 tube rolling) - this will allow you to easily experiment with different tubes that will change the sound quite significantly from stock.
 
 How much cash can you spare for the DAC assuming you bought either the A1 or WA2 - they seem to cost about the same

 
The Beyerdynamic wouldnt be my one and only i would like a have a few headphones in the years to come. so i guess the WA2 seems to be the best choice as it will run others, i just want to be shore that the t1 will sound great using the WA2. "the standard tubes in the WA2 can be easily pulled out and changed (known as
 tube rolling) - this will allow you to easily experiment with different tubes that will change the sound quite significantly from stock." changing the sound how and is this hard? Would you change them because one setting might not sound right on another pair of headphones? (I'm soooo sorry for all the questions dude) i guess since im going with the WA2 im gunna be broke so maybe $500 for a dac what would you recommend?

 

[bowmanonesky]

"I personally use the Schiit Valhalla and Bifrost for my T1's." Hey man whats Bifrost?

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

 
The Beyerdynamic wouldnt be my one and only i would like a have a few headphones in the years to come. so i guess the WA2 seems to be the best choice as it will run others, i just want to be shore that the t1 will sound great using the WA2. "the standard tubes in the WA2 can be easily pulled out and changed (known as
 tube rolling) - this will allow you to easily experiment with different tubes that will change the sound quite significantly from stock." changing the sound how and is this hard? Would you change them because one setting might not sound right on another pair of headphones? (I'm soooo sorry for all the questions dude) i guess since im going with the WA2 im gunna be broke so maybe $500 for a dac what would you recommend?

 Plenty of DAC's in that bracket - too many to list even but here's a few :-
 
 - Schiit BiFrost with USB option
 
 - Quad Link D-1 DAC (This one is very new from 'Quad' the speaker maker, it's very sweet and soothing and pairs well with the T1)
 
 - 2nd hand Benchmark DAC1
 
 - 2nd hand Burson DAC (Another colorful DAC that can be quite entertaining)
 
 - Audio-gd 3.1 (Well under your price range but performs above that price range, may be hard to find second hand and new must be
   ordered directly from China - these guys make top stuff for every dollar you put down)
 
 - Bladelius USB DAC - another favorable DAC.
 
 Tube rolling is easy - imagine you're looking at your WA2 amp after it's been running for an hour or two, switch it off, and wait
 about an hour to allow the tubes to cool, never touch the tubes with a bare hand as greasy hands can leave marks and grease
 which will potentially decrease the life of the tube, always wear disposable gloves - gently rock the tube from the base and
 pull up - pop - out comes the tube. Set aside on a clean surface, always in the verticle position or even better - back in it's
 box.
 
 Grab the new tube, align the pins of the tube with pin socket holes that you can see, push down firmly. Done. Switch the
 WA2 back on.
 
 Woo Audio stock tubes are mostly decent Chinese made tubes - however better tubes exist out there, Jack Woo gives a great
 guide as to what tubes are best on his site - wooaudio.com
 
 But as a rough guide, you'd want to get the:-
 
 Sylvania 7236 power tubes (pair) these will swap the big ones that you see on the outside.
 
 and
 
 Either the Phillips JAN 6922 or Amperax 7308 driver tubes - these are the small ones you see out front.