[Shane D]

I spent nearly 3 hours listening to these 2 headphones, with a slice of the Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed thrown in, for good measure.

So, let's get on, shall we?

Firstly, the lows. You'll still get a healthy boost in the mid-bass, so that's something nice to start with. However, it appears that the sub-bass region has been given a shot in the arm, as it rumbles a little more, with a tad better extension. Moreover, the lingering decay of the T5p (2nd Gen) has been fixed in this version; beats are tighter, with greater attack and slam.

The midrange is also the happy recipient of an overall positive correction. For starters, mids are more forward on the T5 (3rd Gen), if ever so slightly. To add the proverbial cherry on top, vocals have more presence and weight, with better texture throughout. The outgoing model has decent vocal capabilities, but they can sound hollow at the worst of times.

On to the treble, and this is where things start to get contentious. Gone are the infamous treble peaks that caused the T5p (2nd Gen) to, at times, appear overly harsh and sibilant. The highs are a lot smoother now; it has good control and a dash of brilliance. However, the airy presentation of the previous model has been axed in favor of a relatively subdued region. For those who enjoy the treble delivery of the T5p (2nd Gen), you won't enjoy the 3rd Gen's take.

Thankfully, the T5 (3rd Gen) retains the outgoing model's imaging chops, but the soundstage has been reduced for a more intimate sound. The lack of air in the higher registers is probably a major culprit. Whilst the 2nd Gen model has a wide and deep stage with excellent layering, the revised model has a narrower, and a slightly-cramped presentation. Tonally, the new model retains a good level of warmth, but reduces the bloom that results in a more distinct and clearer sound.

Ultimately, the new T5 distinguishes itself from its predecessor in more ways that one. It's quite a leap from the previous model, but not always in ways that are good. From a subjective viewpoint, this new incarnation sounds more pleasant to my ears than the old. However, it might not appeal to fans of the older version, since the new kid on the block sacrifices a few crucial factors to achieve a signature that I'd describe as a 'quality consumer-friendly sound' - the treble brilliance of the 2nd Gen is lost, so out the window goes that airy sound, and soundstage size has been reduced in all 3 dimensions, resulting in a more intimate and cramped presentation.

Personally, I greatly enjoyed my time with the T5; I was this close to pulling the trigger at the store earlier. With that said, I'll probably be selling the T5p (2nd Gen) very soon, though.

Source: Chord Hugo 2

Your review sounds really good to me! I bought the T5p.2's last year and loved them at first. After a while I was spending less and less time with them as I found them a little thick on the treble and light on the bass.
I decided to step up and I bought a Schiit Loki.
Take off a chunk of treble, add a chunk of bass and a pinch of mids. Just about perfect.
That lasted for a few months until I bought the Focal Elex.

The first day I put the Elex's on, my first reaction was "These sound just like my corrected T5p.2's!"
I sold the T5p.2's a week or two later.

I am still looking for a great closed back and if your description is accurate, these sound like they could be it. I would LOVE to have a closed back Elex.

I hope more people mimic your impressions!

 

[Malevolent]

Your review sounds really good to me! I bought the T5p.2's last year and loved them at first. After a while I was spending less and less time with them as I found them a little thick on the treble and light on the bass.
I decided to step up and I bought a Schiit Loki.
Take off a chunk of treble, add a chunk of bass and a pinch of mids. Just about perfect.
That lasted for a few months until I bought the Focal Elex.

The first day I put the Elex's on, my first reaction was "These sound just like my corrected T5p.2's!"
I sold the T5p.2's a week or two later.

I am still looking for a great closed back and if your description is accurate, these sound like they could be it. I would LOVE to have a closed back Elex.

I hope more people mimic your impressions!

Well, I've just sold my T5p (2nd Gen), as I'm planning to pounce on the 3rd Gen T5. Like you, I wanted a little more bass and a little less treble. I'm no treblehead, and I found the 2nd Gen T5p to be a little too bright at times; on occasion, the highs would border on sibilance. It's still a lot more tolerable than the original T5p, though.

You can see the overall direction that Beyerdynamic is taking - the original T5p was a very audiophile-focused product, with a bright and detailed sound. They tweaked the bass and treble ends on the 2nd Gen to make it a little more consumer-friendly, but the newest revision brings the product line to its (probable) final state - a headphone that straddles the diffuse separation between the general-public and audiophile spheres. It still retains a good level of detail and clarity to afford the T5 its "audiophile" tag, but its tonality is decidedly more palatable to those who shy away from bright headphones.

 

[Shane D]

Well, I've just sold my T5p (2nd Gen), as I'm planning to pounce on the 3rd Gen T5. Like you, I wanted a little more bass and a little less treble. I'm no treblehead, and I found the 2nd Gen T5p to be a little too bright at times; on occasion, the highs would border on sibilance. It's still a lot more tolerable than the original T5p, though.

You can see the overall direction that Beyerdynamic is taking - the original T5p was a very audiophile-focused product, with a bright and detailed sound. They tweaked the bass and treble ends on the 2nd Gen to make it a little more consumer-friendly, but the newest revision brings the product line to its (probable) final state - a headphone that straddles the diffuse separation between the general-public and audiophile spheres. It still retains a good level of detail and clarity to afford the T5 its "audiophile" tag, but its tonality is decidedly more palatable to those who shy away from bright headphones.

Good luck! Way too pricey for me, new. I am guessing the price up here in Canada will be about $1,300.00. And then you have to add 15% tax.
If I buy them it will be like the second gen: used for about $700.00, if I'm lucky.

Please do post your thoughts and results. I will follow along, hopefully enviously.

 

[obsidyen]

I'm between this and the upcoming Focal Radiance. I feel like Focal will be more to my liking.

 

[CTR640]

I'm between this and the upcoming Focal Radiance. I feel like Focal will be more to my liking.

The Focal Radiance looks enticing. The more I'm liking my T5p.2, the lesser to go for the T5.3

 

[MakubexGB]

I'm between this and the upcoming Focal Radiance. I feel like Focal will be more to my liking.

Same and more comfortable.

 

[Mhog55]

Well, I've just sold my T5p (2nd Gen), as I'm planning to pounce on the 3rd Gen T5. Like you, I wanted a little more bass and a little less treble. I'm no treblehead, and I found the 2nd Gen T5p to be a little too bright at times; on occasion, the highs would border on sibilance. It's still a lot more tolerable than the original T5p, though.

You can see the overall direction that Beyerdynamic is taking - the original T5p was a very audiophile-focused product, with a bright and detailed sound. They tweaked the bass and treble ends on the 2nd Gen to make it a little more consumer-friendly, but the newest revision brings the product line to its (probable) final state - a headphone that straddles the diffuse separation between the general-public and audiophile spheres. It still retains a good level of detail and clarity to afford the T5 its "audiophile" tag, but its tonality is decidedly more palatable to those who shy away from bright headphones.

How would you compare and contrast the treble and high mids between the 3rd generation and the wp900?

 

[TheNeuralArchitect]

I spent nearly 3 hours listening to these 2 headphones, with a slice of the Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed thrown in, for good measure.

So, let's get on, shall we?

Firstly, the lows. You'll still get a healthy boost in the mid-bass, so that's something nice to start with. However, it appears that the sub-bass region has been given a shot in the arm, as it rumbles a little more, with a tad better extension. Moreover, the lingering decay of the T5p (2nd Gen) has been fixed in this version; beats are tighter, with greater attack and slam.

The midrange is also the happy recipient of an overall positive correction. For starters, mids are more forward on the T5 (3rd Gen), if ever so slightly. To add the proverbial cherry on top, vocals have more presence and weight, with better texture throughout. The outgoing model has decent vocal capabilities, but they can sound hollow at the worst of times.

On to the treble, and this is where things start to get contentious. Gone are the infamous treble peaks that caused the T5p (2nd Gen) to, at times, appear overly harsh and sibilant. The highs are a lot smoother now; it has good control and a dash of brilliance. However, the airy presentation of the previous model has been axed in favor of a relatively subdued region. For those who enjoy the treble delivery of the T5p (2nd Gen), you won't enjoy the 3rd Gen's take.

Thankfully, the T5 (3rd Gen) retains the outgoing model's imaging chops, but the soundstage has been reduced for a more intimate sound. The lack of air in the higher registers is probably a major culprit. Whilst the 2nd Gen model has a wide and deep stage with excellent layering, the revised model has a narrower, and a slightly-cramped presentation. Tonally, the new model retains a good level of warmth, but reduces the bloom that results in a more distinct and clearer sound.

Ultimately, the new T5 distinguishes itself from its predecessor in more ways that one. It's quite a leap from the previous model, but not always in ways that are good. From a subjective viewpoint, this new incarnation sounds more pleasant to my ears than the old. However, it might not appeal to fans of the older version, since the new kid on the block sacrifices a few crucial factors to achieve a signature that I'd describe as a 'quality consumer-friendly sound' - the treble brilliance of the 2nd Gen is lost, so out the window goes that airy sound, and soundstage size has been reduced in all 3 dimensions, resulting in a more intimate and cramped presentation.

Personally, I greatly enjoyed my time with the T5; I was this close to pulling the trigger at the store earlier. With that said, I'll probably be selling the T5p (2nd Gen) very soon, though.

Source: Chord Hugo 2

Thanks for allowing us to live vicariously through your ears! I'm planning on getting my first beyerdynamic (closed) and was debating between 177x and T5. Have you listened to the former by any chance? I'd like a neutral or warm sounding one hopefully with a fun punchy bass since I got the wp900 and they will be my 'bright' headphone. If it helps, I also have the denon ah-d5200 and Focal Stellia. I recently sold my Focal clear and Sundara because I seem to always use closed backs.

 

[Malevolent]

How would you compare and contrast the treble and high mids between the 3rd generation and the wp900?

The WP900 has more distinct highs; it is a little brighter, a little peakier, and has a little more grain. The T5 (3rd Gen), on the other hand, has a controlled treble region. Highs are still relatively clear, and it retains a little sparkle, but by and large, you'd have to say that Beyerdynamic has reduced the prominence of the higher registers by some margin (as opposed to the 1st and 2nd Gen models). As a result, the headphone sounds darker in comparison.

Although the WP900 has a relatively recessed midrange, the upper-mids have a slight boost, an Audio-Technica hallmark, IMO. This allows female vocals to sound a bit more dynamic, in contrast to male voices. When I auditioned the T5 (3rd Gen), I didn't detect a noticeable issue with its upper mids vis-à-vis the WP900. However, I'll have to listen to it one more time before I make a purchase decision. I'll compare these 2 again, when I do.

 

[Malevolent]

Thanks for allowing us to live vicariously through your ears! I'm planning on getting my first beyerdynamic (closed) and was debating between 177x and T5. Have you listened to the former by any chance? I'd like a neutral or warm sounding one hopefully with a fun punchy bass since I got the wp900 and they will be my 'bright' headphone. If it helps, I also have the denon ah-d5200 and Focal Stellia. I recently sold my Focal clear and Sundara because I seem to always use closed backs.

I have heard the DT1770 PRO, but not the 177x; from what I've gathered, the 2 headphones share a similar signature, though.

The T5 and the DT1770 PRO have similarly punchy bass profiles - the T5 has a warmer sound, with an attenuated treble presentation. I'd say that neither headphone is neutral, as they are both bass-slanted, and in the case of the DT1770 PRO, has a slight emphasis in its highs.

 

[Malevolent]

I'm between this and the upcoming Focal Radiance. I feel like Focal will be more to my liking.

A bass-boosted Elegia sounds great, in my book. I'm just waiting to see if Focal will release a variant without the co-branding.

 

[Roderick]

Measurement by Crinacle

That kind of reminds me of JVC DX1000 with boosted bass. Crazy stuff.

 

[John Massaria]

Your review sounds really good to me! I bought the T5p.2's last year and loved them at first. After a while I was spending less and less time with them as I found them a little thick on the treble and light on the bass.
I decided to step up and I bought a Schiit Loki.
Take off a chunk of treble, add a chunk of bass and a pinch of mids. Just about perfect.
That lasted for a few months until I bought the Focal Elex.

The first day I put the Elex's on, my first reaction was "These sound just like my corrected T5p.2's!"
I sold the T5p.2's a week or two later.

I am still looking for a great closed back and if your description is accurate, these sound like they could be it. I would LOVE to have a closed back Elex.

I hope more people mimic your impressions!

you should look into the Kennerton GH50 modded- you are missing out if you overlook these Russian made closed backs

 

[Shane D]

you should look into the Kennerton GH50 modded- you are missing out if you overlook these Russian made closed backs

Thanks for suggestion, but if I was going to spend that kind of money, there are other brands/models that I would try first. I would not even buy the T5.3 at full price.

 

[bflat]

That FR graph of T5 looks similar to HD820 minus the major dip at 300 Hz. I liked the HD820 a lot and that dip prevented bass to mid bleed when factoring the resonance of closed backs which gave a very open, airy presentation. Unfortunately I found the HD820 did not isolate external noise very well and the mids were south of neutral IMHO. I am very interested to try the new T5 having started my audiophile journey with the original T5P gen 1.