beyerdynamic T51p & T51i impressions thread

[icebrain1]

I just bought these. 

Yesterday, 

I accidentally applied firm pressure with both my thumbs on the inner lining of each ear pad, just over the drivers.

I felt them give a little, and I'm worried i may have damaged something.

Is this possible ?

I dont think that would be a problem since there seems to be a protective sheild between the eqr pads and driver. You can check though just compare to the other side and see if they are the same. If the driver case is broken you will probably feel it flex more than the other ear.

Good luck, I check mine in a moment.

 

[albarr]

For far, my impressions after week of use.

I had headphones to "burn-in" about for 20-25 hours of different music, it opened sound a little bit, and tamed down bass. But I still set bass frequencies to -1 and upper treble on +2 in Cowon C2 EQ. But with PC they are still kinda veiled and bassy... things getting worse, if recording is "dark" by itself. 
They sound great with Cowon on neutral or bright recordings, but on dark ones (like "Metropolis" by Dream Theater) - just dull and uninspiring. Narrow soundstage also not helps... on dark tracks I hear bass boom-boom, prevailing over treble and mids.

I think, if I should have  gone with Audio-Technica's instead (they are twice cheaper, and maybe brighter).
t51p is kinda overpriced for sound they have.

Same here. Thick, one dimensional bass with significant upper bass boom, recessed mid range and dull treble. Tried it it with my Cowon Plenue D and Colorfly C4 Pro and Makbook Pro for about a week. My old Grado RS1 is just another league, especially with Cowon - micro dynamics, timing are surprisingly nuanced and just right. Actually the dark, warm nature of plenue d matches the buttoned RS1 beautifully, the sound is infectious and sofisticated. I am really impressed with the little Cowon, but it all disappears when I pair it with t51i. I guess t51i are best for loud heavy metal and something similar where rhythm is pretty straightforward and one need a lot of aggressive mid/upper bass.

UPDATE: 4 days later I have to add that after another 40 hours of breaking-in the sound opened considerably. Still a bit bass-heavy and sounds dark, but mids and treble are much much better. Note decay is quite steep though. Still think it is best suited for electronic, rock, hip-hop, metal etc. The overall sound is (for the lack of a better word) "tense". Definitely not for a relaxed listening.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Hey guys, 
 
I'm trying to decide between the Phillips Fidelio X2's and the Beyerdynamic T51P's. 
 
I understand that they are completely different headphones with opposite purposes but when deciding between a at home desktop headphone and a portable headphone, how do you guys make that decision? 
 
I'm not in the market to buy 2 pairs of headphones before anyone suggests to buy both. 
 
I like the practicality of the T51P's but I also like the usefulness of the X2's with the option of adding a Vmoda boompro mic for gaming and watching anime/tv series. 

 

[icebrain1]

  Hey guys, 
 
I'm trying to decide between the Phillips Fidelio X2's and the Beyerdynamic T51P's. 
 
I understand that they are completely different headphones with opposite purposes but when deciding between a at home desktop headphone and a portable headphone, how do you guys make that decision? 
 
I'm not in the market to buy 2 pairs of headphones before anyone suggests to buy both. 
 
I like the practicality of the T51P's but I also like the usefulness of the X2's with the option of adding a Vmoda boompro mic for gaming and watching anime/tv series. 

Hey Fluffy Muffinz, I never heard the Fidelio's but I'm very sure an open can like the X2's will most probably have better sound quality than T51P's. But on the other hand if you spend more time on the go and not very long on your desktop go ahead with the portables.
 
Just depends on whats the most important use for you. If you can it is always better to hear a set of cans in person before you risk a purchase, although that is not always possible.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

 
 

  Hey Fluffy Muffinz, I never heard the Fidelio's but I'm very sure an open can like the X2's will most probably have better sound quality than T51P's. But on the other hand if you spend more time on the go and not very long on your desktop go ahead with the portables.
 
Just depends on whats the most important use for you. If you can it is always better to hear a set of cans in person before you risk a purchase, although that is not always possible.

Yeah, that's right. It would be saver to try them before i buy them but there's a little dilemma. 
 
If i buy them from minidisc (price matched for AU $320 but offer expires today) i get a 21 day risk free guarantee but you still have to pay to return them back to the store and they deduct the cost that they spent to post them to you. So you dont get all of what you paid for them back.
 
If i buy them from KG electronics (AU $299.95) i don't get any guarantees if i want to return them. I get deducted a 20% re-stocking fee ($59.95) due to the low cost.
 
Either way, if i want to return them i don't get 100% of what i paid for them back. More so if i buy them from KG electronics but the extra i can put towards a Vmoda boompro mic or save it.

 

[dryvadeum]

[COLOR=222222]Yeah, that's right. It would be saver to try them before i buy them but there's a little dilemma. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=222222]If i buy them from minidisc (price matched for AU $320 but offer expires today) i get a 21 day risk free guarantee but you still have to pay to return them back to the store and they deduct the cost that they spent to post them to you. So you dont get all of what you paid for them back.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=222222]If i buy them from KG electronics (AU $299.95) i don't get any guarantees if i want to return them. I get deducted a 20% re-stocking fee ($59.95) due to the low cost.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=222222]Either way, if i want to return them i don't get 100% of what i paid for them back. More so if i buy them from KG electronics but the extra i can put towards a Vmoda boompro mic or save it.[/COLOR]

Ive owned both and id say get the x2 over the t51. If you like the form factor of the beyer and want better sound get the Dt1350s. Its a much technically superior headphone to the t51 which sounded wonky but initially impressive to me.

The x2 sounds far better than the t51 imo but if you added the dt1350 to the equation Id definitely recommend the 1350 over the x2 and t51. The 1350 has a more balanced neutral tuning whereas the t51 is wonky and boomy.

 

[icebrain1]

  Hey guys, 
 
I'm trying to decide between the Phillips Fidelio X2's and the Beyerdynamic T51P's. 
 
I understand that they are completely different headphones with opposite purposes but when deciding between a at home desktop headphone and a portable headphone, how do you guys make that decision? 
 
I'm not in the market to buy 2 pairs of headphones before anyone suggests to buy both. 
 
I like the practicality of the T51P's but I also like the usefulness of the X2's with the option of adding a Vmoda boompro mic for gaming and watching anime/tv series. 

Just reread your comment, if you want headphones for gaming and watching, open cans are the way to go.
As in gaming and watching its really helpful to have a good sound stage so you can pinpoint where a sound is originating from.
Especially helpful in first person games.
It makes a huge difference in many cases (and of course it great in music as well).
 
 
Best of luck.

 

[JaeYoon]

Hey everyone. I bought Beyerdynamic T51 a couple weeks ago.

Im concerned about what happens when the cable fails someday. Do we just send it to Beyerdynamics service center?

 

[icebrain1]

Hey everyone. I bought Beyerdynamic T51 a couple weeks ago.

Im concerned about what happens when the cable fails someday. Do we just send it to Beyerdynamics service center?

Exactly that is my biggest issue with the t51s.

Yes If the cable breaks you will have to send it in for service, unless you are great at soldering and repairs.

Good listening.

 

[JaeYoon]

I've given these a good listen, they can definitely compete against my Blue Microphones Lola Overear headphones for portable use.
 
T51i is a lot lighter and easier to walk around with. I'd probably keep the Lola for home use.

 

[Aradea]

Very different. The SR225i are bright, clean and open, but have little in the way of soundstage. They are very easy to drive. As they have almost total sound leakage, they are not really suited to portable use.

The T51p have a warm, dark, almost HD650- like signature. They isolate extremely well, but need an amp (or a powerful specialist DAP) to give of their best (IMO). Driven properly, they offer a superior soundstage and plenty of detail. For a portable, they scale extremely well.

Also, don't forget the HD25.... If you want a bright, aggressive sound in a portable form factor with good isolation, these could also be an option.

Does the T51p/i really has a warm and dark sig? Just like a HD6xx??
Bit confused because I did not expect a beyer can sound dark

 

[oldmate]

The cable below the Y joint on my T51P's is now so bloody stiff it is impacting on the use of these headphones. Anybody else experience this?? Reminds me of the issue with the early DN1K's.
 
Have contacted Beyerdynamic and will post back here with their response.
 
Seriously disappointed as I love these things.

 

[JerseyD]

Does the T51p/i really has a warm and dark sig? Just like a HD6xx??
Bit confused because I did not expect a beyer can sound dark

Wouldn't call them dark, but they have more bass than most people expect when they think of Beyer. These kick for a light-weight portable.

 

[CJ Song]

Hello
I can make an update after using these headphone for a year.
 
* They sound fun, slightly bassy (which i prefer), treble feels tad metallic (a bit like metal twitters) but overall due to the bass weight, its not bright
* Timing and dynamics are excellent, i love this aspect 
* Noise isolation is very very good for an on-ear model
* Comfort level is good for an on-ear, overall OK 
* They scale well with source upto a certain point (ie sounds much better with a dac)
* Build quality is medium... not the most solid.
 
Overall, considering that its much more portable than a full over-ear, its a really interesting choice...
 
I personally use 3 headphone at the moment... a momentum for quieter songs (they are better for songs that don't need bass emphasis), westone when i want ultimate portability, and t51p for everything else !

 

[oldmate]

Well I finally got around to sending mine back re the cable stiffening and the Australian Distributors for these are a pack of smart ass cowboys.
 
The only thing they did was create an invoice for a new cable for no charge. @hanselmann
 
The cable was not replaced. You just cannot believe my disappointment when I got them back and saw it was the same cable that had the issues. Just taking the piss and not only insulting me but ruling out Beyerdynamic as an option for me for the rest of my life.
 
Cost me postage and insurance for nothing. What a joke.