beyerdynamic T5p: Photos and first impressions.

[PleasantSounds]

  Btw, since the issue doesn't necessarily seem to be all that rare, I think switching to another cable makes sense, and I personally hate hardwired cables on high-end cans, so hopefully this explains why I keep suggesting that.

 
This has happened to me as well and that was the reason I have installed the mini-xlr connectors on my cans. It's a radical solution but has its benefits.

 

[Theogenes]

 
This has happened to me as well and that was the reason I have installed the mini-xlr connectors on my cans. It's a radical solution but has its benefits.

 
Forgive me if you've mentioned this before, but did you notice any changes/improvements to the sound quality when you went to balanced? It seems several people have mentioned a pretty significant change for the better, which is one of the major reasons I plan on modding mine at some point, but I love additional data points . 

 

[PleasantSounds]

 
Forgive me if you've mentioned this before, but did you notice any changes/improvements to the sound quality when you went to balanced? It seems several people have mentioned a pretty significant change for the better, which is one of the major reasons I plan on modding mine at some point, but I love additional data points . 

 
I don't own any gear with balanced output, so for me this is only a theoretical capability or something I may still explore in the future.
The improvement others are stating could be related just to the overall better quality of the gear rather than an attribute of balanced mode. 

 

[audionewbi]

T5p sound amazing out of C4, the bass takes an entire new character, it becomes present and impactful without changing the T5p revealing nature. Dare I say to my ears it fixes it. 

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

  Thank you both!
 
I've checked the Slappa but wasn't sure about the size.  I need a hard case for sure as i bring them every day in my bag on the train.

 
I belive the "HiFiMAN Travel Case for HE headphones" based on my observations in a shop and talking to the clerk.
 

 

 

[CDWMcInSpots]

 

   
Wow......I already think they are bright as they are....and you want them brighter? I've trying everything to tame these with new Atlas cables and you are doing the exact opposite lol.....how different we are!

Exactly! I love the T70, ER-4S, Tzar 350 - and the stock T5p of course. They are all fast, bright, airy and somewhat edgy. I love that. It was my biggest problem with T5p and getting used to them in the beginning. So I hope to open them up a bit and get some more air into their sound. Let's see if a new cable changes anything at all...

 
Choice of headphone amplifier seems to make a difference according to my observations.

 

[NZtechfreak]

   
I belive the "HiFiMAN Travel Case for HE headphones" based on my observations in a shop and talking to the clerk.
 

 

 
When I had my balanced ones I was using this case with them - incidentally you can find this case quite cheap on eBay with no HiFiMan badge on it. It's identical except they haven't covered the top surface of the foam with the felt like material in the actual HiFiMan case (which I had at the same time). Might need a slight cut-out for the regular T5p in order to prevent any stress on the cable connection point.

 

[Gnawbert]

As a quick update to my T5P cable problem: I had them repaired a second time and took around an hour. According to the service center, there's supposedly a new cable for the T5P that will be coming out in April. Mine, with the straight Rean connecter, is being phased out due to continued problems.

 

[Theogenes]

As a quick update to my T5P cable problem: I had them repaired a second time and took around an hour. According to the service center, there's supposedly a new cable for the T5P that will be coming out in April. Mine, with the straight Rean connecter, is being phased out due to continued problems.

 
Good to know that they're taking action to fix the problem. I will note that my first issue was with a different connector altogether, the Neutrik RA, so I'm interested to see what kind of changes they make and how they go about making them available to existing T5p owners. 
 
Personally, I'm still going to have mine modded to mini-XLRs, but it'll be revealing to see how they handle the problem IMO. 

 

[audionewbi]

I have seen the cable used for t5p, i know nothing about cable but i have seen cheap iem having a much better cable.

cardas iem cable comes to mind.

 

[gelocks]

Well, I bought mine used and they came with Blue Dragon cables so I never saw the "original" cables.
Which reminds me, I'll probably sell my Blue Dragon cables when Martin finishes my set... just throwing it out there... LOL

 

[deafanddumb]

What are the advantages ofa custom cable?

 

[NZtechfreak]

What are the advantages ofa custom cable?

 
Tricky question
 
There is a lot of snake oil out there about the potential benefits of custom cables.
 
Some of the concrete benefits can be the ability to use removable cables, which can make for better transportability, the ability to go fully balanced, improved aesthetics.
 
Some of the debatable benefits claimed in relation to custom cables is improved sound quality/altered sound presentation - for example silver cables are often said to make the sound "brighter" and copper cables the opposite. Other improvements in SQ are often claimed - better imaging/soundstage/bass response/dynamics etc. All I can say about any of this is that if these benefits exist at all, the changes are likely to be fairly slight for the most part. Ultimately, if you hear benefit/differences, then by all means go with them.
 
I mentioned the ability to go balanced as a concrete benefit, and I will expand briefly on what I meant there, as this is an area of some controversy in and of itself quite separate to custom cables in general. Again lots of benefits are claimed about going balanced, but one definite benefit (albeit one of variable applicability to any particular headphone) is that on a fully balanced output the power into each channel is doubled. For some headphones like the HE-6 this can be vital. When I had a balanced T5p there was more bass quantity, and that may reflect the extra power delivery of the balanced setup I had then - this is purely subjective impression of course so obviously YMMV etc. I don't neccessarily go in for a lot of the claimed benefits of balanced systems, but on most headphones I have heard balanced Vs SE I have preferred the balanced option - notably for me I preferred the T5p SE/stock over the balanced version (although I suspect most would prefer the sound balanced given the change in bass quantity).

 

[audionewbi]

The only time i get cable is when i am concerned about durability. I do hear a different sq with silver cable but can't say whether its good or bad.

i personally think cable is the last thing we should worry about.

 

[Theogenes]

I hear a very subtle difference between the cables I've tried, and it's small enough that I'd have to say I'm unsure I'd be able to accurately pick it up in a DBT. So while I think cables can make a difference, the possible difference they make is so miniscule in relation to the difference between amps, etc that I agree it is, in audionewbi's terminology, the last thing we should worry about. The differences between good DACs can be subtle, and that between cables even more so. As a result, I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense to have $1k cables unless you have a serious system around it. 
 
There are definitely other reasons to look at cables (even beyond the balanced aspect, which has a demonstrable benefit with some headphones), among which are aesthetics and ergonomics. My Q-Audio cable, for example, may not sound much different from other cables out there (I haven't tested, this is purely hypothetical), but the ergonomics are so much vastly better than anything else I have that I'll always keep it around. 
 
With all that said... I still use a Whiplash silver cable with my LCD 2.1, as I believe I hear a very slightly more treble-tipped sound, which works well there. YMMV, of course.