beyerdynamic T5p: Photos and first impressions.

[fhuang]

nah what war.  most guys just ignore this headphones.  i really don't understand the fuss about ed8.  i thought ed8 is more expensive than t5p too. 
 
 
Drew, you get a chance to re-cable t5p yourself?  any positive result?  t5p has been my portable headphones(yea i do take t5p outside) and my only closed headphones at home.  thinking of getting t70p as my portable headphones and letting t5p stay home.  so i'm thinking recabling/balancing t5p

 

[drubrew]

Quote:

nah what war.  most guys just ignore this headphones.  i really don't understand the fuss about ed8.  i thought ed8 is more expensive than t5p too. 
 
 
Drew, you get a chance to re-cable t5p yourself?  any positive result?  t5p has been my portable headphones(yea i do take t5p outside) and my only closed headphones at home.  thinking of getting t70p as my portable headphones and letting t5p stay home.  so i'm thinking recabling/balancing t5p

I'm in the process to convert both my T1 and T5p to a detachable cable system. I finally got the right fitting connectors to cover the rectangular hole. So while my T1 was recable with Black D, I was holding off on the T5p as I knew I would just turn around and do the detachable mod. So, once I get some free time (good luck with that!!), I will be doing comparisons. My guess is I will go Black D as I did that for the T1. I'll post some pics of the mod once I have both done. T1 is done just have to do the T5p.
 

 

[fhuang]

thanks Drew

 

[svyr]

I am now convinced that a great majority of headfiers have been gradually converted into bassheads by the pop/rock recording music. The t5p's have bass, not weak at all! almost perfect. The ed8's are warm and with overemphasized bass, but the war amongst these two seem to be in slight favor of the Ultrasones, beats me! Perhaps people dont go to live, non-amplified concerts anymore? What is everyone's musical reference now????? 

not really... I specifically found them poor for classical music as well (diffused mids, rolled off bass + rshaped the rest of the sound sig). Specifically, all the lower end notes feel hollow on T5p making the piano sound unsatisfactory. Same for soloist + orchestra music where you have a nice hollow drum (e.g. Beethoven's 5th piano concerto or late Mozart ones). Ironically, this is comparing to live performances lol ...

YMMV/preferences too, but these need more lower end. Can't really think of a genre these would be suitable to.

 

[WizardKnight]

I am planning on buying the T5P recabled in about a month from aloaudio.com .Ken posted on his site "The stock cable is okay but really clogs up the sonics of this fantastic headphone. The modded headphone is our favorite portable headphone, period. The mod really opens up the can and unleashes massive controlled bass."

 

[leng jai]

Hard to believe you get all that from a cable upgrade.

 

[GuyDebord]

SVYR, thanks for your pov but I totally disagree with your perceptions. I still haven't heard a closed headphone (except the Stax 4070's) that comes close to the musical refinement and authority that the t5p has, of course it isn't perfect, but until something else comes, these set a reference standard. Plus, these cans are portable, high-end versatility at its best! For those of us that need closed cans, these are the top.

 

[svyr]

SVYR, thanks for your pov but I totally disagree with your perceptions. I still haven't heard a closed headphone (except the Stax 4070's) that comes close to the musical refinement and authority that the t5p has, of course it isn't perfect, but until something else comes, these set a reference standard. Plus, these cans are portable, high-end versatility at its best! For those of us that need closed cans, these are the top.

Considering even the open back SR-507 has deeper and more prominent low end I'm inclined to think your reference point or importance you place on the lower end are just different.
The highs on T5p were also harsher than I liked vs SR-507. and the slight mids distortion (making it seem like it has a diffused sound stage) is simply unpalatable.


I guess, everyone has their own standard...

 

[googleli]

Frankly for true portable use, I always go to my custom IEMs, but the T5p is a good pair when I want to show off my headphile identity - the difference with the Beats guys is that I actually listen to good quality music albeit with some defeciency in bass.

 

[fhuang]

Quote:

Frankly for true portable use, I always go to my custom IEMs, but the T5p is a good pair when I want to show off my headphile identity - the difference with the Beats guys is that I actually listen to good quality music albeit with some defeciency in bass.

i only have a few decent portable amps but an under amp/power t5p still sound better, much better than my jh16 amped or no amp.  true i can't wear them when over 70 degrees but for sound quality only, no contest.  you might be thinking wearing t5p is a show off but i doubt people would notice.  you probably have better luck show off with a neck tie than t5p, or at least ed8, headphone wise.  and stand out from the beats guys?  my lowly dt231 sound better easily. 

 

[googleli]

I am hoping that Stax would be able to make a portable version of the Stax 009 like Beyer does with the T1/T5p approach. Portable, but same price and therefore equally prestigious. Of course they will also need to make a portable electrostat amp to go with it and that can be a problem...

 

[svyr]

I am hoping that Stax would be able to make a portable version of the Stax 009 like Beyer does with the T1/T5p approach. Portable, but same price and therefore equally prestigious. Of course they will also need to make a portable electrostat amp to go with it and that can be a problem...

Koss ESP-950 lol... More of a problem is walking around in $5k headphones. Plus I'd be skittish even with ESP-950, in case they get bumped or scratched. OR WET.

Seriously, not much of a market for full sized electrostatic portables... Esp since they'll be open.... We do want good closed electrostatics, but if I understand correctly, stax thinks there is not enough of a market to bother with all the damping bs (well dampened closed HP without resonances are amazingly hard to come by). (their basic market is someone rich with loads of gear and a quiet room...or no family and friends... lol)
Otoh, you can get the basic in ear stax model... (srs 1 or 3... I can't remember), and it comes with a portable energizer as well, but YMMV...A lot.

 

[GuyDebord]

You have the baby stax (SR-001) which are superb and affordable portables, albeit noise isolation and comfort, and of course the best closed headphones in existence, the Stax 4070 Monitors, imo the R10's are a joke compared to these. Svyr, not all Staxen are made for "someone rich with loads of gear and a quiet room...or no family and friends.."
 
The t5p's are without doubt in my mind, the best closed "portable" in production, some flaws, but sadly no other one comes close and we have to live with that reality.
 
 
Quote:

Koss ESP-950 lol... More of a problem is walking around in $5k headphones. Plus I'd be skittish even with ESP-950, in case they get bumped or scratched. OR WET.

Seriously, not much of a market for full sized electrostatic portables... Esp since they'll be open.... We do want good closed electrostatics, but if I understand correctly, stax thinks there is not enough of a market to bother with all the damping bs (well dampened closed HP without resonances are amazingly hard to come by). (their basic market is someone rich with loads of gear and a quiet room...or no family and friends... lol)
Otoh, you can get the basic in ear stax model... (srs 1 or 3... I can't remember), and it comes with a portable energizer as well, but YMMV...A lot.

 

 

[svyr]

4070 are not that great and have a pretty specific monitor flavour sound (they were made as TV studio monitors are are blasphemously expensive for just the 404 drivers and suspect assembly/cups)... def not for everyone...

T5p best closed hp in prod? YMMV depending on the criteria - not even close for me. Again, very specific sound sig and other things...

 

[googleli]

So, for those guys with both ED8 and T5p, do you think ED8 is considerably better? Is there any closed headphone which can be driven by a portable rig yet better than both? Thanks.