[biosailor]

I gave my T90's away and bought a pair of HD700's for $290

I did the same, not that I gave them away, I just don't use them anymore. I so much got used to my HD800 and Grado GH1 that whenever I put the T90s on, they are not as revealing as my other headphones. The sound is somewhat channelled and not lofty and light as I am used to from my other headphones. Being used to relatively large headphones (I use the big cushions on my Grado GH1), I find the T90s a bit too tight and constricting. They are pretty good headphones, but for me they just lack the excitement I am used from my Senns and Grados. But I must say there was a time I quite liked them.

 

[MrMan]

Ha! (I was just kidding earlier, of course). Yeah, I think that on the whole the T90 is a solid h/p. (If I had my druthers, I'd tweak it just a bit, as I think it had the potential to be a bit more refined sounding. But, beyer introduced the T1 as an answer to that).

Look, I'd be interested in your impressions of the 700's after they get in and you've had some time with them. Doesn't have to be a formal review. You can just point out what the major differences are, to you, that immediately stand out between the T90 and the HD700. Since you're so familiar with the sound sig of the T90, then when you start listening to the 700's, there'll have to be some differences that strike you from the very start, and I'd like to know what those are. Over on the HD700 appreciation thread, some have mentioned a recessed midrange (where certain instruments and vocals seem to sound "too far back"). Then another person chimed-in and said, "well, the mids aren't that recessed." So, I don't know. I do know the mids on the T90's are. (To me. Have to get that in. In my opinion the mids are recessed).

I'd just be interested in your honest take on the differences between the two phones.

My first thoughts is the HD700 are Grados but comfortable and with a sound stage. Compared to the T90's I like the pressure points better and looks of the HD700's. I perceive better clarity on the HD700 but it might be due to the treble being raised a little. My only concern with the HD700 is they might become fatiguing whereas the T90's never had this issue. The pads are better on the T90. What might also be unfair is my dac/amp is a centrance m8. When I owned the HD650 no amps/dacs made them really shine. When I paired it with the M8 it was smooth like butter and had an awesome sound. Most the headphones I've owned sound subpar but sound really good on the M8.

 

[Amarphael]

After replacing of the headband the grey plastic gimbal blocks on my pair have become loose and prone to slide down on occasion when making adjustment with the headphones on.

Did anyone here ever done this and encountered this problem?

 

[terry parr]

I did the same, not that I gave them away, I just don't use them anymore. I so much got used to my HD800 and Grado GH1 that whenever I put the T90s on, they are not as revealing as my other headphones. The sound is somewhat channelled and not lofty and light as I am used to from my other headphones. Being used to relatively large headphones (I use the big cushions on my Grado GH1), I find the T90s a bit too tight and constricting. They are pretty good headphones, but for me they just lack the excitement I am used from my Senns and Grados. But I must say there was a time I quite liked them.

My first thoughts is the HD700 are Grados but comfortable and with a sound stage. Compared to the T90's I like the pressure points better and looks of the HD700's. I perceive better clarity on the HD700 but it might be due to the treble being raised a little. My only concern with the HD700 is they might become fatiguing whereas the T90's never had this issue. The pads are better on the T90. What might also be unfair is my dac/amp is a centrance m8. When I owned the HD650 no amps/dacs made them really shine. When I paired it with the M8 it was smooth like butter and had an awesome sound. Most the headphones I've owned sound subpar but sound really good on the M8.

Appreciate these last two replies, guys. "A Grado with soundstage..." That's my main takeaway. The T90 (for all its' strengths) is a "warm"-sounding h/p to me, and for my next h/p, I want it to be my last, for a while. And I want it to be one where I don't feel like I'm making major compromises in the sound. If the HD700 sounds like a "Grado, but with soundstage", I'll pass. I've owned a Grado RS1-i (and for all its' strengths with guitar-based rock and blues, I found the tonality and timbre of a grand piano in a jazz trio recording to be completely off).

I'm seriously giving the X5000 (the new "flagship" from Audio Technica) a good look, now. From what I see right from the start, it seems that this h/p would probably be right up my alley. This headphone ships with a full-sized, quarter-inch plug as standard (yet one person who posted a mini-review of this h/p on reddit, used the mini-plug adaptor to plug this h/p directly into his phone to listen to an electronic track and then went on to say how good the h/p was at detail retrieval!) OK. So I didn't take this guy seriously, but you do get a good look at the headphone in his video (and it looked impressive with its' re-designed headband and overall understated and elegant looks).

I like how my T90's look, too. I think that beyer did a great job in designing the looks of the T90. I'm just looking for a bit more of a refined sound that better differentiates sound qualities and harmonics among various instruments.

It appears that Audio Technica is giving the crowd that appreciates microdynamics over macrodynamics in a headphone something to get excited about. The fact that these h/p's retail for 2K says that Audio Technica knows they won't move not nearly as many units of these as they would if these h/p's were intended to be driven off of a portable device and had a decided V-Shaped sound signature.

It appears at first glance that AT is throwing us acoustic music lovers a bone. Maybe. Hopefully. I'm reading the ad copy from AT where they talk about the re-designed driver / housing / diffusers with a skeptical, raised eyebrow, however. But, the proof will be in the listening.

For right now, I'll just sit tight for a while, and see how some early reviews strike me in regards to this h/p. (And hopefully give the retail price a chance to drop!)

 

[MrMan]

The big flaw with AT is the headphones are designed horrible. The wing design I swear was created by a drunk. If you move your head at all the headphones will fall off. It's a shame because if they used the same cups and used a standard headband they would be awesome. My friend and I created a custom pair of headphones with the AD2000 drivers and they sounded amazing. They weren't perfect but they showed such an amazing promise. I used to be folex but head-fi grouped me and Peterek into a business which we weren't so I switched names. I hope next year to make a pair of AD2000 drivers/cup and fit it into a pair of Beyer 990 headband. I think the end result would be amazing.

I also starting to question me saying HD700 sounds like the grado. The audio card I tried them on first sounded that way. It was a $799 amp/dac that sounded amazing with hd650/T90's but absolutely sucks with Hd700. I did the cheaper version that cost me $100 and the HD700 soundstage blew up and the clarity wasn't so treble driven.

 

[Mad Max]

HD700 is closer to K701, while remaining more dynamic and far less "etched" sounding, plus some of the same "naturalness" to its sound like in HD6x0 and HD5x8/5x9. T90 can sound a lot like HD700 and K701 if you attenuate its treble and bass boosts.

Yeah, AT and their meme wings. I had to put hairbands on my ATH-A2000X so that the wings push down more and prevent the headphone from sliding down my head. Good grief.

 

[terry parr]

I also starting to question me saying HD700 sounds like the grado. The audio card I tried them on first sounded that way. It was a $799 amp/dac that sounded amazing with hd650/T90's but absolutely sucks with Hd700. I did the cheaper version that cost me $100 and the HD700 soundstage blew up and the clarity wasn't so treble driven.[/QUOTE]


O.K. I'll give you that. Our impressions of a headphone can be modified when we switch-out other equipment in the chain. That's one of the things that make this hobby fun, knowing we can substitute one piece in the audio chain and alter the sound of the h/p. It's also what makes being able to get a good read on what the h/p sounds like, because you know the person's associated equipment who's giving his impressions is contributing to the overall sound.

 

[kingdbox]

My first thoughts is the HD700 are Grados but comfortable and with a sound stage. Compared to the T90's I like the pressure points better and looks of the HD700's. I perceive better clarity on the HD700 but it might be due to the treble being raised a little. My only concern with the HD700 is they might become fatiguing whereas the T90's never had this issue. The pads are better on the T90. What might also be unfair is my dac/amp is a centrance m8. When I owned the HD650 no amps/dacs made them really shine. When I paired it with the M8 it was smooth like butter and had an awesome sound. Most the headphones I've owned sound subpar but sound really good on the M8.

Congrats on finding the deal you were looking for . That really was meant to be lol

Can you help me understand what you mean by the clarity being better on the 700's ? I ask because I noticed that the T90's have a very high frequency range in treble. I think it has the highest from what i noticed on the headroom graphs. But I've been reading a mix of people saying the T90's are fairly neutral. So it's confusing me

Im in the market for headphones and Im looking for the brightest/coldest highs I can find. High's and mids are mainly what I care about. It's only for fun listening. Im quite receptive to sibilant accents and harsh vocals compared to many users here. So the headphones they don't like, may be just exactly what im looking for. I don't know why but I just have an affinity for crisp treble.

I've been bouncing between sr325e's, hd700's, T90's. Honestly, if the budget could stay under $900, that'd be nice. If there are brigher grado's than the 325's, I'd be happy to hear. Or if there are any headphones better than the one's I've listed tbh.

You happen to try out 2 of the cans I had an interest in so I figured to ask you


Also if it helps, I plan on using these headphones on an LG V30. If there are any portable amps/dac's which complement bright headphones, I'd really appreciate your suggestions.

 

[borrego]

The big flaw with AT is the headphones are designed horrible. The wing design I swear was created by a drunk. If you move your head at all the headphones will fall off. It's a shame because if they used the same cups and used a standard headband they would be awesome. My friend and I created a custom pair of headphones with the AD2000 drivers and they sounded amazing. They weren't perfect but they showed such an amazing promise.

The AD2000/AD2000X are really special, they are good complements to my Beyer headphones for "optimizing vocal" playback. If you like how they sound, the best way is to get them cheap from the Yahoo Japan auction: https://zenmarket.jp/yahoo.aspx?q=ATH-AD2000 . It was how I got my pair of mint AD2000.

To wear the "wings" design ATH headphones for best comfort, you can try looping the two wings with rubber band like Mad Max has mentioned, and rotate the pads so the thickest parts are at the eight/four o'clock position behind/under your ears.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Congrats on finding the deal you were looking for . That really was meant to be lol

Can you help me understand what you mean by the clarity being better on the 700's ? I ask because I noticed that the T90's have a very high frequency range in treble. I think it has the highest from what i noticed on the headroom graphs. But I've been reading a mix of people saying the T90's are fairly neutral. So it's confusing me

Im in the market for headphones and Im looking for the brightest/coldest highs I can find. High's and mids are mainly what I care about. It's only for fun listening. Im quite receptive to sibilant accents and harsh vocals compared to many users here. So the headphones they don't like, may be just exactly what im looking for. I don't know why but I just have an affinity for crisp treble.

I've been bouncing between sr325e's, hd700's, T90's. Honestly, if the budget could stay under $900, that'd be nice. If there are brigher grado's than the 325's, I'd be happy to hear. Or if there are any headphones better than the one's I've listed tbh.

You happen to try out 2 of the cans I had an interest in so I figured to ask you


Also if it helps, I plan on using these headphones on an LG V30. If there are any portable amps/dac's which complement bright headphones, I'd really appreciate your suggestions.

Allow me to step in and answer as I owned both the HD 700 and T90 and—coincidentally—I am looking into possibly owning the T90 again. Of the two, the T90 is easily the more detailed and the more engaging or Grado-like and the HD 700 is warm and reserved. The only reason the HD 700 may initially give the false impression of increased detail is its heavily scooped upper midrange and peaky mid-treble. Since the upper midrange—the region human ears are most sensitive to—is subdued, it gives the impression that there is more detail than is actually there. In addition, there is a bit of distortion that clouds detail compared to the T90, most certainly the HD 800, and—surprisingly—even the darker HD 600 and HD 650. To my ears, the HD 700 sounds like a retuned HD 5xx series headphone, together with the graininess in the treble and lack of uppermost treble extension of that series, with a fancy paint job to exude elegance. In contrast, the T90 is quite a bit brighter, but it also quite a bit more refined and detailed. It sounds far closer to the HD 800 in micro and macro detail, bass and treble extension, and overall refinement than the HD 700 ever did to my ears. Unlike the HD 700’s jagged, wiggly treble, the T90’s treble slopes upward smoothly and predictably. Out of the two, the T90 is brighter, but less grainy, as well as more detailed, the best of the two by a clear margin. Dagogo describes it best: “Yet, the T90 fared better against the Sennheiser HD700, was more transparent and had a better sound stage with better detail and was not as dark sounding as the Sennheiser HD700. (...) T90 is a very special headphone. It is both accurate and balanced. It is not inexpensive but its performance is well worth the retail price of $679. The T90 performed admirably against headphones costing much more and even outclassed some of them. Beyerdynamic has introduced a headphone that performs close to the level of the T1. The T1 had better focus and more bass slam, yet the two were similar in their voicing. The T90 has the refinement and accuracy that most audiophiles demand in a reference product.” After reviewing the T1, audioFi.net concluded, “I found the cheaper T90 to possess a charm of its own, nudging me towards it’s musicality and exuberance, like that excited puppy at the pet shop window saying ‘choose me, choose me!’” If you want an exciting, yet refined headphone, the T90 is an excellent pick. As for myself, I am just not certain if I want to get the T90 or HD 800. The fact that this is a difficult question is strong evidence that the T90 is a very capable headphone. I am just now debating over whether I want to have a fun yet detailed headphone or a detailed and analytical headphone.

 

[adydula]

I agree with the T90 analysis, bit had to buy a set of T1's and I go back and forth between them....if you cant afford the T1's the T90's will do just fine.
I like both, but listen more with the T1's, just because they are more 'musical" to me.

Alex

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

Am I the only person that's pad modded the T90's? I got the chrome versions on sale awhile back for $350. I also own the Audio-Technica ad1000x, previously owned the ad900x (for a short time till I bent the plug) also used to own the Beyer dt880 250ohm pro and Grado before that. To me, the dt880 had the best tonal balance of any headphone I've heard. Just a certain something lacking in the mids but never got to try them with a good tube amp. I currently have a modded little dot 1+ with upgraded tubes one op amps. Great match with the Audio-Technica but probably not ideal for the T90. I never cared for the flatish pads on the AT so I tried a few others including my current favorite Audeze micro-suede. I try the Audeze pads with every headphone now because they are just rediculously comfortable. I'm not sure of any pad that can beat it. I have them on the T90's currently. A bit too big really but I don't care. The pads push your ears further from the driver compared to the stock pads which reduces a bit the too upfront upper mids and treble a bit. Comparatively the ad1000x now sounds very warm and midbassy in comparison, sort of like how I imagine the hd650 to sound (never heard them). The T90 is still a bright and detailed headphone, but not so bad with bigger pads. Still, it lacks the really good smoothness and tonal balance I recall from the dt880's but I suspect if I went back to those, I might be disappointed in the lack of detail and dynamics compared to the T90. Not sure though, probably buy them again sometime. I recall them have bigger softer pads than the T90 too.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

Am I the only person that's pad modded the T90's? I got the chrome versions on sale awhile back for $350. I also own the Audio-Technica ad1000x, previously owned the ad900x (for a short time till I bent the plug) also used to own the Beyer dt880 250ohm pro and Grado before that. To me, the dt880 had the best tonal balance of any headphone I've heard. Just a certain something lacking in the mids but never got to try them with a good tube amp. I currently have a modded little dot 1+ with upgraded tubes one op amps. Great match with the Audio-Technica but probably not ideal for the T90. I never cared for the flatish pads on the AT so I tried a few others including my current favorite Audeze micro-suede. I try the Audeze pads with every headphone now because they are just rediculously comfortable. I'm not sure of any pad that can beat it. I have them on the T90's currently. A bit too big really but I don't care. The pads push your ears further from the driver compared to the stock pads which reduces a bit the too upfront upper mids and treble a bit. Comparatively the ad1000x now sounds very warm and midbassy in comparison, sort of like how I imagine the hd650 to sound (never heard them). The T90 is still a bright and detailed headphone, but not so bad with bigger pads. Still, it lacks the really good smoothness and tonal balance I recall from the dt880's but I suspect if I went back to those, I might be disappointed in the lack of detail and dynamics compared to the T90. Not sure though, probably buy them again sometime. I recall them have bigger softer pads than the T90 too.

I could never bring myself to mod Beyer pads... they are just so lovely. Most headphone brands, even Sennheiser HD6xx lineup, I hate the earpads... so much... Beyerdynamic doesn't get many things right that I like, but those pads are heaven on my head.

 

[AzraelDarkangel]

The dt880 pads were better than the T90 pads IMO. The dt880 was the most comfortable headphones I ever wore when I first got them. But the Audeze micro-suede pads are a whole new level. Beyer pads are not really difficult to put on or take off. Easy to try other pads. I double check other pads on any headphone I buy now.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

The dt880 pads were better than the T90 pads IMO. The dt880 was the most comfortable headphones I ever wore when I first got them. But the Audeze micro-suede pads are a whole new level. Beyer pads are not really difficult to put on or take off. Easy to try other pads. I double check other pads on any headphone I buy now.

my favorite earpads are the Shure 1540 Alcantara earpads. they are that marine biology advanced material.... super lovely feel ^^ Focal Clear also uses Alcantara btw