[Maggolos]

Hi,
Iam back,

I tested: T1, hd 800, t90, LCD 2,3 he 500. Overall the t90, hd 800 were Imo the best. The LCD, He 500 are 2 dark and heavy.

 

[punit]

Can you please elaborate why you preferred the T90 over the T1, what source amp did you demo them with ? Am looking for reasons not to buy the T1

 

[Maggolos]

IMO the t90 has more bass ans warmer mids. The t1 has a better treble. So gituars Sound more natural, but you can use a eq for the t90 so they should Sound the same. The 3d Room is nearly the same

I used a expensive Dac+Amp 2500 Dollar.

Sent from my cellphone

 

[DangerToast]

I agree with what Maggolos said earlier regarding the LCD 2. It was much too dark and heavy for my tastes. The crispness and detail that the T90 offers wasn't there at all. I did think that the LCD 2 was one of the smoothest headphones I've ever heard and that the staging and dimensionality it offers are amazing.

 

[atomicbob]

Can you please elaborate why you preferred the T90 over the T1, what source amp did you demo them with ? Am looking for reasons not to buy the T1

I can provide some perspective on this. Gone through many cans, amps, DACs, DDCs. No single can, amp or converter does it all for me. But I have settled on a collection that suits my needs and preferences.

Cans: HD800, T90, HD600, T1, HE-500
Amps: ZDSE, V200, Crack, WA7
DACs: DP1 (on loan from a fellow head-fier), V800, ODAC
DDCs: RME FireFace UC, V-Link192

This is an extraordinary collection of which I am privileged to listen. I also work in the audio recording business so some of these are used for headphone checks on mixes, specifically the RME, V800, V200 and HD600. This group gives the most transparent, spectrally balanced representation that translates well to other systems. This is critical for making judgements / adjustments to production.

But when it is time for recreational listening, then I bounce around among the others. DP1 + ZDSE + HD800 is like being at a venue with superb acoustics such as Beneroya Hall listening to an excellent acoustic musicians playing. V200 + Crack + T90 is the pub with great acoustics and favorite music playing, fine beverage in hand. This system is for forgetting about trying to exact every last bit of performance, just have fun. A lot of fun. 50/50 between the WA7 and the Crack. Then there is the T1 which offers a little more bass emphasis, slightly less top end, a little more transient attack than the T90. On some music I think they add a little extra dimension to the reproduction. For select bass oriented music I will use the HE-500. If they weren't so heavy they might spend more time on my head. The T90 and HD800 spend the most time on my head for recreational listening.

In the end, headphones are auditory interfaces, their selection similar to the photographer choosing his lenses. Never met a serious photog with only one lense. And those I have listed are my preferences. YMWV.

 

[ericr]

Any idea on how long that price will last?

No, but this chart gives the impression that it won't be for long:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Beyerdynamic-Tesla-Audiophile-High-Headphone/product/B00890YNBK?context=browse

 

[Xickle]

No, but this chart gives the impression that it won't be for long:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Beyerdynamic-Tesla-Audiophile-High-Headphone/product/B00890YNBK?context=browse

Oh I better hurry then!
 
Just a question for everybody here: Which (tube) amp would you recommend for the T90's that would improve the bass? I don't have too much to spend on it, so I was thinking Schiit Vali, Little Dot + Xonar DX(for gaming) or Aune T1. But for an amp/dac like Aune I could spend the cash meant for the soundcard, and get a better one.

 

[punit]

IMHO best bass is from an OTL amp like : Woo WA3, LaFigaro or Darkvoice 336, Bottlehead Crack etc. Meier Classic also has good bass but I fell there is slightly better extension (maybe 5%) on an OTL amp. But again this also depends on the tubes used.

 

[Sil3nce]

  Oh I better hurry then!
 
Just a question for everybody here: Which (tube) amp would you recommend for the T90's that would improve the bass? I don't have too much to spend on it, so I was thinking Schiit Vali, Little Dot + Xonar DX(for gaming) or Aune T1. But for an amp/dac like Aune I could spend the cash meant for the soundcard, and get a better one.

The Aune T1 is a tube/DAC with an amp section. Best bang for the buck imo. The Vali is good, but you need a good source to really get the best of it, and the microphonics is an issue as well.

 

[Xickle]

  IMHO best bass is from an OTL amp like : Woo WA3, LaFigaro or Darkvoice 336, Bottlehead Crack etc. Meier Classic also has good bass but I fell there is slightly better extension (maybe 5%) on an OTL amp. But again this also depends on the tubes used.

These are all out of my budget
I've got about 600-700$ or 500€ to spend for the whole setup - headphones, amp and dac. I saw a lot of people liked the Crack amp, but with 50$ shipping to Europe, without speedball, it costs me about 330$.
 
I need a cheaper alternative or find somebody who would sell a used one for less

 

[punit]

The Crack is unassembled , the cost is for the parts, you have to assemble it yourself, so It will not be available used cheaper, as people will always add cost of labour for assembly.
 
If you are really tight on your budget do not buy the T90 without a demo (as they are very source, amp dependent), have you heard it ? Where I live almost 90% of the audiophile HP's are not available for demo, so when I buy HP's, I always factor in the fact that I might have a 20% loss on resale if I don't like them.
 
As you can see from the reactions on this thread the T90's are a 50:50 chance of hit or miss. If you are buying blind & cannot afford to resell & buy another, you can go for a "safer" headphone like HD 600 or DT 880.
 
So you can either go with the nice, homely, dependable girl who will not drain your wallet or go with the ill tempered, finicky, Hot babe, who may bleed you dry with all her demands if things don't work out.

 

 

[Xickle]

  The Crack is unassembled , the cost is for the parts, you have to assemble it yourself, so It will not be available used cheaper, as people will always add cost of labour for assembly.
 
If you are really tight on your budget do not buy the T90 without a demo (as they are very source, amp dependent), have you heard it ? Where I live almost 90% of the audiophile HP's are not available for demo, so when I buy HP's, I always factor in the fact that I might have a 20% loss on resale if I don't like them.
 
As you can see from the reactions on this thread the T90's are a 50:50 chance of hit or miss. If you are buying blind & cannot afford to resell & buy another, you can go for a "safer" headphone like HD 600.
 
So you can either go with the nice, homely, dependable girl or go with the ill tempered, finicky, Hot one.

. I always liked them hot.

Sadly the demo availability is the same in my country, and I cannot get a pair of T90's for testing. I really love the look they have, and I don't like the HD600 looks at all, so I kinda want to try the T90 for that reason alone. Also, they are now about 20% cheaper in USA than in Europe, so I only need to find a buyer, the price won't be such a problem. I'm thinking I'll be able to return them if I buy them from Amazon, in case I don't like em of course. I've considered the DT880 or DT990, but read that T90's are quite a big improvement over those two. But I've read some conflicting reviews on how these preform with music that has a lot of bass, which I intend to listen to the most. Some say they got just the right amount of bass, others say they can't use them for electronic music at all.

 

[punit]

Like I said the bass depends on the source chain, I listen to Trance 75% & Rock 25%. I do not find the bass lacking. If you can return them, then go for it. Even if you don't like them you will have no regrets later and can move on, other wise the thought will always bother you "maybe the T90's are better"

.
 
Just so I can understand where you are coming from, which HP's have you heard till date ?

 

[Xickle]

  Like I said the bass depends on the source chain, I listen to Trance 75% & Rock 25%. I do not find the bass lacking. If you can return them, then go for it. Even if you don't like them you will have no regrets later and can move on, other wise the thought will always bother you "maybe the T90's are better"

.
 
Just so I can understand where you are coming from, which HP's have you heard till date ?

I haven't heard any professional audiophile headphones yet, so I have nothing the T90's would compare to. I said to myself "better go in strong, so I don't need to upgrade later", to save some money in the long run. First I had my eyes on the DT880/990 as I mentioned, but now I discovered the T90's got a huge discount at amazon, so they came into play. I'm already feeling how much money this hobby will consume, haha. But I want something to treat my ear drums, and give them a nice massage.
 
I know my brain, and it knows me, so I'm completely sure that if I go for something less I'll be thinking "damn, I should have spent a little more to get the best I can". Probably gonna be thinking that because of the cheaper amp anyways, but it may be subject to upgrading to the Bottlehead in a few months. Don't want to punch my wallet dead.

 

[atomicbob]

  *edit*
 
I know my brain, and it knows me, so I'm completely sure that if I go for something less I'll be thinking "damn, I should have spent a little more to get the best I can". Probably gonna be thinking that because of the cheaper amp anyways, but it may be subject to upgrading to the Bottlehead in a few months. Don't want to punch my wallet dead.

The Bottlehead Crack is an outstanding bargain. It plays way beyond its price point. Remember to factor in the cost of rolling tubes, which you will be wanting to undertake soon after becoming acclimated to the Crack. I have the Speedball upgrade kit, but haven't installed it yet. I like the sound of what I am hearing in the stock Crack and not sure I want to change that.