I don't own both now but used to own them together, so can offer a minor comparison from memory. The T90's have a wider soundstage and have the Beyer house sound, (as you own the DT 880 you will be familiar with the sound), crisp & clear. The HE 500 have a more intimate sound stage , its not constricted but its not as wide as the T90. They sound more "organic" than the T90's, more natural, acoustic instruments sound more true to life on the HE 500. T90's will have a slight edge where EDM is concerned, whereas HE 500 will have a slight edge with Rock. When I used to own them T90's were my absolute fav for Electronic & HE 500 for everything else. The T90's are way more comfortable than the HE 500, its like comparing a business class seat to economy.
The T90's can tend to sound a bit bright for the first 150 -200 hours & then the treble mellows down a bit but quite a few people will still find them bright when compared to a other HP's. T90 needs a tube amp (preferably an OTL amp & to narrow it down even further, a Bottlehead Crack) to really sound their best. People have had good results and do like them on solid state amps as well, but once these people hear it on a Btl Hd Crack / OTL amp they will never go back.
HE 500 is not so fussy about amping but they do scale well as you incresae the amp quality. They need an amp which will output atleast 1w @ 50 ohms to shine. I found them amazing on the Meier Classic & Schiit Lyr but not so great on Woo 6 in comparison.
When i was doing my research for buying both I had read both HP threads in full & found that HE 500 are a more safer bet i.e. out of 100 people who buy the HE 500 only 10 will not like the sound whereas with the T90 , generally 20-25 will not like the sound & almost all of these people have issues with the treble (these are very approximate numbers, just to give you a general idea). If you are not planning to change your amp & you cannot audition both, then the HE 500 will be a more safer bet for you.
The above is IMHO & lot of people will have a different opinion.
Thx, You know the build quality of the HE-500's as that also important for me. is How is the imaging is it 3dish or close? As I think about it a couple of times my hand slip and hit the cable that sticks out on the beyers scaring me, as I don't look forward to having that break one day.
Build quality wold be similar for both, T90's have better finish. Both look & feel like they will last a long time without any problems. The cable on the T90's is much better than HE 500, both in looks & build. You will really have to try hard to break the T90 cable, whereas with HE 500 it wouldn't be so hard , I think. Imaging on T90 is more 3D. IMHO.
I don't own both now but used to own them together, so can offer a minor comparison from memory. The T90's have a wider soundstage and have the Beyer house sound, (as you own the DT 880 you will be familiar with the sound), crisp & clear. The HE 500 have a more intimate sound stage , its not constricted but its not as wide as the T90. They sound more "organic" than the T90's, more natural, acoustic instruments sound more true to life on the HE 500. T90's will have a slight edge where EDM is concerned, whereas HE 500 will have a slight edge with Rock. When I used to own them T90's were my absolute fav for Electronic & HE 500 for everything else. The T90's are way more comfortable than the HE 500, its like comparing a business class seat to economy.
The T90's can tend to sound a bit bright for the first 150 -200 hours & then the treble mellows down a bit but quite a few people will still find them bright when compared to a other HP's. T90 needs a tube amp (preferably an OTL amp & to narrow it down even further, a Bottlehead Crack) to really sound their best. People have had good results and do like them on solid state amps as well, but once these people hear it on a Btl Hd Crack / OTL amp they will never go back.
HE 500 is not so fussy about amping but they do scale well as you incresae the amp quality. They need an amp which will output atleast 1w @ 50 ohms to shine. I found them amazing on the Meier Classic & Schiit Lyr but not so great on Woo 6 in comparison.
When i was doing my research for buying both I had read both HP threads in full & found that HE 500 are a more safer bet i.e. out of 100 people who buy the HE 500 only 10 will not like the sound whereas with the T90 , generally 20-25 will not like the sound & almost all of these people have issues with the treble (these are very approximate numbers, just to give you a general idea). If you are not planning to change your amp & you cannot audition both, then the HE 500 will be a more safer bet for you.
The above is IMHO & lot of people will have a different opinion.
I've been really enjoying my T90's with my Bottlehead Mainline. The Mainline is a whole other level detail was vs. my Crack and the T90 is capable of rendering it.
It's funny - My speedball'd Crack is more 'fun' to listen to at first blush. Good detail, great dynamics, a bit of bloom/harmonics. Mainline doesn't wow right off the bat like Crack. But just listen for awhile and you're hearing things you couldn't hear clearly with Crack. There's a solidity to notes with Mainline that comes from each note/frequency being clearly defined/separated that takes your ears/mind a bit to appreciate. Pick a line, any line and you can clearly follow it through a whole song. The other things that stands out over time is decay. On Mainline it's just.... right.
Hey guys, I have a T90 on the way and would like to know what's a good and affordable amp I could pair with it? From what I understand my Xonar DX has a decent enough DAC but I do need to invest in a dedicated amp to get the most out of it.
Since I already spent $500.00 on the headphones if possible I'd like to find an amp for $200.00 or less to keep my expenses in check before my girlfriend smothers me in my sleep. Eventually I'd like to get something like the Schiit Valhalla or even better a WA7 to pair with the T90s, but for now I think it would be best to go with something cheaper.
I've heard ppl pairing the T90s w/ the Vali with good results. I have both but haven't had them both at the same location to try it out. (T90's at work, the Vali's at home)
Build quality wold be similar for both, T90's have better finish. Both look & feel like they will last a long time without any problems. The cable on the T90's is much better than HE 500, both in looks & build. You will really have to try hard to break the T90 cable, whereas with HE 500 it wouldn't be so hard , I think. Imaging on T90 is more 3D. IMHO.
Wow really? Sorry but detachable cable always beats non-detachable cable in my book. And don't try to argue you can do a mod or pay someone to do a mod. It's like a $300 mod from Moon Audio.
Wow really? Sorry but detachable cable always beats non-detachable cable in my book. And don't try to argue you can do a mod or pay someone to do a mod. It's like a $300 mod from Moon Audio.
I was commenting on the build quality of the stock cables. I like the build quality of the T90 stock cable better than the He 500 cable. Of course detachable cable is any day better. thats why I have sent my T1's to BTG for a mini xlr detachable cable mod.
I've heard ppl pairing the T90s w/ the Vali with good results. I have both but haven't had them both at the same location to try it out. (T90's at work, the Vali's at home)
I am using the T90 with the Vali and the Valhalla in the office. I got new tubes for the Valhalla and ordered a Vali with them. Both are not fully burned in yet...my preliminary experience with them:
Vali.
Drives the T90 just fine, nice musicality and nice punch in the lower regions
Valhalla.
Mere clarity and finesse, a bit more powerful and engaging but very very minimal improvements.
So for $119 the Vali is the best way to amp the T90 on a budget. If you can afford it, go for the Valhalla. For me personally, I think I will indulge in some DIY and try the crack soon...
So for $119 the Vali is the best way to amp the T90 on a budget. If you can afford it, go for the Valhalla. For me personally, I think I will indulge in some DIY and try the crack soon...
I was commenting on the build quality of the stock cables. I like the build quality of the T90 stock cable better than the He 500 cable. Of course detachable cable is any day better. thats why I have sent my T1's to BTG for a mini xlr detachable cable mod.
It's a bit deceptive imo to not mention detachability when talking about headphone cables and durability. Same reason people care about about replaceable batteries in phones regardless of how long the stock battery lasts. Plus the T90 cable is very average. Sure it's more durable than HE-500, but it's on the same level as most headphones like M50. Doesn't even have the cloth wrap like the HD700.
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