[Slater]

I think it was.

lol ... I think the wallet is fine.

I picked up the T5 at the last sale for a little bit more, just under US$29/-. But it wasn't the most comfortable as I found the cup depth a little shallow for listening sessions.

It is possible to modify the original cups to fit / glue on aftermarket pads meant for headphones such as the HM5, but its a non-reversible mod, not something I was keen to do unless I was completely sure that I would keep them in the long term.

The T5 has probably the same 57mm drivers, I think they sound just fine especially on the commute. Not overly bassy nor bright. But that being said, not much sparkle either.
But I do appreciate that the signature is still enjoyable for long listening sessions while seated at desk doing work or reading, though I usually take out my wired headphones such as the HD6XX for home listening.

I modded my T4S to install larger 3rd party generic round pads (the same diameter Bluedio upgraded the T5 to). The mod is totally reversible, and does not destroy the stock pads. They fit cleanly and look like stock. No glue needed.

I'll bet it is possible to do the exact same thing to the T5, to bump that up to larger-than-stock pads too. Using my mod method, you can go up +10mm. So on the T4 I went from 80mm -> 90mm. Assuming the same method works on the T5, you should be able to go from 90mm -> 100mm.

And yes, the T6 uses the same 57mm driver as the T5 (and T4, T3, T2, etc). Bluedio developed the driver in-house, and they use the living snot out of it.

Personally I wish they used 50mm, because then it would be easy to transplant different drivers. I had to make 40mm-57mm custom spacers out of PVC piping to get the 40mm graphene drivers in 1 of my T3s. It would have been easier if I had access to a 3D printer, but I don't so I had to do it old school.

 

[Roderick]

40mm graphene drivers

where did you get those? Ones I've seen on ae are 50mm.

 

[Slater]

where did you get those? Ones I've seen on ae are 50mm.

I harvested them from some other headphones I got from a coworker. They were some Bluetooth headphones I had never heard of. The Bluetooth internals died so he gave them to me. The only thing worth saving was the drivers.

If you’re interested, I can try and find out the name of them.

 

[Roderick]

That would be great. Thank you! I have a lot of cups, hinges, magnets, connectors, pads etc for building headphones but I still need more good quality drivers for my builds.

 

[base08]

I've bought the Bluedio TM or also known as T-Monitor, which is kinda odd the naming considering it's a bluetooth headphone far than less optimal to do sound monitoring stuff... But at least one thing I can say, is that they have bluetooth 5.0 and confirmed by the company itself (but not referred in the the specs) is the support for AAC codec, which should be fairly good for iOS and Android Oreo phones to get a quite transparent sound signal. Also for those with the Bluedio T6 they are also compatible with AAC, though not BT 5.0 and instead BT 4.2 . The T4/T5 and older models are only supporting SBC which is quite poor compression and should be mostly used with the wire for optimal sound.

Another thing I liked about them is that they use a lot more plastic than the regular T5/T6 series, which should result in a lighter headphone making them more comfortable for extended use. Also considering the ANC in the T4/T5/T6 is not the best and degrades the SQ, it's something that won't be missed in the TM's.

Also the TM's, unlike the T4/T5/T6, have an option button to change the EQ with 3 presets: flat, mid-focused, and v-shapped. They should come standard with the flat EQ selected, probably to make justice to the Monitor naming.

They were shipped just now, so I should have them here in Belgium in a few days. I'll give some impressions by then.

 

[CardigdanWalk]

I've bought the Bluedio TM or also known as T-Monitor, which is kinda odd the naming considering it's a bluetooth headphone far than less optimal to do sound monitoring stuff... But at least one thing I can say, is that they have bluetooth 5.0 and confirmed by the company itself (but not referred in the the specs) is the support for AAC codec, which should be fairly good for iOS and Android Oreo phones to get a quite transparent sound signal. Also for those with the Bluedio T6 they are also compatible with AAC, though not BT 5.0 and instead BT 4.2 . The T4/T5 and older models are only supporting SBC which is quite poor compression and should be mostly used with the wire for optimal sound.

Another thing I liked about them is that they use a lot more plastic than the regular T5/T6 series, which should result in a lighter headphone making them more comfortable for extended use. Also considering the ANC in the T4/T5/T6 is not the best and degrades the SQ, it's something that won't be missed in the TM's.

Also the TM's, unlike the T4/T5/T6, have an option button to change the EQ with 3 presets: flat, mid-focused, and v-shapped. They should come standard with the flat EQ selected, probably to make justice to the Monitor naming.

They were shipped just now, so I should have them here in Belgium in a few days. I'll give some impressions by then.

How much was the TM in the sale again! It sounds like they might actually be better than the T6 now!

Still no shipping for me, it feels like they are doing them in reverse order, haha!

 

[Slater]

How much was the TM in the sale again! It sounds like they might actually be better than the T6 now!

Still no shipping for me, it feels like they are doing them in reverse order, haha!

Pretty sure I remember it being really cheap. Like low $20s. I could be wrong though.

 

[base08]

How much was the TM in the sale again! It sounds like they might actually be better than the T6 now!

Still no shipping for me, it feels like they are doing them in reverse order, haha!

The sale for the TM's was €17, which is mind blowing for what you get!

As for being better or not, in my understanding is that they should be similar performers, assuming the same 57mm driver usage and same AAC codec over bluetooth capabilities. Using the usb-C to 3,5mm cable with the same source, thus eliminating the internal music rendering, I wouldn't be surprised if these two headphones sound the same.

Maybe just the obvious differences in build quality "metal vs plastic" which leads to "durability vs lightness" tradeoffs. Plus the sound signature of the T6 should be more with low-end emphasis, which seems to be reinforced by the use of a better(?) amp chip called Max 97220, which I'm guessing should allow higher volume and bass impact.

As I prefer a more even sound, and lighter feeling I went with the TMs. Plus cheaper!

One thing the T6 wins for sure is on the looks, even though I also like the minimal look of the TM.

*Edit*
Here's the only video-review on the TMs at the time of this post:

 

[CardigdanWalk]

Pretty sure I remember it being really cheap. Like low $20s. I could be wrong though.

Doh! Ah well, it is what it is! Luckily I managed to find out the T6 has AAC before buying and got one of those for cheap!

Sometimes I wish AliExpress sellers won’t more time sharing specs and useful information and less time in CG images! If I knew what was shared by @base08 above I would have potentially bought more!

Does anyone know if the BS-6 also does AAC, I believe it does have Bluetooth 5.0 so that gives me hope!

 

[CardigdanWalk]

The sale for the TM's was €17, which is mind blowing for what you get!

As for being better or not, in my understanding is that they should be similar performers, assuming the same 57mm driver usage and same AAC codec over bluetooth capabilities. Using the usb-C to 3,5mm cable with the same source, thus eliminating the internal music rendering, I wouldn't be surprised if these two headphones sound the same.

Maybe just the obvious differences in build quality "metal vs plastic" which leads to "durability vs lightness" tradeoffs. Plus the sound signature of the T6 should be more with low-end emphasis, which seems to be reinforced by the use of a better(?) amp chip called Max 97220, which I'm guessing should allow higher volume and bass impact.

As I prefer a more even sound, and lighter feeling I went with the TMs. Plus cheaper!

One thing the T6 wins for sure is on the looks, even though I also like the minimal look of the TM.

*Edit*
Here's the only video-review on the TMs at the time of this post:

$17 is a bargain! Dang, yes I would of probably picked up a set to have as a throw around in my bag! Ah well!

 

[BadReligionPunk]

How much was the TM in the sale again! It sounds like they might actually be better than the T6 now!

Still no shipping for me, it feels like they are doing them in reverse order, haha!

Then I will be one of the last to get em lol. No bigs. I almost never wear headphones in the summer. Saint Louis summer is crazy humid with temp in the 90's. Way too hot a sweaty for ear muffs. Although I do say I sweat that expiration deal on Aliexpress were the order is straight up canceled if store doesn't ship in 5 days. I haven't had an order canceled yet but I have come within a few hours before store shipped. Kind of nerve racking.

 

[Slater]

Then I will be one of the last to get em lol. No bigs. I almost never wear headphones in the summer. Saint Louis summer is crazy humid with temp in the 90's. Way too hot a sweaty for ear muffs. Although I do say I sweat that expiration deal on Aliexpress were the order is straight up canceled if store doesn't ship in 5 days. I haven't had an order canceled yet but I have come within a few hours before store shipped. Kind of nerve racking.

I know it’s OT, but I recently got some KEF M500. They’re on ears (the most comfortable I’ve ever felt) and there’s NO hot ears!

Just something to think about. They were on sale for $70 shipped from Newegg ($299 list).

And they sound excellent!

 

[Roderick]

I bought Grado sr325 because of the heatwave. Foam pads breath, take a second to remove, can be rinsed if they got sweaty and after that they dry in the sun fast. That is of course hard on the pads but it cost like $5 replace them.

+1 for slaters kef impressions. Truly a great headphone.

 

[Slater]

I bought Grado sr325 because of the heatwave. Foam pads breath, take a second to remove, can be rinsed if they got sweaty and after that they dry in the sun fast. That is of course hard on the pads but it cost like $5 replace them.

+1 for slaters kef impressions. Truly a great headphone.

Good point. While the pads on the KEF are removable, they can’t be washed. And they are super proprietary, so there are no inexpensive 3rd party replacements available. You have to buy genuine replacements from KEF for $40 a pair

But they do stay way cooler on the ears than headphones with regular pleather pads. Not as cool as Grado-type sponge pads. Those are about as breathable as you’re gonna get. A lot less sub bass/bass though.

It’s all about trade offs.

I guess if I was out in 100 degree jungles or 120 degree desert, earbuds would be the best choice.

 

[Peddler]

I think that Bluedio represents excellent value for money. Whilst their headphones may not be the most accurate in the world by any stretch, I suspect their target customers are more than happy with them.

I have personally had quite a few of their headphones and with the exception of the T2's (I think - I just couldn't get them to fit comfortably) found them to be rather good - given their price point. Certainly they all appeared to be very well made, perhaps even better than some of their better known competitors at the same price point. They all featured better than average battery life, considerably higher volume levels and rather nice packaging.