I guess I need help with my Beyer T1's
Apr 22, 2013 at 3:12 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

ematthews

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I guess I am going to need a better source amp for my Beyerdynamic T1's..
Gear
  Emotiva XPA-2
Emotiva UPA
Emotiva ERC-2
Emotiva XDA-1
 
Marantz PM8004   I USE THIS MOST connect right to the headphone out. I have found it sounds better than my two headphone amps below.
 
Headphone amps.
Bellari HA540
JDS Labs O2 
 
 
Here is the new test. I just got some Audio Technica ATH M50
 
Hooked up to my Marantz PM8004 headphone out
AT sounds really good in the bass and highs. The Beyers do have a more airy sound and VOICES ARE WAY BETTER...But here is my issue. The Beryers DON'T sound much better than my $110.00 AT... Now I paid right at a grand for the Beyer and I would think the sound would be way better.. I have read I NEED the right amp.
Is there any amp out there besides the Soloist that will make these T1's sing to their potential? I don't have the funds for that high price amp right now and may not in the future if the economy doesn't turn around in my job field... Help!

 
Apr 23, 2013 at 9:31 AM Post #2 of 16
NO one out here has any suggestions?
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 9:40 AM Post #4 of 16
I like the sound, it's just not a huge impact like I thought it would be. For the price I was expecting a lot. I have read that there are only two amps out there that get the full sound out of these. However both amps are near a grand. Soloist and the woo audio.
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 8:19 PM Post #5 of 16
Quote:
I like the sound, it's just not a huge impact like I thought it would be. For the price I was expecting a lot. I have read that there are only two amps out there that get the full sound out of these. However both amps are near a grand. Soloist and the woo audio.

 
I've read that some new HD-800 owners feel the same way.
 
The Objective2 gets the full sound out of any (in-production) Beyer or Sennheiser. It's far from the only neutral amp on the market but they'll all give you exactly the same results: You'll hear how your headphones really sound. There's no substance to any claim to the contrary.
 
The Soloist and/or Woo may or may not add some coloration you'll find more pleasing than the unadorned sound produced by a neutral amp. I certainly don't know if they do this.
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 8:37 PM Post #6 of 16
So I take it that there should be no difference between the o2 and the Soloist.. Wonder why there are so many different reveiews that say you need the right amp.. Guess I don't understand this much.
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 10:01 PM Post #7 of 16
The soloist is a quite neutral amp. I have't done an A/B comparison vs the O2 and soloist but i have no doubts about its performance for the price. 
 
Some amps do not have the qualities to bring out the potential of certain headphones, that's why you need to find the right one. 
 
There's a budget version of the Soloist with similar sonic characteristics:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/649113/new-burson-soloist-sl-headphone-amp
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 11:03 PM Post #8 of 16
Quote:
So I take it that there should be no difference between the o2 and the Soloist.. Wonder why there are so many different reveiews that say you need the right amp.. Guess I don't understand this much.

No, there is going to be a difference, most likely a large one.
 
Apr 23, 2013 at 11:08 PM Post #9 of 16
Quote:
Some amps do not have the qualities to bring out the potential of certain headphones, that's why you need to find the right one.

 
That's my opinion, too. However, the poster has an O2 which can easily provide the T1 with what it requires.
 
[...]
The soloist is a quite neutral amp. I have't done an A/B comparison vs the O2 and soloist but i have no doubts about its performance for the price. 
[...]


 
 
That sound make it a bad choice for the OP. It will sound the same, a sound which he seemed to dislike. (I suspect, without any personal experience, that a warm-sounding tube amp might suit.)
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM Post #10 of 16
Quote:
 
That's my opinion, too. However, the poster has an O2 which can easily provide the T1 with what it requires.
 
 
 
 
That sound make it a bad choice for the OP. It will sound the same, a sound which he seemed to dislike. (I suspect, without any personal experience, that a warm-sounding tube amp might suit.)

 
I'm not saying they will sound the same. Just wanted to highlight one aspect of the sound of this amp, not to mention the organic sound with a hint of warmth. 
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 12:23 AM Post #11 of 16
Looking in the main T1 thread, I think that most people prefer the T1 with amps that are warmer than neutral (and warmer than the O2). A not too expensive solid state choice could be the Matrix M-Stage, but the most popular option seems to be OTL (output transformer-less) tube amps. A really good option seems to be Woo WA2, but others are the La Figaro 339 or the Woo WA3. 
 
Beyerdynamic A1, the amp they built to go with the T1, has an output impedance of 120 Ohm, which is very high, but similar to many OTL tube amps. This makes the amp unsuitable for many other headphones, but gives it a certain synergy with high-impedance headphones like the T1. 
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 12:36 AM Post #12 of 16
Quote:
Quote:
 
That's my opinion, too. However, the poster has an O2 which can easily provide the T1 with what it requires.
 
That sound make it a bad choice for the OP. It will sound the same, a sound which he seemed to dislike. (I suspect, without any personal experience, that a warm-sounding tube amp might suit.)

 
I'm not saying they will sound the same. Just wanted to highlight one aspect of the sound of this amp, not to mention the organic sound with a hint of warmth. 

 
The definition of a neutral (a/k/a transparent) amp is one which doesn't alter the signal (at least audibly). Neutral doesn't mean 'good' and non-neutral doesn't mean 'bad'. It's not a value judgement. If two amps don't sound the same, one or both isn't neutral.
 
Maybe one of the other recommendations here would be a good choice. Unfortunately, the reviews are hard to interpret. I read 'quite neutral' but also 'hint of warmth'. Unfortunately, these are directly contradictory, so maybe the OP can audition some other amplifiers locally. The only sure thing is that if a listener doesn't like one neutral amp, she won't like any neutral amp.
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 3:22 AM Post #13 of 16
Another thing to keep in mind is that no headphones are perfectly neutral (if that's what we're even after). That means that an absolutely neutral amp will do nothing to "help" the headphone even out its various ups and downs in the frequency curve. That's one of the reasons why it can be a good idea to pair a specific headphone with a specific amp, such as the T1 with the Woo WA2.
 
Of course, maybe absolute neutrality isn't what the OP is after, but simply great sound to enjoy his music. That could certainly be had with the T1 - probably with a warmer amp - or with a different headphone. It could be that a closed headphone would be better, or even planars, like the HE500. I've had both the D5000 and HE500, and both were easier to like initially than the T1 (warm, fun, impactful bass), but the T1 is more detailed and will in all likelyhood scale higher with the right equipment (as it should, given the price). 
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 5:45 AM Post #14 of 16
Some of the best amps for T1 are SPL's Auditor respectively Phonitor.
I've auditioned quite a lot combinations so far, but this one has ultimate synergy.
 
The Auditor/Phonitor drive the T1 effortless, with absolute control. They are designed to drive high impendance phones. Their max. power is 1.7W at 600 Ω.
The sound is neutral, or better "real". I listen to classical music mostly and go to concerts and opera app. twice monthly.
What i hear from T1/SPL is quite near to reality.
Also fascinating is the huge soundstage. Its the largest I've ever heard with any amp. It really gets three-dimensional, far away from your forehad.
 
Please have a look here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/595632/review-spl-auditor
or here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/437390/spl-phonitor-roll-call-appreciation-thread
 
Apr 24, 2013 at 9:41 AM Post #15 of 16
Quote:
 
 Unfortunately, the reviews are hard to interpret. I read 'quite neutral' but also 'hint of warmth'. Unfortunately, these are directly contradictory, so maybe the OP can audition some other amplifiers locally. 

 
"Neutral with a hint of warmth" i don't see anything contradictory there. 
 
Of course, it will be a great idea if the OP listen to the mentioned gear on this thread. 
 

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