Been wanting to try the t1.2 for some while, having had the t1.1 for my "good" BDs.
I finally acquired a t1.2 with just the right amount of run-in mileage...
Have been doing a side-by-side,(stop the music, switch, restart and listen over the same 20 seconds), so that I can evaluate the differences fairly precisely.
I am listening to Anders Miolin performances of Villa-Lobos solo guitar works, so it's all classical acoustic guitar, where one can hear the finger squeaks on the strings and have a range of lows and highs to listen to, including resounding chords and rapid finger arpeggios...
What I am finding after doing so, is this:
The T1.1's are very slightly more "crisp and detailed sounding" in the treble. Good mids and bass, but a little clinical/analytical sounding, perhaps. An apt phrase for the way these sound might be to describe it as being "pleasantly tart".
The T1.2's are very slightly more lush/deep, with just slightly less detail in the trebles. Very pleasing...if we employ a similarly apt phrase as before, I might go with, "mildly sweetened but with the same tart flavour". They are NOT bass-heavy. I am really sensitive to, and against, "bass-heavy", so I would really notice it instantly if it were the case....
Neither have any lag or slowness in response with fast fingerings.
The fingering sounds seem a bit more present and "live" with the T1.1's. But not much. I think that persons who find string squeaks annoying/harsh might prefer the version 2's, although one does hear the "live" details with them, just not as forwardly, IMO.
Both present the mid and lower ranges very accurately, but, as mentioned, I believe that the version 1's seem a slight amount more clinical/analytical, to my ear. It's not about accuracy...they both present everything that is there in the performance, but things like the treble squeaks and rubs of finger on string seem a bit recessed in the v2's when compared instantly against the v1's performance of the same several bars of music.
I have compared the 2 'phones on 2 amps:
The JDS Labs Element
The Woo WA6.
Thus, we hear them on both solid state and tube. The differences mentioned above remain rather constant, although the version 1 sense of "harshness",(with the organic squeaks and rubs of strings), is nicely lessened by the tube amp, and, of course, they become a little less clinical sounding. But so does the v2...WITHOUT any mushyness or lessening of detail becoming apparent in the v2 at the same time.
I can say this about that;
I think that both phones just sound better,with classical music, on the WA6....which makes sonic sense when listening to any acoustic music. I believe that the WA6 is a better pairing with both versions than the JDS Element for classical music. But I am, at first listen, enjoying electronically produced music better on the Element than with the WA6, with both versions, for rather obvious reasons. Clearly, here's a case of the right amp for the job.
I chose the classical guitar music as my comparison material simply because it's quite detailed and easy for sorting the analytical sounding from the lush, I am familiar with classical music and what it shows me, and I think that these selections are very good for exposing weakness and strength in a set of high-end headphones.
I am sure that, over time, I will see myself using each version for different musics. Neither version would fail to do justice to a certain selection, but the nuance differences are JUST ENOUGH that, since I can keep both in my inventory, I will find myself employing each a bit differently. Like, the v1s might be best used with electronically produced music,and solo performance,(and where the recording itself is flawless because any sibilances or hisses will be presented sans mercí), while the v2's will be WONDERFUL with group performances, vocal music,(we don't really need to hear just EVERYTHING a throat does too forwardly, so we?), and in cases where a SLIGHT forgiveness for media is needed. But it can't be much, as the v2's are still quite transparent, absolutely!
So, there's my take, my personal appreciation of how these two versions of the T1 sound.
I hope it helps people who are on the fence, about which version, to make up their mind. Might not be a big enough difference to matter, for a several-hundred dollar difference in price tag, for some/most folks. The best of BD T1's is present in BOTH sets of cans.
I, myself, like transparent, accurate, and rather clarifying headphones, so I have always liked the T1's, and I like these both, albeit, slightly differently.
The differences are subtle... and neither choice is a mistake. If you've a WA6,(or beyond, but I LOVE my WA6's!)..... any flaws you believe the version 1 to have will be defeated by the more organic sound and somewhat mellowing influence that the correct tube combo offers.
But then...there's THAT. That TUBE thing.....