I added some initial thoughts to this thread a month or so ago, but I wanted to write another post to say thank you to everyone who's posted here over the last six years. I purchased a T1.2 in March and read all the posts here while I was waiting for UPS to deliver it. I learned about spare parts, cables, amp pairings, comparisons with other top-of-the-line headphones, and
especially suggestions for music that sounded great with the T1 2nd Gen. I discovered Jack DeJohnette's
Oneness album and Lindsey Webster because of this thread, and I think both are amazing (for different reasons) on the T1.2. I have four reflections before I go back to lurking:
Looking back at the whole thread, I found it entertaining to see who kept the T1.2 in their signature and who moved on -- sometimes for reasons that are mentioned, and sometimes not. In retrospect, you can see how the T1.2 was a flagship that certain people tried and passed on, and how various other headphones came and went in the background (e.g., the Focal Elear), but I was happy to read so many posts from enthusiasts who remained passionate about their T1s.
The general consensus here seemed to be very positive about Beyerdynamic's customer service in most countries (with regret for
@RickChunter's experience above in Japan), and I also found it to be excellent. I had a problem with a T1 cable I bought from Beyer North America, and after I emailed them about it, they handled the issue to my complete satisfaction.
If you like or are even curious about opera, I think you should try an aria or two on the T1.2. The combination of superior soundstage, imaging, and especially the clarity of the treble in the T1 makes it ideal for listening to something like "When I am Laid in Earth" from Purcell's
Dido and Aeneas. And if you don't like the Baroque stuff, I think it excels with familiar classics like Verdi and Wagner, too.
While I don't always agree with Josh Valour's impressions, I thought his T1.2 review (
) was important. Zeos, DMS, and
@metal571 never specifically reviewed the T1 2nd Gen, so Josh gave the T1 its moment in the sun on a big YouTube stage. I wish he'd been able to A/B the T1.2 with its great rival the HD800/800S, or at least shoot video of the two Teutonic titans together, but to his credit he considered the T1 as what it became (by 2019): an incredible deal for a unique combination of sonic qualities. I think it remains so on the used market. The enthusiasm shown by
@nothemereviews in his unboxing (
) and subsequent comparison tests (also in 2019) was another tribute that this headphone manifestly deserved, in my opinion.
I think the T1.2 is among the last of a kind as a very-high-impedance flagship tuned (at least partially) to the diffuse field target. I'm grateful to have learned so much about it from all of you.