New Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd generation

[TexasBuck]

 
I have mostly used the T5p with my DX80, QP1R, X5 II and AK100 Mk2 DAPs (the first two are pretty powerful) and occasionally with Centrance DACPort HD. It was also tested with Chord Mojo. On all occassions the general dry and cold sound signature didn't change much.

Interesting.  The T5p's certainly aren't going to get any better with different equipment than you've been using.  I guess our ears are just hearing things differently or we have different preferences. 

 

[Frozen Rat]

I'm back with more time with the T5p on my head and I have some changes to my opinion:
 
They leak worse than I said they do. Oh well, guess they aren't for all portable situations. That said, unless you have the volume pegged they aren't likely to get a lot of negative attention from those close by. The isolate decently, that part is still true.
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around a couple of comments calling them "lifeless." I've been listening for that impression and I've decided it's just not true -- for me. Those who feel that way know their own ears of course. 
 
Here's how I feel about the sound. It's kind of like how different guitars sound. Some are clear and bell-like, others are fatter sounding and maybe even what you'd call muddy. Those that are smoothed out are like Gibson Les Pauls. The Beyer T5p then is a Fender Stratocaster. Very clear, bell-like, crisp sound. It's freaking sensational rendering Blues music. If I can listen to old Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughn and feel it in my soul, then they are not lifeless.
 
I do appreciate the negative opinions, they seem to have driven the used price into the basement. I picked up mine for the same price people are paying for Audeze Sine and these are superior by a country mile to those. The Sines isolate better though so I'm keeping those too.

 

[doraymon]

I'm back with more time with the T5p on my head and I have some changes to my opinion:

They leak worse than I said they do. Oh well, guess they aren't for all portable situations. That said, unless you have the volume pegged they aren't likely to get a lot of negative attention from those close by. The isolate decently, that part is still true.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a couple of comments calling them "lifeless." I've been listening for that impression and I've decided it's just not true -- for me. Those who feel that way know their own ears of course. 

Here's how I feel about the sound. It's kind of like how different guitars sound. Some are clear and bell-like, others are fatter sounding and maybe even what you'd call muddy. Those that are smoothed out are like Gibson Les Pauls. The Beyer T5p then is a Fender Stratocaster. Very clear, bell-like, crisp sound. It's freaking sensational rendering Blues music. If I can listen to old Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughn and feel it in my soul, then they are not lifeless.

I do appreciate the negative opinions, they seem to have driven the used price into the basement. I picked up mine for the same price people are paying for Audeze Sine and these are superior by a country mile to those. The Sines isolate better though so I'm keeping those too.

I can't wait mine to arrive and compare them AB to the Ether C Flow.

 

[Frozen Rat]

I can't wait mine to arrive and compare them AB to the Ether C Flow.

That is a comparison I want to hear about.

 

[shurealltheway]

Got a question. The only thing that worries me about these headphones is sibilance. How would you compare the treble on these to say Grado's like the 60's, 80's, 325's for example? I find Grado's to be a little too bright for me. Thanks in advance!

 

[DoctaCosmos]

no one has mentioned any siblance issues at alL

 

[svemo]

Unfortunately I can't compare them to the aforementioned Grado headphones, however, I do or did have some rather sibilant headphones.

Comparing them to Audio Technica WS99 (very sibilant at high volumes), M50 or Dunu Dn2000J, the treble is very smooth, also on poorly mastered music. So no, neither from my Phone (Meizu Pro 5, ESS9018k2m) nor Dragonfly Red did I experience any hiss or sibilance yet.

However, their tuning is a bit bright in general and I do need to take a break every few hours when I listen to them for a whole day on lower/normal volume levels. But I guess that is rather attributed to the enormous amount of information and resolution you are exposed to while listening to these, thus a normal "fatigue" effect.
Even though they were much less detailed, I also experienced that effect on "warmer" headphones like my PSB M4U2.
I hope that helps!

 

[shurealltheway]

no one has mentioned any siblance issues at all.
Good news is I'm in line for the ampandsound Kenzie loaner program!

Unfortunately I can't compare them to the aforementioned Grado headphones, however, I do or did have some rather sibilant headphones.

Comparing them to Audio Technica WS99 (very sibilant at high volumes), M50 or Dunu Dn2000J, the treble is very smooth, also on poorly mastered music. So no, neither from my Phone (Meizu Pro 5, ESS9018k2m) nor Dragonfly Red did I experience any hiss or sibilance yet.

However, their tuning is a bit bright in general and I do need to take a break every few hours when I listen to them for a whole day on lower/normal volume levels. But I guess that is rather attributed to the enormous amount of information and resolution you are exposed to while listening to these, thus a normal "fatigue" effect.
Even though they were much less detailed, I also experienced that effect on "warmer" headphones like my PSB M4U2.
I hope that helps!

Thank you all! Much appreciated!

 

[doraymon]

That is a comparison I want to hear about.

Today I spent 30 minutes with both the T5p 2.gen and the Ether C Flow.
Source was my HTC10 playing FLAC 96/24 tracks with UAPP, to a Chord MOJO.

Not enough time for a real review but here are my first impressions.
Both cans deliver a quite neutral sound signature with the T5p being a tad brighter, although never sibilant.
Having said that, the Ether are clearly a step further towards a more realistic, 3D, detailed and involving sound.
The difference was not night and day tough, so whether the improvements are worth the price difference is a very subjective matter.

It's hard to understand the criticism I read of the T5p being boring. This is one hell of a headphone! Is it the best sounding closed back to my ears?
No. The Ether C Flow is.

 

[TJ Max]

It's hard to understand the criticism I read of the T5p being boring. This is one hell of a headphone! Is it the best sounding closed back to my ears?
No. The Ether C Flow is.

 
What I had realized when I got mine is that the T5p 2 sounds better amped. Without the amp it is dull and kinda boring. It seems to perform better with good voltage rather than just current. When people see the word portable, they think they can just plug it right in to their phones. Which you can since it's been designed for that but the problem is that most phones aren't meant for hifi or premium components so have poor fidelity and weak power output.  Your HTC 10 or a LG V20 will sound good enough because the engineers were putting more effort in to the sound quality than usual for a phone, but not too many people are buying $700-$800 phones. So they are not getting the power they need for T5p. 
My sources have been my LG V20, FiiO X7 with the AM5 amp, Oppo HA-2, and Fii0 E-18, and my Beyerdynamic A2, and the T5p sounds really good. But I admit not great for electronic or EDM.

 

[svemo]

@tjmax: i've read that Beyers phones are intended to be used with an amp with higher output impedance. How did it change with different amps? Did you achieve a little "warmer"/"fuller" sound signature with the A2? How well did it work with the bass boosts of both HA2 and fiio e18 (if you have tried it)?
I'm generally really pleased with the phone, although I have to admit that the new toy syndrome has worn off a little and I might be more critical now. Sometimes, especially if I'm listening deep house tracks or other electronic music, I would wish for some more midbass and heft in the lower registers.
I'm currently using it with a Dragonfly Red equalize it sometimes, but I guess some other amps might be a better combination.

 

[shurealltheway]

@tjmax: i've read that Beyers phones are intended to be used with an amp with higher output impedance. How did it change with different amps? Did you achieve a little "warmer"/"fuller" sound signature with the A2? How well did it work with the bass boosts of both HA2 and fiio e18 (if you have tried it)?
I'm generally really pleased with the phone, although I have to admit that the new toy syndrome has worn off a little and I might be more critical now. Sometimes, especially if I'm listening deep house tracks or other electronic music, I would wish for some more midbass and heft in the lower registers.
I'm currently using it with a Dragonfly Red equalize it sometimes, but I guess some other amps might be a better combination.

Why would you buy headphones that boast about a relatively flat response and neutrality and then be disappointed because they don't have a mid bass bump? If that's what you want and that's the type of music you listen to, it seems you could have chosen a better pair of headphones for that sound; maybe something like the B & W P9's. I'm not criticizing, just curious.

 

[svemo]

I'm also just curious, wondering if the Dragonfly is a good match. Don't get me wrong, I really like the T5P on like 80% of my other music, especially classic music and rock It's a fantastic headphone and I wouldn't want to miss its great soundstage and resolution (which often is a tradeoff with warmer cans). Maybe I should save some money on a second headphone like the suggested ones. I guess I was just used to a little bit warmer sound signature, coming from PSB M4U2

 

[shurealltheway]

I'm also just curious, wondering if the Dragonfly is a good match. Don't get me wrong, I really like the T5P on like 80% of my other music, especially classic music and rock It's a fantastic headphone and I wouldn't want to miss its great soundstage and resolution (which often is a tradeoff with warmer cans). Maybe I should save some money on a second headphone like the suggested ones. I guess I was just used to a little bit warmer sound signature, coming from PSB M4U2

I've never heard the PSB M4u2's, but I'm a former owner of the PSB M4u1's, and I feel like they were a pretty neutral headphone, too. The highs on the T5P's are just as detailed, but a little smoother and a little less strident. I haven't owned the T5P's very long, but they're incredibly well balanced and I'm liking them a lot. They're everything I hoped the P9's would be. But the P9's had that annoying mid bass hump that I hate and you want! Haha.
It's too soon to say, yet, but I may have finally found a closed back headphone that can keep up or even surpass my Shure 1540's. Time will tell.
Anyway, you're one of many people on here that swayed me to try these because of some of your posts that I read. And I'm thankful for that because these are really comfortable and really competent cans :thumbsup_tone2:

 

[Frozen Rat]

In my opinion the Beyer T5p.2 is one of the very best closed HPs available. The Ether C Flow is better (dunno about the non-flow version, never heard it).
 
The T5p.2 sounds very good without an amp, thus it's very good when you don't want to, or can't drag along even a portable amp. There are times when even my Mojo doesn't go with me but I never feel deprived as long as I have the T5p.2s.
 
The MrSpeakers are measurably better but the street price is 3x the T5p. You'll pay $1800 to get the ECF but you can find a T5p.2 for $500 if you know where to look. I don't think I'll be taking the ECFs out and about. I'd be too conscious of them getting scratched, lost, stolen, etc. Whereas with the T5p.2 I'm not constantly worrying about those things. 
 
If you want the best, the very best that can actually run off an iPhone, the Ether C Flow is it as far as I can tell (I'm ruling out open-backed cans in this statement, we're talking only closed here). The Ethers do indeed work even up to loud levels off i-devices and computers. But if you want something very good for a lot less money, the T5p.2 (I don't know what the .1 sounds like).
 
For those of you looking for great sound in a closed can in the $500 mark, the T5p.2 should serve you well. A few people here don't like it, calling it lifeless and boring. I'll tell you this though, I do get whiffs of that from time to time but as I burn them in (mine had 0 hours on them when I got them) they have grown warmer sounding all around.
 
Here's a bit more micro-detail: I've loved these on every Pink Floyd song I've played. I've found them not as nice sounding on some Rolling Stones songs. They handle opera with aplomb (fancy word there for the fancy music). They sound warmer on my Chord Mojo than straight from the phone or computer, but only by just a hair. They can be pretty punch on some songs: I'll be listening along all relaxed and a song will come on with the just the right frequencies and these things will come alive with all kinds of tight, punchy mid-range and mid-bass on the right songs. These HPs sound really good with Blues music, for whatever reason, they just have the right tones for it. Some old rock songs I've played through it didn't inspire much though, like some Moody Blues music sounded just OK.
 
They are built well, they are comfortable and the cord is really nice and doesn't tangle. It's also replaceable if you're one of those cord-guys/gals who likes to try different ones.