[JAnonymous5150]

Looks like I slept through our deployment time... binging The Terminal List while quaffing multiple glasses of white wine provided me with the initial enthusiasm to be part of a special ops team, and the subsequent reminder of my lack of enthusiasm for early starts I hope @Terriero or @Nostoi at least made it out for some reconnaissance!

Rough start, eh? You guys have a lot of work to do if you're gonna become the kind of elite fighting force that can take on angry and highly motivated spouses intent on preventing financial ruin or their family's appearance on an episode of hoarders.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Absolutely I would be interested in your impressions, t5 certainly deserves more love imo

Hey bro, so I didn't end up having time to pickup the T5s until today and, aside from a brief listen to make sure they were working properly, I haven't gotten to listen to them yet, but you better believe I'll be giving them several hours of headtime tonight. Just wanted to update you.

The plan is to post impressions either tomorrow evening or Friday depending on how much listening time I get with them.

I will say that even the short listen I did with them on my portable rig was a nice surprise. The T5s certainly have character and might not be for everyone, but I think they have potential so I'm really looking forward to sitting down with them and giving them a real whirl over a dedicate listening sesh.

 

[cantcacheme]

Hey bro, so I didn't end up having time to pickup the T5s until today and, aside from a brief listen to make sure they were working properly, I haven't gotten to listen to them yet, but you better believe I'll be giving them several hours of headtime tonight. Just wanted to update you.

The plan is to post impressions either tomorrow evening or Friday depending on how much listening time I get with them.

I will say that even the short listen I did with them on my portable rig was a nice surprise. The T5s certainly have character and might not be for everyone, but I think they have potential so I'm really looking forward to sitting down with them and giving them a real whirl over a dedicate listening sesh.

Thanks for the update;

Honestly I think your portable rig is the best usage scenario for them. Their ease of drivability and excellent noise isolation, also rock-solid build quality and compact design make them ideal for this type of listening. They do scale with better gear, like most good headphones, but perhaps not on the level of more 'reference' type headphones.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Thanks for the update;

Honestly I think your portable rig is the best usage scenario for them. Their ease of drivability and excellent noise isolation, also rock-solid build quality and compact design make them ideal for this type of listening. They do scale with better gear, like most good headphones, but perhaps not on the level of more 'reference' type headphones.

I just meant that I'm looking forward to getting to listen to them in a better environment tonight and to get the chance to work out the best audio chain for them. They did indeed sound pretty good through my ifi Gryphon for the minute or so I took to test functionality.

 

[cantcacheme]

I just meant that I'm looking forward to getting to listen to them in a better environment tonight and to get the chance to work out the best audio chain for them. They did indeed sound pretty good through my ifi Gryphon for the minute or so I took to test functionality.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. You have quite a lot of source gears so it will certainly help any interested parties identify a good pairing for them.

 

[Kevintj604]

I own a few of the heavy hitters in the closed back department and listened to a lot more I don't think I've heard a better value for money than this combo.

A&K KANN Alpha -> iFi Gryphon w/ XBass II -> Meze PCUHD -> Audeze SINE -> Vesper Lambskin Over Ear Pads

SINE's are selling right now for around $250 and the Vesper Pads are only $100. These destroy the Sundara Closed. I don't know another closed back that comes close to these even at double the price.

 

[Mhog55]

I own a few of the heavy hitters in the closed back department and listened to a lot more I don't think I've heard a better value for money than this combo.

A&K KANN Alpha -> iFi Gryphon w/ XBass II -> Meze PCUHD -> Audeze SINE -> Vesper Lambskin Over Ear Pads

SINE's are selling right now for around $250 and the Vesper Pads are only $100. These destroy the Sundara Closed. I don't know another closed back that comes close to these even at double the price.

Different strokes and subjective preferences. I thought they were one of the worst headphones I've ever heard.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. You have quite a lot of source gears so it will certainly help any interested parties identify a good pairing for them.

Dude, I haven't had time to do a write-up on my impressions of the T5 Gen3 yet, but I have really been diggin' them quite a bit. They definitely aren't for everybody and they have a unique funky flavor, but in the right situations they can be a very fun listen.

The low end can be a bit much at times and when things get too complicated for it on a track it can start to lose some control and get a little muddy/congested, but not much. The mids are nice and smooth with plenty of detail and a touch of warmth. The treble gives you good extension and detail, but it does occasionally get to be a bit too much, though that mostly only applies to tracks that tend towards sibiliance to begin with that I don't listen to very often.

Give them something with a funky walking bassline or some driving, dynamic drums pushing the song, let the T5s settle into a rhythm, and you have a very fun, high energy listen. I'm surprised these don't get recommended, or at least mentioned, more often in threads with people asking for recs on bassier hadphones that maintain good mid range, treble, and details. I would think they'd have more fans using them in just that kind of situation.

Thanks for giving me the heads up on these as a decent trade to take in. I moved a headphone that just wasn't cutting it for me and got these and a bit of cash back. I'll take that win any day!

 

[cantcacheme]

Dude, I haven't had time to do a write-up on my impressions of the T5 Gen3 yet, but I have really been diggin' them quite a bit. They definitely aren't for everybody and they have a unique funky flavor, but in the right situations they can be a very fun listen.

The low end can be a bit much at times and when things get too complicated for it on a track it can start to lose some control and get a little muddy/congested, but not much. The mids are nice and smooth with plenty of detail and a touch of warmth. The treble gives you good extension and detail, but it does occasionally get to be a bit too much, though that mostly only applies to tracks that tend towards sibiliance to begin with that I don't listen to very often.

Give them something with a funky walking bassline or some driving, dynamic drums pushing the song, let the T5s settle into a rhythm, and you have a very fun, high energy listen. I'm surprised these don't get recommended, or at least mentioned, more often in threads with people asking for recs on bassier hadphones that maintain good mid range, treble, and details. I would think they'd have more fans using them in just that kind of situation.

Thanks for giving me the heads up on these as a decent trade to take in. I moved a headphone that just wasn't cutting it for me and got these and a bit of cash back. I'll take that win any day!

No problem, glad to hear you enjoy them.

I absolutely agree with your impressions, especially on it being an acquired taste; it doesn't even try to be reference or neutral, it just does its own thing and as a result creates its own niche of sorts.

 

[SHAMuuu]

No problem, glad to hear you enjoy them.

I absolutely agree with your impressions, especially on it being an acquired taste; it doesn't even try to be reference or neutral, it just does its own thing and as a result creates its own niche of sorts.

Are there any impressions with velour on them?

Because the switch from leather to pleather on gen 2/3, .. I have exp with beyer pleather (dt100 , dt150, dt480, dt48)

I don't know I'm not a fan of beyer pleather relative to real leather. And the cups seem different from older beyers.

With gen 2 slapped on the coolmax from 1770.

Curious if the coolmax would work with gen 3.

Coolmax is very similar feel to the limited edition "black velour" Not as velvety as those precious silver velour on the classics.

 

[Kevintj604]

Different strokes and subjective preferences. I thought they were one of the worst headphones I've ever heard.

Not sure if you heard them with the stock pads (which are on-ear) or with the Vesper Pads (over-ear). With the Vesper I absolutely love them. The way that Metal571 & Tyll describes them is exactly how I hear them. I think they sound awesome for the price.

The Sundara closed is one of the worst closed backs I’ve heard so I guess it’s just subjective.

 

[dougms3]

Not sure if you heard them with the stock pads (which are on-ear) or with the Vesper Pads (over-ear). With the Vesper I absolutely love them. The way that Metal571 & Tyll describes them is exactly how I hear them. I think they sound awesome for the price.

The Sundara closed is one of the worst closed backs I’ve heard so I guess it’s just subjective.

Sometimes, an earpad change can make all difference in the world.

I have a set of vesper pads on my focal clears. They were originally made for my Sony z7m2 but the leather was so thick, I couldn't get the mounting ring to slot in with them on so I tried them on the clears. Love them, wish I could have a set for every headphone.

 

[Mhog55]

Not sure if you heard them with the stock pads (which are on-ear) or with the Vesper Pads (over-ear). With the Vesper I absolutely love them. The way that Metal571 & Tyll describes them is exactly how I hear them. I think they sound awesome for the price.

The Sundara closed is one of the worst closed backs I’ve heard so I guess it’s just subjective.

I bought them with the vesper pads and rings attached. Also tried them with the stock pads, which was indeed worse.
They sounded very dry and dull from my experience, and both sub and mid bass were majorly lacking, several notches below neutral. The upper mids and lower treble were rather peaky from memory.
I didn't own any great sources at the time. It was a while ago, but I think I had just purchased the Hiby R5, and also tried it with the Orioles ba300s attached.

 

[Kevintj604]

I bought them with the vesper pads and rings attached. Also tried them with the stock pads, which was indeed worse.
They sounded very dry and dull from my experience, and both sub and mid bass were majorly lacking, several notches below neutral. The upper mids and lower treble were rather peaky from memory.
I didn't own any great sources at the time. It was a while ago, but I think I had just purchased the Hiby R5, and also tried it with the Orioles ba300s attached.

That's more than likely the difference. I'm adding a +5db sub bass boost and +3db mid bass boost in the iFi Gryphon XBass II functionality. The Gryphon is also quite warm in the mids which also takes away from what you're describing as peaky. These now are an all day listen and lean a bit more warm of neutral.

Tyll and Metal both EQ'd the SINE to be more of how im hearing them and both added sub bass shelves. Even Audeze adds a +5db bass shelf in the Cipher Cable's DSP so I think these are meant to be EQ'd or add an analog filter like XBass for them to sound the way Audeze intended.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

That's more than likely the difference. I'm adding a +5db sub bass boost and +3db mid bass boost in the iFi Gryphon XBass II functionality. The Gryphon is also quite warm in the mids which also takes away from what you're describing as peaky. These now are an all day listen and lean a bit more warm of neutral.

Tyll and Metal both EQ'd the SINE to be more of how im hearing them and both added sub bass shelves. Even Audeze adds a +5db bass shelf in the Cipher Cable's DSP so I think these are meant to be EQ'd or add an analog filter like XBass for them to sound the way Audeze intended.

I don't get it. How does the user have to EQ to make headphones sound the way Audeze intended?

EQ is supposed to be used to correct sonic defects. At the price Audeze cans are selling at, I don't expect EQ to be necessary. I have only 2 pair and they're fine as-is.