[punks15]

For me, even paired with a relatively mellow amp ( Graham Slees ) i didn't find the T1 boring at all

 

[zilch0md]

Hi korzena,
 
Quote:

I have encountered the 'boring' accusation two times today when I started reading about the headphone on the web. Maybe it was just bad luck or I was searching for weak points/critical opinions too much
 
I would be using T1 with my Schiit Lyr for the time being. Hopefully they would work together well, too. I will try to audition T1 with Lyr if I only have a chance.

 
I think your greatest challenge with the T1 will be getting used to the fact that your LCD-2 has been nowhere near as neutral, uncolored, transparent, or detailed as the T1.  
 
Having listened to the LCD-2 rev.1 for two years prior to getting the T1, I was startled by the differences, but I only have solid state amps, which are not as good a match for the T1's "perfection," in my opinion, as would be a tube amp or source, or when using a solid state source and amp with a tube buffer, as Focker does.
 
I know of HiFi enthusiasts who have spent in excess of $100,000 to achieve "perfection" only to be disappointed once they get there - because they find it "boring."   By way of analogy, just look at the best-selling color landscape photographs - they're anything but realistic.  They have colors that are over-saturated, the contrast is excessive, and the perspectives are often very unnatural - in other words, some of the most pleasing photographs are far from "realistic" - because reality is "boring."
 
It seems that, on the whole, among more mature Head-Fi and HiFi enthusiasts - those who have been listening and spending money the longest - personal tastes have evolved away from seeking "perfection" - away from wanting a perfectly neutral, colorless, highly detailed and transparent reproduction of their music - away from a signature that is "boring."  Their tastes have, for the most part, evolved toward a preference for euphony, warmth, and smoothness, especially in the treble - welcoming less detail rather than more, so that they can enjoy a more forgiving and musical signature rather than listening through a microscope.  
 
So, your Lyr is, in my opinion, for my tastes, probably a better match for the T1 than my solid state sources and amps, but just as the LCD-2 is not the ultimate in delivering detail, neither is your Lyr.   In other words, the Lyr, in my opinion, will be adding the color and euphony that I would prefer to hear with the T1 (to bring it closer to the signature of my LCD-2 on solid state amps), but the Lyr will be holding back a lot of detail that a good DAC could otherwise communicate to the T1.   
 
I would like to hear the T1 with something like the Apex Peak/Volcano - a hybrid that delivers some tube-like warmth and euphony, but that's known for its spectacular resolution.  
 
Mike

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

 
 
You'll hear differing opinions about every headphone known to man. Of the criticisms I've heard of the T1s, I don't recall hearing "boring" until you just mentioned it. I bought my pair after purchasing the 880/600ohm and just feeling as if they were missing something. That's not a knock on those headphones cause they have a very large following of happy users. But for me I wanted something a bit more, particularly in the mids, which I felt were a little recessed on the 880s. The T1s have hit the mark for me in that regard. I don't really find that they have one particular area where they are the "best" at something, which is okay because they do pretty much everything well. They are extremely comfortable over extended listening sessions, they have a nice, clean bottom end, and I feel both the imaging and sound stage are solid in accuracy and scope, respectively. On top of all that, they just look awesome
 
One thing you'll hear is that the really need a proper partner in terms of the amplification. There are reports that these phones will scale up with higher end amps, just as they are some pairings that yield less than satisfying results. In my situation I relied on my prior knowledge of Jan Meier (of Meier Audio in Germany) and his love for the T1s, so I went with one of his mid-range amps, the Corda Jazz. It's a great pairing that didn't break the bank and I've been very happy with it. Others have found their bliss with a Woo Audio amp, some have really liked the synergy with Burson, others have gone in different directions. 
 
So I'd try and arrange an audition if possible, and if they are to your liking - as they have been for many (many, many, many) of us, just choose the amp carefully and you'll be rewarded with many hours of sonic goodness.

Have you really found T1 having fuller mids than DT880/600 as to me this is the weakest point of otherwise wonderful cans, makes it sound "lifeless". Apparently headroom graph does not agree with that as they look stunningly alike there.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

Have you really found T1 having fuller mids than DT880/600 as to me this is the weakest point of otherwise wonderful cans, makes it sound "lifeless". Apparently headroom graph does not agree with that as they look stunningly alike there.

 
 
Yep, that graph is the main reason I wasn't confident that I'd like the T1s any better than the DT880s...and it's also a reason why I don't rely on graphs to make purchase decisions anymore lol. I had several people say that there wasn't much difference between the two headphones - and I suspect they were using this exact graph as the basis for their comment - but in my experience the T1 was a very clear step up from the first few minutes they were on my head. Just another example of two headphones with a similar FR not really sounding as alike as you'd think. YMMV, of course. 

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

 
 
Yep, that graph is the main reason I wasn't confident that I'd like the T1s any better than the DT880s...and it's also a reason why I don't rely on graphs to make purchase decisions anymore lol. I had several people say that there wasn't much difference between the two headphones - and I suspect they were using this exact graph as the basis for their comment - but in my experience the T1 was a very clear step up from the first few minutes they were on my head. Just another example of two headphones with a similar FR not really sounding as alike as you'd think. YMMV, of course. 

 
I agree with you. I didn't like the DT880s, because I thought the midrange was a little recessed, but the graph does hint at a good bump in the bottom end of the midrange. FR graphs do have some limitations, but I think this one is pretty close to fair. I prefer Tyll's measurement sheets to headroom. I think he's a little more thorough. 

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
I agree with you. I didn't like the DT880s, because I thought the midrange was a little recessed, but the graph does hint at a good bump in the bottom end of the midrange. FR graphs do have some limitations, but I think this one is pretty close to fair. I prefer Tyll's measurement sheets to headroom. I think he's a little more thorough. 

 
Oh, I'm definitely not meaning to discount the validity of the graph...I'm just saying that - for me - I've found that graphs only provide you with one piece of the sonic puzzle. There is a lot more to the presentation than just the FR, and I think the 880 v T1 is a great example. In fact, in one of the other threads I participate in (I think it was the main Grado thread), someone posted FR graphs of several Grado models and said that they all probably sound the same. I know this not to be true since I'm a huge Grado guy, but what I did was pull up some of the more popular Sennheiser headphones (the other poster's favorite brand) and it actually showed that Senns have just as much, if not more, similarity in the FR than Grados do....yet I don't know many poeple who will say that a 650 sounds like the 598, or the 800, or whatever...I don't recall which models we looked at...but the point is that two headphones can have the very same FR graphs but still sound entirely different. 
 
I agree about Tyll's work...even though he and I have completely different taste in phones, I have a lot of respect for him and his approach. He and I have seen eye to eye on some important issues on several occasions and I think he's a true asset to the head-fi and audio community. 

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Good afternoon,
 
I'm fairly new to this community but been reading over the past 2 years for insight into this future hobby. My old pair of Beyer DT-770/80's plugged into my laptop using foobar as my player is as hifi as it gets for this guy; seriously!!!
 
But now that I can afford it, I'm set on getting either a tube or solid state amp to pair with the T1's as my first headfi station. After all the research done through countless threads, I narrowed it down to a few choices.
 
For solid state:
1. B22
2. SPL Auditor
3. V181
4. Concerto or Jazz
 
Tube amps:
1. DNA Sonett 2
2. CSP2+
 
For my music preferences of Jazz Fusion (Herbie Hancock; Head Hunters; Chick Corea; Miles Davis), 70's Funk and Soul (Marvin Gaye; O'Jays; Parliament) what would be your top choice out of these amps to pair with the T1's for these genre's? Any recommendations will help?
 
Thanks in advance!

 
 
A well built Balanced B22 will go very, very well with the T1's.  That combo is the best I've heard the T1's on thus far.

 

[CorvetteGarage]

I owned T1's for almost a year before the upgrade bug bit.  Owned Audeze LCD2v2 for a couple of months before purchasing the LCD3's that I will receive tomorrow. 
I have to say, there is something special about the T1's that make me want to buy another pair- and I may do that!  My opinion, T1's with the Woo WA6SE amp and Mullard GZ34 rectifier is a killer combo. 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

I owned T1's for almost a year before the upgrade bug bit.  Owned Audeze LCD2v2 for a couple of months before purchasing the LCD3's that I will receive tomorrow. 
I have to say, there is something special about the T1's that make me want to buy another pair- and I may do that!  My opinion, T1's with the Woo WA6SE amp and Mullard GZ34 rectifier is a killer combo. 

I hold the T1s in very high regard. My pair were the first that beyer sold in Canada (and I had them for a few great years). 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

I owned T1's for almost a year before the upgrade bug bit.  Owned Audeze LCD2v2 for a couple of months before purchasing the LCD3's that I will receive tomorrow. 
I have to say, there is something special about the T1's that make me want to buy another pair- and I may do that!  My opinion, T1's with the Woo WA6SE amp and Mullard GZ34 rectifier is a killer combo. 

 
WA6-SE pairs really well with the T1, almost as good as the WA2 

 

[preproman]

The T1's also sound really good with the GS family of amps along with a well built B22.

 

[Happy Camper]

Tubes do sound good with the T-1s but after hearing them on several amps now, they are not very picky. They portray the strengths of whatever amp you use. A balanced SS amp, as preproman mentions, do make the Ts sing with all the authority and fluidity you'd expect for such a great headphone. I'd like more time with the HD-800 and them on a couple different amps at our disposal. The level of the big manufacturers flagship headphones have come quite far from their previous best dynamic drivers. I was not really a fan of the Beyer cans until the T-1. I really like them.

 

[Blisse]

I owned T1's for almost a year before the upgrade bug bit.  Owned Audeze LCD2v2 for a couple of months before purchasing the LCD3's that I will receive tomorrow. 
I have to say, there is something special about the T1's that make me want to buy another pair- and I may do that!  My opinion, T1's with the Woo WA6SE amp and Mullard GZ34 rectifier is a killer combo. 

I hold the T1s in very high regard. My pair were the first that beyer sold in Canada (and I had them for a few great years). 

:3


In regards to the DT880 and T1 topic. The DT880s don't fit my head, the T1s fit my head. Can't argue with that logic. XD They make me feel like I'm done upgrading, but I'm sure in a few years things might change :d

 

[Rawdawg3234]

WA6-SE pairs really well with the T1, almost as good as the WA2 

I disagree. I had a hard time switching to the wa6se from my HP-P1. I hated my portable setup till I plugged in the t1's. what a combination for me! The woo just seemed a little off to me with the t1's , almost stagnant. I've tried many different tubes and just can't seem to match anything for them.
Any suggestions for tubes?

 

[Dubstep Girl]

i use raytheon 6ew7 and sophia princess (though i've been using the 596 alot more) with the T1.
 
to me with the WA6-SE, it sounds more detailed with a wider soundstage and a bit better imaging vs. the WA2, but loses a bit of warmth and emotion to the sound. i'm extremely happy with either setup, the WA6-SE sounds very pure and very clear to me, the WA2 is more intimate and smooth. of course, everyone's ears are different, what did you find wrong with the WA6-SE (what do you mean by stagnant)