[Focker]

Quote:

 
Thanks. I'm using Harbeth SHL5 driven by NAC202/NAP200, regarded to be the some of the worst sounding amps by few folks in the wacky Naim community.
 
 
In my correspondence with Jan Meier, I suggested it is unlikely that hair is trapped or has gone through the protective mesh of the headphones as the gaps are really tiny. Another possibility that Jan suggested is a connecting wire inside the earcup that may have contributed to the rattling sound. Anyway I have decided to keep the T1s as the rattling sound will only be heard at higher volume levels with certain tracks. Since I do not have any experience with the assembly of a headphone(don't know where to locate the screws to disassemble the T1), confidence level is low as I might mess up rather than make things right. Nevertheless, will attempt something later on. As the way it is right now, there will not be any rattling sound when listening at normal volume levels(8 to 9 o'clock on the volume dial). It is only at short-term (unrecommended) head banging sessions the rattling sound will be heard. 
 
I have also decided to stick with the T1s and disregard the HD800s as I find the sound of the T1s to be just right for my listening preferences. The neutral, warm and full sound of the T1 is crucial in contributing to its musicality and listenability. I do not find the T1s to be excessively warm or muddled as some might have suggested. As a matter of fact I find them to sound slightly lean(or clinical) with certain music or recordings. As such, I can imagine the HD800 to sound even thinner and more analytical, something that I may not be able to live with in the long run.
 
On a separate matter, as good as the T1(or any other stellar headphones) gets, I still find something unnatural with headphone listening although I am now able to listen to the T1s for more than an hour in a single session(initially only for 5-10 minutes before it gets uncomfortable). To cut a long story short, I find the loudspeaker-based system to be more fulfilling and enjoyable.

 
 
Did Jan not offer to swap out your pair? 
 
Also, you're exactly right that headphones are a different listening experience than speakers...something you may want to try if you haven't already is engaging the crossfeed on your Jazz. It's a very subtle enhancement, but if you leave it engaged a while and then turn it off, you'll probably notice when it's not there anymore. I leave mine engaged all the time cause I like the effect...just something you may want to play around with. 
 
Glad you're sticking with the T1s....I think you'll get many years of enjoyment out of them  

 

[ryder78]

Quote:

 
 
Did Jan not offer to swap out your pair? 
 
Also, you're exactly right that headphones are a different listening experience than speakers...something you may want to try if you haven't already is engaging the crossfeed on your Jazz. It's a very subtle enhancement, but if you leave it engaged a while and then turn it off, you'll probably notice when it's not there anymore. I leave mine engaged all the time cause I like the effect...just something you may want to play around with. 
 
Glad you're sticking with the T1s....I think you'll get many years of enjoyment out of them  

 
No he didn't. I asked him on the procedures, and he mentioned if I were to ship the headphones back to him, they will be shipped to Beyerdynamic. The guys at Beyerdynamic will inspect and decide on the next course of action. Sometimes they will just replace the cups instead of the the whole headphone. I have decided to keep the headphone for a while since the issue doesn't seem to be a major one. Having said that, I have plenty of time to ship the headphones back to Jan within the 2 years warranty period.
 
I tried switching back and forth between normal and crossfeed and have to agree that the difference is quite subtle. The enhancement is there but it's really quite small. Sometimes I wonder if the feature is really working as intended. The effect is a *very* slight reduction of listening fatigue, a slightly more holographic sound.
 
Yes, I think the T1s complement the main system nicely as I can always switch to them in the event I get bored listening to the main hifi system day in day out and wanted to have a different listening experience.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
No he didn't. I asked him on the procedures, and he mentioned if I were to ship the headphones back to him, they will be shipped to Beyerdynamic. The guys at Beyerdynamic will inspect and decide on the next course of action. Sometimes they will just replace the cups instead of the the whole headphone. I have decided to keep the headphone for a while since the issue doesn't seem to be a major one. Having said that, I have plenty of time to ship the headphones back to Jan within the 2 years warranty period.
 
I tried switching back and forth between normal and crossfeed and have to agree that the difference is quite subtle. The enhancement is there but it's really quite small. Sometimes I wonder if the feature is really working as intended. The effect is a *very* slight reduction of listening fatigue, a slightly more holographic sound.
 
Yes, I think the T1s complement the main system nicely as I can always switch to them in the event I get bored listening to the main hifi system day in day out and wanted to have a different listening experience.

 
 
In that case, maybe wait until you eventually pick up a 2nd pair of headphones before you ship them back....although you do have those beautiful Harbeths to keep you entertained
 
The crossfeed is definitely subtle....that's why I say you'll probably notice it more when it's not there after getting used to it for a while. That's what my experience was, anyway. The Corda Classic and his DAC have more robust crossfeed filters...I really want to move the Jazz to my theater room, so I may upgrade to the Classic at some point. 
 
I thought the Beyer warranty was only one year....glad to know it's twice as long!

 

[ryder78]

Quote:

i personally think the HD 800s goes a tad bit deeper than the T1, but you hear it more on T1 because it has slightly more bass than the HD 800. the HD 800s are not alot brighter, they are just slightly brighter, especially when listening to them on a tube amp. also the HD 800s aren't as analytical as some people put them out to be, i think its all about amp pairing, because when i listening to them on my WA6-SE, they sound detailed, dynamic, but with a sparkly yet somewhat tamed high end (weird huh). when listening to them on the WA2, they are more natural sounding and lose some detail to gain smoothness and a very euphonic sound. the HD 800s are pretty neutral and will sound based off the colorations of the amp, so people listening on very neutral setups will find the HD 800s will reflect exactly that, at least how i see it. i never found the HD 800s to be bright, maybe a little more sparkle on the high end, but only at louder volumes, and the T1 has a weird high end as well too sometimes, depending on the song/recording. ultimately, i don't find either to be particularly bright or fatiguing.  
 
 
 
 
+1, both can be lean and clinical on some songs.

Thanks for the information. I agree that tubes(coloration) will tame some of the detail or edginess of highly resolving gear, making them smoother and easier on the ears. Good to hear the HD800s won't sound too analytical with the WA2 or WA6-SE(I presume tubed units). I guess the sparkly or clinical character will be more evident with solid-state amps. Anyway, good to hear that you don't find both HD800 and T1 to be bright sounding headphones. Personally I feel the latter leans slightly on the warm side of things though can sound slightly clinical and lean with some recordings.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 
 
In that case, maybe wait until you eventually pick up a 2nd pair of headphones before you ship them back....although you do have those beautiful Harbeths to keep you entertained
 
The crossfeed is definitely subtle....that's why I say you'll probably notice it more when it's not there after getting used to it for a while. That's what my experience was, anyway. The Corda Classic and his DAC have more robust crossfeed filters...I really want to move the Jazz to my theater room, so I may upgrade to the Classic at some point. 
 
I thought the Beyer warranty was only one year....glad to know it's twice as long!

 
My pair of T1s came with a 5 year warranty here in Canada. BTW, mine are the first pair of T1s sold in Canada...had them since Jan. 2010 and still love them.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
My pair of T1s came with a 5 year warranty here in Canada. BTW, mine are the first pair of T1s sold in Canada...had them since Jan. 2010 and still love them.

 
 
Was that a special deal through your retailer? Or did BeyerD change the warranty terms after the initial introductory period?  That's actually one of the reasons why I decided against the Audez'e headphones for the time being....1-year warranty with all those threads indicating issues just didn't give me enough peace of mind. I think a 2-year warranty is nice, but FIVE is very nice! 

 

[MacedonianHero]

Quote:

 
 
Was that a special deal through your retailer? Or did BeyerD change the warranty terms after the initial introductory period?  That's actually one of the reasons why I decided against the Audez'e headphones for the time being....1-year warranty with all those threads indicating issues just didn't give me enough peace of mind. I think a 2-year warranty is nice, but FIVE is very nice! 

Seems like a standard offering from beyer here in Canada. Audeze has a 3 year warranty. But the Edition line from Ultrasone comes with a whopping 7 year warranty.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

Seems like a standard offering from beyer here in Canada. Audeze has a 3 year warranty. But the Edition line from Ultrasone comes with a whopping 7 year warranty.

 
Wow, yeah the website does say 3-years now...did they change that?? I could swear it was only a year back a month or two ago when I was in buying mode. That means I'll probably pick up some LCD-2s for sure later this year then. 
 
Have you heard the higher end Ultrasones? Any feedback on comparisons to the T1s? 
 
 
EDIT: Headphone.com lists it as a 1-year warranty....that must have been where I saw it since that's where I was going to buy them. 

 

[ryder78]

Quote:

 
 
In that case, maybe wait until you eventually pick up a 2nd pair of headphones before you ship them back....although you do have those beautiful Harbeths to keep you entertained
 
The crossfeed is definitely subtle....that's why I say you'll probably notice it more when it's not there after getting used to it for a while. That's what my experience was, anyway. The Corda Classic and his DAC have more robust crossfeed filters...I really want to move the Jazz to my theater room, so I may upgrade to the Classic at some point. 
 
I thought the Beyer warranty was only one year....glad to know it's twice as long!

 
Perhaps I will re-confirm with Jan on the warranty period. On Meier's website, the conditions of the warranty is mentioned as "By German law all our products come with original 2-year manufacturer warranty." I will ship the headphones back to Germany before the warranty period expires and not now since the headphones may exhibit more problems later on(keeping fingers crossed though). In this way I can avoid paying multiple shipping charges and potential customs tax.
 
2nd pair of headphones to keep me company while I ship the T1s back ay? Not sure about that as I do not have any intention to have more than one pair of headphones. The T1s are good enough for me, but anything is possible in future. Who knows, I may get addicted to the headphone listening experience one day and become an avid headphone collector
 
Sometimes I wonder if the T1s will sound even better with a higher quality/different amp, If the Classic ends up in your room one day, I would appreciate your thoughts.
 
Cheers.

 

[ryder78]

5 years warranty for the T1s in Canada and up to 7 years warranty from Ultrasone. Wow I am sure missing a lot~!

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
Perhaps I will re-confirm with Jan on the warranty period. On Meier's website, the conditions of the warranty is mentioned as "By German law all our products come with original 2-year manufacturer warranty." I will ship the headphones back to Germany before the warranty period expires and not now since the headphones may exhibit more problems later on(keeping fingers crossed though). In this way I can avoid paying multiple shipping charges and potential customs tax.
 
2nd pair of headphones to keep me company while I ship the T1s back ay? Not sure about that as I do not have any intention to have more than one pair of headphones. The T1s are good enough to for me, but anything is possible in future. Who knows, I may get addicted to the headphone experience one day and become an avid headphone collector
 
Sometimes I wonder if the T1s will sound even better with a higher quality/different amp, If the Classic ends up in your room one day, I would appreciate your thoughts.
 
Cheers.

 
 
You got it. I'm also really thinking about the Mapletree Audio Design amp since it's supposed to be fantastic with both the T1s and my Grados. I've purchased home audio gear from that company before and loved it, so I know how good the quality is. 
 
You might be surprised how much you enjoy headphones over time. I have a pair of beautiful Magnepan 3.6 speakers sitting about ten feet from me and they've gotten very little use since I started playing around with headphones. Even though none of my headphones can compete with $10k worth of home audio gear, there is something I really like about being able to just lay down in bed and listen to tunes on the T1s. I don't ever want to be without my Maggies, but I find I've been listening to music much more often on headphones than I did on the speakers. 

 

[ryder78]

Quote:

 
 
You got it. I'm also really thinking about the Mapletree Audio Design amp since it's supposed to be fantastic with both the T1s and my Grados. I've purchased home audio gear from that company before and loved it, so I know how good the quality is. 
 
You might be surprised how much you enjoy headphones over time. I have a pair of beautiful Magnepan 3.6 speakers sitting about ten feet from me and they've gotten very little use since I started playing around with headphones. Even though none of my headphones can compete with $10k worth of home audio gear, there is something I really like about being able to just lay down in bed and listen to tunes on the T1s. I don't ever want to be without my Maggies, but I find I've been listening to music much more often on headphones than I did on the speakers. 

 
It is interesting to hear that the headphones are getting more use than the Magnepan 3.6s which are magnificent speakers in their own right. I've listened to a pair of Magnepan 1.7 late last year at a friend's place, though not fully optimized, in a small room with a new(not broken-in) Bryston 4B-SST. The speakers managed to throw a big sound, very airy and detailed. The sound presentation is definitely different in comparison to the Harbeth. I suppose the 3.6s are on another level and will have higher dynamic capabilities than the smaller 1.7. 
 
It appears that the T1s may grow on me with time. That is certainly good to hear as I don't foresee myself spending more time on the T1s than on the loudspeaker system. Things may well change, we'll see.

 

[Focker]

Quote:

 
It is interesting to hear that the headphones are getting more use than the Magnepan 3.6s which are magnificent speakers in their own right. I've listened to a pair of Magnepan 1.7 late last year at a friend's place, though not fully optimized, in a small room with a new(not broken-in) Bryston 4B-SST. The speakers managed to throw a big sound, very airy and detailed. The sound presentation is definitely different in comparison to the Harbeth. I suppose the 3.6s are on another level and will have higher dynamic capabilities than the smaller 1.7. 
 
It appears that the T1s may grow on me with time. That is certainly good to hear as I don't foresee myself spending more time on the T1s than on the loudspeaker system. Things may well change, we'll see.

 
Yep, the 3.6s can put out a massive soundstage. That's why I love them for movies. Maggies for HT are completely underrated, but you get plenty of dynamics with a capable amp, tons of detail and realism, and the vocals are crystal clear on the Maggie center. I sometimes will run them in phantom mode, too, and the vocals are still dead center because of the imaging capabilities. I think it's mainly that i just don't often feel like sitting on the couch listening to music as much as I do laying in bed or being on the comp with headphones. I also live in an apartment for at least another year, and since I'm usually awake late into the night I try to be a good neighbor and not blast the audio. The 1.7s are a crazy value for under 2k....but yeah, most people consider the 3.6s to be a superior speaker due to the greater extension and the ribbon tweeter. The 3.7s are supposedly a nice step-up from the 3.6s, though. 
 
It's really cool to see other people who are also into home speaker audio....there are so many amazing speakers out there these days and at ever price point. 

 

[Coupe]

Quote:

 
Thanks. I'm using Harbeth SHL5 driven by NAC202/NAP200, regarded to be the some of the worst sounding amps by few folks in the wacky Naim community.
 
 
In my correspondence with Jan Meier, I suggested it is unlikely that hair is trapped or has gone through the protective mesh of the headphones as the gaps are really tiny. Another possibility that Jan suggested is a connecting wire inside the earcup that may have contributed to the rattling sound. Anyway I have decided to keep the T1s as the rattling sound will only be heard at higher volume levels with certain tracks. Since I do not have any experience with the assembly of a headphone(don't know where to locate the screws to disassemble the T1), confidence level is low as I might mess up rather than make things right. Nevertheless, will attempt something later on. As the way it is right now, there will not be any rattling sound when listening at normal volume levels(8 to 9 o'clock on the volume dial). It is only at short-term (unrecommended) head banging sessions the rattling sound will be heard. 
 
I have also decided to stick with the T1s and disregard the HD800s as I find the sound of the T1s to be just right for my listening preferences. The neutral, warm and full sound of the T1 is crucial in contributing to its musicality and listenability. I do not find the T1s to be excessively warm or muddled as some might have suggested. As a matter of fact I find them to sound slightly lean(or clinical) with certain music or recordings. As such, I can imagine the HD800 to sound even thinner and more analytical, something that I may not be able to live with in the long run.
 
On a separate matter, as good as the T1(or any other stellar headphones) gets, I still find something unnatural with headphone listening although I am now able to listen to the T1s for more than an hour in a single session(initially only for 5-10 minutes before it gets uncomfortable). To cut a long story short, I find the loudspeaker-based system to be more fulfilling and enjoyable.

Yea. 

 I love the T1.  It is such an ocean of music. People love to rationalize burn in or some other non-reflective factor.  I believe the facts are evident.  Our brain is miraculous.  It just takes time for adjustment.  However, once you adjust, the T1 is glorious.  People love to tell you what to listen to, but I'd rather acknowledge that and make my own decision.
 
BTW I was thinking the same thing.  The solder points are touching the plastic area.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Wow, yeah the website does say 3-years now...did they change that?? I could swear it was only a year back a month or two ago when I was in buying mode. That means I'll probably pick up some LCD-2s for sure later this year then. 

Have you heard the higher end Ultrasones? Any feedback on comparisons to the T1s? 


EDIT: Headphone.com lists it as a 1-year warranty....that must have been where I saw it since that's where I was going to buy them. 

I used to own the Ed8LEs for a few years and really liked them, but they became a bit redundant after I got my AT W3000ANVs. That said, the T1s were a more natural sounding headphone to my ears and still a cut above. Unless of course you need isolation.