Beyerdynamic are just about to launched the T50p in the UK - a new portable headphone that is set to compete head to head with the B&W P5. Matt from Polar Audio (Beyerdynamic’s UK distributor) visited HiFi Headphones HQ today to give us a first listen.
It appears that the high end portable headphone market has recently become the target for the established serious audio brands, with the B&W P5 gaining some very positive reviews and plenty of high profile press. Beyerdynamic have obviously done their homework and with the launch of the T50p they look set to make their mark with a stylish design and high end audio performance.
Below are some initial impressions of the T50p. We’ve also included comparisons with the B&W P5 that we recently had on loan for evaluation.
Sound
Well balanced with plenty of accuracy, the T50p will appeal to those who love to hear all the detail in their music. The clarity is really very impressive, with excellent instrument separation and wide soundstage for a closed back portable headphone. Bass response is well defined and punchy - much less warm and fuzzy than the B&W P5.
The T50p’s sound signature is no surprise when compared with the rest of the Beyerdynamic line up. We are big fans of the Beyer sound.
Comfort
The headphones themselves weigh very little and the headband has a soft leather pad that runs over the top of the head to keep the headphones comfortably in place. The T50p is an on-ear design, but pressure is actually quite light and the pads are soft. Not as comfortable as a fully over ear (circumaural) headphones, but a lot more practical for using out and about.
Compared with the B&W P5 the Beyer T50p is a little less soft on the ears (the P5 has large, flat, ultra soft ear pads), but we don’t see comfort being a major issue with the T50p.
Noise Isolation
Listening to the T50p in a noisy office with people chattering nearby the sound isolation is good. The ear pads are sufficiently thick and soft to ensure a good seal on the ears. The T50p would be fine to use as a travel headphone because the closed back design prevents sound leakage in and out of the ear cups.
Design
We love the industrial design of the T50p and prefer it over the more reserved design of the B&W P5. The T50p is designed and built by hand in Germany, with the quality of workmanship being very evident when you hold the headphones in your hands.
More Information
To read more about the Beyerdynamic T50p or the rest of the Beyerdynamic headphones range please visit the HiFi Headphones web store.
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The new Beyerdynamic Flagship model, the Tesla T1, is now available in the UK. We have been lucky enough to borrow Beyer’s Demo pair and it was love at first listen.
Delivered in it’s aluminium flight case the Beyerdynamic T1 is hand crafted in Germany and it shows - they have a solid industrial beauty that exudes high end build quality. The coils are hand wound as a machine is not capable of the necessary dexterity to achieve Beyer’s exacting standards.
Behind the detailed mesh grilles on the beautifully finished aluminium and plastic earcups, the drivers are fitted to the front angled back towards the ear. The diaphragms are made of two-ply foil, which features low moving mass and good inherent self-damping. The Beyerdynamic T1’s skill is a very low-mass diaphragm in a very dense magnetic field of 1.2 Tesla. The result is a crisp, fast and transparent sound with low distortion (quoted at 0.05 per cent).
These completely redesigned transducers achieve values of over one Tesla (a unit of measurement for magnetic flux density). The increased efficiency also leaves the T1 with greater power reserves for dynamic, undistorted sound and nearly lossless conversion of electric signals into sound waves. The extremely lightweight 600 Ohm voice coil provides transparency and perfect impulse fidelity.
Beyerdynamic A1 Amplifier
The perfect partner to the T1, with its unique intelligent-circuit concept the Beyerdynamic A1 is capable of reproducing an amazingly wide frequency range which stretches way above human perception. Underneath the large front-panel-mounted aluminium volume control is a high grade ALPS-potentiometer for smooth volume adjustment. This is just part of the attention to detail that ranges from the outer unit construction to its quality integral components - use of a generously-dimensioned toroidal core transformer, plus a combination of carefully selected components allows even the highest-impedance headphones to be driven flawlessly over the entire frequency range.
Our Impressions
We felt the sound was fluid and natural, there is a fast sense of detail that is crisp and precise without being fatiguing. The headphones themselves are surprisingly light and in typical Beyer style really comfy. The Beyerdynamic T1’s give a lush wide soundstage with excellent instrument separation drawing you into the recording, the stereo image being nothing short of 3D. The focus here is in the highly detailed treble and midrange but the bass is warm, deep and well pronounced giving the overall sound superb transparency, weight and authority. Joining the big boys, the T1 must be auditioned alongside Grado’s GS1000 and Denon D7000 before you make your ultimate headphone purchase.
More Information
For more information on the Beyerdynamic T1 and the rest of Beyerdynamics Headphones range please check out the HiFi Headphones web store.
]]>Beyerdynamic have a long heritage of producing very high quality headphones for home Hi-Fi, professional use (studio and live instrument monitoring) and aviation use. Now Beyerdynamic have just turned their hand to developing a range of high quality gaming headsets and it looks like they are on to a winner!
As can be expected from Beyerdynamic their gaming headphone range offers no compromises with build (still hand built in Germany) and sound quality. As can be expected Beyerdynamic gaming headphones are robustly made and can take daily use by the most avid gamer.
Beyerdynamic’s signature sound is a warm, powerful bass response with lots of detail and clarity in the trebles. The gaming headsets are no different, offering plenty of rumble at the bottom end and pinpoint positional accuracy in the upper frequencies. A combination that will put you smack bang in the centre role of your game.
Check out Beyerdynamic’s gaming headset range below.
Beyerdynamic MMX300 Gaming Headphones
The Beyerdynamic MMX300 is a pair of high end gaming headphones for the serious gamer looking for the best performing headset available. Based on the highly successful Beyerdynamic DT770 (as used by BBC Radio 1 DJs and guests), with the addition of an ultra high quality aviation class noise cancelling microphone and rather cool carbon fibre finish. The MMX300 headset takes gaming audio to the extreme, with a closed back design ensuring you can immerse yourself totally in the action without distraction from ambient noise and without annoying other people close by.
While the MMX300 is designed for gaming, it’s studio headphone heritage shines through with high quality audio reproduction. These headphones are very capable for many applications including listening to music and IP telephony (e.g. Skype), as well as gaming.
Super soft velour earpads and large over ear design ensures you can wear the Beyerdynamic MMX300 for hours at a time in supreme comfort. The MMX300 offers a truly high end gaming experience.
Supplied two connectivity options, the MMX300 can be directly connected to a PC and Mac via USB (you just plug the headphones in and the computer detects the headset like a soundcard), or alternatively the headset can be connected via 2x 3.5mm jack plugs (one plug for headphone input and the other for microphone output). Usefully the MMX300 offers the ability to mute the microphone and control the volume of the headphone audio via the supplied USB converter.
Get the Beyerdynamic MMX300 headset today and upgrade to high end gaming audio!
Beyerdynamic MMX2 Gaming Headphones
The Beyerdynamic MMX2 headphones are built for the serious gamer who needs high quality audio and supreme long term wearing comfort. Designed just for gamers by Beyerdynamic, the MMX2 headset reproduces sound effects, voices and music with superb clarity and the noise-cancelling microphone ensures a clear and precise voice transmission. The MMX2 is equally suitable for IP telephony (e.g. Skype) as it is for gaming.
With soft ear cushions made from velour material and a fully adjustable flexible headband the MMX2 is comfortable to wear for the longest gaming sessions.
The MMX2 has two connectivity options, either USB for direct connection to a PC and Mac (you plug the headphones into a spare USB port and the computer detects the headset like a soundcard), or alternatively the headset can be connected via 2x 3.5mm jack plugs (one plug for headphone input and the other for microphone output). Usefully the MMX2 offers the ability to mute the microphone and control the volume of the headphone audio via the supplied USB converter.
Choose the Beyerdynamic MMX2 today and enjoy high quality gaming audio and comfort.
More Information
For the full range of Beyerdynamic headphones and many other headphones suitable for gaming, please visit HiFi Headphones.
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