The T1 2^nd Generation has had a makeover, but don’t worry, it still has the same outstanding sound quality. Grab them quick though, as they’re limited to 50 units in the EU.

Aesthetics, Build Quality and Accessories:

These are a meaner, sleeker looking T1 2^nd Generation with anodised black yokes, matte black cups and signature silver grills. Internally nothing has changed, but outside they look better than the original in my opinion.

Build quality is what you would expect from Beyerdynamic, solid. With a detachable 3m 7N OCC copper cable, metal yokes, protein leather headband and memory foam filled velour earpads these certainly feel the part. The grills are metal, but the rest of the housing is plastic, this keeps the weight down without making them feel cheap. Overall, they are a superbly built pair of headphones, built to give you many years of happy listening.

Accessory wise you get a lovely hard carry case; the cable has a screw on adaptor but that is it. To be fair they don’t need anything extra, but a balanced cable in the box would be nice.

Comfort:

The T1 2^nd Generation is well known to be one of the most comfortable headphones around, with spacious cups and a secure fit you can listen to these for hours at a time. The earpads are soft and conform to the shape of your head, the headband has generous padding and never creates a hot spot like some other models. They are not heavy, and the fit is secure but not tight and I have easily sat with these on for 3+ hours with no issues.

Sound:

Bass: These are not all about the bass, but they do have a little added body to give them some warmth overall. This added warmth does not cloud the rest of the sound, but just prevents them from sounding sterile and harsh. There is enough impact to keep things fun, yet it is always there in a controlled manner never becoming the main focus of the sound. Bass guitar lines are easily distinguished, and everything just sounds right down low.

Midrange: Here the thing that stands out is how clean and detailed they are, without sounding thin. Male vocals have that subtle warmth from the bass, which helps them sound more defined and tonally accurate, whilst the upper midrange blends seamlessly into the treble without any big peaks. Everything sounds very natural in the midrange, and the detail is there if you want to listen for it.

Treble: Whilst there is a little bit of added energy in the presence region to make cymbal crashes stand out a little, they are not bright or fatiguing. This little bit of added energy just adds a little bit of excitement, but without creating a big peak that sticks out. The treble quantity and quality are excellent, never becoming too hot but at the same time never losing focus. There is plenty of extension and it adds a great sense of air and space, along with being effortless and detailed.

The T1 2^nd Generation has very accurate imaging, everything sits in a well-defined space within the soundstage. The soundstage itself is not the widest, but it sounds more natural and accurate instead of trying to be as wide as possible. It’s still far from being narrow or closed in.

Conclusion:

The T1 2^nd Generation are a very well balanced, highly detailed yet slightly smooth pair of headphones. They play well with all genres, and are perfect for sitting back and enjoying.

The post Review- The Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Generation Black Edition appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

You won’t find these anywhere but here.

The Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Generation is a true masterpiece of audio engineering. A marked improvement over the already stunning Beyerdynamic T1, the T1 2nd Generation features:

• A detachable cable
• Leatherette headband
• Lower price point
• Upgraded drivers
• Greater clarity and detail
• Strong, responsive bass

They have had a very warm reception from the critics, and rightfully so: the T1 2nd Generation takes everything noteworthy about the T1 and then improves.

Well, guess what? We’ve got our hands on something really special:

The Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Generation Black Special Edition.

We’ve got exclusive access to these stunning, limited-run headphones and they’re available to preorder now.  You won’t be able to get these anywhere else in Europe- just through us.

These are incredibly limited edition, so don’t miss your chance to own these little stunners. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Here’s what people have to say about the T1 2nd Generation:

What Hifi?

“If you were after a pair of top-class pair of headphones without spending thousands, these – along with Sennheiser’s HD800Ses – would be our top recommendations.”

Tech Radar

“The sound is lusher and fuller than most at the price, which will either seal the deal or be a turn-off, depending on your taste. But that’s the quandary when buying an ‘ultimate’ set like this – you’re not just buying headphones but, hopefully, a music partner you’ll live with for years.”

Head-Fi

 “If you want top of the line cans, these fit the bill and if you have the money to spare then I’d heartily recommend them. “

The post Exclusive Access- The Beyerdynamic T1 (2nd Gen) Black Special Edition appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

The Beyerdynamic A2 Headphone Amp is now available to purchase from our on-line store. (please call 01903 768910 for further information.

The A2 is Beyerdynamic’s new addition to their range of audiophile headphone amplifiers. Newly developed from scratch and already awarded with the renowned”Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014″, the A2 headphone amplifier does not only impress with its unbelievably natural and powerful airy sound, but also with its clear and high-quality design.

Main Features

• Discrete electronics for best audio reproduction
• Amazingly natural and brilliant sound reproduction with an excellent resolution and spatiality
• Two parallel headphone outputs for two listeners to enjoy music simultaneously
• Convenient remote control for all functions
• Slide switches for selectable gain and impedance
• Headphone stand included (can be mounted to the A2) for compact storage of headphones
• Elegant design with transparent glass cover enabling you to look at the illuminated interior

The post Beyerdynamic A2 Headphone Amp appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

FiiO X5 Lossless Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC

Summary

The FiiO X5 is the new contribution from this great brand; the company which is making a huge name for itself by bringing high quality budget-priced items to the market. Almost a year ago we were all taken aback by the arrival of the X3 which has certainly shaken up the digital audio player (DAP) market, but now FiiO has X-ceeded itself with the X5.

After coming to know the FiiO X3‘s sound quality, it was a little difficult to imagine how it could be bettered; both in terms of sound quality and power. The X5 creates a certain expectation as it’s larger. It is still pocket-sized, but it certainly makes for a pocket which is full.

Unlike the X3, the X5 has no internal storage so a micro SD card is required to get started. However it has 2 slots for these cards, so there’s a potential 128Gb storage capacity with current firmware/size limits.

Price – £289.95

FiiO X5 Lossless Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC

Pros

• Fantastic Sound
• Two Micro SD slots
• DAC capability
• Powerful amplification

Cons

• Wobbly wheel
• Auto hold – no manual hold button
• No internal memory
• Relatively bulky

 Key Features

• Supports High-Definition192kHz/24bit audio
• Lossless Playback for DSD/APE/ FLAC/ALAC/WMA/WAV
• High-Quality DAC Functionality
• Headphone Out, Line-Out and Coaxial Digital Output
• Dual Card Slots with 1024GB Memory Capacity (with future firmware updates)

First Impressions

Appearance takes priority over usability for perhaps the first 30 minutes of use; the buttons are not marked and the user can feel a little helpless initially. This soon passes, but the wheel remains a point of contention; its build does not appear to sit well with the rest of the device. It’s very light and wobbly, with a rubber touch wheel to select options or tracks on the screen. Notches or slight clicks are encountered as the wheel goes round, but these tend not to be linked so much with what is happening on the screen. A ‘two click’ turn of the wheel may not necessarily move you along by two options so watch the screen. It can be frustrating if the required option is just one ‘click’ away; it seems that a gentle turn of the wheel can turn into a few gentle turns, as the selected option doesn’t change, or changes too far. Fortunately the lower two buttons on the front of the X5 can be used to scroll through these items, so it’s not something we’re stuck with using.

Sticking with the wheel, the centre acts as a ‘select’ button for the X5; however it is machined and is uncomfortable to touch with the thick skin on my thumb. It’s worth it though. Also I was a little concerned that there appears not to be a space where I can throw a band over and have it strapped to my FiiO E12 – the X5 is full of buttons, screen and wheel, but I have found that a band can be placed over the wheel area and operation is not affected. Maybe the addition of an E12 is overkill however; having tried the X5 now, my demanding 600 Ohm AKG K240 DF headphones sound fantastic straight out of the headphone socket.

There is no ‘hold’ button on the X5, there is a simple timer function (from 30s to 120s, or off) which renders the screen blank and most of the buttons inoperable, until the power button is pressed. I noticed that the volume buttons turn into ‘track skip’ buttons in this state.

The screen shows a little more of the track titles than the X3 when browsing, for example I am able to read the full title of Duran Duran’s ‘Is There Something I Should Know’ but no band name is present in the filename. Compilations may still require guesswork as to the track title, or you might want to encode your files with the ‘Track Artist’ after the ‘Track Title’ so song names can be read with no problem. Also the screen is less square than that of the X3; it’s wider, but only the top half of any cover art is visible when tracks are playing as it gets stretched to fit across the screen. Not a real issue, but Sweet’s ‘Desolation Boulevard’ cover isn’t the same!

Sound Quality

I tried the X5 against the X3 with the HiFiMAN HE-400; despite their 35 ohm impedance, these are thirsty headphones and can really take some power to get them up to their full potential. The X5 felt a little more relaxed, more analoguish, more controlled. It appeared to go a little louder as well, although the two models are evenly matched. Both the X3 and X5 powered the HE-400 adequately, although a little more headroom (on both players) might be nice with quieter tracks.

Next, a high quality dynamic headphone was tried – the Beyerdynamic T1. With this headphone the differences were harder to spot between the two Fiio players but the X5 appeared to give a slightly wider and more spacious presentation; the X3 had a little more bass impact or ‘slam’ to it.

FiiO has beefed up the bass/treble setting of the X3 with a full equaliser in the X5 model; there are now 10 bands between 31Hz and 16kHz, the frequency bands roughly double in breadth as they move up through the frequency spectrum; ie. 31Hz, 62Hz, 125Hz, etc. The steps in terms of EQ volume are very fine indeed, so this is a useful tool to anyone wanting fuller control.

Verdict

In all, the X5 is a winner if you have headphones which can reveal its audio quality. If you plan to stick with sub-£100 headphones or only have portable uses, you may as well save your money and get the X3. If you’re confident that your equipment can get the best out of the X5, then that is what I recommend – it is a clear improvement over the X3 and the extra money spent will not be in vain.

Return to : Best high resolution audio players to buy in 2015 – Expert Reviews

The post FiiO X5 Lossless Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC Review appeared first on HiFiheadphones.