Beyerdynamic Xelento Remote 2nd Generation.

https://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/xelento-remote.html

Introduction
There has always been a beyerdynamic in my collection while a lot of headphones have come and gone again the DT 1770 Pro is the one that have stayed.

I still remember how much I enjoyed the T70 and T70p with their bright and airy sound. I had the T1 first generation and the 1st generation T5p for a long time. Even before them I had the original DT-770 and DT-990. I also had a chance to listen to the latest DT 700 Pro X and DT 900 Pro X for some weeks and they are both headphones I could happily live with as my only headphone. Sometimes I also bring out the smaller portable T51p. My T51p are from 2014 but they are always a joy to listen to with their slam and punch.

With all the beyerdynamic headphones I have had through the years, I never had any of their IEM’s. I am not sure if beyerdynamic have ever been that successful with selling in-ears? I did listen to the iDX 120 iE and iDX 160 iE at IFA in Berlin many years ago, but they did not impress me enough to ever buy a pair. I had to go back in old notes to even find the names of those old models.

I use a mix of full-size headphones and IEM’s depending on when and where I listen. I use my full-size headphones at home or when going on longer vacations. I always bring a pair of either Etymotic ER-4XR or Etymotic EVO’s with me in my bag wherever I go. Etymotic have been my go-to IEMs for years. I find that changing between beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro and Etymotic is easy and there is no need to adjust to very different sound signatures.

Over the last couple of years, I have spent more and more time with in-ears than with full size headphones. To get best possible sound on the road, I have been using three portable products to stream music from either my laptop or iPhone. First the EarMen TR-amp, then the EarMen Angel and last the smaller Cayin RU6 USB dongle. All of them have nice synergy with both ER-4XR and EVO and the later two also have 4.4 mm balanced output.

This journey is what has led me to be asking myself the question: Is there a next step for me in terms of getting a bigger soundstage, better resolution and more musical enjoyment in a small portable form factor? One I can use at the office while working, one that isolates well and share the same sound characteristics that I enjoy from my other beyerdynamic headphones.


Xelento Remote 2nd generation
The Xelento 2nd generation is my first real experience with beyerdynamic IEM’s. And what an experience that has been. I have been impressed several times already.

First, I was impressed with the luxurious unboxing experience.
Then the SMALL size of the earphones,
Then how big such small earphones can sound
..and lastly, their wearing comfort and how well they fit in my ears.


These are keepers, let me explain why…
The frequency response goes from 5Hz – 50 kHz. The transducers are beyerdynamic 11 mm Tesla 1-way dynamic drivers. They claim a True Harmonic Distortion (THD) of 0.02%. They are dynamic with a maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of 134 dB. The impedance is only 16 Ohms, which does cause background noise on some amplifiers.








Accessories
While opening the box it immediately shows that this product is a statement in design. The earphones really are like small pieces of jewelry as beyerdynamic’s marketing material states; “An audible piece of jewellery”. They even have a 24 carat golden beyerdynamic logo.

The included leather case for storing and transporting the cables and earphones is super handy and luxurious. The case is beautiful, it’s flat and already has its own place in my laptop-bag. The leather case can even fit the Cayin RU-6 USB-dongle as well.






Tips
The Xelento earphones include two types of tips and a nice selection of 10 different tip-sizes. 3 different Comply foam sizes and 7 silicon tips in various sizes. Every person will be able to find the right size from the variety and they can choose between oval silicone tips or standard Tx-500 Comply tips. I prefer the silicone tips because they are quicker to insert. They slide directly into my ear where you have to squeeze the “memory” foam-tips before inserting.





If none of the oval silicon tips give a proper seal and isolation, the Comply foam tips might be what you are looking for. I would say the oval silicon tips isolates good but not as well as my Etymotic EVO when using double flange tips and Etymotics’ deep ear insertion. However, while music is playing, I am not able to hear people talking right next to me and I cannot hear myself typing on the keyboard right in front of me. So, for most use cases the isolation is good enough with the silicon but the Comply tips has even better isolation from outside noise.

Soundwise, I prefer the clearer sound of the silicone tips. The Comply foam tips does isolate better but also takes some of the edge away from the sound and adds a bit more low end. But they are comfortable and some people will prefer the softer more relaxed sound and better isolation from the Comply tips.


Cables
The Xelento remote includes two cables. A normal 3.5 mm jack cable with remote control (volume up/down pause/play/Siri), like the one that used to be on Apples old cabled EarPods, with a microphone allowing one to take a phone call. Then there is a balanced 4.4 mm cable (Pentaconn/TRRRS) for balanced out like I have on the Cayin RU-6 and Earmen Angel. Both cables use the MMCX connector system (Also adopted by Sennheiser, Sony, Audeze, Meze and many others.) so any 3rd party MMCX cable could be used.





The cables that come with the Xelento feels durable, they are flexible, they are lightweight yet does not tangle easily and has almost no microphonic sounds when sitting at a desk. Even walking around and wearing the cables over the ears I get very little to no microphonic noise at all. These are probably the best cables I have tried in that regard. Way to go!

The only problem I found with the cables is that it requires super-human eyesight to spot the almost invisible “L” and “R” to identify left and right sides. I would have preferred an easier to spot red and blue mark somewhere.


Wearing comfort
At first, I was really surprised when I saw how small these earphones are. I have small ears so this was a welcome surprise. The first tips I selected were the medium and they just popped right into my ears and immediately blocked out all noise. I can use them for hours and there is no pain in my ears at all. Sometimes I even forget I am wearing the earphones. Extremely comfortable.

These earphones do not go super deep in to the ear canal but just enough to get a good grip and seal. I have not had any problems with them falling out when walking around. There is an option to tighten the cable under the jaw and then the cable sits tight when moving around.


Sound impressions
But most importantly, how do these pearls play music? The first thing I noticed immediately from the first listen is that Xelento has a bigger soundstage than what I am used to with my current in-ears. Changing directly from Etymotic IEMs, which are not known for having a big soundstage, it is clear that soundstage with Xelento is also outside and around the head. Seeing how small these earphones are it is almost surreal that they produce such a BIG sound!



This bigger soundstage feels like a relief and take some of the pressure away and the music is not so much in my face but served lightly and effortlessly around me. It is still not full-size DT 1770 Pro soundstage but compared to Etymotic EVO, they are opening up the music in front of and around my head.

One time when listening to this track (Julian Lage, Tributary from View With a Room) I thought at first that the music came from the speakers in my laptop in front of me. Most headphones might give the same impression but they way I heard it with the Xelento’s, it sounded more real and natural:


Characteristics - Bass, midrange, treble etc…
The pro studio products from beyerdynamic are mostly tuned differently than their consumer oriented headphones. DT 1990 Pro and 1770 Pro are aiming at being “reference neutral” to be used for mixing and mastering music. The DT 900 Pro X and 700 Pro X are also tuned to be more neutral, especially compared to the latest 3rd generation T1 and T5, which are tuned for "sophisticated music enjoyment at home” - read darker and warmer sound.

Personally, I prefer listening to music with the brighter tuning of the studio headphones. I like headphones with a present midrange and also enough treble to make instruments come to life. Before listening to the Xelento’s for the first time, I was afraid that they would be tuned to be as dark as the T1.3 and T5.3 since they are aimed at the same target audience.

From the beginning it was obvious that Xelento 2nd generation do have more bass than what I am used to. However, to my relief midrange and treble is still there. Very much there.





I remember when I tested the latest beyerdynamic T1 3rd generation, at first listen I thought they were faulty. (See: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/beyerdynamic-t1-3rd-generation.24638/reviews#review-24333 )

Without the proper time for my ears to adjust to their sound, treble was completely gone and there was no midrange presence. It took me a long time to adjust my ears to the T1.3’s much darker sound compared to DT 1770 Pro and the brighter Etymotic IEM’s.

Before getting the Xelento’s, I did fear and to some extend expect, that they were tuned like the T1.3. To my relief this is not the case. Despite a very impactful bass, with Xelento, I did not need time to adjust my ears to them. Xelento 2nd gen sounded good right from the beginning. This was important for me because it means that they can be a part of my collection of headphones without being too different from the rest.

They are darker, yes! Though there is still a crispness, air and breath to both male and female vocals which are present and very lifelike.

Again, given the small size of these in-ears, it is mind-blowing that they can produce such a deep and enormous bass. I could easily live with less bass impact but when bass is this tight and controlled, it does not matter that is big when needed. The bass in the Xelento’s is satisfying in the way it is there when called for, midrange and treble is present and it is only in the highest treble region that on some recordings, I could wish for a bit more edge and sparkle.

Despite this silky, soft and warm feeling in the midrange and even though the treble is not super sparkly nor edgy, most importantly the sound is not veiled but remains open and wide with a feeling of air. I often find myself tapping my feet and spend whole evenings just browsing all kinds of genres and enjoying all types of music from techno, hip-hop, jazz, classical, rock and metal. It feels like most recordings sound great. Only once in a while I come across a recording that is not really compatible with the Xelento’s. I will not say they are picky nor extremely revealing of bad recordings, but when the recording is good the Xelento’s are really rewarding.

Xelento do skew to the warmer, softer and more natural side, yet they still have that clear, airy and 3-dimensional way of playing music. Xelento are tuned for enjoying music and not for being reference neutrality. I really love these little gems for what they do and how well beyerdynamic has managed this perfect balance.

Go and try the Xelento 2nd generation for yourself if you can. They are a masterpiece from beyerdynamic and I bet these could be an end-game in-ear for many music-lovers.



Music examples
I really enjoy listening to the the album “L’Impératrice” by Tako Tsubo. with the Xelento’s. The bass-lines in most of the tracks on this album really carry the music and there is a super tight drive in the Xelento’s without placing the vocal and other instruments in the back. Take a listen to track no. 7 “Peur des filles” and hear that bass-line.

The 4th track “Submarine” really require deep bass. To me this is one example where the bass sometimes tend to be even a bit too much for me.


One instrument that Xelento’s can master like no other in-ear I have heard is the double bass. In the following track the bass sounds big and full yet never too much. Never bloomy nor bloated but just powerful and weighty in the right way and still you can hear the strings striking the wood.


The following track was a real eye (and ear) opener when I heard it with the Xelento’s. The crisp and clear acoustic guitar is so lifelike, that you can almost see the guitar strings right in front of your head. The bass is full but still leave space for voice and guitar. Those Tesla-drivers have to be super fast and have ultra high resolution in order to play it like that. I have always thought that no in-ear could play this like the balanced armature in my ER-4XR but this track shines like I have never heard it before with the Xelento’s.


This next album “View with a room” by Julian Lage is one I have been listening to a lot lately. Again it is the bass and guitar that are played with such relaxed authority with the Xelento’s that each track is so pleasing.



Who am I?

I am a 45 year old headphone- and music-lover. I have been using this forum since 2008 and even before that I started collecting headphones for music-pleasure. I ran a little web-shop, selling headphones and amplifiers for a while between 2006-2008. I used to work in the quality department at the Bang & Olufsen TV- and speaker-factory in Denmark. I am in no way a sound-engineer. I was selected to be a part of the B&O employee-listening panel for speakers, after going through multiple listening tests. Today I work in the quality department of LEGO System in Denmark. I only have very little interest in measurements of headphones, DAC’s and amplifiers. I do recognize that, measurements will tell something about the quality and design of a component, but I use my ears to tell me what I hear and how equipment plays the music I love to listen to. Please take my impressions as one hobbyist trying to share his impressions with other enthusiasts. I have had a lot of headphones and earphones over the years and my favorite brands (and models) are Beyerdynamic, Grado and Etymotic. I tend to prefer brighter, open sounding, airy, edgy and midrange centric sounding headphones. I never aimed for ultra-high end products/brands or the most expensive gear, but I have always tried to find the middle ground with getting best possible sound for the money.

For my reviews, I always use the following playlist:

EarMen Angel
I would like to share my impressions of the EarMen Angel. I have had my eyes on the Angel right from the beginning when it was launched and I wanted to buy it as an upgrade from TR-Amp, from the same company EarMen. I was hoping the Angel had more of that wonderful lifelike character as the TR-Amp. The TR-Amp has been my daily portable DAC/Amp in the office and also at home, since I purchased it back in February 2021.








Before I purchased the TR-Amp, I had the ifi hipdac and the first version of the Chord Mojo. But the TR-Amp, even though it was cheaper than Mojo and just a bit more expensive than the hipdac, made me sell both of them. Neither of them could compete with the lively and engaging sound of the TR-Amp. Some time ago, I also purchased a Cayin RU6 dongle, hoping to find something more portable, but I handed it back to the store. I might have been naive to think that a dongle could challenge the TR-Amp, but it was not even close to the performance of the TR-Amp and even with the smaller size of a dongle, I just think the TR-Amp is worth the extra space in my bag to get the better sound quality.

Together with the TR-Amp, I have been using Etymotic EVO at the office or portable use and either Grado Hemp, SR225e and Beyerdynamic DT1770 Pro at home. All of which, I always felt had a good synergy with the TR-Amp.

At home, I also have my old trusted Meier Corda Classic sitting on my desktop. I used to also have the Meier Daccord Dac but it stopped working some time ago and the Epiphany Acoustics E-Dac has taken the place for converting the USB-signal from my MacBook. 95% of my listening is happening from USB from my MacBook or sometimes from my iPhone using the lightning to USB-A camera connection. I use Apple Music mainly as streaming service but also have a harddrive with high resolution files for critical listening.

Now that I have an EarMen Angel in the house, my question is whether an Angel is a suitable upgrade from the TR-Amp and whether it can compete with the E-DAC and Meier Classic for desktop use.

Adjusting the volume
One difference between the TR-Amp and the Angel is that the Angel has a digital volume control. The analog volume control of the TR-Amp is nice because it reacts quickly and you can see if the volume control is at 9 o’clock or at 12. But unfortunately, my TR-Amp had a loud (natural for analog potentiometers) scratching sound when adjusting the volume. It can, for the most part, be worked away with a little motion by turning the volume (without headphones plugged in) from 0-100 40-50 times. But with the Angel having a digital volume control, that is no longer a problem. On the other hand you will not be able to see the volume level on the physical knob because the Angel volume adjuster can turn forever in both directions with no stop.

The problem with a solution like that is that you could accidentally plug in your headphones and without knowing it get SUPER loud music in your ears. I normally remember to not wear the headphones when plugging them in. I learned that from when I had an old tube-amplifier that always gave a loud “PLOP” when plugging in.

The Angel just shows that it is designed by an intelligent person, because it will always turn down the volume to 0 if you unplug your headphone and you will have to turn the volume up from 0 whenever you plug in a new set of earphones. For someone like me, who often change from one set to another, this is really nicely thought. For those who listen at very loud volumes and change headphones often it can be irritating and will cause a lot of turning to get to the desired volume.

I adjust the volume quiet often, so it is super nice to not have that scratching sound from the analog potentiometer in the TR-Amp anymore. The volume control is super fine and I can easily find a suitable volume without moving too many “clicks” it just feels nice to use. Another cool feature is that you can quickly mute the sound by pressing the volume button. A feature I have found very convenient a number of times already when the wife is communicating about some unimportant practicality - and that happens way too often while listening to good music. When you then press the mute-button again, the music will fade slowly back to the former volume and not just start immediately at full volume. THAT is super cool!


3 different digital input options
The Angel has 3 different input options. It automatically detects between USB-C, Optical and Coax S/Pdif. I am using USB most of the time but since my Meier Daccord stopped working I have not been using my CD-player at all. With the Angel I have had the option to listen to CD’s again and I really missed that.

Using coax cable from my NAD CD-player, the Angel sounds great, though I feel like it is a bit more dynamic and the stage is bigger when listening from USB. But that might just be the difference between 16bit/44.1 kHz CD resolution to high-resolution streaming.

In the following, I will only be talking about the sound from the Angels USB interface.

What about the DAC alone?
On the back of the Angel, there is both a balanced and single ended line-out. On the front there is a switch for selecting pre-out or direct line output. I do not have a balanced amplifier, so I can only use the single ended output. I also let the Angel be set on direct output. The Pre-out will let you control the volume of the output.

My old Epiphany Acoustics E-Dac has stayed with me for years for transportable use in a stack together with a Meier Quickstep. It has also as of lately been put back to use in my desktop set feeding my Meier Corda Classic. It sounds clean and does not add anything extra and since most of my music listening is streaming from my MacBook out through USB I have tried to compare the DAC alone to both the TR-Amp acting as DAC alone and my old E-dac. The Meier Corda Classic is then being used as amplifier for this.

The output from the Angel has the edge here. The sound is more relaxed and a tiny bit more controlled. None of these DAC’s add anything extra or color the sound in any way. The biggest difference is a relaxed feeling, a calmer background behind the music with the Angels DAC. It also sets the soundstage more clearly in front of me than the other two.


Balanced vs. Single Ended
It is super hard to quickly A/B-test these two outputs, when I have to change the cable from balanced to single ended each time. I am not sure I would be able to spot the difference in a blind-test. If I hear and remember correctly, the bass seem to hit a bit harder with balanced.



The Angel is my first fully balanced amplifier and the first time I have a 4.4 balanced output available. Just to make sure I am not missing out on what the balanced output has to offer, I had to purchase a balanced Linum SuperBAX 4.4 mm TRRRS cable for my Etymotic EVO.

All I can say is that my EVO’s play wonderfully well on both outputs. Clean and open. But I am not really able to say if balanced is so much better than single ended? But it might come down to the long time it takes to change the cable and the difference - when pairing with the EVO’s - not being big enough for me to detect it? I am not going to spend a whole lot of time A/B testing this right now but maybe in the future I will get more balanced headphones and time will tell if balanced is the future. At least it is is good to have both options if I get more balanced gear one day.

How does it sound?
This Angel has a TIGHT grip of everything. Bass sounds very tight and fast. That was my first thought when I plugged my Hemps in, wow! This is the first time I think I hear what my Grado Hemps can really do. There’s more SLAM in snare-drums than with the TR-Amp and there is a dryness in the midrange that stroke me immediately from the first listen. I hear more details with the Angel.



Within the first 10 minutes of using the Angel, I came across this track: “It’ll Never Happen Again” with Lady Blackbird. Her voice sounds more rough and edgy with the Angel, clearer and more intimate. The Angel is very neutral. No extra bass added, no superficial flavour of any kind.


Another example of where the Angel really shine is in making saxophones come to life. I play the saxophone myself, so I really like when I can hear the reed and I like when I can hear the airflow through the horn. In the following track, the Angel has more information put through than both the TR-Amp and my old ODAC does for all the instruments on the recording. The piano strikes with tighter definition and does not scream, there is a tendency for some of the piano notes to scream a bit when they hit very loud. The saxophone reed sounds more wet (the players spit on the reed is heard with the Angel) and the background percussion has a wonderful room and stage around it. The acoustic bass is just so satisfyingly tight and mellow on the Angel. It is never bloated and it sounds better than my Meier Corda Classic, that I normally use as my desktop amplifier.


Another example, where the Angel really gets to show off its pace, rhythm and timing - and brilliant musicality is in the following track. Here everything sounds more messy and not as controlled with the TR-Amp, which otherwise has been my go to portable amp until now. There is a wonderful musicality in the Angel that I have only heard on desktop amplifiers up until now. But with my balanced cable and the Etymotic EVO’s the instruments on this track is just so lifelike and defined. The air in between everything is astonishing. The finger snapping in the beginning of the track you can clearly hear the hand snapping and a variation between each snap. Even when the music kicks in the vocal is still clearly in front of the band - with room around it.


My favorite headphones for blues and metal are the Beyerdynamic DT1770 Pro. I normally prefer my Grados for jazz and vocal music. But the Fear Innoculum album from Tool has some well recorded drums and again the Angel just has such a tight grip and everything sounds clearly laid out in front of you.


One last example is a blues-track I really enjoy with the Angel. There is a high definition crispness to the guitar sound and the Angel just make the guitar strings sound like - yeah like guitar strings on a real guitar… it comes to life! At the same time that kick-drum is super tight, the rim click on the snare-drum that rings out in the room, it all sounds REAL through the Angel. To me this is what music is all about and more than anything all of this is in a small portable blue metal box connected with one USB-C cable to my laptop. It sounds edgy, defined, tight and lifelike. “Tin Pan Alley” played by Stevie Ray Vaughan.


Conclusion
The EarMen Angel has impressed me from the first day I had it. I have primarily used the single ended out with either DT1770 Pro, Hemp or SR225e. I can clearly say, that all of these headphones come to LIFE with the Angel. The crisp and detailed sound of the Angel sounds fantastic with Grados.

The (balanced)Etymotic EVO + Angel combination is going to be my portable reference sound from now on. Everything is so dynamic, musical, spacious and lifelike in every way. That extra power and control, that extra dynamic and calmness from the Angel is super satisfying. Angel just plays the music with ease and authority.

Compared to TR-Amp, the Angel is a good step up in every way. The Angels soundstage is larger and more expansive, both to the sides and in front/back of my head. This is really nice and makes headphone listening relaxed. I easily get listening fatigue if the music is not relaxed or if it is too much in my face/skull. I never experienced that one time with the Angel.










Who am I?
I am a 45 year old headphone- and music-lover. I have been using this forum since 2008 and even before that I started collecting headphones for music-pleasure. I ran a little web-shop, selling headphones and amplifiers for a while between 2006-2008. I used to work in the quality department at the Bang & Olufsen TV- and speaker-factory in Denmark. I am in no way a sound-engineer. I was selected to be a part of the B&O employee-listening panel for speakers, after going through multiple listening tests. Today I work in the quality department of LEGO System in Denmark. I only have very little interest in measurements of headphones, DAC’s and amplifiers. I do recognize that, measurements will tell something about the quality and design of a component, but I use my ears to tell me what I hear and how equipment plays the music I love to listen to. Please take my impressions as one hobbyist trying to share his impressions with other enthusiasts. I have had a lot of headphones and earphones over the years and my favorite brands (and models) are Beyerdynamic, Grado and Etymotic. I tend to prefer brighter, open sounding, airy, edgy and midrange centric sounding headphones. I never aimed for ultra-high end products/brands or the most expensive gear, but I have always tried to find the middle ground with getting best possible sound for the money.

I used the following playlist:

Beyerdynamic DT900 ProX

I have tried to get over the new toy syndrome before I am writing this, but that feeling has not been easy to get out of the system after unboxing the DT900 Pro X. I think though, that I have reached some sort of conclusion on the DT900. I bought them in the beginning of December and they arrived in the first days of January after some weeks stock-shortage from the european dealers.

My first WOW-moment was the velour-pads on the DT900. They are probably the most comfortable pads in any headphone I have had so far. Everything about the DT900 is just top quality. A real workhorse meant to be transported and used for years. Every part can be replaced easily, cable, cushions and headband. I really like that.





The design totally won me over right the first look after opening the box. The black theme and the grills with unobtrusive DT 900 Pro X embossed in black is cool. It is sleek and robust. No quirky sounds when moving the cups AT ALL! Just pure softness when wearing them on the head.

There are two cables provided in the box a long (3 m) and shorter (1,8m) cable with standard xlr connection in one end and mini-jack (+converter to normal size) in the other. The shorter cable is perfect for using them sitting at my desk and listening from my laptop. No balanced cable option included though.





Every headphone-maker in the world should just go ahead and copy these cables when it comes to convenience. They are tangle-free, they are not stiff, they feel just right and light. If all headphone companies in the world could make their cables like the ones that come with the DT900 ProX there would be no more talks about irritating cables. (I am looking at you Grado!) Very flexible, they do not tangle, they are thin and light.


Sound
I thought for a while, that I would be writing a longer review of the DT900 Pro X and compare it to DT1770, which I have had for some years and which I really enjoy. But I can see now, that it really does not make any sense for me to compare the two. They are both very good headphones and they both serve different purposes.

I can't really say which one I like best right now. But for longer listening sessions the DT1770 probably wins. I really did not expect this. I bought the DT900 to be an everyday headphone for longer sessions while working in my home-office. At home I have no need for closed sound isolation and my Grado’s can only sit on my ears for a shorter time before the ear-pain kicks in. So, why did I purchase a studio-headphone made for professional use? The reason for that is that I have always liked the less fun, more analytical, brighter, airy and open sounding headphones. I have always found that Beyerdynamic was the best in this area and I hopes DT900 would give me that again - and I was not disappointed.





I have never really lusted for headphones with too much bass-impact. As long as it is tight and punchy when needed, that is all I ask for. Etymotic ER4XR has been my favorite IEM’s for years and now replaced by the Etymotic EVO’s. The DT1770 has been my reference for full-size headphones. Some people say the DT1770 have lots of bass, I would place them in the middle of the road and to me they are the reference and neutral sound to aim for. I even prefer the older e-series Grado’s over the new x-series drivers because they are brighter and have less bass.

Even though I like a bright sounding headphone the most important to me is that it sounds open. That the resolution is good. That the midrange is clean and that the treble adds an edge and crispness to the sound. The DT900 totally delivers on those parameters. They are open, clear, not too dark or too bright. I find them very close to the DT1770 in terms of color and I could also place DT900 in the middle of the road soundwise. Well done Beyerdynamic! I was afraid that the darker sound from the T1.3 and T5.3 would be the new “house sound” direction from Beyerdynamic, but I am so pleased to hear that they are back where they belong with DT900.

The only negative thing I can say about the DT900, is that even after several weeks of playing and break-in, DT900 has a tendency to give me listening fatigue with some bad recordings. The treble can be magic with some recordings but can also pierce my ears with other recordings. The DT1770 is more forgiving and sounds better all over while it does not reach the airy and forward treble bliss, that I really like with DT900. So, DT900 are picky and that is what a good studio headphone should be.





Compared to DT1770, The DT900 has a little bit bigger soundstage and are more open sounding. DT1770 has a naturalness and adds some body to vocals where DT900 can’t fully compete but they are close. Definitely more treble energy in DT900 than DT1770. Can you compare a closed design with an open design in terms of sound? I a not sure it is fair but if DT700 Pro X sounds anything like DT900 Pro X then they are VERY much worth trying.

I have enjoyed the DT1770 for years but there is some extra fun (I didn't expect that from a "studio" headphone) with DT900. They are really dynamic and punchy and crispy with a nice open treble presence.

The best thing is that they are so versatile in terms of source. With their new 48 Ohm driver, they play well directly from my laptop and even with the lightning to minijack LOD from my iPhone, DT900 sounds open, transparent and punchy. If I use one of my amplifiers for instance the EarMen TR-Amp the bass tightens up and the layering and instrument placement in the soundstage becomes even more clear so, they also scale to some extend with better chain.

All in all, the DT900 Pro X has been a super positive surprise. I think they are cheap for what you get here. This could be one of the best sound/price ratio headphones currently on the market.




I have used the following playlist while listening to Beyerdynamic DT900 Pro X:


I have been using it directly from my iPhone with the apple lightning to jack, my Macbook Pro headphone out, from the EarMen TR-Amp and from my Meier Classic ff. I played streamed music from either Apple Music or CD’s.

I am placing this review of the Grado SR225x in the SR225e review because there is still a lot of love for the now discontinued e-series drivers.

Grado SR225e vs. 225x

I bought myself a 6 weeks old pair of SR225x to see if they were an improvement over the SR225e. I was not sure if they had been used a lot, so I started by giving them some proper break-in time with 48 hours of my speaker break-in CD.

After the first listen, I was wondering; where are all the micro details that I have loved in 225e? The SR225x is definitely a darker sounding headphone but they have lost the edge. Even bass heavy music sounded lifeless and too mellow. 225e sounds more delicate and faster overall at the first direct comparison.



When switching directly from the 225e to the 225x there is a veil over the music. The sparkle and treble edginess is gone. I think they have lost some of their Grado-signature openness. I know this is caused by my ears not adjusting to the darker signature. But this is my first impression.

I have kept the original pads on both 225e and 225x and I think the majority of the difference is in the two different pads. But even when switching them so the 225e get the flat pads the midrange sounds strangely off and vocals are lifeless. The soundstage is smaller and the sound is more in-your-face with the flat-pads. With the 225e stock pads(L-cushions) the stage is bigger and more space between the instruments. I did prefer the L-cushions on both 225x and 225e soundwise even though 225x lacks something in the midrange with the L-cushions. So, back to stock pads on both headphones again for the sake of listening to them as Grado intended.

No doubt they are trying to follow the same signature as the Hemps and the SR225x is not far behind the resolution and transparency of the Hemps. It is almost like the Hemps are tuned for the flat pads where 225x sounds brighter and more to my taste when I used the 225e stock pads (the L-cushions).

The flat pads are the most comfortable on my ears. They add more bass to the 225e but some of the sparkle is lost as well. I like the slam and punch in 225e with their stock pads the best.

Those who find 225e too bright will like the 225x better. I was hoping the new 225x would be significantly technically better than the former model but to me they sound technically on par and to my ears they are not a revolutionary new driver that makes it worth it to upgrade from the older models. They do probably have the same speed and resolution but tuned with less upper mids and treble presence. Because of that they come out as if they have less resolution and less air around instruments. I also feel like the 225e have a tiny bit more power to handle all genres with ease. Every time I shift back to 225e the music feels more free and less constricted.




I think 225e does snare-drums and kick-drums with better authority and definition and can be more agressive when needed. There is a more defined punch and kick in them that just hits harder than both Hemp and 225x. I hear more room-decay in 225e and 225x sounds more dry with less decay. Which should indicate that 225x drivers are more controlled but I like the 225e a bit better.

As I said I just love the slam and punch in 225e. The two headphones have about the same bass impact and 225x goes deeper. The difference is not a matter of bass impact but more a rhythm and pace thing. Electric guitars and acoustic guitars are oh so satisfying and defined with 225e. If I only had the Hemp or 225x I would not notice that anything was missing but in direct comparison I do prefer what the 225e can do so well.



The “new” flat pads on 225x are more comfortable and I can wear them longer than the stock pads on 225e. The new cable…hmmm.. I am not sure it is any better than the old cable. It looks better though and it is probably even less flexible. Maybe the new fabric makes it more durable in the long run? I never had any problems with Grado cables except the normal twisting when the cups are turned around over time. The new soft headband feels like cheap plastic and is a very disappointing for a headphone in this price range.





That airy and edgy sound that I have always found so satisfying with Grado and could ONLY be found in Grado’s is no longer there to the same extend in 225x if you ask me - a long time Grado fan because of that. I will keep my 225e as a memory from old days but the 225x will not find much use and I am sorry to my headphones-heros in Brooklyn, that I turn out to be a conservative and somewhat disappointed old fan.

During the comparison of 225e and 225x, I sometimes threw in the Hemps and I have to admit that I prefer the brighter 225e even over the Hemps because of their more airy and edgy signature. I can definitely appreciate the Hemps all the way but there is a deeper satisfaction to some music with 225e.

This is the first time I hear one of the new x-series. I understand most people like the x-series better than the e’s. Some users said they found the soundstage bigger with the x-series drivers. I hear the opposite with 225x. The 225e soundstage is definitely bigger - using stock pads on both.

I hope that my thought, that have almost turned into a review of the SR225x can serve the Grado community and help people decide if SR225x is a candidate for them. It will be loved by many. I just prefer the old Grado-signature and I am one of those people who cannot get it bright enough. My intention is not to say 225x is a bad headphone because it has all that one can wish for from a Grado in this price-range soundwise. Now I wonder if this is the same picture in the rest of the x-series? My favourite Grado of all time was the gold SR325i because of its VERY edgy metallic and crisp Grado-sound (I know that model was a hate or love signature, so take my impressions with that in mind) and the RS1i because of how it made music open and flow like no other headphone I have ever heard.

I am looking forward to listen to the new RS-xX-series with new x-series drivers and hope they turn out to be combining both the original Grado-soul, sparkle and speed, and the depth of the X-series. But my hopes are low. They sure look awesome but I am not sure they are where I will invest my money.

I used the following tracks played from Apple Music for comparing the 225x to my other Grados:


Music was played from USB to the EarMen TR-Amp which, with its two headphone plugs made it easy to quickly switch back and forth between two headphones from the same source.

Etymotic EVO

First of all thanks to @Zachik for setting up this tour. I would never have had the chance to get to listen to the EVO in a store or at a meet if it wasn’t for this tour happening. I was contemplating buying the EVO but the German distributor still does not have a date for when I can get them and there is no distributor in my country. Being selected for the European tour saved me from waiting any longer.

Since I am the last person on the European tour, I am lucky that I get to keep the sample. I will try not let that influence my impressions with any positive bias. On the contrary I feel that the tour is asking for sincere impressions and I will try simply to share what I am hearing.

If the EVO’s are good enough I might still buy my own personal set just to get all the accessories to keep for years. So, my impressions does not involve any costs from my side and I have no investment I have to justify other than the time I spend listening, comparing and writing about them.



Just to play with total open cards here, I must admit that I could not resist to keep up with what others have been saying about the EVO’s and I have been reading the other tour-members impressions, both the the US- and European tour. So, before I received the EVO’s I already have some 2nd hand impression about how they sound. But one thing is to read about a product another thing is to hear it for yourself. Also, I am not really an expert in interpreting FR-curves etc. I find that there is so much more to how a headphone sounds than the FR-curve. Soundstage, decay, impact, timing, pace, rhythm and musicality is what I am looking for. Frequency response is less important and that is something one can adjust to over time anyway.

That also means, that I am not going to include any Etymotic history in this review. That has been covered by others better than I can do. My own history with Etymotic is that I had the ER-4S for years, then changed to ER-4XR back in 2017 after listening to them at a CanJam. I spent maybe an hour at the Etymotic distributors booth changing between ER-4SR and ER-4XR and finally decided that the XR just had more music pleasure with the marginally fuller sound. I havn’t ever had a chance to listen to ER-4SR, ER-2xx or ER-3xx since I got my ER4-XR. So, I can only compare the EVO to ER-4XR and I will spend most of this review comparing the two.

Ever since I got the ER-4XR in 2017, I have always had the UERM on my wishlist and over the years I was always looking for the more analytical, brighter sound. I was never looking for hard hitting bass at all as long as there was speed and punch (not necessarily bass-impact) and high resolution. I have to admit that lately, I have come to appreciate a fuller sound and a more natural sound that I get in the Grado Hemp for instance. Otherwise ER-4XR is my IEM-reference and Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Pro is my full size reference headphone. I hope this gives a clear picture of where I come from when I write about the EVO.

Before I get started listening to the EVO, I am curious about a couple of things:

1. How is the fit and wearing comfort?
2. I am looking forward to try the Linum BaX cable.
3. How do they sound?
4. How do they compare to ER-4XR?
5. Would I buy them?

1. Wearing comfort
Do they fit in my ear? Hmm… yes they do but not perfectly. I was hoping that they would sit flush with my ears. When using the ER4XR the left side sticks out a bit but right side is almost completely hidden in the ear. It is the same with EVO. Left side will not go all the way in but that will not be a problem for most users and it is not a real problem in daily use.



I did spend some time finding the best suitable tip to the point where I had to let my ear canals rest until next day. The small grey foam-tips made the best isolation but also caused some pain. The normal tri-flange I use with ER4XR were also good but they were not really staying in place and have a tendency to slide out of the ear slowly. Because of the weight of the metal-house they require a bit more grip in the ear than ER4XR. I think I am OK with the provided medium dual-flange tips. Good isolation and sits well in both ears and they stay there even when walking around. Once the EVO’s are inserted I do not notice them at all. Very nice.

Insertion is easy enough. I did not find any problems sliding them with a little twist into their place and it quickly becomes something I just do without considering it much. The cable goes over the ear and totally disappears.

There is absolutely no microphonics from the cable and getting used to no cable-sounds from the shirt color when moving around is pure bliss. It really started to annoy me when I am walking around with the ER4XR and that is because of the fantastic Linum cable with the EVO.


2. The Linum Cable
I can only say that I love this cable for its flexibility and for being a cable that I do not notice when wearing the earphones. This is my second cable from Estron. I also had a 2-pin Linum cable for my ER-4S and it almost feels like there is no cable. There is no microphonics when moving around and that is a big contrast to the ER4XR stock cable. I can see that the BaX cable can tangle up and sometimes is a bit curly but all cables are more or less like that. The BaX cable is much more flexible and soft than almost all other cables I have had. It made me consider to get a Linum cable for my ER4XR also.



The cable is really worth a lot in this case and I guess it also contributes to a substantial part of the price tag of the EVO which is perfectly OK with me because it really makes a positive difference in the overall experience and wearing comfort.

3. How do the EVO sound?
The first thing that strikes me when changing from ER4XR to EVO is that ER4XR sounds more intimate. Vocals are more personal and closer with ER4XR. EVO makes vocals sound like they are farther away in the soundstage. EVO sounds more open and there is more air around instruments. ER4XR is actually a little bit veiled in direct comparison and veiled is not a word I have ever used in combination with ER4XR.



There is an upper midrange and treble clarity with EVO that make them sound more analytical and with more texture and detail. The treble is never causing fatigue but just feels controlled and open and more space in general. Snares and drums are never too agressive. Cymbals are played delicately and just floats in the air on some recordings.

The mids is where I hear the biggest difference between the two earphones. It is not the amount of midrange but that EVO is not as much in-your-face midrange as ER4XR. This might be caused by the different tips I am using. I really like that the soundstage is more open with the EVO but I also like the close and intimate vocal presentation from the ER4XR.

The bass impact in the two is very close to each other. I did expect a bit more slam and punch with the EVO’s double bass drivers. I really can not hear that there are two bass-drivers in the EVO except the resolution of the bass is insanely good. But the bass impact is still very controlled and fast and I do not miss anything at all.

Overall the EVO sound very coherent throughout all frequencies. They have better soundstage, higher definition and sound more open than ER4XR. People who are looking for a lot of slam, punch and weight in the mids and low end might be disappointed but it all depends on getting accustomed to the signature and finding tips that isolate well enough.

Those who are used to the Etymotic sound (and fit) will have no issues with EVO. They will appreciate the better resolution and even more extreme instrument seperation. Both areas where ER4XR used to be my reference but EVO is simply a better window to the music.

I love listening to different singers voices. Voices have to sound like it is a person and not a recording standing in front of you. One of the reasons I got ER4XR and not ER4SR was that voices just come out more naturally, fuller and lifelike. With the EVO The distance to the voices are greater but after a little adjustment to that difference it is clear that voices just sound much more lifelike and human than ER4XR. You step one or two steps away but a thin veil is removed between you and the singer.

The best thing with the EVO and the reason I like Etymotic so much, is that no one thing draws attention in the sound. There is nothing, which there is too little of or anything that there is too much of when listening to a variety of genres. After a few days with the EVO I do not yet notice any holes in the cheese, that I think will annoy me over time.

Soundwise, ER4XR has been a reference IEM for me and the IEM that all other IEMS had to compete with. That place now belongs to the Etymotic EVO.


A few pieces of music I used for comparing ER4XR and Etymotic EVO:

Eva Cassidy, Ain’t no sunshine (2020 Version) 16-bit 44 ALAC on Apple Music.



On this track the guitar in the beginning of the track is presented with much more authority and clarity on the EVO. The bass is more defined and resolved with EVO. Eva Cassidy voice is almost ear piercing in the crescendo around 3:20 with ER4XR but stay much more controlled on EVO.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Tin Pan Alley 24-bit, 176,4 khz ALAC on Apple Music.



On this track the electric guitar is a pleasure on both earphones but on EVO there is more clarity and definition. The bass and drums hit tight and there is much more air in this recording when listening with EVO. This is a good example for hearing what I mean with voices being portrayed farther away with EVO. Stevie Rays voice is closer on ER4XR. The edge beats one the snare-drum has a more piercing sound on ER4XR but is less insisting and more natural on EVO.

Lorn, The maze to nowhere 16-bit 44 khz ALAC on Apple Music.



Modeselektor, Mean Friend (Telefon Tel Aviv remix) 16-bit 44 khz ALAC on Apple Music.



These tracks shows the difference in the bass impact between the two. The impact is about the same, maybe a notch more impact with EVO but not day and night difference. EVO will not shake your skull but the low end and sub-bass is much more defined when listening with EVO. It sounds like the EVO goes deeper and there is that deep rumble.

The speed of the bass is where the EVO is a big winner. Again the bass here is skull-shaking on some full size headphones but not on EVO. The resolution and the speed is absolutely awesome.

Mahler 5th with Michael Tilson Thomas and San Fransisco Symphony 24-bit 96 khz ALAC on Apple Music



When listening to classical music and specially if there is an organ in the music the EVO can play the deepest bass notes with ease. Not in an unnatural way but the bass notes are there and they are rendered with air and the the reverb of the room where it is recorded.

On this particular recording the big full-orchestra explosion in the beginning of the track has always been a test to me on how well headphones can cope with resolution and dynamics when everything explodes. ER4XR sounds very metallic and loose control of the sound and it almost implode and sounds thin and ear piercing compared to EVO. But EVO on the other hand has much more control of the whole frequency and this is the best I have heard this piece played to date. There is so much extra power and air and the music flows through a bigger window with EVO than ER4XR.

Those were just a few examples taken from random test-tracks to give examples of the differences between ER4XR and Etymotic EVO.

You can find all the test-tracks I have used on this playlist:

I have been using the following as sources when listening:
Apple Music played from my MacBook Pro via USB to:
ODAC —> Meier Quickstep and the Earmen TR-Amp.
Also tried iPhone —> Lightning to minijack


4. Etymotic EVO and ER4XR in comparison, final notes
As you can see from my notes above there is no doubt that EVO is a better earphone than ER4XR. ER4XR has been my reference for years but EVO is my new reference IEM. It just does everything better.



If I did not have EVO the ER4XR is a good earphone in it self but in direct comparison it cannot compete with EVO and the EVO make me see where ER4XR comes short and that is mainly resolution throughout the whole frequency.

Also, now and much more than before, I get irritated by the microphonic stock cable of ER4XR. It never used to bother me but the difference is HUGE when compared to the Linum cable. It is such a relief to wear EVO instead and that is only from sitting at my desk through a day at work. I think the cable is a big part of the upgrade and worth a substantial part of the extra price for the EVO.


5. Would I buy the Etymotic EVO?
YES!!! I think the EVO is exactly the (universal)IEM I have been looking for. Given that I do not have any headphone store nearby and it has been years since local head-fi meets were held in Europe, I do not have a lot of references to other current IEM’s that could compete with the EVO. So, I have to trust what I read and trust the Etymotic brand for what I know they deliver.


Yes, I would take it!

The only contenders that, I over the years, have considered to purchase as an upgrade for ER4XR have been; ER4SR, StageDiver SD2 and the Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor.

The ER4SR did not give me the same musical enjoyment as ER4XR. I am sure they compete in many ways and I have considered to have both of them but never took the step. The StageDiver SD2 has some of the same characteristics as ER4XR with good resolution and being close to neutral but the price kept me from purchasing them. I have listened to a universal test-sample of the UERM in the Ultimate Ears booth at two different head-fi meets(CanJams) and I have had them on my wishlist for years but never took the jump to order a set because of the price. They are simply too expensive to import to Europe so I never got them.

The Etymotic EVOs US-price tag is reasonable for me. I do not know the European street price yet but I would pay extra to upgrade from ER4XR, the cable being a big part of the upgrade. The price of ER4XR+Linum BaX cable (even though I live only a 40 minutes drive from the Estron factory) is about probably the same or more than the EVO alone in my region and the EVO is a technically better IEM and comfortable to wear for me.

I feel lucky that I was selected to be a part of the tour or else I would not have had a chance to try them for years. I hope my impressions can help those who are looking for a neutral but technically superior IEM to decide whether the EVO is for them or not. To me they are everything I love about ER4XR, just better.

The Etymotic EVO are definitely highly recommended.

EarMen TR-Amp

The TR-Amp impresses right from the first moment of listening. I have only had it for less than a week and it has become the most enjoyable DAC/Amp I have. In fact I have already sold my Chord Mojo and my iFi hip-dac after the TR-Amp arrived. I got more money for my 3 year old Mojo than I gave for the brand new TR-Amp. The Mojo never really gave me the same musical enjoyment as the TR-Amp does or maybe I just need some fresh air and the TR-Amp helps a lot with that decision. Nothing bad being said about the Mojo, it is a well designed product - except for the ball-buttons. I never used the optical input on the Mojo, so USB from Tidal is enough for me and what I am using from my iPhone and when at the office. The Mojo has served me well and has been with me on many adventures.



TR-Amp blows new sparkling life into my headphones. Specially the Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Pro and Etymotic ER4XR are really driven well with the TR-Amp. There is more micro-detail, more slam and punch. More air and a less fatiguing sound than the Mojo. TR-Amp is less in-your-face and it feels more relaxed. Listening to Tidal Masters is super satisfying and simply better sounding to me than the Mojo - for the headphones that I use. It was an easy goodbye to the Mojo for me.

I used TR-Amp with my newly purchased Grado Hemp as the first headphone to try it out with. But that combination was the darkest sounding combo. The bass is very tight and fast and detailed though. The Hemps is a dark sounding headphone on its own. The Grado SR225e is a better pairing with TR-Amp. TR-Amp is not as neutral as the Mojo but adds a bit more musicality to the sound, yet offering the same level of resolution and it just plays all file-formats I have from HD Tracks or other high-res files.

It is immediately clear, that this amplifier does not a have a perfectly neutral sound but color the sound a bit with a V-shaped signature. Bass and treble are lifted slightly, but without leaving the mids out of the picture. Vocal music is still close and intimate sounding but with a real weight to it and the Mojo sounded thin and lifeless in direct comparison. TR-Amp will probably not pair well with all headphones. ER4XR, DT-1770 Pro and SR225e are what I would call bright to neutral and for them, TR-Amp is a nice combination.





The best pairing for me, that I think I will use when travelling is Etymotic ER-4XR. The bass is never too much but driven with the right weight and control. This combination is very good. Tight, high resolution and lots of air and instrument seperation. Another fantastic combination is with Beyerdynamic DT-1770 Pro. This will probably become my favourite combination for the office after I got the TR-Amp. They sound so good together.

The TR-Amp has enough power to also make my headphones grow and scale up in a way that opens up the music. I think it might even be as pleasurable to listen to as my desktop amp, the Meier Classic ff. I only miss the crossfeed function from the Meier amp to avoid listening-fatigue but compared to the Mojo, the TR-Amp is much less fatiguing after long listening sessions.

My iFi hip-dac has also been sold after getting the TR-Amp. TR-Amp is just better with all my headphones and the battery life of the hip-dac was too short for office use since it could not last a full working day. As far as I can tell the TR-Amp can play between 8-10 hours after a full charge. The hip-dac was down to around 6 hours.

Hip-dac was also not able to kick life into the music like TR-Amp is. I really liked the design of the hip-dac and hip-dac was easier to use for portable use, but for walking around and commuting I only use my AirPod Pros anyway. Changing from TR-Amp to hip-dac made the hip-dac sound a bit lifeless and flat. It did not take me long to discern, that I might as well put the hip-dac up for sale as well. In all fairness I never got to try the 4.4mm balanced output from the hip-dac but only the normal 3.5mm jack. I just don’t want to buy new cables for all my headphones and my DT-1770 Pro cannot be balanced unless it is modified with cables in both sides. My Grado’s also cannot go balanced without an expensive modification. So, I could not get to hear the full value of the hip-dac and just another reason that the TR-Amp suits me better.

The last portable amplifier that I will keep, is my old trusted reference, the Meier Corda Quickstep. The Quickstep in direct comparison with the amp-section in the TR-Amp, is a win for the Quickstep just because the signature is more neutral but the TR-Amp is more engaging and musical.

For testing the TR-Amps DAC-section alone, I have been using the DAC with the line-out into the Quickstep and it is more neutral with less bass but with the same level of power and detail-level. The Quickstep is also a better pairing with the Hemps.



I really think TR-Amp is a bargain for me and I can trim down my collection of portable amps. 249 Euro and with free shipment, this is a super good deal.

I received the T5 for review purposes through a connection at the Danish Beyerdynamic distributor of the professional Beyerdynamic product-line. I have them on loan for some days to spend time with them and then they have to go back to Beyerdynamic again. I am not associated with either Beyerdynamic or the danish distributor in any way, so I can share my sincere impressions with no strings attached. Here it goes…

I recommend that you read my impressions of the T1.3, (found here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/beyerdynamic-t1-3rd-gen-out-now.938562/post-15868396 ) I sort of went through the same journey with T5.

September 11th, right out of the box.
Right after listening to T1.3, where I in the beginning thought there was too much bass impact, it was pleasure to shift over to T5. It has a bit more balanced sound and a tiny bit less darker sounding than T1.3. The bass in T5 is not a dominating as I felt it was in T1 in the beginning. Compared to what I was used to listen to (ER-4XR and DT1770) there is still not the same treble and upper mids sparkle as I like from DT-1770 Pro. At this point I am not sure neither T5 nor T1.3 is something for me. The signature is just too dark for what I normally like.

Listening to jazz I hear a T5 that is really good at acoustic bass. But bass still has a bit too much energy sometimes. It just tips the whole balance over to become too dark and there is no joy in listening to them for me at this point.








September 15th
If you read my impressions of the T1.3, (found here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/beyerdynamic-t1-3rd-gen-out-now.938562/post-15868396 ) you will know how I have been using them for a while without the dampening pads that cover the drivers. I did remove the pads also on the T5 and I initially liked the sound better without the pads because my ears was not adjusted to the bass impact. I spend some time listening to T5 without the dampening pads and I never really connected with the sound. Even though there is less bass, and I like that I could take some of the low end energy away, there is also a wrong balance I the mids and treble. I am not able to point out in what exact Hz-region there is too much energy, like a lot of other people can, but snare-drums on some recordings just gave me listening fatigue without the pads. There are some resonances or sharpness, that make the sound too harsh and it is clear that the dampening pads play an important role in the T5 signature.



After a conversation with Günter Weidemann from Beyerdynamic, the product manager of both T1 an T5, I was convinced that the pads were in fact intended to stay in place and that I just had to spend some more time listening to the fuller bass and get used to more impact in the low end. I think the T5 sounds worse than T1 without the pads in their place and it is clear to hear that it had to go back to its place.

Like with the T1.3 the new T5 is not just a minor update to the former T5ps. The T5 is redesigned in several ways. Günter Weidemann wrote the following to me: “Beside of the dampers as being part of the outer damping, the inner damping of the driver is also modified, in order to achieve the intended balance between inner and outer damping. And the dampers of T5 are even different to the ones of T1 for independent optimisation of the sound signature.”

This made me a bit curious and I took a look inside the T5 to see if I could spot the differences. As far as I can see from old pictures of T5p the mesh over the driver looks a bit thicker, also there is a filter in the middle of the air-vent over the driver itself that play a significant role in the tuning the sound. Otherwise there does not seem to be any immediate changes in the house where the driver sits. Whatever the changes are, it is clear that T5 is not the same as T5p gen 1 or 2 and it is also a clear answer to the ones who think that removing the dampening pad and mounting the T5p2 cushion will make this a T5p2. It will not!





September 21st
Now, I am back with the dampening pads in their place and I can now appreciate the sound. I can now hear that they should indeed NOT be removed. Again, when adjusting to a new signature it is just important to spend enough time with new headphones - and speakers as well - before you can know how they really sound.

I am listening to “Black Rider” from the new Bob Dylan album “Rough and Rowdy Ways” and WOW his voice sounds soo good. It it presented with such clarity and detail. Also, there are some drum-hits in the background. They are so far out of the soundstage that I thought I could hear someone knocking on my front-door a couple of times. The soundstage that I hear with T5 is VERY good maybe some of the best I have heard for a closed headphone. Such an open sound and with space around the instruments. Again, I hear the T5 as being just a bit brighter than the T1.3. The bass is hitting a tiny bit harder in T1.3 than T5 but the music flows easily in both headphones. It is clear that both headphones are aiming at a more natural sound and not for the analytical mids or treble demanding listeners.






September 24th
Today I had time to do a little A/B testing with my current closed reference headphone the DT-1770 and T5. One thing I immediately hear is a big difference in how the two headphones brings voices forward. In 1770 vocals are placed in the center of the music in T5 they are placed further backwards. Bass has more impact with T5. 1770 has the brighter signature of the two but there is an ease, a relaxed way of playing the music that is really satisfying in T5. T5 has a nice slam and punch in the bass, more texture in the low end more dynamic range in all frequencies. Drums and percussion instruments are played fast and with a real tight pace. With a lot of space and more ease, yet totally controlled.

In some recordings I do tend to get a little listening fatigue from snare drums in T5, I also do sometimes hear a thin veil with T5 that is not there in 1770. On the other hand sometimes the music can be a bit flat and lifeless with 1770 when changing directly from T5. I am talking about small differences here. But that exact thing that made me buy the 1770 in the beginning, lifelike sound and naturalness of instruments, the T5 just do better.

The main difference is still a noticeable darker sound in T5, less mids and treble presence. I can appreciate both headphones and if I wasn’t sitting here changing back and forth all the time I can enjoy both headphones in each their way. They are clearly created with different purposes in mind. 1770 is a professional more analytical “tool” and the T5 is for music and listening pleasure.

There is less space inside the T5 ear-cups than DT-1770. With T5, my ears touch the cushions with 1770 my ears do not touch the cushions around the ears but barely touch the material covering the drivers. The T5-cups feel smaller on the inside. T5 is also lighter to wear with 360 gram. DT-1770 weighs 388 gram. 1770 has a bit mor clamping force and grip around the head and that make the T5 more comfortable to wear. Not a night and day difference but it is noticeable when changing between the two.



T5 will definitely be on my wishlist, but I do prefer the sound of the new T1.3 over the T5. I do not need the isolation from a closed headphone where they will be used. T1.3 has the edge in transparency and with the new 32 Ohm driver, T1 is a versatile headphone that sounds great with both my portable amplifiers and my Meier Daccord+Classic at home. If you are looking for a closed headphone with a natural way of presenting music, you will not be disappointed with the new T5.

Listening gear:
24 / 48 FLAC, Audirvana on a MacBook Pro.
USB out to Meier Daccord ff, Chord Mojo or iFi Hip-dac.
Amplifiers: Meier Classic ff, Meier Corda Quickstep, Chord Mojo or iFi hip-dac.

My listening impressions with Beyerdynamic T1.3

I received the T1.3 (and T5.3) for review purposes through a connection at the Danish Beyerdynamic distributor of the professional Beyerdynamic product-line. I have them on loan for some days to spend time with them and then they have to go back to Beyerdynamic again. I am not associated with either Beyerdynamic or the danish distributor in any way, so I can share my sincere impressions with no strings attached. Here it goes…






September 11th, right out of the box.
First impression was a dark sounding experience. A little dull without sparkling highs is the first thing I notice. A darker but more calm sound than my DT-1770 Pro, my current reference full size headphone. No treble presence and too much bass to my taste. I know bass takes a lot of time to adjust to, so I am thinking I need to be patient with this one. Coming from ER-4XR and DT-1770 I knew that this was on the opposite side of the road soundwise. My ears had to get used to T1.3’s fuller sound and T1.3 definitely have much more low end impact.



The instruments I normally search for and listen for in music, piano and wind-instruments, are brought more backwards compared to bass and drums. Vocals are also brought backwards and do not come out in front of the rest of the orchestra. Hmmm… This is so unlike the Beyerdynamic sound that I am used to. I can hear that there is nothing wrong with the presentation, the transparency is really good, the dynamics, the punch and speed. But it is just the tuning that was a surprise to me.

When listening to Tool for instance the snare drum has the right slam. The sound is not muddy but the headphones are overpowering the bass region and that is too much for me at this point. Going back to DT-1770 everything is controlled. The 1770’s bass has just the right balance. Drums are tight and hits with controlled impact. I can clearly hear that the T1.3 is a step up in terms of transparency and resolution.

Guitars on Tools “The Patient” stand out clear and crisp on T1.3 though. There is so much air and space around the guitar and I am thinking that there is a technical advantage to T1.3 over DT-1770 that I can clearly hear but the tuning is just off to my ears. As soon as the bass and drums kick in it has too much energy in the low end. Not a good energy but a way too much and almost vulgar bass presence, not with a tight slam and punch but an overpowered attack that takes over everything. It does not sound balanced and natural. A too dark sound that I could not believe came from Beyerdynamic.

(September 16th: Reading these initial impressions 5 days later after my ears have adjusted to the sound, seems far away. Now, I am where I can really enjoy the sound. But I had to go through a lot. A journey I would not have been able to do if I had only had an hour at a shop. I would never have chosen these headphones if my first impression was the only one… I’ll come back to that.)



September 12th
The next day I was listening to music changing back and forth between T5.3 and T1.3, enjoying a cup of coffee from the morning. Then I noticed the new damping material over the drivers that was not there in the first T1. I thought I need to try to remove that to see what happens. It is an easy operation removing the baffle with the cushions, they click right off. Away with the dampening filter, you can remove it right out from its place, no glue used. The cushions click right back on ….and you have a completely new headphone. (Even easier than the good old APureSound-Mod for HD650 for those who have been around long enough to remember that.)


The dampening pad that covers the drivers.


The damping pad removed and the driver as we know it from the first T1 is visible.


I could now turn the volume somewhat down. Much less energy in the lower region and mids and treble are suddenly out in the open. Now we are talking. Back to the Beyerdynamic sound that I know so well and like so much. Brighter and more airy sound with better balance. Voices are suddenly also brought forward to where they are supposed to be, not hidden behind bass and drums. The soundstage opens up and the music is brought out of my head.

Voices are crisp and clear. The music flows effortless and there is no veil. The T1.3 is a true pleasure to listen to now. I am trying different genres. Jazz, metal, classic music, electronica and blues - T1.3 do it all with ease.

Compared to DT-1770 there is more space around the instruments and a real atmosphere when listening to T1.3. It is clear that the soundstage is deeper and wider.


September 15th
I have now had a couple of days with the T1.3 without the dampening pad. I have been on a short business-trip and brought the T1.3 with me and spend som time with them in the evening on the hotelroom, listening to T1.3 from my Chord Mojo. I have enjoyed more than a couple listening experiences giving pure goosebumps. Just browsing around in Tidal and discovering new albums from different genres is a pure joy with the T1.3. They do not really excel in just one genre but to me(without the dampening pads) they are equally good with all genres.






Some old albums like Pink Floyd sounds so intimate and yet there is a real space and air around everything. Not artificial HD800 soundstage but a real nice stage with good layering. The music is relaxed, there is a softness to how they present guitars. Crisp and clear but never harsh or piercing to the ears. Snare drums are tight and sounds like they do when hearing them live but again never ear piercingly harsh. The soundstage is just bigger and more outside of my head, compared to my current reference DT-1770 pro. Of course DT-1770 are closed and T1.3 are open.

In the meantime I have had an email-conversation with Mr. Gunter Weidemann, the Senior Product Manager at Beyerdynamic. I was just puzzled with the dampening pads and why the T1 sounds so much better without them, to my ears that is. I had to get an answer to that. As Gunter pointed our, my reference sound today is what I would call neutral from ER-4XR and DT-1770 Pro. Studio monitor sound. Nothing added to the music, just played as it is on the recording. As Gunter explained DT-1770 has a completely other purpose than the T1.3. Where I am used to listen to a professional device made to analyse recordings the T1.3 has another purpose. In Gunter Weidemanns words: “the new T1 and T5 are positioned as "True masterpieces for your musical enjoyment at home", with a carefully tuned sound signature especially for this kind of application.”

Mr. Weidemann recommended me that I should take my time to get my ears used to the new sound. I have often recommended people to take (long) time to get used to listen to the (brighter) Etymotic ER-4xx or the like, because I know it does take time to adjust to a different level of low end impact from both speakers and headphones. So, I will follow Mr. Weidemanns advice and put the dampening pads back in their place - and give it some time. He also mentioned that the dampers of the T1 and new T5 are different, specifically designed to produce the desired balance for both headphones. Also the baffle in the T1 has been redesigned, the ear-pad cushions are new and the inner dampening in the house is redesigned. All components thought carefully through to achieve the desired sound signature.

Snap, snap, click, click. The dampening pads are back in place. But I have to say, my ears are not happy. Give it time they say.



32 Ohm impedance - but why?
There has been some critical voices and maybe sincere concerns around here on why Beyerdynamic chose to go with a 32 Ohm driver. I can say for myself, I never really understood the concern. I have heard plenty of headphones that were high-end with lower impedance than 600 Ohm. T1.1+T1.2 were the first and only (mass market) high impedance headphones in the market for a long time. That in itself did not make them more high-end than a low impedance headphone other than you never really could push them to their limits without adding a decent amplifier in the chain. I do see the concern that if Beyerdynamic has moved their focus from the high-end consumer market to the more “average” consumer.

I asked Gunter Weidemann about this move from Beyerdynamic. What was the reasoning behind this move: “Our engineers surely have the best experiences to provide headphones in various impedances (i.e. DT 880/990 Edition with 32, 250, and 600 Ohm). And we have made an effort to optimize the new T1 for an impedance of 32 Ohm, whereas the former T1 models have been optimized for 600 Ohm. We are definitely targeting the high-enders like before, but providing them with higher flexibility of connection to stationary amplifiers as well as mobile devices (because the latter have been improved a lot during the last years).”

I can only say I appreciate this answer. I am actually considering buying the T1.3 BECAUSE it now has 32 Ohm impedance. I had the T1.1 but did not use it as much as I used my T5p. So, I ended up selling the T1.1 and kept the T5p for years. I used T5p in the office with my desktop amplifier and with my portable amps. I never moved over to DAP’s because I always have my laptop with me, so Chord Mojo (or a mini-stack with an ODAC + Meier Quickstep) serves as my portable hotelroom system most of the time and for that I can now easily see the T1.3 become a travel companion. Also, the included case that T1.3 comes with is perfect for transporting the headphones in my bag. Lightweight and durable.

Designing the T1.3 around a 32 Ohm driver makes a much more versatile headphone. I think many new users will love that.

September 17th:
It is now about time to finish my review and my time with T1.3 is about to end. I have been able to spend time listening to these daily in the homeoffice. Already now as I am writing this my ears appreciate the (darker) sound much more than I did 6 days ago. I now perceive the sound as much more balanced. The bass is truly punchy, tight and with a nice impact. Still more bass impact than I need, but it does not kill the rest of the music as it did in the beginning. I am hearing mids and treble come more forward. No doubt these headphones beat DT-1770 in terms of soundstage and resolution. Again transparency and openness is where the T1.3 really excel.

Getting used to the signature of T1.3 required time for me and if you are used to more analytical sound you will most likely not like T1.3 at first. But there is a lot of listening pleasure for those who will let their ears adjust to the tuning of these headphones. Wearing the T1.3 is also really comfortable. I use the velour cushions on my DT-1770 and the velour cushions on T1.3 feels even more luxurious and soft on the skin. They have a nice tight pressure on the head and sit perfectly for longer listening sessions.

The T1.3 is not a highly critical headphone demanding only high resolution files. Listening to music from Spotify sounds good too. High resolution files sounds perfect.

According to Günter Weidemann, T1.3 is going to appeal to the same user, who also like the sound of Amiron home and wireless. After getting over the initial “chock” of the much different tuning in T1.3 than all the other Beyerdynamic headphones that I have had, and getting my ears adjusted to more bass impact, I can see the potential for a 32 Ohm truly high-end headphone. A headphone with a big sound, a comfortable fit on the head with its soft velour cushions, a bass focused signature yet super easy to drive from most sources.

Gear that I used:
24 / 48 FLAC, Audirvana on a MacBook Pro.
USB out to Meier Daccord ff, Chord Mojo or iFi Hip-dac.
Amplifiers: Meier Classic ff, Meier Corda Quickstep, Chord Mojo or iFi hip-dac.

q-Jays - Purity and Elegance ^ 2

 
https://www.jays.se/products/q-jays/
 
 
I received q-Jays as a loan in the tour on the Danish head-fi community forum www.hoved-fi.dk 
Courtesy of Claus. Thank you very much for that. I have not regretted for a moment that I agreed to spend a few evenings to listen to these wonderful in-ears. They have impressed me from the first moment in several ways.
 

 

 
 

1. Package

The first thing I was impressed by was the elegance that is in the product's packaging. I will not go into the details of writing about each item in the box. Only that it all presents itself very elegantly. Black and stylish. All the materials in the box are nice to the touching just feels perfect. Things feel perfectly heavy and sturdy. The monitors are placed in foam in a round box. Cables and additional tips are located in small black boxes. The boxes are black cardboard but stylish and they open in an elegant way. I love stuff like that. Every little detail is thoroughly considered. 
 

 

 
 
For me it is the first sign that the sender of the product has taken it very seriously to create this product. When I was working at Bang & Olufsen, a new CEO entered the company. I remember that he (perhaps with the help of some expensive consultants, I do not know) described a new set of values ​​in the company which all employees should memorise and use with everything we dealt with in our work. The values consisted of three key words: PASSION, PRIDE and PERSISTENCE.
 

 

 
When I see a product like q-Jays PASSION, PRIDE and persistence is the first that come to mind. Jays must be really proud of this product. They BELIEVE in their product and that it is PERFECT! Therefore, it is also perfectly presented. Now I will let the pictures speak and if it does not give a clear picture of what we are dealing with, then there is nothing else to do but you must buy a set of q-Jays and look for yourself. You probably will not regret that.
 

2. Cable

The cable on this IEM is perfect! Nothing less. 1. It is removable and can be changed. You can disconnect them using a fine thread that goes into the metal housing. 2. It is quite light and thin and the microphonics are not significant. 3. It has a perfect length. 4. It has angled jack. 5. There is no memory wire. 6. You can mount them with cable directly down like Etymotic ER-4S or over the ear if you want it. Both ways they are comfortable.
 
There are some amount of microphonic in the cable if I am walking around with them but it can minimized by using them as cables going over the ear. It is the curvature of the house that makes it possible to wear the cable over the ear. Microphonics is not something that have annoyed me while using the q-Jays. I am sure there will be some aftermarket cables along the way and I might prefer a thinner Linim cable or maybe a soft Whiplash cable would be nice. 
 

3. Construction Quality

The house itself is a cast metal housing. They have some weight. The weight is less than RHA T20 and when they sit in the ear I do not feel they are there at all. I believe that it is possible to destroy the thread in the house if you are violent towards the cables. It also being warned of in the manual. So one should be rather cautious when changing the cable.
 
The build quality is just TOP class. It is not often you see this sort of quality.
 

4. Accessories

The box contains a cable without a microphone and remote control. There is also a small box with 5 different sizes of tips and a set of Comply tips size T-100. I had a set of silicone tips lying in the drawer that I've used, so I can not say anything about the sound of the comply or the other tips.
 

 
 

 
 
In the box there is also a fine book with an in-depth description of the product, the genesis of the product as well as a little about the history of Jays in Sweden. I would like to have seen some more pictures in the book of the designers, owners and premises. It would be fun to get a glimpse of where the Jays come from. The company is housed in an old brewery. It would be fun to see how it looks. But the book is fun to look at and certainly contribute to a good experience of the product and the company as a serious business.
 

5. Comfort

When using q-Jays you do not feel they are in the ears. They weigh a little bit when they lie in the hand but feels just as any other set of in-ears when they sit in the ear. Can you find a set of Comply tips in the T-100 size then it is for sure that one can obtain perfect comfort and fit.
 

 
 

6. Sound

How do they sound? The first word I come to think of is elegance. Superior elegance. Everything is so controlled. There's no immediate WOW-effect. They are not rich and powerful but on the other hand they are not as cold as ER-4S. They are not crisp (grainy) as my Heir Audio Tzar 350 but not relaxed and easy-going. They do not move a lot of air in the bass as RHA T20 but Deadmau5 still sounds good on them. I do not know what they are doing that? It just sounds so elegant. They present music elegantly. They let the music flow.
 
With a few pieces of music I have had a tendency to listening fatigue. But it disappeared by switching to the next piece of music. So it could indicate that they simply reveal a poor recording. Some drums and snares can be a little harsh but changing to another track there is no harshness. So I blame those particular recordings rather than the q-Jays. 
 

 
 

Here fitted with some silicone tips I had.
 
Bass:
q-Jays is not an IEM with artificial bass impact. They will not go down in history for this property. There is perhaps more bass than the Etymotic ER-4S but approximately the same level as my Tzar 350. Tone wise, they close up to a slightly richer and slightly warmer version of Tzar 350. Both are neutral as the first priority. Reference sound. It's not just something they write. This is the real thing. I listened to some electronic music including some dubstep to see what they could in the bass. The depth is there, the clarity is amazing, the speed is fast and the resolution is very good. There's just no impact and punch. So if you really need a good impact in the bass then you will miss it in the q-Jays. For me it's no problem because I have always preferred as little bass as possible. As long as the bass is tight and fast.
 
If you are used to a sound with much bass impact you will have to spend some time getting used to the sound of the q-Jays. Give your ears time to adjust from a large bass impact before you conclude on the sound from these. You will be rewarded. Some will perceive them as bright but that is probably relative and depends on where you come from.
 
I would definitely say they have a signature a little on the bright side of neutral. Still bass and cello come through firm and meaty and with big presence. So this might be a bit of a contradiction. But when bass is needed, they wake up and deliver precisely what it takes. So I am looking forward to hearing how others evaluate them but I would say they are right on the bright side of neutral. If you listen to orchestral music, there are plenty of deep tones and a fullness in the bass instruments. I am missing nothing at all in the bass range and to me the amount of impact is just perfect. The important thing is that the sound image really sticks together and instruments work independently. Not too much bass and not too little. Elegantly tuned.
 
Midrange:
Voices and vocals are more natural with q-Jays than with Tzar 350. There is a bit more life in vocals with the q-Jays and Tzar feels a little sterile in comparison. The midtones in Tzar 350 tend to be a bit canny when you switch directly from the q-Jays. Out of the three IEM I have vocals are clearly the most natural and vivid and SUPER well-dissolved with q-Jays and Tzar 350 is more resolving than T20. T20 feels a little as though there is a veil when you come from the q-Jays. q-Jays is a reference monitor and voices are soft and present. It really feels like looking into a very clear window into the music with them.
 
Treble:
When, for example. listen to some guitar music with lots of little details and finger slides, there's just a fine and elegant exquisiteness of the treble. Treble never tip over the edge or stand out from the other sounds. Everything is perfectly coherent through the ful range. This is important to me. It always irritates me if there is a part for the range, that comes too much forward. 
 
I do not think they have the same crispy or grainy sound that I experience with Tzar but it has a softness to it. With crispness I mean a dryness and edgy highs. I do not exactly know how to describe it but what the q-Jays do is GOOD. When that grainy sound is gone, what is it that they can with their treble? I do not know. All the details are there but they are not too forward like they can be with Tzar 350 occasionally. There is a very good sense of detail and air. The background feels black and very quiet. After switching directly from the q-Jays over to the Tzar, I think suddenly something is missing in the upper midrange or lower treble. q-Jays thus provides a little more naturalness in vocals and that gives immense listening pleasure.
 
Again, I can only say that the way they play treble on is very elegant. Not too dry or too exaggerated treble. Not cold and clinical. Just perfectly rich in detail and air, fine and soft without being shy.
 
With amplifier:
If I let them play from a small amplifier as my QuickStep they do grow in the bass a little. There will be more air in the bass and it is clear that one must treat q-Jays in a good way with proper material otherwise they return with a furious treble, which can sometimes be screamy if the recording is bad. Therefore, it would be a shame not to say that they are pretty picky about what they play. They soon reveal if the recording or MP3 quality is too poor. q-Jays are too good to work with poor quality and does not deserve to be treated with anything but the best. If you give them the best, then they reward you with a truly high-end crystal clear sound that just gets better and better the more you listen.
 
Unfortunately, I have my Daccord DAC and Classic amplifier delivered to Jan Meier to be upgraded to the ff-versions. But it would be interesting to listen to the q-Jays from my big amplifier to see how they would do and how they scale. I'm sure that as soon nc8000 get your hands on these q-Jays, he will want to make the same Rudistor + q-Jays project as he originally did with Etymotic ER-4S. There is so much potential in the q-Jays. They play just that they are told and I have a feeling they will be able to scale with much better equipment than I have available.
 

 
Soundstage:
When I listen to some of the artificial head recordings from Chesky Records either on CD or 24/192 AIFF, the q-Jays open up widely and expands the music out to a large room. With normal CD-rips I have not yet had those total out of the head experiences with the music of such "everyday" music. The stage is still places inside my head with most recordings. If I play a good recording from one of my reference CDs, then the q-Jays will spread the music out into a larger space to the sides and slightly in front of the head. But they do not come up on full size headphone level of soundstage.
 
So regarding soundstage q-Jays are no great revelation. Maybe it is just the way it is with in-ear monitors? The biggest soundstage I have heard with an IEM is the Ultimate Ears Reference Monitor but they also cost more than twice as much. I think they present a soundstage just as well as Tzar 350 and RHA T20 in this area.
 

 
 

7. Conclusion

The IEM is one of those in-ears that are long lasting. They do not have a typical WOW-effect when you hear them the first time. You will not be blown away by a false bloated bass but a regular tight and super fast bass. You will be blown away by how natural music can sound. There is no (or very short) decay and ringing in the sound I hear with q-Jays. Actually decay and ringing maybe something they do not have much of. This is perhaps what helps to make them sound so pure and clear - so elegant. The only decay you hear is coming from the room where the recording was taken as well as from the instruments on the recording.
 
That elegance is present in all parts of this product. In the design. In the wrapping and boxes. In the user manual. In the accessories. It all just hits the nail when you discover that the same elegance is present in the way they sound. Everything is just elegantly done and I love this product so much that I want to buy them on the spot.
 
Good luck to the next in the tour and for those who buy them. If was not caught by a speeding camera with 108 km/h on the road the other day, I would go buy a set of q-Jays immediately
 
All photos from the album can be viewed here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskhTokhg
 
Most of my listening consists of either directly from the iPhone, around 10% of the time using ALAC lossless files. Otherwise I listened to CDs played on my NAD CD player using analog out to my Meier Corda Quickstep as amplifier.

Out-of-box experience.....Accessories and packaging
 
Receiving and unboxing the RHA T20 gives the impression that this product is not just "some" product. Everything signals quality and thought. Right from the beginning it is a pleasure to use the T20.
 

 

 

 

 
All the accessories with the T20 is more than one could wish for. It contains tips for most sizes and preferences. The interchangeable filters are sturdy and easy to handle and change. It does not require a separate tool or anything to change them. The packaging is very nice. When opening the front there is even a little magnet holding it closed. All in all the packaging gives an impression that this is a finished product. RHA surely have thought of everything. The T20 is placed perfectly and it is easy to remove. I only found it a bit difficult to remove the little plate with the filters. It was glued securely to the foam holder. Maybe I am not supposed to remove it but I wanted to bring the filters with me in the hope I could find time to change them during my day at the office.
 

 

 
Build quality, Comfort and the cable
I have tried a few other universal IEMs that did not fit my ears. My ears are small so I cannot wear large IEMs, like the Ultrasone iQ for instance, for longer than 10 minutes. They quickly start to fall out and constantly irritate my outer ear. The T20 does not have that problem at all. In fact they are pretty small. Even smaller than my current reference IEM’s the Tzar 350. The T20 fits perfectly in my ear. They totally disappear and I don’t even feel they are there. The memory wire does not rattle or make noise against my glasses like the memory wire from my Tzar 350 does. Only small movements of my face, ears and jaw will make my glasses touch the Tzar-wire and make microphonic cable noise. The T20 cable is completely silent and even though they touch my glasses I cannot hear anything from that. I love that and regarding the memory wire, I have always preferred not to have it, and just let the cable bend naturally over the ear. But the memory wire of the T20 is made with a perfect balance between being too stiff and to wiggly.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Right from touching the T20 for the first time, to wearing them over most of a work day at the office, I love everything about the T20. The plug is sturdy and the start of the plug is made thin so it can be used with my iPhone even with its cover on. There is a spring around the cable to distribute the pulling force not to wear out the cable by the plug. Very nicely designed and cleverly done. I can imagine some people carrying their phones in the jeans pocket would have loved to have an angled plug instead of the straight one though. I can also understand why. It is not very practical with a straight plug for that and it can destroy the headphone out in the cellphone. The T20 cable and plug is too sturdy and will never suffer any damage with just a little bending.
 

 
Isolation
I am working at an office with 4 people right next to a hardware test center, where we have a lot of people walking around. Phone calls and machines with ventilators making a constant noise floor. When wearing T20 with the silicone single flange tips I can barely hear people talking next to me. When listening to music surrounding noise disappear and people will have to get my visual attention to talk to me. If I use the comply foam tips the isolation gets a little bit better. They do not block out 100% of all sounds like wearing a pair of ear plugs but it gets very close. It definitely is not an issue when listening to music.
 
 
Sound and filter choice
First a little bit about my sound preferences. I have been a former Etymotic ER-4S user for some years, After that my current reference IEM is the Tzar 350, which is also a bright earphone. My preferred signature in full size headphones are the likes of Beyerdynamic T5p and T70. Both are by a lot of head-fiers deemed as bass light and too thin sounding. I do prefer airy sound and high resolution. I never listen at high volume so it is very seldom that I find bright headphones ear piercing. While I do not need the bass to be have a lot of impact it certainly has to be fast and clean before I am satisfied. 
 
After some initial changing of the filters I quickly chose the treble-filter as my preferred one. The bass-filter was just too much to my taste. The reference filter sounded great but the treble filter was right in the sweet spot for me. There is still more bass with the treble filter than I am used to but I am slowly getting adjusted to it and do not notice it that much anymore. 
 

 
 
While listening to T20, most of the time I am using either the headphone out of my iPhone 6+ or PC --> ODAC RevB --> Meier Quickstep to drive the T20. The T20 sounds very good directly from the iPhone but it does scale well when used with an amplifier. The dual-coil driver definitely has potential to open up a bit when given some more force. 
 
All my impressions are when using the treble filter only. 
 
I find that the bass is puncy and tight. It does not have any unnatural impact when listening to jazz or classical. Acoustic bass sounds full and comes out nicely in every way. Snares, cymbals and percussion sounds lifelike. I find that with classical recordings containing the full orchestra, the T20 does a great job to play the bass instruments like they are supposed to. It feels like the bass has its own room to play freely in and the T20 still sounds coherent. Nothing is too forward sounding and nothing is too drawn backwards. There are great dynamics in the bass area for an IEM in this price range. I also think the room acoustics comes through very well on the good recordings. T20 sounds very good and truly offers listening pleasure for me with jazz and classical.
 
The treble has great resolution. As does the mids. I never think they are ear piercing even with the treble filter. 
 
One thing that stands out for me with the T20 is how natural acoustic guitars sound. They sound kind of dry but in a very balanced way. The T20 does not play with a plethora of micro details like some balanced armature in-ears but it comes very close in a super natural and pleasing way. The resolution is very good and probably the best I have ever heard from a dynamic driver in-ear. T20 never sounds boring or flat nor does it over exaggerate anything. Classical and jazz feels lifelike, vocals are portrayed naturally. Specially male vocals are spot on but female vocals tend to be drawn just a little backwards on some recordings. The following two recordings have been given new life for me with the T20. Both are acoustic guitar and male vocals. This is where T20 reigns for me:
 

 

 
Listening to metal is the only genre where the T20 kind of lack something. I cannot really pinpoint what it is they do wrong here. Maybe I have not found the best metal recordings? But where for instance the Beyerdynamic T51p sounds brutal and really in-your-face the T20 can sometimes be a bit too polite. With Beyerdynamic T51p there is a solid wall of sound but still it is possible to see through the music. With the T20 the sound lacks a little transparency. This is only with metal and this is the only weak spot I have been able to find with the T20. 
 
Conclusion
All in all it is hard to find areas in the sound I do not like. I am enjoying listening to music with these earphones. They do a wide variety of genres really well. I was looking at Beyerdynamic DX 160 as my new everyday portable in-ear. I am definitely going for the T20 instead and the extra price is totally worth it. They are easy to use, have great wearing comfort and since they are rougher than the average in-ear they can take a few hits along the way. This is just a good product in every way and I recommend everyone to consider the T20 if you are looking for a great overall in-ear.

 

[size=medium]

Beyerdynamic A1
 
I got my Meier Concerto for nearly eighteen months ago. It has played faithfully and well with all the headphones I've used with it and I'm still happy with its sound in every way. It has since I got it been my reference amp when I have listened to potentially new amplifiers to my headphones.
 

 
It's always nice to listen to new gear and the Concerto is always fresh for a challenge from other gear once in a while. So I thought it would not hurt to try a new piece of gear to see if it can stretch the Concerto. The Concerto is developed by Jan Meier. Jan is an enthusiastic head-fi’er and founder of the one-man company, "Meier Audio" and developer of several great amplifiers through the years. The Concerto will hereafter try to bite spoons against an amplifier developed by Beyerdynamic. Beyerdynamic is one of the biggest players in the headphone homeland Germany, with a larger R&D department and the sales of cables and accessories is probably more than Meier's total revenue by several lengths. Not that I know anything about the figures for turnover ... - You get the picture... I am only guessing.
 
I have had an A1 amplifier in the house for a short period of time for approx. 3-4 years ago. My most recent encounter with Beyerdynamic A1 was at our local Danish Head-fi meet in the spring at HiFi Freaks in Esbjerg and I was surprised to rediscover its sound with the new Beyerdynamic headphones – especially the T1. I got an opportunity to buy a new Beyerdynamic A1 and I jumped in and figured I would see if it could compete with my Concerto as a good all round headphone amplifier. Concerto is at this point the best I have listened to so far in the price range and is my preferred reference. Now I know that I have not listened to everything but I have heard quiet a few amplifiers over the years.
 
I frequently switch headphones depending on mood and different music genre listening. Sometimes they are closed and sometimes open headphones. Most days I listen to jazz and classical sometimes blues, rock and electronic and on other occasions hip hop, dubstep, metal, funk, reggae .... Well... the only genre I almost never listen to is the POP genre. Therefore I do require very different headphones to meet the demand and satisfy me. Since I got a new set of Beyerdynamic T1, they were the headphones I use most. They cover probably 60% of my listening in my living room. The Sennheiser HD650 and Grado SR325i share the remaining 40%. But this is only at the present moment. If I know myself well enough this will change next month. So the amplifier I use at home has to be able to drive all sorts of headphones from 32 ohms to 600 ohms equally well.
 
Now most people would think that a set of 32 ohm Grado headphones can be powered by anything and that it requires much more power to drive a set of 600 Ohms T1's. But bear in mind that a 32-ohm headphone put a different load on the amplifier than a 600-ohm and requires more current to give the same effect and it can be as great a challenge to the amplifier if it is not designed optimally. Beyerdynamic states that the A1 is "maximum power" to the headphones 32 to 600 ohms.
 
The Beyerdynamic A1 headphone amplifier was launched in 2007 and has received good reviews most places and lately it received the price "Goldenes Ohr 2011" in Germany in the category of headphone amplifiers. So something may indicate that Beyerdynamic has a good product here that deserves more attention. It's not often a product is flavor of the month 4 years after it was launched but that is in a way what has happened to the A1. Normally it is only new products that receive that status. Nevertheless there has been more writing on the A1 in 2011 than I have noted since 2007. I asked Gunter Weidemann, Manager Technical Support at Beyerdynamic about what caused this and he is not in doubt. It is certainly a part of the reason that Beyerdynamic last year launched the Beyerdynamic T1. "Together with T1, its 600-ohm impedance and Tesla technology, A1 was rediscovered by the users."
 
Another reason causing the A1 sales figures to rise is that it has now also been launched in a 110...120 volt version. Previously it was only available in the countries using 220...240 volt. It opens up some new markets - including the United States. This probably explains why I have never read much about it here at Head-fi.org. Beyerdynamic has chosen not only to build a normal switch mode power supply into the A1, which can handle all voltages but the whole circuit is optimized for the specific voltage together with a special toroidal transformer for 110V and 220V respectively.
 

 
The Beyerdynamic A1 is hand assembled in Germany. It is something they always emphasize at Beyerdynamic and there is not the slightest doubt that the A1 is just as solid built as you can imagine. Even the volume-knob torque is perfectly nice when you turn it. This is a little detail that I cannot help but notice. Maybe I'm maladjusted because of my job. (where there are no analog potentiometers used in products for many years and when I ever use gear with analog potentiometers, it is always important that it feels like quality - maybe it's just me?) So no doubt that the build quality is top notch!
 
In the old days there was an orange version of A1. I doubt that there are sold many pieces of the orange version. Maybe it has even become a collector’s item today? It was not my favorite headphone amplifier based on looks – need I say more? Anyway, I could not help but wonder if they could build it in other colors in the future. Maybe they could introduce a future Manufaktur-version with other colors than grey? According to Gunter Weidemann, there are no plans in that direction when I asked him.
 

 
Mr. Gunter Weidemann also sent me a picture of a transparent A1. There you can see the toroidal transformer and 4 FET's on a massive aluminum plate. All prints are 100% non-SMD components and with wired connections and carefully selected components (which manufacturer does not carefully select its components if you ask them?). All this should, according to Weidemann lead to an excellent channel separation; L / R> 89dB.
 

Gain

There really is a HIGH gain in the A1. An amplifier designed to drive both 32 and 600 Ohm headphones often has a high / low gain selection. The A1 does not have any gain selection but still it's no problem. I can easily find a volume that is low enough to listen comfortably at SR325i and even with the T1 I can get dangerously loud volumes at 1 pm. With the HD650 I'm at my pain threshold by pm. 12 and at normal listening level at 8-9. So I can hardly imagine that there are people who have something to do with the volume button passed 1 pm. After that it continues a further long way and  passes eardrum-flapping levels and I find it hard to believe anyone can use such high volumes. If you turn off the music and turn up to max then there is also some hiss and buzz, fueled up. So there really must be a lot of gain on the A1 when you get there.
 
I also note that when there is no music on, I can at around 12 begin to hear some background noise with the HD650. However, it is the maximum volume with HD650 on A1 and I would never be up there in normal use, so practically this noise does not exist when operating at normal listening levels. It only shows that this amplifier has HIGH gain with the pros and cons this gives. I have not tried any very sensitive IEM on the A1. It would be interesting if volume could reach far enough down low not to be giving too much hiss. I think it can because the volume decreases very slowly at the bottom towards zero.
 

Sound

That you can turn up the volume so high might indicate that the A1 has plenty of horsepower under the hood. It is also quite clear when listening to music through the A1 there is plenty of everything. Lots of bass, deep firm and calm. Lots of presence in the mids and treble are soft and do not in any way sound shrill. The sound is incredibly clean and transparent. Hmmm ... (We have heard that before) Well this IS how it sounds – these words are not just the usual platitudes that are always mentioned when someone has to describe the sound of an amplifier.
 
If the A1 in any way had added anything else into the music than there is, I would have been focusing on this. The thing is that if there is something to focus on it would be the strength of the A1 and that is precisely this ability to let the music flow in crude volumes into any headphone being connected to eh A1. Every kind of headphone, high or low impedance, is harnessed to its full potential. The A1 simply takes authority over the T1 as well as a set of Grado’s in a way so that they reach their full potential in dynamics and speed, punch and impact. Even at low volumes the A1 sounds just as transparent as with medium volume and not constricted as some amplifiers can do when they are not allowed to play louder.  
 
When listening to vocal music, vocals sound real, natural and intimate. On "In a sentimental mood" of Cæcilie Norby’s live CD London / Paris, the room is nice and transparent and the voice is clear and nicely rendered. The underlying bass gets a very nice weight to it. The A1 has a natural soundstage and no artificial space but a realistic depth, width and height depending on the recording sessions.
 
All in all there is nothing in the sound that draws my attention. It simply gets out of the way and lets the music flow. I have searched and searched for a weakness in this amplifier through many hours of listening and I have changed headphone many times and listened in various genres. If I were to wish for anything it would be that the highs would be a little livelier and there was a little more sparkle in the high frequencies. I would never have asked me if it was not because I was used to Concerto, which is slightly brighter in its sound. I have also switched back and forth between A1 and Concerto to find the nuances that make the difference between the two. Comparing the two has been very easy since A1 has a loop out (RCA in directly to the RCA out) which is also active even when A1 is off. So there is really a direct loop through. So I've been able to connect both the Concerto and the A1 to my DAC at the same time and therefore easily and quickly just switch amplifier by simply plugging the headphone into the other amplifier.
 

Beyerdynamic A1 in compared to the Concerto

It says more about the A1's sound when I compare it to my own reference. I also hope that it makes better sense for the reader to grasp what kind of species the A1 is and how it sounds if I made some comparisons to the Concerto. The differences between the sounds of the two amplifiers are so small that I really need to listen carefully - and it is in my ears very distinguished credentials for the A1. Therefore, what I write below is small exaggerations to describe those differences better. These really are two neutral headphone amplifiers and neither of them colors the sound much in any direction. This probably makes the range of headphones that will pair well with both of them larger.
 

 
There is little more throughput in the music with the Concerto - just a bit more, not much. The Concerto has a little more treble and a little more micro detail. The Concertos treble is a little bit to the lively side and it is probably the biggest difference in relation to the A1. A1 stays always on the clean side where the Concerto is a little "naughty" in the treble.
 
With A1, there is more weight in the sound and more body behind the music where the Concerto is a bit brighter and lighter. The somewhat fuller sound from the A1 is something that suits headphones like T1 very well. Vocals get some meat on them and you can almost feel the sound have a well-defined physical weight. T1+A1 is an absolutely amazing pair on some recordings.
 

Conclusion

Can the Beyerdynamic A1 harness all kind of headphones from 32 ohms to 600 ohms - YES. It can with ease. I feel it has full control over both a set of T1 and a pair of Grado’s. The Grados sounds just as controlled as when they play on the best solid-state amplifiers I've heard them – except a Beta22 I once heard them play from. Also I would almost think that the A1 can drive a set of 1000 Ohms headphones without problems taking in consideration the gain factor it has and which I never really feel like I utilize – even with the T1. Whether it can run a set of 18 Ohms super sensitive IEM without hissing noise and I cannot say anything about because I do not have such to test it with. However Beyerdynamic says it drives 32-600 Ohm and so it does. My guess is that you can reach a very low volume with the ALPS-pot in order to get a comfortable listening volume level even with sensitive IEM’s.
 
Is A1 a better amp than Concerto - NO ... but it is not worse either. These are two - to my ears - very good headphone amplifiers and I could easily live with the A1 instead of the Concerto. They both do what I want to have a headphone amplifier do. They have to be able to function as an all-round amplifier that will drive all my headphones equally well to all the genres I listen to. A1 definitely deserves to be rediscovered and get another chance. Especially if it is combined with a set of T1! It delivers fantastic sound and will offer countless hours of music enjoyment to listeners with varying headphones and music-genres.
​

[/size]

 

Hisoundaudio Studio-I and the PAA-1 earbuds

 
 
First> A video teaser with the product:
http://vimeo.com/10283236
 
This product was completely new to me. To be honest I have never regarded any digital audio player that much since I have only been using Apple products since 1998. So using other players than my iPods or iPhones has never really crossed my mind. I have been satisfied with the Apple sound, which got a lot better in the iPhone 4 line out - not headphone out - compared to the iPod 5G. I find that with some earphones like the new Beyerdynamic MMX 101 I hear a constant background hiss from the headphone out. This is not heard when using my Etymotic ER-4S. But that is another story.
 

 
I use my i-products with a LOD connecting to my LISA III (which has been sold and replaced as my primary desktop by the Meier Concerto), my iQube or the RSA P-51 Mustang. I am writing this to let you know where I come from and it will be my reference when commenting on these two other portable audio players in regards to build quality, ease of use and sound quality.
 
I did not know of the existence of neither the Chinese company Hisoundaudio producing the Studio-I nor the product itself before this meet. So I was in a state of curious expectation and happy to win this and I did not know what to expect from the product at all. I still have not read a single review or test of this product so I hope my impressions are not biased any way. Well, happily I brought it home and started playing with it and it has truly impressed me in several ways - here is why:
 

The packaging

First of all the product was wrapped up nicely in the sort of box you normally see expensive watches or jewelry being delivered in. It came with USB cable, charger and earbuds - yes white earbuds! My first thought was that this was just waste and probably another cheap Chinese Apple first-generation-earbud copy. But I was so wrong in making such quick judgment in this case - more on this later. So for my first impression I think the packaging shows that Hisoundaudio considers this to be a luxury item and not just another MP3-player. Well done!
 

 

 

Build quality and ease of use

The Studio-I itself is clearly a piece of hardware someone deliberately has been pouring a lot of thought into designing. When reading the - not so well designed - website of Hisoundaudio the designers thought the reader can get a great introduction to this product.
 
Quote from the Hisoundaudio website: “Much thought has been given to the build quality too, the case is CNC carved, using block fine aluminium alloy, this makes it very tough and practically scratch resistant, ideal for the outdoor user.”
 
I have to say that the learning curve of this product is a bit steep for an all time stupid iPod user. But only having a Chinese user guide forced me to simply play around in the menus for a while and once I found out that holding the center button brings you to the main menu it was actually pretty easy to use the unit. The display does not offer high-resolution cover art nor any color graphics. Just plain simple text and the info you need during playback. Only one thing sometimes irritates me and that is that when the product is playing and the display has gone dark in order to save battery, you cannot control the unit, for instance skip track or adjust the volume. You have to "wake up" the display first which is simply done by pressing any button. This cause quiet a few extra button presses with my use pattern. In the settings menu there is an option to change the display-up time from 10 to 30 seconds. But even 30 seconds it too short when listening to music and skipping tracks once in a while. It is a minor thing but still being a nerd when it comes to usability I thought I would mention it and it makes the product feel unresponsive sometimes - even though it is not. The buttons themselves also feels a little quirky but they do function each time and it is easy to navigate (skip track, adjust volume or fast-forward by holding the button) the unit blindfolded or with a hand in the pocket, which is just as good as any iPods in this regard.
 

 
The Studio-I has a headphone out on top side by side with a line-in for using the unit as an amplifier for external sources. Both are mini jack sockets. In the middle on top there is a reset button. I do not know exactly what the reset button does since I have only tried it one time. I think it just restarts the unit and maybe sets it to factory settings? It does not delete the music stored on the unit.
 
In the bottom there is a micro SD card slot, which I have not used. I simply do not have any micro SD cards at the moment. The Mini USB port for placing music files on the unit is next to the micro SD slot. A pale blue light indicates that the unit is on. The light indicator is a great idea since the display is as I mentioned off most of the time.
 
The build quality of this product is truly sturdy and feels great in its one-piece aluminum and the back is a high gloss glass - nicely done. I do not think that the hard edges is the perfect choice for a product you are supposed to have in your pocket but the small size makes it possible to keep the player in your pocket without too much annoyance.
 

Impressive battery life

It is Thursday evening as I am writing this. The unit I have has been playing since Sunday afternoon - with NO pause! I got it at the meet Saturday and started playing with it Sunday afternoon. I thought I should give the included earbuds at least two days of break in before listening to them so I let the unit play during the night time. Yesterday - Wednesday night - I listened to the unit for a few hours and now it is Thursday evening as I am writing this. I am at a hotel at a conference and I thought I could use the free time at the hotel at night to do some music listening and testing. I actually thought that I did turn it off last night when I packed my stuff but tonight when I took it out of my bag the unit was still playing. This is more than 100 hours and counting!!! There is still 1 block out of 4 left in the battery indicator. This is truly amazing. I do not know of any products of this kind, which can compete with this.
 

The sound

First of all there is no noise in this unit. I hear no background noise during music payback or when I use the product as an amplifier through the line in. I have been listening to the Studio-I with my HD650, SR325i, Etymotic ER-4S and the PAA-1 it came with. I have used FLAC or 320 kbps AAC files. It drives all of these headphones with ease even the HD650 sounds very good directly from the player.
 
With SR325i there is plenty of slam and punch but it lacks some clarity and definition compared to iPhone-->iQube. I know this might not be a fair comparison but still there is a difference, just to put things in the right perspective. Still, it drives the SR325i with ease and the resolution is great. The pairing with SR325i sounds great and it could easily become one of my portable rigs to bring with me when I am travelling and for transport.
 
It also drives the HD650 to sound great – but not world class. The bright sounding Studio-I is great for the HD650 in the bass and treble. But still the mids is not forward enough for my taste. But that is also the only thing I wish it would do better for a portable player like this. Mids are done better with the HM-601 driving the HD650. Even though the HD650 + Studio-I is not able to bring the mids as forward as I like it certainly still sounds great and the bass goes deep.
 
When using the Etymotic ER-4S the sound from the HM-601 suits the Etymotics better because the MH-601’s sound is on the warm and lush side. Still the Studio-I is able to send some of the soundstage outside the head and has a wider soundstage than the HM-601.
 

 
One thing I need to point out is that when I use the enclosed earbuds PAA-1 with the Studio-I it sounds surprisingly great. Even though the only experiences I have with earbuds are the Bang & Olufsen A8 and the Apple earbuds I was positively surprised by the PAA-1. Especially the Apple earbuds are no comparisons to the PAA-1 at all. The definition in the mids and treble is acceptable when listening to these is great. Only the bass is less tight and does not have the same definition as in the B&O A8.

 

Hifiman HM-601 + RE-272

 
 

Story and scope

After the Danish Head-fi meet, nc8000 (the father of our Danish Head-fi society) said Fang from Head-direct had given him a HM-601 + RE-272 to pass on to another head-fi’er who would write a review of the HM-601 together with the enclosed in-ear headphones, the RE-272. I volunteered because I thought it would be fun to compare it to the Hisoundaudio player described above.
 
I was told that a lot has already been said about the HM-602 and the HM-601. So I hope it makes more sense to compare the HM-601 to the Hisoundaudio Studio-I other than just writing a review on the HM-601 by itself - at least that was what I thought. People who are looking to buy the HM-601 will probably find better reviews than I am able to write. So maybe they will consider the Studio-I as an alternative after reading this?
 
I also have not read any other reviews of the HM-601 nor the RE-272. As I wrote above I was perfectly satisfied with my iPod and iPhone as portable sources so I have not had any interest in reading about other portable players. I won the Studio-I in a raffle and I was given the HM-601 for free in order to write a sincere review. nc8000 said that Fang (from Hifiman or is it Head-direct?) did not want to read or comment the review before it is being posted. I think that is a cool attitude. We can always discuss whether paid (with products) reviews on forums like these make any sense because most of those reviews will be positive. But when assessing these two products I can truly say I have no preferences to any of the products.
 
I own both units and I did not pay for any of them. So I am simply going to write what I think and not be biased in any way by what others think of the products. Now to the HM-601…
 

The packaging

I wrote about the nice box the Studio-I DAP came in and the HiFiMAN leaves nothing behind. I think the HiFiMAN box gives an impression of a great product and one you want to unpack and start using. It is not just a cardboard box with a logo outside but also a well-designed box placing accessories nicely tucked away and showing the HM-601 in one side. Well done – I like it!
 

 

The build quality and ease of use

Compared to the Hisoundaudio the Hifiman feels like (and is) plastic vs. aluminum. It is not the same luxurious feeling at all. Also the buttons has a plastic sound and feel and it does not appeal to me at all when using the product. I could not figure out how to turn the product on in the beginning because the interface and boot-time is a bit slow.
 
I connected the HM-601 to my old MacBook Pro where all my music is stored in ALAC and AAC. I do know that it does not play ALAC but I would expect it to play AAC. I cannot confirm this from the head-direct webpage. During the file transfer the USB connection is lost spontaneously and the files are not transferred. I tried several times with the same result. I am simply not able to transfer music from my Mac. So that was a bad start for the HM-601.
 
I brought the HM-601 with me to my work where we have Windows PC’s. Here there were no problems connecting and transferring music. I did transfer some of my AAC files I had on the Hisoundaudio Studio’s memory. But the HM-601 did not even show the AAC files stores on the internal memory. I converted them to 320 kbps MP3 in iTunes and transferred the files again and now they did show up on the HM-601 and I could finally listen to some music. I know that ALAC files or 320 kbps AAC files converted to 320 kbps MP3 is double converted files and thus not the best sounding files but I only did this in order to get some files to the unit. This experience is breaking the deal for me with this product. Not being able to use it with my music on my laptop makes this product a no GO.
 
A little flaw I found in this product compared to the Hisoundaudio is that when I plug another source into the line out I can hear two sources playing at the same time, the music from the player itself and at the same time also from the source. On the Hisoundaudio the player automatically changes so that the unit works as an amplifier turning down it's own playback and letting me hear the music from the other source. Do not blame the HiFiMAN this. Why would anyone do that? Well, I did! And I just wondered why it mixes the two sources. It is simply just a bad user experience I can't help but to take notice of.
 
Also when shifting to the next track you have to use the down-arrow and up-arrow for previous track. Once you get used to this I can live with it but I do not think this is the logical way to navigate tracks during playback. This player does not speak my language and it has been outperformed by the way it is constructed and designed compared to the Studio-I.
 
 

The sound

I have been carrying the LISA III around for a long time when I had it. So I can live with all kinds of good and bad sides of a product if the sound justifies it so let’s see if the HM-601 can win me over when listening to it.
 
First thing I noticed when using the enclosed RE-272 a constant background noise is heard and the noise is changing when there is light in the display and changes again when the light turns off. The noise is low but audible and it is not at all acceptable in a product claiming to aim at the audiophile market. This might not be an issue for some people, but I know that some are more sensitive to background noise than I am so it has to be mentioned.
 
The difference between low gain and high gain is there but very subtle. I think it should be a bigger difference in order to drive headphones with higher impedance.
 
A lot has been said about the NOS DAC TDA1543 used in the Hifiman. I like the analog-like sound of the NOS DAC's. I have the cheap MUSE DAC with 4 pcs of the TDA1543 and I like the relaxed laidback analog-like sound and I find it very musically involving. It is a sound that does not cause listening fatigue in my ears even after long listening sessions.  I do not want to describe the sound in details. More reviews can probably be found a lot of other places regarding the NOS DAC sound. But the NOS sound is a compromise if you are only looking for high resolution and microdetails in the music. On the other hand it offers listening pleasure and music played in a way that it sounds like it is played with real instruments.
 
I have tried HM-601 with HD650, SR325i, ER-4S and the RE-272 and they all sound great directly out of the HM-601. The best thing in the sound of the HM-601 and where it clearly beats the Studio-I is in the mids. The mids are so sweet and lush. The bass can be somewhat “boomy” when driving the HD650 and I think the bass lacks resolution and definition. But that is ok for a portable device driving HD650 but in all the other headphones I tried this player sounded absolutely great.
 
The ER-4S seems to be a great match for the HM-601. The detailed bright ER-4S sounds very balanced with the lush and warm HM-601. This combination is true listening pleasure to me and I find it much better than using the RE-272. All in all the RE-272 is not my cup of tea at all. They are too warm sounding to my ears. I am used to ER-4S so that is probably the reason why I find everything else too dark in comparison. I have to say that I enjoy listening to the Studio-I with their enclosed earbuds better than listening to the HM-601+RE-272. Does this mean that the RE-272 is a bad in-ear – maybe not. I just think it has too little resolution and as already mentioned too bass-focused.
 

 
[size=12.0pt]I have tried to focus on the things I didn’t like form this player. But I have to say that even though the sound is not perfect and there are some compromises I still love the sound very much.[/size]

I can not find any headphone similar to the SR-325. They are very different from all other headphones I have heard and also from the rest of the Grado line. You either love them or hate them. I can say for myself that these through the years have become my reference and no other Grado headphone have been able to take their place for me - even though HF2 was pretty close. 
 
The SR325 has a very forward, in-your-face sound. It offers a detail level on par with the rest of the top of the line Grados and it has crystal clear mids wich gives them a unique and intimate presentation of vocal recordings. They are very punchy and fast - some say they are metallic sounding and that might be a good way to describe the 325's. 
 
The treble is too much for most people so do not buy them without having heard these first! For me the treble and upper mids is the very unique part of the sound and something I haven't heard in any other headphone. Even when listening at low levels they are able to bring out very small details and they are high fidelity for sure. 
 
I think the SR325's are great for jazz - vocal jazz in particular. They might also be for headphones what the Lagavulin is for single malt whiskeys - a very refined but powerful peat-smokey aroma - you have to learn how to enjoy it. But once you "break the code" they will reward the listener with new ways to hear some recordings. 
 
Pure musical enjoyment for my part.

I have had my iQube for more than two years now and I love it more and more. I like the sound quality and compared to many other high end portable amplifiers this is one of the top competitors. The level of details is perfect. This is a truly transperrant and neutral amplifier with absolutely no grain or added texture to the sound. It might be a bit more expensive than other portable amplifiers but for me it has been fully worth it. 
 
The iQube is based in a Class-D topology which is why it is very efficient and runs many hours (50+) on 4 normal AAA batteries.