Review: Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Generation

These were loaned to me by Polar Audio for review, I always try to write honest reviews. These have had over 50hrs of burn-in before I received them so I do not know if they have changed in that time.

Gear Used:

The Bit Opus #1 > T5p 2^nd Generation

The Bit Opus #1 > Optical Out > Matrix Quattro II > T5p 2^nd Generation

Tech Specs:

Transducer type: dynamic    

Operating principle: closed  

Nominal frequency response: 5 - 50,000 Hz   

Nominal impedance: 32 Ω

Nominal SPL: 102 dB    

Sound coupling to the ear: circumaural       

Weight without cable: 350 gram

Cable: 1.40 meter, double-sided, detachable OCC 7N copper conductors, textile braided

Connection: gold vaporized mini stereo jack plug (3.5 millimeter) & 1/4 inch adapter (6.35 millimeter)

Accessory: luxury-grade hard carry case

Warranty: 5 years

MSRP: £849 

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:

The packaging is similar to the T1 2^nd Generation, with a very nice outer box with quality pictures on it, on the back you will find the specifications and a list of accessories, on the sides key features are explained. Inside the box you will find the guarantee and manual papers on top, and underneath this you will find the carry case which holds the headphones. Very attractive packaging, one that tells you all you need to know about the product and it also protects them during transit.

Build quality is what you would expect from Beyerdynamic, high quality laser etched panels on the cups, the cups are plastic but soft touch plastic. The arms are metal, the headband is covered in soft pleather, the earpads are also very soft pleather with memory foam. The cable is detachable and uses a 3.5mm jack each side, the cable clicks in to place nicely and the cable itself is covered in fabric an uses 7n OCC copper. The jack is a little on the larger side, and won’t fit phones with bumper cases, but this design may change somewhere down the line.

The L and R connectors are distinguished by colours on the jack and also the left side has 3 raised dots, the same with the headphones, there is a L printed in on the inside of the slider with 3 raised dots. The cable exits at a slight forward angle rather than straight down.

Included accessories are a 3.5 – 6.3mm jack and a carry case. The carry case is not too big, and much better than the aluminium one the old T5p came with, the headphones fit in with the cable attached which is great. The 2^nd Generation don’t come with an extension cable for home listening, I believe due to cost and also you can get an optional 3m cable for these, and a 4-pin XLR balanced cable. Overall for a full size headphone, nothing else is needed.

Comfort, Isolation and Cable Noise:

The comfort is excellent, they clamp just enough to create a good seal without causing discomfort. The pads are soft and deep, the drivers are angled my ears never touch the baffle. They are not too heavy for portable usage and the headband pad is well padded, I find these comfortable for longer listening sessions. As with any closed back headphone you may experience your ears heating up, but these don’t suffer hugely from this due to the spacious cup size.

Isolation is good for a closed back full size headphone, perfectly adequate for daily commutes but if you are planning on using them in noisy environments you may want to look for something that isolates more. There are 2 bass ports, one on the back of each cup, these do cause minimal leakage, providing you are listening at normal volumes this should not cause any problems. Overall great for a daily portable headphone, and also if you need a closed headphone at home to block out unwanted noise or to not disturb your partner these would fit the bill (providing you don’t listen too loud)

Cable noise is present but not enough to really cause a problem.

Sound:

Split in to the usual categories, with a conclusion at the end.

Lows:

Those who disliked the original T5p can rejoice, these have bass. Just like they improved the T1, the T5p 2^nd Generation have more bass but without going over the top. I think the amount of lows these have is just north of neutral, they have very good extension and body with enough punch when called for to make them a little more fun to listen to. Listening to Metalcore they can keep up with the double kick drum without lagging, acoustic is full bodied and natural, bass guitars are articulate, the only time I would want any more would be listening to EDM (EQ if you need to). For all round listening I find the quality to be excellent, very natural decay and presentation with enough quantity to keep them from sounding thin. There is nothing lacking in the lows, and they also don’t spill over in to the mids.

Mids:

Airy, spacious, detailed yet natural is how I would describe the mids. Vocals cut through the mix cleanly with only a hint of extra body, the mids sit perfectly in the mix with a very smooth presentation. Guitars how power and authority, both male and female vocals fair evenly with no sibilance to be detected. The detail retrieval is incredible, you can hear every nuance yet they are not presented harshly. Not a lot to say about the mids, they just sound right.

Highs:

The highs no longer have the famous Beyer peak, instead they have smooth extension and great detail and presence without harshness. They are also very accurate, I really enjoy the highs, I am a bit of a treble head and these satisfy my craving without any annoyance or fatigue. Most users won’t have a problem with the highs on these, they shimmer and sparkle is incredible, they extend effortlessly and are always audible without being too much.

Soundstage is huge for a closed back headphone, the separation and air is also very impressive, you will be immersed in a very 3D holographic sound with these.

Source: These work well out of portable devices, but do fair better with high quality players. Also they may sound fine with MP3 320kbps, but play some FLAC and you can hear the difference.

Conclusion: Well they definitely listened to what the users wanted, and have made one hell of a closed back headphone. Ok they cost £849 which does make them one of the more expensive portable headphones, but these also work fantastically at home. They are run off a portable source with ease, but scale up very well with good equipment. I do not ever feel like these are lacking at any end of the spectrum. They have a balanced and natural sound, with a hint of warmth,  but this slight warmth does not alter the incredible detail retrieval or ever make these sound congested. I actually found these to work wonders with Metalcore music (Suicide Silence, The Devil Wears Prada etc...) I have never had a headphone sound this good with the above music.

I am seriously tempted to get a pair, I cannot imagine anything this versatile sounding any better than these do. If I were only allowed 1 pair of headphones, I think these would be them. I love the T1 2^nd Generation, but I might actually prefer these on the whole, and you cannot take the T1’s outside. Fostex TH-500rp are great but again not portable, as are one of my all time favourite headphones the HE-6. These offer real high end sound quality, in a portable friendly package.

Sound Perfection Rating: 10/10 (the sound is fantastic, the build and everything about them screams quality)