T5 (3rd generation)

Who knew that back in 2014, when Meghan Trainer sang, “all about that bass – no treble,” she may have inspired the Beyerdynamic’s engineers to create such an audio device that would meet her approval. In 2020, Beyerdynamic released the T5, 3rd generation closed-back headphones, with bass that rivals loudspeakers IMO. If bold, dynamic and realistic bass response is not your thing when listening with headphones, the T5 is not for you. Before I get into a sound review, let me remark about the appearance of the T5. It is totally unremarkable. Nobody will think you have high-end headphones over your ears with that perforated sheet metal design. But, when you touch the T5, it feels very high-end. I never thought about how often we touch our headphones until I wore the T5. It feels great and very comfortable to wear. It does a fantastic job of blocking outside noises, which is one reason I prefer this over the open-back models. The T5 comes with a 4-foot cable that is perfectly sized for my needs. For sound review, I will be using the iFi Micro iDSD Black Label DAC without its bass boost and all songs played from WAV files. I have uploaded a graph of the Beyerdynamic T5’s frequency response (FR) from Crinacle.com. The lower graph in gray color compensates the raw FR to the IEF Neutral Target as a method to compare with all other makes and models. This will be the graph I’ll refer to and its purpose is to give a better understanding on the strengths and weaknesses of the T5. Upon listening, the first thing I noticed was the power of the bass. I was taken aback by the dynamics, depth and tones that captured unique bass expressions higher up the FR that are being played on contemporary music today, but were missed by other headphones I’ve listened to. A look at the Crinacle.com FR graph shows that the T5 bass response has a huge 10db gain over the IEF Neutral Target at 100Hz, followed by a slow rollover that hits down to the same line around the 280Hz. One would expect the extended bass output of the T5 would muddle up the lower mid-range vocals, but I did not hear that. What I did hear was an accurate reproduction of bass expressions that were similar to my own sub-woofer and near six-foot high loudspeakers, all driven by Bryston Audio equipment. I didn’t expect that, but credit must be given to the quality of the driver system developed by Beyerdynamic. For example, Twenty-One Pilots explosive bass opening at 21:25 seconds on their song “Chlorine,” has bass levels that would awaken the dead if one played it loud enough at a graveyard. Tyler uses DSP to shape that bold, unique bass expression with distortion heard in the upper bass frequencies. The T5 reproduces it much like a great loudspeaker system. When compared to another elevated bass headphones, the popular Audio-Technica ATH-M50X, in which I also own, I found it misses on depth, dynamics and fails to nail that full distorted bass sound. Another example comes from Lana Del Rey’s “13 Beaches.” At 42:19 seconds, the dark, haunting bass hit comes in with two peaks together shown on a spectrum analyzer (see uploaded screen shot). One at 125Hz and at the same time, another at 225Hz. It’s the cord composition that creates this big dark sound that causes the two spikes. If the typical headphone bass FR dropped below the neutral target line at 180Hz, you would not fully experience that important upper bass expression to the song. The T5 nails it perfectly as one would have heard it on a great sound system. I’m a big fan of trance and EDM. The M50X doesn’t quite capture the right tone, size and dynamics of EDM bass. Also, EDM is noted for its bright high frequency and with the M50X, you get that along with a very thin, brittle treble. When listening to ILLITHEAS “Breath of Life,” the track sounds gorgeous, rich and deep with the T5. In songs where the bass is not a dominate instrument, the T5 correctly places it in its proper order to the music. As I’m writing this review, I’m listening to Dion’s Blues with Friends, with Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamasa, Samantha Fish, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, ZZ Top and others. Nowhere is the bass dominate on this album. The lead guitars are the stars and the bass propels the blues forward without intrusion on the vocals or guitars. However, play The Police’s “The Bed’s Too Big Without You,” where Sting’s bass is the lead instrument, holy Moses, you are in for a treat. When it comes to dynamics on the T5, just play the first two notes from Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times.” I literally ducked for cover! It was the depth of the dynamics that surprised me. Also, play The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” When Meg hits her drum, your jaw will drop because the dynamics are that good. This is the case of just not hearing the music, but experiencing it. So, what’s not to like on the T5? Meghan Trainer said, “no treble,” but what the T5 really needed is a .5db rise at the 1kHz and 2kHz FR levels. Without that minor Eq adjustment, I found the mid-range to be slightly dark. You can see it on the uploaded graph. There is a substantial dip at the critical 2kHz area, which can be heard. So, a minor Eq should be done to bring out the best in the vocals. On brightly recorded songs, Eq adjustment won’t be needed. You will find the vocals and instruments to be rich and immersive with a lot of depth. Acoustic and electric guitars are phenomenal with the T5, because of its ability to allow guitars chords to resonate both wide and deep with their complex harmonics. The T5’s offset drivers create a soundstage which is much like what one hears at a live performance in a moderately-sized theater. The vocals are in front of you, the guitars are behind the vocalist and the drums are further back. It’s a wall-of-sound with depth and superb imaging of vocals and instruments. The open-back headphone designs are more expansive than closed-backs, but the T5 presents a very realistic soundstage. Not everyone will like the T5’s bold and dynamic bass response. For classical and jazz, I would select different headphones that expands the mid-range and exposes more micro-details. And that is why an audiophile owns multiple headphones to match the mood of music one wants to hear. When the mood is “all about that bass,” the Beyerdynamic T5 will deliver great music for you.

TL;DR: Fantastic headphones when driven from a competent source. If you are a discriminating listener who likes closed-backs, just get these; you will be glad that you did! Long form: For over a year have had the DT1770 Pro. The 1770s are exceptional: very comfortable with good build quality, but what really stands out is the superb Sound (clear, high definition, inaudible distortion, without over-boosted bass, spacious) - but to get these outstanding qualities you need to drive them with really good components: a high-quality DAC & wide-swing Amp to really make them sing. After reading various reviews here and elsewhere decided to go for the T5 3rd gen. Relative to the DT1770 Pro: The build quality is even better, comfort is higher; but what really matters: The Sound. After a 24 hour burn-in, listened to them one-after-another using high def recordings (Chesky!) through same excellent DAC / Amp. The T5 is a definite step up from the DT1770 Pro. There is more clarity, depth, and a more spacious sound (*especially* for a closed back). Conclusion: Overall very excellent headphones: Sound, quality, comfort. To me, the T5 is better than the DT1770... but, is the T5 worth the $400 price increment over the DT1770 Pros? Unless you are a really discriminating, focused listener, that is up for debate. Will I keep these T5s? Absolutely!

These closed-back headphones are lightweight and comfortable for extended listening sessions. The included cable is encased in a fabric jacket and is pliable and easy to work with. As a bonus, Beyerdynamic provides a very nice fabric-covered hard carrying case. Out of the box, full bandwidth performance is smooth and dynamic. Bass is powerful but not boomy, providing deep extension and a clean response. Midrange and treble are generally accurate and non-fatiguing. The problem is that the tuning of the T5 deviates so far from the Harman target frequency response that tonal balance and resolution suffer significantly. In some louder dynamic passages, for example, the large bass boost centered on approximately 120 Hz becomes overly prominent vs. higher frequency portions of the music. Also, the substantial dip centered at 400 Hz can be perceived as a certain “hollowness” in the lower midrange. These issues are especially apparent in direct a/b comparisons between the stock, unEQ’d sound of the T5s and the response after EQ. I EQ’d them as close as possible to Harman using my Qudelix 5K DAC/amp, and the improvement was stunning. With EQ, the T5s were substantially more detailed and tonally accurate throughout the audible range. Imaging and instrument separation were more focused, and the T5s were an absolute delight to listen to. Don't get me wrong — the stock sound quality of the T5s is actually pretty good, but proper EQ takes them from 8/10 to 10/10. In fact, I’m willing to bet that a properly EQ’d pair of Beyerdynamic T5s would compare favorably to just about any other closed-back headphones on the market, even much more expensive ones.

I’ve had many headphones including high end headphones and I enjoy the T5’s the most. Amazing sound and unbelievably comfortable to wear.

This headphone is awesome! Premium quality and the sound is very good. It became more natural with use, detailed highs, good mids and base.

Balanced but slightly warm sound. Not so analytical as my old akg k712 pros, but very fun for music listening. The closed-back design is perfect for working from home. Sound great with a dac/amp, but also not bad when directly plugged into mbp 2019.

Casque HDG à bon prix!

Pros: - Top sound quality (closed-back) at this price. - Easy to drive. Cons: - Smaller headband compare to others. - Only with 6.35 & 3.5 cable. - Default cable's fabric has huge stethoscope effect.

Works amazingly with all the DAPs. Flawless and a masterpiece to hear from. The pads could have the ones like the ones on DT900X pro.

Der Kauf eines Kopfhörers in dieser Preisklasse hat viele individuelle und subjektive Gründe. Meine Kriterien: - noch mobil - niederohmig - geschlossene Bauweise - bequem Dann fangen wir beim auspacken an, der T5 wird in einer Art Topcase geliefert, relativ groß und eher nicht für den Transport auf Reisen geeignet. Soll einen der T5 begleiten, dann kauft man sich einen passenden Beutel für den Transport. Im Lieferumfang befindet sich das Kabel mit 2 Mal 3,5mm auf 3,5 + 6.3mm Adapter unsymmetrisch. Nach Eintreffen habe ich den Kopfhörer zunächst 24h Einspielzeit gegönnt, so manche Tester verterten die Meinung das die Einspielzeit länger sein muss, ich denke 24h reichen aus. Bequem ? Liegt am individuellen Kopf und der subjektiven Wahrnehmung, auch wie lange man den Kopfhörer am Stück trägt. Ist bei mir unterschiedlich, jedoch länger als zwei Stunden ist es bei mir nicht. Gibt ja Hörer die 8 Stunden am Stück Musik hören, da gehöre ich nicht dazu. Nun wird es individuell, wo und wie möchte ich den T5 nutzen ? - am stationären Zuspieler(PC, Notebook + DAC/Verstärker - am mobilen Zuspieler(iPhone, iPad, Surface + passiver USB-C DAC Ohne zusätzlichen Verstärker macht es wenig Sinn, findet man sehr schnell heraus. Obwohl mit 32 Ohm recht niederohmig, bleibt der T5 so weit unter seinen Möglichkeiten. Wie sich der T5 im stationären Einsatz schlägt kann man überall nachlesen, gehe darauf hier nicht weiter ein. Für mich ist die Leistung an meinen mobilen Geräten wichtig, die begleiten mich wenn ich unterwegs bin - iPhone 15 Pro - iPad Pro - Surface 8 Pro Am Surface reicht einer der üblichen Verdächtigen USB-C auf 3,5mm Adapter für kleines Geld, in meinem Fall ein Adapter mit CX31993 MAX97220 Chips. Doch dann wird es schwierig, bei den beiden Apple Produkten ist der T5 für meine Ohren zu leise, liegt am USB-C des iPhones/iPad. Doch man hat ja Optionen. Dem T5 liegt nur ein unsymmetrisches Kabel bei, ich habe mir ein symmetrisches Kabel mit 2 Mal 3,5mm auf 4,4mm aus dem Zubehör gekauft(nicht das Kabel des Herstellers mit 2,5mm). Dazu dann noch einen Kopfhörerverstärker mit symmetrischem 4,4mm Ausgang, habe mich für den iFi audio Go Link Max entschieden, gibt da jedoch genug Alternativen. Wie klingt der T5 denn nun im Vergleich zu meinen anderen Kopfhörern und was höre ich für Musik ? Bis auf wenige Ausnahmen höre ich eher melodische Musik aus dem Bereich Pop/Rock von Abba bis Zappa. Bisher nutze ich neben den In Ears von Apple Bluetotth Over Ears von Sony und Bose. Wobei der Sony MDR-1000X schon einige Jahre auf dem Buckel hat und für meine Ohren zu unbequem ist, hatte mir deswegen den Bose QuietComfort SE zugelegt, speziell für meine regelmässigen Flüge von ca. 5 Stunden Dauer - wegen dem ANC. Im Flieger werde ich den T5 nicht benutzen, schon wegen dem fehlenden ANC. Zurück zur Frage nach dem Klang, man kann ja den Sony und/oder BOSE auch mit einem Kabel betreiben. Klingt auch ähnlich, aber halt nur ähnlich. Der T5 liefert in allen Bereichen sauberer ab, fängt bereits beim Bass an, nicht überzeichnet und/oder matschig, sondern sauber. Gleiches gilt für den Bereich Mitten und Höhen. Habe mir dazu ein paar Musikstücke in guter Qualität zuerst mit dem BOSE und dann mit dem T5 angehört. Der Unterschied beim Klang haut einen jetzt nicht sofort vom Hocker, man muss sich darauf auch einlassen. Alte Weisheit, schlechte Lautsprecher bzw. schlechte Kopfhörer klingen auch schlecht, auch beim besten Quellmaterial. Wer sich den Sound mit einem Equalizer zurechtbiegen muss, der macht meist etwas falsch. Nun könnte man fragen warum ich ein iPhone als primären Zuspieler nutze und keinen DAP ? Das mit einem DAP sehe ich eher kritisch, ein Player von FIIO oder Astel & Kern unterscheidet sich klanglich nur sehr gering im Gegensatz zu iPhone + DAC. Mir ist es wichtig mobil zu sein und sei es nur zu Hause, nehme Handy und T5 mit ins Schlafzimmer, oder in den Garten, höre Musik dort wo es mir grade passt. Um mich nicht dem Appleuniversum auszuliefern verwende ich Evermusic und oder VLC als Player App, in der Windows Welt auf dem Surface nutze ich Foobar2000. Habe mich in den letzten Tagen ein wenig kreuz und quer durch meine Musiksammlung gehört und bin vom Klang inzwischen vollkommen überzeugt. Musste mich erst daran gewöhnen, hatte dann vergleichsweise den BOSE via Kabel angeschlossen, nun fällt der Unterschied mehr auf. Testweise via Bluetooth, den Test habe ich sofort beendet. Nun hat so ein T5 einen durchaus stolzen Preis, für ein wenig besseren Klang zahlt man jedoch immer überproportional viel, ob es das Wert ist muss man für sich selber entscheiden

Listening to sound through these headphones is like hearing sound on a new level. So much more detail.