Beyerdynamic T50P First Impression

The build quality is really awesome, and something to behold. The design is very modern, and seems to be better designed than the T1. Beyer should have created a similar design for the T1, instead of just modifying the old DT880 frame. The T50p is very lightweight, and allows plenty of adjustments in the headband as well as complete 180 degrees rotation of the cups to either direction. The supra-aural pads are made from high quality synthetic leather, and feels very comfortable. I do wish that they can include a verlour replacement pads. Beyer also included a carrying case, which is both very well made and also very practical.

Although the design of the frame is very good, initially I had some difficulty getting a good fit. I guess I’m used more to the fit of the Sennheiser HD25-1, which is as simple as it gets. The Beyer T50p’s cups are smaller than the HD25-1, and combined with weaker headband clamping force, makes the fit a little looser than the HD25-1’s. After a few hours of use, I do find that the newer design gives a much more superior fit than the archaic HD25-1 plastic frame. There is less clamping force, but enough to plant the headphones firmly in our head, and it’s more comfortable for long term listening than the HD25-1 is, even with the verlour pad on the Senn. If I hold the three headphones in my hand, the T50p is heavier than the HD25-1 and the ESW-9, but placing them on your head, the T50p feels very light, and much more comfortable than the HD25-1 and slightly more comfortable on my ears than the ESW-9. The Beyer team really have done their research well. If there is one thing that the HD25-1 and ESW-9 is superior at, is the noise isolation. Having a stronger clamping force on the HD25-1 and ESW-9 give a tighter seal on the ears for a better isolation. Yet the T50p is not far behind, and surprisingly it gives just as much isolation as the big circumaural Shure SRH-840 headphones.

Of course, the T50p’s design looks like something pulled out of the Avatar movie, and they look much slicker to wear than either HD25-1 or the SRH-840. You can actually wear a formal suit, and the T50p won’t look out of place. If they give the T1 a Red Dot design award, I think the the T50p should win a Platinum Dot design award (if there is anything like that).

Almost all the portable closed headphones have a problem with housing reverb due to the closed design. The HD25-1 is the best in this regard, and probably the best among all the closed headphones I’ve tried, even high end ones. The T50p is not totally free from the reverb problem, and is inferior to the HD25-1 in this category, but is much less severe than the SRH-840.

Being a 32 Ohms design means that the T50p should work fine straight out of an Ipod, and it is. I really haven’t used the T50p long enough to experiment with portable amps, but when I plugged in the T50p to the Grace m902 DAC and Burson HA-160 desktop set up, the T50p sounds very improved than my Ipod Nano direct set up.

My initial impression of the T50p is very very good. I think Beyer could sell these at $500 and it would still be worth it. Of course, Beyer is probably targeting a much bigger crowd with the T50p and the $300 is right on the spot to compete with the popular Bose and Beats headphones, as well as the recently released B&W P5 headphone.

Stay in tune for a more in-depth T50p evaluation.

4.2/5 - (5 votes)
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49 Comments

  • Reply July 15, 2010

    Noir

    great design, i like it.

    btw did the pads use like leatherette product such on PX200? if yes do you feel a slight warm or burning sensation after long use?

    • Reply July 15, 2010

      Mike

      Yes, more or less it's like the PX200 pads. Perhaps this one is better in quality, because I don't feel the warm or burning sensation.

  • Reply July 15, 2010

    MayaTlab

    Thanks for the first impressions and the very useful comparison pictures. I actually never expected the T50p to be that small in comparison to the ESW9 and consorts. Definitely a strong asset when it comes to portability.

    Do you think that when used unamped from the headphone out of, say, an iPod or a Cowon they loose all the good things you mentionned about them and get closer to other portables headphones such as the ES10 ?

    Also, do you feel that unamped they tend to become a little thin sounding in the midrange ? What about in comparison to the ESW9 ?

    • Reply July 15, 2010

      Mike

      Actually most of my impression here is direct from an Ipod Nano 5th Gen. Of course it doesn’t have the bass punch of the ES10, but I feel that it’s better in a lot of other areas. And no, the T50p is not thin in the midrange. The signature is different than the ESW-9, but I’d still say that the T50p is not thin in the midrange.

    • Reply July 15, 2010

      Mike

      Just compared the midrange on the ESW-9 to the T50p, and I find the ESW-9's midrange to be much sweeter and mellower than the T50p. I think vocal lovers will still prefer the ESW-9 to the T50p.

      Cheers.

      • Reply July 17, 2010

        MayaTlab

        Thanks.

  • Reply July 15, 2010

    cyberg00se

    I've read a few posts on a couple of forums that the headphones are too big for small to medium-sized heads though. The clamping force isn't enough, and the drivers rest way too low with no further adjustment. 🙁

    Have you ever seen a pair of dt250s or dt990/770/880 (2005)'s? How does the fit compare? What I mean is, what "click" is one of these headphones on, in comparison to the t50p. I have a 56.5cm head and I'm afraid they're gonna be too big. Dt250s fit at 3 clicks for example.

    Thanks for the 1st impressions!

    • Reply July 15, 2010

      Mike

      Okay, I counted the clicks just now: (all counted from the minimum position)
      Beyerdynamic T1 – 8 clicks
      Sennheiser HD25-1 – 8 clicks
      Shure SRH-840 – 7 clicks
      Audio Technica ESW-9 – 6 clicks
      Beyerdynamic T50p – 5 clicks

      Yes, the T50p is the least accommodating for small heads, but the EWS-9 is only different by 1 click, and I never hear anyone complaining about its fit.

    • Reply July 15, 2010

      Mike

      Well I've got a fairly large head, so I can't say if the T50p will be good on small to medium sized heads.
      I'll try to compare the clicks to a T1 (should be the same as DT880 frame), an ESW-9, and a HD25-1. I'll get back to you on that. 🙂

  • Reply July 15, 2010

    cyberg00se

    When I said 3 clicks, of course what I meant to say was 4. 🙂

  • Reply July 15, 2010

    Bram

    Mike, one of my friend who own this stuff said that T50p is a bit mid-centric, means it does really well with female vocals but lack of precision in other sector especially low bass. What do you think about this?

    And how about the soundstage? I always feel all closed headphone will always sound congested, I hope not with this one 🙂

    • Reply July 16, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Bram (this is the other Bram),
      T50p has a pretty full sounding mids and does well with vocal, but still is not the best with female vocal. The B&W P5 headphone fits the description better. It's more mid-centric, and does female vocals much better. Perhaps your friend is used to the sound of the '05 DT770/880 line, and the T50p does have more midrange body than those. I still wouldn't call it a mid centric headphone though.

      The magic is in the treble with this headphone, very electrostat like smooth.

      Yes, the bass is not too precise, and low bass is not too evident. But the good thing is that there is more low end body in the T50p than there is in the T1, so it works better with a wider range of music.

      Soundstage is great and not congested, but there is still some reverb from the housing that plagues pretty much all closed headphones. Some damping mods from the Ortho team should fix this, but I don't dare to open it yet. 🙂

  • Reply July 16, 2010

    cyberg00se

    Thanks for the fit info. The 990s are 1-2 clicks on me, so it may be a bit iffy. Still I'm hoping that Beyer didn't make these for medium to xl only.

  • Reply July 30, 2010

    Deke

    How good are the t50p compared to DT880pro?

    • Reply July 30, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Deke,

      The T50p has a totally different sound signature than the DT880 Pro. Just a brief comparison:

      1. DT880 has bigger soundstage.

      2. T50p has smoother treble.

      3. T50p has fuller bass and midrange body.

      4. DT880 has deeper, lower extended bass.

  • Reply July 30, 2010

    cyberg00se

    The dt880 gave me headaches, the t50p doesn't. 😉 Luckily they fit on me, on the shortest setting, but the cups lie where they should and so the sound is what it should be. 🙂

    I'm at 72 hours of burn-in so far, and it keeps getting more controlled and smoother with each listen. In fact I'd say this is special headphone. Then again I think the dt990 600ohm and the dt531 are/were special for different reasons as well.

    Beyer is pretty good at making a headphone that produce strong feelings for me, whether for or against (like dt880 versus dt990 600 ohm manufacture. The abomination that is the djx-1 – but is also still fun. I've still not forgiven them for discontinuing the dt531.).

    But if I need some mids, I'll still reach for the dt250s. 🙂

    • Reply July 30, 2010

      Mike

      Ah, a big Beyerdynamic fan! Hadi also loves his DT531, and he still keeps one till now. The sound signature is not my personal favorite, but I can see why people like it very much. 🙂

      The T50p is burning in nicely, and it should make it to the closed headphones comparison review that I'm writing, along with old-timers like the ESW-9, HD25-1, etc. 🙂

  • Reply July 31, 2010

    Deke

    Thank you for reply.
    I have another (strange 🙂 question. Are the t50p simply better than dt880pro? I’m asking for your opinion.

    Anyway, thank you for the best looking audio blog 🙂
    (with surprisingly good reviews, ofcourse)

    • Reply July 31, 2010

      Mike

      I think the T50p will be better suited for music listening, while the DT880 is more of a monitoring headphone.

      Thanks for the compliments, Deke. 🙂

  • Reply August 3, 2010

    Ian

    my t50p has about 200 hours of burn in already and i think it is safe to say that it is better than my es10 and p5. Soundstage is the biggest i have heard on a closed portable. bass is extending deeper with more burn in. I think some brown noise should seal the deal. First impressions at canjam 2010 were not good and i kept telling myself it is simply impossible for a company like beyer with lots of rnd to make a dud in the headphone industry. Waiting for some more of your impressions dude!

    • Reply August 4, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Ian,
      I'm including the T50p on the closed headphone shootout that should be published this week. To be frank, my impressions are not as positive as the other long term favorites like the ATH M-50 and the HD25-1. 🙁

  • Reply August 4, 2010

    Spike

    Hi Mike,

    What's the difference bet. T50p and B&W p5?

    Which one do you prefer?

    • Reply August 4, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Spike,
      I haven't really done an extensive listening time on the P5, so this is just based on a short listening impression.

      The P5 is very musical and midrange oriented. It should be very good with vocals, and female vocals especially. The T50p, on the other hand, tries to be a more technical headphone, while still maintaining a good mid and low end body. Normally I would've preferred something like the T50p, mostly due to my choice of music. But my impression with the T50p hasn't been too good lately, and on the other hand the P5 is not something that would work well for my music.

      Ultimately, I think the P5 is the better tuned headphone, although it may not be an expert in technicalities, what's important is the musicality. The T50p, on the other hand has some issues in the frequency balance, but I'd choose it just because it's closer to the sound that I'm looking for.

      I really can't wait to do the P5 review. For now, we've had a short discussion going on the P5, and I think you can get a good idea of the sound if you read what Currawong wrote: http://www.headfonia.com/bbpress/topic.php?id=45

      • Reply March 11, 2011

        nbpf

        Still torn between p5 and t50p. The p5 has a better fit, replaceable cable, iphone controls. The t50p has a more interesting, compellling sound. I have also noticed that the p5 cable with iphone controls performs very poorly with some non-Apple devices, e.g., Nokia: the controls of course do not work but the sound improves dramatically when the PAUSE control is pressed. Any clue ? I’ m looking forward to read your p5 review. Thanks.

        • Reply March 11, 2011

          Anonymous

          Sorry I’ve missed doing the review on the P5.

          Sound signature is totally different between the two. T50p has better, richer treble, but that’s it. Midrange down, the P5 is better. The majority of mainstream music would sound better with the P5 in my opinion.

  • Reply August 21, 2010

    franz

    so mike hows your t50p been lately?

    have you reached 200 hours of burn in already?

    i really cant believe how much has changed after it hit that mark

    totally different animal compared to when it was fresh from the box

    franz

  • Reply October 17, 2010

    charlo89

    Good morning,

    I would like changed my headphone and I hesitate between the beyer t50p and the stax baby. Which hushing up would recommend me?

    • Reply October 18, 2010

      Mike

      Whoa, charles, that’s two totally different headphones. What qualities are you looking for? Will you be using them outdoors?
      The T50p is more convenient to be used outdoors, while the baby stax will require you to carry around the portable amplifier everywhere you go. The stax will give you a taste of what the electrostatic sounds like.
      Those are some valid points to consider. The baby stax is also an open design so it won’t give you noise isolation when used outdoors.

  • Reply October 21, 2010

    charlo89

    Thank you for the reply

    I already have electrostatic experience since I have a sennheiser he60.

    If there is no isolation with the stax I will choose the t50p. But I also saw the ES10 my decisive question is: which isolates the most ? I have a esw9 and it does not isolate enough.

    Thank you 🙂

  • Reply November 23, 2010

    belfor

    thx for the review!
    a question, could you compare the isolation of the shure 840 and the m50 please, which is better?
    thx

  • Reply November 23, 2010

    Mike

    LoL that's okay. 🙂

    I think the SRH 840 and the M-50 is very close in terms of isolation. The M-50 clamps just slightly better and the isolation is also a tad better. They're both much better than the T50p though. B)

  • Reply December 20, 2010

    muirtone

    How would you compare the t50p with the dt770pro with the plastic body?

    • Reply December 20, 2010

      Mike

      Totally different sound. The DT770 Pro (250 ohm version, which most people have) is a monitoring headphone with a bigger soundstage, more precise sound, clearer bass, but lacks the bass and midrange body. The T50p has more music-oriented sound than the 770 Pro.

      • Reply December 21, 2010

        muirtone

        When you say bass, and midrange body do you mean warm, or a hump in the lower midrange and upper bass? I uses to HD600, but I need a closed headphone for work, and the living room and want something precise, but interesting too. Is the T50p more like my HD600, and the DT770 not? Would the 600 ohm DT770 be more musical, or even more precise.

        • Reply December 21, 2010

          Mike

          When I say bass and midrange body, I mean stuff that you find on headphones like HD600 and HD650. The mids and the bass has a "body", i.e: not thin or skinny.

          The T50p is more like the HD600 than the DT770. 😉

          • Reply January 17, 2011

            Jan Gerhard

            I really like the DT770 pro! Escpecially the low frequencies this cans can reproduce are great.

  • Reply March 6, 2011

    Roosmj

    I want one and gonna get one

    • Reply March 7, 2011

      Anonymous

      Sweet. Let me know how you like it.

  • Reply April 23, 2011

    Mwfewing

    T50p possibly the wooooorst headphone I have ever owned. Received as Christmas present and still trying to run in/out that treble which wouldn’t even be tolerated on a free in-flight headphone. No depth no bass. Just given them to my 7 year old who will hopefully destroy them on the school run. Back to the RS1’s …..

  • Reply April 29, 2011

    pixelated

    Hey mike! i would really love to know if the Beyer DT1350 are any better than the T50p?
    Will there be a review soon?

    • Reply April 29, 2011

      Anonymous

      Have you had the time to listen to the T50p? If you have, then you’d
      probably notice the main issue being the low bass going on a vacation. I
      wasn’t expecting a super low, low bass, but the T50p simply has no low
      bass, and I think it’s due to the housing and pads design. When I see
      the DT1350, and I see the same housing and pads, I don’t know, I just am
      not that excited about it. It’s probably an altered frequency response,
      more linear and less midbass quantity than the T50p, but not much
      improvement in the low bass, which is one of its main issue.

      Of course I’ll review it when I get my hands on one, but for now I am
      not exactly looking out for a unit to review.

      Sorry man. 🙁

  • Reply March 7, 2012

    Zak Golding

    What are the best headphones for listening to music without amp for iPhone/macbook. I am stuck between  Sennheiser HD558 or these, the T50P. I listen to pop, jazz, classical, piano, dub step and etc.

    • Reply March 7, 2012

      Mike

      Zak,
      Try the Philips Fidelio L1 that I just reviewed.

  • Reply March 18, 2012

    Detlev C M

    So, the first time posting here, but I think I should point something out:

    I got myself a T50p for university use – the serial number is 25xxx and it has the bag of the newer DT1350 as well as, it seems, the newer earpads.

    Having said that, I really like the T50p. Yes, finding the best fit is difficult  at first, but once one has figured it out, no problem at all. (And a lot more convenient than Sennheiser IE8 at an office desk)

  • Reply March 19, 2012

    Joonatan Kamarainen

    what would be good superlux headphones for very bass based rap like wu tang and jurassic 5

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