It’s amazing just how much better the tuning is on newer headphones. I was truly shocked as well at the improvement of the sound over the “old” sounding T1s.
As for short list of sub $1000 headphones here are few to consider.
Thieaudio Cypher Open-Back Dynamic Headphones (approx. $400) Great neutral sound. Well built and very comfortable.
Fosi Audio i5 Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones (approx. $550) great pairing with R2R DACs. A bit warmer sounding than the Cyphers which makes them perfect long listening sessions.
And of course, the FiiO FT7 - kind of a combination of the previous two headphones. A very engaging and detailed sound that’s not overly analytical.
There are many other headphones that are also very good since the sub $1000 category is highly competitive, which is great for us music and headphone lovers.
From your screenshot, do I assume you need a google account to update pre-installed apps on this device or will it update without one please?
Is there a web browser included & therefore maybe a way to install F-droid or Obtainium to avoid the google snooping?
I have as well, I find the Clears DULL by comparison to HD800 (and HiFi Man Arya).
They are all driven by Naim Uniti Atom HE which apparently is “perfect match” according to Focal.marketting.
I am genuinely coming to the conclusion that I have a defective pair. So much so that I rarely use them.
I find the Arya and HD800 quite close (the Arya quite a bit brighter) but the Clear just lose a lot of top end and sound almost muffled. If I listen them without comparison , they are OK but Dull, as soon as I move to HD800 or Arya its chalk and cheese.
The Clears are relegated to their box, should they be more comparable with the HD800 ?
Hi mate. I got myself some Hifiman HE600. Wow. You are spot on. Chalk and cheese with respect to the T1 1st gens. An absolutely overwhelming difference. The T1 sound oddly thin and alot less spacious and dynamic than the new ones. Thanks for opening my eyes (ears?) to the possibilities.
Right back at you mate. That’s what “community” is all about, reaching out and trying to help fellow community members.
Isn’t it amazing just how much headphone tuning has improved over the past 20 years. Target curves have proven to be a valuable resource for headphone designers, providing them with a nice starting point to build upon. Nonetheless I’m still sad that the Beyerdynamic T1 1st gen. will now be relegated to the “trash heap”.
I am truly shocked at the difference. Now trawling through my well loved albums listening with fresh ears. Life is good! Ill probably keep the T1 anyway. They are reference monitors for completely difference reason now, lol.
hehe, thanks to @Jazzfan_NJ I’ve seen the light. I was basking in the relative gloom of the best that early 2010s could offer, lol. Times and technology move on. Were you also upgrading from something old and past its due date?
With most gear that I get that has a headphone amp, I go back through my headphones and IEMs and determine which have synergy that excites me, which have synergy but is similar to other devices, and those that just don’t mesh at all (for my preferences).
The FiiO M33 has been one of those devices that has surprised me in all the various devices that fall into that first category and excite me. As I mentioned before in this thread, the FiiO FH19 still tops my personal list for the devices I currently own. Mostly because it is the first time i have had ANY IEM that I forget I have stuck in my ear!! I have speakers in my 2-channel setup that also do that, but I have never “lost” the headphone or IEM, like they’re not there. The M33 and FH19 do that, and then they do that to a whole different (better) level when I use the EQ and select the tuning for measurement data and target curve to both be set to the FH19.
But, older Audio-Technica, HiFiMAN Ananda, Meze 109 Pro, Sendy Audio AIVA, Thieaudio Monarch MKII, Sivga Nightingale…the list goes on. They all sound great to incredible on the M33.
I will say that my primary Two Channel setup is through the Schiit Yggy with it’s own proprietary R2R integration…so, that may be part of the bias. I have a few ESS DACs from the last 5 years, but I do also prefer the AKM 4499 to the ESS chips. The FiiO K17 Desktop and the Q15 portable are both superb.
So, R2R is a great implementation, especially when it is done right. Schiit and FiiO do it differently, but both do it with finesse, but also with the right amount of power in the amplification stage to bring out the best of the finesse.
Agree with you about the AKM vs ESS chips. Personally I’ve always felt the AKM chips to be more musical somehow. Have you tried the FA19? They are my current darlings. I upgraded from FH7 to FA19, wonderful sound, plenty of wow moments on the go, it’s a bit surreal.
Back to the M33, and sorry all for so much off topic stuff in this thread from me, It’s playing very very nicely with my new Hifiman HE600 acquisition. Highly recommended combo. Plenty of power to drive them nicely. Of course it’s not “ultimate” for such planars, but the relatively easy to drive HE600 do work well with it.
If it’s not known, for FiiO, if they have a “9” in the name, it is a statement that this is the best we can offer in this product type (at this time). FA9 gets upgraded to FA19 and next time it will be FA29. So, yes, it’s excellent. For me, I liked the Hybrid version, FH, over the Pure Armature, FA, as I felt the Hybrid, including the Dynamic drivers, just got it that extra punch, without any haze or bloat. So, for me, it was better. I also have the FX15, and like that as well, but it does promote the treble more. I listen to a lot of Hard Rock, Alternative, Grunge and some Metal. So, think Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Tool, Soundgarden, Filter, Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin, but also Clutch, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Staind, etc. Fast, Hard, Technical and still musical.