Audiophilepure

https://www.headfonia.com/hifiman-audivina-le-review/

The biggest problem with the Audivina LE is likely its bass response. It’s tuned so flat— and I mean that is dead flat —that you don’t get any sub-bass rumble. The mid-bass area isn’t so textured and definitive either. So what you have is a very flat bass that isn’t capable of giving the music the blood that it requires, particularly in genres that need that specific trait. 

The positive aspect here, of course, is the speed. The PRaT here is very good, and the decay is quick, so that there’s no mid-bass bleed possible, even remotely. Other than that, I don’t have much else to say about the bass performance, except that it’s explicitly tuned for speed and subtlety. It works well with classical and jazz. 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/brilliant-corners-31-campfire-earphones-fiio-portable-player

Then there’s the dense physicality of the sound, a quality no doubt attributable to the dynamic drivers, which move more air than their balanced armature or planar magnetic counterparts. The Trifecta plays with more meat on the bone than any earphones I’ve heard, and with greater dynamics, compounding the sense of presence created by the vast staging. Its gorgeous, colorful midrange, which gives guitars and voices so much vividness, definitely contributes, too. Most importantly, the Trifecta proved matchless at generating engagement and emotion. Its unrestrained, juicy sound is difficult to approach analytically; after a few minutes I usually forgot what I was supposed to be focusing on or comparing and got lost in listening.

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audeze-lcd-5

Next up Steve Davis’ recording of To Wisdom, The Prize from live LP We See. The trumpet, trombone and saxophone are really clean and bright but not at all edgy. The backing from piano, bass and drums is in perfect proportion to the brass instruments, while the bass is tight and punchy. The piano in particular sounds very natural and beautifully reproduced.

Turning to a classic recording of Barbra Streisand singing Tomorrow to see how it fares with vocals, the LCD-5 presents Streisand’s voice in front of the sparkling and clear orchestral backing, and there is a very natural depth to the recording. The performance is very real and the music exudes refinement throughout the entire track.

Ranged against some of the competition, the JOAL is pleasingly open-sounding with a fairly spacious soundstage, especially along the X-axis.

I have spoken a few times about how much further the vocal imaging is than previous ABYSS iterations. Whilst this does create a somewhat more intimate quality, it’s nowhere near as narrow-sounding or as in your face as the POET and, to some extent, the NOIRE XO. 

I do think it has less height than the NOIRE XO, but it does allow for that smooth midrange performance to come through strongly.

The NOIRE XO has stronger treble levels, but it introduces a brighter, more attack-minded upper midrange that, whilst more dynamic, can be more fatiguing than the comparatively relaxed imaging of the JOAL.

ABYSS DIANA series headphones fourté has always been about speed and space, so I would say the JOAL has retained some excellent space, but it has dropped the pace a little.

FiiO has challenged that price structure with a flagship that is well under a thousand dollars. How they do it is a mystery to me, because all the materials from the carbon fiber to the genuine leather headband and lambskin ear pads are premium materials. FiiO chose real zebra wood over a plastic version. Even the 6N liquid nitrogen frozen monocrystalline copper stock cable is premium.

Fairly easy to drive, the FiiO FT7 can be enjoyed with a portable DAC/amp, though it reaches its potential on a quality desktop amplifier.

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audeze-lcd-5

We use the 6.35mm adapter to connect the LCD-5 to a HD83 valve headphone amp and start off spinning an LP of Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet played by the LSO and conducted by André Previn. Movement No.13 Dance Of The Knights with the stately entry of knights in armour to the ball at the Capulet’s home really grabs the attention. The soundstage is very real and surprisingly wide considering we’re listening on headphones. The powerful marching rhythm and trumpet blasts that accompany the strings playing the main theme are strident and powerful, but not at all harsh. The orchestra has great air and space around the instruments, resulting in an authoritative performance.

Next up Steve Davis’ recording of To Wisdom, The Prize from live LP We See. The trumpet, trombone and saxophone are really clean and bright but not at all edgy. The backing from piano, bass and drums is in perfect proportion to the brass instruments, while the bass is tight and punchy. The piano in particular sounds very natural and beautifully reproduced.

Turning to a classic recording of Barbra Streisand singing Tomorrow to see how it fares with vocals, the LCD-5 presents Streisand’s voice in front of the sparkling and clear orchestral backing, and there is a very natural depth to the recording. The performance is very real and the music exudes refinement throughout the entire track.

https://www.headfonia.com/zmf-bokeh-open-review/

‘While good, both combos aren’t the very best when it comes to layering and sound stage, but when you plug in the Bokeh Open to a high-end amplifier such as the Auris Audio Headonia, all that changes.

I am using the Luxsin as DAC with the Headonia and in this combo the Bokeh Open really shines. You get an open, spacious and airy sounding headphone with excellent dynamics.

The cleanness, clarity and precision are really good and something you usually only get with more expensive, even higher end headphones. The presentation here is musically neutral with tube smoothness and there is just enough weight and body present.

The Horizon has a nice mix of warm and slightly U-shaped sound signatures, with a laid-back sound, yet it presents details with many nuances in the vocals and instruments.

There is a perceived reduction in response in the lowest part of the bass, known as the sub-bass, which is prevalent in open-back headphone designs.

However, there is a slight boost in the mid-bass, making the roll-off in the sub-bass sound less noticeable. The Horizon has the most sub-bass among the headphones in this review. 

A slightly rounded, soft-textured yet articulate characterizes its bass sound, which adds to its overall warm, relaxed, and pleasing tonality.

Midrange is lush, warm, and slightly thick, combined with a somewhat relaxed perceived upper midrange response, which gives instruments and vocals proper note weight and body, preventing them from sounding thin.

Treble is slightly relaxed, smooth, and dark, but not too dark; it conveys a lot of information and detail, rendered in a somewhat laid-back manner and never aggressively. Suffice it to say, the upper midrange and treble never become shouty, piercing, or fatiguing.