Audiophilepure

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“The FiiO M15 unbalanced will get loud enough but the imprecise nature of FiiO’s new volume control means I had no clue how loud it was. Forget smartphones with the PM-50 unless you are using a proper dongle. The Note 9 can get reasonably loud but the dynamic range is weak for me.

Connecting the PM-50 with a cryo-treated gold/silver and OCC copper alloy 4-pin XLR balanced cable with some proper power out of the XI Audio Broadway is really where the PM-50 excels.

It sounds far punchier and more expansive than any of the portable sources could muster. No question on the PM-50 benefitting from the additional headroom from the Broadways 1.5mW into 32Ω load.”

https://headfonics.com/2020/03/abyss-headphones-diana-v2-first-contact/

“The matching perforated black leather pads, though small on the outside and not that deep, have a clever but sturdy funnel shape that expands in such a manner to deliver a full circumaural experience. A very smart design indeed.

If you are coming from the original Diana these are upgraded and bigger pads so they are much more comfortable. Also, compared to the Phi, they are slightly softer than the original grey pads. Abyss are no longer selling those grey pads so all new Phi and V2 headphones will come with these new slightly more malleable versions.

Out of the box, I can feel a physical difference from the older grey to the newer black pads with slightly less vertical pressure and biting into the sides from the lateral pressure. The clamping is the same so I am presuming the softer pad structure is dissipating in a more even manner than the stiffer edges of the older grey pads.”

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“Every hall has an individual acoustic sound and APERIO captured the Minnesota Orchestra and the venue with excellent decay and made the room come across as part of this recording seamlessly. Once again, noticeable was the exceptional musicality that I was experiencing.

Rarely in listening sessions does everything all come together as it did with the APERIO electrostatic system. Classical music lovers will be satisfied with the soundstage and the tonality of instruments was beautifully portrayed with inner detail being exceptional. APERIO left nothing out in reproducing this magnificent recording,”

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“With an impedance of 42Ohm and only 87dB, the HEDDphone isn’t the easiest to drive and that shows with the different amps I’ve used it with. It’s not that it’s impossible to drive though, but you’ll see the volume dial go up compared to your regular planar magnetic and dynamic headphones.

When I first heard the difference between balanced an single ended mode I figured it was the Niimbus US4+ that was acting up, but when I switched to the Topping DX7 Pro, I got the exact same result. The DX7 PRO is an incredible DAC/AMP and it totally outperforms its price. With the DX7 Pro and HEDDphone combo, you get more energetic upper mids and treble in both modes. The upper mids and vocals are even more clear and defined as it’s where the Topping DX7 pro really shines.”

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“, the LCD-1s elicited the sort of reaction that often has me reaching for tissues to mop up the tears. Yeah, I still go dewy-eyed when music transcends the listening-for-review-purposes and gets to me, when I should be listening for stuff like bass control or stage depth. Both Kyu and Julie sang within my cranium, true, but the breathiness of the latter and the clear enunciation of the former were perfectly preserved and ‘non-intrusive’.

What is Kessler on about? How can something be in one’s skull and not be intrusive? Well, I heard both a lack of artifice and enough outside-of-the-head sound to preclude any distraction. Better was a sweetness that somehow rendered tolerable the massed violins on the Majestic Strings’ Strings For Many Moods [Tape-Mates TMS-131 3¾ips tape] over its agonising three hours.

As the above suggests, I love these headphones. My only complaint? They don’t have active noise reduction, which would make them my perfect travel cans.”

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“Switching to the Chord Hugo2 driven from a Lumin U1 Mini was even more of the same – more detail, even more precise timing and sounstaging whilst never losing musicality. The additional drive from the single-ended quarter-inch jack made for an even more dynamic sound, more so than even in balanced operation with the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ – testament to the fact that balanced isn’t always best. On the track Noise in the Attic from the album Like Someone in Love, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers (TIDAL 44/16 FLAC stream), the opening drum solo is electric – the cymbal textures are fantastic with the hi-hat shimmering beautifully “overhead”.

Although they sounded perfectly fine with the Onkyo Phone/DAP and even with the Astell&Kern 380 (Copper edition), there was definitely a slight lack of energy and verve when driven from these otherwise excellent DAPs – the best match for me was with the Chord DACs, with the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ a close third.”

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The elongated headband with its slightly arched curve to allow for the cups to swivel is one such feature. However, the new Alumite anodized aluminum finish or ‘silver’ is a departure from the Yamaha vibe which only came in black, leather, and green. The cups are of course much bigger than the original on-ear design of the HP-1 and the coating is a little more advanced.

You might also notice in the pictures that Final use a similar “blotchy” resin finish on the plastic parts as the original D8000. Final claim that this coating improves resistance to vibrations on the D8000.”

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“Soundstage lovers will love the wide and deep stage the HP-1 projects. Musicians appear in their own space and the imaging is rock solid and three dimensional and suitable for any type of music. A classical music lover will love the layering of the orchestra with the 3D imaging and you will be able to hear the remarkable inner detail in the recordings. Little details become noticeable that many lesser designs are unable to reproduce.”