Audiophilepure

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/warwick-acoustics-sonoma-model-one

You’ll need to be a little careful if you’re using the analogue inputs. Both have specified upper signal limits – the RCA will take 2.1v while the 3.5mm jack is limited to 0.85v – and if you go beyond these it’s possible to overload the circuit, though the only consequence is likely to be distorted sound rather than any real damage. If you need to use analogue it’s probably best to use a source that has a volume control built-in so you can turn down the signal level if the energizer has any issues.

All input signals are handled in the digital domain, so any analogue input is converted before any other processing is done. This conversion is done by a 32-bit/384kHz AKM Premium ADC, which is claimed to have a signal to noise ratio in excess of 120dB. There’s a good deal of signal processing done in the box with the aim of accounting for the headphones electrical characteristics and so getting the optimum sound possible”

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/mrspeakers-voce-electrostatic-headphones/

“From the moment I connected the VOCE to my electrostatic energiser (that is stat-speak for an electrostatic headphone amplifier), I was struck by the sheer transparency and lucidity of its sound and by the incredible amount of musical information it was able to extract from favourite recordings. Even more impressive was the manner in which it managed to combine breath-taking clarity with exemplary smoothness and control. Some electrostatic headphones exhibit heightened levels of treble sheen, overshoot, or glare, but the VOCE exhibited none of these typical electrostatic flaws. “

“To personalise the Aventhos, you install an iOS or Android app on your phone, called MIY (Make It Yours). You then specify your age and then run a series of test signals. Basically, the app plays a range of tones at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, and 8 kHz. You tell the app when you start and stop hearing each tone (by simply pressing a button on the screen). MIY then makes and loads your profile into the Aventhos.

With an MIY profile in operation, the sound changes. The degree of the change can be tailored in the app more to the subtle side or to the dramatic. Even at the least dramatic setting, I found my first profile actually made the sound worse, with the Aventhos now obviously too bright and edgy. Fortunately, creating a new profile is so easy that you can try again and again. I did, and after a few attempts I got to a profile without some of the obvious issues of my first try.”

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“As an example, try ‘Walking On the Moon’ from the The Yuri Honing Trio’s Star Tracks [Jazz in Motion, 16’/44.1]. The track begins with a subtle, softly plucked figure from bassist Tony Overwater, whose call is later answered by an expressive response from percussionist Joost Lijbaart. Then, the proceedings really take shape when Honing joins in on his saxophone. In each case the timbres and dynamic qualities the instruments sound spot-on and incredibly engaging. Major sonic treats include Honing’s powerful, evocative sax solo in the middle of the track and several dramatic bass and percussion exchanges along the way. Stated simply, the Empyrean creates large believable soundstages and the sort of gripping, you-are-there realism that’s rare to find in any transducer, regardless of type.”

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“Featuring a planar-magnetic open-back configuration with a diaphragm listed as one nanometer thick, the HE1000se is equipped with HIFIMAN’s newest shaped-neodymium magnets which were developed to present a smaller surface area “dramatically reducing wave diffraction turbulence.” This, the company says, degrades the sound. The unique magnet-design implementation makes the drivers “faster and more dynamic than ever before, with even greater levels of detail and lower distortion than previous iterations. But perhaps most significantly, these powerful magnets also make the headphone much more efficient…” How much more efficient? The engineers managed to goose it from 91dB to 96dB, yet retain the same 35 Ohm impedance and 8Hz~65kHz frequency response of the award-winning HE 1000 V2 ($2,999 USD), which in the real world translates into making the 1000se reasonably mobile-friendly for those who would take it on the road.”

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“The RAAL-requisite SR1a Earfieled Headphone Monitor is a crowning achievement of what is possible in headphone design. The beautiful sound coming from the ribbon monitor was sensational. The exceptional imaging made all performers come alive and made the equipment get out of the way.

The SR1a created a midrange that was as good as I have heard regardless of price. The soundstage was wide and deep with exceptional space and air between the performers. The 299D was able to throw off a 3D stage that was sensational. Imaging was among the best that I have heard in any system. The SR1a was so special that at times I felt as if I were actually at the performance.”