Audiophilepure

Read Here

“The style has a certain shed built DIY feel around it and I wouldn’t be being honest if I didn’t mention it. For a large part this probably comes down to economies of scale and access to newer materials and technologies. Smaller companies like Erzetich just don’t have the access to processes or put out the sheer number of headphones that would be able to demand a large scale factory run. Conversely that also works out as a point in their favor because in sticking to tried and true methods of headphone design they have built an absolute tank. I would go as far as to say it is one of the most solid and well put together headphones I have tested in. These almost feel like an heir loom piece that will last generations as opposed to some of the plastic toy stuff that has came out in the past 2 years.

Aesthetic design has moved on in recent years as the hobby has grown and while the romantic in me still appreciates it and I know a lot of other audiophiles will also appreciate the nostalgia others will gravitate towards this the more modern styling of the Sennheiser HD820s, Hifiman Edition X, Focal Utopia. This is purely an area that comes down to personal preference and I would begrudge anyone for picking either.”

”

Read Here

The Edition 11 is a beautiful looking headphone but more than that it has a tuning that I think a lot of people might want to hear, especially those who have never considered Ultrasone before. The price point is tempting also. I have had a few dynamic driver woodies last year at this price point including Erzitech’s Mania and Kennerton’s Vali but this one may yet push those 2 in the shade.

At 32Ω and being an open-back for home listening does demand more exploration and testing in our main review because I think it does work fine from portable sources. The only issue is that has no isolation whatsoever so not a commute friendly headphone. Also cable-rolling with that 2-pin termination. That could well be the most fun part of the main review!”

Read Here

“To appreciate what the Phi CC headphone does so well, try listening to a well-made live recording such as the track “Anabasis” from Dead Can Dance’s In Concert [PIAS America, 16/44.1], and note the adept way in which the headphone handles textural, transient, and spatial details in the music. “Anabasis” features a recurrent, very low frequency percussion motif juxtaposed against a shimmering and also recurrent treble percussion figure. The Phi CC Edition headphones beautifully capture the weight, depth, and incisive attack of the low-pitched drum being struck, while simultaneously rendering all the delicate, finely filigreed textures and harmonics of the higher percussion instruments. Perhaps best of all though, the headphone conveys the myriad low-level spatial cues (including subtle crowd noises, and stage and hall reverberations) that together give this track the uncannily realistic sound and “feel” of a live concert event. It’s this engaging and engrossing quality of vivid realism that sets the AB-1266 Phi CC Edition apart from competitors.”

Read Here

“Switching over to the A&K SR15 and its Quad-core CPU, Cirrus Logic Dual-DAC CS43198 and MasterHIFI chipsets the difference between the iPhone and the SR15’s DAC/amp and processing power was immediately laid bare. Bass weight and impact, dynamic response, transient speed, midrange detail, upper frequency extension, decay off notes, spatial separation of instruments – all of these improved by an order of magnitude. Hope’s playing on “Adagio for Violin…” suddenly seemed to come to life with timbral and tonal color through the Elegia where before things lacked similar punch and just as importantly – real depth to the sound stage, shedding it’s 3D compression that was nascent on the iPhone. High-res PCM or DSD (DSD to PCM conversion on-the-fly) files I listened to through the &norma added further to the little DAP’s impact, showing off the Focal’s transparency to source and its ability to easily translate differences in DAC, file type or codec-processing capabilities.

Moving over to the MacBook Air using Roon through the Naim DAC-V1 which is packed with a 40-bit SHARC DSP chipset, single-ended Class-A head amp and 24/384 synchronous USB input, the Elegia took the change-up in stride and gave me even more of what I was hearing through the SR15 with further perceived dynamic range at frequency extremes (coming across as deeper, more fleshed-out bass and more air around instruments and vocals reaching into the upper registers). Through the Naim the Elegia further cemented its ability to deliver emotional playback without a hint of digital artifice: something that became increasingly noticeable as I climbed the price/performance ladder during this review and the headphones delivered exactly what they were being fed from each distinct source. Where the SR15 had a slightly brighter treble-region presentation and leaner, more forward spatial imaging, the V1 added midrange pop and heft.”

Read Here

“On initial impressions, the leather pads feel a bit more reference in their presentation and the detail is indeed excellent. I don’t honestly find the leather pad tonal alterations to produce a cold or clinical sound, an HD800 it is most certainly not.

However, With the leather pads, you get quite a neutral sound with a little more upper mid and lower treble emphasis which seems to jive with the perception of the Empyrean having a very linear and flat low-end to 1k frequency response. It sounds incredibly coherent but may lack a little warmth and body compared to the Alcantara pads juicier and more expansive presentation.”