Well, plugged her in and been listening for about an hour. Drivers were a breeze to install...First test via usb was my different file format playlist (FLAC & WavPack)(16/44.1, 16/48, 24/48, 24/88.2, 24/96, 24/192 & 32/192) w/ Foobar. Flawless...I don't like dropouts, hiccups, time delays etc...It was a smooth transition from one to another with no hesitation whatsoever and just kept moving along...
How is the sound? Well, let's just say it was worth the two year wait for me...
For my first test headphone, I chose the PRO750s. Why? Two reasons 1) I'm an Ultrasone freak...lol.....2) The PRO750s when paired with various sources that don't play well with them (analytical, bright etc...), the highs on them get to some high levels and make your eyes red...lol...just kidding but you get the picture. Love 'em but they tend to be source dependent sometimes.
I read many posts on the Sabre and all conclusions led to very detailed, transparent and basically, it beautifully represents your source material.
Well, let's see...I have been a part of the head-fi community for six years and I have read many posts and listened to a variety of gear with a variety of headphones. There are those who say you need to spend big money for a "wow" moment and those who say you can spend little money for a "wow" moment. Both camps are correct as long as the "wow" moments keep happening.
The detail and instrument separation without losing anything from the spectrum and keeping everything tight and crisp made me have a "wow" moment my friends. Can you have a "wow" moment with your source for $340 (shipped)? Absolutely...
Next few hours will be swapping phones and see what this bad boy has in store.
I have to say, source material is going to be very important. Not to get into a lossless vs. lossy discussion but if you listen mostly to low bitrate mp3s, you will hear the missing artifacts and sounds very dry. On the other hand, when I listen to some sick vinyl rips that my buddy does for me, the crackle and pops between the tracks even sound good...lol.....Of course I'm blowing it up but you can understand....
Quick shiiity phone pic...
Cheers!!!