grizzlybeast
My name is grizzlybeast and I'm an audioholic.
oh wow that is big...sorry lol woops
ENIGMAcoustics Dharma at TTVJAudio and loaner program
- Thread starter Todd
- Start date
Wow, what a terrific review! Sincere thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
grizzlybeast
My name is grizzlybeast and I'm an audioholic.
thanks
Fantastic review grizzlybeast! I truly enjoyed reading it and think you really nailed the description of the dharma
markm1
Headphoneus Supremus
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Thanks Grizzlybeast. Thanks for a great review! I can tell you put a lot of thought into it...very well executed! Have you heard the Ether as a point of comparison?
Great job Grizz...............
grizzlybeast
My name is grizzlybeast and I'm an audioholic.
Thanks again!
I haven't heard the Ether... it may even have better treble.
grizzlybeast
My name is grizzlybeast and I'm an audioholic.
^I am sure over all of the current production flagships the Dharma has one of the best price to performance ratios even considering the Ether which is usually reported to be equal to the He560 in technicalities.
Schopenhauer
500+ Head-Fier
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Excellent review, grizz. I should have mine up in the next hour or two. We certainly have different takes on the headphone but it's great to have differing responses. One of the best aspects of a loaner tour.
Schopenhauer
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Thanks to @TTVJ for the loaner. I was interested in the Dharma as a potentially bassier alternative to the HD800. While I do prefer the Dharma’s to the HD800’s bass, the Dharma’s treble and mids are dealbreakers. I prefer the HD800’s and the LCD-2.2’s treble presentation to the Dharma’s. I prefer the LCD-2.2’s bass and mids to the Dharma’s.
Spotify serves as my source. The GO450 serves as my primary DAC, although I occasionally used the iPhone 6’s internal DAC when listening to the Dharma. For amplification I use the UHA-6S.MKII or the EF-6. With the Dharma I also tried the iPhone 6’s internal amplifier; it performed surprisingly well given the Dharma isn’t demanding. My reference headphone is the LCD-2.2. The HD800 is a close second. In addition, I compared the Dharma to the Alpha Dog, the HE-500, and a T50RP (my girlfriend’s personal modded version). In the interest of concision, I’ll restrict my focus in the following to the LCD-2.2 and HD-800.
* * *
1. Bass
The Dharma’s bass has received considerable attention. The measurements are – as I’m sure everyone knows by now – less than ideal. Elevated distortion across the bass frequencies and extending into the mids. I didn’t hear any of this. A prominent commentator has said that the bass has a “furry fuzzy” texture to it. I’m not sure I know how to listen for that. Kiasmos’s track “Wrecked” on their 2012 Thrown nicely displayed the Dharma’s bass. Slam/impact was sufficient, although below the LCD-2.2’s levels. If I had a criticism of the Dharma’s bass, it would be that nothing about it really stands out. And that’s fine. A headphone doesn’t have to distinguish itself in every area of the frequency response.
A friend of mine who swears by the HD800 said of the Dharma: “This headphone has the bass I wish the HD800 had”. I do think the HD800 would be improved if its bass were at the Dharma’s levels. Maybe someone could claim that the HD800’s bass is objectively better. But if that means it’s better simply according to the measurements, I don’t see why that should matter very much. Perhaps one could argue that the HD800’s bass is more accurate, more neutral than the Dharma’s. Nonetheless, the Dharma’s bass doesn’t strike me as bloated, as inaccurate or colored.
2. Mids
It’s unfortunate that the first track I listened to on the Dharma was Saturn Never Sleeps’ “Bit by Bit” from their Yesterday’s Machine. This is a track I’m familiar with. I wouldn’t say it’s a test track but I’ve spent plenty of time with it. The Dharma is the only headphone on which it’s been sibilant. I don’t think the Dharma was revealing something about the track I’d never been able to hear before. Rather, I think the sibilance was an artifact of the headphone. I noticed this on a number of other tracks. From the beginning, then, I worried the Dharma might be malignantly sibilant. Subsequent experience tended to reinforce this worry. I think I would reject the Dharma as a headphone for this reason alone. I’m willing to forgive a headphone for coloration if the result is enjoyable, if it deepens one’s engagement with the music without compromising too much accuracy. But sibilance is painful, unpleasant coloration.
3. Treble
This is where I had my main problem with the Dharma. I’ll be very frank: The treble spikes hurt my ears. The discomfort starts almost immediately with the right (or, I should say, the wrong) music and is seriously fatiguing as I proceed. Now, I tend to be sensitive to boosts in the treble. The LCD-2.2 is my reference headphone for a reason; I naturally prefer darker-sounding headphones. I also prefer warmer-sounding headphones. The Dharma is certainly neither dark nor warm. I’m not sure I’d say the Dharma is a bright headphone. I am sure, however, that I would say it’s a spiky headphone. This is a phenomenon related to the sibilance mids. The frequency response across the treble is too drastically uneven for me to enjoy the Dharma without worrying about when the next peak will hit.
Transitioning from the Dharma to the HD800 brings home just how spiky that treble really is. I usually find the HD800 too bright. But the HD800 doesn't strike me as too bright after listening to the Dharma for around 10 minutes. I’m not prepared to say that the Dharma can’t sometimes get the treble right. There is sometimes an airy, spacious quality to the music. But you can get the same effect from with the HD800. So I don’t see what recommends the Dharma on this point.
4. Technicalities
Timbre can be a bit hollow, tin-canny. Occasionally ethereal-sounding. Vocals can be ghostly, haunting; that’s a good thing. Taja Sevelle’s Toys of Vanity, especially its title track and “Making Love to the Air” are exemplary on this point. Her voice seems to hang in midair. This is unfortunate since you’re almost immediately snapped out of it by sibilance, or simply a spike in the upper mids. If the upper mids to high frequencies were smooth, this could be a hell of a headphone.
The Dharma’s soundstaging was wider, more diffuse than the LCD-2.2’s. I still think the LCD-2.2 images at least as well, probably better. Given that the LCD-2.2 sounds more natural to me, more cohesive, than the Dharma, it has a more holographic or 3-D presentation. I’m able to hear where individual sounds are located in the total image, if it makes sense to put it that way. The Dharma, on the other hand, can sound a bit left and right. As with the HD800, soundstaging and separation with the Dharma can come across as artificial, as though details are really just artifacts of the headphone and not integrated parts of the image itself. I should note that – to my ears – the Dharma’s soundstaging and separation fall short of the HD800’s. The HD800 is still the king of soundstage.
As far as resolution is concerned, I would rank the Dharma below the HD800 and the LCD-2.2 in that order. I’ve long felt that my LCD-2.2 resolves as well as any headphone I’ve heard, with the exception of the HD800. This isn’t to say the Dharma isn’t resolving. It just didn’t strike me as exceptionally resolving, especially when compared with other headphones similarly priced.
* * *
It’s anathema, I realize, to say something like this but I enjoyed the Dharma most when driven by the UHA-6S.MKII with the iPhone as source. The two devices were connected via a short analog cable, so it was technically double-amping. Double-amping doesn’t worry me terribly, at least given the amps involved, although I avoid it if I can. The native EQ in Spotify’s mobile app – specifically, the treble reducer – makes the Dharma less offensive. I should note – in the interest of full disclosure – that I find the Dharma almost unlistenable in any other configuration, at least for any significant length of time. The headphone is simply too bright, too spiky, for my ears. Anyone who is sensitive on these points should take caution when considering the Dharma as his next headphone.
Spotify serves as my source. The GO450 serves as my primary DAC, although I occasionally used the iPhone 6’s internal DAC when listening to the Dharma. For amplification I use the UHA-6S.MKII or the EF-6. With the Dharma I also tried the iPhone 6’s internal amplifier; it performed surprisingly well given the Dharma isn’t demanding. My reference headphone is the LCD-2.2. The HD800 is a close second. In addition, I compared the Dharma to the Alpha Dog, the HE-500, and a T50RP (my girlfriend’s personal modded version). In the interest of concision, I’ll restrict my focus in the following to the LCD-2.2 and HD-800.
* * *
1. Bass
The Dharma’s bass has received considerable attention. The measurements are – as I’m sure everyone knows by now – less than ideal. Elevated distortion across the bass frequencies and extending into the mids. I didn’t hear any of this. A prominent commentator has said that the bass has a “furry fuzzy” texture to it. I’m not sure I know how to listen for that. Kiasmos’s track “Wrecked” on their 2012 Thrown nicely displayed the Dharma’s bass. Slam/impact was sufficient, although below the LCD-2.2’s levels. If I had a criticism of the Dharma’s bass, it would be that nothing about it really stands out. And that’s fine. A headphone doesn’t have to distinguish itself in every area of the frequency response.
A friend of mine who swears by the HD800 said of the Dharma: “This headphone has the bass I wish the HD800 had”. I do think the HD800 would be improved if its bass were at the Dharma’s levels. Maybe someone could claim that the HD800’s bass is objectively better. But if that means it’s better simply according to the measurements, I don’t see why that should matter very much. Perhaps one could argue that the HD800’s bass is more accurate, more neutral than the Dharma’s. Nonetheless, the Dharma’s bass doesn’t strike me as bloated, as inaccurate or colored.
2. Mids
It’s unfortunate that the first track I listened to on the Dharma was Saturn Never Sleeps’ “Bit by Bit” from their Yesterday’s Machine. This is a track I’m familiar with. I wouldn’t say it’s a test track but I’ve spent plenty of time with it. The Dharma is the only headphone on which it’s been sibilant. I don’t think the Dharma was revealing something about the track I’d never been able to hear before. Rather, I think the sibilance was an artifact of the headphone. I noticed this on a number of other tracks. From the beginning, then, I worried the Dharma might be malignantly sibilant. Subsequent experience tended to reinforce this worry. I think I would reject the Dharma as a headphone for this reason alone. I’m willing to forgive a headphone for coloration if the result is enjoyable, if it deepens one’s engagement with the music without compromising too much accuracy. But sibilance is painful, unpleasant coloration.
3. Treble
This is where I had my main problem with the Dharma. I’ll be very frank: The treble spikes hurt my ears. The discomfort starts almost immediately with the right (or, I should say, the wrong) music and is seriously fatiguing as I proceed. Now, I tend to be sensitive to boosts in the treble. The LCD-2.2 is my reference headphone for a reason; I naturally prefer darker-sounding headphones. I also prefer warmer-sounding headphones. The Dharma is certainly neither dark nor warm. I’m not sure I’d say the Dharma is a bright headphone. I am sure, however, that I would say it’s a spiky headphone. This is a phenomenon related to the sibilance mids. The frequency response across the treble is too drastically uneven for me to enjoy the Dharma without worrying about when the next peak will hit.
Transitioning from the Dharma to the HD800 brings home just how spiky that treble really is. I usually find the HD800 too bright. But the HD800 doesn't strike me as too bright after listening to the Dharma for around 10 minutes. I’m not prepared to say that the Dharma can’t sometimes get the treble right. There is sometimes an airy, spacious quality to the music. But you can get the same effect from with the HD800. So I don’t see what recommends the Dharma on this point.
4. Technicalities
Timbre can be a bit hollow, tin-canny. Occasionally ethereal-sounding. Vocals can be ghostly, haunting; that’s a good thing. Taja Sevelle’s Toys of Vanity, especially its title track and “Making Love to the Air” are exemplary on this point. Her voice seems to hang in midair. This is unfortunate since you’re almost immediately snapped out of it by sibilance, or simply a spike in the upper mids. If the upper mids to high frequencies were smooth, this could be a hell of a headphone.
The Dharma’s soundstaging was wider, more diffuse than the LCD-2.2’s. I still think the LCD-2.2 images at least as well, probably better. Given that the LCD-2.2 sounds more natural to me, more cohesive, than the Dharma, it has a more holographic or 3-D presentation. I’m able to hear where individual sounds are located in the total image, if it makes sense to put it that way. The Dharma, on the other hand, can sound a bit left and right. As with the HD800, soundstaging and separation with the Dharma can come across as artificial, as though details are really just artifacts of the headphone and not integrated parts of the image itself. I should note that – to my ears – the Dharma’s soundstaging and separation fall short of the HD800’s. The HD800 is still the king of soundstage.
As far as resolution is concerned, I would rank the Dharma below the HD800 and the LCD-2.2 in that order. I’ve long felt that my LCD-2.2 resolves as well as any headphone I’ve heard, with the exception of the HD800. This isn’t to say the Dharma isn’t resolving. It just didn’t strike me as exceptionally resolving, especially when compared with other headphones similarly priced.
* * *
It’s anathema, I realize, to say something like this but I enjoyed the Dharma most when driven by the UHA-6S.MKII with the iPhone as source. The two devices were connected via a short analog cable, so it was technically double-amping. Double-amping doesn’t worry me terribly, at least given the amps involved, although I avoid it if I can. The native EQ in Spotify’s mobile app – specifically, the treble reducer – makes the Dharma less offensive. I should note – in the interest of full disclosure – that I find the Dharma almost unlistenable in any other configuration, at least for any significant length of time. The headphone is simply too bright, too spiky, for my ears. Anyone who is sensitive on these points should take caution when considering the Dharma as his next headphone.
grizzlybeast
My name is grizzlybeast and I'm an audioholic.
I like your perspective. It makes a lot of sense and its rare that though we differ I don't fully disagree. I do hear the bass a lot different though.
Thanks for the review Schopenhauer! Nicely done. Your input is very much appreciated.
I am once again reminded of something that really struck home with me after reading Big Sound 2015 on Innerfidelity. I was initially perplexed as to how these very seasoned (some professional) reviewers could have such divergent views of a given headphone but then realized that there is no "right" or "wrong" headphone. Our physical ear structures, unique hearing sensitivities and subjective preferences vary greatly from listener to listener and those in turn dictate our sonic perceptions. It is simply a case of each person finding the headphone that matches that person's unique characteristics.
I am once again reminded of something that really struck home with me after reading Big Sound 2015 on Innerfidelity. I was initially perplexed as to how these very seasoned (some professional) reviewers could have such divergent views of a given headphone but then realized that there is no "right" or "wrong" headphone. Our physical ear structures, unique hearing sensitivities and subjective preferences vary greatly from listener to listener and those in turn dictate our sonic perceptions. It is simply a case of each person finding the headphone that matches that person's unique characteristics.
Kevinspeed
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2012
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I got the Dharma headphones in today. I probably should know who sent them to me. Came from CA, I am in MS. I was hoping to have the King in by now to do a little double testing. Maybe it will get here while I have them HURRY UP AUDEZE!!!! 
I am feeling a massive LCD-4 Discount is in order to make up for that delay.
So, I will be running the Dharma on a Cavalli LAu. My current headphone inventory is LCD3-F and Fostex Massdrop. Should be interesting.
Not to start the review now but I will probably go light on the packaging and all that anyway and it's been covered. The box is a well it's box. It is nice. Everything is packed away nice and neat and safely.
Fit and finish on the headphones A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I am a daily Audeze user so what I am getting ready to say you will need to temper it a bit. These are way comfortable. If you can do 3 hours with a LCD then you can go 20 with these. The pads are not as soft or thick or comfortable as Audeze. That is not a complaint just an observation. They might get hot after extended time because they make a great seal. That's it for now. I will start listening to them tonight. I am going to put in a serious session . Friday is a great day for delivery.
I am feeling a massive LCD-4 Discount is in order to make up for that delay.So, I will be running the Dharma on a Cavalli LAu. My current headphone inventory is LCD3-F and Fostex Massdrop. Should be interesting.
Not to start the review now but I will probably go light on the packaging and all that anyway and it's been covered. The box is a well it's box. It is nice. Everything is packed away nice and neat and safely.
Fit and finish on the headphones A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I am a daily Audeze user so what I am getting ready to say you will need to temper it a bit. These are way comfortable. If you can do 3 hours with a LCD then you can go 20 with these. The pads are not as soft or thick or comfortable as Audeze. That is not a complaint just an observation. They might get hot after extended time because they make a great seal. That's it for now. I will start listening to them tonight. I am going to put in a serious session . Friday is a great day for delivery.
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