What does this mean? Like they should put a sticker or two on it? The headphone is great the way it is. Why over-engineer it?

Haha! It's purely for the selfish reason of not getting any pomade on the headband. The headband sits on top of my head and the clamping force is moderate. No comfort issues at all on my end. Not sure about the dimensions of my head, but I'm 6ft 2in tall with a moderately sized head for the...

I wish there was a way to sticky your comment! Both are wonderful headphones that are great at their strengths, and trying to make one sound like the other is an exercise in futility. One should figure out what sound signature they want in a closed back and then decide.

I'm considering buying a wool cover for the headband, similar to this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wool-Headphone-Headband-Cover-Comfort-Cushion-Top-Pad-Protector-for-ATH-AKG-/222024726477?hash=item33b1b477cd:g:lMAAAOSw5cNYLwPw Any recommendations? Any other ideas I should be pursuing?

Well, I'm going to wear them on a 24 hrs flight journey so will be able to validate your claim (or not) soon :-D

I'm using these at work, and I'm in an open office. I confirmed with teammates that there was no leakage at high volume, and isolation is great too (folks tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, so there's that)

In case it helps folks, you can easily drive these from Sony ZX2 DAP (a notoriously low power DAP).

It's here, and the family keeps on growing! As for the sound, it started a little muddled but the clarity grew as the day went along. I've been A/B testing with my Vega / Andromeda every so often so hopefully not a case of just the sound signature growing on me.

Thanks a lot for such a succint, clear and accessible review! You answered all the questions I didn't even know I had about the comparison between these headphones, and I really appreciate you delineating the respective sound signatures. Cheers!

Sorry, I wasn't calling you out, and I apologize if it came out that way. I really appreciate your impressions post. I agree with you on the comfort part.

So let's round up the "sight unseen" comfort issues: - Small Pads: they are attached magnetically so hopefully we can swap them out for bigger pads - Headband: Apparently design is so bad it will crush your head or, you know, we can survive using a 380g headphone without a strap ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I...

I, unfortunately, didn't end up with a set that I liked. Tried Aeon Flow Closed but the bass was a little light on them for me. XC's were too heavy and the P9 pads were a little small for my head. Currently I just use Campfire Audio Vega in the office. They came out with a closed back recently...

Fair point! I can see how Ken might not want to disclose any plans at the moment (why gimp the Cascade sales?) So I'll keep my fingers crossed. It's just that the idea of a non-crystalline diamond dynamic driver in a closed back starts a tingle in my cojones :-D

Oh Man! I was this close to placing an order today but just saw your post. I think I'll just wait for the non-crystalline diamond one. Hopefully it comes soon!

Can we please get a pic of it on someone's head to gauge how big the pads are? Also, in your opinion, which of your earphones does this musically sound similar to? I'm having a hard time here stopping myself from clicking that "Add to cart" button!

I work in an open office at a tech company. A part of my day is spent listening to music while typing code / design docs / etc. A closed back with Focal signature sound would be an awesome fit for my needs. I tried using IEMs but it is a pain to take them out every time someone walks over to ask...

I believe this is a great amp for folks who like plug-and-play devices and don't have time to tinker with every small bit of electronics. I feed mine with a ZX2 / mac mini and am more than happy with the SQ. It does the heavy lifting, has a great synergy with my headphones (Utopia, Andromeda...

TA setup is definitely cheaper than 1Z, unless I've missed some big sale :-).

Sorry I did not. The only test I did with the 1Z was when it was connected to the TA through the walkman port.

This is purely my opinion so please take it with a grain of salt. I extensively demo'ed both Utopia and Z1R with the TA, and found Utopia to be the best match. It was so good that I ended up selling my other gear to get the combo. For the comparison, I thought Z1R sounded a little congested...

ACK! I knew I was screwing something up.

Haha.. sounds good to me. Thanks!

Yeah, they do run a little big. I don't have any small but will gladly take the medium off your hands if you are looking to sell.

Another +1 for the Symbio Mandarines W. I prefer them over the stock foam tips for SQ, and over the spiral fits for the comfort. The wide bore is awesome!

Non-biased fan.. isn't that an oxymoron :-D. & I agree 100% with you.