Mod House Tungsten

Tungsten double-sided review



Before i speak about the sound: It's comfortable and light. It does look like a (good) DIY project. I like the cable, but dislike that the connectors are so far at the back, it's almost unavoidable that one cable string touches my neck (also because the cable seems to be 1.5m long and not my regular 2m).
It needs an insane amount of power, more than the Immanis, more than any Susvara. My CFA3 and Envy have more than enough, but you should always keep this fact in mind.
All in all: Good to very good, almost no flaws. But it's not a true TOTL. Nowhere close. If you're only living in the absolute TOTL headphone world, this thing cannot compete. The technicalities are very good for its pricepoint, but it's not beating a Susvara in terms of resolution and separation.
The tuning is... very inoffensive and refined, but also somewhat uninteresting. The treble is beautiful, probably the best aspect of this headphone. It sounds super refined, there is enough clarity without it being ever sibilance or sharp. It almost sounds dark at times, but it's super enjoyable while being highly realistic and detailed. The treble just sounds right, as if someone iterated over and over again until it really reached that perfect point. I'm impressed.
The midrange is also extremely enjoyable, smooth and unoffensive. It has a bit of "realistic inertia" in the lower mids and the bass, which makes the decay extraordinaly beautiful. It's never shouty, but male vocals are intimate. Very nice tuning in the midrange too. It sounds very musical and relaxed, but in a super positive way. Somehow i like its slower tone which perfectly matches with its tonality to give it that musical slowness. That sounds weird, because it's still a fast planar, but often my music sounds more relaxed and that way it can breathe more than usual - the Tungsten is one of the most musical planars i've heard. I think it's the slower decay which captivates me so much. Male vocals are fantastic, especially acapella sounds awesome and very natural. When it comes to female vocals, it depends. Rich female vocals are also very good, while thinner vocals tend to get lost in the mix a bit too much. the Tungsten does not enhance thinner female vocals (that would often need it to shine the most) like other specialists.
The bass. It's not bad. It's also smooth and unoffensive, but it lacks that hammering energy and snappiness that other headphones provide. It can dig deep and rumble and it sounds very full, but it just is not as energetic as i would have hoped, again, the unoffensive character strikes again. The bigger, slower and more realistic a bass note is, the better, the intro of "Journey - Seperate Ways" sounds amazing, and the drum hits sound big and impactful. Still, i wish it had more bass quantity.
The Tungsten works extremely well for normal to slow speedy music that benefits from a deceleration which gives it that added musicality. Fast music sounds not that good on the Tungsten in my opinion. Play something lively and fast, like "Carpenter Brut - Turbo Killer", and this thing just sounds not fast enough. Allthough i have to say, sometimes it can sound bigger than i thought, which was another shortage, its soundstage. It does not sound claustrophobic, but really not that big either. With the right music you definitely gain a bigger stage. You mostly hear a smaller to medium sized stage, but occasionally get suprised by single sounds that come seemingly way out of that smaller bubble. I wish it was a bit bigger, but it's not bad at all. It's very coherent.
Some tracks that you want to sound aggressive, energetic and lively, are sounding too polite, inoffensive and smoothed over. "Fort Minor - Remember The Name" should never sound as laid-back as it sounds on the Tungsten. You almost get bored when the track is playing, at the same time the vocals are not as captivating as on a super specialist like an Aeolus where you only focus on the breathtaking voices. Even on "Muse - Supermassive Black Hole" i don't feel the need to nob with my head, it just doesn't hit hard enough - disappointing. But on other tracks like "Wise Guys - Goldeneye" (a german acapella band) the bass sounds awesome and super impressive. But again, it has slower realistic bass than a fast and snappy one. "Genesis - No Son Of Mine" sounds also snappy and hard hitting enough, so maybe the Muse example showed a lack in the lower lows where the Tungsten cannot provide enough hard hitting bass notes, because the higher pitched a hard hitting note is, more often than not it sounds very good. When it comes to the deep bass rumble, texture and extension, the Tungsten has it all, "Leprous - Have You Ever?" sounds glorious. Maybe my problem with the Tungstens dynamics are not its lack of capability, but rather its smooth and unoffensive character which sometimes can hinder some tracks. So yes, it can hit hard, but it's always hard and slow and not hard and fast / energetic. Pumping up the volume a bit helps, it makes music come more to life and the polite character of the Tungsten gets pushed more into the background. It's still never fantastic for aggressive music.
It's an allrounder, and it does that very good if you don't crave a spicier rendition of your music.
Overall i would give the Tungsten at least a 9/10 in the treble (maybe even a 10), an 8 in the mids (only surpassed by specialists like a Susvara Unveiled / Aeolus) and a 7/10 for its bass (texture is excellent, but it sometimes lacks quantity and dynamics - no wonder Ciggavelli wasn't impressed, ahaha).
The Tungstens reminds me of the Charybdis with a smaller stage, but both of them have this overly musical, almost smoothed over, polite character. I think it suits the Tungsten more than the Erzetich.

The Tungsten does not compete with true ultra TOTL headphones, and every comparison like that really only hurts its reputation. While the tonality is awesome (besides a bit of lack in the bass), the technicalities won't compete with a 5k+ headphone. But it should beat every single can below 2k, easily. What about the semi-TOTL's? I have a Caldera Closed here. Before i jump into that comparison, i want to emphasize that i know that the CC is supposed to stomp all over the Tungsten because of its much higher price. But does it?

They sound awfully similiar, i'm honestly quite a bit shocked. The biggest different is that the CC is a bit less polite and has some more bite and sounds snappier. Vocals are more laid-back on the Tungsten, it has the more unoffensive midrange. But both headphones have a very good midrange, the Caldera Closed wins for me, but it's not that big of a difference. The treble goes to the Tungsten, the Caldera is less refined in the highs. Crazy to say that. The Tungsten has also a bigger soundstage. But the soundstage different is mostly regarding the midrange, the overall stage seems approximately same sized. When it comes to bass, the Caldera Closed wins. The difference is not huge, but while the quality is superb on both, the CC has more quantity and can also hit harder because it sounds less polite and a bit more energetic. But the difference is also not that big here, both headphones go into the same direction, smooth, rather unoffensive. The CC just a bit more aggressive. The Tungsten is the more neutral headphone, while the CC sounds a bit richer and thicker. Both have that awesome bass decay which i wrote about in the first section. But ovberall both do sound heavy, thick, rich, with that awesome slower decay that engulfs you with that musical veil, which i feel is even a bit better on the Caldera Closed.
One difference, and the thing that the Caldera Closed does strictly better, is the bass. It has more force and power. But again, the difference is not gigantic. The Caldera Closed can just slam a bit harder and does sound more energetic in its whole spectrum, which comes from the more close-up midrange (vocals) and the treble that has a bit more bite on the CC.
Honestly, i'm quite shocked how similiar these two headphones sound.
What about technicalities? Well, truthfully i can't tell a difference which headphone is ahead here between the two. Both are on that third to last level of planars in my opinion (Caldera / Tungsten < Susvara / 1266TC < Susvara Unveiled <<< Raal Immanis). So, while the Tungsten does not compete with a Susvara, i can wholeheartedly agree that it competes with the Calderas of this world. But then again, ZMF headphones are never the number one when it comes to technicalities for its pricepoint, and the Caldera Closed is no exception. On top of that, the CC is a closed-back headphone while the Tungsten is open.
Still, in my opinion both are not only on the same level when it comes to technicalities, they also both share a similiar tonality, with the Tungstens sounding even smoother and more polite, while the Caldera Closed is a bit more energetic.

Then my friend, from which i borrowed the Tungsten, told me about the added spacers, which are fiddly (he said that there are complete rings available now), and i should install them. Do they increase the bass?
They do. Holy moly. The dynamics get much better and i cannot say which one slams harder, the CC or the Tungsten. The Tungsten is still smoother and more laid-back, while the CC is richer in the mids, has more bite in the treble and is overall more energetic.
But oh boy, with those spacers the Tungsten really reminds me of a true, worthy LCD-4 successor with less rich and creamy mids. The positive thing is that it is missing that 1kHz honk in the mids that easily gets bothersome (it's better with fresh / the right pads), which existed on the LCD-4.
The bass now just hammers and is so much fun, i love it. If you don't have these spacers, get them, immediately. I highly suspect @Ciggavelli has not heard the Tungsten with those spacers. The fun really starts when you have installed them. It's still not the perfect headphone for very fast music (because of the longer decay that mostly sounds lovely, but sometimes too prolonged), but i would also say the same thing about the CC. Again, both of them now are going neck to neck when it comes to dynamics, there is no clear winner here. The bass easily went up from a 7 to a 9 (my 10 is reserved for the 1266TC and the Valkyria with its original tuning, those two are basically impossible to beat). I still prefer the mids of my CC, but that's more of a subjective preference thing, and the treble of the Tungsten is so spectacular, that i prefer it over the treble of the CC.
Ok, NOW i am really impressed by this headphone. For 2k? Yes, get it if you can drive it and are searching for a super smooth allrounder with a lovely, laid-back and super enjoyable tonality that can slam hard. I can give my full recommendation now.
The only true negative point: Driving this thing is certainly not easy, but the sound is sublime, it truly is, especially for its price. The only thing you may want is a more aggressive sound with more energy and bite, which this headphone is just not tuned for.

Well done, Ryan from Modhouse.
Don't get an LCD-4, get this one with the spacers.
If i was searching for something at this pricepoint, this thing would be a no-brainer to consider. For me now, the Caldera Closed is so similiar, that buying a Tungsten does not make any sense, i also have some way more expensive headphones that just play in a different league than any of those two.
But yeah, i'm super impressed by this thing. Highly recommended.

Because of its pricepoint, giving the Tungsten anything other than 5/5 stars would be not fair.

A handcrafted masterpiece with a natural sound signature​

The Mod house Tungsten is the latest headphone from Mod house Audio and is one of the most hyped headphones in the market. There is at least a 6-month delay if you were to order one from their website.

Mod House Audio are a small boutique brand previously best known for its meticulously handcrafted modifications of some classic headphones. But with the Tungsten they moved to a different level, designing a headphone from scratch using 3D printing to handcraft this headphone exactly they way they wanted, and it shows.


I’ve been listening to the Tungsten for the past few months, and I’m genuinely shock by how good its sounds especially once you give it the power it deserves. It is also one of the few headphones I have heard that does not need, in my opinion, any EQ to sound fantastic.

Mod house have delivered a headphone that not only comfortable, visually striking but also offers a sound signature that blends some warmth, lots of detail, and a spacious soundstage.

Before getting into the details on the sound, lets get into the unboxing experience.

Unboxing Experience​

The Tungsten comes in simple yet functional “fishing tackle” like box, that reflects Mod house’s artisanal approach:

Open this box reveals the Tungstens protected with some foam packaging:


Removing the foam you see the headband and a small pouch containing the cable:

While it doesn’t have the elaborate unboxing experience of mass-market brands, the focus is clearly on the headphone itself.

Inside the box, you’ll find: • The Modhouse Tungsten headphones • A high-quality braided cable (available with different terminations) • A soft carrying pouch • A warranty card and care instructions
Modhouse online checkout process does offer a range of customization options, including different cables and headbands, allowing you to tailor the Tungsten to your preferences. The most important customisation is whether you want a single-sided or double-sided model. I borrowed a single-sided model for this review, I will show some measurements comparisons later of both models but my impressions in this review are based on that single sided model.

Design, Build Quality, and Comfort​

The Modhouse Tungsten is a visual interesting headphone:


But a little rough to the touch where you can really feel that 3D printed finish:

Build Quality​

So while it is built with a strong emphasis on durability, some may find raw finish compared to the finely polished finishes of many mainstream flagship models at similar price ranges.


And, for example, when compared with the Mirph1 that I recently review (another 3D printed ‘Artisal headphone’), the Tungsten feels ‘cheaper’ even though it is double the price:


However, this design choice aligns well with the Tungsten’s identity—purpose-driven, practical, and built to perform rather than simply to impress with visual refinement.

The steel rods used for adjustments feel sturdy and are designed for long-term durability.

The headband strap, made of genuine Alcántara, offers a soft and plush feel, preventing hot spots on the head despite the 520-gram weight.

Though not the lightest headphones around, the Tungsten distributes its weight well, allowing for extended listening sessions without discomfort.

Cable quality​

The Viking-Weave cables provided with the Tungsten are exceptional, some of the nicest cables I have used:

I love the feel of the cable:


And the splitter is high quality:


It comes with some quality dual 3.5mm terminations:


The specific one that came with the Tungsten I borrowed as the XLR cable:

And it looks great in the Tungsten:

Comfort​

Comfort is one of the Tungsten’s strong points. The earcups are large and well-padded, providing ample room for your ears to breathe. These are the stock ZMF Caldera Hybrid pads:


The earpads are made from plush memory foam and covered in high-quality velour or leather, depending on your preference.

Each earpads is attached via strong magnets which clever attach in the right location so the driver grills are aligned for the best sound quality:

There is a cloth cover protecting the driver which you can see clearer in this photo:

Power requirements​

Before I get into my subjective opinions I thought it would be useful to highlight the unique power requirements of the Tungsten.
Note: this information was originally provided in a post by Solderdude over on ASR, but I thought these recommendations were the most sensible and realistic way to describe powering the Tungsten, as there are lots of “subjective” opinions around the internet.

120dB peak SPL

• To achieve 120dB peak SPL (impressively loud levels - don’t listen this loud):
• Requires 50V, equivalent to 300W from an 8-ohm amplifier.

120dB peak SPL

• For 110dB peak SPL (loud levels - also too loud for even though this is peak):
• Requires 16V, equivalent to 30W from an 8-ohm amplifier.

100dB peak SPL

• For 100dB peak SPL (comfortable loud levels):
• Requires 5V, which is achievable with a headphone amplifier capable of delivering 80mW into 300 ohms or 0.8W into 32 ohms.

These power requirements underline the importance of pairing the Tungsten with a capable amplifier to unlock its full potential, but also that you can listen at comfortable levels without ‘breaking the bank’ for expensive headphone amplifiers, for example, a Schiit Midgard will get the Tungsten to comfortable listening levels.

For the past few weeks though, I mainly used the Tungsten with the FiiO K17:

At about 80 on Medium gain I could power the Tungsten to very decent levels using the K17, so lots of headphone for both EQ and tracks with large dynamic range.

But it worked comfortable well with the other 2 amplifiers in the first photo, specifically the Schiit Midgard and the JDS Labs Element IV.

I was even able to power it to reasonable listening levels (roughly 80dB SPL) using a FiiO JM21 DAP via its balanced (capabale of 500mW of power at high gain), this provided enough power for some portable listening on a few walks around my neighbourhood, but this was on max power.

Basically, expect to need a decent desktop headphone to power it to good levels especially with some headroom (for high dynamic range tracks and EQ).

Sound Quality​

The Modhouse Tungsten delivers an astonishingly natural sound signature with excellent detail retrieval and a spacious soundstage. It’s a headphone that feels equally at home with delicate acoustic tracks and more dynamic, bass-heavy genres.

Bass​

The bass on the Tungsten is deep and extremely well-controlled, with a slight emphasis that adds warmth without overpowering the rest of the frequency range. Tracks like “Billie Eilish – Bad Guy” showcase the Tungsten’s ability to deliver punchy, textured sub-bass that feels satisfying and immersive.

Midrange​

The midrange is natural and slightly forward, making vocals and instruments sound lifelike and engaging. Listening to “Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why” is a treat, as her voice is rendered with exceptional clarity and warmth.

Treble​

The treble is smooth and detailed, with a slight roll-off that prevents harshness. This makes the Tungsten a non-fatiguing headphone, even during long listening sessions. Tracks like “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons” highlight the Tungsten’s ability to handle high-frequency detail with finesse.

Soundstage and Imaging​

The open-back design gives the Tungsten an expansive soundstage that rivals more expensive headphones. Imaging is precise, allowing you to easily locate instruments and vocals within the soundscape. Tracks like “Pink Floyd – Money” demonstrate the Tungsten’s excellent spatial capabilities.

Specifications and Measurements​

There are subtle differences between the Single Sided and Double Sided Tungstens so I thought it might be useful to put them in a table:

Measurements​

Note: Measurements were taken using my KB501X soft ear Pinna and a 711 clone coupler. Data is available on my measurement database here.

Frequency Response​

The Tungsten has an exceptional smooth bass and midrange response:


It also has that now popular 1K-2K “soundstage” dip.
Here are some comparisons with some of my other headphones:



I highlighted a few areas:

1. The Bass, the Mirph1 was tuned to give a little bass boost, while the HD800s in this comparison has replacement pads which did bring the sub-bass down but both the XS and the Tungsten have exceptional linear bass
2. All these headphones go for that recess in the 1K-2K region for “soundstage”
3. The Mirph1 has gone for a different treble tuning but the other 3 measure similar treble but, if I listen using a sweep, the Tungsten has no obviously treble peaks or dips while all these other headphones did have some HRTF artifacts, so specifically for me, I would say the Tunsgsten has the best treble.

I also decided to measure some simple amplifiers at their maximum output to see the level and if there was any frequency response changes (there wasn’t):

So the US Apple usb-c and the FiiO JA11 ‘dongles’ were not really able to power it to any sufficient listening level, but the JM21 DAP as I mentioned earlier could get it to a decent level on max gain and the top measurement here was the FiiO K17 on medium gain at about 60.

Distortion​

Distortion levels are impressively low across the frequency range with no peaks:

And as a percentage:

Rating​

The Modhouse Tungsten totally deserves a pragmatic 5-star rating, while not cheap it delivers on sound quality and comfort to levels that are very hard to match at any price. It is the first headphone I have reviewed that I feel is properly “Endgame” for sound quality, where it needs no EQ adjustments at least to my tastes. While it is a little on the heavy side and the rough 3D printed feel does slightly let’s down compared to similar priced headphones from Meze, ZMF or Audeze, I still feel this headphone easily justify its price.

Conclusion​

The Modhouse Tungsten is a beautifully crafted headphone that combines the best of artisanal design with outstanding sound quality. Whether you’re an audiophile looking for a warm and natural headphone or a music lover seeking a comfortable, well-built option, the Tungsten is an excellent choice.
Its combination of great sound, build quality, and modularity makes it a standout in it any price range, and it’s a headphone I highly recommend checking out and one that I will miss when I return it to its owner.

I first heard of the Tungsten’s from several friends at a local Schiit Meet in Pittsboro, North Carolina. At the time I didn’t think much of the comments since I already have several really good headphones in house. But one friend kept telling me that I was missing the “boat” and I had to listen to these planars. About the same time another friend asked me to repair a rather high end dac and wanted to pay me for it. As a friend I said no, then he said I have some headphones you might want to listen to….and one was his set of Tungsten DS headphones from Mod House. So, I got to listen to his Tungsten’s for a week as “payment” for the repair job! Sweet!


The Tungsten's a friend loaned me!

It took a week for me to determine that these planars are indeed a very special headphone. I have three dynamic headphones and three planars. So, I really don’t need another set of planars, or so I thought. I placed my order like many others and the wait started. These headphones are in great demand, that should tell you something about their quality. The wait time has really gone to a several months waiting period. Mod House from my understanding is a small business in Pennsylvania and Ryan Dietz does most of the manufacture and assembly with help from family members and friends. So, the build process is slow. Assembled in a small Pennsylvania town of Lititz. 3d printed parts, 24K Gold driver assemblies! The story or development of the Tungsten's are published on the Mod House Audio website. A very interesting read.


Testing with many amps. Using the Pre-Amp of Pass Labs HPA-1 to drive a 6CA7 Van Alstine Speaker Amp. Excellent!

Ryan has recently sent out updates on his efforts to reduce the wait times for the Tungsten's. Unfortunately, he and his family have experienced several really unfortunate things that have affected the delivery dates of Tungsten's. Some of these things are very personal and family related. I do know he is working hard on making this better! Nuff Said.

I had the good fortune to obtain a demo set of DS Tungsten's. A one off that is very blue in color (I call is Smurf Blue!). Seems Ryan had a B-stock set that he relegated to a Demo set. As always, I am not being paid for this review. All the comments are from my experience and YMMV. Ryan has made himself available to me for any questions I had. By the way the color has nothing to do with the sound! (smile).

Abit of a side note, Ryan credits his wife Katie, his friend Matt, Skedra for Viking Weave cables and Zach from ZMF in assisting over the years in making Tungsten a reality. Great team. Good to see folks already well established helping others out. Thanks. Smile.


Demo Set - Wild Color!

Build Quality:

Some have commented on this in that they look home-made and aren’t as “polished” as other TOTL headphones. I get that. Tungsten’s to me have an industrial vibe to them. A kind of retro look and feel. I really like this. The pair I have are very well put together. Easy to adjust. Comfortable to wear. A spring steel band that can be bent a tad if you need to adjust to make the fit to your head. I found the fit to be perfect for me. Most of these headphones are made and assembled by Ryan. Some reviewers mentioned the clamping force was a tad too much for them and bent them some to have less clamping force. I used them fully in the down position. Heavy ? Well they are 520 grams. My ADX 5000 are 320 grams. So, in comparison yes, but they carry their weight very well IMO. They have a small leather type headband strap (Alcantara) that helps with this. I wore these for several hours with no issues.


One of my test stacks.

A really neat thing that I do like about these headphones is the way Ryan has recessed the 3.5 mm headphone jacks into the driver mountings. They help guide the “barrels” of your cables nicely into the jacks. These connections are not the most robust or sturdy on most headphones where they are hanging out there in the air. Simple design, but to me more a carefully thought-out design. These openings will accommodate up to 10mm diameter, a barrel of 9mm or larger is suggested. One reason Ryan recommends Viking Weave and Double Helix Cables.


I really like the way these plug in.

Tungsten’s have stainless steel rods that allow adjusting the drivers to fit various ear / heads and should hold up for years. By the way the parts are made out of MJF Nylon 12.


You can tell these were 3D printed. A slightly coarse feel and look. NOT an issue here. Industrial Look.

Carrying Case: A simple grey pelican type case. Foam filled. Inside the case are the headphones some foam separators, a small metal printed credit card style plate with the serial number and other pertinent headphone information and the Viking Weave cable.

Headphone cable: Wow! What a refreshing surprise. A real copper Litz cable from Viking Weave Cables. XLR – 4 pin. Its 6 ft long. It’s a GEBO (X) cable that uses PVC dielectric with 22 awg core and 22 awg shield of OFC copper. A very nice touch for a TOTL headphone. Other terminations are available, and the wiring for the cable uses the standard pinout so you can use this cable with other headphones! No weird wiring schemes here. I tried several other standard headphone cables in the Tungsten's which worked just fine as well as using the Viking Weave cable in other headphones.


Very nice touch to get a high quality copper OFC cable.


Looks aren't everything, its what's inside as well! But this IMO is a very refreshing look. Clean. Unbreakable. Nylon.

Earpads. If you read Ryan's information on his website the choice of earpads were a very important consideration. I think the driver and its geometry and location in the mountings are very important. Secondly the earpads have an enormous affect on the sound quality and otherwise. The physicality’s of wearing headphones can make a really big difference in the outcome. Just place your hands over your open back headphones, quite a difference in sound! So, the type of material, the thickness of the pads and the shape of the pads can affect the sound signature. After much testing and feedback Mod House settled in on ZMF Caldera Hybrid pads for single sided Tungsten's and ZMF Caldera Ultra-Perf pads for the double-sided drivers. The unit I have had the Ultra-Perf pads. IMO a very good choice for this tuning.


The BEST pad mounting scheme. Simple. It just works VERY well.

Drivers:

Now this is the heart of this headphone. 24 K gold is used. After years of testing Ryan with a variety of materials he made this choice. Interesting. In choosing gold wires, unlike many planars the impedance becomes significantly higher than “normal”. Couple this with most amps decline in power at higher impedances makes choosing an amplifier, well “ya gotta think about this a bit more”. I had a loaner several months ago and was able to try, many amps with those tungsten’s. It became apparent that many amps will drive the tungsten’s ok. But as always some seemed to just work better than others. I discuss this below in detail. Using thin custom magnets that are more acoustically transparent according to Mod House this allows for a more uniform magnetic field that provides for a higher performance. In other words it helps make the “magic” of what Tungsten's are. And they do have magic traits! When I hear drums being hit with a wooden stick, it often sounds like the material in a drum is in the tungsten, uncanny realistic to me. So, we have higher impedance than most and lower sensitivity. Which leads me to say the only really negative thing about the Tungsten’s are its sensitivity specifications. 76 dB/mw and 78dB/mw for single - and double-sided versions respectively. The impedance is 135 ohm and 155 Ohm average respectively. Most planars are lower than this. So what does this mean to you. Well compared to most any other headphone they are harder to drive to reach various SPLs. Also, they require more voltage at these impedances. You may notice most headphone amplifiers have power ratings that deliver more power at lower impedances. Like 32 ohms or so. As the impedance increases the power ratings seem to be less in most amps. And then there is the often-confusing voltage vs current discussion. This is not intended to be a physics lesson in voltage and current distribution. The key thing here to remember is these headphones need more power than easier to drive headphones. A closer look at this it’s been determined that with these headphones you need more voltage at their rated impedance than current. Typically, I listen from 75 to 85 dB or so. I constantly adjust my volume knob on amps to my desired level. A voltage around 20 volts seems to be a sweet spot for us listeners at these levels. If you are a quiet listener, you can get away with a much lower voltage. If you’re a real high level listener (Danger!! Don’t do this) you would need 30 volts or more!! Many tungsten owners (zealots!) tout that you have to have a speaker amp. I disagree. Yes they can work and work very well with a speaker amp. But they are not needed for most of us. An amp that can put out 20 volts at these impedances will suffice just fine IMO. Some folks feed their amps with a dac output more than the normal 2.0 volts. You cannot defy the laws of physics, by trying to feed an amp with a hot dac. This only gets you so far. Only if your amp has the "capability" of outputting the desired voltage. Selecting an amplifier with tungsten’s is something you need to consider. Carefully.


The "Magic" Part!

Amplifiers I used are Schiit Mjolnir 3, Schiit Vali 3, Schiit Midgard, Vioelectric V281 SE, Soekris 2541 Dac amplifier section, Pass Labs HPA-1. More on this below.


V281 LE, Pass Labs HPA-1, Schiit Midgard (A real surprise!), Holo Cyan 2, Schiit Modius E and Soekris 2541

Listening experience:

Nothing short of exceptional especially for a planar headphone. There are so many planars out there all over the price performance spectrum. At $2,000 these are not inexpensive but not as expensive as others that they are often compared to. Friends with Susvaras, Utopias, Abyss, D8000 Pros etc. tell me that “Tungsten’s often are better in some attributes. Its absolutely crazy that the Tungsten holds its own against all of these and possibly beats them in several aspects.” High praise. Do they live up to it with my listening. Simple answer: Yes they do.

Headphones I use are HD650, ADX5000, HE1000SE, Rad 0, D8000 Pro, ZMF Verite Closed Backs. All great headphones in their own right. But Tungsten's have moved all these down just a notch!.

The amplifiers I used had a direct impact to my listening experience. After listening with all these amps my order of preference is: Vioelectric V281 LE, Schiit Midgard, Schiit Mjolinr 3, Pass Labs HPA-1. Why? Read on.

Note: (The "experience" with these amps are with Tungsten's. With other headphones the results may be different).

For a $219 amp from Schiit Audio, the Midgard has been one of my "reference" or go to SS amps. It has a lot of power and is a wonderful discrete SS amp designed by Jason Stoddard. It did a really decent job in driving the Tungsten's. Solid. Yes, you have to use HIGH gain, and the volume has to be cranked up to 3 pm. More than that the SPLS get painful. If your on a budget this amp will do nicely especially if your not a really loud listener. More on this pairing can be found with a good electrical theory explanation as to why Midgard works well with the Tungsten's on the net. You can Google this or PM me for the technical information. It verified what I was experiencing with Schiits Midgard. If you're on a tight budget the Schiit Midgard will do nicely!

The Mjolnir 3, is a beast of a Class A amp from Schiit Audio as well. It does drive the Tungsten's very well. IMO not as good to my liking as the much less expensive Midgard. HIGH gain, volume around noon and its loud. The overall sound signature to me is it’s a tad warmer to my liking in this pairing. I like a clean and transparent sound. Clarity is an overall consideration to me. I don’t like Veils of any kind. Some Tungsten owners do not think this pairing is the best. Unless you actually listen yourself this amp may be to "you" liking.

Pass Labs is a 3.5 watt / 32 ohm Class A beast. Wonderful design. Expensive. But does not have the EMF to drive the Tungsten's well. Up to 70-75 dB but it runs out of gas, Sad. I have had this amp here for years and with most all other headphones its superlative.

Which leaves the Vioelectic 281 LE. Based on a 2014 design from Lake People. In the search for an amp that would have a high voltage swing at the Tungsten impedance. This amp kept popping up on my radar. Lake People after many requests decided to make another 100 of these units. All sold quickly. Another 100 are being built and sold via Power Holdings. They are coming in slowly, but you can pre-order. I stumbled over a demo unit and I snapped it up. Its been in house for a few weeks. It drives anything I have with ease. It was purchased expressly to drive the Tungsten's, and it does very, very well. I run the V281 LE with +6dB of gain. The volume control is set around the desired 12 noon position. Only a few recordings made at low levels makes me move the volume much higher. The big difference between this and the Midgard with the Tungsten's is an immediate wider, open and more well-defined soundstage to my ears. Almost like cranking up the volume without cranking up the volume. It’s a wonderful transparent clear sound. About as good as I ever have heard. I am sure that its voltage at the impedance is part of the magic. I know other Tungsten zealots like other amps a well. That’s fine. You can search the web and see the others. Price wise the V281 Se is I believe $2699.99 retail. But I will say if you buy this amp you really don’t need anything else.

NOTE: I did use my 6CA7 35 watt RMS per channel speaker amp. It works very well. Very similar to the V281 LE. Honestly, I do not see any reason to use it over the V281 LE and vice versa.


My Sweet Spot Amp.

Other amps worthy of mention that many folks really like are: LordGwyn Aegis, Auris Nirvana, Decaware ZMF Reference OTL, Glen OTL, and CFA-3. As always YMMV. We all hear differently.

So now you know my favorite amp to use with Tungsten's. How do they sound to me. Well just superb.

The strong traits are clarity, when driven well. Revealing, when driven well. The tonality and timbre are IMO exceptional. Tungsten’s produce an even natural sound. Realism is a good word to describe the sound. The resolution is also exceptional, very good. If its in the recording your going to hear It. With enough power on board the overall dynamic response can be explosive. The dynamic range exhibited is first class. At times is scary realistic.

I am not going to contrast all my other headphones in detail against Tungsten's. If you're looking at a $2,000 headphone hopefully you already have a good base of knowledge. The only thing I can say in conclusion is: If you buy a set if Tungsten's, just get an amplifier that will drive them well and you will not be unhappy. IMO and of course YMMV.


Tungsten's with Optional HEX Style Grills - Provides a Slight Tuning Change.

Conclusion:

I started this experience stating that I did not think I needed another headphone. Doing this for so many years I really know what I like and can afford. Well, I am glad that I was gently pressured in to listening to these headphones. I thank that person.

What a real all-around special headphone the Tungsten is. Assembled in the USA in a small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania by a person who had a dream of making a headphone that he thought would be one the best transducers out there.

Well Ryan hit the ball out of the park, Tungsten is an exceptional all around planar with exquisite tonality and balance. It may not have the technicalities as some but it has soul, is musical, and honest. It is a revealing and articulate headphone. In the price category I think it is the best out there sonically.

Many owners opine how well Tungsten's do against Susvaras, Abyss, Utopia etc. For a basically a homemade 3D printed headphone to compete in this arena is simply amazing.

Make sure you carefully choose an amplifier that will do Tungsten justice, and you will be rewarded.

I hope Mod House will be able to improve future deliveries, there are a lot of folks just chomping at the bit so to speak for a Tungsten experience.

Alex