Sash Tres Planar Magnetic Headphones

Introduction​

There are some amazing mass-market headphones today, but there is also an undeniable allure in the idea of finding a hidden gem. As a woodworking hobbyist and overall tinkerer, I was intrigued when I heard about SASH – a one-man operation in Ukraine making headphones (by hand) that punch far above their weight in terms of sound quality.

I went ahead and placed my order in early-June, and after roughly 7 weeks fabrication and 2 weeks shipping, I received my completed headphones 2 months later: the SASH Tres 45 ohm. Specs can be found on the (only recently launched) SASH website:

https://www.sash-audio.com/product-page/headphones-sash-tres-45-ohms

Construction and Ergonomics​

Sasha, the owner of SASH, was wonderful to deal with throughout the process and he made a point of sending photos as the build progressed. Now that I’ve seen the physical product in person, I can report that while the photos certainly look nice, these headphones have loads of character when you get to hold them in your hand. The genuine wood housings, grills, and cups in have a nice, premium appearance and feel. The yokes are chromed metal and have a purposeful look that suits the overall design. The suspension-style headband is leather under thick, high-density plastic. Everything is well-built and looks like it will last a thousand years.

Physically, these are big headphones, weighing in at ~550g. In use, I find that the headband does a good job distributing the weight, and so far I find it easy to “forget” I’m wearing them and just settle into the music. I honestly wish my Monolith M1570 did this good a job at distributing weight, but they feel like every bit of 640g every moment you’re wearing them. Clamping force with the Tres is on the tight side of moderate, though I expect them to loosen up over time like any other headphone.

The included cable (you can order your preferred length, as well as your preferred connectors) is nicely constructed and has good thickness. It’s more microphonic than I’d prefer, but it’s easy enough to get an aftermarket cable if I decide to go that way.

Performance​

Disclaimer: Sasha did a certain amount of testing and burn-in before shipping the headphones, but I have no idea how many hours. On my side, I’ve put less than a dozen hours of music through these. Are they fully burned-in? Will they improve with more time? Does burn-in even exist? Pass on all of the above … but if my impressions change down the road, I’ll try to come back here and make updates.

It’s also important to remember these are hand-made headphones, so there is almost certainly a degree of variability between different units. I have no doubt that Sasha puts a lot of care and attention into each and every headphone he ships, but that attention is going to be individual, and I suspect the result is going to be special in a slightly unique way every time.

My primary stack is the SMSL DO200 MKii DAC + SMSL HO200 amplifier, a combo that is well-regarded for clean and accurate sound, and I disabled all “sound colour” profiles in the DO200 for this review. All listening (unless noted otherwise) used the balanced 4.4mm output and cable, and the standard angled leather pads that came with the Tres.

The Test Tracks​

I have a regular reference playlist of about 25 songs that I use as “known territory” for testing and analysis. The songs below are the main (but not the only) tracks I used to write this review.

The Alan Parsons Project (Eye in the Sky) – Children of the Moon​

This track is an interesting mix of rock and orchestral elements, with snappy prog-rock riffs and percussion overlaying delicate strings. The vocals in the chorus (“children children of the moon, watch the world go by …”) rely on dynamic upper-mids and are prone to being drained of emotion and vibrancy in some headphones. And of course, there’s that inimitable “70’s sound” to the mixing and mastering we all love so much

Genesis (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway) – Fly on a Windshield + Broadway Melody of 1974​

Another mix of rock and orchestral elements, and starting at 1:20 things get very very busy: pounding percussion, a deep and relentless bass line, crashing cymbals, a heavy layer of strings, all competing with a weakly-mixed lead guitar. It’s very easy for the presentation to get messy and things to get lost.

In the second part of the song (Broadway Melody), Peter Gabriel’s plaintive vocals are influenced by the sound signature of the headphone’s mids.

Scann-Tec (Unyt) – Unyt​

This song is all about the bass, with lots of deep-reaching synth.

Her (Her) – Five Minutes​

This song is all about the treble, and the fine line between snappy vs. overcooked

The Souljazz Orchestra (Manifesto) – State Terrorism​

The horns section in this song (everything by Souljazz Orchestra really) is just so incredibly lush and chewy. This is a perfect track to test how well a headphone can deliver those spine-shivering, toe-tapping, feel-good harmonics.

Harry Manx (Live at the Glen Gould Studio) – Point of Purchase​

This is a beautiful, intimate live recording where each individual headphone (and even individual EQ profiles) influences the perception of the soundstage and space of the studio where it was recorded. The size of concert hall you’re imagining in your head literally depends on the headphone you’re wearing. There’s also a gorgeous interplay of male vocals, female vocals, and acoustic guitar, each of which will be pushed forward or backward by any given headphone’s inherent signature.

The Holly Cole Trio (Don’t Smoke in Bed) – I Can See Clearly Now​

Holly Cole’s angelic voice tests the ability of a headphone to deliver clear, effortless mids without distraction. This is a song where I don’t want a distinctive sound signature – I just want to be transported into the ether where that voice resides.

On the flip side, I want a rich and melodic presentation of that piano. So really, I’m asking for a complete contradiction: utter transparency for the vocals, delicious harmonics for the piano.

Overall​

If I were to use a single word (well, two words) to describe the Tres 45 performance, it would be “buttoned-down”. Everything sounds neat, well-executed, and exactly where it should be. Even with busy musical passages where I’ve seen other headphones struggle, there are no sonic surprises – everything just flows.

Confident, accurate bass and lower-mids are where the Tres shines, but at the same time the relatively recessed upper-mids and treble can make the headphone sound constrained and throttled, especially at lower listening volumes. The overall detail retrieval and precision of these headphones is mindblowing considering they are handcrafted from the ground up.

*edit* As I listen to these headphones more, I am increasingly struck by their musicality. There is an organic, analog sound to these that evokes the golden age of vinyl - dim, smoke-filled rooms and obscure audiophile speaker brands playing saxophone-drenched soul, jazz, and rock fusion. Switching back and forth and A/B testing against other headphones isn't what the Tres is all about. Keep them on and sink into those seductive layers of velvet.

Bass​

The bass presentation in these headphones is incredibly clean and well-controlled. There are no resonant peaks or bleed that I can detect, nor any soft spots all the way down to around 40hz where the bass (gradually) rolls off. If I have any complaint with the bass it’s that things like kick drums, toms, and bass guitar lines in the “punch” frequencies (100-150hz) don’t hit as hard as some of my other headphones. The thump is there and it’s delivered with delicious precision, but if you’re looking for a headphone that smacks your eardrums around, the SASH Tres isn’t it – especially straight out of the box and without equalization.

Midrange​

Funny story: I’ve had my Sennheiser 660S for coming up on half a year, and in that time I’ve struggled to appreciate them for what they are. I listen to those effortless, velvety mids and I’ve always liked what I hear, but they weren’t enough to make me like the headphones. The very first thing I noticed about the SASH Tres is a very Sennheiser-like midrange, and suddenly I get it: the saxophone in State Terrorism is filled with life and passion, Harry Manx’ gravel-infused vocals in Point of Purchase are like a cozy wool blanket on a chilly night sitting around the campfire.

Those creamy mids have not only endeared me to the SASH Tres itself, they’ve woken me up to the charms of the 660S, which I found myself appreciating a lot more as I listened for the purposes of this review. That said, to my ear the mids of the Tres become softer and more veiled as you move up the frequency range. I find some female vocals can be pushed back and drained of brilliance, such as Neko Case on the song Down I5.

That sublime presentation of lower mids also lends well to certain instruments, such as the distorted blues guitar in by Vestbo Trio’s Mudslide, or Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Treble​

The easy-listening character of the Tres becomes even more pronounced further up the frequency range. Treble detail is there and it’s well-articulated, but it’s dialled back. This is the one aspect of the Tres where I find I most need to manage my expectations: I am fond of a bright presentation with lots of snap, air and presence, and the Tres takes a much more mellow approach to treble. Some people may find it all a little too buttoned-down.

On the other hand, for those with treble sensitivity, the Tres might be a godsend. Unsurprisingly, sibilance is incredibly well-controlled. Even on an album that I personally find to be very hot and sibilant, like Genesis Duke, the Tres has no trouble delivering all the sound with none of the ear-stabbing sizzle.

Imaging and Soundstage​

The ever-present veil in the upper mids and treble affects the soundstage exactly how you’d expect: by subduing those airy reverberations that open up the space between your ears. Instrument separation and imaging are modest. Overall I’d classify these headphones as warm and intimate, so if you’re looking for a spacious, holographic presentation, you won’t find it here – at least not without equalization.

Equalization​

I’ll talk more about the other Planar headphones in my collection – the Monolith M1570 – further down, but for now it’s worth noting that they take extremely well to equalization. A bit of EQ transforms them from being great-but-flawed to outright excellent. And here’s some more great news: same for the SASH Tres 45 ohm. All the shortcomings I’ve mentioned so far can be addressed to a remarkable degree simply by throwing a u-shaped curve onto the audio. These headphones are absolutely capable of producing lots of detail and brilliance north of 2000hz, they just don’t happen to be tuned that way out of the box.

I created a very rudimentary custom EQ using Wavelet, and while I didn’t get it perfect (things are a bit “clangy” and hot up top) I was able to move female vocals forward, create more air and sparkle, and open up the soundstage significantly.



I have not yet had a chance to apply an EQ profile with more finesse (such as something from Oratory, which I believe is now available for the Tres) but based on what I’ve heard so far, I predict the results will be excellent.

Performance with Closed Cups​

First things first: regardless of any impact on sound the closed cups that came with my SASH Tres are gorgeous, characterful works of hand-made art. Sasha offered to imprint any design of my choosing onto the backs of the cups, and I have to say I’m pleased with the outcome.

In terms of sound signature, the changes when switching to closed cups are subtle. Mids are somewhat more congested but also more impactful, overcoming some (but only some) of the thinness I discussed earlier. Upper-bass impact is also improved by the additional resonant volume. Surprisingly, soundstage and imaging don’t seem particularly impacted by the change to closed cups. If anything, there is slightly more space and air in closed configuration, perhaps due to some undamped resonance from the exposed wooden surfaces inside the cups.

Adding some EQ (the same profile that “opened up” the signature earlier) reveals more of the compromises with closed cups – for example those higher-frequency resonances off the wood become more distracting.

It would be easy to treat the closed cups as a seldom-used novelty on headphones like these, but in the case of the Tres, I feel like they suit (and enhance) the already warm, intimate signature quite well. I can see myself swapping to the closed configuration fairly often, and not just to crank some classic 2112.

Influence of Listening Chain​

I conducted all listening to this point (and also the comparison tests further down) using:

• Motorola Edge smartphone running Deezer HiFi as a music source
• Direct wired USB input to SMSL DO200 Mkii DAC, with all sound colour settings disabled
• Balanced (XLR) input to SMSL HO200 amplifier
• Balanced 4.4mm output to headphone
• Open cups and no equalization

For the purposes of assessing “scalability” and sensitivity to amplification source, I tried both the Aiyima T8 hybrid DAC/amp (single-ended output) and Fiio BTR7 mobile DAC/amp (balanced output) as sources. Both amps seem to have adequate power, so differences were subtle: the BTR7 has a slightly less spacious stage, while the T8 sounds even less spacious, but also has slightly looser bass and a softer overall presentation with less articulation, though the tube harmonics come across really nicely in the Tres.

Comparisons​

My headphone collection is quite modest, so while I’m sure there are many comparisons people would love to see, I will only offer opinions on the limited set of cans below. To make the comparison as useful as possible, I used the same SMSL stack throughout and tried to maintain a consistent level balance (despite some wildly varying impedance and sensitivity values) across all headphones.

Versus the Monolith M1570​

The M1570 is also a (big and beefy) Planar headphone, so they are an obvious point of comparison with the SASH Tres, and the comparison is mostly apt. Mostly. They are like cousins, and while the Tres went away to the city to attend finishing school, the M1570 stayed home and has been working the farm for the last 5 years. He’s bold and muscular – the kind of guy that brings you in for a hug and gives you a few solid whacks on the back to say hello.

They both have that characteristic Planar confidence in the midrange, but the M1570 does a better job extending that confidence into the upper midrange and even partway into the treble. The M1570 lends more colour to the sound signature and feels like it has more resonant peaks scattered here and there throughout the frequency range: for example on Pink Floyd’s Run Like Hell, there is some mud in the upper bass frequencies, while the Tres presents this song effortlessly.

It's worth reiterating that both the Monolith M1570 and the SASH Tres are highly amenable to equalization. With the right profile, each is sonically brilliant in its own special way.

Versus the Sennheiser HD660S​

The forward mids (and especially upper-mids) of the 660S immediately create a more spacious soundstage, but overall the mids (and especially lower-mids) are less emotional and characterful than with the Tres.

In terms of bass, the 660 feels a little over-emphasized around 120hz compared to the Tres, and also starts to roll off a good 10-20hz earlier. Listening to these two headphones back-to-back it really does emphasize how impressive the Tres sounds when it comes to bass, so long as you’re not looking for absurd movie-theatre-rumble. The natural presentation and accuracy are astonishing.

The 660S delivers treble in a businesslike and unremarkable way, but compared to the soft, veiled presentation of the (unequalized) Tres, it’s a much more complete signature. I find myself having to concentrate less when trying to pick up subtle details like cymbal hits, bells, or the uppermost registers of piano or synth.

Versus the Beyerdynamic DT-880 / 600 ohm​

The main draw (to me) of these headphones is an overall balanced presentation coupled with stellar presence, sparkle, and “snap” up top. The contrast between the SASH Tres and the Beyer 880/600 couldn’t be more stark: one of them is impeccable up to around 1500hz, the other is brilliant beyond. Even with equalization, the Tres can’t match the effortless delivery of high mids and treble from the 880.

Conclusion​

My personal tastes in headphones lean toward a less delicate, more strident and impactful presentation, so my initial listening sessions with the SASH Tres had me working hard to find their strengths and appreciate their charms.

But once you make peace with the veil in the upper mids and treble, there is a buttery smoothness to these headphones that makes it easy to listen for hours on end, even if the playlist includes hot or fatiguing tracks. These are not clinical headphones – they definitely have a character all their own – they just don’t shove it in your face. They are supremely easy to live with, and if you want to tweak the sonic character with a little EQ it’s very easy to do while still keeping the freakish accuracy intact.

Interestingly, this might be the headphone that gets me to add more classical music into my rotation: their effortless competence lends itself well to the genre, as does the softer treble presentation with less sizzle and snap.

Overall, I might not recommend the SASH Tres as a first headphone for a budding audiophile, but they absolutely deserve a spot on the shelf of someone who’s looking for a unique and quietly characterful sound signature to complement the other phones in their collection.

Just so long as you’re not a die-hard treblehead.

Quick review and impressions



About the Headphones/Specs
Made in Ukraine.

•Driver, 100mm planar magnetic
•Impedance: 45 Ohm
•Sensitivity: 93db/mw
•Weight: 530g without cable
•Connector type: 2x4 pin xlr
•1 Year Warranty
These are custom made. Choice of colour, cups such as, open, semi open, closed and choice of earpads such as, leather, perforated, velour and hybrid can be chosen when dealing with Sasha online.

Build

The Tres 45 is mainly built of wood, metals and solid yet flexible plastics. It feels like a tank and I don't see anyone breaking these unless you are throwing them around and mistreating them. Overall there are some things for improvment but they are slight nit picks.

The cups rotate, so they spin freely, it would be nice if they had a stopper of some sort. The headband is also plastic. While I don't feel it's weak or will easily break, a metal headband would be nice. The earpads are of great quality, but they aren't memory foam. I have no issue here, but for some, it may impact comfort. Overall, I really do love the build and have no other complaints.



Quick sound impressions

This is done with the Tres 45 in open configuration and leather earpads with no cloth behind the grills as I feel this is the best sounding set up to my ears. If you'd like to know about semi open cups and different earpads, please feel free to ask me.

The Tres 45 has a neutral, to slightly bright tuning. It is no where near as bright as the Hifiman Arya or HD800s. But it does have a upper mid and slight treble energy. The low end extends beautifully and has a slight roll off from 40hz. But it is fast, hard hitting, very clean and rumbles beautifully. Low mids are full and extremely clear, they have emotion and soul and give grunt to male vocals and power to guitars. Upper mids have good energy. But at times, they can sound just a bit distant, this is due to the tuning, but overall, there is great clarity and heaps of detail. They never sound fatiguing and I can listen for hours. The treble has good air and energy. There is a few small peaks but nothing major. Overall it has great sparkle and detail is some of the best under $1000. Soundstaging is large and deep. It is precise but also I do feel it scales and depends on the gear used.

Quick Comparisons

Gear used.

Ifi pro ICAN

Ifi Pro IDSD

UAPP



Focal Clear MG

Immediatly I'll say. The Clear MG is not my headphone of choice. While it certainly is an amazing can. I did not click with the sound signature. Yes there was amazing clarity, and the dynamic slam is great. It sounded shouty and forceful at times. Going back and forth, the Tres has all the detail, clarity while just being so effortless, smooth and I could just lay back and listen and yet, not feel like I was missing out. Soundstage again, the Tres has the upper hand, when it came to imaging. The Clear MG is extremely pin point, but I felt the Tres 45 had the edge, there was height to it and it just spreaded music all around me with pure emotion. Would I give the Clear MG another go? Maybe. But so far, the Tres 45 is the clear winner for me. Also, when it came to the speed of the driver. I was surprised how quick the Tres is. It certainly has the speed of a 2k planar.

Audeze LCD-X 2021.

Now, this was the one I spent most time with. I'll admit, I am considering getting myself a LCD-X 2021. It is different when compared to the Tres 45. But it is no way better. Only build obviously is a step up. But sound quality wise. The Tres does some things better, and the LCD-X does some things better. And it really comes to personal taste. Soundstage. The Tres 45 is larger. I just feel so much depth in the music and heaps of air. Width is similar but the height on the Tres hands down is larger. Imaging though, they both are on par but due to sound staging, the Tres wins. Detail on both are superb. The Tres does bring more low end texture and detail, I also feel separation is a smidge better. But its hard to beat that Audeze slam. Mids on the LCD-X are more forward but the Tres is still as detailed and they feel thicker and overall emotion comes out more. Do you prefer forward and clear mids or more natural and emotional mids? Overall they both have beautiful mids but I do feel that strings have a slight edge on the Tres. Treble, the LCD-X has a touch more energy up top but I feel the Tres has overall more air. When it comes to detail, it was hard to pick which wins. They both feel similar but it's just presented differently. The LCD-X brings everything to you while the Tres lets you lay back and says, what would you like to hear? But so far, while they both are different. The Tres is my personal pick and the soundstage and imaging just win me over. When it comes to driver speed. The LCD-X is a smidge faster and I do feel this makes them sound more pin point at first, but also due to the soundstage being smaller, it helps with it sounding very exact. But once you get past the soundstage on the Tres 45. You realise that imaging is freaking amazing on them. Surprisingly the LCD-X 2021 leaks more than the Tres 45 , I thought it would be the other way around

HEDDphone.

Ok speed on the HEDDphone. Is fast. Damn fast. Certainly faster than the Tres. But now, it is a headphone that does good on some genres and not so good on others. Do I see myself owning them? Yes. But the tuning is a bit so so. Now they are very amazing headphones at what they can do. Amazing speed. Great detail. They arent fatiguing. And great layering. But they fall short on many other things. Mids can sound wonky and off sometimes. This affects detail too and some songs sound weirdly veild and some sound amazing and so clear. Treble detail is damn good. I'll say it brings out a bit more detail than the Tres. But it can become a bit piercy sometimes. Not fatiguing. But just a touch spikey. Very slightly. Imaging can also be a bit weird. It can be a little blobby sometimes. And sounds seem to merge together a bit. Soundstage is great though, beautiful depth to the music and great sense of width and height. But unfortunately these certain downs make this a headphone that really need to be used for specific genres.

Austrian Audio HI-X65

They both have a similar tuning but the Tres 45 feels more complete while the HI-X65 feels more analytical and detailed focused with roll off in the low end. This makes the HI-X65 sound more lean and sterile. While the Tres 45 feels more like a headphone made for musical enjoyment. The HI-X65 sounds more like a tool for studio use. In the high treble, the HI-X65 has more sparkle and a touch more energy. The Tres 45 sounds a little more laid back but I feel it has more detail than the HI-X65 while also being more full sounding. When it comes to upper mids, the HI-X65 again has more energy, maybe a touch too much. But then something sounds off, as if there is a slight gap between low mids to upper mids. The Tres 45 feels more complete and fuller sounding though maybe not as clear but this is due to tuning as overall detail I feel the Tres 45 gives more of it. Low mids, again, the Tres 45 just feels fuller and more complete. Grunt in guitars, male vocals have more oomph. And I don't see the HI-X65 doing anything better. The low end on the Tres 45 is fuller and extends much further. Though the HI-X65 is very fast and very clean here but starts to roll off a little early. Imaging and soundstaging is no slouch on both. But the Tres 45 takes the cake here. Being bigger, wider, deeper and more precise.

Avantone Planar

The Avantone Planar is a very neutral/warm tuned headphone. Nothing stands out in its tuning and can sound muffled or dark to those that are more used to headphones tuned by the harmen curve. The Tres 45 has more upper mid and treble energy. It is much more detail and larger sounding. Though I do feel the Avantone Planar can be used for studio use but for overall musical enjoyment. The Tres 45 is my pick. It has more low end extension while being fast and cleaner. It also rumbles and slams harder. Low mids have more grunt and emotion while upper mids have more energy amd sound much less muffled in comparison to the Avantone Planar. Treble is more alive on the Tres 45 and overall, the Tres 45 is more exciting to listen. I can see myself using the Avantone Planar for studio and mastering use, as it healps me hear peaks and flaws on mixes where mids may be to forward, or treble is mixed to hot. But for actual music listening, eq would be my resort for the Avantone Planar as it is tuned to neutral and laidback. Very reference.

Ultrasone Edition 11


Immediatly, these two can not be anymore different than eachother. The Tres 45 being more neutral with a slight upper mid and treble boost. And the Edition 11 being more U shaped. Having elevated sub and mids bass and a sparkly, energetic treble. When it comes to a bassheads dream, the Edition 11 is one of those cans. For me, it's one of Ultrasones best tuned cans. As the treble is no where near as sharp and bright like the others. And it actually is a very enjoyable and fun tuning. Low end is big, but never bloated and has good control. Mids are pushed back slightly, but have good clarity, treble for the sensitive may get a little spicy, but for me, it's sparkly, has great energy and overall a very fun can to listen to. It does amazing with edm, classic rock, rap/hip-hop. All sorts of bass driven music is great to listen to with these. Though while the Tres 45 is tuned differently, I find myself leaning towards the Tres so much more. It may not rumble and slam like the Edition 11. But the low end is so so so much more cleaner and detailed. Mids still have amazing grunt and emotion. Treble is not as energetic, but raw detail is on another level. Soundstaging is similar between the two, but the Tres 45 is more precise while I feel depth on the Edition 11 is endless. They both are very different overall. But I'll be keeping the Edition 11 even if the Tres 45 has taken the crown. I still have a basshead in me.

EQ
While I feel the Tres 45 doesn't need eq. I am a strong believer that all headphones can benefit from it. I do feel the Tres 45 really shines with just a few adjustments. I will not post the Eqs here as they are not my own. But all credits to Oratory1990. The eq info can be found on the Sash Tres forum here on page 63.
Conclusion

Overall, I feel the Tres 45 is amazing value and shows that you don't need to spend thousands to get great audio. I wish Sasha all the best for his company and will be awaiting what other amazing gems he'll come up with next.

Intro/Background

Never having written one of these things, forgive any misuse of terms or blathering. Trying to place words to feeling around sound is hard. I have been diving down the audio and wallet sinkhole going on three years now. I've thoroughly enjoyed refining my understanding and listening to the broad world of sounds various chains and cans can produce. I have played with a plethora of cans but found that I have an affinity towards wood and handcraft goods. As a DIY tinkerer and Alaskan born and bred these types of headphones just hold a special place in my heart. As you can imagine ZMF is like crack to me. I've owned every type but the Blackwood. A majority of my limited free time is spent reading through threads here learning about tubes and headphones and figuring out what type of sound signature I like or want to try. In addition to effectively the full ZMF suite I have also owned at some point all the Focals with the exception of the Utopias and a handful of Audezes. This is not to say I am anything of a pro in this arena but I don't feel like a slouch either.

My first foray into custom built cans was with Alex at Hyland and his Jupiter 1. I had a fantastic time corresponding with him and ended up with a great set of cans just like I wanted. Maybe if I get into this write-up/review thing I'll do my second about those.


The Discovery & Build and Fit

I was connected to Sash - the mastermind behind the Sash Tres, through a follow forum member here in Spain. Shout out to @Tano. He and I seem to have affinity to similar headphones. I was taken by @Tano's Wallapop (Americans think Craigslist) profile picture. Two beautiful sets of headphones one was the Verum MkII and the other I didn't recognize (now recognized as Sash Tres). The Verums I had heard of and was initially interested in until I read a bit more about the character behind them. That dude won't ever be seeing my support. Beautiful headphones but support what you want to see in the world you know....your money is your vote! I digress.......


Some of @Tano headphones


These new (to me) unknown headphones were different and just as beautiful if not more so! The cups were a deep beautiful wood and had a carving, a Chinese character carved into them with precise matching detail - what I could only assume was the work of a CNC machine. After speaking with @Tano who had already recommend these to me and graciously offered to connect me to Sash I did some digging and the more I saw the more I liked what I saw. At first glance the chassis reminded me in design aesthetics of Audeze and ZMF - like the person child of two entities I already knew I liked the look and sound of.



Sash was great to deal with from the start provided prices and pictures of everything sometimes twice if it got too lost down our conversation thread. I went with the Wenge finish and a Matte final sealer. Couldn't be happier. Took him maybe three week to build out everything and ship. It was a treat to receive random updates over the course of the three weeks from the milled plastic backings to the cutting of the raw cups and planar assembly and wiring. made my day to see the sequential progress. Now in hand these are sexy sexy cans. The detail is exquisite and seemingly as professional in presentation as any Focal, ZMF or Audeze I have used. The hardware is Hard-Ware and I feel like these will be passed down to my kids....they have that kind of feel. Wood stain and finish is smooth, no burs on any of the milled metals and plastics and the leather suspension strap and pads are well finished. Mini xlr connectors run smoothly into the wood chassis without gaps. Right and left are easily identified by blue and red dots with attention to detail.


Quality hardware.


CNC Beauty. Even the internal structure. Screw heads sticking up are the pad attachment points. Very solid.


Note the color dots blue and red for lefty and right respectively....love the attention to detail. Enough to clearly see but not obnoxious.

After first placing these on my head I realized some adjustment was in order. I was use to bending spring steel support bands of ZMF and Audeze to mold feel to head.....After adjusting the leather suspension strap and rods by loosening a couple allen keyed bolts I found that the supporting headband is actually a polymer (plastic) rather than spring steel. I was a little disappointed at first as I assumed the clamp force might be a bit more challenging to form to my tastes, however now at ~hr 14 of listening I have become accustomed to the fit of these. While at first I worried they might be too tight I see now that as the pads break in, the clamping force is reduced. I would imagine part of the design is to provide a good deal and to change over time with break-in.

*Sounds and Feels
* I stress -> THIS IS S-U-B-J-E-C-T-I-V-E -
Our sound holes are all a little different- those little differences compound to drastically change what we all hear.

I will lay it down plain and simple. I like the sound these produce. If you are interested in what I perceive and words I put to sound you may continue reading (and I'm sorry). However if you were curious about anything else on these or want help getting in contact with Sash (he is a member of this forum) go ahead and skip down. These are best in value planers and for me a set of headphones I will be keeping in lieu of a set of Audezes.

My Chain:
Computer (FLAC or Spotify)-> Schiit Gungnir Multibit -> Schiit Mjolinir 2 W/ BugleBoy ECC88 matched-> Forza Balanced -> Sash Tres

Also have run these on both of my work rigs:
Bifrost 2-> Jotunheim 2
And through JDS Element II

All the following is very un-scientific or instrument supported. No graphs or tracking devices were used, created nor harmed in the making of this review.

NOTE: Initial review is as open- back planar. I will attempt to update the whole writeup thing when I start playing with these with the cups, the backing and whatnot.


So sexy as open backs!

Bass - It goes Boom.

I have a bit of experience with what I believe is the entire range of LCD -2 series: Closed Backs, Fazer, Non-Fazer, Classics, and limited edition Aluminum version. Audeze wins the award for best brain rumbling sub-bass. I haven't tried EQing these (honestly haven't dipped my toe into the world of EQ......might consider down the road) That being said I can imagine tweaking and giving these some deeper rumble. The whole Bass region to my ears is really well balanced. To say that Audeze slightly edges these out oughta give you an idea of just how well these hold their own. I would argue the bass region overall is more balanced.

While writing this (obviously listening to these cans) I went and found some Deadmaus......hell yeah these hold their own. Plenty of depth and range with the base beats- the soundstage still with the deep notes.....I can hear the movement not just the changes in frequencies......though not the fastest response ......relative to dynamics I've heard, but that's like comparing Apples to Pineapples. Not what I'd consider dark and not the fastest but as a solid all-rounder these do a freaking great job and are punching way above price point.



Perforated and no perforated pads available all angled..........I haven't yet had a chance to check. I will report back on sound difference.

Mids - Energetic, Clear, Really good

Initially the mids on these cans struck me as having a sheen.......slight metallic tinge.....it might have been the highs.....

Let me clarify, when I say initially I mean the first track I played on these, ever. Ever since (we are at ~20 hrs now) I have yet to liken the metallic haze I first heard. The mids are very solid. Vocals are jaw droopingly good. I think the off sound I heard came from the upper mids - verging on highs. These are tuned to be very energetic and I think a lot of what I perceive- that energy, comes largely from the solid midrange tuning.



Highs - Hit and Miss

Doesn't have that sparkle of say Campfire Andromedas Campfire .........but again Apples to Pineapples. Some of the features/frequencies of the highs sound really nice but others throw me and don't quite sound on point. Don't get me wrong its not like these are sibilant at any point they are just brighter on certain songs. Maybe it's that's what give these the energetic sound as well ..... It's not that its terrible or anything even close, just parts of the highs strike me as brighter than on other cans.


I assume these cups will change the sound a bit but haven't played with them yet. Will report back.

Soundstage - Holyfu*#balls

Just listened to Chemical Brothers Das Spiegel sounded crisp and clear. Bass was present and the sounds transitioned really well and that soundstage really gets highlighted. At their price these would be worth it if all the frequencies sucked.



Partial Conclusion- What does that even mean!?

It means I'm just getting started with this set of cans. Gonna try closing them up - swapping and playing with different baffles and pad rolling. The idea being I'll update this as I go.

I know I seem to toggle back and forth betwixt the strong points and where I see see room to improve ......take it for what it is.......none of my gripes are anywhere close to deal killers.......they are room for improvement for Sash- if he wants to hear it. These are my thoughts on specific silly things that I noted from my earhole experience.

Another thing to love about the Sash Tres is Tres = 3 .....this is his 3rd iteration and Sash continues to improve aspects of the cans based on his own ear and the ears of others. Iteration and growth are traits any maker should aspire to and an endeavor am happy to support.

I bought these as a long term exploratory project and find myself exploring the sound all off the advice of a dude I met in the forum who seemingly has similar aesthetic and earhole tastes as me.

These cans are the steal of the Pandemic era in my opinion. At their price point Sash could charge 200 euros more per set and I'd still say they are a deal. I likely will be ordering a second set when I get some more cash saved up for a gift and guess what I'll have it saved in half the time it would take me for a set of Audezes!! Do yourself a favor get a hold of Sash (@SashaLach) in this forum and HERE for his business/Facebook page, and HERE for the gent himself. Have him build you a set! Shout out again to @Tano for the recommendation.



To Be Continued...........Experiments with Closed backs