SJY Horizon

SJY Horizon ($999): A unique-looking headphone, with superb sound.



SJY Horizon

Musicteck

Intro:

I have never heard of any headphones from SJY, but I noted the devoted following after Musicteck contacted me about a review. It is telling that Z-Reviews has such high words for the marque and this model in particular, stating point blank that he thought the Umi was a fabulous model. Then, he was astounded by the model here, the Horizon.

So, when Musicteck contacted me about reviewing one of Jeffrey’s headphones, I quickly accepted, reading what I could and watching the review mentioned above. When someone such as Z-Reviews calls the Horizon the “most detailed set of headphones” he has on his wall, that means something.

While I awaited the arrival, I read what I could but found a small but devoted following and a commensurate amount of material online. Suffice it to say, that as unique as the design is, the sound is up there in regards to some of the headphones I consider the best. There is a reason these are called, “a mini-Abyss at ¼ the price.”

Upon arrival, the unit was checked to ensure all was good. I then let it play for a minimum of 75 hours before any critical assessment was made. I am not sure if the model I received was brand new, or only new, but the burn in is something I continue to do.



Specs:

• Cable: Balanced 4-pin XLR
• Weight: 410g +/- 5g
• Sensitivity: 88db/Mv
• Impedance: 15 Ohm

In The Box:

SJY Horizon
XLR 4-pin cable
That’s it

Gear Used/Compared:

ZMF Eikon ($1399)
Audeze LCD-3 ($2299)
Crosszone CZ10E ($1000)

HiBy R4/XDuoo TA30
MBP/HiBy FD5
MBP/iFi Pro iDSD/iCAN



Unboxing:

Opening the box, I was met with the Horizon tucked neatly and safely into a soft foam cutout, with the adjusting slider tucked between the two layers. I did find that the brass top needed further screwing in for one reason or another.

Presented with the headphones was the included XLR 4-pin balanced headphone cable, but no case.



Design/Tech details:

Square. It's not what you might expect outside of a Stax headphone, but here it is. The ear pads are magnetically held, and I did find out that the second-gen headphones carry a slightly different magnetic pull with more force for holding the pads in place. I still knocked the pads a couple of times before I acclimated myself with where to grab the unit.

The open-backed design can come in black (like mine), purple, or with a custom design. I did note that some early models carried ornate wood patterns, which would have been cool to see.

The headphones are heavy, but not so much that I did not find them comfortable for long periods of listening, thanks to the dual headband mechanism. The inner band is made of stiff leather, while the outer band is shaped aluminum. Comfort is the key with a heavier headphone such as these, and I found no issue with long-term listening.

The aluminum carries into the yokes, with clearly labeled “L” and “R” on the back side of those yokes. This makes it eminently readable when putting the Horizon on, and there was no need to search for the label.

The build shows its hand-built quality with small “discrepancies,” lending a somewhat patinaed look that carries on the elegance. With the pads off, you can see the gold-encrusted diaphragm, adding a bit more to that elegant look.

The headphones are still heavy, but the square ear pads make for a comfortable fit. The ear cups can swivel 360 degrees, which did take a bit of getting used to, and initially, I kept knocking the pads off. After several uses, I was used to the mechanisms.

The in-house made driver carries high-grade magnets with an aluminum frame.

Even with the large square shape, I never found the Horizon to be too large, and I could easily manage them when off my head. I will note that unless you hold both ear cups, one (or both) will swivel, which could hit something. I know because they did...



Sound Impressions:

All impressions were made using the HiBy R4, HiBy FD5, XDuoo TA-30, iFi iDSD Pro/iCAN Pro combo, and MBP. Comparisons were made to the ZMF Eikon, Audeze LCD-3, and Crosszone CZ-10E. The cables used were the included XLR 4-pin, the Crosszone 6.35mm se, a 4.4mm bal cable from Double Helix (for my Kennerton Magni V2), and a 4-pin XLR fro LQi.

Summary:

Details. Detail retrieval with exceptional clarity. This is one of the very best-balanced headphone signatures I have ever heard. Period. Without prominence in any segment, the Horizon promotes a thoroughly natural and organic signature, with a concise quality that carries exceptional clarity throughout.

I found myself reaching for the volume knob to turn it up and see where my tolerances lie. The amplifiers I used broke down before I did. That is until I paired the iFi combo listed. This immediately became my favorite pair, allowing the Horizon to shine with a warm signature I appreciate through the tubes and the ability to run the solid state as needed. Bass reached deep and controlled. The top end shone without the hint of sibilance or tizziness. The midrange also felt strangely linear, pushing slightly forward without becoming lifted as so often happens.

I quickly found out that while some amplification units work, others make the Horizon sing like it should. Finding that combination can be an exercise in multitudes, but it is well worth the effort. I did appreciate most that entered the fray, but one clearly stood above the rest.



Timbre:

With the level of detail retrieval that the Horizon has, one would expect it to lean towards an analytical sound. But it does not. Instead, the SJY presents an exceptionally musical signature that puts the emotive effect on par with that musically adept clarity. I find that the levels of detail are as good as anything I have tried this side of the Meze Empyrean (which, to me, is very detailed, yet musical).

There is an amount of warmth to the signature, which can seemingly get lost in the level of detail present. But to me, this is the emotive part, driving the musicality forward in an additive effect to that exceptional detail we hear. The organic nature of the signature is seemingly counterintuitive to the clarity and detail, but that flowing signature plays across the spectrum, providing the platform for the levels of detail heard to simply put, shine.

Staging & Dynamics:

The height in the soundstage can seem artificially high, but to me that is by design, highlighting the melodious midrange, which to use the word again is exceptional. Very good width and depth afford the whole picture to be naturally placed within scope; which in turn allows each instrument or vocal to be heard distinctly, adding to the clarity I hear.

Punctuating drum strikes or cymbal hits come across as accurate with nary a hint of artificiality or too much sizzle. Accurate and succinct, the snare hits define the musical foundation. This was a case again where I could continue to raise the volume level without the bother of anything becoming strident, strained, or peaky. I continued to be amazed.

Male vocals carried the lower midrange with aplomb and accuracy. I found you could easily discern the breathiness in the notes and intake of breaths. Note weight did not become thin, either. Good heft, without becoming bloated, ruled the reggae notes of Sublime on “Feel Like That,” while the deep bass drum hits covered the low end without becoming intrusive.

Female vocal songs such as Youn Sun Nah’s version of “Favorite Things” came across as black between notes, and I could feel her voice punch that black void, producing a melodic sound that was tender yet eerily pulsating in their presence. This level of accuracy was startling. But not because it was of such a pulsating quality as to hinder the music but because that pulsating was entrancing. Accuracy barely began to describe what I was hearing.



Pairings:

Finding the right source equipment for the Horizon is an exercise in adjusting your attitude. While some of what I found that could power the Horizon worked, those sources did not satiate my listening pleasures enough. I think this is one of the more cumbersome headphones in which to find the right synergy that I have done of late. But the exercise was worth it. Boy was it worth it.

By far, my favorite pairing was using the iFi Pro iDSD & iCAN Pro combination. Alternating between full-on tube sound and solid state, I found that solid-state operation drove the Horizon to higher volume levels (switching between the two and leaving the volume set), providing a bit more airiness to the notes, with additional space offered for the vibrant but still full note to breath. This allowed the levels of detail to flourish without becoming strident or artificial. Astounding levels of detail continued as the volume knob was pushed higher and higher, where sometimes that increase in volume can overcome detail.

The full tube sound, on the other hand, added warmth, which is my preferred signature. But it did so without losing note weight or becoming bloated. To me, the bass treatment was better using the Tube+ option, adding the right amount of grit and depth to the low end, complimenting the rest of the signature quite nicely.

The XDuoo TA-30 is an exercise in how much is too much. Outrageously conservative in their power rating, the TA-30 has enough juice to bring headphones to their knees. The Horizon, on the other hand, did the old “come at me bro” in response. Since the

TA-30 has only a 6.35mm se jack, so the sound was not as fulfilling to me. The level of detail was certainly there, but notes came across as thinner but more succinct with quicker response than the iFi combo. This is not a bad thing, and the tube sound emanating from the TA-30 would be an exceptional pairing for classical music to me. This would allow the Horizon to promote its delicate levels of clarity while filling the air with a succinct personality that matches classical music.

I found that while the HiBy FD5 could surprisingly drive the Horizon to adequate levels of listening, it was quite stressed in doing so. On Class-A, the FD5 became almost too hot to touch, it was working so hard. Running Class-AB the unit was slightly cooler, but still plenty warm. Class AB also presents my least favorite pairing, with just adequate levels of detail and a transient response that seemed slow.

Select Comparisons:

Audeze LCD-3 ($1945):

This may not seem like a fair fight, but since the technology is similar, plus the LCD-3 is the bar against I judge all headphones such as the Horizon, it is fair to me. An older design, but still one of my all-time favorite headphones that I don’t get to listen to enough.

Technical:

Having an impedance of “only” 100 ohms makes the planar driver of the LCD-3 much easier to drive (I almost forgot to lower the volume when I plugged it in). The 106mm fazor management planar magnetic driver carries a sensitivity of 101 dB/1mW, making it more sensitive than the Horizon as well. So, two strikes against the Horizon, right? Having a much higher driving level and a lower sensitivity would certainly make you think so.

That is of course not the whole equation, though.

Design:

Some think Audeze headphones carry a larger ugliness to them that cannot make up for the handcrafted wood. That is certainly their right, but to me, the LCD-3 exudes grace, elegance, and performance all the same. It is large and heavy, but the suspension system alleviates that as it should.

When looking at the somewhat flimsy leather band, which acts as the under suspension you think that can’t possibly work. But working in concert with the aluminum headband, it does. Some find that when properly adjusted, the two bands do not touch. When I have them adjusted, they touch, but it is not a bother.

Every part exudes a quality that a flagship should, from the hand-polished wood cups to the stanchions, anodized yoke, and suspension system show the level of care used when producing their headphones. The pads are thick but do get hot in warm weather. But I can wear the LCD-3 all day without bother, and the clamp pressure exuded makes for a proper fit, without being like a clamp, or falling off during movement.

I would rate the build quality above the Horizon a bit, but for twice the price, that isn’t unexpected.

Performance:

The LCD-3 carries a typical large planar driver signature that is pure, natural, and accurate. The level of detail wrought from the LCD-3 would make an English teacher blush. I would rate it on par with the Horizon but with a bit less note weight. Mind you, Audeze is known for carrying excellent weight in attack and decay, but the LCD-3 falls slightly behind the Horizon in note weight.

Where the LCd-3 shines in its level of presentation. Dynamically accurate and vibrant, without becoming strident or overly weighted towards either end, the LCD-3 combines the best of legendary Audeze bass quality and a treble note that is essentially legendary as well. This is still my favorite all-time headphone, but the Horizon has made me think twice about that because it seemingly can compete. And compete well. Pulsating bass drives me to raise the volume, just like the Horizon does.



Crosszone CZ10E ($999):

The Crosszone CZ10E, along with the CZ8A came to me, and I will admit I was not ready for their unique driver arrangement and quality of sound offered. The CZ8A might be the higher-end model, that carries a bit better sound as well, the it was the CZ10E that stole me away, with its energetic, vibrant personality that presented an extremely musical quality that now matches how I feel about the Horizon.

Both are quality offerings at a similar price. The CZ10E is of course a closed-back headphone and could provide the perfect complement to the Horizon.

Technical:

Running three dynamic drivers (two at 35mm, one for low-frequency notes like a woofer and the other for the opposite channel; and one at 23mm for high-frequency notes like a tweeter), with one presenting the audio sound from the opposite channel, the CZ10E presents a unique “speaker-like” set-up with its sound. Purported (and verified by me) to be one of the most speaker-like headphones due to the feeding of the opposite sound signature to each ear, the baffles surrounding the headphone act to further diffuse and properly place the sound, presenting a 3D dimensionality to it that is hard to replicate short of a home system.

With a lower impedance at 75 ohms and a decidedly higher sensitivity at 99dB, the CZ10E is also easier to drive than the Horizon.

Design:

The unique driver arrangement makes for an interesting shape, to say the least. Triangular-ovoid in shape, the cups fit surprisingly well, with excellent comfort to boot. The spring-laden suspension system is made for lighter clamping pressure but is more accurate in placing that pressure on your head. Thus, the headphones could be worn for long periods without bother and not too much pressure.

That swing-out clamp makes the headphones easy to put on and take off. Since most of us move the headphones out, stressing the headband a bit, this is alleviated by that swinging clamp. The headband could use a bit more cushioning to me, but the pressure was never a problem, since it was spread evenly across the top of my head and ears.

Performance:

The Crosszone is an acquired taste for some. Mimicking a two-channel system has its merits and its pitfalls. Should it fall short, it can be catastrophic. But when it works. It can be a unique experience that promotes sound at the highest level.

After acclimating to the sound, I came to appreciate the holographic nature of that cross-driver, which added a layer to the out-of-head experience. Bass reaches low and is controlled. But not so much as to be analytical or thin in quality. The bass does not carry over into the mids, either.

I find the midrange to be the star, carrying beautiful guitar reverence and vocals that sing the way a master recording should. Allowed to stretch the airiness of sound quality, both male & female vocals have a lilt to them that is delicate, but forceful. An elusive balance indeed.

The treble reaches high enough, without a strident nature, to promote extension I appreciate without it becoming grating or too high. That reach stretches the soundstage height as well, while those mids add depth. I can raise the volume on the Crosszone’s almost as easily as the Horizon.

I will admit that some songs can come across a bit veiled or rather flat. But this could be because of how the overall presentation occurs, filling in the necessary space with that holographic effect may spread note quality out giving that false flat feel.

Completely complementary to each other, pairing of both would be a fantastic choice.



ZMF Eikon ($1399):

The Eikon came, left, and returned to my stable when I realized what a mistake I had made. I will admit I purchased a used set for another Headfonics review, and I am glad I did. The sound of this closed-back headphone comes quite close to mimicking an open-back set, and I really like the way Zach & company makes headphones.

Technical:

With a frequency response of 10hz – 30000 kHz, an impedance of 300 Ohms, and a sensitivity of 98dB/mW, the Eikon is harder to drive but not as hard as the Horizon to get quality sound from. I found the iFi Pro duo can handle the details quite nicely when called upon, at a much lower level to attain the same qualities.

Design:

The Eikon is gorgeous. I happened upon the same Camphor wood for my second model, too. I was looking for another wood, but when this one came about, I realized that I would be quite happy with it.

The Eikon is quite heavy, and it better have a very good suspension system to support it. The Eikon does. A thicker leather band under the headband strap immediately tells you this headphone means business. The thick padding under the headband is appreciated as well, allowing for long listening sessions without bother.

Of the two pads included, I preferred the suede pads for comfort and a bit better bass quantity to me. While they can get a bit warm, I appreciated that the suede also allowed the ear cups to breathe.

The yokes are a mix of plastic and aluminum that holds the stanchions in place once adjusted. I found the adjusting mechanism to be almost too tight, but realize that I would rather have it that way than too loose. And, if you dare, a small flat-headed screw allows for a slight adjustment of the tension.

The black gloss of yoke, stanchion, and rivets adds to the upscale look, and I am not worried in the least about any potential rubbing. The Eikon carries that upscale look to it, and the performance can back it up.

Performance:

When I first put these back on, I relished the quantity of detail retrieval had across many genres. Succinct, tight, and controlled, but without becoming too thin or fragile. The right amount of note weight is had across the board.

I think the sheer speed at which the bass decays plays a large part in that accuracy and wonderful transient response. If the bass were to linger any longer, the signature would become slow and muddy to me. ZMF has struck the right balance here with an extraordinary midrange coupled with the bass to present one of my favorite signatures when it comes to a more neutral, natural & organically smooth presentation.

Vocals come across as sumptuous and satiating without becoming slow or too molasses-like. The Eikon can present an attacking, provocative vocal sound when the song calls for it.

But don’t let that smooth character make you think it cannot perform accurately or is too far away from an accurate signature. That would be a big mistake.



finale:

The SJY Horizon has some extremely tough competition at hand. Simply including the models above shows that. But when I put these back on to write this final bit, I realized that the Horizon can fit right in, and mostly without bother.

It is hard to drive, so you had better have a solid-state or tube amplifier that can be run by a nuclear power unit...almost. But, if you do, the Horizon simply sings. Of the models compared above, this is the only one where I continually reached for the volume knob to raise the level.

When properly driven, the Horizon becomes something truly special. A sound comes about that is near-spiritual in presentation. The level of detail retrieval can bring a sinner to their knees, crying “Hallelujah!” while repenting completely. A cliché or outwardly sentimental spray of words, but I do mean it in earnest.

It is not perfect. I had issues with the ear cups swinging like a wind chime in a breeze. I also had issues with the adjusting mechanism, but a simple tightening of the Allen head would take care of that, similarly to the Eikon. I also wish the 4-pin XLR cable was a foot longer. The included cable is meant for near amplification use only. But, considering many of us have longer cables, that is a small concern.

The sound quality coming forth overshadows any “discrepancies” that may be had without a doubt, and bother.

But what I can say to finish this, is that the Horizon is absolutely one of the very best headphones I have reviewed. Ever.

TL;DR: Neutral and clean yet fun flagship performance planar headphones

Overview/History
Hi all.

I've been sitting on these pair of headphones for a bit while slowly chipping away and adding my thoughts as I've used the SJY Horizon as my palette cleanser from IEMs. But, I think I've finally come to a complete consensus on how I feel about them and I'm ready to submit my rating.

Without any further ado, here is the SJY Audio Horizon.



The Horizon is SJY Audio/Jeffrey Yin's flagship release. Continuing on from the design of the Umi, SJY has gone ahead and further embraced a less wooden/metal grill design in favor of this CNC aluminum construction with the grill being the vast majority of the design. The planar drivers are actually gold and you can easily see the gold metal through the grills/pads.

Update: At the time of this writing, 07/21/24, the gold drivers may be sold out and he's working on refining them but has a set of aluminum available that should sound sonically similar per my discussion with him.

With this being a flagship release, the pricing has gone up from SJY's typically $300-$500 range. This comes in at $999 though there was a very generous preorder sale for a while.

It looks very industrial and, subjectively, I like the look. It's not everyone's cup of tea, considering how gorgeous the Moonlight and the Starry Night look, but there is some customization options including the ability to get different color (I opted for black on black) or wood grills to provide the ability to really cater the look of the Horizon to your preference which helps bridge the new design, IMO.



Here's some specifications so you don't have to Google them.

Specifications
Weight : 410g +/- 5g
Sensitivity : 88db/Mv
Update on 07/22/24 - this is the Aluminum at 15 Ohm, Gold is 25 Ohm.

Disclaimers: All opinions of the Horizon, though, are of my own accord as I did not receive any instructions to leave a review.

Build Quality, Comfort and Accessories
Photo dump time!
















The Horizon is a rectangular designed headphone that's relatively lightweight. There was an initial concern about comfort with the clamping force being very tight but stretching it out helped alleviate this. After that, I've been able to wear them for long periods of time without any issues.

The Horizon also swivel kind of like how the Umi do; they don't lock and they can swivel around a bit but not nearly as badly as the Umi.

The only other nitpick I would have is that the Horizon, being that they are CNC'd, still have the fit & finish of a boutique headphone manufacturer... Because SJY is still a boutique headphone manufacturer. On my unit, there was a few microabrasions and flaws that I could pick up on the sides. YMMV - this could just be my unit specifically.





Earpad Rolling
No long amount of eartips I'm going to breakdown. Instead, look at how satisfying it is to remove/attach the pads.





The stock pads are my go to. I did purchase the memory foam ones from SJY (that are supposed to make the sound warmer) but I found that they didn't magnetically adhere to the Horizon nearly as well as the stock pad and I found that I still preferred the stock pads sound.











Cable
The cable provided by SJY audio was a dual 3.5mm to 3.5mm. It's a very soft cotton cable that I feel works well. I would probably prefer something a bit more substantial yet it works in the case for the Horizon.



Sound
So, how do they sound? Like a budget Princess of Wales.



I don't know if I would really say, to quote Z Reviews, that the Horizon sounds like a baby Diana for 1/4 of the price (having heard the Diana for only the briefest of times) but I can confidently say that the Horizon is a worthy contender against the Hifiman, Audeze, and Mezes of the world.

Gear Tested On: Primarily streamed music via either dedicated Streamer, Laptop or Phone
Streamed Music Chain Workstation: Laptop -> JDS Labs Element 3 MK2 (Boosted)
Streamed Music chain: WiiM Mini -> JDS Labs Atom DAC+ -> JDS Labs OL Switcher -> Geshelli Labs Archel 3 Pro

Please note that the Horizon is not going to run on any dongles. They need an absurd amount of power.



On the JDS Labs Element 3 MK2 (boosted) - this puts out 2.3W at 32 ohms. This has been able to power it at 1.0 dB (with 13.5 being the max volume output and 1.0 dB being in high gain mode) so there's just a bit of headroom but should give you an idea of how hard it can be to drive.

In fact, on the Fiio K11 on high gain on balanced output, I had to max the volume to even get it to low listening levels. With even more power, I'm sure the Horizon would open up a bit but I think I found the sweet spot on the JDS Element 3. The Archel 3 Pro that I have is also capable of driving the Horizon with similar headroom.

*My Audio Preference and Score Disclaimer*: To preface my breakdown, here's my sound preference. I tend to prefer warmer sound. I enjoy good sub-bass extension with enough mid-bass to feel the music. I prefer more fuller sounding mids to match my library. My preference is for smooth treble extension; while I'm not treble sensitive, I'd probably lean more towards 'safer' treble tuning for longer listening. I also tend to listen at either medium to louder listening volumes (reasonably loud).

In addition, all scores listed below are typically (unless otherwise stated) rated/scored as it relates to it's peers in the same price group.

Lows/Bass: The Horizon has gone through several tunings, from my first listening at SoCal CanJam 2023 to present, but one thing that I always thought was how satisfying the bass response was for a planar headphone.

My original thought, especially when looking at it vs the Umi, was that I didn't think the Horizon would be for me. Even in that listening environment, and with them being open-back, I was pleasantly surprised.

Through a recent retuning, the Horizon hits a great sweetspot in the being punchy and detailed with fast decay. While I could go with some additional warmth in the bass, and my preference is usually to a slower decay where the bass hits deeper and feels a bit more lively, the Horizon gets close to competing with my dynamic driver headphones (the JM XTC^2.5).

I think I've only really heard one other planar headphones where the bass was better than what the Horizon provides and that would be the Hifiman Arya Organic based on memory of listening to those at CanJam SoCal. I would say that the Horizon competes in the bass department with a lot of the Dan Clarks/Hifiman of the world with the stock bass tuning.

In addition, When I use the Archel 3 Pro and add a bit of bass through the tone control, I can get right there and the Horizon really does take to the EQ well without diminishing the entire sound package that you get.

Bass Score: 8.5/10 - TL;DR: Bass is fast, punchy, detailed and engaging

Mids: One of likely my only nitpicks with the SJY Umi was that the male vocals could be slightly more thin at times but that isn't present here at all.

Vocals are extremely natural sounding, both with clear emphasis on the airiness of female vocals but warmth/growl/depth on male vocals. They don't quite sound as lush/full as dynamic drivers but it doesn't sound quite as unnatural as some planar headphones can sound in this space. Instruments are extremely detailed and easy to separate between everything.

Everything doesn't sound as intimate or forward as the Umi, which is surprising considering you'd feel like the Umi, based on how they look, would seem more spacious. I think placement of the mid-range feels and sounds around 5-10 feet forward from the listening position where it doesn't sound like someone's whispering in your ear but you're not just watching from the audience at a concert hall.

Mids Score: 9/10 - TL;DR: Detailed. Natural. Clear. Not as warm for the mid-range as I prefer but not clinical at all

Treble: The treble is smooth considering how airy it can sound. It's energetic yet not sharp. It's not fatiguing yet not boring. It's not neutral yet not fully safe in the treble tuning. It's like on the cusp of teterring to one side or the other but it balances itself before it takes on any coloration or characteristization that would dominate how the treble sounds.

I think, and I feel like I'm repeating myself again, would be to summarize the treble as clear and detailed without being sibilant or allowing it to get away from providing the proper mid-range and low end that the tuning needs.

Everything is transparent and is exactly how it feels like the music wants to be presented.

Treble Score: 9/10 - TL;DR: Detailed, clear, airy, proficient without pushing itself too far.

Detail, Separation, Imaging, Overall Timbre, Etc.: This is where the Horizon really comes alive. For how they appear, the Horizon is one of the more wide and open soundstages I've heard on some tracks.



Almost everything receives high marks from me as far as technicalities go. Timbre sounds natural from low end to treble yet there is so much hidden details in music that pops out. For the most part, the Horizon are an extremely resolving pair of headphones.

The only real nitpick I have are that the macrodynamics are only OK. Nuances/notes varying in presentation of volume tend to sound similar in level vs how good some dynamic driver headphones present their sound in capturing subleties. I would say that I did find the Horizon better than the Umi in this regard.

But, ultimately, this is always the one aspect of planar magnetic headphones that does not translate to the same level as a pair of dynamic driver headphones. That being said, I do think that Horizon perform at par on the macrodynamics side with the Dan Clark/Audeze/Hifiman that I've tried.

Technicalities Score: 9.5/10 - TL;DR: Wide, spacious sound. Separation and imaging are top notch. Macrodynamics are my only nitpick but it isn't distractingly bad

Library Hit List: Per usual, I used my standard library and here are some songs that really popped out to me. Ultimately, though, the Horizon performs extremely well over my entire library.

Fleetwood Mac - "Rumors"
Blackway (with Black Caviar) - "What's Up Danger"
Bastille - "Good Grief"
Florence + The Machine - "Dog Days are Over"
Camille - "Le Festin"
Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
Guns N' Roses - "Sweet Child O' Mine"
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "The Adventures of Rain Dance maggie"
Seatbelts + Mai Yamane - "THE REAL FOLK BLUES"

Comparisons: Comparing to it's competition (in a similar price bracket), I think the SJY Horizon performs extremely well. I've listened to the Dan Clark line up (Stealth, Noire, Closed X), Audeze, Hifiman and the only set that I would say is in a similar vein of performance to satisfaction ratio for me would likely be the Hifiman Arya Organic. Otherwise, I prefer the Horizon to those others (including vs the little brother the SJY Umi).

My thoughts between the two are that the Arya Organic would likely be a bit warmer sounding while the Horizon is more resolving overall. But, I don't have the sets in front of me at this time so this is all based on past impressions/thoughts I've had.

Other Things to be aware of:
Beyond the fit/finish issues that exist on my unit, the swivel earcups, and the extreme sound leakage ('cause they definitely have a LOT of sound leakage), I think I need to reemphasize the power requirements.

For science, I plugged the SJY Horizon to my Shanling Onyx XI1 - while the volume was there, it sounded like a muddled mess to me. On the Fiio K11, I could barely get it to quiet/moderate volume to listen even at 99/99 on high gain.

The more power you can provide, the better for the Horizon.

Special Sauce/Personal Bias Score: 9/10 - TL;DR: They niiiiice but need power. But if you got power, they niiiiice.

Conclusion:
SJY Audio/Jeffrey Yin absolutely struck gold (ba dum tsst) on his flagship release.

At $999, it is quite a lot to take a flyer on them. But, if you are in the market for a close to kilobuck priced sound, this is it. The fact that this is being done, currently, by a one-man team is absolutely remarkable.

As long as you have the gear to drive them, The Horizon perform way above their pricepoint providing a balanced, engaging, and spacious sonical performance in a comfortable and a, subjectively, attractive package.

Final Weighted Score: 9/10 - With consideration for how difficult it is to adapt an out of 10 score to an out of 5 rating/star system, this was rounded up as I would consider anything in the 9-10/10 range to be 5 star worthy.

(Edit: 11/14/2024 - I was very overly generous with rounding up and have since reduced this. This score was retroactively dropped to 4.5/5)



Thanks for reading!