[Kiats]

I miss listening to my CRBN. My CFA3 is still on repair, so I don’t have an amp to be paired with my Mjolnir SRD-7. It’s a headphone that will stay in my collection for sure, the sound is just incredible on my system and Roon’s CRBN preset does an excellent job at improving the overall sound signature.

Sorry to hear about your CFA3. Yeah… the CRBN is so underrated.

 

[Chefguru]

Sorry to hear about your CFA3. Yeah… the CRBN is so underrated.

I think the major issue with the CRBN's seeming lack of popularity is just that the 007 (especially the mk1) is a superior headphone for 50% of the price, plus then the farting/static issues really botched the initial run. My set was unlistenable it was so rough. I hated having to deal with that.

I'm hopeful Audeze drops a CRBN-ii in 2024/2025 because they were not far off a masterpiece.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I think the major issue with the CRBN's seeming lack of popularity is just that the 007 (especially the mk1) is a superior headphone for 50% of the price, plus then the farting/static issues really botched the initial run. My set was unlistenable it was so rough. I hated having to deal with that.

I'm hopeful Audeze drops a CRBN-ii in 2024/2025 because they were not far off a masterpiece.

I disagree at the 007 being the superior headphone. I think the CRBN suffered a lot from the extreme farting issues and the mediocre support from Audeze at the time, when many complaining customers were told "that's normal, deal with it"

The issue has since been fixed but it probably made many cross Audeze off their estat list.

Personally I think that the CRBN Is great (my end favourite estat behind the Corina).
For a CRBN-II or LCD-E or whatever the name will be, I'd love to see an electrostat with Audezes old house sound, like an estat Version of the LCD-4

 

[Svperstar]

Roon’s CRBN preset does an excellent job at improving the overall sound signature.

I wonder what the Roon preset does compared to the preset on Autoeq.app

https://autoeq.app/

I've never messed with Roon, but the preset on Autoeq sounds great.

 

[Svperstar]

I disagree at the 007 being the superior headphone. I think the CRBN suffered a lot from the extreme farting issues and the mediocre support from Audeze at the time, when many complaining customers were told "that's normal, deal with it"

Personally I think that the CRBN Is great (my end favourite estat behind the Corina).

I go back and forth between the 007 and the CRBN, mine is a fixed version. I have flat pads on the 007 right now. I'm not sure which one I would rank as better. When you get to this state of the game they all sound good. I had the opportunity to buy a Corina or the CRBN, I decide the Corina probably wasn't worth $1,000 more then the CRBN especially since I love my Audeze.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I think the major issue with the CRBN's seeming lack of popularity is just that the 007 (especially the mk1) is a superior headphone for 50% of the price, plus then the farting/static issues really botched the initial run. My set was unlistenable it was so rough. I hated having to deal with that.

I'm hopeful Audeze drops a CRBN-ii in 2024/2025 because they were not far off a masterpiece.

I agree here a lot actually. I think in two ways, the CRBN was a bit ahead of the 007 (MK1 late serial version on my end)--it had a bit better balanced tonality, and a bit better controlled bass. But the 007 has more openness and holographic layering, which to me is huge as a stat and absolutely critical and translates into a more perceived resolving sound. The CRBN in comparison has a 'wall of music' effect in which it lacks the spacing and imaging stats are known for.

That said, in full honesty, I think if Audeze improves on just that aspect, it easily becomes a true TOTL stat that would to me tonality and completion wise, would remind me of the HE90 (to be clear here, the HE90 isn't incredibly spacious and holographic, just enough more than the CRBN to be in that tier, of which I think an Audeze follow up could be).

 

[jlbrach]

after the audeze sale I am doubtful they go in the direct of a new estat...I think those days are done...probably less expensive more portable models and eventually bluetooth enhancements etc

 

[ColSaulTigh]

I disagree at the 007 being the superior headphone. I think the CRBN suffered a lot from the extreme farting issues and the mediocre support from Audeze at the time, when many complaining customers were told "that's normal, deal with it"

The issue has since been fixed but it probably made many cross Audeze off their estat list.

Personally I think that the CRBN Is great (my end favourite estat behind the Corina).
For a CRBN-II or LCD-E or whatever the name will be, I'd love to see an electrostat with Audezes old house sound, like an estat Version of the LCD-4

This is EXACTLY why I'll never own an Audeze product again. I got 2 different farting sets of CRBN (which were, at the time, my 1st estats). Their customer service response was "yeah, that's normal, live it with". It's documented earlier in this thread if anyone cares to go read it. I don't react well to that kind of piss-poor customer service, especially on $4k headphones....

My 007's are good (my current estat listening headphones), but my x9000's are the cat's pajamas. I have not tried a Corina yet (maybe someday). The Shang Jr. is fine, but not for the retail price HiFiMan is charging for them (another brand I won't invest another penny in).

Now if I can only convince @zach915m to make an estat....

 

[Svperstar]

This is EXACTLY why I'll never own an Audeze product again. I got 2 different farting sets of CRBN (which were, at the time, my 1st estats). Their customer service response was "yeah, that's normal, live it with". It's documented earlier in this thread if anyone cares to go read it. I don't react well to that kind of piss-poor customer service, especially on $4k headphones....

They don't have that problem anymore, tho I agree their customer service before the sale wasn't the best.

 

[JLoud]

I had one of the first sets, and it definitely had the issue. However, I emailed Audeze about it and they quickly responded. I was sent a new pair, which I have had for almost two years. Zero problems and I use them frequently. I have owned about a dozen Audeze headphones, basically everything they have put out. I have had nothing but fantastic customer service. I have heard the rants on here about the issue, usually the same couple of people. We get it, you don't like Audeze. I don't think your experience is the norm. But enough already, move on. Unsubscribe to the thread or whatever you need to do to. I'm sure I'll get attacked for saying it, but I'll just 'Ignore" it and move on.

 

[ThanatosVI]

This is EXACTLY why I'll never own an Audeze product again. I got 2 different farting sets of CRBN (which were, at the time, my 1st estats). Their customer service response was "yeah, that's normal, live it with". It's documented earlier in this thread if anyone cares to go read it. I don't react well to that kind of piss-poor customer service, especially on $4k headphones....

My 007's are good (my current estat listening headphones), but my x9000's are the cat's pajamas. I have not tried a Corina yet (maybe someday). The Shang Jr. is fine, but not for the retail price HiFiMan is charging for them (another brand I won't invest another penny in).

Now if I can only convince @zach915m to make an estat....

I had one of the first Sets, even without issues, but people reporting that it got worse over time, coupled with these support responses, made me sell them rather quickly. (Granteed, that I had to switch my whole setup everytime I wanna go from regular headphones to estats also was a reason)

Now Zach working on an estat, or Meze, that would be a dream come true.

 

[Svperstar]

(Granteed, that I had to switch my whole setup everytime I wanna go from regular headphones to estats also was a reason)

Dang, this is why I finally took the plunge to go fully balanced XLR, then buying a simple 3 way XLR switcher on Amazon I just turn the knob to my solid state amp when I want to listen, the turn the knob back to estat. I would lose my mind if I had to recable everything just to switch headphones

https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Audio-Balanced-Converter-Selector/dp/B07QVKPR2V

 

[VandyMan]

Why is the thought of ZMF or Meze making estats exciting to people? My understanding is that neither company designs or manufactures their own drivers. They are custom drivers, but not designed in house. I'd be interested in any new estat, but these companies don't seem to have the needed expertise.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Why is the thought of ZMF or Meze making estats exciting to people? My understanding is that neither company designs or manufactures their own drivers. They are custom drivers, but not designed in house. I'd be interested in any new estat, but these companies don't seem to have the needed expertise.

Meze is working with Rinaro for their Isodynamic Hybrid Array drivers. Rinaro also has a ton of experience with electrostatic drivers.

Certainly wouldn't worry about that.

ZMF might be a different Story, but @zach915m surprised us with planars as well.

The main reason people are excited about these two companies potentially creating estats, is that their house sound is very Musical and engaging and not another sterile bright tuning like stax or Hifiman

 

[carloc]

The main reason people are excited about these two companies potentially creating estats, is that their house sound is very Musical and engaging and not another sterile bright tuning like stax or Hifiman

Perhaps Stax & Hifiman look like sterile in your setup...
IMHO, i.e. Stax l700, Stax X9000 and Hifiman Jade II are not sterile bright tuned.