Audeze basically told me my farts and diaphragm issue were the result of user error
They did not seem to care that the issues have been getting worse over time.
Their main suggestion was to not plug the headphones in until they are on my head and the amp is on. Of course woo audio says to plug the headphones in before turning the amp on. Who to listen to?
It was
part of why I let my CRBN go (the stock tuning being the other reason.)
I really wanted to like them. The fit and finish is impeccable, they look awesome, and whilst my first pair definitely had something wrong with it, my second pair functioned totally fine, at least within the parameters of how the CRBN functions.
I've experienced the "stax fart" on all the E-stats I've tried thus far (SR007mk2, SR009S, Shangri La SR, ES1a) but the CRBN is different. The CRBN is like a loud single crack and "stax fart" noise when you break the seal, or even just cause a pressure change that is large enough to cause the diaphragm to flex. When you combine this with the diaphragm sticking if the pressure change is large enough, which means you have to get up, unplug, decharge, re-plug, and go back to listening because its unlistenable with the diaphragm stuck, they become extremely frustrating to use.
The explanation from Audeze is that the diaphragm is tensioned more loosely than other e-stats' to achieve a good bass response, but the bass response.....isn't really any better than other e-stats. Maybe
slightly, but I'd way rather have a more "normal" functioning diaphragm and boost the bass via EQ by a couple dB to achieve the same effect.
I think if you listen to the CRBN sitting upright in a chair, and happen to like their tuning, then they are certainly worth trying.
I do most of my concentrated listening at night lying in bed, and the CRBN resting against the pillow meant that any slight head movement caused the diaphragms to stick, ultimately making them incredibly frustrating to listen too.
With all that being said, some people really, really like the CRBN and I am happy for them. Just ended up not being for me.