Finally received mine today. Again, I ordered on Thanksgiving night. FedEx came while I wasn't home so I had to go pick them up. I received the aluminum pair, which is what I was hoping for. The aluminum ring was as cold as ice. They definitely feel expensive. I don't notice any defects on these. If you told me these were A stock I would never doubt it. This is my first serious headphone setup. I have paired these with a Schiit Jot with the modular dac and a balanced cable from ebay. For <$1,100 all in, I think it sounds pretty good. I don't think I would pay the $1,000 retail for these phones though.
i My only basis of comparison is from my experience with hifi stereo speakers. Admittedly, this setup doesn't sound as life like as my stereo did. I seriously do not understand when people describe the soundstage as "wide" "deep" "narrow" referring to headphone use. I don't think there is any 3D soundstage, just sound right in your ear. Imaging is marginal with headphones. I guess you can't get the same type of expansive soungstage and pinpoint imaging with headphones as you can from a good stereo setup. The highs aren't as natural as I'd like, but good enough. It doesn't sound veiled. If there is any sibilance it is only apparent at higher volumes and even then it is very slight. The highs do however bring attention to themselves. The mids sound very slightly thin, but does not leave me wanting. Bass is decent. For the money I think this setup is a bargain. One definitely cannot get this much fidelity using speaker setups with $1k. I have owned a pair of speakers that cost 6 times as much as these phones that sounded worse.