[Widell]

On my top of the list for new HP together with Focal Utopia, Empyrean, verite closed, LCD4…..coming from my old and tested HD800 (SDR modded) whish I could listen and compare the 4…..any idea when DCAS will be available in Europe?

 

[mrspeakers]

I will wait, never been a fan of when people just rave about neutrality- sometimes that’s code talk for “not fun” or not enough oomph - will see

I am quite confident neutral/accurate/fun can by synonyms when the tuning is right. The thing is I don't think many people have actually ever heard a neutral headphone, I just don't think there's a genuine consensus about what this is, though per my note below I actually think the Harman response when fully implemented sounds remarkably lifelike.

So for me, I focus on "lifelike" not neutral, because lifelike is neutral and fun, like live music should be.

@mrspeakers Wow. You guys really have a cool product on your hands.

WIll my (budget) Topping A30 Pro be able to power this? I feel these headphones will be really complementary to my HD800S.

Yes, not a problem at all.

I haven't listened to much Topping gear, it measures well but I can't speak to the sound.

Would the WA8 be a good pairing?

At low volumes, but SPL may be limited about 92dB.

A Mojo or TT2 pumps out a lot more power.

Just look at that bass curve, which is obvious. This is not a "neutral" headphone.

Respectfully your statement means you don't quite appreciate what the Harman curve is, it's quite complex.

The Harman curve approximates the response of a linear speaker as measured anechoicly in a good room tuned to as smooth a tonal ramp as possible then factoring compensation for the headphone measurement profile of a GRAS 45CA to create a headphone target curve that reflects a smooth in-room response. In other words the GRAS target curve is highly nonlinear because of how the headphone coupler measures the headphone but it approximates a smooth perceived response that sounds like an ideal room.

The GRAS coupler shows more bass and upper mid/lower treble response than there is. This is one reason Jude likes to use the 5128; the low frequency function measures more accurately and doesn't show boosted bass when the response is flat. The GRAS also has a characteristic rise to the upper midrange than the sharp fall that reflects the acoustic impedance of the measurement system. Just as the bass-lift doesn't imply a bass-boost, the rapid downward slope in the highs does not mean treble is down 20db at 20KHz, it maps what is perceptually acoustically smooth to the nonlinearities of the measurement coupler.

In short the Harman makes it look like there's a lot of bass boost and upper midgange boost but this is a combination of the nature of measuring the headphone with a 45CA that looks very v-shaped when the response is subjectively smooth.

This is the trouble for most people trying to read headphone measurements; you have to understand the impact of each coupler on the results. It's why there is no Harman target for a 5128, the coupler is not the same as the GRAS and the Harman team developed this curve to reflect a smooth tonal "room response" ramp specific to the GRAS.

A flat measurement on the GRAS would sound bass light, totally recessed in the upper mids and lower treble, and shriekingly bright up top.

Audiophiles don’t like neutral headphones. It is too bright for them. I would also probably try to sell headphones with a bass boost and roll the treble off if I was selling “audiophile” headphones.

See my comments above. This headphone does not have a v-curve.

 

[Imusicman]

Hi Dan,

Congratulations on the Stealth.

Looking forward to hearing this at some point but unfortunately no London CanJam this year.

Will there be a stockist in the UK?

 

[qboogie]

I'm actually very much interested in folks' statements about this having wide staging. I have a Verite Closed which has pretty good open feel which I think is probably due to a combination of the angled drivers, large cup size, pad depth (varies by pad), and wood resonance. If this sounds more open AND sounds better I think I may end up selling my beloved Leopardwood VC.

I wonder how this will sound with a Formula S (which seems great at delivering high current) or the new MHA200 (probably not ideal in this case but who knows).

 

[Odin412]

So for me, I focus on "lifelike" not neutral, because lifelike is neutral and fun, like live music should be.

Lifelike is exactly what I'm looking for, but it's hard to find. I'm very much looking forward to hearing the Stealth.

 

[quinnmcc]

I like this headphones

 

[mammal]

Lifelike is exactly what I'm looking for, but it's hard to find. I'm very much looking forward to hearing the Stealth.

Why are so many manufacturers after "lifelike" replay of recorded music? Is lifelike the ultimate way of listening to music? I for one, do not enjoy un-amplified instruments, which I think many would say are in real life, lifelike. I much more prefer distortion added by electric guitars, as opposed to listening to an acoustic guitar. So the word "neutral" that goes around, to me communicated transparency, meaning that if said electric guitar was recorded also transparently, my headphones (and supporting gear) would replay it the same way. Maybe I am just misunderstanding the word lifelike?

 

[paradoxper]

Why are so many manufacturers after "lifelike" replay of recorded music? Is lifelike the ultimate way of listening to music? I for one, do not enjoy un-amplified instruments, which I think many would say are in real life, lifelike. I much more prefer distortion added by electric guitars, as opposed to listening to an acoustic guitar. So the word "neutral" that goes around, to me communicated transparency, meaning that if said electric guitar was recorded also transparently, my headphones (and supporting gear) would replay it the same way. Maybe I am just misunderstanding the word lifelike?

Super convolution.

Odin prefers and pursues lifelike, you, mammal, prefer and pursue surreal. Who has the better illusion?

 

[BassicScience]

Why are so many manufacturers after "lifelike" replay of recorded music? Is lifelike the ultimate way of listening to music? I for one, do not enjoy un-amplified instruments, which I think many would say are in real life, lifelike. I much more prefer distortion added by electric guitars, as opposed to listening to an acoustic guitar. So the word "neutral" that goes around, to me communicated transparency, meaning that if said electric guitar was recorded also transparently, my headphones (and supporting gear) would replay it the same way. Maybe I am just misunderstanding the word lifelike?

Lifelike simply connotes that the reproduction will sound very similar to the actual event. It doesn't have anything to do with which instruments were recorded.

 

[Odin412]

Super convolution.

Odin prefers and pursues lifelike, you, mammal, prefer and pursue surreal. Who has the better illusion?

As long as we're both happy, does it really matter?

 

[paradoxper]

As long as we're both happy, does it really matter?

For philosophical masturbatory measures, yes. Otherwise, no, as long as both are achieving desired nirvana, delude on.

 

[FYFL]

Lifelike simply connotes that the reproduction will sound very similar to the actual event. It doesn't have anything to do with which instruments were recorded.

Exactly. And that’s the quality in audio chain I am interested in.

 

[gearocdguy]

Yes the parts are 3D printed, the inner geometry would be virtually impossible to mold or machine.


All sorts, Chord TT2, Hugo 2, Mojo, iBasso DX220, Schiit Asgard 3, Cavalli Liquid Glass, Woo WA5, LTA Z10, and a few others.

@mrspeakers

Eagerly awaiting my pair.

Based on your interview with Jude, I'm guessing the cost of these is based on the better drivers, a larger magnet structure, and the need to recover the R&D on the AMTS.

My only hesitation in buying these was the marginal cost to produce the AMTS is near zero. AMTS is effectively code but without the ability to update over the air.

I'm sure, in a few years, the Drop Aeon AMTS will give the Stealth a run for its money as you continue to improve the AMTS design.

Not sure if the AMTS is user-upgradable on the Stealth, but a killer feature for early adopters, would be new AMTS modules as they are developed or maybe even custom tunings based on user preferences.

I'm now kicking myself for not investing in your offering. If you can actually defend this with patents, you may have to stop making headphones to keep up with the demand from every other headphone maker for AMTS.

Best of luck with the product launch.

Kyle

 

[Alcophone]

Why are so many manufacturers after "lifelike" replay of recorded music? Is lifelike the ultimate way of listening to music? I for one, do not enjoy un-amplified instruments, which I think many would say are in real life, lifelike. I much more prefer distortion added by electric guitars, as opposed to listening to an acoustic guitar. So the word "neutral" that goes around, to me communicated transparency, meaning that if said electric guitar was recorded also transparently, my headphones (and supporting gear) would replay it the same way. Maybe I am just misunderstanding the word lifelike?

There's exactly one way to perfectly reproduce a signal, and infinitely many ways to distort it. Some forms of distortion can sound very pleasant indeed, but distorted distortion might not. My ideal transducer perfectly reproduces the distortion present in the source, whether that is a recorded acoustic guitar, an electric guitar + amp + speaker, or some digitally added grain, etc. The effect should be that anything faithfully recorded sounds like it would have sounded had you been there when it was recorded. If you like the sound of an electric guitar when it gets produced in your presence, you'd want it to sound the same when reproduced at home - that's what an ideal system can achieve, and a great one can approximate. And that would be lifelike.

 

[432789]

I pity the people who paid more than this to get overrated headphones with high distortion and wrinkled drivers. And told to upgrade their cable to fix their sound.