[ra990]

Such polarizing impressions. I can't wait to get my pair so I can set you all straight

 

[paradoxper]

I own them and that is not what I am hearing. I am in the middle of a move, though. So I cannot compare to any of my other headphones. I'll report back in a few weeks once I am settled.

Short of TC and Susvara, what would you recommend in this price range?

I don't subscribe to Amir and feel measurements are only so insightful or even meaningful.

I am referring to speed, attack and decay characteristics. The Stealth feels more electrostatic in dulling leading transients, the bass articulation is soft, delineation isn't sharp/crisp. There's no tactile substance/body.

For me TC is the pinnacle of how unlikable and overly designed a headphone build can be. It is like driving a muscle car in the city and claiming a BMW is not sturdy enough. You may, of course, not like the build of Stealth, but I don't plan on playing football with them. I would take this design over TC and even Rögnir any time.


It is not softened, it is accurate. I can hear the difference of previously similarly "punchy" sounding bass better with Stealth. And I can hear the textures of a bowed bass or an electric bass clearer. It is not a HP to impress with the "slam" or "impact" or how ever you define it. And it does not claim that. It claims accuracy and it does it perfectly.

I don't really find value in aesthetic quality in headphones, I appreciate how the Abyss can be ran over with a car and be fully functional and only with minor cosmetic damage.

I did expect more for the $4k cost. However, concessions are part of acceptance and the excellent comfortability is a fair trade.

We just won't agree on what truth being heard is accurate, etc. Which is fine.
We also have different reference in mind.

 

[VeeAndBobby]

Has anyone compared the Stealth to a Focal Radiance, which is currently my preferred closed-back HP?

 

[slainte]

Still waiting for mine.

I'm reading all sorts of comparisons. One thing that often appears missed is customer service.

I think with the money being spent for the phones of mention, it would be a desired attribute to include as well.

I'm interested in how well a given vendor "stands" by their product.

 

[DarginMahkum]

I don't really find value in aesthetic quality in headphones, I appreciate how the Abyss can be ran over with a car and be fully functional and only with minor cosmetic damage.

I did expect more for the $4k cost. However, concessions are part of acceptance and the excellent comfortability is a fair trade.

For me it is more than I expected. It is not new, I have mentioned these traits Stealth has many times on HeadFi, that I want a well engineered build with comfort and lightness. Stealth threw the portability as bonus in the bag. For me all those "tank like" builds are a thing of the past. Again, this is my expectation. Now, I too have a choice.

For anyone auditioning these HPs, use a proper amplifier, not any DAP. Definitely not an SP2000.

 

[Nostoi]

For me it is more than I expected. It is not new, I have mentioned these traits Stealth has many times on HeadFi, that I want a well engineered build with comfort and lightness. Stealth threw the portability as bonus in the bag. For me all those "tank like" builds are a thing of the past. Again, this is my expectation. Now, I too have a choice.

For anyone auditioning these HPs, use a proper amplifier, not any DAP. Definitely not an SP2000.

I'm curious about that; the portability is a bonus, true. And yet, in my experience, they felt like needing at least a trans-portable system to run effectively (I can't imagine running them without something like a C9 or a BX2 Plus), which would seem to limit their portability. How are they from the MAX?

 

[Trance_Gott]

I have the feeling Stealth has zero punch and is way too soft?
A Harman target without any dynamic impact is not what I want as a Stellia lover. Only clean and good instrument separation is not worth 4k.

 

[paradoxper]

For me it is more than I expected. It is not new, I have mentioned these traits Stealth has many times on HeadFi, that I want a well engineered build with comfort and lightness. Stealth threw the portability as bonus in the bag. For me all those "tank like" builds are a thing of the past. Again, this is my expectation. Now, I too have a choice.

For anyone auditioning these HPs, use a proper amplifier, not any DAP. Definitely not an SP2000.

Perfectly fine. I, too, bitched about the Rognir included at its $3600 MSRP.

At the end of the day, I'll swallow xyz if the payoff is in sound quality. Much more often than not, it's a let down.

 

[xirxes]

I have the feeling Stealth has zero punch and is way too soft?
A Harman target without any dynamic impact is not what I want as a Stellia lover. Only clean and good instrument separation is not worth 4k.

Soft as to the feel of the cans on your head, definitely not soft in tonality or presentation. Its clear crisp concise wihout any of the shrill raspy edges of brighter cans (like LCD-XC imo).

 

[Trance_Gott]

Soft as to the feel of the cans on your head, definitely not soft in tonality or presentation. Its clear crisp concise wihout any of the shrill raspy edges of brighter cans (like LCD-XC imo).

What about the visceral impact when you hear Metal? Do you heared Lcd4 or Abyss? 2 headphones with extreme visceral impact. You can feel the bass notes.

 

[Nostoi]

What about the visceral impact when you hear Metal? Do you heared Lcd4 or Abyss? 2 headphones with extreme visceral impact. You can feel the bass notes.

"Extreme visceral impact." No, sorry. I'm a metalhead and if you want visceral bass impact, these would not be for you. As has been mentioned, they're tuned like studio monitors - flat, flat, flat.

 

[xirxes]

What about the visceral impact when you hear Metal? Do you heared Lcd4 or Abyss? 2 headphones with extreme visceral impact. You can feel the bass notes.

I did direct A/B against 1266 TC and LCD4. This bass is arrier in both, but far too "peaky" in LCD4, with nowhere near enough decay or quality of bass im getting out of Stealth. It probably has marginally more amount of bass, but far less quality. 1266 is bass king, no comparison.

As far as the rest, i find LCD4 to still be super shrill/digitized/non-natural in the vocals compared to stealth, but 1266 here also took my favorite.

If youa re going pure all out sound quality no caveat, then its 1266>Stealth>LCD4>LCDX>LCDXC.

But if you are like myself, and im sure many interested in stealth, where Open backs are not an option at all, then Stealth seems to be neck and Neck with Rognir/VC (Maybe just Rognir) for top Dog closed can currently produced on this planet, sound signature preferences not withstanding.

Also EQ'ing in +3.0dB shelf at 80hz, +2.2 dB peak at 4.8khz and +1.5hz at 10khz and you are knocking on LCD4 door in reguards to "visceral impact"

 

[gKalkin]

I don't subscribe to Amir and feel measurements are only so insightful or even meaningful.

Yea I don't really find that much value in the measurements either. Listening for myself is the only thing that will tell me whether I like something or not.

I definitely enjoy the stealth. I don't think it sounds overly smooth but the treble is definitely not biting which could mean that for some it is just not detailed enough.

For me, the bass seems clean, articulate, and tactile. Definitely not bloated and I can see that someone might say that it is "dry." (or lacking reverberations) It is all I have listened to in the last 2 weeks so I am sure brain burn in has something to do with it. Looking forward to doing some A/B testing with my other cans. (LCD-R, Z1R, 6XX)

 

[rsbrsvp]

I did direct A/B against 1266 TC and LCD4. This bass is arrier in both, but far too "peaky" in LCD4, with nowhere near enough decay or quality of bass im getting out of Stealth. It probably has marginally more amount of bass, but far less quality. 1266 is bass king, no comparison.

As far as the rest, i find LCD4 to still be super shrill/digitized/non-natural in the vocals compared to stealth, but 1266 here also took my favorite.

If youa re going pure all out sound quality no caveat, then its 1266>Stealth>LCD4>LCDX>LCDXC.

But if you are like myself, and im sure many interested in stealth, where Open backs are not an option at all, then Stealth seems to be neck and Neck with Rognir/VC (Maybe just Rognir) for top Dog closed can currently produced on this planet, sound signature preferences not withstanding.

Also EQ'ing in +3.0dB shelf at 80hz, +2.2 dB peak at 4.8khz and +1.5hz at 10khz and you are knocking on LCD4 door in reguards to "visceral impact"

I thought the question was not about bass but rather "visceral impact"... Could you address this...

 

[xirxes]

I thought the question was not about bass but rather "visceral impact"... Could you address this...

For my money, other than dead/hyperactive zones INSIDE a closed headphone cup (Which the Stealth has masterfully eliminated by and large) The whole of the experience of what people tend to call "punch" "impact" "energy" or "macrydynamics" synonyms all, i tally up to relatively increased bass level to rest of curve, relatively increased instument level, particularly electic guitar, and relatively increased treble, or "sparkle". These correspond nearly to the three EQ zones i referenced.

I am convinced that there is no magic "sauce" that can be brought to equation outside of some very rare and certainly individual reverberance or wave interference in each individual set of headphones.

This is why i talk about bass, as well as the others.