[Spawn300Z]

What’s the point of including portable case with such high power demanding headphone? If this was easy to drive it’d be day one purchase for me.

I’ve said it before I can power it from just my Chord Hugo 2 and it will be very enjoyable. But when I add my Cayin C9 then its superb as my portable rig. When I travel I usually take my Stealth or my Diana V2. Sometimes both or the Expanse depending on how I feel.

 

[smallcaps]

I've had pretty decent results with the Stealth and the ifi Gryphon. Xbass helps a lot with this combo and for a transportable setup it works great in a library or hotel room.

 

[plumpudding2]

So, I used to be a cable denier since scientifically speaking anything without too much resistance, capacitance and inductance should sound the same.

However I started thinking about investing in a nice cable because
1) I hear differences in dacs and amps that should by the same logic also be inaudible, so i've already passed the station of basing my purchasing decisions on science only..
2) They look amazing! Treating cables as audiophile jewellery might be already make them worth the cost haha.
3). The Golden ear Nomax himself has invested in a fancy aftermarket Stealth cable and reports better sound (+ additional head-fi members whose opinions I respect)

My short words about the Double Duet from Crystal Cable

The Stealth sounds much much faster....and the most important thing...the impact in lows is much cleaner and more compact

NOMAX

Ps.with the stock cable...to softened

I've reached the point where I can no longer buy better headphones, amplifiers or dacs and when a 2nd hand Lavricables Grand pure silver Stealth cable showed up on the classifieds I decided to take the plunge and see whether it made a difference to my ears, and otherwise I could easily sell the cable again for a small loss.
I've been listening to it now for a week and this is how I would describe the sound differences:

1. High frequencies sound less hazy/messy and more localized, both in time and space. More pronounced but never sharp or piercing.
2. Same effect in the lows, more impact and better definition, I can now follow the bass lines easier even during busy/congested passages.
3. Overall effect of increased separation/spatial effects.

Overall I'm very impressed by the sound, I'm noticing my listening volume has lowered as I'm no longer trying to compensate for congestion/lack of definition by making things louder. Even if its all placebo I'm feeling like I got a brand new headphone so money well spent!

 

[Stereolab42]

First impressions are exactly as I had in the store. Construction quality is fantastic, and comfort is great. Not exactly sure how the strap suspension system works internally but it is an excellent innovation. The feel of the vegan pads is absolutely wonderful. As for sound, it's still early, but again nothing really to add over what I heard in the store vs the Stellia. The Stellia broke new ground for soundstage in a closed headphone, and the Stealth easily matches it in that arena while providing a more accurate and solid experience. Again, no lack of dynamics or realistic bass here -- my god this is fantastic for metal, listening to mid-period Immortal right now! It is EXTREMELY power-hungry, but I anticipated that and actually saw it as a feature, since I wanted to use it with the same amps and settings as my Abyss. The HPA4 has no issues driving this (it can put outrageous wattage into low-impedance loads) and I assume neither will my WA5 (which I don't run during the day in the summer for obvious reasons).

 

[Stereolab42]

One more immediate observation: each cup has a port at the top. This port is responsible for significant external sound leakage, and it's easy to test: take off the headphones, push them against each other while playing something loud, and compare what you can hear with your fingers over the port vs without. It is NOT a trivial difference. If you intend on using these close to other people like in an office environment, I would strongly suggest taping them over or something. It does effect the SQ to some degree but I'm having trouble categorizing exactly how at the moment.

 

[alxw0w]

It does effect the SQ to some degree but I'm having trouble categorizing exactly how at the moment.

Then it seems like you have seal problems/seal is not perfect and could be improved.
When I cover ports with fingers it cuts the bass completely and it's not a small change,

 

[Stereolab42]

Then it seems like you have seal problems/seal is not perfect and could be improved.
When I cover ports with fingers it cuts the bass completely and it's not a small change,

Yes, 80hz and below is gone if you do that, I had to put on rap to be sure.

 

[Nomax]

So, I used to be a cable denier since scientifically speaking anything without too much resistance, capacitance and inductance should sound the same.

However I started thinking about investing in a nice cable because
1) I hear differences in dacs and amps that should by the same logic also be inaudible, so i've already passed the station of basing my purchasing decisions on science only..
2) They look amazing! Treating cables as audiophile jewellery might be already make them worth the cost haha.
3). The Golden ear Nomax himself has invested in a fancy aftermarket Stealth cable and reports better sound (+ additional head-fi members whose opinions I respect)

I've reached the point where I can no longer buy better headphones, amplifiers or dacs and when a 2nd hand Lavricables Grand pure silver Stealth cable showed up on the classifieds I decided to take the plunge and see whether it made a difference to my ears, and otherwise I could easily sell the cable again for a small loss.
I've been listening to it now for a week and this is how I would describe the sound differences:

1. High frequencies sound less hazy/messy and more localized, both in time and space. More pronounced but never sharp or piercing.
2. Same effect in the lows, more impact and better definition, I can now follow the bass lines easier even during busy/congested passages.
3. Overall effect of increased separation/spatial effects.

Overall I'm very impressed by the sound, I'm noticing my listening volume has lowered as I'm no longer trying to compensate for congestion/lack of definition by making things louder. Even if its all placebo I'm feeling like I got a brand new headphone so money well spent!

Everbody gets over the years the listening experience and his own Golden Ears

NOMAX

PS.lol

 

[Stereolab42]

Norne Skollvar is in. I think I know what I like most about these headphones now -- the midrange is powerful and intimate without sacrificing soundstage. Very TOTL Audeze-like.

 

[Tachyon88]

Norne Skollvar is in. I think I know what I like most about these headphones now -- the midrange is powerful and intimate without sacrificing soundstage. Very TOTL Audeze-like.

Looks super light and pliable. Does it even feel like you have a cable attached when you're wearing them ?

 

[Stereolab42]

Looks super light and pliable. Does it even feel like you have a cable attached when you're wearing them ?

It's not particularly light, but it doesn't bother me because I have strong neck muscles (thanks to years of listening to the Abyss). And the Stealth itself IS light.

 

[willstuder]

It's not particularly light, but it doesn't bother me because I have strong neck muscles (thanks to years of listening to the Abyss). And the Stealth itself IS light.

Well, I know all about that. Years of training with the Audeze LCD-XCs . Anyway, I'm interested in cable noise, especially the transmission of cable noise. The fabric jacket of the original DCA Stealth cable transmits vibrations or fiction noise to the headphone housing. How would you compare the Skollvar in this respect?

 

[DarginMahkum]

Well, I know all about that. Years of training with the Audeze LCD-XCs . Anyway, I'm interested in cable noise, especially the transmission of cable noise. The fabric jacket of the original DCA Stealth cable transmits vibrations or fiction noise to the headphone housing. How would you compare the Skollvar in this respect?

If you have a cable that you like, you can also buy the connectors from here (in Germany) and convert it to Stealth.

 

[Stereolab42]

Well, I know all about that. Years of training with the Audeze LCD-XCs . Anyway, I'm interested in cable noise, especially the transmission of cable noise. The fabric jacket of the original DCA Stealth cable transmits vibrations or fiction noise to the headphone housing. How would you compare the Skollvar in this respect?

It's a rough fabric so it transmits some noise when moving around. I'm not sure there is a laws-of-physics way around that.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Norne Skollvar is in. I think I know what I like most about these headphones now -- the midrange is powerful and intimate without sacrificing soundstage. Very TOTL Audeze-like.

Hot Skollvar there! What is the XLR plug? Mine is eidolic rhodium, but yours seems different (Is it Furutech?).