Diana: the second release by Abyss Headphones!

^ Never mind...ufospls2 said it better than I did.

 

thanks again.. i'll still try them both
i thought the Diana just needed to be amped unlike the MX4.

 

Well, all headphones need some sort of amplification - just most phones etc will put out very little power at full volume - (normally line level I think). But some more powerful purpose made audiophile-type DAPs should make the Diana portable - like the Diana edition of the PAW Gold... Though I think it has been discontinued. Maybe a Fiio X7 with a powerful amp module fitted or something would do the trick. I'm sure there are others - an AK player with an add on amp module maybe?

 

Thx, I just brought up Hugo for portable reasons. The more I look at these without actually trying them yet, the more I can see them as portable as well.

 

Fellas.

I was fortunate enough to get a loan of a pair of Dianas this afternoon...

Only other headphones I have to compare with is the original 1266 but for the first time in a long time, I'm going to have to have a think about which I like better... The guys have really done a bang up job with these. Most other shootouts are over in less than half an hour for me. Pretty impressive!

 

Cool! Looking forward to more impressions from you.

I see Marantz TT-15S turntable there?

 

What no price bashing?

 

I will definitely let you know how I get on. Would be nice to have a few more headphones to compare with as the 1266 was my first true love and the only headphone I've cared about for the last 2 or 3 years so it's pretty stiff competition... Also not a super fair comparison being a model down and 2/3 the price but hey...

Nice turntable spotting - I decided to jump on the vinyl bandwagon

I would hope we're past that stage by now... High end ...anything... is expensive - that's life I guess.
But if it can offer a fair chunk of what the phi can, but in the form of something you can take on the road with you and power from a portable and for less money, then the price is justified to me.

 

I know you might be waiting until you get more head time with the Diana to post longer impressions, but could you comment on the bass and soundstage compared to the AB-1266? There are lots of things about the 1266 that make it special, but its bass and soundstage have always really impressed me. I'm imagining Diana has a smaller soundstage, but I could be wrong.

 

My biggest problem with the Abyss was the fit - the way they flat on your head uncomfortably and that the cups have to barely touch your ears etc. Do the Diana fit like normal headphones? Also, do they fit fully around your ear?

Also, the cable with the black headphones is white in colour?

 

Curious about the impressions vs the Utopias - specially with regards to bass, soundstage and resolution

 

the earcups like the Abyss is also rotatable but unlike the Abyss the rotation is limited. they do fit like normal headphomes, in fact for me they're the most comfortable for me and I can't almost feel the headband.

 

I'm almost three weeks with the Diana and normally by now (with a new headphone), the thrill is fading, the novelty has begun to wear off, and flaws begin to rear their ugly head. But the opposite seems to be taking place. I'm enjoying the Diana even more now, and I've delved further into my music collection and everything sounds better than I ever recall it sounding. No colorations have appeared in the midrange, no gradual attempted takeover by bass or treble. I can count on the Diana to show the music to my ears without tarting it up or distorting it.

What is really fun is to listen to a new recording (previously unheard) and it takes you back to when you first heard hi-end sound through great speakers in a showroom at a top audio salon. Maybe the Diana will be the first expensive headphone I've owned that I didn't eventually end up finding to be a waste of money and worth nowhere near the asking price. It's been money well spend so far and it looks encouragingly like it may stay that way.

 

The earcups on the Abyss were not rotatable - could only move the joint on the top of the headband.

 

what really not rotatable?
the earpads i meant

i did use the old Abyss though not the Phi