[ufospls2]

Damn. I just received a Wells Audio Milo in for review (with the Khozmo attenuator and Vishay resistors) and it is sounding fantastic so far with the Diana Phi.

 

[szymonsays]

Is it the Reference? I have the original Milo with the Khozmo attenuator and Vishay resistors, and i also agree that it is a wonderful pairing with the Diana Phi. Then again, the Milo has made all my previous headphones sing!

 

[ufospls2]

Is it the Reference? I have the original Milo with the Khozmo attenuator and Vishay resistors, and i also agree that it is a wonderful pairing with the Diana Phi. Then again, the Milo has made all my previous headphones sing!

No it is just the regular version, not the "Reference" version. Exactly the same as you have (with the Khozmo attenuator and Vishay resistors.) I would love to hear a "Reference" version someday. Right now though, I am just lost in the music with the basic version!

 

[szymonsays]

No it is just the regular version, not the "Reference" version. Exactly the same as you have (with the Khozmo attenuator and Vishay resistors.) I would love to hear a "Reference" version someday. Right now though, I am just lost in the music with the basic version!

I think i remember you posting you once had the Headtrip? How close is the Milo to the Headtrip? I might want to upgrade one day when i return home to Canada in the not so distant future

 

[ufospls2]

I think i remember you posting you once had the Headtrip? How close is the Milo to the Headtrip? I might want to upgrade one day when i return home to Canada in the not so distant future

Ok. Well, It's complicated. I did own the Headtrip, and before that, I owned the completely stock basic Milo. I had to sell the Headtrip eventually as at the time I couldn't have that much money wrapped up in one piece of gear. Any comparison I do will have to be from distant memory. The one thing that has always struck me with Jeff Wells amps is the way they present female vocals. I'm listening to Four Tet's remix of Small Talk by Ultraista right now, and damn, the vocals are so beautiful. The Headtrip, from memory, is maybe a tiny bit more neutral in its presentation, whilst bringing more clarity and transparency to the table. I think the Milo might present the mids in a bit more of a forward nature than the Headtrip.

Perhaps @The Piper can chime in, as he will have a much better idea of the differences than I do.

 

[ufospls2]

I think i remember you posting you once had the Headtrip? How close is the Milo to the Headtrip? I might want to upgrade one day when i return home to Canada in the not so distant future

Sounding great so far!

 

[szymonsays]

Sounding great so far!

Great picture. Out of curiosity, does the Milo have enough headroom for the Susvara?

 

[ufospls2]

Great picture. Out of curiosity, does the Milo have enough headroom for the Susvara?

I'm finding it does so far, I will report back in the Susvara thread after some more listening. Though, for the Susvara, I suppose one would be better with the Enigma or Headtrip, due to the extra power.

 

[Joe Skubinski]

Headfifonics wrote some nice words about Diana Phi ....
https://headfonics.com/2019/03/abyss-headphones-diana-phi-first-contact/

 

[Hyde8767]

Anyone have a comparison between Diana phi and the Meze empyrean

 

[chimney189]

So I had a chance to hear the Diana Phi at a meet, but even at max volume on my iPhone it was just audible and no way near what I need in order to further analyze the headphone.
Sure, I can plug it into a desktop headphone amplifier! But then what is the damn point of this being a portable headphone if it is so hard to drive?

Anyway, I thought the fit was a bit weird. I had no issues with the top of the headband, but there was a weird clamping going on the side of my head just above the tip of my ears. The pads were definitely big enough, but I kept questioning whether or not I was getting a good seal.

From what I did hear it sounds like a mini HD-800 with controlled highs and less sound-stage width.

 

[up late]

your description of the diana phi's fit is similar to what i experienced with the diana (non phi)

 

[rumina]

it's time for some feedback for the abyss diana phi .

the fit of the diana (phi) is a gamble, if had the chance to try the diana at home and the fit is perfekt for my head. so don't buy this headphone whitout testing the fit. in my case it's perfekt fine, light and easy to handle vs my big phi.

the first thing i realized was that this small headphone needs near the same power as the big phi. works ok out of the wm-1z but plays not as good as the headphone can deliver. i use now most of the time with a 10 watt class a amp, the same amp i use with the big phi. look for a amp 2 watt plus, even my small smd dynalo drives the headphone not to the best (was a nice combo for 2 weeks holidays with the sony).

over the last 6 weeks i often found the diana phi more relaxing as the big phi. the big phi is energetic and powerful whereas the small diana is overall more balanced sounding over the fq range. i had this effect also with other headphones, when a fq part of a headphone realy is impressive the other parts gets in the background (even if the perform superb). the big phi delivers such great (sub)bass performance that the mids have to fight a tad for its presence. with the diana phi, the (sub)bass doesn't hit as hard and are more in line with the performance of the mids and highs.

cold technical speaking the big abyss perform better on most parts, goes a tad deeper and the highs have a tiny bit more energie. soundstage is bigger as the diana phi. but mids have vs the diana phi a small amout less presence.

the diana phi wins, even if the soundstage is smaler (imo more correct to the source size wise) with the positioning of the instruments, wide, high and deep are stunning perfect, similar to a sr-009. this headphone generates a pinpoint exact image. i like that the big abyss has a soundstage that is more in front of you vs the diana phi, here you sitting in the 1 row.

due it's very balanced overall character, mids who are more involving, the small abyss shares some of the dna of the susvara whitout loosing a hard hitting, well structured bass. either the ab-1266 phi or diana phi are warm sounding headphones like a sr-007, both are neutral, natural, real to source. a tiny tiny bit warm sounding. these are vs other headphones small differences, both abyss have the same main character, the abyss sound.

it's hard to say the one is better as the other. i realized that after the honeymoon phase with the ab-1266phi i more and more listen to other gear, not perse because they perform better but because i din't wanted a so big "kick" out of the music. now the diana phi is for me a fine addition to my collection. the diana phi delivers the abyss sound in a compact easy package, even better that this small headphone can outperform the bigger brother on some parts.

imo the diana phi perform very well for the asked high price. if the headphones fit you it's for some the better alternativ to the ab-1266 phi due it's easy handling and gentle character. it's a open headphone so nothing to commute, thus ok when the power demand is high.

finish is perfect, well made, nice leather, box quite simple no shiny addons. the cable sounds fine, mine is 4.4mm terminated, the cable has a douple tubening, the inner tubes ends bevor the 4.4mm connector and thus gives the impression of a weak point right in front of the connector (don't know if this is standard of a defect) i would prefer a headphone case vs a bag.

ps

after my holidays the ab-1266 phi tc was released, the first thing that i had in my head was that the diana phi has allready some of the benefits build in of the new tc

 

[chimney189]

The $3,000 price point is absolutely ridiculous, especially the $4,000 price point for the Phi.

Honestly, if I really think about it the Diana Phi sounds like a Mr. Speaker's Alpha Prime (which I think is also a mini HD 800) and the AP was $1,000 new.

It's a rip-off.

Also, they should not advertise this as a portable headphone unless literally carrying a headphone around is considered portable these days. It's really misleading UNLESS they have the power requirements on their website!

 

[cedboe]

Glad you could test it !

My Diana works great with the Mojo, but sure an iphone is not enough. Don't know about the phi but it should be the same. Was the phi burned in enough ?