[Abyss Headphones]

Measurements have been added to the Diana MR headphone page...

Diana MR Frequency Response

Diana MR Total Harmonic Distortion

https://abyss-headphones.com/collections/abyss-headphones/products/abyss-diana-mr

 

[Tom Blake]

Is Abyss going to offer the travel case that comes with the MR as a separate purchase? Would love to pick one up to use with my TC.

 

[Abyss Headphones]

At some point yes the new case will be sold separately.

 

[Devodonaldson]

Brand new Abyss Diana MR owner from Canjam SoCal. So in love with these. I've been a fan since the 1266 back in 2017-2018. I don't do desktop. I've listened to every Diana, and they were always too power hungry for my meager portable systems, not to mention far out of my price range. Fast forward to 2023. I had extensive head time with the Diana TC and the MR. Bass ported vegan and leather pads. As technically proficient as the TC is, and wonderful sounding as it is, after 5 minutes, my ears become fatigued with the treble, with both sets of pads. The MR with vegan pads is sweet, detailed, and let's the bass come through when called for. Plays adequately from my Sony wm1z m1 on high gain at 105-114 out of 120. Plays wonderfully on my Shanling m8 on high gain at 70-75 out of 100. Definitely have my NEAR endgame in hand....finally. Looking forward to the eventual closed backs in the next year or two

 

[Hameem]

I have heard the AB-1266 Phi and it's easily the best bass in the world, only thing better than He-1 bass. But that midrange tho.....

How bass compares to d8000

 

[timsams]

How bass compares to d8000

The AB1266 is like a subwoofer and depending on the angle on your head, you will gain mid bass but loose almost all subbass. the D8000pro is linear all the way with great subbass and well textured. It feels like a Susvara with +10dB bass boost. The D8000 non pro is a bit more mid bassy.

 

[Hameem]

The AB1266 is like a subwoofer and depending on the angle on your head, you will gain mid bass but loose almost all subbass. the D8000pro is linear all the way with great subbass and well textured. It feels like a Susvara with +10dB bass boost. The D8000 non pro is a bit more mid bassy.

Sounds like d8000 is better bass head headphones than the 1266 and Sony z1r from what you write
Must be better than the lcd 2c too in terms of bass
What come be the end game bass head cans in your honest opinion?

 

[timsams]

Sounds like d8000 is better bass head headphones than the 1266 and Sony z1r from what you write
Must be better than the lcd 2c too in terms of bass
What come be the end game bass head cans in your honest opinion?

You have to take into consideration your preferences too, especially the signature of the headphones. Just my opinion and preferences in this order :
- I love the D8000pro signature and bass, but if I listen to loud of boost the bass, it clips at high volume. It's fun and natural though. When you hear it, it doesn't come out as anything special, but that's because it does everything so right. You can listen to your D8Kpro on any device, it recquires no special power. I love how the bass is done, very linear, present and textured. (The clipping is only at high bass volume, it's present on D8000, pro, LE and also the YH-5000SE, it's a limitation of the air dampening system technology used in those headphones, final never admited it, they always say it's fixed after each D8K iteration but it's really not)
- Susvara with bass boost is great and fun, the timber is a bit more natural and airy than the D8000pro. You can't be a basshead without EQ with this one, or maybe some kind of tube rolling, but if you only want bass, EQ is free ^^. You need quite a lot more power with that kind of Bass boost EQ because of the preamp applied. I love it though, it might replace the D8Kpro long term as I listen very loud sometimes
- 1266 is all bass and resolution, it can be a ton of fun, but I miss the subbass a lot during my EDM sessions. The signature with the lack of mid also prevent me from using it often.
- Focal utopia is typical Dynamic bass and lacks texture, sorry Focal ^^

Special mention to the Diana v2 with bass boost + Ported pads for the bass

Raal CA-1a has also very deep bass and nice timber and resolution. I will need more time with it in the future.
LCD2C bass is very good for any entry audiophile that doesn't have a kidney to spend. It was my first true audiophile headphones after the HD650.
From memory, the Z1R is okey but didn't ring any bell for me. Especially as a closed back, I would take the Kennerton rognir planar instead, very good bass and open sound for a closed back.

Mind you, It's my opinion on transparent SS amps, I haven't tried tube rolling or EQ fixing the timber or FR of those headphones, only a simple bass boost is all I like.

 

[Hameem]

You have to take into consideration your preferences too, especially the signature of the headphones. Just my opinion and preferences in this order :
- I love the D8000pro signature and bass, but if I listen to loud of boost the bass, it clips at high volume. It's fun and natural though. When you hear it, it doesn't come out as anything special, but that's because it does everything so right. You can listen to your D8Kpro on any device, it recquires no special power. I love how the bass is done, very linear, present and textured. (The clipping is only at high bass volume, it's present on D8000, pro, LE and also the YH-5000SE, it's a limitation of the air dampening system technology used in those headphones, final never admited it, they always say it's fixed after each D8K iteration but it's really not)
- Susvara with bass boost is great and fun, the timber is a bit more natural and airy than the D8000pro. You can't be a basshead without EQ with this one, or maybe some kind of tube rolling, but if you only want bass, EQ is free ^^. You need quite a lot more power with that kind of Bass boost EQ because of the preamp applied. I love it though, it might replace the D8Kpro long term as I listen very loud sometimes
- 1266 is all bass and resolution, it can be a ton of fun, but I miss the subbass a lot during my EDM sessions. The signature with the lack of mid also prevent me from using it often.
- Focal utopia is typical Dynamic bass and lacks texture, sorry Focal ^^

Special mention to the Diana v2 with bass boost + Ported pads for the bass

Raal CA-1a has also very deep bass and nice timber and resolution. I will need more time with it in the future.
LCD2C bass is very good for any entry audiophile that doesn't have a kidney to spend. It was my first true audiophile headphones after the HD650.
From memory, the Z1R is okey but didn't ring any bell for me. Especially as a closed back, I would take the Kennerton rognir planar instead, very good bass and open sound for a closed back.

Mind you, It's my opinion on transparent SS amps, I haven't tried tube rolling or EQ fixing the timber or FR of those headphones, only a simple bass boost is all I like.

You can't avoid distortion if you use high gain amp to give more headroom for bass eqing ?

 

[timsams]

You can't avoid distortion if you use high gain amp to give more headroom for bass eqing ?

I either use the integrated xBass on ifi devices or Equalizer APO. I always followed the guidance to add a negative pre-amp, so I don't know if I can just avoid the pre-amp with high gain AMP. I still have head-room after EQ anyway, I blow my ears for 5 min and always bring down the volume right after. I don't want to be deaf before my 25th birthday xD

 

[Hameem]

I either use the integrated xBass on ifi devices or Equalizer APO. I always followed the guidance to add a negative pre-amp, so I don't know if I can just avoid the pre-amp with high gain AMP. I still have head-room after EQ anyway, I blow my ears for 5 min and always bring down the volume right after. I don't want to be deaf before my 25th birthday xD

I would trade the lcd2 for 4 of my headphones if you dm me

 

[peripheralsdealer]

Does anyone own both diana v2 and utopia 2022 and can share his thoughts regarding sound differences and such?

 

[eskamobob1]

You can't avoid distortion if you use high gain amp to give more headroom for bass eqing ?

The distortion on d8k is the driver physically hitting the housing. It has nothing to do with the amp

 

[mahesvara]

I got my new Diana MR headphones from Abyss recently so I thought I should emerge from my hibernation cave again and post my impression.

First, if someone asks me to post a one-sentence summary about Diana MR, what should I say? Glad you asked.

Summary​

If you want a pair of headphones that has huge out-of-your-head soundstage, high enough resolution for you to start hearing things you've not heard before in your music, smooth enough to be a daily driver that won't force you to abandon everything you're doing to listen to them, and have great bass, Diana MR is for you.

Impression (and a lot of comparison to other Abyss)​

I'm an Abyss-for-life kinda person (I have the 1266 Phi TC, Diana TC which replaced my Diana Phi, and a recently departed Diana V2), so when Abyss announced that they were releasing the Diana MR, I naturally handed over my money to the folks in Buffalo, NY without worrying about listening to them first like a sane person would.

Luckily, Abyss does not disappoint. The carbon fiber version I got, which I hadn't even burned in properly yet, sounded good out of the box. Nay, great out of the box. Now let me describe to you what it sounds like going from one Abyss headphones to another.

From Diana V2 -> Diana MR​

V2 is a super mellow and chill headphones that has great bass. I think V2 is always meant to be a forgiving pair of headphones that allowed you to enjoy your music at relatively low investment into your gears. Relative, because well, you know, V2 ain't cheap. It wouldn't break your bank to set up an audio chain that made V2 sound good.

What you get by going from V2 to MR is a similarly warm presentation of your music, HUGE soundstage that wraps more toward the back of your head, stronger bass, higher resolution that makes you appreciate your well mastered songs more. You'd lose a bit of that mellowness and chillness of V2 in exchange for something that sounded much more FUN. In terms of signature, MR is slightly more U-shaped than V2. In terms of the size of the soundstage, MR's comes pretty close to that of the big boy, 1266 Phi TC. In terms of investment, you're probably fine using the same gears you do to power V2.

On a side note, I got a loaner unit of Woo Audio Tube Mini to play with. It's a surprisingly good pairing with Diana MR. Diana TC sounds a bit anemic on the Tube Mini but Diana MR sounds great with it. I'd say that if you're traveling and still wanting to enjoy music in your hotel room, your phone, Tube Mini, and Diana MR would make a very convenient and good travel combination.

From MR -> Diana TC​

Diana TC is not the kind of headphones that you put on when you are working, because you'll keep getting distracted by the voice of God in your ears, telling you to stop whaling on your keyboard and listen, dammit. You want to just lie down somewhere, close your eyes, and realize that every single penny you sacrifice at the altar of your audio chain is worth it.

That's what Diana TC is, something that demands that you invest your money into your DAC, amp, interconnect cable, USB cable, and even a power regenerator because you will hear every true upgrade you make. Diana TC scales insanely well. In exchange of you selling your kidney to afford everything, it gives you music that grabs your attention and won't let go.

Diana MR will sound better on better gears for sure, but not as drastically noticeable as Diana TC. Diana MR has bigger soundstage than Diana TC and its bass hits harder than Diana TC, but you'll get two things when you upgrade to TC: (a) incredible resolution and superb imaging that make instrument separation cleaner (although it would be less forgiving on your less stellarly recorded songs), and (b) more realistic representation of music with a more balanced curve than the slightly U-shaped Diana MR.

Diana MR is a much better daily driver than Diana TC because MR is more forgiving. TC is something you put on when you want to listen critically and just enjoy music and nothing else.

From Diana TC to 1266 Phi TC​

Phi TC is even more merciless than Diana TC when it comes to exposing flaws. Diana TC is more mid-forward than Phi TC, it does not have the insanely high resolution that Phi TC does, and it does not hit as hard. Phi TC's soundstage is BIG and WIDE. Phi TC is not something you lie down and enjoy the music with. It's something you put on your head, stand, and jam along with the music. It's that engrossing. It just steals all your attention away. Phi TC is not highly recommended unless you have top-tier audio gears and REALLY well-mastered music.

Closing thought​

I really like Diana MR. You should get a pair too. End of story

 

[obstacleofaffliction]

I got my new Diana MR headphones from Abyss recently so I thought I should emerge from my hibernation cave again and post my impression.

First, if someone asks me to post a one-sentence summary about Diana MR, what should I say? Glad you asked.

Summary​

If you want a pair of headphones that has huge out-of-your-head soundstage, high enough resolution for you to start hearing things you've not heard before in your music, smooth enough to be a daily driver that won't force you to abandon everything you're doing to listen to them, and have great bass, Diana MR is for you.

Impression (and a lot of comparison to other Abyss)​

I'm an Abyss-for-life kinda person (I have the 1266 Phi TC, Diana TC which replaced my Diana Phi, and a recently departed Diana V2), so when Abyss announced that they were releasing the Diana MR, I naturally handed over my money to the folks in Buffalo, NY without worrying about listening to them first like a sane person would.

Luckily, Abyss does not disappoint. The carbon fiber version I got, which I hadn't even burned in properly yet, sounded good out of the box. Nay, great out of the box. Now let me describe to you what it sounds like going from one Abyss headphones to another.

From Diana V2 -> Diana MR​

V2 is a super mellow and chill headphones that has great bass. I think V2 is always meant to be a forgiving pair of headphones that allowed you to enjoy your music at relatively low investment into your gears. Relative, because well, you know, V2 ain't cheap. It wouldn't break your bank to set up an audio chain that made V2 sound good.

What you get by going from V2 to MR is a similarly warm presentation of your music, HUGE soundstage that wraps more toward the back of your head, stronger bass, higher resolution that makes you appreciate your well mastered songs more. You'd lose a bit of that mellowness and chillness of V2 in exchange for something that sounded much more FUN. In terms of signature, MR is slightly more U-shaped than V2. In terms of the size of the soundstage, MR's comes pretty close to that of the big boy, 1266 Phi TC. In terms of investment, you're probably fine using the same gears you do to power V2.

On a side note, I got a loaner unit of Woo Audio Tube Mini to play with. It's a surprisingly good pairing with Diana MR. Diana TC sounds a bit anemic on the Tube Mini but Diana MR sounds great with it. I'd say that if you're traveling and still wanting to enjoy music in your hotel room, your phone, Tube Mini, and Diana MR would make a very convenient and good travel combination.

From MR -> Diana TC​

Diana TC is not the kind of headphones that you put on when you are working, because you'll keep getting distracted by the voice of God in your ears, telling you to stop whaling on your keyboard and listen, dammit. You want to just lie down somewhere, close your eyes, and realize that every single penny you sacrifice at the altar of your audio chain is worth it.

That's what Diana TC is, something that demands that you invest your money into your DAC, amp, interconnect cable, USB cable, and even a power regenerator because you will hear every true upgrade you make. Diana TC scales insanely well. In exchange of you selling your kidney to afford everything, it gives you music that grabs your attention and won't let go.

Diana MR will sound better on better gears for sure, but not as drastically noticeable as Diana TC. Diana MR has bigger soundstage than Diana TC and its bass hits harder than Diana TC, but you'll get two things when you upgrade to TC: (a) incredible resolution and superb imaging that make instrument separation cleaner (although it would be less forgiving on your less stellarly recorded songs), and (b) more realistic representation of music with a more balanced curve than the slightly U-shaped Diana MR.

Diana MR is a much better daily driver than Diana TC because MR is more forgiving. TC is something you put on when you want to listen critically and just enjoy music and nothing else.

From Diana TC to 1266 Phi TC​

Phi TC is even more merciless than Diana TC when it comes to exposing flaws. Diana TC is more mid-forward than Phi TC, it does not have the insanely high resolution that Phi TC does, and it does not hit as hard. Phi TC's soundstage is BIG and WIDE. Phi TC is not something you lie down and enjoy the music with. It's something you put on your head, stand, and jam along with the music. It's that engrossing. It just steals all your attention away. Phi TC is not highly recommended unless you have top-tier audio gears and REALLY well-mastered music.

Closing thought​

I really like Diana MR. You should get a pair too. End of story

Great impressions.
Can you, from memory, compare the Diana Phi to the MR?
If it's been too long since transitioning from the Phi to the TC, I totally underspost.
I own the V2 and Phi so that's why I ask.
Thank you.