[Lucikun]

Haha awesome. Yeah they're sweet. They fit a nice role in a collection and they're so light and easy to wear. Just perfect for around the house, OTG, etc. And they're good enough/scale to sit at your chain and listen with the best gear too IMO.

Yea, it’s refreshing to have such a small and light pair of phones after doing most of my listening on big, heavy ZMFs. They are very comfortable.

 

[Lucikun]

First impressions of the MR’s vs the Calderas.

This is after a 90 minute MR listening session so take it for what it’s worth.


Comfort:

No contest here. The Calderas are comfortable, but substantially heavier than the MRs. The vegan pads on the MR’s are super plush and the whole headphone just sits so nicely on my head. Easy win for the MR.

Sound wise I find the MRs to have a more “clean” sound. They also have more bite than the Calderas which is great for the metal and rock tracks I listened to during my first session with them.

The bass with the vegan bass ported pads on the MR is also more punchy and impactful than the Caldera to my ears with better sub bass extension. The bass on the Caldera is tight and controlled, but again lacks that oomph that the MR delivers.

Soundstage wise the Caldera definitely has the edge on width and depth. The MR is more intimate which works really well for some of the female vocal tracks I demoed. I found myself getting goosebumps on some vocal tracks, something I never experienced with the Caldera.
On TLC’s “Diggin on you” it felt like T Boz was singing directly into my ear.

Overall, I’m happy with my purchase so far. The MRs definitely scratch that itch for a different flavor from ZMF. Can’t wait to get more listening time!

 

[Code Red]

First impressions of the MR’s vs the Calderas.

This is after a 90 minute MR listening session so take it for what it’s worth.


Comfort:

No contest here. The Calderas are comfortable, but substantially heavier than the MRs. The vegan pads on the MR’s are super plush and the whole headphone just sits so nicely on my head. Easy win for the MR.

Sound wise I find the MRs to be slightly more resolving with a more “clean” sound. They also have more bite than the Calderas which is great for the metal and rock tracks I listened to during my first session with them. As someone stated earlier, the Calderas are a little too polite for Metal and I agree. Not that they sound bad, just don’t have that edge to them that MR delivers with heavier music.

The bass with the vegan bass ported pads on the MR is also more punchy and impactful than the Caldera to my ears with better sub bass extension. The bass on the Caldera is tight and controlled, but again lacks that oomph that the MR delivers.

Soundstage wise the Caldera definitely has the edge on width and depth. The MR is more intimate which works really well for some of the female vocal tracks I demoed. I found myself getting goosebumps on some vocal tracks, something I never experienced with the Caldera.
On TLC’s “Diggin on you” it felt like T Boz was singing directly into my ear.

Overall, I’m happy with my purchase so far. The MRs definitely scratch that itch for a different flavor from ZMF. Can’t wait to get more listening time!

I need to demo the MRs, I really like my Diana V2s as they complement the Calderas. Really curious what chain your using with the MRs? I tend to use the V2s on solid state and the Calderas on tubes.

 

[Lucikun]

I need to demo the MRs, I really like my Diana V2s as they complement the Calderas. Really curious what chain your using with the MRs? I tend to use the V2s on solid state and the Calderas on tubes.

I just ran them through my AK Kann Ultra since I didn’t have much time tonight.

They definitely complement my Atriums well.

 

[elig63]

Abyss has problems with production. My dealer ordered the MR for me in December. The order hasn't been sent yet!!!

 

[walterboss]

Seems it's still so hard to get any comparison between Diana V2 and Diana MR. Wonder how Abyss tune the MR.

As your posts on the TT2 thread (and here) helped me immensely, I thought I'd share some impressions.

I only joined yesterday so can't post pictures yet...

Impressions From Diana V2 > Diana MR

Chain
Streaming via Quboz – CD quality or higher where available
>
Mac Mini M1
>
Chord Hugo TT2 (filters XFD1 and FIL1)
[NB: no MScaler or HQPlayer used)
>
Abyss Diana V2 and MR using stock cables
>
Strong black coffee

Volume is probably around 70-75db

General impressions first:

I LOVE my V2. I didn't much at the start and was set on selling them until I took off the DMS mod pads (too close to ears and loose) and put on some Dekoni pads. I know some don't like them, but they seal nicely which is my preference and bring quite a good bit more bass as they're deeper than the original pads.
But note, the DMS pads I have to compare are not nearly as plush or big as the new style ones that come with MR.

I wasn't expecting night and day difference, but a few tracks in and the difference is huge.

I don't have the vocabulary a lot of you do. All I can say about the overall difference is that the MR just sounds bigger, but with more clarity and detail. Imaging is fully the equal of my LCD-5 (see Tool - Vicarious note).

lt's just a total blast. I'm not EQing the MR and can't imagine needing or wanting to after this. Maybe just a small tinker with bass but I've got bass ported pads coming soon.

Comfort
I'm used to the Dekonis on my V2 which seal quite distinctly. I'm thrown on first putting on the MR as the pads feel very loose at the bottom. Try not to panic.
OK it's fine with a little tinkering not of the arm length, but simply moving the pads back and forth. Then after a few minutes, the pads settle and it's a gentle but definite seal. It's not nearly as tight as the Dekonis. But it's significantly better after actually about 30 seconds on you head.

Having listened to the MR for a while now, these are FAR more comfortable than the V2 with any other pads I've tried.

Specific song impressions

(these impressions were written after multiple listens)

Tool - Schism
There's not much else but guitars and vocals going on the first few minutes, but already on my first listen to the MR on the first track I can tell how warm the tone is. I REALLY like it. When I hear DMS and Joshua Valour talk about how good the tuning is on the MR, I get it now. It sounds very natural. Like I'm hearing the guitars the way they should sound.

Tool - Vicarious
So the LCD-5 has a little party trick with this song, and I often try to repeat it with new headphones out of interest...The opening guitar pattern in both ears at the start is actually rotating clockwise around each ear while the bass holds down the centre. It's something I never noticed until I tried LCD-5. The MR is the only other headphone I've heard that gets as close to capturing this. It's subtle, but it's there. The BIG difference with the LCD-5 is how big it sounds on the MR when the full band kicks in around 50secs. To be fair, it's produced to sound big no matter what you're listening to it on. But the MR sounds much bigger, wider, and more powerful than anything I've heard before, including the LCD-5. Comfortably.

Massive Attack - Angel
OK...wow. As soon as the opening bass line comes in I'm reminded how good and clear the bass is on the MR vs V2. The soundstage is also significantly wider and TALLER most of all to my ears. Which I really love. Feels like the guitars are just streaming up into the sky and waving around like Northern Lights.

November - Max Richter
A regular listen for me so I know it well. There's so much attack in the violin. As the rest of the orchestra comes in it all feels so powerful but the authority of that single violin never falters. The fact that the MR consistently keeps this clarity and detail whilst delivering that power and punch is really its biggest plus for me.
On V2, I don't get much sense of separation between everything. With the V2, the imaging places the violin at vague point 'somewhere' in front of the orchestra.
But with the MR, it places the violin six feet in front, and on a slight riser. Can I actually hear which way the violinist turns at some points?? [/s here btw!]

Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place
The main thing that hits me here is the tone of the Rhodes keyboard opening. It sounds so beautiful in a way I've not heard before. The imaging of Thom's voice. This is a very busy song. What shines through is Thom's voice in the middle. Never felt so close to his vocals before. It gave me goosebumps and that doesn't happen often to me anymore. I was NOT expecting this at all.

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Storm
A VERY long opening to this song which builds and builds and builds...
The start, however, what grabs me is the space between the guitars, and the beautiful tone of the guitars. I know this song back and forwards and upside down. This is the best these guitars have ever sounded to me. This is now becoming a staggering experience. I keep getting goosebumps!
The staging of the strings feels so perfectly separated and placed in each ear. It's not distracting at all. It's sounding like when I'm looking at a stage and they play live.
I now wonder if I'm artificially ascribing qualities to the MR that are there in the V2 but I haven't paid enough attention to before. So I stop and put the song back to the previous passage and swap to the V2...
...
Nope, the V2 sounds really lovely. Lovely tone to the instruments but it sounds like everything is grouped together in each ear. I can make out each instrument's role clearly, but with the MR...
...
Yes, unmistakably now, the MR is keeping those instruments apart and placing them distinctly around the stage, while never losing any of the power of the band playing together.
This was all between 2:30-4:00 mark in the song if you want to have a listen.
When the song peaks from 5:00-6:20 it's like the gates of heaven are opening up.

Conclusions
Based on what I'd read about the MR, it was impossible not to actively look for things like 'punch' or 'dynamics'. What I didn't expect was the extent of the clarity and imaging. If I wasn't already set on selling my LCD-5 in order to try out Diana TC, the MR would absolutely be giving them a run for their money.

Without getting carried away, this is just a first hour's impressions, and the LCD-5 is still a beast. But this is comparing to the V2. In a few weeks, I doubt I could say confidently, yeah no one needs LCD-5 when you have a Diana MR.

I'm not saying that. I would never suggest LCD-5 and MR are playing the same game.

However, compared the V2 as this post intended, I expect I'll find it hard to keep the V2, but that decision will take some time, because I'm deep in the new-headphone-seratonin-hit stage.

I'd also like to assure you reading this that I am NOT prone to gushing over a headphone just because it's new and my brain is amused. I'm more often than not underwhelmed by new headphones, as I'm at the stage where differences aren't blowing my head wide open.

However, I can't remember a headphone impressing me this much since I went from an HD6XX to an LCD-X (not in terms of either sounding remotely like the V2 or MR. Just in terms of being impressed).

BTW, Storm by Godspeed... is now peaking around the 11:30 mark on another listen, and I'm reminded yet again why the Diana MR is sounding remarkable to me.

I hope you find this helpful even if you're not a V2 owner. Peace!

 

[michael2v]

I hope you find this helpful even if you're not a V2 owner. Peace!

This is an absolutely fantastic write-up, and honestly the first review I've read that immediately made me think "I need to get an MR!" That hook about loving (in caps!) your V2 is exactly how I feel about mine, and a lot of reviews seem to touch on some of the compromises between V2 and MR (especially with the bass), but it sounds like your experience was pretty unambiguously positive all around.

I had been thinking that the Atrium would be my next big purchase, but this has me re-considering!

 

[ChJL]

better get a HE1000se?

 

[orrman]

better get a HE1000se?

Depending on preferences and your chain, yes perhaps. These are very very different headphones.

 

[ChJL]

Depending on preferences and your chain, yes perhaps. These are very very different headphones.

Yeah, I still can't get myself to buy a Hifiman... it's his favorite HP nevertheless.

 

[orrman]

Yeah, I still can't get myself to buy a Hifiman... it's his favorite HP nevertheless.

Susvara is my favorite headphone by a large margin from everything else. I pick it up most times and especially if I'd like more details and larger presentation (although a more laid-back sound). The HE1000se is a great option in the price range, especially with the lower asking price these days. It is picky so chain synergy plays a big role with it.
I can see where he comes from in some of the criticism. Would've been nice if he tried the vegan pads too.
Not everyone has to like everything in this hobby, that's actually impossible.

 

[calypsocat]

Hi, anyone of you enlightened people has or had both MR and D8000 Pro at hand? Is it possible to compare these 2 or are they totally different? (still waiting for my demos)

 

[Rhodey]

They’re definitely different. MR is warmer and way more comfortable IMO.

D8KP (I have LE so not sure how that changes things) is a bit clearer and maybe some more air. I think I like the MRs timbre more. D8KP hits harder in the low low end but I don’t mind the MRs impact in this area. I don’t find the MRs stage too small, to me it stages decent so I don’t think the D8KP is killing it here either.

But if I had to choose, I’d take the MR.

MR is a tad bit harder to drive too.

 

[akukula]

Its been 3 months now since I had my MR. That was Oct 20 last year. Sonce then I have added vegan and leather bass ported pads. Also added the JPS labs cable. As u can see I have totally embraced this headphone. Thats how much I like it. This and my Susvara are all I need. My endgames hopefully.

 

[Rhodey]

Its been 3 months now since I had my MR. That was Oct 20 last year. Sonce then I have added vegan and leather bass ported pads. Also added the JPS labs cable. As u can see I have totally embraced this headphone. Thats how much I like it. This and my Susvara are all I need. My endgames hopefully.

Yeah I’ve thought about getting a superconductor. Just don’t wanna pay msrp lol. Looking/waiting for a used one.