ENIGMACOUSTICS DHARMA D1000 - REVIEW
TTVJ AUDIO PRICE - 1190.00
Intro
Just like the super enthusiastic headphone addict I am, I jumped at the opportunity to get my ears under the Dharma D1000 as soon as I heard
@Todd from
TTVJ (web links in blue) was offering these up for loan/tour and review. I had little experience with him or his online store before but upon visiting his website (I know I am wayyy late sorry) I was simply taken back but the number of options he had available, from vinyl turntables, to headphones, to amps, phono amps, cables; I mean you name it this guy has it all. To top it off when I asked him about new products that I was interested in he was very responsive and had those coming as well. My disclaimer is that I have no personal ties or ulterior motives whatsoever but am genuinely happy I became aware of such a resourceful and helpful vendor as a result of my interest in this headphone.
My personal tastes are probably becoming more notorious because of how consistent I am at making those priorities known when I offer impressions. Still, I have also become more sensitive to the tastes of others and wish to describe this headphone in a wholistic way. While this headphone met my expectations in some ways, exceeded it in others, and failed at some I really enjoyed my time with it and was a bit bummed out when it was time for me to pass it on to the next person to enjoy them. To describe my personal preferences here would enable you to read the rest of the review under your own lens while discarding mine should you choose. They are as follows:
- My number one priority of which I am guilty of mentioning is bass solidity, impact, quantity, and overall quality.
- To follow would be the way vocals are fleshed out and is equally as important as the bass aspect just not the first thing I listen for.
- Next would be transient response, attack, and dynamics which was the deal breaker for me with the Hex because it is what enables me to be persuaded of the emotion behind the bass and instruments. A flat sound to me is a no go. This aspect is right up there in priorities and sometimes precedes my preference of a good midrange.
- The next would be soundstage, which is more important to me than imaging because I simply don't like to have the instruments cramped and have yet to know a person that does.
- Lastly would be the treble balance. I have grown more and more appreciative of great treble extension and tolerant of bright headphones. This is the area my tastes are changing a bit. I appreciate good crisp texture up top and air to provide the effortlessness that is true to real life.
- Other things like a black background, low distortion, noise, detail retrieval etc are all very important to me as well but overall I like to just enjoy my music first then analyze it second.
Music I listened to during my time with the D1000 varied in type, and format. No vinyl but Flac, MP3, Youtube, Soundcloud. I listened to Americana, Jazz, Folk, Trip hop, Electronic hip hop, Real Hip Hop, reggae, Salsa, Merenque, World, Post Rock, Contemporary Christian music, and that is about it.
My chain and gear used:
Imac 5k 2015 Retina>Geek Pulse Infinity>balanced out to the Cavalli Liquid Carbon> but only could use the SE side because of the cable provided./Pioneer SA6500 II integrated amp
By the way I am no photographer and I know it. My camera sucks but I figure its better than nothing.
Specs
The Dharma is a Hybrid design of electrostatic and dynamic drivers. The dynamic driver is of a 52mm Washi paper driver that is used for the majority of the Frequency response and to offer a realistic midrange and mid bass punch. It's described to reach very deep in the bass. The Electrostatic driver is for the very high frequencies and is used to extend beyond 40khz which is far beyond our ability to hear yet is supposedly useful sonically in ways better described by those more tech savoy than myself.I personally don't dig deep into the technical side of things because I quickly lose interest. In the same token I am always very excited to become aware of new technology and behold the results.
Frequency response 15–50 kH
Nominal impedance 26 Ohms
THD Less than 0.3% (1 kHz, 1mW)
Sensitivity 95 dB (1 kHz, 1mW)
Configuration Around the ear, open back.
Standard plug ¼” (6.3 mm) stereo
Weight 380 g (without cable)
Cable length 3 meters
Packaging / Accessories
The D1000 arrived double boxed in new condition. I didn't have my trusty blade to open it but when I did I was met with simple packaging. The dharma comes in a sleek black cardboard box with metallic silver lettering to label it. The headphone package is comprised of the headphones, the dual entry cable, the headphone pamphlet, a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter, and of course the headphones which in my opinion is all you really need.
Build/Comfort
As you read you my find I am a very opinionated individual and despite what I have read elsewhere I think the Dharma is built exceptionally well. The Dharma is built with the durability and thoughtfulness that is sometimes lacking in other headphones. The headphone in my hands feels quite substantial but is not too heavy (380g) for extended listing sessions. The frame is ruggedized with it's stealthy black -all metal gimbals. Though it resembles the Philips X1 design, this is in another realm in terms of build quality.
The headphones are practically built to function with no adjustment once worn. I feel they executed this type of design well. When I come to think of it I never had to reposition the headphones or move them around despite tucking my ears in a bit. The suspension strap gently secures the headphones as the cup swivels automatically fit to the contours of the listeners head shape. I will confess the pads do seem to be the last thought but they are pretty soft and give in fairly easy to pressure but seem a bit cheap. The HiFiMan Edition X is genuinely more comfortable as a whole but it's oversized cups and headband mechanism may not be as universal of a fit as the D1k. Not to mention I would bet my whole set up that the Dharma will stand the test of time. If you had both together the EdX's build quality would be embarrassed by the Dharma even more so than the Philips would especially considering price. Even compared to The Audeze's I feel the Dharma's build is of a higher caliber yet even a little lighter. The Audeze headphones pads do earn it some points over the Dharma as I feel the Dharma ear pads are just a hair shallow. Shallow they are, even so the D1k has a deep cavity inside to prevent the ears from cramming up against the driver. I would like to mention that I have a large head so the quick conforming aspects mentioned above could be less generally experienced abroad.
While the cable provided is of adequate length and decent quality, I find it to be stiff and cumbersome. I was continuously moving it out of the way or finding it a bit unwilling to conform to my repositioning (my body not the headphones) while I tried to get myself comfortable to relax.
Overall I feel the the build quality is exceptional with its rigid and sturdy build. Now onto the even most important part...
SOUND
Amarra SQ+, Tidal HIFI, Audirvana Plus 2.2
Perceived Frequency balance
To my ears the Frequency response of the Dharma is fairly balanced with a truly neutral bass (I use the word "truly" to describe what most monitors and studio gear would represent vs thin or lean gear) that roughly transitions into an even lower midrange, slightly bumped upper midrange; peaked by a soaring yet not overbearing treble with good extension up top; with the sub bass being rolled off a tad.... sorry for the long sentence lol. ( I am no grammar major).
Top to bottom this time....
Treble
I have yet to hear an electrostatic headphone or the HD800 but in my opinion the treble of the Dharma is the best I have heard yet to date. I have read comments of the headphones being splashy... and I beg to differ. Simply because the word splashy implies a loss of distinctions and blending of details when multiple instruments in the higher frequencies are being played together. The treble texture is crisp, clean, effortless, and detailed. The HF are boosted (not too much though) no doubt and on the wrong song it will ruin the recording totally. But on the right song you will be sit in revelatory experience of your musics upper detail. I have heard plenty of headphones that are bright yet swish and swath all of the details in dishwasher of splashing as cymbals and high hats spit in your ears ... this headphone is NOT that. The extension is pretty good as well yet for some reason, despite its air I wish for a tad more openness(not size but less reverberations from the cups) to be totally convinced. I am nitpicking and this is just an opinionated impression but really, this treble is world class. Some of the really low quality and warm, dark recordings however were unwillingly boosted in the highs and while it offered more clarity on those songs than with other headphones, it also made them sound really fake and sucked the life out of them. I would like to mention that the last sentence isn't for all bad recordings as my library isn't full of mostly High Res (simply not enough of high res of the music I most prefer) but those songs I mention were destroyed. While other ambient and atmospheric sounding music sounded phenomenal. What I try to do is lean in to the music in anticipation of the recording building to that part where everything explodes in emotion and pace to hear how a headphone handles the flood. The D1K does great!... but sibilance is absolutely present even if there is no hard glare. The texture is neither hard and glaring, nor soft. Fatigue was less experienced compared to the bright and peaky headphones I am used to. It's just simply clean, delicate, and airy with great transient response up top. I suspect a purely electrostatic driver will impress me further but I have no interest them as I read about their bass performance.
Midrange
The midrange frequencies sound like child's play on the Dharma D1000 as it fluently translates the recordings intentions to the listener like it's second nature. There is such a flow to the Dharma that inspires words like pure, sweet, smooth, and fast. I do not think the balance in the midrange is perfect for all vocals as sometimes male vocals can sound a tad more trimmed than I am used to but that is not to suggest a midrange recession. This is the personal choice of the manufacture and a choice I am not at odds with because it works very well with some songs. I am a male vocalist myself. Though rather amateur, I love to hear my voice on headphones and while its raspiness and deeper tones aren't made the center of attraction, a purity is there that quite enjoy with the D1k.
I would like to mention here though that the amp used(Cavalli Liquid Carbon) was the catalyst behind my appreciation for the midrange tuning. Such a tuning is on the verge of "lite" while never fully crossing over so I don't recommend pushing into thin territory with a thin amp or DAC. My infinity is somewhat thin in the midrange but the Liquid carbon balances it out a bit. The
∞ headphone out is thinner than my DAC itself and was a really bad pairing with the Dharma for midrange realism as well as bass which will be described later. I don't think this headphone needs tubes yet I also believe it needs a spacious, even-to-full sounding midrange from an amp. Better yet one that sounds like nothing so the Dharma can do its thing. Female vocals are where it is at for me as well as the falsetto's of males who attempt to offer ambience and allurement with their voices. My pioneer integrated amplifier (needs to be cleaned) dramatically filled in the midrange and rounded everything off. I was quite shocked at the difference but the quality degradation was substantial. In short, be selective about amp pairing regardless of its sensitivity because the midrange is where it is most effected.
Bass
Good thing I ate my vegetables first because they actually taste better than the meat. Let me first start by saying again that amp pairing is essential. The liquid carbon offered a better performance again here than did my infinity amp but didn't bring it to the level of full satisfaction. When I used the vintage amp again there was the drastic change in the thump and impact without tone controls activated. It was boosted considerably and became a whole new headphone almost. No matter what I did it never became tight, detailed, or really controlled.
How would I nail down the bass performance from the Carbon, which is probably closer to what someone would most likely use since vintage amps aren't as popular? The bass is balanced and offers a good quantity for a natural listening experience. It is rolled off at the extremes as sub bass isn't it's main focus. Despite what the website says about the washi paper driver reaching low, the extension is lacking in the way a studio monitor without a sub woofer is. Speaking of focus, the Dharma loses out a bit when it comes to composure as the focal point on the peaks of bass slams and bass rumblings are a bit diffuse and lacking solid texture. I would rate this bass to be actually more impactful than the HEX and a little more dynamic but even less detailed and controlled. You can get a slightly weighty "chuff" more often then a hard and dense "thud". Even my LCD2.1 will better the Dharma in slam/attack, texture, and detail. Please consider how my LCD2.1 only beat the edition X in slam and attack but the edition X was tighter, more controlled, and better detailed.
Update: Bass Comparison
Bass slam: LCD2.1>Edition X>>Dharma
Bass impact/ dynamics: LCD2.1>Dharma=Edition X
Bass control: Edition X>LCD2.1>>Dharma
Bass Texture/Detail: Edition X>>LCD2.1>>>Dharma
Bass rumble and clean sustain: Edition X>>LCD2.1>Dharma
Bass decay (quickest): Dharma=Edition>LCD2.1
Bass Quantity: LCD2.1>Edition X>Dharma
Overall Bass Quality: Edition X>>LCD2.1>>>Dharma(not even in the same class or close)
Bass Extension: Edition X=LCD2.1>>Dharma X
However the bass never really leaves me wanting in quantity and will give the music purist a decent foundation. I am sorry to say but EDM fans and bass junkies will have to look elsewhere because you will never...no matter the eq, or song get the bass performance you crave.This bass is basically like a support rather than a star in the whole picture.
Speaking of EQ, I was able to enjoy a lot of hip hop songs with this headphone with just a slight boost. Sometimes even without raising the eq but the bass is practically unable to take more than a few db of boosting before totally collapsing under the raised distortion. Also some people say to lower everything else and bring the bass to flat... well that didn't work either.
I will conclude though that this is all due to the fact that this headphone is in the high end tier so I do expect better performance here. However it is not so bad as to take away from the whole picture because it's redeeming qualities out weigh the flaws in the bass but a huge amount.
Soundstage/Imaging
While the edition X sounds a little more spacious all around, the Dynamics and 3D effect of the Dharma is comparable because it has a large ceiling as the sounds don't seem to ever become flat in dynamics. I believe dynamics help soundstage because sounds need to not only be spread out but pop out in the sound feild. The Dharma does quite well. As far as size goes though I feel it is pretty decent. I was expecting it to be larger actually based on reading some posts running around, yet it is still adequate. I feel it excels in height and depth while width remains decent.
Imaging is a bit odd to me because while it has good instrument separation they don't seem to localize in their appropriate spaces in a way that sounds like it is strongly panned to its spatial cue. It is a bit odd but far from distracting and doesn't take away from the experience to me I just figured I would mention what I was hearing during my time with it.
For it's price though, the dimensionality of this headphone is right up to par and does a good job.
Dynamics/ transient response/ Resolution
Ahhhh...yess...I am shopping for a high end headphone. Possibly an endgame is what I am after and this is an aspect that is an absolute must for me. The edition X was way too soft and lacked engagement. The Dharma on the other hand offers everything I need here. If the bass was tighter this would be an absolute knock out quality of this headphone as it is head and shoulders above my LCD2.1 and other headphones in this area. I do feel the bass holds it back a bit but that is not to say overall the dynamic action of this headphone isn't appreciably well contrasted when the attacks and decays of the instruments appear and disappear from the recording. They effortlessly pop from the recording with eloquence and suspension. I am guilty of appreciating this about dynamic drivers and suspect my end game will be a dynamic headphone for this aspect alone. I am currently eyeing the HD800S that Todd will make available but grudgingly know I will have to eq a bass boost. The decay doesn't linger much and the attack is pretty sharp. I wouldn't call it a dry headphone either.
Again this headphone is decently detailed and has good resolution that is even above some models that cost even more. Making it a solid technical performer overall.
Conclusion / Value
The Dharma is a worthy headphone and at 1190.00 represents what price to performance should look like. Todays state of high end is has become quite ridiculous when it comes to pricing and the D1k keeps its head on its shoulders. If you desire good price to performance and like your bass to support your music rather than be the focus then maybe the Dharma is for you. Contact Todd for awesome customer service and he will get you what you are looking for.
~ Grizz
