[ToroFiestaSol]

The very best amp for a planar with an impedance around 60 ohms, and high sensitivity like the D8000, is a pure transconductance/current source amp, something like the Bakoon amp with matching DAC (using "satri link" and "current" headphone jack) (the japanese versions do not have batteries and Sabre chips) should be the ultimate, maximus, uber, take my sister, please, mucho gusto experience.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

It's hardly an innovative comment on my part, but it's best to burn in any headphones--but especially planars, in my experience, for 100 -150 hrs, before making final assessments.

Your comments fascinate me. The headphone you describe, flaws and all, seems close to my dream sound. Interested to hear more as time passes.

Re tube amps, these have a 60 ohm impedance--possibly just high enough to benefit from an OTL tube design such as the Woo WA3 or La Figraro 339. The effects of such amp designs on the Final's bass may be positive, or not much...only way to know is to try.

These are just first impressions. I also believe in burn in, but in my experience, the bass usually becomes more prominent as the drivers loosen up. I need the bass quantity to lower a few decibels, because if it did, these would be very close to perfect sonically.

I’ve always heard that tube amps add warmth. These don’t need any more warmth in my opinion.

 

[LaCuffia]

I heard these out of a Cayin tube amp at CanJam and it was hands down the best out of everything there (the Abyss Diana a close second). I for one would never complain about bass quantity especially of the quality you get from the D8000 but I think it’s probably startling to hear out of an open headphone so you need an adjustment period.

Edit: it’s not that I would accept loose bass cannons. It’s just that most people tend to equate the higher frequencies with audiophile grade sound when bass is always the boisterous little brother. I say embrace the bass!

 

[SilverEars]

These are just first impressions. I also believe in burn in, but in my experience, the bass usually becomes more prominent as the drivers loosen up. I need the bass quantity to lower a few decibels, because if it did, these would be very close to perfect sonically.

I’ve always heard that tube amps add warmth. These don’t need any more warmth in my opinion.

Yup, this is more likely the case. I can't imagine the other way around, but it's possible your hearing condition can change as well, perhaps less sensitive to bass at at different frame of time you listen. Sometimes when I listen to my Andromeda iem all day, and put on other headphones, the bass sounds reduced. I guess this would largely depend on what type of track I've listen all day. I'm getting the impression that it's on the warm side by your description

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Yup, this is more likely the case. I can't imagine the other way around, but it's possible your hearing condition can change as well, perhaps less sensitive to bass at at different frame of time you listen. Sometimes when I listen to my Andromeda iem all day, and put on other headphones, the bass sounds reduced. I guess this would largely depend on what type of track I've listen all day. I'm getting the impression that it's on the warm side by your description

Yes they’re definitely warm. I can’t imagine anyone saying otherwise, but stranger things have happened. But they’re just a little too warm for me right now. They’re not bass canons like the B&W P9. And the bass is high quality. I just need about 3 db’s less at 80hz and then the mids and highs can breathe without being disturbed. Right now I want to turn the volume up 2 notches to hear the mids and highs a little better but I don’t want the bass to go with it. If I could do that, these babies would shine.

 

[SilverEars]

Yes they’re definitely warm. I can’t imagine anyone saying otherwise, but stranger things have happened. But they’re just a little too warm for me right now. They’re not bass canons like the B&W P9. And the bass is high quality. I just need about 3 db’s less at 80hz and then the mids and highs can breathe without being disturbed. Right now I want to turn the volume up 2 notches to hear the mids and highs a little better but I don’t want the bass to go with it. If I could do that, these babies would shine.

If you put it that way, definitely sounds like a warm signature. I wonder if these share any similarities to Audeze cans?

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

Not that I believe 100% Srajan Ebaen and Chris Martens, but as a last try, you may want to try "burn in" the headphones with pink noise for a couple of days (in the Hifi+ review, Chris Martens reported that this brought the mids and highs up, his first impressions were very similar to yours), and buy a thinner cable (yep, this sounds less credible, but Srajan reported that changing the stock cable for a thinner one also brought up the mids and treble at a more neutral level with the bass). The Hifi+ review isn't in their webpage yet, but I've managed to download it in PDF from the internet.

Yeah I know, I would slap myself for saying this, but, their impressions were extremely similar to yours with the stock cable and no burn in...so it may be a good idea to try those two things.

PS: what amp and DAC do you use?

 

[FastAndClean]

embrace the sub bass boost, the music is more realistic with strong fundamentals and sense of scale in the low bass, that is the reason why i love planars so much

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

If you put it that way, definitely sounds like a warm signature. I wonder if these share any similarities to Audeze cans?

Unfortunately, I’ve never heard an Audeze.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Not that I believe 100% Srajan Ebaen and Chris Martens, but as a last try, you may want to try "burn in" the headphones with pink noise for a couple of days (in the Hifi+ review, Chris Martens reported that this brought the mids and highs up, his first impressions were very similar to yours), and buy a thinner cable (yep, this sounds less credible, but Srajan reported that changing the stock cable for a thinner one also brought up the mids and treble at a more neutral level with the bass). The Hifi+ review isn't in their webpage yet, but I've managed to download it in PDF from the internet.

Yeah I know, I would slap myself for saying this, but, their impressions were extremely similar to yours with the stock cable and no burn in...so it may be a good idea to try those two things.

PS: what amp and DAC do you use?

That’s a very interesting comment. The stock cables are a beautiful thing to behold. They are super high quality. This is the first stock cable that I definitely do not feel the need to upgrade or change.

 

[Rowethren]

Here are my brief first impressions. Before we get started though, I prefer a mostly neutral to slightly warm signature without excessive Beyerdynamic treble. Let me get this out of the way first. In terms of quality of sound across the entire frequency spectrum: these are simply amazing. The treble sounds very neutral to me with maybe a small peak around 8k, but it is not sibilant or overdone. The mids are equally neutral to slightly recessed. The mid and sub bass quality is exceptional. In terms of quality, it’s the best I’ve ever heard in an open back.

But here’s my problem with these. It has nothing to do with quality of bass. It is the QUANTITY. I think that the designers were so proud of their amazing technological breakthrough with their Air Dampening System, which allows low bass to remain linear all the way down to 20hz without any roll off, that they couldn’t help but show it off. Subsequently, it is just too prominent for my preferences. In fact, I wonder if the mids really are recessed at all or if they just seem that way because of a slightly excessive quantity of bass. Again, it’s HIGH QUALITY BASS! Outstanding even. I just wish there were less of it.
Of course desired bass quantity depends on not only personal preference, but also on music preference as well. If I’m listening to R&B and pop, the bass quantity is perfectly fine. But with folk, acoustic, bluegrass, and country, not so much.
These first impressions were done with only solid state amps. I don’t own any tube amps, but I’m pretty sure they would only contribute to the problem.

I have three caveats to everything I’ve just said:

1) These don’t have a lot of hours on them yet, so my impressions may change later on.
2) Maybe I’m so used to the typical bass roll off of open back headphones, that I’ve come to prefer that signature and am therefore biased.
3) If you prefer a warm headphone, then these will be an eargasm for you.

And just to recap from an earlier post: build quality of these headphones and all accessories provided, is absolutely top notch.
The soundstage is almost as expansive as the 800S and HEK V2. I was very surprised by this. I am an admitted soundstage snob.
I have no issues with comfort for long term wear. My ears do slightly touch the earpads, but they’re soft and comfortable so it’s not a big deal. But if I had to nitpick, I’d prefer them to be slightly larger or just ear-shaped.
These headphones look and feel even more premium in the hand than in pictures.

The way you describe these makes them sound like my perfect headphones... Damn you!

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

The ease of driving these cans is simply amazing. I’m not saying this is ideal, but you can drive these with the stupid iPhone dongle and no amp at all. I’m being serious. Of course they scale well, but my goodness it doesn’t take much. I can listen to Dire Straits without needing more than 70% volume with a Chord Mojo. Unreal.

I’m not going to lie. I was almost ready to sell them earlier but they’re starting to change now. The soundstage is even larger (and it was already damn good) and the bass (I’m shocked) seems to be more controlled and less prominent.
You know what they do that’s blowing my mind? They’re making studio-recorded music sound like it’s a live recording. Mind blown now.

The burn in is real with these. Way more than my 800S and HEK.

Stay tuned!

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Not that I believe 100% Srajan Ebaen and Chris Martens, but as a last try, you may want to try "burn in" the headphones with pink noise for a couple of days (in the Hifi+ review, Chris Martens reported that this brought the mids and highs up, his first impressions were very similar to yours), and buy a thinner cable (yep, this sounds less credible, but Srajan reported that changing the stock cable for a thinner one also brought up the mids and treble at a more neutral level with the bass). The Hifi+ review isn't in their webpage yet, but I've managed to download it in PDF from the internet.

Yeah I know, I would slap myself for saying this, but, their impressions were extremely similar to yours with the stock cable and no burn in...so it may be a good idea to try those two things.

PS: what amp and DAC do you use?

I was skeptical when I first read this post by you. But you may be on to something...

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Metallica’s S&M album sounds incredible. I’ve seen them in concert twice and that is pretty much how it sounded. Lars sounds great on the double bass.

 

[XERO1]

I’m not going to lie. I was almost ready to sell them earlier but they’re starting to change now. The soundstage is even larger (and it was already damn good) and the bass (I’m shocked) seems to be more controlled and less prominent.
You know what they do that’s blowing my mind? They’re making studio-recorded music sound like it’s a live recording. Mind blown now.

The burn in is real with these. Way more than my 800S and HEK.

Stay tuned!

I’d be willing to bet money that what you are experiencing is ‘brain burn-in’. To test this, try listening to a headphone that you previously considered neutral sounding right after you have listened to the D8000. If it now sounds too thin, then that’s brain burn-in, and it’s a very normal thing that happens to just about everyone.