Yup I saw that, its why I mentioned it here.
The only possible way he could think this is if he was drawing from memory.
Honestly the more I try a range of gear, and spend more time on comparisons, the less and less I trust reviewers generally.
I think most people (myself included) by default give trust to a reviewer. But I think its the other way around, they should earn your trust.
Basically how it went for me in the shop was, I really want the Celestee, they look amazing, i was hyped. I tried them for a good 30mins from a really good source, and….There were flaws. Great headphone, but flaws. Not a standout performer. Don’t get me wrong, if they were my only headphone, I’d have a freaking great time. Music sounds great on them. But we’re being critical here. Technically, tuning aside, the P9 (to my ears) are superior. But you may prefer Celestee Sig, many will.
I tried the Stellia and I was expecting a very similar headphone based on tidbits I’d read. Tbh i havent read much about it, more about Celestee, but anyway, I was primed for Celestee 110% or similar. It is nothing like that, the presentation is very different, and it has a wow factor for me. It was irritatingly good, as no way in hell do I have 3k now or for a long time to drop on cans haha.
Anyway, all ears are different. That norwegian chap might differ from me. But if I had to guess, he was going off of memory and didn’t have the two side by side an extended period.
Having had the Stellia and Radiance available for side-by-side comparison for a few hours before selling the Radiance, I find the comment (“so close I had to pinch myself”) puzzling. The Stellia is noticeably different/better than the Radiance and it’s pretty apparent with resolving amplification and source gear/content (I know, not the Celestee, but still…).
Obviously we all hear differently and I have not read the Norwegian review in a while (I remember seeing it a couple of months ago)- but to me it is curious that the reviewer found the two so similar.
After now having spent quite a few hours listening to the Stellia now with a range of 16/44 CD rips and higher-resolution content, I understand better where the Stellia excels versus other closed-backs (including the Radiance):
- The Stellia’s greatest strength is its balance and harmonious representation of the music. The even-handed and organic sound does a better job of putting you right in the performance venue than any other headphone I’ve tried, closed or open. Note that I am not saying the soundstaging alone rivals a high-quality open-back- but the
overall live impression is more effective; much of this stems from the timbre and harmony that Stellia is capable of. In addition, good quality recordings have a wider soundstage than is typical for closed-backs as well. The immense detail level of the Stellia helps articulate the recording space, as well.
- The Stellia treats poor recordings quite graciously, good recordings take on a new dimension, and great recordings are simply sublime. While each portion of the FR is rendered exquisitely and the Stellias elicit the beauty of the music, I would not call them soft or euphonic, as electric guitars can crunch and bite, and percussion brings plenty of bounce and snap. There is more presence and realism with the Stellias than other models. I deliberately use that expression because Trevor Goldman of Norne Audio uses that description about his TotL Drausk copper cables, which I use with the Stellias and I find it apt with these headphones as well.
- To counter the possible conclusion of euphonia and “oh, the Stellia just beautifies everything” train of thought even further, I would compare the Stellia with a good solid-state amp (in my case, the Violectric V200- an excellent pairing) to a steel fist in a velvet glove. It will slam you to the wall and pin you to it with Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave, but will nimbly navigate the jazz-fusion stylings of Cinematic Orchestra or Khruangbin a minute later. And you can without hesitation entrust the delicacy of a Damien Rice singer-songwriter recording to the Stellias as well; they will describe every breath and strummed guitar string gently, drawing you in.
As many others, I found myself spending more time with the Stellia than planned, especially with my Bluesound Node 2 and 1,100-plus records in my collection at my fingertips. The power of SSD hard drives and instant loading, I tell you!
Simply put, the Stellia is a rare device that brings us closer to the
soul of the music. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to own a pair, especially with COVID-19 and smoking in music venues keeping me from live shows in most instances in the foreseeable future. I cannot recommend them enough if you can find the budget for them and have worthy amplification and source device(s).
Aaaaaand perhaps this post belongs in the Stellia string
; my point was to specify why equating the Stellia with the Celestee seems foolish to me. I apologize for waxing poetic about the mocha-brown miracles.