[Mhog55]

Both of those have low mids that impact all the mids too much.
The Zeus dont have this issue and also have better treble and better bass extension.

So the Zeus doesn't have the same level of warmth? Would you say that the Zeus is also not as dark as the Bird family?

 

[Waqar]

Both of those have low mids that impact all the mids too much.
The Zeus dont have this issue and also have better treble and better bass extension.

Nice

 

[PcChip]

I can't possibly shill these any harder, just buy them. That said, I have nighthawks coming in the mail so I can post a comparison whenever they arrive

 

[Mhog55]

I can't possibly shill these any harder, just buy them. That said, I have nighthawks coming in the mail so I can post a comparison whenever they arrive

Please do. Much appreciated

 

[FullBright1]

So the Zeus doesn't have the same level of warmth? Would you say that the Zeus is also not as dark as the Bird family?

Velvety......Its a velvet sounding tone, yet, it extends well on both ends.
Not a "v",..... but a lush meets detail, sound.

As compared to the GL2000, and let me say that i briefly watched a terrible review by "the headphone show". of the GL2000
Horrible.
Sometimes i wonder if this guy or Joshua V use real ears to evaluate..
But i digress...

So.....As you leave the use of the GL2000 or something like the Sundara or the Arya.... and enter the velvety sonic textures of the Zeus world, all your ears can say is....ahhhhhh.

The ZEUS ....has a very pleasurable sound.
The Empyrean is similar regarding it effect.
Both are sonic ear pleasure.

Regarding the ZEUS....at first you think....>"the top end is rolled off, and everything has a suggestion of compression, but then, as your ears adjust to less etched dynamics that were being fed them by the unusually good GL2000s, you realize that "Its all there".. The depth, the soundstage, the top end, the lush mids...
Its really one of those headphone sounds that is not comparable.
It does not sound "Like", the usual suspects.

Does this mean that everyone can love it and will?
Of course not. = that's a nope.
Just like not everyone loves the Utopia, or the Susvara, or the Empyrean, or the HD800S.
Some people prefer Pepsi.
Some people prefer to have milk in their Tea.
The world is like that, and ears are just like that....

You just have to find out if its for you.
Does it fit. Will it make you happy.
Buying a new set of Headphones is like going on a first date, ... you dont know how it will be, until you know...

 

[Mhog55]

Velvety......Its a velvet sounding tone, yet, it extends well on both ends.
Not a "v",..... but a lush meets detail, sound.

As compared to the GL2000, and let me say that i briefly watched a terrible review by "the headphone show". of the GL2000
Horrible.
Sometimes i wonder if this guy or Joshua V use real ears to evaluate..
But i digress...

So.....As you leave the use of the GL2000 or something like the Sundara or the Arya.... and enter the velvety sonic textures of the Zeus world, all your ears can say is....ahhhhhh.

The ZEUS ....has a very pleasurable sound.
The Empyrean is similar regarding it effect.
Both are sonic ear pleasure.

Regarding the ZEUS....at first you think....>"the top end is rolled off, and everything has a suggestion of compression, but then, as your ears adjust to less etched dynamics that were being fed them by the unusually good GL2000s, you realize that "Its all there".. The depth, the soundstage, the top end, the lush mids...
Its really one of those headphone sounds that is not comparable.
It does not sound "Like", the usual suspects.

Does this mean that everyone can love it and will?
Of course not. = that's a nope.
Just like not everyone loves the Utopia, or the Susvara, or the Empyrean, or the HD800S.
Some people prefer Pepsi.
Some people prefer to have milk in their Tea.
The world is like that, and ears are just like that....

You just have to find out if its for you.
Does it fit. Will it make you happy.
Buying a new set of Headphones is like going on a first date, ... you dont know how it will be, until you know...

I get what you're saying. Have you heard the Owls or Hawks? I'm just looking for a comparison in terms of warmth/cold - and bright/dark.

 

[Waqar]

I get what you're saying. Have you heard the Owls or Hawks? I'm just looking for a comparison in terms of warmth/cold - and bright/dark.

Yes i would like too know AS well please

 

[FullBright1]

I get what you're saying. Have you heard the Owls or Hawks? I'm just looking for a comparison in terms of warmth/cold - and bright/dark.

Yes, im familiar with their sound.

So, warmth in a headphone is normally related to how the lower mids are more advanced.
Such is the case of the headphones you are listing.
Such is the case of the HD650.

So, the ZEUS has none of this...
Its warmth is related to the mids being wide.
This is the better type of "warmth" as it related to soundstage and midrange, vs, hyped upper low mid.

 

[Mhog55]

Yes, im familiar with their sound.

So, warmth in a headphone is normally related to how the lower mids are more advanced.
Such is the case of the headphones you are listing.
Such is the case of the HD650.

So, the ZEUS has none of this...
Its warmth is related to the mids being wide.
This is the better type of "warmth" as it related to soundstage and midrange, vs, hyped upper low mid.

Copy that

 

[George Hincapie]

I started listening to my new Zeus for the first time today. My only other headphones are AQ NightHawk Carbon.

Not quite sure what to make of these Zeus TBH. They don't seem to deal with volume very well. Everything can get a bit messy on busy tracks, as though they are just being overwhelmed. I listen to some tracks and they sound amazing; really good imaging and soundstage. Listen to others and they sound crap.

In comparison to my AQ; I'd say the NHs have a lot more control, at all times, but the soundstage seems slightly more distant and narrower in comparison to the Zeus.

Was a bit disappointed to see dirty fingerprints on the silver part of the headband when I took them out of the box. I'm not happy with the supplied cable either; it's only 1m when I need 3m and it's SE balanced, so you have to use the supplied adapters to use proper SE.

I am going to grab a better cable for it from Artic or Periapt with a 4 pin XLR and then we'll reassess.

My initial view is that the Zeus is OK, but they haven't blown me away and I can do better. They definitely are not 'the ones'. I'm still waiting for my HD660S, so it'll be nice to have another point of comparison.

I am getting a bit wary of keep buying £300-£600 cans and am just wondering whether it might not be a better idea to just drop £1K and buy something top tier.

 

[FullBright1]

I started listening to my new Zeus for the first time today. My only other headphones are AQ NightHawk Carbon.
Not quite sure what to make of these Zeus TBH. They don't seem to deal with volume very well. Everything can get a bit messy on busy tracks, as though they are just being overwhelmed. I listen to some tracks and they sound amazing; really good imaging and soundstage. Listen to others and they sound crap.
In comparison to my AQ; I'd say the NHs have a lot more control, at all times, but the soundstage seems slightly more distant and narrower in comparison to the Zeus.
Was a bit disappointed to see dirty fingerprints on the silver part of the headband when I took them out of the box. I'm not happy with the supplied cable either; it's only 1m when I need 3m and it's SE balanced, so you have to use the supplied adapters to use proper SE.
I am going to grab a better cable for it from Artic or Periapt with a 4 pin XLR and then we'll reassess.
My initial view is that the Zeus is OK, but they haven't blown me away and I can do better. They definitely are not 'the ones'. I'm still waiting for my HD660S, so it'll be nice to have another point of comparison.
I am getting a bit wary of keep buying £300-£600 cans and am just wondering whether it might not be a better idea to just drop £1K and buy something top tier.

Hey George,

There is no way i can know, but, on the day you received your Zeus.......did you listen to your NightHawks before you heard the Zeus?

Some friendly advice...... On the day you are to receive new headphones, never listen to any other headphones.
If you do, you are EQ'ing your brain against the new arrivals.

Now, lets say you didnt listen to your AQ's or any headphones, all day, and your Zeus arrived and you didn't jump for joy upon hearing them..
Well, that can be for many reasons......one is.....that your expectations created this weird situation that occurs whereby our expectations cause our ears to not accept anything at all.
This really does happen., and later, you find that your new headphones...."seem to sound a lot better"..

Now, lets say that all that isn't your case.
So then in that case, realize that the Nighthawks, are a headphone sound that is not typical, and so, if you are use to it, then, any other set of headphone is going to probably not wow you, right away.

So, if all of that is not the issue, and you want to spend money on a sure thing...
Then i would suggest that you buy the MassDrop Focal Elex, pre-owned.

If you hate this one, then its because your ears are trained to not accept good headphone sound., and that can happen, as our ears do become decided.
And once that happens, especially if its related to one certain set of headphone's sound, then you have to break out of that by relearning now to hear something else, in a positive light.

Some would tell you to re-train using the Sundara, but the MD-Elex is a better sounding Gear.

 

[George Hincapie]

Hey George,

There is no way i can know, but, on the day you received your Zeus.......did you listen to your NightHawks before you heard the Zeus?

Some friendly advice...... On the day you are to receive new headphones, never listen to any other headphones.
If you do, you are EQ'ing your brain against the new arrivals.

Now, lets say you didnt listen to your AQ's or any headphones, all day, and your Zeus arrived and you didn't jump for joy upon hearing them..
Well, that can be for many reasons......one is.....that your expectations created this weird situation that occurs whereby our expectations cause our ears to not accept anything at all.
This really does happen., and later, you find that your new headphones...."seem to sound a lot better"..

Now, lets say that all that isn't your case.
So then in that case, realize that the Nighthawks, are a headphone sound that is not typical, and so, if you are use to it, then, any other set of headphone is going to probably not wow you, right away.

So, if all of that is not the issue, and you want to spend money on a sure thing...
Then i would suggest that you buy the MassDrop Focal Elex, pre-owned.

If you hate this one, then its because your ears are trained to not accept good headphone sound., and that can happen, as our ears do become decided.
And once that happens, especially if its related to one certain set of headphone's sound, then you have to break out of that by relearning now to hear something else, in a positive light.

Some would tell you to re-train using the Sundara, but the MD-Elex is a better sounding Gear.

Hi,

Thanks for the response, that's great.

I hadn't been listening to the NHs beforehand. I have been using the NHs for the last 2 years and were my only headphones, so you are right to say I am used to their sound. I understand their tuning isn't 'typical', so it may take a little while as you say to adjust to the Zeus.

Watch this space.

 

[FullBright1]

Hi,

Thanks for the response, that's great.

I hadn't been listening to the NHs beforehand. I have been using the NHs for the last 2 years and were my only headphones, so you are right to say I am used to their sound. I understand their tuning isn't 'typical', so it may take a little while as you say to adjust to the Zeus.

Watch this space.

Here is my biggest surprise regarding continuing to listen to the HDZeus.
Its their sub-bass response.
It goes lower then the Empyrean or the Abyss 1266.
So, depending on what you listen to, the most......that is a unique feature considering that the Drivers are not that large, and they are dynamic drivers.

How i discovered this, was only yesterday.
I was making new music vids to post on my UTube Channel, and i created one from Azam Ali's new album.
After all this was completed, i went back later and just listened to the Track, using my Empyreans and the Abyss 1266. Then I used my LSA-HP1 and my GL2000.
Then i used my Master&Dynamic MH40s.
They all sound really good.
Then i put on the HDZeuss, and it was a different world.. The Sub Bass was much deeper, much larger, then any on that List.
So, factor that in......as i really had not noticed this about it, until yesterday.
So, for Sub Bass extension.....the HDZEUS is a canon.

 

[George Hincapie]

Here is my biggest surprise regarding continuing to listen to the HDZeus.
Its their sub-bass response.
It goes lower then the Empyrean or the Abyss 1266.
So, depending on what you listen to, the most......that is a unique feature considering that the Drivers are not that large, and they are dynamic drivers.

How i discovered this, was only yesterday.
I was making new music vids to post on my UTube Channel, and i created one from Azam Ali's new album.
After all this was completed, i went back later and just listened to the Track, using my Empyreans and the Abyss 1266. Then I used my LSA-HP1 and my GL2000.
Then i used my Master&Dynamic MH40s.
They all sound really good.
Then i put on the HDZeuss, and it was a different world.. The Sub Bass was much deeper, much larger, then any on that List.
So, factor that in......as i really had not noticed this about it, until yesterday.
So, for Sub Bass extension.....the HDZEUS is a canon.

I have just ordered a new 3m balanced (4 pin) cable from Periapt. The current one is so short I have to lay on the floor by the HPA which isn't ideal. I am going to have a listen shortly and see how they are this evening.

 

[Mhog55]

Here is my biggest surprise regarding continuing to listen to the HDZeus.
Its their sub-bass response.
It goes lower then the Empyrean or the Abyss 1266.
So, depending on what you listen to, the most......that is a unique feature considering that the Drivers are not that large, and they are dynamic drivers.

How i discovered this, was only yesterday.
I was making new music vids to post on my UTube Channel, and i created one from Azam Ali's new album.
After all this was completed, i went back later and just listened to the Track, using my Empyreans and the Abyss 1266. Then I used my LSA-HP1 and my GL2000.
Then i used my Master&Dynamic MH40s.
They all sound really good.
Then i put on the HDZeuss, and it was a different world.. The Sub Bass was much deeper, much larger, then any on that List.
So, factor that in......as i really had not noticed this about it, until yesterday.
So, for Sub Bass extension.....the HDZEUS is a canon.

Definitely interesting, considering pretty much every review I've come across states differently. Lack of sub bass was a common complaint.