[Bjorn154]

XTC 2.0 arrived early, letting my amps warm up a bit before giving it a listen. It's gonna be an interesting evening.

Beautiful! They do need a little breaking in so don’t judge too quickly.

 

[Bjorn154]

Beautiful! They do need a little breaking in so don’t judge too quickly.

Per John some pink noise at moderate volume speeds the process up.

 

[satanicoo]

Does John reply to emails timely? Or should i wait while he tunes his customers Cans? It's been 15 days.

 

[Patswalker]

Does John reply to emails timely? Or should i wait while he tunes his customers Cans? It's been 15 days.

John replies to emails quicker than almost anyone business I have ever come across. That's one of the reasons I have two headphones and one upgrade with him.

 

[John Massaria]

Does John reply to emails timely? Or should i wait while he tunes his customers Cans? It's been 15 days.

I try to read emails and respond same day as they are sent.

 

[phoneslave86]

Does John reply to emails timely? Or should i wait while he tunes his customers Cans? It's been 15 days.

That's normal, wouldn't worry about that. He always waits till the time when he makes it, depends how many are in line, sometimes it's quicker.

I don't think he can remember or keep up with the many custom details unless he makes it that same day, I don't know who could. Usually it's about a two week wait, sometimes quicker.

My advise is try your best to distill a few of the simplest, clearest most important things about the sound you want. Next a few of the main things related to bass/mids/treble you have issues with related to the sound and don't like. Include what source your using. I almost always info overload I fear. Good news is everything has always been beyond satisfying what I could ask for the money. It's like magic if you can describe what you want and what issues there are how you will get something for that. My first pair I asked for reduced mids peakiness, that I love lots of detail and don't like too much bass. I got precisely that just incredible, no mid's peakiness, tight bass, very extended treble and it was the first time to truly have zero desire to use EQ with $1000s of dollars of headphones!

 

[Ace Bee]

JM Audio XTC Closed (Warm yet detailed) Impressions:​

I am using the fuzzy earpads and the copperhead cable. I used iFi XDSD Gryphon (XBass, XSpace, and Bass switch on) as a source for my impressions.

• They have a bass-boosted neutral tonality and highly dynamic presentation. Both the macro and micro-dynamics are excellent. The 64 Ohm 50mm Beryllium DD has a very snappy response as well.
• They have wonderful bass - deep and quite impactful. The midbass slam is really fun and dynamic. The subbass goes very deep and produces wonderful reverbs that are easily felt. Despite having such a strong presence it is quite tight and the textures are quite prominent. Also, this region stays clear off the midrange.
• The midrange is very clean and transparent. It sounds quite open. Due to the V-shaped sound signature it is also slightly pushed back relative to the bass, which creates a greater sense of space. However, it is also slightly lean. The notes are highly defined and while they do not exactly feel unnaturally thin, they lack the natural fullness. The details are very effortlessly and articulately reproduced.
  • Male vocals sound slightly lean but reasonably throaty and have the expected depth - I would say they sound slightly metallic but not distinctly unnatural.
  • Instruments sound very crunchy and highly detailed - the leanness does not have much of an adverse effect here, except when directly comparing with another headphone.
  • The female vocals sound breathtakingly brilliant - powerful and musical. The metallic tinge can only be perceived during A/B-ing, but not on its own. The upper-mids are bright but not at all piercing or uneven - the sibilance-free tuning while having sharply defined notes is really commendable.
• The treble is decently energetic but not in your face. The cymbals and hi-hats have a distinct and slightly forward presence but never becomes shouty. They are highly detailed and has outstanding extension. They do have a hint of metallic timbre but that ultimately works in their favour.
• They have excellent technicalities. The soundstage is huge for a closed-back and the presentation is very spacious. Separation, layering, and imaging are exceptionally well-done. They create a definitively three-dimensional headspace with lots of breathing room for all the elements.

All things considered, they are the perfect one stop solution for me. The minor caveats in the midrange are easy to overlook. The ultimate performance is absolutely exhilarating for the price and serves all genres reasonably well.

Comparison with ZMF Bokeh (Vented suede pads, JMAE copperhead cable)​

Physical:​

• The Bokeh has distinctly more premium build quality. Smoother joints, better finishing, more premium hardware.
• They have bigger cups.
• They are also slightly heavier.

Sound:​

• The presentations are widely different. Bokeh has a more balanced and laid-back presentation with a warmer and safe tuning. The 80 ohm LCP DD has a slower response.
• The bass is more controlled. It extends similarly but does not generate the reverbs that can be felt, and the slams are also more reserved. The textures are a bit blurry.
• The midrange is where they shine. They have an absolutely lush, organic, full, and natural midrange that nearly gave me orgasm. The male vocals, instruments, female vocals, instruments - everything sound so much more beautiful and true to life - just perfect. Words fail me in describing how insanely mind blowing this region is. Yes, there is a distinct warmth here, but that is not detrimental, rather it makes the midrange more romantic. It is also quite intimate.
• The treble has a bit less energy and has that warm tonality, but it definitely is not dark. I would say the treble has a balanced presentation here. While the cymbals and hi-hats do not attract the same level of attention, the details are still quite good and energy is above average. Upper treble extends well. This region compliments the whole presentation rather than standing out on its own.
• The soundstage is similarly wide but is more closed-in due to the forward midrange. The presentation is not very spacious but not exactly congested. A nice intimate presentation that serves those with a balanced and laid-back sound preference well. The note details are slightly less in comparison, but midrange note definition is distinctly better.

 

[krenky]

JM Audio XTC Closed (Warm yet detailed) Impressions:​

I am using the fuzzy earpads and the copperhead cable. I used iFi XDSD Gryphon (XBass, XSpace, and Bass switch on) as a source for my impressions.

• They have a bass-boosted neutral tonality and highly dynamic presentation. Both the macro and micro-dynamics are excellent. The 64 Ohm 50mm Beryllium DD has a very snappy response as well.
• They have wonderful bass - deep and quite impactful. The midbass slam is really fun and dynamic. The subbass goes very deep and produces wonderful reverbs that are easily felt. Despite having such a strong presence it is quite tight and the textures are quite prominent. Also, this region stays clear off the midrange.
• The midrange is very clean and transparent. It sounds quite open. Due to the V-shaped sound signature it is also slightly pushed back relative to the bass, which creates a greater sense of space. However, it is also slightly lean. The notes are highly defined and while they do not exactly feel unnaturally thin, they lack the natural fullness. The details are very effortlessly and articulately reproduced.
  • Male vocals sound slightly lean but reasonably throaty and have the expected depth - I would say they sound slightly metallic but not distinctly unnatural.
  • Instruments sound very crunchy and highly detailed - the leanness does not have much of an adverse effect here, except when directly comparing with another headphone.
  • The female vocals sound breathtakingly brilliant - powerful and musical. The metallic tinge can only be perceived during A/B-ing, but not on its own. The upper-mids are bright but not at all piercing or uneven - the sibilance-free tuning while having sharply defined notes is really commendable.
• The treble is decently energetic but not in your face. The cymbals and hi-hats have a distinct and slightly forward presence but never becomes shouty. They are highly detailed and has outstanding extension. They do have a hint of metallic timbre but that ultimately works in their favour.
• They have excellent technicalities. The soundstage is huge for a closed-back and the presentation is very spacious. Separation, layering, and imaging are exceptionally well-done. They create a definitively three-dimensional headspace with lots of breathing room for all the elements.

All things considered, they are the perfect one stop solution for me. The minor caveats in the midrange are easy to overlook. The ultimate performance is absolutely exhilarating for the price and serves all genres reasonably well.

Comparison with ZMF Bokeh (Vented suede pads, JMAE copperhead cable)​

Physical:​

• The Bokeh has distinctly more premium build quality. Smoother joints, better finishing, more premium hardware.
• They have bigger cups.
• They are also slightly heavier.

Sound:​

• The presentations are widely different. Bokeh has a more balanced and laid-back presentation with a warmer and safe tuning. The 80 ohm LCP DD has a slower response.
• The bass is more controlled. It extends similarly but does not generate the reverbs that can be felt, and the slams are also more reserved. The textures are a bit blurry.
• The midrange is where they shine. They have an absolutely lush, organic, full, and natural midrange that nearly gave me orgasm. The male vocals, instruments, female vocals, instruments - everything sound so much more beautiful and true to life - just perfect. Words fail me in describing how insanely mind blowing this region is. Yes, there is a distinct warmth here, but that is not detrimental, rather it makes the midrange more romantic. It is also quite intimate.
• The treble has a bit less energy and has that warm tonality, but it definitely is not dark. I would say the treble has a balanced presentation here. While the cymbals and hi-hats do not attract the same level of attention, the details are still quite good and energy is above average. Upper treble extends well. This region compliments the whole presentation rather than standing out on its own.
• The soundstage is similarly wide but is more closed-in due to the forward midrange. The presentation is not very spacious but not exactly congested. A nice intimate presentation that serves those with a balanced and laid-back sound preference well. The note details are slightly less in comparison, but midrange note definition is distinctly better.

So, if you could keep only one?
Which one need more power? Very nice comparison indeed.
Thanks

 

[Ace Bee]

So, if you could keep only one?
Which one need more power? Very nice comparison indeed.
Thanks

XTC all the way. The Bokeh may win in midrange, but XTC midrange is no slouch either, and moreover they are better than Bokeh in Bass, Treble, and Technicalities. At $699, the XTC has a much better performance to my ears and more value for money over the Bokeh at $1099. Frankly, XTC's huge open and spacious stage with stark clear background is addictive. Bokeh does not have that.

Bokeh needs slightly more power than XTC. Just two steps up on Gryphon.

 

[Patswalker]

I just received a package from JM Audio today. My modded Hifiman HE-R10 Dynamic headphones. What John does to theses is nothing short of miraculous. I have not yet run them through all my amps and dacs, I haven't even gotten them to my high end amps and dacs and I'm gobsmacked by the improvements he made. I'm listening on my Geshelli J2s SS2950 with the new Erish 3 Pro and on this stack along they're a billion times better than they were before. Seriously. I don't say this lightly. Everything, all the sounds, all the elements are so well balanced it's spectacular. The bass is so delicious deep and controlled, its so much more clear than it was before and the mids are just right. Nothing is emphasized, nothing is spiked, its just playing everyting beautifully. Stock, they weren't my favorite but I didn't realize how crappy they were until I began to listen to John's upgraded version. These are incredible. I've modded a bunch of headphones on my own and they were just improvements, these are like a whole new set of headphones. I can't recommend them enough. Seriously. Such an incredible piece. Yet again, another spectacular experience from JM Audio. Well worth every penny he charges. Runs laps around most anything else in the closed back world I can think of anywhere near this price. Well, now I need to save up for yet another pair of headphones, I need need need to see what he can do when he has full pull over creating his own closed backs from the ground up. My hears and heart say thank you and my wallet says oh f*&k.

From the listing...

"It takes me 3+ hours to make each one of the very special R10 Dynamics JM Editions- and a lot of raw materials to hand cut and place and test to make this headphone. The results are stuning and beat the stock version in every way. This is a totl headphone."

To me this is 10,000% true. Just amazing. Well played @John Massaria. You are a wizard. You'll be seeing many more orderes from me for the forseeable future.

 

[Ace Bee]

Okay... something crazy happened. I was talking with @John Massaria and he told me with 1.5 I will get more midrange body, the one aspect I felt the XTC could have a bit more. On a whim I posted my XTC for sale, it got sold within minutes! And within minutes of that I placed the order for 1.5!

It has been a wonderful whirlwind and now I can barely wait! But I will wait for John to cook me a grand headphone

 

[HiFiVee]

I can only echo what others have said so far. Having only received my XTC2 Open Back headphones a couple of weeks ago, I must say that I too am very very impressed by them - my initial observations are noted in the Reviews section: XTC2 Reviews.

The next step was to get one of my other headphones modified by @John Massaria, so the LSA HP2 Ultras are being delivered to John as I write this. I cannot wait to have them back, and to experience how they sound, and, perhaps, how Kennerton should have tuned them in the first place.

EDIT: Forgot to add the following:
I have begun to go through my entire lossless (FLAC) and DSD music collection, played via Audirvana Studio and Amazon Music HD (months and months of enjoyment ahead). Playing all eight Jack Johnson albums I have via Audirvana Studio (24-bit/96kHz FLAC) yesterday was such an enjoyable experience and something I have never done before. The bass-heavy In Between Dub album was the cleanest I have heard it so far; deep, articulate bass with no bleed into the mid-range.

 

[Patswalker]

I can only echo what others have said so far. Having only received my XTC2 Open Back headphones a couple of weeks ago, I must say that I too am very very impressed by them - my initial observations are noted in the Reviews section: XTC2 Reviews.

The next step was to get one of my other headphones modified by @John Massaria, so the LSA HP2 Ultras are being delivered to John as I write this. I cannot wait to have them back, and to experience how they sound, and, perhaps, how Kennerton should have tuned them in the first place.

EDIT: Forgot to add the following:
I have begun to go through my entire lossless (FLAC) and DSD music collection, played via Audirvana Studio and Amazon Music HD (months and months of enjoyment ahead). Playing all eight Jack Johnson albums I have via Audirvana Studio (24-bit/96kHz FLAC) yesterday was such an enjoyable experience and something I have never done before. The bass-heavy In Between Dub album was the cleanest I have heard it so far; deep, articulate bass with no bleed into the mid-range.

I'm VERY interested in how the LSA HP2 Ultras imporove with John's magic. I had them in the past. They were cool. Sounded good to me. With one one amp, the Hagerman Tuba, which is no longer built, it took me to a whole wild transcendent place. I did like how those headphones would change with tubes. I'm sure John will make them amazing. I sold them a while back but I'd get a second pair depending on what you say about them after he works his wizardry.

 

[HiFiVee]

I'm VERY interested in how the LSA HP2 Ultras imporove with John's magic. I had them in the past. They were cool. Sounded good to me. With one one amp, the Hagerman Tuba, which is no longer built, it took me to a whole wild transcendent place. I did like how those headphones would change with tubes. I'm sure John will make them amazing. I sold them a while back but I'd get a second pair depending on what you say about them after he works his wizardry.

Sure, I will post my thoughts once I have them back. I agree with your observations. However, having read John's review (and comparison) of the Kennterton Magni (V3) and Gjallarhorn GH50, and, as we know, how the latter was improved (by John), I needed to explore the possibilities of enhacing the HP2 Ultra's capability. Given that it has the GH50's horn-loaded driver, in a Magni-like enclosure, I look forward to seeing/hearing what the result will be like. I have already been informed that the soundstage would be as vast as the GH50 due to the reduced volume due to the HP2's flat earcups when compared to those of the GH50.

Have you experienced the LSA HP1s? These have a different sound signature to the HP2 Ultra's, so depending on how the update to the HP2 Ultra goes, the HP1s may be next.

 

[Patswalker]

Sure, I will post my thoughts once I have them back. I agree with your observations. However, having read John's review (and comparison) of the Kennterton Magni (V3) and Gjallarhorn GH50, and, as we know, how the latter was improved (by John), I needed to explore the possibilities of enhacing the HP2 Ultra's capability. Given that it has the GH50's horn-loaded driver, in a Magni-like enclosure, I look forward to seeing/hearing what the result will be like. I have already been informed that the soundstage would be as vast as the GH50 due to the reduced volume due to the HP2's flat earcups when compared to those of the GH50.

Have you experienced the LSA HP1s? These have a different sound signature to the HP2 Ultra's, so depending on how the update to the HP2 Ultra goes, the HP1s may be next.

I have. The HP1s are planar magnetic and wide open so to me the sound signature from that alone made it a totally different headphones. Besides that it was also tuned differently which I loved. Underwood Hifi was kind of my gateway into the Hifi world focusing on smaller brands with independent ideas. I still have and love the Core Power Technology power conditioners. I got the the HP-2 Ultra and HP-1 back at the beginning of my serious hifi game a few years back and since then I have listened to so many different headphones and have finally collected my favorite and personal endgame collection of dacs and amps that I would love to get my hands on those headphones again to see what I can her now. My listening has changed a lot and the components I now use are miles beyond what I was using before. I ended up selling them to make room for more gear as we do.

I'm sure John will improve the sound of the HP-2 Ultra. I just got my HE-R10Ds back from John and his upgrades made them sound like they were an entirely different set of headphones.