[DocBass]

The iFi Pro iESL is NOT an amplifier, it is an energiser. It takes an input from your amp and converts it using a transformer, like the less expensive Woo Wee. It looks to be a very well made energiser, so it may be worth the extra money. Plus, the WEE is no longer listed on the Woo Audio website.

Lots of good info here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi-audio-pro-iesl-the-official-thread.852364

Agreed. I think what he was getting at is that the Focal utopia is $4,000 and the iesl + VOCE is ~ $4,000. Most people who are looking at dropping 4 grand for a head phone probably already have an amp and dac and so either setup would be an option.

 

[VandyMan]

You are probably correct. Worth pointing out that most headphone amps would not have enough power, if I'm understanding their specs correctly.

 

[DocBass]

You are probably correct. Worth pointing out that most headphone amps would not have enough power, if I'm understanding their specs correctly.

Very good point! I forgot the iPri iESL needs something like 10 W into 8 ohms to have sufficient volume. Most headphone amps obviously wont make that. I guess you could always add something like a schiit Vidar in a chain but thats another 700 and you will further degrade your audio signal...

 

[HeadAmpTeam]

We had a wonderful CanJam NYC with @mrspeakers showing just how much the Voce is capable of, wonderful transparent, natural sound. On to the next one. Best of luck with production, Dan!

 

[VandyMan]

We had a wonderful CanJam NYC with @mrspeakers showing just how much the Voce is capable of, wonderful transparent, natural sound. On to the next one. Best of luck with production, Dan!

The Mr. Speaker/HeadAmp room was really excellent. Lots to listen to. I thought it was very brave to demo the Voce side by side with the STAX 009 on a BHSE. The Voce sounded excellent, but then when I switched to the 009, it was like I had only been hearing half the music on the Voce. Overall signature reminded me of the Aeon Flow. I prefer the detail of the 009, so the Voce is not for me, unfortunately.

 

[mrspeakers]

The Mr. Speaker/HeadAmp room was really excellent. Lots to listen to. I thought it was very brave to demo the Voce side by side with the STAX 009 on a BHSE. The Voce sounded excellent, but then when I switched to the 009, it was like I had only been hearing half the music on the Voce. Overall signature reminded me of the Aeon Flow. I prefer the detail of the 009, so the Voce is not for me, unfortunately.

The "detail" on the 009 is exactly why I want these out to compare. Some people will gravitate toward that, as clearly you do. I don't and in fact that was the motivation to do this project; I am about tone and texture which to me are more relevant to the enjoyment of music than every last detail.

I say this often, I've never been a fan of products that put "rosin on the bows" in large scale recordings, this is just not what I hear in live acoustic music. I don't go to symphonies and walk out having counted the number of people in the string section or listening to the rosin on the bow, I listen to the emotion of the performance, and I find that sometimes these are conflicting aspects of performance. I totally understand why some people want every ion of detail, and even that some people may find that that is what gives them the emotional connection I seek in a different way, but I also know there are many others who don't find it to be the sound they want at all or simply want an alternative to that sound for music where it may not work so well.

From day one our goal has been to complement the existing products with a unique voice, and perhaps to appeal to those for whom the existing products weren't the right fit. From the feedback we've received at the show from Headamps apples/apples demo I believe that while it might not have worked for you there are plenty who appreciated the direction we took for the same reasons I set out above...

 

[VandyMan]

The "detail" on the 009 is exactly why I want these out to compare. Some people will gravitate toward that, as clearly you do. I don't and in fact that was the motivation to do this project; I am about tone and texture which to me are more relevant to the enjoyment of music than every last detail.

I say this often, I've never been a fan of products that put "rosin on the bows" in large scale recordings, this is just not what I hear in live acoustic music. I don't go to symphonies and walk out having counted the number of people in the string section or listening to the rosin on the bow, I listen to the emotion of the performance, and I find that sometimes these are conflicting aspects of performance. I totally understand why some people want every ion of detail, and even that some people may find that that is what gives them the emotional connection I seek in a different way, but I also know there are many others who don't find it to be the sound they want at all or simply want an alternative to that sound for music where it may not work so well.

From day one our goal has been to complement the existing products with a unique voice, and perhaps to appeal to those for whom the existing products weren't the right fit. From the feedback we've received at the show from Headamps apples/apples demo I believe that while it might not have worked for you there are plenty who appreciated the direction we took for the same reasons I set out above...

I'm sure you are correct that this presentation will appeal to many and I wish you well with the Voce. However, I need to clarify that I was not referring to "rosin on the bows" type of detail. I meant that some instruments were being deemphasized due to frequency balance in a way that I felt was unsatisfactory (to me) in comparison to the 009. Perhaps "detail" is not the correct word for that.

 

[mrspeakers]

Fair enough. Tonal balance is obviously a consideration, and you could apply my prior comments substituting tone for detail. If the 009 is exactly what you're looking for this might not be the right headphone, but if the 009 sounds off to you it may well be. Regardless of whether or not you liked it, I appreciate your coming by and for sharing your thoughts. I think it helps people to hear "if you like this you may not like that" and "if you don't like this, maybe this is for you," as this isn't a one-size-fits-all business, and our hope is good comments help people make confident choices.

 

[conquerator2]

Just like there are people who prefer the Shangri-La to the HE1, or the HD800 to the Clear / Utopia. We all hear differently and what to some might sound like naturally revealed detail just might sound artificially emphasized to others. There is no right or wrong in this discussion as we all expect different things from music. While I am sad the Voce did not end up costing nearer its initially projected retail price (though I also understand the production complications weren't Dan's fault) I am excited we see an electrostatic voiced differently. Variety is the spice of life after all, so we can't have too much of that

 

[statfi]

I prefer the detail of the 009, so the Voce is not for me, unfortunately.

So few words, yet so clear and informative. Thanks!

I totally understand why some people want every ion of detail, and even that some people may find that that is what gives them the emotional connection I seek in a different way, but I also know there are many others who don't find it to be the sound they want at all or simply want an alternative to that sound for music where it may not work so well.

And an equally informative response. Again, thanks!

I am a detail fiend. Hearing rosin on the bows is in the prioritized list of things I want, but a ways down. More towards the top of my list are being able to discriminate all the musical lines when there are more than one at a time and to discriminate instruments' timbres when many are playing simultaneous, to help my weak, not too musical brain pick out and understand the composer's construction.

Given that info about me, I would like to hear if VandyMan thinks I might prefer the 009s (my current rig, btw).

I would like to hear more about what MrSpeakers was "tuning" for, and how he did that. I.e., more details of the "direction [he] took" in terms of sonic attributes, and the ways in which he achieved that direction.

 

[Ali-Pacha]

I'm very curious to hear those, especially how they compare to good ol' Sigma Pro, which are a real singularity in Stax's voicing : warm, relaxed, not looking for every details...but stil estat

Ali

 

[DocBass]

The Mr. Speaker/HeadAmp room was really excellent. Lots to listen to. I thought it was very brave to demo the Voce side by side with the STAX 009 on a BHSE. The Voce sounded excellent, but then when I switched to the 009, it was like I had only been hearing half the music on the Voce. Overall signature reminded me of the Aeon Flow. I prefer the detail of the 009, so the Voce is not for me, unfortunately.

I love my AFO's so this is very exciting. How was the low end?? This is my biggest concern as I know a lot of the electrostatic speakers tend to have pretty light base (or so I have been told). Thanks for your report!

 

[VandyMan]

I love my AFO's so this is very exciting. How was the low end?? This is my biggest concern as I know a lot of the electrostatic speakers tend to have pretty light base (or so I have been told). Thanks for your report!

IMO, the bass of the Voce is superior to the 009. Tight, fast, deep bass. I think the 009 has better bass than it is often given credit for, but the Voce is better in that regard.

BTW, I am wearing the AFC at work right now and have the Ether Flow open and closed at home. Can I be a Mr. Speaker fanboy if I'm older than Dan?

 

[VandyMan]

Given that info about me, I would like to hear if VandyMan thinks I might prefer the 009s (my current rig, btw).

I would like to hear more about what MrSpeakers was "tuning" for, and how he did that. I.e., more details of the "direction [he] took" in terms of sonic attributes, and the ways in which he achieved that direction.

I think you might well like the 009 better, but if at all possible, I would suggest comparing for yourself. One of my favorite test tracks in Jimi Hendrix's Machine Gun from The Fillmore East 12/31/1969. The Voce did a great job capturing both the room and the emotion of the music. The bass in the rat-a-tat part is great. No overhang and plenty deep. On the other hand, I felt it lost a bit in capturing the interplay of the instruments because of the tonal balance (to use Dan's more accurate phrase). As Dan and others have said, this will be very much an area of personal preference. I would not call the Voce laid back exactly, more like organic. But these words are terms are pretty nebulus.

 

[mrspeakers]

So few words, yet so clear and informative. Thanks!

I would like to hear more about what MrSpeakers was "tuning" for, and how he did that. I.e., more details of the "direction [he] took" in terms of sonic attributes, and the ways in which he achieved that direction.

The tone I was looking for is a fun question, and a predictably complex answer. I tried to make an all-purpose headphone that was equally at home with a symphony, jazz ensemble, pop/rock, electronica, rap, hip-hop, etc. So I deliberately tried for a fuller bottom-end and a warmer midrange closer to our planars. By definition a warmer tone decreases the relevant output of the upper mids and highs, as tone and perception of detail do relate. Lastly, I really wanted to get a lot of dynamics out of the headphone, VOCE really has a lively dynamic range to it, in part due to driver size. Generally I start with drums, then move to vocals, then to electronica, then to symphonic works. When the tone holds and scales across genres I feel like we're done...

We did the voicing using 3 different main amps and 2 energizers, though I had very limited time with the iFI.