[qazxsw80]

Hello,
The slim transport case (in the middle of the table between the two big boxes) will look similar like the standard packing. The difference is mainly the height and that the headphone parts (drivers and bow) are placed dismantled into to allow the slim form factor.
A picture taken at Berlin Can-Jam is attached. Better pictures with details will follow on the www.Mysphere.at homepage soon.
The variant 3.2. is using an impedance of 110 ohms instead 15 ohms as 3.1. All relevant other spec. details remain the same.

Great, thank you for the answer.
And the sound of the 110 ohms version is going to be the exactly the same? As far as I know the impedance is largely determined by the driver's voice coil and usually the higher impedance means that the voice coil is thinner and there are more windings (layers of wire) and so the better the sound, at least for the same Beyerdynamic headphones (like DT880).

 

[greenmountain]

I wonder if the 2 VC versions have identical weight dimensions and stiffness which could influence transients (and distortion levels). I hope that selecting one impedance does not make the choice of amps (or DAPs) more restrictive? I want to use something when traveling and at home so likely a DAP and stationary DAC/amp

 

[hrklg01]

Ok,
@ qazxsw80 & greenmountain

Your rising questions are relative easy to explain, but believe it, in reality it was not easy to develop it!

The driver of Mysphere 3.x is using a coil with a coil former. This enable us "to play" a bit with the coil wire material and diameter of this wire. The elastic lead wire which is out of kevlar and a silver spiral are lased welded to the coil.
The choosen dimensions in height coil diameter and mass are for both variantes (3.1 = 15ohms impedance and 3.2 = 110ohms impedance) the same.
Consequently the sensitivity of 95dBSPL/mW is also the same. But reached with different voltage from the amp of course.

BUT:
There is one important factor and this is the reason behind choosing two variants.
Mysphere is using the electric damping given by the amp similar to an "eddy current brake" very heavily.
Whereas standard headphones use mainly acoustic (airflow) damping.
Therefore to chose the best Mysphere variant is as following:
Using amps below 15 ohms output impedance .... Mysphere 3.2 (examples are strong solid state amps and strong tube amps...)
Using amps above ... Mysphere 3.1 (examples are many tube amps, smart phones, little and cheap headphone players with low power...)
It's not so that the influence of the amp is very tough, but it is clearly audible.
BTW. Focal's Utopia react very similar as it use also little acoustic damping as we do.
When customer want to buy, we recommend anyway the best version based on the amps in use.

BR heinz

 

[Muinarc]

BUT:
There is one important factor and this is the reason behind choosing two variants.
Mysphere is using the electric damping given by the amp similar to an "eddy current brake" very heavily.
Whereas standard headphones use mainly acoustic (airflow) damping.
Therefore to chose the best Mysphere variant is as following:
Using amps below 15 ohms output impedance .... Mysphere 3.2 (examples are strong solid state amps and strong tube amps...)
Using amps above ... Mysphere 3.1 (examples are many tube amps, smart phones, little and cheap headphone players with low power...)
It's not so that the influence of the amp is very tough, but it is clearly audible.
BTW. Focal's Utopia react very similar as it use also little acoustic damping as we do.
When customer want to buy, we recommend anyway the best version based on the amps in use.

BR heinz

Very interesting stuff Heinz. Does the 3.2 just have more windings of a thinner coil wire to reach the 110ohm impedance? And if so, with the same dimensions and thus nearly the same mass of wire in the gap, does this mean the driver would have the same motor force (BL) as the 3.1? I was always curious about the relationship of the coil mass, length and gauge of wire, height and diameter on motor force and how it all relates to performance and ultimately sound quality all other components in a dynamic driver being the same (cone material, diameter, x_max, overhung/underhung topology, etc.).

 

[Matrix Petka]

Sorry, earspeakers can not work properly with your head in close proximity of other objects ( bed, pillow, etc ) . To truly appreciate what a real earspeaker like Mysphre 3.1 can do, you will have to be in a normal upright position.

I know it, because I am happy owner of Stab Lamda. Anyway, I managed to listen them laying in the bed with minor loss of sound quality - placing my head on narrow pillow about 25cm high. Main problem - in this position headband it is resting on my forehead

 

[ruhenheiM]

@hrklg01
Mr. Heinz, with the released of mysphere 3.1 and mysphere 3.2, and hopefully it will be a success. is there any development in place or consideration to release this type of headphone in much lower price point? the cheap version so more people could get the idea about mysphere and affordable by them. thank you

 

[Fifty five]

magnificent pieces of engineering.

 

[analogsurviver]

I know it, because I am happy owner of Stab Lamda. Anyway, I managed to listen them laying in the bed with minor loss of sound quality - placing my head on narrow pillow about 25cm high. Main problem - in this position headband it is resting on my forehead

Well, I own both Stax Lambda and AKG K-1000 - and from the experience I can tell you that Lambdas are MUCH less affected in sound quality department then K-1000 when one's head is resting on the pillow; that pillow works havoc with your HRTF, something REAL earspeakers ( K-1000, Mysphere ) are particularly good (and sensitive at, if you insist on lying on something , etc ) at.

Stax (any model) is NOT a real earspeaker, they call them this way only in context that they bring similar sound as loudspeakers in the room.

 

[Matrix Petka]

Well, I own both Stax Lambda and AKG K-1000 - and from the experience I can tell you that Lambdas are MUCH less affected in sound quality department then K-1000 when one's head is resting on the pillow; that pillow works havoc with your HRTF, something REAL earspeakers ( K-1000, Mysphere ) are particularly good (and sensitive at, if you insist on lying on something , etc ) at.

Stax (any model) is NOT a real earspeaker, they call them this way only in context that they bring similar sound as loudspeakers in the room.

Thank you for clarification. On other side, it confirms how sensitive and good MySphere 3.1(2) will. Can you give some comparison between Lambda and MySphere?

 

[analogsurviver]

Thank you for clarification. On other side, it confirms how sensitive and good MySphere 3.1(2) will. Can you give some comparison between Lambda and MySphere?

During my visit to Mr. Heinz, I of course did listen to both Lambda and various prototypes of MySphere. But - as I wrote in my report - it has been agreed in advance I should not post about the sound of these prototypes. The reason was clearly audible - and later visible , from graphs ; the prototypes were in varios stages of "completion" and itr would be patently unfair to compare them with something made 30 or so years ago, long before perfected and brought to series production with extremely repeatable results. But, in general, Lambda will win in bass, has a bit better low level resolution, for performance in sounstage to at least try to mimic that of K-1000/Mysphere absolutely requires Diffuse Field Equalizer ( available either separately as ED-1 Monitor or in what was basically combination of SRM1MK2 and ED-1 in a single box - the first being xx rare, the second xxx rare ). Without Diffuse Field EQ, Mysphere will walk all over the Lambda as far as the proper spatial reproduction is concerned - and has the edge over Lambda even with Diffuse Field EQ applied. In short - once the Mysphere reaches the final form and that gets produced with consistency and repeatability worthy of so advanced transducer, it should be hard to touch, for everything but the low bass; the open baffle real earspeaker design with no earpads to eliminate the acoustical short circuit for bass is inherently uncapable of achieving the bass response of the conventional headphone using earpads. This tradeoff has to be understood and taken into account.

I am sure as I write this and you read it, Mr. Heinz and his team are doing their best in order to finalize the final form of Mysphere - as well as perfecting the production process that will guarantee the least sample to sample variation.

 

[greenmountain]

During my visit to Mr. Heinz, I of course did listen to both Lambda and various prototypes of MySphere. But - as I wrote in my report - it has been agreed in advance I should not post about the sound of these prototypes. The reason was clearly audible - and later visible , from graphs ; the prototypes were in varios stages of "completion" and itr would be patently unfair to compare them with something made 30 or so years ago, long before perfected and brought to series production with extremely repeatable results. But, in general, Lambda will win in bass, has a bit better low level resolution, for performance in sounstage to at least try to mimic that of K-1000/Mysphere absolutely requires Diffuse Field Equalizer ( available either separately as ED-1 Monitor or in what was basically combination of SRM1MK2 and ED-1 in a single box - the first being xx rare, the second xxx rare ). Without Diffuse Field EQ, Mysphere will walk all over the Lambda as far as the proper spatial reproduction is concerned - and has the edge over Lambda even with Diffuse Field EQ applied. In short - once the Mysphere reaches the final form and that gets produced with consistency and repeatability worthy of so advanced transducer, it should be hard to touch, for everything but the low bass; the open baffle real earspeaker design with no earpads to eliminate the acoustical short circuit for bass is inherently uncapable of achieving the bass response of the conventional headphone using earpads. This tradeoff has to be understood and taken into account.

I am sure as I write this and you read it, Mr. Heinz and his team are doing their best in order to finalize the final form of Mysphere - as well as perfecting the production process that will guarantee the least sample to sample variation.

I wonder if one increases the low frequency output of the amp via some app/DSP one could increase the low bass at least for low listening levels without any negative consequences like distortion or overheating the VC. One could develop different profiles for different driver positions (and add a limiter not to go past the limits of the driver sounding good). Many DAPs have already some form of equalizer functionality built in and allow to save different profiles but most do not have limiters

 

[analogsurviver]

I wonder if one increases the low frequency output of the amp via some app/DSP one could increase the low bass at least for low listening levels without any negative consequences like distortion or overheating the VC. One could develop different profiles for different driver positions (and add a limiter not to go past the limits of the driver sounding good).

Yes, true for low listening levels. But the limits of bass excursions can be exceeded ( bottoming of the drivers ) by playing uncompressed live recordings of symphonic music ( tympani ...) with "flat" setting already. But please note that recordings of this quality are rare and far in between, so for most music this will not occur even at elevated listening level. However, Mysphere will never be basshead EDM lover first choice.

 

[Matrix Petka]

During my visit to Mr. Heinz, I of course did listen to both Lambda and various prototypes of MySphere. But - as I wrote in my report - it has been agreed in advance I should not post about the sound of these prototypes. The reason was clearly audible - and later visible , from graphs ; the prototypes were in varios stages of "completion" and itr would be patently unfair to compare them with something made 30 or so years ago, long before perfected and brought to series production with extremely repeatable results. But, in general, Lambda will win in bass, has a bit better low level resolution, for performance in sounstage to at least try to mimic that of K-1000/Mysphere absolutely requires Diffuse Field Equalizer ( available either separately as ED-1 Monitor or in what was basically combination of SRM1MK2 and ED-1 in a single box - the first being xx rare, the second xxx rare ). Without Diffuse Field EQ, Mysphere will walk all over the Lambda as far as the proper spatial reproduction is concerned - and has the edge over Lambda even with Diffuse Field EQ applied. In short - once the Mysphere reaches the final form and that gets produced with consistency and repeatability worthy of so advanced transducer, it should be hard to touch, for everything but the low bass; the open baffle real earspeaker design with no earpads to eliminate the acoustical short circuit for bass is inherently uncapable of achieving the bass response of the conventional headphone using earpads. This tradeoff has to be understood and taken into account.

I am sure as I write this and you read it, Mr. Heinz and his team are doing their best in order to finalize the final form of Mysphere - as well as perfecting the production process that will guarantee the least sample to sample variation.

Thank you! You confirmed my expectations/suspicions for good. Getting on diet to save money for MySphere
All the best for Herr Heinz and his team to deliver us that sonic Nirvana.

 

[greenmountain]

I am not a bass head and I do not listen to large scale orchestral music very often (even I like the sound of a tympani) but I am mostly concerned with a driver position not touching the ear (I think that is the main attraction of Mysphere) and have reasonable reproduction below 50Hz. Of course one could have different profiles for different types of music, the only danger would be to forget to switch profiles.

 

[hrklg01]

Hello,
To use back open or even totally open (like Mysphere) headphones close to hard surfaces, the sound will be effected negatively by resonances heavily.
When you use it close to a cushion of the bed or similar use, the mid and mid-high frequencies are still effected, but not that much due to the damping effect of the cushion material.
To be honest, I personally use Mysphere3.1 very often in this way and the brain seems to become used to it....
BR heinz