@m17xr2b your review pushed me over the edge... wallet open 
MYSPHERE 3.1-UNIQUE in SOUND&DESIGN&BUILD QUALITY
- Thread starter Nomax
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DNA Stellaris for 3.1 hands down.
Woo WA5/high impedance with top glass for 3.2, might be magic midrange of 300B tubes.
Switching them around doesn't yield the best results. Trying to force a warmer, punchier sound to the 3.1 doesn't really work. Using the 3.2 on Stellaris, while great you don't get the seamless transient response of the 3.1 nor the glorious midrange they're capable of.
Woo WA5/high impedance with top glass for 3.2, might be magic midrange of 300B tubes.
Switching them around doesn't yield the best results. Trying to force a warmer, punchier sound to the 3.1 doesn't really work. Using the 3.2 on Stellaris, while great you don't get the seamless transient response of the 3.1 nor the glorious midrange they're capable of.
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Also I found with 3.2 it works best with a high impedance output. Even the bottlehead crack manages to mostly preserve the midrange but low end suffers. Using 3.2 on the low impedance output of the WA5 you loose the magic. No idea why but I've noticed with some exception high impedance cans like true high impedance amps, none of that adding a resistor nonsense.
I did try them on the Sony WM1A using the balanced cable. The pairing if fine and while they don't seem under powered the combo is a far cry from a SET amp. You still have the neutral sound and the soundstage but low end lacks punch, layers are flattened and the top end is less detailed, more one note. My guess is 3.1 scales to no end and would be a waste to use mid-fi on them. My highly regarded Apex Peak hybrid amp didn't do them justice either.
A question to Heinz : some reviewer report a middle to strong clamping.
Is there a way to relieve / adjust this clamping strength without risking to break the headband ?
Is there a way to relieve / adjust this clamping strength without risking to break the headband ?
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Keep in mind it's not a traditional clamp, the force is more on your skull so less intrusive than if it was on your ears.
I have a big head and while the clamp was noticeable at first I appreciated how secure they stayed on unlike the K1000 or Abyss.
I have a big head and while the clamp was noticeable at first I appreciated how secure they stayed on unlike the K1000 or Abyss.
hrklg01
Member of the Trade: Mysphere
AKG K1000 developer
About high clamping force of the MYSPHERE head-bow:
m17xr2b is correct in mentioning that the subjective high clamping force will be reduced by time. It's a certain process of getting used to. Especially for those who are used to normal headphones.
But also true is, that for bigger heads the clamping force can be high.
This is why we changed the material of the metal-bow towards a flatter force displacement diagram. This enable for small heads almost the same force as normal, but for larger heads 30% less force.
All MYSPHERE's shipped since mid of April has this new metal bow part and stronger fixation of the sound-frames into the bow as well.
The older head-bows can be bent up to a certain extend. But it has to be done with care. A bending is only in the upper middle section allowed. Not at the two edges, it would cause damages there!
BR heinz
m17xr2b is correct in mentioning that the subjective high clamping force will be reduced by time. It's a certain process of getting used to. Especially for those who are used to normal headphones.
But also true is, that for bigger heads the clamping force can be high.
This is why we changed the material of the metal-bow towards a flatter force displacement diagram. This enable for small heads almost the same force as normal, but for larger heads 30% less force.
All MYSPHERE's shipped since mid of April has this new metal bow part and stronger fixation of the sound-frames into the bow as well.
The older head-bows can be bent up to a certain extend. But it has to be done with care. A bending is only in the upper middle section allowed. Not at the two edges, it would cause damages there!
BR heinz
Thank you for these answers
is it possible to buy the new metal bow part?
hrklg01
Member of the Trade: Mysphere
AKG K1000 developer
Yes, it is possible to buy spare parts.
But especially the head-bow is really expensive
as it contains out of many parts and much labour.
BR heinz
But especially the head-bow is really expensive
as it contains out of many parts and much labour.BR heinz
Hi,
Thank you @hrklg01 for this explanation since it is true that I have noticed for a too soft clamping an increased aeriality, not good for immersion.
These MySphere 3.2 really have a superior sound stage, very accurate mediums (oboe more natural than my Susvara) and a big resolution.
For me, the biggest problem is that I have a DAC + Tube amp very performing in the low frequencies range and listening to Symphonies the MySphere on those low frequencies (dark movements) saturates heavily where headphones like Abyss, LCD4 or Susvara are in heaven.
Not a question of power at all (sensibility to too much power), really a frequency saturation (below 100Hz ?).
Thank you @hrklg01 for this explanation since it is true that I have noticed for a too soft clamping an increased aeriality, not good for immersion.
These MySphere 3.2 really have a superior sound stage, very accurate mediums (oboe more natural than my Susvara) and a big resolution.
For me, the biggest problem is that I have a DAC + Tube amp very performing in the low frequencies range and listening to Symphonies the MySphere on those low frequencies (dark movements) saturates heavily where headphones like Abyss, LCD4 or Susvara are in heaven.
Not a question of power at all (sensibility to too much power), really a frequency saturation (below 100Hz ?).
hrklg01
Member of the Trade: Mysphere
AKG K1000 developer
In deed for some amps it's not easy to drive the MYSPHERE 3 at frequencies below 100Hz.
The main reason is that this headphone - or better called speaker driver - has an extreme high electromotive counter-force as it work in free field (with low damping apart from the electric one) and having the strongest magnetic field of all headphones with 1.6 Telsa.
It's just like speakers! For instance: I have old Infinity Kappa 8A and only a view amps can drive this speakers without problems at low frequencies.
It's not an excuse - it's concept depending and especially for electronic music with artificial bass levels, the combination of amp+MYSPHERE 3 is a bit critical.
BR heinz
FritzS
1000+ Head-Fier
JaZZ
Headphoneus Supremus
So you're saying it's entirely the amp's fault and not the Mysphere suffering from dynamic compression due to large membrane excursions reaching their limit? On the other hand it would be understandable that a completely open design like this, with minimal baffle dimensions against phase cancellation, could get into troubles at extremely low frequencies. After all that's how one could interpret cladane's «saturation».
hrklg01
Member of the Trade: Mysphere
AKG K1000 developer
No, of course it can be used for any music, it's just a problem when amp and headphone are not an ideal partner.
And no, I did not mean it's a fault of the amp. I mean it's a design issue of such an open and electrical sensitive headphone.
Just as my example with the Infinity speakers I wrote... it's also not a fault of other amps, it's just an electric effect which happen.
And yes, an additional challenge is the fully open design. The amp ideal to pair with MYSPHERE 3 must not be strong! f.i. I tested many powerful amps and the negative effect vary much.
I could recommend amps which do not have the issue with the electromotive counter-force of this headphone, but I don't want to got wrong... I do not want to post things sounding like a commercial in a forum.
BR heinz
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