[voja]

2 years ago, Phonon—a Japanese company founded by Isao Kumano and Alex Prat—launched a Kickstarter campaign for the SMB-01L. Previously, Phonon was famous for its SMB-02 headphones. The SMB-01L was a very ambitious project, and it was quite the journey. The Kickstarter campaign was a hit and Phonon's goal was fulfilled rather quickly.

The most interesting feature is the switchable back that let's you change between a semi-open and a closed-back design. Also, the SMB-01L is using Foster's (Fostex) 50mm bio-cellulose drivers (model no. MT050A).

This is the Discussion & Impressions thread, so please share your thoughts!


Company websites:
https://phonon-inc.com
https://phononstore.com

 

[Elegiac]

Damn that looks sweet.

 

[voja]

Damn that looks sweet.

Yep! They've been out for quite some time. I myself have known about them for idk how long, likely since the Kickstarter stage. Personally, I can say that these right here have a lot of potential.

 

[Elegiac]

Yep! They've been out for quite some time. I myself have known about them for idk how long, likely since the Kickstarter stage. Personally, I can say that these right here have a lot of potential.

I must look away though. I'm not a paying a grand for them

SMB-02's however...

 

[temples]

I bought these a year ago for around 500$ from Japan (some local stores had discounts on these) and I immensely enjoyed them.

I am coming from Beyerdynamic DT-770 PRO, and with the SMB-01Ls I recognised how headphones can excel in terms of tonal balance and resolution.

The SMB-01L is very neutral, but not boring. I guess this is achieved by, first, the fidelity of its tonal balance — it is very close to what you hear in real life; second, by its resolution — the texture of instruments is reproduced much better than with the DT770s and more life-like which can have a revelatory effect on you; and, finally, its speed — it keeps the tempo very well, if driven by a good amplifier (I am using Luxman DA-100).

I bought the headphones without audiotioning them first and was expecting them to have a fun sound signature similar to Fostex TH900(9). I was very wrong because the headphones are quite an opposite of the TH900s, but I was not disappointed. I do not have a lot of experience in the head-fi world, but compared to top Beyerdynamic headphones, Audeze LCD-X and LCD-2, Sennheiser HD-800, and some Staxes I would say that the the SMB-01Ls are on par if not better than competition.

 

[equalspeace]

I bought these a year ago for around 500$ from Japan (some local stores had discounts on these) and I immensely enjoyed them.

I am coming from Beyerdynamic DT-770 PRO, and with the SMB-01Ls I recognised how headphones can excel in terms of tonal balance and resolution.

The SMB-01L is very neutral, but not boring. I guess this is achieved by, first, the fidelity of its tonal balance — it is very close to what you hear in real life; second, by its resolution — the texture of instruments is reproduced much better than with the DT770s and more life-like which can have a revelatory effect on you; and, finally, its speed — it keeps the tempo very well, if driven by a good amplifier (I am using Luxman DA-100).

I bought the headphones without audiotioning them first and was expecting them to have a fun sound signature similar to Fostex TH900(9). I was very wrong because the headphones are quite an opposite of the TH900s, but I was not disappointed. I do not have a lot of experience in the head-fi world, but compared to top Beyerdynamic headphones, Audeze LCD-X and LCD-2, Sennheiser HD-800, and some Staxes I would say that the the SMB-01Ls are on par if not better than competition.

I was actually looking at these this past week. You're comments are helpful. Ty

 

[temples]

I was actually looking at these this past week. You're comments are helpful. Ty

You're welcome. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[temples]

Long story short, I've got a pair of ex-demo TH900s for a good price and I can't say I enjoy them more than the Phonons... Actually, I might have enjoyed the Phonons more.

I've made the decision to but the TH900s based on a years-old impression of auditioning them while I still had the DT770s. At that point, I was really impressed by their performance and their fun sound signature. Apparently, this impression has become even more vivid as time passed by, so I imagined that the TH900s would be significantly better than the SMB-01Ls in terms of pure enjoyment. Now I don't have the Phonons by me and I'm using the TH900s with my MBP 2015 which is not enough, of course, but I just can't stop thinking that the TH900s' coloration isn't as exciting as I expected it to be and that I don't even value coloration as such any longer. Maybe I just need a good dac/amp for the TH900s, but the Phonons' value has risen in my eyes already, so I'd recommend them even at their EU price.

 

[voja]

Long story short, I've got a pair of ex-demo TH900s for a good price and I can't say I enjoy them more than the Phonons... Actually, I might have enjoyed the Phonons more.

I've made the decision to but the TH900s based on a years-old impression of auditioning them while I still had the DT770s. At that point, I was really impressed by their performance and their fun sound signature. Apparently, this impression has become even more vivid as time passed by, so I imagined that the TH900s would be significantly better than the SMB-01Ls in terms of pure enjoyment. Now I don't have the Phonons by me and I'm using the TH900s with my MBP 2015 which is not enough, of course, but I just can't stop thinking that the TH900s' coloration isn't as exciting as I expected it to be and that I don't even value coloration as such any longer. Maybe I just need a good dac/amp for the TH900s, but the Phonons' value has risen in my eyes already, so I'd recommend them even at their EU price.

The SMB-01L is very fun, but more than anything, it is the detail retrieval that is its most special feature. I hope to publish my full-length article in the next month.

Very interesting to hear your experience with these. I'm sure a good number of people would want to see a TH900 vs SMB-01L comparison, so if you get a chance, we'd love to hear it =D

 

[temples]

The SMB-01L is very fun, but more than anything, it is the detail retrieval that is its most special feature. I hope to publish my full-length article in the next month.

Very interesting to hear your experience with these. I'm sure a good number of people would want to see a TH900 vs SMB-01L comparison, so if you get a chance, we'd love to hear it =D

I agree with your point about detail retrieval, but I think we understand fun in slightly different ways here. I guess the SMB-01Ls have a flatter frequency response than the TH900s, so when they are fun, they showcase the character of your dac/amp more than bring forward their own features. They aren fun to listen to given good source material and equipment, but not 'in themselves'.

I'm not sure I'll be able to make a direct comparison soon, but thanks for the invitation.

 

[temples]

I agree with your point about detail retrieval, but I think we understand fun in slightly different ways here. I guess the SMB-01Ls have a flatter frequency response than the TH900s, so when they are fun, they showcase the character of your dac/amp more than bring forward their own features. They aren fun to listen to given good source material and equipment, but not 'in themselves'.

I'm not sure I'll be able to make a direct comparison soon, but thanks for the invitation.

So how do you drive your SMB-01Ls?

 

[n00b]

I think the SMB-01Ls are slept on, I prefer them to my MDR-Z1R in almost every aspect except maaaybe soundstage or imaging. I'm really interested in the stainless steel drivers they use in the limited edition version. unfortunately it's 2x the price.

Also re: fun factor, I think they are quite neutral but still full (actual bass) and musical and engaging. In comparison the Z1R is just a bit too warm and gooey sometimes (great for long low volume listening though).

 

[voja]

I've got some great news. My review of the SMB-01L has finally been published: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/phonon-smb-01l.26389/

However, it doesn't end there. I managed to convince Phonon to grant Head-Fier's an exclusive discount code! You can now get the SMB-01L for over 50% off the global price ($799), with the new price being ¥52500* (25% off Japan retail price, ¥70000). To apply the discount, email the code "voja" to info@phonon-inc.com.

*Excluding VAT, customs fees, and shipping costs.
Please note that the discount is not applicable for orders from the European or US warehouses. All orders will be shipped exclusively from Japan, with worldwide shipping available.

Disclaimer​ I am not affiliated with Phonon Inc. in any way. I receive no monetary [or any other form of] compensation for providing this discount to my readers and followers, nor am I receiving any commissions from the orders taken. The discount is solely based on my personal recommendation and has been granted by Phonon as a special offer to my audience. All purchases and transactions made through this offer are between the buyer and Phonon Inc.

Update (13.6.23): The discount has ended.