[bearcatsandor]

if bass is the bottom line for you...I am referring to the kind you feel in your gut then by all means go with the abyss....if the utmost in accuracy, detail and space is your thing especially listening to acoustic jazz etc the sr1a is for you...in truth the abyss and sr1a complement one another beautifully if you have the cash for both...otherwise the choice is totally subjective

It's not that I want to feel the slam of bass in my gut (from headphones?!), it's that when I'm doing audio work for sound effects or music I don't want someone coming back to me and saying "Well it all sounds great except for the bass" because my hp couldn't reproduce anything useful below 30hz even with eq.

 

[jlbrach]

take my word for it the bass is quite good, extremely accurate just not as impactful

 

[bearcatsandor]

Alright, I'll start saving up!
If only there were a dealer in Montana.

 

[Shahrose]

Their main achilles is bass output pure and simple -- this no matter what you'll use to drive them. Last stop the uberamp2 direct-drive to cure curiosities.

A smaller issue, I wish they had a little more meat to the bone. They're not thin per se but I would like more body.
This would play more in their favor of being great all-arounders.

As such, the Abyss (for me) solves to be a much more well-rounded pick. And luckily, I find the TC and SR1a are perfect complimentary partners that exude equal wow factors.

Agree with both points.
The TC is the better all-rounder because it has no major flaws and plays well with all genres. The RAALs are spectacular at what they do well but have weaknesses that make them ill-suited for some music, particularly bass-dominant tracks.

Well, the Xs 300 are complete massive lunacy for any headphone (that is why I have the INT-150 10W Class A drive for Abyss aside from my CFA3 16W at 50 ohm) yet the SR1a bass response is still not satisfying regardless of amps.

And understand, it's all relative and in direct comparison to the Abyss.

The HSA-1b isn't as good as the INT-150, either. Bass isn't as tight/controlled and the HSA-1b rolls the top end a bit.
There is a warmer sound than either Pass but a step below in transparency.

With the uberamp2 I hope to bridge the latter gap but I don't really anticipate the bass improving to some magical level (I guess unless I bring in some OMG this cable is a game changer BS.)

However, my aim isn't really to try and force a change with what the SR1a represents, more refinement than anything else.

The SR1a can dig deeper into the recording and present you real space, real stereo imaging.
The Abyss conversely slams bass into your colon. Truly spine-tingling.
SR1a is a little faster with transients, also a little less bodied.

I don't really find a single fault with the TC. I've scaled the TC with SR1a and I continue to reach for the TC far more.
I do find the SR1a wow-y but I also find the TC equal in wow and just downright more fun to listen to.

I guess (considering reference of Empyrean is bollocks,) to dumb it down, the SR1a is more akin to the HD800 while the TC is more akin to the VC if the VC didn't have ZMF flavor. However unhelpful I find this to be.

Find myself agreeing with everything you've said...thanks for your insight re: comparisons to the Pass amps.

Previously I mentioned the HSA1b isn't as incisive and punchy in the bass as the JotR (one of the few areas where the JotR takes the cake). In technical terms I meant to say the RAAL amp has a noticeably dulled attack and very slightly longer decay in the bass. It also rolls off the upper treble in pursuit of smoothness, but I didn't find useful information to be missing.

In my listening, the main advantage of the HSA1b is the soundstage size, holography, forgiveness of poor recordings, microdetail in the mids and also liquidity.
The JotR sounds more upfront, brighter, drier overall with faster, more punchy bass. I find this to be exciting for short bursts but fatiguing in extended sessions. With EQ, some of these drawbacks can be reined in to a level where I can listen for longer but then I find myself missing the size/scale and immersiveness of the HSA1b. From your post it sounds like the Pass amps provide the best of both.

 

[JLoud]

if bass is the bottom line for you...I am referring to the kind you feel in your gut then by all means go with the abyss....if the utmost in accuracy, detail and space is your thing especially listening to acoustic jazz etc the sr1a is for you...in truth the abyss and sr1a complement one another beautifully if you have the cash for both...otherwise the choice is totally subjective

If I was going to limit myself to two headphones, the TC and SR1A would probably be the two. Thankfully right now I don't have to limit myself. Because the LCD-4 and Voce fill niches I very much enjoy.

 

[smodtactical]

if bass is the bottom line for you...I am referring to the kind you feel in your gut then by all means go with the abyss....if the utmost in accuracy, detail and space is your thing especially listening to acoustic jazz etc the sr1a is for you...in truth the abyss and sr1a complement one another beautifully if you have the cash for both...otherwise the choice is totally subjective

If you want bass you feel in your gut go speakers with subs... heheh jk.

 

[jlbrach]

Agree with both points.
The TC is the better all-rounder because it has no major flaws and plays well with all genres. The RAALs are spectacular at what they do well but have weaknesses that make them ill-suited for some music, particularly bass-dominant tracks.



Find myself agreeing with everything you've said...thanks for your insight re: comparisons to the Pass amps.

Previously I mentioned the HSA1b isn't as incisive and punchy in the bass as the JotR (one of the few areas where the JotR takes the cake). In technical terms I meant to say the RAAL amp has a noticeably dulled attack and very slightly longer decay in the bass. It also rolls off the upper treble in pursuit of smoothness, but I didn't find useful information to be missing.

In my listening, the main advantage of the HSA1b is the soundstage size, holography, forgiveness of poor recordings, microdetail in the mids and also liquidity.
The JotR sounds more upfront, brighter, drier overall with faster, more punchy bass. I find this to be exciting for short bursts but fatiguing in extended sessions. With EQ, some of these drawbacks can be reined in to a level where I can listen for longer but then I find myself missing the size/scale and immersiveness of the HSA1b. From your post it sounds like the Pass amps provide the best of both.

forgiveness of bad recordings????? Are you sure you listened to the sr1a?...they are the most unforgiving of all HP's in existence...they are brutally accurate to the point that any fault or issue with a recording will be brutally displayed....

 

[Shahrose]

forgiveness of bad recordings????? Are you sure you listened to the sr1a?...they are the most unforgiving of all HP's in existence...they are brutally accurate to the point that any fault or issue with a recording will be brutally displayed....

Context is important
This was said about the HSA1b, in relation to the JotR.

 

[jlbrach]

in either case the sr1a is brutally discerning and will showcase the flaws in any recording....it is an improper description of this headphone

 

[Sherwood]

I like to be the one to forgive a bad recording, I don't want my headphones doing it for me.

 

[jlbrach]

so do I , I want to hear what is on the recording as true to life as possible, good or bad

 

[bearcatsandor]

As do most of us. Unfortunately, I'm an old metalhead. Bands like Tool and Porcupine Tree are engineered really well, but the vast majority of my recent metal is horrible. I love Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin, but the latest BB album has dynamic ranges around 3.9dB. That's insane.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Well after keeping my entire rig and headphones in my brother's storage room while we moved into our new home, I'm finally setup again at my new place. I decided to go with the SR1a/Jot R/DAVE setup and Bruce Springsteen's newest release "Letter to You". I am just loving what I am hearing. So expansive, quick and detailed...these are among the very best pair of headphones around...no question to my ears. So glad to be "back in business"!!!

 

[smodtactical]

Well after keeping my entire rig and headphones in my brother's storage room while we moved into our new home, I'm finally setup again at my new place. I decided to go with the SR1a/Jot R/DAVE setup and Bruce Springsteen's newest release "Letter to You". I am just loving what I am hearing. So expansive, quick and detailed...these are among the very best pair of headphones around...no question to my ears. So glad to be "back in business"!!!

You don't find it overly thin and lacking low end?

 

[jlbrach]

Well after keeping my entire rig and headphones in my brother's storage room while we moved into our new home, I'm finally setup again at my new place. I decided to go with the SR1a/Jot R/DAVE setup and Bruce Springsteen's newest release "Letter to You". I am just loving what I am hearing. So expansive, quick and detailed...these are among the very best pair of headphones around...no question to my ears. So glad to be "back in business"!!!

spot on...and no they are not thin or lacking low end...they are fantastic...is the bass as impactful as the abyss or LCD-4?...Nope!....are they the most detailed and expansive and dynamic HP's I have ever heard?...yes!.....are they better than the abyss or susvara?...no ,but they are the equal and completely different in a terrific way