[Wyville]

I listen extensively to classical music.

The strengths of the erlky make it a phenomenal piece for the genre.

The A18t was great, but over time, i realized its accuracy of timbre was severly lacking; it was tough to tell the difference between clarinets and oboes, or violins and violas.

The erlky's accuracy of timbre is startlingly good. It also has the blackest background, the most detail, and the most well-organized stage i've heard. And it has so much headroom along with powerful, tight, and textured bass, which makes bass plucks or timpani hits extremely engaging and controlled.

The above strengths make the erlky a treat for classical or orchestral music, and easily the best i've heard.

My expectation is that the thum will not beat the erlky for classical music, due to its extremely strong dynamic bass, however, i can see the thum being a real treat for things like electronic or pop music. (of course, the erlky sounds phenomenal with those as well...it is a true all-arounder for sure.)

have not heard the xls myself, so unfortunately i can't give you a direct comparison.

Others have said much the same about the Erlkönig. I always imagine them to keep things restrained, but with exceptional quality, which is something that I personally value highly in IEMs. The Thummim won't beat them, I am absolutely certain because I don't think that classical music plays to the Thummim's strengths at all. The bass definitely unbalances things for that and the signature as a whole is much better suited to conveying energy and excitement. The stage is also not what I would personally like with classical. It is too spherical and throws notes at you from every direction, which is amazing with a lot of music, but not classical (in my opinion).

 

[toaster]

Others have said much the same about the Erlkönig. I always imagine them to keep things restrained, but with exceptional quality, which is something that I personally value highly in IEMs. The Thummim won't beat them, I am absolutely certain because I don't think that classical music plays to the Thummim's strengths at all. The bass definitely unbalances things for that and the signature as a whole is much better suited to conveying energy and excitement. The stage is also not what I would personally like with classical. It is too spherical and throws notes at you from every direction, which is amazing with a lot of music, but not classical (in my opinion).

precisely. i agree with you.

i expect the thum to have a crazy soundstage; where sounds are flung at you from all directions and from varying distances.

i've heard another iem that i'd also describe in a similar way...the fourte.

now, i do expect the thum to be better than the fourte in almost every way, (no dramatically recessed mids, no harsh highs, and more cohesion among the different driver types.) and, while i think the fourte is amazing in its own quirky way (and i hope the thum will be even more amazing in its own even quirkier way,) i did also take issue with the way the fourte sometimes sounded like it was "pulling music apart at the seams." sometimes sounds were just too far apart, and to my ears, it came at the expense of musical cohesion.

with classical music specifically, i think this is an unwanted sound characteristic.

while i want to hear all the instruments in the orchestra, i don't want different sections to each sound like they're coming from different places entirely; i want sounds to be close enough together that they are musically coherent, and they blend together similarly as they would if i were listening in a concert hall.

in my opinion, the erlky strikes a wonderful balance with its staging structure, detail level, and separation. at the same time, it retains a level of cohesion that i'd never describe as "coming apart at the seams."

while for some genres, like electronic music, i could actually seeing this "bursting seams" kind of sound being a plus.

but for orchestal music, erlky really nails it.

 

[Wyville]

precisely. i agree with you.

i expect the thum to have a crazy soundstage; where sounds are flung at you from all directions and from varying distances.

i've heard another iem that i'd also describe in a similar way...the fourte.

now, i do expect the thum to be better than the fourte in almost every way, (no dramatically recessed mids, no harsh highs, and more cohesion among the different driver types.) and, while i think the fourte is amazing in its own quirky way (and i hope the thum will be even more amazing in its own even quirkier way,) i did also take issue with the way the fourte sometimes sounded like it was "pulling music apart at the seams." sometimes sounds were just too far apart, and to my ears, it came at the expense of musical cohesion.

with classical music specifically, i think this is an unwanted sound characteristic.

while i want to hear all the instruments in the orchestra, i don't want different sections to each sound like they're coming from different places entirely; i want sounds to be close enough together that they are musically coherent, and they blend together similarly as they would if i were listening in a concert hall.

in my opinion, the erlky strikes a wonderful balance with its staging structure, detail level, and separation. at the same time, it retains a level of cohesion that i'd never describe as "coming apart at the seams."

while for some genres, like electronic music, i could actually seeing this "bursting seams" kind of sound being a plus.

but for orchestal music, erlky really nails it.

That's the thing with the Dream XLS. Those present the music in a very large 'letterbox' type of stage with excellent detail, separation and air around instruments, yet coherency is tremendously good so that notes flow from one into another. I can pick out every individual instrument and yet at the same time I can just sit back and allow the presentation to envelop me. Like I said in my review, they don't push anything forward, but reward you when you let the music entice you. There is a quality there that for me and my preferences works perfectly with classical music. I would be very curious to compare them to the Erlkönig one day. I have actually been toying with the idea of doing a review series specifically aimed at classical music and finding the best IEMs for the it, perhaps even in a shootout format, but I don't yet have access to enough IEMs for a start.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Abyss Diana V2, an initial impression on the Abyss 1266 Phi CC, and my aggressive entry into the HP market >

There's quite a lot to be said before I get to impressions this time around, since it's the first time I'm properly writing about full sized headphones. Truthfully speaking, I don't really know what I'm talking about just yet (might never learn either), and I haven't really experimented with a massive variety of amps and sources, so these are in a way preliminary impressions on both the Diana V2 and the 1266 Phi CC. My listening experience with headphones is also super limited, so my reference is pretty much short demo sessions here and there in audio stores and whatnot - nothing as substantial as the dozens of IEMs I've listened to - Idk, what I'm trying to say is, take these impressions with a whole spoonful of salt

Abyss 1266 Phi CC - I've literally done several tracks with these hooked up to a 20 year old receiver since I don't have anything else with 6.3 on me, but the 1266 Phi CC instantly struck me with the most aggressive, beautiful and powerful bass I've heard from an open back headphone. It's basically an MMR Thummim that you put on your head, Idk what else to say here at this point. It is literally the Thummim in headphone form, and I ****** love it

Diana V2 - These will be a little more elaborate. For the first 2-3 days listening to the Diana I was getting used to the low pressure open back headphone bass, which was a little shocking at first if I have to be entirely honest, since I haven't really used open backs for longer than a few hours before. It might have improved somewhat with the 48 hour burn in period that's recommended by Abyss, but I also spent a lot of time listening to them and getting the fit right (oh and yeah, it's easier to change the shape of your head than to make the Diana fit), so I don't really know which of the two I'd attribute it to. Maybe a bit of both.

Now, once you do get used to the smaller bass quantity, it sounds pretty dope. It reaches all the way down to the depths of hell, and catches every single nuance in said depths of hell. It's an oddly satisfying bass response considering the lower quantity, with really good placement within the soundstage. Considering how much I'm enjoying the bass that I am hearing, I'd love to hear some more of it. I am going to be trying out some warmer amps here to see what happens, but I have a feeling the Diana would work quite well with a warmer bass response. Subject to testing of course

The midrange of the Diana V2 would be the star of the show if the treble wasn't as obscenely good. It is I'd say a little warmer than neutral throughout the mids, with exceptional detail, and a really good balance between the lower and upper midrange. It has just enough upper mids to make female vocals sound euphonic and sweet, but it isn't overdone in any way or form, so it doesn't make male vocals sound thin and shouty. The lower midrange isn't quite thick and leathery as I'm usually used to, but in general I think that's a trait of open back headphones - they sound a little more relaxed and airy and well.. open at the expense of some of that engagement and demand for attention

The treble, as hinted already, is my favourite part of the Diana. It extends all the way up, with genuinely amazing detail, control and sparkle. It is on the sweeter side, where you don't have any of the classic "clarity peaks" but you also get that upper treble that makes cymbal crashes sound 3x better than they ever have in any kind of concert venue. Pretty wonderful experience all in all

Where the technical prowess is concerned I have an especially hard time making a judgement at this point, because I simply haven't heard enough headphones to be able to compare them. The first thing that stood out to me when I heard the Diana is how dark the background is for a headphone. The reason why I say "for a headphone" is because I feel like IEMs generally are able to do that better than most headphones I've tried - the sound is very well defined, you can hear exactly where everything is happening, and you don't have all that eerie sound floating around the soundstage. It manages to remain very clean throughout the spectrum, which is something that quite frankly I needed in order to not have sold it already.

The Diana V2 is also very detailed, and I was able to hear things that only IEMs with extremely high detail retrieval are able to deliver. Separation to me is a necessity to be able to further pull out that detail, and the Diana delivers on that.

All in all, the Diana is one of the first HPs that I've listened to that's really convinced me to experiment with headphones, amps and DACs and see how far I can get with a setup like that. All listening for now is being done on the LPGT with the Romi BX2 (non-plus), as that tends to be an especially transparent and neutral combo while also being powerful enough to power a planar magnetic HP well enough.

I will be trying out a whole bunch of headphones rather soon, so expect a steady stream of reviews and impressions!

I also urge you to not take these too literally, as it is very likely that I might be adjusting a lot of my comments on technical ability as I listen to more headphones and see how they do in comparison (those revisions might be for the better or worse obviously)

 

[arijitroy2]

Abyss Diana V2, an initial impression on the Abyss 1266 Phi CC, and my aggressive entry into the HP market >

There's quite a lot to be said before I get to impressions this time around, since it's the first time I'm properly writing about full sized headphones. Truthfully speaking, I don't really know what I'm talking about just yet (might never learn either), and I haven't really experimented with a massive variety of amps and sources, so these are in a way preliminary impressions on both the Diana V2 and the 1266 Phi CC. My listening experience with headphones is also super limited, so my reference is pretty much short demo sessions here and there in audio stores and whatnot - nothing as substantial as the dozens of IEMs I've listened to - Idk, what I'm trying to say is, take these impressions with a whole spoonful of salt

Abyss 1266 Phi CC - I've literally done several tracks with these hooked up to a 20 year old receiver since I don't have anything else with 6.3 on me, but the 1266 Phi CC instantly struck me with the most aggressive, beautiful and powerful bass I've heard from an open back headphone. It's basically an MMR Thummim that you put on your head, Idk what else to say here at this point. It is literally the Thummim in headphone form, and I ****** love it

Diana V2 - These will be a little more elaborate. For the first 2-3 days listening to the Diana I was getting used to the low pressure open back headphone bass, which was a little shocking at first if I have to be entirely honest, since I haven't really used open backs for longer than a few hours before. It might have improved somewhat with the 48 hour burn in period that's recommended by Abyss, but I also spent a lot of time listening to them and getting the fit right (oh and yeah, it's easier to change the shape of your head than to make the Diana fit), so I don't really know which of the two I'd attribute it to. Maybe a bit of both.

Now, once you do get used to the smaller bass quantity, it sounds pretty dope. It reaches all the way down to the depths of hell, and catches every single nuance in said depths of hell. It's an oddly satisfying bass response considering the lower quantity, with really good placement within the soundstage. Considering how much I'm enjoying the bass that I am hearing, I'd love to hear some more of it. I am going to be trying out some warmer amps here to see what happens, but I have a feeling the Diana would work quite well with a warmer bass response. Subject to testing of course

The midrange of the Diana V2 would be the star of the show if the treble wasn't as obscenely good. It is I'd say a little warmer than neutral throughout the mids, with exceptional detail, and a really good balance between the lower and upper midrange. It has just enough upper mids to make female vocals sound euphonic and sweet, but it isn't overdone in any way or form, so it doesn't make male vocals sound thin and shouty. The lower midrange isn't quite thick and leathery as I'm usually used to, but in general I think that's a trait of open back headphones - they sound a little more relaxed and airy and well.. open at the expense of some of that engagement and demand for attention

The treble, as hinted already, is my favourite part of the Diana. It extends all the way up, with genuinely amazing detail, control and sparkle. It is on the sweeter side, where you don't have any of the classic "clarity peaks" but you also get that upper treble that makes cymbal crashes sound 3x better than they ever have in any kind of concert venue. Pretty wonderful experience all in all

Where the technical prowess is concerned I have an especially hard time making a judgement at this point, because I simply haven't heard enough headphones to be able to compare them. The first thing that stood out to me when I heard the Diana is how dark the background is for a headphone. The reason why I say "for a headphone" is because I feel like IEMs generally are able to do that better than most headphones I've tried - the sound is very well defined, you can hear exactly where everything is happening, and you don't have all that eerie sound floating around the soundstage. It manages to remain very clean throughout the spectrum, which is something that quite frankly I needed in order to not have sold it already.

The Diana V2 is also very detailed, and I was able to hear things that only IEMs with extremely high detail retrieval are able to deliver. Separation to me is a necessity to be able to further pull out that detail, and the Diana delivers on that.

All in all, the Diana is one of the first HPs that I've listened to that's really convinced me to experiment with headphones, amps and DACs and see how far I can get with a setup like that. All listening for now is being done on the LPGT with the Romi BX2 (non-plus), as that tends to be an especially transparent and neutral combo while also being powerful enough to power a planar magnetic HP well enough.

I will be trying out a whole bunch of headphones rather soon, so expect a steady stream of reviews and impressions!

I also urge you to not take these too literally, as it is very likely that I might be adjusting a lot of my comments on technical ability as I listen to more headphones and see how they do in comparison (those revisions might be for the better or worse obviously)

Man you went in deep to the headphone world straight away! No joke! I just got the D9200 yesterday for closed back segment, and that is amazing! But now I have my eyes on open back to complete the circle and looking at V2 or Phi.

I am more interested in the V2, but do you think it does classical music? I am not too much into classical music and i know you're not either, but I do like it time to time, and my current gear is more towards vocal based music. Also, how warm is V2 in terms of sound signature? Does it get boring over a long listening session?

 

[mvvRAZ]

Man you went in deep to the headphone world straight away! No joke! I just got the D9200 yesterday for closed back segment, and that is amazing! But now I have my eyes on open back to complete the circle and looking at V2 or Phi.

I am more interested in the V2, but do you think it does classical music? I am not too much into classical music and i know you're not either, but I do like it time to time, and my current gear is more towards vocal based music. Also, how warm is V2 in terms of sound signature? Does it get boring over a long listening session?

I am generally speaking inclined to say it would without really being able to judge it myself. The treble extension, presence and sparkle are out of this world and that should make violins etc sound exceptional. It also isn't overly thick and warm throughout the midrange and bass to make a complex arrangement sound muddy, but I'd much rather have someone like @Wyville evaluate that aspect honestly haha

 

[Craftsman1511]

Incredibly helpful (and tempting) guys! Appreciate the inputs!

Now i prefer a colored sound and don't listen to much classical music, sounds like Thummim is it for me ; Alternatively I may go Sultan to be on the safe side since as i understood it's somewhere in between.

On a side note, wow i envy you guys having able to try all of them TOTLs

 

[Wyville]

I am generally speaking inclined to say it would without really being able to judge it myself. The treble extension, presence and sparkle are out of this world and that should make violins etc sound exceptional. It also isn't overly thick and warm throughout the midrange and bass to make a complex arrangement sound muddy, but I'd much rather have someone like @Wyville evaluate that aspect honestly haha

Well, you have the V2, so much better placed to judge. From what I have read I do think the V2 will be great for classical, but that is purely based on guesswork. I quite like that the V2 is more forgiving than the Phi. I think it probably makes the V2 easier to relax with.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Well, you have the V2, so much better placed to judge. From what I have read I do think the V2 will be great for classical, but that is purely based on guesswork. I quite like that the V2 is more forgiving than the Phi. I think it probably makes the V2 easier to relax with.

I’m curious of the phi but it seems like it’s the most revealing of the three. For a neutral headphone I think the Diana does a really good job as it doesn’t come with that classic overly clinical reference tonality. @Liberatus could maybe provide a better insight into the Phi

 

[Liberatus]

Abyss Diana V2, an initial impression on the Abyss 1266 Phi CC, and my aggressive entry into the HP market >

There's quite a lot to be said before I get to impressions this time around, since it's the first time I'm properly writing about full sized headphones. Truthfully speaking, I don't really know what I'm talking about just yet (might never learn either), and I haven't really experimented with a massive variety of amps and sources, so these are in a way preliminary impressions on both the Diana V2 and the 1266 Phi CC. My listening experience with headphones is also super limited, so my reference is pretty much short demo sessions here and there in audio stores and whatnot - nothing as substantial as the dozens of IEMs I've listened to - Idk, what I'm trying to say is, take these impressions with a whole spoonful of salt

Abyss 1266 Phi CC - I've literally done several tracks with these hooked up to a 20 year old receiver since I don't have anything else with 6.3 on me, but the 1266 Phi CC instantly struck me with the most aggressive, beautiful and powerful bass I've heard from an open back headphone. It's basically an MMR Thummim that you put on your head, Idk what else to say here at this point. It is literally the Thummim in headphone form, and I ****** love it

Diana V2 - These will be a little more elaborate. For the first 2-3 days listening to the Diana I was getting used to the low pressure open back headphone bass, which was a little shocking at first if I have to be entirely honest, since I haven't really used open backs for longer than a few hours before. It might have improved somewhat with the 48 hour burn in period that's recommended by Abyss, but I also spent a lot of time listening to them and getting the fit right (oh and yeah, it's easier to change the shape of your head than to make the Diana fit), so I don't really know which of the two I'd attribute it to. Maybe a bit of both.

Now, once you do get used to the smaller bass quantity, it sounds pretty dope. It reaches all the way down to the depths of hell, and catches every single nuance in said depths of hell. It's an oddly satisfying bass response considering the lower quantity, with really good placement within the soundstage. Considering how much I'm enjoying the bass that I am hearing, I'd love to hear some more of it. I am going to be trying out some warmer amps here to see what happens, but I have a feeling the Diana would work quite well with a warmer bass response. Subject to testing of course

The midrange of the Diana V2 would be the star of the show if the treble wasn't as obscenely good. It is I'd say a little warmer than neutral throughout the mids, with exceptional detail, and a really good balance between the lower and upper midrange. It has just enough upper mids to make female vocals sound euphonic and sweet, but it isn't overdone in any way or form, so it doesn't make male vocals sound thin and shouty. The lower midrange isn't quite thick and leathery as I'm usually used to, but in general I think that's a trait of open back headphones - they sound a little more relaxed and airy and well.. open at the expense of some of that engagement and demand for attention

The treble, as hinted already, is my favourite part of the Diana. It extends all the way up, with genuinely amazing detail, control and sparkle. It is on the sweeter side, where you don't have any of the classic "clarity peaks" but you also get that upper treble that makes cymbal crashes sound 3x better than they ever have in any kind of concert venue. Pretty wonderful experience all in all

Where the technical prowess is concerned I have an especially hard time making a judgement at this point, because I simply haven't heard enough headphones to be able to compare them. The first thing that stood out to me when I heard the Diana is how dark the background is for a headphone. The reason why I say "for a headphone" is because I feel like IEMs generally are able to do that better than most headphones I've tried - the sound is very well defined, you can hear exactly where everything is happening, and you don't have all that eerie sound floating around the soundstage. It manages to remain very clean throughout the spectrum, which is something that quite frankly I needed in order to not have sold it already.

The Diana V2 is also very detailed, and I was able to hear things that only IEMs with extremely high detail retrieval are able to deliver. Separation to me is a necessity to be able to further pull out that detail, and the Diana delivers on that.

All in all, the Diana is one of the first HPs that I've listened to that's really convinced me to experiment with headphones, amps and DACs and see how far I can get with a setup like that. All listening for now is being done on the LPGT with the Romi BX2 (non-plus), as that tends to be an especially transparent and neutral combo while also being powerful enough to power a planar magnetic HP well enough.

I will be trying out a whole bunch of headphones rather soon, so expect a steady stream of reviews and impressions!

I also urge you to not take these too literally, as it is very likely that I might be adjusting a lot of my comments on technical ability as I listen to more headphones and see how they do in comparison (those revisions might be for the better or worse obviously)

I’m curious of the phi but it seems like it’s the most revealing of the three. For a neutral headphone I think the Diana does a really good job as it doesn’t come with that classic overly clinical reference tonality. @Liberatus could maybe provide a better insight into the Phi

*Disclaimer* I have not been able to compare V2 to Phi side by side ---

That said, I say buy the Phi, guy!

Its amazing. Once you get the power behind them it's spectacular. Some people say the low end isn't as good as the V2 and the Phi is more technical and the V2 is more warm. I disagree. I believe those people just were not driving the Phi properly, because as stated by Abyss themselves in their YouTube video comparing the 2- the V2 is the easiest to drive and more meant for casual gear, the Phi is more for high end gear to drive.

So,if you drive the Phi properly, what you get is more of a sound signature aligned with the Abyss 1266 TC. They use the same drivers and I have listened extensively to the 1266 TC when I was in Asia. To me, no headphone is better then the 1266. I demo'd the RAAL and I demo'd the Hifiman, etc. All the big guns. But the 1266 just does it all, and my music is so diverse I need a master of all trades. My issue with the 1266 is is huge. And not portable. You need amazing gear for it. At those prices and at that level of immobility - no thanks. I love 2 channel setups, I'm an engineer at heart after all. I'll take 2 channel speakers over headphones anyway of the week. It's where i started my audio journey. But, the Phi, gives you the sound signature of the 1266, just reduced. You can get a feel for the 1266 out of the Phi, but not, as I understand it, the V2 because the V2 uses a different driver.

I am absolutely not a fan of high technical, clinical, dry sound. Bright, airy, trebel heavy, etc. I like warm, deep, low, engaging and yet still large stage and good performance ability. I also have a tinnitus ring prone to high frequencies done not too well (too many late night studio sessions) - so I definitely steer away from bright and dry. Yet the Phi gets so close to absolute technicals, without the bright and dry part that it's really amazing and I actually enjoy it. When you get the low end to come out with good powered amp, the space, detail, separation, clarity but also engagement, power, physicality, sultry nature to vocals. There's no brightness here it's.. natural. I know that's not very helpful to say but it's more so reproducing the singer and the instruments to exactly what they sounded like in the studio, so much so that I can hear the different room sizes they were in when recording, I can hear the different mic types or way they placed them when recording on certain tracks. So, if you have a woman with a nice warm gritty vocal signature, that's what you'll hear. If you have a woman with a sharp, bright vocal signature, that's what you'll here.

There's no constant, there's just beautiful reproduction of what is in your track and source. So if you still want the good parts of the V2 and also improve it's sound to more like the 1266 I say go Phi. It's the only way to get the 1266 arena but mobile

@mvvRAZ what did you do to get the fit right?

 

[mvvRAZ]

*Disclaimer* I have not been able to compare V2 to Phi side by side ---

That said, I say buy the Phi, guy!

Its amazing. Once you get the power behind them it's spectacular. Some people say the low end isn't as good as the V2 and the Phi is more technical and the V2 is more warm. I disagree. I believe those people just were not driving the Phi properly, because as stated by Abyss themselves in their YouTube video comparing the 2- the V2 is the easiest to drive and more meant for casual gear, the Phi is more for high end gear to drive.

So,if you drive the Phi properly, what you get is more of a sound signature aligned with the Abyss 1266 TC. They use the same drivers and I have listened extensively to the 1266 TC when I was in Asia. To me, no headphone is better then the 1266. I demo'd the RAAL and I demo'd the Hifiman, etc. All the big guns. But the 1266 just does it all, and my music is so diverse I need a master of all trades. My issue with the 1266 is is huge. And not portable. You need amazing gear for it. At those prices and at that level of immobility - no thanks. I love 2 channel setups, I'm an engineer at heart after all. I'll take 2 channel speakers over headphones anyway of the week. It's where i started my audio journey. But, the Phi, gives you the sound signature of the 1266, just reduced. You can get a feel for the 1266 out of the Phi, but not, as I understand it, the V2 because the V2 uses a different driver.

I am absolutely not a fan of high technical, clinical, dry sound. Bright, airy, trebel heavy, etc. I like warm, deep, low, engaging and yet still large stage and good performance ability. I also have a tinnitus ring prone to high frequencies done not too well (too many late night studio sessions) - so I definitely steer away from bright and dry. Yet the Phi gets so close to absolute technicals, without the bright and dry part that it's really amazing and I actually enjoy it. When you get the low end to come out with good powered amp, the space, detail, separation, clarity but also engagement, power, physicality, sultry nature to vocals. There's no brightness here it's.. natural. I know that's not very helpful to say but it's more so reproducing the singer and the instruments to exactly what they sounded like in the studio, so much so that I can hear the different room sizes they were in when recording, I can hear the different mic types or way they placed them when recording on certain tracks. So, if you have a woman with a nice warm gritty vocal signature, that's what you'll hear. If you have a woman with a sharp, bright vocal signature, that's what you'll here.

There's no constant, there's just beautiful reproduction of what is in your track and source. So if you still want the good parts of the V2 and also improve it's sound to more like the 1266 I say go Phi. It's the only way to get the 1266 arena but mobile

@mvvRAZ what did you do to get the fit right?

Yep you’ve convinced me I need a Phi.

The fit - several things. I spun the pads around a bunch, tried putting them more forward or more backwards on my ears, and also did this thing where I kind of bent the bottom part of the headband (just above the extension mechanism). That last part was the most helpful tip I got from another Head-Fier as it helped me get the seal right on the back of the headphones

 

[Liberatus]

Yep you’ve convinced me I need a Phi.

The fit - several things. I spun the pads around a bunch, tried putting them more forward or more backwards on my ears, and also did this thing where I kind of bent the bottom part of the headband (just above the extension mechanism). That last part was the most helpful tip I got from another Head-Fier as it helped me get the seal right on the back of the headphones

Haha, I was more suggesting to the other guy who doesn't have either, which he should choose! Lol, I think you're pretty set with a Diana at all, but you might enjoy the Phi more if you're actually getting desktop gear to run them on. I think it'll show you even more what the Phi over V2 is worth. So I guess you could go for it, I don't think you'd be disappointed in that case.

Where did you find the pad rotation best? When I was rotating my Phi, with the fattest part (normally bottom of pads) on top near my temples, I has the best low end response, however the space and staging and clarity was reduced a bit unfortunately.

Can you describe a bit more what you mean with the bending them part? I might want to fiddle around with mine but I'm not sure what you mean

 

[gLer]

I don't like Headphone RAZ. Bring back IEM RAZ!

 

[mvvRAZ]

Haha, I was more suggesting to the other guy who doesn't have either, which he should choose! Lol, I think you're pretty set with a Diana at all, but you might enjoy the Phi more if you're actually getting desktop gear to run them on. I think it'll show you even more what the Phi over V2 is worth. So I guess you could go for it, I don't think you'd be disappointed in that case.

Where did you find the pad rotation best? When I was rotating my Phi, with the fattest part (normally bottom of pads) on top near my temples, I has the best low end response, however the space and staging and clarity was reduced a bit unfortunately.

Can you describe a bit more what you mean with the bending them part? I might want to fiddle around with mine but I'm not sure what you mean

It’s quite hard to describe it in text, I’ll take a few photos and draw some arrows over the weekend to try and describe what I mean. On the topic of sources, the Diana V2 sounds amazing even off just the LPGT - I just woke up and put that on and it’s so so good. Does it scale? Sure - but having that versatility is a massive bonus too

I don't like Headphone RAZ. Bring back IEM RAZ!

You have no idea how much crap my friend group has been giving me about getting into headphones, they’re merciless

 

[gLer]

You have no idea how much crap my friend group has been giving me about getting into headphones, they’re merciless

As well they should be! Come back to the light, Anakin.