RAZ's TOTL review and rambles thread... could it be.... alive?

[doctorjuggles]

Yikes that price... You and me need to figure out what cable I’m buying from you for that Abyss

I'm sure we can come up with something nice and fitting between us
Let's see what you like/dislike first and then build a piece of 8-core art

 

[mvvRAZ]

Good news! Spoke to Steven (or is that with a ph?), and he will also ship me a WA11 to demo with the Diana

In the meantime, to get back to IEMs, and the A8000, it was actually @doctorjuggles that found it to be very sibilant. I haven’t heard it myself so I can’t really comment on that.

I’ll also soon be receiving an oBravo Ra A demo. Keeping an open mind about it but well, the price tag is pretty chubby

 

[doctorjuggles]

In the meantime, to get back to IEMs, and the A8000, it was actually @doctorjuggles that found it to be very sibilant. I haven’t heard it myself so I can’t really comment on that.

Yeah, I can't listen to it for more than a few minutes, it's really not my preference in sound at all. Far too much going on at 2k and 5k for me.

 

[normie610]

Good news! Spoke to Steven (or is that with a ph?), and he will also ship me a WA11 to demo with the Diana

In the meantime, to get back to IEMs, and the A8000, it was actually @doctorjuggles that found it to be very sibilant. I haven’t heard it myself so I can’t really comment on that.

I’ll also soon be receiving an oBravo Ra A demo. Keeping an open mind about it but well, the price tag is pretty chubby

Don’t the oBravo need a desktop amp to drive them properly?

 

[Wyville]

Good news! Spoke to Steven (or is that with a ph?), and he will also ship me a WA11 to demo with the Diana

In the meantime, to get back to IEMs, and the A8000, it was actually @doctorjuggles that found it to be very sibilant. I haven’t heard it myself so I can’t really comment on that.

I’ll also soon be receiving an oBravo Ra A demo. Keeping an open mind about it but well, the price tag is pretty chubby

Great service! Will be interesting to see how you like the V2 with the W11. (I believe it is "Stefan", the Dutch version of Steven.)

Like @normie610 suggested, the Ra probably need a good amp to drive them properly (I believe the AMT driver needs it) and they might be very source dependent. I think Alex ended up preferring the SP1000 SS with the C-Cu.

 

[mvvRAZ]

From what I was told the LPGT will be sufficient to drive them. Tbh I refuse to get a desktop amp to drive HPs so I sure as **** wont get one for a pair of IEMs

 

[chickenmcnug]

R8 is finally coming from Singapore, should be here by next week

 

[gLer]

I couldn’t let @Wyville have all the fun so I’ve ordered an Abyss Diana V2!

I just got back to my Elear and I’m really enjoying it - I was told the Diana V2 had some similarities...

It’s a ritual performed every few months where I buy a headphone for a stupid amount of money only for it to collect dust


You guys have like 4 actually good IEM dealers. The Odin dealer in the UK is selling it for 4900$ don’t complain

And on the same day that I've decided to pull out of desktop audio and focus full time on portable audio! Big step for me since full size headphones was where I started. I've kept the HD800 though and hope to drive them properly with a good DAP when needed - the R6 Pro does a very reasonable job with them already, so they're going nowhere. Onward and upward.

 

[mvvRAZ]

And on the same day that I've decided to pull out of desktop audio and focus full time on portable audio! Big step for me since full size headphones was where I started. I've kept the HD800 though and hope to drive them properly with a good DAP when needed - the R6 Pro does a very reasonable job with them already, so they're going nowhere. Onward and upward.

I’ve always been mostly into IEMs. Hell, my entire search for a proper headphone is pretty much based on finding a headphone that sounds like my IEMs but goes on my head

 

[gLer]

I’ve always been mostly into IEMs. Hell, my entire search for a proper headphone is pretty much based on finding a headphone that sounds like my IEMs but goes on my head

I've always wondered which headphones mirror which IEMs. The Tia Trio has many of the HD800's attributes actually, bar the deeper and more powerful bass on the Trio and physically wider soundstage of the HD800 (which the Trio mimics but can't replicate). Tonality is quite similar though.

 

[chickenmcnug]

I came into this hobby wanting 'good headphones' in university which evolved to IEMs cause headphones always made my ears sweat lol.

 

[Liberatus]

@mvvRAZ

I have a Diana Phi - purchased a few weeks back or so. They're definitely not drivable by DAPs. They can get loud, sure but it just doesn't sound like it's fully displayed.

I specifically bought a Kann Cube just to run my Phi because I'm in similar boat as you. I DO NOT accept desktop gear. I bought the Phi specifically because it seems to be the only true portable headphone in size with amazing sound. Unfortunately nothing portable thus far is driving them.

I did get a line on a external amp from @twister6 and ended up purchasing it. The LessFox bx-2 + model. It's a portable amp about the size of a DAP that outs out 5.9 watts. So I am hoping my hunt is over for something that will properly drive the Diana. If this amp doesn't do it then I'm selling them because I've tested all the portable gear. the WA11 sounds like crap on the DAC side. The ifi xcann, not very good. Fiio M15 is the best I've driven it yet, besides the Kann Cube, but the Cube removes like all low end. Black label micro is okay, but still not that portable and not the best sound.

So I'm going LessFox bx-2+ with Hiby R8 and that's the last portable piece that I think can actually do It. Mad props to Alex for sharing the info on that amp to me because I had basically given up on a portable solution to such a great headphone, which for me, I'm only portable. I like to listen to music and move around my house and sit anywhere I want, I would have to let go of these headphones.

 

[arijitroy2]

@mvvRAZ

I have a Diana Phi - purchased a few weeks back or so. They're definitely not drivable by DAPs. They can get loud, sure but it just doesn't sound like it's fully displayed.

I specifically bought a Kann Cube just to run my Phi because I'm in similar boat as you. I DO NOT accept desktop gear. I bought the Phi specifically because it seems to be the only true portable headphone in size with amazing sound. Unfortunately nothing portable thus far is driving them.

I did get a line on a external amp from @twister6 and ended up purchasing it. The LessFox bx-2 + model. It's a portable amp about the size of a DAP that outs out 5.9 watts. So I am hoping my hunt is over for something that will properly drive the Diana. If this amp doesn't do it then I'm selling them because I've tested all the portable gear. the WA11 sounds like crap on the DAC side. The ifi xcann, not very good. Fiio M15 is the best I've driven it yet, besides the Kann Cube, but the Cube removes like all low end. Black label micro is okay, but still not that portable and not the best sound.

So I'm going LessFox bx-2+ with Hiby R8 and that's the last portable piece that I think can actually do It. Mad props to Alex for sharing the info on that amp to me because I had basically given up on a portable solution to such a great headphone, which for me, I'm only portable. I like to listen to music and move around my house and sit anywhere I want, I would have to let go of these headphones.

Well I know a head-fier who has Diana V2 and runs through the new Oriolus amp and dac stack and he absolutely loves it. Says it's much better than WA11 and drives better than RME ADI2.

I do have the Oriolus BA300SJP, not sure if that's enough, but yeah, I ain't getting a desktop gear just yet. Might also get the new Romi audio plus AMP.

 

[Liberatus]

Well I know a head-fier who has Diana V2 and runs through the new Oriolus amp and dac stack and he absolutely loves it. Says it's much better than WA11 and drives better than RME ADI2.

I do have the Oriolus BA300SJP, not sure if that's enough, but yeah, I ain't getting a desktop gear just yet. Might also get the new Romi audio plus AMP.

Yeah that person modded out those amps though. I'm not savvy in doing that myself so that option goes out the window. And his setup isn't portable. He's running 3 pieces of gear together not including source. I'm sure it sounds great but not really what I'm looking for

 

[mvvRAZ]

@mvvRAZ

I have a Diana Phi - purchased a few weeks back or so. They're definitely not drivable by DAPs. They can get loud, sure but it just doesn't sound like it's fully displayed.

I specifically bought a Kann Cube just to run my Phi because I'm in similar boat as you. I DO NOT accept desktop gear. I bought the Phi specifically because it seems to be the only true portable headphone in size with amazing sound. Unfortunately nothing portable thus far is driving them.

I did get a line on a external amp from @twister6 and ended up purchasing it. The LessFox bx-2 + model. It's a portable amp about the size of a DAP that outs out 5.9 watts. So I am hoping my hunt is over for something that will properly drive the Diana. If this amp doesn't do it then I'm selling them because I've tested all the portable gear. the WA11 sounds like crap on the DAC side. The ifi xcann, not very good. Fiio M15 is the best I've driven it yet, besides the Kann Cube, but the Cube removes like all low end. Black label micro is okay, but still not that portable and not the best sound.

So I'm going LessFox bx-2+ with Hiby R8 and that's the last portable piece that I think can actually do It. Mad props to Alex for sharing the info on that amp to me because I had basically given up on a portable solution to such a great headphone, which for me, I'm only portable. I like to listen to music and move around my house and sit anywhere I want, I would have to let go of these headphones.

:O LessFox BX-2 being the 55$ amp I’m seeing on Ali express? Damn dude time to order one if that’s true

The WA11 I’ll try in both DACamp and only amp mode, see how it does. I’ve heard that it’s the sort of standard amp that abyss uses at their shows, so I’m curious how it performs with the Diana. I also want to try the Kann Alpha and see how that does