I would like to share my thoughts and impressions about the Sash Tres and my experience with it so far.
Intro
Some time ago, I
decided to get a planar magnetic headphone. I was not ready to invest into anything very expensive like the Meze Elite or HiFiMan Susvara. I wanted something more affordable and decent at the same time. Several months ago, I came across the Sash Tres. After reading a few reviews about it, I learned it was custom made by one person from Kharkiv, Ukraine. Just a side note, Kharkiv is currently one of the major Ukrainian cities that are heavily attacked by the Russian invaders. Being born in Ukraine myself, the current situation is really painful to acknowledge. With the Sash Tres, I saw a good opportunity not only to support a Ukrainian made product, but also get a quality custom made planar magnetic headphone for an affordable price. So I decided to give it a shot.
First Contact
I contacted Aleksandr (AKA Sasha) on Facebook and he immediately got back to me. We didn't have a language barrier and Sasha would answer all my questions. He also suggested to speak on the phone and we spoke for more than an hour. Sasha passionately talked about his headphone technology and what could be customized and ordered. I got under the impression that sound quality was his main priority without any compromises. For example, when talking about the weight of the headphone, he explained that it was mainly due to the double-sided magnet system, and he wouldn't want to go with a single-ended system because he believes it would introduce unwanted distortions as the diaphragm would be controlled only on one side and cause more fluctuations as a result. Just a side note, not being an expert in this field, I recently
asked about it in the Dan Clark Stealth thread. But no one confirmed this claim, and I got an
answer that there is no evidence that proves this.
I was given a lot of information including the following specs.
- Planar magnetic drivers for better dynamics and frequency response
- Premium leather for style and durability
- Large film diaphragms
- Double-sided magnetic structure
- Style: Over-ear, open-back, сlosed-back
- Transducer type: Planar magnetic
- Magnetic structure: Proprietary magnet array
- Magnet type: Neodymium N52
- Transducer size: 100 mm
- Maximum power handling: 5W RMS
- Maximum SPL: >130dB
- Frequency response: 10Hz – 20kHz - THD: 0.1% 100dB
- Impedance: 16 ohms / 45 ohms
- Sensitivity: 96dB/1mw (at Drum Reference Point) / 93dB/1mw
It's worth noting, oak is the only kind of wood Sasha currently works with.
Based on what I read on the forum and my conversation with Sasha, the 16 ohm version doesn't necessarily need an amp. It has more bass and it is somewhat darker/warmer than the 45 ohm version. The 45 ohm version, on the other hand, is more detailed and has a more even frequency response. It leans more to the brighter side focusing more on the bass accuracy rather than quantity. It also requires an amp to drive it.
Custom Order
For my custom order, I decided that detailed sound was my priority and I went with the 45 ohm version with an exclusive blue color, a pair of closed cups, and an additional pair of hybrid leather earpads with a velour surface that touches the face. I decided not to get the storage box for several reasons. It would add up to the total price. It would slow down the order as it would require more time to build. It would be more expensive to ship. It would take longer to ship. And I thought I didn't really need the box.
I paid a $100 deposit to proceed with the order. It took a little more than a month to build the headphone. Throughout the whole build period, Sasha would send me pictures and videos showing the work progress and answer my numerous questions.
Payment Experience
I have to admit, the payment experience could be better. Unfortunately, Wise is currently the only payment system that works for Sasha. I hadn't had any experience using Wise before and I didn't like it at all. Wise requires to provide a lot of personal information to be able to use it. In addition, it requires to take pictures of your ID and a selfie photo for comparison. It also charges transaction fees. The fee amount depends on the payment method. And it is the highest if you choose to pay with a credit card. It declined my debit card (probably because of my bank protection) and I wouldn't know it until a day later. It is normal for Wise transactions to take up to 24 hours. I didn't want to bother connecting Wise to my bank account because I didn't feel comfortable about it. I also learned it would take time to set up a bank account connection or I would have to share my bank info with some other third parties for a "faster" connection. So I was left with the credit card option that had a ridiculous high "convenience" fee. Later, I discovered my bank would charge me an additional fee for each credit card transaction. I suspect my bank charged me for paying in another currency.
Speaking of another currency, I think Sasha should reconsider his pricing policy. If the asking price is in USD, the customer should be expected to pay in USD, and not in PLN or UAH covering the local exchange rate so that the receiving party gets the asking price amount. I think it would be fair if the asking price included the exchange rate. Otherwise, the asking price doesn't match the actual payment amount and the customer pays more than they would expect. With all the fees and the exchange rate difference, I payed about $80 more than the asking price.
Shipping
Shipping from Kharkiv to New York took only 8 days. This was blazing fast considering the war situation in Ukraine. The package was well packed. It came with useful accessories like an additional two sets of rings for attaching other earpads and two hex keys for mounting the closed cups and adjusting the headband.
Design, Build, and Nitpicks
It does feel like the headphone was built like a tank. The custom blue color turned out to be really good, better than I expected. It looks even better in person. I like how it shines under the day light.
The Sash Tres signature writing was overlooked. Not a big deal, but I thought it was funny that Sasha forgot about it. He said he was so impressed with the new color that he overlooked the signature writing.
My other nitpick is the non symmetrical grills. If the soft cloth was attached on the other side of one of the grills, they would be symmetrical. I asked Sasha about it and he said he didn't design them with the symmetry in mind. But I think the symmetry would look better and it would be simple to do.
I thought the clamping force was too much for me. So I immediately adjusted the headband and extended it on both sides to reduce the clamping force. Although it's still fairly strong, it's a lot more tolerable now.
As expected, it's not a light headphone. But thanks to the leather strap, the weight is well distributed. The earpads are deep and angled, so my ears don't touch the drivers. Despite the weight and size, I think it is a comfortable headphone.
It is nice to have the ability to tighten the rods so they don't change their positions accidentally. I do not recommend unscrewing the locking tips and pulling out the rods completely. There is a small bearing ball and some kind of plastic spring inside. It may be a challenge to put it all back. That part is not fool-proof.
The earpads are easy to swap. I can simply turn them counter clockwise to take them off.
Continuing to nitpick, the headband has plastic elements with sharp corners and edges. But this is not a huge deal.
The cable is fine considering the price. It contains 12 0.2mm insulated wires made from high quality old Soviet copper. The cable is not braided on purpose to avoid the electromagnetic induction effect as explained by Sasha. The cable is somewhat microphonic and I don't have other cables with the mini XLR connectors to compare with.
I think the hybrid earpads are a good option to have. I don't think they significantly (if at all) change the sound character. Maybe there are a bit less bassy. But they could be more comfortable and less sweaty than the fully leather earpads for long listening sessions.
Sound
The 45 ohm version is definitely not for bassheads. In comparison, the Sennheiser HD599 produces more noticeable bass. Of course it is a different story as to what kind of bass it is. I would say it's muddy compared to the Sash Tres where it appears more refined and not boomy. But I would definitely not mind if it had more bass quantity. Sometimes I feel like I want a boost in the bass area. Overall, I think the sound clarity and resolution is where the Sash Tres shines. The sound is very crisp and detailed. These are the qualities I like. But I wouldn't want them at the cost of any harsh treble peaks and piercing highs which I am sensitive to. And I think the Sash Tres delivers a smooth sound across all frequencies. The musical instruments sound very distinctly and it takes little effort to locate them in space. The sense of space is very good.
I am using the Violectric V550, and it has no problem driving my Sash Tres.
Closed Cups
I tried the closed cups and didn't like how they impacted the sound. I thought they degraded it by killing the mids and soundstage. They do provide a fair amount of sound isolation. But I probably won't be using them.
Conclusion
I think the Sash Tres is a great custom made headphone for an adequate price. At the end, it comes down to a question: will I be using and enjoying it? And the answer is definitely yes. Sure, there are some areas that could be improved. For example, the plastic elements of the headband could be more premium like. I would also recommend to explore other more customer friendly payment solutions than Wise. In terms of sound, I really like the crispness, openness, and accuracy of the sound. I would probably want more bass quantity, but without sacrificing anything. And the closed cups didn't work out for me. Overall, I am satisfied with the headphone performance and the sound character and tonality. Comfort wise, it's also great despite it being relatively hefty and weighty. Great job!
Sasha told me he has thoughts about a new model in the future and I look forward to it.
, soo much sound has been blasted into my ears. Truly the presentation on the Tres is unique. It's smooth, soft yet in your face and intense. The amount of air and depth in music while still being crystal clear, highly detailed and so amazingly layered and separated. It's alot for your mind to take in sometimes.....
you know when you try something that is very expensive.... and it'll hurt your wallet but now you are seriously considering it..... Well I just gave a Feliks Audio Envy a listen with the Tres..... Yep I can confirm, the Tres scale with more power and quality gear by a lot. They love power. My SMSL SH-9 sounds very nice but I use the Tres with my Garage 1217 project ember. And I really love the change in soundstage, and overall improvement in the magic the Tres has. But holly f@ck. The jump to the Feliks just opened the Tres up. Time to do some serious research on amps. It may be time for an upgrade 
. Overall, I feel both versions of the Tres bring serious value into the headphone world. And it shows spending more doesn't mean better.