Hey guys, just a few notes on a little mini-meet I did at Overture Audio ( I was the only one in attendance. lol)
I was originally going to meet fellow Head-fi'ers Music Alchemist and kayandjohn to spend a couple of hours listening to some high end headphones. John (kayandjohn) had just completed his review of the Hifiman HE-1000 headphones. We were going to compare them with the Abyss 1266 and John's personal Sennheiser HD-800s.
Well, Music Alchemist (Daniel) changed his mind about coming and I had to work that particular day so I ended up going to Overture Audio on the Saturday morning of June 13. Tom "TJ" at Overture Audio was gracious enough to set me up with a iPad that controlled their large music player in the store (I didn't get the name of it--bad reviewer!) Each headphone that I auditioned was powered via a Mood Audio amp (specific model number not obtained--bad reviewer again.)
I listened to the same tracks with each headphone. All files were in ALAC, 44.1, 16 bit.
Dave Brubeck "Take Five"
BB King "Sweet Sixteen"
Miles Davis "So What"
Bjork "Hyperballad"
Dvorak "Romance in F Minor OP11"
Norah Jones "Little Broken Hearts"
Rush "YYZ"
Tears For Fears "Mad World"
The White Stripes "Fell In Love With A Girl"
My impressions:
The Hifiman HE-1000s were bright. Not too bright. Not as bright as a my Grado SR80e headphones, but the brightest of the three. The soundstage was wide, the widest of the three as well. The sound was almost three dimensional. You could easily pick out the panning and distance of each instrument and vocal. Female vocals were outstanding. Sibilance was controlled. Hi hat cymbals were true north, metallic, and smooth. The general sound was crisp, detailed and clean. Hifiman HE-1000 fit my head very comfortably. Much less clamping and pressure than the first pair of headphones I ever purchased, my Hifiman HE-400s.
Abyss 1266 is intimidating to look at. It stands there on it's proprietary stand with it's $5400+ price tag daring you to try them on. I did and they were difficult to fit comfortably. TJ mentioned that many people before me had difficulty fitting these headphones as well. But I auditioned them and got used to wearing them as time passed. One word to sum up the Abyss 1266s: "Neutral" To me, these are true 'audiophile' headphones. The treble, midrange an bass were perfectly balanced. The sound stage was appropriate to each track. There was no sound enhancement, no coloration, no artificial effects at all. These are truly reference grade headphones.
I was very excited to hear John's Sennheiser HD-800 Flagship headphones with matching HVD 890 amplifier. To me, this combo is one of those "end game" purchases. To make it even more attractive, John had his personally painted to match his Fiat automobile. A shiny, glossy red. My good friend and fellow Head-fi'er zabzaf (Brian) crafted a custom cable for John's HD-800s to boot. For this purpose, however, I continued to use the Moon Audio amp that I used for the other two. These headphones fell right in-beween the Hifiman HE-1000s and the Abyss 1266s. The sound was less bright, slightly veiled compared to the 1000s. Soundstage was more than the Abyss, allowing the instrumentation to showcase each sound on the positive side of neutral. Violins sounded beautiful and realistic. Female vocals were crisp and clear. Intonation and staccato sounds were on-point. Sibilance was balanced and well controlled.
Prior to this day of audioning $10,000 in headphones I thought that the Sennheiser HD-800s were my end game purchase. They still may be because the upcoming retail price of the Hifiman HE-1000s is going to be $2999. TJ at Overture Audio mentioned that they'd be in-stock in about a month for those who are so inclined. I was very impressed with the HE-1000s. I fell in love with the sound. My taste fluctuates based on my mood. Some days I like bright. Some days I prefer dark. But overall, I rank these particular cans as such:
Hifiman HE-1000
Sennheiser HD-800
Abyss 1266
This is based on my listening preferences. If you are truly searching for "neutral" I would recommend the Abyss. Bright? The HE-1000s. Warm? The HD-800s.
If you're wealthy? All three.
