[veyrongatti]

Umm... trying to remember... okay my give up.  Exactly how young are you again?

Very. Well compared to the rest of the diary members

 

[wink]

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For those of you who remember The Abyss, well,

 

 

[tomscy2000]

I've developed a renewed sense of appreciation for my HD598. It really is a one of the best headphones Sennheiser has brought out in terms of them striking the perfect balance between price, sound, and usability (comfort, driveability, etc.)... It's just colored enough to the point to make neutral enjoyable. It won't win any technical prizes but it's really good enough for any Average Joe Audiophile. I guess I didn't write anything people didn't already know, but I am really enjoying them right now.

 

[eke2k6]

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For those of you who remember The Abyss, well, here's the latest updated info:
 
http://www.abyss-headphones.com/abyss_ab_1266.shtml
 
 

 
 

 
Argh. The writing headband and sides looks so damn tacky. I hope nobody buys it, so they can come back down to earth.

 

[PhoenixClaw]

I think they're expecting it to sell just because the drivers are planar magnetic...

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

I guess I didn't write anything people didn't already know, but I am really enjoying them right now.

 
That's one of the things I most enjoy about this thread: peoples' sharing their ongoing experiences with their gear. So thanks to you and everyone else who contributes impressions!
 

---

 
On my end, I've been enjoying the TH600 very much since its arrival. Visually it's a very understated yet subtly sultry little thing, a quality that is more readily apparent with personal contact than with pictures. The depth afforded by the Fostex name in relief and pallet of textures suits the sound of these headphones quite well, a testament to their beauty in magnesium.
 
Sophisticated. That's the word that first comes to mind when I think of their sound. The THx00 lineup from Fostex truly excels in straddling the division between reference and fun. Between accuracy and embellishment. Between clarity and color. It's lively, organic. It breathes.
 
Yet it's controlled. This is really rather cliche, but I liken such "controlled organicism" to the Japanese art of bonsai trees.

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

For those of you who remember The Abyss, well, here's the latest updated info:
 
http://www.abyss-headphones.com/abyss_ab_1266.shtml
 

 
My question is though... would people REALLY be into buying these monstrosities?!?!
Personally, they don't look as good to me, according to the specifications, THESE ARE HEAVY AS HELL (660 grams) and that's WITHOUT counting cable weight! WOW! People find the LCD2/3 heavy and these Abyss are like 100+ grams heavier.
 
Also, 5k... seriously that's serious dough.
Maybe collectionists such as you WILL buy these headphones just to... well... have it, but would they get any time at all in the "listening rotation"? Probably not...
 
Anyway, I didn't post on the main thread because I don't really want to badmouth something I haven't even tried and probably will never try.
 
Quote:

 
Because, though it's a technicality, "weird/non-popular headphones" don't count.  Incidentally, what'd you get? 

 

 
LOL!
Recently I received the Spider Moonlight's and I also ordered the House of Marley Rise Up headphones (Saddle style) just because I liked how it looked ... lol
 
http://www.thehouseofmarley.com/rise-up-over-ear-headphones.html
 
Actually I had their Exodus on-ear and it was quite pleasant sounding, hopefully these will sound Ok too.
 
Finally, I also wanted to try one of those California Headphones (Silverado), just for the heck of it...

 

[james444]

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Do any of you have issues hearing your own heart beat while laying down with Custom IEMs in lol. That is one thing I was not happy about.... Seems to be a consistent issue while I lay down....

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That's normal. Some folks even hear their heartbeat when they're sitting upright.

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Doesn't seem better or worse for me than with other well-insulating IEMs. I thought everybody had to deal with that.

 
This, and footfall noise while walking. It's definitely worse with my customs than all universals I've heard (haven't heard the Etys though).
 
I tend to believe that hard acrylic shells and bone conduction exacerbate the problem.

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

I've developed a renewed sense of appreciation for my HD598. It really is a one of the best headphones Sennheiser has brought out in terms of them striking the perfect balance between price, sound, and usability (comfort, driveability, etc.)... It's just colored enough to the point to make neutral enjoyable. It won't win any technical prizes but it's really good enough for any Average Joe Audiophile. I guess I didn't write anything people didn't already know, but I am really enjoying them right now.

 
Sound good and look good (IMO).
I've always wondered why people always categorized these as just a "bright" version of the HD600/650. They lack a bit of bass impact and warmth, but to my ears they sound very good, linear and non-intrusive! In fact, I posted yesterday on some guy's thread because he thought his 598s were fakes because they had bass presence! LOL (I guess that's what happens when everyone keeps repeating that the 598s are bright/cold headphones... oh well.). HD600/HD598 definitely best combo for new people looking for open-back headphones that perform well at an affordable price.

 

[jgray91]

HD598 bright? What the hell are they smoking, pass me some! That's insane. Even the brief time I've heard my friends' pairs suggest that they are not bright at all, more like that motherly warm embrace.

 

[ardgedee]

My question is though... would people REALLY be into buying these monstrosities?!?!
Personally, they don't look as good to me, according to the specifications, THESE ARE HEAVY AS HELL (660 grams) and that's WITHOUT counting cable weight! WOW! People find the LCD2/3 heavy and these Abyss are like 100+ grams heavier.

The Abyss is in the ballpark of the Audeze and better HiFiMan headphones -- if the headphone frame is well designed I doubt the added weight will be noticeable. It's mostly the appearance and price of the Abyss that keep me from being interested; it'll have to sound really magical to convince me to ignore those factors. Otherwise I've been deliberately avoiding discussions about it since threads about products that aren't shipping yet tend not to be all that useful...

 

[Mimouille]

Well I did it...ordered the Tera....in stealth version...because I could not resist the idea of paying significantly more for a player without anything to recognize the buttons.

Besides I should receive the 5.0 later this week or early next week. I have never listened to a Heir product and yet I am already doubting this purchase for some reason. I think the 1plus2 so lack defect that I do not know what another universal can do better...they sound clean, effortless, punchy spacious, cohesive...the only thing that might be better with the 5.0 is ergonomics. The 1plus2 have a slightly tricky fit, feel somewhat fragile...and there is some annoying driver flex when I insert them. Maybe the 5.0 can be my "getting pushed by crazy old Chinese ladies in the Shanghai bus" iem.

 

[MuppetFace]

I'll admit I'm interested in the Abyss just because it's a new "high-end" orthodynamic, and they've done some interesting things from an engineering standpoint. For instance it has one-sided drivers; to my knowledge the only other example of this currently is the black sheep of the HiFiMan family, the HE-4.
 
Despite curiosity for the product itself, I'm put off in a major way due to the company's attitude. The "$5k for your first headphone" factor is enough in and of itself honestly, but then they act like there's no need to even endear themselves to the niche market they're targeting, instead assuming their product is already desirable. They seem to have no interest in dealing with the community on a friendly person-to-person basis, instead claiming they've already sold their inventory to retailers (who, exactly? I can't imagine HeadRoom carrying something that expensive) and refusing to allow head-fiers to audition it in advance even with a deposit. Some of the comments they've been quoted as making during trade shows have been facepalm worthy too.
 
Plus they've got some serious identity problems too from the looks of it: touting this thing as a serious precision tool on the one hand, yet on the other emphasizing the "individually engraved parts for collectibility" (oh brother!) and fancy shmancy accessories that honestly seem more like an attempt to justify their arbitrary ridiculous price tag.
 
So in short, it's a potentially interesting product but the company behind it is really rubbing folks I know the wrong way.

 

[barleyguy]

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When someone introduced me to scrambled eggs with ketchup I thought they were a genius. It's a wonderful combo.
 
Maggi MSG soy sauce with a fried egg is amazmor.
 
Now I have to try all of these at once.

 
I used to eat eggs and omelettes with ketchup, but switched to salsa the last couple of years.  It was partly because I cut corn syrup out of my diet, and partly because I'm trending towards spicier food.
 
Anyhow, a medium or hot salsa with eggs and avocado is one of my favorite breakfasts.  Yum.

 

[333jeffery]

Speaking of hearing your own heartbeat, when I was a kid I saw this horrible old movie called "Fiend without a Face". In it, invisible monsters attack people and suck their brains out. The only warning of impending attack was the sound of the creatures' heartbeats. For days after seeing this film I had trouble sleeping as I would hear my heartbeat, pull the covers over my head, and pray the beasties would go away. One of the many treasures I watched on Saturdays' "Creature Feature" program, hosted by Dr. Pall Bearer....