[Geezer Rock 001]

Hyland Headphones in the UK has just gone live with their new site devoted to the launch of their new Saturn 1 custom made headphones. Some of you may have visited Alex Hyland's Etsy store and bought his wood half cups for the Grado SR series cans or the early editions of his Saturn headphones. He is a long time Grado person who has come up with some outstanding tuning options on the SR platform.
Here is a link to the launch page on his new web page. Check out his beautiful works of sonic and visual art.
https://www.hylandheadphones.com/

I have a pair on order and will post my impressions after I receive them in a week or two.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

I received my Saturn Ones this week. I have gotten in 6 hours of head time in four sessions. Tonight I am going to do a brief overview of my impressions. Tomorrow I will post some pictures and more in-depth details.

My overall opinion of them is that they are excellent. To my ears they excel in the following areas.

Comfort They are light as a feather and the gimbal design and execution is very effective.

Musicality. The presentation is concise, clear and a very fun listen.

Soundstage. You are immersed in the sound from left to right Front to back and around your head. I do not know how Alex Hyland designed it into these cans, but it was like virtual reality for my ears.

Lows. Well presented with clarity and not boomy. You can feel it.

Highs and mids. Well presented, clear and not piercing.

Value for the $. Off the chart. For less than $500 you can get a hand crafted excellent sounding set of cans that will meet or beat the big name brands that cost two or three times more than the Saturn Ones.

Well done Hyland Headphones!!

More details and pictures on Sunday.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

I will do two or three posts with pictures. This first one will be the physical presentation of the Hyland Saturn One as it looks right out of the shipping box. It has a very nice and distinctive wooden box that it comes in. I like it's simplicity as the money saved can go into the finished product and not a stunning packaging statement as many other manufacturers waste your money on.

In side are the headphones, a nice carrying bag, the beautiful silver braided cables and a 3.5 to 1/4 adapter. And your certificate of authenticity which lists your serial number and the date the headphone was assembled and tested.

The drivers in the Saturn Ones are not Grado or Grado clone drivers. The cushion attachment rings are like a Grado cup. They are shipped with aftermarket Grado G cush cushions. Inside the cushion is what looks to be a sound filter, like the ones that are shipped with Mr. Speakers Aeon Opens.

Overall a very business like appropriate presentation.

Next up will be build and material impressions.

2019_0305_134348_001.jpg

2019_0305_134652_003.jpg

2019_0305_134440_006.jpg

2019_0305_134507_007.jpg

 

[redria]

There is definitely something pretty nice looking about the industrial/wooden look. Definitely going to be tempted to pick a pair of these up in a couple months, if they are as good as you make them sound they are a steal at £350.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Saturn One build quality and durability impressions.

Build Quality
When you open the box your first impression is that these are something that was built with precision and pride. Attention to detail and fit and finish is excellent. The headband/gimbal arrangement is light but sturdy. The set screws allow you to lock the ear cups in exactly where you want them and they stay there. The headband is a fine grade of black leather and it has a nice amount of padding in it. The silver wire cables are nicely braided and the connectors are solid and match the cable nicely. The wood cups are well finished and there are no tooling marks or rough edges on any wood or metal corner or edge. It is a very fine piece of work that the creator is proud to put his name on.

Durability
These headphones are very well built, but they are also very light weight. A storage pouch is provided with them, but I do not think throwing them in a back pack or satchel would be a good idea. To me they are best for at home casual listening or possible an office set up where they would not get banged around much. They look as if they would give many years of good service if they are handled with care.

Next will be listening impressions, after the first date fever has passed.

2019_0317_122247_002.jpg

2019_0317_122350_006.jpg

2019_0317_122358_007.jpg

2019_0317_122823_002.jpg

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Hyland Saturn One Listening Impressions

I wanted to give the Saturn One's a long listen before I did this post. I am not an expert reviewer, but since I fell into the Head Fi rabbit hole over 2 years ago, I have owned headphones made by all of the major manufacturers. From Brand A to Brand Z and in between. I use and amp and do eq. All of my listening is done in my home.

My overall impression of these cans are that they do everything very well. Any type of music and any type of music files from Spotify to CD s to high resolution music files. Their bass is strong but not over powering. Their mids and highs are right on for my ears. Not peaky and an excellent balance.
The sound stage and separation is excellent. With well recorded music I can hear details from left to right and from front to back. Great fun!

They sound and perform as good or better than they look. If you value a beautifully designed and built headphone, I would recommend that you take a long look at the Hyland Headphones Saturn One. They are on the keeper side of my headphone storage area.


2019_0319_114901_001.jpg


2019_0305_134652_003.jpg

 

[Monsterzero]

Thanks for the impressions Geezer.

They are shipped with aftermarket Grado G cush cushions.

These are on-ear?
How do they compare to Grado's sound?

 

[chimney189]

I like the design -- it looks comfortable and lightweight.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Thanks for the impressions Geezer.

These are on-ear?
How do they compare to Grado's sound?

They are on ear like Grados and they were tuned by Alex Hyland for after market G cush. I usually roll 5 different cushions on every Grado that I have had. With the Saturn One, I stopped at the Grado G cush because it was a perfect combination for me.

They are extremely light and they have caused me no fatigue or hot spots. The cable weight and quality adds to their lightness.

I have gravitated to the Grado GH Hertiage sound signature. A little dark, but great mid s and highs. To my ears the Saturn Ones take that signature and improves it. They are detail monsters. Again imo.

At their price point, they are a steal. They can play with the big kids.

 

[javertim]

Got mine yesterday and simply cannot stop listening. These are spectacular! Holy soundstage! ... Amazing tonality. They remind me of my Focal Clear but with a much more holographic presentation. The comfort is also something to mention. The Saturn One feels like a feather and the grado-styled g-cushions have always been a favorite of mine for comfort -- love the over/on-ear combination.

I've always found Grado headphones to be quite charming, regardless of their shortcomings... Still, every pair I've ever owned has grown out of favor with me for one reason or another, with the PS500e being my preferred of their lineup. The Hyland Saturn One gives me everything I ever wanted from the Grados and then expands on it (figuratively *and* literally) in pretty much every way possible.

Again, just got these yesterday, but I can tell my love for these is beyond new-gear-infatuation. These are special and I hope Alex sells a ton of them!!

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

These are spectacular! Holy soundstage! .

I totally agree! They are not quite as vast as an HD 800S, but that is a good thing to me. You are fully immersed in the music. A very fun and entertaining listening experience with any type of music.

 

[justhavingfun]

Darn it! I thought I was done for purchasing another headphone for awhile. This headphone looks and sounds like what I want. I love the Grado sound signature. I might have to find a way to purchase this gem soon. It also has a detachable cables so that I can easily add balanced cable for it. I absolutely love Hyland modified Grado SR225 which I bought from Geezer. To my ear, I prefer my modified SR225 over RS1 stock version. Like they said, this Head-fi place is black hole for your wallet, lol.

 

[Mhog55]

Are the dual connections 2.5 or 3.5

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

They are 2.5 at the ear cup and 3.5 at the power end of the cable. Alex can also make a balanced cable with the same silver wire if you need it. Just make that inquiry when or before you place your order.

He is working on a pair of mahogany cups this week.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

NEWS FLASH
In about two weeks I will have a pair of Hyland Saturns that I will be putting into an audition rotation for a limited number of Head Fi ers in the United States. The Head Fi audition tour is something that I am doing on my own and has no affiliation with Hyland Headphones.

The Saturn audition tour will be limited to six people initially. Each participant will be responsible for USPS shipping to the next participant.

If you want to participate in the tour, PM me your contact information. I will get you on the list.