[bmichels]

  Yes I compared them within 3-4 months and ended up with the Abyss. IMO the HD800 sounded rather sterile and have an unnatural spherical soundstage. But the Abyss it's not worth the french price.

 
and no "comfort "issue with the ABYSS ?

 

[Hun7er]

   
and no "comfort "issue with the ABYSS ?

After muscle your neck and fitted him well no confort issue.

 

[Fririce0003]

thanks and...I vote for " organic and texture " rather than " bass slam and tightness ".    

Have you compared ABYSS with the HD800 that is supposed to be very good wit the 445 according to Craig ? Is the ABYSS really a step-up ?

I will quickly add that you don't necessarily lose out on bass slam and tightness with tubes. I had the abyss running out of the headamp GS-X Mk2, WA5 and WA234. Both the tube amps actually had more weight, slam and tightness. The only winning point going to the GS-X for me was detail retrieval since it's more forward, and that's only compared to the WA5.
I'd also say the 445 would be even better for tightness and speed than the WA5 due to the tube complements used in each.
Also having owned a pair of HD800's for quite sometime, I've since sold them after purchasing the abyss. Sure the HD800 has a larger soundstage but it's etched and mechanical in comparison. There's just something that sounds off with it compared to the abyss. The abyss still has that level of detail it's just more enjoyable for me, if you prefer an analytical listen I'd go with the SR009. But to enjoy the music as a whole I prefer the abyss.

 

[mulder01]

   
 
thanks and...I vote for " organic and texture " rather than " bass slam and tightness ".    
 
Have you compared ABYSS with the HD800 that is supposed to be very good wit the 445 according to Craig ? Is the ABYSS really a step-up ?

 
I preferred the Abyss over the HD800 by MILES.  Mind you, I only heard them both off solid state amps not the 445 - the HD800 is way too in-your-face for my tates.  It might be a bit more rounded off running off tubes though.  If you like the HD800's sound, I'm not sure if the Abyss would be to your tastes (from my limited experience anyway).  My second choice if I didn't get the Abyss would have been an LCD-X, or if it wasn't for comfort issues, a TH-900.  To my ears, the HD800 and Abyss are totally different types of sound.

 

[plakat]

If you heard any squeaking noises today... don't worry: that was just my wallet. In exchange for the contents of my wallet an Abyss is on its way to me. I sure hope it is at least as good as everyone says

 

[isquirrel]

  If you heard any squeaking noises today... don't worry: that was just my wallet. In exchange for the contents of my wallet an Abyss is on its way to me. I sure hope it is at least as good as everyone says

Congratulations, looking forward to your impressions

 

[Nomax]

If you heard any squeaking noises today... don't worry: that was just my wallet. In exchange for the contents of my wallet an Abyss is on its way to me. I sure hope it is at least as good as everyone says

THATS GREAT!!THE THIRD OWNER IN AUSTRIA of the AB1266

REGARDS NOMAX

 

[plakat]

 
Congratulations, looking forward to your impressions

 
Believe me -- I do as well
bought it blind on @Nomax heartily recommendation. And he can be quite persuasive
 

THATS GREAT!!THE THIRD OWNER IN AUSTRIA of the AB1266

REGARDS NOMAX

 
We should all three meet at some time, get a drink.

 

[Kiats]

If you heard any squeaking noises today... don't worry: that was just my wallet. In exchange for the contents of my wallet an Abyss is on its way to me. I sure hope it is at least as good as everyone says

Congratulations!

 

[icebear]

   
Believe me -- I do as well
bought it blind on @Nomax heartily recommendation. And he can be quite persuasive
....

 
I hope you don't have a sensitive skull and can wear the Abyss for a prolonged period of time.
It's a serious piece of metal work and comes with some hefty weight.
You didn't do any weight lifting training with any Audeze it looks like.
If that weight is not a problem for you, you are in for a treat, congrats! ... and sorry for your wallet

.

 

[SoundFreaq]

  If you heard any squeaking noises today... don't worry: that was just my wallet. In exchange for the contents of my wallet an Abyss is on its way to me. I sure hope it is at least as good as everyone says

Congrats, man! Of course we can converse about the accuracy, and whether or not it is worth the expense, but at the end of the day, the Abyss is far and away the most enjoyable piece of audio gear I've ever heard. So, that's a priceless value to me. I think you'll enjoy! It's also the only headphone I've heard that, when I finally heard it, despite all the hype, was still completely blown away : )

 

[mulder01]

Congrats plakat!  The day your Abyss comes in the mail is a good day
 
Quote:

   
and no "comfort "issue with the ABYSS ?

My head gets a little sore where the headband sits if I wear them for a while but I think I have a pretty sensitive head - I get the same dull sensation if I wear glasses with any pressure on the frames pressing against my head.  Wouldn't be surprised if that problem was unique to me though.  My listening sessions are generally pretty short so it's not really a big problem.  Couldn't wear them all day though. It could probably be fixed by putting a bit of padding under the leather strap but it hasn't annoyed me enough to try it out.
 
Also, to get a proper fit around my ears I had to do some pretty forceful adjustments of the headband which was a bit of a pain but they have a really nice fit around my ears now.

 

[Nomax]

SPECIAL THANKS to MEMBER PLAKAT for translate my german words


Dear friends,

some may already know me, others don't. This is not may main playing field due to my lack of knowledge of the language. Sorry for that.

As I may call quite a lot of headphones my own, am still enthusiastic about this hobby even after 20 years and have contact with some makers and developers, I've seen and heard quite a bit over the years that excited or disappointed me.

I've never been a fan of planar magnetic headphones. I knew the Audeze LCD3, but have to say that for USD ~2000 the comfort, fit and finish was rather disappointing (earpads mounted with double-sided tape in that price range -- NO Chance!)

On to the Abyss!
Crazy Americans... another planar magnetic headphone, was my first thought when I saw the early photos on the net. Which idiot is going to buy that? Me? USD 5500,- for a planar magnetic headphone???

One day my local dealer came into play and said, he had never seen something that ugly, but at the same time extraordinary and unique, as this headphone.

Which was the main reason for me to invest $5500: in the premium segment I value uniqueness above other things.


Regarding comfort
I came to a perfect solution by watching Joe's video and bending the headband in/out. 660 gramm can be astoundingly comfortable, even for a longer time.

Personally I'd whished for a second set of earpads in velour, or memory foam for the leather pads.


Regarding sound
To me personally the Abyss is less of a headphone but more of a speaker. I'm still having a hard time putting into words what the AB1266 offers in musical performance.

Tyll of Innerfidelity said, its funny to listen to the Abyss.

Yes, its really fun, my friends, it puts a smile on my face again and again -- and thats what its all about for me: that an extraordinary product gives me joy for a long time, by its workmanship and its sound.

Now on to the MOON NEO 430 HA!

Its a beauty!

A perfect all-in-one solution, perfect sounding DAC, crossfeed, remote control, digital volume control (WOW! a real hammer!), enough power for my ABYSS and all my other headphones!

The only negative point is the rather cheap plastic remote, besides that everything is top!

For everyone looking for a lower priced solution and is willing to abandon some of the features of the MOON NEO, I can recommend the Violectric V281, which does very well with the ABYSS.

I think I've arrived at my final destination and found my DREAM TEAM:
MOON NEO/ABYSS-BEAUTY&BEAST=STATE OF THE ART

Kind regards

NOMAX

 

[David1961]

In my opinion they are an especially good choice if you already have a v281, or a Mjolnir like Butler, because you don't need to buy any other gear, just the headphone, where as a 009 (the other popular choice in this price range) really needs a minimum of a $5k electrostat amp which most people don't just have sitting around...

Yes imo the 009's do sound better with a $5000 amp which in my case is the BHSE, ( mine is the $6000 version ) but they also sound good with a lesser in cost amp like the SRM-717, just not to the level as with the BHSE, but wouldn't it also be the same regarding the Abyss, or are you saying those headphones will sound just as good from using say a $2000 amp, to a $5000 amp.

 

[bmichels]

I think I've arrived at my final destination and found my DREAM TEAM:
MOON NEO/ABYSS-BEAUTY&BEAST=STATE OF THE ART

Kind regards

NOMAX

 
I am happy for you that you found your perfect Solution.   What source are you using ?  (PC/Mac ? Music server ? streamer ?....)