[cangle]

Some great replies so thanks.
I guess this is what I am concerned about. At present the Amp/DAC I have has supposedly a slightly warmer presentation. Even now I can find some brightness (I definitely think I am sensitive to this) so moving to a more revealing amp , maybe I should look at another DAC.
The dealer has been great so far and I am getting his demo Qutest at home for a demo.
The issue is if I dont like it I am without a DAC and unable to listen to my headphones

I also think pairing it with the Qutest may give me a false impression of the Niimbus. Maybe I should get a different DAC now and use it with my Burson and then see what i think. However the Burson 3X Reference has a decent DAC........oh so many balls in the air

I am making progress with my decision though.....honest but maybe I should try an R2R DAC in my current system first .Only issue is I would be buying blind and I would not be able to return it if I don’t like it

Edit Yesterday I was close to just ordering the Sonnet Morpheus ..................

If you're looking for a cheap dac to pair with the nimbus while you save for something else but don't want anything too bright, you could try the Schiit Bifrost 2 or Denafrips Ares II. Both are less than 1k and known to have a warmer signature. I haven't heard either though so I can't speak from experience just from what I've read. Will be interested in hearing your thoughts on the Quetest.

 

[Womaz]

If you're looking for a cheap dac to pair with the nimbus while you save for something else but don't want anything too bright, you could try the Schiit Bifrost 2 or Denafrips Ares II. Both are less than 1k and known to have a warmer signature. I haven't heard either though so I can't speak from experience just from what I've read. Will be interested in hearing your thoughts on the Quetest.

Yes I have already had these on the radar. The Schiit I think is very difficult to get right now. The Denafrips I have also looked at. Both the Aries and the Pontus

One thing I did learn today is that I can listen to the Niimbus direct from my lap top if I have to do this as a short term measure. I was under the impression that if I dont like the Qutest, and had to send it back, that I would be unable to listen to my headphones.

I am sensitive to a bit of high end sharpness and sibilance and I am aware that the 1266TCs are very revealing as I am assuming the Niimbus is also.

The Sonnet Morpheus is the DAC that really appeals right now.

 

[WafflesID]

My TCs shipped today!! This is going to be an interesting weekend.

 

[qboogie]

My TCs shipped today!! This is going to be an interesting weekend.

Enjoy. Hopefully you get the right fit ASAP. There is a little 1266 beginner's anxiety that one is missing out on the optimal sound, but that will come. What I would strongly recommend is pulling up a simple track with bass guitar and hi-hats, so that you can "calibrate "the correct position. The bass should have correct tonality along with proper texture and impact. Sometimes you get one and not the other, which tells me the TC needs to be repositioned. I sometimes start my listening sessions with this kind of song just to make sure.

Another phenomenon is that higher bass pitches will lose some rumble and "grip" compared to lower pitches. It's been mentioned in this thread a couple of times before. I think it's inherent to the TC to some degree given the lack of complete seal, but can be minimized with high quality amplification and positioning. In that sense these headphones are really similar to a 2 channel setup. This doesn't occur at all with my other headphones.

I recommend the song for calibration. Vulfpeck - Disco Ulysses (instrumental). It's just a funky bass guitar, disco guitar, and drum kit. I've included it here.

Abyss headphone test

You're going to drive it with the TToby? Another user named @Orlok was raving about the TC and TToby setup a while back

 

[WafflesID]

Enjoy. Hopefully you get the right fit ASAP. There is a little 1266 beginner's anxiety that one is missing out on the optimal sound, but that will come. What I would strongly recommend is pulling up a simple track with bass guitar and hi-hats, so that you can "calibrate "the correct position. The bass should have correct tonality along with proper texture and impact. Sometimes you get one and not the other, which tells me the TC needs to be repositioned. I sometimes start my listening sessions with this kind of song just to make sure.

Another phenomenon is that higher bass pitches will lose some rumble and "grip" compared to lower pitches. It's been mentioned in this thread a couple of times before. I think it's inherent to the TC to some degree given the lack of complete seal, but can be minimized with high quality amplification and positioning. In that sense these headphones are really similar to a 2 channel setup. This doesn't occur at all with my other headphones.

I recommend the song for calibration. Vulfpeck - Disco Ulysses (instrumental). It's just a funky bass guitar, disco guitar, and drum kit. I've included it here.

Abyss headphone test

You're going to drive it with the TToby? Another user named @Orlok was raving about the TC and TToby setup a while back

Thank you!

Appreciate the test track suggestions. Ordered in Sept. So I've spent no small amount of time watching every video and reading every conversation about them. I've picked up a lot of good information here. Well aware that these offer a journey unlike any other headphones.

I was going to make the first song I ever listen to something profound and important, but then I've learned from AudioScienceReview that nothing is more important than how do they sound playing a test tone.

Yes it was orlok (amongst others) that were the primary inspiration behind the TToby.

 

[SuperBurrito]

Thank you!

Appreciate the test track suggestions. Ordered in Sept. So I've spent no small amount of time watching every video and reading every conversation about them. I've picked up a lot of good information here. Well aware that these offer a journey unlike any other headphones.

I was going to make the first song I ever listen to something profound and important, but then I've learned from AudioScienceReview that nothing is more important than how do they sound playing a test tone.

Yes it was orlok (amongst others) that were the primary inspiration behind the TToby.

Congrats on the headphones.
Ttoby is an awesome headphone amp. With the TCs it makes the soundstage even wider.
I would not be surprised if the ttoby is better than many headphone only amps, even those that cost more than the ttoby. And the ttoby can drive speakers very well too, which is crazy since it is so tiny.

 

[rangerid]

Thank you!

Appreciate the test track suggestions. Ordered in Sept. So I've spent no small amount of time watching every video and reading every conversation about them. I've picked up a lot of good information here. Well aware that these offer a journey unlike any other headphones.

I was going to make the first song I ever listen to something profound and important, but then I've learned from AudioScienceReview that nothing is more important than how do they sound playing a test tone.

Yes it was orlok (amongst others) that were the primary inspiration behind the TToby.

Gratz on the TCs! Took me like 6 months to find a fit that tuned the headphones to my liking, mainly because I never spent much time playing with them. I'd def recommend listening to different pad/frame positions a few days each to see what you like best.

 

[You Kay]

This may have been asked before but I couldn’t find it.

Could somebody please list the models of the 1266 in order of release and changes made?

 

[WafflesID]

This may have been asked before but I couldn’t find it.

Could somebody please list the models of the 1266 in order of release and changes made?

I'm Probably doing this wrong.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-jps-labs-abyss-ab-1266-impressions-thread.666765/post-15154209

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-jps-labs-abyss-ab-1266-impressions-thread.666765/post-15154210

 

[Womaz]

Ok so today I finally ordered the Niimbus US5 Pro and the Qutest to drive my 1266 TCs. I have been lucky that my dealer has offered me a free return if I am not satisfied with the purchase so I am pleased with this arrangement.
The Qutest would not have been my first choice but I had a limited budget for the DAC . Thanks for all of the advice given on here.

 

[You Kay]

Anybody using a speaker amp with these headphones. What’s the wattage bracket I should look for? Also impedance matching etc?

 

[WaveTheory]

I just posted a review of the 1266 TC on my YT channel:



Enjoy!

 

[Womaz]

Listen to the bass on this track on the 1266......jeez

 

[littlej0e]

Listen to the bass on this track on the 1266......jeez

Whoa... You aren't kidding. The mid bass especially is nuts. Really satisfying.

 

[WafflesID]

Anybody using a speaker amp with these headphones. What’s the wattage bracket I should look for? Also impedance matching etc?

if you plan on using a tube amp then you should definitely use something like this:
https://www.zynsonix.com/Deluxe-Speaker-Amp-to-Headphone-Converter-Box_p_54.html
@HiGHFLYiN9 can help with suggestions.

I just got my TToby today and I'm currently just running it directly off the speaker posts for now.