[fadingstarlight]

Hi, sorry to be a bit off topic here but struggling to get any answer on the Immanis topic... Here at least I know some of you enjoy their Abyss with a Formula S amp. Has anyone tried it with an Immanis? Thank you

 

[songoku]

Abyss ab-1266 with portable amp. Nice compo.

 

[Homrsimson]

Does the abyss Diana TC use 2.5mm headphone connectors like Susvara 2.5mm? Thinking about getting a set and I’m trying to figure out if these adapters will work. The 2.5mm side is narrow going up so I assume it well, but would appreciate if someone can clarify.

 

[Spawn300Z]

Does the abyss Diana TC use 2.5mm headphone connectors like Susvara 2.5mm? Thinking about getting a set and I’m trying to figure out if these adapters will work. The 2.5mm side is narrow going up so I assume it well, but would appreciate if someone can clarify.

Yes

 

[JooLoo]

Very, very true. With this level of headphone, everything matters upstream.

Just for a reality check/sonic palate cleanser, I pulled out my tube DAC and installed a cheap and cheerful $99 Modi, still connected with the same top end cabling, same amp, everything, only the DAC changed. I then listened for a day. The sound? Thoroughly, deeply depressing. Similar to watching standard def content on a high resolution monitor.

whered you get those weights what are they called

 

[BlakeT]

It's a record clamp on top, Stillpoints Ultra Minis on the bottom. I can't recall the brand name/model of the record clamp at the moment. Had to use the record clamp as a weight, or the stiff cables just pulled the DAC off the footers.

 

[mitchb]

Does anyone have experience good or not with the Danacable Nirvana cable and the Abyss 1266 Phi TC headphones? I am using the Nirvana cable and it sounds good but how would it compare with the JPS SC or other cables?

 

[Spawn300Z]

I don’t have it with the 1266 but due have it with the Diana Series headphone.

I currently have the Danacable Nirvana and Rhapsody. For the Diana series I have the Superconductor and Rhapsody. The Rhapsody is like a baby Nirvana. In my experience the Rhapsody is better than the superconductor except in weight. I have increased soundstage, clarity and bass as it relates to weight and texture.

 

[walterboss]

Does anyone have experience good or not with the Danacable Nirvana cable and the Abyss 1266 Phi TC headphones? I am using the Nirvana cable and it sounds good but how would it compare with the JPS SC or other cables?

Nirvana is good step up from SC imo. It's a little warmer vs something even more expensive like DHC Chimera. But Chimera is another league when it comes to resolution, bass response, and dynamics.

If you can get a decent used price for Nirvana snap it up.

In order of good to great I would say SC > Nirvana > > > Chimera (but these are ALL superb cables in their price range)

 

[Drewligarchy]

I just discovered Mitch's convolution filters at Accurate Sound and I think they are great (mentioned a bit earlier in the thread). So great I bought one for each of my headphones (Abyss TC, Susvara, LCD-5, LCD-4). He is a former sound engineer and uses a measurement intensive process (and listening tests) to create convolution filters so each headphone is as flat as possible (up to around 6k because that's the limit without measurements specific to your head, I believe).

It was eye opening for me because I thought that while speakers are generally flat, that headphones aren't supposed to be flat - they need a preference curve.

I was wrong.

The LCD-5 one, I think, is the most popular because everyone EQs that headphone.

The Abyss one is my favorite, though, because the Abyss is my favorite headphone.

It does 3 things that I really like:

1) Cleans up vocals and places them a touch back in the mix. They sound clearer and in the right spot.
2) Fixes some of the wonkiness in the mids (e.g. there aren't any shrill notes that cause me to cringe now, it's all completely smooth and right sounding).
3) Improves the spatial characteristics of the headphones. It's surprising because this is where the headphone is already so good. But, this makes them even better. I think because everything is sitting where it should in the mix, imaging is better, and its inherent spatial qualities are more pronounced.

I tried it on SS: it's awesome. I tried it on tubes: it's awesome.

tldr: It's awesome. I highly recommend.

 

[walterboss]

I just discovered Mitch's convolution filters at Accurate Sound and I think they are great (mentioned a bit earlier in the thread). So great I bought one for each of my headphones (Abyss TC, Susvara, LCD-5, LCD-4). He is a former sound engineer and uses a measurement intensive process (and listening tests) to create convolution filters so each headphone is as flat as possible (up to around 6k because that's the limit without measurements specific to your head, I believe).

It was eye opening for me because I thought that while speakers are generally flat, that headphones aren't supposed to be flat - they need a preference curve.

I was wrong.

The LCD-5 one, I think, is the most popular because everyone EQs that headphone.

The Abyss one is my favorite, though, because the Abyss is my favorite headphone.

It does 3 things that I really like:

1) Cleans up vocals and places them a touch back in the mix. They sound clearer and in the right spot.
2) Fixes some of the wonkiness in the mids (e.g. there aren't any shrill notes that cause me to cringe now, it's all completely smooth and right sounding).
3) Improves the spatial characteristics of the headphones. It's surprising because this is where the headphone is already so good. But, this makes them even better. I think because everything is sitting where it should in the mix, imaging is better, and its inherent spatial qualities are more pronounced.

I tried it on SS: it's awesome. I tried it on tubes: it's awesome.

tldr: It's awesome. I highly recommend.

I really loved them for a week then went back to normal.

The filters seemed to be restraining a kind of innate wildness in 1266. Like trying to improve the cornering on a drag car.

It's for sure worth trying though. Maybe it'll stick better for you than they did me.

I will say that trying them regardless of outcome helps understand what the headphone is doing better.

 

[normie610]

I just discovered Mitch's convolution filters at Accurate Sound and I think they are great (mentioned a bit earlier in the thread). So great I bought one for each of my headphones (Abyss TC, Susvara, LCD-5, LCD-4). He is a former sound engineer and uses a measurement intensive process (and listening tests) to create convolution filters so each headphone is as flat as possible (up to around 6k because that's the limit without measurements specific to your head, I believe).

It was eye opening for me because I thought that while speakers are generally flat, that headphones aren't supposed to be flat - they need a preference curve.

I was wrong.

The LCD-5 one, I think, is the most popular because everyone EQs that headphone.

The Abyss one is my favorite, though, because the Abyss is my favorite headphone.

It does 3 things that I really like:

1) Cleans up vocals and places them a touch back in the mix. They sound clearer and in the right spot.
2) Fixes some of the wonkiness in the mids (e.g. there aren't any shrill notes that cause me to cringe now, it's all completely smooth and right sounding).
3) Improves the spatial characteristics of the headphones. It's surprising because this is where the headphone is already so good. But, this makes them even better. I think because everything is sitting where it should in the mix, imaging is better, and its inherent spatial qualities are more pronounced.

I tried it on SS: it's awesome. I tried it on tubes: it's awesome.

tldr: It's awesome. I highly recommend.

+1

I always use his filters. Can't go back to listening to 1266 TC without them.

 

[jlbrach]

for me the ca-1a and sr1a were absolute musts...the 1266 and susvara were preference items for me but both excellent

 

[dsyzling]

I just discovered Mitch's convolution filters at Accurate Sound and I think they are great (mentioned a bit earlier in the thread). So great I bought one for each of my headphones (Abyss TC, Susvara, LCD-5, LCD-4). He is a former sound engineer and uses a measurement intensive process (and listening tests) to create convolution filters so each headphone is as flat as possible (up to around 6k because that's the limit without measurements specific to your head, I believe).


tldr: It's awesome. I highly recommend.

I've been mulling buying the Susvara filters - the description of the affect of the modifications do sound interesting - i.e. bringing the treble down to remove a touch of sibilance and pushing the vocals forward out of the mix. Kind of been on the fence and haven't pulled the trigger as yet.

 

[BlakeT]

The sound the 1266 reproduces in exceptionally dependent on what you feed it in terms of the upstream gear. I'm not claiming it is the perfect headphone by any means, and the perfect headphone doesn't exist anyway, but, I just don't experience the "wonky mids" or other sonic issues reported by some, but not all, users. By the way, I'm not sure where the 'wonky' descriptor started, but suspect it was a certain Youtube audio gear reviewer with whom I seldom agree.

However, I absolutely believe the user reports in this thread, when a user reports some sonic gremlin.

I've just never experienced them with my 1266. In my system, the mids are wonderful, and I never experience any brightness or other issues. Hence, my point that 1266 is highly dependent on what its fed. I suspect if I heard 1266 with a user's system that describes the mids as being a bit off, I'd likely agree, although our respective subjective impressions of the degree of the issue- big or slight, may vary based on our experiences with other gear, and what we think it should sound like (again, subjective and relative, since none of us was in the recording studio, and even if we were, that wouldn't be dispositive anyway as sonic memory fades quickly).

I've never had even the slightest desire to try any EQ, as in my experience, there will always be trade-offs with EQ, but, I respect the choice to use them. I just really like the sound signature I'm getting without EQ. Ultimately, we each must choose our own path of what we prefer and think, because in the end, that's all that matters... our own enjoyment.