[draytonklammer]

Anyone with an Abyss they want to sell, I will offer $3000, maybe a little bit more to get my hands on it.

 

[Beolab]

Everything is great really. Infact without cross comparing, no one is particularly better then the others and preference plays a bigger role. But with abyss pricing falling closer to other flagship with the lite, it's no longer an outlier. Just get whatever I love best. For some reason he1000 and lcd4 after countless test never impressed me.

The Abyss + DAVE + Aurender W20 + Moon 600i it is the best killer High End headphone sound i have ever built / experienced to this date period,

( incl the expensive fancy pansy Sennheiser Orpheus II


A few people with even more expensive systems, are considering to sell out all their ultra expensive gear and just keep the Abyss + DAVE combo, because it tops their 100.000$ systems out, and that is a good statement in my book.





Have an great listening evening!

 

[mulder01]

Anyone with an Abyss they want to sell, I will offer $3000, maybe a little bit more to get my hands on it.

 
Still can't decide hey?
 
Could you get a pair from that place with the headphone lending library? Cable Co I think?

 

[tassardar]

Got my set today!

 

[tassardar]

Finally I own my own set and can adjust it to its max potential:
 
This headphone is totally finicky till you get the final fit. Though it sounds great even when not well fitted, it will at most be around the same as others of its class till its fully adjusted to fit the person. This kinda makes it the worst headphone for quick sharing and audition.However once its up and ready, the openness, clarity and bass really is a whole new level. 

I can understand why most wont like it: Its just a headphone you cant pop on your head and appreciate it. Some effort is needed and this effort may just cause it a customer.

 

[draytonklammer]

Buying an Abyss today, it's about damn time.

I think my audition was way too short to have recognized the potential.

I'm hoping to do a comparison between the LCD-4, Abyss, HEK and Focal Utopia.

 

[tassardar]

I didnt like the HEK and LCD4 much. One reason why I own the HD800S. The abyss even in its ill fitted state beats the hd800s to me.
 
One thing I notice, together with a friend of mine, we find the abyss isnt great at higher volume. I listen to relative low levels and it felt great. My friend listens to it almost 3 color band higher on the Hugo TT (I listen at dark blue (85db), his is the lighter blue (>95db)) and he felt there was some distortion in the bass. Then when he dropped to my level, he thought it was fantastic. We tried on a amp that does 5w per channel and notice this distortion but at a slightly higher volume level. Our initial conclusion is abyss is great in the normal range of listening but if you want to go higher, there is a good chance of distortion at the bass if it becomes really loud.

 

[draytonklammer]

Thanks for the info. I only listen about 70-80Db peak.

 

[tassardar]

Then you will a great experience . Do remember to spend like 20-30min fitting.This is one tough to fit headphone but once done its comfy and sounds great.

 

[draytonklammer]

I plan to do a lot of adjustment.

For me this has a lot to live up to if it is said to best the LCD-4 in so many ways.

 

[Beolab]

I didnt like the HEK and LCD4 much. One reason why I own the HD800S. The abyss even in its ill fitted state beats the hd800s to me.

One thing I notice, together with a friend of mine, we find the abyss isnt great at higher volume. I listen to relative low levels and it felt great. My friend listens to it almost 3 color band higher on the Hugo TT (I listen at dark blue (85db), his is the lighter blue (>95db)) and he felt there was some distortion in the bass. Then when he dropped to my level, he thought it was fantastic. We tried on a amp that does 5w per channel and notice this distortion but at a slightly higher volume level. Our initial conclusion is abyss is great in the normal range of listening but if you want to go higher, there is a good chance of distortion at the bass if it becomes really loud.

It is not headphones for DJś , more for normal listening levels, that is correct, it get a slight stressed on higher levels if you have a more open seal.
But nevertheless the best high end headphone money can buy at the moment under right circumstances.

PS
Congratulations to the new Abyss and welcome to the club!



What amp are you using, hard to see on the picture?

 

[tassardar]

Thats a Cayin IHA6. Quite a new stuff and just recently reviewed in in innerfidelity with great results. It does 7w per channel so it provides all the power the abyss needs. It sounds better then Questyle mono channel stack. 

 

[Beolab]

Thats a Cayin IHA6. Quite a new stuff and Tyll just recently reviewed in in innerfidelity with great results. It does 7w per channel so it provides all the power the abyss needs. It sounds better then Questyle mono channel stack. 

Sound like a very nice little amp, how much transparency do you feel you are loosing with the amp against the TT ?

 

[tassardar]

Hmm the only difference I can spot is the lost in the last bit of trailing air of the vocals and treble. So far, off the TT, any headphone that don't need lots of power do not benefit from being ampped. This pretty covers every dynamic headphone i tried. But when power is needed this Cayin is up to the job. If its the final output, I will say maybe there is a lost of a few percent of air in vocals and treble, exchange for energy and bass control. If I don't listen carefully, this amp felt no better or worst for most headphones, but makes a audible difference for planars. The abyss is just monster to drive. 

 

[Beolab]

Hmm the only difference I can spot is the lost in the last bit of trailing air of the vocals and treble. So far, off the TT, any headphone that don't need lots of power do not benefit from being ampped. This pretty covers every dynamic headphone i tried. But when power is needed this Cayin is up to the job. If its the final output, I will say maybe there is a lost of a few percent of air in vocals and treble, exchange for energy and bass control. If I don't listen carefully, this amp felt no better or worst for most headphones, but makes a audible difference for planars. The abyss is just monster to drive. 

Yes i know, the Abyss can be driven by a Mojo or Ifi Imicro with ease, but they need current A drive power to achieve the full potential, thats why i am alternate btw direct drive by DAVE , Wells Audio HeadTrip and the dual mono Moon 600i 2x250watt 4Ohm 140 Amps amp, but even thug i have set my Moon amp on passtrough the pre-amp i loose slightly in clarity and air vs the DAVE.
But as you said you win in all other areas like grip control , low freq bass , fluid smoothness and calmness.