[Jozurr]

https://youtu.be/98pwChfzMbQ

I uploaded a video so you can hear them... Wait until the bass drops around 40 seconds in..

 
Have you tried swapping the cable sides to check if the distortion moves to the other sides?

 

[odanovich]

Maybe my expectation for how loud the Abyss could scale was falsely hyped. Im going to move my troubleshooting over to the Milo thread.. Because i've got it dialed up to about 3 oclock and i start hearing distorsion much sooner than I remember taking the LCD-3 with the 430HAD...

 

[x RELIC x]

Im not sure how I go about finding the db level... Is that on the amp? Or headphone? Or some online tool?

also I ahould explain my setup.. Maybe there is an issue with that chain.

Laptop > Apple usb-c to micro usb cable > Chord Mojo in 3V line out > Amazon Basics $6 auxiliary to RCA cable > Wells Audio Milo > 4-pin to 2x 3-pin adaptor (Stock Cable) > Stock abyss headphone cables both with crimmped / bent ends > Abyss Headphones.

Could it be a cheap cable?

Try clicking the volume on the Mojo down 4 clicks from the 'line-out' volume preset. This will give you 1.9Vrms output from the Mojo vs 3Vrms. Some amps can't take 3Vrms on their inputs. You may be hearing the amp clipping with a 3Vrms input.

Be aware that the 'line-out' mode on the Mojo is nothing more than a volume preset. Nothing is bypassed in 'line-out' mode and you aren't double amping with the Mojo set to a different volume. The Mojo always drives headphones from its DAC's line-out stage and there is no seperate headamp in the device. The volume is controlled digitally and is measured as lossless. Just be aware that when you change the volume from the 'line-out' preset that it WILL be remembered, so please take precautions when plugging IEMs/headphones directly in to the Mojo at these levels.

Hope this helps.

 

[odanovich]

Try clicking the volume on the Mojo down 4 clicks from the 'line-out' volume preset. This will give you 1.9Vrms output from the Mojo vs 3Vrms. Some amps can't take 3Vrms on their inputs. You may be hearing the amp clipping with a 3Vrms input.

Be aware that the 'line-out' mode on the Mojo is nothing more than a volume preset. Nothing is bypassed in 'line-out' mode and you aren't double amping with the Mojo set to a different volume. The Mojo always drives headphones from its DAC's line-out stage and there is no seperate headamp in the device. The volume is controlled digitally and is measured as lossless. Just be aware that when you change the volume from the 'line-out' preset that it WILL be remembered, so please take precautions when plugging IEMs/headphones directly in to the Mojo at these levels.

Hope this helps.

Relic, my god. Here I was going crazy and after all this nonsense its my Mojos volume setting. Man this fixed everything!!

Thanks everyone for contributing.

 

[Joe Skubinski]

CanJam 2017 NYC was a very good show, busy both days. Some pix of the Abyss booth...

 

[x RELIC x]

Relic, my god. Here I was going crazy and after all this nonsense its my Mojos volume setting. Man this fixed everything!!

Thanks everyone for contributing.

Glad this was the solution, enjoy!

 

[draytonklammer]

Relic, my god. Here I was going crazy and after all this nonsense its my Mojos volume setting. Man this fixed everything!!

Thanks everyone for contributing.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

 

[mulder01]

.

 

[Jozurr]

Maybe my expectation for how loud the Abyss could scale was falsely hyped. Im going to move my troubleshooting over to the Milo thread.. Because i've got it dialed up to about 3 oclock and i start hearing distorsion much sooner than I remember taking the LCD-3 with the 430HAD...

 
I'm using Yggy+Rag for the Abyss out of the Balanced out of Rag, and I feel the same way. I can hear distortion if I go as loud as I would go on my HE-6. Not sure what's going on there because the input on the Rag is compatible with the output of the Yggy.

 

[draytonklammer]

I'm using Yggy+Rag for the Abyss out of the Balanced out of Rag, and I feel the same way. I can hear distortion if I go as loud as I would go on my HE-6. Not sure what's going on there because the input on the Rag is compatible with the output of the Yggy.

At a listening level that won't damage hearing (I've measured to a max of 79Db) the Abyss (mine at least) does not distort.

 

[Jozurr]

At a listening level that won't damage hearing (I've measured to a max of 79Db) the Abyss (mine at least) does not distort.

 
I have not measured listening levels, but I do listen loud (more club like) and I mostly listen to techno. I've had very few phones distort. The last time I had that problem was with the MicroZOTL2 that could not push enough power into the HE-ZMF Omni and the headphones would sound distorted out of it. Rag doesn't have a problem with output power, so I'm not sure what's going on.  

 

[astrostar59]

 

At a listening level that won't damage hearing (I've measured to a max of 79Db) the Abyss (mine at least) does not distort.

 
I have not measured listening levels, but I do listen loud (more club like) and I mostly listen to techno. I've had very few phones distort. The last time I had that problem was with the MicroZOTL2 that could not push enough power into the HE-ZMF Omni and the headphones would sound distorted out of it. Rag doesn't have a problem with output power, so I'm not sure what's going on.  

It is odd. Have you got any EQ set on the source? If yes, watch the 0dB level does not get hit. Or maybe the Abyss needs tons of power, not just volume. I have had amplifiers distort before on bass heavy tracks as the transformers run out of juice (speakers not HPs).
 
I often listen loud on the 009s and don't get any distortion.

 

[Jozurr]

It is odd. Have you got any EQ set on the source? If yes, watch the 0dB level does not get hit. Or maybe the Abyss needs tons of power, not just volume. I have had amplifiers distort before on bass heavy tracks as the transformers run out of juice (speakers not HPs).

I often listen loud on the 009s and don't get any distortion.

The Rag on balanced has a lot of power before it distorts or runs out of it. I can drive the HE-6 without issues.

 

[odanovich]

Hey Everyone, 
 
I just wanted to provide a follow up post explaining the outcome of my "panic" outbreak earlier in this post.    
 
I went to my local dealer who is a really nice guy named Galen Carol.  He assisted me with trouble shooting my setup.  First we determined that the Headphone Drivers are not damaged and neither was the crimped cabling.  Next I was pretty convinced that it was the Amplifier.  However I picked up the Chordette 2Qute to replace it from my temporary Chord Mojo.. along with some upgraded Cables: Cardas USB Cable and a pair of better RCA connectors (compared to the $6 Amazon Basics Aux to RCA adapter).  After adding the 2Qute into the system with the additional cables, things have improved dramatically. I can now take the headphones to a much higher level prior to distortion kicking in on the drivers. 
 
Right now is the first time I'm really starting to gasp the power and beauty presented by the Abyss....   No more panicking over here.   Life is Good  Thanks again for everyone's help troubleshooting. 
 
 

 

[cladane]

Hello @odanovich,
 
Yes Abyss are great headphones and you will be surprised that they don't need really a lot of power to drive them.
The important point is that you must provide them fast transients along with heavy bass. They do like a dynamic setup.