[ufospls2]

Hi Everyone - I'm still very much on the edge by way of upgrading my AB1266 to Phi-spec, that is to say I love the sound my AB1266's currently generate. I listen to mainly electronic music so scale, dynamics and PRAT are the reason I invested in the Abyss' and to date they never fail to put a smile on my face. What concerns me about the Phi's is around reports that sub-bass performance is slightly restrained (in comparison to the original Abyss' - but still very much best in class) so as to create more control of the Phi's grip on low frequency extension. Other than that, a more resolving driver, and a more controlled top end sound great. I just down want to lose what I love so much about Abyss' in their current guise i.e. slam, authority, PRAT and extension.

I note there are few users on here who have decided against the upgrade - if its okay, I'd like to explore why that was the case. Happy to do this in this thread or via PM. Lastly, are there in IDM fans who have upgraded to the Phi's and haven't looked back? I listen mainly to Techno, Tech House, Deep House, Progressive House and Ambient.

Mostly an IDM listener here, mixed in with some Jazz and weird folk music and stuff. I upgraded to the Phi and haven't looked back.

Here are my initial impressions from when I first got the Phi.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ressions-thread.666765/page-371#post-13512659

Bass: Percussive and impactful. Large. Is there more quantity than the originals? So far, I don’t think so. With that being said, I think it extends deeper. The bass is one of my favourite parts of the AB-1266 Phi, there isn’t too much of it (I like bass though) and it isn’t lacking. Its just this enveloping force that punches your ears with great impact. It is bass done right, in my opinion.

I prefer the bass of the Phi for what it is worth.

 

[mulder01]

I note there are few users on here who have decided against the upgrade - if its okay, I'd like to explore why that was the case.

I mainly haven't updated mine because of the cost. I'm trying to spend less on head fi gear and somehow I keep slowly spending more...
And as the old saying goes, if it aint broke don't fix it.
I think some others with the original model are just still on the waiting list. (It's about a 5 month-long queue I think)

 

[Thenewguy007]

When people say, bass extends deeper, do they mean the physical sound waves from the sub-bass are felt harder or do they just mean they hear more musical details in the sub-bass??

 

[ufospls2]

When people say, bass extends deeper, do they mean the physical sound waves from the sub-bass are felt harder or do they just mean they hear more musical details in the sub-bass??

I'm not really sure how to describe it. I guess I felt the sub bass was more present. Could be how I had them set up, as that effects the sub bass.

 

[galacticsoap]

When people say, bass extends deeper, do they mean the physical sound waves from the sub-bass are felt harder or do they just mean they hear more musical details in the sub-bass??

When I use the term, particularly with the Abyss (as they deliver such a visceral experience particularly when it comes to sub-bass) I mean a bit of both.

 

[Rayzilla]

I mainly haven't updated mine because of the cost. I'm trying to spend less on head fi gear and somehow I keep slowly spending more...
And as the old saying goes, if it aint broke don't fix it.
I think some others with the original model are just still on the waiting list. (It's about a 5 month-long queue I think)

I haven't updated mine for two reasons.

One, I plan to allocate the money that I would spend on the upgrade to Phi to upgrading my amplifier instead.

Second, I also listen to similar music like IDM and lately I have been listening to a lot of DJ radio shows from websites like global-sets.com and livetracklist.com. Can't really buy this stuff and have such updated tunes and incredible variety. If you guys have suggestions for other sources of similar music, please let me know. Anyway, on to my second reason. My favourite headphone prior to the Abyss (and for a brief time after that with the HE6) was the HD800. I tested out the HD800S and I much preferred the HD800. I may be wrong on this but I have a feeling the Phi to the original Abyss is like the HD800S to the HD800. That's the feeling I have without having the opportunity to hear the Phi and no possibility to do so without buying an air ticket.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Hi Everyone - I'm still very much on the edge by way of upgrading my AB1266 to Phi-spec, that is to say I love the sound my AB1266's currently generate. I listen to mainly electronic music so scale, dynamics and PRAT are the reason I invested in the Abyss' and to date they never fail to put a smile on my face. What concerns me about the Phi's is around reports that sub-bass performance is slightly restrained (in comparison to the original Abyss' - but still very much best in class) so as to create more control of the Phi's grip on low frequency extension. Other than that, a more resolving driver, and a more controlled top end sound great. I just down want to lose what I love so much about Abyss' in their current guise i.e. slam, authority, PRAT and extension.

I note there are few users on here who have decided against the upgrade - if its okay, I'd like to explore why that was the case. Happy to do this in this thread or via PM. Lastly, are there in IDM fans who have upgraded to the Phi's and haven't looked back? I listen mainly to Techno, Tech House, Deep House, Progressive House and Ambient.

For me it's a no-brainer decision! My Abyss Phi review will be out in early April on Headphone.Guru and while I enjoyed the original, it was never enough to buy them. That said, the Phi are among my absolute favourite headphones of all time! I shared this with Joe a few days ago, but I recently listened to the latest remaster of Sgt Peppers with them and my Chord DAVE --> GS-X Mk2 (Audioquest Water XLRs) and while I've listened to this album over a hundred times (including with a great Stax SR-009 rig), I swear, I heard things that I never did hear before. This was the closest I got to listening to this brilliant album on speakers!

 

[galacticsoap]

Thank you, everyone, you've put my mind at ease! I'll get in touch with Joe re: getting on the waiting list to upgrade to Phi spec. The opportunity to improve the mid-range and top end sound like worthwhile investments.

Looking forward to that review @MacedonianHero .

 

[MacedonianHero]

Thank you, everyone, you've put my mind at ease! I'll get in touch with Joe re: getting on the waiting list to upgrade to Phi spec. The opportunity to improve the mid-range and top end sound like worthwhile investments.

Looking forward to that review @MacedonianHero .

Congrats! Great decision IMO; also improved detail retrieval and transparency! Review should be out April 2!

 

[Mystel]

Just wanna share my personal experience with these incredible cans after about 9 months of ownership
Currently running Dave>EC Studio(4x RCA Black Plates)> Prion4s>Abyss Phi
I must say that to my ears, the Phi is the only non electrostatic headphone that i have owned that possesses the speed and transparency of my stax rig
I have parted with my Utopia and LCD4 months ago as i felt that they just cant keep up with my staxes ever since i started a stax rig. The Abyss phi however, remained.
I listen to both my 009 and Phi on a regular basis and i find them so close in transparency its incredible
The Abyss Phi however, is still my preferred listen as it sounds more exciting and forgiving to me.
Until now, and im still thoroughly impressed by it every time i put it on!

 

[Thenewguy007]

Just wanna share my personal experience with these incredible cans after about 9 months of ownership
Currently running Dave>EC Studio(4x RCA Black Plates)> Prion4s>Abyss Phi
I must say that to my ears, the Phi is the only non electrostatic headphone that i have owned that possesses the speed and transparency of my stax rig
I have parted with my Utopia and LCD4 months ago as i felt that they just cant keep up with my staxes ever since i started a stax rig. The Abyss phi however, remained.
I listen to both my 009 and Phi on a regular basis and i find them so close in transparency its incredible
The Abyss Phi however, is still my preferred listen as it sounds more exciting and forgiving to me.
Until now, and im still thoroughly impressed by it every time i put it on!

You got a really high end system you run.
So how is the Phi running on the EC Studio vs straight from the Dave?

A few people said adding a separate amp just colors the sound & a few others said the amp portion in the Dave is not powerful enough to full drive the Abyss.

 

[Mystel]

You got a really high end system you run.
So how is the Phi running on the EC Studio vs straight from the Dave?

A few people said adding a separate amp just colors the sound & a few others said the amp portion in the Dave is not powerful enough to full drive the Abyss.

Well maybe i can answer this with my amp journey for the Phi
Do note that im not very good at describing what i hear but i'll try my best.

Personally, i did enjoy the sound of the Phi + Dave
I think that the Dave's internal amp drives the Phi adequately.
However, i much prefer a livelier, more exciting sound from the Phis and the Dave just doesnt do it for me. Sure its detailed, spacious and transparent enough but it just doesnt quite provide the kind of musical engagement id like to hear.
Since getting the Phis, ive been through numerous amps in search for something that will provide just that.
Ive had the 430ha/Liquid Gold briefly last year, and for me they provided the kick i was looking for. but i felt that the detail loss vs through the Dave direct was too obvious and i couldnt quite stick with them for too long. On top of that, i felt that both amps did inject their own character into the phi. The 430 smoothening the sound while adding more authority, and the liquid gold just adding more punch and sweetness to the sound
Then came the Gsx, which i heard no detail loss coming from the Dave direct at all. This thing was definitely transparent enough. For me i prefer the gsx+dave to just the dave itself. It did provide what i was looking for, but i could still use a little more sweetness to the sound, The gsx to me was rich and aggressive sounding relative to the Dave
When i got the EC Studio, i felt that for once, an amp was actually enhancing the Dave rather than injecting its own flavor into it. It made the Phi more sweet, spacious and punchy without any detail loss. I have finally found what i was looking for. I honestly have no idea if adding this extra bit of excitement will result in a step closer to listening in an actual live concert, or will it be a step backwards instead(as a result of exaggerated soundstage/bass etc).
But i know that i prefer how music is presented to me now.

In short, i felt that adding a good amp like the EC Studio into the chain was an upgrade rather than a sidegrade.
Of course, these are just my impressions and others might have different findings/thoughts

 

[spotforscott]

Been lurking here for awhile. Just getting into headphones. Tried many TOTL headphones at a Toronto headphone shop using a Chord DAVE (my DAC). They all had strengths and weaknesses and none of them completely grabbed me. I wanted to try Abyss Phi but headphone shop didn't carry them because they are "too finicky for fit and need different sized straps".

However, I have done a lot of reading on this board and elsewhere about the the Phi and I am convinced that they are my best choice - I like transparency, resolution and a solid bottom end. Did I make a mistake?

...Well, we will find out soon as I should get them in about a week (after a 4-week wait). Thanks to all of your comments, I will take my time trying to find the best fit as I know it will be critical to getting the most out of them. I will share my comments once I get them dialed in.

It sounds like the standard cable is pretty good. So I am hoping it does not need to be upgraded to get the most out of my system (DAVE and full Trifecta). Fair assumption?

 

[FLTWS]

Been lurking here for awhile. Just getting into headphones. Tried many TOTL headphones at a Toronto headphone shop using a Chord DAVE (my DAC). They all had strengths and weaknesses and none of them completely grabbed me. I wanted to try Abyss Phi but headphone shop didn't carry them because they are "too finicky for fit and need different sized straps".

However, I have done a lot of reading on this board and elsewhere about the the Phi and I am convinced that they are my best choice - I like transparency, resolution and a solid bottom end. Did I make a mistake?

...Well, we will find out soon as I should get them in about a week (after a 4-week wait). Thanks to all of your comments, I will take my time trying to find the best fit as I know it will be critical to getting the most out of them. I will share my comments once I get them dialed in.

It sounds like the standard cable is pretty good. So I am hoping it does not need to be upgraded to get the most out of my system (DAVE and full Trifecta). Fair assumption?

Regarding the stock cable, it is truly excellent sounding but physically it is less flexible (stiffer) than most and doesn't always lay where you might want it to.

Regarding fit, read the instruction sheet that comes with it and view the video on their website. There are plenty of posts in this thread discussing different aspects of the fitting process.

Take your time and experiment. I've had my Phi almost 4 months. Of all the phones I own and several other TOTL's I've auditioned, only my HD800 is more comfortable than my Phi at this point. Unlike most phones I'm familiar with the Phi works better if used with a light clamping force.

Don't forget to go to the Abyss website and fill out and submit the form to get your extended warranty. Enjoy!

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Joining the Abyss Fraternity, after hearing a pair at the Nashville Meet, I couldn’t get them off of my mind. Plan on spending a couple months getting to know them, then decide whether I want to upgrade to the Phi. What is the current wait time for the upgrade?

Additionally, does anyone in the Thread have experience with the Heron 5 amp and the Abyss?