[DJJEZ]

I was just listening to this with the SC and Susvaras, and it sounded amazing.

Super, super

Just had a listen to some of their music. Damn that is dark stuff lol

 

[Ciggavelli]

Just had a listen to some of their music. Damn that is dark stuff lol

They have a video on YouTube called "Black Mass Krakow." It's so blasphemous I can't even post the video here. But, if you're interested, it's by far the darkest concert I've ever been to or have watched. It's crazy

 

[ra990]

I decided to try the 1/4" out of the TT2 with the Abyss and after volume matching with XLR/balanced outs - I have to admit it, it didn't leave me wanting anything more. The bass was there, slam was there, and the clarity and transparency was undeniable. I had never seriously given the TT2 SE out a chance with the Abyss, because I have to set the volume really high to reach my desired listening levels, but there's nothing wrong with doing that; it's more a mental reservation I have to "leave headroom" and other misconceptions about volumes. Yes, I had the volume higher than I ever have, but there was no sense of anything lacking at all at those levels. So just wanted to confirm, as @Rob Watts has suggested, that the TT2's single ended outs are capable of driving the Abyss just fine. If you do need more headroom for anything with a huge dynamic range, you can use XLR balanced outs.

On to the Etude...There is a little bit of increased bass quantity, I feel, from driving the Abyss out of the Etude, but the difference isn't huge by any means. Unless I'm A/B'ing and looking for it, I don't notice it. I am not noticing anything in terms of sound stage being expanded or anything like others have found where it expands when being driven from the speaker amp. I have my selected binaural playlist I use for evaluating soundstage and it still sounds best out of the TT2 directly. Bass is the only thing I'm noticing being increased and, again, I need to really listen for it to notice. This is a stark contrast from the Susvara, where differences in driving it from the Etude are pretty obvious.

Will post more as I listen...

 

[jlbrach]

I have a cardas clear that I bought originally for an lcd-4 and bought an adaptor for the susvara and I agree it works very well...I go back and forth between the cardas and a danacable reference with the susvara

 

[Orlok]

I decided to try the 1/4" out of the TT2 with the Abyss and after volume matching with XLR/balanced outs - I have to admit it, it didn't leave me wanting anything more. The bass was there, slam was there, and the clarity and transparency was undeniable. I had never seriously given the TT2 SE out a chance with the Abyss, because I have to set the volume really high to reach my desired listening levels, but there's nothing wrong with doing that; it's more a mental reservation I have to "leave headroom" and other misconceptions about volumes. Yes, I had the volume higher than I ever have, but there was no sense of anything lacking at all at those levels. So just wanted to confirm, as @Rob Watts has suggested, that the TT2's single ended outs are capable of driving the Abyss just fine. If you do need more headroom for anything with a huge dynamic range, you can use XLR balanced outs.

On to the Etude...There is a little bit of increased bass quantity, I feel, from driving the Abyss out of the Etude, but the difference isn't huge by any means. Unless I'm A/B'ing and looking for it, I don't notice it. I am not noticing anything in terms of sound stage being expanded or anything like others have found where it expands when being driven from the speaker amp. I have my selected binaural playlist I use for evaluating soundstage and it still sounds best out of the TT2 directly. Bass is the only thing I'm noticing being increased and, again, I need to really listen for it to notice. This is a stark contrast from the Susvara, where differences in driving it from the Etude are pretty obvious.

Will post more as I listen...

That's interesting. I've been going back and forth between the TToby's speaker taps and the TT2's SE output and the TC doesn't even sound like the same headphone. The TToby - to my ears - has a soundstage that is vastly bigger with much more bass response, even with the TToby's volume set lower than the TT2's SE out. I have tried the volume level on both TT2's SE and XLR outs at uncomfortably loud levels for me (90~95dB) and the TC sounds really good through both but the TToby's speaker outs - to me and at even lower volume levels - just sounds much bigger, wider and with greater depth. With the SE, the soundstage width seems to be something like between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock but with the TToby, it's like 7 o'clock and 5 o'clock as if the sounds are extending to my shoulders below my ears. Well, that's how I'm hearing it...

 

[Ciggavelli]

I wonder if these different opinions of speaker amps are related to some third variables. Maybe the genres listened to account for some of the differences? Maybe cabling too. Also, maybe there are fundamental differences between the TToby and the Etude?

I do like reading both of your impressions. It’s an interesting topic of discussion

 

[ra990]

That's interesting. I've been going back and forth between the TToby's speaker taps and the TT2's SE output and the TC doesn't even sound like the same headphone. The TToby - to my ears - has a soundstage that is vastly bigger with much more bass response, even with the TToby's volume set lower than the TT2's SE out. I have tried the volume level on both TT2's SE and XLR outs at uncomfortably loud levels for me (90~95dB) and the TC sounds really good through both but the TToby's speaker outs - to me and at even lower volume levels - just sounds much bigger, wider and with greater depth. With the SE, the soundstage width seems to be something like between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock but with the TToby, it's like 7 o'clock and 5 o'clock as if the sounds are extending to my shoulders below my ears. Well, that's how I'm hearing it...

I'm not disputing what you're hearing, I wish I heard the same! Could certainly be a difference between the TToby and the Etude, but I will keep listening and updating my impressions. I don't know how you keep track of how wide or accurate the soundstage is, since it's probably one of the more difficult things to discern. I find how tense I am from the day, my ear/sinus pressure, and how loud I've been listening greatly impact my perception of soundstage from the same setup night to night. I need to spend more time with the Etude and the Abyss to see what I hear consistently vs what I can attribute to all these other factors.

 

[Orlok]

I'm not disputing what you're hearing, I wish I heard the same! Could certainly be a difference between the TToby and the Etude, but I will keep listening and updating my impressions. I don't know how you keep track of how wide or accurate the soundstage is, since it's probably one of the more difficult things to discern. I find how tense I am from the day, my ear/sinus pressure, and how loud I've been listening greatly impact my perception of soundstage from the same setup night to night. I need to spend more time with the Etude and the Abyss to see what I hear consistently vs what I can attribute to all these other factors.

Oh, I didn't at all take your impression as disputing what I'm hearing - just that it's quite different from mine. Yes, describing soundstage is quite difficult and it does seem that people have different perceptions of it. I read a review of the SR1a stating how huge the soundstage is and that it's "speaker-like" but, honestly, I really don't hear the SR1a as having a big soundstage. To me, the TC's soundstage (as well as the HD800S's) is much bigger in width, height and depth. I'm willing to bet soundstage is something that machines can't measure. Haha.

I did go back-and-forth with all kinds of different music - classical chamber music, singer-songwriter folk songs, ambient electronic, prog-metal, classic rock, jazz-rock fusion, death metal, EDM, symphonies, old/modern pop, and soundtracks - to make sure I was covering a wide ground. I do have an affinity for giant-sounding stuff like Hans Zimmer soundtracks, Wagner's operas, Bruckner/Mahler symphonies, Devin Townsend's wall-of-sound prog/pop metal, Armin van Buuren's EDM, Grimes' electronic synth pop, Pink Floyd's prog rock, Nils Frahm's neoclassical electronic, etc. so, for me, soundstage is a pretty big deal. I like to get totally immersed in sound coming from all directions and from afar as well as nearby. I want to feel like I'm drowning in a colossal 3D soundscape and I feel like I'm getting that with the TToby driving the TC. This kind of experience is not something I expect from the LCD-4 or even the SR1a. For me, they provide something totally different and in a very good way.

 

[mammal]

decided to try the 1/4" out of the TT2 with the Abyss and after volume matching with XLR/balanced outs

Can you teach me how to volume match? Do you do it by ear, or is there some other method I could use? Thanks!

 

[ra990]

Can you teach me how to volume match? Do you do it by ear, or is there some other method I could use? Thanks!

If you have an iphone or android you can find a sound meter app. Hold your phone up to the earpad where your ear would be and measure approximate volume. Works best with some pink noise or something consistent in volume.

 

[Orlok]

Continuing my son's indoctrination into the world of 1266 TC with the music of Grimes - the brilliant electronic avant-garde pop auteur who really is more than just the girlfriend of Elon Musk (and mother of his first child named X Æ A-Xii - yes, really!).

 

[ra990]

Another night of listening and, for me, the TT2 XLR outs are preferable to the Etude for the Abyss. As soon as I switched to the TT2 direct there was a nice layer of nothing between me and the music. It's what I found with the last amp I tried as well. The aspect I appreciate the most from the Abyss is the ability to hear deep into any mix, so I suspect this will always be the ideal combo for me. Amps may modify the sound to your preference but if transparency is your goal, then skip the amp and plug directly into the TT2. I would even use the SE out but I frequently work with my own music pre-mixing that has very low volume till boosted and I need the extra headroom XLR balanced offers.

 

[Orlok]

Another night of listening and, for me, the TT2 XLR outs are preferable to the Etude for the Abyss. As soon as I switched to the TT2 direct there was a nice layer of nothing between me and the music. It's what I found with the last amp I tried as well. The aspect I appreciate the most from the Abyss is the ability to hear deep into any mix, so I suspect this will always be the ideal combo for me. Amps may modify the sound to your preference but if transparency is your goal, then skip the amp and plug directly into the TT2. I would even use the SE out but I frequently work with my own music pre-mixing that has very low volume till boosted and I need the extra headroom XLR balanced offers.

Totally get that we all have different tastes and listen for different things. Going back and forth between the TToby and TT2, I did notice that the TT2 is slightly more transparent - especially in the treble. It's a little more extended and silkier. The TToby has a little more "grit" and thickness which, to me, complements what I want to hear out of the TC. I spent a good deal of time with both TT2's SE and XLR outs and could easily be happy with both.

In fact, I was so happy with what I was hearing out of the TT2's XLRs that I had no interest in even trying the TToby's speaker taps. I expected to just try the TToby's speaker taps to say that I've at least tried it and go back to the XLRs. But, for me, that was not to be. The TToby just provides something for me that I really crave and like in terms of power, speed, energy, soundstage and just overall bigness that I don't think I quite get from the TT2 alone.

After doing more A/B today, I agree that the TT2 alone is a bit more transparent and "cleaner" sounding but, for me, the particular characteristics that TToby provides more than make up for that and I already feel like the JPS SC RCA interconnects provide those extra details I may have lost. And I still plan to get the JPS SC HP cable as well as optimizing the front-end (like the batteries you are using!) fairly soon so I know I can still improve things all-around. We all have our own paths and that's what makes this journey so interesting and fun.

And that's what I hope everyone who reads our posts get out of it too. You are just reading about different individuals' experiences who all have their own personal tastes and preferences. What works for me or someone else may not work out for you. We all have to find our own paths.

 

[simorag]

[...] I read a review of the SR1a stating how huge the soundstage is and that it's "speaker-like" but, honestly, I really don't hear the SR1a as having a big soundstage. To me, the TC's soundstage (as well as the HD800S's) is much bigger in width, height and depth. I'm willing to bet soundstage is something that machines can't measure. Haha.

I had the same experience with the SR1a, with slight variations among the 10+ amplifiers I tested it with. Soundstage size is not especially big (wide, high, deep). Also, no traces of that frontal presentation that is typical of speakers. SR1a magic, when it comes to spatial cues, is - for me - about the nothingness between you and the music and about sound image 3D definition. Musical objects are like very realistic holograms placed in vacuum.
A technical wonder and assured wow-effect, but sometimes I perceived this trait also as a drawback, because of a weird feeling of disjointed presentation.

[...] I do have an affinity for giant-sounding stuff like Hans Zimmer soundtracks, Wagner's operas, Bruckner/Mahler symphonies, Devin Townsend's wall-of-sound prog/pop metal, Armin van Buuren's EDM, Grimes' electronic synth pop, Pink Floyd's prog rock, Nils Frahm's neoclassical electronic, etc. so, for me, soundstage is a pretty big deal. I like to get totally immersed in sound coming from all directions and from afar as well as nearby. I want to feel like I'm drowning in a colossal 3D soundscape and I feel like I'm getting that with the TToby driving the TC. This kind of experience is not something I expect from the LCD-4 or even the SR1a. For me, they provide something totally different and in a very good way.

If there is a single, very unique strength of the AB-1266 is how cinematic is the portrayal of musical soundscapes. The size, the cohesiveness and the atmospherics are unlike any other headphones I have tried (including Susvara), while keeping a distinct layering and precise imaging.

That, plus the capability of delivering very satisfying bass / sub-bass oomph sound waves make it a thrilling experience with large scale musical productions .

 

[zenlisten]

Can you teach me how to volume match? Do you do it by ear, or is there some other method I could use? Thanks!

When comparing the TT2's front SE and its XLR outs, you can check the volume on the display. The difference should be 6dB (e.g., if front SE is -5H then XLRs should be at -11H).

I decided to try the 1/4" out of the TT2 with the Abyss and after volume matching with XLR/balanced outs - I have to admit it, it didn't leave me wanting anything more. The bass was there, slam was there, and the clarity and transparency was undeniable. I had never seriously given the TT2 SE out a chance with the Abyss, because I have to set the volume really high to reach my desired listening levels, but there's nothing wrong with doing that; it's more a mental reservation I have to "leave headroom" and other misconceptions about volumes. Yes, I had the volume higher than I ever have, but there was no sense of anything lacking at all at those levels. So just wanted to confirm, as @Rob Watts has suggested, that the TT2's single ended outs are capable of driving the Abyss just fine. If you do need more headroom for anything with a huge dynamic range, you can use XLR balanced outs.

On to the Etude...There is a little bit of increased bass quantity, I feel, from driving the Abyss out of the Etude, but the difference isn't huge by any means. Unless I'm A/B'ing and looking for it, I don't notice it. I am not noticing anything in terms of sound stage being expanded or anything like others have found where it expands when being driven from the speaker amp. I have my selected binaural playlist I use for evaluating soundstage and it still sounds best out of the TT2 directly. Bass is the only thing I'm noticing being increased and, again, I need to really listen for it to notice. This is a stark contrast from the Susvara, where differences in driving it from the Etude are pretty obvious.

Will post more as I listen...

This was also my experience when compared the TT2 front SE and the Formula S. The soundstage is just as good. The bass directly from TT2 is tight, well defined and powerful, just like the Formula S's bass. And the TT2 directly has more transparency which I'm fond of. After two days of comparing in spite of my expectations the TT2 didn't leave me wanting anything more, just as you write. I am now happily settled with the TT2 until a more powerful successor of the DAVE arrives.

An issue I see however is that some recordings have "unattractive" bass, both on the TT2 and on the Formula S. One example is The Prodigy albums, where the bass is powerful but it's not the punchy bass I remember from my college years, it's way too clear. I expected that the Formula S will make these recordings sound better but it sounded very similarly. So either the recording is poor, or this system is way too analytical? Fortunately, many other recordings have amazing bass, and I don't have this issue with the majority of my listenings (mainly classical, jazz and electronica), but I can still relate to those who expect a specific experience from their recordings.