[ra990]

However, the measured bass response looks fine, and for the record, I do wear the pads touching my face.
Criticizing for criticizing's sake?

You wear them with the tightest seal possible, against all recommendations?

 

[Hoegaardener70]

You wear them with the tightest seal possible, against all recommendations?

Not the tightest seal, but for sure not with a gap - feels uncomfortable and I'll take it off after 10min. Wearing it close to the face allows me to listen longer, which is not against all recommendations in my books.

 

[ra990]

Not the tightest seal, but for sure not with a gap - feels uncomfortable and I'll take it off after 10min. Wearing it close to the face allows me to listen longer, which is not against all recommendations in my books.

Yea that's fine, but that's not how they were measured. He specifically gave it a tight seal. I would maintain that these are one of the hardest headphones to measure accurately.

Also disappointing to not see a single note about how transparent and clear these headphones are. Like leagues above others.

 

[MayaTlab]

I would maintain that these are one of the hardest headphones to measure accurately.

A little too much consistency with Crinacle's measurements to assert that : https://crinacle.com/graphs/headphones/abyss-ab-1266-phi-cc/
Also many of these features wouldn't be significantly affected by seal.

 

[ra990]

A little too much consistency with Crinacle's measurements to assert that : https://crinacle.com/graphs/headphones/abyss-ab-1266-phi-cc/
Also many of these features wouldn't be significantly affected by seal.

Not really, I'm sure they both gave them a tight seal, like you would with most normal headphones. Both measurements reflect that. That's not how people listen to the headphones.

 

[MayaTlab]

Not really, I'm sure they both gave them a tight seal, like you would with most normal headphones. Both measurements reflect that. That's not how people listen to the headphones.

I'm not sure you'd be quite happy to see what they'd measure like with a lighter seal given how most planars behave in such situations... (looks to me like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation).
Any which way anything above 300-400hz is less likely to be affected.

 

[ra990]

I'm not sure you'd be quite happy to see what they'd measure like with a lighter seal given how most planars behave in such situations... (looks to me like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation).
Any which way anything above 300-400hz is less likely to be affected.

Agree, hence why I think they're difficult to measure accurately. Accurately meaning the way people typically hear them once they have found the right fit.

 

[E-norm]

As discussed, I have come around to the 1266 Phi TC, esp paired with the May DAC.

I would love to hear more on how you regard the 1266s now in relation to the midrange issues. Do you think it is just a matter of adapting to its sound profile or is the May the secret sauce? How does the Susvara sound with the May for instance?

 

[Stereolab42]

This site must go away...
But i have quite funn reading post there. It's hilarious sometimes.

The site has a use with its measurements of equipment with precisely defined inputs/outputs like DACs and preamps. Those boxes SHOULD darn well be wires with gains (with the exception of my beloved tubes, lol). But in years of listening to many headphones across the spectrum not once have I found measurements taken on a plastic head to have any correlation with reality. There is no way to take into account how an individual's head shape, ear physiology, and just the preferred orientation of the headphones and cups affect this. That thread is basically just the bleating of the poors who, even if they could afford this, have prejudiced themselves out of any possibility of a fair evaluation because JPS Labs has already been dismissed as a purveyor of -- gasp -- audiophile cables!

 

[paradoxper]

Snacable market and up-selling aside, these morons at ASR continue to take dumpy-ass measurements, there's such minimal credibility all around.

 

[Bonddam]

I would love to hear more on how you regard the 1266s now in relation to the midrange issues. Do you think it is just a matter of adapting to its sound profile or is the May the secret sauce? How does the Susvara sound with the May for instance?

I know you didn't ask me but I never had to adapt to the 1266 TC. It was love at first listen with the correct fit.

 

[Orlok]

I believe designing and building fine audio equipment is like designing and building musical instruments. It's as much art as it is science - probably more towards art. Sound is so subjective. Intuition is as important as technical knowledge and skills. There are many guitars that are $500 and some that are well over $5,000. There are pianos that are $10,000 and a Steinway Grand that can easily go over $200,000. If they measured these musical instruments through these machines, would one show as being "superior" over the other?

I've browsed through that site and I'll say that there is some useful information in regards to technical performance and things like that from a "scientific" point of view but there is such an ingrained negative bias towards anything that's considered high-end or audiophile that I just don't bother going there anymore. To me, it looks like a grouchy old men's club with people who seem to like looking at graphs more than listening to music. I really couldn't care less about what they have to say. I'll trust my ears over their eyes looking at the graphs. Back to listening with the TC!

 

[JLoud]

Measurements are important for designing a headphone or amp or whatever. But to the listener, not really. I rarely like the best measuring gear. I have a Schiit Magnius and a Woo WA33, the Magnius measures much better, but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as good. Trust Your ears, they’re the only ones that matter.

 

[ra990]

I don't know why I'm engaging over there. There's such a bias against anything Abyss and people who have never heard them (and probably never will) think they can judge them based on some squiggly lines.

 

[Roasty]

I was so amused reading that thread. The first 4 pages were that of judging and commenting by people who have never even listened to the 1266. I was about to post something but thought it would be a futile exercise.. Kudos to @ra990 who was the first to chime in.

*edit
I caved and chimed in..