[rezolver]

Sounds like a "Paradox 2" is using an LCD2 driver (possibly a HiFiMAN driver) inside a custom enclosure along with custom mods.  That or LFF has started producing his own Planar driver. From the two possibilities, I will stick with the former.
 
How about a measurement chart LFF? 

 

[ValentinHogea]

Quote:

Sounds like a "Paradox 2" is using an LCD2 driver (possibly a HiFiMAN driver) inside a custom enclosure along with custom mods.  That or LFF has started producing his own Planar driver. From the two possibilities, I will stick with the former.
 
How about a measurement chart LFF? 

LCD-2 and bright?

 

[remilio]

I can hardly imagine the headphones that would be complimentary to Paradox, because it's already good as hell with all genres of music.

 

[rezolver]

@ValentinHogea, depending on what tuning is performed, anything is possible.

 

[jerg]

Quote:

Sounds like a "Paradox 2" is using an LCD2 driver (possibly a HiFiMAN driver) inside a custom enclosure along with custom mods.  That or LFF has started producing his own Planar driver. From the two possibilities, I will stick with the former.
 
How about a measurement chart LFF? 

My guess is HE500 driver. Less reliant on heavy damping than LCD2/3 drivers, which means they'd be tons more flexible to work with.

 

[Dyaems]

I take back on what i said about the Paradox's bass somewhat lacking in the first few pages of the thread. I listened to the same Paradox yesterday with a setup that is not using an O2 amp, the bass is way better than it is plugged to an O2. Extension really low, meatiness is good enough for me, and impact hits really hard. I didnt hear these kind of bass when it is plugged into the O2 few months ago.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Article on Headfonia
 
 

An Expensive Cheap Headphone : A Paradox

 

[pbandstefanwich]

The Paradox have moved onto the next member in the mini-tour a while ago, and I never had a chance to post some final impressions. I'm not much of a review writer, but I really enjoy trying new headphones and I can't thank Nivasa enough for lending the Paradox out to a few people. While I did enjoy the Paradox, I'm very glad I got an extended listening session because I was able to decide they just weren't for me and what I look for in audio. Don't get me wrong, the Paradox were very good, they just don't fit my personal preferences. The Paradox presented most of the technical details I was looking for in the music, but weren't able to convey a lot of the emotions from certain tracks. I can't really pinpoint what it was about them, but when I listened to music through them they weren't able to elicit the emotional response, the sense of euphoria that I want when I listen. It probably has a lot to do with the lack of a realistic soundstage, but perhaps some of the timbre qualities of the headphones were coming out as well.
 
All that being said, the Paradox do represent quite a bargain when you weigh the sound you can get out of them against the price. Well done LFF

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Hm, so something like a Paradox+HE-6+HD800 lovechild of sorts, maybe? Interesting...


P.S.: Totally unrelated, but while you're here -- what DAC would you recommend for under ~$800?  I've been looking into the resonessence concero or teac ud 501 recently, but I'm not sure about their neutrality/detail-retrieval; and I noticed you stick with a modest emu 0404 in your profile, so I was just curious, cause the I know the rme babyface is also a similarly good deal along those lines, but unsure as to where to go for a good dac in that price range...

My Emu has been on loan for the better part of a year. My current DAC is a fully modified Buffalo III with a lot of custom work and custom parts put into it. It's currently getting upgraded to use battery power. It handles all formats at any resolution including native DSD.

  My amp is a custom 50w per channel (85w peak) beast.
Quote:

Sounds like a "Paradox 2" is using an LCD2 driver (possibly a HiFiMAN driver) inside a custom enclosure along with custom mods.  That or LFF has started producing his own Planar driver. From the two possibilities, I will stick with the former.
 
How about a measurement chart LFF? 

Sorry...I don't like to release self-made measurements and NEVER will. I'll be sure to have an independent party measure them.
 
Quote:

LCD-2 and bright?

Not saying...
 
Quote:

I take back on what i said about the Paradox's bass somewhat lacking in the first few pages of the thread. I listened to the same Paradox yesterday with a setup that is not using an O2 amp, the bass is way better than it is plugged to an O2. Extension really low, meatiness is good enough for me, and impact hits really hard. I didnt hear these kind of bass when it is plugged into the O2 few months ago.

This is why I tell people to try it out on different systems. The Paradox have no sound signature of their own and essentially sound like the playback chain and music you are listening to. The Paradox change A LOT going from an O2/ODAC to a ODAC/CTH to an iPod to a BIII and Liquid Glass.
 
Quote:

The Paradox have moved onto the next member in the mini-tour a while ago, and I never had a chance to post some final impressions. I'm not much of a review writer, but I really enjoy trying new headphones and I can't thank Nivasa enough for lending the Paradox out to a few people. While I did enjoy the Paradox, I'm very glad I got an extended listening session because I was able to decide they just weren't for me and what I look for in audio. Don't get me wrong, the Paradox were very good, they just don't fit my personal preferences. The Paradox presented most of the technical details I was looking for in the music, but weren't able to convey a lot of the emotions from certain tracks. I can't really pinpoint what it was about them, but when I listened to music through them they weren't able to elicit the emotional response, the sense of euphoria that I want when I listen. It probably has a lot to do with the lack of a realistic soundstage, but perhaps some of the timbre qualities of the headphones were coming out as well.
 
All that being said, the Paradox do represent quite a bargain when you weigh the sound you can get out of them against the price. Well done LFF

Thanks for your review. Just to note...the Paradox has a very accurate soundstage and I go through a LOT of work to make sure it does. A lot of headphones EXAGGERATE soundstage to make it more pleasing. Also, given the current trends in mastering, soundstage is one of the things most producers don't really care about (see Californication by RHCP...it's nearly mono). The Paradox will give you EXACTLY what your chain is able to reproduce from the recordings you are playing...warts and all. I'm a big fan of honesty.

 

[HideousPride]

[size=medium]The New Color Shifter Paradox – Excellent sound with (now) incredible build quality![/size]
 
[size=medium]About half a year ago, I placed an order for a Premium pair of Paradox from LFF. The Premium line had just gotten underway, and I ended up having the first Vader pair out in the wild. As a new product still in the early stages of its life cycle, there were a few aesthetic issues at the time that I had questions for LFF on, and that he was kind enough to address.[/size]
 
[size=medium]---[/size]
[size=medium]From email exchanges in Sep 2012, comments by Luis in bold:[/size]

1. [size=medium]The stitching on the suspension headband and the actual headband cover itself are not completely uniform – [/size][size=medium]The headband cover is handmade by a local artisan here. She has been out of work for quite some time and this is my way of helping her out a little. The type of material and the design make it difficult to have a completely uniform stitch.  She also makes the headphone bags.
   The suspension headband is actually from a luggage company and that is made by machine. I think the form factor makes it difficult to achieve uniform stitching whether by hand or machine. I have looked high and low for bands that have a perfect stitch and feel and have yet to find one that meets my needs at an affordable price.  [/size]
2. [size=medium]There is a small rip on the outside fabric seal between the left driver and cup - That's not an actual tear but a separation of some sort. I have noticed it on various HM5 pads.[/size]
3. [size=medium]The paint job left a small bump on the left driver - That is just the nature of the paint. We found out that the flat black paint is extremely sensitive to dust and blemishes. We are currently looking for a replacement paint. We actually repainted yours 3 times.[/size]
4. [size=medium]The rubber band-like contraption holding the suspension headband together has a minor tear on the right side - That is a rubber hair tie. That has never been a secret and is usually called "No pull" or "No Ouch" hair ties. The tear isn't a tear. It's the bonding of one side of the string to the other by heat to make it into a band that leaves that "tear". All ties have that cosmetic flaw.[/size]

 
[size=medium]Please know that I do care about any and all blemishes and that I have tried to address these problems as well as many others in the framework of keeping them affordable while providing something that is tailor made to the client.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Since my initial impressions, I have a few more issues to discuss:[/size]

1. [size=medium]The clamp on the headphones is a bit weak. So long as you aren’t head-bobbing to your music, this isn’t an issue. However, excessive movement will cause the Paradox to move around. [/size]

[size=medium]---[/size]
 
[size=medium]This week, LFF was kind enough to loan me a new demo pair of Premium Paradox, intended for the Austin meet in Texas. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the meet due to last minute circumstances, but I thought the new Paradox was a fantastic revisit and worthy of a short review.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The New Paradox - Premium Paradox with Color Shift option, black powder coated sliders, custom headband and mini-xlr install.[/size]
 
[size=medium]What’s new? Well, they look fan-effing-tastic now. The paint is flawless – it doesn’t fingerprint and has a slightly glossy beautiful finish. The color shift effect is very cool, I spent a good amount of time just moving around the cups of the Paradox under the light and admiring the purple to green transitions.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The stitching on the headband and the suspension headband has greatly improved and scream quality; the jacks were a brilliant addition. I love that they’re no longer hard-wired, as I’m a huge fan of detachable cables. [/size]
 
[size=medium]The fit feels more secure. Not sure if any changes were made to this particular point, but I no longer had any fear of the Paradox falling off my head with a little bit of movement. Comfort is excellent. [/size]
 
[size=medium]Sound[/size]
[size=medium]Luis emphasizes that all models of the Paradox sound exactly alike. In other words, the $495 basic Paradox will sound just like the TOTL Paradox I am reviewing. The aesthetic benefits to a higher end Paradox are up to the individual to decide if the price is worth it.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I can quickly give an affirmative nod to his statement that the Paradox maintains a consistent sound signature regardless of mods – from my memory, this new Paradox sounds identical to the one I heard just a few months ago.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Chain used: [/size]
[size=medium]Laptop -> ODAC -> O2 -> Paradox[/size]
[size=medium]Music used: [/size]
[size=medium]Amber Rubarth Binaural+ - Sessions from the 17th Ward[/size]
[size=medium]EGOIST - Extra terrestrial Biological Entities[/size]
[size=medium]Supercell – Today is a Beautiful Day[/size]
[size=medium]Thrice – The Alchemy Index Vol. I-IV[/size]
[size=medium]Comparison:[/size]
[size=medium]Sennheiser HD 800 (Stock)[/size]
 
[size=medium]Nothing fancy about the chain. I also never use audiophile-centric recordings for reviews, choosing instead to listen to albums I greatly enjoy. I chose to compare to the stock pair of 800s over the modded pair because I feel like the stock pair is more readily available, and more people will be able to take away something meaningful from the comparison. Wasn’t a direct A/B with the Senn 800s in the sense that I listened to each song with each headphone one after the other and compared each cymbal hit and bass guitar thump – I just listened to each at my leisure when I felt ready to make the change over.[/size]
 
[size=medium] “The balance of the bass, mids and lows is different!” was the first impression. And it hits really hard. Songs that I was intimately familiar with sounded somewhat alien to me. Disorienting to say the least! Significantly more listening and a weekend later… [/size]
 
[size=medium]Palate Cleanser.  The foodie term that comes to mind when I listen to the Paradox. I become accustomed to whatever headphone I’m listening to. The Momentums (at work) and Sennheiser 598s/800s (at home) have been dominating my listening time recently, so it took my brain a good while to adapt to the sound signature of the Paradox.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Here are my takeaways:[/size]
 

1. [size=medium]I generally listened to the same songs at a significantly higher volume on the Paradox than on the stock HD 800. The 800s get fatiguing for me quickly at louder volumes, whereas the Paradox is very enjoyable. No harsh treble peaks, no graininess to be heard.[/size]
2. [size=medium]The HD 800's detail and speed make it a clear winner listening to complex passages. [/size]
3. [size=medium]This one was difficult for my brain to grasp. Soundstage. I’ve gotten used to the very impressive and expansive HD 800 soundstage that envelops the listener. At the beginning, I was quick to give the HD 800 the thumbs up in the comparison, but now I’m not so sure. After a weekend, the soundstage of the HD 800 sounded almost artificial on some songs, whereas the Paradox more accurately placed where I expected instruments should be. Still a toss-up, I’d want more time before giving a definitive opinion.[/size]
4. [size=medium]I enjoy colored headphones. The Sennheiser 598s have my absolute favorite sound signature and are my go-to set whenever I just want to casually enjoy music while multi-tasking. They’re wonderfully fun and seductively sweet. The Paradox has been generally proclaimed as a neutral headphone. Neutral does NOT mean boring or uninvolving. I was still toe tapping and head bobbing with the Paradox on all of the songs that I get a kick out of on the 598s.[/size]
5. [size=medium]Going off of the previous statement, I view the Paradox as a stellar companion headphone. The Paradox did not always win out in the songs I listened to, but they had excellent moments and allowed me to appreciate subtle nuances that weren’t as noticeable on the HD 800s.[/size]

 
[size=medium]Conclusion: $495 for a basic Paradox. Compared against an HD 800 and holding up quite well. Can’t think of another closed headphone I’d rather have at that price point. You’ll learn a bit about your preferred sound signature and gain appreciation for a very different sounding headphone to boot.[/size]
 



 

 

[MuppetFace]

Lawdy, that's some beautiful work LFF. I'm going to have to buy a second pair.

 

[FlySweep]

Terrific review, HideousPride.. I've added it to the index (second post).  Your decked out Paradox' look amazing.. I anticipate sending my Paradox around on another tour after this leg is complete (and hopefully an international one if it can be facilitated, as well), so I might have to prod Luis for a new pair.  I'd like to keep my pair in circulation so anyone (who's trustworthy) will get a chance to hear these impressive phones.

 

[remilio]

Quote:

Lawdy, that's some beautiful work LFF. I'm going to have to buy a second pair.

That's exactly my thoughts!

 

[daigo]

Surprised that shiny surface is finger print resistant.  Looks like an automobile finish.  

 

[FlySweep]

Love the painted cup brackets.. the dual entry XLRs look fresh to death.