[Rayzilla]

Amazing review! How could this thread go un-posted for so long. I can't wait to read you comments on the Abyss Phi.

Thanks for your time and effort on doing this for us.

 

[matthewhypolite]

Amazing review! How could this thread go un-posted for so long. I can't wait to read you comments on the Abyss Phi.

Thanks for your time and effort on doing this for us.

Thanks man,

I have the phi in hand for about a week now, but I only have 1hr listening impressions posted on the Abyss thread. On vacation, so I'll try to get a full phi review and comparison out by maybe end of January. Sooner if I can.

 

[phaeton70]

subbed, very nice review and clear impressions.
I would be indeed very interested in your impressions about the Phi. could be my next hp, short list is with Susvara.

 

[bidn]

Hi Matthewhypolite,

I want to thank you for this great and so well presented comparison! I read it several times since you posted initially.

I think your thread may be the good place for me to add some impressions of the following headphones which I had the opportunity to compare during 3 hours and a half:
Utopia, Clear, Susvara, HE1000 V2, D8000, LCD-4, LCD-MX4, as well as of the LCDi4.
(I have also my own Utopia since the Fall 2016 at home).
I have included the LCDi4, because these are among the rare in-ears, along with Final LAB II, which give the impression of listening to TOTL headphones.
I compared them in a store, using my own tracks and also my own DAC-amp, the RME ADI-2 PRO (set in NOS mode), which I had taken with me.
I tested most both at the low power mode (= + 7 dBu) and at the high power mode (= + 22 dBu).

I listened at higher volume than at home, as there was still some noise from time to time in the store.

The following were very demanding, power-hungry, missing a lot of "liveliness" at the low power mode, and clearly required the high-power mode :
- Susvara
- LCD-4
- D8000.

The following were working fine at both low and high power modes:
- Utopia
- Clear
- HE1000 V2.

(I forgot to test the LCDi4 at the high power mode, but at low power mode it required for my listening level -20 d, = much more than for the Focal at this level (which required only between -40 and -50dB for the same loudness)).

The following was great (much better than my LCD-X and XC) at low power mode but had strange issues at high power mode, e.g. the cymbals would become recessed:
- LCD-MX4.
(this may explain why I have seen LCD fans have such diverging views on the MX4, some loving it, some hating it and preferring their LCD-X, etc.; I will post about this in the MX4 thread).

I used the following tracks (I wish I had used many more, but didn't have enough time):
- Manowar, studio album = Warriors of the World, track = Call to War ("true" heavy metal)
- Amon Amarth, studio EP = Under the Influence, track = Burning Anvil of Steel (melodic death metal)
- Tallis Scholar, studio album = Renaissance Giants, track [Tallis'] = Spem in Alium (polyphony)
- Eluveitie, studio album = Everything remains as it never was, tracks = Otherworld, Everything remains (Celtic folk metal)
- Summoning, studio album= Oath Bound, track = Bauglir (Tolkien epic atmospheric black metal)
- Majesty, studio album = Hellforces, track = Hellforces ("true" epic power metal).

Except the MX4 when at high power mode, all these headphones played great and are great choices.

3h 1/2 is not enough for extensive comparisons, but some things were apparent.
Here my short impressions on this RME setup:
(it is possible that my RME, even in high power mode (2,9 W per channel), may not have been able to power the Susvara sufficiently well).

Re. bass
#1 D8000
I found one be far more impressive than all the others (and actually the most different from all the others)
was the D8000. Not only does it extend all the way down, but it feels like a great subwoofer, especially when the bass is explosive
or goes on rumbling. And this while the bass is not elevated but the FR is flat, unlike in V or U shaped headphones.

Re. level of details
#1 is clearly the Utopia, #2 the Clear or maybe the Susvara,
On the other end, D8000 or the MX4 seemed to be the less detailed.

Re. speed
#1 Utopia, #2 Clear or Susvara

Re. SNR (cleanest background)
#1 clearly Utopia, #2 Clear

Re. drum attacks
#1 Utopia, #2 Susvara or Clear

Re. confort
#1 clearly Susvara and HE1000 V2,
On the other hand, the LCD-4 was clearly the least confortable for me.

Re. soundstage (globally, I didn't have time to analyse the differences between width, depth and elevation)
#1 clearly Susvara and HE1000 V2

Re. imaging (separating and 3D pinpointing the sound sources) (globally,I didn't have time to analyse the differences between width, depth and elevation)
#1 Utopia, #2 Clear
On the other hand, the D8000 seemed to be the most diffuse.

My overall impressions are:
- I still like the Utopia the most, and the sound of the Focal TOTL headphones in general the most. I will purchase the Clear and add it to my Utopia and my Elear
- LCDi4 was so impressive for an in-ear, and so practical to hold it in place in my ears, just a pity it is so difficult to drive
- LCD-MX4 may not combine well with all gear and one may better take care to test it with his own gear and t his own listening volume before purchasing it
- I am interested in adding an Hifiman to my collection...
- I wish I could have a tested an Abyss AB-1266...


Enjoy your music and your headphones,

 

[matthewhypolite]

Thanks man, and i appreciate your addition of the headphones you tried out.
Now just to get your hands on an abyss

 

[conquerator2]

Thanks for these impressions! Wish there were also some Mr. Speakers offerings present but still very useful!

 

[matthewhypolite]

Thanks for these impressions! Wish there were also some Mr. Speakers offerings present but still very useful!

Yea, I've yet to hear some Mr speakers cans

 

[bidn]

Thanks for these impressions! Wish there were also some Mr. Speakers offerings present but still very useful!

Hi matthewhypolite and Conquerator 2,
thnak you for your nice words and you are welcome!

Re. Mrspeakers,
I actually own the Ether C and the Aeon C, having bought each as soon as it was available in Europe.
While they do many things great, such as having a great flat FR, they don't give me so much pleasure, I do not enjoy them much for listening to metal,
I find these two in a league (not considering the flatness of the FR) below the headphones I mentioned above.
(I listen mostly to metal and to ancient or sacred music. Things may be different with other genres).
But the coming MrsSpeakers Electrostat may be a good surprise?

 

[matthewhypolite]

Interesting, metal is my main genre also. So based on your thoughts I may not like the ether either.

Will see how their electro does.

 

[Shazb0t]

Interesting, metal is my main genre also. So based on your thoughts I may not like the ether either.

Will see how their electro does.

Have you had a chance to try an HE-6? I'm curious how you feel they stack up to these headphones.

 

[noxa]

One of the best reads on here I’m a long time, clean and easy to follow, good thread. I’d like to see how some of the lower tier stack up though, I know it defeates the logic of a TOTL shootout but it also helps to see how TOTL they really are, eg. How far of is a Focal Elear for instance to the Utopia etc.

 

[matthewhypolite]

Have you had a chance to try an HE-6? I'm curious how you feel they stack up to these headphones.

Have not.

One of the best reads on here I’m a long time, clean and easy to follow, good thread. I’d like to see how some of the lower tier stack up though, I know it defeates the logic of a TOTL shootout but it also helps to see how TOTL they really are, eg. How far of is a Focal Elear for instance to the Utopia etc.

If that's what folks want to see, guess there is no harm, i have the HD6xx,, hifiman 350, denon d5000 and d7000. So i can add those, but if i do that, I'll have to judge them by the same standards, i.e. Not much weight given to price, strictly how they compare sound and comfort wise. How's that sound?

 

[noxa]

Well maybe you don’t have to add all of those even, just anything you think perhaps is a worthy contender at a lower price point or anything that really show how much better the TOTL are also.

And I think that’s a really great idea, literally zero emphasis given to value, cost to performance ratio etc, just like you’ve done to the others before, simply commenting on them in a purely performance sense.

 

[bidn]

One of the best reads on here I’m a long time, clean and easy to follow, good thread. I’d like to see how some of the lower tier stack up though, I know it defeates the logic of a TOTL shootout but it also helps to see how TOTL they really are, eg. How far of is a Focal Elear for instance to the Utopia etc.

Hi noxa,

for me the Elear has better drum attacks and dynamics than the Clear so I should have put it #2 instead of the Clear re. these criteria but I didn't test it at the time I was doing my comparisons (not at home but at a shop).
and at the time I didn't own the Clear so I couldn't know.
The Clear has a flatter FR and more bass extension, but the Elear is clearly more fun for metal for me: if you don't need a flat FR and the accessories, an Elear may be a better choice for metal.

The Utopia is much better, fantastic, if you have the money really worth it.

 

[noxa]

Thanks for that bidn, I actually own the Elear and really want to make the jump to the Itopia but in the U.K., slightly and I mean slightly under retail is the best I can do, and that’s a huge jump in price from the Elear. I just can’t figure out how much better the Utopia really are.