TOTL Headphones Comparison
Jul 22, 2017 at 7:39 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 208

matthewhypolite

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Version 4.0
Updated April 29, 2019


Introduction


The world of HiFi is my favorite hobby, starting way back when with the Grado SR60. Over the years I've read a lot about audio, mostly from head-fi, listened to a lot of headphones and gear, and gradually kept going up the ladder to Summit Fi Products. Many years later I'm now fortunate enough to own a couple TOTL headphones and decided to do a comparison between them. This started off when I won the Free Upgrade for the Hifiman HE1000 V2 (thanks Hifiman) and was asked to compare it against the V1, but I couldn't just compare those 2, so I decided to include all the flagship cans I have into the lineup and use it as a reference moving forward as I get new cans. These are my thoughts and opinion of the various cans based on my personal taste and testing, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. I've tried to keep it simple and straightforward, hope you enjoy.

Equipment


Amp : Cavalli Audio Liquid Gold (LAu)
DAC : Schiit Audio Yggdrasil
Source : Computer, USB, Jriver
Cables : DHC Spore 4 Fusion + Interconnects, CAD USB Cable
Misc : Lane 315 Cinema Home Theater Recliner +Transducers

Transducers : ButtKicker LFE, 2 x ButtKicker BK4 Advanced (Stereo), Clark Synthesis Platinum

Headphones

LCD3.png

Summary

The Audeze House Sound. It's good, it's delicious, it's full bodied, it's bassy (not flabby). The LCD3 is a fun, engaging and energetic sound. It struggles in the treble area, but the bass presentation is what you want if you're a "bass head". Despite its weight I find them very comfortable. Well built and great sounding can. Unfortunately, my personal reliability issues with these cans has forced me to move on. Hoping to return some day when I'm 100% assured that these issues have been addressed.

P.S. at the time of writing the LCD3 was not in my position so my thoughts are based on memory from when I owned the cans for over 4 years.

Comfort

Very heavy, but still very comfortable due to headband design and lush comfortable earpads. May become fatiguing during long sessions for some users but I had no issues wearing these cans for hours on end.

Build Quality

The LCD3 is a very well built headphone, feels solid and premium. With a blend of wood, metal, and leather. Very beautiful.

Amp Volume

10 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel

Ratings_LCD3.png
ToneWheel_LCD3.jpg



HEKv1.png

Summary

These headphones are very comfortable and easy to listen to. They have a laid back tone akin to the HD650 but can still give some energy when it's needed. It has a very expansive and wide bass presentation, with good detail retrieval and resolution. They handle complicated pieces very well and tend to hide flaws in lesser recordings. They also excel in long listening sessions as they are not forward or fatiguing but easy and relaxing to listen to. If you're into gaming these cans will serve you well. They don’t do any 1 thing particularly spectacular, but they are a very good all-round can that does a lot of different things well. They can sound veiled and recessed in some genres but overall very good.

v2 Pad Swap: The v2 pads when installed on the v1 only marginally improved the characteristics over the v1, for the right price it can be an "ok" upgrade as it will add a little bit of clarity and improved comfort, but it's in no way a substitute for the full v2 upgrade.

Comfort

Average weight headphone, comfortable, good for longer listening sessions. Pads can become slightly irritating against face as it covers your entire face but once you get used to it, they are pretty comfortable.

Build Quality

I'm personally not a fan of the HEK build quality. They feel cheap in the hand, and feel very toy-like and plastic. Plastic can sometimes be presented with a very premium feel, but this is not it. The trade-off is, they are very light and comfortable.

Amp Volume

11-12 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel

Ratings_HEKv1.png
ToneWheel_HEKv1.jpg

HEKv2.png

Summary

The V2 is Hifiman's attempt to refine what was already a very good headphone, and I think they've succeeded in doing exactly that. The V2 improves upon the V1 in many ways. The cans sound more refined and energetic. The bass is more punchy and the veil that's heard in the V1 is all but gone in the V2. I don’t think the V1 is good enough to compete head to head with the likes of the Utopia and Abyss in a lot of genres, but the V2 very much does so, whiles retaining the excellent comfort and ease of the sound. The v2 is still an easy listen like the v1, but adds some much needed punch and dynamism to the sound that makes it more fun. Compared to the v1 it presents a more reference sound, tonal balance closer to flat, better resolution, more details, cleaner sound, punchy and refined bass. On paper they are only a little lighter, but on the head they feel a lot more comfortable than the V1, making them the most comfortable cans I've worn. The choice of material for the face of the earpads is also most welcome. At an upgrade price of $650 I think the V2 is very much worth it over the V1.

Comfort

Very light headphones, very comfortable. Pads cover entire face and may annoy some but does not bother me. The improvements to the pad material that presses against your face greatly improves comfort over the v1. Probably the most comfortable cans I've worn, trumping even the HD650. Much more comfortable than v1.

Build Quality

The V2 didn’t improve much on the build of the HEK, but there are some improvements. They look the same and the materials appear to be the same, but they somehow feel more premium, whiles reducing weight and increasing comfort.

Amp Volume

11-12 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel

Ratings_HEKv2.png
ToneWheel_HEKv2.jpg


Abyss.png

Summary

The Muscle Car of headphones. Gobs and Gobs of Raw Monstrous Power! Very aggressive cans, but in a good way. The Visceral impact will kick your butt, they are simply jaw dropping when listening to a genre that suits it. Bottomless, clean, full and powerful bass, akin to its name. The Abyss requires a powerful amp to sound it's best, but when fed, you're treated with a highly enjoyable, very engaging and energetic experience. The abyss has Insane dynamic range and is highly resolving. Whatever is in the recording, the abyss is going to let you know it. Very transparent of your source. The massive expansive soundstage makes for the most natural and speaker-like sound I've heard from a headphone. It does however fall apart with muddy/poorly recorded music, very revealing of flaws in source material. Fit is very important, and you have not really heard the Abyss until you've spent some time getting the fit right. Once fitted right however, and headband mod applied, these cans are superb. The Abyss has its flaws, but when they shine, they don’t just sound good, they don’t just sound great, they soar above the heavens. The areas in which these cans are great, are not just great, they are overwhelming excellent, making them a true gem to experience.

Comfort

These cans in stock form have the worse comfort of any headphones I've ever used. The major issue is there is no vertical adjustment and you're required to do a lot of fiddling and tweaking to get it to fit your head just right. The fit also dramatically affects sound quality. I'd say that the head-band mod for these cans to add vertical adjustment is mandatory for a comfortable listening experience. It takes it from being a really awkward fit, to a pretty comfortable one. It will still have a lot of weight though, but manageable once modified.

Build Quality

The abyss is built like a tank. Metal throughout and feel like it can be run over by a truck. Handling these you'll at no time think "they can break". It does however have a very polarizing look. I personally love it.

Amp Volume

1-2 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel

Ratings_Abyss.png
ToneWheel_Abyss.jpg



Summary

Focal took the HiFi world by surprise with these cans, and delivered a headphone unlike anything I've heard before. The Utopia does a lot of different things really well all at the same time, making it the best overall headphones I've ever listened too. It can be highly detailed and precise whiles simultaneously being rich lush and full bodied. It can be impactful and full of bass while still being clean and detailed. Focal has managed to blend the entire audio spectrum into a cohesive, fun to listen to, wonderful sound. It has a lush rich tone and texture to notes without bleeding over to the other regions. Mid-range to die for. They've set the standard for all-round performance with the Utopia. A true game changer in the high-end headphone market. Focal's experience in high-end speakers shines through and through, as the sound the Utopia produces is so lifelike and rich. They do sound a bit closed in when compared to the Abyss in certain tracks, but I think this adds to what make them so much fun to listen to. They are expertly built with carbon fiber and leather finish. Premium feel and comfortable to wear. A very forward, engaging and fun sounding can, the best all-round sound I've heard.

Scaling / Tubes: (NEW)

Smooth and delicious sound. With the Takatsuki 274B there's too much power and lush and is a bit overwhelming with the Utopia's already warmer presentation. But when paired with the WE274B the utopia opened up and presented a very intimate, smooth, yummy and delicious sound. On the stock WA33 Tubes, there were improvements, but not as pronounced as the phi. With a NOS RCA Quad and WE Rectifier the pairing with the utopia is something special and in genres that mate with it well, it is right up there with the Phi in quality, but is limited to needing the right tube combination to extract that quality.

Comfort

Very comfortable headphone. Fits nice on the head, feels premium, has a bit of weight but no too much. Earpads feel good against the skin and there is no heat buildup against you face. Pads dissipate the heat nicely. Not the most comfortable headphones out there, but they are good.

Build Quality

Premium build and feel. The use of carbon fiber and leather throughout makes these cans feel premium, and worth every penny of their asking price. Very elegant presentation that also looks stunning.

Amp Volume

8-9 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel

Ratings_Utopia.png
ToneWheel_Utopia.jpg


Summary

The Abyss Phi is JPS Labs' upgrade to the original abyss, costing $1500 for the upgrade but remains at the same retail price as the original. Is it worth the upgrade? Yes!. How much better is it than the original? Let's explore that answer: The efficiency of the cans has been improved, volume nob reduced about 10%, gain changed from high to low, Low gain now sounds better out of the Lau. Detail retrieval has been substantially improved, micro detail is amazing, notes can now be heard that were not previously heard out of the original Abyss. Note decay stretches on for miles, the very last whispers and breaths on notes can now be heard bringing a level of immersion and realism that was not previously present. There's more space and greater soundstage with improved instrument placement.

During the first hour of use, the bottomless bass was a bit recessed compared to original but as the headphones burnt in this was no longer the case. The bass is tight and precise and very much still powerful and deep. Treble has been reined in and put under control. The original could sometimes seem fatiguing and a bit sharp on the treble in certain tracks, but the phi brings the treble under control and smooths out the bite. This makes for a much more natural and enjoyable listen.

During my first hour of use, these were my thoughts: "I am thoroughly impressed by what these cans are doing straight out of the box, I shudder to think what this monster is going to turn into post 300hrs." After the 250hr mark, these are my thoughts: "I shudder at how good these headphones have become once burnt in :)"

Once burnt in, these cans are truly something special. They have a natural life-like tone, the original could sometimes be fatiguing in certain genres and listening lengths, but the Phi is just amazing. Natural, neutral, clean, precise, powerful, wonderful sounding cans. They've improved every aspect of the original IMO, and overall it's simply the best headphones I've ever heard. I previously said that about the Utopia, as it did a lot of different things really well all at the same time. The Abyss Phi IMO has now taken that crown. There were certain genres I'd reach for the Utopia as it performed better than the original abyss, but since getting the Phi, I've hardly reached for the Utopia, and that is saying something. JPS Labs has taken an already amazing headphone, with few audible flaws and a bit lacking for certain genres, and has made it an excellent all round can whiles still retaining what made the original so special in the first place. Well done Joe, Well done.



Scaling / Tubes:

As good as these headphones are through a good solid state amp, on a high end tube amp………they become even more amazing, truly magical sound. The abyss is a very clean and powerful headphone, and don’t color the music like other cans do (LCD3, HEK, and even the Utopia), but tubes add a layer of warmth that compliments what the Phi already offers. The improvements on tubes are so substantial that genres in which the Utopia would typically have a clear edge is now narrowed. For instance, in Rock/Metal where the Abyss is at its weakest, I would typically always reach for the Utopia, now I find myself reaching for either can depending on my mode and the tonality I am feeling for at the time. If I'm feeling for a more relaxed, lush and fun listen, Utopia. But when I wanna get up close and intimate with the music and feeling for a more speaker-like and open sound, Phi. The Phi sounds absolutely magical! on tubes. They definitely scale more on a high end tube amp than the utopia and folks with such an amp are going to adore the Phi. The Utopia needs the right tube combination to sound truly magical on tubes, but the Phi play nice with all the different tubes I've tried thus far. Its more neutral and natural presentation allow it to more naturally mate with various tubes and thus will be the better choice for tube rollers. If you feel for more heft, add it, sounds great on the Phi. More clarity and resolution? Roll those tubes in, they will sound great on the Phi. Got some lesser quality stock tubes? No problem, all sound great on the Phi.

On the Lau, I would need both the Utopia and the Abyss in my collection, as they both did what they did really well in the respective genres that suit them. But with the WA33 EE + NOS Tubes + Phi combination…….I can see myself living without the Utopia…..

Comfort

Same as Original : These cans in stock form have the worse comfort of any headphones I've ever used. The major issue is there is no vertical adjustment and you're required to do a lot of fiddling and tweaking to get it to fit your head just right. The fit also dramatically affects sound quality. I'd say that the head-band mod for these cans to add vertical adjustment is mandatory for a comfortable listening experience. It takes it from being a really awkward fit, to a pretty comfortable one. It will still have a lot of weight though, but manageable once modified.

Build Quality

Same as Original : The abyss is built like a tank. Metal throughout and feel like it can be run over by a truck. Handling these you'll at no time think "they can break". It does however have a very polarizing look. I personally love it.

Amp Volume

11-12 o'clock


Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel



Summary

The Phi CC Takes everything about the Phi and refines it and polished it. The music sounds a bit more natural and there's a bit more detail retrieval and resolution, the cans, are just….better. And that coming from the Phi is very difficult to accomplish.

They seem to bring more refinement to an already great can. The new earpads seem to make the music cleaner and as a result I'm noticing that bit more of detail retrieval and resolution. There is definitely more space, and the bass is a bit more detailed and refined. Basically makes everything better lol. O, and they are more comfortable.

If you've already dished out $4500+ on the Phi, the extra for CC pads are a new brainer imo. Overall I think they offer more improvement to the sound than a cable upgrade, which can cost anywhere from 3-7 times the cost of the new pads. TLDR go get the pads, and if you're in the market for a new Abyss, might as well go straight CC.

I'm glad these upgrade options were made available to owners, from the headbands, original earpad replacements, phi upgrade, cable upgrades and now earpad upgrades.

Always a path available to me to upgrade as they iterate on the headphones and never felt like my investment was gutted by a future headphone release 6 months later.

Now that I've gotten to know the Abyss Phi CC for a while, I can now say this:
The Abyss Phi CC destroys the Utopia.
The thing is so good, I had to cross the 10 barrier when I placed the Phi CC on my review chart.

I don’t even know what's happening, if I should adjust all my ratings taking into account the performance of the CC being the pinnacle of what I've heard so far, all I know is, these things sound GOOD!, and at this point I'm not quite sure how to represent that with numbers on a chart. I'll have to have think about it, but I think where my thoughts are on the chart says it all.

Fast, Punchy, Dynamic, Natural, Neutral, Detailed, Revealing, Fun, Open, Deep, Authoritative, Powerful.

Truly amazing headphone.

Comfort

The CC comfort is improved over the Phi but is still lacking IMO, once modified though, you're good to go.

Build Quality
Same as Original : The abyss is built like a tank. Metal throughout and feel like it can be run over by a truck. Handling these you'll at no time think "they can break". It does however have a very polarizing look. I personally love it.

Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel




Summary

The Susvara has a lush and smooth sound while's still retaining an incredible sense of speed, punch and accuracy. Drums sound just amazing on these cans. Amazing detail retrieval and resolution akin to that of the abyss phi cc albeit not achieving the same peak levels of performance in this regard. The combination of the speed and smooth lush tone make for a very enjoyable listen. Great across the audio spectrum. Great bass, treble, mids. The Abyss Phi CC is currently my pinnacle of headphone performance, and the Susvara' s are in striking distance of that. They compete at the same level but I think the abyss still takes it. But at this level, choosing between the 2 will come down to tonality preference.

The Abyss is more neutral, clearer, crisper (but not analytical)
The Susvara is warmer, lusher, smoother. (but not veiled)

What makes the Abyss special is it's share bottomless sense of authority and presence. On a good rig it just commands whatever you throw at it with such excellent control and power, the music just sounds big and massive, engaging and entertaining, with insane details and resolution coupled with bottomless powerful bass.

What makes the Susvara special is its ability to achieve pin-point accuracy of instruments while's still retaining its rich and musical tone. Vocals on these cans also sound particularly amazing.

These headphones are like a stealth assassin, it does not let you know it's there, and then you're dead.
If the Abyss is the huge powerful muscle car of headphones, these will be the sleek precise counterpart that can put itself perfectly in any part of the track you would have it go. Just a level of sophistication that make them really special.

2 Very different headphones, but 2 excellent cans nonetheless.
If I had to give the win when it comes to sound quality, I'd give it to the Abyss, but the Susvara takes it hands down in the comfort department. Abyss modified is fine though, but still the Susvara is just the more comfortable headphone.

If I had to live with only 1 it will be the Abyss, but if the abyss' weird fit just isn't for you, then Susvara is where I'd go. Owning both though, well, then you don’t have to compromise, reach for whichever can you feel for.
When comes to the Utopia, as good as they are, I think the Abyss Phi CC and Hifiman Susvara are both a cut above the utopia. To my ears, both those cans represent the pinnacle of their respective sound signatures, but the utopia still feels like it can be…more.

Comfort

Most comfortable headphone I've ever worn. Period

Build Quality

I knocked the HEK V1 for its poor build quality, and the HEK V2 improved things albeit still lower than I'd like. The Susvara feel A LOT better than those 2. It no longer feel like a toy. Feels much more premium than those 2, but not the best build I've seen. The trade-off is, they give you a super comfortable can. All in all these are good. But not amazing.

Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel



:: New Headphone Add ::


Introduction

I've been a long time Abyss owner, from the very first model (OG), to the Phi, Phi+ CC Pads, and now Abyss AB-1266 TC (Total Consciousness). It's been a wild ride, and though abyss generously offered upgrade paths for all the prior models, this one required a fresh purchase, which wasn’t TOO bad as I sold my previous pair which is still in my possession until august.

Enough of the jibber jabber, how do the sound? And how do they compare to the CC?.

Sound

The TC has a slightly different sound signature than the CC. It's still very much Abyss house sound, but a departure from where the CC tuning was. The TC seems more tuned to clarity and detail retrieval, but not harsh by any means. The TC extracts more out of the music, across the entire frequency spectrum, there just seems to be …more.

Going from the OG to the Phi, i felt like there were certain flaws the OG had that the Phi resolved. Going from the Phi to TC feels like an evolution of what the Phi is. TC Brings you closer to the music, without losing its sense of space or body.

I find the CC to be more forgiving than the TC and that's saying a lot because Abyss headphones are not known for being forgiving. The TC trusts all the details at you, so if your gear can't keep up, you won't like what comes out. With clean quality music, they sound absolutely amazing. If you have lesser gear and music, the CC would probably suit your needs better.

TC slams more than CC but the CC appears to have a bit more body, albeit with more distortion.

The TC sounds like you're moved a few rows closer to the artist. Everything seems closer, but still retains the open sound of the abyss. I think this effect is akin to the TC's ability to extract more micro details out of the music. By comparison the CC sounds a bit more veiled. If I were to use a speaker analogy, the CC sounds like you're listening to speakers in a room that hasn’t been treated, so you get the added distortion and reflections off the walls, ceiling and floors. The TC sounds like you're listening to speakers in a well-treated and optimized room. The Phi CC is an exceptional headphone, and without hearing the TC I wouldn't think there was any more that could be improved. But after hearing the TC, clearly there was.

The Phi, Phi CC and TC are all great cans. And I prefer any one of those iterations in a heartbeat over the OG.
The improvements of the TC over the CC would read very similarly to the improvements of the CC over the Phi.

Refinement and Polish is the name of the game here. And Joe has yet again managed to eek more refinement, more polish, more resolution, more detail retrieval, more "was that always there?" out of these cans.

Though the progression from Phi to CC is similar to that of CC to TC, I think the TC is a bigger jump up than the prior upgrade. I'll try to represent it as follows:

OG -> Significant Improvements -> Phi -> Incremental Refinements -> CC -> Significant Refinements -> TC

I like the TC more in just about every genre I've tested save Rock and Acoustic. The slightly wider / holographic tuning of the CC lends itself well to these 2 genres. But this is more a matter of personal taste as they both do great, but for me personally I probably would take the CC for those 2.

As you'll see below with my genre comparison, the TC takes the overall win for "best with" the most genres, but beside the 2 I listed above, Trance and Opera I'd give the win to either pair of headphones. I'd take the Phi without hesitation over the OG, and I'd take the Phi with CC pads without hesitation over the stock Phi in any genre. But the CC is so good already, it's still keeping up with the TC.

The TC is very much a step up, it manages to shine a light on certain aspects of the recording and make them more apparent. It excels at letting you know everything that's going on in the track and it sometimes makes the CC feel like they have some distortion and veil. (Not a description I'd use prior to hearing the TC). So the TC has a more "hifi" sound for lack of a better word. It achieves this by still having bottomless powerful impactful bass, excellent mid-range, pristine precise treble, and an overall fun and enjoyable sound.

Though to my ears the CC took 2 genres off of the TC, and tied in 3 others. The TC is the better headphone.

Comfort

The headband on the TC fits differently to the CC and I had to make different adjustments to achieve the same fit and comfort. See the difference below, same ear-pad stitching position though. Other than that, comfort is what you'd expect and what's typical of abyss. In my case, mod required :)



Tubes

Because of the Phi CCs tuning, there are a specific combination of tubes I prefer with them in all genres. RCA Monoplate + WE Rectifier. When rolling the Takatuski with the CC, it sounds too bloated for my taste. But because of the highly resolving nature of the TC, rolling the taks in sound just as magical as the WE. You can have some fun tube rolling with the TC as they sound great with different tubes and you can dial in the sound you want, and each version of that sound is amazing. This tells me that the TC is definitely more transparent, and changes / improvement to your rig will be represented more accurately by the TC than the CC. The TC is going to deliver what's there to be delivered, and if you have a good tube amp and into rolling, the TC hands down over the CC is what I'd recommend.

Closing:

I look forward to hearing what the TC delivers once I upgrade my DAC. I feel like there is more these cans can reveal with further improvements and refinement to my setup. I didn’t necessarily feel that way about the CC. The TC abilities has piqued my interest in what's possible with further improvements to my rig. How does it fair against the Susvara? Well the susvara still does its thing like only the susvara can. Susvara still remains unchallenged in the genres I awarded it, despite the improvements to the TC. The Susvara is a very different monster, and after some time with the TC, I see no reason to let go of the Susvara. I need them BOTH!
So I'll be finalizing the sale of the CC, and setting off to new adventures with the TC :D

A masterclass in high end headphone technology.

Next up, SC cable upgrade review. Here's a sneak peak of a quick listen

SC cable lifts a veil off of the music. The Spore 4 in comparison sounds recessed, held back, veiled. SC Cable introduces speed, precision, authority and impact. The music just sounds so much clearer, but not harsh. It just gives you more of what's there. It almost makes the abyss sound like it's plugged into a different amp. I was not expecting to hear such an immediate and obvious difference with the SC, but I could hear it straight away.

More detailed thoughts when I get some more time with the SC.

Build Quality
The ceramic quoting on the TC is very elegant, soft to the touch, and adds a bit of warmth to the otherwise industrial design of the Abyss.

Rating Breakdown / Tone Wheel



Ratings Breakdown (All Headphones) (NEW)



Best At Genre (NEW)



Testing Notes / Tracks (NEW)
Version 4.0



https://redirect.viglink.com/?forma...olite | Head-Fi.org&txt=TestingNotes v1.0.pdfClick here to download Testing Notes PDF

Photos




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Jul 23, 2017 at 12:47 AM Post #5 of 208
Would have been better if Stax 007/009 was there, I bet these would have scored the highest.

I was recently looking at getting into staxx, but the dedicated cost of electro amp kept diverting funds elsewhere, currently looking at Cavalli LT or Woo Audio W33 next. Eventually I'll grab a sr009 with flagship electro amp though. :)
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 12:50 AM Post #6 of 208
I was recently looking at getting into staxx, but the dedicated cost of electro amp kept diverting funds elsewhere, currently looking at Cavalli LT or Woo Audio W33 next. Eventually I'll grab a sr009 with flagship electro amp though. :)
I don't know about amp you are talking about but I would recommend kgsshv carbon as it is favoured by a lot of people and possibly it is better.
I can be wrong tho.
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 1:24 AM Post #7 of 208
I don't know about amp you are talking about but I would recommend kgsshv carbon as it is favoured by a lot of people and possibly it is better.
I can be wrong tho.

Was looking at Woo Audio Wes, Blue Hawaii SE and Cavalli Liquid Lightening 2T, ill add the kgsshv to the list of potential. Do you know how they compare to the ones I mentioned?
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 1:59 AM Post #9 of 208
Is there a link for specifics on the headband mod for the Abyss?
 
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Jul 23, 2017 at 2:09 AM Post #10 of 208
Is there a link for specifics on the headband mod for the Abyss?

There's no specific link as various mods all intending to accomplish the same thing are discussed in the abyss thread. The easiest to employ is the wire strap mod which is the one I'm using. Others have went through more elaborate measures to get something that looks more professional though. Let me link the latest one.

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/t...ressions-thread.666765/page-373#post-13583489

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/t...ressions-thread.666765/page-374#post-13596011

I've just taken 2 pictures of the Mod i'm using:

20170723_011846.jpg

20170723_011931.jpg

The premise of the mod is, just use wire straps to dial in the exact height you'd like the headphone, then you're done. My implementation I've used 3 straps per side. 2 at the base to get a balanced distribution of the weight of the headphone front/back, and a third up top to dial in the exact height. I've also utilized a 2nd headband as i find it added a bit of stability on the head, but it can be done with just 1 headband.

This mod can be implemented in minutes and only cost a couple cents for the straps.
I've seen variations that used Velcro to be able to dynamically change it easily at will, and others more elaborate using machined parts as I've linked above. But for my use, once i got it dialed in i didn't need it to change, so i just stuck with wire straps.
 
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Jul 23, 2017 at 8:21 AM Post #12 of 208
Great post....thanks
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 9:56 AM Post #13 of 208
Very detailed and well done post. Thank you
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 11:34 AM Post #14 of 208
Thank you for the comparisons.
And thank you for the mod details.
 
Jul 23, 2017 at 11:40 AM Post #15 of 208
Thank you for the comparisons.
And thank you for the mod details.

Most welcome, glad to help.

Also, Thanks for all the comments guys, most appreciated.
 

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