Wow that was all over the place. Haha. Try the Abyss 1266 TC and Susvara.
TOTL Headphones Comparison
- Thread starter matthewhypolite
- Start date
matthewhypolite
500+ Head-Fier
All good, you're fine to post here.
Pretty much this lol.
Depends on your budget though, based on what you described you may favor the Susvara. Or the HEK SE if susvara too expensive.
Wish I could afford these...
You wouldn’t feel bad if you had an ice cream sundae with no nuts, right? It’s still delicious! If you’ve got great mid or entry level headphones based on your budget you can still have wonderful sound. That’s what’s awesome about this hobby! Dont worry. The fun is in finding what sounds best TO YOU in your price range, and learning little things to make it even better (Like sources, cables, dac/amp, power.)
And audio retains its value well. Take care of your stuff, and you can sell and upgrade later. We’re all pretty helpful, send a message or post questions, and welcome
.
attmci
Headphoneus Supremus
Unfortunately, the TOTL headphones cannot retain its value.You wouldn’t feel bad if you had an ice cream sundae with no nuts, right? It’s still delicious! If you’ve got great mid or entry level headphones based on your budget you can still have wonderful sound. That’s what’s awesome about this hobby! Dont worry. The fun is in finding what sounds best TO YOU in your price range, and learning little things to make it even better (Like sources, cables, dac/amp, power.)
And audio retains its value well. Take care of your stuff, and you can sell and upgrade later. We’re all pretty helpful, send a message or post questions, and welcome
The only thing left is Stax System.
Would like to see the comparison.
Would like to see the comparison.
Orlok
100+ Head-Fier
Greetings! Newbie here. Currently, I have the LCD-4 and the SR1a and should receive the 1266 TC in a few weeks. The LCD-4 and the SR1a are virtually at the opposite ends of the sonic spectrum but I love them both. I lean towards hyper-resolving, analytical, clarity, bright, etc. so the SR1a with the Chord stack of HMS, TT2 and TToby sounds great to me. At the same time, I love the warmth and the intimate staging of the LCD-4 besides its resolving nature so it's a keeper. I know that both have plenty of detractors as well as adherents but, hey, that's just how it goes. It's very akin to talking about guitars and guitar amps - a million different opinions but all of them valid.
I'm expecting that the 1266 TC will sit right in between the SR1a and the LCD-4 in terms of tonality, bass response, punch, etc. and hopeful that it may end up being my main headphone. Perhaps the SR1a gets overhyped with some grand statements but I do think that the resolution, clarity, stage and imaging are amazing. It is quite bright and I do need to EQ it somewhat but mainly just a boost of the mid-bass and cutting back on the 1k~2.5k range slightly (1~3dB). I mainly listen to classical, jazz, acoustic music and vocal music so the SR1a suits me just fine for those. It's great for ambient electronic and neoclassical kinds of instrumentals too.
Honestly, I don't like it for rock or EDM. The electric guitars sound a little too harsh and grating. I was listening to Pink Floyd's 'DSTM' and the guitar solo on 'Time' started sounding too strident and, normally, I love Gilmour's guitar tone. But when I listen to Alison Krauss and the Union Station with the SR1a, it's absolutely divine. I haven't tried to listen to metal with the SR1a and I may never do it unless I decide to try a bunch of heavily EQ'd presets for the likes of Meshuggah, AAL, Slayer, and Strapping Young Lad. Not good for EDM or bass-heavy pop either. The TToby is just not powerful enough to push the bass before farting out with horrible distortion. And, no, I don't want to spend another $7K+ for a more powerful but equally good sounding power amp just to drive the SR1a. The SR1a is what it is: amazing for some genres and styles of music and not good at others. It also sounds best with really well-recorded productions - generally stuff over the past 20~30 years although some old remastered classical recordings (like Karajan's landmark early-60's recordings of Beethoven's symphonies). The SR1a generally hasn't done well with old Coltrane and Miles recordings from the 60's. For things like that, the LCD-4 is far better for me.
I've noticed that the LCD-4 gets a lot of bad rap in audiophile circles - some of it due to the weight, some due to the voicing or "whacked-out" tonality, some due to its dark yet forward low-mids, some due to too much bass, some due to too much high-end sizzle, etc. I guess some of these concerns or complaints are justified but I think they are also overemphasized to various degrees. I had the LCDi4 for a while and absolutely loved it and that's why I decided to get the LCD-4. Before I got the LCDi4, I had the LCD-3 for a while. I liked the LCD-3 but decided that I prefer the HD800 S that I've had for several years. The LCDi4, to me, is much more like the HD800 S than the LCD-3 so I was thinking the LCD-4 would be very similar. But, I have to say, that's not the case at all. The LCD-4, being over-ears compared to the LCDi4 in-ears, provides a bigger and fuller sound but the tonality is still closer to the LCD-3. It needs a bit of EQ and I have some presets for it as well as the Reveal plug-in and they definitely help getting it to sound the way I like to hear things. Once that's done, it sounds fantastic. But, like the SR1a, it's good for intimate warm female vocals (think Diana Krall and Norah Jones) and, unlike the SR1a, good for rock, blues and roots-oriented music but not ideal for symphonies by Bruckner/Mahler, epic soundtracks, Wagnerian operas, etc. For those, the SR1a is infinitely better suited.
Well, I'm counting down the days until the TC arrives. To me, the areas or genres that the SR1a and LCD-4 in which both fall short are electronic (the experimental type with heavy and grinding bass), EDM, hip-hop, and modern metal with detuned 7- and 8-string electric guitars, 5-string basses and gobs and gobs of high-gain distortion. The LCD-4 obviously isn't bad for bass-heavy music but the soundstage and imaging just don't seem ideal for it. Based on what I've been reading and hearing, the TC seems like it should handle all of the above with flying colors and be able to do everything else pretty well too. I have heard the Susvara (a friend swears by it) and it's great but it's just not what I've been looking for. Plus, the cost is just too much and I'd imagine Hifiman has a replacement not too far off.
Very excited about the TC. It reminds me of ordering and waiting for a custom high-end electric guitar some decades ago. Essentially, I've traded in my expensive guitars and guitar gear hobby for the expensive audiophile hobby. I got tired of playing the same ole licks over and over again and it's too much effort to learn something new and get better at playing. Listening to great music with great sound is much easier and, unlike playing the guitar, one can literally listen to music through great gear almost every waking minute!
I'm expecting that the 1266 TC will sit right in between the SR1a and the LCD-4 in terms of tonality, bass response, punch, etc. and hopeful that it may end up being my main headphone. Perhaps the SR1a gets overhyped with some grand statements but I do think that the resolution, clarity, stage and imaging are amazing. It is quite bright and I do need to EQ it somewhat but mainly just a boost of the mid-bass and cutting back on the 1k~2.5k range slightly (1~3dB). I mainly listen to classical, jazz, acoustic music and vocal music so the SR1a suits me just fine for those. It's great for ambient electronic and neoclassical kinds of instrumentals too.
Honestly, I don't like it for rock or EDM. The electric guitars sound a little too harsh and grating. I was listening to Pink Floyd's 'DSTM' and the guitar solo on 'Time' started sounding too strident and, normally, I love Gilmour's guitar tone. But when I listen to Alison Krauss and the Union Station with the SR1a, it's absolutely divine. I haven't tried to listen to metal with the SR1a and I may never do it unless I decide to try a bunch of heavily EQ'd presets for the likes of Meshuggah, AAL, Slayer, and Strapping Young Lad. Not good for EDM or bass-heavy pop either. The TToby is just not powerful enough to push the bass before farting out with horrible distortion. And, no, I don't want to spend another $7K+ for a more powerful but equally good sounding power amp just to drive the SR1a. The SR1a is what it is: amazing for some genres and styles of music and not good at others. It also sounds best with really well-recorded productions - generally stuff over the past 20~30 years although some old remastered classical recordings (like Karajan's landmark early-60's recordings of Beethoven's symphonies). The SR1a generally hasn't done well with old Coltrane and Miles recordings from the 60's. For things like that, the LCD-4 is far better for me.
I've noticed that the LCD-4 gets a lot of bad rap in audiophile circles - some of it due to the weight, some due to the voicing or "whacked-out" tonality, some due to its dark yet forward low-mids, some due to too much bass, some due to too much high-end sizzle, etc. I guess some of these concerns or complaints are justified but I think they are also overemphasized to various degrees. I had the LCDi4 for a while and absolutely loved it and that's why I decided to get the LCD-4. Before I got the LCDi4, I had the LCD-3 for a while. I liked the LCD-3 but decided that I prefer the HD800 S that I've had for several years. The LCDi4, to me, is much more like the HD800 S than the LCD-3 so I was thinking the LCD-4 would be very similar. But, I have to say, that's not the case at all. The LCD-4, being over-ears compared to the LCDi4 in-ears, provides a bigger and fuller sound but the tonality is still closer to the LCD-3. It needs a bit of EQ and I have some presets for it as well as the Reveal plug-in and they definitely help getting it to sound the way I like to hear things. Once that's done, it sounds fantastic. But, like the SR1a, it's good for intimate warm female vocals (think Diana Krall and Norah Jones) and, unlike the SR1a, good for rock, blues and roots-oriented music but not ideal for symphonies by Bruckner/Mahler, epic soundtracks, Wagnerian operas, etc. For those, the SR1a is infinitely better suited.
Well, I'm counting down the days until the TC arrives. To me, the areas or genres that the SR1a and LCD-4 in which both fall short are electronic (the experimental type with heavy and grinding bass), EDM, hip-hop, and modern metal with detuned 7- and 8-string electric guitars, 5-string basses and gobs and gobs of high-gain distortion. The LCD-4 obviously isn't bad for bass-heavy music but the soundstage and imaging just don't seem ideal for it. Based on what I've been reading and hearing, the TC seems like it should handle all of the above with flying colors and be able to do everything else pretty well too. I have heard the Susvara (a friend swears by it) and it's great but it's just not what I've been looking for. Plus, the cost is just too much and I'd imagine Hifiman has a replacement not too far off.
Very excited about the TC. It reminds me of ordering and waiting for a custom high-end electric guitar some decades ago. Essentially, I've traded in my expensive guitars and guitar gear hobby for the expensive audiophile hobby. I got tired of playing the same ole licks over and over again and it's too much effort to learn something new and get better at playing. Listening to great music with great sound is much easier and, unlike playing the guitar, one can literally listen to music through great gear almost every waking minute!
Last edited:
chucknoel2015
Head-Fier
whats a TC? I also have the hd800s and i loved it. currently looking for a good totl headphones for hiphop and rap. Also shoutout to herman miller aeron lol
matthewhypolite
500+ Head-Fier
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC, xurrentkynthenflsfhsuoo form abyss headphones, for hip hop and rap I'd say the TC is the best headphones money can buy outside of the shangri-la and Orpheus ( both of which I've not heard but are crazy expensive).
But for rap and hip hop genre the Tc excels.
These days I find myself reaching for the Tc over the susvsra in even metal and grunge music where the susvsra tyociall has an edge.
Overall I'd say the TV is the best headphone I own, but the susvsra flavor lends itself well to metal, grunge, heavy metal, etc. Rock, pop, tap, hip hop, techno efc, abyss all day.
For me it's exactly the other way around compared to your Audeze experience. The LCDi4 sounded terrible to me (just like the HD800/HD800S), and i didn't like LCD-3 and LCD-X either. That's why i ditched the whole Audeze brand and never considered the LCD-4 until a local store had a used trade-in for sale for a really good price. It's really quite different to the other Audeze headphones and is now my only high end non-electrostatic headphone.Greetings! Newbie here. Currently, I have the LCD-4 and the SR1a and should receive the 1266 TC in a few weeks. The LCD-4 and the SR1a are virtually at the opposite ends of the sonic spectrum but I love them both. I lean towards hyper-resolving, analytical, clarity, bright, etc. so the SR1a with the Chord stack of HMS, TT2 and TToby sounds great to me. At the same time, I love the warmth and the intimate staging of the LCD-4 besides its resolving nature so it's a keeper. I know that both have plenty of detractors as well as adherents but, hey, that's just how it goes. It's very akin to talking about guitars and guitar amps - a million different opinions but all of them valid.
I'm expecting that the 1266 TC will sit right in between the SR1a and the LCD-4 in terms of tonality, bass response, punch, etc. and hopeful that it may end up being my main headphone. Perhaps the SR1a gets overhyped with some grand statements but I do think that the resolution, clarity, stage and imaging are amazing. It is quite bright and I do need to EQ it somewhat but mainly just a boost of the mid-bass and cutting back on the 1k~2.5k range slightly (1~3dB). I mainly listen to classical, jazz, acoustic music and vocal music so the SR1a suits me just fine for those. It's great for ambient electronic and neoclassical kinds of instrumentals too.
Honestly, I don't like it for rock or EDM. The electric guitars sound a little too harsh and grating. I was listening to Pink Floyd's 'DSTM' and the guitar solo on 'Time' started sounding too strident and, normally, I love Gilmour's guitar tone. But when I listen to Alison Krauss and the Union Station with the SR1a, it's absolutely divine. I haven't tried to listen to metal with the SR1a and I may never do it unless I decide to try a bunch of heavily EQ'd presets for the likes of Meshuggah, AAL, Slayer, and Strapping Young Lad. Not good for EDM or bass-heavy pop either. The TToby is just not powerful enough to push the bass before farting out with horrible distortion. And, no, I don't want to spend another $7K+ for a more powerful but equally good sounding power amp just to drive the SR1a. The SR1a is what it is: amazing for some genres and styles of music and not good at others. It also sounds best with really well-recorded productions - generally stuff over the past 20~30 years although some old remastered classical recordings (like Karajan's landmark early-60's recordings of Beethoven's symphonies). The SR1a generally hasn't done well with old Coltrane and Miles recordings from the 60's. For things like that, the LCD-4 is far better for me.
I've noticed that the LCD-4 gets a lot of bad rap in audiophile circles - some of it due to the weight, some due to the voicing or "whacked-out" tonality, some due to its dark yet forward low-mids, some due to too much bass, some due to too much high-end sizzle, etc. I guess some of these concerns or complaints are justified but I think they are also overemphasized to various degrees. I had the LCDi4 for a while and absolutely loved it and that's why I decided to get the LCD-4. Before I got the LCDi4, I had the LCD-3 for a while. I liked the LCD-3 but decided that I prefer the HD800 S that I've had for several years. The LCDi4, to me, is much more like the HD800 S than the LCD-3 so I was thinking the LCD-4 would be very similar. But, I have to say, that's not the case at all. The LCD-4, being over-ears compared to the LCDi4 in-ears, provides a bigger and fuller sound but the tonality is still closer to the LCD-3. It needs a bit of EQ and I have some presets for it as well as the Reveal plug-in and they definitely help getting it to sound the way I like to hear things. Once that's done, it sounds fantastic. But, like the SR1a, it's good for intimate warm female vocals (think Diana Krall and Norah Jones) and, unlike the SR1a, good for rock, blues and roots-oriented music but not ideal for symphonies by Bruckner/Mahler, epic soundtracks, Wagnerian operas, etc. For those, the SR1a is infinitely better suited.
Well, I'm counting down the days until the TC arrives. To me, the areas or genres that the SR1a and LCD-4 in which both fall short are electronic (the experimental type with heavy and grinding bass), EDM, hip-hop, and modern metal with detuned 7- and 8-string electric guitars, 5-string basses and gobs and gobs of high-gain distortion. The LCD-4 obviously isn't bad for bass-heavy music but the soundstage and imaging just don't seem ideal for it. Based on what I've been reading and hearing, the TC seems like it should handle all of the above with flying colors and be able to do everything else pretty well too. I have heard the Susvara (a friend swears by it) and it's great but it's just not what I've been looking for. Plus, the cost is just too much and I'd imagine Hifiman has a replacement not too far off.
Very excited about the TC. It reminds me of ordering and waiting for a custom high-end electric guitar some decades ago. Essentially, I've traded in my expensive guitars and guitar gear hobby for the expensive audiophile hobby. I got tired of playing the same ole licks over and over again and it's too much effort to learn something new and get better at playing. Listening to great music with great sound is much easier and, unlike playing the guitar, one can literally listen to music through great gear almost every waking minute!
Users who are viewing this thread
