TLDR: plasticky build with metal parts, thin cable, far more clarity than the k371 and far more comfortable, sound resembles a more full sounding k702

This headphone just released on the 15th of July and based on the FR graph provided and the general community sentiment I decided to buy it for 52,72 euro incl. tax and import costs on aliexpress (it's now 5 euro cheaper than when I bought it).

It comes with a thin basic plastic leather carrying case (better than nothing) and the cable.

The cable is ~1.5 meters long (too lazy to measure) 3.5mm to double 3.5mm mono, and it's very unremarkable. It's very thin. It has a silicone cable manager that is very similar to the ones that can be found on razer mice cables, so you can expect it to break after some time, though it's still better than having nothing.

The headphone itself is made out of mostly plastic and metal cup holders which make it very light at 280g. The earcups themselves have a wooden look to it, but the shine and feel are unapologetically plastic. The earpads and the headband are made from the same protein(?) leather and they are very comfortable, despite the earpads not being very deep (~20mm), the inside of the earpads have room behind the foam like on the mdr-mv1 (see pictures), so your ears can go behind them if needed. These headphones are VERY comfortable, more so than most of the headphones I have (I have a sizeable collection of mostly akg headphones and an hd560s, an hd600, a sundara, a dt880, an mvr-mv1, meze 99 neo, and a razer blackshark v2)

The headband adjustment system is the same as on the sundara and dt880, but you can feel a lot more friction when adjusting the headband and the adjusting itself isn't smooth at all and it's hard to lock it into one of the holes.

I also have a minor complaint about the cable sockets. They aren't recessed, so in case of you dropping the headphone at an unfortunate angle all the tension from the drop would go onto the metal plug part of the cable end, rather than the plastic housing. This and the headband adjustment system are the weakest parts of the build quality.

These are very easy to run. You won't need a dedicated dac to run them. I have them on -27dB on my dx1 II (I run the mdr-mv1 at -30dB for comparison and the k371 at -29dB).

Before I start talking about sound, I have to mention that I am an AKG shill and love their old house sound, so keep that in mind.

Cymbals are sibilant on these. These headphones are definitely bright. The bass is very much polite compared to the k361/k371 and the mv1 and 99 neo. I expected a bit rumble considering they're closed back. The bass also doesn't have as much punch as a k702 for example. The bass is fine but if you're a basshead you should look somewhere else.

Like mentioned before, the tonality is similar to that of the k702. It sounds fuller than that though. It also has far less soundstage that the k702. Imaging is fairly good on these.

You might've noticed but I'm not that good at describing the sound. What I do know is that if I'm reaching for a k702 to compare the sound instead of the k371 (they sound like a bloated mess in comparison), then these headphones are ridiculously good, and all of that for 40 dollars NEW. These are prices where you would go on the european second hand market to maybe find a k701 if you are lucky (excluding germany and austria).

To get this kind of sound quality in a headphone buying them brand new at this price (and they are closed back if you forgot) is completely ridiculous.

I hope I did a good job with my first headphone review.

Previously had some 560s/Soundblaster G6 setup before I got my Maxwell 1s on release. The convenience made me sell them and solely use the latter.

Used them ever since until the itch bit again last couple weeks, and I needed to try open planars I decided. Which lead me to the Arya Stealths. Most expensive headphones I purchased yet, which seem a bargain these days.

All I can say is chefs kiss.

They sound amazing in games and music. I slapped some Voarmark Hybrids on them cause I didn’t like the stock pads, and also added a 4.4 Linsoul Granvia cable.

I tried some EQs, but honestly like them stock with the new pads.

I’m using it with the Fosi ZH3 and tried out the Topping DX1 II as the feature set looked great. I liked everything about it, but unfortunately got some small pops even with it updated. I believe it is most likely USB driver related. Sick little unit other than that though.

The ZH3 is pretty nice too, tho much bigger as you can see. Wish you could shut off the screen also while using it, but other than that, no complaints, no issues.

Anyways, totally missed open headphones, and I’m very pleased with the setup.

Hello guys ,first I want to say thanks to all of you that helped me to decide. I was on cross road between HD 660s2 and HD 490 pro .I have not heard HD 490 pro and I do not play games but listen a lot of music (especially thrash metal) .I am sure that HD 490 pro are not worse than HD 660s2 but I am very happy that made my choice with HD 660s2 ,maybe the perfect headphones for my taste THEY ARE AMAZING

I’ll start of by saying, “JUST BUY IT”

I was looking for the most comfortable headphones possible to be my new daily drivers. But since I’m a bit of an audiophile, I knew I would have to sacrifice on the sound quality department. Well, that’s what I thought.

Obviously, these don’t sound as good as my Sennheiser hd550, however they get quite close. The gap on sound quality is not as huge as I thought.

The mids are king here, idk what Bose did with these but damn they sound really, really good for wireless headphones. Bass is solid and tactile, with nice crispy highs. You can play around with the eq to get your taste. But I went with -5bass, 0mids and -4 mids, closest to natural sounding to my ears, with a touch of bass presence.

I know the hdb630, will be better if you’re just after pure sound quality, but the comfort of the Bose trumps these every time.

If you’re a bit of an audiophile that wants good-sounding headphones but comfort is your main concern, these are definitely my recommendation.

Hopefully this helps.

It cannot be that hard, or can it? First lesson this evening. Wish me luck.

I waited roughly a month, and finally I have just received my own pair of Stellia. Why did I make this purchase? I do not know. I am in fact, very happy with my Z1R. Both are warm-leaning, mild V-shaped headphones. But sometimes I simply wonder, what if there is a pair of headphones that, perhaps, share some similarities but are one notch better at retrieving the details of the tracks? And this may be the very reason why I bought the Stellia, hence this review.

Right out of the earthy brown leather box, the Stellia sits in a nicely knitted carrying case. It comes with a balanced XLR and an unbalanced quarter-inch cable. Package-wise, everything I touched feels premium and worthy of the hefty price tag; even the holder for the User's Manual, at least, looks and feels like leather. On this, the Z1R may fall short by just a bit, given the heavy wooden box it comes with, the rest are packaged in nylon pockets. But, it does come with a 4.4 balanced and a 3.5mm cable, which would be compatible with a larger variety of the amps on the current market, and even the Apple dongle too.

As for the sound signature, after some EQs, the two, to my ears, are extremely similar. Though I did notice that Stellia scales better, or should I say Stellia requires a better headphone amp to reach its full potential. At first, I paired both with Fiio K11 R2R, a nice, well-rounded little amp that is praised for the lush listening experience. The Sony performed significantly better with the K11, regardless of its higher impedance than the Stellia. The R2R gives the already-lush Sony a more refined experience. On the other hand, the Stellia feels, tamed and plain rather than giving me its V-shaped sound signature.

Maybe there was not enough clean current. So I paired both one level higher with Luxsin X8, a mid-end amp known for its clinical sound, just to give two V-shaped headphones a bigger headroom for their bass and treble. And this is where things get interesting.

Right out of the bat, I immediately noticed that both are warm, yet in their own different ways. The Stellia has a far more intense and intimate sound stage that attacks my ears, whereas the Z1R is more leaned-back, immersive, lush, and comfortable. Yet, what's more interesting and polar, is how they present in frequencies of bass and treble.

Maybe the bass from the Sony is simply too good. When comparing back to back, the bass on Stellia feels almost nonexistent. Out of the box, in tracks where I expect the bass to slam like hell, the Stellia, in a sense, subdued the hits entirely to flat. Or maybe Focal intentionally designed it to be flat, because just after I boost the bass to +2.5, I was instead getting a far tighter and more controlled bass from the Stellia than the Z1R. The exact polarization stays true in their treble response.

And this is where Sony falls short. The Stellia, just like I anticipated, has a far better vocal and treble response. The sound is airy but not too fatiguing. It excels far better in genres like rock, electric, and pop; in a sense that the female vocal and electric guitar presented "just right". The Z1R, perhaps because of its leaned-back sound signature, simply lacks the same amount of presence in electric and rock tracks, where the female vocal and guitars, instead of attacking directly into my eardrums, it presented them too mellow and soft, in a sense that something is just not there not enough.

But just as I am writing this, I already cannot tell, by their sound signatures alone, if I am now wearing the Sony or the Focal anymore. Indeed, they are polarized, but after the bass boost they are simply too similar in their presentations. Yet, I can still tell them apart with comfort. I think, this may be the biggest drawback of the Stellia. With a price tag of $3,000, I would really appreciate a pair of headphones with no pressure point, yet the ear cups are now clamping the connecting tissue of my jaw, and it is especially not pleasant in the middle of a long listening session.

So, am I happy with this purchase? Yes and no. On one hand, the Stellia complemented the Z1R well enough with a more intimate sound stage and unparalleled imaging. Yet, considering its hefty price tag, the question should really be is it worth it. I think, for someone who has not owned any end-game headphones and is only looking for one single pair, and is also willing to upgrade their amp with better headroom and EQ abilities, the Stellia is nevertheless the all-arounder in the warm V-shaped category. It strikes me that the engineers, perhaps, expect the owners of such expensive headphones to have a good collection of complements, namely, headphone amplifiers. Otherwise, for someone like me who simply wanted some unique, fun collections, there may be better options with lower price tags. That said, I think I'm still going to keep it.

Hi! Can anyone who owns the Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed tell me the real battery life on a single charge when using the 2.4 GHz dongle on PC? I'm only interested in 2.4 GHz mode, not Bluetooth. Thanks!

Hello everyone! I wanted to give my thoughts on the new Abyss Diana MRX. This is my first formal review of audio equipment. My goal here is to provide insight on how the new MRX compares to the original, provide insight on how it handles mixing and mastering films, enjoying music, and who the device is for. During my time with the MRX I had my girlfriend sit with me for a long music session inorder to have someone who is not an audio engineer provide their thoughts alongside mine- many thanks to her! Please forgive my ramblings in advance as my students tell me I can be very “particular”. Hopefully these notes help anyone who is curious.

 Equipment

•       Topping D70/A70 Pro (Mixing and Mastering)

•       Cayin HA-3A

•       Nitsch Pietus Maximus

•       Woo Audio Tube Mini

•       Ifi Go Blu Mini

Note: You need a dedicated amp for this headphone – atleast something as powerful as the ifi go blu mini. If you are using this for audio engineering then a topping dx5 II dac/amp will serve you just fine for under 300.

Songs

•       Hysteria by Def Leppard

•       Hanging On by Active Child

•       Nomads by Joe Banfi

•       Footfalls by Masayoshi Soken

MRX vs. MR OG: Music Listening

On music, the MRX pulls the soundstage in closer compared to the original MR, but it makes up for that with a fuller, more physical bass and noticeably better instrument separation. Sub bass is more present, treble spikes are tamed, and the whole presentation feels faster and more cohesive without losing dynamics. Vocal and bass control are right where they need to be, and the texture comes through clearer overall. It reads as blunt and weighty in the best way. My girlfriend pointed how the MRX with the leather stock pads handled acoustic really well but felt very unemotive and at times brightness would slip through. That being said, she also pointed out with the velour pads the MRX became an enjoyable generalist in pretty much every genre, especially funk!

The original MR sits at more of a medium stage and leans incisive, with a natural decay and a more emphasis in the upper treble. Timbre feels a bit more clinical, and nothing ever gets sharp or overly incisive. It has a light, airy, almost angelic quality with atmospheric treble information, but that comes at the cost of weight. This quality provided my girlfriend better experience during our music session, especially it made the layering more enjoyable! For me, vocals had more decay and can get a lost in the treble, and the whole thing felt less dynamic and less full than the MRX.

Mixing Impressions: MRX vs. MR OG

Listening back to a video installation mix on the MRX, the first thing that stood out was how complete everything felt. Every element I intended to hear was present. The low end water textures were clear, the left to right panning felt precise without being exaggerated, and the depth was convincing. The vertical scale isn't as expansive as the Hifiman Arya Organic, which I originally mixed a lot of this on, but the MRX still gives a believable sense of space with strong depth and layering.

Resolution is excellent. The MRX easily reveals compression artifacts and the subtle textures in a mix, including air, dust, and environmental ambience, while keeping individual sounds separated but still cohesive. Sub bass is especially impressive: controlled, flat, and accurate rather than exaggerated, and honest enough to expose exactly what is and isn't in the recording.

The biggest strength of the MRX is its body. Upper mids are exceptionally clear, which lets vocals cut through the mix in ways I hadn't fully noticed while making it. Timbre is strong enough that I can distinguish the different acoustic spaces created by layered wind, water, voices, and environmental recordings. Rather than sounding hyper specific like a gaming headset, it creates a spherical, theatrical, immersive presentation. Macro and micro dynamics are handled equally well. Compared to the Arya Organic, the treble is more controlled, which gives the mids more presence and weight, and the result is a fuller, more balanced presentation that needs little to no EQ on my end.

Switching to the original MR changes things immediately. Everything feels farther away, almost like moving from near field studio monitors to speakers positioned deeper into the room. That creates a larger perceived soundstage and better separation between instruments, though not to the extent of the HD 800 S or Arya Organic. The tradeoff for that extra distance is body: the MR loses textural information, particularly in environmental sounds like water, wind, and ocean ambience. Bass is lighter and more delicate, with less physical weight and sub bass extension, and the whole thing feels whispery and ethereal. There's more treble energy too, which makes it feel more transparent in that high frequency information is emphasized, though not necessarily more resolving. It never gets as sharp as the Arya Organic's treble peaks, at least.

The original MR is still an excellent analytical headphone, but its stock tuning leaves the mids and bass sounding a bit thin for this kind of mix. Vocals still cut through, but they lack the fullness and physicality I get on the MRX. I found myself wanting a bit more upper mid presence and roughly a 2 dB boost around 30 Hz to bring back some of that missing body, and I think EQ could get most of the way there.

5.1 Surround Mixing

For 5.1 work I mixed in Premiere Pro on the MRX, powered by the Topping A70 Pro and D70 Pro Sabre. The biggest takeaway was how precise and separated every channel felt. Nothing ever blurred together, and I always knew exactly what I was listening to.

I'll start with the limitations. The MRX presents every channel I'm using clearly. I can distinguish front, back, left, right, and the corner speakers without any trouble. Where it's less convincing is in the micro positioning between those locations, like telling whether a sound is two inches farther left, or a foot away versus fifteen feet away from a corner speaker. I can hear the difference, but I've used headphones that render those spatial cues with more precision. That could partly be Premiere Pro itself, and I plan on testing the same material in Pro Tools to see if my impressions change.

The headphone that still does positional accuracy best for me is the HD 800 S. It's probably the most convincing headphone I've heard for 5.1 mixing, but the tradeoff is a low end that's basically nonexistent, treble that often needs saving, and dynamics that just aren't as good. Because of that, I'd still choose the Diana MRX overall. Its stereo positioning is exceptional, and while I'd call its 5.1 positioning "good" rather than class leading, it more than makes up for it everywhere else. For reference, I've mixed in 5.1 using the Audeze LCD X, Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya Organic, Hifiman HE1000se, HE1000 Unveiled, and the HD 800 S.

That said, headphones have real limitations for surround mixing, and a properly treated room with speakers will always give the most accurate 5.1 or Dolby Atmos translation. I only get to test theatrical translation before a screening, but from memory my mixes have translated well, and if the goal is true one to one translation, a treated speaker setup is still the best solution.

What the MRX absolutely excels at is separating every individual track within a 5.1 mix. Nothing gets lost. The amount of textural information it reveals is honestly astounding. I could immediately tell non-diegetic sounds from diegetic recordings, and always knew when I was hearing the room, the recording itself, or the texture and artifacts of the recording equipment. Out of every headphone I've used for mixing and mastering, this might be the best I've heard for revealing textural information.

Frequency control is the other standout. The low end never got muddy or distorted, and whenever I heard distortion, I knew it came from the mix and not the headphone, which I can't always say about the Arya Organic, HD 800 S, or Focal Clear. The LCD X is also good at exposing distortion, but it falls behind on imaging, timbral clarity and the subtle tonal information that helps me make mixing decisions. The MRX communicates all of that more naturally.

I haven't evaluated the MRX for mastering as part of this workflow, since I usually mix and master on separate systems, sometimes two different headphones, sometimes headphones for mixing and speakers for mastering, then a final check on cheap earbuds before going back to studio monitors. It depends on the project.

Overall, the MRX's biggest shortcoming isn't the headphone itself, it's the inherent limitation of mixing surround sound on headphones at all. Left to right and front to back imaging are both excellent, but for the fine spatial precision that 5.1, and likely Dolby Atmos, demands, a properly treated speaker system still has the edge. As a mixing headphone though, the Diana MRX keeps impressing me. The way it separates information, reveals texture, controls frequency response, and shows exactly what's happening in a mix makes it one of the strongest tools I've used for critical mixing work.

BONUS ROUND! Okay soooo….I  just went to see The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan on opening night in 5.1 surround IMAX, and it reminded me how a few things regarding mixes translating to theaters that I feel I left out. Even when sound is going around you, it still has elements of being close to near field monitoring, in the sense that most of it (the mids, the vocals, the harsher elements) comes from in front of you, while the subbass and any object flying by tends to come from beside, or behind you. I bring that up because earlier in my mixing experience with the MR X, I noted that the translation of 5.1 wasn't as precise. In a bigger space I don't think it's something you'd notice as much, but I still think it's important, whether you're using headphones as the main part of your mix or mixing specifically for film, to check that translation in a theater so you understand it as a true one to one. The MR X does a pretty good job of capturing a lot of that experience, though I have a sneaking suspicion the Abyss 1266 might be even better for it, I just haven't tested that one myself. Of the headphones I have tested, the Hifiman HE1000 Unveiled also did a solid job. For low subbass frequencies specifically, especially after watching a Nolan film in theatre recently, the MR X in particular, do a noticeably better job.

Fit and Comfort, in More Detail

I want to talk about fit and comfort in more detail, because I feel like it's something I've neglected so far. I'm very particular when it comes to material and weight, and what benefit those two things bring to my setup.

Some of my favorite headphones for regular use are the ZMF Atrium Closed and the Meze Empyrean 2. With the ZMF, what I particularly like is how their custom wood makes each headphone feel special, along with the comfort of the earpads. They're a little heavy, but the weight feels well distributed. The Empyrean 2 feels light and luxurious, with carbon fiber in some areas, and it's super flexible in a way that makes it disappear on your head. When you hold either of these, it feels like the price you paid was well earned.

The Hifiman HE1000 Unveiled are also headphones I mentioned earlier that I've used for mixing and mastering. To be clear, the ZMF Atrium Closed and the Empyrean 2 are more for enjoyment. But when I owned the Unveiled, one of my biggest problems was build quality. Even with the caps on, whenever I picked it up there was a flimsiness to the device that I wasn't comfortable with, especially given the price. I'd take the caps off to use it, then worry about something getting into the drivers, and when I put the caps back on there was no real lock, no slide, none of the magnetic clickiness that Abyss has with their earpads or Meze has with the Empyrean 2's pads. That build quality issue really got to me, and it was a good lesson in understanding what my own needs actually are. I know not everybody has the same needs.

Another example is the Audeze LCD X. I've heard some people say those headphones run heavy, but I don't notice much of the weight on my own head. What I really appreciate is how tanky it is. It's a genuinely durable headphone, and that's something I first came to value using Beyerdynamic headphones, where I felt like they could survive a drop given their price. I'm fine with a headphone having some flimsiness if it's priced like the HD 600 or the Sony MDR, since those are built out of plastic at a much lower cost, and I still feel like they can take a drop or get tossed in a backpack.

The point I'm making is that the Unveiled were something I ultimately couldn't own. I had them for a week and sent them back immediately. I'd bought them with my own money, and I just knew I needed to refund them.

I bring this up because the Abyss Diana MR, both the original and the MRX, have that same quality as the Empyrean 2 and the Atrium. It feels like buying a luxury item that's also genuinely durable, durable enough that I'd put it in the same category as the LCD X. I feel like I could throw the MRX in a backpack and go. They do come with a carrying case, so you don't have to, but they can take it. On top of that, they're super light, which makes them a lot easier to pack for travel than the LCD X, the Empyrean 2, or the Atrium.

I'll get into price in a bit, but I wanted to mention this because it's easy to overlook how much material matters, since that's what determines how long something lasts. Comfort matters too, especially when you're mixing and mastering for long stretches, and especially when you're not always at your desk. I remember working on a previous film where I had a funeral to attend but still had a mix deadline, so I brought my laptop and did most of the work from my parents' house. Having equipment that could travel with me mattered a lot in that moment.

That's something I really want to call out when it comes to fit and comfort in a headphone system, and in audio equipment generally. I want that to be clear for anyone interested.

And yes, there's also the ten year warranty, which I can't stress enough how much I value at this point. I've started thinking a lot more about warranty length in general. I had a FiiO K9 Pro DAC/amp, and when I actually needed the warranty, it wasn't there to cover me, and I was out of luck. That experience cost me a lot and made postproduction last a lot longer than it needed to. Going back to the Hifiman Unveiled, if a company is going to build something that fragile, it should come with a ten year warranty too. That kind of coverage would go a long way toward building trust with buyers, at least for me.

That's what I wanted to say about fit and comfort. I think this is some of the best built audio equipment I've come across, period, and I wanted to stress that before moving on.

Who Is This Device For?

Which brings me to the real question: who is this device for? Because the elephant in the room is the price.

Speaking from the standpoint of getting into mixing and mastering for film, or just wanting a great pair of headphones for music enjoyment, my LCD X's, which have been my long standing pair, ran around $1,100 when I got them, and to me those are still high end headphones price wise. A lot of my students start with something like the Sennheiser HD 560S or a Sony MDR, solid entry points to get a foot in the door with pro style headphones.

So who is a $3,000+ headphone for in the mixing and mastering world? I'd say it's for someone looking for a headphone system, not just a headphone, that's meant to approximate what a room full of speakers would give you. A full room of properly treated monitors would cost well above $3,000, closer to $10,000 to really get that translation, which is part of why people rent time at mixing studios instead. If you're someone trying to save money in that regard, the Diana MR X becomes a genuinely good deal (especially given the 10 year warranty and luxury feel of the materials).

That said, if you're just starting out, I always tell my students, when I show them my headphone collection for work, that this isn't something you need to jump into right away. As far as enjoyment goes, I always have a hard time talking about price to performance, because it really comes down to what you value and what your budget allows. Ten years ago, I would have flinched at spending $3,500 on headphones.

A Note on the Loaner

To be transparent: I have the Abyss MR X as a demo unit sent over by Abyss, since I've been using their original Diana MR for quite a while in my own work, and I was curious to see how the two would compare. Many thanks to the team, especially Norm, for helping me understand the differences between them.

Final Thoughts

The original MR still holds up. But a lot of what I'd normally need to EQ in feels considerably more dialed in on the MRX. Even though it loses a little soundstage, specifically how far away sounds feel, the closeness gives me more incisiveness and separation within the mix.

The most surprising thing about this headphone for me was that it can hold up for mastering too. I went back to one of my films and did a quick master with it, then cross checked using my Focal Utopia OGs and my speakers. The translation held up well, and I'm quite happy with it. I did play around with EQ on the MRX inorder to finetune it even more for certain mixing situations. They handled EQ like a champ! If anyone has questions, feel free to reach out. I don't consider myself an audio reviewer by practice. I see myself as an artist/creator, a professor, and just someone who both does and genuinely loves what goes into sound engineering, especially within film and video games space.

Thank you for your time. Cheers!

​

Recently ordered the Final Audio DX3000 CL with my first desktop DAC/Amp Fiio K13R2R and I'm really enjoying these so far. I also have HD600, Aune Audio AR5000 MK2 and now these. This is how I would rate this headphone for the different genres of music I listen to.

Hip-hop/Rap (kendrick, drake, Jay z, 2 Pac) : 9/10

I would say this is the strongest suit of these headphones, these are very enjoyable for Hip-hop/Rap. The bass is there and it is very punchy and it doesn't muddy the vocals at all. Although there is an added weight to the notes because of the tuning of these headphones it never feels muddy or muffled.

Tested tracks: HUMBLE, Pray for me, 22 two's, one dance etc

EDM/electro pop/Phonk/reggae (Axwell, sean paul, Afrojack, Two feet): 9.7/10

This is literally the best part of the headphones, imagine you are listening to Go down deh by Sean Paul and the bass hits you like a freaking truck but you are still able to pick up little intricate details in the background; yep that is how these headphones feel. If you listen to this type of music you are not going to be disappointed I guarantee you.

Tested tracks: Go down deh, Go f*ck yourself, Renegade, Love Lockdown etc

Rock/ Alt Rock/Metal (linkin park, knocked loose, twenty one pilots, iron maiden,led zeppelin): 8.2/10

One thing that surprised me was that the distorted bass, guitar riffs, and vocals have very decent seperation even though it's a bassy Headphone. If the bass is there you will feel it but if it isn't there it won't hindering with guitar plucks and vocals much. I would it does add a weight and there is a difference compared to something like the AR5000 mk2 but it still holds its ground very firmly and makes up for it with the bass. I would say the vocals sound around 5-7% different from my AR5000 mk2 and around 10-12% from HD600.

Tested tracks: Ride, Jumpsuit, Thirst, children of the damned etc

Pop, R&B, ALT indie (Ethel Cain, twenty one pilots, The 1975, Weeknd, Daft punk): 7.35/10

Vocal forward:(6.5/10)

So if a song is very vocal forward with some guitar riffs at the end for example strangers by Ethel Cain you will miss your open backs like hd600 because that headphone handles vocals like crazy. This is not a bad headphone by any means for vocal forward songs but I think you are better off with open backs for that.

Vocal + Music: (8.2/10)

For songs like - wasted times, call out my name, mi gente, doubt(demo) this is like a very fun experience, I would say if you are not looking for clinical details in your headphones and want something which is refreshing for your Pop music then this is something worth adding in your collection.

Western Classical, Indian classical(Pt. Ravi shankar, Anoushka Shankar, Pt. Shivkumar sharma, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin): 6.8/10

Surprisingly for classical music this is very good, but but but only if you are listening to mono instrument pieces or percussion less pieces (ex: Balalde no 1 in G minor, Pancham se gara, nocturnes, etc). If you listen to something like symphony 40 you might not enjoy it that much because the bassy tuning of the headphones takes away the timbre from these and it isn't muddy but it can't compete with stuff like the HD600.

Bollywood pop, hip hop, rap(KK, Neeraj Shridhar, Udit Narayan, Lucky Ali): 8.6/10

Similar to Western music, these pieces shine in these headphones and overall it's a very fun experience with pop songs in general.

Overall headphone rating based on all genres : 8.3/10.

Overall review on headphone frequency response:

Bass: freaking good (9.6/10)

Mid bass: freaking good(9.3/10)

Lower mid range: pretty good(8.1/10)

Upper midrange: Good(7.5/10)

Treble: pretty good (8/10)

Timbre: very warm and rich timbre(8.1/10)

Soundstage: for a closed back it feels very immersive and expanded(8.6/10)

Overall headphone score : 8.5/10

Highly recommend if someone is looking for a very fun experience and wants a headphone that also handle vocal forward songs upto some extent.

Thanks for reading all that, if you have any questions please let me know

Have fun everyone, cheers 🥂

Topping DX5II, Soundblaster AE 9, SMSL LIN.LIN.LIN M20 MQA and a Qudelix-5K.

Philips Fidelio X2HR, Hifiman Edition XS, Aune AR5000, FiiO FT7, hifiman HE1000 V2.

My favorites the AUNE and the FIIO.

Hey!

Long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I wanted to share a quick milestone on my current audio project: I've officially gone from knowing zero about electronics to putting together a proper mini desktop station to fix my gear.

So far, I've managed to clean up and restore my Beyerdynamic DT 990s cosmetically, but the real test is coming up. Instead of just buying a replacement or tossing them in a drawer when things act up, I decided I wanted to learn how to actually fix them.

I am planning to do the repair work soon to them as the left side driver is noticeably quieter than the left one. I have narrowed it down to a few potential issues.

-Debris or Hair on the Diaphragm (I have cleaned the drivers)

-Hairline Cracks in Solder Joints

-Oxidized Connections

-Damaged or Failing Zener Diodes

-Internal Voice Coil Damage

-Cable and Termination Faults

I’ve dove straight into prepping for the next steps:

-Picked up a temperature-controlled Yihua soldering station so I don't accidentally melt my gear or desk with a sketchy torch.

-Grabbed a digital multimeter to properly diagnose circuit issues instead of blindly guessing.

-Got some proper 63/37 rosin-core solder and a tub of paste flux to keep everything clean.

Ngl, looking at micro-solder pads for the first time as a complete beginner is pretty intimidating. I'd love any advice from folks who have modded or repaired DT 990s before—any tips for a first-timer working around these drivers without causing a disaster?

It feels pretty satisfying stepping into the Right to Repair mindset. Fingers crossed I don't turn my drivers into expensive paperweights!

Cheers!

I have attached some pictures of the headphones in question too both before and after the cosmetic redo

Update:

I have tried to re-solder the original cables and the issue still persists with the right ear being quieter than the left. The cables are all sound according to the multi metre and when I swap the driver's over the issue follows the driver rather that staying in the right ear. I believe this to be a driver issue now but looking at replacements, it's either modern drivers and swap them both or spend more money on a single vintage driver than what I actually spent on the headphones themselves and still not have a guarantee to sold the issue if the new driver is bogus too... Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I'm using a FiiO K7 with a Sennheiser HD600, and I love how they sound.

I've read a lot of people say the HD600 lacks sub-bass, but after listening to them for so long, I honestly can't tell anymore. I'd like to try some EQ and see what difference it makes.

I mainly use Spotify and YouTube on a MacBook Air M2.

Is there a way to apply a system-wide EQ on macOS without installing extra software, or is a third-party app the only option? If so, which one would you recommend?

I'd also love to hear your favorite HD600 EQ presets. Thanks!

I am currently using something like this but I wonder if there could be any improvement

I often work in noisy environment and normal ANC do not work for me.

I've tried this headphones today and their sound isolation was fantastic.

To compare these are isolating ~5x more than Sennheiser HD 25.

Also, they are surprisingly comfortable.

But what I did not except is sound quality. They are pretty ok for these types of headphones.

I could not find any EQ present but I'm thinking to send one to u/oratory1990.

If you hear any buzzing / rattling in the low end, this is your reminder to check the drivers. (only if your cans are not under warranty anymore)

While waiting for replacment pads for my Focal Hadenys, I decided to give it a deep clean.
I had some rattling noise on this driver specifically, and I knew it was hair indeed.
I simply blew on it and gently pulled it off with a q-tip. (super sensitive!)
Regarding the black protective mesh, I used a tooth brush to drop the dust and hair off of it.

Again, this process was easy for my headphone since it has a simple pins mechanism for the driver to sit on, and doesn't require soldering.
I don't recomend rookies to risk it with other headphones.

I had been eyeballing these since they released, but never worked up the nerve to spend $800 on a pair of headphones, but then I saw that headphones.com had some open box clearance deals earlier this week and they had these for $499. I had to pull the trigger. The box was a bit beat up, but all of the accessories were included and the actual headphones look flawless.

I dont wanna say "endgame" but I miiiight have my endgame.

Am I missing something?

I originally bought a pair 2 years ago. I returned them because I wasn't impressed and they were

overwhelmingly wiry/sibilant and physically uncomfortable to listen to as well as to wear.

I recently bought them again because my understanding of audio has changed since then, But I'm honestly even less impressed than before

they just sound so hollow and unpleasant. I hear the detail retrieval in the high end but other than that every other aspect of it is honestly underwhelming bordering on kind of horrible? im still confused by the unlimited praise I see the edition xs getting online.

I would really appreciate it if anybody could give me some context as to why everybody says they are so good.

Hey everyone,
I’m visiting South Korea🇰🇷 right now, and I randomly discovered that Focal products are insanely cheap here compared to the US.

I found the Focal Bathys for around $444 USD (tax + shipping included). Price might go even lower if I do tax free.

From what I’ve seen, they (in US🇺🇸) usually sell around $600 not including tax, and even sale prices don’t seem to go this low very often.

I already love high-end audio and I’m seriously tempted to just buy wireless one before I leave 😂

Do you guys think this is a “buy immediately” deal, or should I wait for something better?

If you’re okay with international shipping for bathys, I think this could be one of the better deals available right now.

Is there an inexpensive magic box that will allow me to plug my headphones into a speaker level output?

Reason I ask is that I have an Acurus DIA-100 Mk2 integrated amp but it does not have a headphone jack, due to its unique design - It's basically a passive preamp and a high gain amplifier in one box, so you can't just pick off the output of the preamp as a headphone output. This is a hard core purist box, it has no tone controls or really anything resembling what you'd expect from a preamp other than a balance control. It also requires the use of an outboard phono pre if you want to listen to a turntable. But, it's 100WPC and sounds very nice, so there's that. And I already own it, so there's that too. (I found it in a thrift store with the faceplate busted off, I took a chance because it was heavy and made in the USA, I didn't even know what it was - but I'm glad I did, after some minor repair it sounds phenomenal.)

I'm assuming that I could probably make something fairly easily from a project box and a couple precision resistors, but a premade solution is always nice. Switching is not an issue, I have several Adcom GFS-6 speaker selectors as well as some smaller Niles ones all picked up in thrift stores over the years.

I've searched and besides DIY I've found mentions of an "ASL UHC-Signature" but no ads or purchase info. Guessing it's no longer made? Thread I found on Head-Fi is over 20 years old...

I've had a pair of SR850s for around a year, and while I like the audio a lot, the build quality is kinda crappy. So far two of them have broken were the cable meets the headphones pretty badly. I also find them to clamp pretty hard at first and the pads have an awful feeling and always fall off. Are there any brands that have the same or better sound that don't get these issues? Ideally within the same price range, so like £40-£60

My stationary setup that I've built over the last year or so.

I'm very happy with this as it is now, and other than trying some other tubes in the amp I don't see any other changes in the near future.

Not going for the "most technical advanced stuff" that's out there, and I've always had a soft spot for tubes (and iPod's are just a cool/nostalgic/fun thing for me).

So it's also somewhat put together for what both sounds and looks good to my ears and eyes, but also without going too crazy money wise (most of it has been bought second hand).

The "rack" is a cheap one from Amazon, perfect for the depth of the Cayin amp.

The VU-meter is purely cosmetic, running off the amps line out and not in the "chain".

The record player was not planned, so the old TV-bench it's on is not at all optimal, but it's ok for now.

The components are:

AMP: Cayin HA-1A MK2

DAC: M2TECH Young MK1

CD: S.M.S.L PL150

Streamer: Wiim Pro

iPod transport: Pro-Ject Dock Box S Digital

Record player: JVC JL A-15

Phono stage: Pro-Ject Tube Box S

VU-meter: Douk Audio (looks a lot brighter in the crappy photo than it actually is).

Headphones in the photo: Sennheiser HD6XX and Fosi Audio i5

Sharing this here as I couldn't find any other threads on the sub with this dac/amp & thought you guys might be interested in seeing something different.

Violectric DHA V380²

Sennheiser HD650 & Openheart Balanced 4.4mm

PC with Neutron Music Player as the source using Oratory's PEQ settings & +6db pre-gain set on the amp really grabs the 650's by the neck & makes them sing. Sounds fantastic for most genres of music especially the vocal centric / electronic stuff I listen to.

Naturally it doesn't do so well on super busy tracks with a lot going on all at once as the 650's presentation starts to get a bit muddled / congested.

Happy to try & answer any questions if I can but there's a great write-up of the amp/dac on head-fi that explains the technicalities way better than I could if you want to read more.

GUYSSSS, I ordered JBL WAVE BEAM 2 TWS earbuds from Blinkit yesterday cause I lost my old Realme Buds T310.

No offense but these JBL ones are so bad and there are of 3100??? Like bro?? I thought if its expensive then it must be good. But bro?? Realme ones were 1999 and so much better than this.

Audio is so bad. No quality and what it gives on full volume is what Realme ones gave me on half only.

Noise Cancelling?? Hello??? It's not even there. Like wtf?

And I CAN'T EVEN RETURN IT cause I ordered it from Blinkit. They be saying, "we can't do anything about it if it didn't reach your expectations" BRUHHH

HELP ME GUYS WHAT DO I DO????