JoeDoe
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2013
- Posts
- 8,220
- Likes
- 2,266
Every once in a while, eBay turns up some interesting stuff. This month's most interesting find is a seller peddling handmade planars out of the Ukraine. He goes by Koval and offers a few different models ranging from ~$150 up to a pair that is no longer listed which was marked up around $600!
I offered to check out a pair of his lower-priced cans and write a review so here it is:
Planar by Koval
Technical Specifications
Impedance: 7 ohms;
Flat frequency response - 20-25000Hz;
Sensitivity - 90 db;
Connector - 3,5 mm
Weight with cable - 404 g
Cable length - 1,5 m
Source Gear: MBP > Fidelia > Pan Am > Planar
*All tracks are 44/16 or higher
Description/Aesthetics
These are a closed planar headphone, something that's pretty rare in head-fi. They are quite obviously handmade. The cups and headband are of a cheaper plastic that I would assume are sourced from another headphone. I can see the seams where the cup has been opened to transplant the driver and there is quite a bit of glue that is easily seen where they were set back together (I know they are handmade, but for the most part, we're all accustomed to higher standards than this). As you can see, the cups move vertically on a dual-post slider and can move front-to-back only a few degrees. Because the headband is so wide (and inflexible), these almost presented a problem getting a good seal. The pads barely exert enough pressure to seal around my hears and I reckon I have a medium sized head. Any who wears smaller than a 7.25 hat size would probably have an issue just wearing these guys. The pads and headband cushion are a soft pleather that is comfortable enough for me not to complain. They certainly aren't a Beyer or Audeze, but they are soft enough that extended listening is no problem.
The Sound
Pretty nice. For a sub $200 price tag, they sound respectable, albeit a little different than what's normally found in this range. Laid back, yet detailed. Slightly congested, but still very articulate. They don't hold a candle to something like my HE500, but they are competitive against something like the Senn Momentum or DT770.
Bass:
Well, it's a planar bass. Nice rich low end with a slight mid-bass bump. Actually very Grado-esque with regards to everything but the sub-bass. I'm reminded of the HE400i in quality. Bass guitar is nicely textured on the Funky Knuckles "Barbosa." The kick drum also has a solid impact with a decent texture/decay. The sub-bass isn't anything to write home about - not lacking, but not exactly the first thing that comes to mind.
Check it:
https://funkyknuckles.bandcamp.com/album/as-of-lately
Mids:
Clear but a little lackluster. Very neutral and clean, but maybe the lack of upper mid presence makes them a little less rich? Vocals on "Washed By The Water" and Sonny's sax are nice and clean, but seem to "lose" compared to the surrounding frequencies. It's like seeing a cute girl surrounded by supermodels. Nothing wrong with her at all (probably the least crazy of the bunch), but because of her surroundings, you're not going to pay much attention unless she screams at you.
Treble:
The upper end is nicely detailed, but still probably the weakest thing about these headphones. I can hear everything I need to, but there is a definite roll-off that starts a little earlier than I'd like which takes away a lot of wanted texture. Guitar string slides, cymbal intricacies, breaths - those kinds of things are a little artificial sounding. Check out the cymbal sounds, piano comping, and the nuances in Diana's voice on her "'Deed I Do" to see what I mean.
Soundstage/Separation;
Soundstage = nothing to write home about. They are a closed can after all. Separation is very good especially given the price tag. Comparable to monitor standards like the DT880 or 7506.
Conclusion:
All in all, the Planar by Koval is a very capable closed back headphone that lacks the factory-made QC and polish that we're used to, but makes up for it with a decent sound. Those are my thoughts and I'm stickin' with 'em!
I offered to check out a pair of his lower-priced cans and write a review so here it is:
Planar by Koval
Technical Specifications
Impedance: 7 ohms;
Flat frequency response - 20-25000Hz;
Sensitivity - 90 db;
Connector - 3,5 mm
Weight with cable - 404 g
Cable length - 1,5 m
Source Gear: MBP > Fidelia > Pan Am > Planar
- "Barbosa" by the Funky Knuckles off of As of Lately
- "Washed by the Water" by Needtobreathe off of The Heat
- "St. Thomas" by Sonny Rollins off of Saxophone Colossus
- "'Deed I Do" by Diana Krall off of Live in Paris
*All tracks are 44/16 or higher
Description/Aesthetics
These are a closed planar headphone, something that's pretty rare in head-fi. They are quite obviously handmade. The cups and headband are of a cheaper plastic that I would assume are sourced from another headphone. I can see the seams where the cup has been opened to transplant the driver and there is quite a bit of glue that is easily seen where they were set back together (I know they are handmade, but for the most part, we're all accustomed to higher standards than this). As you can see, the cups move vertically on a dual-post slider and can move front-to-back only a few degrees. Because the headband is so wide (and inflexible), these almost presented a problem getting a good seal. The pads barely exert enough pressure to seal around my hears and I reckon I have a medium sized head. Any who wears smaller than a 7.25 hat size would probably have an issue just wearing these guys. The pads and headband cushion are a soft pleather that is comfortable enough for me not to complain. They certainly aren't a Beyer or Audeze, but they are soft enough that extended listening is no problem.
The Sound
Pretty nice. For a sub $200 price tag, they sound respectable, albeit a little different than what's normally found in this range. Laid back, yet detailed. Slightly congested, but still very articulate. They don't hold a candle to something like my HE500, but they are competitive against something like the Senn Momentum or DT770.
Bass:
Well, it's a planar bass. Nice rich low end with a slight mid-bass bump. Actually very Grado-esque with regards to everything but the sub-bass. I'm reminded of the HE400i in quality. Bass guitar is nicely textured on the Funky Knuckles "Barbosa." The kick drum also has a solid impact with a decent texture/decay. The sub-bass isn't anything to write home about - not lacking, but not exactly the first thing that comes to mind.
Check it:
https://funkyknuckles.bandcamp.com/album/as-of-lately
Mids:
Clear but a little lackluster. Very neutral and clean, but maybe the lack of upper mid presence makes them a little less rich? Vocals on "Washed By The Water" and Sonny's sax are nice and clean, but seem to "lose" compared to the surrounding frequencies. It's like seeing a cute girl surrounded by supermodels. Nothing wrong with her at all (probably the least crazy of the bunch), but because of her surroundings, you're not going to pay much attention unless she screams at you.
Treble:
The upper end is nicely detailed, but still probably the weakest thing about these headphones. I can hear everything I need to, but there is a definite roll-off that starts a little earlier than I'd like which takes away a lot of wanted texture. Guitar string slides, cymbal intricacies, breaths - those kinds of things are a little artificial sounding. Check out the cymbal sounds, piano comping, and the nuances in Diana's voice on her "'Deed I Do" to see what I mean.
Soundstage/Separation;
Soundstage = nothing to write home about. They are a closed can after all. Separation is very good especially given the price tag. Comparable to monitor standards like the DT880 or 7506.
Conclusion:
All in all, the Planar by Koval is a very capable closed back headphone that lacks the factory-made QC and polish that we're used to, but makes up for it with a decent sound. Those are my thoughts and I'm stickin' with 'em!
