A visit to the Wrocław mp3 store.
Recently, an idea was born to listen to a few high-end models, as this topic has become more and more popular over the past few years and, of course, as usual, I'm behind the times. So the plans were made, a vacation in the calendar, a call to the Wrocław mp3 store and an order for models to listen to. The participants were top-class players and supposedly real specialists in the headphone world - Solitaire P, Abyss 1266, HiFiMan Susvara and others. The day of departure came, I packed up my ass and drove along the A4 route, towards Wrocław.
The first adversity occurred quite quickly and was quite serious because the trip almost ended before it started. The right rear was damaged, and on the sill near the wheel arch there was bare rust from a piece of paint that had been torn off. What could have happened? I'm wondering. After visiting the volcano, the owner said "the tire is fuc..." but with an old spare, we could continue flying. The rest will be tapped out, and strangely enough, that's how it was supposed to be done. It's difficult.
I finally managed to get there and I was immediately struck by the crowds of a big city. I prefer the peace and quiet of the countryside, although I will admit that there is a lot going on in Wrocław and there are places to go in the evening. Lots of shops. In my city, the atmosphere is more of a city than a village, but there is nowhere else to go. If this one pub organizes an event, no one will come in on Saturday and you can drink beer at home. Poorly. I could probably get used to this Wrocław. Well, why not? The only annoying thing is the traffic when you drive a car. It's all too much, but most of it is standing at traffic lights. Catastrophe. I left my car in an underground parking lot 700 meters from the store. PLN 30 for a few hours of parking. Beautiful thing heh
A moment of searching and here I am, I enter, all in white...
The MP3store Wrocław store has changed its location. Now it is located closer to the center, near an underground parking lot on the ground floor of a fairly modern apartment block. I climbed in. Behind the desk sat a nefarious salesman nicknamed Kurop. There are plenty of headphones on stands around. The store is nice and tidy, equipped with a toilet which I fed immediately after arriving. A moment of conversation with a colleague, another audiophile. The guy bought Fostex TH610. Let them serve him.
The equipment was ready. There was a regular Tidal laptop on the desk. I felt pressure around my rectal sphincter, which turned out to be an ass-tightening regret because unfortunately I couldn't use my favorite player, ROON. It's difficult. The laptop was connected to the Questyle CMA 15 - a dac/amplifier from Questyle. I only listened to it for a while, probably with Ultrasone PURE, and I never came back to it. Unfortunately, I don't remember how it played because I didn't really get into it as on the other desk I noticed a Chord DAVE connected to a TAGA conditioner or some strip with a display. It was connected to Woo Audio WA23 Luna on 300B tubes. I will say right away that I didn't manage to test everything I saw, only what I wanted, and not in every configuration. First of all, I wanted to see how the individual headphones performed in the best default configuration, which later turned out not to be the case. In sequence.
Listening
First, since I have D8000 OG at home, the Final D8000 PRO version went. The G pads are the same as mine, but with a better silver cable added and a slightly different tuning. I connected them to Luna connected to DAVE. The well-known, dense sound came back in a slightly less spectacular version than my headphones. Very good stretched bottom filled to the brim. A brighter version of the original ones, but playing flatter and brighter, without the reverberation and this elite opening of the sound with dynamics and delineation of sounds reminiscent of the 80s. Not so old-fashioned sound, more neutral and technical, not so original, polite and more ordinary. Still great but still sounding, how to say - normal. Very good planars, arranged and complete in every respect. I have nothing against them, but I prefer my D8000 with G pads. The original ones are darker and denser, with the G pads you can move the midrange a bit and it is not so hyperactive. I didn't take them that day because I was a bit afraid to travel with them, take them to hotels, shops, etc. But I understood the difference between these headphones. This is mainly a difference in favor of the culture of playing the newer projections, but at the expense of a flatter sound, less sphericality, dynamics and reverberation. The headphones no longer have the style that was given to the previous version by the old masters from Sony and Yamaha who took part in tuning them.
I completely forgot to connect them to the hole in DAVE. Well...
Next came the new HEDDphone 2. Well, that was fun. No matter what you connect them to, what DAC you choose, what amplifier you connect, you get a different sound. Hundreds of configurations and slightly different sound profiles in one headphone. Headphones are as dependent on the accompanying equipment as any other. Practically completely transparent, taking this aspect into account, because no matter what you played or plugged into, they took over the style of the source, the amplifier, the musical style and changed like a chameleon. It was as if they had no character of their own. I probably spent the most time on these headphones that Friday. Ze WA 23 Luna They sounded too light for me, with the midrange being too advanced, exposing the treble too much, but DAVE brought out such detail from them that it is simply unheard of. You can only hear so much in electrostatics. DAVE was responsible for the too extended diameter. Similarly, the Qutest game only does not enhance the sound with its great dark tone. Qutest is just like a DAVe, but without the general sonic polish. But it's the same style. The bass in this combination was too thin and too transparent, like a thin fabric, it had focus and speed but lacked texture. These headphones, however, played great with another Chord, the Hugo TT2. This device seemed to be made for them. Many other headphones that day played great with it. It doesn't throw anything forward, has great musical perspective, delineates sounds with thick lines, has good load and a neutral timbre complementing the natural message. Nothing about it is EXTRA at first glance, but it is such good, equal equipment that stays for longer and becomes a determinant of quality, driving almost all headphones to their full potential. Apart from the most difficult and crazy ones like Abyss, Susvara, and other strange things that are too strange to play with something normal and you have to choose other strange things for them. Like Grado. HEDDphone 2 paired with Hugo TT2 was one of the best sounds this weekend. Of course, you have to give it to DAV that he also played great, but not as well due to the smaller fit with these headphones, but he played well from his hole. Overall, DAVE from his hole is an amazing piece of kit, each headphone has a dark character that makes listening easier, and it has to be that way, because its speed, detail and overall style are simply fire. Qutest can do something similar, but you need to give it a different power supply to lower its tone and make it richer and thicker. These steps have been taken on my part and the effect will be visible/audible in a month. With its own power supply, the Qutest sounds brighter and drier, a bit too sharp and not very cultured when compared to the flagship.
In general, with this TT2 it turned out so that I only noticed it later. That's why I didn't listen to everything because there was so much equipment that I started to get confused. So come on.
Well, Abyss1266. What version? Well, crap, I didn't ask. But probably the newest one. I think so Whatever it is, these headphones are amazing. These are headphones that can absorb any power and quality from a track and, like HEDDphone 2, show quite large discrepancies depending on the track. It's quite easy to make these headphones sound too bright, overshoot them in terms of timbre, and it quickly becomes thin and flat. They like electricity and very good DACs. They only play with the most expensive equipment. CHord DAVE was a good DAC for them, but unfortunately Luna couldn't handle it. They need some powerful transistor to my ears. I connected them to TT2 and DAVE, my conclusion is that, surprisingly, they have a very good chance of playing quite well in my current set, Qutest/Anni, because the TT2 served them quite well as an amplifier, but as a DAC DAVE. Qutest is practically DAVE, only without a power supply, and Anni is an analog section from TT2, only with better bass. So there is some positive in this. After purchasing a power supply for Qutest Anni, it is possible that the path to these Abyss could be open even with my current equipment, but they will not still play 100 percent for sure. Moreover, their ergonomics are very poor.
DAVE plus Luna showed a very good overall style, but too light for these headphones. great three dimensions, speed, sound formation. DAVe suited them, but on TT2 their sound was too flat, it merged spherically into one unit. Its quality is ok but the style didn't fit. The amplifier worked well, but it could have been better. I think that on that day nothing really helped them as an amplifier. These are elite headphones that can play very differently, but it's hard to get really strong sound out of them, but it's very easy to mess something up. I give up on them because they require too much money and in my opinion they don't sound as powerful as some people say. Enough, but Ultrasone PURE for PLN 700 sounds more powerful. And from just about anything. Overall, the Abyss were very spacious, three-dimensional, with incredible separation and volume of sound. The instruments showed best as a whole, like Utopia, full three-dimensional space, with its own place, everything separately with a lot of air around. With a very expensive track built underneath them, they can probably move mountains and can easily be labeled the best in the world. You feel that they have the potential to play the best of all the ones I've listened to, but I wasn't able to achieve it during this listening session. I'll leave them aside for now, but their potential is huge, I think we managed to get out of them about 60% of what they can play. As a DAC, DAVE is probably sufficient or almost sufficient, but the amplifier is an open question. Of all the headphones, they had the most un-headphone-like sound, the message flowing into the speakers, forming real music, they were the closest to jumping into live music. That's probably why, for many, they are the best in the world.
In the meantime, when I was listening, Solitaire P and Susvara arrived. The Susvars played well without any weak features, with a large stage, volume, detail and culture. It was balanced perfectly and everything was spot on. They gave the impression that the most important thing for them was amplification, not the DAC. Everything sounded OK, with some differences, but one thing always stuck out - the lack of real power in the message. You just felt that no matter what you did, there would be a power outage. Forever little. They were still a bit too slow and muddy for this price, and did not carry any real power or outstanding energy. The rest was ok. Colors etc. I have nothing against them, but driving them is a backbreaking task, even more so than Abyss.
Solitaire P. MVP that day, the best headphones I listened to that day and the best overall, at least for me. In a sense, I would choose them over Abyss, but only in the configuration I listened to. perfectly put together sound with a strong bass extended to the very bottom and with huge volume. Their bass keeps breathing until the very end of the frequency scale, they do not lose any of the music in the lowest registers and they do it with virtually every full-fledged headphone. Each of the current amplifiers worked well. Any DAC would also suit them because they have a great soprano that always complements the rest, it only does what it is supposed to do, it doesn't try to be the center of attention. It does not lean out, maintaining calm and appropriate colors, it is perfectly combined with the rest and placed in the message so that it never interferes. The headphones cannot be introduced into any negative vibrations, they do not distort, they do not whine, they are never too bright, the sound is very stable and designed to be easy to listen to. They will play from many configurations. It can only get better and better and better, but never bad. A very big sound set on a solid base with a lot of fun factor and energy, in my ranking the headphones slightly outperformed my Final D8000 on G pads. It's a similar sound, but a bit better thought out, cultured and more coherent. This would be my next purchase goal if it weren't for one drawback, namely the headband. It's poorly designed and doesn't take into account people with big heads. The headphones were resting on my head with the metal parts of the headband adjustment and it was a terrible experience. I couldn't completely adjust the pads to my head because they simply didn't fit. A complete and disgraceful ergonomic failure of these wonderful headphones. Unfortunately, this is a disqualification because it is impossible for me to use them for longer than 5 minutes. And this is the tragedy of this model, or rather my square head. I wonder how their owners use them because I have never seen such a narrow headband and such a structure. Doesn't something like this bother you? Or maybe it just happened to me because of the shape of my head?
These were the most interesting headphones and main comparisons. The other greats were the Sony MDR Z1R, which sounded almost like my Pioneer SE Master 1, but tighter, with a bigger bass, and a bit darker. Overall very similar. A huge sound of modern and enhanced dynamics that try to show more than their design allows. It has nothing to do with the realistic, loaded sound without the artificiality generated by planar transducers or the super transparent one with HEDD, but they did the job. However, the Pioneers are a bit better.
I also left out the Meze Elite planar headphones, which didn't put any particular pressure on anything, they sounded even and very versatile, they couldn't create a lot of pressure, generally a huge sound, but they focused on pleasure and balance. I wouldn't choose them over Solitaire and they wouldn't be suitable for my music, they weren't in any way original like HEDD, but they are a great tool for relaxing music for someone who doesn't want to lose any detail, but at the same time loves dense, high-quality sound. A compromise between all the most important aspects of headphone sound. They can be easily paired with most available amplifiers and dacs. They don't make a stunning impression, but I think that for many people they can be a combination of many worlds and if someone is looking for cans that play everything well at the highest possible level, the Elite ones are the first in the queue for testing. Would I prefer them to my D8000s on G pads? No, rather not. They are too delicate for me.
The Audeze LCD2 sounded very nice, resembling Solitaire P only at a lower overall level. However, if someone does not currently have PLN 26,000 for Solitaire p and wants to do the same, just take these Audeze and drive them well, contrary to appearances, you don't need that much. At least the newer ones don't bother me either. No original playing because I know them well, but I could easily listen to them. In fact, I prefer their wall of sound and timbre to all those hiends that are difficult to drive and provide more only in direct comparisons, but in the long run you always prefer a big sound set on a solid base, with a large volume and with a subdued treble that does not push itself everywhere. I still prefer my D8000 or Solitaire for efficiency or more energy. In addition, Solitaire shows off the stage and volume, and Final shows off reverbs and space shaping, but Audeze will be enough for many people. They do a great job with Chord amplifiers and it is impossible not to appreciate them.
There were also Fiio FT5s that I own. I'm writing about them after Audez because they really don't differ much. They play with a slightly softer bass compared to the LCD2. The FT5 are more relaxing, they are warmer and the Dorbin has less edges in the sounds, a bit melted in their presentation, with the TT2 they were a bit too calm, I haven't listened to them with DAVE, but I have a comparison at home, so I know that it turns out that DAVE will definitely stimulate them more, and with Qutest/Anni play spectacularly and can be as spectacular as they need to be. The headphones are great, but you have to remember about their character and, depending on what you want to achieve, you should pair them with more or less aggressive tracks. For me it will be something more aggressive. These are good headphones that move the midrange a bit so that you can listen well. They have a subdued treble, overall timbre and super diverse bass. Ultimately, however, I would prefer Audeze over them, which was the result in a direct comparison, although at the beginning I was of the opinion that they could easily beat them. In fact, I would prefer these Audeze headphones to most of the headphones on the market, because you can do everything with one piece. Ultimately, however, they can't add anything to any art I currently own, so having them would be just another whim. Maybe I will fulfill it, but not now.
The headphones that I didn't like were the Sennheiser HD820. These are slightly strange-sounding headphones that pump out all the sound as if by force, they have poor-quality bass, a cardboard-like one, and a large diameter, as if overactive. my music didn't play on them, the tube didn't help them at all because it didn't bring anything. Just like the XLR connector in the LUNA amplifier did not help the Susvars. No difference between a big jam. Still no proper drive. At least these Susvars didn't lose as much as the Abyss when they changed lanes.
finally, headphones that became my property. Ultrasone Signature PURE. Amazing bass and easy to drive. They showed every headphone mentioned above and all my headphones, even D8000 on G pads, what bass means. The bass in them is simply different, larger, more caloric, inflated, sweeping, due to the design. Such a large bass does not prevent the headphones from having a delicate and visible treble, although recessed, and the midrange tuned so that those regions do not tire us. There will be too much bass for many people. I can safely say that this is probably the king of bass among the headphones I know. I don't remember if Tribute 7 could do that, but I think so. Those ones definitely had a better soprano. My other 3 headphones, the Pioneer Master, the FT 5 Fiio and the Final D8000 can fight each other, with the D8000 usually winning on the G pads when ROON is playing, but the Ultrasone ones are on a different level. A true power from hell. ROON or YouTube, it's always at the MAX.
These are not perfect headphones, but they suit my tastes, playing my music in an amazing way. Due to their original way of presenting the sound and the spatial location of the sources, they are quite insensitive to changes in DACs and, due to their effectiveness, insensitive to changes in amplification. They are smooth and warm, have a slightly soprano cut back and to the sides, which means that they are not aggressive, and the intensity is mainly created by the bass and the way it is played. A constant attack on the listener, depth, volume, attack force, impact, overall pressure and energy of the sound. Their price in relation to what they provide for me is ridiculous. I didn't even think about it for a moment and actually didn't write it at the beginning, but when I put them on my ears, after 5 minutes I knew that I would wear them. Now I'm waiting for them to warm up and clear up a bit. Then I will write more about them.
Final grade
DAC and amplifiers
Chord TT2 - the most universal device that you can buy blindly, it will drive most headphones without a problem, its headphone is matched to the DAC, it played great with Audeze, with MEze, with Ultrasone, with Solitaire and basically with everything except Abyss and Susvar that are on it flattened. They prefer powerful DACs like DAVE and powerful amplifiers that pump a lot of current into them. otherwise it's a shame to approach them. But this Chord will do the job with any "normal" headphones. It doesn't play forward in the manner of Qutest or DAVE or NAIM equipment. it is subdued in terms of the place of the midrange and trebles in the presentation, timbre and appropriately loads the sound. Recommendation.
DAVE - an expensive flagship DAC that also has a great headphone amplifier on board. Fast, detailed sound with a front-facing midrange, combining many worlds. Despite all the detail and extrovert character, it remains darkened and correct, with an intensity of sound that surpasses everything I know. I would probably prefer to listen with TT2 on a daily basis, but some headphones ask for something like DAVE and I would reach for it if I ran out of emotions. I could actually listen to both DAVe and TT2, both are great devices. Listening through the DAVE hole is a true experience through headphones, a substantive gesture and a darkened message that gives the impression of real speed and intensity, energy, as if the entire music had been brought to life so strongly that it seems impossible how it can retain this timbre with this way of playing. Recommendation. Only this price... I hope that the high-class linear power supply ordered for Qutest and Anni will allow me to get closer to DAVE's level. If not, I might just skip Qutest/Anni on Hugo TT2. DAVE is out of the picture for now. TT2 is safe, but in the back of your mind there is this amazing musical substance of the flagship Chord. He set aside the mediocre equipment too clearly. Recommendation.
Woo Audio WA23 Luna - well, a 300b tube amplifier that sounded like a typical tube. A highly refined amplifier with a light and three-dimensional sound. Expensive and not as strong as it may seem. The gain adjustment didn't do much, the differences between the big jam and the XLR are minimal or inaudible. I don't know if it can be said that it is priced well because I liked Chord's integrated amplifiers better. I like my Anni better too. I don't know if lamps are really the way for me. They sound expressive but light and the sound of this amplifier was like a vivid picture painted with watered down paints. As if you could see through the canvas because it was thin. For 55,000 PLN it's not enough to impress me. This can be achieved much cheaper by using a transistor amplifier. Overall, the impedance and gain knobs had little effect. The sound did not change its state of concentration into a more fleshy or tangible one, some details appeared, it was a little smaller or more aggressive, sometimes smoother but always the same, at a general high level but it did not bring anything to my attention.
Questyle CMA 15 - I can't comment, his playing slipped my mind, but I don't remember that he stood out in any way. The fact that I didn't remember it means that maybe it wasn't bad, but I remember why it wasn't that great. Well...
Headphones divided into recommended, not recommended and beyond the usual scale.
Out of scale:
Abyss 1266 - I think that they were not optimally driven and they need to be configured by ear, these are not safe headphones. They swallow power and quality like crazy. They require a lot of resources, but they will probably reward you with the best sound from headphones that many will hear. Sound spread out on a huge stage, taken out of the headphones, out of the head and placed in space, a step further to the idea of playing the speakers' message on the headphones. This is unlikely to be implemented, but attempts are being made. The originality of their sound places them beyond most standard headphone rating scales, and forces them to be considered a separate event in the world of headphones. They can play like a dream and like a tragedy. Sometimes it's both things at the same time.
Ultrasone Signture PURE - headphones with a sound so big that it resembles a hurricane rolling through. Like the Ultrasone Tribute 7, they resemble sitting in a room in front of two-meter high speakers, 2 meters away from them. They are smooth and do not sting your ears. The Ultrasone school does not apply to all models, but this one also refers to placing the speakers in the headphones. Only here they added one subwoofer per transducer. A huge sound, not in the Hi end range, rather due to its hi fidelity tuning, but in a quite killer style. Wherever there is a lack of mass and power, where it is sluggish, these headphones will do a terrible job. Their original signature, which many people will not like, makes them theoretically not recommended, but I like them very much, so due to their originality, I will put them off the scale. Because it's hard to call them anything normal with this tuning. The headphones became my property because of the sound and the incredible value for money. They will play more or less the same from almost everything.
Susvara - Headphones with potential that are difficult to drive. They play great, but their full potential is difficult to determine. They seem like standard planars, just made very well. Their problem is low effectiveness. I can't tell you what you need to give them to fuel them. Apart from that, it's hard to blame them for anything. Properly driven, they will probably suit almost everyone, they are very universal, but each amplifier has a potentiometer at the end of the scale with them.
Recomended:
Solitaire P - one of the best headphones on the market, they have everything a headphone needs, apart from ergonomics. If anyone knows Audeze LCD2 and has heard them driven well, it is similar here but at a higher level. Load, colors, volume, tonal and overall correctness. Their tuning is the gold standard, not exaggerated in anything, but always strong and intense, big in their playing. They should play any music and last for many years, as long as someone can live with them in terms of construction. Privately, probably the best sound from headphones I've ever heard. They play well with almost everything.
HEEDphone 2 - great headphones that can be a measuring device for accompanying equipment. They show the pros and cons of the equipment at a glance and allow you to easily select the rest of the track by ear. Truly transparent and reference headphones. having many faces. You can fine-tune them by simply changing one opamp in your favorite device. They sounded well with dense, quiet equipment that does not move too far forward and does not emphasize detail, but rather the density of the sound. By themselves they are fast and neutral in every respect. One of the best headphones on the market, they remained on the bench until the very end in comparisons. They won't play with everything, they need selected equipment.
Meze Elite - Great headphones, the most universal I know. They grab many magpies by the tail. Detailed, calm, strong, open, not tiring. They will play beautifully with almost everything, but if they lack filler, it may be different. There is a certain level of equipment that should not be lowered.
Final D8000 Pro - a new version of D8000, more cultured and technically efficient. There is no rattling of the membranes during heavy bass. Comfortable headphones that play everything, have great bass, next ones remind me of Audeze, just like Solitaire. Thick and plentiful at the bottom, abundant in the midrange and subdued at the top. However, there is quite a lot of this mountain here. More than in Audeze and Solitaire, more than in MEze. As much as in, say, HEDD, so a lot. They should play well with most devices. Final's message must reach not only its accompanying equipment but also its listener.
Sony MDR Z1R - good headphones, but not outstanding, with bass a bit like a well, with a reverberant rumble. You don't hear it after a while. Easy to drive, they will play well with almost everything. Good headphones with a large dim sound, play safely. As long as such bass is accepted. I have similar headphones at home, i.e. Pioneer Se Master 1. These Sony ones are slightly inferior to them in terms of the naturalness of the sound.
Not recommended:
Sennhesier HD820 - a closed version of the HD800s, with sound trying to prove that you can make a closed HD800, I think. But in my opinion it's a flop. Quite tiring headphones that create such volume that they hit everything at once, as if everything was deliberately boosted, it is somehow too much and unnatural. The bass crackles through the glass in the transducer housing. In my opinion, it is a weak bass, made of cardboard and kind of single-hoofed, artificial. The midrange is aggressive and their entire playing style is strange and bland, but tonally they are correct. the color is quite neutral, neither cold nor warm. Such bland headphones. I don't like playing this way with many amplifiers. Sennhesier still places specific demands on amplifiers with its HD800.
Grado SR325x - I haven't talked about them so I will only mention them briefly here. Another specific headphone that sounds strange. Strong colored bass, concentrating power in the upper and mid sections, not sparingly in the low bass. the midrange is interesting, but something happened to the soprano. Namely, you can't hear it
I'm tired and I'm a bit at a loss for words.
There were a lot of headphones that I didn't listen to. There was also Solitaire P SE, some Fostex, a lot of HiFimans that there was no point in listening to and some Beyers that I didn't want to waste my time on. I also gave up on Monoprice and some cheaper versions of less known companies. I also gave up on docks and GRP. There wasn't enough time for portable players. Too bad, another time. I'm not buying DAP for now. Maybe someday. That's it. Maybe this will be useful to someone. The descriptions are not accurate because it would take too much time, I don't have the strength to write so much. This is not a review. These scribbles were written in one evening and half a night. Regards.
Translated with Google translator.
Recently, an idea was born to listen to a few high-end models, as this topic has become more and more popular over the past few years and, of course, as usual, I'm behind the times. So the plans were made, a vacation in the calendar, a call to the Wrocław mp3 store and an order for models to listen to. The participants were top-class players and supposedly real specialists in the headphone world - Solitaire P, Abyss 1266, HiFiMan Susvara and others. The day of departure came, I packed up my ass and drove along the A4 route, towards Wrocław.
The first adversity occurred quite quickly and was quite serious because the trip almost ended before it started. The right rear was damaged, and on the sill near the wheel arch there was bare rust from a piece of paint that had been torn off. What could have happened? I'm wondering. After visiting the volcano, the owner said "the tire is fuc..." but with an old spare, we could continue flying. The rest will be tapped out, and strangely enough, that's how it was supposed to be done. It's difficult.
I finally managed to get there and I was immediately struck by the crowds of a big city. I prefer the peace and quiet of the countryside, although I will admit that there is a lot going on in Wrocław and there are places to go in the evening. Lots of shops. In my city, the atmosphere is more of a city than a village, but there is nowhere else to go. If this one pub organizes an event, no one will come in on Saturday and you can drink beer at home. Poorly. I could probably get used to this Wrocław. Well, why not? The only annoying thing is the traffic when you drive a car. It's all too much, but most of it is standing at traffic lights. Catastrophe. I left my car in an underground parking lot 700 meters from the store. PLN 30 for a few hours of parking. Beautiful thing heh
A moment of searching and here I am, I enter, all in white...The MP3store Wrocław store has changed its location. Now it is located closer to the center, near an underground parking lot on the ground floor of a fairly modern apartment block. I climbed in. Behind the desk sat a nefarious salesman nicknamed Kurop. There are plenty of headphones on stands around. The store is nice and tidy, equipped with a toilet which I fed immediately after arriving. A moment of conversation with a colleague, another audiophile. The guy bought Fostex TH610. Let them serve him.
The equipment was ready. There was a regular Tidal laptop on the desk. I felt pressure around my rectal sphincter, which turned out to be an ass-tightening regret because unfortunately I couldn't use my favorite player, ROON. It's difficult. The laptop was connected to the Questyle CMA 15 - a dac/amplifier from Questyle. I only listened to it for a while, probably with Ultrasone PURE, and I never came back to it. Unfortunately, I don't remember how it played because I didn't really get into it as on the other desk I noticed a Chord DAVE connected to a TAGA conditioner or some strip with a display. It was connected to Woo Audio WA23 Luna on 300B tubes. I will say right away that I didn't manage to test everything I saw, only what I wanted, and not in every configuration. First of all, I wanted to see how the individual headphones performed in the best default configuration, which later turned out not to be the case. In sequence.
Listening
First, since I have D8000 OG at home, the Final D8000 PRO version went. The G pads are the same as mine, but with a better silver cable added and a slightly different tuning. I connected them to Luna connected to DAVE. The well-known, dense sound came back in a slightly less spectacular version than my headphones. Very good stretched bottom filled to the brim. A brighter version of the original ones, but playing flatter and brighter, without the reverberation and this elite opening of the sound with dynamics and delineation of sounds reminiscent of the 80s. Not so old-fashioned sound, more neutral and technical, not so original, polite and more ordinary. Still great but still sounding, how to say - normal. Very good planars, arranged and complete in every respect. I have nothing against them, but I prefer my D8000 with G pads. The original ones are darker and denser, with the G pads you can move the midrange a bit and it is not so hyperactive. I didn't take them that day because I was a bit afraid to travel with them, take them to hotels, shops, etc. But I understood the difference between these headphones. This is mainly a difference in favor of the culture of playing the newer projections, but at the expense of a flatter sound, less sphericality, dynamics and reverberation. The headphones no longer have the style that was given to the previous version by the old masters from Sony and Yamaha who took part in tuning them.
I completely forgot to connect them to the hole in DAVE. Well...
Next came the new HEDDphone 2. Well, that was fun. No matter what you connect them to, what DAC you choose, what amplifier you connect, you get a different sound. Hundreds of configurations and slightly different sound profiles in one headphone. Headphones are as dependent on the accompanying equipment as any other. Practically completely transparent, taking this aspect into account, because no matter what you played or plugged into, they took over the style of the source, the amplifier, the musical style and changed like a chameleon. It was as if they had no character of their own. I probably spent the most time on these headphones that Friday. Ze WA 23 Luna They sounded too light for me, with the midrange being too advanced, exposing the treble too much, but DAVE brought out such detail from them that it is simply unheard of. You can only hear so much in electrostatics. DAVE was responsible for the too extended diameter. Similarly, the Qutest game only does not enhance the sound with its great dark tone. Qutest is just like a DAVe, but without the general sonic polish. But it's the same style. The bass in this combination was too thin and too transparent, like a thin fabric, it had focus and speed but lacked texture. These headphones, however, played great with another Chord, the Hugo TT2. This device seemed to be made for them. Many other headphones that day played great with it. It doesn't throw anything forward, has great musical perspective, delineates sounds with thick lines, has good load and a neutral timbre complementing the natural message. Nothing about it is EXTRA at first glance, but it is such good, equal equipment that stays for longer and becomes a determinant of quality, driving almost all headphones to their full potential. Apart from the most difficult and crazy ones like Abyss, Susvara, and other strange things that are too strange to play with something normal and you have to choose other strange things for them. Like Grado. HEDDphone 2 paired with Hugo TT2 was one of the best sounds this weekend. Of course, you have to give it to DAV that he also played great, but not as well due to the smaller fit with these headphones, but he played well from his hole. Overall, DAVE from his hole is an amazing piece of kit, each headphone has a dark character that makes listening easier, and it has to be that way, because its speed, detail and overall style are simply fire. Qutest can do something similar, but you need to give it a different power supply to lower its tone and make it richer and thicker. These steps have been taken on my part and the effect will be visible/audible in a month. With its own power supply, the Qutest sounds brighter and drier, a bit too sharp and not very cultured when compared to the flagship.
In general, with this TT2 it turned out so that I only noticed it later. That's why I didn't listen to everything because there was so much equipment that I started to get confused. So come on.
Well, Abyss1266. What version? Well, crap, I didn't ask. But probably the newest one. I think so
Whatever it is, these headphones are amazing. These are headphones that can absorb any power and quality from a track and, like HEDDphone 2, show quite large discrepancies depending on the track. It's quite easy to make these headphones sound too bright, overshoot them in terms of timbre, and it quickly becomes thin and flat. They like electricity and very good DACs. They only play with the most expensive equipment. CHord DAVE was a good DAC for them, but unfortunately Luna couldn't handle it. They need some powerful transistor to my ears. I connected them to TT2 and DAVE, my conclusion is that, surprisingly, they have a very good chance of playing quite well in my current set, Qutest/Anni, because the TT2 served them quite well as an amplifier, but as a DAC DAVE. Qutest is practically DAVE, only without a power supply, and Anni is an analog section from TT2, only with better bass. So there is some positive in this. After purchasing a power supply for Qutest Anni, it is possible that the path to these Abyss could be open even with my current equipment, but they will not still play 100 percent for sure. Moreover, their ergonomics are very poor.DAVE plus Luna showed a very good overall style, but too light for these headphones. great three dimensions, speed, sound formation. DAVe suited them, but on TT2 their sound was too flat, it merged spherically into one unit. Its quality is ok but the style didn't fit. The amplifier worked well, but it could have been better. I think that on that day nothing really helped them as an amplifier. These are elite headphones that can play very differently, but it's hard to get really strong sound out of them, but it's very easy to mess something up. I give up on them because they require too much money and in my opinion they don't sound as powerful as some people say. Enough, but Ultrasone PURE for PLN 700 sounds more powerful. And from just about anything. Overall, the Abyss were very spacious, three-dimensional, with incredible separation and volume of sound. The instruments showed best as a whole, like Utopia, full three-dimensional space, with its own place, everything separately with a lot of air around. With a very expensive track built underneath them, they can probably move mountains and can easily be labeled the best in the world. You feel that they have the potential to play the best of all the ones I've listened to, but I wasn't able to achieve it during this listening session. I'll leave them aside for now, but their potential is huge, I think we managed to get out of them about 60% of what they can play. As a DAC, DAVE is probably sufficient or almost sufficient, but the amplifier is an open question. Of all the headphones, they had the most un-headphone-like sound, the message flowing into the speakers, forming real music, they were the closest to jumping into live music. That's probably why, for many, they are the best in the world.
In the meantime, when I was listening, Solitaire P and Susvara arrived. The Susvars played well without any weak features, with a large stage, volume, detail and culture. It was balanced perfectly and everything was spot on. They gave the impression that the most important thing for them was amplification, not the DAC. Everything sounded OK, with some differences, but one thing always stuck out - the lack of real power in the message. You just felt that no matter what you did, there would be a power outage. Forever little. They were still a bit too slow and muddy for this price, and did not carry any real power or outstanding energy. The rest was ok. Colors etc. I have nothing against them, but driving them is a backbreaking task, even more so than Abyss.
Solitaire P. MVP that day, the best headphones I listened to that day and the best overall, at least for me. In a sense, I would choose them over Abyss, but only in the configuration I listened to. perfectly put together sound with a strong bass extended to the very bottom and with huge volume. Their bass keeps breathing until the very end of the frequency scale, they do not lose any of the music in the lowest registers and they do it with virtually every full-fledged headphone. Each of the current amplifiers worked well. Any DAC would also suit them because they have a great soprano that always complements the rest, it only does what it is supposed to do, it doesn't try to be the center of attention. It does not lean out, maintaining calm and appropriate colors, it is perfectly combined with the rest and placed in the message so that it never interferes. The headphones cannot be introduced into any negative vibrations, they do not distort, they do not whine, they are never too bright, the sound is very stable and designed to be easy to listen to. They will play from many configurations. It can only get better and better and better, but never bad. A very big sound set on a solid base with a lot of fun factor and energy, in my ranking the headphones slightly outperformed my Final D8000 on G pads. It's a similar sound, but a bit better thought out, cultured and more coherent. This would be my next purchase goal if it weren't for one drawback, namely the headband. It's poorly designed and doesn't take into account people with big heads. The headphones were resting on my head with the metal parts of the headband adjustment and it was a terrible experience. I couldn't completely adjust the pads to my head because they simply didn't fit. A complete and disgraceful ergonomic failure of these wonderful headphones. Unfortunately, this is a disqualification because it is impossible for me to use them for longer than 5 minutes. And this is the tragedy of this model, or rather my square head. I wonder how their owners use them because I have never seen such a narrow headband and such a structure. Doesn't something like this bother you? Or maybe it just happened to me because of the shape of my head?
These were the most interesting headphones and main comparisons. The other greats were the Sony MDR Z1R, which sounded almost like my Pioneer SE Master 1, but tighter, with a bigger bass, and a bit darker. Overall very similar. A huge sound of modern and enhanced dynamics that try to show more than their design allows. It has nothing to do with the realistic, loaded sound without the artificiality generated by planar transducers or the super transparent one with HEDD, but they did the job. However, the Pioneers are a bit better.
I also left out the Meze Elite planar headphones, which didn't put any particular pressure on anything, they sounded even and very versatile, they couldn't create a lot of pressure, generally a huge sound, but they focused on pleasure and balance. I wouldn't choose them over Solitaire and they wouldn't be suitable for my music, they weren't in any way original like HEDD, but they are a great tool for relaxing music for someone who doesn't want to lose any detail, but at the same time loves dense, high-quality sound. A compromise between all the most important aspects of headphone sound. They can be easily paired with most available amplifiers and dacs. They don't make a stunning impression, but I think that for many people they can be a combination of many worlds and if someone is looking for cans that play everything well at the highest possible level, the Elite ones are the first in the queue for testing. Would I prefer them to my D8000s on G pads? No, rather not. They are too delicate for me.
The Audeze LCD2 sounded very nice, resembling Solitaire P only at a lower overall level. However, if someone does not currently have PLN 26,000 for Solitaire p and wants to do the same, just take these Audeze and drive them well, contrary to appearances, you don't need that much. At least the newer ones don't bother me either. No original playing because I know them well, but I could easily listen to them. In fact, I prefer their wall of sound and timbre to all those hiends that are difficult to drive and provide more only in direct comparisons, but in the long run you always prefer a big sound set on a solid base, with a large volume and with a subdued treble that does not push itself everywhere. I still prefer my D8000 or Solitaire for efficiency or more energy. In addition, Solitaire shows off the stage and volume, and Final shows off reverbs and space shaping, but Audeze will be enough for many people. They do a great job with Chord amplifiers and it is impossible not to appreciate them.
There were also Fiio FT5s that I own. I'm writing about them after Audez because they really don't differ much. They play with a slightly softer bass compared to the LCD2. The FT5 are more relaxing, they are warmer and the Dorbin has less edges in the sounds, a bit melted in their presentation, with the TT2 they were a bit too calm, I haven't listened to them with DAVE, but I have a comparison at home, so I know that it turns out that DAVE will definitely stimulate them more, and with Qutest/Anni play spectacularly and can be as spectacular as they need to be. The headphones are great, but you have to remember about their character and, depending on what you want to achieve, you should pair them with more or less aggressive tracks. For me it will be something more aggressive. These are good headphones that move the midrange a bit so that you can listen well. They have a subdued treble, overall timbre and super diverse bass. Ultimately, however, I would prefer Audeze over them, which was the result in a direct comparison, although at the beginning I was of the opinion that they could easily beat them. In fact, I would prefer these Audeze headphones to most of the headphones on the market, because you can do everything with one piece. Ultimately, however, they can't add anything to any art I currently own, so having them would be just another whim. Maybe I will fulfill it, but not now.
The headphones that I didn't like were the Sennheiser HD820. These are slightly strange-sounding headphones that pump out all the sound as if by force, they have poor-quality bass, a cardboard-like one, and a large diameter, as if overactive. my music didn't play on them, the tube didn't help them at all because it didn't bring anything. Just like the XLR connector in the LUNA amplifier did not help the Susvars. No difference between a big jam. Still no proper drive. At least these Susvars didn't lose as much as the Abyss when they changed lanes.
finally, headphones that became my property. Ultrasone Signature PURE. Amazing bass and easy to drive. They showed every headphone mentioned above and all my headphones, even D8000 on G pads, what bass means. The bass in them is simply different, larger, more caloric, inflated, sweeping, due to the design. Such a large bass does not prevent the headphones from having a delicate and visible treble, although recessed, and the midrange tuned so that those regions do not tire us. There will be too much bass for many people. I can safely say that this is probably the king of bass among the headphones I know. I don't remember if Tribute 7 could do that, but I think so. Those ones definitely had a better soprano. My other 3 headphones, the Pioneer Master, the FT 5 Fiio and the Final D8000 can fight each other, with the D8000 usually winning on the G pads when ROON is playing, but the Ultrasone ones are on a different level. A true power from hell. ROON or YouTube, it's always at the MAX.
These are not perfect headphones, but they suit my tastes, playing my music in an amazing way. Due to their original way of presenting the sound and the spatial location of the sources, they are quite insensitive to changes in DACs and, due to their effectiveness, insensitive to changes in amplification. They are smooth and warm, have a slightly soprano cut back and to the sides, which means that they are not aggressive, and the intensity is mainly created by the bass and the way it is played. A constant attack on the listener, depth, volume, attack force, impact, overall pressure and energy of the sound. Their price in relation to what they provide for me is ridiculous. I didn't even think about it for a moment and actually didn't write it at the beginning, but when I put them on my ears, after 5 minutes I knew that I would wear them. Now I'm waiting for them to warm up and clear up a bit. Then I will write more about them.
Final grade
DAC and amplifiers
Chord TT2 - the most universal device that you can buy blindly, it will drive most headphones without a problem, its headphone is matched to the DAC, it played great with Audeze, with MEze, with Ultrasone, with Solitaire and basically with everything except Abyss and Susvar that are on it flattened. They prefer powerful DACs like DAVE and powerful amplifiers that pump a lot of current into them. otherwise it's a shame to approach them. But this Chord will do the job with any "normal" headphones. It doesn't play forward in the manner of Qutest or DAVE or NAIM equipment. it is subdued in terms of the place of the midrange and trebles in the presentation, timbre and appropriately loads the sound. Recommendation.
DAVE - an expensive flagship DAC that also has a great headphone amplifier on board. Fast, detailed sound with a front-facing midrange, combining many worlds. Despite all the detail and extrovert character, it remains darkened and correct, with an intensity of sound that surpasses everything I know. I would probably prefer to listen with TT2 on a daily basis, but some headphones ask for something like DAVE and I would reach for it if I ran out of emotions. I could actually listen to both DAVe and TT2, both are great devices. Listening through the DAVE hole is a true experience through headphones, a substantive gesture and a darkened message that gives the impression of real speed and intensity, energy, as if the entire music had been brought to life so strongly that it seems impossible how it can retain this timbre with this way of playing. Recommendation. Only this price... I hope that the high-class linear power supply ordered for Qutest and Anni will allow me to get closer to DAVE's level. If not, I might just skip Qutest/Anni on Hugo TT2. DAVE is out of the picture for now. TT2 is safe, but in the back of your mind there is this amazing musical substance of the flagship Chord. He set aside the mediocre equipment too clearly. Recommendation.
Woo Audio WA23 Luna - well, a 300b tube amplifier that sounded like a typical tube. A highly refined amplifier with a light and three-dimensional sound. Expensive and not as strong as it may seem. The gain adjustment didn't do much, the differences between the big jam and the XLR are minimal or inaudible. I don't know if it can be said that it is priced well because I liked Chord's integrated amplifiers better. I like my Anni better too. I don't know if lamps are really the way for me. They sound expressive but light and the sound of this amplifier was like a vivid picture painted with watered down paints. As if you could see through the canvas because it was thin. For 55,000 PLN it's not enough to impress me. This can be achieved much cheaper by using a transistor amplifier. Overall, the impedance and gain knobs had little effect. The sound did not change its state of concentration into a more fleshy or tangible one, some details appeared, it was a little smaller or more aggressive, sometimes smoother but always the same, at a general high level but it did not bring anything to my attention.
Questyle CMA 15 - I can't comment, his playing slipped my mind, but I don't remember that he stood out in any way. The fact that I didn't remember it means that maybe it wasn't bad, but I remember why it wasn't that great. Well...
Headphones divided into recommended, not recommended and beyond the usual scale.
Out of scale:
Abyss 1266 - I think that they were not optimally driven and they need to be configured by ear, these are not safe headphones. They swallow power and quality like crazy. They require a lot of resources, but they will probably reward you with the best sound from headphones that many will hear. Sound spread out on a huge stage, taken out of the headphones, out of the head and placed in space, a step further to the idea of playing the speakers' message on the headphones. This is unlikely to be implemented, but attempts are being made. The originality of their sound places them beyond most standard headphone rating scales, and forces them to be considered a separate event in the world of headphones. They can play like a dream and like a tragedy. Sometimes it's both things at the same time.
Ultrasone Signture PURE - headphones with a sound so big that it resembles a hurricane rolling through. Like the Ultrasone Tribute 7, they resemble sitting in a room in front of two-meter high speakers, 2 meters away from them. They are smooth and do not sting your ears. The Ultrasone school does not apply to all models, but this one also refers to placing the speakers in the headphones. Only here they added one subwoofer per transducer. A huge sound, not in the Hi end range, rather due to its hi fidelity tuning, but in a quite killer style. Wherever there is a lack of mass and power, where it is sluggish, these headphones will do a terrible job. Their original signature, which many people will not like, makes them theoretically not recommended, but I like them very much, so due to their originality, I will put them off the scale. Because it's hard to call them anything normal with this tuning. The headphones became my property because of the sound and the incredible value for money. They will play more or less the same from almost everything.
Susvara - Headphones with potential that are difficult to drive. They play great, but their full potential is difficult to determine. They seem like standard planars, just made very well. Their problem is low effectiveness. I can't tell you what you need to give them to fuel them. Apart from that, it's hard to blame them for anything. Properly driven, they will probably suit almost everyone, they are very universal, but each amplifier has a potentiometer at the end of the scale with them.
Recomended:
Solitaire P - one of the best headphones on the market, they have everything a headphone needs, apart from ergonomics. If anyone knows Audeze LCD2 and has heard them driven well, it is similar here but at a higher level. Load, colors, volume, tonal and overall correctness. Their tuning is the gold standard, not exaggerated in anything, but always strong and intense, big in their playing. They should play any music and last for many years, as long as someone can live with them in terms of construction. Privately, probably the best sound from headphones I've ever heard. They play well with almost everything.
HEEDphone 2 - great headphones that can be a measuring device for accompanying equipment. They show the pros and cons of the equipment at a glance and allow you to easily select the rest of the track by ear. Truly transparent and reference headphones. having many faces. You can fine-tune them by simply changing one opamp in your favorite device. They sounded well with dense, quiet equipment that does not move too far forward and does not emphasize detail, but rather the density of the sound. By themselves they are fast and neutral in every respect. One of the best headphones on the market, they remained on the bench until the very end in comparisons. They won't play with everything, they need selected equipment.
Meze Elite - Great headphones, the most universal I know. They grab many magpies by the tail. Detailed, calm, strong, open, not tiring. They will play beautifully with almost everything, but if they lack filler, it may be different. There is a certain level of equipment that should not be lowered.
Final D8000 Pro - a new version of D8000, more cultured and technically efficient. There is no rattling of the membranes during heavy bass. Comfortable headphones that play everything, have great bass, next ones remind me of Audeze, just like Solitaire. Thick and plentiful at the bottom, abundant in the midrange and subdued at the top. However, there is quite a lot of this mountain here. More than in Audeze and Solitaire, more than in MEze. As much as in, say, HEDD, so a lot. They should play well with most devices. Final's message must reach not only its accompanying equipment but also its listener.
Sony MDR Z1R - good headphones, but not outstanding, with bass a bit like a well, with a reverberant rumble. You don't hear it after a while. Easy to drive, they will play well with almost everything. Good headphones with a large dim sound, play safely. As long as such bass is accepted. I have similar headphones at home, i.e. Pioneer Se Master 1. These Sony ones are slightly inferior to them in terms of the naturalness of the sound.
Not recommended:
Sennhesier HD820 - a closed version of the HD800s, with sound trying to prove that you can make a closed HD800, I think. But in my opinion it's a flop. Quite tiring headphones that create such volume that they hit everything at once, as if everything was deliberately boosted, it is somehow too much and unnatural. The bass crackles through the glass in the transducer housing. In my opinion, it is a weak bass, made of cardboard and kind of single-hoofed, artificial. The midrange is aggressive and their entire playing style is strange and bland, but tonally they are correct. the color is quite neutral, neither cold nor warm. Such bland headphones. I don't like playing this way with many amplifiers. Sennhesier still places specific demands on amplifiers with its HD800.
Grado SR325x - I haven't talked about them so I will only mention them briefly here. Another specific headphone that sounds strange. Strong colored bass, concentrating power in the upper and mid sections, not sparingly in the low bass. the midrange is interesting, but something happened to the soprano. Namely, you can't hear it
I'm tired and I'm a bit at a loss for words.There were a lot of headphones that I didn't listen to. There was also Solitaire P SE, some Fostex, a lot of HiFimans that there was no point in listening to and some Beyers that I didn't want to waste my time on. I also gave up on Monoprice and some cheaper versions of less known companies. I also gave up on docks and GRP. There wasn't enough time for portable players. Too bad, another time. I'm not buying DAP for now. Maybe someday. That's it. Maybe this will be useful to someone. The descriptions are not accurate because it would take too much time, I don't have the strength to write so much. This is not a review. These scribbles were written in one evening and half a night. Regards.
Translated with Google translator.
