Phenomenal review Skeeb. Really cool to see the channel grow and your talent as a reviewer expand. This is the most thorough review on the Tungsten so far and nice to see you have both the single and double sided.
I'm planning to order a purple one (with matching cable) as soon as the orders reopen on the twenty-fifth of this month. For amplification, probably the Schiit Ragnarok 2.
Thanks for your grounded review on these headphones, these are all the hype right now on audiophile forums, which is well deserved due to Ryan's hard work in making them... On the amping question...It seems the Tungstens, besides being hard to drive, also need synergy to sound their best according to the Tungsten thread on Head-Fi which I've been reading recently. In that Tungsten thread, the cheapest best amp that can drive these with good synergy is the Vioelectric V222 which is $1500! this along with the Topping DX5 LIte at $300, which is the cheapest balanced DAC that outputs 4V to the amp. This makes driving the Tungstens, more expensive than the headphones themselves. People on the forum who ask about the cheaper $490 Topping A70 Pro, which is many times more powerful are discouraged from getting it, since Topping amps don't synergize well enough...🤷♂ I am really interested in these headphones, but I don't have really deep pockets. Do you think it's just better to find a used Caldera for cheaper at $2700, since it's said in reviews that they are in the same league and have almost similar sound profiles, unlike the Arya Organics and the HE1000's. Or is it OK to just get a Topping A70 + DX5 Lite? Is synergy so important? Sorry for the long post.
I mean Ryan runs his tungsten with an A70 afaik. He says its not the best combo but it works. and tbh many dont have the cash to drop 2k for a headphone and then buy a 5k chain to run them
@@Corporalis Yeah I've heard from sources that Ryan runs his Tungsten with a A70 Pro, though even he says they aren't the best and that they sound flat with them. On reading other reviews, it seems the Flux Lab FA-10 is another contender for synergy at a fair price that has great synergy. I'm also waiting for reviews with the Class A AUNE S17 Pro amp which is at $700 with the Tungsten. Reviews and hype on the Tungsten is insane tho on forums. Some people are saying their new Tungstens are better than their Susvara's, in that they have better realistic timbre and tone. So they are ditching their more expensive Susvara's... I'll wait a bit for the hype to die down a bit for these headphones... Maybe by the time I save up for them, Ryan will have designed a Tungsten V2, hehe. thanks..
@@ndgr8claymore I dont think hell design a V2. The drivers seem to be final by now as its the 9.2 or for DS 10.1 Version of them. Other than that its a smal business and well have to wait a long time for another headphone from him I guess
After six months, (I placed an order on December 23, 2023), I received my SS Tungsten on June 18th, 2024. I have been burning them in for about 80 hours as of this writing - and listening to them too. My chain: Gustard A26 DAC Burson Soloists 3XP with Supercharger 3A and the new V7 opamps. Balanced inputs and balanced outputs Other headphones I use on this setup: • Meze Empyrean, Hifiman HE1000 v2, DCA Aeon Closed X, AKG k702 (modified) (Austria edition) I have over 8,000 songs in FLAC format. • Jazz, soundtracks, classical, house, hip-hop, reggae, beatless, lounge, rock, world, R&B, et, et, pretty much everything except K-pop & country. Impressions: • Driving the Tungsten is not an issue with my setup. Of all the headphones I’ve tried, the Tungsten is the only pair I had to use high-gain. I’ve been comfortably listening at levels between 40 and 70 out of a max level of 99 on the Burson. Yes, this is a lot of power/voltage. • The sound is balanced and musical. Extremely enjoyable. They sound more realistic than any headphones I’ve heard -> am I listening to live music?? Details stand out. Bass is strong, clean, and impactful. Male and female voices come thru clean and are placed where they should be. Separation is great. Details shine. • Every genre sounds great. These are extremely enjoyable and comfortable to listen to. • I could not be more happy considering the value-to-performance and FUN the Tungsten (combined with the Burson and Gustard) offers. Update: 7/1/2024 After hours of listening, the Tungsten is, by FAR, a more enjoyable experience than I have ever heard. Enough said!
Appreciate you sharing your impressions! It's also a great reminder to all that the SS edition is excellent as well. You give it the power it needs and it will pay you back!
I got my SS version coming in the next couple of months powered by the 3X GT and SMSL D1se but with I have a Fiios K11 R2R coming soon, which for the price is just for fun, but wanted something different until I upgrade to a Holo Cyan or something in that range. I cannot wait to the Tungstans up and running. I don't have a huge collection of cans, but I do have pairs of Arya Stealth, ZMF Bokeh, 660s, and AudioQuest Night Owls.
@@invisiblekid99 You will really appreciate the upgrade in sound from the Tungsten vs your other cans, no question. The 3X GT will drive them fantastically. Not sure the Fiios will match well; DAC output power/voltage is important. I do suggest looking into the Gustard DACs, A26 & R26, as you think about the Holo Cyan. I had several DACs before my A26 and sold all of them afterward. I never appreciated DACs (IMO, all mid-level DACs perform equally as well - I could never hear a difference between a $300 DAC vs $700 DAC.) I hear a marked improvement in my Gustard A26. You will enjoy listening to music with your Burson/Tungsten/SMSL D1 se, I'm sure.
@@oblio44 TBO the Fiio is more for just casual PC listening instead of running the Burson all the time just to listen to TH-cam etc. Althouh it will be hooked up to the Burson for all my other headphones. Gto to love the connections on the Burson 3X. I went into my local shop wanting the 3XP and got pursueded to get the 3X GT. So glad I spent the extra both for power and connections
I listened on a less powerful Kenzie or little more power and I said wow turn it up I want more. Amp was maxed and it was beautiful quite. I liked it on his Geshelli flagship amp and Dac. Forgot the model name. So lots of voltage. It’s the perfect sound quality but you may ask more if your amp isn’t up to snuff.
Great review and am thus a new subscriber! I have had many iterations of HiFiMan cans. The original Arya HEX, Arya V2 and now finally (and for about a year and a half) an HE 1000 V2 (pre-magnets) which I do find very neutral bright (somewhat too sibilant) nonetheless it does shine with some of my CD's! Let me explain and I beg your indulgence,....I have a massive CD collection (a lot of rare stuff unavailable on streaming services{especially a lot of early Robben Ford})....and thus, my chain is an Oppo BDP-105D universal disc player (playing Redbook, HD, or SA CD's) being fed through devoted, high quality, XLR cables into a Violectric V281 HPA, that has variable gain up to +12db gain into both channels if need be. As I said, currently using Hifiman he1000 V2 (older version, pre-magnets) the gain switches are set to 0 which is factory default. Due to your and others superb reviews I am seriously considering the Tungsten 2's! Will my existing setup fill the bill as far as power chain? Will I be getting a different and more enjoyable sound and even more important, will the soundstage be more or less wide as your Arya Organic as I believe my set of Hifiman's to be of similar width?? Any and all help from anyone else reading this will be greatly appreciated as well! Tired of spending $2K on the latest and greatest only to continually be getting incremental improvement! Many thanks Skeeb and/or anyone else reading.
Thanks for the review! Audio and this hobby really excites me. I just don't understand why African countries are never included in shipping options for these items/products. Anyway, still good to hear your opinions and happy new year!
I tried the DS Tungstens on the HA-3A and it sounded good but I preferred my AO's on that amp. I found my favorite pairing with the DS was the EF400 plenty of headroom as well.
Is that the Dan Clark E3 in the background, if so can you please compare to the DS and also you place the ZMF Atrium in your setup above the SD/DS. Again please state why? I am considering one of these 3 for my next purchase. BTW, great review and the best glamour shots of the Modhouse fare on offer.
Hey sorry for missing your question. Yeah comparing open to closed backs doesn't always make the most sense, tbh. Since you're asking though I can mention that both the Atrium and E3 have good bass quantity and quality. The Atrium closed can be brighter though when driven on some amp pairings, also depends on pads used. Atrium is the most dynamic also being a ZMF and you can get a nice flavored experience if you go OTL tubes. For the E3, I'm still getting my notes all down and have more listening to do. So far...it's easily one of the best closed back planars I've heard. The obvious difference would be sound leakage on the Tungsten due to being open back. Also the hardest to drive.
Why not. Virtually all reviewers do this. They compare different driver tech and open to closed. It's about preference. Phones exist which are closed although have many attributes commonly found on open phones. The different driver tech for eg. reproduce bass differently, one person might like one or the other, these and other reasons give way to discussions regards driver tech and their play on the sound. And lets not forget about amp pairings. All valid and necessary. I hope this answers your question.
I have posted a response on the headfi Tungsten thread to your comment. As you are about to make your video on the E3, please compare to the Tungsten and your ZMF. One is allowed to compare one to anything. It's about getting the right phone to the right person. I know you are somewhat fresh here although already doing a masterly job, the B-role photography is one of the best out there. Have a look at what seasoned reviewers are doing in their comparison style and format for a guide. keep up the excellent work. BTW, I have great faith in you going forward and so have subscribed to your channel. Looking forward to the E3 review.
@@michaellazaar1838 more or less yes. Yet comparing open backs with closed backs is weird imo but I can understand why you’d like to do have one, no offence
I wish I could take that part of the video back and explain better. I don't think the Arya are "better" sounding, I was explaining the ability to drive them, Focals and such will be a much easier process. Though all HP's can be amp picky in general. The Tungsten is a beast of a headphone both to drive but also for the reward you get from them when driven well.
@@Skeeb23 I got what was meant it was just funny hearing it as I was looking at those exact ones. Someone put up a used Organic up for sale so I ended up biting on it and I really like them. So my upgrade bug is satisfied for now. Also they work decently with a portable Fiio DAC to my surprise and that's been a really nice plus to them. My main stack is an SMSL SU-1 going to a Topping A90 and I was trying to think of how I could power the Tungsten inexpensively. Maybe one day I'll look at a used Tungsten when more are out there.
Great review, Ryan! Those glamor shots are nice! I have the HE1000 Stealth and am waiting for the DS version. How close are the two? How would you compare the Tungsten to the Susvara? Also, I have a tube amp (ECC83 & EL34 with 5-6W at 20/50/150/300 ohms) paired with the Bifrost 2/64. It should be more than enough to drive this monster, right? PS - Come over to CanJam Singapore too
If that is the watts around 100-150 I would think more then plenty. My HA-3A I believe out of XLR was somewhere around 750mw with the medium impedance and it was enough.
Thanks for this review, was eyeing the tungsten however I do not want to change my dac and amp at this time. I’m running a schiit stack of a bifrost 2/64 with the jotunheim 2 running All balanced. I may just go for the Arya organic , what do you think of that combination of gear ??
Arya Organic doesn't need anything special to drive it, you should be plenty happy with the results. Though keep in mind, HE1000 stealth can be had for $100 more if that tickles your fancy ;)
The Jot2 will probably drive the Tungsten out of the XLR, however, not sure if it'll be enough headroom for a good dynamic listen. I'm basing this off of my impression with the iHA-6 considering it has quite a bit of power as well but just didn't sound the best. The impedance of the Tungsten does matter here as part of the equation of how an amp will do. Correct on the Organic though, you have plenty of power on tap for that. Both balanced and unbalanced.
@@imscruffy5488 it was excellent with the HA-3A. It'll work with amps that carry enough power to drive since it's 4V out of balanced and not any higher. I'd also imagine a good preamp from the BF would work well.
Wow!! Absolutely amazing review!! The amount of work that you’ve put into it is clearly visible in this video.. the editing, the colours, the presentation….just perfect! can’t wait to watch your channel grow.. 😊 happy holidays!!! 😊
Yes, so high currant out of balanced improved transients slightly but seemed also a little more thin. High Currant out of unbalanced was a no go. The high currant cuts the power output in half and that's when I got bass distortion at higher volume out of the unbalanced.
has anybody tried the single sided tungstens on the Topping DX9?? I want to buy these on the 5th but I have a DX9 and I have a geshelli stack its a decent setup and all my IEM's work perfect... does anybody know if the dx9 can power the SS? please let me know before I go spending 1700 for these beauties. I love the work you do Skeeb keep it up. Happy new years bro I really want to get these but I need to know if my DX9 will work or what I need to get to pair with my DX9 I saw in Z's video that the A70 was working with it fine maybe at like 90% of its capabilities or alittle over 90% at the end of the video they were teasing the a70.. if the a70 works the dx9 should too right?
Skeeb, awesome video! Really appreciate the impressions. That said I have two questions. I got to try these at canjam, double and single sided. I noticed for me personally the double was harsh, and the single was not which made my preference opposite of yours, would you happen to know if that was the final configuration? Second question, Do think a vioelectric V226 would be able to drive these? I have the same tube amp as you, but I tend to prefer planars on SS personally.
Hey thanks for the comment, Alright first question: I am not sure depending on which CanJam you tried them at. Having enough power and headroom is very important for the Tungsten. So it was possible it was the amp pairing that presented the sound that way to you. Or my setup at home...I'd read up on headfi on what others have experienced. Lots of conversation going on there with the Tungsten. Honestly, that would help answer question 2 as well. I will say, considering the high impedance of the Tungsten, you may find a good Tube amp preferred over SS. I'd typically agree because many of the planars I've listened to do tend to sound great on SS. Although, I'm digging the E3 on the HA-3A (spoiler)
What're your thoughts on this vs the Meze Elite? I'm down to basically those choices but haven't heard them yet (plan to at CanJam). Budgets would end up the same with how much I'd pay to drive the Tungsten vs. Elite and an amp.
I prefer the Tungsten over the Meze Elite. The Elite is a technically excellent headphone, but it lacks the excitement factor I get out of the Tungsten. As you said, you'll need the right Amp/Power for the Tungsten, but it really sings when you give it the juice.
The double sided 180ohms Revision with the That he had a can jam with Cerakote Elite Blackout everything Except for the rods is my dream Version after that i'm not purchasing any more headphones until he makes a successor A k a double sided 300ohms version with 50db of sensitivity the schiit RAGNAROK 2 We'll drive those in high game between two and nine o'clock. That is the best pairing you can give those. The only better pairing is the HEADTRIP headphone Amplifier And if you want tube then Hifiman EF1000 Unless you want to go to the speaker amp route
Great review, I think understood when you were talking about songs with bass, you said double side for both impressions, but were slightly pointing towards the headphone you meant, is this correct?
Hey thank you. I think you meant to say 600mw, but I would imagine it would as it would be even higher at 150ohms. Probably not a ton of headroom, but it would drive it. Sound quality I'm unsure of as well
I mean an A70 pro is ~ 500$ (got mine for 409€). You can then pair it with an E50 for example which makes a total of somewhat around 700$ (prob less if buying used) for a stack that will drive them
If you had $2000 and a choice to make, which one would you pick up between E3 and tungsten DS for home listening sessions? Given that you have an amp that can power Tungsten sufficiently.
Thanks for video i realy enjoeyd it. Can i ask so is Hifiman arya organic comparable with modhouse tungsten with resolutions, details and soundstage, or is other league? I wanted new headphone and i tried hifiman organic and i realy enjoyed it, but now i gonna try meze empyrean V2 and that was last headhpone i thought of, but its even worse becouse my amp+dac isnt strong to play these headphone.
Yes the first obstacle is a good enough amp to power the Tungsten. With enough power it is definitely as good (and many would say better) quality then the Organic. I'd definitely say the DS is better and can really scale. If you don't have the amp, then the Organic and possibly Empy2 as you said would be good.
Thank you! As for the K9 Pro, I've read just a few blurbs on it. Some are saying it's not the best for high end plsnars, so that would concern me a bit. Spec wise, 1100mw @300 ohm would mean it would have more power @150ohm. So it will drive the Tungsten, just not sure on the quality to tell you yay or nay on sound quality. My iHA-6 is a great example: it has the power to drive, but I felt it lacked the quality.
@@Skeeb23 Ok, thanks very much. I’ve the K9 Pro for about a year and a half now, loving it so far and its been brilliant with everything that i’ve thrown at it. That’s said i haven’t tried driving anything nearly as hungry as the Tungsten. Thanks very much for your help!
Wonder if my Audio GD Master, Cayin C9, Fiio M17 with a linear power supply or Xduoo XD05 Pro would drive this thing. In a not so distant future I plan to get The Cayin Ha3a and a Shiit Mjolnir 3 suppose that will work well :D
Hey do I looked up the specs of the portables you listed. Based off of paper specs, Id say the xduo out of balanced has the most power oddly enough. The C9 may do ok, but not sure of the quality of driving the Tungsten. The FiiO was a bit confusing on the spec sheet. It says 500mw for 300ohm I believe...so it may do ok. I prefer these amps to list more details on the specs, or you can inquire. I wasn't sure which GD Master version you were referring to, so I don't know on that. The Mjolnir definitely will work. The HA-3A I can definitely agree with since I used it. That was with my Bifrost 2/64, so I'd just ask which DAC you'd be going with too. Either way, nice set of gear you have!
@@Skeeb23 m17 in desktop mode with linear power supply US driving The Susvara not to IT best level, but decent enough. A little bit better than the xduoo. Master 9 is quite powerfull IT is 1250mW @300ohm. My primay Dac i na Ladder Schumann R2R, secondary is M17 and later Xduoo with Ak4499Ex and Ifi Gryphon all hooked up trough a Schiit Freya +
Excellent review... Thank you. I just need to work out how to power one now. If you ever get to try the topping A70 it would be good to hear your impressions. It seems to deliver the power needed on paper and costs around USD 500 I think.
It's not just about the power (wattage) but rather about the voltage needed. So my guess is that A70 will make it plenty loud but it won't have optimal control over it. I think it has been discussed that it needs about 20V at 135 and 155 ohms respectively. Although take my comment with a pinch of salt as i've not tried it myself, maybe A70 would work perfectly. For example, someone reported good results with Cayin C9, and on paper this amp is worse than A70 i believe. So yeah ultimately we need to try it before commenting.
@@random-internet-dudeafaik the A70 delivers a shitload of voltage. I’ve read about 39 VRMS which should be enough to power the tungsten. In zeos video about amps for the tungsten at the end they even recommend the A70 pro
Honestly I wouldn't call it an improvement. It's a different type of sound. I think the Tungsten has more punchiness to it. It also has an addictive bass response to me. The HE1000SE beats it out in detail retrieval and probably over all technical performance. Both stage very well. HE1000SE is also much easier to drive then the Tungsten.
@@Skeeb23 Interesting, as positive as you are to the Tungsten, you're somehow also one of the more measured. Impression I've gotten after seeing most other reviews is that it is a clear step up from the Aryas, HE1000, LCD-X, etc
@@Fiterfull remember that sound is still as subjective as it can get. The Tungsten deserves the hype it is receiving by far. I try to stay as grounded as I can because hype can make us forget things that have been around. In this case, different driveability and sound sig (in a way).
@Skeeb23 I'd love it if you could review the Abyss Diana MR and compare it to the Caldera (and possibly both Tungstens too, if you still have them!). I'm enjoying your content btw, idk how you haven't gotten more subs.
I do understand you are somehow at the beginning, but you have no gear to review these headphones. I got 3000 Euros V550 Pro and form what I understand even that is not enough. I do recommend a AHB2 for it's power and clean, linear sound... perfect to judge gear on it, and a iDSD neo just because it has a pre-out and is a decent mid-ish level dac and the amp cost already around 3000+ $. My best headphone so far is Arya V2... I manage to make that work on a Rebel amp with a pre, on WA6-SE was ok... but on alternating between that and HD600, but I could NOT recommend it until I put it on the V550. When under power It got beaten DT880, and that is a headphone (again from what everyone say) that's not so power hungry as Tungsten, so I do strongly suggest you get the power you need.
We can agree to disagree. On the iha6 it was enough to drive but I felt lacked dynamics. The dynamics on the HA-3A was excellent and an excellent listen. Not sure how that makes it a bad judgement on the Tungsten. This hobby is a very big rabbit hole and let's remember that everyone is at a different level of the journey. Let's not forget I was in contact with Modhouse through the process and at no point was I told my gear was insufficient. We made sure of that before the headphones were sent my way.
It looks like the Lyr+ would be somewhere around 17v at the 150 impedance mark of the Tungsten. It "could" drive the Tungsten to a reasonable volume. Whether or not it would be the best quality is unknown to me. A basic safe zone for the Tungsten has been said to be around 20V. However, my HA-3A sounds excellent with the Tungsten and is closer to 11v or so. So different amps, different results as per usual. Plus I've researched and found that Transformer Tube Amps such as the HA-3A will drive things differently than SS type amps. The Lyr+ is a hybrid of either SS or Tube...so it is really hard to say. If I were to give you a guess...I would say it probably won't do the Tungsten the justice it would deserve. Pure guess though!
I don't have a deep voice and honestly I don't care for the default sound of the Shure MV7 with my voice. I always adjust audio in post to add some weight to the lower mids and cut off some sibilance. Sound is subjective, so you may not like it but it works for me.
You may not be as sensitive to that paticular peak of treble. I've heard sibilance on that track in brighter headphones for sure (the DS Tungsten i dont consider bright). Some singers just naturally have some in their voices.
@@Skeeb23 I'm actually sensitive to highs, hence why I steer towards dark sounding headphones. Never tried a Hifiman that could pierce my ears like a needle or Beyerdynamic. Good example of bad sibilance is Codependent Song by Kidneythieves or maybe even All Rivers at Once by Sevdaliza. Good review tho :)
Phenomenal review Skeeb. Really cool to see the channel grow and your talent as a reviewer expand. This is the most thorough review on the Tungsten so far and nice to see you have both the single and double sided.
🙏🙏🙏
I'm planning to order a purple one (with matching cable) as soon as the orders reopen on the twenty-fifth of this month.
For amplification, probably the Schiit Ragnarok 2.
Thanks for your grounded review on these headphones, these are all the hype right now on audiophile forums, which is well deserved due to Ryan's hard work in making them...
On the amping question...It seems the Tungstens, besides being hard to drive, also need synergy to sound their best according to the Tungsten thread on Head-Fi which I've been reading recently. In that Tungsten thread, the cheapest best amp that can drive these with good synergy is the Vioelectric V222 which is $1500! this along with the Topping DX5 LIte at $300, which is the cheapest balanced DAC that outputs 4V to the amp. This makes driving the Tungstens, more expensive than the headphones themselves.
People on the forum who ask about the cheaper $490 Topping A70 Pro, which is many times more powerful are discouraged from getting it, since Topping amps don't synergize well enough...🤷♂
I am really interested in these headphones, but I don't have really deep pockets. Do you think it's just better to find a used Caldera for cheaper at $2700, since it's said in reviews that they are in the same league and have almost similar sound profiles, unlike the Arya Organics and the HE1000's.
Or is it OK to just get a Topping A70 + DX5 Lite? Is synergy so important?
Sorry for the long post.
I mean Ryan runs his tungsten with an A70 afaik. He says its not the best combo but it works. and tbh many dont have the cash to drop 2k for a headphone and then buy a 5k chain to run them
@@Corporalis Yeah I've heard from sources that Ryan runs his Tungsten with a A70 Pro, though even he says they aren't the best and that they sound flat with them.
On reading other reviews, it seems the Flux Lab FA-10 is another contender for synergy at a fair price that has great synergy. I'm also waiting for reviews with the Class A AUNE S17 Pro amp which is at $700 with the Tungsten.
Reviews and hype on the Tungsten is insane tho on forums. Some people are saying their new Tungstens are better than their Susvara's, in that they have better realistic timbre and tone. So they are ditching their more expensive Susvara's...
I'll wait a bit for the hype to die down a bit for these headphones... Maybe by the time I save up for them, Ryan will have designed a Tungsten V2, hehe.
thanks..
@@ndgr8claymore I dont think hell design a V2. The drivers seem to be final by now as its the 9.2 or for DS 10.1 Version of them. Other than that its a smal business and well have to wait a long time for another headphone from him I guess
After six months, (I placed an order on December 23, 2023), I received my SS Tungsten on June 18th, 2024.
I have been burning them in for about 80 hours as of this writing - and listening to them too.
My chain:
Gustard A26 DAC
Burson Soloists 3XP with Supercharger 3A and the new V7 opamps.
Balanced inputs and balanced outputs
Other headphones I use on this setup:
• Meze Empyrean, Hifiman HE1000 v2, DCA Aeon Closed X, AKG k702 (modified) (Austria edition)
I have over 8,000 songs in FLAC format.
• Jazz, soundtracks, classical, house, hip-hop, reggae, beatless, lounge, rock, world, R&B, et, et, pretty much everything except K-pop & country.
Impressions:
• Driving the Tungsten is not an issue with my setup. Of all the headphones I’ve tried, the Tungsten is the only pair I had to use high-gain. I’ve been comfortably listening at levels between 40 and 70 out of a max level of 99 on the Burson. Yes, this is a lot of power/voltage.
• The sound is balanced and musical. Extremely enjoyable. They sound more realistic than any headphones I’ve heard -> am I listening to live music?? Details stand out. Bass is strong, clean, and impactful. Male and female voices come thru clean and are placed where they should be. Separation is great. Details shine.
• Every genre sounds great. These are extremely enjoyable and comfortable to listen to.
• I could not be more happy considering the value-to-performance and FUN the Tungsten (combined with the Burson and Gustard) offers.
Update: 7/1/2024 After hours of listening, the Tungsten is, by FAR, a more enjoyable experience than I have ever heard. Enough said!
Appreciate you sharing your impressions! It's also a great reminder to all that the SS edition is excellent as well. You give it the power it needs and it will pay you back!
I got my SS version coming in the next couple of months powered by the 3X GT and SMSL D1se but with I have a Fiios K11 R2R coming soon, which for the price is just for fun, but wanted something different until I upgrade to a Holo Cyan or something in that range.
I cannot wait to the Tungstans up and running.
I don't have a huge collection of cans, but I do have pairs of Arya Stealth, ZMF Bokeh, 660s, and AudioQuest Night Owls.
@@invisiblekid99 You will really appreciate the upgrade in sound from the Tungsten vs your other cans, no question. The 3X GT will drive them fantastically. Not sure the Fiios will match well; DAC output power/voltage is important. I do suggest looking into the Gustard DACs, A26 & R26, as you think about the Holo Cyan. I had several DACs before my A26 and sold all of them afterward. I never appreciated DACs (IMO, all mid-level DACs perform equally as well - I could never hear a difference between a $300 DAC vs $700 DAC.) I hear a marked improvement in my Gustard A26. You will enjoy listening to music with your Burson/Tungsten/SMSL D1 se, I'm sure.
@@oblio44 TBO the Fiio is more for just casual PC listening instead of running the Burson all the time just to listen to TH-cam etc. Althouh it will be hooked up to the Burson for all my other headphones. Gto to love the connections on the Burson 3X. I went into my local shop wanting the 3XP and got pursueded to get the 3X GT. So glad I spent the extra both for power and connections
I listened on a less powerful Kenzie or little more power and I said wow turn it up I want more. Amp was maxed and it was beautiful quite. I liked it on his Geshelli flagship amp and Dac. Forgot the model name. So lots of voltage. It’s the perfect sound quality but you may ask more if your amp isn’t up to snuff.
Great review. I have a Meze Elite/Atrium/Cayin HA-6A right now and I was debating adding a Susvara to the mix. Wondering if I should get this now..
Great review and am thus a new subscriber! I have had many iterations of HiFiMan cans. The original Arya HEX, Arya V2 and now finally (and for about a year and a half) an HE 1000 V2 (pre-magnets) which I do find very neutral bright (somewhat too sibilant) nonetheless it does shine with some of my CD's! Let me explain and I beg your indulgence,....I have a massive CD collection (a lot of rare stuff unavailable on streaming services{especially a lot of early Robben Ford})....and thus, my chain is an Oppo BDP-105D universal disc player (playing Redbook, HD, or SA CD's) being fed through devoted, high quality, XLR cables into a Violectric V281 HPA, that has variable gain up to +12db gain into both channels if need be. As I said, currently using Hifiman he1000 V2 (older version, pre-magnets) the gain switches are set to 0 which is factory default.
Due to your and others superb reviews I am seriously considering the Tungsten 2's! Will my existing setup fill the bill as far as power chain? Will I be getting a different and more enjoyable sound and even more important, will the soundstage be more or less wide as your Arya Organic as I believe my set of Hifiman's to be of similar width??
Any and all help from anyone else reading this will be greatly appreciated as well! Tired of spending $2K on the latest and greatest only to continually be getting incremental improvement!
Many thanks Skeeb and/or anyone else reading.
That purple looks soooo damn good.
Thanks for the review! Audio and this hobby really excites me. I just don't understand why African countries are never included in shipping options for these items/products. Anyway, still good to hear your opinions and happy new year!
I tried the DS Tungstens on the HA-3A and it sounded good but I preferred my AO's on that amp. I found my favorite pairing with the DS was the EF400 plenty of headroom as well.
Are you going to be reviewing the ZMF Homage?
@@droptables7663 yes just not sure when yet.
What does AO stand for?
@@BradleySpahn Atrium Open
Is that the Dan Clark E3 in the background, if so can you please compare to the DS and also you place the ZMF Atrium in your setup above the SD/DS. Again please state why? I am considering one of these 3 for my next purchase. BTW, great review and the best glamour shots of the Modhouse fare on offer.
Just out of curiosity but would a comparison between a open and a close back even make sense?
Hey sorry for missing your question. Yeah comparing open to closed backs doesn't always make the most sense, tbh. Since you're asking though I can mention that both the Atrium and E3 have good bass quantity and quality. The Atrium closed can be brighter though when driven on some amp pairings, also depends on pads used. Atrium is the most dynamic also being a ZMF and you can get a nice flavored experience if you go OTL tubes. For the E3, I'm still getting my notes all down and have more listening to do. So far...it's easily one of the best closed back planars I've heard. The obvious difference would be sound leakage on the Tungsten due to being open back. Also the hardest to drive.
Why not. Virtually all reviewers do this. They compare different driver tech and open to closed. It's about preference. Phones exist which are closed although have many attributes commonly found on open phones. The different driver tech for eg. reproduce bass differently, one person might like one or the other, these and other reasons give way to discussions regards driver tech and their play on the sound. And lets not forget about amp pairings. All valid and necessary. I hope this answers your question.
I have posted a response on the headfi Tungsten thread to your comment. As you are about to make your video on the E3, please compare to the Tungsten and your ZMF. One is allowed to compare one to anything. It's about getting the right phone to the right person. I know you are somewhat fresh here although already doing a masterly job, the B-role photography is one of the best out there. Have a look at what seasoned reviewers are doing in their comparison style and format for a guide. keep up the excellent work. BTW, I have great faith in you going forward and so have subscribed to your channel. Looking forward to the E3 review.
@@michaellazaar1838 more or less yes.
Yet comparing open backs with closed backs is weird imo but I can understand why you’d like to do have one, no offence
I've been looking at these because I was considering a Focal Clear or Arya Organic... I feel real called out by Ryan at the end there.
I wish I could take that part of the video back and explain better. I don't think the Arya are "better" sounding, I was explaining the ability to drive them, Focals and such will be a much easier process. Though all HP's can be amp picky in general. The Tungsten is a beast of a headphone both to drive but also for the reward you get from them when driven well.
@@Skeeb23 I got what was meant it was just funny hearing it as I was looking at those exact ones. Someone put up a used Organic up for sale so I ended up biting on it and I really like them. So my upgrade bug is satisfied for now. Also they work decently with a portable Fiio DAC to my surprise and that's been a really nice plus to them. My main stack is an SMSL SU-1 going to a Topping A90 and I was trying to think of how I could power the Tungsten inexpensively. Maybe one day I'll look at a used Tungsten when more are out there.
You have a new subscriber but one question.. do you think the Ifi Neo iDsd2 will run the DD version to 85db?
Great review, Ryan! Those glamor shots are nice! I have the HE1000 Stealth and am waiting for the DS version. How close are the two? How would you compare the Tungsten to the Susvara? Also, I have a tube amp (ECC83 & EL34 with 5-6W at 20/50/150/300 ohms) paired with the Bifrost 2/64. It should be more than enough to drive this monster, right?
PS - Come over to CanJam Singapore too
If that is the watts around 100-150 I would think more then plenty. My HA-3A I believe out of XLR was somewhere around 750mw with the medium impedance and it was enough.
Thanks for this review, was eyeing the tungsten however I do not want to change my dac and amp at this time. I’m running a schiit stack of a bifrost 2/64 with the jotunheim 2 running All balanced. I may just go for the Arya organic , what do you think of that combination of gear ??
Arya Organic doesn't need anything special to drive it, you should be plenty happy with the results. Though keep in mind, HE1000 stealth can be had for $100 more if that tickles your fancy ;)
The Jot2 will probably drive the Tungsten out of the XLR, however, not sure if it'll be enough headroom for a good dynamic listen. I'm basing this off of my impression with the iHA-6 considering it has quite a bit of power as well but just didn't sound the best. The impedance of the Tungsten does matter here as part of the equation of how an amp will do. Correct on the Organic though, you have plenty of power on tap for that. Both balanced and unbalanced.
@@Skeeb23My apologies if I missed this in the video, regarding the Bifrost 2/64…did you say it was a good or bad choice for either Tungsten?
@@imscruffy5488 it was excellent with the HA-3A. It'll work with amps that carry enough power to drive since it's 4V out of balanced and not any higher. I'd also imagine a good preamp from the BF would work well.
@@Skeeb23Excellent. Thank you. I have the Bifrost 2/64. And have ordered the Tungsten DS about a month ago.
Wow!! Absolutely amazing review!! The amount of work that you’ve put into it is clearly visible in this video.. the editing, the colours, the presentation….just perfect! can’t wait to watch your channel grow.. 😊 happy holidays!!! 😊
Congrats on 2k, Skeeb! I been with you over a year- think i was in the several hundreds when i followed.
Wouldn't mind getting these and lets put the fan on the Burson 3xGT to good use.
Did you have the current switch on with the iHA-6 when you were testing? Notice any difference on/off?
Yes, so high currant out of balanced improved transients slightly but seemed also a little more thin.
High Currant out of unbalanced was a no go. The high currant cuts the power output in half and that's when I got bass distortion at higher volume out of the unbalanced.
Currant is a berry. CurrE0nt can be electrical or even an oceanic movement! @@Skeeb23
@Skeeb23 Great review. In the market for a pair. Which one would you say has more of that sense of punch/slam the ss or ds?
The SS did for my chain here. Over all I found the SS to be the more aggressive of the two.
has anybody tried the single sided tungstens on the Topping DX9?? I want to buy these on the 5th but I have a DX9 and I have a geshelli stack its a decent setup and all my IEM's work perfect... does anybody know if the dx9 can power the SS? please let me know before I go spending 1700 for these beauties. I love the work you do Skeeb keep it up. Happy new years bro
I really want to get these but I need to know if my DX9 will work or what I need to get to pair with my DX9
I saw in Z's video that the A70 was working with it fine maybe at like 90% of its capabilities or alittle over 90% at the end of the video they were teasing the a70.. if the a70 works the dx9 should too right?
Skeeb, awesome video! Really appreciate the impressions.
That said I have two questions. I got to try these at canjam, double and single sided. I noticed for me personally the double was harsh, and the single was not which made my preference opposite of yours, would you happen to know if that was the final configuration?
Second question,
Do think a vioelectric V226 would be able to drive these? I have the same tube amp as you, but I tend to prefer planars on SS personally.
Hey thanks for the comment,
Alright first question: I am not sure depending on which CanJam you tried them at. Having enough power and headroom is very important for the Tungsten. So it was possible it was the amp pairing that presented the sound that way to you. Or my setup at home...I'd read up on headfi on what others have experienced. Lots of conversation going on there with the Tungsten. Honestly, that would help answer question 2 as well. I will say, considering the high impedance of the Tungsten, you may find a good Tube amp preferred over SS.
I'd typically agree because many of the planars I've listened to do tend to sound great on SS. Although, I'm digging the E3 on the HA-3A (spoiler)
Could you run these of a schiit gjallhorn power amp?.. this would be a nice cost effective option if it works.
What're your thoughts on this vs the Meze Elite? I'm down to basically those choices but haven't heard them yet (plan to at CanJam). Budgets would end up the same with how much I'd pay to drive the Tungsten vs. Elite and an amp.
I prefer the Tungsten over the Meze Elite. The Elite is a technically excellent headphone, but it lacks the excitement factor I get out of the Tungsten. As you said, you'll need the right Amp/Power for the Tungsten, but it really sings when you give it the juice.
@@Skeeb23 Nice! Thank you. Hope I find them to be the right fit for me.
perfect video title
The double sided 180ohms Revision with the That he had a can jam with Cerakote Elite Blackout everything Except for the rods is my dream Version after that i'm not purchasing any more headphones until he makes a successor A k a double sided 300ohms version with 50db of sensitivity the schiit RAGNAROK 2 We'll drive those in high game between two and nine o'clock. That is the best pairing you can give those. The only better pairing is the HEADTRIP headphone Amplifier And if you want tube then Hifiman EF1000 Unless you want to go to the speaker amp route
Nice review..I can t find it's graph
I'm sure eventually someone will measure it.
Great review, I think understood when you were talking about songs with bass, you said double side for both impressions, but were slightly pointing towards the headphone you meant, is this correct?
Yes, my mistake. I did add a text overlay to correct myself too.
@@Skeeb23 ok cool, was just making sure I got things correctly, thanks for clarifying sir!
Great review! Quick question: where'd you get that whiskey glass? I'd love to have something like that! Hope to see you again at CanJam NYC!
hi, thx for the fantastic review 😊 may a Nitsch Pietus Maximus (600 watt RMS per channel into 300 Ohms) have enough power to drive them properly?
Hey thank you. I think you meant to say 600mw, but I would imagine it would as it would be even higher at 150ohms. Probably not a ton of headroom, but it would drive it. Sound quality I'm unsure of as well
@@Skeeb23 yes 600mW 😁 thanks for the quick feedback
Love the Grumpy Goose headphone stand! I have 7 geese! I also have the Titanium rods along with the Stainless Steel rods. Btw I have the SS Tungsten
Is that the E3 in the background?
Yes it is. Coming soon!
Super curious if my RME ADI 2/4 Pro SE would be able to drive this headphone? Any leads?
I don't own one, but based on my research I'd say no
Even if I could afford this headphone I couldn’t afford to drive it lol. At least it looks cool.
I mean an A70 pro is ~ 500$ (got mine for 409€). You can then pair it with an E50 for example which makes a total of somewhat around 700$ (prob less if buying used) for a stack that will drive them
@@Corporalis maybe some day lol. Right now I’ll just enjoy my edition xs and fiio ft3, as well as a bunch of iems.
@@Hijynx87 if there is one thing I learned on my journey it’s to enjoy the gear you have and like and stop chasing the next best thing
Wondering if either Burson Soloist 3XP or Aune S17 Pro can drive these well and have good synergy? Btw, subbed!
If you had $2000 and a choice to make, which one would you pick up between E3 and tungsten DS for home listening sessions? Given that you have an amp that can power Tungsten sufficiently.
Funny you ask, my video on the E3 drops this week. I'll save my answer till after.
Thanks for video i realy enjoeyd it.
Can i ask so is Hifiman arya organic comparable with modhouse tungsten with resolutions, details and soundstage, or is other league? I wanted new headphone and i tried hifiman organic and i realy enjoyed it, but now i gonna try meze empyrean V2 and that was last headhpone i thought of, but its even worse becouse my amp+dac isnt strong to play these headphone.
Yes the first obstacle is a good enough amp to power the Tungsten. With enough power it is definitely as good (and many would say better) quality then the Organic. I'd definitely say the DS is better and can really scale. If you don't have the amp, then the Organic and possibly Empy2 as you said would be good.
Great review! Subsribed and Liked! Would a Fiio K9 Pro be able to power the Double sided Tungsten? Thanks!
Thank you! As for the K9 Pro, I've read just a few blurbs on it. Some are saying it's not the best for high end plsnars, so that would concern me a bit. Spec wise, 1100mw @300 ohm would mean it would have more power @150ohm. So it will drive the Tungsten, just not sure on the quality to tell you yay or nay on sound quality. My iHA-6 is a great example: it has the power to drive, but I felt it lacked the quality.
@@Skeeb23 Ok, thanks very much. I’ve the K9 Pro for about a year and a half now, loving it so far and its been brilliant with everything that i’ve thrown at it. That’s said i haven’t tried driving anything nearly as hungry as the Tungsten. Thanks very much for your help!
I have a Chord hugo tt2 table top dac Amp., would this be able to drive them?
@@WoodstockG54 based off the specs only I'd say yes. Almost 2w at 150ohm should be good.
Wonder if my Audio GD Master, Cayin C9, Fiio M17 with a linear power supply or Xduoo XD05 Pro would drive this thing. In a not so distant future I plan to get The Cayin Ha3a and a Shiit Mjolnir 3 suppose that will work well :D
Hey do I looked up the specs of the portables you listed. Based off of paper specs, Id say the xduo out of balanced has the most power oddly enough. The C9 may do ok, but not sure of the quality of driving the Tungsten. The FiiO was a bit confusing on the spec sheet. It says 500mw for 300ohm I believe...so it may do ok. I prefer these amps to list more details on the specs, or you can inquire.
I wasn't sure which GD Master version you were referring to, so I don't know on that. The Mjolnir definitely will work. The HA-3A I can definitely agree with since I used it. That was with my Bifrost 2/64, so I'd just ask which DAC you'd be going with too. Either way, nice set of gear you have!
@@Skeeb23 m17 in desktop mode with linear power supply US driving The Susvara not to IT best level, but decent enough. A little bit better than the xduoo. Master 9 is quite powerfull IT is 1250mW @300ohm. My primay Dac i na Ladder Schumann R2R, secondary is M17 and later Xduoo with Ak4499Ex and Ifi Gryphon all hooked up trough a Schiit Freya +
@@Shozimus in that case I'd say your Master 9 is the best option. The rest of your gear, DAC and Freya, you're golden!
Excellent review... Thank you.
I just need to work out how to power one now.
If you ever get to try the topping A70 it would be good to hear your impressions.
It seems to deliver the power needed on paper and costs around USD 500 I think.
It's not just about the power (wattage) but rather about the voltage needed. So my guess is that A70 will make it plenty loud but it won't have optimal control over it.
I think it has been discussed that it needs about 20V at 135 and 155 ohms respectively.
Although take my comment with a pinch of salt as i've not tried it myself, maybe A70 would work perfectly. For example, someone reported good results with Cayin C9, and on paper this amp is worse than A70 i believe. So yeah ultimately we need to try it before commenting.
@@random-internet-dudeafaik the A70 delivers a shitload of voltage.
I’ve read about 39 VRMS which should be enough to power the tungsten.
In zeos video about amps for the tungsten at the end they even recommend the A70 pro
Violectric V222 and V590² should be good for this headphones I think.
How much of an improvement will I see going from HE1000SE to either Tungsten SS or DS? Really tempting.
Honestly I wouldn't call it an improvement. It's a different type of sound. I think the Tungsten has more punchiness to it. It also has an addictive bass response to me. The HE1000SE beats it out in detail retrieval and probably over all technical performance. Both stage very well. HE1000SE is also much easier to drive then the Tungsten.
@@Skeeb23 Interesting, as positive as you are to the Tungsten, you're somehow also one of the more measured. Impression I've gotten after seeing most other reviews is that it is a clear step up from the Aryas, HE1000, LCD-X, etc
@@Fiterfull remember that sound is still as subjective as it can get. The Tungsten deserves the hype it is receiving by far. I try to stay as grounded as I can because hype can make us forget things that have been around. In this case, different driveability and sound sig (in a way).
Subscribed, phenomenal work
Amazing review! One question, which version would you recommend for rock and metal? In which one do kickdrums sound better? Thanks!
I have a Rme Adi 2. Is that good enough?
This or the Caldera? Which you prefer?
Well, the Caldera is about twice the price, but I do prefer the Caldera when compared to the Tungsten (or really any planar under 3k).
@Skeeb23 I'd love it if you could review the Abyss Diana MR and compare it to the Caldera (and possibly both Tungstens too, if you still have them!).
I'm enjoying your content btw, idk how you haven't gotten more subs.
I do understand you are somehow at the beginning, but you have no gear to review these headphones. I got 3000 Euros V550 Pro and form what I understand even that is not enough. I do recommend a AHB2 for it's power and clean, linear sound... perfect to judge gear on it, and a iDSD neo just because it has a pre-out and is a decent mid-ish level dac and the amp cost already around 3000+ $.
My best headphone so far is Arya V2... I manage to make that work on a Rebel amp with a pre, on WA6-SE was ok... but on alternating between that and HD600, but I could NOT recommend it until I put it on the V550. When under power It got beaten DT880, and that is a headphone (again from what everyone say) that's not so power hungry as Tungsten, so I do strongly suggest you get the power you need.
We can agree to disagree. On the iha6 it was enough to drive but I felt lacked dynamics. The dynamics on the HA-3A was excellent and an excellent listen. Not sure how that makes it a bad judgement on the Tungsten. This hobby is a very big rabbit hole and let's remember that everyone is at a different level of the journey.
Let's not forget I was in contact with Modhouse through the process and at no point was I told my gear was insufficient. We made sure of that before the headphones were sent my way.
Double sided then
mjolnir 3 should have enough juice for these right?
Yes, I've read others having a good experience with it.
Guess I will try and order one on the next drop, thanks!@@Skeeb23
@@Mihke I doubt you will be disappointed
Is the frame 3D printed metal or plastic?
It's not metal, but I also would not label it as plastic. It's higher grade material than plastic, but it is 3d printed.
@@Skeeb23thanks
Probably something like nylon print
Hi just subscribed. Do you think the Schiit Lyr+ could drive these headphones to a good volume?
It looks like the Lyr+ would be somewhere around 17v at the 150 impedance mark of the Tungsten. It "could" drive the Tungsten to a reasonable volume. Whether or not it would be the best quality is unknown to me. A basic safe zone for the Tungsten has been said to be around 20V. However, my HA-3A sounds excellent with the Tungsten and is closer to 11v or so. So different amps, different results as per usual. Plus I've researched and found that Transformer Tube Amps such as the HA-3A will drive things differently than SS type amps. The Lyr+ is a hybrid of either SS or Tube...so it is really hard to say. If I were to give you a guess...I would say it probably won't do the Tungsten the justice it would deserve. Pure guess though!
@@Skeeb23 maybe I will pick up a HA-3A👍🏼
how did you make the shure mic so bad? is it a knockoff?
I don't have a deep voice and honestly I don't care for the default sound of the Shure MV7 with my voice. I always adjust audio in post to add some weight to the lower mids and cut off some sibilance. Sound is subjective, so you may not like it but it works for me.
2 pairs just to flex.
21:26 If there's sibilance in this song then it's a big no no. I've never considered that song to be sibilant in any way.
You may not be as sensitive to that paticular peak of treble. I've heard sibilance on that track in brighter headphones for sure (the DS Tungsten i dont consider bright). Some singers just naturally have some in their voices.
@@Skeeb23 I'm actually sensitive to highs, hence why I steer towards dark sounding headphones. Never tried a Hifiman that could pierce my ears like a needle or Beyerdynamic. Good example of bad sibilance is Codependent Song by Kidneythieves or maybe even All Rivers at Once by Sevdaliza. Good review tho :)