I really love your reviews and the level of depth you go in to. But ... it's downright shameful to be sitting in a room with $50,000+ of gear and recording on a potato. Please spend $50-100 on a mic so we don't have to listen to this noise.
You got that word exactly right, unexplainable. Because having a lot of headphones around me, T1, DT880 600 ohm, DT990 pro, HD650, K701, Q701, Hfi2400, and testing them and and directly comparing them....I cant tell why T1 costs much more than any of them. Yes, its the best of the bunch overall, but its only slightly better in each category than any of the others, and gets beaten in some areas. So, it really is unexplainable why it costs 5 times as much.
It still doesn't change the fact that its wrong. Just because all sorts of products can be overpriced, it doesn't change the fact that it is overpriced. I just want to put out my own experience. A lot of people who buy high end headphones wont admit what I said, but its true. There's no ultimate advantage to buying the most high end of todays headphones over what was high end and best in the world 4-5 years ago, and is now by some considered mid-end. Yes, mid end by price, but not performance.
Excellent responses. God knows the amount of time I've spent relating the same facts to everyone else. Too many people get duped in this industry, and it ends up making a mockery of audiophiles in general.
abyss 1266, best headphone in world so far, this is the most reference sounding headphone i had ever heard. The reason why so many people complain about its price is they didn't invest 15 times of headphone price on the whole system!!!
Which nastiness in the highs are you talking about? HD650's come very close to an almost perfect headphone frequency response, or what sound "flat" trough headphones. Flat on speakers in FLAT. Flat in headphones is slightly raised low end, and then slowly rolling off towards the highs, so you end up with about 5 db extra in the low end, and about 5 db less than 1khz at about 10 khz. And HD650 comes very close to that. It doesn't have a single peak in its response. Its all smooth and gradual.
@@kevinstarski1598 If you rematch the video you'll get my joke. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD800's and Audeze LCD3's. I know "audiophile" equipment is expensive.
Following the review of the Shure SRH 440 I bought it. They sound excellent and the price is very affordable. You don´t need to spend a huge amount of money in headphones to get a good quality sound.
Have been lucky enough to listen to a set of these and while my experience with high end headphones is pretty limited, they blew me away. I don't love headphones enough to spend that much, I'd prefer some nice speakers. But they are definitely high end.
What I'm trying to say is that T1 does not absolutely and very obviously outclass the old flagship headphones. Its an improvement all over, but a relatively small improvement. When I bought the T1 I was expecting a huge jump over the DT880, but it simply wasn't a huge jump, it was just a small improvement, noticeable, but nothing I could not live without, and nothing that changed my listening experience dramatically. Its not like "I heard things I never heard before"... :P
Best headphones I've ever listened to.... need a killer dac and amp to make these sing. Deep bass, VERY airy, insane detail. Comfort is actually excellent. Yeah I know it's big money but if it's your hobby and what you love... why not?
Wow. Have you had a chance to hear the LCD-3 on the GS-X mkII. I hear it's really, really good with both LCD-3 and HD800. It'd be interesting to see how the HD800 compares on the GS-X vs ECP.
All these equipments and headphones are around 100gs, not really expensive if you think of it. most companies have 100s of thousands and even millions worth of products/Interior decors.
Hey Innerfidelity, Could you please do a review of the Sennheiser 5X8 Line? There is lots of arguing going on over them and I'ld like to have your professional opinion on them. Please? And also, thank you for the detailed reviews, they're extremely helpful and interesting. Keep up the good work!
Listened to this with my trusty Signet TK33. All the hissing. All of it. But no, really, I finally found my last headphone. Thanks for the review Tyll.
You should watch the Abyss youtube channel video on how to adjust them for your head. If they are not adjusted properly it will change the sound characteristics of the headphone. Also they are designed to pivot the drivers with that joint at the top of the head band. That will affect how much bass you are hearing. Also any distortion you are hearing in the headphone is probably coming from the amplifier. Those headphones are the most resolving and accurate on planet Earth. And they reveal everything.
Hey innerfidelity, can you give a review on the Kef M500 audiophile headphones? I bought them about a month ago. For the price of $299 on Amazon I think they were a steal. Great superb sound and comfort. They are also made out of aluminum and look amazing. Not many people know about these headphone and a review could get the word out about how good they are.
Hi Tyll! The Abyss headphones you had variated thoughts about have now bin upgraded with new drivers and is called the JPS Labs AB-1266 Abyss Phi Would be great if you had time to review and measure them again, and may e this time the take a place on the wall of fame Best Regards Fredrik L
I already have the LCD-3 and my problem with this headphone is the weight(150g too heavy for my taste) and lack of air and soundstage/imaging compared to the HD800. This monstrosity weighs even more but seem to fix the problems I have with the 3s. Over 5K is a bit too much to stomach at this point. Perhaps it will be one of these super expensive legendary discontinued headphones like HE-90 and R-10. Would like to see something like a TH900 thrown in there at some time for the EDM lovers.
Yeah.. Just hard to spend 5,400 on the Abyss, when the LCD 3 are 'only' 1945.. STAX has a great track record.. Even if the 009 is over priced, they are still regarded as the best headphones ever made. My next purchase will be either, the HD800, LCD 3, or the TH900.. 2,000 is my max for headphones. I don't make lots of money, but I do appreciate Hi end sound.. The T1 did things that made my jaw drop, but it was damaged, and the sale price ended. Paid 1,000 on Amazon.
In fact, if I was blindfolded, and had no clue someone was about to put the T1's on my ears, without hearing the T1 ever before, I'd never say they're a flagship 1500 dollar set of headphones, I'd say they're maybe an upgraded DT880, or some other 500-600 dollar headphone. Because they not really THAT much better. Yes, they're excellent headphones that do pretty much everything very well, but a properly powered DT880 600 with an excellent source will sound 90% as good.
T1, HD800, LCD-2 or either of the new high end stuff, is not drastically or dramatically better than old flagships. But they excel in combining a lot of good stuff together and not doing anything badly. For example T1 has the neutrality of the DT880 without being cold or thin, it has the detail and liveliness of K701 without lacking transparency and being colored in upper mids, has the musicality of HD650 without being too smooth and sacrificing detail. But its NOT a dramatic difference.
Um, actually, Tyll outright said "these are the fastest headphones I've heard", and that includes the 009. The measurement sheet even proves it. Plus, the 009 is a stat, and thus is nearly devoid of bass punch and slam, and is almost absolutely restricted to amplifiers costing as much as the headphones themselves. The AB-1266 could feasibly be powered from, for example, a Schiit Lyr. (continued-->)
Per my calculations:The AB-1266 is 50 ohm and 88db/mw you need about 150 mw at around 50 ohms to get them fairly loud, and 500 mw at 50 ohms to get them very very loud. The Magni 3, should be able to power them. with about 1.6W at 50 ohm. A Magnius on Balanced does 3.2W at 50 ohms. A Stax SR009 is 145,000 ohms and has a sensitivity of 1db/volt which means its impossible to drive them with ANY conventional headphone amp.
tyll can you do a article about which amps better match some headphones explain some differences between them, pleasee i'm tired read some bullshit on head-fi, nice video and sorry for the english
I think he has. The K1000 isn't as good as people make it out to be, the earspeaker design just creates natural crosstalk. The headstaging isn't inherently better than other designs. Though, that's not going to stop me from wanting one almost as much as I want a Sansui SS-100.
i find the greatest length you can go is to build your own electrostatic or planar headphones. Electrostatic is the easiest to build. I would love to build my own electrostatic headphones my self one day, explore how to make them sound how i want.
The T1 is noticeably cleaner sounding then any headphone I have owned. This includes the DT800/DT990/DT770. I do agree that the T1 is not a better deal then the 701 or 650.. IMO, the T1 is worth between 800-1,000 dollars..
Let me elaborate that a bit, as someone who owns the HD650's for almost 3 years now, everything you said about them is wrong. First of all, if its soft and lack definition, you're using a bad amp. Bass rolled off? At about 22Hz its at the same level as at the 1000 hz. How is that highly rolled off? Mid bass hump? The "hump" in the frequency response stretches from 20 to 700 hz, and it only ever goes past 1khz level for about 4 db. HD800, T1, hell even K701 has a hump like that.
The reason why new high end headphones are so expensive, is because of the development cost. They use some really high end cutting edge engineering, HD800 for example has really innovative drivers and really complicated plastic compound which took a lot of time and money to develop. But essentially, realistic improvement over the HD600/650 is pretty small. It is an improvement, but it's overpriced for what you get, as a consumer.
They sound like no other headphone i have tried before... (among HD800, SRH1840, PS1000, LCD2, LCD3) Though i bet the amping was not nearly as good to what tyll has. I'm sure it would sound much better in tyll's house with all those gear upstream gear and source. (tried it at a meet with only a smartphone for source, sucks i know)
Overall, the Abyss is actually a better headphone than the Stax sr 009 (and more flexible with amps, since you dont need an electrostatic amp). I have heard both headphones with multiple pairings. Cavalli Liquid Gold and the Abyss is the BEST pairing I have ever heard.
I'm not trying to argue with other peoples opinion, I just stated my own. I'm just trying to help out people who are like I was, owning very good headphones, but wanted to buy a high end headphone, thinking it will be a massive improvement. Well, it just wont be.
Obviously Dr. Dre agrees with me. I trust Dre's judgment over yours or Tyell's. Dre is a doctor. What qualifications do you have to back up your opinion?
What you mentioned about no distortion, imaging, separation....well, to my ears- Distortion on either of the "old flagships" is already so low that any improvement over it is hardly detectable by a human ear, its barely different when you look at the measurements. And in fact, if you look at measurements, HD650 for example has considerably less distortion trough out the frequency range. Separation? T1 actually has sound separation on a level equal or maybe sliiiiightly above K701/Q701.
Yes, it does have higher THD than most other flagships, but not THAT much higher, and 2nd order THD thickens up the sound and makes it more musical (as Tyll said). $5000+ headphones SHOULD be music machines, and that's what this headphone is. (Again, as Tyll said-- did you even pay attention?) The statement that the LCD-3 outclasses it is utter nonsense, and while the TH900 may be about equivalent to it when it comes to overall musical performance, they each have their own merits and downfalls.
If you look at tonality, frequency response, levels of distortion, transient response, then all of the "old flagships" are not much worse than new ones. A well set up HD650 will be on a close enough level to the T1 that you could ignore their price differences and just choose your favorite by their sound signature, not their ultimate sound quality. And take it from someone who owns both, T1 is not the full out winner, HD650 works better for certain genres, in fact they're about 50/50 for me.
Yes, with the right synergy, I prefered the 701 to the K1000 for enjoying music.. But the K1000 was a much better headphone. Highs extended and sounding very natural..Great mid range. And the obvious, imaging and SS superiority. In term of pure musicaty, I would take the sextets over any headphone I have heard or owned under a 1,000.
Well, at this very moment I own the T1, HD650, DT880 600 ohm, DT990 pro 250 ohms, Q701 and an old K701. What I can tell you is that T1 is definitely not worth 3-4 times more than either of these, regardless of setup in which its used. Improvement over the DT880 for example is marginal. Its in no way a 4 times better sounding headphone as price would suggest. Its slightly better in every way, yes, but ONLY slightly. Nothing dramatic.If DT880 cost $350, a fair price for T1 would be $500.
When you price your headphone close to the 009, you need to bring your A game. It sounds like JPS did not.. But many with money will think they are great based soley on the price tag, when phones like the LCD 3/TH900 out class them.
Normal person: "This is a very, very expensive headphone." *meh, probably some cheap Sennheisers* Tyll: "This is a very, very expensive headphones." *shit just got real*
And whats with the sennheiser veil? Thats long gone. Did you read that on some forum? Old HD650's, which were revised, were a bit dark, but veiled? Hell no. MOST people on forums talk out of their asses and just repeat what someone else said like 5-6 years ago, thats how this HD650 and sennheiser veil nonsense continues. They are not in any way veiled. In fact, I can take off my T1's, and put on HD650's, and still they won't feel veiled or muddy, and that says a lot.
A lot of high end headphones are over-exaggerated by the reviewers. I mean, just read any T1 or HD800 review....you'll get a impression that they're in a completely different league to HD650 or DT880, that they completely and utterly destroy them and outclass them, they simply make them sound like crap in comparison. Well, when you A-B them, you'll be asking yourself "wtf, is that it?!". A lot of people over-exaggerate and hear things they wanna hear to justify their expensive purchase.
Its not a failed argument. Todays high end headphones dig deep into the diminishing returns. Comparing a 50 dollar headphone to a DT880 is not the same as comparing a DT880 to T1. Why? Because the difference between a 50 dollar headphone and a DT880 is MASSIVE. Absolutely huge, night and day difference. Its like going from watching videos in 240p straight to 720p resolution. But going from DT880 to T1 is like going from 720p to 1080p. Not a big jump. A jump, yes, but a small one.
Even in a really high end setup with ridiculous components such as 500$ dollar 1 meter long RCA cables between a DAC and headphone amp, a high end headphone wont sound that much better than a "non high end" headphone, which is HD600/650, K70x series, DT880/990, etc. They're still high end IMHO. 5 years ago, they were the best on the market, reviewers jizzed in their pants after hearing them, couldn't believe something could sound better, now all of a sudden they're not up to the task?
Cause the dedicated sources and players were all stocked with instrumental Chinese music which I am very unfamiliar thus I cannot make a good impression using them. And my source is not compatible with their standalone DAC's unfortunately.
I owned the 650. I know what they can do.. Especially balanced. I sold them because I became too acquired to the DT48 sound.. To the point, that after 15 minutes, they sounded synthetic and fake.. I still regret selling them though.
I think he's saying the improvement is marginal, and therefore the price isn't as justified. Does the Ferrari go much faster than the Corolla? Yes. Is it much better looking, and created using much better materials? Yes. Therefore, the difference isn't as marginal. Just pointing some things out though.
IMHO DT48 are the ones that sound fake and synthetic, you must have just been to used to the sound. Switching between headphones is always dramatic for some time until you get used to the next sound signature. But HD650 DEFINITELY dont sound synthetic and fake, they're some of the most natural sounding headphones out there, they have very realistic timbre. You see many classical and jazz music recording studios use them because of that.
Got say never tried really hi end headphone I have AKG K702 and a small headphone valve amp that cost about £150 I think they sound amazing. I just don't see how mega expensive headphone will sound over 40 times better than mine. When I upgrade I will spend more money but never that much money would rather spend it on my amp and speakers, but I suppose if money is not an issue then why the hell not LOL like people that spend £500 for a 1m hdmi just crazy.
Yeah, okay then. The HD650 sounds soft and lacks definition. That's not natural. Plus, the bass is highly rolled off and there's some nastiness going on in the treble that makes them sound hot and piercing. The midbass hump and softness mask it a little bit (Sennheiser veil, anyone?) but it is there, and it's quite offensive.
these headphones will turn your wallet into an abyss
I really love your reviews and the level of depth you go in to. But ... it's downright shameful to be sitting in a room with $50,000+ of gear and recording on a potato. Please spend $50-100 on a mic so we don't have to listen to this noise.
That pretty much sums up my feelings exactly. Thanks!
I miss Tyll...
Probably sound like heaven but look like hell :D
You got that word exactly right, unexplainable. Because having a lot of headphones around me, T1, DT880 600 ohm, DT990 pro, HD650, K701, Q701, Hfi2400, and testing them and and directly comparing them....I cant tell why T1 costs much more than any of them. Yes, its the best of the bunch overall, but its only slightly better in each category than any of the others, and gets beaten in some areas. So, it really is unexplainable why it costs 5 times as much.
It still doesn't change the fact that its wrong. Just because all sorts of products can be overpriced, it doesn't change the fact that it is overpriced. I just want to put out my own experience. A lot of people who buy high end headphones wont admit what I said, but its true. There's no ultimate advantage to buying the most high end of todays headphones over what was high end and best in the world 4-5 years ago, and is now by some considered mid-end. Yes, mid end by price, but not performance.
Excellent responses. God knows the amount of time I've spent relating the same facts to everyone else. Too many people get duped in this industry, and it ends up making a mockery of audiophiles in general.
Damn that room is full of heaven! I would lose my mind with access to that gear.
abyss 1266, best headphone in world so far, this is the most reference sounding headphone i had ever heard. The reason why so many people complain about its price is they didn't invest 15 times of headphone price on the whole system!!!
ZAIKI ZHANG Stax sr 009*
THE CONQUERER nice headphone
Sennheiser HE1.......
Which nastiness in the highs are you talking about? HD650's come very close to an almost perfect headphone frequency response, or what sound "flat" trough headphones. Flat on speakers in FLAT. Flat in headphones is slightly raised low end, and then slowly rolling off towards the highs, so you end up with about 5 db extra in the low end, and about 5 db less than 1khz at about 10 khz. And HD650 comes very close to that. It doesn't have a single peak in its response. Its all smooth and gradual.
That price is outrageous...
Should be one of the best headphones out there. Have you looked at the prices of top of the line speakers?
@@kevinstarski1598 If you rematch the video you'll get my joke. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD800's and Audeze LCD3's. I know "audiophile" equipment is expensive.
Wait till you see their 2000$ "upgraded cable".
We miss you Tyll
Following the review of the Shure SRH 440 I bought it. They sound excellent and the price is very affordable. You don´t need to spend a huge amount of money in headphones to get a good quality sound.
Have been lucky enough to listen to a set of these and while my experience with high end headphones is pretty limited, they blew me away. I don't love headphones enough to spend that much, I'd prefer some nice speakers. But they are definitely high end.
What I'm trying to say is that T1 does not absolutely and very obviously outclass the old flagship headphones. Its an improvement all over, but a relatively small improvement. When I bought the T1 I was expecting a huge jump over the DT880, but it simply wasn't a huge jump, it was just a small improvement, noticeable, but nothing I could not live without, and nothing that changed my listening experience dramatically. Its not like "I heard things I never heard before"... :P
Best headphones I've ever listened to.... need a killer dac and amp to make these sing. Deep bass, VERY airy, insane detail. Comfort is actually excellent.
Yeah I know it's big money but if it's your hobby and what you love... why not?
Hey, you say "fast" and "speed" several times. How do you measure this?
No mention of the bass quality ... how does it compare to the Audeze LCD2 which has extremely well balance bass?
I bought the Audeze LCD 3 when I last saw your review on them and I they are wonderful. Thanks man
And now they've been removed from the Wall of Fame just like almost every other can Tyll has reviewed.
Are those still working
Wow. Have you had a chance to hear the LCD-3 on the GS-X mkII. I hear it's really, really good with both LCD-3 and HD800. It'd be interesting to see how the HD800 compares on the GS-X vs ECP.
All these equipments and headphones are around 100gs, not really expensive if you think of it. most companies have 100s of thousands and even millions worth of products/Interior decors.
But how does it sound with Drake?
+Fernando Marquez Drake makes everything sound bad.
Hey Innerfidelity, Could you please do a review of the Sennheiser 5X8 Line? There is lots of arguing going on over them and I'ld like to have your professional opinion on them. Please? And also, thank you for the detailed reviews, they're extremely helpful and interesting. Keep up the good work!
I talk about it in the article, it's good, but not quite as good as the Audeze cans.
Listened to this with my trusty Signet TK33. All the hissing. All of it.
But no, really, I finally found my last headphone. Thanks for the review Tyll.
You should watch the Abyss youtube channel video on how to adjust them for your head. If they are not adjusted properly it will change the sound characteristics of the headphone. Also they are designed to pivot the drivers with that joint at the top of the head band. That will affect how much bass you are hearing. Also any distortion you are hearing in the headphone is probably coming from the amplifier. Those headphones are the most resolving and accurate on planet Earth. And they reveal everything.
yes i can hear some bad noise on the recording with this
Why where a smartphone used a a source? Didn't they have a proper DAC at the meet?
Hey innerfidelity, can you give a review on the Kef M500 audiophile headphones? I bought them about a month ago. For the price of $299 on Amazon I think they were a steal. Great superb sound and comfort. They are also made out of aluminum and look amazing. Not many people know about these headphone and a review could get the word out about how good they are.
will these plug into my Samsung note 4?
Naterdog010 no unfortunately only works with Gameboy advance and nokia
Hi Tyll!
The Abyss headphones you had variated thoughts about have now bin upgraded with new drivers and is called the JPS Labs AB-1266 Abyss Phi
Would be great if you had time to review and measure them again, and may e this time the take a place on the wall of fame
Best Regards
Fredrik L
I already have the LCD-3 and my problem with this headphone is the weight(150g too heavy for my taste) and lack of air and soundstage/imaging compared to the HD800.
This monstrosity weighs even more but seem to fix the problems I have with the 3s.
Over 5K is a bit too much to stomach at this point.
Perhaps it will be one of these super expensive legendary discontinued headphones like HE-90 and R-10.
Would like to see something like a TH900 thrown in there at some time for the EDM lovers.
Yeah.. Just hard to spend 5,400 on the Abyss, when the LCD 3 are 'only' 1945.. STAX has a great track record.. Even if the 009 is over priced, they are still regarded as the best headphones ever made. My next purchase will be either, the HD800, LCD 3, or the TH900.. 2,000 is my max for headphones. I don't make lots of money, but I do appreciate Hi end sound.. The T1 did things that made my jaw drop, but it was damaged, and the sale price ended. Paid 1,000 on Amazon.
In fact, if I was blindfolded, and had no clue someone was about to put the T1's on my ears, without hearing the T1 ever before, I'd never say they're a flagship 1500 dollar set of headphones, I'd say they're maybe an upgraded DT880, or some other 500-600 dollar headphone. Because they not really THAT much better. Yes, they're excellent headphones that do pretty much everything very well, but a properly powered DT880 600 with an excellent source will sound 90% as good.
T1, HD800, LCD-2 or either of the new high end stuff, is not drastically or dramatically better than old flagships. But they excel in combining a lot of good stuff together and not doing anything badly. For example T1 has the neutrality of the DT880 without being cold or thin, it has the detail and liveliness of K701 without lacking transparency and being colored in upper mids, has the musicality of HD650 without being too smooth and sacrificing detail. But its NOT a dramatic difference.
Can you please watch this video once wearing any of those headphones...?
Um, actually, Tyll outright said "these are the fastest headphones I've heard", and that includes the 009. The measurement sheet even proves it. Plus, the 009 is a stat, and thus is nearly devoid of bass punch and slam, and is almost absolutely restricted to amplifiers costing as much as the headphones themselves. The AB-1266 could feasibly be powered from, for example, a Schiit Lyr.
(continued-->)
Per my calculations:The AB-1266 is 50 ohm and 88db/mw you need about 150 mw at around 50 ohms to get them fairly loud, and 500 mw at 50 ohms to get them very very loud. The Magni 3, should be able to power them. with about 1.6W at 50 ohm. A Magnius on Balanced does 3.2W at 50 ohms.
A Stax SR009 is 145,000 ohms and has a sensitivity of 1db/volt which means its impossible to drive them with ANY conventional headphone amp.
Wow. I was incredibly stupid back then. Sorry about that. LOL
tyll can you do a article about which amps better match some headphones explain some differences between them, pleasee i'm tired read some bullshit on head-fi, nice video and sorry for the english
I think he has. The K1000 isn't as good as people make it out to be, the earspeaker design just creates natural crosstalk. The headstaging isn't inherently better than other designs.
Though, that's not going to stop me from wanting one almost as much as I want a Sansui SS-100.
i find the greatest length you can go is to build your own electrostatic or planar headphones. Electrostatic is the easiest to build. I would love to build my own electrostatic headphones my self one day, explore how to make them sound how i want.
Oh wow! You're right :D Never seen those before.
Could you please review Sennheiser's wireless headphone line? Particularly the RS 220.
The T1 is noticeably cleaner sounding then any headphone I have owned. This includes the DT800/DT990/DT770. I do agree that the T1 is not a better deal then the 701 or 650.. IMO, the T1 is worth between 800-1,000 dollars..
He's Tyll, not Taylor.
Let me elaborate that a bit, as someone who owns the HD650's for almost 3 years now, everything you said about them is wrong. First of all, if its soft and lack definition, you're using a bad amp. Bass rolled off? At about 22Hz its at the same level as at the 1000 hz. How is that highly rolled off? Mid bass hump? The "hump" in the frequency response stretches from 20 to 700 hz, and it only ever goes past 1khz level for about 4 db. HD800, T1, hell even K701 has a hump like that.
The reason why new high end headphones are so expensive, is because of the development cost. They use some really high end cutting edge engineering, HD800 for example has really innovative drivers and really complicated plastic compound which took a lot of time and money to develop. But essentially, realistic improvement over the HD600/650 is pretty small. It is an improvement, but it's overpriced for what you get, as a consumer.
Point of diminishing returns pretty much exists in every product.
Did you use the Burson for the Abyss? Just curious as to your 'go to' for them in this review.
Would you do a review comparing the Abyss with the Apple earbuds?
They sound like no other headphone i have tried before... (among HD800, SRH1840, PS1000, LCD2, LCD3) Though i bet the amping was not nearly as good to what tyll has. I'm sure it would sound much better in tyll's house with all those gear upstream gear and source. (tried it at a meet with only a smartphone for source, sucks i know)
If I were in the market for 2k+ headphones, I'd get the Stax 009 over the Abyss personally.
I know that, lol.
You again! I've seen you comment on at least one review for the past 4 days o.O
I've been on TH-cam quite a bit. :)
Overall, the Abyss is actually a better headphone than the Stax sr 009 (and more flexible with amps, since you dont need an electrostatic amp). I have heard both headphones with multiple pairings.
Cavalli Liquid Gold and the Abyss is the BEST pairing I have ever heard.
I've tried it, wasn't blown away tbh.
This guy is one personal audio pimp!
I'm not trying to argue with other peoples opinion, I just stated my own. I'm just trying to help out people who are like I was, owning very good headphones, but wanted to buy a high end headphone, thinking it will be a massive improvement. Well, it just wont be.
As long as the better cam doesn't accentuate that shirt any further, I'm in agreement.
Obviously Dr. Dre agrees with me.
I trust Dre's judgment over yours or Tyell's. Dre is a doctor.
What qualifications do you have to back up your opinion?
That's exactly what I was trying to point out. There's that special unexplainable something to really expensive headphones.
What does you mean with ''fast'' in audiophile language?
No. But the ECP Audio L-2 amp did. I'm taking my HD 800s now.
do you buy all this expensive headphones
What you mentioned about no distortion, imaging, separation....well, to my ears- Distortion on either of the "old flagships" is already so low that any improvement over it is hardly detectable by a human ear, its barely different when you look at the measurements. And in fact, if you look at measurements, HD650 for example has considerably less distortion trough out the frequency range. Separation? T1 actually has sound separation on a level equal or maybe sliiiiightly above K701/Q701.
Tyll, you said the LCD-3's were your island headphone. Does the Abyss change that at all?
Can you update thos review woth the phi drivers. I mean if we treat the hd 800s as a new offering, we should do the same for abyss.
I wonder how they would sound on a iphone?
Are you going to test the new Abyss Phi V2 Tyll ??
Yes, it does have higher THD than most other flagships, but not THAT much higher, and 2nd order THD thickens up the sound and makes it more musical (as Tyll said). $5000+ headphones SHOULD be music machines, and that's what this headphone is. (Again, as Tyll said-- did you even pay attention?)
The statement that the LCD-3 outclasses it is utter nonsense, and while the TH900 may be about equivalent to it when it comes to overall musical performance, they each have their own merits and downfalls.
If you look at tonality, frequency response, levels of distortion, transient response, then all of the "old flagships" are not much worse than new ones. A well set up HD650 will be on a close enough level to the T1 that you could ignore their price differences and just choose your favorite by their sound signature, not their ultimate sound quality. And take it from someone who owns both, T1 is not the full out winner, HD650 works better for certain genres, in fact they're about 50/50 for me.
tyll the hd 800 with the l-2 amp is your favorite now ?
My god my sub box was filled , thank god I saw this :)
damm they are all yours?!
Soundstage and imaging of the HD800 and K1000 are very unique features and NO headphone can match it, regardless of price, so asking any
You've got to review the kef m500
Taylor, you look so funny with this high end stuff :-) Like a alien or something :-)
What are those headphone stands for your audeze
hey tyll may i know your thoughts on the mad dogs? i'm wondering how they compare to the HD600.
Yes, with the right synergy, I prefered the 701 to the K1000 for enjoying music.. But the K1000 was a much better headphone. Highs extended and sounding very natural..Great mid range. And the obvious, imaging and SS superiority.
In term of pure musicaty, I would take the sextets over any headphone I have heard or owned under a 1,000.
Well, at this very moment I own the T1, HD650, DT880 600 ohm, DT990 pro 250 ohms, Q701 and an old K701. What I can tell you is that T1 is definitely not worth 3-4 times more than either of these, regardless of setup in which its used. Improvement over the DT880 for example is marginal. Its in no way a 4 times better sounding headphone as price would suggest. Its slightly better in every way, yes, but ONLY slightly. Nothing dramatic.If DT880 cost $350, a fair price for T1 would be $500.
When you price your headphone close to the 009, you need to bring your A game. It sounds like JPS did not.. But many with money will think they are great based soley on the price tag, when phones like the LCD 3/TH900 out class them.
Normal person: "This is a very, very expensive headphone." *meh, probably some cheap Sennheisers* Tyll: "This is a very, very expensive headphones." *shit just got real*
What amp did Tyle use for the Abyss when he did the review ?Cant see what brand it is?
And whats with the sennheiser veil? Thats long gone. Did you read that on some forum? Old HD650's, which were revised, were a bit dark, but veiled? Hell no. MOST people on forums talk out of their asses and just repeat what someone else said like 5-6 years ago, thats how this HD650 and sennheiser veil nonsense continues. They are not in any way veiled. In fact, I can take off my T1's, and put on HD650's, and still they won't feel veiled or muddy, and that says a lot.
Great video.
Tyll, you always clear your throat and you always sound short of breath in all your videos! Is everything ok?
the amp on the left looks like a ''I see what you did there'' face
A lot of high end headphones are over-exaggerated by the reviewers. I mean, just read any T1 or HD800 review....you'll get a impression that they're in a completely different league to HD650 or DT880, that they completely and utterly destroy them and outclass them, they simply make them sound like crap in comparison. Well, when you A-B them, you'll be asking yourself "wtf, is that it?!". A lot of people over-exaggerate and hear things they wanna hear to justify their expensive purchase.
Its not a failed argument. Todays high end headphones dig deep into the diminishing returns. Comparing a 50 dollar headphone to a DT880 is not the same as comparing a DT880 to T1. Why? Because the difference between a 50 dollar headphone and a DT880 is MASSIVE. Absolutely huge, night and day difference. Its like going from watching videos in 240p straight to 720p resolution. But going from DT880 to T1 is like going from 720p to 1080p. Not a big jump. A jump, yes, but a small one.
Even in a really high end setup with ridiculous components such as 500$ dollar 1 meter long RCA cables between a DAC and headphone amp, a high end headphone wont sound that much better than a "non high end" headphone, which is HD600/650, K70x series, DT880/990, etc. They're still high end IMHO. 5 years ago, they were the best on the market, reviewers jizzed in their pants after hearing them, couldn't believe something could sound better, now all of a sudden they're not up to the task?
What do you mean? Way out of league better than the JPS's or way out of league worse?
Cause the dedicated sources and players were all stocked with instrumental Chinese music which I am very unfamiliar thus I cannot make a good impression using them. And my source is not compatible with their standalone DAC's unfortunately.
The TH900s rock. See my channel, just did a review on them.
Only in measuring. They seem to be a fantastic blend of the LCD-3 and HD-800 but about 40-50% overpriced. The SR-009 is pretty overpriced as well.
Hi Tyll
Are you about to test the New Abyss Phi and Abyss Diana anytime soon or?
// Fredrik
Its 10 times the experience when driving it.
I owned the 650. I know what they can do.. Especially balanced. I sold them because I became too acquired to the DT48 sound.. To the point, that after 15 minutes, they sounded synthetic and fake.. I still regret selling them though.
I think he's saying the improvement is marginal, and therefore the price isn't as justified. Does the Ferrari go much faster than the Corolla? Yes. Is it much better looking, and created using much better materials? Yes. Therefore, the difference isn't as marginal.
Just pointing some things out though.
IMHO DT48 are the ones that sound fake and synthetic, you must have just been to used to the sound. Switching between headphones is always dramatic for some time until you get used to the next sound signature. But HD650 DEFINITELY dont sound synthetic and fake, they're some of the most natural sounding headphones out there, they have very realistic timbre. You see many classical and jazz music recording studios use them because of that.
Got say never tried really hi end headphone I have AKG K702 and a small headphone valve amp that cost about £150 I think they sound amazing. I just don't see how mega expensive headphone will sound over 40 times better than mine. When I upgrade I will spend more money but never that much money would rather spend it on my amp and speakers, but I suppose if money is not an issue then why the hell not LOL like people that spend £500 for a 1m hdmi just crazy.
Sound must be good but they look too heavy to carry outside with amplifier.
Your shirts are about as outrageous of the price of these headphones.
you look like Spongebob when you're wearing these
I couldn't watch this because of the hiss... please at least filter your audio in post if your equipment sucks that much.
alot of interference
not everyone can HEAR hiss....consider yourself lucky.
Yeah, okay then. The HD650 sounds soft and lacks definition. That's not natural. Plus, the bass is highly rolled off and there's some nastiness going on in the treble that makes them sound hot and piercing. The midbass hump and softness mask it a little bit (Sennheiser veil, anyone?) but it is there, and it's quite offensive.