I’ve always been curious about this headphone but I just can’t help but think the design could be adjusted to not be so wide up top. This is indeed a headphone that requires one to sit in a dark corner in an old leather chair after the kids and neighbors are tucked away in their beds. The only lights allowed would be moonlight and lights from your tubes.
Odd tuning, THD issues. Unwieldy, heavy open back cans. I feel I am at the point that if I am considering spending 5k, I am opting for a great set of bookshelf speakers and a perfectly matched tube amp. Then spending the rest on a ticket to Belize.
after I heard them I feel like they were designed to sound like some 70s speaker system with record player. I loved them until I heard how much they cost lol.
A good honest review. I own the 1266, Susvara and Utopia and I enjoy each of them but they are different. I would agree with almost everything you said in comparing the three except the soundstage. For me, the 1266 has the widest soundstage, almost to a fault on some tracks when I want the vocals more forward. Beyond that the review seem dead on.
@ after much deliberation I decided to go for a susvara and pair it with a schiit ragnarok amp and an yggdrasil dac. Which totals to anywhere between half to a third the price of a highly proprietary system setup of abyss and their lunacy.
@@thevashfan12392 Let me know how the combo works, im looking to get susvaras as well and want to find a good amp that isnt 6k like the others recommend lol
Yeah I have to agree with Andrew on this I own the Susvara which is my favorite to the second Utopia that I had to sell along with the Z1R and Arya to make the purchase of the 1266 Phi TC. And I think I made a big mistake because it is so hard to get this thing dialed in on your head. One song will sound great you put on the next song horrible you move the pads a little okay great again. The overall tuning is odd and not natural sounding to me compared to the Susvara's which has a overall best tonal and detailed presentation. But the big plus for the 1266 is the overall clarity is insane. You know when you think your gear is what is holding everything back and the more detailed equals harshness. Well the 1266 does it in spades with ZERO FATIGUE and let's you hear into the song like you have never heard before. I want to try on the Abyss Diana Phi and maybe move over to it instead. Going to try some of my stock tubes that came with my Woo Audio WA33 Elite because as of now I have all KR HP tubes and I find it to be a little to much with the Chord Dave MScaler combo.
Do you miss your Z1R's at all? I always think about selling them and going with the Verite Closed. But there's just some charm with them that makes it hard to let go lol
@@asplmn yeah I miss them and my Utopia for sure but 1266 needed to go through a break in period much longer than other headphones. Now I completely understand why everyone have the Susvara/1266 combo they really balance each other. I’m very curious on a Solid State AMP for both to see if anything changes
A little while ago, I had the opportunity to compare the AB1266 directly with the Susvara and the Raal SR1a, presumably some of the very best HPs on the planet. After careful comparisons, the AB1266 came out third. My main complaint is the frequency response, which colors the sound quite a bit. Given that I use HPs also for mixing and mastering, this is a show stopper, independent of the technical performance.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I do not own an TC, but I have heard that it is extremely good with dynamic focused edm, and specifically with metal. This guy also owns a susvara, and he prefers each one for different genres.
@@justina9914 Both the Susvara and the SR1a are absolutely amazing HPs, and both get you very close to believing you might actually be listening to a set of good studio monitors (which is what I was looking for). The Susvara have a certain elegance and refinement about them that I really like, but IMHO the SR1a take things to yet another level. Once the SR1a are adjusted properly on one's head, which may take a bit of experimentation (they exists a short yt video by Raal on how to do this properly), the authenticity and soundstage can be truly breathtaking, especially for well recorded tracks. The SR1a have certain limitations in the subbass range, and they are, in fact, ear monitors (completely open, no seal), so they might not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you get a chance to experience them at some point, by all means do! Personally, I find them magical...!
@@SussyBaka-em9rq Based on that impression of course not. I was also not in the market for such an expensive headphone, but before I get accused of "sour grapes" I listened to the HE-1 in the same shop and was very (positively) impressed.
@@allydea I went to a shop to demo Susvara and 1266, in the shop I found 1266 disappointing and Susvara amazing. Managed to get both in the end. After a month at home I sold the Susvara and 1266 is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Funny how sometimes impressions from shops can be so much different from setting it up at home. Also 1266 is very transparent so chain matters a great deal, and it takes about 2 weeks to get your head around setting it up on your head to get them to sound as they should 🤷♂️
@@krisrudecki9477 Your brain will definitely adjust after some time to any sound signature. It might never become your favorite but you will become less and less bothered by it (especially if you listen to it exclusively). This was my experience with the Z1R. Anyway, the point is to be happy, so if the 1266 does it for you, then great! But regardless of sound, how did you adjust to the comfort of the Abyss? Or so you think it's superior also in that aspect compared to something like a Susvara?
I can't wait for him to see it. If only some companies would take feedback from reviewers to heart and not only improve on their product but freely release measurements to show the improvement. Last I checked Abyss is very hush hush about graphing their products. In 2021, this is just a red flag to me - you can have excellent technical performance AND a good frequency response, and you damn well better have both at this price!!!
I briefly heard that it exists and that's all I know. Hopefully they increased the impedance and significantly improved the detail to compete in this price range as well
After owning quite a few sets, I settled on 1266 tc paired with Soloist 3xp. For me this is near perfect, I guess this will depend on your head size … and music you’re into. I’m lucky because it just fits my head without issues and I mostly listen to rock / metal and electronica. I owned both Susvara and TC and for me 1266 blew Susvara out of the water completely on all fronts, huge sound stage, holographic imaging, tremendous slam, thundering bass. It’s interesting that Andrew said it kinda sounds like Susvara because for me it’s pretty much the polar opposite. The sound changes a lot depending on fit and how you set it, so chances are I’ve got it set up differently 🤷♂️ Took me about 2 weeks to find the fit and sound I wanted, so maybe this is the difference. Don’t get me wrong, Susvara is an amazing set, but for me 1266 was just better in everything I care about. Susvara had softer more “natural” “sweet” sound and for some this will be a huge benefit, 1266 in comparison sounds raw and industrial … in a good way 😂 I can see people going with Susvara for classical and acoustic, I listen to a lot of metal and electronica so industrial powerful sound fits. Also 1266 has a lot in common with Utopia for me, which can also sound a bit cold and industrial but slam really hard and be really fun for energetic music.
I can only agree with you, the Abyss PHI TC and the Susvara sound absolutely different. I think the Susvara is excellent and I like it very much. Indeed, the TC and the Utopia have certain parallels, the Utopia is fantastic, maybe there is a good Black Friday deal for it this year. 🤣
@@vancybergoth can’t comment on the Arche, it’s solid state I think. I’ve been running Utopia from micro iDSD and Hugo 2, and I was underwhelmed (no surprises right) … sold it, after some time tried HA6a … and ended up trading Susvara for HA6a and Utopia combo, which is a nice supplement to the 1266, similar in some ways but different enough to make it interesting. Drum impact is … maybe even better than on the 1266 🤔
@@krisrudecki9477 The Cayin HA-6A looks really massive and heavy. I'm curious when Focal will release a Utopia successor, Meze has just presented the Elite, a new € 4000 flagship.
6:04 jfc thank you! Despite lots of searches, I could never find any discussion of this and always thought my HEX v2 was defective. If I begin to bring the lower portion of the cups away from my upper jaw, the bass response elevates to where I'd want it (and expect it). But ofc this is not achievable wearing them normally unless I make my own pads
Hi, I have had both Susvara and 1266. I rated INHO both a 10 but different. I went back and forth for months between them and could not choose one over the other overall both TOTL. The 1266 for me fit my classic rock collection a bit better but handled all types of music. It's an impossible choice to make in many ways. All down to preference of the sound signature you enjoy most. I think it's cool and different as well. You won't be disappointed with either but again, what you listen to can be the differentiator .
FR reminds me of my modded Stax L700 a bit, a bump at 1.2k, some unevenness and general recession 2-4k and a bit of a peak at 5k. Main difference is that the L700 doesn't have the bass extension, but it's also smoother overall and it EQs very well and sounds pretty natural when you even out the FR. And your description "somewhat unnatural but with excellent detail" kinda describes the modern Lambdas in a nutshell, though I guess you'd trade away some bass impact in exchange for staging and speed.
@@justina9914 I don't know if that is going to happen considering how ridiculously limited the run of them was. It would be interesting to hear thoughts on though.
My 1266 Phi TC are near perfection for me but they need an atomic reactor to power them correctly. Currently using a soloist 3XP and it’s just barely acceptable.
I’ve used a 789, A90, V281, Phonitor E, Lyr 3, singxer and none were that good. Soloist was the first midfi amp this worked. Xi formula s + powerman or flux Volot are what I’m currently saving for.
@@aceofspades6667 why is Soloist 3xp barely acceptable? That’s the pairing I have and it’s amazingly good for me, not sure what could be better. Moderate listening levels at 30 and 45 if you want to rock out, dynamics are spectacular. Not sure if I could name anything that is missing. Maybe I haven’t heard other amps but mine is near perfect.
A certain other TH-camr (not gonna name him) just likes to shill, especially at Chi-fi products on linsoul. I wish half his viewers would educate themselves and watch THIS channel instead
one reviewer said if u turn the pads in every way it would change the sound structure, besides the head adjuster, seems like every slightly changes will take effect on the sound. impressive!
Interesting take on this headphone. Seen many reviews and most glowing in fact. Not so here. This just goes to show the subjective nature of our nitch hobby. Thanks !
1266TC frequency response is far away from neutral, but it is somehow balanced and actually not so annoying. One thing to note that I do feel 1266TC’s soundstage is unrealistically wide and much wider than susvara in some recordings, partly due to its frequency response, and soundstage itself is content dependent I think.
I did listen to the 1266 tc, at canjam. It was great, but I didn't want to get it. I preferred the zmf verite closed way more, and that's coming from a person who didn't like previous zmf headphones cause they were lacking in technicalities, but the verite closed is outstanding, and punches way above its price, regardless of being open or closed. The abyss 1266 tc reminded me a lot of my stax l300 limited, more than the l700, cause of the staging. It has details in spades, but its not presented naturally, with stax you hear things floating around you in a very effortless manner, something the abyss comparatively doesn't do as well as the stax. The verite closed has that holographic staging and effortless presentation, due to its natural timbre, which i believe helps the headphone remain effortless and spectacular, like its not even trying.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204 It was a solid state amp I don't remember which brand it was. I also tried it at canjam Singapore, at a cable company stand, it was hooked to a tube amp, it wasn't a woo audio amp for sure, cause I've the wa22. Tubes did make it sound more pleasant and approachable, it didn't lack details at all, I want to make that clear. What it lacked was ease, effortlessness, and timbre. I had the same problem with the focal utopia, it's kinda similar to the utopia, especially with solid state. I heard that specific head adjustments can make it sound different. Unfortunately my head is on the small size, so my options were kinda limited
@@sonicthehedgehog989 Hmmm... yeah I heard it on the Abyss stack at their table. It was okay. Went to the Woo audio room on the wa33. And I did a side by side with the Susvara. It was mind-blowing. The stage was so wide and the slam was soooo good, clear. Everything. I went back to hear it like 6 to 7 times. During the whole visit at Canjam NYC before covid hit that next month last year.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204 you were at canjam NYC. I would have said hi if I met you. Do you remember the lines, it wasn't until the second day things started to calm down lol. Yes I tried it at the abyss stand. I wasn't interested to try it elsewhere, and hmmmm I couldn't really compare it to how it sounded compared to the previous one I heard at canjam Singapore. But I was left with impression that it was very detailed, and its a detail oriented headphone. Much like the focal utopia, at least on the same level.
@@sonicthehedgehog989 I went on that Saturday. It wasn't busy until a few hours into the day. Then it was hectic lol. The Utopia I owned before. It's a lot more closed in. And more comfy than the Abyss. But it stops there for me. I'm currently waiting on the new Empyrean Elite or I'll get the Stealth. I should probably wait until Canjam socal because a few more things are on the horizon.
@@allydea I just notice how much more I love my 6xx than my Sundara or my 800s more than the Arya. I guess I might not know if it’s the brand or the driver I like more 😅
Resolve, I turn to you for true honesty on technical performance, a lot of people say the detail(and technical performance) "beats" everything else, I find that hard to believe... I also generally like Crin, however I feel he was wrong on the Elegia's technical performance and tuning and you got it dead on that it was close to the Clear, he gave this a fairly low technical performance, how do these technically compare to the HD800, Susvara, LCD-4 and the like? Thank you if you respond. Glad I stuck with Elegia's.
The Ab1266 Phi tc is definitely up there with the best of them for detail and technicalities. I don't know about better than all of them but at least as good. It's only issues are the tuning, comfort and they're not so good for EQing.
Could you please elaborate a bit more why the headphone sound „would change quite a bit depending on the amplifier“, when the amplifier should only amplify the given signal and not change it in any way? I would like to learn more about the role and influence of a headphone amplifier.
It often depends on the headphones and their impedance curve. Impedance relationships are largely responsible for people reporting heard differences from different source equipment. At the same time, my recommendation is to just EQ, since the change can be far more meaningful and you can be more specific with it.
Yeah, I have also had this question, but now Andrew's opinion changes in positive direction I would say relatively to amp and DACs after he tried a few blind tests and maybe researched a bit more, so his new response here is the correct one thought related to headphones sound different from different amps
Resolve here, it's pretty good - I just wish it were a bit less expensive so that more people could hear it haha. Also, it's important to remember that it's a portable closed-back planar.. so while there are other open-back flagships that outclass it for certain things, there's really nothing else quite like it.
Thank you for the great review! How is the 1266 for classical and jazz music and in that regard how does it compare to the Susvara? Thank you for any input you can give!!
Finally, a high profile reviewer had the guts to say it: *_the king has no clothes!_* For a while there I thought I was taken crazy pills with all the praise this was getting, being compared to the HE-1 by some. It's true that I didn't spend/waste too much time with the 1266 and that the fit might be questionable (it was adjusted for me by the store owner who said that's the way it should feel on the head, even though I told him it felt too loose), but as soon as the music started playing all I could think was: what the hell is this discombobulated garbage? As far as its other qualities beyond tuning and naturalness, what I hear is "Yes, I know this girl is only a 3 for looks, but she's really smart and funny and volunteers her time to work with disadvantaged people." :-) Thanks a lot for the review!
@@Sporting1210 You mean it looks good, but sounds dumb? LOL That would be a more concrete way to look at it, and yes, what I meant to say was that secondary benefits are only really relevant if the primary ones already meet a certain base criterion. Call me shallow if you will, lol.
harmonic distortion is related to level (not directly proportional, but it changes based on level). My worry is that if you're adding a lot of fine-grained high level adjustments, you could potentially incur something audible.
Let me give you a hint: if at the end of a Resolve review, you're not sure if the product is good or not, it means it's not good. In this particular one, he's making an effort to not say it's shit (I guess for the sake of not offending fans and the manufacturer and probably also because it would not be very professional), but I think the conclusion is that as a technological demonstrator, this equipment may be impressive in some areas; as an actual headphone to listen to music it is quite bad.
@@VeryCoolAlan Well, you're certainly not alone in thinking that and I'm glad they give you joy. I on the other hand wouldn't use them if they were given to me for free, that's how much I didn't like them. Indeed, to each their own.
And here I thought the Susvara made the wearer look like a crazy👽 person. Looks uncomfortable as hell, even if you do not mind the weight (I don't mind the weight). I am a function over form guy but...this is just a weird design and to make matters worse the adjustability 'system' is really bad. I was curious to hear this headphone, but no longer. Thank you Resolve for shining some light on the overpriced oddity in the basement.
I make fun of the design of these a lot but no headphone does the combination of incredible bass and extreme detail as these do . My favorite headphone has always been the Audeze LCD-4 but even those are humbled by these in my opinion. Unfortunately way out of my price range as are the LCD-4s but the Susvara's just aren't for me and I just don't get why they are Heald in such high esteem .
I think the AB-1266 is extremely good at specific kinds of music. I personally own the Susvaras because they are incredibly good at making instruments sound real. Acoustic, jazz, classical, that sort of thing. However, it's just too tame for rock or electronic where sheer accuracy is not as important as creating the right mood. Also, the Susvara can be had at much less than MSRP, just need to ask around.
I have similar experiences Robbie. Good thing that after this review used prices will drop so get your savings ready ;) one mans poor review is another mans gain 😅
Being a recent subscriber I'm curious do you do your subjective listening before you measure the headphone or do you let the measurements color your subjective comments. Also if you EQ a headphone in the review then are you really reviewing the headphone the way the manufacturer intended or are you making it sound the way you like.
I always listen first. And yes, I think literally every headphone can be improved with EQ. What the manufacturer intends might be interesting but ultimately it's not that important for the ideal experience.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you for your candor. I will no longer follow your reviews because how can I trust what you say if you are just going to make a headphone sound the way you feel it should sound. Thanks and goodbye.
I generally try to make it sound closer to what most people prefer (backed up by all the many studies on this topic). But, if you're looking at how I review a headphone, that's absolutely based on what the manufacturer intends. I don't EQ the FR before measuring if that's what you meant. That wouldn't make sense.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow To be perfectly honest I could care less about the measurements. I care about what the headphone sounds like subjectively and is it worth my time to seek out and listen to. Since I have no way of reproducing the sound you created your review is worthless to me. Imagine reviewing a ported speaker and plugging up the port or a tubed amplifier and putting in some exotic expensive tubes and never listen to the stock tube. That is what you are effectively doing. Goodbye.
Ran into this video by chance and decided to view it since I own the TC as well as the SR1a (and having owned the LCD-4 and having had the Susvara on loan for a few months in the past - not a fan of either). I've gotten very bored with the whole audiophile cork-sniffing talk after engaging in it for a while. For me, it's either I like it or I don't (at least not as much as what I do really like) and then just listen to the music. I'd much rather read about music than gear and also focus on the music than nitpick over audio quality and be "bothered" by some gap in the frequency range on a graph. I find I can be just as happy listening to music with $300~400 wireless earbuds as listening to TC and SR1a through a Chord stack wired up with cables that cost 10x the earbuds. I really don't like being chained to my chair and gear with these big headphones on my head anymore. Every now and then it's great, of course, but the latest earbuds sound pretty damn good for what they are and provide hell of a value compared to all this summit-fi stuff and it really is very cool being able to get up whenever I feel like and move around the house or the office as well as outdoors and in the gym while still listening to music. This being said, the TC is still my favorite over-ears wired headphone when I do decide to be frozen in my chair for an hour or two. I don't care about it being "not real" enough and things like that. If I must hear real, I'll go to a concert. I've heard $100K+ speaker systems and concerts are still way more real.
@@momkagura518 I mainly attend classical, jazz, and acoustic music concerts specifically to listen to the instruments and voices "live" and not mic'd up and going through speakers. Same at home. 90% of what I listen to is classical, acoustic jazz, and other types of acoustic-only music. For rock, pop, and electronic kinds of stuff, B&O $400~850 ANC wireless earbuds and headphones are just fine for me.
I tried the CC (not TC) using crazy 25k chain and That Upper treble spike killed this headphone for me, they are technically impressive tho my younger ears can't handle the Old man ears tuning
Driver damping can come in a number of forms, but typically it's some way of affecting the driver behavior, generally for the sake of the tuning, although there are also examples where it's unintended. One way to tell is to look at the driver resonance frequency's behavior.
The Abyss PHI TC sounds absolutely not neutral or flat and that's exactly why I bought it. When you bend the Abyss back, you have really extreme bass pressure and I love it. 😈 A good review, now only the T + A Solitaire P is missing for a review. 😉
Yeah I also bend mind just a bit back so they float and open to the front with pads 2 clicks clockwise. Huge sound stage and thundering bass. Listened to Nightwish Nemo remaster recently, when chorus hits on Ghost Love Score I had one of the “oh s*!” moments … actually I had loads of those moment with this set.
@@krisrudecki9477 My first holy shit moment with the PHI TC was with The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up, that heavy deep bass. OMG 🔥 Extrem Metal sounds incredibly good with the TC, Signs of the Swarm - Nightcrawler and Lorna Shore - This is Hell, are just epic with the Abyss PHI TC.
@@vancybergoth yeah been listening to the new Lorna Shore recently … 1266 is god tier for this kinda stuff, amazing sound stage for those orchestral layers paired with epic bass drops and slam 🤯🤯🤯🤯🔥🔥🔥
@@vancybergoth also stuff like the drum impact on the new Lamb Of God album 🤯 out of this world. I also like some dirty electronica like early Noisia and Black Sun Empire etc … guess not your typical audiophile selection but these made my jaw drop on many occasions
As a Dr. Who fan I only mildly regret that I never went out of my way to try these Cyberman 'phones. Now, if they ever made a Davros or Weeping Angel headphone, I'd be on them in a heartbeat, but... Meh, Cyberman... Naw. Not my fav.
Thank you for the review. I didn't particularly like the Abyss either. Quick question: Why did you decide to speak faster? You used to speak a lot slower, which I personally preferred.
Great video. Although I don’t agree of your opinion about Abyss ab1266 phi tc, I welcome the differences in opinion. There is no one headphones rule them all. One thing I want to point out is that 1266 goes well with Tube amp. Eventhough Joe from abyss picks XI audio set to be the best matching, I think 1266 is the perfect pair with Woo Audio WA-33 Elite. Even WA-33. Also the DAC matters with high end headphones. Abyss is a plenty of fun head-fi equipment due to the frequency response you talked about. Finding the matching equipment, little tweaks of the earpad angles, and all. All different experience from one headphones.
@@mariodrv Yeah, they are. I heard just about everything. And a wa-33 tube amp with these is insanity. Might look ugly and not be so comfy. Sound-wise. Unbeatable. To my ears.
Smh I don't like 1266, and I don't get people who think 1266 is more resolved than Susvara. Maybe in the bass? That's about it. Also, very interesting you found 1266 not as wide as Susvara, I though 1266 was appreciably wider than Susvara for all I dislike about the 1266.
I prefer the 1266 to the susvara but that’s just my preference. When powered correctly it’s like a sub on your head. I think the technical performance is better than sus but for people the prefer the freq response I totally get their decision.
@@aceofspades6667 Elaborate on what you mean by "powered correctly"? Are you talking about synergy? I've driven both off of several different speaker amplifiers, I find it very hard to imagine I wasn't powering 1266 correctly considering Susvara is the harder of the two to drive.
@@robaba82 both the phonitor e and v281 start to fall apart at higher Spl on passages that are complex or have a Ton of bass. My phonitor e will start to clip even and balanced output and high gain where soloist 3XP on high gain is solid.
@@robaba82 you are absolutely correct. A distortion in harmonics amp creates the feeling of warmer or more bass but is poorly controlled due to the very nature how its created. I use my Abyss 1266 Phi TC with Sparkos Aries , Moon 430, Auralic Taurus and it plays phenomenally well. And I have tried XI Formula S , one of the most over rated amps for what it does. Absolutely nothing special and not needed.
You have some issues with harmonic distortion and the frequency response? Maybe even think the headphone needs some EQ? A certain company would say “Amateurs need lessons on proper operation and limitations of their test gear before pretending to be someone they’re not.” Maybe their cables will fix it.
i am so glad that i don't make headphones . imagine sending your flagship headphones to a guy that can't be bothered to take off his hat before complaining about the comfort and fit .what am i supposed to take away from this review .
I didn't get the feeling that these headphones are worth 5 grand. With emphasis on FR im listening all this and like mm, ok, another flagship on review, whatever 🤗
No offense to Abyss but midrange on these sounds like rustly metal cans clanged together. Probably one of the biggest ripoffs in audio. Susvara, Raal and D8k run circles around it.
"I didn't have the linus stack on hand so if I didn't cry, that's clearly why"
I laughed out loud when he said that
Measures like I remember from CanJam '20, upper mid recession especially relative to 1k, and a lot of airy sheen above 10k
I’ve always been curious about this headphone but I just can’t help but think the design could be adjusted to not be so wide up top.
This is indeed a headphone that requires one to sit in a dark corner in an old leather chair after the kids and neighbors are tucked away in their beds.
The only lights allowed would be moonlight and lights from your tubes.
you bend the frame if there is a gap up top
But did you run it over with a jeep? It's not fully "broken in" until you do; it's in the manual. :)
Mine were run over by a jeep and they work perfectly.
I threw my 789 into the fireplace the other day to make it warmer, I'll go check on it tomorrow
This is at the level of some of the stuff JPS sells fjdkdnfnd
I love how probably no one gets this unless you watch Abyss’ channel
Is it really?! 🤣🤣😭😭
Thank you for the great review, Resolve!
Odd tuning, THD issues. Unwieldy, heavy open back cans.
I feel I am at the point that if I am considering spending 5k, I am opting for a great set of bookshelf speakers and a perfectly matched tube amp. Then spending the rest on a ticket to Belize.
after I heard them I feel like they were designed to sound like some 70s speaker system with record player. I loved them until I heard how much they cost lol.
I've waited for this one!
Same!
A good honest review. I own the 1266, Susvara and Utopia and I enjoy each of them but they are different. I would agree with almost everything you said in comparing the three except the soundstage. For me, the 1266 has the widest soundstage, almost to a fault on some tracks when I want the vocals more forward. Beyond that the review seem dead on.
how's the 1266 vs. a hifiman arya?
ah hell, if it's wider than a susvara then I might wanna consider it.
@ after much deliberation I decided to go for a susvara and pair it with a schiit ragnarok amp and an yggdrasil dac. Which totals to anywhere between half to a third the price of a highly proprietary system setup of abyss and their lunacy.
@@thevashfan12392 Let me know how the combo works, im looking to get susvaras as well and want to find a good amp that isnt 6k like the others recommend lol
@@komodobeats239 will do or at least try my best; it'll likely be towards mid 2022 before I can complete it.
Yeah I have to agree with Andrew on this I own the Susvara which is my favorite to the second Utopia that I had to sell along with the Z1R and Arya to make the purchase of the 1266 Phi TC. And I think I made a big mistake because it is so hard to get this thing dialed in on your head. One song will sound great you put on the next song horrible you move the pads a little okay great again. The overall tuning is odd and not natural sounding to me compared to the Susvara's which has a overall best tonal and detailed presentation.
But the big plus for the 1266 is the overall clarity is insane. You know when you think your gear is what is holding everything back and the more detailed equals harshness. Well the 1266 does it in spades with ZERO FATIGUE and let's you hear into the song like you have never heard before. I want to try on the Abyss Diana Phi and maybe move over to it instead. Going to try some of my stock tubes that came with my Woo Audio WA33 Elite because as of now I have all KR HP tubes and I find it to be a little to much with the Chord Dave MScaler combo.
Do you miss your Z1R's at all? I always think about selling them and going with the Verite Closed. But there's just some charm with them that makes it hard to let go lol
@@asplmn yeah I miss them and my Utopia for sure but 1266 needed to go through a break in period much longer than other headphones. Now I completely understand why everyone have the Susvara/1266 combo they really balance each other. I’m very curious on a Solid State AMP for both to see if anything changes
I’m so happy that you guys finally got this unit to review. I’ve been watching the guys TH-cam and like what they are about.
A little while ago, I had the opportunity to compare the AB1266 directly with the Susvara and the Raal SR1a, presumably some of the very best HPs on the planet. After careful comparisons, the AB1266 came out third. My main complaint is the frequency response, which colors the sound quite a bit. Given that I use HPs also for mixing and mastering, this is a show stopper, independent of the technical performance.
That's similar to my findings as well
@@TheHEADPHONEShow ...and Crinacle's as well, according to his ranking list... ;-)
Which one came first?
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I do not own an TC, but I have heard that it is extremely good with dynamic focused edm, and specifically with metal. This guy also owns a susvara, and he prefers each one for different genres.
@@justina9914 Both the Susvara and the SR1a are absolutely amazing HPs, and both get you very close to believing you might actually be listening to a set of good studio monitors (which is what I was looking for). The Susvara have a certain elegance and refinement about them that I really like, but IMHO the SR1a take things to yet another level. Once the SR1a are adjusted properly on one's head, which may take a bit of experimentation (they exists a short yt video by Raal on how to do this properly), the authenticity and soundstage can be truly breathtaking, especially for well recorded tracks. The SR1a have certain limitations in the subbass range, and they are, in fact, ear monitors (completely open, no seal), so they might not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you get a chance to experience them at some point, by all means do! Personally, I find them magical...!
You are the most honest & accurate reviewer of headphones I have seen 👏🏻
Another great review for a headphone which most people only dream to hear once or even call them their own. Keep it up!
I was really excited to hear it, but once I heard it, it proved to be more of a nightmare than a dream.
@@allydea You didn't buy it did you?
@@SussyBaka-em9rq Based on that impression of course not. I was also not in the market for such an expensive headphone, but before I get accused of "sour grapes" I listened to the HE-1 in the same shop and was very (positively) impressed.
@@allydea I went to a shop to demo Susvara and 1266, in the shop I found 1266 disappointing and Susvara amazing. Managed to get both in the end. After a month at home I sold the Susvara and 1266 is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Funny how sometimes impressions from shops can be so much different from setting it up at home. Also 1266 is very transparent so chain matters a great deal, and it takes about 2 weeks to get your head around setting it up on your head to get them to sound as they should 🤷♂️
@@krisrudecki9477 Your brain will definitely adjust after some time to any sound signature. It might never become your favorite but you will become less and less bothered by it (especially if you listen to it exclusively). This was my experience with the Z1R.
Anyway, the point is to be happy, so if the 1266 does it for you, then great!
But regardless of sound, how did you adjust to the comfort of the Abyss? Or so you think it's superior also in that aspect compared to something like a Susvara?
I'm sure Joe from Abyss is gonna LOVE this review ;)
If he's listening to it through the 1266, then he might not understand what Andrew is saying so it's all good! :-)
@@allydea lmao
I can't wait for him to see it. If only some companies would take feedback from reviewers to heart and not only improve on their product but freely release measurements to show the improvement. Last I checked Abyss is very hush hush about graphing their products. In 2021, this is just a red flag to me - you can have excellent technical performance AND a good frequency response, and you damn well better have both at this price!!!
@@metal571 Couldn't have put it better. Speaking of implementing feedback, are you hyped for the Empyrean Elite?
I briefly heard that it exists and that's all I know. Hopefully they increased the impedance and significantly improved the detail to compete in this price range as well
After owning quite a few sets, I settled on 1266 tc paired with Soloist 3xp. For me this is near perfect, I guess this will depend on your head size … and music you’re into. I’m lucky because it just fits my head without issues and I mostly listen to rock / metal and electronica. I owned both Susvara and TC and for me 1266 blew Susvara out of the water completely on all fronts, huge sound stage, holographic imaging, tremendous slam, thundering bass. It’s interesting that Andrew said it kinda sounds like Susvara because for me it’s pretty much the polar opposite. The sound changes a lot depending on fit and how you set it, so chances are I’ve got it set up differently 🤷♂️ Took me about 2 weeks to find the fit and sound I wanted, so maybe this is the difference. Don’t get me wrong, Susvara is an amazing set, but for me 1266 was just better in everything I care about. Susvara had softer more “natural” “sweet” sound and for some this will be a huge benefit, 1266 in comparison sounds raw and industrial … in a good way 😂 I can see people going with Susvara for classical and acoustic, I listen to a lot of metal and electronica so industrial powerful sound fits. Also 1266 has a lot in common with Utopia for me, which can also sound a bit cold and industrial but slam really hard and be really fun for energetic music.
I can only agree with you, the Abyss PHI TC and the Susvara sound absolutely different. I think the Susvara is excellent and I like it very much. Indeed, the TC and the Utopia have certain parallels, the Utopia is fantastic, maybe there is a good Black Friday deal for it this year. 🤣
@@vancybergoth get a nice tube amp for it when you’re at it, they should sell it bundled 😂
@@krisrudecki9477 I have often seen the Stellia with the Focal ARCHE as a bundle.
@@vancybergoth can’t comment on the Arche, it’s solid state I think. I’ve been running Utopia from micro iDSD and Hugo 2, and I was underwhelmed (no surprises right) … sold it, after some time tried HA6a … and ended up trading Susvara for HA6a and Utopia combo, which is a nice supplement to the 1266, similar in some ways but different enough to make it interesting. Drum impact is … maybe even better than on the 1266 🤔
@@krisrudecki9477 The Cayin HA-6A looks really massive and heavy. I'm curious when Focal will release a Utopia successor, Meze has just presented the Elite, a new € 4000 flagship.
6:04 jfc thank you! Despite lots of searches, I could never find any discussion of this and always thought my HEX v2 was defective. If I begin to bring the lower portion of the cups away from my upper jaw, the bass response elevates to where I'd want it (and expect it). But ofc this is not achievable wearing them normally unless I make my own pads
Hi, I have had both Susvara and 1266. I rated INHO both a 10 but different. I went back and forth for months between them and could not choose one over the other overall both TOTL. The 1266 for me fit my classic rock collection a bit better but handled all types of music. It's an impossible choice to make in many ways. All down to preference of the sound signature you enjoy most. I think it's cool and different as well. You won't be disappointed with either but again, what you listen to can be the differentiator .
FR reminds me of my modded Stax L700 a bit, a bump at 1.2k, some unevenness and general recession 2-4k and a bit of a peak at 5k. Main difference is that the L700 doesn't have the bass extension, but it's also smoother overall and it EQs very well and sounds pretty natural when you even out the FR. And your description "somewhat unnatural but with excellent detail" kinda describes the modern Lambdas in a nutshell, though I guess you'd trade away some bass impact in exchange for staging and speed.
Any plans to do the Audeze Crbn?
PLEASE
Or maybe lcd r
@@justina9914 I don't know if that is going to happen considering how ridiculously limited the run of them was. It would be interesting to hear thoughts on though.
I love how you crack jokes with straight face.. 😂
Thanks for reporting on this. Not too many reviews of this online for how lauded/infamous it is.
“They changed the PADS, so I need a NEW LCD4…” *blinks*
Well... Mainly the new pads
@@TheHEADPHONEShow will it change the sound?
@@mikedergalev they are different, wtf shure
@@octagon_1211 to what extent?
My 1266 Phi TC are near perfection for me but they need an atomic reactor to power them correctly. Currently using a soloist 3XP and it’s just barely acceptable.
I’ve used a 789, A90, V281, Phonitor E, Lyr 3, singxer and none were that good. Soloist was the first midfi amp this worked. Xi formula s + powerman or flux Volot are what I’m currently saving for.
What's wrong with the other ones you tried?
@@aceofspades6667 Try T+A HA 200 AMP/DAC
@@aceofspades6667 why is Soloist 3xp barely acceptable? That’s the pairing I have and it’s amazingly good for me, not sure what could be better. Moderate listening levels at 30 and 45 if you want to rock out, dynamics are spectacular. Not sure if I could name anything that is missing. Maybe I haven’t heard other amps but mine is near perfect.
I’m using Cayin HA-300 tubes amp and it works great for my 1266 Phi TC.
So basically yeah… you do need an atomic reactor.
Can you please say about dca stealth vs abyss 1266?
What dac did you use with those amps? I have the 1266 with formula s and powerman so just need the sagra dac to complete my ltt stack.
LMAO
I feel like he used d70s or su9 most likely.
@@prabinpaudel5572 I hope not. That’s like running a marathon in flip flops.
@@TheCangle I hope they didn't either. But I feel like they did just that. Best case scenario matrix x Sabre. Maybe.
You dont need crazy expensive dacs for comparing headphones
Great Review. Please review T+A Solitaire P headphones. They are around same price points. Thanks
Yes, I heard great things about it. A Darker Susvara/TC hybrid?
A certain other TH-camr (not gonna name him) just likes to shill, especially at Chi-fi products on linsoul. I wish half his viewers would educate themselves and watch THIS channel instead
Well yeah linsoul absolutely pays him to say everything he does. He is a total shill
@@nickpelayo3172 so who is it
@@andrewngu85 it's HBB or BGGAR. He goes by both monikers
@@nickpelayo3172 the mele iem hes tuned for tripowin is getting some rave reviews.
one reviewer said if u turn the pads in every way it would change the sound structure, besides the head adjuster, seems like every slightly changes will take effect on the sound. impressive!
Interesting take on this headphone. Seen many reviews and most glowing in fact. Not so here. This just goes to show the subjective nature of our nitch hobby. Thanks !
How dare you tease us with the Stealth just poking its head in the video!
that dental x ray machine is called orthopantomogram, used mostly in orthodontic treatments :) cheers
1266TC frequency response is far away from neutral, but it is somehow balanced and actually not so annoying. One thing to note that I do feel 1266TC’s soundstage is unrealistically wide and much wider than susvara in some recordings, partly due to its frequency response, and soundstage itself is content dependent I think.
It may depend on the positioning and coupling of the headphone
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Yeah, agree.
I did listen to the 1266 tc, at canjam.
It was great, but I didn't want to get it.
I preferred the zmf verite closed way more, and that's coming from a person who didn't like previous zmf headphones cause they were lacking in technicalities, but the verite closed is outstanding, and punches way above its price, regardless of being open or closed.
The abyss 1266 tc reminded me a lot of my stax l300 limited, more than the l700, cause of the staging.
It has details in spades, but its not presented naturally, with stax you hear things floating around you in a very effortless manner, something the abyss comparatively doesn't do as well as the stax.
The verite closed has that holographic staging and effortless presentation, due to its natural timbre, which i believe helps the headphone remain effortless and spectacular, like its not even trying.
Which amp did you hear it on? The one at their desk didn't even come close to the Woo audio one. It was night/day difference.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204
It was a solid state amp I don't remember which brand it was.
I also tried it at canjam Singapore, at a cable company stand, it was hooked to a tube amp, it wasn't a woo audio amp for sure, cause I've the wa22.
Tubes did make it sound more pleasant and approachable, it didn't lack details at all, I want to make that clear.
What it lacked was ease, effortlessness, and timbre.
I had the same problem with the focal utopia, it's kinda similar to the utopia, especially with solid state.
I heard that specific head adjustments can make it sound different.
Unfortunately my head is on the small size, so my options were kinda limited
@@sonicthehedgehog989 Hmmm... yeah I heard it on the Abyss stack at their table. It was okay. Went to the Woo audio room on the wa33. And I did a side by side with the Susvara. It was mind-blowing. The stage was so wide and the slam was soooo good, clear. Everything. I went back to hear it like 6 to 7 times. During the whole visit at Canjam NYC before covid hit that next month last year.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204 you were at canjam NYC.
I would have said hi if I met you.
Do you remember the lines, it wasn't until the second day things started to calm down lol.
Yes I tried it at the abyss stand.
I wasn't interested to try it elsewhere, and hmmmm I couldn't really compare it to how it sounded compared to the previous one I heard at canjam Singapore.
But I was left with impression that it was very detailed, and its a detail oriented headphone.
Much like the focal utopia, at least on the same level.
@@sonicthehedgehog989 I went on that Saturday. It wasn't busy until a few hours into the day. Then it was hectic lol. The Utopia I owned before. It's a lot more closed in. And more comfy than the Abyss. But it stops there for me. I'm currently waiting on the new Empyrean Elite or I'll get the Stealth. I should probably wait until Canjam socal because a few more things are on the horizon.
This was a great review. Well done Resolve.
Treble sensitive, look no further than the LCD-X. Is there a reason you want it to be a dynamic, or are you a collector?
@@allydea
I just notice how much more I love my 6xx than my Sundara or my 800s more than the Arya. I guess I might not know if it’s the brand or the driver I like more 😅
Resolve, I turn to you for true honesty on technical performance, a lot of people say the detail(and technical performance) "beats" everything else, I find that hard to believe... I also generally like Crin, however I feel he was wrong on the Elegia's technical performance and tuning and you got it dead on that it was close to the Clear, he gave this a fairly low technical performance, how do these technically compare to the HD800, Susvara, LCD-4 and the like? Thank you if you respond. Glad I stuck with Elegia's.
The Ab1266 Phi tc is definitely up there with the best of them for detail and technicalities. I don't know about better than all of them but at least as good. It's only issues are the tuning, comfort and they're not so good for EQing.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thank you for the response
Could you please elaborate a bit more why the headphone sound „would change quite a bit depending on the amplifier“, when the amplifier should only amplify the given signal and not change it in any way? I would like to learn more about the role and influence of a headphone amplifier.
It often depends on the headphones and their impedance curve. Impedance relationships are largely responsible for people reporting heard differences from different source equipment. At the same time, my recommendation is to just EQ, since the change can be far more meaningful and you can be more specific with it.
Yeah, I have also had this question, but now Andrew's opinion changes in positive direction I would say relatively to amp and DACs after he tried a few blind tests and maybe researched a bit more, so his new response here is the correct one thought related to headphones sound different from different amps
Thanks for the honest review! How was the pairing with V550? Or, the best amp recommendation? Thanks.
This vs susvara vs new mrspeakers stealth will be epic video comparison.
Don't forget about t+a solitaire P with it's h200 amp
Any more thoughts on the DCA Stealth since your first impressions?
Resolve here, it's pretty good - I just wish it were a bit less expensive so that more people could hear it haha. Also, it's important to remember that it's a portable closed-back planar.. so while there are other open-back flagships that outclass it for certain things, there's really nothing else quite like it.
Thanks. Sounds like it is worth a look.
Thank you for the great review! How is the 1266 for classical and jazz music and in that regard how does it compare to the Susvara? Thank you for any input you can give!!
Mmmmm, i love a w shaped frequency response. Not that I'd ever be able to afford these. Plus they're just too weird aesthetically for 5 grand.
Finally, a high profile reviewer had the guts to say it: *_the king has no clothes!_*
For a while there I thought I was taken crazy pills with all the praise this was getting, being compared to the HE-1 by some. It's true that I didn't spend/waste too much time with the 1266 and that the fit might be questionable (it was adjusted for me by the store owner who said that's the way it should feel on the head, even though I told him it felt too loose), but as soon as the music started playing all I could think was: what the hell is this discombobulated garbage?
As far as its other qualities beyond tuning and naturalness, what I hear is "Yes, I know this girl is only a 3 for looks, but she's really smart and funny and volunteers her time to work with disadvantaged people." :-)
Thanks a lot for the review!
actually - and based on the given context of your comment - it would be the other way around ...you know, with the girl, if you catch my drift ;)
@@Sporting1210 You mean it looks good, but sounds dumb? LOL That would be a more concrete way to look at it, and yes, what I meant to say was that secondary benefits are only really relevant if the primary ones already meet a certain base criterion. Call me shallow if you will, lol.
"No Apple Dongle..." I felt attack a little.
Can you do a comparison on Hugo 2 and some other DACs at that price? Im looking for a new DAC/Amp combo and just want to know your opinion =)
Why does harmonic distortion make you worry about EQ? Is it because you want to avoid amplifying distorting frequencies?
harmonic distortion is related to level (not directly proportional, but it changes based on level). My worry is that if you're adding a lot of fine-grained high level adjustments, you could potentially incur something audible.
Where the u12t giveaway winner will be announced? live stream only? or twitter or any other place too?
please compare these to the raycon e 25 plz they are so good ;)
Please revisit the LCD-4 as soon as possible
So.....it's good? Lol confused now
Resolve here, not my kind of thing, but... I can see why some people like it.
It's from JPS labs... So no, it's not good.
Let me give you a hint: if at the end of a Resolve review, you're not sure if the product is good or not, it means it's not good.
In this particular one, he's making an effort to not say it's shit (I guess for the sake of not offending fans and the manufacturer and probably also because it would not be very professional), but I think the conclusion is that as a technological demonstrator, this equipment may be impressive in some areas; as an actual headphone to listen to music it is quite bad.
So crazy because I own them and I think they're the best thing out there lol, that's why I'm so confused but then again, to each their own ☺️
@@VeryCoolAlan Well, you're certainly not alone in thinking that and I'm glad they give you joy. I on the other hand wouldn't use them if they were given to me for free, that's how much I didn't like them.
Indeed, to each their own.
Please review the t+a solitaire P with the amp that they are selling
If Frankenstein owned headphones
What was the amplifier you had on the table?
Bakoon Amp-13r @US$6,000. Now discontinued.
@@jamesong9408 Thanks, i thought i didn't understand the name.
Didn't they use those on Doctor Who as cybermen costume ;-)
And here I thought the Susvara made the wearer look like a crazy👽 person. Looks uncomfortable as hell, even if you do not mind the weight (I don't mind the weight). I am a function over form guy but...this is just a weird design and to make matters worse the adjustability 'system' is really bad. I was curious to hear this headphone, but no longer. Thank you Resolve for shining some light on the overpriced oddity in the basement.
i would try to use phone dongles i bet it'll work, not great, but it would.
I make fun of the design of these a lot but no headphone does the combination of incredible bass and extreme detail as these do .
My favorite headphone has always been the Audeze LCD-4 but even those are humbled by these in my opinion.
Unfortunately way out of my price range as are the LCD-4s but the Susvara's just aren't for me and I just don't get why they are Heald in such high esteem .
I think the AB-1266 is extremely good at specific kinds of music. I personally own the Susvaras because they are incredibly good at making instruments sound real. Acoustic, jazz, classical, that sort of thing. However, it's just too tame for rock or electronic where sheer accuracy is not as important as creating the right mood. Also, the Susvara can be had at much less than MSRP, just need to ask around.
I have similar experiences Robbie. Good thing that after this review used prices will drop so get your savings ready ;) one mans poor review is another mans gain 😅
Being a recent subscriber I'm curious do you do your subjective listening before you measure the headphone or do you let the measurements color your subjective comments. Also if you EQ a headphone in the review then are you really reviewing the headphone the way the manufacturer intended or are you making it sound the way you like.
I always listen first. And yes, I think literally every headphone can be improved with EQ. What the manufacturer intends might be interesting but ultimately it's not that important for the ideal experience.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you for your candor. I will no longer follow your reviews because how can I trust what you say if you are just going to make a headphone sound the way you feel it should sound. Thanks and goodbye.
I generally try to make it sound closer to what most people prefer (backed up by all the many studies on this topic). But, if you're looking at how I review a headphone, that's absolutely based on what the manufacturer intends. I don't EQ the FR before measuring if that's what you meant. That wouldn't make sense.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow To be perfectly honest I could care less about the measurements. I care about what the headphone sounds like subjectively and is it worth my time to seek out and listen to. Since I have no way of reproducing the sound you created your review is worthless to me. Imagine reviewing a ported speaker and plugging up the port or a tubed amplifier and putting in some exotic expensive tubes and never listen to the stock tube. That is what you are effectively doing. Goodbye.
@@gitmobob6266 goodluck in your chasing unicorn journey
Hey Andrew , how about this compared to the he1000se?
Your preference?
that kind of tuning seems to be perfect for metal and rock
Ran into this video by chance and decided to view it since I own the TC as well as the SR1a (and having owned the LCD-4 and having had the Susvara on loan for a few months in the past - not a fan of either). I've gotten very bored with the whole audiophile cork-sniffing talk after engaging in it for a while. For me, it's either I like it or I don't (at least not as much as what I do really like) and then just listen to the music.
I'd much rather read about music than gear and also focus on the music than nitpick over audio quality and be "bothered" by some gap in the frequency range on a graph. I find I can be just as happy listening to music with $300~400 wireless earbuds as listening to TC and SR1a through a Chord stack wired up with cables that cost 10x the earbuds.
I really don't like being chained to my chair and gear with these big headphones on my head anymore. Every now and then it's great, of course, but the latest earbuds sound pretty damn good for what they are and provide hell of a value compared to all this summit-fi stuff and it really is very cool being able to get up whenever I feel like and move around the house or the office as well as outdoors and in the gym while still listening to music.
This being said, the TC is still my favorite over-ears wired headphone when I do decide to be frozen in my chair for an hour or two. I don't care about it being "not real" enough and things like that. If I must hear real, I'll go to a concert. I've heard $100K+ speaker systems and concerts are still way more real.
Don't forget at concerts you're basically still listening to speakers.
@@momkagura518 I mainly attend classical, jazz, and acoustic music concerts specifically to listen to the instruments and voices "live" and not mic'd up and going through speakers. Same at home. 90% of what I listen to is classical, acoustic jazz, and other types of acoustic-only music. For rock, pop, and electronic kinds of stuff, B&O $400~850 ANC wireless earbuds and headphones are just fine for me.
You listen with Topping and still you did not cry?
what amp is that in the lower left
I tried the CC (not TC) using crazy 25k chain and That Upper treble spike killed this headphone for me, they are technically impressive tho my younger ears can't handle the Old man ears tuning
i have it lockaly on my craigslist for 2.2k. Thought it might be a good deal. Now it's not that good anymore.
Would you explain driver damping?
Driver damping can come in a number of forms, but typically it's some way of affecting the driver behavior, generally for the sake of the tuning, although there are also examples where it's unintended. One way to tell is to look at the driver resonance frequency's behavior.
The Abyss PHI TC sounds absolutely not neutral or flat and that's exactly why I bought it. When you bend the Abyss back, you have really extreme bass pressure and I love it. 😈 A good review, now only the T + A Solitaire P is missing for a review. 😉
Yeah I also bend mind just a bit back so they float and open to the front with pads 2 clicks clockwise. Huge sound stage and thundering bass. Listened to Nightwish Nemo remaster recently, when chorus hits on Ghost Love Score I had one of the “oh s*!” moments … actually I had loads of those moment with this set.
@@krisrudecki9477 My first holy shit moment with the PHI TC was with The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up, that heavy deep bass. OMG 🔥 Extrem Metal sounds incredibly good with the TC, Signs of the Swarm - Nightcrawler and Lorna Shore - This is Hell, are just epic with the Abyss PHI TC.
@@vancybergoth yeah been listening to the new Lorna Shore recently … 1266 is god tier for this kinda stuff, amazing sound stage for those orchestral layers paired with epic bass drops and slam 🤯🤯🤯🤯🔥🔥🔥
@@vancybergoth also stuff like the drum impact on the new Lamb Of God album 🤯 out of this world. I also like some dirty electronica like early Noisia and Black Sun Empire etc … guess not your typical audiophile selection but these made my jaw drop on many occasions
@@vancybergoth btw what amp are you pairing with TCs? I’m on Soloist 3xp and HA6a
As a Dr. Who fan I only mildly regret that I never went out of my way to try these Cyberman 'phones. Now, if they ever made a Davros or Weeping Angel headphone, I'd be on them in a heartbeat, but... Meh, Cyberman... Naw. Not my fav.
Upgrade in progress (when you wear them that is:).
@@ABYSSHeadphones LOL! Thanks for that. :) 🖖
Thank you for the review. I didn't particularly like the Abyss either. Quick question: Why did you decide to speak faster? You used to speak a lot slower, which I personally preferred.
Great video. Although I don’t agree of your opinion about Abyss ab1266 phi tc, I welcome the differences in opinion. There is no one headphones rule them all.
One thing I want to point out is that 1266 goes well with Tube amp. Eventhough Joe from abyss picks XI audio set to be the best matching, I think 1266 is the perfect pair with Woo Audio WA-33 Elite. Even WA-33.
Also the DAC matters with high end headphones.
Abyss is a plenty of fun head-fi equipment due to the frequency response you talked about. Finding the matching equipment, little tweaks of the earpad angles, and all. All different experience from one headphones.
The boss of all headphones. If you have the right equipment for them. Lol
Nooo...
@@mariodrv Yeah, they are. I heard just about everything. And a wa-33 tube amp with these is insanity. Might look ugly and not be so comfy. Sound-wise. Unbeatable. To my ears.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204
Then I am glad you found your endgame.
For me the Utopia is pure ear sex.
More like if you have hearing loss in the appropriate frequencies ranges. :-)
@@allydea Mehhh lol.
Who is right? You, Zoes, or Joshua? Every person has his own taste. Don’t waste your time to hear others opinion. Go to the store and try it))
Smh I don't like 1266, and I don't get people who think 1266 is more resolved than Susvara. Maybe in the bass? That's about it. Also, very interesting you found 1266 not as wide as Susvara, I though 1266 was appreciably wider than Susvara for all I dislike about the 1266.
Yeah I think across the board the Susvara is more impressive for detail, but that's also helped by its FR being more well-balanced.
I prefer the 1266 to the susvara but that’s just my preference. When powered correctly it’s like a sub on your head. I think the technical performance is better than sus but for people the prefer the freq response I totally get their decision.
@@aceofspades6667 Elaborate on what you mean by "powered correctly"? Are you talking about synergy? I've driven both off of several different speaker amplifiers, I find it very hard to imagine I wasn't powering 1266 correctly considering Susvara is the harder of the two to drive.
@@robaba82 both the phonitor e and v281 start to fall apart at higher Spl on passages that are complex or have a
Ton of bass. My phonitor e will start to clip even and balanced output and high gain where soloist 3XP on high gain is solid.
@@robaba82 you are absolutely correct. A distortion in harmonics amp creates the feeling of warmer or more bass but is poorly controlled due to the very nature how its created. I use my Abyss 1266 Phi TC with Sparkos Aries , Moon 430, Auralic Taurus and it plays phenomenally well. And I have tried XI Formula S , one of the most over rated amps for what it does. Absolutely nothing special and not needed.
Finally
You have some issues with harmonic distortion and the frequency response? Maybe even think the headphone needs some EQ?
A certain company would say “Amateurs need lessons on proper operation and limitations of their test gear before pretending to be someone they’re not.”
Maybe their cables will fix it.
Dang, I love the shade thrown here
i am so glad that i don't make headphones . imagine sending your flagship headphones to a guy that can't be bothered to take off his hat before complaining about the comfort and fit .what am i supposed to take away from this review .
Humble IN
abyss diana v2 is my top dog and daily driver
People really do call this headphone strange 🤣🤣
I didn't get the feeling that these headphones are worth 5 grand. With emphasis on FR im listening all this and like mm, ok, another flagship on review, whatever 🤗
Overhyped headphones.
Heard them in a private environment paired with something like a Feliks Audio Envy?
@@anonymerzyniker9183 I owned them and listened to them with something like an ampsandsound nautilus.
Compared to the Dianas these are a tad too fugly
So do you need to invest on this beast to enjoy music? Can't wait for Chi-Fi to mature and steal the SHOW
You don't need to spend any money to enjoy your music. At least, not much.
isnt the susvara just that?
@@MrWizardjr9 Yes, but they need to be a sweet spot in this industry.
@@MrWizardjr9 Imagine 2 years developing a driver with tuning making it the best. Does that mean it is worth $7000?
@@MrWizardjr9 Come 2022 hopefully there is a wave of Chinese high end headphone for around 1500 - $2000
Meh, now that we have the DCA Stealth, much better ergos, weight and FR consistency for less money, the Abyss has become a rather weird choice.
Totl technicalities with atrocious garbage tunings. State of summit for headphones today
It the UGLIEST headphone in this part of the galaxy.
Yawn yawn yawn, so boring
waste of paper or computer money or metal money and water money and air money
I don't care how experienced of an audiophile you are or how refined your taste, you deserve to be made fun of if you own these
No offense to Abyss but midrange on these sounds like rustly metal cans clanged together. Probably one of the biggest ripoffs in audio. Susvara, Raal and D8k run circles around it.
overpriced
First
second
Third !