Susvara is one of the sweetest sounding headphones I've ever heard, though it's power-hungry. Still don't think any headphones should be worth $6k, let alone Hifiman.
if only hifiman can get their QC and durability issue fixed , i think their headphones are pretty top-tier. I've always enjoyed their cans more than audeze cans.
@@prabinpaudel5572 dude, that’s quite the exaggeration. I’ve been in this hobby for around 12 years & owned well over 200 headphones. Two hundred. You are hyping up headphones too much, trust me. Oh and I bought all my headphones blind, no auditions. The risk is never too high, you can always return or resell them.
@@sjqideez6626 yeah. I didn't mean to question your experience. I was talking more about build and weight being so desirable. Cuz that's what we can know from video and data. And I'm sad cuz I'm so far away for being able to even buy (shipping here sucks, price and duration) let alone demo. Also since the time I wrote the comment I stopped bothering to drool over expensive stuff.
Sorry Andrew... I know you asked not to read into this too much, but your favorite position being 'in the middle' threw me completely off guard. I think we should all diversify and experiment more... with the way we position headphones on our head.
you should get one of these. this new 4 X 18 Awg 7N OCC copper cable is the best 'bang for your buck' audio improvement, period [ after 300 hours of burn in ]. They didn't make cables with crystals this 'defect free', or this amount of metal. you will be amazed. I would love to hear someone talk about this cable on really good gear. I only have an LCD-2F, but I think this cable makes my LCD-2F seem like it would easily outperform an LCD-X with its stock cable. Mindblowing!! arcticcables.com/Catalog.asp?Page=NewShowProd.asp&PRodID=2003295
Can't wait for the Focal giveway episode coming up! Focal is one of the best Audio companies out there and their headphone lineup is best in class. With each episode I'm starting to really enjoy this channel quite a comprehensive overview. I started watching Darko, Guttenberg, and Zeos but I find I'm growing out of them. The Headphone Show, Josh Valour, Sound News (Sandu), and Currawong are much much more informative reviewers. Sean (ZF), Thomas, and Jay (TNBT) are great but more focused on speakers & associated components.
BTW: Age and FR rolloff can be considered a bit of a misnomer. You see as we loose the ability to 'hear' those upper frequencies, we become more sensitive to lower mid energy. You will find when you talk with HP enthusiasts that are a bit longer in the tooth, they will say they are often after more detail but with a less bright timbre. Remember this one over the next 20 years! Perhaps high end manufactures should provide a Base model and a Golden Years model to accommodate the wide demographic ;-)
There's also a big difference in the genres of music listened to by older vs younger people. Electronic music, for example, sounds much much better with the Harman curve fr.
Andrew, you really do need to talk about the equipment you use, I am currently reviewing these right now, and some of the week points you’re pointing out in regards to imaging and special presentation really does change with what equipment you throw it on, In my experience here on the review desk it does not match the LCD5 definitely not in the same class as SUS, but it most certainly belongs to the same category, I have a bit of a complaint with the upper mid range on this one it’s not really sibilant or incorrect sounding just a bit too energetic for me personally headache inducing after a couple of hours But my goodness abyss know how to tune a head phone LOL I need to do a comparison between this and the TC and see why they discontinue this The chain I used May kte, SDSD signature dac3b HoloAudio serene Ferrum OOR ahb2 Bloody annoyed the Dave and the M scaler was not at hand
Thanks for that. I am down to Abyss vs. Susvara and I appreciate your analysis. Based on what you told me last week I bought the ZMF Verite over the Hedd so once again thanks.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow No I have the LDC-X and I weighed it at 702 gm and it bothers me not at all. Ultimately I chose Verite because of your prior reviews and because I thought the Hedd was too close to the Arya which I already own. Also trying to balance collection. This week I bought LCD-4 so looking for different sounds (which made Hedd interesting and I may eventually go back).
@@thewoat6589 Serious cancer, past retirement age still working made a lot of money. Want to hear every sound. Also to find the best one. Just afraid it is the other Abyss and it is just too much to wear.
I'm still waiting for that one headphone that's high end in detail, wide in soundstage (if the audio played actually requires it), bass deep (if required) and tight, AND perfect imaging. Perfect for listening to music AND gaming. That's my endgame headphone. Maybe one day...
I would go with the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC over the susvara for a single endgame headphone. It is more detailed than the susvara with a wider stage and deeper and more resolving bass.
@@klewja I'd have to hear it in my home environment. I heard it at CanJam but that's not good enough to be able to make a judgment. My initial take though was that it's so far the only headphone I've heard that gives Susvara a run for the money for technicalities. But I still think Susvara has a better FR and tonal balance. Maybe one day I'll get one in for review haha.
Thanks for another great review. Do you think it is much better than Ananda when you take the price difference into account? I'm actually more interested in its cheaper sister Diana V2, which is said to be warmer.
I didn't like what you have done with the headband and made fun of it... but you are really a genius "add a 10khz peak filter with a Q value of around 5 or higher, and reduce it by about 6.5 dB": Sounds really amazing - I did it with my RME ADI-2 Pro FS R. Thank you!!!
I thank you very much for your reviews here. I was after these headphones but hearing your considerations I definitely changed my mind. May it be because we listen to similar kinds of music or because we have similar tastes in the response we want from our headphones but I always find very useful your work. I'll keep on enjoying my Sundara while I save for Arya. Thank you Andrew.
Thank you for an interesting and entertaining review. I did have a problem though with the mood music that was the background to much of the spoken audio. I found it distracting and painful to have to endure for for almost the entire length of the video.
Pointless background music plagues You Tube, of course. From my perspective, it's a bit like trying to listen to a pair of decent open backed HPs while there's a mobile phone's tinny speakers firing away in the background. Film composers are paid millions to properly score soundtracks. On You Tube, it's mainly an inept afterthought.
The person who sent it to me did it actually. I didn't really have an issue with the headband on its own - but this was also similar to what DMS did with his mod at CanJam.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Do you know what exactly he did with his? I remember seeing it once and thinking it looked like a nicely implemented mod, like as good as an official feature.
That I'm not sure about. The community member who sent it in just had it attached. I think it could be just a simple one from Amazon. DMS had a different one at CanJam though.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I appreciate the reply my friend! I love the Diana Phi's, just trying to get that comfort sorted. I've come across Dekoni Audio Nuggets which I will order tonight and see if that could help the Phis.
Big fan of the channel. Liked the review as always. One point of constructive criticism. I know you have not listened to it yet, and I'm waiting for you to review it, but not even mentioning the 1266 TC in this review is a glaring omission in my opinion, especially since they have the same or similar drivers, which I think would be useful information for anyone considering the Diana phi.
I'd simply suggest that if you pay over $1000 dollars for a headphone, and there are annoying frequencies that require EQ, you should find a different headphone-- one that better suits your preference.
Would the non-DMS modded headpads (current version) require a different EQ profile? I’m currently using these as my daily driver and would love to know if there’s a FR difference...Thanks!
Not exactly. It all depends on fit, and if you can get the regular version to fit right, it should have a similar FR. But still, do EQ by ear. You may have a different preference. Mine is just a suggestion for what to try
The HEADPHONE Show I tried the 10k - 6.5 dB with a Q factor of 5 and it sounds great. I had no idea how much that peak was influencing the overall sound. I’m new to the world of EQ so this is my first experience experimenting with it. Thanks for your response and info!
Which high end headphone would you think is the best upgrade for my sennheiser hd 660s? I just love it but I think there could be just more sub bass. Is the clear the best deal? And is it really way better?
Focal clear maybe. Or hifiman Arya. For ultra high end like this, the Utopia is the most 'normal', FR or similar to hd6x0. But Susvara is still best in my opinion
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you. I have some stax esl and the resolution is finde but I Mean tonality and timbre etc. Effortless. Sound like the hd6... Line Nothing fatiguing like the Beyerdynamic dt 1990. Greetings from Germany and you guys do great work
you compared the Diana Phi (DMS) to a bunch but the full comp list is: Raal Sr1a, Abyss 1266 phi tc, hifiman susvara, LCD4, Final Audio D8000 Pro , HEDDPhone , Focal Utopia, Meze Empyrea, Hifiman HE1000, Stax sr-009/007, & Senn Orpheus and shangri la both for sheets & giggles... Maybe add in the DC voce, Verite, HD800s if you really want to round out the bench.
Yeah. Gotta keep these videos within reasonable timeframes haha. I'll try and help though. My general preference for sound quality when it comes to top tier headphones might look something like this: Susvara > LCD4 (EQ) > SR-007 (2.9) > D8K pro > Utopia > HEKse (EQ) > DPhi (EQ) > Verite (BE2 Suede) > LCD4 (no EQ) > HEDDphone > SR1A (big bass roll-off) > HEKse (No EQ) > DPhi (No EQ). I haven't heard the Orpheus. I have heard the Shangri-la Sr. but not for an extended time. AB1266 Phi TC would also be up there but I only heard it at CanJam. The rest of the ones you listed aren't quite in the same tier in my opinion. The Meze Empyrean is quite muddy and thick in the bass and lower mids, even though it has good treble detail. It has a high price tag but that's mostly for the crazy good build and comfort. And I honestly find the HD800s isn't really my thing. It's got good detail but it doesn't have the speed or tightness I look for in the bass. A lot of that is from memory though, so maybe it would be different side by side.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow a lot has to be said for the comfort to me personally., the size made it much more appealing to me than all the other headphones I tried in the store
Hey guys. I can get the focal clear professional which is technically the same like the normal clear for 1199 new. Is it at that price point punching well or should I watch elsewhere? Like before is my current headphone the 660s. Thank you 🍻
i have the focal clear and I love them very very much. But one channel is dead and Focal is very helpful and they are repairing them without problems. I can 100% recommend them, but make sure you have warranty.
@@RC-qc2nz I also have sennheisers (hd650 + hd560s) in addition to the focal clear. In terms of price/performance the sennheisers are hard to beat, they are just too good. I love the sennheiser signature sound and the intimacy. But in detail and soundstage I think the clears do have a bit of an edge, they are more amp picky though. But I can totally see why you made that decision 👍 I do wish you a lot of fun with your collection.
Good question. I think you may be able to get decent volume, but I would recommend a standalone desktop amp with a balanced output for it. Something like the iha-6.
That headband mod is just fugly and really ruins the elegant appearance of the Diana Phi. I wish it was left off for the review. A lot of people will now think the headphone actually looks like this.
Is the shimmering problem on the treble you describe similar to the one many experience on the LCD4? I didn't notice the LCD 4 fuzzy harmonic decay until I did an A/B with the Abys 1266. Then it became very apparent.
LCD-4 has bonkers treble as well yeah. It's in a slightly different spot because everything about the LCD-4 is just elevated above 12khz. For the DPhi it's really just a 10khz peak issue.
This headphone is crap. I just sold it, what a relief. There’s no EQ that will save it, it makes it worse. Can’t believe this review is done with a straight face.
Reviewing a modified headphone (modified ear pads & additional not-included padded headband cushion) was not a good idea at all. Buyers will not receive the headphone you reviewed. For me, all Diana’s are uncomfortable. No headband padding or cushioning. Pressure being applied on the side of my head. This is a “portable” open back headphone but requires quite a lot of current?! This poorly designed & expensive headphone does not need to exist, avoid this headphone like Covid19.
So I am suppose to go out and buy a $4k headphone based off a wannabe engineers rigged up version and not the factory version? No thanks. Trying reviewing the Original.
When passing the 1.5k price tag I always wonder how much more headphone are you really getting for the price? I am sure the build cost of this headphone is well under 1k! I mean how much of this hobby is fluff at the high end!
All I can say is if you get a chance, try a Susvara and see for yourself haha. For material cost, there's so much more that goes into this than people realize as well. Remember that it's not just cost of materials but cost of production. But then importantly, it's worth what people are willing to pay for it... so material cost is never particularly relevant.
Unfortunate how ugly these are. The outer grill looks like one of those outdoor speakers you put in your garden. Also their naming conventions are not great. 1266? Why that and not just a name...
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
Flagship headphones are pretty much driving me to study harder and get a good job....so that some day i might be able to own one
Good luck mate
mate thats exactly what im doing right now. studying hard to get one of these one day.
Or start selling drugs. There are better faster ways.
LSA HP-1 gets you 95% of the way there for $1400 ;o)
@@chamade166 LOL , that killed me :')
Susvara is one of the sweetest sounding headphones I've ever heard, though it's power-hungry. Still don't think any headphones should be worth $6k, let alone Hifiman.
if only hifiman can get their QC and durability issue fixed , i think their headphones are pretty top-tier. I've always enjoyed their cans more than audeze cans.
Susvara vs 1266 TC?
@@allansh828 Susvara for those sweet highs and airy presentation. 1266 for everything else.
@@VickyLovesHeadphones Having both would be 11,000... you gould get a car, get an online college course
Especially when it has that flimsy china build quality
This is my dream headphone. 😍 The form factor and build alone makes it so desirable.
These and the 1266 Phi TC complete package are on the top of my list
If you’ve not auditioned it, it can be a headphone from your nightmare.
@@sjqideez6626 you won't understand the pain of someone who CAN'T audition it. 😔
@@prabinpaudel5572 dude, that’s quite the exaggeration.
I’ve been in this hobby for around 12 years & owned well over 200 headphones.
Two hundred.
You are hyping up headphones too much, trust me.
Oh and I bought all my headphones blind, no auditions.
The risk is never too high, you can always return or resell them.
@@sjqideez6626 yeah. I didn't mean to question your experience. I was talking more about build and weight being so desirable. Cuz that's what we can know from video and data. And I'm sad cuz I'm so far away for being able to even buy (shipping here sucks, price and duration) let alone demo.
Also since the time I wrote the comment I stopped bothering to drool over expensive stuff.
Sorry Andrew... I know you asked not to read into this too much, but your favorite position being 'in the middle' threw me completely off guard. I think we should all diversify and experiment more...
with the way we position headphones on our head.
Can you do Lcd4 measurement + eq, the initial review was so long ago. Its been almost 5 years since it came out.
Yeah I need to get another one in at some point. It's such an important detail reference headphone.
you should get one of these. this new 4 X 18 Awg 7N OCC copper cable
is the best 'bang for your buck' audio improvement, period [ after 300 hours of burn in ].
They didn't make cables with crystals this 'defect free', or this amount of metal. you will be amazed.
I would love to hear someone talk about this cable on really good gear. I only have an LCD-2F, but I think
this cable makes my LCD-2F seem like it would easily outperform an LCD-X with its stock cable. Mindblowing!!
arcticcables.com/Catalog.asp?Page=NewShowProd.asp&PRodID=2003295
Can't wait for the Focal giveway episode coming up! Focal is one of the best Audio companies out there and their headphone lineup is best in class. With each episode I'm starting to really enjoy this channel quite a comprehensive overview. I started watching Darko, Guttenberg, and Zeos but I find I'm growing out of them. The Headphone Show, Josh Valour, Sound News (Sandu), and Currawong are much much more informative reviewers. Sean (ZF), Thomas, and Jay (TNBT) are great but more focused on speakers & associated components.
Check out also DMS (creator of this mod), his reviews are awesome
@@Bumper210 Yep he's fine but they are like 5 min long... I'd rather go watch a deep review or be entertained. He's just not my favorite.
Thanks for reminding me, I need to make an account for the giveaway!
@@ruusta8042 get on it!
@@aceofspades6667 Finally did it yesterday! The nice thing about coming in late is that you don't have to wait as long to get the results.
If only the heddphone is as light and compact as this. 😁
That would be amazing! Maybe in the future haha.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow loving the heddphone view in the background
3:30 is where we all die a little inside...
Perhaps there were no drivers in the unit (hopefully)?
BTW: Age and FR rolloff can be considered a bit of a misnomer. You see as we loose the ability to 'hear' those upper frequencies, we become more sensitive to lower mid energy. You will find when you talk with HP enthusiasts that are a bit longer in the tooth, they will say they are often after more detail but with a less bright timbre. Remember this one over the next 20 years! Perhaps high end manufactures should provide a Base model and a Golden Years model to accommodate the wide demographic ;-)
There's also a big difference in the genres of music listened to by older vs younger people. Electronic music, for example, sounds much much better with the Harman curve fr.
Andrew, you really do need to talk about the equipment you use, I am currently reviewing these right now, and some of the week points you’re pointing out in regards to imaging and special presentation really does change with what equipment you throw it on,
In my experience here on the review desk it does not match the LCD5 definitely not in the same class as SUS, but it most certainly belongs to the same category,
I have a bit of a complaint with the upper mid range on this one it’s not really sibilant or incorrect sounding just a bit too energetic for me personally headache inducing after a couple of hours
But my goodness abyss know how to tune a head phone LOL I need to do a comparison between this and the TC and see why they discontinue this
The chain I used
May kte, SDSD signature dac3b
HoloAudio serene Ferrum OOR ahb2
Bloody annoyed the Dave and the M scaler was not at hand
Thanks for that. I am down to Abyss vs. Susvara and I appreciate your analysis. Based on what you told me last week I bought the ZMF Verite over the Hedd so once again thanks.
Was it the HEDD weight that made you pick Verite?
@@TheHEADPHONEShow No I have the LDC-X and I weighed it at 702 gm and it bothers me not at all. Ultimately I chose Verite because of your prior reviews and because I thought the Hedd was too close to the Arya which I already own. Also trying to balance collection. This week I bought LCD-4 so looking for different sounds (which made Hedd interesting and I may eventually go back).
James Thoma lord...r u swimming in cash?
@@jamesthoma4927 Ah yeah, that's a good combo.
@@thewoat6589 Serious cancer, past retirement age still working made a lot of money. Want to hear every sound. Also to find the best one. Just afraid it is the other Abyss and it is just too much to wear.
9:00 tell me u didn't just..
Oh shoot.
Oh.
C'mon it's a lil joke, some variation. I liked it lol
he do be
Have yet got the chance to demo any of the abyss headphones, and that clip with the jeep made it really intriguing..
I'm still waiting for that one headphone that's high end in detail, wide in soundstage (if the audio played actually requires it), bass deep (if required) and tight, AND perfect imaging. Perfect for listening to music AND gaming. That's my endgame headphone. Maybe one day...
HiFiMAN Susvara... Seriously. That's the only headphone that ticks all those boxes in my mind.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow oh dang for real? I need to go watch your review for it now!
...........................And then start saving
I would go with the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC over the susvara for a single endgame headphone. It is more detailed than the susvara with a wider stage and deeper and more resolving bass.
@@klewja I'd have to hear it in my home environment. I heard it at CanJam but that's not good enough to be able to make a judgment. My initial take though was that it's so far the only headphone I've heard that gives Susvara a run for the money for technicalities. But I still think Susvara has a better FR and tonal balance. Maybe one day I'll get one in for review haha.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Maybe DMS can hook you up and loan you one?
Thanks for another great review. Do you think it is much better than Ananda when you take the price difference into account? I'm actually more interested in its cheaper sister Diana V2, which is said to be warmer.
Sibilance can also occur at 10-11K (HD800 has a bit of that after you EQ down the lower treble).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-essing
I didn't like what you have done with the headband and made fun of it... but you are really a genius "add a 10khz peak filter with a Q value of around 5 or higher, and reduce it by about 6.5 dB": Sounds really amazing - I did it with my RME ADI-2 Pro FS R. Thank you!!!
Excuse me, by adding a filter what do you mean?
I just lowered the 10khz band by 6 db with a Q of 5, do i need to add a « filter » to that ?
Good video!
"My favorite position" *chuckles* ... you do your duty well, sir...
I thank you very much for your reviews here. I was after these headphones but hearing your considerations I definitely changed my mind. May it be because we listen to similar kinds of music or because we have similar tastes in the response we want from our headphones but I always find very useful your work. I'll keep on enjoying my Sundara while I save for Arya. Thank you Andrew.
Thank you for an interesting and entertaining review. I did have a problem though with the mood music that was the background to much of the spoken audio. I found it distracting and painful to have to endure for for almost the entire length of the video.
Some people like it, some people don't. Just trying it out.
Pointless background music plagues You Tube, of course. From my perspective, it's a bit like trying to listen to a pair of decent open backed HPs while there's a mobile phone's tinny speakers firing away in the background. Film composers are paid millions to properly score soundtracks. On You Tube, it's mainly an inept afterthought.
Abyss surely needs to work on the design of their headphones!
What is the extra padding you've added on top? I'm curious where i could pick something like that up?
have you figured this out? im trying to find something similar myself
@@psychurch the new pads they have on their site are far more comfortable!
@@blair0warren I was referring to the top band, they have something for that?
@@psychurch the pilot pad from ZMF is pretty good!
@@blair0warren \ \ \٩(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و/ / / that's exactly what ive been looking for
9:00 nice
Flagged for innuendo (jk). Good review.
No idea what you're talking about :P
Would you expect anything less from Louis CKs son.
At this price the PHI should be perfect.
It depends on the person, but for some these are perfect
Excellent review.
What cable and headband pad are you using with the Diana? Thanks
It hurts to look at the added headband. Why would you do such a thing to a headphone this beautiful?!
The person who sent it to me did it actually. I didn't really have an issue with the headband on its own - but this was also similar to what DMS did with his mod at CanJam.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow just kidding. It's not business what others do to their headphones. Thanks for the review.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Do you know what exactly he did with his? I remember seeing it once and thinking it looked like a nicely implemented mod, like as good as an official feature.
Are you able to get a frequency response measurement of the Diana v2? It doesn't exist anywhere online. How do I EQ this thing? :)
Hey, What headband are you using on these? I'm looking to get the new modded pads, I'd be interested in what headband youve got attached.
That I'm not sure about. The community member who sent it in just had it attached. I think it could be just a simple one from Amazon. DMS had a different one at CanJam though.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I appreciate the reply my friend! I love the Diana Phi's, just trying to get that comfort sorted. I've come across Dekoni Audio Nuggets which I will order tonight and see if that could help the Phis.
Have you figured this out? Im trying to find something for the top band
Is the DMS pad mod an option on their site? I can't seem to find where to order those from.
I think in the order notes? It used to be an option
4 grand ? for that money i personally would go with Stax-009 and Susvara .for deep bass goes to the Lcd 4.. my picks..
But the AB-1266 PHI TC bests the sr009s in pretty much every way and beats the susvara in every way with the exception of smoother mids imo.
Big fan of the channel. Liked the review as always. One point of constructive criticism. I know you have not listened to it yet, and I'm waiting for you to review it, but not even mentioning the 1266 TC in this review is a glaring omission in my opinion, especially since they have the same or similar drivers, which I think would be useful information for anyone considering the Diana phi.
no good for 360 no scope shot - got it. moving on! ;-)
I'd simply suggest that if you pay over $1000 dollars for a headphone, and there are annoying frequencies that require EQ, you should find a different headphone-- one that better suits your preference.
Yeah I mean if you're not comfortable with EQ then this becomes a challenge.
What headband cushion did you put on those?
Please review audeze lcd mx4 and lcd 24 along with stax L700mk2 and sr009s
Would the non-DMS modded headpads (current version) require a different EQ profile? I’m currently using these as my daily driver and would love to know if there’s a FR difference...Thanks!
Not exactly. It all depends on fit, and if you can get the regular version to fit right, it should have a similar FR. But still, do EQ by ear. You may have a different preference. Mine is just a suggestion for what to try
The HEADPHONE Show I tried the 10k - 6.5 dB with a Q factor of 5 and it sounds great. I had no idea how much that peak was influencing the overall sound. I’m new to the world of EQ so this is my first experience experimenting with it. Thanks for your response and info!
any chance of running Diana Phi off a portable device?
Hugo 2 should do ok but not a DAP.
Next...... 1266 Phi TC??
Which high end headphone would you think is the best upgrade for my sennheiser hd 660s?
I just love it but I think there could be just more sub bass.
Is the clear the best deal? And is it really way better?
Focal clear maybe. Or hifiman Arya. For ultra high end like this, the Utopia is the most 'normal', FR or similar to hd6x0. But Susvara is still best in my opinion
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you. I have some stax esl and the resolution is finde but I Mean tonality and timbre etc. Effortless. Sound like the hd6... Line
Nothing fatiguing like the Beyerdynamic dt 1990.
Greetings from Germany and you guys do great work
@@RC-qc2nz vielen dank
@@TheHEADPHONEShow you're welcome
you compared the Diana Phi (DMS) to a bunch but the full comp list is: Raal Sr1a, Abyss 1266 phi tc, hifiman susvara, LCD4, Final Audio D8000 Pro , HEDDPhone , Focal Utopia, Meze Empyrea, Hifiman HE1000, Stax sr-009/007, & Senn Orpheus and shangri la both for sheets & giggles... Maybe add in the DC voce, Verite, HD800s if you really want to round out the bench.
Yeah. Gotta keep these videos within reasonable timeframes haha. I'll try and help though. My general preference for sound quality when it comes to top tier headphones might look something like this: Susvara > LCD4 (EQ) > SR-007 (2.9) > D8K pro > Utopia > HEKse (EQ) > DPhi (EQ) > Verite (BE2 Suede) > LCD4 (no EQ) > HEDDphone > SR1A (big bass roll-off) > HEKse (No EQ) > DPhi (No EQ). I haven't heard the Orpheus. I have heard the Shangri-la Sr. but not for an extended time. AB1266 Phi TC would also be up there but I only heard it at CanJam. The rest of the ones you listed aren't quite in the same tier in my opinion. The Meze Empyrean is quite muddy and thick in the bass and lower mids, even though it has good treble detail. It has a high price tag but that's mostly for the crazy good build and comfort. And I honestly find the HD800s isn't really my thing. It's got good detail but it doesn't have the speed or tightness I look for in the bass. A lot of that is from memory though, so maybe it would be different side by side.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow a lot has to be said for the comfort to me personally., the size made it much more appealing to me than all the other headphones I tried in the store
Hey guys. I can get the focal clear professional which is technically the same like the normal clear for 1199 new. Is it at that price point punching well or should I watch elsewhere? Like before is my current headphone the 660s. Thank you 🍻
i have the focal clear and I love them very very much. But one channel is dead and Focal is very helpful and they are repairing them without problems. I can 100% recommend them, but make sure you have warranty.
@@Krmpfpks I sold them. Gonna stick with my hd 660s and hd 560s from sennheiser
@@RC-qc2nz I also have sennheisers (hd650 + hd560s) in addition to the focal clear. In terms of price/performance the sennheisers are hard to beat, they are just too good. I love the sennheiser signature sound and the intimacy.
But in detail and soundstage I think the clears do have a bit of an edge, they are more amp picky though.
But I can totally see why you made that decision 👍 I do wish you a lot of fun with your collection.
Can the Mytek Liberty DAC power the Hedd Audio Heddphone, or do i need a external amp?
Good question. I think you may be able to get decent volume, but I would recommend a standalone desktop amp with a balanced output for it. Something like the iha-6.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thanks lot! I've got the Heddphone coming in tomorrow, we'll see how the coockie crumbles
i find it really funny that you were talking about the mod and didn't mention the headband. It is probably part of the mod, NO!!
Headband isn't key to it fitting me correctly, but the pads take it from painful to pleasant immediately.
That headband mod is just fugly and really ruins the elegant appearance of the Diana Phi. I wish it was left off for the review. A lot of people will now think the headphone actually looks like this.
Would these be an upgrade over a Focal Utopia ?
Not exactly. Different type of thing entirely.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow,Thank You for the response. I will try to demo a pair to see what you mean by that. Hopefully a Hugo2 will power them.
Utopia has shallower depth of field and detail is in your face.
What is “Tamber”?
Correct pronunciation :)
Is the shimmering problem on the treble you describe similar to the one many experience on the LCD4? I didn't notice the LCD 4 fuzzy harmonic decay until I did an A/B with the Abys 1266. Then it became very apparent.
LCD-4 has bonkers treble as well yeah. It's in a slightly different spot because everything about the LCD-4 is just elevated above 12khz. For the DPhi it's really just a 10khz peak issue.
This headphone is crap. I just sold it, what a relief. There’s no EQ that will save it, it makes it worse.
Can’t believe this review is done with a straight face.
@9:07 i lol'd
3:31 Jesus
A little bit of eq.
"A very high end headphone " that one feels the need to hack to get good performance...
Reviewing a modified headphone (modified ear pads & additional not-included padded headband cushion) was not a good idea at all.
Buyers will not receive the headphone you reviewed.
For me, all Diana’s are uncomfortable. No headband padding or cushioning. Pressure being applied on the side of my head.
This is a “portable” open back headphone but requires quite a lot of current?!
This poorly designed & expensive headphone does not need to exist, avoid this headphone like Covid19.
It sounds like your trying very to make this $4000.00 headphone passable.
First
The case is kinda dump.....
So I am suppose to go out and buy a $4k headphone based off a wannabe engineers rigged up version and not the factory version? No thanks.
Trying reviewing the Original.
When passing the 1.5k price tag I always wonder how much more headphone are you really getting for the price? I am sure the build cost of this headphone is well under 1k! I mean how much of this hobby is fluff at the high end!
All I can say is if you get a chance, try a Susvara and see for yourself haha. For material cost, there's so much more that goes into this than people realize as well. Remember that it's not just cost of materials but cost of production. But then importantly, it's worth what people are willing to pay for it... so material cost is never particularly relevant.
Material cost is usually one of the lowest percentages for low quantity products. Most (half?) would go for recouping the R&D cost and profit.
@@rochili777 R&D and production/manufacturing.
Unfortunate how ugly these are. The outer grill looks like one of those outdoor speakers you put in your garden. Also their naming conventions are not great. 1266? Why that and not just a name...