I have the z10e CRBN should be here tomorrow or sometimes soon.
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I have the Carbon set up with the same TT2/M Scaler going to a Blue Hawaii Amp. It is pretty spectacular. I also have the Stax SR 009s and when you switch between the two cans it is an amazing difference and experience. IMO neither good nor bad just incredibly different.
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It’s an amazing combo from what I heard. Lovely design and a volume knob that is really satisfying.
Yeah super excited. I’m new to community and the area of deeper audio in general. Always been a huge fan of quality and have enjoyed my lifestyle type audio but really got deeper during Covid etc…
My setup really quick-
Source - Tidal on desktop via USB 3.0, sometimes use APO on Windows 11 for eq
DAC - iFi Pro iDSD Signature (tube mode, DSD1024 upscaling, GTO filter are nice for now)
AMP - LTA Z10e
Headphones - Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro, LCD-2F, CRBN on order.
Very happy with all of the above so far. Did demo and return a bunch of stuff before this setup.
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I’m about 6 days or so in w/ my CRBNs, and I agree with your statements.
I do hear a lot of bass. I don’t know why I didn’t before. But, I know that I absolutely believed it wasn’t there when I first put them on as I was looking for it. Weirdest thing at the very least.
So far, I have yet to put the LCD-5s back on. Should be very interesting to see if what I remember them to sound like (especially in comparison to the CRBNs when I first put them on) stands up.
I will also say that my while I thought something might be off due to HQPlayer (which I initially bypassed, then went to PCM OS before moving back to DSD) I’m not hearing anything off by it.
And, I’ve been in touch with Birger RE his amp. He’s been clear in that the amp, nor the headphones should change whatsoever. So, my mind is clearly playing tricks on me. Damndest thing!
I’ve got my XLR switch setup, so in the next week or two, I’ll play w/ both sets of headphones (and chains).
Hoping to get an email regarding my Holo May KTE shipping. I would’ve thought I’d have heard something by now based on when others have received theirs. And, I’m hoping that’ll make a big improvement to everything.
So - all of this sums up my feelings that I really do enjoy the CRBNs. And, I think that over time, I’m enjoying them more. They also look WAY nicer than the LCD-5s IMO.
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Well the step up from the LCD-2 is gonna be pretty epic in my opinion!
COVID lockdown definitely accelerated my audio journey, I went from a pair of Sennheiser 280 Pros, through about 15 pairs of other headphones, and ended up at a pair of Verite Closed + pendant. Lol 
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The CRBN + Z10E combo has me drooling to be honest. I definitely don’t have the will to spend that much right now, but it is mighty tempting.
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Received! Very beautiful case and build quality. Initial impressions - very light sound, fast and clear and dry like fresh powder on a mountain. I like.
One weird thing - not sure if this is in e-stat thing - when I move and adjust the headphones on my head and the earpads compress there is a crinkling/crackling sound as if there is a piece of plastic that is getting wrinkled. The sound gets louder/quieter/clearer/worse all over the place during these shifts. Normal still position is less volume and clear. I didn’t expect this in these.
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I think the crinkling is normal. When I demo’d the CRBN, the person helping mentioned that he prefers to put them on before plugging in the jack to avoid the crinkling. I didn’t adjust them very much and I don’t remember hearing the crinkling except when I did and when I took them off.
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Crinkling is unfortunately normal on basicaly any can with a massively thin diaphram. Lots of estats, sus, and every abyss have a high chance to do it as well.
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A bit of time with these and the z10e
I’m not completely stoked. I think they sound great and clear but leaving me wanting more. More punch. More Boom. Also I feel the need to crank the volume really high to the point it’s not good for my ears.
I tried a few EQ profiles but haven’t found any that are amazing - interestingly the LCD-2 (oratory1990) sounds a bit more full.
Just in general vocals seem a little quiet and nothing sounds like you are in the room. No juice.
LCD-2s I finally after a few months found the EQ setting I loved a few days ago and I feel like I just found bliss finally. I very much like it with the z10e and need very little volume.
IDK will give more time. Maybe I am not an electrostatic guy.
That has been a common complaint with the Z10e (at least on another forum). On my 3ES, I hear that punch and fullness. From impressions from others, the Z10e doesn’t have enough power for the CRBNs, unfortunately.
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I’m falling in love with them now. The clarity is insane. Tinkered with the eq added a bass shelf and tiny mid adjustments and played with the iFi iDSD to Tube (not +). I’m getting more wow and more musical sound. I am realizing i’m partial to strong bass which these can do just needed a little EQ to get me there.
Letting them run as if breaking/burning in (not a believer if this does anything but doing it anyway). The amps are pretty new to me as well and I never did this before.
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Could you expand a little on the difference between the CRBN and 009s? I have the 009s and have been toying with adding either a CRBN or X9000.
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I don’t write reviews because I am not qualified so if this is rather non-standard please excuse the deficiencies. I read what Torq said and how much he loved these cans and for me the very reason someone might love them is the reason others might have qualifications. The CRBN has such a strong bass and a body to the music that it sounds very non-estat like. It is very fast (probably still faster than any planar) but not in my view as fast as the SR009 or the SR009S. It feels to me like a planar and an estat had a baby and here it is. The top end does not float like on the great estats rather it is solid and good but not the same as say the SR009s or the MKII 007. That can be a good thing or a bad thing or a neutral thing depending on your personal preference. I must point out that my SR-X9000 is still not here and I was hoping that before he left Torq would enlighten me on the latest flagship. Once it gets here I will have a better take if the CRBN is a one off or the wave of the future. Personally I am hoping that the new Stax flagship is less bassy and more traditional but I have friends who think that is crazy given what CRBN accomplished. So in summary to me the very ethereal qualities of an estat are not present in the CRBN but that is offset by a strong bass and “more body”. If you love the traditional estat this may not be for you or you may think that the improvements in bass make it perfect. I am torn by both arguments. Still I reach for the SR 009S more than the CRBN but like I say that’s just me and my person preference.
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Thanks for the impression and the comparison. More interesting to me than some formal reviews. One of the best things about this forum is that informed comments like yours are part of the landscape.
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With respect to headphones I have always been a believer that ‘New’ does not translate to ‘Better’. I will never forget my incredible disappointment when, decades ago, I had to replace my Stax headphones that had become defective after years of use. The new pair of the same model had become a completely different headphone. None of the sweetness/air of the highs was there anymore but instead replaced by a glare at around 4k that was incredibly annoying. All of my listening enjoyment was gone due to Stax changing the sound character.
During the subsequent years nothing replaced the sound of my old Stax headphones. I had gone through everything from k1000, LCDs, Hifiman HE-6, Sennheiser but only until I received my 009s did I finally relive the sound I had decades ago. It took only 30 seconds for me to confirm that they were keepers even though they were driven by a decades old Stax SRM 1. When the SRM 1 was replaced by a BHSE the sound became glorious. I have since tried to pair my Stax with another headphone but nothing has come close to complementing the sound. I had, and returned, ZMF Veritas, Ral Sr1a and Stax 007. The biggest disappoint was the Stax 007 which, to me, sounded muted with a complete lack of sibilance and air. What this has proven to me is that Stax has the ability to make their headphones sound anyway they want and what they have provided is a range of headphones that have sound characteristics for almost everyone. One is not necessarily better than the other, just different.
Your comments regarding the CRBN vs. 009s confirms to me what I have suspected. No matter what, Audeze has their characteristic sound in their soul. They can finesse it but the sound character will always remain - which is fine as that is their signature - it’s just not for me.
I look forward to reading your comments regarding the X9000 vs. 009s. It would be more than a little disappointing to receive a pair of X9000 only to find out that they are no better and in fact worse than the 009s for my ears.
Happy listening…
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You should check Mjolnir Audio regularly as Birgir (aka Spritzer aka Don of the STAX Mafia) is always rehabbing, restoring, and reselling older STAX headphones. I bought one of his modified SRM T1S amps and it’s no BHSE but it is damn good.
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Interesting. I fear the CRBN is very amp dependent and the 007tii is the best I can do today. I have some new tubes coming and will adjust bias this weekend. But knee jerk reaction is that I remain a Raal guy, but suspect a Mjolnir or BHSE would make a better impression. Did any of you existing CRBN listeners end up believing in burn in for these?
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the sr1a is so good that honestly I am not tempted by estats…
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This is my first e-stat. As I understand it from others, the CRBN is very different from the top of line STAX. No doubt my impressions so far are informed by the fact that my everyday way of listening to music is the Raal.
Fascinating. I’ll not sleep much this weekend.
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