I tend to evaluate my “top” headphones based on how much actual listening time they get, relative to each other, more than any other factor.
I think the Abyss, in all its incarnations to date, is an extremely enjoyable headphone. Its also fussy, ergonomically challenged, power-hungry, expensive and not particularly neutral. I didn’t think the TC variant was good enough vs. the Phi CC to warrant the price delta, and I was barely using the Phi CC after getting the SR1a, so I sold them (unlike the others in the above list, which I still have) and decided to wait to see if whatever comes next warrants a ~$5000 re-purchase.
As for Vérite Closed vs. Open - as I said in my Vérité Closed review, I prefer the open-back version, slightly. But my “Top 5” list was just supposed to be open-back cans anyway.
As good as various closed-back headphones are (Vérité Closed, Stellia, HD820, AEON 2 Flow Closed), they’re only something I use when I either need some isolation or am listening around others … otherwise I its open-backs for me.
Of course, I would expect different listeners to have different preferences/favorites as well as different systems.
Also, at one point the Abyss were what I considered the best headphones I owned or had heard. But times change, things move forward, systems get upgraded and that casts existing gear in new light.
Personally, I think you nailed it regarding the Abyss, although to be fair to them, I only have the original and have never heard any of the newer variants. But the original is exactly all the things you say about it, including the headphone that depreciates the most out of pretty much all.
Can’t wait to get my HEDDphone. I want to stop coming here because it just makes the wait harder. But I guess I am a sucker for ‘pain’.
Interesting thread but HEDDphone is a no-go for me because of weight, and I have also built my system around HD800S. May move up to RAAL SR1a’s with a Jot R soon.
Can you elaborate on your statement that the HEDDphone exaggerates micro-dynamics? This is not a criticism of speakers or headphones that I’ve heard before, and I’m curious if you have any theory about the cause in this case. (I’ve heard these phones and I didn’t notice anything odd about its dynamics, although it wasn’t in my mind to look for such at the time). What could cause a transducer to respond excessively to small changes in power? It would be easier to trace flattened microdynamics to some inertia in the drivers. What would lead to too little inertia? The phones sound fast and well-controlled in general.
The make the very small changes in volume level seem larger than they do with other transducers.
If I use my own recordings, where I am familiar with the actual sound of the captured instrument, and how that replays on myriad transducers, here those micro-dynamic changes are larger than I would expect them to be.
Not a lot. Enough to notice in review/audition style listening. Some elements are affected more than others.
I’ve heard it before, though not in anything I’ve been bothered to buy/review.
It’s also actually most of the point of using compressors in the mastering/mixing chain as well, as those will bring up low-level elements and make them more audible. But I wouldn’t say the HEDDphone sounds compressed.
I have several theories, including it being a possible psychoacoustic effect, but nothing I’d put enough faith in to start dissecting right now.
The point of the AMT driver is that it moves more air, faster, than conventional headphone drivers. The new AMT driver used here also uses differential fold structures to shape their response. So it’s possible that there are trade-offs there in terms of the level of response based on intersections of frequency and very low-level signals with additive interference patterns at more audible frequencies.
Pure speculation.
But it’s not a new thing that transducers don’t have perfectly linear responses to their inputs, don’t exhibit perfect pistonic motion, that break-up modes change radically based on different stimuli and level and so on.
Ok. I normally wouldn’t post so many unboxing photos but my friend reminded me that I’m quite lucky and that there are so few people in the world that has one of these right now. So just for him, I’m going to go crazy. They’re just taken with a two year old phone so don’t expect much.
Spell check must have remembered that you go to MassDrop often.
Yes, it’s the MassKobo paired with the Cayin N6ii. A very versatile DAP. I haven’t tried it without the additional amp since it’s been said that no DAP can power the HEDDphone. But maybe I’ll give it a try now.
I really did not notice the weight being an issue at all but I’ve never thought of any headphone giving me problems because of its weight. For example, even the weight of the Abyss has never been an issue for me but its comfort/hot spot and inability to be very mobile while multi-tasking makes them super annoying to me.
The pads feel very nice. Immediately after putting them on, they actually felt very warm. But after 10 minutes or so, the heat seemed to go away or not be noticeable. Maybe I was moving around too much just prior to wearing them for the first time?
And you’re welcome regarding the pictures. I know how much I enjoyed seeing any pictures before I got mine. And I’m sure I am going to keep enjoy seeing others post new photos.
. But at least the dinner is good. 
