Nectar Ambrosia

Official Headphone Model Discussion
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Nectar Sound was kind enough to send in the Ambrosia for me to take a look at (and listen). They’re known for the HiveX estat but this one is a dynamic driver headphone using what appears to be the same driver as what’s in the Aurorus Audio Borealis, which is another headphone that’s gotten recognition in a number of communities. So think low impedance 50mm.

The Ambrosia sells for $499 on their site linked above.

Here’s the Nectar Ambrosia frequency response:

B&K 5128:

Nectar Sound Ambrosia 5128 raw
Nectar Sound Ambrosia 5128 raw1920×1089 245 KB

Channel Matching:

Nectar Sound Ambrosia Channel Matching 5128
Nectar Sound Ambrosia Channel Matching 51281920×1065 237 KB

GRAS (vs Harman):

Nectar Sound Ambrosia GRAS
Nectar Sound Ambrosia GRAS1920×1109 251 KB

The stated goals are to achieve a sound that’s mostly neutral just with extra body, and I think that’s kind of what you get here. It’s noticeably relaxed in the upper mids and treble, meaning perceptually the emphasis swings a bit to the lower frequencies. I’d describe the sound signature here as competent and ‘pleasantly relaxed’, even though there are definitely some quirks throughout the ear gain.

There’s a bit of a forward character to the mids and lower frequencies and I’d say it’s reasonably capable down low in general, and treble also sounds sufficiently balanced to my ear on this one without any major fatiguing quality to note.

At the same time, there’s also nothing really that jumps out at me as far as subjective qualities, and if anything I’d say its a bit smoothed over for small gradations of volume and finer little nuances in the music. So it’s less about grabbing your attention with all the details and more about that relaxed presentation.

It’s also very comfortable for me, however the build is certainly on the ‘DIY’ side of things, so I wouldn’t expect a super refined feel and finish.

My general sentiment towards this headphone is that it’s another take or interpretation of this driver that’s similar in some respects to what you get with the Borealis, and it’s cool to see some of these projects get off the ground.

I’m curious to try experimenting with this driver myself as I think it’s a decent platform to start developing headphones on, even if there can also always be improvements. I’d love to see what Nectar can do with something a bit more high end as well. But this is a decent first effort with a DD that may appeal to those looking for a more relaxed presentation.

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These are a pretty good headphone. It took a few times through the rotation for me to realize this. They don’t do anything badly. Very nice all round sound and they take to some bass boost nicely.
They sound good with new rock, classic rock, some blues and jazz.

They are an economy build, but very light and comfortable. You can roll pads and they are just friction fit.

Should also mention that these are super easy to drive. With my amps:

1)iFi Pro iCAN. Low gain and not much past 9:00. They Love bass boost. Much happiness.

  1. Violectric V220. This was a great pairing. With some warmth they felt a little fuller and bassier.

  2. Schiit Valhalla 2, it was fuller, thicker and bassier. Depending on the music this pairing was a ton of fun.

  3. Last amp up was my Little Dot MK9. I don’t use it much in the summertime, due to heat. It is Really thick and tubey. But if you’re in the mood for gooey… :grin:

I finished up their last rotation (8 days) last Sunday. I was not in any rush to take them off, but I was looking forward to putting on my HE6se V2’s. Well, the change over was not pleasant. For the first hour or more the V2’s sounded a bit bright and thin. I had to crank up the bass boost and gain to make me forget the Ambrosia’s. That was a real surprise to me. The first few rotations through for me they came across as good headphones, with no flaws. Now I think they are really good!

And lasly, he dropped the price to $399.00! Speaking for myself, I think these are best headphone out there for $399.00 and under.

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I love the fact that these seem to be a warm neutral sound signature that responds well to at least moderate sound adjustments and that they’re hand made.

Can you guys please elaborate on what makes them feel like an “economy build”? They look quite well-built from the pics on the Nectar Audio website, and I general prefer suspension straps for comfort.

Also, what are other headphones in this general price range that are worth looking into?

Thx!

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The cheapness feel comes from the fact that Sajeev gets most of his frame parts from China. The frame and height adjuster feel pretty light and flimsy and the pads are certainly nothing special. Brainwavz, I think.
However, it all combines for a light functional headphone. And he tunes them great.

I have tried and moved on from MANY other entry level and Mid-Fi headphones and have not kept any of them. I firmly believe these are a keeper.

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Thanks for the reply! So it’s a well-tuned headphone made with really available components like those from AliExpress. Does that sound about right? Any concerns about durability?

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I would say that you described it perfectly. Sanjeev has, I believe, a one year warranty. You would have to pay to send it to him. I would assume a DOA would be different.

And I am sure he would look after you after warranty, for a fee.

And they take a bit of bass boost nicely. An iFi is a nice partner and they need very little power, so you could look at just about any model.

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As a second response, these would definitely not hold up to a drop on a hard surface. Of course most headphones would break or chip on a hard surface.

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Thanks for the additional helpful info!

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