Spirit Torino Headphones

[Tom_Ato]

Which ones do you mean?

[Jeffhawke]

I own a Twin Pulse by Spirit Torino, which I find very linear in its frequency response and enjoy a lot. The instrument separation and the tridimensionality are exceptional. It’s a big headphone though, to be enjoyed sitting in a comfortable chair. Since I wanted something lighter to use with my DAP, and as I love the Spirit Torino signature, I did some research on the Superleggera and stumbled onto Murdock’s review, and was frankly taken aback a little as I am not a basshead. I was not convinced though, so as I live in the Italian part of Switzerland and speak Italian, I picked up the phone and called tha company to inquire. I spoke directly with the head guy, Andrea Ricci, who explained to me that they recently changed the earpads with a new type specifically tuned for the Superleggera, and that it made a huge difference. To sum it up, I believe Tom got the version with the new earpads, and that in my opinion explains the difference. I’ve been offered the opportunity to try one with the new earpads in Milan, so as soon as it will be possible to travel again I will go and try them out.

[Tom_Ato]

Hi Jeff. I live in Switzerland too. If you shoot me a PM, I can send you the SL for testing.

The SL is different from the TP as has it a clearer sound overall with less bass. I instantly enjoyed it as well as the Radiante which has massive bass.

I agree that the TP is quite balanced. Depending on my mood, I use different headphones.

[Jeffhawke]

Thank you Tom, that’s very kind of you, however I have already made an appointment in Milan so I can also get to try the “hyperphone”, rha Valkyria

[Tom_Ato]

That’s great. I want to try that too.

[Tom_Ato]

The last one of the bunch:

Spirit Torino Titano

First Impressions

The Spirit Torino Titano (TI) are open-back headphones with a very relaxed and rather “unexcited” sound signature. When I first listened to them after hearing the Radiante and Super Leggera, I could neither make head nor toe out of it. The build is the exact same as the Radiante but they sound very different. The cups and Earpads are the same and you can even use the same tuning pads that you get with the Radiante. So I assume the driver must be different, but I can’t say for sure.
However, after taking some time with Radiante, Super Leggera and Twin Pulse, I started using the TI on a daily basis with Burson desktop amps as well as Cayin N6II and N8. Over the course of time, my impressions changed quite a bit as I got accustomed to the Titanos unique sound signature. Also, I find it a very beautiful headphone!

Build quality

Spirit Torino don’t use plastic on their headphones. The 4 cans I received are all made of metal and real leather. The build quality is very very good, I love the craftsmanship that goes into those beauties!
The Titano are comfortable to wear thanks to the nicely padded headband and super comfy custom Dekoni earpads made from the softest leather are wonderful to touch and wear.

The stock cables made by Portento Audio Italy are pretty much the best stock cables I’ve ever seen on any headphone, period. The packaging is great too, but more on all those details in a full review.

Sound signature

This is not a headphone for people that simply want pure excitement and fun. (It can be though…) Out of the box, this is a much more laid back listen, not unlike the Twin Pulse, but still different in the details.
Bass and sub-bass sit between Super Leggera (less) and Twin Pulse (more). The lower frequencies are rendered rather flat but there’s just enough to inject some emotion and drive into the music. It’s certainly not a “basshead” headphone.
The middle frequencies to me seem quite neutral too, no elevation noticeable with vocals fading a little bit into the background while remaining clearly understandable.
Treble is smooth with good detail but less so than on the other 3 Spirit Torino headphones. Everything simply seems relaxed and compared to the Titanos siblings, maybe a bit subdued. When switching to guitar tracks, one thing becomes clear: Detail and treble are there, just not as forward as on other headphones.

Amplification/Synergy/Tunability

The Titano - like its siblings - can be EQed quite a bit. So much so that you can almost completely change its basic sound signature. Not to an extent that it has Radiantes bass but with bumping up 1k and 2k as well as 8k frequencies with Roons parametric EQ, voices came forward and treble was extended in a way that matched my overall preferences a lot better.

Needless to say, the Titano responds well to experimenting with different sources too. Switching from Burson to Cayin (esp. with the N8 in tube mode) brought some warmth, detail and an overall more “emotional” signature.

Conclusions after 2 weeks

The Titano is yet another interesting offering from Spirit Torino. It is less forward than Radiante and Super Leggera but instead more laid back like Twin Pulse while retaining its very own sound signature. Maybe it’s the “flattest” and neutral of the bunch - At least I see it that way. It offers the wonderful build quality and finish that I am now used to from Spirit Torino.

To me, this is a headphone that required time for my brain to adjust and appreciate the offering. It was not an instantaneous favorite of mine. I personally still prefer the other 3. That is of course due to the fact that I like direct and energetic headphones that are pure fun. Also, I’m kind of a basshead too… Still, the Titano grew on me over the course of 2 weeks and I find myself using it more often, when my mood is set to relax mode. The Titano will certainly let you appreciate your music for hours without fatigue.

[Tom_Ato]

I’d like to add some pictures of the stock cables that come with those headphones, because I find them to be some of the best headphone cables i’ve been using. That’s especially true for stock cables!

Spirit Torinos cables are made by another Italian manufacturer: Portento Audio. When you look at their homepage, those cables don’t come cheap: They go for around 300 € separately and if you look at them and hold them in your hands, it shows. They are substantially thick but very flexible and there is no cable noise at all.

[Tom_Ato]

In a couple of weeks, I will be given the opportunity to test Spirit Torinos flagship headphone:
It is made of titanium, limited to 99 pcs worldwide and costs a small fortune:

The Valkyria

[hifiDJ]

Beautiful pics @Tom_Ato ! Enjoying your impressions

[Tom_Ato]

Thank you very much!

[prfallon69]

Excellent writeup Tom I thoroughly enjoyed reading them.

[Tom_Ato]

Thanks again Paul. And I love writing them while reviewing gear.

[voja]

Will you end up keeping any model? Or did you take them all ?

[Tom_Ato]

I am testing them right now. As I will open my own little store in Switzerland soon, I will keep the best devices as demos that my customers can test at home.

[voja]

Oh wow, very nice!

Congrats on that.

[Tom_Ato]

Thank you. Well, it’s a risk for me. I’m doing it out of passion and for my health (my old job was too much over time). I hope it works out as I am in a niche…

[monochromios]

Best wishes for your new activity. Switching from a secure job to passion deserves the best to come.

[Tom_Ato]

Thank you very much. I give my best to make it work.

[voja]

@Lacaff might be somebody with whom you should speak to. He also recently opened an audio-related business in France, and I’m sure he’d be able to give you some highly valuable advice.

Make sure to personally get in touch with him (if he is alright with that), and ask away

[Lacaff]

Hey @voja @Tom_Ato I am always happy to help for the sake of our headphonic religion.