gavtron Posted June 19, 2013 Posted June 19, 2013 (edited) I had a chance to listen to the JPS Labs Abyss headphones this afternoon at addicted to audio. They were running from a Cavalli Audio Liquid glass amp and using a NAD m51 DAC as a source. Have owned the LCD-3 for almost 1 year and that is my favorite headphone - so that is my point of comparison. The sound of the Abyss is a bit cleaner / more refined than the LCD-3. It has a "faster" sound more akin to the hd800. The bass is by far the best I have heard on a headphone so far. It made the lcd-3 sound a bit muddy and a little bloated in comparison, but did not lack any depth, nor did it sound too lean as a lot of "hi-fi" headphones tend to do (I'm guessing to try and accentuate detail) The mids had a nice subtle lushness to them, not too clinical but without too much bloom. The treble seemed to be well extended with out any "etching" - although with this setup I found the treble to be a little harsh - swapping the headphones back to the LCD-3 I found the same thing (and the LCD-3 are a pretty warm h/p), so I think it may have to do with the DAC and lack of burn in on the new Cavalli amp. Would be great to hear it with a DAC that is better than the NAD.. (... George..? ) The bass, mids and highs seemed to blend really well. A very coherent presentation. There were only two negative's for me - Despite Rendra's (staff member at A2A) great on hands help - I was unable to get a 100% comfortable fit. I think it's possible to get them fitting well but due to their unconventional fitting system it would take a while to tweak them 100%. Nowhere near as snug as the LCD-2/3's / hd800's (on my first attempt anyway) The only other issue I had with them was the soundstage. It had a vast sense of space that made me feel disconnected to the music. I think this is personal preference on my part - and I am definitely used to the LCD-3 , which I would describe as being far more intimate, and connecting me in a more emotional sense to the music. I think someone who digs the hd800 or AKG 601, 701, etc... type of soundstage would really enjoy these! So the cans cost ~$5.5k . The amp costs ~$4k. The DAC was $1.5k. This is top dollar H/P gear which is trying to compete on the Stax level. I have no stax experience so I cannot comment but a few other people present said the Abyss are very similar to electrostats. I was very curious to hear what a top end headphone system was capable of. I was very impressed! But I won't be trading in my LCD-3's for them. Just hope that a future LCD revision will match the bass quality that the abyss shows. I didn't try the combination personally, but was told the Abyss also pair well with the Schiit Mjolnir Amp ($930) which is a fair bit less than the Cavalli! Thanks to Guillaume, Rendra, George at A2a ( + Shaun and Jo) for putting this gear out for everyone to try. Only a few years ago it was impossible to demo run of the mill headphone gear, and now we are able to demo some of the top gear in the world. Abyss, HD800, LCD-3, T1 back to back... cheers, gav. Edited June 20, 2013 by gavtron 2
gz76 Posted June 20, 2013 Posted June 20, 2013 Addicted to Audio are doing great things when it comes to demo'ing gear. I really admire their approach and understanding of customers needs.
gavtron Posted June 20, 2013 Author Posted June 20, 2013 Addicted to Audio are doing great things when it comes to demo'ing gear. I really admire their approach and understanding of customers needs. Agreed It's nice that they have demo products covering all different price points as well.
gavtron Posted June 22, 2013 Author Posted June 22, 2013 (edited) Great review Gav. Not really - I only listened for a few minutes with a couple of different tracks, so just impressions at this stage. I think for a full review I would need to spend a decent amount of time with them, and try some different amps / sources etc. I have a feeling they may mate very well with the K 1000 output on the Stratus... Interested in your impressions as well. Edited June 22, 2013 by gavtron
fetischizm Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 (edited) i'll be interested to hear these, yes at this price range they are in top flight STAX territory, though its probably easier/cheaper to DIY an amp that will drive them vs something like the KGSS or T2. having heard the SR007 and SR009 with T2 and KGSS, it sounds like these arent quite there from reviews and I personally cant hack the HD800 artificially too large soundstage and it sounds like these kick that up another notch. the top end STAX have fantastic imaging and depth, but fully capable of presenting in a very immediate/intimate, or dynamic/visceral way when called for; with the right amp. i'm not a big fan of the styling, for such a pricey headphone, to have a logo that looks like some sort of motocross logo, or tattoo parlour signage plastered on it just doesnt suit IMO. the STAX on the other hand are exquisite and understated in every regard and although picky with placement on the head, they are very easy to adjust; with a massive amount of adjustment possible. They completely vanish due to the comfort and low weight. I believe these are made by JDS LABS as well? interesting ... any meets coming up in Sydney soon? you guys from A2a gonna be there again? for this money i'd rather put the coin into my speakers, or STAX, but you never know Edited June 28, 2013 by fetischizm
Show Posted July 16, 2014 Posted July 16, 2014 Short review of the Abyss AB-1266. Listened to a few tracks on the Abyss this afternoon in A2A. Played standard 44.1/16 - Eric Clapton - Layla, amongst other CD Rips. I didn't have my own music on me. Source was AK120 II > Amp Luxman P700u > Abyss I was initially put off by the sheer ugliness of the thing. It really looks obscene and I had doubts if I will ever permit it into my listening room. It almost didn't have a fighting chance at making any positive impressions on me, but then I gave it a listen and... Soundstage was spacious, however, I don't think it is quite as large as the HD800. That's not a bad thing as I was primarily listening to vocal tracks. Without swapping between the HD800 and the Abyss, I still firmly believe that I will enjoy the HD800 for orchestral music. The bass was very quick and textured. The reverberations on the percussion instruments is simply the best I have heard, be it through speakers or headphones. It was almost surreal to the point it sounded artificial, however, I can live with that kind of artificial. The lesser accompaniments were reproduced in rich detail, even more so than the HD800 and definitely far better than the LCD2.2. The shimmer of the cymbals, often inaudible through the LCD2.2 and very synthetic through the HD800, was bright and lively. I didn't have the headphones on long enough but I can tell, this isn't going to be the most comfortable headphones. The weight distributes quite well, unlike the Audeze cans, however, there's no fooling anyone that the Abyss is heavy. I find the Audeze to be fairly uncomfortable (unless I am in a nice lounge chair), so giving rating on comfort, the Audeze 2.2 would be a 3/10, the HD800 is a 10/10, the Abyss... 5/10. I didn't look or ask at for the price of the Abyss, so I can give it my perceived value. It costs almost 3 times as much as I thought it was going to cost. Fair enough that the construction quality is nothing shy of amazing but knowing that the SR009 can be had at the asking price of the Abyss, I don't see how I can justify the Abyss over the Stax. I see this as a headphones for those who already have the SR009 and want something else for variety. Nonetheless, the Abyss are a beautiful sounding pair of ear speakers and I dare say one of the best all rounder non-electrostats I have had the opportunity to listen to. I look forward to a longer listening session with some more familiar music. Thumbs up to A2A for the great service as usual. Brought my LCD2.2 for a doctor's checkup. Noticed the connector on the left driver isn't set into the wooden cups deep enough.
tubularbells Posted July 16, 2014 Posted July 16, 2014 Heard these and thought they were good but IMO not 3k better than LCD2 however I agree that they sound like the spawn of the one night fling between the HD800 & LCD2 ( which is a good thing) Also be sure not to let anyone see you wear the thing at risk of bouts of historical laughter at the entertainment you unwittingly just provided. I'm all for the steam punk look but man these were too much!
Addicted to music Posted July 16, 2014 Posted July 16, 2014 I had a listen to this pair at the HiFi show in Melbourne last year, didn't like them so I quickly took them of just incase it attracted this bloke because I swear it was built for him. I prefer the Stax any day. 2
Show Posted July 16, 2014 Posted July 16, 2014 I really think they will/should release a more earthly headband design for their drivers.
DocD Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 I have had to modify the headband position “wrap” around my head more (mounted them lower on the frame). That being said I find them more comfortable than most high end headphones. The fact that the ear ups barely touch my head and the amount of openness on the sides makes them cooler than more closed models. Very helpful in Perth summers... Could not tolerate the Audeze clamp force on the LCD 2 / 3 / 4 models.
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