Abyss Phi TC

[Jon L]

There was the original Abyss, then Abyss Phi, then Phi CC, and now Abyss Phi TC...  

I don't know what came over me, but the 10% Black Friday sale didn't help.

 

1208191031_HDR by drjlo2, on Flickr

Edited December 8, 2019 by Jon L

[Redwingnine]

Well, we are waiting for your impressions.  Those are a set of cans I've had my eye on for some time.

I've a pair of Abyss Diana phones, and find them very very good.  To me, they are a good step from the LCD-3. 

[Jon L]

Well, no regrets in spending the money.  With TOTL headphones in these price brackets, it comes down to personal tastes.  I'm waiting to try the new kid RAAL SR1A ribbon 'phones next, but I already know that for certain music genre, Abyss will always be unbeatable.  The incredible dynamics, bass power with definition are always admired as SOTA, but the other parts such as musicality, resolution, enjoyability are pretty awesome, too.  

[Redwingnine]

Thanks. I feel much the same way about the Diana,  and the phi-TC are certainly better.  

[Mach3]

This compared to the LCD-4?

I haven't really heard of any driver failure much with Abyss headphone. Any truth to this?

[Jon L]

12 hours ago, Mach3 said:

This compared to the LCD-4?

I haven't really heard of any driver failure much with Abyss headphone. Any truth to this?

I've only tried LCD-4Z and LCD-2 which certainly sound unique and enjoyable, although the often-reported driver failures and unit-to-unit sound variability means I'd rather buy something else or only buy if I find extremely good prices.  Then there is Hifiman...

Holding the Abyss or the Raal SR1a in hand, they are built extremely well but in opposite design approaches.  Abyss employs extremely solid, thick, ceramic-coated aluminum frame to position the earpads barely touching the face.  Raal uses very thin, flexible, self-contracting frame to let the whole headphone shrink down on the head, with user adjusting the driver angle like AKG K1000.  

As an aside, the Schiit Jotunheim R amp purpose-built to drive Raal SR1a's extremely low impedance (0.4 Ohm) CAN drive the Abyss 1266 wonderfully via DIY 4-pin female XLR to 4-pin female XLR adapter (non-standard pinout).  Quite surprising, but the combo sounds great. and I suspect whatever they did to increase current-delivery into low impedance is working well for low impedance planars by accident 😄

0408201821 by drjlo2, on Flickr

[Redwingnine]

Just picked up one of these.  Incredible sound.  Easily the best set of headphones I've come across.  

[Jon L]

19 hours ago, Redwingnine said:

Just picked up one of these.  Incredible sound.  Easily the best set of headphones I've come across.  

What are you using for amp?

[Redwingnine]

I'm using Birgir`s Pure Bipolar amp.  Using an RME ADI-2 with parametic EQ , which improves the performance markedly.  

[rayofsi]

running a pair of these on a CFA3, easily the best i have. have lcd2, lcd4 and susvara also.

[tkam]

I have a pair of the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC now as well and they are the best headphones I've heard.  I'm using them with a Headamp GS-X Mini and it drives them very well.

I think people go way overboard thinking these need crazy amounts of power as 88db/mW isn't that inefficient.

[dsavitsk]

19 hours ago, tkam said:

I think people go way overboard thinking these need crazy amounts of power as 88db/mW isn't that inefficient.

QFT

[Jon L]

20 hours ago, tkam said:

I have a pair of the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC now as well and they are the best headphones I've heard.  I'm using them with a Headamp GS-X Mini and it drives them very well.

I think people go way overboard thinking these need crazy amounts of power as 88db/mW isn't that inefficient.

The well-heeled Phi TC owners seem to eventually declare the Woo WA33 (10 watts at 32 ohms) their favorite, but this is probably not because of the power output but the flavor.  

[Long Way Around]

Not sure if anyone is following the rolling controversy with Abyss, but this article sums up the main parts. It's quite the read. https://www.headphonesty.com/2021/01/the-abyss-headphones-crinkly-controversy/

[Jon L]

Controversy stemming from ASR and Reddit...always a fun read 😄

Another fun read:

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/audio-science-review-review.9827/

[spritzer]

They are single ended planars, is anybody expecting a sane amount of distortion? 

[tkam]

I haven't heard the Diana v2 and it seems it's the measurements of those over on ASR that started this?  I think Amir at ASR is a d-bag to highest degree and I'd trust Jude's measurements over his any day of the week.  For those that know the history we've had with Jude that should tell you something.  The SBAF thread linked above by @Jon L about ASR does a nice job of covering Amir and his behavior so I'll refrain from piling on here.

There's no doubt JPS cable prices are bonkers as are most 'audiophile' cables.  It's easy enough to laugh at the prices and move on, if people want to waste their money on them they are more than welcome to do so.

I've been enjoying my Abyss 1266 TC (w/ stock cable ) and consider them the best phones I've owned.  

[Sherwood]

I don’t like any of these people, so it is fun to watch them fight.

[Pars]

Agreed. I ventured over to ASR the other day, and happened upon a thread that Amir was measuring a couple of Stax amps. Kevin wandered by and explained to him why his standard 100K load wasn't going to cut it here. After much handwaving, Amir declared that he shouldn't have to read (and understand) an amp schematic in order to properly measure one. Somehow he managed to not blow up his AP or whatever it is he is using to do his measurements. Thread closed. D-bag indeed!

[kevin gilmore]

amir is just another idiot with an audio precision. And is concerned about .000000001 thd. And is otherwise clueless.

look at his review of glite.

[Sherwood]

His review of the Raal SR1 was not glowing, but the EQ settings he came up with are really good.  I use them daily, and I'm glad he took the time to post them even though he did not ultimately like the headphones much. 

I don't think he's totally worthless, but I don't think he is enough of a visionary to be leading the movement he has cultivated over there.  As a regular forum user or a guy with a blog, he's informative and interesting.  As an objectivist cult leader, he is grating and ill-informed.

Also, I think his fucking ears are broken.  

[Pars]

Reminds me of a forum full of nwavguy... it surprises me that they haven't just declared the O2 all the amp you'll ever need and be done with it, though maybe his new AP tests to a lower distortion level than what nwavguy had at the time.

[tkam]

For them replace 'O2' with anything made by 'Topping' otherwise it's basically the same thing.

[Iron_Dreamer]

Though to be fair, are there such people as well-informed cult leaders? 😆