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Hive Nectar electrostatic headphone

Graph Feppar

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Did anybody try these? I want Amir to measure them so much!
Nectar_Hive_Small.jpg


From the measurements I saw and reports I read, these might be one of the best headphones ever made. Weight is not specified but in one report I saw one user saying they weight less than Hifiman HE400i and more than Stas L300, that means they weight around 370g which is pretty good, better than comparable Stax SR 007/9.

They cost only 599$ which is absolutely fantastic. They are 3D printed in SLS printer and assembled in garage by one man and warranty from what I have read cost extra. Reports say they have solid build quality, far better than Stax Lambdas or Koss ESP950. I think Stax Lambda series are horrible with fragile crap plastic and build quality like 50€ headphone from 1979 even their expensive L700. If the Nectar are really much better build, which they seem they are by all accounts, then that is better than flimsy L series with warranty IMO.

They have extra low tension so the membrane can stick to the stator under certain conditions which requires unplugging the headphone and discharging it. Honestly, this doesnt seem like big problem but I dont know since I never tried them. All people seem amazed by their deep and punchy bass so if that is the price to pay, I take it.

They use 100mm Brainwavz pads so that is another reason to think comfort is good and replacement pads will be easily avaliable and cheap. They use very large, thick, padded, breathable mesh fabric suspension headband, I love suspension headbands. The measurements seem excellent, very smooth and flat FR, deep extended sub bass with near zero roll off, typical planar flat mids and slighly dark but still flat highs with no roll off in air region. The top end kind of reminds me of HD660S or HD58X. It doesnt have the nasal 1.5 KHz peak of Stax Lambdas, there is no harsh treble peak anywhere, looks delicious.

Here are measurements from SBAF.

Frequency response, stock pads.
index (2).png


Fostex pads. The dip in highs is reduced, significantly flatter.
index (3).png


Crinacle.
gqr7zjQ.png
 
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_thelaughingman

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Graph Feppar

Graph Feppar

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That's a good conformance to the target though a slight light on the bass.
That depends what you consider to be the target. I hate harman and I think its stupid. Just becose you get bass boost inside your average normie room due to pressure chamber effect does not mean that this is the pinnacle of frequency response which all other audio devices including headphones should strive to emulate.

Once long time ago I tried the LCD2 from the good old days before fazor from Violectric V800 with drum n bass tune called Electron from Nero, that bassline rocked my soul, it was most epic headphone bass experience I ever had and LCD2 pre fazor has exact same flat bass response as Nectar. I think bigger drivers have this epic bass effect becose the larger bass waves penetrate the skull more easily and they travel to inner ear where they add up to normal ear canal sound, measurements wont pick that up.
 

OkPsychology

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I'm wearing my brand-new Hives as I type this. They literally just showed up this morning.

I'm really lacking for words at the moment, simply speechless by how good these headphones are. I intend to write up a detailed review soon after getting to know them a bit better. Initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive on nearly every front. For reference, I own a STAX L300LTD and 007A, both of which I drive from a Mjolnir SRD-7 energizer and Ragnarok 2 amp.

I'm EQ'ing just a touch (moderate bass shelf, added some presence at 2k and a little attenuation of 6k to tame a small amount of "sheen"). Again, these are very minor adjustments, and absolutely not needed at all.

I'm completely and utterly blown away by these so far. An absolute, 100% slam dunk if you've got the hardware to drive estats and are an enthusiast. You'd be a damned fool not to buy these cans. I really mean it. I'm not in a hurry to sell off any other headphones, and I'm not sure I really believe in "end game", but I can already tell these are going to be my dailies at my desk for WFH. They will make most of my other HP's redundant (HD800S, HE6se, Clear, DCA A2C, my other STAX). This isn't a flex, just trying to convey how highly I regard the Hive, and to show that they're in pretty decent company in my current lineup.

Knowing what I know now, I'd gladly pay 2 or 3 times the cost to get this performance, though I hope for the sake of the community that Sajeev keeps the price at the ultra-affordable 599.

I realize this reads like some shilled-up, overhyped "look at me and my new shiny toy" post, but I don't know how else to say that these are truly fantastic, and a mind-blowing value. Oh, and I too hope to see @amirm measure these soon. I'd offer up my pair if he's interested.

More to come...
 
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Miiksuli

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I have been using these Nectar Hives now 11 months. I sitll use them as my primary headphone. They are so good. And fun think is you can tune them quite easily if u know what to do. I use angled sheepskin earpads. And done some back mods and some EQ but they are fantastic.

She is measurement very first time. This is from my diy measurement rig.
Nectar Hive.png
 

OkPsychology

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I have been using these Nectar Hives now 11 months. I sitll use them as my primary headphone. They are so good. And fun think is you can tune them quite easily if u know what to do. I use angled sheepskin earpads. And done some back mods and some EQ but they are fantastic.

She is measurement very first time. This is from my diy measurement rig.
View attachment 194166
Funny you posted this today, as I think my pair are arriving at @amirm 's place today to be reviewed. I have to say that I've been missing them for the last week that they've been in transit. Making do with my other electrostats and various other pairs of cans (such hardship... I know), but the Hive really are a great daily driver; they tick all the boxes for me. I'm using angled sheepskin pads too (the ones that Sajeev had recommended for the Hive).

I'm a little surprised your measurements aren't showing a slight rise around 1k like other graphs tend to show for these, and which I think I hear in my pair. Yours are so incredibly linear all the way up to 3k. Wowzers.

How are you driving your pair? Right now I have mine running from a Schiit Rag2 and a Mjolnir SRD-7 transformer. It's a super clean sounding chain to my ears. Later this week I'll be trying out a 007tA (but won't have the Hives back to try on that amp for some time I assume).

Very curious to see the measurements for my pair once Amir has the time to give them a spin.
 

Miiksuli

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@OkPsychology
Very nice! What angled pads? But my first measurement was not perfect. I did not do many measurements and I manually forced the headphones to the fake ear to get a nice seal but I don't do any hard pressure. Just normal/regular that it would be on your head. Maybe I should do new measurements with the stock pads and no mods and with angled ear pads and mods.

I use Muzishare X7 tube amplifier (changed the tubes for better and biased to 65mV) > Ifi Audio Pro iESL. They need tons of power. Zero hiss even though it's a tube amplifier.
 

OkPsychology

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The pads that Sajeev had recommended are these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X1L287G and they're a total steal for the money. They fit almost identically in the earcups to the stock pads, and though I didn't notice a ton of difference in the tonality of the Hive, they just feel a lot better to the touch. Much more premium than the stock pads. They're also easier to compress than the memory foam stock pads, and yielded a better fit for me (and possibly better seal too?)
 

OkPsychology

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I don't think they are the same. Are yours perforated inside? Mine are not. And mine were a little more expensive (though still an amazing price). I bet having or not having the perforated interior wall makes a huge difference. I know it does on my Dan Clark Ether 2's. It's night and day when I swap out those pads
 

Miiksuli

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I don't think they are the same. Are yours perforated inside? Mine are not. And mine were a little more expensive (though still an amazing price). I bet having or not having the perforated interior wall makes a huge difference. I know it does on my Dan Clark Ether 2's. It's night and day when I swap out those pads
Oh, they are not exactly the same then but I bet it's not too big a difference!
 

Miiksuli

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I did some measurements. I prefer angled sheepskins, softest treble. Even measurements show a bit opposite. Round sheepskin earpad is between those. Stock pad comfort is bad. I should not use it for long periods.

Stock protein leather vs mod
Stock vs mod.png


Sheepskin oval/angled vs mod
Oval-angled stock vs mod.png


Sheepskin round vs mod
Sheepskin round vs mod.png
 

OkPsychology

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No not yet. I know he's super backlogged right now. I'm excited too, not gonna lie. And very much looking forward to getting them back in the rotation. It's been a little rough living without them for so long :(
 

Zoide

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No not yet. I know he's super backlogged right now. I'm excited too, not gonna lie. And very much looking forward to getting them back in the rotation. It's been a little rough living without them for so long :(
Oh man, I need some more Nectar data. I've started falling prey to the subjectivist hype on Head-Fi for the much more expensive ES-R10! :O
 

OkPsychology

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Oh man, I need some more Nectar data. I've started falling prey to the subjectivist hype on Head-Fi for the much more expensive ES-R10! :O
Well if you're looking for straight up value, my (somewhat biased) opinion is that you probably can't beat the Hive (even with the price of an amp factored in). It's a pretty special headphone. It leaves a little to be desired in terms of looks, but even that is hyper subjective. But they are so incredibly transparent and detailed sounding, and the layering, imaging and sense of 3 dimensionality in the music is pretty spectacular. I'm a huge fan, obviously.
 

Zoide

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Initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive on nearly every front. For reference, I own a STAX L300LTD and 007A, both of which I drive from a Mjolnir SRD-7 energizer and Ragnarok 2 amp.

They will make most of my other HP's redundant (HD800S, HE6se, Clear, DCA A2C, my other STAX). This isn't a flex, just trying to convey how highly I regard the Hive, and to show that they're in pretty decent company in my current lineup.
Could you elaborate more on how the Hives compare to the L300LTD and the 007A?

Thanks
 

OkPsychology

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Could you elaborate more on how the Hives compare to the L300LTD and the 007A?

Thanks
I'd love to. But I've sold my L300 Ltd's and the Hive is still with Amir awaiting review. I'll need some more time before I can speak more intelligently on the topic. I've still got the 007 in house, but it hasn't been getting too much head time recently. Been exploring some new dynamic-driven cans of late. I'll circle back when I have both the Hive and 007 in hand
 

Zoide

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I'd love to. But I've sold my L300 Ltd's and the Hive is still with Amir awaiting review. I'll need some more time before I can speak more intelligently on the topic. I've still got the 007 in house, but it hasn't been getting too much head time recently. Been exploring some new dynamic-driven cans of late. I'll circle back when I have both the Hive and 007 in hand
Ah, that's unfortunate but I understand.

What are your current daily drivers, then?

Thanks
 
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