Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC Review (Headphone)

[DanTheMan]

I hate to say it, but this just looks utterly horrible. No redeeming qualities. I mean in truth you could buy a nicer set of headphones and a nicer tow rope for a lot less. Hell, you could add in a wench and still be comfortably in the green. You can literally drag yourself from the Abyss with that rig.

 

[WickedInsignia]

mean in truth you could buy a nicer set of headphones and a nicer tow rope for a lot less.

Truth be told you’d probably be better off getting the HD800 and still have a nicer FR before EQ, along with no need to reposition the headphone after every song, save yourself neck pain from the weight and still have amazing spatial qualities.

All of that…and you could buy another pair for your buddy and still save $3000-$4000!

 

[Tks]

I find Focal Utopia to be excellent without EQ, OG Clear to be very good with most recordings, and Celestee to be good. The Focal house curve has less bass than the ASR target, and improves with EQ, but they all sound good without any EQ IME. HD800s and LCD-X are another story, and I wouldn't waste my time with Abyss.

Problem with Focal, is the company itself, and the driver crackling fiasco (and just generally speaking, paying that much for dynamic drivers, and not getting class leading THD metrics, is a travesty for me personally). Likewise their form factor doesn't make sense to me, nor do the ear cup size/shape.

Just seems like low effort in ergonomic design, but high effort in aesthetics. At least when i tried it.

 

[GWolfman]

This is just obsurd! How can they sleep at night knowing what they charge?

 

[Fernando]

This is just obsurd! How can they sleep at night knowing what they charge?

This is just dark! How can they sleep at night knowing what they have paid?

 

[xema]

Well, the 2 distortion point on the high frequency are not big deal, even the 2nd harmonic is almost out of your hearing range.

 

[Andysu]

I find it offensive, seeing the Golfing Panther there, without the Hand-in-my-kid's-piggybank Panther in the middle. Shame! Shame! Shame!

I was confused with the golfing panther myself? I was thinking is the headless on left bad left headphone and golfing on right the good headphone, utterly confused me? Or maybe Aimar, is bipolar like myself and just having a bad day. we all do I do myself with manic depression.
I personally would have thrown those abyss headphones in the Cat Litter Box, that is how bias I am. Here is an example of the Cat Litter Box. Yeah thus die hard, really did die hard in the Cat Litter Box, I think I shall sell that rubbish dtshdma to some blu fanboy as the movie stank in w/s with rubbish colour.

It would also surprise you I threw the first ever Technics demo LP in the Cat Litter Box few nights ago with my new Technis SL-1210GR, not listened to the few handful movie soundtracks on LP for 30 years. But the Richer Sound, guys was nice to getting me set-up wth Technics. but the demo vinyl, was dismal.

here is that Technics demo music LP in the Cat Litter Box!

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

The headphones reviews lead me to ask myself those three questions :

-1°) if I can read well, and some really poor headphones apart, the result is about the same for each of them : out of box : poor to average, best case scenario : acceptable ; afte EQ : really good sound. Is the point of these reviews then to give the EQ graph for those who want to apply it ?

- 2°) the price tag. There is no question this headphone measures really bad. Who on earth would still put all that money in a headphone that measures so poorly ? I certainly woud not (and even if if would have stellar measures, I would not be able to afford it) ;

- 3°) can it be that I like the sound of a headphone that measures rather poorly or that measures pretty good ? If I consider the measures of the Bose Headphones which are good, I am surprised : I really did not like it's sound and have returned it after 5 days (could not get used to it) ?

All in all I think I'll stick to my Oppo PM-1 as I really like the sound it produces and can listen to music for hours (about the whole Beethoven symphonies cycle... 5h30 more or les depending on conductor) with that "helmet" on

Regards.

P.S. : please note I have not written that a headphone is better despite poor measurements. I wrote that I subjectively and personaly like some headphones that get poor reviews.

 

[respice finem]

I can't really answer this, apart from a silly Polish saying that goes "one likes the daughter, the other the mother"

But seriously, perhaps it would be a good idea to say how much the item tested would be worth for the reviewer?
On the other hand, bodyguards have become expensive...

 

[KxDx]

This is just obsurd! How can they sleep at night knowing what they charge?

You ever slept on a pillow stuffed with $100 bills? I haven't had the pleasure but I hear it's the best rest you'll ever get.

 

[Adibatla]

Quite a bit on Reddit about Abyss, almost all negative. Especially the obscene cable markup.

 

[Zensō]

I was confused with the golfing panther myself? I was thinking is the headless on left bad left headphone and golfing on right the good headphone, utterly confused me?

I believe we’re looking at the before EQ panther on the left, and the after EQ panther on the right.

 

[Andysu]

I believe we’re looking at the before EQ panther on the left, and the after EQ panther on the right.

Sorry I do and will share the sentiment on sheer daylight robbery to milk consumers with this snake oil trash. Sure if they where $100 then fine but they look like utter cheap.

Okay lets have a hands up if you think it is daylight robbery. Yes or No. ... Its Yes from me.

 

[nerdoldnerdith]

Anyone calling this pair of headphones trash, poorly engineered, or even bad has no idea what he's talking about. You people need to get a life...

 

[frix]

you forgot outrageously expensive!

 

[nerdoldnerdith]

They cost as much as they do because they are completely hand-built by a few guys in New York. Every single piece of the headphone is custom machined to a very high specification from the highest quality materials. They even custom machine the screws. They take a long time to produce and QC. It is what it is, but the end result is a pair of headphones that feels like it could survive a nuclear blast.

The problem all smaller boutique manufacturers in audio face is trying to compete with larger companies mass-producing their products in Asia. If you are trying to beat them in price : performance you are going to lose every time. All you can hope to do is create something ultra-premium that people will enjoy.

If it makes you feel any better, you don't have to worry that your headphones were made under slave-like conditions if you buy these.

 

[2M2B]

Anyone calling this pair of headphones trash, poorly engineered, or even bad has no idea what he's talking about. You people need to get a life...

The Dan Clark Aeon RT costs $499, it measures way better than the Abyss which goes for $5000+.

 

[MayaTlab]

They cost as much as they do because they are completely hand-built by a few guys in New York. Every single piece of the headphone is custom machined to a very high specification from the highest quality materials. They even custom machine the screws. They take a long time to produce and QC. It is what it is, but the end result is a pair of headphones that feels like it could survive a nuclear blast.

Hem... *crinkled driver* https://www.headphonesty.com/2021/01/the-abyss-headphones-crinkly-controversy/

I don't think that anyone should deny someone else's enjoyment of them, but you just can't say that the many sharp peaks and nulls they exhibit between 300 and 4000hz were intentional. In regards to that specific issue it's just poor engineering, as it's the range in the FR spectrum where we can be the most confident of measurements, and it's a problem that was solved decades ago and that you won't see in some $200 headphones.

 

[Andysu]

Anyone calling thiss pair of headphones trash, poorly engineered, or even bad has no idea what he's talking about. You people need to get a life...

you forgot outrageously expensive!

nah, Daylight Robbery is what they are. Only aimed for rich snob audiophiles. Not for the common person.

 

[2M2B]

It weird how defensive audiophiles get when pointed out how many TOTL headphones use badly made drivers. That driver another Abyss version used look like they used some ones DIY planar driver.