Abyss Diana V2 Review (headphone)

[Kyle / MrHeeHo]

Now I'm really curious about how some Dan Clark Audio headphones measure since they're also "big name" expensive planars

 

[all24bits]

The sad thing about vinyl is that in reality it isn’t about the music. It is about the experience.

I play vinyl, I hate the experience, and I love the sound. (almost) no one I know who plays vinyl says they're doing it simply for the experience and music be damned.

 

[the_brunx]

truth hurts. not my fault.

 

[617]

Speaker people > headphone people

 

[Sanlitun]

TLDR These vs. LCD-X?

Distortion seems much lower on LCD-X as per their review.

 

[amirm]

I just swapped the stock pads for the "DMS mod" ones. Made a quick frequency response measurement:

There is really no difference. That difference in bass could be had with how you mount the headphone on the rig.

I tried to listen to the difference but it takes so long to swap one for the other that it was hard to draw any conclusion.

 

[TheWalkman]

These headphone reviews are a hoot.

I need to buy more popcorn and beer as Amirm blows these sacred cows up. Good fun!

 

[richard12511]

Not just a “flaw”, but anything really. I was watching a Roomie video where he points out a flute sound in Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’, and the comments had people freaking out that they can’t unhear it and they can’t listen to the song anymore:

Like the triangle sound in Usher’s “Yeah”. You can’t I hear it.

 

[Bluestorm1992]

I just swapped the stock pads for the "DMS mod" ones. Made a quick frequency response measurement:

View attachment 105502

There is really no difference. That difference in bass could be had with how you mount the headphone on the rig.

I tried to listen to the difference but it takes so long to swap one for the other that it was hard to draw any conclusion.

Amirm, if you need to turn the volume all the way up to be able to hear it sing, then probably your AMP does not have enough power to drive it. Planar requires a lot of power to work properly. I bet you will get similar results if you measure LCD 4 or Hifiman Survana using that amp.

With this being said, I am happy to send you their recommended pairing AMP - the Broadway AMP - for you to conduct a proper measurement of V2.

 

[MWeston]

I just swapped the stock pads for the "DMS mod" ones. Made a quick frequency response measurement:
I tried to listen to the difference but it takes so long to swap one for the other that it was hard to draw any conclusion.

I might not be remembering things right (and I don't have a Diana) but I thought the DMS pads were supposed to be more comfortable to wear. Maybe it was a tuning thing too. I don't remember but I do see a touch more sub bass there.

Also, I'm not sure if there is an easy way to itemize all the headphones you have reviewed but I think I am seeing a trend so far. HEDDphone and Diana are both heavy magnet structures in big flat structures (I might have to dig up a picture of the AMT driver structure to confirm what it looks like but it's obviously different than a dynamic driver). I think big, flat magnet arrays are going to cause issues for microphones at close range. What else do you have in the pipeline for planars? This might be a provable issue for you to have to deal with during testing.

 

[Bluestorm1992]

As I am going over the replies, I have seen several people talking about measuring their recommended AMP as well - the Broadway AMP. It will be great if Amirm can measure the combo at the same time.

 

[amirm]

Amirm, if you need to turn the volume all the way up to be able to hear it sing, then probably your AMP does not have enough power to drive it. Planar requires a lot of power to work properly.

I have tons of superbly clean power courtesy of Topping A90. I didn't say I was running out of power. I said that I have to push the headphones a lot harder than I do with other headphones.

With this being said, I am happy to send you their recommended pairing AMP - the Broadway AMP - for you to conduct a proper measurement of V2.

Sure, we can test that. Please start a conversation with me and we will take it from there.

 

[amirm]

I think big, flat magnet arrays are going to cause issues for microphones at close range.

The measurement mic is not close to the headphone. It sits inside a metal enclosure (sans the "ear canal") at about half inch or more away from where the pads are The mic itself is fully enclosed metal enclosure. I see no indication of magnetic field having any effect on the measurements.

 

[MWeston]

The measurement mic is not close to the headphone. It sits inside a metal enclosure (sans the "ear canal") at about half inch or more away from where the pads are The mic itself is fully enclosed metal enclosure. I see no indication of magnetic field having any effect on the measurements.

Okay, well it might be something to consider if every planar you get to measure turns out like crap. This isn't a "does one cable sound better than another" type argument. Microphones are all about those magnetic fields. It's science.

 

[richard12511]

Yup. TT is in the cellar.
The sad thing about vinyl is that in reality it isn’t about the music. It is about the experience. I get nostalgic for that experience sometimes. The entire ritual of playing an LP. The geeky pleasure of precision machinery. There are even specific odours that evoke that nostalgia.
But the simple reality of modern music production and availability in digital form with zero degradation makes the choice of how to actually listen to music quite clear. Listening to the actual music I don’t care one whit about HiFi. I do care that I hear the nuances of the music. But most of the silliness the audiophools seem to enjoy are not part of the music. They are part of the HiFi experience. Whatever gets them their jollies. But the idea that they are somehow musical purists is way wide if reality. They need to get out and listen to live music a lot more often.

This. I’ve got quite a few friends around my age(early 30s) that are into vinyl. Most of them don’t care at all about sound quality, and the 2 that do freely admit that it sounds worse, yet they enjoy it more, because of the experience. It’s fun to collect and shop for the records. Last time we were in Austin, we had a blast shopping for records throughout the city. Even I really enjoyed it, and I own 0 records, but it was fun helping them look for records they wanted.

Then when it comes to listening, I think the listening process itself encourages the concept of the “album” more. Not that I don’t enjoy skipping around listening to songs I love, but most of my favorite musical memories come from listening to albums. Also, it’s a scientific fact(QED) that an album sounds better after you’ve spent all day shopping for it .

None of my vinyl friends are gear heads, but for vinyl folks that are, I imagine it’s fun have a toy(turntable) that actually sounds better as you spend money to upgrade it.

I really do see the appeal, but it’s just never been enough to sway me.

 

[amirm]

Okay, well it might be something to consider if every planar you get to measure turns out like crap.

Hifiman He400i didn't measure like crap: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hifiman-he400i-review-planar-headphone.18544/

 

[MWeston]

Hifiman He400i didn't measure like crap: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hifiman-he400i-review-planar-headphone.18544/

Good point. I forgot about that one. It's probably a bit lighter on the magnetic force but still a wall of magnets. This headphone stuff is too new to have an index ready or I would have noticed that one.

 

[roz]

Leave it to them to tell you which amp is the best.
here is a clue, if it ain’t expensive, sold by them or American it ain’t gonna make it to the top of the list.

everyone knows the rule, the amp cannot be way cheaper than the cables you are trying to sell it with.

"You can't do world class at that price point. It just doesn't work that way."

 

[the_brunx]

If the parent company is an audiophile cable company which depends on suckers. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

 

[fieldcar]

Leave it to them to tell you which amp is the best.
here is a clue, if it ain’t expensive, sold by them or American it ain’t gonna make it to the top of the list.

everyone knows the rule, the amp cannot be way cheaper than the cables you are trying to sell it with.

I let the video run in the background, and I made it through the video. HINT: don't watch it. They and their infinite subjectivism put the THX AAA 789 in the 'D' class below the liquid spark in the 'B' class. WTF kind of sentimental wankery is this stuff? Nothing that they said in this half hour episode was even remotely substantive. It played back like a really long ad. I'm sure they wouldn't be able to tell the transparent amps apart in a blind test. Ugh! Ok, I'll calm down now.

This review reminds me of the time DMS showed off these 'things' to LTT.