I said I wouldn't cry... - $35K Abyss Headphone Setup

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Founders said:

At what point in high end audio does price to overall fidelity fall flat on its face, does it? I can understand this setup if you're a working professional and picking up every little detail is paramount. How about the individual that doesn't have $35,000 to burn, which is the vast majority of us?  

Professional setups are a lot less fancy than people imagine. This kind of money is spent by hobbyists.

To equate it to something like a GPU or CPU, running them at or near rated wattage gets you what it says on the box, but enthusiasts put a ton more power in to get that last little bit. Audio is similar. My most expensive headphones sell for $4k. I'm not getting $3,500 more out of the headphones than a pair of $500 headphones that I like. But that is the life of an enthusiast.

[Lathlaer]

@Den-Fi Beautiful setup. Mine is pretty modest in comparison because I'm still at the amp/dac combo stage but I do like my portable tubes, though wouldn't mind changing that to something bigger in the future

 

[Guest]

Just now, Lathlaer said:

@Den-Fi Beautiful setup. Mine is pretty robust because I'm still at the amp/dac combo stage but I do like my portable tubes, though wouldn't mind changing that to something bigger in the future

 

 

Jealous! I want that amp combo because pretty, but wouldn't have an actual use for it so I keep avoiding it lol.

Might grab it used one day if the # is right.

[Founders]

5 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

Professional setups are a lot less fancy than people imagine. This kind of money is spent by hobbyists.

To equate it to something like a GPU or CPU, running them at or near rated wattage gets you what it says on the box, but enthusiasts put a ton more power in to get that last little bit. Audio is similar. My most expensive headphones sell for $4k. I'm not getting $3,500 more out of the headphones than a pair of $500 headphones that I like. But that is the life of an enthusiast.

So what you're saying is I can buy a $500 pair of headphones then go about adjusting the voltage, frequency, and timing and I'm good to go, correct?  On a serious note the sky seems to be the limit, as with any hobby.   

[Lathlaer]

Just now, Den-Fi said:

Jealous! I want that amp combo because pretty, but wouldn't have an actual use for it so I keep avoiding it lol.

Might grab it used one day if the # is right.

Thanks! Also, changed the previous post because in comparison to yours mine is definitely not "robust" but "modest"  and that was what I wanted to write as you can probably read from the context

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Founders said:

So what you're saying is I can buy a $500 pair of headphones then go about adjusting the voltage, frequency, and timing and I'm good to go, correct?  On a serious note the sky seems to be the limit, as with any hobby.   

LOL. I was like hmmm... this analogy might be taken too literally.

But yeah, every hobby is like that. Personally I get equal amount of enjoyment from PCs as I do audio.

I just don't want any more hobbies. Please no more hobbies! lol

[Tristerin]

I love music but cant justify spending large amounts of money on it.  I watched this video expecting to get nothing really from it and I got:

 

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman.  Listened to it with my affordable headset and its a song meant for my 2 year old daughter and I, she dances to everything.  I teared up a bit, going to jump off the forums and cuddle with her now lol (shes sleeping)

 

Thanks for that!

[Lathlaer]

1 minute ago, Tristerin said:

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman.  Listened to it with my affordable headset and its a song meant for my 2 year old daughter and I, she dances to everything.  I teared up a bit, going to jump off the forums and cuddle with her now lol (shes sleeping)

Haha, dunno about YT comments but on FP a bunch of people commented that getting Linus to tear up by playing him (a father to a young daughter) Cinderella is cheating

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Lathlaer said:

Thanks! Also, changed the previous post because in comparison to yours mine is definitely not "robust" but "modest"  and that was what I wanted to write as you can probably read from the context

Lol, yes. I do have a ton of gear. I've reached the phase of knowing what I want to hear and will start culling to what I pictured and a few more fun things.

[Founders]

1 minute ago, Den-Fi said:

LOL. I was like hmmm... this analogy might be taken too literally.

But yeah, every hobby is like that. Personally I get equal amount of enjoyment from PCs as I do audio.

I just don't want any more hobbies. Please no more hobbies! lol

When I read it I was thinking the same thing so i figured I'd play along. Having hobbies is a great thing, it's just not particularity good for your wallet. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Tristerin said:

I love music but cant justify spending large amounts of money on it.  I watched this video expecting to get nothing really from it and I got:

 

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman.  Listened to it with my affordable headset and its a song meant for my 2 year old daughter and I, she dances to everything.  I teared up a bit, going to jump off the forums and cuddle with her now lol (shes sleeping)

 

Thanks for that!

That's what it's all about man! $5 headphones, $5,000 headphones... it all means nothing if music doesn't touch your heart.

[Lathlaer]

6 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

Lol, yes. I do have a ton of gear.

Those are some of the most beautiful audio porn pictures I have seen on the web. Also, those ZMF Verite look dope and I've heard good things about them.

[Guest]

Just now, Lathlaer said:

Those are some of the most beautiful audio porn pictures I have seen on the web. Also, those ZMF Verite look dope and I've heard good things about them.

Thanks! I love them because they don't lose much to the Utopia, but give me the bass I sometimes crave. That and Zach from ZMF and his wife are the best humans.

[Belgarathian]

1 hour ago, Derkoli said:

Also don't forget the AMP doesn't even have balanced inputs, but the output is balanced, go figure.

Well you don't necessarily need balanced inputs... A well designed AMP/DAC should be able to use RCA and achieve the same results. That said, if you're have grounding issues then a balanced input/output will usually solve solve them so it's always a preferred connection.

[Nexxt]

Such snake oil in this video. $4,000 for an aluminium shelf? "Best headphone's I've ever listened to"? No sign of the HD800s to bring reality crashing in by referencing to a set of earphones made by a company that doesn't sell products with snake oil. I'd like to see a fixed set of good headphones -HD800s probably a good choice- for future "audiophile" headphones.

[Belgarathian]

1 hour ago, Lathlaer said:

I am no expert but IMO the price range would be around 700 USD for a pair of headphones + 300 for AMP/DAC. If we consider a cheap crappy headphones X as the starting point at 0% and the total sound nirvana at 100%, then buying something like Focal Elex or the equivalent will bring you to about 70-75% with a setup at about 1k USD.

 

Focal Clear or Sennheiser HD800s will bring you 75-80% but the price of the setup will probably double to about 2k USD. As you can see, the higher you go, the more expensive it gets to achieve minimal improvements.

 

Focal Utopia or Audeze LCD4 or Stax 009 will get you to (depending on the reviewer) 85-90 %but that setup is usually between 7-15k depending on the Amp/DAC .Abyss 1266 is rated often higher by many audiophiles so let's say it will bring you to 91-92%. I think a reasonable Abyss chain isn't much more expensive than those above. You certainly don't have to spend 35k USD on an Abyss chain.

 

and Orpheus will get you to 93-95% but here you can touch yourself watching how the headphones roll out from the marble case in front of you

 

It's hard to judge because honestly, what stops you from using amazing headphones with an amp that costs $100 (provided it can power them)? Nothing. 

 

Nothing also stops you from getting a Chord Dave and slapping a $100 headphones to it. 

 

In my examples I try to give more "balanced" setups price-wise. Dunno if resident audiophiles here will agree

 

 

 

Get yourself the RME ADI-2 (~$1000 USD) or Matrix Audio Element X (~$3000 USD) as your starting point DAC/AMP and then find the headphone that has the tone you like the best. Both these all-in-one units are measurably transparent to your ear.

 

Even the Drop x Sennheisser 6XX will sound magnificent. If you fancy treble and mids over bass, then maybe the HD800S. Every headphone will sound different, but your AMP/DAC shouldn't. 

 

The only way AMPS/DACS add colour, space, tone, (insert adjective here) to your music is through distortion, noise, channel imbalance, etc. - All bad things. 

 

If your AMP is under powered, it can sound closed in, muddy, have no punch, etc. To fix this, check the output of the amp at your headphone ohms rating to see if it has enough power to drive your headphone. Typically an amplifier will be able to deliver more power through a balanced output, so sometimes replacing your headphone cable with a balanced connector to use this plug will improve the listening experience (note that the cable construction is important, not the material. Don't listen to people telling you that silver cable etc will improve your highs, just make sure you get a robust cable that has been built well... The important figure here is resistance and capacitance, not material)

 

 

[Belgarathian]

7 minutes ago, Stru said:

Such snake oil in this video. $4,000 for an aluminium shelf? "Best headphone's I've ever listened to"? No sign of the HD800s to bring reality crashing in by referencing to a set of earphones made by a company that doesn't sell products with snake oil. I'd like to see a fixed set of good headphones -HD800s probably a good choice- for future "audiophile" headphones.

HD800s have their own problems... Massive sound stage, great treble and mids, no bass. Great for orchestral performances, etc but they won't be for everyone. 

[Nexxt]

1 minute ago, Belgarathian said:

HD800s have their own problems... Massive sound stage, great treble and mids, no bass. Great for orchestral performances, etc but they won't be for everyone. 

Oh I agree the HD800s are flawed when it comes to pure entertainment factor, but they are the standard I hold any other "Audiophile" headphones to. My disappointment with the video was that Linus didn't try another pair of High-End headphones to get some perspective, using the HD800s as a warm-up might have allowed him to get some perspective on whether the Abyss were worth the cost.

[amdorintel]

are the headphones encrusted in diamonds or gold?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, amdorintel said:

are the headphones encrusted in diamonds or gold?

 

No, but these are.

[Belgarathian]

4 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

 

No, but these are.

What the fuck... 

 

I'll bet... "The crystal resonance properties of the diamonds help diffuse surrounding sound improving noise isolation for a more pure and true to music listening experience.. Gold reduces EMI lowering the noise floor for the purist listening experience..."

 

I'll bet when you add this to your cart Amazon starts recommending healing crystals and essential oils.

[amdorintel]

Just now, Den-Fi said:

No, but these are.

alrighty then, i need a uhaul then

 

i aint that rich

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Belgarathian said:

What the fuck... 

Lol. They're only $4k without all the silver and gold.

[Lathlaer]

1 minute ago, Den-Fi said:

Lol. They're only $4k without all the silver and gold.

This actually touches a subject I'm extremely salty about.

 

I don't like precious metals or gems inflating the price of something.

 

It's fine for gear that required some intense engineering and was made in limited quantity to have high price that corresponds to the prestige, skills involved and exclusivity. 

 

But to just slap gold or diamonds and call it a day? It's like getting a regular Rolex watch and changing the bracelet to pure platinum and then encrusting the bezel with diamonds and then claim "look what an expensive watch we made!" - how does that compare to regular watches from Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin? It's a whole different level.

 

In culinary world edible gold and white truffles are those price inflation ingredients. Want to boast that you have the most expensive burger or pizza in the world? Slap white truffles on it and maybe some beluga caviar and voila, you've got it. Want the most expensive ice cream? Decorate with edible gold! 

[amdorintel]

linus is a man right? yes we agree on that

 

men shouldnt cry over headphones