Their BEST Headphone EVER!? Abyss Diana MR Review

[@osusa80]

Best ever made until next month 😅

[@soon4829]

“let‘s review the new HE-2“ … or somethning like that

[@JoshuaValour]

Copied from another reply* (inserting my self defense statement out of butthurtedness lol) -> In fairness, I hardly ever say "best" without some qualifying statement. And it's not my fault that two extremely good headphones came out rights next to each other, and around the same price tag, AND having some industry leading sound quality and measurements. However, I will try to reduce the amount of times I say it moving forward as I understand it gets annoying and loses meaning haha :) As a side note, the industry -should- improve over time, so some things are gonna be the best now, and something better will come along. I personally think that's what we have seen with the new Empyrean 2 and Diana MR. And I like to give them credit for moving the goal post a little farther!

[@heeku_]

@@JoshuaValour Yo Josh nice review. Will you be comparing the v2 im a bit more details for us who own the v2? Also considered the v2 can be purchased for 1300ish 2nd hand, will u still consider the MR a better purchase? I am still not quite sure how big the gap is between the v2 and mr...

[@Nordraw]

Until next review you mean

[@metalfather8139]

​@@JoshuaValour this is where mankind is and review buying has caused less circulation of poor product in the hands of buyers looking for quality

[@barfymann362]

One great thing about this hobby is how much variety there is. You can find these great pieces of technology and they're brilliant, but you get to interact with people that see things differently but appreciate a similar goal. I like the aesthetics on this, and they look comfortable. Just wish I could try them out in a store near me, but it's nice to see these reviews online.

[@camoturtle18]

I tried the Diana MR at CanJam Dallas this past weekend and most of what I heard lines up with what you said. I listened to it with the vegan pads on an amp I was unfamiliar with called the T+A HA 200. I agreed with what you said about the treble, bass, staging, and overall detail. The one thing I found different when I listened is that I heard slightly more upper midrange compared to lower midrange, so I would have preferred just a little bit more lower midrange. The balance wasn’t bad, but just a tad more lower midrange I thought would have made a more complete sounding vocalist. Thankfully the upper miss were not too much and was never shouty or harsh though. Although I listened on a different amp and CanJam is usually a louder environment, these could be some considerations for why our findings may not be an apples to apples comparison. Good video!

[@AJBone]

I tried them there too, I really liked the amp (woo mini tube) they had them hooked up to as well and I’m thinking about buying both soon

[@Whires]

i remember you saying something along the lines of "i don't like to make brash statements about headphones in terms of the wider market" and yet almost everything these days seems to be your new favourite or best in class

[@harrisedgar]

definitely the comparison video would be very welcome (Diana MR vs Impyrean 2) but do think about throwing in those Organic that everyone on talking about...

[@NekoOkto]

Going to be honest, organic was disappointing to me and many others that heard it. Arya Stealth is better, and it's cheaper. HE1000 Stealth Edition is $100 more, and a significantly better headphone (literally sounds like a $3000-4000+ headphone).

[@harrisedgar]

Thank you... I'll check it out..!!! I've been looking for some musical not harsh, not metallic, not brigth headphones. @@NekoOkto

[@ryanhostudio]

tuning one of the most natural i have ever heard

[@bobhanuman65]

I've grown to like this so much. But I do think it profits enormously with A LOT of power. The fit has been great too once I put in the additional pads where I found them really loose when I first tried them. You got a lot of Abyss haters around and it reminds me of the Sony Cannon fanboidom you find online. I think the MR requires time tho to really appreciate it.

[@masterxyr]

not to harp too much on this but, iN eUrOpE, and by law, within the legal guarantee period of two years, defective products must be repaired or replaced without any cost to the consumer. my dude, your reviews, presentation, cinematics, detail, script, and more, are all super on point and leading class! always a pleasure to watch! maybe one day I'll hit the lottery and be able to both find and justify 3k xD

[@animeshmeshram5997]

we like to make fun of eurocucks but EU consumer protection laws are hella based

[@masterxyr]

​@@fisherman9435 lol

[@rookboom]

It would be great to get an impression of how audiophile headphones sound for movies and games in terms of immersiveness or cinema feel. While I'm sure no headphone can replicate a good surround sound system, many people don't have that option when they live in an apartment and want to maintain healthy relationships with neighbors. How does the Diana MR and Empyrean 2 sound while watching movies or playing games?

[@AverieS820]

After auditioning it, I found the MR to be disappointing, especially when directly compared to the TC, and even when comparing it to the cheaper MM-500. It's a more harman-like turning which might appeal to more people, but the staging is too intimate for a headphone that that price range and the tuning is a little to warm for my tastes. It's a step down in all technical aspects from the TC, and the mid range detail IMO doesn't even beat the MM-500. And despite having the same chassis and being lighter, it felt slightly less comfortable then the TC on my head.

[@henrylaw9566]

It looks amazing, but I want to know which one's vocal performance is better？Diana MR or Empyrean 2 ?

[@KXP70]

7:37

[@kevintj604]

Josh has to stop saying that. Calling a product the best headphone ever video after video confuses the audience and makes him sound uninformed. We’re not watching a Zeos review where it seems like endless shilling. Don’t get me wrong, I love the reviews but don’t want to hear another “Best Headphone Ever” statement.

[@Thiccolo]

Hyperbole is par for the course

[@JoshuaValour]

(inserting my self defense statement out of butthurtedness lol) -> In fairness, I hardly ever say "best" without some qualifying statement. And it's not my fault that two extremely good headphones came out rights next to each other, and around the same price tag, AND having some industry leading sound quality and measurements. However, I will try to reduce the amount of times I say it moving forward as I understand it gets annoying and loses meaning haha :) As a side note, the industry -should- improve over time, so some things are gonna be the best now, and something better will come along. I personally think that's what we have seen with the new Empyrean 2 and Diana MR. And I like to give them credit for moving the goal post a little farther!

[@camoturtle18]

In his defense a lot of the new headphone releases this year have been absolutely baller compared to previous years. Headphones are starting to get really really good from more and more brands

[@Thiccolo]

@@JoshuaValour My only issue is that it is literally copy and pasted over. Not even a variation of the statement 😅

[@kevintj604]

@@camoturtle18I get it but he can still be excited about a product and not say a definitive statement like “Best Ever” With Caldera, Bravura, Tungsten, Empyrean II and Diana MR all releasing in the same year we’re seeing unbelievably impressive performance coming from a lot of manufacturers. Best ever is too hyperbolic and misleading. A lot of people purchase based on these reviews and if that were me I’d be pissed to buy a product and then the next week hear that they purchased the wrong “Best Headphone Ever”

[@AsreiMurasame]

I own a MR and love it. It's fantastic its detail edges out the Dan Clark Expanse I've been using. I had the same issue with the fitting and the pad. The pad made it a lot more comfortable for me

[@ikhyunan496]

Was pondering between Diana and Empyrean, but since I listen to more instrumental songs and no vocals, I'm going with the Empyrean II

[@michaelfreiberg8057]

Josh, Koss offers Lifetime warranty (obviously under certain conditions)

[@antonristo1096]

I liked the review but it feels you're undermining ZMF as a company a bit here when you talk about Abyss being the one company in the US that is a family business and manufactures their headphones in the US as well. It also feels wrong when you call some of the headphones you review "the best ever" while not having reviewed all of the TOTL headphones from other companies. ZMF is one company that comes to mind but also TOTL headphones from Warwick and DCA, for example, are some that I feel you should at least review before calling some other headphones the best ever. Maybe headphones from some companies are harder to get for a review and if so I do understand the lack of reviews of those headphones.

[@calvinyip364]

imagine if abyss made a $300 headphone. Priced same as the sundara .

[@MASB29]

I dont think they have the industrial capacity right now, that's why they are focusing more on high end and low volume products. I do want to experience their audio experties in the lower price brackets tho, but I dont see it being realised anytime soon

[@Mr0Tubby]

i recently got to hear the diana MR at canjam dallas and its a hard disagree that this is anywhere near the best headphone ever.

[@paullee7254]

Reading is hard.

[@klaushaunstrupchristensen7252]

Interesting but it begs a few questions to be asked. 1: Is it it better than the 1266 TC? To me it sounds like what you’re saying is that the Diana MR has the better tuning and hereby sounds more accurate, and the 1266 TC has better soundstage and bass? So it’s a bit like picking between oranges and apples?? 2: Where does this leave the Diana TC? Probably obsolete until it gets a retuning of its frequency response? Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Greetings from Denmark

[@coardtech]

I like the design of this headphone but abyss had terrible rep with scam cables etc. Also v2 and tc are just bad sounding headphones. As you said; if MR fixes all that and puts company in new direction. Makee tc and 1266 obsolete.

[@klaushaunstrupchristensen7252]

I happen to like the design as well and the 1266, which I have newer heard, intrigue me a lot. Simply by being in total contradiction with basically all other headphones on the market. A heretic approach like this can probably only make a headphone which one either likes or hates. I see the 1266 as the headphones equivalent to the original Magnepan Tympani, a speaker I which I also haven’t heard, but 35 years ago I was the happy owner of a set of Magnepan MG 2b which I loved immensely. The the only better speaker I have had was the Mirage M1si (Size and dispersion seem to be king with speakers). Sadly I don’t have the room for big speakers anymore so now I’m pursuing sonic nirvana with headphones 😃 So if you or anyone else knows which headphones comes closest to the two above mentioned speakers (a big diffuse but absolute stable soundstage, with a warm tone and non fatiguing laid back trebleI) then I am all ears. Greetings from Denmark

[@kajetan9550]

⁠@@klaushaunstrupchristensen72521266 is by far the biggest and best soundstage in the headphones, however they’re aggressive in their nature. Still nothing came close to them for me. Diana V2 and MR are warmer sounding and excellent compact package overall, but they’re not that great in soundstage. I loved the v2 as a companion to 1266, MR is an improvement in all aspects, but 1266 is still just another beast on top

[@mennodellisse631]

Hey Josh, thanks for this! Now that we’re a year later what would you advise for classical, vocal and jazz mainly? The MR or the Meze E2? Thanks

[@auxnuke]

Thanks for the review. Best ever? We all have different tastes! To me, the entire Diana line (MR included) sounds claustrophobic compared to other similarly priced open backs (not as much as ZMF headphones and way less than all of the heavily damped DCA cans) to the point where I can't hold them in the same league as other TOTL headphones. This is somewhat due to their sound stage (more of an in-your-head sound as Josh describes in this video) but mostly with presentation; they sound more like semi-open designs that don't let in as much sound or "air" around them. Compared to Susvara, Utopia, or even the HD 800s and Arya, the closed-in presentation of the Diana line sounds veiled in comparison, even with the admittedly excellent detail retrieval. These would better compete in the $1500 range, IMHO.

[@DzejSiDi]

Joshua is a Diana-line fanboy for sure. Tried Phi TC during audio-video show and they felt pretty underwhelming for top tier league, even if MR would be significantly better than predecessors, it's just catching up with competition for my ears. Those were just first impressions of course, but I couldn't find any reason to pick Diana Phi TC over other overpiced headphones, and Abyss as a company is extra overpriced. At least I really liked newest AB-1266 and can easly see some people picking them up as 'the best' they have ever heard.

[@benniehill927]

I got hear these at Can jam and I really loved the sub bass. My next headphone decision right now is torn between this and the empy 2. I feel like they both seek to accomplish different things. Right now I'm really looking for a headphone that exceeds in imaging above everything else. Which would you say does a better job?

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

can only think of (pricey) multiverse maybe ue live pro though im not sure since imaging is one area that always got cut

[@astifcaulkinyeras]

For transparency, you should also say whether companies want you to return the headphones they send you. Also are you describing the vegan ported pads or regular un-ported?

[@camoturtle18]

Wait so now you have eyes again in the thumbnail??

[@The_Hipster_Cow]

Are you going to do another "vs everything" video for this?

[@earganic]

Hey Joshua, curious if you have tried any of the bass ported versions of the ear pads (vegan or leather) and any thoughts you might have on those.

[@earganic]

Ah I somehow missed the part you covered this. But still a little unclear, was it the vegan ported or regular vegan you personally preferred?

[@rickmathis8590]

I've been flip-flopping between this one and the Empyrean 2. I think I may have made my decision...

[@soulfulfool]

oh I consider it for half price but still there is doubt thats nothing special

[@looyoo0-u6i]

im conviced joshua is just showing up to luxury apartment buildings and shooting footage in their lobby then quickly running away

[@luigiheewan]

I wish I had that kind of money lmao

[@adhisantoso2365]

We need a comparison with the modhouse tungsten..

[@DJ_PROMO_PR]

Besides sound quality, the most amazing thing about the MR is that is actually a compact headphone. I would wear this everywhere. Is there a small portable amp (for ex. the Qudelix-5K) or similar that can actually handle the MR?

[@Aetherhole]

Geoff Castellucci is PHENOMENAL. Jack’s Lament is one of my favorites of his. His version of Sound of Silence is fantastic and if you are looking for more heavy AND DEEP low frequencies, that is another track to try. A very dynamic song.

[@TheJonazas]

Haha what a cool track. Thanks!

[@martinsundnes]

Do you prefer the MR over the V2?

[@soon4829]

josh, this IS dejavou … YOU LITERALLY MADE THE SAME SHOTS!

[@gdpvk]

What makes this best headphone..than empyrean or arya organic....or how is it best considering their price....chances of having an ear being able to understand the nuance of betterment and the prices at which they sell....maybe my poor person perspective is wrong...i mean if i can get 99% of what tgis produces at 30% of the price....is it worth it ?...or should it be like a prototype in a muesuem...

[@omergenish5224]

I'd love to see someone review stax sr 007 mk1 i wanna if it's that good or overhyped

[@HiFiInsider]

the only headphone that beat my Diana v2 was another ABYSS Diana. lol.....

[@soulfulfool]

you must be deaf :D

[@life_in_solace]

I want to know how the mids are on the empy 2. Is it as good as zmf atrium mids

[@joshuamitchell1733]

Funny the music in the beginning sounds like "you don't own me" song.

[@rupert3k]

Aune S17 Pro review soon?

[@MrKrampyHands]

Man i can only imagine these cost a couple grand you haven't given a price for them yep at the point in the video im at how do these compare yo a Audeze LCD2 for refrence do i got a real idea as to what they truly sound like so far the LCD2 is my all time favorite headphone followed closely by the HD650 ive used much more expensive cans and these 2 are my favorites for a bunch of reasons for what i paid the price to performance is unbeatable $200 for the 650 open box at Adorama but completely unused and$500 for the Audeze i use oth of these with my PC through a Ifi zen dac amp setup i use the 650 for gaming mostly and everything else i use the LCD2 because they can handle anything you want EQ wise and they can be pushed so much harder than any headphone ive owned they just eat it up i LOVE Bass and thw LCD2 with as little 1db boost from 10hz to 300hz just Skull drags everything through the dirt when it comes to bass quality and quantity that ive evwr heard Audeze knows how to make a transducer that's for sure its a beast

[@acehall4351]

Looking to sell some headphones whats the best way of doing that

[@chungang7037]

Wait, what? Abyss actually sent a unit out for review? Am I awake?

[@Glenn056]

Only to certain reviewers that don't third-party measure them lmao

[@chungang7037]

@@Glenn056 Yes, that has been an issue, but in general they don't like reviews that are critical even from a subjective point of view.

[@donspenard1652]

the new Abyss base ported Ear pads are robbery @ 250 USD

[@coardtech]

Diana DZ is released

[@alexp3577]

100$ for extra 1m of cable length, wow

[@mokisan]

Lol

[@fatphoca5009]

I generally get quite hot with headphones and my largish head makes many brands feel too tight. How does the Diana MR fit? I won’t have a chance to try it unfortunately. Any hints appreciated.

[@Barnsey87]

Leather pads for edm other for everything else.

[@josiahjones7654]

If i were to buy only 1 pair of open backs and money is no object, are these the ones?

[@AsreiMurasame]

It depends on what you're looking for. I think pretty much every audiophile will recommend you start with a HD 600 or HD 650 and go from there. Personally the HD 650 is a great start and stopping point for most people. If you crave lots detail and at the same time a degree of punch these are the headphones for you. I do want to note that they are not as comfortable at first especially without the head cushion that's included that made a world of difference for me. The sound stage is just like what Josh said as far as sound staging goes the sound feels like it ends just a little ways outside of your head where as something like a HD 800 feels like you're in a massive concert hall listening to different points of sound in that room, yes it's that different and you have to learn what you do and don't like from headphones. That's why It's impossible for any audiophile to tell any other audiophile what to buy because you'll never truly know what they will like.

[@niceguyeddie]

Question, should reviewers review expensive audio equipment that 99% of their audience can't afford?

[@Thund3rstone]

He did quite some budget stuff reviews, too.

[@One-Two_swift-kickbox]

Excluding the 1% would be discriminatory

[@badger748]

Yes.

[@bryansheridan6434]

Awesome review. Have same some $$$ make this purchase.

[@wanderlustniall]

It’s really bad used this headphone only connected to a MacBook Pro m2 ?

[@KosmoBuddha]

bro, 400 bucks for bass ported pads, thats insane.

[@soulfulfool]

welcome in overpriced abyss stuff xD

[@WyattOShea]

Voshua Jalour

[@Krishnakumar-wl7ih]

5 days ago, Empyrean V2 was the best ever made... How many headphones is too many headphones !!!! 😂

[@goldenstasgs]

Money for advertising. That’s it.

[@Sasserexe]

"Their" best headphone ever. Their, not the.

[@B8THOV3N]

I have tried their headphones a few times. Although they sound great, but the ergonomic is poor because of the headband design. My head is pretty wide, so the headphones will not sit on my head properly. I have heard enough people finding the ergonomic is poor as well. I have even brought this up to one of the Abyss owners at canjam. They say there is nothing they could and would do at the moment for anyone with a bigger size head. Guess, I will spend my money elsewhere. What a shame.

[@joshuastephens3926]

Subtle brag. Listening to this with the MR is really awesome. However I have to say that your mic levels are too high. Slightly lower would be perfect. That music you add is fantastic with this headphone.

[@CoreyF84]

Soundstage is prohibitively small for that kind of dough IMO. Smallest soundstage of any headphone I've heard over $1000.

[@bernamej]

This is the last reviewer i go to. From experience, it’s bullshit. Part of the bugman trend who just talks out of his ass.

[@mbk337]

Ah yes, affordable. 😅

[@ismadelro]

Ya vale! Por favor, un poco de seriedad con los títulos de los vídeos que no somos estúpidos.

[@metalfather8139]

remember you can crap in a box and put a warranty on it or you can buy a quality product......r.i.p.Chris Farley

[@lupus4565]

3.5 thousand euro!? Ahaha...no way

[@soulfulfool]

haha on used market you can buy headphones for 1000$ that sounds better

[@antoinefdu]

€3,295. So, no thank you.