Abyss, a New York based headphone brand, is well-known for their innovative and stylish designs in the audiophile world. Not only do their headphones sport a fashionable look, but the sound is certainly something to be rivaled with. I was lucky enough to be able to demo their newest headphone: the Diana DZ. It retails for quite a large asking price, starting at $4,145. Today, I’ll be reviewing everything from the sound quality to comfort and aesthetics.
What Comes In The Box
- Diana DZ Headphones (in color of choice)
- High-quality cable by JPS Labs with choice of termination
- 3.5mm
- 4.4mm
- 6.3mm
- 4-pin XLR
- Custom hard case with velvet-lined interior
**Note: not all terminations come in the box with each unit. You are able to choose which termination you would like upon checkout.**
Aesthetics and Functionality
I adore the look of these headphones. In my hands is the Damascus Forged version. The matte black with reflective material is a really classy look, I liked the slight texture difference that the pattern was compared to the rest of the headphone. They also come in a Violet Abalone and Gold Forged version, both of which have intricate designs in bright colors. The square shape of the earpads and suspended leather headband were comfortable on the head, and were easy to adjust to my head shape. Abyss advertised their headphones to be comfortable wearing over the ear with their plush earpads, especially with glasses on. As someone who wears glasses, I’m happy to report they live up to their word.
Getting these headphones up and running was also super simple. With the many different termination options, adaptability is easy and you can connect to any device. I used the 4.4mm termination and plugged it into the FiiO K11 amp to give it an extra boost of power. It was easy to drive and ran smoothly throughout hours of listening. I can see these being used in a home setting and getting integrated into any audio setup with ease.
Tech Specs
- 63mm Planar Driver
- Weight: 315g;
- 370-385g depending on ear pad configuration
- Impedance: 50 Ω
- Sensitivity: 92 dB/mw
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz-65 KHz
Listening Review
Soundstage
The imaging on the Diana DZ is really great. I can accurately place almost any rock band or orchestra that comes into the field. The soundstage is incredibly wide, thanks to the open-back design, and allows for incredible depth and height. I felt incredibly immersed in my listening, especially with the lightweight feel of the headphones. The frequencies all had impressive detail that came through balanced and well-rounded. The sound was very precise, and I can’t use the word “detailed” enough: I could see someone using this for professional audio work in the right setting.
The only thing that took me out of my listening was the limited noise cancellation, but that wasn’t something I was too bothered by. The open-back design allows for a lot of ambient and surrounding noise to pass through, which can be a negative for some listeners. Still, the Diana DZ has a lot of headroom; you can boost the volume to cancel out that background noise and not completely blast it to hurt your ears.
Low Frequencies
Low end is powerful and commands attention. Its presence is well known but not overwhelming, which is nice to have. I like that the low end has a lot of warmth, but it never wavered into the muddy range where things start to blend together. Everything from kick drums and sub frequencies were able to get their own space, but flowed seamlessly into the next range. A lot of different genres within this low range are produced well, from pop to avant garde to rock and indie. I was listening to The Police and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and all the low kicks were driving the rest of the tracks forward without drowning out the rest of the sound.
Mid-Range Frequencies
Really love the clarity that comes from these, especially in the mid-range. Vocals get an added boost of power and clarity throughout the mix, and the many textures get their featured moments. Rock music is a great hit on these, and I love pop music as well. The detail that you get as well as the individualized characteristics of each instrument is incomparable. Yseult is one of my favorite vocalists to listen to, and her impressive range makes her tracks great for testing. In her song “Corps”, she showcases her lower register in the beginning. As the song builds to the chorus, the top of her range starts to come into play. The quality of her voice never wavered in the headphones, and all the detail from the backing instrumental remained constant.
High Frequencies
I would say the treble was my favorite part of these headphones. Small production effects and other ear candy are exceptionally detailed. I love the way glitchy effects come out in stunning clarity, and all the frequencies ring out and have space to fade on their own. Guitar harmonics and high orchestral strings are colorful and natural sounding in the wide soundstage. While listening to Arca, I could hear every layer of the post-production work done to the tracks. Particularly, “KLK” was one of my favorites to listen to for all the qualities you could hear in clear detail.
Summary
Audiophiles definitely have a new set of headphones to look out for. The frequency response is well-balanced and offers a lot of character for a plethora of genres. The powerful low end is complemented by a crisp high end, both of which are supporting a precise mid-range that’s full of character and life. I could listen to these for hours, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the three design choices.
The Abyss Diana DZ is available for demo and purchase at Audio46.
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