Abyss Diana TC - NOT the best headphone in the world?!

I’ve been very interested in trying something from Abyss for a long time. Honestly, it was one of those brands that I wondered if I’d actually ever get to try. Luckily, thanks to head-fi’s sa11297 (always feel like I’m a prison warden when I say that), I had the opportunity to try their latest and greatest at the time of this video. How does their TOTL Diana TC stack up against the best Hifiman, Audeze, and Final have to offer? The short answer is it wasn’t my favorite, the long answer is for some people it may certainly be the best headphone in the world. Check the video for the deets!

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Packaging & Accessories
02:36 - Build & Comfort
05:40 - The Pad Situation
06:50 - Beginning thoughts on Sound
07:54 - Intro of the Ranking List
10:10 - Digging into the Details
20:20 - Totals and Conclusion

Also, it was requested that I make a ranking list. I’ve done my best to do that here. It’s a work in progress. Stay tuned for the rest of the reviews!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Here’s a fun video of my dad and I talking about each of the headphones below:    • My Dad Reviews $20k Worth of Headphon...  

I’m just going to go ahead and link to all the high end stuff I had on hand when I was testing these, just to give you some context.

Links to stuff mentioned in the video (some affiliate):
Hifiman He1000v2: https://apos.audio/products/hifiman-h...
He1000v2 (amazon): https://amzn.to/3pjNaze
Hifiman HE6SEv2: adorama.rfvk.net/4eydoo
Hifiman Susvara: https://apos.audio/products/hifiman-s...
Susvara (amazon): https://amzn.to/3BSDAIz
Audeze LCD5: https://apos.audio/products/audeze-lc...
LCD5 (amazon): https://amzn.to/3h9zGBo
Abyss Diana TC: https://abyss-headphones.com/collecti...
Final Audio D8000pro: https://apos.audio/products/final-d80...
D8000pro (amazon): https://amzn.to/3pxpoQv
RAAL SR1a: https://www.headphones.com/products/r...
RAAL HSA-1b: https://www.headphones.com/products/r...
Burson Soloist 3xp: adorama.rfvk.net/6bq7EG
Soekris 2541: https://soekris.modhouseaudio.com/soe...


Check this playlist for more open-back headphone reviews:    • Open Back Headphones  

Look down below for links to all that gear and some other recommendations.

Of course, I always recommend you take a look at the used market, below are some sites that are great for that.

Head-Fi: https://www.head-fi.org/
HifiGuides: https://forum.hifiguides.com/
Reddit:   / avexchange  
Hifi-shark: https://www.hifishark.com/
US AudioMart: https://www.usaudiomart.com/


Some of my favorite equipment for various niches (some links are affiliate):

Super Budget Headphone: Koss kph40: https://koss.com/products/kph40-utility
Need these pads for the kph40 though: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
Cheap Gaming Headphone: AD700X: https://amzn.to/3b4ACUS
Super Cheap Closed-Back Gaming: Recon 500: https://amzn.to/3numqem
Cheap All-Around Headphone: SHP9600: https://amzn.to/3b6aUiP
Entry Level DAC: Modi 3+: https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-1
Entry Level Amp: IEMagni: https://www.schiit.com/products/magni-1
Entry Balanced DAC: SMSL SU8: (look used)
Or Modius: https://www.schiit.com/products/modius

My Main DAC: Soekris 2541: https://soekris.modhouseaudio.com/soe...
My Main Amp: Burson Soloist 3xp: https://amzn.to/3oCPd0K
Tube Amp: Bottlehead Crack: https://bottlehead.com/product/crack-...
Headphone #1: Hifiman He1000v2: https://apos.audio/products/hifiman-h...
Headphone #2: Focal Elex w/ Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin: https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-focal...
Headphone #3: OG NIghthawks: (look used)
Gaming Headphone: HE560v4: adorama.rfvk.net/6bnGoG
Bluetooth Portable DAC/Amp: XCan: https://amzn.to/3vJG8WA
Wired Portable DAC/Amp: Mojo: https://amzn.to/3CbYWQs
TWS: Sony XM4: https://amzn.to/3Glr7Py

Cables:
Hart Audio Cables: https://hartaudiocables.com/
Worlds Best RCA Interconnects: https://amzn.to/3pB2Oa7
Worlds Best XLR Interconnects: https://amzn.to/3vEdwxO

Recording Gear:
Canon M50: https://amzn.to/3ba7KKJ
Sigma 16mm 1.4: https://amzn.to/3vF6SaB
Beyerdynamic Fox Mic: https://amzn.to/3hoQ01v
Canon M100 (overhead): https://amzn.to/31lZAxT
Canon 22mm 2.0 (overhead): https://amzn.to/3dowiAO

#abyss #dianatc #headphones