In this review we check out the Abyss Headphones Diana DZ headphone, selling for $3,995 USD.
Disclaimer: JPS Labs sent us the Abyss Headphones Diana DZ in exchange for this review. JPS Labs / Abyss Headphones is not related to Headfonia in any way.
Abyss’ parent company, JPS Labs LLC, has been around since 1990 in the business making high performance digital and analogue cables. After many years they have started to dip their toes into the über high end headphone segment and started developing their own planar magnetic drivers and planar headphones. After years of research and development they have introduced the Abyss AB-1266.
Introduced in 2013 the original AB-1266 was unlike any other headphone on the market. I am sure many of you have seen them, and once you did, you could pick them out of hundreds of headphones and know for sure it’s the Abyss. Its looks are very uncanny and some say it resembles a medieval torture device. One thing is sure though, that’s the best brand marketing you can do. Everyone who loves headphones, like we do, immediately knows your name.
We engineer, machine, and assemble our headphones from scratch using the finest materials. Patented planar speaker drivers deliver music to your ears with a speaker-like performance no other headphone can match.
In 2017 Abyss introduced their second model – the Diana. Unlike the 1266 it’s much lighter and more compact. I never had a chance to try this one out, but I’m sure it sports the traditional immersive Abyss sound. Since then, Abyss has brought out new driver technologies and has upgraded their AB-1266 and Diana to Phi models. The AB-1266 has even seen some additional iterations, the latest being the AB-1266 Phi TC. Over the last 2 years, Abyss released the Diana TC as well as the Diana MR and in this review we’re looking at the new Diana DZ, the latest version of their Diana series.
We do advise to read up on the previous Diana articles before we start with the Diana DZ review. Earlier in spring of 2019 we have checked out the Diana Phi in a comprehensive review. We looked at the Diana V2 headphones back in January of 2020.
In August of last year I reviewed the Diana TC, you can find that review here:
The Diana MR was reviewed in November of last year:
Now let’s get started!
Diana DZ
The Diana DZ is the latest member of the Diana series. You can find its dedicated website here. As before the DZ is an open back, over ear headphone.
The Abyss Diana DZ sees some new features both in frame and pads, as well as in its driver design. First of all there is a new headband design with a sling, which works great. Then there is a new hybrid pad design with new rings and a new magnet system, both improving the headphone’s comfort. The new hybrid pads have leather on the out- and inside, while the surface that rests on your skin is suede. They’re very comfy.
The DZ comes with the M3 variant of the Diana frame. The Fibonacci side hole pattern optimized for the DZ, properly tunes the sound while following a natural flow of air (flow guide).
The DZ driver is also new and it is a 63 mm ABYSS planar speaker driver with 50 ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 92dB/mw. It – according to Abyss – offers the highest resolution of any Diana model. – Impedance 50 ohms.
All-in-all, the DZ version was designed to provide better comfort and to allow for a more spacious sound with excellent depth, but more on that later.
The DZ is available in four different versions: Violet Abalone, Gold Forged, Damascus Forged and the Vegan version of the Damascus Forged. The vegan option is made with cactus leather and it has Ultrasuede pads.
If you’re interested to learn more about the technical side of the Diana DC, you can do so in this video.
The Diana DZ’s FR and THD measurements can be found here and here.
Comfort, Design & Isolation
The Diana headphones have a unique and special design, and it of course depends on your personal preference if you like this typical design or not. I quite like it because it’s a rather unusual looking headphone, and the vegan Damascus Forged version (our sample) is oh so classy. The finish of the Diana DZ is stunning. JPS Labs / Abyss are calling it the thinnest boutique headphone in the world, and they actually might be right about that.
The new Abyss Diana DZ is the lightest Diana of the series and it weighs 315g without ear pads, and around 375g with pads. For a high end full-sized headphone, that is a very acceptable weight. Also, it’s a rather small, low profile full-sized over ear headphone and I like that it’s not as bulky.
The latest generation of Diana ear pads are made in-house by ABYSS with head-shaped foam and a ‘pillow top’ cushion that adapts to the shape of your head for long-term comfort with minimal clamping force. Basically, the new pads offer more grip, and because of that Abyss could build the DZ so that it has/needs less clamping force on the side of the head. I have no issues with the clamping force at all, and I find the DZ a very comfy headphone in this regard.
I also really like the new headband design with the “sling”. Gone are the hot zones on the top of your head and the weight now is perfectly spread out over the top of your head, resulting in a very comfortable listening experience. I can listen to the DZ for hours without any discomfort. Do note that your ears can get warmer during longer listening periods, especially with the Ultrasuede pads.
As said, the DZ comes in different versions. The design I like most is the Damascus Forged one. Note that the vegan version of this design has Ultrasuede ear pads, which have a subtle softening of upper frequencies. Abyss suggests going for the stock lambskin ear pads if you prefer to maximize detail retrieval.
The Diana MR is a fully open headphone so don’t expect anything special isolation-wise. Sound leaks out, noise leaks in, so a quiet environment is fully recommended.
The article continues on the second page. Click here or use the jumps below to go to the next page.
Page 1: Abyss Headphones, Diana DZ, Comfort, Design & Isolation
Page 2: Build Quality & Connection, Price & Accessories, Full Feature list, Sound intro
Page 3: Sound General, Pads, Amplification Pt.1
Page 4: Amplification Pt. 2, Comparisons, Conclusion, Summary
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