This is the official thread for the Abyss Joal
This thread is for discussion and reviews.
- Type: Over Ear
- Amp needed: Yes
- Open Back 63mm Planar
Abyss Link[Reviews]
Z Reviews
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They DMS and Josh both look like they stayed up all night filming b-roll footage and fell asleep in Josh’s garage and woke up right into filming.
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I dislike both Z’s review and the Josh/DMS review. Both spend too much time talking about things that are only of interest to those tiny handful of people who’ve tried other Abyss headphones.
It is a comparison that will repeat in other reviews due to the Joal being the first headphone from Abyss to drop to a slightly more affordable price tier (by comparison). There is also the fact that there are people that are turned off by the OG Abyss tuning, so making the comparison lets people know that it strays from said tuning. I am sure other reviewers will also make comparisons between Joal and other similarly priced headphones (I think at least one has thus far), but I do understand why the early reviews focused on the Diana comparison (whichever version).
I only recently started buying headphones in the $2k to $3k range, so most of my collection is below $2k. So I do understand wanting a comparison between Joal and a more widely adopted headphone, but give it time, and I am sure a reviewer or customer will review it from that angle. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the early reviewers were loaned the Joal with the stipulation that their first video could not feature other brands (it happens unfortunately).
Anyway, Joal seems like an interesting headphone, but it won’t be on my to buy list for this year (already fairly full as is 
). Saving up for my 2nd ZMF headphone to be purchased during the B-Stock sale, but I might give Joal a shot next year. 
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They’re getting there 
…
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The reviews have certainly made me curious. $2k is far more than I’ve ever spent, yet not beyond me. So what I don’t want to know is how it compares to Meze or other Abyss. I want to know, I guess, how it compares to $1k headphones. What would I get for my money?
Currently I’m thinking hard about finally pulling the trigger on a Focal Clear OG, which now costs less than $1k new and reportedly is a significant step up from my current HD660S, or any of the sub-$1k Senns. So of course I want to know what happens if I spend 2x that amount. How much better is the JOAL than a $1k headphone? I’ve long believed that diminishing returns becomes an issue for anything above $300. Basically, anything above the HD600/650. Which is not to say there aren’t better headphones. Obviously there are, but one pays a lot more for…a little better? A lot better? What’s the diff? Z just tells me that the JOAL is better than the Dianas…ok, but not helpful.
Since it is a Planar headphone it would most likely get compared to something like a Hifiman Arya Stealth which had an original MSRP of $1,600 ish (when I purchased my pair). Now that it can be had for under $600 it has a lot more adoption making it a reference point for many as of late. It would make a good comparison with the Joal to show if there is a reason to make that leap in price vs a headphone of similar price point from several years ago. 
We shall see what other comparisons are made going forward.
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