Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Delivers a beautifully smooth and refreshingly beefy tuning compared to previous Diana headphones
- The most comfortable planar magnetic set of cans ever worn
- Build quality is very impressive
- Good mid-range
Product Considerations
- Needs additional padding for optimal scalp comfort
- Treble can become problematic
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Diana MR most remind reviewer of a super version of the HIFIMAN Edition XS
- Spatial presentation is better from the HIFIMAN HE1000SE, and the midrange is better balanced as well
Takeaway: The Diana MR is the most accessible set of high-end open-back planar headphones to date from Abyss. It is a fun and impressive listen.
All
Diana MR
reviews

Manufacturer details
- Transducer: ABYSS custom 63 mm planar magnetic transducer
- Impedance: 30 Ω
- Sensitivity: 93 dB/mW
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 55 kHz
- Distortion (THD): ≈0.03% average
- Weight (with stock pads): 379 g
- Weight (without pads): 309 g
- Ear Pads: Hybrid lambskin / Ultrasuede pillow-top (attached)
- Stock Cable: JPS Labs 1.5 m high-quality cable
- Termination Options (user selectable): 3.5 mm, 6.3 mm (¼″), 4-pin XLR, or 4.4 mm balanced
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Abyss headphones utilize a planar magnetic driver technology derived from their flagship AB-1266 model, scaled down for a more compact form factor in several of their Diana series models.
- The brand offers a customizable fit through a highly adjustable headband design that allows for width, vertical positioning, and "toe-in" adjustments, enabling users to dial in a precise seal and comfort.
Select products
Abyss Joal Headphone
- Positioning: A performance-oriented headphone offering quality at a relatively accessible price.
- Description: Features a wide frequency response and refined driver design that provide clear and balanced sound output. Compared to the Diana MR, Diana DZ, and AB-1266, its simpler construction makes it suitable for smaller rooms and moderate audio needs without high cost.
Abyss Diana MR
- Positioning: A mid-range headphone that balances innovative design with practical versatility.
- Description: Incorporates refined acoustic tuning and a sturdy yet comfortable frame built for everyday use. In contrast with the simpler Joal and the more advanced DZ and AB-1266 models, it offers a middle ground for users seeking improved performance and usability.
Abyss Diana DZ Luxury Audiophile Headphone
- Positioning: A high-end headphone that elevates the Diana series with advanced performance features.
- Description: Uses a lightweight machined aluminum frame and optimized acoustic design to deliver detailed sound and broader dynamics. Compared to the Joal and Diana MR, it provides a larger soundstage and technical refinement.
Abyss AB-1266 Phi Headphone
- Positioning: The premium flagship headphone engineered for top-tier audio performance and luxury craftsmanship.
- Description: Delivers an advanced driver system and meticulous build quality that ensure precise tuning and expansive sound reproduction. When compared to the Joal, Diana MR, and Diana DZ, it stands out with superior technological sophistication and performance.
Our take on the brand
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Product Strengths
- Outstanding sound quality with clarity, texture, and detail
- Natural sound provides a you-are-there presence
- Improved microdynamics make them quick and fast
- Easier to drive than the original Susvara due to a changed metal trace on the diaphragm
- Very comfortable, with good weight distribution
- Driver is exposed, making it vulnerable to damage
Product Considerations
- Can be unforgiving on poor recordings
- Lacks soundstage depth and layering compared to some competitors
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Mesa Elite: The Mesa Elite offers greater bass weight and depth in the soundstage
- Vs Audeze LCD-5: The LCD-5 provides more insight into the music, but the Susvara Unveiled excels in reproducing the attack and energy of plucked strings and in bass reproduction
- Vs Focal Utopia 2022: The Utopia balances everything well—tonality, punch, detail, staging—however both have a little edginess from the treble
- Vs HiFiMan HE1000 Unveiled: The HE1000 is brighter and seems a little faster and more detailed, but the Susvara Unveiled is smoother
- Vs Original Susvara: The Unveiled model is more agile and lively, with added energy, clarity, and upper-treble extension, and the original is more laid back
Takeaway: The Susvara Unveiled provides detail and resolution that one has likely never heard before, making them astonishing headphones. If the priority is a reference-style tuning for orchestral music with excellent balance, scale, and tonal response, these headphones can provide a massive sonic treat.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Product Strengths
- Offers a combination of electrostatic resolution with dynamic timbre and planar bass extension, delivering the 'best of all worlds'
- The build quality is superb, with premium materials and craftsmanship that surpass competitors
- Delivers perfectly extended bass with a planar-like slam, with detail, texture, and physicality
- Has a wide soundstage with excellent imaging that creates a holographic feeling of voices and instruments, with a true 360-degree experience
- Very comfortable to wear, despite being somewhat heavy, with good weight distribution and no hot spots
Product Considerations
- Requires a powerful headphone amp to get the most out of it, due to the need for a current drive interface/transformer
- The weight (610g) may be a concern for some users, though the weight is distributed well
- Some vocalists, particularly some female vocalists, may sound more distant than desired
- Bad mastered songs tend to immediately show problems
- Frequency response is dependent on synergy with the amplifier
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs HIFIMAN Susvara, it combines the weight of the original Susvara with the soundstage and resolution improvements of the Susvara Unveiled—more power is needed
- Vs Abyss 1266, it has more body of sound, smoother highs, and tighter, more natural bass, while the Abyss has a wider soundstage, better positioning, and more bass impact
- Vs Dan Clark Audio Stealth, it has a wider soundstage and feels more effortless, and is more open, while the Stealth is closed, has more bass quantity, and a more pleasing treble
- Vs RAAL-requisite CA-1A, it improves upon the CA-1A in terms of body of sound, bass, and timbre, while remaining comfortable, and the CA-1A has a lighter and more forward soundstage
Takeaway: The Immanis is an exceptional headphone that blends various sonic qualities together, boasting great build quality and an immersive sound experience. With the right equipment to support it, one can enjoy a detailed and spacious sound that makes it a top contender in the flagship headphone market.
Video review
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Video review
Our take on the brand
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Diana DZ is the 'biggest' sounding Diana to date, and offers a spacious, holographic sound with top-notch clarity and a neutral yet refined tonal characteristic
- Improved comfort levels due to the new headband pressure strap and hybrid earpad design, allowing for hours of listening without fatigue
- Premium build quality using CNC-machined aluminum frame, with lightweight design (315g without pads, ~375g with pads)
- The Diana DZ has a Fibonacci side hole pattern optimized for tuning the sound, while following a natural flow of air (flow guide)
- High level of detail retrieval across the frequency range, especially in the treble
Product Considerations
- The old toiletries bag styled carry case is replaced with a newer grey and zipped Geekria-type hard case, which may be missed by some users
- Though slightly easier to drive than the Diana TC, high-quality power is still required, and it is not easily driven
- Open-back design means limited noise isolation, making a quiet environment recommended
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Diana TC: The Diana DZ is an upgrade, more spacious and holographic sounding
Takeaway: The Diana DZ offers a combination of comfort, build quality, and sonic performance, making it a TOTL contender. If a spacious sound and comfortable listening experience are valued, the Diana DZ is worth considering.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Built with premium, high-quality, sturdy materials with a solid feel
- Very comfortable and relatively lightweight, suitable for long listening sessions
- Easy to drive with low impedance and reasonable sensitivity
- Delivers a reference-grade sense of clarity, balance, and vast soundstage
- Excellent instrument separation and imaging
- Easy to drive with low impedance and reasonable sensitivity
Product Considerations
- Some reviewers found the range of headband adjustment limited, making it potentially unsuitable for those with smaller heads
- The banana plug cable connectors are proprietary, limiting third-party cable options
- The stock cable is acceptable, but not particularly premium feeling
- The bass is a little lightweight and might require EQ adjustment for some listeners
- A dip at 2kHz was noted by some reviewers
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Sennheiser HD800S: The Composer has better bass extension, but the HD800S has better resolution and detail
- Vs HIFIMAN Arya/HE1000 series: The Composer sounds more natural than some HIFIMAN planars, and it may have greater bass depth
- Vs Meze Audio Empyrean II: The Composer goes deeper in the soundstage, with better layering and more sub-bass presence, but the Empyrean II is softer and more relaxed
- Vs ZMF Outure Classic: The Composer has better bass response but is smoother and more tame in the treble
Takeaway: The Austrian Audio Composer is a well-built, comfortable, and easy-to-drive headphone with a balanced, clear, and detailed sound signature. It offers a reference quality that can be great for critical listening and casual enjoyment.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Excellent bass reproduction with well-textured low tones, exceptional definition, articulation, and clean, nuanced deep sub-bass extension.
- Detail retrieval and image clarity are remarkably good, competing with some of the very best headphones in the summit category.
- Outstanding build quality, featuring a precisely machined aluminum-magnesium alloy chassis, conveys sturdiness and care in assembly.
- The new pads are made from Toray Ultrasuede and are deeper and marginally firmer than the original memory foam cushions.
- Easy to drive, with 60-ohm impedance and 98 dB sensitivity.
Product Considerations
- A bit scooped out in the two kilohertz to three kilohertz range, almost like the ear gain has been taken and moved upwards in the frequency spectrum a bit.
- Comfort can be an issue, due to the circular earcups not fitting larger ears well and the headband lacking sufficient padding for the headphone's weight.
- The stock cable with the quarter-inch termination is heavy, potentially dragging the headphone down uncomfortably.
- The proprietary 3.5mm connectors with locking mechanisms can make finding aftermarket cables difficult.
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the HIFIMAN Susvara, the Susvara is lighter, more comfortable, and also has better detail retrieval.
- Compared to the Audeze LCD4, the Final Audio D8000 Pro competes in many of the technical aspects that really matter, like detail.
Takeaway: The D8000 Pro is a well-built, detailed headphone with exceptional bass and a unique planar sound signature, perfect for audiophiles who want something different from standard planar sound profiles. Its high level of detail and solid dynamics create an engaging listening experience for those who appreciate nuanced sound.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Natural sound, evoking a dynamic driver sound but with planar magnetic performance
- Excellent resolution, while maintaining smooth treble
- Holographic stereo image, which contributes to its lifelike character
- Good layering and separation of instruments
- Incredibly wide and tall soundstage, providing a very dynamic experience
Product Considerations
- Bass extension is not spectacular, with noticeable roll-off below 50Hz, and can be a bit soft without great impact for some listeners
- Can tend towards sibilance on some signal chains
- Overall presentation is amp sensitive, and can vary the experience significantly
- The D8000 Pro Limited Edition can be finicky, and requires careful signal chain pairing to achieve the best sound
- May slightly lack the charisma that one looks for in a more expressive or musical headphone
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs. Dan Clark Audio Expanse: The D8000 Pro LE has a more natural sounding bass and tighter attack on drums, while the Expanse has more bass emphasis and a wider soundstage
Takeaway: The Final Audio D8000 Pro Limited Edition provides a thrilling and engaging listening experience with its natural sound and incredible detail. It could be a worthwhile addition to a collection for listeners who appreciate acoustic music and a highly immersive soundstage.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Improved vocal timbre and texture qualities of certain instrument tones come forward
- Very well-balanced, natural, and surprisingly smooth-sounding
- One of the most consistent headphones in terms of measurements
- Bass is fully extended, almost perfectly flat down to 20Hz, providing all the bass information
- Mid-range is better, with less of a dip around 2kHz compared to previous models
Product Considerations
- Removing the grill exposes the driver, exposing the membrane, which is not ideal, still requiring great care when handling to prevent damage
- There's an excess around 4kHz, which can focus the treble and compress it a little
- It is not as good as what you find with the best planar magnetic headphones for harmonic distortion
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs other HE1000 series: Vocals timbre is significantly improved
- Vs HIFIMAN Arya Stealth: Unveiled's treble response is not quite as peaky
- Vs HIFIMAN HE1000SE: The mid-range is no longer dry, the treble region is no longer peaking
- Vs HIFIMAN Sysvara OG: HE1000 Unveiled's soundstage is more open, more 3D, and deeper
- Vs T+A Solid Therapy: HE1000 Unveiled provides slightly more mid-range energy and a sweeter mid-range in general
Takeaway: The HE1000 Unveiled has great sound and build, and it's more natural and balanced than older models. It’s a great headphone for detail, soundstage, and imaging.
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