[ajzepp]

This is one I've been keeping an eye on since the first CES reports...Tyll loved it and apparently many others did, as well. Can't wait to see how this goes down, especially given that it's priced far less than one might expect.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ces-2015-show-stopper-enigmacoustics-dharma-electrostaticdynamic-hybrid-headphones

(scroll down) http://www.6moons.com/news/news.html

(scroll down) http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/ces-highlights-from-venetian-floor-30-and-lvcc-south-hall-headphones-and-related-electronics/?utm_campaign=Hi-Fi%2B+Weekly+Emails&utm_medium=email&page=4&utm_source=email-334

[FullRangeMan]

It looks an old 1990s AKG, also AKG had a two way in the 90s named K280 of course to pro market.

[steve in jersey]

These HPs look very interesting, but will they be compatible with the $1k & $1.5K HP amps I'm already using ?

From Tyll's visit to the ENIGMAcoustics it really wasn't mentioned (other than a pan from the camera) whether or not it was necessary to
use their HP amp with them ! Out of necessity, I've had to become a more "frugal" Audiophile .

There is a significant difference in spending $1.2K as opposed to $2.9K to upgrade my HP listening these days. I simply can't go the "pedal
to the metal" route anymore, my personal economics won't allow it !

(the Dharma does sound very tempting ;especially if it turns out to be the "lower priced spread" of the 2)

[steve in jersey]

According to a posting on another website , a "special" amp "isn't" necessary .The poster received the information from EA after contacting them

So the "Dharma" is definitely back on my "radar screen".  I think it may be time to part with my Sennheiser HD800 (I'll have to get replacement "micro mesh screens from Sennheiser. I replaced them when I changed the headphone cable to a cable from ALO.) (which I ordered before I even unboxed the HD800)

[Srajan Ebaen]

If you think of the company's Sopranino tweeter, it uses a self-biased electrostatic element, hence requires no external power supply to maintain a charge on the membrane. Migrate the same tech to a headphone, add a dynamic driver for the bandwidth that's beyond the ESL in that application... and you arrive at a two-way dynamic headphone with a self-biased electrostatic tweeter (or presumably, a bit more of a midrange/tweeter but we won't know until the crossover freq is published). But, you'll not need a special amplifier with it just as with Sopranino, you simply tap the main binding posts of your regular speaker amp (or jumper off the input terminals of your speakers)...

[ajzepp]

Hey guys...so the wait is FINALLY over! I just got confirmation from Todd Green (of Todd the Vinyl Junkie) that his shipment is arriving this week...so I promptly placed my order. Hoping to have it here sometime next week...seems like we've been waiting ages, but I know that the folks at Enigmacoustics have been very careful to get this right. Really looking forward to hearing it.

PS. How cool that Srajan from 6Moons chimed in! I love that site...

[FullRangeMan]

Congrats hope you like it

[ajzepp]

Thanks bro, me too! The LCD-4 is a bit out of my range, so I was deciding between the new T1 or this...and this just piques my interest a tad more.

I'll let you guys know how it sounds

[weatherman1]

http://headphone.guru/the-dharma-d1000-hybrid-stereo-headphone-a-stat-namic-achievement/  According to this review,
 " There is a misconception in earlier Dharma reviews, that the crossover from electrostatic to dynamic starts at 5kHz. Wei tells me that this inaccurate information. EA’s extremely elaborate and expensively researched, customized paper-based full-range Washi dynamic driver, covers the entire spectrum from 20Hz to 20kHz, and their proprietary SBESL (self-biased electrostatic) super tweeter is strictly for compensating the frequency range between 12kHz to 40kHz. Actually, I wouldn’t call it compensating, I would call it more like complimenting from what I heard when I listened to Jorma Kaukonen’s – “Blue Country Heart”. During Jorma’s rendition of “Big River Blues”, Dharma shows off her dynamic range prowess, proving that accurately reproducing the deeply seeded notes of an Appalachian jug’s underbelly, the slap-happy musical complications of a washboard and spoons, and the upper reaches of a free-spirited fiddle, all at the same time, doesn’t have to be a chore. The dual transducers each take on their assigned tasks with precision and ease. Nothing sounds like it is straining, struggling, or being over-burdened." - See more at: http://headphone.guru/the-dharma-d1000-hybrid-stereo-headphone-a-stat-namic-achievement/#sthash.oQwM0NnX.dpuf  If you already own good HP amps these headphone should produce a glorious, deep sound-stage well beyond the width of your ears and well within the depths of your wallet.

[ajzepp]

Thanks for posting that, Weatherman...that was a very positive review!

I had also tweeted Steve Guttenberg from cnet since hes spent time with the Dharmas and is also an Audeze fan like myself. He said the Dharmas can certainly hold their own against the LCD-X, and is different enough to where they'd be complementary as opposed to redundant. Especially with headphone price tags really skyrocketing lately, the Dharma may end up being a very attractive option in terms of value. I paid over $1600 for the X almost two years ago...so if Steve is right, it would be pretty remarkable to have an option of similar performance at only 2/3 the price.

I love the X, though, so the Dharma has its work cut out once it gets here.

[weatherman1]

Just spoke to Todd (Todd the Vinyl Junkie) and his limited shipment, due tomorrow, has already been sold.  The next shipment should be available from EA in 2-4weeks according to his information from Wei Chang.  If interested in the Dharma 1000 now, he took my order for the next shipment, will send an e-mail to let me know when they arrive and only charge my card when they ship.  If you order from the site and use PayPal the money is gone no matter how long it takes for him to get stock.  Nice guy to talk to and do business with and answers his own phone. 

[ajzepp]

Dang, those sold quick! Glad he has more on the way, though.

And yeah, he's definitely a good dude 

[ajzepp]

Well, I'm absolutely devastated, but I have decided to send back the long-awaited Dharmas. Unfortunately my own experience with them did not match up to some of the feedback I'd heard from others, and there were two main deal-breakers for me - the imaging and the comfort. I found the headphones very stiff, and they just weren't a proper match for my noggin. They're built extremely well, though, so I've no doubt that those who choose to go this route will be using them 10 years from now with no build issues.

The imaging was the even bigger disappointment. I described on head-fi how I was hearing a pretty deep soundstage L and R, and there was somewhat of a center image that seemed to be coming from my head, but the front, rear, and above imaging was quite poor. Once I described that, I had a few people immediately tell me they had experienced the same thing...so I really don't think it's an issue with just my pair. Being that I use my headphones for movies quite often, I'm very sensitive to image placement, regardless of how large or small the soundstage is.

Though not a deal breaker, I also felt that certain ranges lacked body...there just wasn't that palpable sensation that I get with some of my other headphones, particuarly the LCD-X. It's not that they sounded thin or sterile, but if there's a term that would be sort of in that ballpark, that's what I'm trying to express.

What clinched it was when someone on head-fi suggested I listen with a dummy head recording. I had no idea what this was, but a quick search on youtube yielded some nice results. It was immediately evident that the Dharmas just weren't doing it for me...it was easy to discern L/R imaging, but when they moved an object across the front, back, or above, it all sounded the same. I wasn't able to successfully tell the lady friend (my helper during this non-scientific experiment) where the sounds were coming from on the Dharmas. When I switched to the LCD-X and T1, it was far easier, particularly with the X. They are imaging champs and have impressed the heck out of me since day 1.

Anyway, I'm not meaning to throw this headphone under the bus...I think probably most people will actually like it. I'm just reporting on what I heard, and unfortunately the areas I found it deficient are a couple areas that are very important to me, and one area in particular that I just HAVE to have in a headphone (imaging).

There were also several people who noted the deficiencies I brought up, but just were not bothered by them....so while I can't recommend the Dharma, I think it's just a bad match for my preferences, not so much that it's a bad headphone.

[weatherman1]

Since I have these on order I'm curious about the amplification system you use when listening or if you tried different types (SS vs. tube vs hybrid)?  I listened to a these for a short time in a noisy environment at a show and was impressed.

[ajzepp]

Since I have these on order I'm curious about the amplification system you use when listening or if you tried different types (SS vs. tube vs hybrid)?  I listened to a these for a short time in a noisy environment at a show and was impressed.

I used my main amp and my primary portable amp, the Meier Corda Classic and the Oppo HA-2, respectively.

So far there have been five others on head-fi who have had the same issue I had, but definitely a minority. The majority of people seem to really like this headphone...it just wasn't for me.

[Folsom]

*

[mandy1234]

Well, I have a good friend who has the Dharma. We dedicate an entire afternoon to listen to different musical genres. The headset showed a first-class construction.
Honestly, what impressed us the most was that we compared it with the Hifiman HE1000V2 and honestly it was impossible to identify which one sounds better. Sure they sound different, it's a matter of taste.

I am sure that the price of the Dharma is one third of the other.

Surprises that can happen in audio!