Today, Marcus reviews the ABYSS Diana DZ, the company’s latest flagship offering in their compact planar driver open-back headphone series priced at $3995.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to us in exchange for our honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. We thank ABYSS Headphones for their support.
Click here to read more about ABYSS Headphones products we have previously assessed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read here.
With my Diana MR review signed and sealed earlier this year, the launch of the new Diana DZ a few months later was somewhat of a surprise.
I really should not have been considering that the model it is replacing, the Diana TC, is now over two years old. From what I can see from the ABYSS website, it is slowly being phased out via some unique color combo offerings.
At a new SRP of $3995, the Diana DZ is still a summit-fi open-back planar headphone offering. However, for those thinking of the TC, it is $500 cheaper than the previous iteration which is good news in 2024.
The TLDR for potential Diana DZ owners is a clean spacious high-fidelity sound wrapped in a wonderfully compact yet premium build quality with an updated jazzier outward appearance and a new pressure strap that makes a heck of a difference to the comfort levels.
Is this the most complete Diana iteration to date? In my full review below, I discuss how it performs and compares to the rest of the ABYSS headphones lineup in more detail.
Features
It’s a Diana so unless something magically changes in ABYSS’s thinking that means the DZ still comes with a planar driver derived from the technology inside the larger 66mm AB-1266 and sized down to a more compact 63mm version.
Abyss does not provide much detail regarding the precise nature of the tweaks to the Diana DZ driver, so I presume it is likely to be similar to the TC with some additional tuning and acoustic damping changes.
That means the ultra-low mass diaphragm remains with an improved trace design and a larger active surface area on the diaphragm.
What is clear, on paper and from my comparative testing on page 3, is that the Diana DZ is slightly easier to drive than the previous TC flagship.
The Diana DZ is rated at 50Ω with an SPL of 92 dB/mw which is more efficient than the 69Ω and 90 dB/mW SPL rating of the TC. It is still a demanding headphone, just not as challenging as the previous version and slightly more sensitive than the original Diana Phi’s 91 dB/mW SPL rating.
Other changes include a new set of ear pads, a hybrid leather and suede version, and a new headband pressure strap which should please potential owners who did not like the TC or Phi fitting.
Design
The Diana DZ form factor is unchanged since almost the Phi or the original Diana from 2018. However, it is the lightest now, with the weight marginally reduced by 5-15g over the TC depending on the ear pads you use.
Size-wise, its diminutive sizing has been a tempting travel choice save for the fact it needs a powerful DAP, (save for the Diana MR which is easier to drive).
If you are new to this compact styling it’s one of the best-built small-sized headphones in the business. You can give the low-profile CNC-machined and ceramic-coated aluminum frame a fair old tug and bend it in multiple directions without falling apart. It’s also creak-free with an easy-attach magnet system for its ear pads.
The choice of materials is excellent as always with a deft mix of leather and soft Alcantara finishing for the new pressure strap and headband. Even the headband slider has some nice finishing touches with its super-light honeycomb finish.
Aesthetically, ABYSS has been experimenting with more distinctive finishes for each new Diana iteration. The Diana DZ is no exception with 3 choices available; Violet Abalone, Gold Forged, and Damascus Forged with this sample the Gold Forged version.
It is not as retro as the original Phi or MR’s Forged Carbon/Maple Wood mix of greys and tans. It has more of a noir-like vibe with that distinctive gold forged patterned finish around the ever-present Fibonacci patterned grill on the front of the cups.
Comfort
ABYSS Diana headphones are a joy to handle but quite often owners would let you know that it’s not such a joy to wear.
That’s where the Diana DZ differs in a major way with the inclusion of a new pressure strap system just under the main headband. It’s a game changer for comfort if you have been a long-time user of this series of headphones.
Honestly, I am not sure why it took so long for ABYSS to introduce this but I am glad they did because it means the end of vertical pressure hotspots on the top of my head courtesy of the wide ventilated suede (Alcantara?) pressure strap.
The new hybrid lambskin and Ultrasuede pads are different from the stock all-leather versions that came with the TC though you can fit any Diana earpad onto any of their headphones which is a big plus in my book.
This new one has a slightly deeper wedge design with the Ultrasuede contact surface looking marginally wider on the top than the TC pads. It looks like the fluted airflow design of the Diana DZ pads has been retained, however, the overall inner cavity looks subjectively smaller than the TC opening.
The overall comfort level of the new pads is as good, if not better than the stock TC pads. Combined with the pressure strap the stock DZ gave me plenty of hours of listening time without fatigue.
Ear Pad Options
You do not have to go with the new hybrid pads, some alternatives will work just fine with the Diana Dz given the universal compatibility of all of the ABYSS Diana pads.
Our sample also came with a set of Ultrasuede pads which are even comfier and breathe better than the hybrid versions allowing you to wear the headphones for an even longer period without any noticeable discomfort..
They color the Diana DZ performance with a slightly warmer set of lows and a comparative attenuation in the highs. These are good options if you want a smoother performance from your setup but it’s not quite as precise as my preferred stock pad pairing.
Stock Cable
There are no stock cable changes for the Diana DZ. This is the same JPS Labs-designed cable ABYSS has packaged with the Diana series since the first edition rolled out.
That means custom 2.5mm plugs in a customized barrel design to create a beautiful seamless finish to the rear of the Diana DZ cups when connected. They are proprietary but not impossible to replace with alternative aftermarket options such as Mogami if you so wish.
The Cable’s jacket is a thick but pliable rubber sheath over a 4-wire 24AWG custom copper alloy conductor which then divides into 2 wires per channel beyond the metal splitter using a transparent thinner jacket.
Though it matters less on open-back headphones, the stock cable is 100% microphonic-free even above the splitter. There is also an easy cable to work with having no memory retention or none of that annoying stiffness or flyaway quality you find on other stock headphone cables.
You can buy the cable with various lengths and plug options. My sample is 1.5m long and terminated with a 4-pin Neutrik jack but you can also choose 4.4mm, 3.5mm, and 6.35mm depending on user preference.
Changing the plug will not affect the cost but if you plan on getting a longer cable it’s about $50 per 0.5m additional length.
Packaging & Accessories
The Diana DZ packaging and accessories have the same new styling, larger case, and box as the Diana MR. Gone is the elongated toiletries case of the older models and truth be told I kind of miss it.
They were unique cases with a certain retro-appeal to them though I guess these newer grey and zipped Geekria-type hard cases offer a higher level of 360-degree protection for the headphones. There is a subtle nod to the older color scheme with the little zipper tags which is a nice touch.
The white retail box is nothing special but I like some of the internal color schemes. It’s bigger a bigger cardboard box than the older shoebox styling with clean minimalist branding on the front and a very cool paisley finish on the inner and the cable inside its own mini accessory container.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and recommended pairings.
