Abyss Diana MRx Review: A Subwoofer in a Headphone!

Abyss headphones have long had the reputation of being among the flagship and endgame goals for audiophiles. The JOAL, Diana TC Signature, and the Diana DZ are favorites here at Audio46, and now we've gotten the chance to try out their latest addition to the Diana lineup. The Diana MRx is a bass reference headphone that takes the signature shape and sound you know from the Diana MR and upgrades it. Abyss did a lot of work to make this headphone a beautiful piece of art, both visually and sonically, so it sits at the $3.3k price point. What makes this headphone so special? Is it a worthy addition to their lineup? Let's review the details and see. 

The Diana MRx holds a familiar design to the other headphones in the Abyss lineup. You can see how the overall shape of the headphone is the same, so the wear and fit is familiar and consistent of what you may find in other Abyss headphones. I liked the designs that Abyss chose for the MRx. One is a sleek, all-black design, and the other is made of a lighter wood tone that highlights the leather earpads. I really liked the Sapele wood design, and it was the version I used for my testing. It was comfortable to wear and the leather ear cups were secure on the head. Even with my glasses, I was able to wear these for a while not feel fatigued during use. 

When it comes to connectivity, you can choose the cable termination that the MRx comes with. For my testing, I had a 4.4mm cable that was easy to connect to a lot of different amplifiers and DACs. The Diana MRx does need an additional amplifier to really perform to the best of its ability, so it's worth investing in a nice DAC to help it along. I used the Chord MOJO 2, the iFi GR 2, and the desktop FiiO K15 to see which was the best pairing. The MRx had great synergy with all of these amplifiers, 

• Speakers: ABYSS custom Diana MR 63mm Planar Magnetic Transducer
• Impedance: 30 Ω
• Sensitivity: 93 dB/mW
• Frequency Response: 4Hz - 45kHz, -3dB @ 10Hz
• Distortion: Average 0.05% THD
• Power Requirements: Min. 0.5 watt, recommended 1-5 watts
• Weight: 360g
• Cable: JPS Labs 1.5m high-quality with 3.5mm, 6.35mm, 4-pin XLR, or 4.4mm balanced plug

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

The big question: how does the Diana MRx sound? Similar to other Abyss headphones, the MRx is exceptionally balanced. The sound isn't as frontal as you expect, but it definitely takes up a lot of space to immerse you in your listening. The width ot the soundstage is vast, though if you don't have enough power in your amplifier, this soundstage can shrink a bit. The soundstage extended horizontally as well as backwards, so you got decent depth for layers. The open-back design allows you to get a great horizontal image, and the height of the soundstage is really great for those higher frequencies to lift the rest of the signature. The imaging was very precise, and you could place things in the sound field with pinpoint accuracy. With the expansive soundstage, it is easy to get lost in the music and spend a lot of time with the MRx. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

The bass is very full on the MRx, and it created a great foundation for other frequencies to build up from. The bass didn't sound muddy or muffled from the extension in the sub-bass region. Instead, it stayed clean and sharp throughout the range, so you could appreciate all the details in this range. Bass guitars had a tangible twang and impressive musicality that didn't get lost underneath other frequencies in the signature. I was a fan of the texture of lower percussion and kick drums, as well as the warmth coming from lower strings. The rumble in those elements came through with detail and precision, so you weren't left guessing what gave a track such texture or body. I liked listening to R&B and jazz on the MRx, as the low-end depth really accentuated the realistic quality this headphone offered. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

From my time listening to Abyss headphones, I have always been a fan of how they recreate the midrange. In the Diana MRx, I was met with that familiar sound. The midrange in the MRx was incredibly detailed, coming together and pulling a bit more forward than the bass or treble. The melodies stand out more, and you can appreciate the space of the soundstage by the separation of the elements. Instruments were reproduced naturally and realistically, so you could easily recognize them with ease and listen to their individual timbres. The depth of the soundstage was most noticeable in this section, as well as the reproduction of voices in a natural, inviting way. Listening to female vocalists and some higher male registers, you could hear how they were front and center around all the other elements to make it seem like the singer was right in front of you. It was a great way for the MRx to be a very musical and colorful headphone while still maintaining detail and precision for the analytical listener. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

The top end of the MRx is smooth and has a natural dissipation that makes the entire signature feel more natural. The lightness and airiness of the top end are great features that come from the open-back design. There is no feeling of compression or boxed-in sound because of how open the signature is. The height of the soundstage is much appreciated in this range, as those ultra-high frequencies have space to ring out and bring a natural brightness to the entire signature. The top end brought a level of detail and precision that carried through the entirety of the MRx's signature. It balanced well with the sub-bass extension, so you weren't getting a sound profile that was overly piercing or muddy and muffled. The treble was a great balance and rounded-off addition to the signature that made the MRx very exciting to listen to. 

How does the Diana MRx compare to other Abyss headphones? For starters, the MRx follows the suit of its predecessors by being a power-hungry headphone, and definitely needs a bigger amplifier to get the most out of the headphone. It is definitely well-balanced, like a lot of other headphones in the Diana series, but the MRx is a step above in the way it reproduces the low end. The sub-bass extension from the subwoofer tuning makes the MRx have a larger and thicker body than some other Abyss headphones. While it doesn't have the same stark separation as something like the TC Signature, there is a distinct enough space for you to place instruments in individual zones and appreciate how the soundstage is utilized.

From the original Diana MR to the MRx, the MRx offers a step up in clarity and space, mainly in the sub-bass and ultra-high treble frequency range. It makes the sound more realistic by the way frequencies can live in the soundstage, building and dissipating naturally for more immersive listening. If you are someone who has the Diana MR and are wondering if the MRx is a good upgrade, the sound profile is very familiar and extends what is great about the original to be a new listening experience. 

The Abyss Diana MRx is a nice addition to the Abyss lineup. The style is familiar, and the comfort will be right on par with what you expect from Abyss headphones. The sound is nothing short of immersive and balanced, so you can really enjoy your music and feel like you are in the center of your tracks. While the power requirements may make the MRx a little daunting, it is actually better for your long-term setup to invest in that step up in gear. The Diana MRx is a stylish upgrade with a great sound profile that caters to casual music enjoyers and the analytical listener. 

You can get the Abyss Diana MRx at Audio46.