Aurorus Audio - Borealis & Australis

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by gandhisfist, Apr 2, 2019.

  1. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    Posted by @gandhisfist on the Discord. Looks like production is under way. Its always nice to see a new enthusiast created company entering the market and I wish Aurorus the best. As an aspiring product designer, I understand the insane amount of work that goes into getting something like this off the ground. Impressive work so far guys.

    Side note, we should get MOT badges for @Eudis Fernandes and @gandhisfist.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. gandhisfist

    gandhisfist Aurorus Audio - MoT

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    Just a note to everyone that we will be displaying our headphones at the Capital Audiofest (http://www.capitalaudiofest.com) hosted in Rockville, MD from Nov 1-3 at the Linear Tube Audio table with @willsw.
     
  3. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Production? or prototypes?
     
  4. gandhisfist

    gandhisfist Aurorus Audio - MoT

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    Production (minus a few minor details), acoustically final for sure.
     
  5. gandhisfist

    gandhisfist Aurorus Audio - MoT

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    Quick correction, I think we will be in the LTA headphone lounge area at CAF, not the marketplace.
     
  6. lichie

    lichie New

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    Thanks to @gandhisfist for sending the Borealis and Australis out to me. I've had them for the past few days, and even though I'm not a reviewer at all I figured I would write up my impressions of them.

    Most of you probably don't know me, so for reference this is the gear I normally use:

    Headphones: HE6, Auteur, HD800, HD580
    Amps: Bryston BHA-1, Inspire IHA-1, Apex Sangaku
    DAC: Soekris 1541

    Borealis:

    The thing that surprised me most about this headphone, right off the bat, was how impressive the soundstage and imaging was. People told me to expect a "super" HD580 with more resolution and upgraded bass. I didn't expect it to also have HD800 level staging.

    When @Vtory recently reviewed them, he described Borealis as being a "super" HD800! I was really surprised by that, and based on what I heard from most other people I expected to disagree with him. Now I think I understand what he meant. Borealis is and sounds very open, and has a diffuse presentation that reminds me a lot of an HD800. The music sounds like it's dangling around your head in open space, in contrast to some headphones which can sound closed off from the outside. With my Auteur (and other ZMFs) I always feel like I can clearly sense the boundary of the stage, but with the Borealis you can't at all. The stage width is somewhere narrower than HD800 and wider than HD6x0, and has a natural amount of depth. Individual sounds are amazingly well separated and layered. Separation, layering, and imaging might even be a step above the HD800. It seems to never get overwhelmed with complex music, and is incredibly agreeable with modern music that isn't mastered very well.

    The most hyped aspect of the Borealis is its timbre. @gandhisfist is a HD580 die-hard and partnered with @Eudis Fernandes to try to replicate the legendary timbre of the Sennheiser HD6x0 series. I have to say, they really succeeded there. Especially apparent with vocals and string instruments, the Borealis has like 95% of that warm, intimate timbre that everyone loves. I'm not sure why it took so long for someone to finally figure this out, but I'm glad someone finally did.

    The overall frequency response of the headphone is most similar to some of Focal's headphones, specifically the Elex and Utopia. Like the HD580, Elex, and Utopia, the Borealis has a significant peak in the treble around 8khz or so. Most of the time I didn't find this peak to be fatiguing, and it adds a lot of nice definition to the sound. Borealis also has a Focal-esque peak around 1.2khz that I am not a huge fan of, but if you like the Utopia/Elex it will be no problem. EQing them down by 2 or 3 db at 1.2khz sounded nice to me, and made them sound even more similar to my HD580. Compared to all of the aforementioned headphones, Borealis has a hefty boost to the subbass between 60 and 100hz or so. While this boost sounds very pleasant for most music, I feel like the bass lacks a bit of tightness and control, especially compared to my HE6 and Auteur or a Utopia. Bass drums can lack a little bit of their attack and slam. I would say it has similar texture and impact to HD800's bass, but with more subbass emphasis.

    Resolution is excellent for the price, but still slightly behind the HD800 and Utopia. It's especially resolving in the treble and upper mid range, but like mentioned earlier, the bass and low mids can lack a bit of resolve or clarity sometimes. Macro and micro dynamics are around the same level has HD800, maybe a bit better. Doesn't really compete with the HE6 in dynamics in my opinion. Against my Auteur it wins on both macro and micro dynamics quite handily.

    Overall the sound of Borealis is incredibly impressive. It was hyped as the HD6x0 killer, but to me it is a bigger threat to the HD800. It brings a lot of the technical prowess of an HD800 but with a more natural timbre and frequency response. I don't think anything will ever "kill" the 6x0 series due to its cheap price.

    Australis:

    I won't talk a ton about this one. Basically, it sounds expectedly similar to Borealis. It still sounds closed to me; more congested, and less airy. Overall there is less clarity, but resolution is still good. It has less of the diffuse quality of the Borealis and an overall thicker sound. Timbre is still fantastic (maybe even better?). The peak at 1.2k is virtually gone which is very pleasant. It almost sounds like a closed back version of an HD650. I'd say Australis even sounds better than a lot of open backs at similar prices.

    I haven't really done any at-home critical listening to other TOTL closed backs out there, but I've heard things like Stellia, MDR-Z1R, and Verite Closed at meets and shows. I can easily say I prefer Australis to all of them by a significant margin.

    Comfort:

    The elephant in the room. Comfort for me is really poor. I didn't expect the seat-belt headband to be particularly comfortable, but it's even worse than I expected. I have a pretty small head and on most headphones I use them with very little extension. With the Borealis/Australis I find the nitinol rods are a bit too long and don't really do much to apply clamp and take any of the load away from the headband strap. After a while the top of my head starts to form a hot spot and I need to take a break from wearing them. However, even though the comfort isn't great, it is not a deal breaker for me. I am not afraid of doing a bit of DIY work to improve comfort. Swapping out the seat-belt strap for a leather or cloth strap should be pretty simple to do. I use an LCD-4 headband on my HE6 and something like that could possibly done for Borealis as well.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2019
  7. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    @lichie Good call noting how many headphones just can't seem to nail the timbre of the old guard Sennheisers— probably the same reason people are obsessed with them to this day. I've not gotten ears on a 580 yet (to my shame) but have an HD600 and loads of at-home ear time with a stock HD650 and (rugliner+resonator modded) HD800 so your review was pretty damn accessible. If the Aurorus kids have a similar presentation to the Senns then I'm very impressed.

    Interesting how there's some discrepancy in perception of headstage, probably has to do with upstream and just what people are accustomed to or how they listen. I don't actually hear the HD6__ series as lacking in headstage; neither's is ridiculously diffuse but certainly not claustrophobic as many opine so I can see how the Borealis might be massive-sounding (and why it might sound a bit loosey-goosey) given it's bare-backed with no air cushioning to help moderate diaphragm motion.

    For pure resolution and microdynamics, how's it stack against the HD650 out of your best rig? Also, if I may ask what specific moments in which tracks do you use to evaluate resolution, and what do you listen for? Just curious to see how they present on my own, less superlative rig, haha.

    P.S.
    Focal-esque midrange bump = :(
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2019
  8. Magnetostatic_Tubephile

    Magnetostatic_Tubephile Friend

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    Unfortunately, based on the reports so far, Ive got a feeling that something like ZMF Auteur w/ Eikon pads might still be the better bet for someone wanting a HD600/HD650 alternative. But, there is still hope for some late development improvements!
     
  9. dematted

    dematted Friend

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    In case anyone is interested, the website is out for aurorus audio now, and I've heard that the first few Borealis units will be trickling out in February. I'm not helping myself here in snapping one up come February, but I figured that the good folks of SBAF ought to know: https://www.aurorusaudio.com.
     
  10. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Aurorus Borealis Impressions:

    This one really impressed me. I’ve been waiting for a headphone like this for a long time and this comes very close to it. Before the Borealis, I would say the ZMF Auteur is probably the closest to my ideal headphone and JAR650 was the competent compromise I made. My gripe with the Auteur was that it’s a bit weak on the macrodynamics/slam even though the bass extends quite low. In addition, although I find ZMFs very comfortable, I always wish they were lighter. I basically wished for an Auteur that is fully open sounding, lighter on head, and slammed harder. Focal Elex is lively and energetic, but I found the treble and air region to be too fatiguing even pairing with a warmer amp like the Black Widow. I found that I could only enjoy the Elex at low volume or my ear would often tell me ‘Enough!’ Along with the metallic timbre in the treble that eventually leads me back to my HD650, the Focal cans were not quite for me either. Borealis brings to the table what I value in my headphones: normal-sounding timbre, slam/macrodynamics that bring life to the music, and balanced tonality that works with all genres of music.

    Let’s start with what I didn’t like:
    • Comfort: It’s not heavy, but the seatbelt is just not comfortable for me. It takes a bit of adjusting to get the fit right, but occasionally I do get a little bit of a hot spot. I know @Eudis Fernandes and @gandhisfist told me they are working on revising the headband, but for now, you can get yourself a ZMF Pilot pad and wrap it over the seat belt for a more comfortable experience. I’ve talked to the other Borealis/Australis owners and they can vouch for this.
    • Aesthetic: This one is a mixed bag because I really dig the open grill look, but the headband looks really funky when you put them on your head. I’m just not a fan of the way the headband bends similar to the hifiman HE series. I wish it looked more like an Audeze or MrSpeakers headband that better contours the shape of your head. I hope the headband can be revised into a more aesthetically pleasing look along with better comfort.
    • Presentation: You definitely won’t get the premium and luxurious feeling like when you receive a pair of ZMF phones with a nice mahogany box with silky velour(?) enveloping the headphone. Borealis looks very industrial and kind of steam-punk with its open-grill design. OMG and the cable it comes with is ...trash lol It's stiff and ugly. Definitely look for another set of cables or make some yourself lol
    • when I received my pair, I noticed one of the screws fell out for the headband and I had to screw it back in myself. It was an easy fix and now looks fine but little things like this makes me feel like I’m buying into an early-prototype that still needs a bit of polishing. I don’t mind this personally, but I can see this being a deal breaker for some.
    The counterpoints for the list of issues I mentioned above is that both Eudis and Ruck are very responsive and understanding. When I mentioned the missing screw issue, they replied instantly and helped me troubleshoot the issue. They even offered to send me replacement parts if I couldn’t locate the missing pieces, but it was just hiding inside the case. This type of customer service is very reminiscent of awesome people like Zach and Bevin so potential buyers should not worry too much, or at all committing to this. They also have a nice little community on discord with current owners along with the creators to talk about borealis or just gears in general.

    OK now for the sound.

    Listening Rig:
    Pi2AES > Bifrost 2 > Eddie Current Black Widow v2 | SW51+ > Borealis | JAR650
    FDAD92E7-9FF9-4C98-91DB-60413628FCB8.jpeg
    • Before purchasing, I was reading through previous impressions and measurements and saw that there was a pretty significant treble peak at around 7-8k, which was really concerning since I was blind purchasing. I’m happy to report that at least with my rig and ears it’s not an audible peak. I’m pretty treble sensitive and after shuffling through various tracks and genres, I don’t hear a hint of sibilance or coarseness in the treble. YMMV but Borealis is one smooth ride for me. Please don’t discount this headphone after just looking at the measurements!

    • Overall tonality is balanced with a bit of warmth in the low end. It's not harmon-boosted or warmpoo tho, just a healthy dose of it. The extreme ends extend quite well without emphasizing one aspect too much. Base wise, I think they’re comparable to the Focal line ups, with a slight roll off at the very low sub bass, but noticeably more extension than the likes of Sennheiser 6x0 series. Swapping between JAR650 and Borealis, I can easily tell the difference in the low end compared to the 650.

    • Mids are not too forward or withdrawn. The upper mids/presence region are a step back compared to the Sennheisers but far from sounding withdrawn or sucked out like Audeze LCD series. I think it’s a welcome change as the vocals can sometimes sound too forward on some genres w/ the Sennheisers.

    • Treble extension is excellent as well and I much prefer this over the likes of Elex which be a bit tipped up in the treble. Like I mentioned above, no sibilance or rough, edginess in the treble. I can listen to this all day without fatigue.

    • What’s immediately impressive is its macrodynamics and slam. Man this thing slams especially with the Black Widow! Lowkey I really want to pair this with the Convert 2 in the future and see what kind of results I’ll get LOL It’s not quite HE-6 level, but very reminiscent of Fostex bio-dynas. I don’t have one to compare, but that’s the impression I got from listening to them.

    • Microdynamics is excellent as well. Very engaging, nuanced in the subtle differences. This is one of the areas where headphones like Verum 1 feels a bit short in comparison. You can really feel the weight of the instruments when the violin or drums is/are played. Very engaging and lively sound.

    • Timbre is also really good. I think the Sennheisers still reign supreme in this regard but Instruments sound very normal without sounding metallic or plastic-y. I LOVED listening to string instruments with this headphone, very life-like.

    • Clarity is a step or two ahead compared to the JAR650, with a blacker background and instruments are better separated. No smearing effect when playing complex passages and it’s pretty much free of veil. It’s not unnaturally done like the Focal Elex where I feel like it is overly sharpened and contrasted. Also no 3 blobby effect of the Senns!

    • Transients are good, but I wouldn’t say this is Borealis’ strong point. I think the Focal cans or the Verite are definitely much better in this category.

    • I’m pretty bad at evaluating resolution/plankton/microdetail so I’ll let others write more about this, but I would say it’s at least comparable to Auteur and HD800? I would need to have them side by side to really compare. Maybe someone like @ChaChaRealSmooth can give you a better answer since he owns a plethora of TOTL phones like the Utopia and Verite.
    • Borealis is pretty easy to drive and it sounds ...pretty good straight out of my macbook pro 3.5mm out haha It won't slam and as hard and fully-resolve tho and you definitely want to feed it to your main rig to get the best experience.
    • Pairing wise, I think this has excellent synergy with the Black Widow… I’ve had some reservations about the BW before, but after trying it with the Borealis I’ve had a change of heart and made me really appreciate this amp.

    • The biggest bummer for me is that the Borealis is NOT a good match for the SW51+. Even on the low output, it’s still a bit too high for the Bori and boosts the bass too much for my liking. It really throws off the tonal balance and turns them into a bass cannon.
    I’m really smitten by this headphone. I got zero work done when I first received this headphone because I just couldn’t take the Borealis off my head even with the slight hotspot I would get. Price is still a bit hefty, but I think it provides a nice alternative to ZMF Auteur, Sennheiser HD800, or Focal Clear/Elex. I think the Borealis compliments my JAR650 very well as they’re better at different things. The Bori shares some characteristics from Sennheisers, but I won’t claim stuff like “ermaagawwd it’s a direct upgrade from the Senns!!!” Regardless, the Borealis is a solid option in its price range with a righteous timbre and excellent macro- and micro- dynamics. If you are okay with the aesthetics and the comfort issue, I highly recommend you check this out.
     
  11. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    I'm going to refrain from a full review/impressions for right now, as I want to wait until both the D90 and the dac1541 is here.

    I will say two things though:

    1) I was going to originally keep my Ananda and Elegia as my "side-can" and "closed-can." I spent four hours with the Borealis on Thursday, and thought "I should compare it with the Ananda." So I put the Ananda on....and now I ordered a dac1541, taken pictures of the Ananda, and let Mystic borrow the Elegia to decide if he wants it. Why? Because I'm getting the Australis.

    2) So, I was playing Hades, and getting frustrated that the main character's voice was so quiet compared to other sounds going on at the same frequency. It seemed to be an odd issue...until I realized it was done that way on purpose because he's muttering comments under his breath. The Ananda (and the Arya to a lesser extent) made all the sound seem a lot more forward and similar in volume than it should have been.

    So yah. You'll be seeing an Ananda up soon, probably a THX 887 (gotta hunt down a BHA-1 or BW2,) and a Topping D90 once it arrives. I should mention this is all being listened to on a Schiit Hel->THX887, so I'm going to have some fun figuring how extensive the scaling is with this headphone.
     
  12. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    You're in for a treat.
     
  13. BURNART

    BURNART New

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    What is the pad mounting system? Can anyone take a picture of what is under the pads?
     
  14. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Similar/same as to ZMF/LCD, round 2-4mm relief/shelf cut from major diameter flange. I'll throw calipers on the baffle tomorrow.

    Edit, I do think pad rolling is going to be a thing. Not that the stock pads aren't relatively neutral and well voiced, but horses for courses.
     
  15. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    EDIT 11/20/2020, second round of impressions, now with EC S7 instead of Valhalla 2 https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...asurements-and-review.9166/page-3#post-326364 Scaled to this level, I would rate the chart below quite differently. Keep the amp in mind when reading both sets of impressions.

    Sorry I didn't take a pic in the couple hours I had these at home (and I'm disappointed my measurement system is stranded at work), but thanks @brencho for sending these on a detour from the loaner for a hot second. Jumping right to the graph (are these things helpful?) -

    [​IMG]

    I'll let most of the above speak for itself. I do have JAR600 / HD580 / HD800 I could drop into this graph if it's useful, but with all those on there it was overwhelming so I took em out and just put the stock 6xx as a more common point of reference.

    I don't want to kill the boner for these very cool DIY headphones from Aurorus Audio (lots of respect for the labor and craft involved in making these) - by all measures they're a great entry point to the market and I do like the Borealis better than most of the Focal headphones as a general statement. There's great potential here. A couple notes that might not be well reflected on the chart -

    1. I really don't like what I heard from the Australis. The upper mids are withdrawn compared to the rest of the signature (I do like a slope and I don't mind tame upper mids as long as it doesn't deviate from the general curve of the FR), but it does sound a bit scooped and hollow to my ears.

    It also feels like there's a very heavy resonance somewhere in the lower to middle mids - I could only turn them up about as much as I can turn up stock HD800s before my ears started to ring a bit. They're not bright (kind of dark in fact), but there was a dizzying sensation of a lack of cup control that made the experience unpleasant. The tone felt disjointed with the scoop and small peak up in the treble. Tuning did no favors to the timbre (are these biocellulose?) and I detected a good amount of grain in the treble. Not for me. Maybe different cup materials or rear damping can help? Or different pads? Maybe Valhalla 2 just wasn't the right choice of amp to compare with, but it's what I had here.

    2. Borealis is a much more pleasant listen, but still not free from criticism. I do like the slightly more laid-back upper mids compared to the Senns, and the improved bass extension and macrodynamics, but I also detected a very wide but shallow scoop of the lower mids, with a bump in the midbass and middle-mids (1.2k?) that gave it a focal-like bottom half and a lean overall tone. Seemed like there was also a bit of a 2k recession kind of like all of my HFMs. Treble did feel a bit 'simplified' in presentation with a mild spotlighting effect somewhere in the 7-8k area that manifested differently on different recordings. This is a headphone I always had to ride the volume knob on to avoid fatigue. My modded HE6 is the same, but does what I like about Borealis (lively, slamming sound with a fairly even response) better.

    Overall, I felt like it'd be worth experimenting with how far the drivers are from the ear on the Borealis - there is a funneling effect to the stage, and I feel like a closer driver-to-ear proximity without the additional space of the pad mounting assembly might even out the midrange response, and then plusher angled pads could be used for the desired proximity and staging qualities. There's a 'wetness' to the top half of the frequency response that reminds me of the HD800 - because there's a lot of space on the front side of the headphone, things feel diffused. Curious to see if Marv's measurements detect any ringing.

    Regardless of the above, I do appreciate just how much control and ability this team could pull out of those OEM drivers - pretty impressive. Borealis would 'wow' most people who haven't messed around with dozens of pairs of headphones for hours and hours every day or who aren't endlessly anal tweaker perfectionists like myself.

    I'd like to demo them again with a different amp. And I'd like to see some pad rolling happen. And I'd like to see what's in those cups on the Australis. And I'd like to hear what different drivers in the same baffles would sound like.
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2020
  16. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    They're the same driver as the Borealis. The Typhany (I butchered that spelling) driver that the Kennerton Vali uses. Basically, 32 ohms. Unless you ran the Valhalla 2 on lo gain, the Val 2 high gain has a OI of 14 ohms. That's way too high. That's neither here nor there, as I agree with a lot of your assessment of the Borealis. That said, measurements haven't shown any ringing and I can't hear it on my pair (and I'm sensitive to that shit. It bugs the hell out of me.)

    The more I listen to it, the more I get the thought that the Borealis is similar to a HD800 tuned by people who actually enjoy music. More so than the Auteur does. I'm going to give it more time before I say this is a "for-sure" thing, but I'm thinking the Borealis' only glaring weakness is the treble. But everything has compromises. For the HD800, it happens to be the timbre and a decent FR.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
  17. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    it's ok if you are drunk, or on hallucinogenics but just preface comments like the above if so.
     
  18. PacoTaco

    PacoTaco Friend

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    I swear, it was only a fifth of vodka officer.
     
  19. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Baffle measures 108mm (4.25") in diameter, 6.25mm (0.25") in thickness, and the groove behind the baffle that captures the pad is roughly 4mm deep (0.16").
     
  20. BURNART

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    Thank you very much! Could I still have a picture please? :)
     

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