Loaner: Aurorus Borealis

Received from Evan.

 

I know I'm not a friend here, but if there is still room on this loaner, I would like in. I've owned the Borealis before but now have significantly better gear than when I first listened to it, and would like to see how it does with it. I'll also write some detailed impressions, of course. Just let me know - if this is for friends only, no biggie!

 

If doable for all replace me with dematted on this loaner. I will probably not have time. Sorry to drop out thanks for the chance to hear them.

 

Will send to Clem today and update him with tracking. Will also leave some thoughts on the impressions thread.

 

Received from @PTS today.

Headphones are in good shape, except it looks like the headband and the pads are mounted backwards. Right now I have the cables going towards me, instead of outwards

Ergonomics is pretty poor: the rods look too big (but I guess it accommodates larger heads?), there's not much clamp and the seat-belt is really an odd choice. I'm not bothered by headphones in general, but this one is not super comfortable...

As far as sound, right off the bat it has a very nice timbre and tonality! It's very early and I haven't listened to tracks stressing the 6-8k region, but I like it very much. It's clearly less annoying than the Arya in the treble for me.

Technicalities are good-to-great overall, save for one thing clearly missing: soundstage! You guys were not kidding! This is the most Left-Right soundstage I've heard... pretty much ever? And that's despite listening through the ECP T4 currently, which is pretty strong it that area.

 

I didn't monkey around with the pads and headband. Left the same as when I got them from Evan, and didn't try any pads but the deepest pleather ones. Wore headphones with the mini XLR cables jutting away from me (like Audeze headphones) so didn't look for L/R markings. Hope my impressions were not hampered by this. At worst I wore the headband backwards, but it looks the same from either side?

 

The pads look slightly angled to me? Thick part in the back, thin part in the front, where the seam is.

You probably didn't miss anything, given how flat the soundstage is, anyway

 

@Clemmaster probably still has them, but may have sent to @DEATHxMACHINE

 

I do have them. @DEATHxMACHINE never replied to my PM