The majority of headphones have limited capabilities to reproduce the speaker experience. This is due to their inherent design limitations. In order for a headphone to sound more like a speaker, it must be designed like a speaker. This is how Swan Song Audio designs headphones.
The design starts with a custom 55 by 60mm walnut cup from Shipibo Audio. Walnut was chosen for it's fairly neutral sonic presentation.
Ported tone discs change the sonic presentation based on individual preferences. Cherry wood is a mid to brighter presentation. Rosewood is a mid to darker presentation. The discs have different port sizes to adjust for individual bass preferences.
Nhoord Audio provides the 40mm driver. The Nhoord driver excels at:
- Wide frequency extension
- Extensive detail
- Excellent diaphragm control
- Easy of drive (Nhoord lists a very conservative 95dB)
Good ear pads greatly contribute to whether the listening experience is fatiguing or non fatiguing. Beautiful Audio provides leather pads that are soft and easy on the ears. Inside the leather are Swan Song Audio molded foam cones. The cones mimic the shape of a speaker cone in order to provide a broader sound stage with more bass. The ports, in the cone, vent any excess bass build up.
Great headphones require a great cable. The cable is constructed of silver and uses a locking 3.5mm connector on the cup side. The stranded silver core is twisted in a manner to reject noise. A copper braided shield is used for the ground and to provide additional protection from EMI. The end result is a low capacitance, non-microphonic cable that delivers all the sonic details to the headphone drivers.
Optionally, a Mogami be quiet cable is offered. This is a copper cable with a copper braid constructed to minimize microphonics. Sonically, it is very close to the silver cable but with a tiny bit less richness and soundstage. However, is is a smaller more flexible cable.
For those choosing the Mogami cable, the cost is $1750. The silver cable can be purchased separately at a later date for $250.
The standard connectors are 1/8" and 1/4". Other connectors can be provided. However they must have a mechanical strain relief and accommodate our larger cables. Cost for custom connectors is a $50 surcharge and the cost of the connector. This is non-refundable.
Specifications
- Walnut cups 55 by 60mm
- 2 Cherry and 2 Rosewood Discs with 3 port sizes. Interchangeable with provided hex screw driver
- Leather ear pads that are over the ear for average ear sizes and on the ear for larger ear sizes.
- Padded leather headband
- Rod and gimbal adjustment system. Adjustable with provided hex screwdriver
- Nhoord 33 ohms SPL 95dB drivers
- Break in time 40 hours
- 50 milliwatt recommend minimum amplification
- Headphone weight 9 ounces
- 5 foot silver cable with locking 3.5mm cup connectors
- 3.5 or 6.25mm headphone plug
