Great write up thanks for the hard work. May I ask what is your source that you are using for your amps.
Thanks again.

Thanks for the kind words! I used the Schiit Audio Modius (latest version).

Thanks for a solid, methodical, logical review of these headphones. IMO the comments regarding DS vs SS are especially informative.

Thanks for the great write-up! I'm considering upgrading from the HE1000 Stealth and was wondering if the Tungsten (double-sided) is a noticeable step up. What would you recommend?

I’ve never heard the stealth version on the HE1000. I can say I’ve tried and owned countless headphones and I love the Tungsten (single). The IE600 is my portable endgame and the SS Tungsten is my home end game. Due to the limited availability of the tungsten it should hold its value if you buy it and it doesn’t meet your preferences. I haven’t seen ONE come up used yet. That might tell you something. Maybe someone else can comment.

Which version would be better for a metalhead?

I’d go with the single for metal due to it being more forgiving with recording quality.

Which is better for EDM/Rap/bass heavy (emphasis on sub bass for me personally prefered).

thanks for Atrium comparison. I think I will hold on to Atrium at the moment.

Maaannnn, I need to tryyyyy theeeeseeee!!!!

@Slackaveli It’s a tough call. I prefer the Single with EDM but I think the Double does better with subbass.

Thanks for the review, reads like it’s a slightly downgraded cheaper Caldera, with much much higher requirement to the amp which makes it mostly interesting for Susvara enthusiasts who want a different flavour..but even those would probably grab a Caldera instead. Interesting product sitting in a weird spot in todays market

I wouldn't necessarily say downgraded. It's just a different flavor versus the Caldera. I like the Caldera a lot. Given the price difference, the Tungsten is very compelling.

Well, the price difference just gets nullified by the need for a monstrous amp which can cost thousands on its own. Reading that something powerful like Holo Bliss can’t drive it properly (and it even handles Susvara while not optimally but quite well), is a problem and anyone falling for the “it’s such a great value”- should be aware of it..since it’s probably not.

You don't need a crazy amp to drive it. You just need the right amp. There are multi $k amps that will not drive it. $399 for a Jotunheim 2 or even an A90. Yes, it does scale with nicer amps but you don't NEED a crazy expensive amp for it to shine. Also, the main benefit with the higher end amp is really with staging. The difference is not night and day otherwise. I have compared my Jot 2 to my V281 and the difference is not what the price difference suggests. My Caldera comparison was done on a Jotunheim 2.

Another reviewer further down, points that Bliss can’t handle Tungsten well and it’s one of the more powerful amps on the market, designed with hard to drive headphones back in mind. Wonder how A90 or Jotun can drive Tungsten better then…hmm

Good question! It's a function of gain and voltage versus current. The Jot 2, Violectics and some Topping (and other) amps push more voltage and have more gain. The bliss probably does not push enough volts and doesn't have the gain to drive it right.

Bottom line... It comes down to specs and not price or just watts/channel.

Hm! Guess I'll keep my A90D around, since Tungsten is actually on my To Buy list(along with RAAL CA-1a). I heard it off a Black Ice Audio ARIES amp at AXPONA, the specs of which seem to be unknown/TBA:

https://blackiceaudio.com/aries/p/ariesaxpona