Greetings mate and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…
Today we’re taking a look at Apos’ own Caspian headphones and seeing what all the hubbub is about.
We’ll discuss build, comfort, sound, amplification needs, genre pairing, and more. By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll know if it’s worth a purchase, and if it isn’t, I’ll point you in the direction of something that is.
Deal?
Cool.
Let’s dive in!
Apos Caspian
Price: Check Apos!
In The Box
Caspian Headphones
Apos Flow Balanced Cable (Dual Mini-XLR to XLR)
Standard Single-ended cable (Dual Mini-XLR to 6.35mm)
Carrying Case
Thank You Card
Apos Sticker
When John at Apos asked me if I wanted to demo the Caspian, my first reaction was “Heck yes I do!” in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice.
Then my mind immediately went to Phish’s “Prince Caspian” and I started singing it out loud.
Anyways, this Caspian dons a relaxed sound overall, with a punchy yet controlled bass, good mid-range fidelity, and a crisp but never sibilant treble.
In fact, the Caspian’s sound signature kind of mimics the Harman Curve in some respects.
Imagine a gently sloping line from the lowest registers of the bass down to the treble.
The difference between something like a K371 and Caspian is most certainly the bass shelf on the 371; it was a bit much at times (read: laughably bad in some instances) but largely depended on the track in question.
On the Caspian, it’s well-controlled on every track I’ve heard.
Let’s get into it.
Bass
The best part of the bass response is that Sandu Vitalie over at Soundnews actually tuned it correctly. Who knew?
While I would have liked to see the emphasis placed around 60-90Hz rather than 40-50, I’m not going to nitpick too much.
Why?
Because he understands that the regions around 200-300 should always be either flat or cut (I prefer cut). For whatever reason, countless headphone manufacturers boost this area higher than Neptune and it’s completely infuriating.
This is an issue that 99% of companies fall victim to. And when I tell you the Caspian makes me want to shout and cry tears of joy, I mean it.
I’ve been complaining about this issue for so long (in products like the Meze 99 Neo, OneOdio A10, Philips SHP9600, HarmonicDyne Black Hole, etc.), that I’m running out of ways to convey just how annoyingly stupid it is.
- Required Reading: How To EQ Bass In FL Studio
Mid-bass bumps, in almost every instance, only serve to make everything sound like complete dog shit; ruining the rest of the sound signature and getting in the way of everything that makes a listening experience special. And thankfully, the Caspian avoids it.
Here we have some impact, but it’s clean, tight, and sounds right. This is not by accident. There’s texture to the notes. They’re articulated well. They roll and rumble as they’re supposed to.
What they don’t sound like is someone taking a drumstick to a balloon, which is what your headphones sound like when they’re tuned worse than an off-key piano.
Thankfully, that issue is avoided here and you’ll actually be able to hear bass notes. Shocker, I know.
In addition, you’re provided just the right amount of impact and weight though again, I think 60-90Hz is typically where all of the clean slam and highly relevant information of the low end resides.
To round it out, Sandu opts for a 5dB roll-off around 20-30Hz which is just about perfect in my estimation.
Overall?
Bravo on the bass. A-
Mid-Range & Treble
There’s a rise in the mid-range around 2.5kHz for some presence, and if you’re familiar with how sound works, our ears expect a bump of some sort in that region.
The Caspian handles this, as well as the treble, rather nicely.
Depending on the track, vocals can either sound fine, present, and accounted for, or they may come across as a bit buried; something we’ll get into more in a bit.
Hi-hats are crisp without hissing or becoming sibilant, but again, they do sometimes lack that sparkle or zip that many are looking for.
If you’re a regular reader or subscriber, you’ll know I’m never going to bullsh** you.
Headphones, DACS, and whatever else only sound as good as the source file, but, headphones in particular are super important at portraying it correctly. The Caspian is a good example of a headphone that attempts to stay true to the source material.
Here, I’d probably stick to well-recorded, polished modern music: Hip-Hop, Pop, Electronic, etc.
Still, this is a sound signature very sure of itself, and incredibly well controlled, all things considered.
It can and does work well for most genres because nothing about it feels over the top or blatantly obnoxious.
In other words, it still impresses without having to try all that much or be too much.
While V-shaped headphones of the past – the M40x, Crossfade M100, M50x, DT770, etc. – all had issues – namely an exaggerated bass shelf at the expense of the mid-range, or a treble that sounded artificial, metallic, and/or tinny and sheeny/glare-y (if you will), the Caspian feels like an evolution of sorts.
It’s a deviation from the norm while at the same time maintaining that “bass-head sentiment” for lack of a better word.
For instance, the Caspian works really well with Kid Cudi’s “Man On The Moon III: The Chosen.”
It’s like Beats by Dre if Beats by Dre were actually good.
It’s the type of headphone you hand to someone with Beats on their head – but only before slapping them in the face like this:
So hand it to them first, then slap and run away.
They CANNOT get off Scot-free.
Soundstage & Instrument Separation
With Caspian, imaging and placement of instruments are good and you’ll get a few out-of-your-head moments, but the Soundstage isn’t really all that large or expansive.
It mimics something like an HD600/650 series but feels a tad more open than that.
If the HD600 had a very narrow image, the Caspian’s is around 10% more expansive.
The good news is that it’s not claustrophobic or boxed in sounding like a lot of closed-back headphones and I was able to place instruments fairly well.
I guess it kind of sits somewhere in the middle of being truly open vs. truly closed.
Fortunately for you and me, the Caspian is also really easy to drive.
Amplification
At 115dB/mW, it requires almost nothing to get pumping, meaning it’s very efficient, and, at 33 Ohm Impedance, it won’t resist power either.
I ran the Caspian out of the Burson Playmate 2, FiiO K5 Pro and iFi’s Zen CAN Signature stack (The HIFIMAN Version).
In the case of the Burson, I hardly had to turn up the volume at all to get a good level.
With the Zen CAN, I’m at around 11 o’clock on +6dB gain. In other words, more than enough.
With the K5 Pro, I’m at 10 on the lowest gain.
Now for the burning question: Is the Caspian worth its asking price?
These headphones sit at around $499, but let’s take a look at some interesting tidbits that may prove their value is worth a purchase. Red is where I interject:
50mm Kennerton Dynamic Driver
Mini-XLR connectors
The Caspian utilizes a 4-pin connection, and I must say I enjoy how stable it is.
It’s a smooth, easy click and there’s little force required to unplug.
These cables aren’t coming out unless the button is pressed, and I think that adds a nice element of durability and peace of mind.
In addition to that, the cable feels strong and flexible.
It coils up quickly and easily but also isn’t too long.
In other words, it’s nice and malleable and feels like a Headphone cable should feel.
It may fray over time though, so be advised. I will update the article as needed.
Apos provided a nifty cable wrap at the end as well – It mimics the effect of a belt and feels like quality material.
Hand-stitched sheepskin earpads
When you hold these headphones in your hand, you’ll know where your money went.
The pads feel great to the touch, and in fact, I caught myself pressing my fingers into them repeatedly.
They could be a tad larger, but I’m not going to complain too much as they’ll accommodate most ears rather well.
Apos says it’s plush, and they’re not lying. They really do feel like high-end materials:
Handmade oak ear cups
Again we have quality materials that feel great to the touch.
You really do have to hold these in your hands to know what I’m talking about.
The headphones aren’t needlessly heavy like an Audeze, but they feel robust and durable.
Headband: cuddly on the outside, steel on the inside
Upon first glance, I couldn’t figure out what the headband reminded me of until I read Apos’ explanation:
This is a simple, highly utilitarian profile that just works. Nothing about the design seems unnecessary or excessive.
It’s a compact headphone that pretty much clamps perfectly.
It’s not quite as tight as an HD600, but also not loose-ish like a DEVA or really loose like a 9500.
Speaking of, let’s talk about comfort.
Comfort
This is a headphone that you can wear for extended periods without fatigue.
I just finished up a 3 1/2 hour session and didn’t once feel as though the headphones were digging into the top or sides of my head.
The Caspian may very well be added to most comfortable headphones of all time post in the future.
All of the above points served a purpose here in this article, though.
In other words, the fact that Apos mentioned all of those things as highlights of the headphones does seem rather appropriate when you’re listening to them and taking into account everything about the overall experience.
It’s a quality product for sure.
To top it off, you get a really nice carrying case and 2 sets of cables (one balanced) in the box.
With all that being said, I have to say that the value here does match the asking price pretty closely, and I do feel as though Caspian is worth an investment.
*GASP*
Oh, to be Prince Caspian.
The Caspian could indeed be an end-game headphone for bass lovers (as well as general music listeners) and one that will undoubtedly last you a long time.
It seems like Apos really put a lot of time, effort, and thought into this project, and for that I applaud them.
*AI Colonel Campbell voice*
“It’s taken a lot of time and money, but it was well worth it considering the results.”
Video Discussion
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Closing Thoughts
I’m not going to sit here and tell you the Caspian is as resolving as something like an Arya – and it’s definitely not completely neutral. So be advised.
This is a fun sound, not an analytical or immensely detailed one.
The catch?
It still works incredibly well, and it’s tuned nicely even despite the obvious fact that it’s kind of trying to impress you.
For me, the bass is definitely the highlight, and what makes these worth it because, for the most part, it was handled very nicely.
Still, there are moments of uncertainty, as the vocals can sometimes be a tad overshadowed by the bass – such is the case on a track like Cudi’s “Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music).
He sounds a bit muffled and sort of “pushed underneath” for lack of a better term, but it honestly could be the recording.
By contrast, for something recorded in 1995, the ever-popular “1st of Tha Month” from Bone thugs-N-Harmony has never sounded better.
It’s punchy, rich, and hits hard without sounding sloppy. This goes back to what I said about the Caspian being faithful to the recording.
It’s your quintessential bass-head experience if the bass-head experience is done right – as in, you can actually use the headphones for more than just one specific type of music.
Again, a running theme in this article.
Neck brace is not provided but is recommended.
All that to say what I heard on “Heart of a Lion” is probably the exception and not the rule.
Most of the time, vocals are going to sound rich, life-like, and forward just enough to keep you engaged.
Phish’s “Shade” off their 2020 Album Sigma Oasis is a fine example of that.
Trey sounds lively and his voice is incredibly clear and distinct.
The catch is that the headphones don’t sound dull or boring outside of the mid-range.
They do a fantastic job of keeping you the listener engaged as well.
I’ll be honest though; sound-wise, these are not $500 headphones and I think most would agree on that.
Debate the price as you wish, but for me, these are probably closer to $400 headphones boosted to $500 by their incredible build, comfort, extra balanced cable, and really nice carrying case.
So $25 apiece for each of those things, in my mind, does give it that extra special sauce.
Final Verdict
All in all, Apos’ Caspian headphones are a solid investment when you consider the entire package and should satisfy music connoisseurs and bass-heads alike.
Anyway…
I think that’s enough talk. It’s time for the final exercise.
Product Highlights
- Fun-sounding, non-fatiguing for marathon sessions
- 50mm dynamic driver
- Open-back
- All-natural oak earcups sourced from the North Caucasus mountains
- Inch-deep sheepskin ear pads with acoustic memory-foam inner filling.
- Stainless steel yoke and headband
- Natural leather headband for all-day comfort
- Aluminum alloy grille
- Graphene-coated multilayered composite membrane with variable thickness
- CCAW coil (aluminum core coated with oxygen-free copper)
- Internal litz wiring
Specifications
- Driver: Graphene-coated multilayered composite
- Driver unit: 50mm
- Frequency response: 5-45,000Hz
- Sensitivity: 115dB
- Impedance: 33Ω
- Maximum input power: 500mW
- Ear cup outer material: Natural sheepskin leather
- Ear cup inner material: Acoustic memory foam
- Thickness of pads: 1” (27mm). In other words, DUMMY THICC.
- External dimensions of pads: 4.5” x 3.4” (115mm x 88mm)
- Height and width of ear pad opening: 3” x 1.7” (77mm x 45mm)
- Grille material: aluminum alloy
- Headband materials: stainless steel, natural leather outer lining, bio-leather inner lining, polyurethane foam insert
- Yoke material: stainless steel
- Weight: 13.3oz (378g)
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Apos Caspian Review and came away with some valuable insight.
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Does the Caspian seem like a good value? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu