The Abyss Diana MRx arrives as the latest addition to one of the most recognizable luxury headphone lines in high-end audio. Known for combining sleek design with serious audiophile performance, the Diana series has built a strong reputation among listeners who want something premium, compact, and highly capable. With the Diana MRx, ABYSS continues that tradition while offering a fresh take on its signature planar magnetic sound. For anyone looking at reference-level open-back headphones, the Diana MRx seems like a headphone worth paying close attention to.
What You Get
- ABYSS Diana MRx High-Performance Headphone
- Hybrid Lambskin Pillow-Top Ear Pads (attached)
- ABYSS Diana Headphone Cable (customer-selected termination)
- Custom Hard Carry Case with Velvet Interior
- Quick-Start Instruction Card
Look & Feel
There are two cosmetic variations of the Diana MRx: the forged carbon and sapele wood. The forged carbon is the most basic and familiar option if you’re familiar with the Abyss Diana series. While the skeleton hasn’t changed, each new version of the Diana usually offers a fresh aesthetic inlay to switch things up. That’s what you get with the sapele wood version, a fresher coat of paint that makes the Diana look more like a vintage, luxury item. The new pillow-top lambskin ear pads really stand out here, as they truly look like part of an old couch from your grandma’s basement.
With support from the Diana’s slim aircraft-grade aluminum frame and leather headband/ultra-suade suspension strap combo, all the effort has been put into making the MRx the most stable and comfortable Diana yet. Past versions of the Diana had issues with sealing properly, but that has been fixed by these new pads, and the frame is meant to keep the pinch very light so as not to overcompensate for lack of seal. As a result, the MRx is light and comfortable for extended hours of listening, with its plush pads that offer tons of breathing room.
Design
The Diana MRx uses newly updated in-house Abyss planar magnetic speaker drivers designed for low distortion, high reliability, and a full-range response that extends beyond the limits of audibility. Its key upgrade is EBR, or Extended Bass Response, a technology first developed for the Diana TC Signature that allows the MRx to deliver a flat bass response down to 10 Hz. This gives the headphone a more authoritative sub-bass presentation while keeping the speed, clarity, and coherence expected from a high-end open-back planar design. If you’re in the market for a headphone like the Diana MRx, you probably have a good DAC/amplifer combo to run it with. If you don’t, you’ll need one, because the Diana MRx is not a very sensitive headphone. The Chord Mojo 2 got it there, for my setup, but a nice desktop unit with XLR or 4.4mm plugs is probably more ideal.
Soundstage
It never ceases to amaze me what Abyss brings to the Diana series in terms of width and spatial imaging. A few months ago, the Diana TC Signature blew me away with its exceptionally holographic and dimensional soundstage; now the MRx is here to present a similar level of quality with a slightly different presentation. Here, the soundstage is closer, but with a greater sense of scale. Instruments are taller, all while featuring great separation and dimensional layering for a truly immersive open stereo environment.
The MRx never sacrifices holographic layering with its proximity to your head. You still get a dome-like sound with an extensive, spacious headspace. In terms of accuracy, the MRx has its fun while remaining anchored and easy to localize. The open headspace and dimensionality of the soundstage never make the sound elements appear too distant. Pan information is displayed clearly with a natural response to movement across the stereo field. The MRx being a bass-reference headphone makes sense for this kind of soundstage, where the lows can be more direct while still being separated within the soundstage.
Low End
The MRx exists for its more finely tuned bass reference, and listening to it pretty much gives you that exact impression. Low-end frequencies are very tight and tactile, but that doesn’t mean the response has to be boring. While not a hefty, vibrating body, the bass still establishes a clear and detailed sub-bass foundation. It rumbles with subtle feeling, but not to a point where it dominates the sound signature. The lows still pack a punch, though, correlating to natural bass note strums and clean synth envelopes. I find it consistently engrossing, even when the impact feels like it’s holding back a bit. It makes for an interesting bass character, where even non-bass-heavy tracks are still given this layer of sub-bass bloom. This results in a bass profile that is elegantly shaped in the mix, allowing for deeper low-end analysis, which you can still enjoy for pure fun.
Mids
With the focus on bass clarity, the MRx doesn’t suppress any midrange clarity. Instruments don’t have as much depth and vigor as they do in the low end, but the low-mids have a touch of warmth, and everything comes through with fullness and room. It’s clean in timbre and incredibly resolving, especially with vocals, which sound crisp and commanding. This is where the midrange shines, unfolding voices and elevating them with definition, especially darker male voices. Female vocals get a good spotlight, but male voices are shaped differently on the Diana MRx, allowing for more resolving tones for expressive presence. Individuality in note strikes is really the only thing holding the Diana MRx back, but that’s only a minor gripe.
Highs
The treble of the Diana MRx is clear but very neutral. Other versions of the Diana had a crisper sizzle and more expressive sparkle, but the MRx is a lot tamer and flatter in comparison. Nothing about the tone of the highs is soft, but they don’t extend very far either. This works for those who find high-end detail fatiguing, but if you’re looking for more spice to your treble, the MRx is scaled down.
Summary
The Abyss Diana MRx is one of the most complete versions of the Diana formula yet, especially for listeners who have wanted more confidence and control from the low end. Its bass response is deep, tight, and highly detailed without turning the headphone into something overly exaggerated or muddy. That foundation gives the MRx a strong identity, while its open soundstage, resolving midrange, and smoother treble help keep the overall tuning refined and easy to listen to for long sessions.
It may not be the Diana model for those who want the brightest treble sparkle or the most explosive impact, and it definitely needs a capable DAC/amp setup to perform at its best. However, as a luxury planar magnetic headphone built around bass accuracy, comfort, and immersive spatial presentation, the Diana MRx makes a very strong case for itself. For audiophiles and professionals looking for a high-end open-back headphone with reference-level sub-bass extension, the Abyss Diana MRx is a standout addition to the Diana lineup.
The Abyss Diana MRx will be available soon from Audio46.
