One single sound, two acoustic spaces.
Our challenge was to build convertible headphones that adapt to the user and their environment without compromising the sound.
Before starting the design, you have to understand the physiology of sound.
To understand how the Palma convertible system works, you have to understand how sound acts in a small-scale acoustic chamber.
Before starting the design, you have to understand the physiology of sound.
Sound comes out of the speaker in two directions: forward, as in towards the ear,
Before starting the design, you have to understand the physiology of sound.
Sound comes out of the speaker in two directions: forward, as in towards the ear, and backward in the opposite direction.
Before starting the design, you have to understand the physiology of sound.
In closed mode, receding sound waves bounce off the bottom of the headphone and return to the ear.
This means that we receive two waves of identical origin, but with a short time lag between them, so that the longer the lag, the worse the definition of the waves will be. In the DHS-1 we’ve managed to reduce this delay to less than 0.1 milliseconds— well below what the human ear can perceive.
Before starting the design, you have to understand the physiology of sound.
As soon as we rotate the shutter discs and open up the chambers, we lose 80% of the unwanted waves, creating the sensation that we are in a large space. Thus, as a consequence of this loss we’ll have clean and more defined waves. This is the reason why most people prefer to listen to their favorite music in open mode. But this modality isn’t highly recommended when we’re around other people.
This is what good sound looks like.
We are very proud of the excellent optimization achieved in both operating modes. That means we have achieved what we were after: designing and manufacturing very high-performance headphones capable of adapting to the user’s needs and situations.
All of our headphones are delivered with their individual measurement curves so that the characteristics of each unit are recorded.
| Parameter | Open mode | Closed mode |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/1 mW | 104 dB/1 mW |
| Distortion (1 kHz, 110 dB SPL) | 0,06% | 0,08% |
It all starts here
The heart of the Palma is the driver with its neodymium magnet and a 26 mm diameter voice coil that moves the 50 mm mixed material composite membrane made up of a central dome of pressed rigid cellulose, a solution that prevents bending during movement and reduces intermodulation distortions, while ultra-thin polyamide is used in the suspension ring to reduce inertia and minimize mechanical fatigue, while allowing it to withstand very high power without saturating.
The low impendance together with inductance inferior to 0.1 mH, of the voice coil guarantees optimal results even with amplification systems with a low damping factor, as is usually the case of integrated amplifiers that use a passive attenuator on their headphone output.
Sapele, the wood from which music is made.
Sapele is an African wood highly appreciated by luthiers for its acoustic qualities and its reddish tones. Its rigidity and density offer the possibility of very precise machining for the special characteristics of the enclosure, maintaining these properties throughout its useful life.
The choice of sapele wood has been based precisely on its musicality, a key element since, unlike other headphones, the DHS-1 enclosures have been designed as acoustic boxes and play a fundamental role in the resulting sound.
The Palma DHS-1 adapt to any type of music, occasion or head.
It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve done it. We have placed form at the service of function at all times, seeking the perfect balance between objective data that’s measured in the laboratory, and what’s been perceived during countless listening tests in which the unique character of each person’s auditory system gets imposed.
Thanks to this, the Palma DHS-1 feels like a custom fit to each and also to each character, able to reveal even the smallest details of any music’s sound personality in each of its two operating modes.