Hailing from Slovenia, the Erzetich brand exudes a distinct European artisanal flair, reflecting the name of its owner and designer: Erzetich. Like many seasoned audiophiles, what truly captivates enthusiasts is not the manufacturer's marketing pitches or easily accessible "review articles" but rather the design aesthetics of the Charybdis headphones, aptly named after the formidable whirlpool of Greek mythology.

However, the allure of the Charybdis lies not in its Swiss flag-inspired metal shell but in its entirely metal-cut earcup housing, which sets it apart from the majority of headphones on the market, especially planar magnetic headphones. When placed sideways, you'll immediately notice the remarkably thin earcup housing, even thinner than the cushion of leather ear pads. Removing the ear pads reveals the large planar magnetic driver unit almost "exposed" within the housing. It's not just a headphone; it's more akin to… a speaker!

Aside from the headphones, Erzetich offers a dedicated headphone amplifier designed specifically for the Charybdis: the Scylla, aptly named after the mythical sea monster. However, setting aside the "Mercedes logo" knob and the wedge-shaped casing, the Scylla amplifier also boasts an eye-catching design and an entirely balanced architecture! Yes, there's not a single single-ended interface, whether for input or output. With only a single four-core XLR balanced headphone output on the front and left and right XLR analog signal input ports on the back, the Scylla is exclusively designed for the Charybdis! Isn't that intriguing?

Originating from the pinnacle of artistry in the "Former South"
Compared to other regions influenced by former Soviet culture, the "Former South" region, particularly Serbia and Slovenia, has accumulated significant cultural and artistic prowess due to its superior economic foundation. Epic narrative songs and rhythmically diverse folk songs from Serbia and Slovenia, known for their lyrical and humorous nature, and even wedding songs are renowned worldwide. Because of this, Nine Section has always held a preference for audio brands from the "Former South" region, such as Trafomatic Audio from Serbia and Erzetich from Slovenia.

Unlike many well-known Western European brands, audio products from the "Former South" region generally feature more artistic designs, both externally and in terms of sound. For example, the artful preamp and the Erzetich Scylla/Charybdis discussed in this article exhibit this characteristic. These unique designs immediately draw you in with their distinctive aesthetic appeal, imbued with a sense of artistic tension that prevents them from appearing as "cold" and lifeless as typical audio equipment. Furthermore, this artistic consideration extends from the external design to the final sound presentation.

Charybdis and Scylla
Indeed, the Chinese translations provided by the distributors are convenient for memorization and oral presentation, but Nine Section believes they do not adequately capture the intrinsic characteristics of these two products. Firstly, starting from the external packaging, the Charybdis comes in a robust aluminum travel case, a departure from conventional packaging, offering users a relatively more professional design. This packaging is more commonly seen with professional microphones or high-end audio equipment. In addition to the prominently displayed "Charybdis" main unit, the box contains a wealth of accessories: a headphone cable with a four-core XLR balanced interface, a pair of velvet ear pads, and an XLR to 6.35mm single-ended headphone jack adapter, among others.

Returning to the Charybdis itself, this is a headphone with a considerable size, evident from the substantial weight you feel when holding it. Some users have raised concerns about its weight when unboxing it on social media platforms. However, rest assured, thanks to the combination of a wide carbon fiber headband, thick genuine leather ear pads, and a special fixation structure for the driver unit and headband, the Charybdis headphones are not overly heavy to wear. To provide a more understandable comparison, they feel lighter than headphones like the 1266 and LCD5. However, due to the unique design, the attachment of the headphone units and headband is relatively loose, which I believe is a deliberate choice by the designer to balance sound performance and wearing comfort. However, this results in a slight risk of the headphones slipping off if you turn your head quickly, although the likelihood is minimal.

One aspect of the Charybdis headphone design that I particularly appreciate is its lack of distinction between left and right channels. Although the input ports on the headphone shell have directionality, the symmetrical design of the left and right headphone units and ear pads means that theoretically, the headphones can be worn in any orientation as long as the headphone cable direction is correct. Additionally, the velvet ear pads significantly improve the headphones' seal, especially during late-night music sessions in winter, enhancing the perceptible energy of the Charybdis's mid-to-low frequencies. Finally, the ear pads can be quickly installed by rotating them, similar to many Beyerdynamic headphones.

With dimensions of 105mm x 115mm, the large planar magnetic diaphragm is clearly visible when you remove the Charybdis's ear pads. This pair of drivers is Erzetich's latest flagship product, developed over ten years of extensive design experience and multiple technological innovations. To ensure the exceptional performance of these high-quality drivers, the designer has equipped them with dual-sided magnets to enhance electromagnetic driving capabilities, aiming for better transient response and signal retrieval capabilities for the large driver unit. Some reviews even describe them as "easy to drive," which I find…

Moving on to the Scylla, although I haven't disassembled it, the moment you hear its sound, you can tell that it is perfectly matched to the Charybdis. With high power, high current, and a considerable gain setting, the Scylla's sound is "grand." While I haven't checked the official data, I believe it's aptly named a "mini power amplifier." Paired with the "mini speaker" Charybdis, there's no sense of mismatch.

As mentioned earlier, the Scylla's design features are distinct from those of common headphone amplifiers. The large "Mercedes logo" in the center undoubtedly attracts attention, but the overall glossy and matte finish design exudes a sense of luxury. However, you can still see traces of the former Soviet culture in the details, such as the somewhat abrupt power connector and the exposed screws on the upper and lower shells, which exude a strong industrial vibe. This seems to create a conflicting sense of beauty similar to the amplifier's sound, where the massive thrust of the sound waves rushes in like a tide, but when the waves recede, the subtle trailing tones are natural and gentle. Of course, this feeling is only achieved with its exclusive partner, the Charybdis.

A "Modernized" Version of the 1266, Beloved by Listeners
If I were to summarize the sound of the Scylla and Charybdis in simple terms, I personally feel it's like a "modernized" version of the fully developed 1266 sound. This combination of planar magnetic headphones and the official amplifier meets all my expectations for a planar magnetic headphone system. The extremely transparent high frequencies are ideal for planar sound, with

dense detail across the frequency spectrum and a thick, supportive low end that lacks the tightness and violence of the 1266, replacing it with a more fleshed-out, balanced, and engaging sound.

Here, let me emphasize the design of the Charybdis's earcup housing again. The back of the diaphragm is closely attached to the entire aluminum shell, with a special acoustic design in the form of a "Swiss flag" shaped vent. This unique design almost makes the Charybdis headphone appear to have no traditional "rear cavity," which undoubtedly provides significant advantages in terms of phase accuracy and detail resolution across the frequency spectrum. Some users may worry about the presentation of low-frequency volume under such a design. I'm not sure what techniques Erzetich's designers have used to address this issue, perhaps it's the more efficient magnets and large diaphragm size, but in practical listening, the Charybdis's low-frequency volume is present and adequately thick, without sounding "anemic." However, these impressions are obtained under the drive of the Scylla amplifier, and under lower power and weaker current output capabilities of ordinary headphone amplifiers, the Charybdis's lower end stability may be noticeably weakened.

If the above is a bit difficult to understand, let me share some listening experiences with actual records. For example, listening to the French traditional Christmas music album "Kanamb Noel," specifically the song "Veni, veni, Emmanuel." Firstly, the chorus segment presents a natural lineup with blended voices and abundant details, while the harp resonates vividly in the ears, reproducing an incredibly realistic sound. Suddenly, children's voices appear in the ears, followed by the introduction of male voices with excellent vocal characteristics and depth, exuding abundant vocal energy. The song "Sellet a Lein nean" features more instruments, starting with percussion reminiscent of ancient music and a sound similar to bagpipes. After a brief introduction of a wooden coffin, the subsequent polyphonic chorus cascades like a wave, and the Charybdis effortlessly demonstrates its calm and stable performance in the face of these challenging alternating notes, with a strong sense of stability.

I like to use the Charybdis set to listen to Herbert Blomstedt conducting the Schubert Symphony No. 8 with the Dresden Staatskapelle. The rich poetic and picturesque qualities evoke my initial impression of the Charybdis headphones. Blomstedt's conducting is lively and rigorous, and despite his age of 95 at the time of recording, you can still feel the orchestra's stable and perfectly paced musical output. The beautiful notes flow like a dream, and even the richest interplay of strings and brass is presented at a moderate pace, with the Charybdis headphones effortlessly handling the instantaneous sounds and fleeting details to the point where it gives you goosebumps. This feeling is reminiscent of hearing the perfect version of the 1266 many years ago, but without a doubt, the Charybdis's sound is more beautiful.

Positioning and Horizontal Comparison Summary, Closing Thoughts
There is no shortage of top-of-the-line planar magnetic headphones in the Nine Section's collection, from the LCD5 to the Susvara, from the HEK to the MEZE Elite. I have compared almost all of the top-tier products on the market to the Erzetich Charybdis+Scylla combination. However, almost every comparison ends instantly, as I personally feel that the sound of the Charybdis+Scylla combination is "more enjoyable" than most similar products. There may be a slight gap compared to the Susvara driven by the "Supreme Commander," but the difference is negligible.

Finally, let's briefly discuss the driving requirements of the Erzetich Charybdis. Without a doubt, this is a flagship planar magnetic headphone with high driving requirements, which I believe exceed those of the 1266 and Susvara. Under the drive of a regular headphone amplifier, the sound of these headphones will be significantly discounted, although the brilliant high-frequency coloration can still be preserved, the power of the mid-to-low frequencies will be greatly reduced. Therefore, Nine Section recommends that audiophiles with ample budgets choose this headphone, preferably with the Erzetich Charybdis+Scylla combination. You won't regret it.