Although my listening time was limited to a few days via loan from a friend, the pairing with a high-end DAP like Lotoo's Paw Gold Ti extracted at least a good 80% of performance from Harmonia—no filter being my preference in that case—with soundstage stability during massed orchestral passages, upper-mid/treble smoothness at high SPL, instrument separation the most notable trade-offs. I have no experience with the latest-gen high-end DAPs but sense that with them Harmonia could get sufficiently close to a desktop amp to make it a really compelling option for nomadic users. For side-to-side comparisons with other headphones, I had my resident Spirit Torino Valkyria and Raal 1995 Immanis equipped with silver RCDI and upgraded Star 12 cable as reference points. Both headphones are roughly 4 x more expensive than Harmonia but the Nur didn't seem bothered. Harmonia is a better all'rounder than either, easily surpassing Valkyria on genres with dominant sub-bass content, less than ideal recordings or content relying strongly on expansive soundstaging. Pop and electronica for example were far more enjoyable with the Nur. Conversely, where Spirit Torino's flagship is at its best—acoustica most notably piano or highly dynamic percussions—Harmonia could not match its timbre realism, visceral punch and energy density. Piano for example highlighted a slight hint of glassiness or ringing between 1.5-2kHz by direct comparison.

Compared to Immanis, Harmonia is far more tolerant of recorded imperfections thanks to a rounder treble and the warmth injection from plusher bass. Its midrange too is more emotional and forward, giving vocals a comforting glow of intimacy. However, Immanis' out-of-the head spatial presentation, transparency, speed, detail retrieval and resolution are clearly a tier above Harmonia, making listening to technically competent recordings a memorable experience. Harmonia is the more even performer when paired with various electronics whereas Immanis requires more matching care to provide a balanced outcome between technicalities and musicality. Resorting to memory even supported by plenty of notes is a risky exercise. However, if I go back to headphones I have used at length, Harmonia reminded me of some of the best traits of the Audeze LCD-4 (bass, a generally inviting sound), HifiMan Susvara (evenness across the whole frequency range, soundstage size, midrange) and Meze Empyrean (tonal fullness, smoothness, low listening fatigue).

Considering it's the first attempt by a newborn boutique, the Nur Harmonia surprised me with the maturity of its sonic attributes. It is evidently the product of someone with a very clear idea of the tonal balance and overall experience he wants to achieve – and knows how to obtain it in practice. Its main virtue is making you want to listen as you know in advance that whatever track or genre you pick will give joy and pleasure. Weight could be a concern for some but it spreads out well. Pad and skull pressure were never a limiting factor for my sessions which tended to be even longer than usual. Build quality and aesthetic design choices show room for improvement with some raw edges although high-quality materials feature where most important. Having seen some drafts of upcoming models, I am sure Nur know how to move forward and up. The envelope of technical capabilities is excellent already and close to competitors with a much higher price tag. Although Harmonia is best suited for the hedonist as the type person who seeks emotion, comfort and pleasure in playback, the investigative audiophile who loves to dig for the most recondite bit of sonic information should also find them competent enough.

Versatility is another strong Harmonia asset as the Feeling Sound System tuning mechanism allows customization and, to some extent, long-term adaptation to a user's evolving tastes to provide satisfying results with all music genres yet relatively modest amplification requirements make them suitable for both desktop and mobile usage. The solid tonal balance foundation, organically textured midrange and spatial prowess of Harmonia add up to a compelling package within the current high-end headphone offering regardless of price.