A one-person headphone workshop in Poland has put five prototypes on sale. Nyczaj’s 187 Carbon Limited — five pairs, each in a different colour, $600 apiece — debuted at the Audio Video Show in Warsaw alongside the maker’s first flagship, the 937 Skrzyczne, due in early 2027 at an expected $2,500 to $3,000. The prototypes ship within two weeks of purchase, and there are exactly five of them.
What’s New
The 187 Carbon Limited is built from a 3D-printed polyester and carbon-fibre composite structure with Italian leather detailing, and it runs on discontinued Symphones D144W drivers — a 40 mm dynamic driver at 32 ohms, listed at 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Nyczaj describes the sound as warm, detailed and versatile. All five pairs share the same tuning, so the choice is purely about which appearance you want to own: Green, Yellow, Red, Blue or White. Each pair costs $600, including the headphones, a travel case, fresh earpads and a new leather headband. A cable is not included — one can be added for $50, with a 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm plug. Shipping is charged separately, and customs duties are on top.
The flagship is the 937 Skrzyczne, the fullest expression of the maker’s approach. Its open-back earcups use a layered construction — brass-and-aluminium driver capsules, wood, aluminium and foam interfaces to limit vibration transfer. The drivers are custom-modified Elleven Acoustica Epsilon P2 units with a heat-treated Mylar diaphragm, at 32 ohms, with breathable earpads and a padded Italian leather headband for comfort. The first batch of 20 pairs is expected in early 2027, with pricing expected between $2,500 and $3,000.
The third model, the 357 Magnum, takes a more traditional approach: hand-turned earcups made from solid olive ash, so the wood’s grain gives every pair its own appearance. It uses Elleven Acoustica Epsilon G1 drivers — 32 ohms, 104 dB at 1 mW, rated 8 Hz to 26 kHz — with earpads adding a touch of warmth, an Italian leather headband and aluminium hardware. The first pairs may become available before the end of 2026.
Then there is the 187 Halloween, a one-of-a-kind experiment: purple carbon-fibre, orange and green Italian leather, a bat-wing headband and spiderweb grilles, with experimental Elleven Acoustica drivers described as bright and intensely detailed. One pair only, and it found its fans at the show too.
Behind the launches, the workshop is scaling up: funding secured for production, new machinery and material stocks — and a candid admission that the order queue has grown faster than one person can clear it. The funding is meant to fix exactly that.
Context
Nyczaj is the work of one maker, Przem, in Poland, and the Warsaw show was the public debut of all four models. The reception was encouraging: visitors praised the detail, the spacious soundstage and the bold design, and noticed the build quality. There was constructive feedback too — some listeners found the sound a little too sharp, and several offered suggestions for the earpads. SoundStage! and HiFi PiG both stopped by the table. The 187 Carbon Limited is, in effect, the way to own an early piece of the project while funding the flagship’s production: five prototypes, sold directly.
Compared to Predecessors and Current Rivals
| 187 Carbon Limited | 937 Skrzyczne | 357 Magnum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drivers | Symphones D144W (40 mm dynamic) | Custom-modified Elleven Acoustica Epsilon P2 | Elleven Acoustica Epsilon G1 |
| Impedance | 32 Ω | 32 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Rated range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz | — | 8 Hz – 26 kHz |
| Sensitivity | — | — | 104 dB @ 1 mW |
| Construction | 3D-printed polyester + carbon fibre, Italian leather | Layered brass/aluminium/wood/foam, open-back | Hand-turned solid olive ash |
| Price | $600 | $2,500 – $3,000 (expected) | — |
| Availability | Now, five pairs | Early 2027, first batch of 20 | First pairs possibly before end of 2026 |
The 187 is the only one you can buy today, and its discontinued Symphones driver is a genuine constraint — once these five pairs are gone, that sound is gone with them. The 937 and 357 both run on Elleven Acoustica drivers, which is the platform the workshop is building its future on. Against the wider market, the 187 sits in an unusual place: $600 buys a handmade prototype from a one-person workshop, not a finished product from a factory with a dealer network.
My Take (Paper Analysis)
On paper, the 187 Carbon Limited is the most interesting kind of prototype sale: five pairs, same tuning, different colours, $600 including a travel case, shipping in two weeks. The discontinued driver is both the appeal and the limit — this is a finite object, not a product line. What concerns me is the trust involved: $600 for a prototype from a one-person workshop with acknowledged delays, plus $50 for a cable, plus shipping and duties. And the listening reports from Warsaw cut both ways — praised for detail and soundstage, but some listeners found the sound too sharp, and the earpads are still being revised. The 937 is the real story for the longer term: a $2,500–3,000 flagship with a genuinely considered acoustic construction. But it is early 2027, 20 pairs, and the price is not final. Buy the 187 if you want an early piece of the project; wait for the 937 if you want the finished statement.
Who Should Watch This
Collectors and supporters of small makers should look first: five pairs, one per colour, $600 — when they are gone, they are gone. Anyone curious about the 937 should look at the 187 as the affordable way to hear what this workshop does before the flagship lands. Skip it if you need a finished, warrantied product from a big brand with a dealer network — this is a workshop, not a factory.
