Listening to the Tandems now & I love what I'm hearing.
As with most all IEMs, the correct tips & seal is very important to hearing the intended sound. My recommendation for the optimal fit mirrors what Fischer Audio had mentioned. I preferred to use the thinnest single flange tip (whose opening was as wide as the Tandem's nozzle) that offered a shallow but secure fit. This provided some nice air in the treble frequencies, slightly more open soundstage, and a very even lower midrange/upper bass response. I don't have much to add as far as sound goes (shotgunshane covered all the bases quite well in his review). Some of the things that stood out to me..
This phone has, arguably, the most inoffensive signature I've ever heard in an IEM. That's a big time compliment in my book. It's incredibly smooth & relaxing.. but still very engaging. When people say you can listen to these for "hours on end" without fatigue & simply get lost in the music, they mean it. It's smooth and quite neutral, but not in a "monitoring" fashion.. more like an audiophile/vintage loudspeaker. The overall presentation is so evenly weighted and well tuned that it doesn't really feel like you're listening to an IEM. The refinement & articulation in the hint of warmth that lays across the Tandem's frequency range is among the finest I've ever heard. In fact, I'd put that particular quality of the Tandem on par with the GR07. The Tandem balances lushness, thickness, airiness, and crispness with astonishing precision. Notes have excellent weight and timbre. It's quite dynamic, impressively clear, and balanced.. it's not a detail monster but when looking at what the Tandem offers (and aims for) from a holistic perspective, it's most certainly a phone whose sum is "greater than the addition of its parts."
-The Tandem makes a great compliment to the FXT:
The Tandem's soundstage is proportioned a little more evenly vs. the FXT. It isn't as deep as the FXT's soundstage but it's a tad wider. The Tandem's soundstage is slightly more airy too (provided you get the correct fit). The FXT has a slightly larger dynamic range than the Tandem but the Tandem's range is quite impressive & very sufficient for my needs. The FXT's bass has more of a 'fun' (see: midbass) punch to it while the Tandem's bass is a bit softer, more balanced, and 'ambient' in impact. Purely based on personal preference (and not technicalities), I actually like the way the Tandem's presents bass more. The Tandem, while being a midcentric phone, isn't as mid forward or as colored (especially in the midbass) as the FXT. The Tandem's evenness, control, and refinement through the mids is especially impressive (which explains why vocals sound so good). The FXT's treble has more presence, crispness, and sparkle.. it sounds downright hot & edgy in comparison to the Tandem's silky smooth (but still highly engaging) treble.
The FXT has a bit more of an electric, pop-friendly sound to it; the JVC's sound "makes itself known" to you & grabs your attention from the moment you hit 'play.' The Tandem, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved & unassuming with it's 'vintage loudspeaker'-inspired sound. It's just as impressive but in a more nuanced manner. The FXT could be your well assembled car stereo setup for modern music, while the Tandem is your meticulously assembled home hi-fi. Both setups are versatile but offer different presentations of the same material.
The Tandem's (lower) sensitivity specs allowed me to feed it additional power more easily than the (highly sensitive) FXT. Despite sounding very good unamped, the Tandem truly shines when it's run through a HQ amp and/or DAC. With the mx-1 & Arrow, the Tandem "stretched it's legs and arms" so to speak: bass tightened, mids gained control, treble was crisper and more defined.. instrument separation, clarity, and imaging improved.. it sounded more dynamic & the soundstage widened. All these qualities weren't poor (at all) when unamped but the Tandem certainly took advantage of the additional power when available. As stated earlier, it offers an excellent complimentary sound to the 'exciting' FXT while remaining just as versatile from a genre perspective.. so I can't say one is 'better' than the other. At this pricepeoint, I give less credence to technical prowess and more to how competently & well unified a phone presents it's sound. Judging by that, the FXT & Tandem are dead even.
I haven't listened to the Tandem for an extended period of time but so far, I'm quite smitten with it. I really enjoy it's vintage sound and being that I appreciate a neutral, natural sound with an 'artful' touch of coloration, the Tandem hits all the right spots for me. It definitely ranks along side the RE262 & e-Q5 as my favorite universal IEMs... one that I can seem myself enjoying for quite some time.
Edited by FlySweep - 2/2/12 at 1:07am
Bought these on whim, for your basic train ride to work I don't mind. But its far from being the best I have own.
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