Heir Audio - The Appreciation Thread - Page 165

Quote:

Originally Posted by KraftD1 

For the 4.Ai the UE case is a great fit, and since the 3.Ai has the same form it should fit too.  Not sure about Heir CIEMs though, can be much larger and may not work.

 

It does. Even with my huge 4.A. But I've got to place them properly and then wind the cable over them carefully. It asks for me to pay attention; I can't do it in a rush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj 

Anyhow, are any fortunate folk lucky enough to own both the 4.A and 8.A able to shed light on whether it's worth buying BOTH? I'm grabbing myself an 8.A over the weekend and can't decide on whether to get the 4.A as well (with free wood!) - 4.A/4.Ai owners, anyone able to shed light on how they compare to top-tier neutral customs? So far there only seem to be quite a few comparisons to similarly-priced universals...

 

Project86 has both, I believe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt 

 

It does. Even with my huge 4.A. But I've got to place them properly and then wind the cable over them carefully. It asks for me to pay attention; I can't do it in a rush.

 

Good to hear it will fit larger CIEMs too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt 

Project86 has both, I believe.

I have the 8.A as well as the 4.Ai, does that count? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardgedee 


Nice. Is there room in it for an amp under the iPod, or only enough for the iPod alone?

It has a custom rubber liner that holds the ipod at an angle.  There is room underneath for a small amp like the Arrow or D-Zero.  If you take out the liner there is plenty of room for bigger amps like a D4 or D10... but then you will have to make your own foam padding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorensiim 

I have the 8.A as well as the 4.Ai, does that count? 

Certainly! If I may direct you to my post... 

I'd definitely appreciate any impressions you have comparing the 4.Ais to anything that's out there, provided that you don't have insanely elephantine ears like Sinocelt and hear the 4.A/4.Ai with vastly differing results :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj 

I'd definitely appreciate any impressions you have comparing the 4.Ais to anything that's out there, provided that you don't have insanely elephantine ears like Sinocelt and hear the 4.A/4.Ai with vastly differing results :D

I was going to mention it, but that won't be necessary, obviously. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj   I'd definitely appreciate any impressions you have comparing the 4.Ais to anything that's out there, provided that you don't have insanely elephantine ears like Sinocelt and hear the 4.A/4.Ai with vastly differing results :D

I do actually hear similar differences between the 4.Ai and the 4.A, and my ears are human-sized. Compared to that of the 4.A, the sound of the 4.Ai is thinner and less three-dimensional; the extension on both ends is more difficult to hear. Sibilance is slightly more prominent, but I suspect that might be due to the 4.Ai being new and my 4.A being old -- less clean dampers and stuff. I wouldn't go as far as Sinocelt and say that the 4.Ai doesn't sound very good, but it definitely isn't as nice as a fully-custom 4.A. For me, the 4.Ai is a very good universal --- one of the best --- but without the custom molded fit, you won't get the most out of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomscy2000 

 

I do actually hear similar differences between the 4.Ai and the 4.A, and my ears are human-sized. Compared to that of the 4.A, the sound of the 4.Ai is thinner and less three-dimensional; the extension on both ends is more difficult to hear. Sibilance is slightly more prominent, but I suspect that might be due to the 4.Ai being new and my 4.A being old -- less clean dampers and stuff. I wouldn't go as far as Sinocelt and say that the 4.Ai doesn't sound very good, but it definitely isn't as nice as a fully-custom 4.A. For me, the 4.Ai is a very good universal --- one of the best --- but without the custom molded fit, you won't get the most out of it.

Man I love how you started that off (in bold). Yeah, I guess it's unsurprising that the 4.Ai doesn't perform as well the 4.A - just think, the implications for the customs vs. universals debate would be disastrous  heh. Then again, I doubt 4.Ai owners really know what they're missing out on. Till they make the jump at $450 (or very soon, $699 ). Any comparisons you might've made, btw?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinocelt 

 

I was going to mention it, but that won't be necessary, obviously. 

 Hah, you can't imagine how crushed I was when I read your comparison of the two - now I just HAVE to get myself a 4.A 

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj  Any comparisons you might've made, btw?

What would you like to know?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomscy2000 

 

What would you like to know?

I'm not too sure myself, really. Would the 4.A be considered close to an end-game CIEM for its neutral sound signature? I.e. like the way the 8.A has been described by those who review it as 'the end' [for now] of the search for the bassy, warm but transparent & clear sound. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj   I'm not too sure myself, really. Would the 4.A be considered close to an end-game CIEM for its neutral sound signature? I.e. like the way the 8.A has been described by those who review it as 'the end' [for now] of the search for the bassy, warm but transparent & clear sound. 

End-game, TOTL? No. But it is a truly great value.

I think the 4.A may sometimes lack a little bit of subtlety up top. It's by no means offensive, but it can stand to be more refined. My comparison with the TO GO! 334 may give you some more insight into what I mean (index of comparisons). I'd also like the vocals to be taller and more rounded with the 4.A. Interestingly, though, the 4.A does come surprisingly close to the performance of the TO GO! 334. It also made me waver on buying the F111; the 4.A was just more enjoyable to my ears, if less precise.

As you might be able to surmise, I don't like gobs of bass. To me, the 4.A gives me a nearly perfect bass presentation, with its one flaw being that it begins to roll off around 30 Hz (though it's still quite present at 24 Hz or so). I haven't heard the 8.A, but from how people describe it, it's bass galore. Perhaps everything else is still able to shine through, and I imagine that the 8.A is something like that of the LCD-2/3 in terms of giving off a very solid low end while preserving the mids and highs, but I prefer the simplicity of a flatter response. When I was considering the different options, the 8.A wasn't even on the table. I briefly considered the 6.A and the NT-6.

Quote:

Originally Posted by enoyletoj 

I'd definitely appreciate any impressions you have comparing the 4.Ais to anything that's out there, provided that you don't have insanely elephantine ears like Sinocelt and hear the 4.A/4.Ai with vastly differing results :D

I very much enjoy having the 4.Ai as a backup to my 8.A but I don't think I'd get the 4.A (custom) to supplement my 8.A. I like having a universal IEM as a smaller alternative as well as for sharing my music with others. The difference in presentation, the 4.Ai being more forward than the 8.A, means that I can also enjoy them when I just want something a little different. They have a smaller, more intimate soundstage with amazingly accurate placement of instruments where the 8.A has a larger, more "3D" soundstage. My suggestion would be to get the 8.A and see (well, hear) if you find yourself sometimes missing a more forward, intimate presentation. If so, add the 4.A(i) to your stash 

I hope the above made sense... It's been a long and busy week, I just put the kids to bed and have a lot of work to do to prepare for a busy weekend so I'm afraid my English is a bit below its usual level. 

So I went back to the audiologist and he redid them for free. 

He said if they needed to be done a third time I would have to pay the full price.

I sent some pictures to Heir Audio just now, so hopefully they're okay.

Fingers crossed.

I would like to say that i saw the Terra Player mentioned and i will be getting one on loan shortly ;)