Hey guys, do you all know what happened to mr.dsnuts? I haven't seen him anywhere on the the thread or the forums.
P.S. It was my birthday yesterday, and my present from my family was flagship can (The HD800) and man oh man has it been great, I just need a reccomendation for an amp (tube or ss, it doesn't matter), at 100-500 to pair with it (I'm using a TurnTable as my source currently)
Hey everyone, looking through the threads this IEM has fallen from the radar slightly, I read the lot and decided to give it a go. Its a Christmas present from the wife, but I had a quick listen for the "Aggressive" treble that a few members mentioned, but coming from modded Grado SR-80i's I think the treble is quite reasonable to be honest. Now I am pretty new to the pricier audio world, I use a mix of FLAC and 24bit files fired through Wasapi Event on Foobar, fed into my Arcam Rpac. So not really a desktop setup, but I do like the sound the Rpac makes, it again is seldom mentioned (My brother has an Rpac, same setup into a Marantz 6004, with my fathers old Tannoy DC12's, that sounds totally fantastic)
Anyway, I love the Grado sound so was tempted by the BA Dual's, Triples as such, but really wanted the RE-400 or a nice dynamic, EPH-100 (twice the price in £), but reading up about the BA-200 and people noting similarities in quality and smoothness in the ie800, albeit more treble. Anyway, the wife has cleaned me out for Christmas stuff so I went for the cheaper ie800's (£50). I played some of my familiar tracks for listening, such as some Beatles Love, M&S Babel (The Boxer is a good one to test with) and some 24bit Muse, which the reverb from the bass drum had such a weight and clarity about it. I was impressed, very clear across the board really, detail was as good as the Grado's, probably better as a result of the more 'away from you in the distance slightly of the voices', im not saying the mids are hidden or anything, they are as loud as all the other instruments, just not inside your brain like the Grado's where you feel your literally in their pocket, and miss the little things.
The Bass is good, it picks out tones and vibrations that my Grado's cannot even dream of getting, its full, but drums don't punch as much as them, the sound doesn't leap out at you aggressively like the Grado's, its just there in front of you, clear, doing what it should, its very soothing and to be honest I was actually grinning in the first fifteen seconds, think it was Piano Man!
Soundstage is massive, it wraps right around your head with the instruments well positioned and clear as a whistle. I think ill cut short and simply say that it all works very well, with nothing really standing out as the best thing, or any issues at all, thoroughly impressed. I wanted to carry on trying out tracks but the wife put a stop to it. If your in the UK and want a Christmas gift to yourself, spend the £50 and get yourself sorted.
This one is for us DISCOVERY Bois!!! Love you gias........
The Value of A Threesome of Sum: ASG 2 v. KEF M200 v. VSonic VSD1 LE (Limited Edition)
ASG 2:Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price $500+
I'll start this comparison party with some sweet lovin', cuz that's how these ASG 2 sound.
Now that I have got that off, lets get down to the nitty-gritty shall we and exactly what do I mean when I say that these ASG 2s is "sweet" sounding. To expound on this I'll start by describing the basic sonic traits of these ASG 2s. What immediately jumped out at me during my initial listening sessions was the airiness, spaciousness and sparkly presentation of these ASG 2s. What I mean by airiness is that the instrument separation is very well layered which makes it easy to pinpoint exactly where each instrument is coming from/ is located during even very complex musical passages. The ASG 2s spaciousness is attributed to their big soundstage, hence there is a great sense of 3D depth and width to the atmosphere of the music, but yet still feels intimate because it is not overly diffused. So imagine a very airy 3D presentation with great headroom that is also really sparkle is what these ASG 2 sounded to me during my initial listening. I was like what's the big hoopla all about because these things sounds so nice and sweet??? Then I was like ahhh, those infamous graphs which measured their audio quality as akin to a "telephone receiver" with "no treble."
PRO: Sleek look.
CON: All the others including unstable impedance characteristic, unmatched woofer response, short bandwidth & non-linear frequency response. Moreover, unlike what the engineer has stated, there is no treble.
ON SECOND THOUGHT #6: Aurisonics ASG-2 is far far away from Harman's reference target. No, my friend. The sound quality of ASG-2 is not of a radio. It's rather of a telephone receiver.
Ay there's the rub, can a $600 plus set of IEMs really sound THAT bad as those graphs seem to indicate??? I for one see graphs and other raw forms of measured data as only one aspect of the sonic jigsaw puzzle and not the entire story of a said gears true characteristics. Other pieces of this puzzle would have to come from doing research and reading the impressions of others as well as hearing them for yourself in order to truly have a firm grasp of how it sounds. Alright enough preaching and beating around the bush let's get down to how these ASG 2 telephone receivers really sound.
These ASG 2s got my feet tapping and head bobbing with those Ortofon clear tips since day one of my audition, so I never bothered nor felt the need to pressure test them with my tried and true test tracks for treble quality and extension. But once I switched to their stock tips, the short comings of these IEMs became very apparent because they sounded much more dull as the result. The tracks I use to check for sonic traits and capabilities are the same as the ones I have used for my VSonic GR07 BE write-up, and the treble extension and quality of these ASG 2s sounded pretty rolled off early on because it is merely present with very little extension or sparkle to them. This lack of treble energy didn't catch my attention before because it was over compensated by the overly sparkliness/ lushness of the mid-range presentation due to those Ortofon clear tips, which I misconstrued as having more treble energy than it really has. Therefore, the criticism of the lack of treble on these ASG 2s is indeed warranted from my experience as those infamous graphs indicated, especially with the stock tips but the "no treble" statement is overly harsh and not justified because there is treble presence albeit just rolled off.
Now that we got the negatives outta' the way, lets focus on the positive traits of these ASG 2s shall we. The sonic experience of these ASG 2s is akin to a nice cold bottle of soda pop on a hot summer afternoon because it's so refreshing and fun. I was mesmerized by how lush, sparkly, and refine the mids were on these ASG 2s, which made me simply enjoyed the hell outta' the music instead of trying to really over analyze it. This was what I meant when I stated that these ASG 2s sounded so "sweet." Not only is the mid-range of these ASG 2s sonically akin to a fizzy soda pop but their mid-bass is similarly well textured, punchy, with good speed, impact as well as clarity. The mid-bass is very nicely integrated and executed hence it is never muddy, congested nor bleeds much into the rest of the sonic spectrum. The sub-bass on these ASG 2s is satisfactory even for my borderline basshead needs despite it not having as much presence in both quality and quantity as compared to the mid-bass. Therefore, such luscious mid-range to mid-bass combination makes for a lethal dose of deliciousness that just makes the music "pop" on these ASG 2s. This is especially true for Asian pop as well as hip hop music because the non-fatiguing/ non-revealing yet very fun nature of these ASG 2s makes more brightly recorded, and poorly mastered music sound oh so sweet. Such a musical rendition will literally get your feet tapping, your head bobbing, and your @** popping because it will give you a sugar rush of auditory enjoyment. Bubble Soda popped!!!
VSonic VSD1 LE (Limited Edition) :Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price$50 - $70
These VSD1 LEs are eerily similar in sonic signature and presentation compared to the ASG 2s. This sub $100 sonic wonder sounds very natural in its musical rendition, hence the timbre is one of the most realistic I have heard. Its mid bass to sub bass ratio is very well balanced both in quantity and quality, so these have pretty good depth to their sub bass extension as well a great mid bass impact. Just like the ASG 2s the bass slam on these LEs can really grab your attention, and combined with their large soundstage provides a very big out of the head experience akin to a set of headphones. The instrument layering and separation is very well placed, hence these gives a good sense of 3Dness to them as well unlike the more flat/2D presentation of VSonic's GR07 BEs. Therefore, these LEs are sonically very close to the ASG 2s in capability but what it lacks is the mid-range resolution, airiness and sparkle which is the bread and butter of the ASG 2s. Even though the mids of these VSD1 LEs is slightly more forward and more realistic sounding, it's the sweetness of the ASG 2s mids and better resolution which gives them a more refined sound overall. The treble of these VSD1 LEs lacks some extension and is similarly rolled off akin to the ASG 2s especially when compared to VSonic's old flagship the GR07 BEs but the VSD1 LEs treble quality and extension still bests that of the ASG 2s albeit only slightly.
Both IEMs offer you a really bold sound that has great headroom due to their grand 3D presentation, yet is never fatiguing sounding even when listened to at high volumes for lengthy sessions. I would even venture to say that these VSD1 LEs is the poor mans version of the ASG 2s, but there are things that these LEs do better than the ASG 2s ie; slightly better treble, better ratio of sub to mid bass quality and quantity, as well as more natural/ realistic sounding. Although the ASG 2s undoubtedly has much better 3D resolution, with the iPods "Jazz" present EQ applied makes these VSD1 LEs sound even closer in sonic presentation to the ASG 2s, which is pretty scary since these LEs are a $50 set of IEMs as compared to a $500 plus one. These VSD1 LEs take basic EQing and amping very well because of their higher impedance which was purposely implemented by VSonic during their tuning process. In fact these VSD1 LEs made me realize for the first time that there was a difference between my iPods "Off" and "Flat" EQ presents. This was a real revelation because I have always thought both settings sounded the same, but innately I seem to enjoy these VSD1 LEs more when it's on the "Flat" setting instead of "Off" because they sound slightly more balanced. As I have said before Scalability/ malleability baby is what these VSD1 LEs be!!! It's just too bad that once burn-in is finalized these VSD1 LEs loses some of its fullness because with a bit more volume (as in voluptuousness) and resolution to their sound these VSD1 LE is almost at the level of the ASG 2s. No joke....
KEF M200: Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price $119-$150
The KEF M200 was the most 3D set of IEMs I have heard so far, that is until I had the chance to audition these ASG 2s. Overall these M200s are more technically capable than the ASG 2s if you analyze each of their sonic frequencies separately. The bass, mids and treble of the M200s is more balanced with better extension and depth, but since music is such a visceral experience, these ASG 2s for me provides a more satisfying experience as a whole even though they lack some extension up top and depth down under. The bass of these M200s are on the warmer, more mellow side with pretty good sub bass depth and extension. The bass quality just don't have as much impact nor slam when compared to that of the ASG 2s, hence this is why I find the bass presentation of ASG 2s more engaging and satisfying since I listen to a lot of hip hop music where there is more mid bass emphasis. With their stock tips the bass quantity of these M200s gets in the way of their overall clarity for me, therefore instrument layering/ separation is masked a bit. I found that aftermarket tips that have the same wide bore as the stock M200 tips but with a shorter barrel height helps to not only bring forward better clarity but a better sense of 3Dness as well as I have posted here. The shorter barrel height decreases the overall bass quantity of these M200s, yet it improves the overall bass quality. Short barrel wide bore tips balances the overall sound of these M200 which not only makes the bass tighter, increases its impact and speed but helps to bring forward their mids and adds a nice touch of lushness to it as well.
These KEF M200s is one of the best and most refined set of universal IEMs I have heard in the budget-fi arena due to its great 3D instrument layering/ separation. Though not quite as wide as the ASG 2s the large soundstage of these M200s also gives them a great sense of atmosphere and spaciousness as well. Despite lacking a bit of sparkle the treble quality and quantity of these M200s is pretty well extended yet is never harsh, bright nor sibilant which in comparison really make the highs of the ASG 2s seem domesticated. These M200s sound pretty natural to me, but their sound signature leans more towards that of Balanced Armature IEMs due to its accuracy, 3Dness and clarity especially with shorter barrel aftermarket tips. I didn't even realized that they were comprised of double dynamic drivers at first because based solely on how they sounded, these M200s appear to have a BA slant than a dynamic one.
In conclusion:
These ASG 2s was an interesting/ educational experience to say the least because it was able to help me lift the veil of that higher_end-fi exclusivity somewhat. Haven't read all those ASG 2 comparisons in ekey bois thread with all those summit-fi IEMs but the gist I got outta' it was that many of those $1K and up IEMs offered only incremental minor "refinements" over these ASG 2s as it was also exemplified by the gears on this write-up as well. Most seem to offer different flavors in presentation/ sound signatures instead of true total and complete upgrades of the entire sonic spectrum. Hence the gap between mid-fi to summit-fi these days is A LOT smaller than those often inflated perceived value of summit-fi gears call for because the "price still doesn't reflect acoustic performance on the whole"currently. It is already apparent that with each new release due to so much competition and different/ new tech that is utilized today this sonic gap is furthered bridged. VSonics cheapo $50 VSD1 LE as well as KEFs M200s is more than technically capable in competing with higher end gears such as these ASG 2s, and if these ASG 2s already can hang with those Big Bois up top then are we lowly budget-fi affectionados REALLY missing out on THAT much of the music??? I dunno, but as one kooky dood once told me summit-fi is not really THAT exclusive, but it's more of the exclusivity of the brand name and high prices associated with it, or something along those lines. : P
So it is really up to us for being educated and savvy consumers to demand that our top dollars truly command top-shelf performance not just sonically but the total package as well because the phenomena of the Law of Diminishing Returns as well as FOTM (Flavor Of The Month) is very real indeed in this hobby especially with how fast gears are released nowadays which is kinda ironic since this is The Discovery Thread. haha Oh and despite that I was warned "the problem is that once you get used to these little refinements, it's hard to go back" it is not necessarily always true because I was able to be more than content and trick my mind back into their enjoying my cheapo VSD1 LEs, especially with some "Jazz" EQ even after I have gotten a taste of the "refinements" of the higher sound of these ASG 2s. Though I understand exactly what that statement meant my audio journey still marches forward........... entering the danger zone???........ is ignorance REALLY bliss???
........................
Since we are on this topic, one anal one dropped some nice wisdom when he stated that "buy what you want, as long as it's within your means" because this is a hobby afterall, so just enjoy the music with which ever gears you have as long as it makes you happy cuz the rainbow is forever elusive. So no need to dwell on those negative nancy graphs unity cuz despite I consider them as overpriced these ASG 2s are a great sounding set of IEMs that compliment those GR07 BEs of yours really well. Therefore, despite the price to performance discrepancies between all three of these IEMs there is really no love lost here cuz all of them sound great.
BUT If Aurisonics ever decide to sell these ASG 2s at a more competitive price instead of a boutique one for around $250 -$300....
....cuz I don't mind a new telephone receiver.
Big thanks to Unity for the loaner pair of these ASG 2s and Danny for trading me those stock KEF M200s tips or else I wouldn't have been able to hear how they truly sounded and subsequently sold them off to that lil' rascal up north as the result.
I was pretty concerned about that as well, as I often have fit issues. And the stock tips don't work for me at all to achieve a fit/seal. But the good news is that there are other tips out there that work well with the M200's, such as the UE TF10 tips, or the Comply Ts500 tips (and more that others are using). I'm glad I went through with it though, because the M200's really are quite wonderful.
And another thumbs up from me to Unity for doing the loaning. And of course to Danny for his continued generosity in helping out with tips etc.
I was pretty concerned about that as well, as I often have fit issues. And the stock tips don't work for me at all to achieve a fit/seal. But the good news is that there are other tips out there that work well with the M200's, such as the UE TF10 tips, or the Comply Ts500 tips (and more that others are using). I'm glad I went through with it though, because the M200's really are quite wonderful.
I have to redact my previous statement about build quality on the Fireye DA. It is true that the outside casing is quite solid and it does have a nice weight to it, but when I attempted to plug the micro-usb cord into the port it the build quality ceased. The port was loose and plopped right out of it's position. It is now loose inside my dac and I have no way to actually power the unit or hook it up. Sadly, this is a poor example of build quality that I would only expect from the PCM2704 Chinese Dacs. I've contacted the seller on Amazon and I hope to have this item sent back and a replacement or refund sent to me. Otherwise I'll be contacting FireStone Audio directly.
And another thumbs up from me to Unity for doing the loaning. And of course to Danny for his continued generosity in helping out with tips etc.
I was pretty concerned about that as well, as I often have fit issues. And the stock tips don't work for me at all to achieve a fit/seal. But the good news is that there are other tips out there that work well with the M200's, such as the UE TF10 tips, or the Comply Ts500 tips (and more that others are using). I'm glad I went through with it though, because the M200's really are quite wonderful.
^ You know what they say, there is a sucka' born every minute.
Glad you're enjoying those m200s meng.
Yeppp x2 for Unity and Danny, you punks better not lose my godly LEs cuz you will be sending them back to me, you the last one on dat ASG 2 tour, well on the overseas front that is. LoL
Found another brand new, unknown, awesome chinese dual driver in ear, going for $40 right now.
$40 is the promo price I believe, being a somewhat new company. Full retail will be 499 yuan it seems from the store ads, which comes out to around $82. No idea when or if that will happen, but I jumped on it anyway. Lots of 5 star reviews on Taobao, no negatives.
My impressions 1 hour in, copied from the chinese thread:
" HAVI B3 - Professional version
Just got the dual driver HAVI B3 today. I definitely believe I got the pro version as requested, because these sound very neutral. Bassheads would need to add about +8db or more to the low end, or get the "enhanced" version of the B3 to satisfy them. The enhanced version is more bass prominent, with less clarity (supposedly).
The pro version is also hard to drive, unlike the 115db sensitivity enhanced version. My Aune T1 on low gain is more than halfway up, which is what some less sensitive headphones normally require for me.
First impressions.... They are GREAT! Vocals and imaging are fantastic. Soundstage is wider than I thought it would be. These are similar to the Moe SS-01 in clarity, yet they don't have that piercing peak at 2-4khz. Fatigue inducing sections on the Moe (without an EQ cut), are a non issue here. Slightly less resolution compared to the Moe maybe... but I need more time to tell.
What they lack compared to the Moe, is subbass and midbass. When I say lack, I mean they aren't as prominent and boosted. It reminds me of the Hifiman RE-400, which is so neutral in bass, that it seems lacking at first. Just like the RE-400 though, the B3 takes a low EQ boost like a champ. With a boost and different tips, bass is plenty.
The included tips suck for me (surprise, surprise), however, triple flanges (like the ones that come with the Gratitude) work wonders in isolation, bass, and pretty much everything else.
$40 for an awesome, good looking dual driver in ear? Yep. Very pleased so far. I almost want to grab the enhanced version to compare.
The Gorilla Glass on the shell is a nice touch. Like typical smartphone Gorilla Glass, it is a fingerprint magnet though."
Great write up. The VSD1LE and M200 are fantastic. Just sold the M200 though.
I'm telling ya, try the Havi B3 pro version next. I just A/B'ed them with my Gratitudes, and the Havi seems to have the flatter signature, with slight emphasis in the highs. It hangs right with them. The Havi needs a +6db or more bass boost to match the Gratitude/M200 bass levels though.
$40, tempered gorilla glass on shell, dual driver, neutral, and quite clear.
Found another brand new, unknown, awesome chinese dual driver in ear, going for $40 right now.
$40 is the promo price I believe, being a somewhat new company. Full retail will be 499 yuan it seems from the store ads, which comes out to around $82. No idea when or if that will happen, but I jumped on it anyway. Lots of 5 star reviews on Taobao, no negatives.
My impressions 1 hour in, copied from the chinese thread:
" HAVI B3 - Professional version
Just got the dual driver HAVI B3 today. I definitely believe I got the pro version as requested, because these sound very neutral. Bassheads would need to add about +8db or more to the low end, or get the "enhanced" version of the B3 to satisfy them. The enhanced version is more bass prominent, with less clarity (supposedly).
The pro version is also hard to drive, unlike the 115db sensitivity enhanced version. My Aune T1 on low gain is more than halfway up, which is what some less sensitive headphones normally require for me.
First impressions.... They are GREAT! Vocals and imaging are fantastic. Soundstage is wider than I thought it would be. These are similar to the Moe SS-01 in clarity, yet they don't have that piercing peak at 2-4khz. Fatigue inducing sections on the Moe (without an EQ cut), are a non issue here. Slightly less resolution compared to the Moe maybe... but I need more time to tell.
What they lack compared to the Moe, is subbass and midbass. When I say lack, I mean they aren't as prominent and boosted. It reminds me of the Hifiman RE-400, which is so neutral in bass, that it seems lacking at first. Just like the RE-400 though, the B3 takes a low EQ boost like a champ. With a boost and different tips, bass is plenty.
The included tips suck for me (surprise, surprise), however, triple flanges (like the ones that come with the Gratitude) work wonders in isolation, bass, and pretty much everything else.
$40 for an awesome, good looking dual driver in ear? Yep. Very pleased so far. I almost want to grab the enhanced version to compare.
The Gorilla Glass on the shell is a nice touch. Like typical smartphone Gorilla Glass, it is a fingerprint magnet though."
Great write up. The VSD1LE and M200 are fantastic. Just sold the M200 though.
I'm telling ya, try the Havi B3 pro version next. I just A/B'ed them with my Gratitudes, and the Havi seems to have the flatter signature, with slight emphasis in the highs. It hangs right with them. The Havi needs a +6db or more bass boost to match the Gratitude/M200 bass levels though.
$40, tempered gorilla glass on shell, dual driver, neutral, and quite clear.
I don't know if this has been brought up already, but the Astrotec AS-100 series bears a strong resemblance to the HPH-200 (or vice versa). Perhaps Astrotec is cloning the Yamahas.
Found another brand new, unknown, awesome chinese dual driver in ear, going for $40 right now.
$40 is the promo price I believe, being a somewhat new company. Full retail will be 499 yuan it seems from the store ads, which comes out to around $82. No idea when or if that will happen, but I jumped on it anyway. Lots of 5 star reviews on Taobao, no negatives.
My impressions 1 hour in, copied from the chinese thread:
" HAVI B3 - Professional version
Just got the dual driver HAVI B3 today. I definitely believe I got the pro version as requested, because these sound very neutral. Bassheads would need to add about +8db or more to the low end, or get the "enhanced" version of the B3 to satisfy them. The enhanced version is more bass prominent, with less clarity (supposedly).
The pro version is also hard to drive, unlike the 115db sensitivity enhanced version. My Aune T1 on low gain is more than halfway up, which is what some less sensitive headphones normally require for me.
First impressions.... They are GREAT! Vocals and imaging are fantastic. Soundstage is wider than I thought it would be. These are similar to the Moe SS-01 in clarity, yet they don't have that piercing peak at 2-4khz. Fatigue inducing sections on the Moe (without an EQ cut), are a non issue here. Slightly less resolution compared to the Moe maybe... but I need more time to tell.
What they lack compared to the Moe, is subbass and midbass. When I say lack, I mean they aren't as prominent and boosted. It reminds me of the Hifiman RE-400, which is so neutral in bass, that it seems lacking at first. Just like the RE-400 though, the B3 takes a low EQ boost like a champ. With a boost and different tips, bass is plenty.
The included tips suck for me (surprise, surprise), however, triple flanges (like the ones that come with the Gratitude) work wonders in isolation, bass, and pretty much everything else.
$40 for an awesome, good looking dual driver in ear? Yep. Very pleased so far. I almost want to grab the enhanced version to compare.
The Gorilla Glass on the shell is a nice touch. Like typical smartphone Gorilla Glass, it is a fingerprint magnet though."
I find it interesting how you found out about this. Chinese HP forum?
I like the look, but I'd like for them to sell it in different colors. And maybe make a custom version if they get better. I find it weird why they don't have a product page for their B6 and B9 ontheir site...
Nice discovery, but I dunno yet...I ran out of money for headphones atm. I could wait 'til next year.
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