Ok, my time with the 1Plus2 is coming to an end, so here's my wrap-up/summary of my weeks with it (and the first pair I heard).
My first experience with the 1Plus2 wasn't as good as the second. The first pair I heard sounded (and looked) like the beta of the pair I currently have in my ears. That pair has strident treble, overly recessed mids, and somewhat anemic bass.
This pair I've spent the last couple of weeks with seems like the far more mature version of the first set. Imagine the first pair as the ridiculously pretty-faced girl in high school...who happened to be lanky, door-shaped, and wore braces...on her legs. This 1Plus2 version would be her grown up counterpart, fleshed out in exactly the right places, gazelle-like legs, and let's throw in a law degree.
I spent some time in my ASG-2 thread talking about the specific differences I heard, but I'll repeat them here again. The biggest difference for me is the mid-range. It sounds a good deal more forward and fleshed out and, as a result, midrange instruments and vocals shine much brighter. The second biggest improvement comes in the taming of the shrew treble. It retains the beautiful resolving power, but doesn't go overboard like the the first pair I heard.
The last two improvements come in the form of a more solidified low end (especially the sub-bass), and much better build quality. One specific example of the better build comes in the form of the face plate. On the older pair, I noticed imperfections in the gap between the shell and face plate. The transition between the two is now *close* to seamless. The only detractor is the fact that I can see the glue holding the two together when I look into the transparent piece of shell between the black acrylic and faceplate. It's really a minor issue, and I'm nitpicking.
One important thing about the Tralucent package, that has nothing to do with the 1Plus2, is that it's made me a (cautious/dubious) believer in cables. This 1Plus2 came with the silver/gold cable, which I decided to try on the ASG-2. I'm still struggling to deny the changes I'm hearing.
Back to the 1Plus2...I know this sound remarkably different because I have my ASG-2 as the baseline for comparisons. The older 1P2's midrange definitely didn't sound as good as the ASG-2's to me. Rock guitars suffered, violins were somewhat tinny, and most vocals lacked body. I really can't say any of that on this pair. The midrange still isn't as forward as the ASG-2's, but it's a good deal better than the older one.
That's all for now. I'll be doing a comparison to the SD3 when it comes within the next few days, then passing it along to the next member('s victimized wallet).
I think it works best with cables that have some mid presence. Horses for courses. The Scorpion reminded me of a clearer stock 1+2 cable. Should be VG on it.
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