vegasf1 said:

   
I'm not going to buy a $1,300 cable without listening to it first.  Or is there a money back guarantee on it?  If there is one with a one week return period, then that's something I would consider.  But to buy 3k  worth of earphones/cable having to trust Tralucent fanboys is a huge risk.  $1,000 is one thing, but 3x times that I need guarantees.  So I'll have to demo it first with and without the uber cable.  By then I'll probably pick up the k10.  I rather risk nearly 2k than 3k and they have outstanding customer service.  I haven't heard either way on Tralucent, but I'm sure it can't be bad like JH.  I have already demo'd the universal roxxanne and I thought for the money, it should have been better especially when it was paired with an ak240 and hugo.   I really want to try the ref 1 because I like dynamic drivers and I believe hybrids are the way to go for at least my ears, but I'm not going to gamble buying it without listening to it.  Even if people say that it has more value because it's not a CIEM, out of that 3k, how much could one realistically get back?  I am pretty sure I would lose at least 300 to 500 owning it for just a week or two.  
 
Will it be available to demo at CES?  I can wait til next CES.   

Click to expand...

 
The 1plus2 is already very outstanding without the uBer cable. I do not think Tralucent will ever go put up a booth at any audio shows for people to demo since it is still a rather small-scale company in terms of its operative production compared to bigger companies like JH, Westone, UM, UE, Sennheiser, etc. I get the feeling that it is operating on an even smaller scale than Noble Audio. But the good thing about operating at a small scale is that Gavin can focus all his resources and time on making his products really good instead of pushing out multiple incremental IEMs which are not really game-changing. Just look at JH and the mess it got itself into with the Roxanne being unable to keep up to the demand compared to Noble Audio's smaller scale of operation with excellent customer service support.
 
Since you are hesitant on pulling the trigger on something which you cannot demo firsthand yourself, the only alternative I can think of next is to try other cheaper IEMs with similar sound signatures and extrapolate from there. The Sony EX-1000 and AKG's K3003 are the closest two IEMs with similar sound signature to 1plus2, albeit not exactly the same and definitely not on the same performance tier as 1plus2. Then if you find that you like the airy and wide soundstage type of SQ, you can then consider if you want to take the plunge and get the 1plus2 with stock cable for its better SQ performance. You do not have to jump straight into getting the uBer cable because it is more like the ultimate upgrade for 1plus2 further down the road if you think it is the one IEM that you love the most.
 
As for the Ref. 1, I have not heard it myself yet so I cannot comment on it or recommend a similar sounding alternative IEM for you to check out. All I know is that those who have received theirs all said that it offers a much fuller sound signature than 1plus2 but still retains the airy and wide soundstage characteristic. If that is true to the word, then I am quite certain it is really good based on what I know of 1plus2. We are not here to force you to buy Tralucent's products, but more trying to give people a better idea what we have heard/know. Ultimately, everyone has different SQ preference so I am sure there are people out there who may not like the Tralucent's signature but prefer a more bassy and thick SQ.

Honestly, I have not decided to buy the uber cable given that I would like to further invest into desktop stuff... It does not bother me because Ref 1 sounds great in its stock form running trrs using HM901 balance card. It has been mentioned that the 901 can sound a bit congested due to its tuning. However, I am so impressed so far with Ref 1 on how the sound flows naturally from in front of you and the soundstage is so wide that can fit the whole Gil Evans orchestra when playing Out of the cool album. "natural" is the key descriptive for these iem, natural like being in a jazz club listening to a band.
 
There are always options that can make the sound better amp/dac/power supply/cables. We should be glad that the Ref 1 scales so well with good source e.g. Hugo, good cable e.g. Uber, good tips e.g. ortofon.... It is just an option we can consider down the road to keep this hobby going.... On the other hand, my Fitear C435 custom did not yield much benefit when using Uber cable, but I like them even in the stock form with 004/1 cable.
Anyway, everyone has different ways to enjoy this hobby and a lot of us may have made up our minds before visiting head-fi. Enjoy.

I'm still new to this hobby, but with dynamic drivers the bass sounds deeper and is more accurate than a ba, correct? Right now I have Heir 8.a, and I love the signature. I'd like something with a similar signature, lots of bass, but without sacrificing the SQ.

vegasf1 said:

   
I'm not going to buy a $1,300 cable without listening to it first...

Click to expand...

You missed the point of my post entirely.

warrior1975 said:

Maybe bad is the wrong word but 2 posters posted things I haven't heard. One said the k10 didn't want to make them listen to music, the other called it dull and said it lacked punch or energy. Those are the first negatives I've heard of it.

Click to expand...

 
The way I described K10 being laid back and lacking the excitement in the music is also found in many posts regarding Roxanne vs K10 in both the Roxanne and the K10 impression threads. It is not something new. Many people have already described the K10 as having a more laid back and flat sound with only a slight boost in the treble. And there are also others who mentioned that listening to K10 is like listening to music playing in the background and is completely non-fatigue, whereas listening to Roxanne is like having the music thrown at your face constantly. Pretty contrasting. The only surprise that caught me when I was auditioning the K10 is that I did not really understand how laid back the sound is until I tried it out myself and it does not suit my taste. K10 is not really bad per say just different.

warrior1975 said:

Maybe bad is the wrong word but 2 posters posted things I haven't heard. One said the k10 didn't want to make them listen to music, the other called it dull and said it lacked punch or energy. Those are the first negatives I've heard of it.
Cause it sounds better? It will be one of those things that will bother me. I'm certainly not ruling this out due to cable, that's for sure. It seems like it sounds amazing without it. That being said I know myself and I will be bothered by the fact that it could sound better.

Click to expand...

 
While that may sound like a harsh criticism of k10 it was probably not meant to be - I don't have k10 but did not read it that way because 1plus2 had that same type of effect on me - EVERY iem I listened to before I got 1plus2 (and liked - for example RE-600) I cannot listen to any more. That's how much better 1plus2 sounds to me, and that is with silver/gold cable or Double Helix cable (which was around $350 when I purchased it) - I have never heard uber.
I have been thinking about uber and at this point would get it in spite of price because it turned out that in this case the hype I read about 1plus2 (from the very small number of very dedicated followers) was actually justified. However, since I listen almost exclusively during my daily commute Uber would not fit that scenario so I try to forget about it. Based on what I have read about Ref 1 so far (from some of the same people who praised 1plus2 before I purchased it) I'm certainly going to consider it very seriously. Another thing about Tralucent - it seems to me that Gavin is really not in this business primarily to make profit - I think I read somewhere that he is already wealthy so this is a hobby for him - he tries to make the best iem he can for himself first and if he thinks he has improved on his design only then turns it into commercial product (I think I must have read this somewhere on this forum and at this point after my experience with 1plus2 find the story believable).

warrior1975 said:

I'm still new to this hobby, but with dynamic drivers the bass sounds deeper and is more accurate than a ba, correct? Right now I have Heir 8.a, and I love the signature. I'd like something with a similar signature, lots of bass, but without sacrificing the SQ.

Click to expand...

For clarity and dynamic, you really should not worry as Ref 1 scores very high in this area. For bass performance, my experience so far tells me that it also depends on the source used. When pairing with HM-901 (in balance configuration), the bass hits very hard,deep and up-front. Whereas with Hugo, the bass sounds more natural. I briefly auditioned Gavin's ZX-1 but it was too brief to comment. You can wait for AnakChan and Mim for their comments. They both have ZX-1.

warrior1975 said:

Maybe bad is the wrong word but 2 posters posted things I haven't heard. One said the k10 didn't want to make them listen to music, the other called it dull and said it lacked punch or energy. Those are the first negatives I've heard of it.
Cause it sounds better? It will be one of those things that will bother me. I'm certainly not ruling this out due to cable, that's for sure. It seems like it sounds amazing without it. That being said I know myself and I will be bothered by the fact that it could sound better.

Click to expand...

 
 
where is the first one?

Thank you both for your explanations. I will definitely look for their comments regarding the zx1. I'll also be using an Intruder amp with it as well so that may play a bit of a role as well.

angelo898 said:

where is the first one?

Click to expand...

Posts 289 and 290 I was referring to

elnero said:

vegasf1 said:

  
I'm not going to buy a $1,300 cable without listening to it first...

Click to expand...

You missed the point of my post entirely.

Click to expand...

Fine. The bottom line is that I want to know how much of a difference it makes to my ears. If its not that much of a difference I would be happy to get the plain ref 1 with no uber. But reading the most recent reviews it is apparent that those posting make it clear as day that the uber cable is a step or two ahead. Its like owning a 911 gt3 and comparing it with a 911 gt3rs 4.0. Both are great track cars yet there is no comparison between the two. If I can afford it I have no issues spending the extra money but without a guarantee or test, I refuse to spend the extra money or the base model when there are other options out there that are possibly equal or better and cheaper if comparing with the uber cable. Plus the k10 is flat out gorgeous. Only in this thread I have read negative feedback on the k10.

Oh and I hates the sound of the k3003 which is me really thinking the k10 is the way to go if that's a close comparison.

I just wish tralucent had a better website, more information on said website, and easier way to order them. Believe me up until two weeks ago I was ready to pull the trigger on them. Only because I like dynamic drivers for bass and BA for mids and highs was the reason why I had these at the top of the list. I thought the uber cable was only for the one plus two and the ref 1 wasnt going to have the uber option.

I'll lurk in this thread for reviews and feedback. And hopefully I can find k10 owners that will buy the ref 1 and compare them hopefully with both cables. Maybe I should stick with mid range IEM and keep the customized T1 I'm selling. These top of the line CIEM and IEM market is far more expensive than full size top of the line cans and the life of the full size cans seem to stay at the top much longer than the always changing IEM and CIEM market.

I'll revisit my audio wants and needs after track season. I was hoping for this to be easier but it looks like I need to do more homework and to do everything possible to get a test drive. I'm not an audio but like most here. Maybe I should just settle for what I already got. Its pretty good. I just wanted equipment that was closer to top of the line. But I'm not going to be talked into buying top of the line stuff without listening to it except for the Hugo and AK dap. I can't believe I can't find these in a Vegas store. All we have here are mostly home theater stores and sub par audio headphone stores. Forget demoing DACs and amps.




Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

@vegasf1-Time is definitely your friend as both models are relatively new. K10 definitely been out a bit longer and has a ton of positive reviews, but same was said about the Heir Audio line too. Once Wizard parted with Heir, all the negativity came out. That was, and still is the biggest reason I was skeptical about the K10. Up until today, I was ready to get the K10. Now, I'm thinking about these IEMS again.
I'm just going to be a bit more patient, which is the most difficult thing to do. I was really leaning on getting universals, so if I didn't like I could easily sell them... But I had ruled out the Roxannes. Now, debating on these.

warrior1975 said:

K10 definitely been out a bit longer and has a ton of positive reviews, but same was said about the Heir Audio line too. Once Wizard parted with Heir, all the negativity came out. That was, and still is the biggest reason I was skeptical about the K10. Up until today, I was ready to get the K10. Now, I'm thinking about these IEMS again.

Click to expand...

 
I find the N4 to be both the best performer and best value from their product range. If the N4 was priced at the price of K10 maybe they will get more raving reviews 

Lol, you're probably right.

I might be getting this ref 1 with uber cable. In 2 months or so