NPWS
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2015
- Posts
- 417
- Likes
- 105
Hey thereCongratulations on your "incoming"
I can see that you are excited and have reason to be - the Angie IIs (and indeed, the entire new Siren line) are amazing in build quality and deliver amazing sound. Now... regarding comfort size and feel - let's be honest, no two ear-canals are alike, much less two different person's ears... . So no matter what I say it will NOT apply to you.
Having said that... they are reasonably large IEMs but fit nicely in the "ear-well"* just sticking out 2~4mm (if viewed from behind). Unfortunately for me they can only go straight into the ear canal so if you happen to have a shallow canal (veering sharply upwards) then the fit is not so easy. In my case, one canal is deeper and works well with the Angies and the other is a bit too shallow so that I eventually lose the seal and have to re-seat the IEM. I am still working on the best tip-fit (Comply T-500s in med. and sm.) but it's not looking good... . I can hardly blame the Sirens for that - as most IEMs will give me the same problem.
*sorry, I don't know the correct Latin nomenclature of the individual areas of the ear)
The Moon-Audio supplied cable is awesome. Zero microphonics. Coming from 1st-gen Etymotic ER-4s, the results are night and day. Consideration must be given to the fact that ER-4S pretty much must be worn (cable) straight down while the Angies must be worn over-ear. But regardless, the plastic(?) covering the Ag-plated TINSEL wire is very flexible and well, silent, for lack of a better word. The four-pin connectors and Al locking rings also add to the overall quality. Only audiophile addicts will feel the need to upgrade theirs to the famous "Black Dragon" (V2) cable which basically offers AG-plated Cu wire in the exact same "packaging". We all know and love the the Interconnect-upgrade game...
I won't go into much detail sonically as I do not have enough experience with today's range of IEMs and have been using my really-old Etymotic ER-4S up 'till now. I will have to let someone with more experience (you, maybe?) tell us what they think. In any event, the sound coming from these is simply phenomenal throughout the frequency range!
When you get them, you will note that the "pots" on the attenuation pod are basically off (4 o'clock) and thus allow 100% LF through. This will most likely be too much for the average taste, so you may want to back them down to around 1 o'clock as a good starting point. As you can see, I have them set to 2 o'clock for now (range is 8-4 o'clock)
My personal goal with IEMs is not to have them be 100% sonically faithful - as one might say the Etymotics aspire to be. Rather, I want IEMs to engage me as much as my Grado SR-225 open-cans do, in terms of soundstage, attack and reasonably-fair representation throughout the entire frequency range. If I were to define my SR-225s as a "V" curve, I would say the Angies are almost a (shallow) double-V with a small hump to represent the mids. They are for sure a "mid-forward" IEM as Jerry himself has stated in many interviews. Vocals are up front and personal. Soundstage is comfortably wide, less so in depth. At least that is my impression after the first ~ 10 days of auditioning; More to come but again, I assure you that I am far from the best to consult in terms of grading any IEMS in terms of sonic signature and/or quality.
I am happy with them but I cannot promise myself - or anyone else for that matter - that they are worth the asking price. I would have to try out a half-dozen similar IEMs in a broader price range to make such a determination and I am not planning to do so (lack of $ for that). Good luck to you and please do let us have your feedback as well!
really nice photoshoot!
also really nice review
