[Sound Eq]

   
If you like warmer tonality Mojo with Ref.1 was quite good.
 
I felt the stage was suffering a little and layering, although it was quite excellent overall. The bass extension was insanely deep and caused that pressure feeling in my chest. For (my prefrences) I'm enjoying AK300 more than I did Mojo with the Tralucent earphones.
 
*waits for noobs to read this and run away saying H20 said AK300 is better than Mojo*

well let me chime in with ref1 i also prefer my ak380 than using my mojo, so I am not running away

 

[Sound Eq]

I really need to ab more, but suffice it to say, according to what you typed, the P5 is the ideal choice. I'd venture a guess that most people would prefer the P5 over the Ref 1... I'm the exception, although I went walking today and grabbed the P5.

My mojo is needing charge, so I'm listening through my S7 Edge...wow. Huge difference. I should have grabbed at least my X7, truly disappointing with this stupid phone.

this means i am not going to wait for note 6 and i will grab an htc 10, as sometimes i just use a phone on the road with iems
 
samsung has good phones but so bad sound quality for music
 
dam if only htc 10 had a bigger screen it would be perfect

 

[Wyd4]

I would like to add my thoughts........

To me it's not so much transparency as I feel the Ref.1 is very transparent in achieving what it was designed for. I think how the plus5 excels is that it is far more insightful to the recording/music played.

Both IEMs are revealing and transparent, however, the plus5 portrays to me, how the artists wants it's audience to hear their music.

Hi Gavin,

To that end, what was the intention of the ref1too tuning?

The ref 1 is my favorite iem. Do not take this as a negative, just curious as to the aim when it was tuned.

I actually think if I heard the plus5 I would probably prefer it to the ref1, as I always tended to go towards the more bright or neutral sources with them (cayin n6, ak100ii etc) chasing as much treble detail as I could from them.

Once I get a ref1 again I might have to try some of the new generation ak players.

 

[spkrs01]

@Wyd4
 
In reply, the tuning pf the Ref.1 Too can be explained better as follows:-
 
I tend go to a lot of venues to listen to live music, I feel that in such places the bass is the foundation to the music, and also that once bass notes are started, and besides the first few, it never dissipates but continues........ bearing in mind a 20hz notes has a wavelength of over 50ft. 
 
Also the sonics are slightly more diffused as opposed to pinpoint accuracy. Pinpoint accuracy is usually a consequence of listening with one's eyes at live venues.
 
One aspect that people overlook is how bass actually adds to forming space and boundaries, plus extending the scale of the space as opposed to just providing a beat and foundation to music. 
 
Hope the above illustrates better the rationale behind the tuning of the Ref.1

 

[H20Fidelity]

BAHAHA

I am so hitting the boards with that quote.

Cant believe you would dare put such a low end astell n kern model above the coveted untouchable mojo!

To be honest my favourite DAP with the ref1 was the Cayin n6.  When I had it it was one of the earlier firmwares.  Bright, resolving but powerful and tight through the lows.


Kind of brought the highs up and tightened the bass of the REf1 to a level that I found perfect.

I would like to add my thoughts........

To me it's not so much transparency as I feel the Ref.1 is very transparent in achieving what it was designed for. I think how the plus5 excels is that it is far more insightful to the recording/music played.

Both IEMs are revealing and transparent, however, the plus5 portrays to me, how the artists wants it's audience to hear their music.

well let me chime in with ref1 i also prefer my ak380 than using my mojo, so I am not running away

For me its now a case of extracting emotion from my music, the sound quality is already awesome with either Mojo or the AK300 no doubt however when you begin pulling feelings and a gut reaction from songs you know you're experiencing it a premium level. The AK player can accomplish this easier than Mojo could for me.

I'm really into this extraction or sensations from music, the sound is already excellent but becoming overwhelmed with a performers vocals or sections of music is that level I'm seeking.

 

[Wyd4]

@Wyd4


In reply, the tuning pf the Ref.1 Too can be explained better as follows:-

I tend go to a lot of venues to listen to live music, I feel that in such places the bass is the foundation to the music, and also that once bass notes are started, and besides the first few, it never dissipates but continues........ bearing in mind a 20hz notes has a wavelength of over 50ft. 

Also the sonics are slightly more diffused as opposed to pinpoint accuracy. Pinpoint accuracy is usually a consequence of listening with one's eyes at live venues.

One aspect that people overlook is how bass actually adds to forming space and boundaries, plus extending the scale of the space as opposed to just providing a beat and foundation to music. 

Hope the above illustrates better the rationale behind the tuning of the Ref.1

Thank you. I have a passion for live gigs large and small. Probably plays into why I love the ref1 so much.

 

[flymetothemoon]

I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how much I like the P5... Not enough to dethrone the Ref 1, but it's damn close. If the P5 had more bass, ref 1 would be knocked down, but it doesn't.

Just did some abing and the most noticeable difference, besides bass, are the highs. The P5 extends rather nicely, definitely bests the Ref 1 Too in that regard. Sadly, the P5 also makes the Ref 1 sound veiled. I'd never said that before, but it's true. Not sure about much else, but I can see myself grabbing for the P5 more often than I originally believed. Could be new toy syndrome as well. Also, uBer seems to make a more dramatic impact on the P5. I won't be cable swapping anymore though, I don't want to damage my IEMS. The uBer and stock cables are noticeably tighter on the Ref 1, enough to make me feel uncomfortable swapping cables on a regular basis.

 
 
Still a long way to go to "hear" the real P5 & Ref.1 Too as the road of burn in is long LOL

 

[H20Fidelity]

The only one I haven't heard is Ref.1 Too. 
 
I think something must be done about this...

 

[warrior1975]

Still a long way to go to "hear" the real P5 & Ref.1 Too as the road of burn in is long LOL

It will be a fun journey...

The only one I haven't heard is Ref.1 Too. 

I think something must be done about this...

I concur!!

 

[H20Fidelity]

I'll start throwing my Ref.1 violently around the room until something rattles inside, then negotiate some upgrade program.
 
Whatever you do don't tell spkrs though.

 

[coolcat]

The ref 1 too is really picky to the sources , tips and cables. I tired some of the daps available today, I read that mim said cowon P1 match well with the ref1too. I thought that the uber cable match well with them and I even try to find some after market cable. In the end HM901 balanced, spin fit and stock cable is my winning combination. To me, The problem lies in the bass and your test of music, for example cowon P1 sound good overall but the bass is slow and boomy, the Uber cable is a very good cable but it adds too much bass and the sound is too rich for my liking, even the tip, spiral dot for example gives me too much bass either. Ask me if I want to trade my Ref1too with something else because it is too picky, my answer is no. Once you find the combination which suits you the most , you will like the ref1too more.
This lead to my conclusion about some not so warm welcome reviews in the past about the ref 1, I think the reviewers have not much time to find the best combination

 

[tgdinamo]

  The ref 1 too is really picky to the sources , tips and cables. I tired some of the daps available today, I read that mim said cowon P1 match well with the ref1too. I thought that the uber cable match well with them and I even try to find some after market cable. In the end HM901 balanced, spin fit and stock cable is my winning combination. To me, The problem lies in the bass and your test of music, for example cowon P1 sound good overall but the bass is slow and boomy, the Uber cable is a very good cable but it adds too much bass and the sound is too rich for my liking, even the tip, spiral dot for example gives me too much bass either. Ask me if I want to trade my Ref1too with something else because it is too picky, my answer is no. Once you find the combination which suits you the most , you will like the ref1too more.
This lead to my conclusion about some not so warm welcome reviews in the past about the ref 1, I think the reviewers have not much time to find the best combination
 

 
It really does seem that finding the right pairing (with source/cables) is key. For me Ref 1 sounds really great with Tera, but I don't like it with LPG (too much bass). 1plus2 is the exact opposite - phenomenal with LPG but less then ideal with Tera...
However I have a feeling that the Plus5 with Uber (which I have on order and can't wait to try) will strike that balance and work perfectly with both sources (probably make my Ref1 and 1plus2 mostly obsolete - although I will never get rid of them).

 

[coolcat]

   
It really does seem that finding the right pairing (with source/cables) is key. For me Ref 1 sounds really great with Tera, but I don't like it with LPG (too much bass). 1plus2 is the exact opposite - phenomenal with LPG but less then ideal with Tera...
However I have a feeling that the Plus5 with Uber (which I have on order and can't wait to try) will strike that balance and work perfectly with both sources (probably make my Ref1 and 1plus2 mostly obsolete - although I will never get rid of them).

Based on what I read about the Plus 5 and my own experience with the Uber, I think the Uber + the plus5 should sound fantastic if you love your ref 1.  The great clarity and preciseness of the plus5 remain + fuller sound, super big soundstage + bass body and slam. lucky you

 

[warrior1975]

uBer with P5 is golden. Noticeable difference. I love it.

 

[Sound Eq]

i own ak380, cowon d, and mojo, the best sound for ref1 is the ak380 with no doubt what so ever
 
of course i am amping the ak380 with headstage arrow 5tx, its an absolute bliss that not the mojo or cowon d with head stage arrow 5tx can compete with
 
i even do not use any eq in ak380 and only use bass boost of headstage arrow 5tx
 
the mids are amaizng with ak380 and ref1, and the bass is so tight and no bloat whatsoever, soundstage hmmmm simply amazing
 
really end game source for ref1 is 
 
ak380--- headstage arrow 5tx best you can hear in my humble opinion, its amazing how I as an eq advocate do not use eq in ak380 at all, nor am i even tempted to use eq in ak380. Honestly ak380 is amazing but for me I find it expensive to keep, besides I have a volume wheel issue, so If I sell the ak380 I will buy the fiio x7 as I lost interest in cowon daps and the weird eq settings that is in cowon daps, and their regular eq is not to my liking at all as well. 
 
after that comes mojo- android with V4a which is amazing as well
 
i used to like cowon d with headstage but honestly its eq is so troublesome to setup and makes music sound artificial and the bass is so bloated, i wanted to buy cowon plenue s but my friend who owns it is still suing fiio e12 with his cowon plenue s and he told me without the e12 the sound is thin, and he too got bored and tired of using the eq settings in his cowon plenue s
 
right now cowon d is not used at all, honestly I changed my mind about cowon eq settings and do not like the eq options at all, I prefer using the eq in v4a and android by miles
 
also @warrior1975 likes his fiio x7 with v4a so I assume its a good source for ref1 as well