Bit late to the punch on my Day 1 impressions as I functionally passed out once I got home for the day.
Had a great first day yesterday, was super fun getting to talk and meet with some of yall during the show!
Noted things: I am quite the basshead. All listening was done through my Shanling M6 Pro AKM. Unless otherwise noted I found the universals quite uncomfortable, and I don't always get good seals owing to my ear anatomy.
FatFreq Scarlet:
Absolutely egregious bass cannon, so incredibly fun. Genuinely some of the best bass I've heard for just rocking out. Detail and texture aren't all there relative to other sets in the price range ($600 or so), but the bass is so incredibly well controlled for its extremely high level that it's a fair trade off imo.
Maestro SE:
The cleaner, better detailed cousin to the minis. Nothing too egregious in the bass department but still incredibly fun to listen to. The treble was able to fairly accurately get certain textures across and it did fairly well on some of my most demanding tracks.
Empire Ears Odin:
Definitely more resolving than the Maestro SE. Bass feels quite weak after listening to the FatFreq sets, though I think I get a worse seal off of Empire Ears universals. Not my thing, though I can somewhat understand the appeal.
Raven:
Stronger Separation than Odin. Stronger bass, more physical rumble. Just generally more "solid" or physical sounding than Odin. The physical sensation of the bass on certain songs was incredible. Almost all the way there on pulling nice texture out of the treble. The Raven did extremely well on some of the more demanding tracks I have. One of if not the favorite set I've heard.
Campfire Cascada:
Fairly bassy, doesn't seem to extend all the way down (nope, they do, just more impact focused than portraying that deep rumble). Fairly nice, though they feel a bit fatiguing on both ends of the spectrum. Isolate a lot better than other unis.
Supermoon:
Very deep fit. Incredibly detailed and good at pulling out texture. Can feel a bit too analytical and hot. Bass is good and tight but doesn't have much fun factor despite the somewhat elevated amount. They don't particularly do anything wrong, but I just feel kinda bored listening to them. For the price they are however, the detail they can pull is exceptional.
Bonneville:
Also a super deep fit, Jesus. Very fun and enjoyable set. Bass is better than Supermoon. Very well balanced (by my basshead standards), nothing particularly stood out though I do really enjoy just listening to them. (The borderline custom fit is probably helping a lot with the bass being this good). One of those sets where nothing stands out as being truly exceptional but I just absolutely love the experience of listening to them, almost a steal at their price.
64 Audio Volur:
Universal that's actually tolerable! Good ole 64 Audio Treble magic.
Trifecta:
Actually comfortable?? I think there's a peak somewhere bothering me. That bass lingers, very fun. Honestly just so odd, a very hard to describe set. I can understand why this one's so polarizing, nothing else like it.
Fir Electron:
another usableish uiem. Unique treble, solid bass. something feels a little bit off.
bass is deep and rumbly. Solid single DD, not particularly my thing though.
Viking Ragnar:
There's certainly treble there alright. Quite bass-light and sharp as far as my preferences go, though I could certainly see people who like brighter tunings enjoy it. Does extremely well on complex and demanding tracks, though can fall apart when asked to pull together texture across the full spectrum (the bass and treble don't always seem to connect nicely).
Elysian Annihilator 2023:
These hold their title for a reason. My god, do these sound way better amped off of my DAP than they did off of my Fiio BTR5 last year. Its also likely a preference for the 2023 than the 2021 model. Definitely a bit fatiguing. Bass genuinely works now. They do better at detail retrieval than any other set I tried in most cases, but do get a bit overwhelmed with two of my most difficult tracks.
Tia Trio:
Still got the treble magic and their unique solidity. Portrays texture like nothing else. Always been a personal favorite and they continue to be so.
Nostalgia Camelot:
Glittery? Treble. Solid bass, takes a backseat to the rest of the presentation. Actively shifts my focus towards the treble and vocals without it seeming super forward. Quite good at maintaining background details though you have to actively focus to notice them.