Thought I'll chime in on the Supra + Silver Dragon pairing (since I just received it after retermination), and will compare it to my memory of the Supra plus Linum BaX (I've sold it off).
In summary:
Significantly improved 1) separation, 2) clarity, 3) soundstage. I got mine second hand and feel that it is a worthwhile upgrade to the Linum Bax, kicks the Supras up a notch in terms of SQ. I'd imagine it would make the Legend R sound even better than it already is.
*do note that I'm using this with custom Supras, and not the universal version. Maybe @moedawg140 can give his impressions for that comparison.
Some background:
When I first received my Supras it took some time to get used to customs (since it is my first CIEM), and I felt that the soundstage was very closed in and small. Considering that I was coming from the Aurisonics Rockets, which had a slightly larger soundstage, I did take some time to adjust to the new sound signature. I did spend some time going around audio shops and trying out different cables. One thing I noted was that almost every other cable I auditioned gave a larger sense of space. I suspect that the Linum BaX's high impedance leading to added warmth causes the stage to feel more closed in. With the BaX I was getting a bottom tilted kind of signature, which is a departure from what I normally would prefer. For those of us with both universal and custom Supras I think the difference in signature is clearly discernible. The universal has a airier, open kind of feel with better treble response, more sparkly. The custom is darker with better bass response but treble takes a slight hit.
With the BaX, bass had good extension and weight but was a little too much for my tastes. Mids felt slightly forward, and the treble sounded slightly recessed to my ears. This I guessed was because of the deep fit of the customs, which improves the bass response but might alter the signature a little. The presentation on the whole felt a little raw but I still thought it was a decent for a first CIEM.
With the Silver Dragon, my first impressions were that it was a lot cleaner and had a more refined presentation than the BaX, together with a slightly larger stage and layering capabilities. Bass retains the extension but becomes significantly tighter, which is much more to my liking. The mids had become more... refined - much closer to the Rocket's magical mids. Treble was a nice surprise: I was getting better detail and extension without any harshness or sibilance, and it no longer felt recessed. Cymbal crashes are more pronounced and lost the slightly fuzzy edge that I had been hearing with the BaX.
I also own a plussound hybrid litz cable (was using this after I sold the linum), and right off the bat I would say that the SD edges out the hybrid litz marginally - in terms of more refined treble and marginally better separation.
I would highly recommend this cable as an upgrade for the Supras. Will give more thoughts when I do more careful listening. Hope this is helpful!
In summary:
Significantly improved 1) separation, 2) clarity, 3) soundstage. I got mine second hand and feel that it is a worthwhile upgrade to the Linum Bax, kicks the Supras up a notch in terms of SQ. I'd imagine it would make the Legend R sound even better than it already is.
*do note that I'm using this with custom Supras, and not the universal version. Maybe @moedawg140 can give his impressions for that comparison.
Some background:
When I first received my Supras it took some time to get used to customs (since it is my first CIEM), and I felt that the soundstage was very closed in and small. Considering that I was coming from the Aurisonics Rockets, which had a slightly larger soundstage, I did take some time to adjust to the new sound signature. I did spend some time going around audio shops and trying out different cables. One thing I noted was that almost every other cable I auditioned gave a larger sense of space. I suspect that the Linum BaX's high impedance leading to added warmth causes the stage to feel more closed in. With the BaX I was getting a bottom tilted kind of signature, which is a departure from what I normally would prefer. For those of us with both universal and custom Supras I think the difference in signature is clearly discernible. The universal has a airier, open kind of feel with better treble response, more sparkly. The custom is darker with better bass response but treble takes a slight hit.
With the BaX, bass had good extension and weight but was a little too much for my tastes. Mids felt slightly forward, and the treble sounded slightly recessed to my ears. This I guessed was because of the deep fit of the customs, which improves the bass response but might alter the signature a little. The presentation on the whole felt a little raw but I still thought it was a decent for a first CIEM.
With the Silver Dragon, my first impressions were that it was a lot cleaner and had a more refined presentation than the BaX, together with a slightly larger stage and layering capabilities. Bass retains the extension but becomes significantly tighter, which is much more to my liking. The mids had become more... refined - much closer to the Rocket's magical mids. Treble was a nice surprise: I was getting better detail and extension without any harshness or sibilance, and it no longer felt recessed. Cymbal crashes are more pronounced and lost the slightly fuzzy edge that I had been hearing with the BaX.
I also own a plussound hybrid litz cable (was using this after I sold the linum), and right off the bat I would say that the SD edges out the hybrid litz marginally - in terms of more refined treble and marginally better separation.
I would highly recommend this cable as an upgrade for the Supras. Will give more thoughts when I do more careful listening. Hope this is helpful!
