Had an excellent weekend at CanJam London, I hope to meet everyone again next time.
I have to sincerely thank everyone that have helped with organizing this amazing event and taken the effort to travel to UK only to be greeted by a cold and damp British summer.
Special shout out to moedawg140 and jude bringing in their own personal IEM collections for everyone to try out and especially moedawg140 for manning the IEM clinic throughout the weekend!
Money no object:
STAX SR-007Mk1 with BSHE
I personally can’t believe STAX have discontinued these in favour of the SR-007Mk2!
To my ears the SR-007Mk1 have the SR-009 beat for long listening sessions but unlike the SR-007Mk2 it was not overly warm and mellow. While it does not have the SR-009’s unique ultra-detailed presentation, the SR-007Mk1 is quite possibly the most realistic headphone I have ever heard.
Pioneer SE-MASTER1
Unlike many other high end statement products, it did not forget about building a pair of headphone that not only sounds good, looks good, fits well but also feels exquisite in your hands. The build remind me of the SR-009’s solid aluminium cups but even better with a better headband system. It had the best headband system that I have ever used, with adjustable clamp tension even with a metal construction. It is not light at 460g but it spreads the weight extremely well.
The sound actually reminded me of the SR-007MK2 but with a punchier bass and more treble presence, lush and relaxing. The price tag and the extremely limited availably of 1000 was a shame though, but I will certainly keep my eyes open for any deals for those even if it is going to be very unlikely.
MrSpeakers Ether
Finally a flagship orthodynamic that truly combines comfort, build quality and sound in a single package. A major upgrade from the Alpha Prime both in sound and build quality, certainly not the same headphone. To my ears, it’s a very neutral pair of headphone without any clear emphasis in any region. Excellent sound all round with minimal weight on your head that many flagship ortho tend to put on.
Comfortable, capable and sensible. I certainly like the sound of the Ether.
Questyle QP-1R
Simply one of, if not the best sounding standalone DAP I have ever heard. Undeniably premium construction, with 2 mircoSD card slots. It’s usable and very pocket able unlike many other high end DAP, while to me, sounds superior to many of them. It is going to give a rude awakening to the high end DAP market with a more reasonable price tag at $899USD.
Great price and performance
Oriolus
A hybrid IEM that didn’t sounds like one. The crossover is extremely well tuned and the whole IEM sounds simply coherent, with exceptional bass tightness too. Until I was told I assumed it was a full BA IEM with some monster low end driver in there.
But the highlight was the mids and highs for me. It simply had better treble extension than my MH334 without being remotely bright, it was clean and airy, the mids are similar in presentation and was very lush and intimate. It also have a very natural soundstage, not unlike the FitEar.
MSRP at $999USD, to me having spent significantly more on my custom MH334, seems like a bargain. Exceptional treble presentation and a natural sound signature, it is one of the best IEM I have ever heard.
Noble Savant
Sounds like a mini FitEar 334 with less than half the price. I personally love my FitEar MH334 to bits but the Savant was able to capture the essence of the MH334 and chop the price right down with worldwide availability. I did miss out a bit on the bass texture and punch but it can very well be improved with better seal, sadly I did not have enough time to play around with different ear tip options and sizes.
Lush mids, well defined bass, crisp high without being fatiguing with overall a hint of warmness, all for a rather reasonable price, kudos to Noble being sensible.
Fostex TH-500RP
This one is difficult. For my addiction to female vocal; the Fostex TH-500RP does vocal so well that I nearly bought it. However, it remain unspectacular in other areas. The overall build quality is great but the “leather” pads on it was not up to par and felt rather stiff.
If you are craving for super clear and lush mids the Fostex TH-500RP should be on your list to try, but try before you buy.
Promising prototypes
Jaben HyperDynamic
A hybrid IEM with a piezoelectric and dynamic driver, planning to launch at under $300USD(?).
The sound is very clean and well defined with exceptional low end, the treble on the prototype was a bit on the hot side for me but it remains clean and defined without any notable spikes heard. Really interested in seeing how this pairing will evolve in the future.
Others notable listens
The AKG N90Q combined silly amount of tech into one a pair of headphones, can’t wait to try out the final version with USB DAC working as well!
I was also pleasantly surprised by the new V-Moda Zn, it was such a departure from their standard bass heavy sound signature into a clean neutral presentation with a slight bass boost. While I can’t remember the exact MSRP, but it was relatively affordable, definitely have a look at those if you are looking for more affordable IEMs.