[Currawong]

The first post seems to have made the page formatting go awry, so I've removed a table, which seems to have fixed it. I'll just paste it here.
 
 

Lear LCM-5 Hong Kong	$945 ($1091 as tested)	Design: Acrylic shell with three sound tubes. The cable is detachable and the sockets are flush with the shell.	Cable: The cable is coated with a shiny black PVC and is a bit thinner than the standard twisted CIEM cable. 4/10	Accessories: The LCM-5 comes with an accessory pack that includes an Otter box case, soft furry carrying pouch, cleaning tool, and cleaning fabric.  Closing the case can at times be challenging if the carrying pouch isn’t used as the cable can get caught in the seal area of the case.  6/10
Drivers/Configuration: 5 BA drivers in a 3-way configuration.  Single bass driver, dual midrange and dual treble drivers.	Build Quality: Very nice build quality with an excellent finish.	Isolation: Average for an acrylic shell. 5/10
	Sound Signature: Neutral yet capable with a detailed sound that is spacious.  While on the analytical side, the sound isn't overly so and has a nice musicality to it.	Sonic Strengths:  Great coherence and a good mix of analytical and musical sound without being overly bright	Sonic Weaknesses: Dynamics can suffer without a good source match.
Source Matching: The LCM-5 is amp dependent more so than DAC dependent as the LCM-5 requires a strong amp section to deliver good dynamics, but entry level DACs don’t hold the performance back too much.  As the Clip+ showed, an amp isn’t necessary, but there are improvements to be had by choosing the right amp.	Listening Volume Performance: The LCM-5 has steady volume performance from low volumes to high volumes.  The bass driver doesn’t need much power to kick in and still sounds adequate at lower volumes and doesn’t distort when the volume is turned up.	Contact Info:
Key words:
Summary:  With a neutral presentation of the midrange, tame yet capable bass, and ever so slightly bright treble, the LCM-5 offers its own flavor of “reference” sound that I found to be more neutral than most other “reference” tunings.  The LCM-5 excels in coherence across the frequency spectrum and has the ability to make less coherent competitors sound lacking.  Imaging is excellent and the presentation of the soundstage space is very good leading to a realistic sound which doesn’t focus on any one part of the spectrum.  While the LCM-5 is on the analytical side of things and has high levels of clarity, the level of detail recreated is average leading to a non-fatiguing sound despite neutral and analytical sound signature.  The LCM-5 is a great option for those that want neutrality and clarity with a non-offensive top end.
If you like: the CK10, the LCM-5 won't disappoint, and with the adapter cable, the ER4 sound signature is achieved with better resolution
Links: My full review	Updates:

 

[SilverEars]

Can anybody tell me which custom is the most detailed, clear, transparent, and neutral?  Thanks.
 
I've heard Hidition, is that true?

 

[Mython]

What makes for the most clarity does not necessarily make for the most neutral, but I would guess that many would propose that the NT6 gets closest, overall, to your description.
 
NT6-Pro is reputedly 'clearer', still, but this may be due to boosted treble, and boosted treble would not constitute 'neutral'.
 
SE-5 is known to have high levels of detail retrieval but can (to some ears, mine included) sound rather dark, so I would not consider it to be neutral.

 

[tupac0306]

  Can anybody tell me which custom is the most detailed, clear, transparent, and neutral?  Thanks.
 
I've heard Hidition, is that true?

Hidition NT6 is very neutral and clear, on the brighter side of neutral, perform better on instruments IMO
Spiral Ear 5 way is very detailed and transparent, on the warmer side of neutral, perform better on vocals IMO
They both sound closest to "neutral" to my ears.
 
Also there are other balanced CIEMs such as: ES EM6/32, JH13 FP, Noble Audio K10, Stage 2 and 3. 
You might like K10 and S2 if you enjoy Fitear to go 334 a lot. They are both very musical~
JH13 FP has great detail and imaging too. 
ES EM6/EM32 are dynamic, powerful.
 
To be honest, all these I mentioned above are within the range of neutral

 

[SilverEars]

What is the difference between pro and the regular NT6?  

 

[zachchen1996]

  What is the difference between pro and the regular NT6?  

 
the pro version has enhanced subbass

 

[tupac0306]

  What is the difference between pro and the regular NT6?  

Just go to Average joe's NT6 PRO's review in which it has the comparison between NT6 vs NT6 Pro.
 
Basically, NT6 pro is even clearer with lifted treble like mython said compared to the already super clear NT6. NT6's mid is not as forward as NT6 and the bass punch harder on bass heavy songs. NT6 pro can change the tone of certain songs a bit, while NT6 is more of a reference in ear monitors.

 

[average_joe]

  Can anybody tell me which custom is the most detailed, clear, transparent, and neutral?  Thanks.
 
I've heard Hidition, is that true?

 
 

  What makes for the most clarity does not necessarily make for the most neutral, but I would guess that many would propose that the NT6 gets closest, overall, to your description.
 
NT6-Pro is reputedly 'clearer', still, but this may be due to boosted treble, and boosted treble would not constitute 'neutral'.
 
SE-5 is known to have high levels of detail retrieval but can (to some ears, mine included) sound rather dark, so I would not consider it to be neutral.

 
True!
 
I was listening to the SE5, NT-6 pro, NT-6, and NT-6 with Whiplash Hybrid V3 cable not too long ago with a high performance DAC/headphone amp.  The SE5 and NT-6 with the Whiplash cable perform extremely well and are quite close in overall performance.  My ratings are here, and my listening reaffirmed the positioning in the chart.  The NT-6 pro is clearer than the NT-6, and not because it can sometimes sound brighter, but the NT-6 with the Whiplash cable beats both by a decent margin, and is more neutral than the NT-6 pro.
 
Let me add that clarity is different.  There is clarity and articulation.  What I mean by that is on CIEM can reproduce instruments that are well defined, detailed, and placed solidly in space with black space surrounding them for exceptional clarity.  However, another doesn't quite get to the same level, but the details are brought more to the forefront of the presentation, or articulated better.  Which is truly clearer, the CIEM where the details are easier to hear, or the one that has more detail and definition, but you have to listen more for it?
 
Also, neutral is in the ear of the beholder.  If you read enough on head-fi, you will find those that believe the HD-800 is more neutral than the LCD-2, and vice versa.  They sound different, so they both can't be neutral, right?  It is a matter of perspective.

 

[kenz]

Have heard both the NT-6 and NT-6 pro, and both just didn't do it for me somehow.
All the technicalities as what tupac and average joe mention are there but they didn't move me as how even my old JH13pro did (all auditioned on the same toxic silver widow cables). And NT-6 doesn't seem to be technically lower in terms of sonic delivery than JH13. The music (delivered from my ibasso DX50 to ALO rxMK3B+) seemed more dynamic "alive" on the JH13 over the NT-6/6pro. Tonally, JH13 seems "sweeter" if that makes any sense.
 
Also, the JH13 FP and JH16 FP were more enjoyable to my ears (in an audition of similar duration). Even Rooth's LS8 despite it's harsher highs (to my ears) and perhaps a touch less detailed, were more enjoyable than the NT-6 and NT-6 pro.

 

[Artem]

Hi all, has anyone heard/auditioned the CustomArt series?
 
I know Joker has high praise for the Music One and, from what I gathered from the CustomArt thread, this praise seems universal. However, I can't seem to find much information on the Pro330 V2. It seems like the Music One is more tuned for musicality and the Pro330 V2 is more for the analytical listening, but that's just the sense I get from reading the information on the website and some sporadic comments.
 
So I was hoping for a slightly more in-depth feedback on the pro and cons of both. Anyone?

 

[shakur1996]

I've had pro210. I have pro330v2. I've listened to Musice One.

There are reviews of both Music One and pro330v2 here on headfi. As for pro330 find a dedicated thread and look at the Custom Art general discussion thread.

 

[tomscy2000]

  Hi all, has anyone heard/auditioned the CustomArt series?  
I know Joker has high praise for the Music One and, from what I gathered from the CustomArt thread, this praise seems universal. However, I can't seem to find much information on the Pro330 V2. It seems like the Music One is more tuned for musicality and the Pro330 V2 is more for the analytical listening, but that's just the sense I get from reading the information on the website and some sporadic comments.
 
So I was hoping for a slightly more in-depth feedback on the pro and cons of both. Anyone?

 
I have the Pro100, but have heard the demos of the other models except the Music Two. However, I plan on purchasing a Music Two very soon.
 
From what I understand, Piotr tunes the Music series for slightly thicker decay rates in the bass. The Music One and Two are both vented, which will make the bass sound deeper and textured, but be slightly slower in transient response. I'm not sure if the Pro330 V2 is vented or not; I don't think so, however. Vocals for the the Music series look fairly neutral in response, with extra harmonic boosting for some "excitement".
 
Conversely, the Pro series is tuned for a clean decay response, so it's easy to hear the transient progression of music. They also tend to be more revealing of areas that tend to contain recording/mixing/EQ artifacts, which usually lies in the upper part and beyond the sibilance region. The vocal region is also tuned for accuracy, but tends to be slightly warmer and conservative with harmonics.
 
Is the Pro series not as good for music as are the Music models? Not necessarily. It really depends on what you value most when you listen to your music. I posted some brief thoughts from my experience with the demos a few months ago in the CA thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/663051/new-custom-iem-company-custom-art-discussion-review-and-appreciation-thread/540#post_10158051

 

[whoever]

  Hi all, has anyone heard/auditioned the CustomArt series?
 
I know Joker has high praise for the Music One and, from what I gathered from the CustomArt thread, this praise seems universal. However, I can't seem to find much information on the Pro330 V2. It seems like the Music One is more tuned for musicality and the Pro330 V2 is more for the analytical listening, but that's just the sense I get from reading the information on the website and some sporadic comments.
 
So I was hoping for a slightly more in-depth feedback on the pro and cons of both. Anyone?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/663051/new-custom-iem-company-custom-art-discussion-review-and-appreciation-thread
 
or
http://www.head-fi.org/t/697951/custom-art-pro330v2-review
 
I have the 330v2, and yet analytical, it is a great everyday CIEM. I'm neither a musician nor a technician, i just love music, and frankly, i think this is the best bang for the buck you can get if you want a silicone custom model which you'll never feel in your ear and can listen to without fatigue for 15h in a row....
It really depends on the source you have, a small impedance source is better in my opinion for the 330, i sold my a k100 and have a DX50 now + amp, and it's simply marvelous! Even without amp, the dx50 makes a great job, but i prefer to pair it with the arrow 3g (size is mini format and so portable), it brings deeper bass, yet stays very very clean. 

 

[Artem]

Thanks tomscy2000 and whoever for the quick responses!
 
I have a regular IPod now though, just waiting for the DX90 and X5 to become available at my region before jumping on one of them. I have been thinking about dropping by one of the authorised dealers for CustomArt to audition the Music One and the 330, but work is never ending and I might have to move soon. So I was thinking about making a blind purchase of either one of these. Given the high praise everyone has for the CustomArt creations, I think i cannot go wrong with either one.

 

[whoever]

  Thanks tomscy2000 and whoever for the quick responses!
 
I have a regular IPod now though, just waiting for the DX90 and X5 to become available at my region before jumping on one of them. I have been thinking about dropping by one of the authorised dealers for CustomArt to audition the Music One and the 330, but work is never ending and I might have to move soon. So I was thinking about making a blind purchase of either one of these. Given the high praise everyone has for the CustomArt creations, I think i cannot go wrong with either one.

Ipod is quite ok too actually, much better than ak100. because lower impedance....as long as you have quality files on it. I presume rockbox helps, but i didn't try, (was too dumb to install it).....it is at least ok to use it while waiting for another player. 
 
and yes, blind purchase is always good!