petetheroadie
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2015
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@MannerPylon, they're nice! Enjoy!
That's because it's BA bass. If you want to feel the bass, go for a dynamic driver IEM. Not even the best BA TOTL will give the bass impact and punch of a decent dynamic driver.
I'll have photos of my finished CIEM Encores in the morning apparently (per Sunny).
Time to try to get some sleep!
Damn. Still blue. Rebuild number 2 coming up
Just got my custom Katana's today... for my first CIEM the fit is outstanding in a way that any universal hasn't even gotten close to. According to my audiologist I've got very narrow ear canals which was probably was every universal left me sore after a few hours.
The sound is pretty astonishing for such a small package, eager to put them through their paces.
Challenge Accepted
Having never had a CIEM before, new experience all around, but very much enjoying it.
Quick first impressions (MacBook Pro -> Audirvana+ with high res content -> USB -> Mojo -> Katana):
The mini Pelican case is cool!
Fit was very comfortable with a reasonable seal, once I figured out which end was up
- I have never in my life been able to have IEMs, because I've never been able to get a reasonable seal with stock tips (apparently my ear canals are atypical)
- I was apprehensive about having fit issues even with CIEMs, but the fit is absolutely fantastic, stable, and invisible (couldn't be happier)
Absolutely gorgeous
- Social acceptance factor WAAYYY higher than my Senn HD800's or Audio Zenith PMx2's
- I would have zero issue wearing these to the store or as I walk around (key reason I bought them)
Isolation was surprisingly pleasant (not annoying at all)
- Didn't feel like I was boxed in a small room...rather, like sitting in a quiet room at the end of the day, which is exactly what it should be
- No complaints from my cube neighbors (another reason I bought them)
- Looking forward to seeing how they do on an airplane or other noisy setting
Bass is a bit thinner than I thought it would be (I'm a neutral headphone guy, not a basshead)
- I don't think it is the seal (seal seems good, and applying pressure isn't changing tone for me)
- It seems like I'm hearing bass, but not feeling it...new experience for me
- More I've been listening, the more I'm learning what to listen for?
The precision and dynamics in the mids and highs are mighty impressive
- In particular, well recorded piano is amazing with these things, as are orchestral pieces (you just can't overwhelm them...pretty cool)
Good recordings REALLY make a difference in playback
- Chesky catalog is fantastic, as is stuff from Blue Coast Records
The vertical soundstage seems a lot more compressed and less resolved than the left/right sound stage
- I'm going to need to fiddle with this...may need some cross talk to open things up
- As is, for small jazz ensembles, I'm not getting the in the room experience I'm used to with my cans and 2 channel setup
Net net: Couldn't ask for better comfort, aesthetics, and social acceptability. The speed and responsiveness of the sound is fantastic (almost unbelievably so), and I appreciate the very neutral sound. I need to learn more about listening to bass in this way (pretty intriguing experience actually), and still need to play around with what can be done to influence the soundstage, but that is part of the fun!
Thanks to Brannan, Sunny, Ally, and whole team for the help and support in getting my order done and delivered.
Katana vs Encore which one has smoother treble and better bass ? I'm sensitive with treble. Im about to get one but don't know which one is for me. Will it be worth to upgrade from campfire vega ?
Challenge Accepted
I'd rather hear the Encore first and other TOTL BA IEM's (acronym frenzy! haha) before making such a judgement
The Encore and the K10 can deliver some serious bass slam. Before the K10 I had the 8.A (another Dr Moulton design) and that one made me leave dynamic drivers behind. Truth is, there is no Ultimate Truth in this matter. Some prefer DD bass, some prefer BA. But if Dr M comes up with a hybrid design, I sure would love to audition it. Since we're doing wishful thinking, maybe a Sage hybrid? Highs & mids from the Sage plus a DD for the low end should result in a reasonably priced and VERY enjoyable iem!