[Currawong]

 

did you paid full price for the ciem or was it sponsored by noble?

This seems like a very valid question.

 
It is actually in the Posting Guidelines as well:
 

 Importantly, please clarify, when expressing an opinion on or writing a review of equipment if it was discounted in any form at purchase or lent to you in exchange for you posting comments or reviews as well as any relationships you have or have had to audio equipment manufacturers or similar. We like everything to be open and transparent here and that includes whether or not people are receiving any financial or other benefit from posting.

 

[Mimouille]

  I can't speak for Kunlun, but as stated in the very first line of my review, mine were review samples from Noble Audio. This does not make it a "sponsored review" however. When I agreed to review the K10, I very clearly stated that if I didn't like them, I sure as hell would be saying so. Especially because at this price point, one should expect nothing short of aural perfection. Noble Audio had absolutely ZERO influence on my review. Just like I had zero influence on the design - I would NEVER have chosen an amber shell with gold nuggets, but when they turned up I had to admit that they indeed did look pretty damn good. 

There is no question on your review as you stated this quite explicitly.

 

[DeepGroove]

Thanks for the great review! Very exciting!
 
What would you compare the K10's sound signature with? Miracle, JH13fp?

 

[LouisLoh]

  I can't speak for Kunlun, but as stated in the very first line of my review, mine were review samples from Noble Audio. This does not make it a "sponsored review" however. When I agreed to review the K10, I very clearly stated that if I didn't like them, I sure as hell would be saying so. Especially because at this price point, one should expect nothing short of aural perfection. Noble Audio had absolutely ZERO influence on my review. Just like I had zero influence on the design - I would NEVER have chosen an amber shell with gold nuggets, but when they turned up I had to admit that they indeed did look pretty damn good. 

 
TBH, I feel the statement 'Noble Audio had absolutely ZERO influence on my review' doesn't carry any weight, and need not exist. We acknowledge that every review is going to be a subjective recount of the personal experience the reviewer has with the product, and this perspective is going to be coloured by multiple factors including brand influence (UNLESS double blinded experiments are conducted each and every time). Personally, I don't see any problem in that. In fact, I appreciate that what I read is unique to your personal experience. 
 
Likewise, you should expect (and even appreciate) that readers take your review with a pinch of salt. Otherwise, we would all just be looking at measurements and graphs, and this forum would not exist.
 
I think generally, readers look out for:
 
1. Reviewers' preferences (sonic and/or brand) according to listening history
2. Reviewers' credibility and integrity (e.g. has he/she changed his mind on multiple occasions just to pander to the readers?)
3. Potential external influences (e.g. sponsors, discounts, being friends with manufacturer)
 
Let your track record speak for itself - we do not need empty words of self-assurance. 

 

 

[Sorensiim]

   
TBH, I feel the statement 'Noble Audio had absolutely ZERO influence on my review' doesn't carry any weight, and need not exist. We acknowledge that every review is going to be a subjective recount of the personal experience the reviewer has with the product, and this perspective is going to be coloured by multiple factors including brand influence (UNLESS double blinded experiments are conducted each and every time). Personally, I don't see any problem in that. In fact, I appreciate that what I read is unique to your personal experience. 
 
Likewise, you should expect (and even appreciate) that readers take your review with a pinch of salt. Otherwise, we would all just be looking at measurements and graphs, and this forum would not exist.
 
I think generally, readers look out for:
 
1. Reviewers' preferences (sonic and/or brand) according to listening history
2. Reviewers' credibility and integrity (e.g. has he/she changed his mind on multiple occasions just to pander to the readers?)
3. Potential external influences (e.g. sponsors, discounts, being friends with manufacturer)
 
Let your track record speak for itself - we do not need empty words of self-assurance. 

 

When I shared my thoughts on the 8.A (which I paid in full) I got PM's acusing me of being a shill for Heir, getting paid for talking up their products... I told them they were either crazy or barking up the wrong tree.
 
And yes, people really need to realize that reviews are nothing but subjective opinions put into writing. Your post should actually be made a sticky in all subforums, especially the part about taking the reviewers track history and sonic preferences into account. 

 

[Kunlun]

There are always little things to edit when a review goes up:
 
I've updated my review to state that the Kaiser 10 I have is a review sample. To avoid bias, I listened to them for over two weeks and really got a clear sense of what they sound like. As always, I give the most honest take that I can on the earphones I review. The review, of course, only represents my take, but combined with Sorensiim's review, I think people can get a very good feel for how the Kaiser 10 will sound for them.
 
I've also updated my review with some exciting info: All Noble Audio products will be going out with a new edition of the Magnus cable at no extra charge!

 

[Currawong]

  There are always little things to edit when a review goes up:
 
I've updated my review to state that the Kaiser 10 I have is a review sample. To avoid bias, I listened to them for over two weeks and really got a clear sense of what they sound like. As always, I give the most honest take that I can on the earphones I review. The review, of course, only represents my take, but combined with Sorensiim's review, I think people can get a very good feel for how the Kaiser 10 will sound for them.
 
I've also updated my review with some exciting info: All Noble Audio products will be going out with a new edition of the Magnus cable at no extra charge!

 
Thanks for editing your review.
 
I would note (for future reference) that your comment about "exciting info" does sound like you are advertising for the company and is going to attract negative attention. I would suggest that that kind of info be reserved for the manufacturer to put on their web site (or post themselves if they are a sponsor). 

 

[DairyProduce]

Are there any comparisons with other CIEMs?

 

[Rednuht]

  Are there any comparisons with other CIEMs?

 
Soren did compare this to the 8A in his first review, and sometimes he mentioned about Merlin

 

[goodvibes]

  There are always little things to edit when a review goes up:
 
I've updated my review to state that the Kaiser 10 I have is a review sample. To avoid bias, I listened to them for over two weeks and really got a clear sense of what they sound like. As always, I give the most honest take that I can on the earphones I review. The review, of course, only represents my take, but combined with Sorensiim's review, I think people can get a very good feel for how the Kaiser 10 will sound for them.
 
I've also updated my review with some exciting info: All Noble Audio products will be going out with a new edition of the Magnus cable at no extra charge!

and that's the right way to do it. Unlike the previous post about double blind which removes the most important aspect of music listening, the abillity to relate to the art form and understand a musician's message. Goose bump factor if you will and it transcends frequency response charts or quick A/B comparisons. The human ear is able to understand and collate a dozen different things more cohesively than any measurement set or quick compare. 

 

[LouisLoh]

  When I shared my thoughts on the 8.A (which I paid in full) I got PM's acusing me of being a shill for Heir, getting paid for talking up their products... I told them they were either crazy or barking up the wrong tree.
 
And yes, people really need to realize that reviews are nothing but subjective opinions put into writing. Your post should actually be made a sticky in all subforums, especially the part about taking the reviewers track history and sonic preferences into account. 

 
Yeap, agreed.
 
I'm sorry that happened. However, I think the Head-Fi community at large is still thankful for all your reviews, sample or not. 

 

[LouisLoh]

  and that's the right way to do it. Unlike the previous post about double blind which removes the most important aspect of music listening, the abillity to relate to the art form and understand a musician's message. Goose bump factor if you will and it transcends frequency response charts or quick A/B comparisons. The human ear is able to understand and collate a dozen different things more cohesively than any measurement set or quick compare. 

 
Not sure if you understand what double-blinding means. 
 
1. It doesn't have to be quick
2. It doesn't mean you can't compare 'the ability to relate to the art form' of each gear (in fact, you can compare any aspect of 2 sets of gear)
 
And just to clarify, I was suggesting that no review can be truly 'free of bias' unless comparisons are double-blinded. However, I'm deeply appreciative that reviews on this site are 'biased' in their own ways that depict the reviewers' unique experiences with the product.
 
And sorry for the digression guys, let's get back on topic. 

 

[goodvibes]

Double blind becomes moot after more than a minute or so. It means you listen for the same thing over and over again in a comparison looking for differences which has little to do with music comprehension and everything to do with technical comparison. If you're listening to full piece of music, it's not considered a double blind or A/B and even that is not the same as living with a device for while and using it on a variety of sources etc. In an A/B, you are intentionally comparing one variable so it is only valid for that specific set of associated files and electronics. Better to get a full overview.

 

[LouisLoh]

  Double blind becomes moot after more than a minute or so. It means you listen for the same thing over and over again in a comparison looking for differences which has little to do with music comprehension and everything to do with technical comparison. If you're listening to full piece of music, it's not considered a double blind or A/B and even that is not the same as living with a device for while and using it on a variety of sources etc. In an A/B, you are intentionally comparing one variable so it is only valid for that specific set of associated files and electronics. Better to get a full overview.

 
I think you got it wrong here. Double blind simply means neither the conductor nor the subject of the experiment knows which gear he/she is listening to at that moment.
 
It has nothing to do with whether the variable compared is technical or musical. It does not necessitate the 'listen[ing] for the same thing over and over again'. 

 

[goodvibes]

Nice balanced review, Kunlun. Well done.