james444
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2004
- Posts
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Tagline
Introduction
Legend has it, that Joe Zawinul, leader of the successful jazz band Weather Report, once saw himself confronted with a strange looking young guy... and the following dialog ensued: "Guy: Mr. Zawinul, I was at the concert tonight, been following your music and really love it. Joe: So, what do you want? Guy: I would like to play some of my music for you. Joe: Oh really? Whats your name? Guy: John Francis Pastorius III, and I'm the best bass player in the world. Joe: Get the ****** out of here!"
The rest, as they say, is (music) history...
So, what has this to do with the topic of this thread? Well, for starters I couldn't help but feel a little like Mr. Zawinul must have felt back then, when fellow member Joe Bloggs invaded my "$999 vs $99 Challenge Tour" thread lately and announced he had access to some kind of digital acoustic compensation thingy that could turn cheapo IEMs into top tiers. Here are two excerpts from his posts:
At that point, I must admit I felt dangerously close to citing Mr. Z.
Still, after some consideration, I decided to play along... firstly because I didn't want to come across as a spoilsport, secondly because I liked shotgunshane's "put up or shut up" reply, and above all because it never hurts to keep an open mind, even if your gut feeling says otherwise.
And so it begins...
Fast forward a few weeks and I'm holding Joe's package in my hands, containing the dynamic driver based Somic MH412 IEM (according to Joe, an upcoming new flagship, but still a cheapo). Plus a white Samsung Galaxy S3, preconfigured with Viper4Android (V4A). The latter includes two so-called "effect profiles", one to emulate an UE700 and another one that he calls "supreme filter". As much as I'm curious about his V4A compensation, I still decide to try the stock sound first.
Somic MH412 stock sound:
No beating around the bush, the MH412's stock sound isn't very convincing in my book. I can tell the mids are nicely detailed and treble seems quite smooth. But there's a substantial midbass bloom that muddies the low range, affects the lower mids and makes the MH412's overall sound signature a tad obnoxious to these ears. Not downright bad I'd say, but considering you can get more nicely balanced IEMs like the Ostry KC06 and Zero Audio Tenore for about $50 these days, a little underwhelming for sure.
Somic MH412 + V4A UE700 emulation:
Ok, time to fire up V4A and see whether Joe succeeded in emulating the UE700 I sent him. This was supposed to be my main challenge to him, and it takes only a few minutes of going back and forth between his emulation and a real UE700 before a mischievous grin starts to spread across my face. These two sound actually a lot more dissimilar than similar ... he didn't fare very well ... hehe, I knew it from the start, this whole digital compensation blah blah is nothing but wishful thinking!
Somic MH412 + V4A "supreme" mode:
And then, in an instant, that mischievous grin gets wiped off my face...
Listening impressions
Based on my early feedback, Joe and I agree to drop the UE700 challenge (he concedes he isn't quite happy with his emulation effort either). We decide to concentrate on the "supreme" mode, not only because it delivers by far the best sound quality, but also because (according to Joe) Somic plan to release their own version of V4A with optimization filters for Somic earphones built in.
So I've been listening to the MH412 + V4A combo for several weeks now and picked two "best bang for buck" IEMs (Ostry KC06 and Zero Audio Carbo Tenore, about $50) and two "top of the line" IEMs (UERM and AKG K3003, $1000+) for A/B comparisons:
(left to right: Tenore, KC06, MH412, UERM, K3003)
Test Tracks:
This is a selection of tracks I use for testing. I have all music in high-bitrate mp3s or better, and the linked YouTube versions may not do their original quality justice. (Sadly, there's no A-B repeat mode in Poweramp, so my usual testing regime which includes playing short passages of certain tracks in a loop proved to be more tedious than expected.)
1) Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 28 - II. Vivace alla Marcia (Daniel Barenboim):
Used to assess piano timbre, dynamics, noteweight and spatial realism; play entire track
2) Diana Krall - The Boy From Ipanema (Quiet Nights):
Used to assess cymbals timbre, treble resolution and transients; play a 30 seconds loop starting from 1:50.
3) Brasstronaut - Six Toes (Mount Chimaera):
Some very well recorded bass and drums on this track, used to assess low range clarity, resolution and dynamics; play a 90 seconds loop starting from 0:00.
4) Indigo Girls - I'll Change (Poseidon and the Bitter Bug):
Simply love their vocal and harmonic perfection. Used to assess mids, vocals and overall tonal balance; play entire track.
5) Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Love Circus (Wildweed):
Taken from an old album favorite of mine. Used to assess toe-tapping quality with rock, guitar reproduction and JLP's characteristic vocal timbre; play entire track.
6) DJ Koze - La Duquesa (Amygdala):
One of my 2013 favorites. Used to assess bass extension / speed / control and suitability for EDM in general; play entire track.
7) Dave Holland Quintet - Metamorphos (Live At Birdland):
Used to assess double bass timbre, consistency of noteweight across bass, mids and treble, soundstage, positioning; play a 150 seconds loop starting from 1:30.
8) Mahler - Symphony #2, 4th and 5th movement (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Jansons):
Used for holistic assessment: sound signature, timbre, dynamics, soundstage; play entire movements; YouTube version: 4th starts at 47:13, 5th at 52:25; this is at the same time some of the most beautiful music and one of the most demanding test tracks I know. The quiet "Urlicht" (primal light) movement is excellent for testing vocal intelligibility, subtlety and background, while the massive final movement demands everything from a phone. Not many phones I know are able to render the next two minutes after 60:00 convincingly and lifelike, conveying the authority of an orchestra in full force, while retaining clarity, separation of instruments and a coherent spatial image.
9) Weather Report - Teen Town (Heavy Weather):
"Bonus track" - this one's for Jaco; play entire track.
Impressions:
Well, for those who don't fancy the TL;DR version of my listening impressions, let's get right down to the basics: none of the contenders (Tenore, KC06, UERM, K3003) is a slouch in any way, but the MH412 + V4A combo sounds simply phenomenal! (Though it has to be said, that the MH412 without V4A can't hold a candle to any of the contenders in my book)
Stellar dynamics and dead-neutral piano timbre on track 1) with open and lifelike spatiality. The Tenore sound a tad more closed-in, and dare I say "plasticky" in comparison, while the KC06 are similarly open but noticeably warmer and slightly more edged in treble. Timbre on the UERM and K3003 is overall pretty close to the MH412, the UERM having a little more treble edge and less open soundstage, and the K3003 more warmth and a slight disparity in note-weight between low and high tones. Both top-tiers edge out the MH412 by an ever so small margin on track 2) by retaining better detail during decay of cymbals, but the latter is at least equal to the Tenore and KC06.
Drums on track 3) sound amazingly dynamic, detailed and clear on the MH412, while steering completely free of the mids and being in great balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. The KC06 offer similar dynamics but more midbass slam, and as a result, slightly less clarity. The Tenore sound least dynamic, slightly smeared and too subbass heavy in comparison, though the difference isn't as severe as my description may suggest. Again the UERM are very close in detail and clarity and tap maybe even a tad more reserved and analytical down low, but the MH412 offer better subbass, texture and compelling realism. The K3003 are highly engaging and probably the most dynamic of the bunch, but lose out in bass detail and clarity by a very slight margin.
Vocals on track 4) are extremely neutral, but rather dry and devoid of warmth with the MH412 + V4A, so I'm not sure whether people will actually like them in that regard. Virtually all contenders offer a little more warmth and mellowness with this track, above all the KC06 with their forward vocals and tasteful support from elevated midbass. But also the Tenore, K3003, and even the most analytical UERM sound a little more pleasing with this track. However, the MH412 may arguably be the most "honest" sounding of them all.
Ok, let's speed up things a bit, track 5) is rendered with very nice toe tapping / head bobbing drive, crunchy guitars, and Jeffrey Lee Pierce's idiosyncratic voice is spot-on. Granted, none of the contenders fall very short with this track, but still I feel the MH412 are slightly ahead of the KC06 and Tenore and about on par with the UERM and K3003. Do these cheapos show any weakness at all? Track 6) is on and they reach effortlessly down to the lowest lows while retaining extreme treble clarity and detail at the same time. The KC06 offer similarly good punch, but can't quite follow them all the way down, whereas the Tenore dive down similarly far, but with slightly more bloated subbass and less clarity. Between the UERM and K3003, it's the latter that win out in deep bass and maybe even trump the MH412 by remaining slightly more relaxed / detailed in treble... but don't forget this is a $1000+ 3-driver hybrid we're talking of, whereas the equally expensive UERM can (at best) keep up but not surpass the MH412 on this track.
Track 7) is my favorite to test soundstage / spatiality, 'cause I've repeatedly seen Dave play live and know exactly how his band members sound in relation to each other. What can I say, the MH412 pass this test too, and with flying colors. Positioning is very much in line with a front / middle audience seat in all three dimensions, and their consistency in response and noteweight makes for an impressively realistic layering and horizontal / vertical positioning of instruments. Again, the K3003 are spatially very close, but their slight inconsistency in noteweight renders Dave's bass a little more front-stage than it actually is. Same goes for the KC06 due to slight bass elevation, while the Tenore's bass timbre sounds slightly skewed towards the deep end, and their somewhat restrained dynamics don't quite convey the same sense of depth as the MH412. Lastly, the UERM sound spatially extremely accurate, though ultimately a tad less open and spacious than their cheapo challengers.
On to track 8), the "grand finale". Here I feel that the UERM have a slight edge over the others with the "Urlicht" movement, rendering vocals extremely smooth, refined and detailed. The K3003, MH412 and KC06 follow suit, while I'd rate the Tenore's detail and vocal intelligibility ever so slightly last of the bunch. But my ultimate litmus test are the 120 seconds after 60:00 in the last movement, particularly the passage past 60:35 (in the video), where the orchestra virtually explodes into a wall of sound. Extremely dynamic music, compared to the quiet preceding passages and the 4th movement, which causes all but my very best IEMs to lose composure and effortlessness at least, or sound brickwalled and congested at worst. The Tenore are an example of such IEMs in my book, as they seem to struggle and lose all effortlessness and depth during this passage. The KC06 fare a bit better, but have their treble go a bit wild during the climax of cymbal / percussion crashes. The K3003 sound borderline splashy, but otherwise remain admirably calm, controlled and spatially accurate. The UERM handle it with similar grace and composure, and so do, to my utter admiration, the MH412. They even retain the best control in treble of all contenders, while not missing out in top-end extension nor air, compared to the others.
Conclusion:
Legend has it, that Mr. Zawinul, after having offhandedly dismissed that strange looking young guy called John Francis Pastorius III, reconsidered his stance and arranged for an audition. This arguably proved to be one of the best decisions in his life, 'cause not only did this guy live up to his promise, but the subsequent "Jaco" years turned out to become the most successful period in Weather Report's band history, bringing us such terrific albums as "Black Market" (1976) und "Heavy Weather" (1977). The above "bonus track" 9) would never have seen the light of day in this form, would Mr. Z. not have kept an open mind in the end.
Likewise, I humbly eat my preconceptions, take my hat off to Joe Bloggs and concede that his "digital acoustic compensation" thingy is nothing less than a smashing success with the Somic MH412. I would have loved to shut him up for good, but alas... it was not to be.
And so I'm very glad I kept an open mind and played along, because otherwise I would have missed out on one of the best musical experiences I've ever come across. Make no mistake, the stock MH412 are nothing much to rave about and can't quite keep up with budget wonders like the Ostry KC06 and Zero Audio Tenores. But Joe's "supreme" optimization filter for V4A turns them into sonic monsters, not only surpassing both former contenders, but easily playing at eye level with giants like the UERM and K3003. Here's from a PM I sent to Joe right after my comparisons, "you kinda nailed the sound signature to fall pretty much midway between the UERM and K3003" and "in some way these cheapo challengers may even be the most transparent sounding IEMs I ever heard".
And yet, this is just one guy's opinion based on a single pair of (aging) ears, and only the collective mind can tell whether the latter are still functioning as designed. Well, that's what the "Put Up or Shut Up" Tour is for, which will involve the MH412 + V4A combo being sent to several esteemed fellow head-fiers, and will be shortly detailed in post #2.
(Disclaimer: I kinda stumbled into this challenge completely unprepared and know next to nothing about the MH412 in general or V4A in particular. For further questions about the upcoming new Somic flagship: please ask Joe. For further questions regarding V4A: please ask Joe. When in doubt about anything technical: please ask Joe.)
Thanks for reading.
Put up or shut up I say.
Introduction
Legend has it, that Joe Zawinul, leader of the successful jazz band Weather Report, once saw himself confronted with a strange looking young guy... and the following dialog ensued: "Guy: Mr. Zawinul, I was at the concert tonight, been following your music and really love it. Joe: So, what do you want? Guy: I would like to play some of my music for you. Joe: Oh really? Whats your name? Guy: John Francis Pastorius III, and I'm the best bass player in the world. Joe: Get the ****** out of here!"
The rest, as they say, is (music) history...
So, what has this to do with the topic of this thread? Well, for starters I couldn't help but feel a little like Mr. Zawinul must have felt back then, when fellow member Joe Bloggs invaded my "$999 vs $99 Challenge Tour" thread lately and announced he had access to some kind of digital acoustic compensation thingy that could turn cheapo IEMs into top tiers. Here are two excerpts from his posts:
I offer a new challenger that aims to not approximate, not equal, but exceed the UERM. And not for $99, but a fraction of the price.
I have applied digital acoustic compensation to $5 and $10 buds ... and have them reported as sounding like $200 and $500 respectively from industry insiders and audiophiles kept in the dark about their real identity.
At that point, I must admit I felt dangerously close to citing Mr. Z.
And so it begins...
Fast forward a few weeks and I'm holding Joe's package in my hands, containing the dynamic driver based Somic MH412 IEM (according to Joe, an upcoming new flagship, but still a cheapo). Plus a white Samsung Galaxy S3, preconfigured with Viper4Android (V4A). The latter includes two so-called "effect profiles", one to emulate an UE700 and another one that he calls "supreme filter". As much as I'm curious about his V4A compensation, I still decide to try the stock sound first.
Somic MH412 stock sound:
No beating around the bush, the MH412's stock sound isn't very convincing in my book. I can tell the mids are nicely detailed and treble seems quite smooth. But there's a substantial midbass bloom that muddies the low range, affects the lower mids and makes the MH412's overall sound signature a tad obnoxious to these ears. Not downright bad I'd say, but considering you can get more nicely balanced IEMs like the Ostry KC06 and Zero Audio Tenore for about $50 these days, a little underwhelming for sure.
Somic MH412 + V4A UE700 emulation:
Ok, time to fire up V4A and see whether Joe succeeded in emulating the UE700 I sent him. This was supposed to be my main challenge to him, and it takes only a few minutes of going back and forth between his emulation and a real UE700 before a mischievous grin starts to spread across my face. These two sound actually a lot more dissimilar than similar ... he didn't fare very well ... hehe, I knew it from the start, this whole digital compensation blah blah is nothing but wishful thinking!
Somic MH412 + V4A "supreme" mode:
And then, in an instant, that mischievous grin gets wiped off my face...
Listening impressions
Based on my early feedback, Joe and I agree to drop the UE700 challenge (he concedes he isn't quite happy with his emulation effort either). We decide to concentrate on the "supreme" mode, not only because it delivers by far the best sound quality, but also because (according to Joe) Somic plan to release their own version of V4A with optimization filters for Somic earphones built in.
So I've been listening to the MH412 + V4A combo for several weeks now and picked two "best bang for buck" IEMs (Ostry KC06 and Zero Audio Carbo Tenore, about $50) and two "top of the line" IEMs (UERM and AKG K3003, $1000+) for A/B comparisons:
(left to right: Tenore, KC06, MH412, UERM, K3003)
Test Tracks:
This is a selection of tracks I use for testing. I have all music in high-bitrate mp3s or better, and the linked YouTube versions may not do their original quality justice. (Sadly, there's no A-B repeat mode in Poweramp, so my usual testing regime which includes playing short passages of certain tracks in a loop proved to be more tedious than expected.)
1) Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 28 - II. Vivace alla Marcia (Daniel Barenboim):
Used to assess piano timbre, dynamics, noteweight and spatial realism; play entire track
2) Diana Krall - The Boy From Ipanema (Quiet Nights):
Used to assess cymbals timbre, treble resolution and transients; play a 30 seconds loop starting from 1:50.
3) Brasstronaut - Six Toes (Mount Chimaera):
Some very well recorded bass and drums on this track, used to assess low range clarity, resolution and dynamics; play a 90 seconds loop starting from 0:00.
4) Indigo Girls - I'll Change (Poseidon and the Bitter Bug):
Simply love their vocal and harmonic perfection. Used to assess mids, vocals and overall tonal balance; play entire track.
5) Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Love Circus (Wildweed):
Taken from an old album favorite of mine. Used to assess toe-tapping quality with rock, guitar reproduction and JLP's characteristic vocal timbre; play entire track.
6) DJ Koze - La Duquesa (Amygdala):
One of my 2013 favorites. Used to assess bass extension / speed / control and suitability for EDM in general; play entire track.
7) Dave Holland Quintet - Metamorphos (Live At Birdland):
Used to assess double bass timbre, consistency of noteweight across bass, mids and treble, soundstage, positioning; play a 150 seconds loop starting from 1:30.
8) Mahler - Symphony #2, 4th and 5th movement (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Jansons):
Used for holistic assessment: sound signature, timbre, dynamics, soundstage; play entire movements; YouTube version: 4th starts at 47:13, 5th at 52:25; this is at the same time some of the most beautiful music and one of the most demanding test tracks I know. The quiet "Urlicht" (primal light) movement is excellent for testing vocal intelligibility, subtlety and background, while the massive final movement demands everything from a phone. Not many phones I know are able to render the next two minutes after 60:00 convincingly and lifelike, conveying the authority of an orchestra in full force, while retaining clarity, separation of instruments and a coherent spatial image.
9) Weather Report - Teen Town (Heavy Weather):
"Bonus track" - this one's for Jaco; play entire track.
Impressions:
Well, for those who don't fancy the TL;DR version of my listening impressions, let's get right down to the basics: none of the contenders (Tenore, KC06, UERM, K3003) is a slouch in any way, but the MH412 + V4A combo sounds simply phenomenal! (Though it has to be said, that the MH412 without V4A can't hold a candle to any of the contenders in my book)
Stellar dynamics and dead-neutral piano timbre on track 1) with open and lifelike spatiality. The Tenore sound a tad more closed-in, and dare I say "plasticky" in comparison, while the KC06 are similarly open but noticeably warmer and slightly more edged in treble. Timbre on the UERM and K3003 is overall pretty close to the MH412, the UERM having a little more treble edge and less open soundstage, and the K3003 more warmth and a slight disparity in note-weight between low and high tones. Both top-tiers edge out the MH412 by an ever so small margin on track 2) by retaining better detail during decay of cymbals, but the latter is at least equal to the Tenore and KC06.
Drums on track 3) sound amazingly dynamic, detailed and clear on the MH412, while steering completely free of the mids and being in great balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. The KC06 offer similar dynamics but more midbass slam, and as a result, slightly less clarity. The Tenore sound least dynamic, slightly smeared and too subbass heavy in comparison, though the difference isn't as severe as my description may suggest. Again the UERM are very close in detail and clarity and tap maybe even a tad more reserved and analytical down low, but the MH412 offer better subbass, texture and compelling realism. The K3003 are highly engaging and probably the most dynamic of the bunch, but lose out in bass detail and clarity by a very slight margin.
Vocals on track 4) are extremely neutral, but rather dry and devoid of warmth with the MH412 + V4A, so I'm not sure whether people will actually like them in that regard. Virtually all contenders offer a little more warmth and mellowness with this track, above all the KC06 with their forward vocals and tasteful support from elevated midbass. But also the Tenore, K3003, and even the most analytical UERM sound a little more pleasing with this track. However, the MH412 may arguably be the most "honest" sounding of them all.
Ok, let's speed up things a bit, track 5) is rendered with very nice toe tapping / head bobbing drive, crunchy guitars, and Jeffrey Lee Pierce's idiosyncratic voice is spot-on. Granted, none of the contenders fall very short with this track, but still I feel the MH412 are slightly ahead of the KC06 and Tenore and about on par with the UERM and K3003. Do these cheapos show any weakness at all? Track 6) is on and they reach effortlessly down to the lowest lows while retaining extreme treble clarity and detail at the same time. The KC06 offer similarly good punch, but can't quite follow them all the way down, whereas the Tenore dive down similarly far, but with slightly more bloated subbass and less clarity. Between the UERM and K3003, it's the latter that win out in deep bass and maybe even trump the MH412 by remaining slightly more relaxed / detailed in treble... but don't forget this is a $1000+ 3-driver hybrid we're talking of, whereas the equally expensive UERM can (at best) keep up but not surpass the MH412 on this track.
Track 7) is my favorite to test soundstage / spatiality, 'cause I've repeatedly seen Dave play live and know exactly how his band members sound in relation to each other. What can I say, the MH412 pass this test too, and with flying colors. Positioning is very much in line with a front / middle audience seat in all three dimensions, and their consistency in response and noteweight makes for an impressively realistic layering and horizontal / vertical positioning of instruments. Again, the K3003 are spatially very close, but their slight inconsistency in noteweight renders Dave's bass a little more front-stage than it actually is. Same goes for the KC06 due to slight bass elevation, while the Tenore's bass timbre sounds slightly skewed towards the deep end, and their somewhat restrained dynamics don't quite convey the same sense of depth as the MH412. Lastly, the UERM sound spatially extremely accurate, though ultimately a tad less open and spacious than their cheapo challengers.
On to track 8), the "grand finale". Here I feel that the UERM have a slight edge over the others with the "Urlicht" movement, rendering vocals extremely smooth, refined and detailed. The K3003, MH412 and KC06 follow suit, while I'd rate the Tenore's detail and vocal intelligibility ever so slightly last of the bunch. But my ultimate litmus test are the 120 seconds after 60:00 in the last movement, particularly the passage past 60:35 (in the video), where the orchestra virtually explodes into a wall of sound. Extremely dynamic music, compared to the quiet preceding passages and the 4th movement, which causes all but my very best IEMs to lose composure and effortlessness at least, or sound brickwalled and congested at worst. The Tenore are an example of such IEMs in my book, as they seem to struggle and lose all effortlessness and depth during this passage. The KC06 fare a bit better, but have their treble go a bit wild during the climax of cymbal / percussion crashes. The K3003 sound borderline splashy, but otherwise remain admirably calm, controlled and spatially accurate. The UERM handle it with similar grace and composure, and so do, to my utter admiration, the MH412. They even retain the best control in treble of all contenders, while not missing out in top-end extension nor air, compared to the others.
Conclusion:
Legend has it, that Mr. Zawinul, after having offhandedly dismissed that strange looking young guy called John Francis Pastorius III, reconsidered his stance and arranged for an audition. This arguably proved to be one of the best decisions in his life, 'cause not only did this guy live up to his promise, but the subsequent "Jaco" years turned out to become the most successful period in Weather Report's band history, bringing us such terrific albums as "Black Market" (1976) und "Heavy Weather" (1977). The above "bonus track" 9) would never have seen the light of day in this form, would Mr. Z. not have kept an open mind in the end.
Likewise, I humbly eat my preconceptions, take my hat off to Joe Bloggs and concede that his "digital acoustic compensation" thingy is nothing less than a smashing success with the Somic MH412. I would have loved to shut him up for good, but alas... it was not to be.
And yet, this is just one guy's opinion based on a single pair of (aging) ears, and only the collective mind can tell whether the latter are still functioning as designed. Well, that's what the "Put Up or Shut Up" Tour is for, which will involve the MH412 + V4A combo being sent to several esteemed fellow head-fiers, and will be shortly detailed in post #2.
(Disclaimer: I kinda stumbled into this challenge completely unprepared and know next to nothing about the MH412 in general or V4A in particular. For further questions about the upcoming new Somic flagship: please ask Joe. For further questions regarding V4A: please ask Joe. When in doubt about anything technical: please ask Joe.)
Thanks for reading.