[Joe Bloggs]

From memory Joe said it had no dynamics off Shanling M9 Plus, but was better on HiBy RS6. I'll leave him to answer more.

As a rep of another manufacturer I don't think I will

Interesting, I feel like Storm sounds even plenty dynamic from the iPhone dongle (sacrilege I know), but I don't have portable DAP right now.

...but since those are my alleged remarks, I will clarify by saying that I would never consider any IEM or player to be less dynamic or more dynamic than exactly whatever music was playing, unless the IEM/player combo had like 20% THD (what it takes to shave a few dBs off dynamic peaks) or some DSP wizardry going on

 

[Yifang]

...but since those are my alleged remarks, I will clarify by saying that I would never consider any IEM or player to be less dynamic or more dynamic than exactly whatever music was playing, unless the IEM/player combo had like 20% THD (what it takes to shave a few dBs off dynamic peaks) or some DSP wizardry going on

Ah yes that's the part I forgot about my bad, it was the DSP filters you had on the RS6 that made it a lot more enjoyable right?

 

[o0genesis0o]

some DSP wizardry going on

You mean your DSP wizardry

Anyhow, I pretty sure that, say, the FiiO M17 sounds much more slappy/slammy/dynamic/whatever than the my BTR5 sounds with the same pairing. Maybe the amplifier? My Symphonium IEMs sound noticeably sucky from apple dongle and other devices with weak amp.

 

[SilverLodestar]

Wow, this thread got hectic quickly. Thank you mods for moving the discussion.

On a side tangent, I’ve been cable/tip/source rolling with the Storm and I’ve come to a couple conclusions. Please bear with me as I don’t post much or have much technical knowledge.

Firstly, knowing how sensitive IEMs are to eartips, I started rolling a decent amount of my collection before fatigue set in. I found that my favorite tips were very wide-bored ones such as the JVC Spiral Dots/++ and Azla Sednafit (light, normal, short, and long all sounded good). They seemed to retain the bass and midrange elements while keeping the treble open and neutral. Narrow-bored tips seemed to attenuate spikes at frequencies I’m sensitive to in the treble, mostly from 6kHz to ~9kHz(?). Still looking for the perfect tips, but I’ve heard the Divinus Velvet tips are a good pairing.

Secondly, I tried a few cables I had on hand. I don’t have any expensive or TOTL cables, but I used the Mira 2W as a reference point. I’m normally not a big believer in cables making too much of a difference (if any) regarding sound, but the Storm is REALLY picky. I’m assuming it has something to do with the cable’s impedance or the material’s conductivity that’s causing these changes in the Storm’s overall sound characteristics. It seems like the Storm really plays well with silver-copper hybrid cables or SPC cables. The Effect Audio Ares 2W, PWAudio M2 Copper, and Thieaudio Monach MK2 stock cables all sounded awful. They seemed to greatly reduce both resolution and technical ability. Compared to the Mira 2W, they were a complete downgrade and took away what made the Storm so special in the first place. Next, I tried the NiceHCK MeetAlice and PWAudio Loki cables. Both of these synergized really well, especially the Loki 2W. I haven’t closely analyzed all the differences between the Loki and Mira, but according to my impressions, the Loki adds a tiny bit more warmth around the midbass and slightly takes the edge off the treble for me. I need to A/B these cables more closely in the near future, but I’d also love some suggestions for a cable upgrade from the Mira 2W that doesn’t completely break the bank like the Sov Symphony.

Lastly, sources. The only source I use on a daily basis is my iBasso DX320 with the stock AMP11 Mk2s. I tried the AMP11 Mk1, but it did not pair well with the Storm at all. I found that it added some odd upper-midrange and treble spice as well as making the midrange feel recessed/hallow. I haven’t tried any of the other module AMP cards like the AMP14 or AMP12 since that’s a $200+ gamble that I’ve already lost with the Mk1… If anyone has had success with either of these amps, lemme know! I’ve also seen a few comments on the Elise Audio Discord mentioning the Shanling M9 Plus as the best pocketable DAP to pair with the Storm with, so that might be a good upgrade as well.

I’ll be sure to post any updates of my journey with the Storm. So far it’s my favorite IEM hands-down, even compared to the Trailli, Anni 2021/2023, Elysian X. Massive kudos to the Subtonic team for engineering this absolute gem!

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Ah yes that's the part I forgot about my bad, it was the DSP filters you had on the RS6 that made it a lot more enjoyable right?

I think I ran into the wrong mix of anisongs on your DAP for the Storm for the most part, they were like the DR and spatially compressed fare I designed DRX10K for among other things
I'm sure there were better suited songs there but on an unfamiliar DAP I ran into what I ran into

 

[Doug2507]

Wow, this thread got hectic quickly. Thank you mods for moving the discussion.

On a side tangent, I’ve been cable/tip/source rolling with the Storm and I’ve come to a couple conclusions. Please bear with me as I don’t post much or have much technical knowledge.

Firstly, knowing how sensitive IEMs are to eartips, I started rolling a decent amount of my collection before fatigue set in. I found that my favorite tips were very wide-bored ones such as the JVC Spiral Dots/++ and Azla Sednafit (light, normal, short, and long all sounded good). They seemed to retain the bass and midrange elements while keeping the treble open and neutral. Narrow-bored tips seemed to attenuate spikes at frequencies I’m sensitive to in the treble, mostly from 6kHz to ~9kHz(?). Still looking for the perfect tips, but I’ve heard the Divinus Velvet tips are a good pairing.

Secondly, I tried a few cables I had on hand. I don’t have any expensive or TOTL cables, but I used the Mira 2W as a reference point. I’m normally not a big believer in cables making too much of a difference (if any) regarding sound, but the Storm is REALLY picky. I’m assuming it has something to do with the cable’s impedance or the material’s conductivity that’s causing these changes in the Storm’s overall sound characteristics. It seems like the Storm really plays well with silver-copper hybrid cables or SPC cables. The Effect Audio Ares 2W, PWAudio M2 Copper, and Thieaudio Monach MK2 stock cables all sounded awful. They seemed to greatly reduce both resolution and technical ability. Compared to the Mira 2W, they were a complete downgrade and took away what made the Storm so special in the first place. Next, I tried the NiceHCK MeetAlice and PWAudio Loki cables. Both of these synergized really well, especially the Loki 2W. I haven’t closely analyzed all the differences between the Loki and Mira, but according to my impressions, the Loki adds a tiny bit more warmth around the midbass and slightly takes the edge off the treble for me. I need to A/B these cables more closely in the near future, but I’d also love some suggestions for a cable upgrade from the Mira 2W that doesn’t completely break the bank like the Sov Symphony.

Lastly, sources. The only source I use on a daily basis is my iBasso DX320 with the stock AMP11 Mk2s. I tried the AMP11 Mk1, but it did not pair well with the Storm at all. I found that it added some odd upper-midrange and treble spice as well as making the midrange feel recessed/hallow. I haven’t tried any of the other module AMP cards like the AMP14 or AMP12 since that’s a $200+ gamble that I’ve already lost with the Mk1… If anyone has had success with either of these amps, lemme know! I’ve also seen a few comments on the Elise Audio Discord mentioning the Shanling M9 Plus as the best pocketable DAP to pair with the Storm with, so that might be a good upgrade as well.

I’ll be sure to post any updates of my journey with the Storm. So far it’s my favorite IEM hands-down, even compared to the Trailli, Anni 2021/2023, Elysian X. Massive kudos to the Subtonic team for engineering this absolute gem!

Have you asked Elise about trade in for Sov (2w)? Pretty sure it's half the cost of Symph, but still a bit of an outlay unfortunately...

 

[Doug2507]

Keep us posted!
I have the same configuration (and same case ) , worked with Steve several times and love his passion and expertise. I am interested in sending mine as well so I’m very curious.

After just 24hrs of running I'd say I don't think you could go wrong by giving Steve a shout and booking yours in.

 

[vsg28]

A STORM has arrived

The cable featured is the Nightjar Acoustics Sovereign 2W, one of the upgrade options for STORM.

 

[o0genesis0o]

A STORM has arrived





The cable featured is the Nightjar Acoustics Sovereign 2W, one of the upgrade options for STORM.

Interesting how every other IEM has a peak at 8kHz or so whilst storm and a big dip there.

 

[Tanalasta]

Wow, this thread got hectic quickly. Thank you mods for moving the discussion.

On a side tangent, I’ve been cable/tip/source rolling with the Storm and I’ve come to a couple conclusions. Please bear with me as I don’t post much or have much technical knowledge.

Firstly, knowing how sensitive IEMs are to eartips, I started rolling a decent amount of my collection before fatigue set in. I found that my favorite tips were very wide-bored ones such as the JVC Spiral Dots/++ and Azla Sednafit (light, normal, short, and long all sounded good). They seemed to retain the bass and midrange elements while keeping the treble open and neutral. Narrow-bored tips seemed to attenuate spikes at frequencies I’m sensitive to in the treble, mostly from 6kHz to ~9kHz(?). Still looking for the perfect tips, but I’ve heard the Divinus Velvet tips are a good pairing.

Secondly, I tried a few cables I had on hand. I don’t have any expensive or TOTL cables, but I used the Mira 2W as a reference point. I’m normally not a big believer in cables making too much of a difference (if any) regarding sound, but the Storm is REALLY picky. I’m assuming it has something to do with the cable’s impedance or the material’s conductivity that’s causing these changes in the Storm’s overall sound characteristics. It seems like the Storm really plays well with silver-copper hybrid cables or SPC cables. The Effect Audio Ares 2W, PWAudio M2 Copper, and Thieaudio Monach MK2 stock cables all sounded awful. They seemed to greatly reduce both resolution and technical ability. Compared to the Mira 2W, they were a complete downgrade and took away what made the Storm so special in the first place. Next, I tried the NiceHCK MeetAlice and PWAudio Loki cables. Both of these synergized really well, especially the Loki 2W. I haven’t closely analyzed all the differences between the Loki and Mira, but according to my impressions, the Loki adds a tiny bit more warmth around the midbass and slightly takes the edge off the treble for me. I need to A/B these cables more closely in the near future, but I’d also love some suggestions for a cable upgrade from the Mira 2W that doesn’t completely break the bank like the Sov Symphony.

I’ll be sure to post any updates of my journey with the Storm. So far it’s my favorite IEM hands-down, even compared to the Trailli, Anni 2021/2023, Elysian X. Massive kudos to the Subtonic team for engineering this absolute gem!

Tips are a very personal thing. And even sizing up v sizing down and insertion depth can drastically alter individual perception of the tuning.

There is a summary available https://www.audioreviews.org/guide-to-iem-silicone-eartips/

Popular tips that are comfortable but tend to work well with many IEM's include SpinFit CP100 ; Spinfit W1 ; Azla Crystal/XElastec against others.

The Mira 2W cable is already a top tier cable. In my (limited) experience with cables, the manufacturer stock and recommended cables are often already an ideal pairing. With upgrades, technicalities often improve but also the weight, scale and timbre of the sound. There is so much to cable magic than just the 'material' it is made from.

The Sovereign 2 wire would be the logical upgrade from the Mira. There is definitely an economy of scale and in the upgrade chain, there is DAC ; amplifier ; cable and IEM. I haven't seen much talk of the sovereign 2 wire and I assume those in a position to purchase the 2 wire to chase the utmost best they can extract from their IEM have gone that extra but extra for the 4 wire.

 

[toranku]

Interesting how every other IEM has a peak at 8kHz or so whilst storm and a big dip there.

Not a measurement error! On the 5128 it should also show a high Q dip around that region.

We tuned that high Q, narrow-band dip to reduce the intensity of cymbals whilst avoiding a muted treble so it STORM's cymbals still sound realistic! We've compared hundreds of STORM iterations before it was launched - and this particular tuning stood out to be the best.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Not a measurement error! On the 5128 it should also show a high Q dip around that region.

We tuned that high Q, narrow-band dip to reduce the intensity of cymbals whilst avoiding a muted treble so it STORM's cymbals still sound realistic! We've compared hundreds of STORM iterations before it was launched - and this particular tuning stood out to be the best.

Nice trick!

*noting down to EQ my IEM*

 

[Yifang]

Wow, this thread got hectic quickly. Thank you mods for moving the discussion.

On a side tangent, I’ve been cable/tip/source rolling with the Storm and I’ve come to a couple conclusions. Please bear with me as I don’t post much or have much technical knowledge.

Firstly, knowing how sensitive IEMs are to eartips, I started rolling a decent amount of my collection before fatigue set in. I found that my favorite tips were very wide-bored ones such as the JVC Spiral Dots/++ and Azla Sednafit (light, normal, short, and long all sounded good). They seemed to retain the bass and midrange elements while keeping the treble open and neutral. Narrow-bored tips seemed to attenuate spikes at frequencies I’m sensitive to in the treble, mostly from 6kHz to ~9kHz(?). Still looking for the perfect tips, but I’ve heard the Divinus Velvet tips are a good pairing.

Secondly, I tried a few cables I had on hand. I don’t have any expensive or TOTL cables, but I used the Mira 2W as a reference point. I’m normally not a big believer in cables making too much of a difference (if any) regarding sound, but the Storm is REALLY picky. I’m assuming it has something to do with the cable’s impedance or the material’s conductivity that’s causing these changes in the Storm’s overall sound characteristics. It seems like the Storm really plays well with silver-copper hybrid cables or SPC cables. The Effect Audio Ares 2W, PWAudio M2 Copper, and Thieaudio Monach MK2 stock cables all sounded awful. They seemed to greatly reduce both resolution and technical ability. Compared to the Mira 2W, they were a complete downgrade and took away what made the Storm so special in the first place. Next, I tried the NiceHCK MeetAlice and PWAudio Loki cables. Both of these synergized really well, especially the Loki 2W. I haven’t closely analyzed all the differences between the Loki and Mira, but according to my impressions, the Loki adds a tiny bit more warmth around the midbass and slightly takes the edge off the treble for me. I need to A/B these cables more closely in the near future, but I’d also love some suggestions for a cable upgrade from the Mira 2W that doesn’t completely break the bank like the Sov Symphony.

Lastly, sources. The only source I use on a daily basis is my iBasso DX320 with the stock AMP11 Mk2s. I tried the AMP11 Mk1, but it did not pair well with the Storm at all. I found that it added some odd upper-midrange and treble spice as well as making the midrange feel recessed/hallow. I haven’t tried any of the other module AMP cards like the AMP14 or AMP12 since that’s a $200+ gamble that I’ve already lost with the Mk1… If anyone has had success with either of these amps, lemme know! I’ve also seen a few comments on the Elise Audio Discord mentioning the Shanling M9 Plus as the best pocketable DAP to pair with the Storm with, so that might be a good upgrade as well.

I’ll be sure to post any updates of my journey with the Storm. So far it’s my favorite IEM hands-down, even compared to the Trailli, Anni 2021/2023, Elysian X. Massive kudos to the Subtonic team for engineering this absolute gem!

I use Divinus Velvets on mine which has been my favourite so far.

Get any of the Sovereign cables, it is a huge notable improvement over the Mira imo. In fact, Sovereign Symphony is just a cheating cable and easily the best I've ever tried.

I will also continue my M9 Plus shilling as the pocketable DAP for Storm, but I've tried the LP 7AE recently and now that's also on the list. Pricing, availability, UI and such is a different story though...

 

[LUCKBOX]

Regarding the re-launch of STORM in Q3...two questions.

1. Is the design set as pictured a couple pages back or is that still a WIP?

2. Is there any difference in the audio quality/tuning from the launch edition or is it just the case/design?

 

[slumberman]

1. Is the design set as pictured a couple pages back or is that still a WIP?

WIP

2. Is there any difference in the audio quality/tuning from the launch edition or is it just the case/design?

No sonic difference. Only different design and accessories.