@baskingshark You recently reviewed the ZiiGaat Doscinco and also, elsewhere, I saw that you did the same with the Penon Liqueur tips, have you tried this combination? I'm interested in Liqueur, given the boom.
Awesome form factor. It feels good and looks very cool. A part of the back plate actually lights up. Again, can’t get over how cool the whole design is. It’s mostly metal and glass.
Smaller than what I expected. Every buttons are easy to reach and the DAP fits well in the palm.
The screen is likely where the cost cutting is. It’s 720p and is less colourful than what I expect coming from the beautiful screens on R6 Pro 2 and R8. But because of how small it is, videos are still sharp and enjoyable to watch.
Software highlights: MSEB, the plugin system, and SYSTEM-WIDE PEQ! If you want to experiment with tuning, this DAP is an invaluable tool. Just need to find an easy to EQ IEM, like the plain old Blessing 2 and you can also learn about tuning and make your own profile (or just use the autoEQ tool embedded in graphtool website like mine to generate a profile).
No software issue so far. Connection to my local media server (Jellyfin) is stable without any playback problem.
Preliminary sonic performance impressions: the stage is flatter than my W4 (not happy), the upper frequencies feel less refined, a bit “splashy” (not happy), but the dynamic is VERY good (very happy). Every transient feels snappy and the volume swings are large. The sound is somewhat aggressive and fun, reminding me of FiiO M17.
All impressions are based on U12t.
This DAP uses one pair of ESS DAC for PCM and one pair for DSD. The DSD seems to roll off more aggressively than the PCM. I think the ability to switch between these circuits is a future promise, not something available now.
Now, time to find and load up @Joe Bloggs ’s DSP plugins on this bad boy.
... you're writing in comparison to the EA 500LM. How many people, as many ears. I would say the exact opposite... The Trio may be great, but the EA 500LM, in my opinion, noticeably outperforms it in all of the categories mentioned. I use the gold nozzle one
Am I the only one who's a bit concerned by the rush of models into the market with tuning switches? The fad du jour?
Sure, switches give users more choices for tuning. But I fear that some companies releasing models with switches will get lazy with tuning decisions in the rush to market, thinking: "Ah, f*ck it. Just let the customer rub out that spike or elevate that dip with the switches."
I'm also an avid video gamer, and the dawn of all-online gaming about 20 years ago started an era in which many publishers release half-baked or unfinished games due to market and stock price pressure, knowing they can issue a bunch of post-release patches to fix the game. It's annoying as hell and leads to sloppy coding.
I fear the same with tuning of IEMs with switches by some companies, especially those that churn out new releases like a factory spitting out thousands of shower curtain rings per day. (Ode to Del Griffith of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles!")
Sure, my AS24 is on the way but so far, I have not owned or tried earbuds with tuning switches... seeing that I wish that the new Symphony had some switches to reduce the bass on an otherwise stellar IEM, I think tuning switches are a boon, especially for people like me who use them for streaming music from apps that don't support EQ. [told you I'm no professional audiophile haha.]
We have the big kahuna, the KZ AS24, with 8 tuning switches per housing to give 256 permutations in tuning! 256!!! That's kinda like throwing as much crap on the wall, and hoping one of the 256 tunings stick. Are the tuners not confident in their sound, such that they have to scattergun nozzles and tuning switches as a crutch?
If the tuning nozzles/switches are well-implemented, with real substantial changes in the frequency response, then those are desirable, but lots of companies seem to be copying and loading switches just to ride on the hype.
At the end of the day, I rather a well tuned IEM with zero switches than some gimmicky ones.
I'm getting the AS24 soon so maybe I'll experiment a little, but I do not believe there's actually 256 tuning options. if you leave the switches the same but alternate trying say bass+ switch 2 vs 3, I don't see how that would have any impact at all because both just raise the bass a little.
I'm getting the AS24 soon so maybe I'll experiment a little, but I do not believe there's actually 256 tuning options. if you leave the switches the same but alternate trying say bass+ switch 2 vs 3, I don't see how that would have any impact at all because both just raise the bass a little.
Yeah so on paper even though it is touted to have 256 tuning permutations, in practice it is much less.
That's exactly my point above that these tuning switches are sometimes switcheroos, and are shoehorned in, so sometimes they are less practical and more of a marketing gimmick.
I spent the last 10-12 days with this stunning cable with my Madoo Type512, This one is the Vortex Eddie Square. Oscar from Vortex designed this cable taking inspiration from Eddie(one of the prominent reviewers from mainland China as he has always admired his work. This is a pure Copper Cable made up of high-purity OCC Copper cable with Silver-plated 5N LC-OFC Copper material shielding and then we have a beautiful black coloured outer sleeve with hints of purple in between. The cable has Effect Audio's ConX connectors and comes with a Basic set. It has a retail price of 299 USD.
About the design and build, the Eddie Square cable has a metallic Vortex logo Y-Splitter and a Metallic chin slider as well. The cable has fixed termination plug option, the one that I have has a 4.4mm termination. When I met Oscar at the CanJam, he told me that he has designed the Eddie Square as a pure copper cable, but has tried to achieve the sonic capabilities of a pure silver material cable.
When I tested it, I used the pair across different IEMs but mainly used only two so far extensively, the Kinera Verdandi, and the Madoo Type 512(I requested Oscar for Pentaconn connectors in the ConX bundle).
Sonic Abilities:- With Verdandi:-
Kinera Verdandi already comes with a high-quality cable from Flash Acoustics. Even then I notice good improvements with the Eddie Square Cable. The bass feels better controlled and the midrange has a better sense of openness. Vocals get a bit better textured as well with this cable. Lastly, the Treble region also gets better presentation with slightly added crispness and more air in the upper-frequency region.
Madoo Type 512:-
I feel Madoo and Eddie Square cable go hand in hand with performance. The cable greatly enhances the bass response of the Madoo as on its stock cable it sounds like a loose cannon. The Eddie Square cable shows better control in that regard, bass here feels a bit more refined as well. With improved control in the bass region, the midrange here with the Eddie 2 cable sounds more open and lively. This is also applicable in the treble region, which also sounds refined and has better prominence in the output as compared to the stock cable of the Madoo Type 512.
When. I compare these with other cables such as the Effect Audio Cadmus 8W or Eros S that are priced identically to the Vortex Eddie2, I would say tbe Eddie 2 is a bit ahead in terms of overall performance with more refinement than the Cadmus(which I feel is warmer and more intimate sounding cable) and smoother than the Eros S(Which I Feel is a bit detail-focused cable).
Final Words:-
Lastly, All I can say about Vortex Eddie Square if you are on the lookout for a minimalistic, yet high-performance IEM upgrade cable for your IEM, the Vortex Eddie 2 can be a good choice. Yes cable Rolling is drooling for me haha.
Awesome form factor. It feels good and looks very cool. A part of the back plate actually lights up. Again, can’t get over how cool the whole design is. It’s mostly metal and glass.
Smaller than what I expected. Every buttons are easy to reach and the DAP fits well in the palm.
The screen is likely where the cost cutting is. It’s 720p and is less colourful than what I expect coming from the beautiful screens on R6 Pro 2 and R8. But because of how small it is, videos are still sharp and enjoyable to watch.
Software highlights: MSEB, the plugin system, and SYSTEM-WIDE PEQ! If you want to experiment with tuning, this DAP is an invaluable tool. Just need to find an easy to EQ IEM, like the plain old Blessing 2 and you can also learn about tuning and make your own profile (or just use the autoEQ tool embedded in graphtool website like mine to generate a profile).
No software issue so far. Connection to my local media server (Jellyfin) is stable without any playback problem.
Preliminary sonic performance impressions: the stage is flatter than my W4 (not happy), the upper frequencies feel less refined, a bit “splashy” (not happy), but the dynamic is VERY good (very happy). Every transient feels snappy and the volume swings are large. The sound is somewhat aggressive and fun, reminding me of FiiO M17.
All impressions are based on U12t.
This DAP uses one pair of ESS DAC for PCM and one pair for DSD. The DSD seems to roll off more aggressively than the PCM. I think the ability to switch between these circuits is a future promise, not something available now.
Now, time to find and load up @Joe Bloggs ’s DSP plugins on this bad boy.
@baskingshark You recently reviewed the ZiiGaat Doscinco and also, elsewhere, I saw that you did the same with the Penon Liqueur tips, have you tried this combination? I'm interested in Liqueur, given the boom.
Yes the Penon Liqueur tips (orange ones) boost the lower bass (20 - 60 Hz) with this IEM. Quite subtle but in a quiet place (where sub-bass is better heard), you can tell this lowest frequency band is a bit more rumbly and extended.
It doesn't touch the mid-bass (60 - 200 Hz) much, more of the sub-bass (20 - 60 Hz). So no increase in mid-bass punch/thump.
Once again, we are referring to the Orange variant of these tips, the black ones are more balanced and less bassy.
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