[InvisibleInk]

Yea one comments of + and - won’t impact on HEXA‘s public reputation.

But I had to defend because Truthear’s spirit is respectable than those selling $$$$ rich people’s toy.

I’m defending Truthear’s spirit on challenge against high ballers.

I know what is poor and I have had my life in very poor communist china when I was young, everything were public property, including your residence.
Financially wealthy doesn’t mean one is superior, and as an old fan of audiophile, I’m very disappointed to see many started to offer $$$$ products including Sennheiser.

human : Rich and high purchasing power = Superior as a human ?

IEM : high price tag = superior as IEM?

Truthear and I’d add KZ too, are challenging on those ideologies of above, and for that I‘d fully support them for that challenge. It’s ideological thing over personal preferences.

Yeah but @kmmbd didn't mention any TOTL stuff in his review, just lower-priced sets like the Dunu Kima and Final Audio E3000. Nothing there should spark an ideological crusade on behalf for Truthear.

 

[Vonbuddy]

I'm a new member of the club too! I just picked up a set and am comparing them to the 7th Acoustics Supernova I also recently acquired. Both are great iems. I'll post some impressions once I've spent more time with them. I'll A/B them with them VX

How much is the Aur Audio Neon Pro?

 

[Ferdinando1968]

That Khadas Tone 2 Pro looks so cool! Does it sound as good as it looks?

Yes, it's a good DAC.
Crystal clear, uncolored sound, with no background noise.

Excellent analog signal on the pre-amplified outputs.

Outputs 3.5 and 4.4 can be used simultaneously. Does not support MQA from COAX.

Power output OK for IEMs, works for headphones too, but I prefer to use the Signature or the Gryphon.

Initially the particular configuration methodology leaves you a little confused, but you get used to it quickly.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Yeah but @kmmbd didn't mention any TOTL stuff in his review, just lower-priced sets like the Dunu Kima and Final Audio E3000. Nothing there should spark an ideological crusade on behalf for Truthear.

The weak point he mentioned is actually in alignment with mine too.

Focusing is OK level, Diffusion Field conformity is also average, band-specific technicalities on HEXA for treble and air bands are also somewhat demanding.

But even with those nitpicks HEXA is great IEM, and market basically is reacting to what HEXA supposed to be. Even after months of its debut, it’s still ringing the top ranks.

I had to defend to keep Truthear’s reputation so that it will not damage their future product release in achieving “great sound to vast majority of publics“ as opposing to “You have money? You get great sound, yes only 0.001% of world population is allowed“

How much is the Aur Audio Neon Pro?

$700-730USD depending on Singapore Dollar’s FX rate. Very expensive but as proper 10BA that’s close to very honest pricing. GS Audio offers ST10, a Vision Ears BA composition copy for $430, with very pale contributions margins on it, but tuning is not universally recommendable.

With Tuning of mixture of See Audio Neo and qdc Anole VX, Neon Pro is greatly tuned high performing supercar at honest pricing offer, and those supercars are handcrafted and hand matches each piece by piece, a true tailor made haute couture.

 

[Leonarfd]

Had some time with newest version of Focal Utopia today, best focal I have tried. But when using my NP as reference I did prefer the tonality of NP. Same for detail going to AüR. Soundstage is a win to Utopia, not weird since its a open headphone.

What I am trying to say is that the Neon Pro is a very good performer, that is priced to low for what you get. But that is good for us the Consumer.

With Tuning of mixture of See Audio Neo and qdc Anole VX, Neon Pro is greatly tuned high performing supercar at honest pricing offer, and those supercars are handcrafted and hand matches each piece by piece, a true tailor made haute couture.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Had some time with newest version of Focal Utopia today, best focal I have tried. But when using my NP as reference I did prefer the tonality of NP. Same for detail going to AüR. Utopia soundstage is a win to Utopia, not weird since its a open headphone.

What I am trying to say is that the Neon Pro is a very good performer, that is priced to low for what you get. But that is good for us the Consumer.

Yea, I’m supporting Aur Audio with both their tuning and performance , as well as their honest pricing spirit. Another “Great sound to vast majority of the world” type great challenging spirit as opposed to “only 0.0001% of rich people is allowed to buy our great sound” small enclosed business model.

 

[WAON303]

Question to Variations owners: Has anyone tried to add the scooped lower mids with EQ to success?

 

[nihil23]

The weak point he mentioned is actually in alignment with mine too.

Focusing is OK level, Diffusion Field conformity is also average, band-specific technicalities on HEXA for treble and air bands are also somewhat demanding.



But even with those nitpicks HEXA is great IEM, and market basically is reacting to what HEXA supposed to be. Even after months of its debut, it’s still ringing the top ranks.

I had to defend to keep Truthear’s reputation so that it will not damage their future product release in achieving “great sound to vast majority of publics“ as opposing to “You have money? You get great sound, yes only 0.001% of world population is allowed“

$700-730USD depending on Singapore Dollar’s FX rate. Very expensive but as proper 10BA that’s close to very honest pricing. GS Audio offers ST10, a Vision Ears BA composition copy for $430, with very pale contributions margins on it, but tuning is not universally recommendable.

With Tuning of mixture of See Audio Neo and qdc Anole VX, Neon Pro is greatly tuned high performing supercar at honest pricing offer, and those supercars are handcrafted and hand matches each piece by piece, a true tailor made haute couture.

Need to add SR5 in that comparison..

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

The thing is though, I'm thinking much of the soundstage has to do with source and song file? At least here with the Orchestra Lite, I am hearing that? It's not just the IEM that's making the soundstage?

Stage can definitely be reflected in source. That's for sure. Surprisingly. my Sony A17 actually has a HUGE soundstage presentation, which is bigger than the DX170 or even the A306. It's about equal to the Opus #3, which out of all my DAPS, has the biggest stage, but the Orchestra Lite's stage ain't no slouch. For sure. But for big stage, the M100 has it. In spades.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Need to add SR5 in that comparison..

Yea after burn-in sessions, I will add.

I’m considering following to be fully covered:

Sound Rhyme SR5
Moondrop Droplet
KZ ZES

ZES is overlook great sounding IEM, people ignored simply because it had KZ label on it. ZES tuning actually belongs to elegant one.

https://tidal.com/track/77622765
For tracks with extreme focus on cymbals diffusion, ZES proofed KZ has finally overcome the grainy bellsing timbre issue with proper implementation of MST.

I’m having NiceHKC BalckSoul to boost mid range of ZES as well as TRI Clarion for better open space expression, which actually reminds me of Mid switch flipped VX at some degree.

The MST of KZ finally matured and is no longer rough textured sounding. It’s actually very amazing one among many of those new releases

I’m suspecting KZ ZES trying to follow qdc Anole V14’s tuning.

The shell of ZES is somewhat succeeded from ZAX family, but it also reminds me of qdc Tiger at the same time. Maybe a coincidence maybe not.

Question to Variations owners: Has anyone tried to add the scooped lower mids with EQ to success?

I applied V-tune cables to Variations, and had quite entertaining moments.

 

[NiteRiter]

How much is the Aur Audio Neon Pro?

They were about $700. However, they are not showing on the website anymore. Hmmmm.

https://www.auraudio.store/

 

[Leonarfd]

They were about $700. However, they are not showing on the website anymore. Hmmmm.

https://www.auraudio.store/

They mentioned it on Facebook and in the AüR thread, they are just not taking orders until 1 of April.

Abel are working on a new project that is coming soon, and they don't want a big backlog. Got some inside information

And there they sold out Aure also.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Stage can definitely be reflected in source. That's for sure. Surprisingly. my Sony A17 actually has a HUGE soundstage presentation, which is bigger than the DX170 or even the A306. It's about equal to the Opus #3, which out of all my DAPS, has the biggest stage, but the Orchestra Lite's stage ain't no slouch. For sure. But for big stage, the M100 has it. In spades.

Yes and even DAP’s DSP functions.

My FiiO M11Pro has “All-to-DSD” DSP function which basically converts all PCM signals to DSD, to lower bitrate tracks that does pretty good job, but for MQA quality, that DSP actually does lossy conversions.

One thing special about this FiiO’s All-to-DSD is that it adds a crossfeed of left and right channels, which will result a increased imaging 3D depth as well as better imaging focus. My Sony DAP also has similar crossfeed function which works great too. Staging is very source dependent that’s for sure.

 

[o0genesis0o]

IEM : high price tag = superior as IEM?

I guess you need to define "superior". Is it only adherence to a sensible target? If that's the case, sub $50 options are many.

The elusive "technical performance" is tricker. If one is in the camp "technical performance is a meme", then by all means, your sub $50 IEM has beaten the game and made a fool out of all audiofools who spend crazy bucks on these ear toys.

But for many of us who like IEMs / headphones, I believe we do recognise that difference in "technical performance", regardless of how each of us actually define it in words. Getting that "technical performance" is a tricky business that even throwing money in does not guarantee the outcome. We have all seen poor kilobuck IEMs (and I have not been refrained from calling them out if I am (un)lucky enough to listen to them).

But there are some truely exceptional kilobuck IEMs that achieve beyond the "good" level. I tend to think of them as superb stuffs that happen to cost pretty pennies, rather than expensive-so-they-are-good. The existence of these IEMs puzzles me, because what makes them unique, from a technology perspective, that prevents cheaper options from achieving the same results? Is it the tubeless design? Is it the proper use of EST drivers? I don't know.

All the recent good ones (P5, FH15, Orchestra Lite, JD7, and even that FW5) offer a level of price / performance that is unseen at the time I started this "hobby" with FH3. At the same time, they are not breaking into the "excellent" class held by the respectable TOTL yet. But I believe that, sooner or later, some one would penetrate the rank of Monarch II / U12T, and it would be glorious day for us in this thread (not the water cooler ). I can't wait for the day when I open a review with "yes, this budget IEM is as resolving as the Monarch and as spacious as Andromeda."

 

[o0genesis0o]

'unfortunately' I did more than keep an eye on them.
I like them enough, they seem sufficiently refined and fun to me.

What a beautiful contraption you have there.

KiwiEars Orchestra Lite is very mature. I changed my mind a bit. I like it. Need to get my brain adjust from days with the overly exciting Gaea

I used these IEMs to watch scenes from Star Trek Picard last night. The sound is more fun than expected. Very nice imaging. I can see IEMs being used for gaming, especially FPS.