[Surf Monkey]

How much? Cost I mean.

Hmm. I don’t recall. I bought them with the early bird discount, whatever that was, back when they first came out.

 

[Echalon]

Artti R1

Having spent a couple of hours with these, I want to give some more in-depth impressions.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Artti or any link to selling music hardware, other than buying far too many IEMs. My opinion is just the opinion of one guy, and includes all my personal bias and tastes for particular sounds. I bought these with my own money, and am only reporting in such detail because there is so much interest in this set.

The unboxing is good: nicely presented, well above the KZ minimal style of packaging. The IEMs feel solid and well made, though the silver areas are not quite a perfect mirror finish. The case is small but rather nice. Two sets of eartips, and a copper cable that looks ok.

In the ear they are comfortable, though a bit larger than average. The nozzle is slightly short and thick. Unless you are particularly sensitive to any of these factors, it should not be a problem.

Plugging in, it’s clear that the R1 needs a bit more power than average to get to listening volume, though a phone should still be enough.

The sound is warm and musical, though it is more dependent on the source than most of my collection. On my Shanling M0 the tone was warm and engaging, but my Fiio M6’s slightly brighter tone had me switching to foam tips to tame a peak in the upper mids/low treble. Most are unlikely to be bothered by that, but I’m quite sensitive to those frequencies.

The bass is fast and has good texture, and is slightly elevated. This is not basshead set, but the bass is still a strong point, able to slam and rumble.

Mids are clear and natural, presenting both male and female vocals well. That slight peak in the upper mids adds to the clarity, helping vocals stand out.

Treble is a bit of a surprise if you are used to BA/EST treble as it has that big warm DD sound. Trebleheads may find it unsatisfying, but what it might lack in detail it makes up for in tonality.

Layering and sound stage are good, showing the benefit of multiple drivers. There is pleasing cohesion between the drivers, probably because there is no shift from DD to BA timbre across the frequencies.

Overall I really like this set. The standout qualities are vocal presentation and timbre, with the bass presentation and layering close behind. Treble details and that slight hot bump in upper mids / lower treble are the main negatives.

The R1 makes good use of the 3 DD setup, and stands up well to the crowd of other IEMs at this price point.


Edit: After leaving it to play overnight, the sound is smoother and the hot peak is much improved. I really like this set!

 

[theintention]

Neo5! I’ve been listening to mine this week. They’re great.

yep, new daily driver while I save for the next tier of set… or they release an est50 sequel.

 

[theintention]

How much? Cost I mean.

I got mine on AliExpress in a recent small sale for 278 USD

 

[keesue]

Swimming with the whales?

 

[r31ya]

Another week, another KZ/CCA

No other info other than this teaser image. Seems to be a CCA iems



Judging from the driver "slot", it seems to be 2 DD and 3 BA

 

[baskingshark]

Can someone please explain to me how a single driver can provide a 'soundstage' at all. What tricks do they use to make it feel spacious? I can see it with multiple drivers and timing and placement and implementation, but a single driver I have no clue.

Here are some ways these single driver sets use to boost soundstage:
1) Open backed design/vents - so sound leaks out and appears to come from outside the transducer. You get penalties in isolation but on the flip side, soundstage may be better.
2) Huge shell/housing - even if an IEM is not open backed, a huge shell allows soundwaves to be resonated within this huge cavity, and soundstage may appear to come from outside the ears if the shell body is extending outside the ears.
3) Deep V-shaped tuning - by deliberately toning down the midrange, this results in the treble and bass being more prominent. A very thick midrange may obscure the trailing notes of the treble, which contribute to the furthest borders of the soundstage.
4) Wider bore nozzle - similar to wider bore eartips, a bigger diameter in the nozzle may boost treble air and expand soundstage.

 

[saldsald]

My re-discovery of the Smabat ST-10s just changed my understanding of resolution of IEMs and then buds so I bought all these - 4 DD modules and the M5 to open my eyes. Not gonna lie, I ABed the ST-10s with something like Noble Ronin and thr ST-10s outclassed the Ronin in the treble and mids. Damping of the treble resolution by these tubes, shells and the blockage of air flow is really a big issue. But of course, you can hardly achieve the same level of bass with buds.
I bought also this custom pencil case to keep these modules nicely. Note these grills are designed to look like car wheels.

And a google translated table of these modules:

 

[thaslaya]

Is it common for people to sell their review pairs of iems?

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

Here are some ways these single driver sets use to boost soundstage:
1) Open backed design/vents - so sound leaks out and appears to come from outside the transducer. You get penalties in isolation but on the flip side, soundstage may be better.
2) Huge shell/housing - even if an IEM is not open backed, a huge shell allows soundwaves to be resonated within this huge cavity, and soundstage may appear to come from outside the ears if the shell body is extending outside the ears.
3) Deep V-shaped tuning - by deliberately toning down the midrange, this results in the treble and bass being more prominent. A very thick midrange may obscure the trailing notes of the treble, which contribute to the furthest borders of the soundstage.
4) Wider bore nozzle - similar to wider bore eartips, a bigger diameter in the nozzle may boost treble air and expand soundstage.

Exactly big stage , big bore , properly tuned shell, big vents,

 

[Nimweth]

Is it common for people to sell their review pairs of iems?

I donate mine to charity. It doesn't feel right to sell them.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

I donate mine to charity. It doesn't feel right to sell them.

I usually give them to other people who has some interest on audio enthusiasm.

 

[Jaytiss]

The price:

 

[o0genesis0o]

Is it common for people to sell their review pairs of iems?

It’s banned by headfi’s rule and just bad taste in general. I just hoard everything and send them on local tours if possible.

The price:

Higher than I expected, which is slightly disappointing. Still, 200-ish AUD is still a good deal for the sound. I can’t think of anything as good at A$200 at my local hifi store.

 

[saldsald]

And a google translated table of these modules:

My gosh, just listened to some oldies and the stereo imaging of the rain and car driving sound effect at the beginning was really breathtaking.