[planx]

1P2 Generalized: A really fun sounding IEM. By the end of the day, I can really say that the sound grew on me. I constantly changed from the 1P2 to PFE232 to ER-4S and to the K3003i so I tried being as fair to the 1P2 as I can. I definitely need a longer listen with the 1P2, but I was quite impressed.
 
1P2 + T1 amp: For others, an excellent match, for me, it was a pretty good match. The T1 with other IEMs, like the Audeo PFE232, felt like the bass was overwhelming, but with the 1P2, the bass was very strong and well controlled. I really like the bass from the 1P2 and liked it even more with the T1. Mids are brought forward more than listening to the 1P2 unamped, IMO nothing overly special about the mids. Quite warm sounding, very lush and full. With the PFE232, they really bring out female vocals, but with the 1P2, it feels like female vocals are just OKAY. A bit too thick sounding and maybe a bit muffled for my tastes. Both GG and I really adore good mids, and the 1P2 fell a bit short on producing special vocals with the T1 in my views. Treble is hard to explain. Noticeable sibilance at lower treble and after it sounds fine. Especially with Bjork’s “s” and “t”. People who likes a fun sound should find these two a great match.
 
1P2 + O2: Another good match was the O2 amp. Bass quantity was a bit short than the T1, but this is expected because the O2 is known to be a fairly neutral amp compared to the T1 and C421. Bass is much faster. Mids, surprise surprise… The 1P2 with O2 definitely sounds “cleaner” and “thinner” than the T1. This might be due to Cold Amp+Warm 1P2? Surprisingly good synergy between the two. YES FINALLY… Female vocals are considered “great” now by my standards. Much leaner and clearer than the T1 and this is all a preference thing. I think the Mids sounds much better on the O2 than the T1. Treble sibilance is still noticeable with the O2, no question about it. Again, the O2 just “feels” better in the treble to my ears. The T1 sounded a bit muffled, but the O2 sounds much clearer. Same story with the PFE232 with the two amps. I found the Treble much clearer and expressive on the O2 compared to the T1.
 
[size=11.0pt]My verdict? I think the O2 makes the 1P2 sound cleaner. But, I really love the way the T1 makes the 1P2 sound even more fun. The bass is really topnotch. T1 better than the O2? O2 better than the T1? Neither. They are just two different amps for different tastes.[/size]
 
1P2 VS PFE232 (Grey Filter): The 1P2 bass was both more impactful and cleaner than the PFE232. Go Dynamic driver! Male vocals were on par IMO. Neither achieves anything special here. Both are pretty good at it, but I always have high standards for mids. Overall, the PFE232 had better female vocals amped and unamped, but the 1P2 really surprised me with the O2 amp. Female vocals actually went from “pretty good” to “very enjoyable”. Something I couldn’t experience with the T1 amp. Treble, I think the PFE232 hits every sweetspot in the treble and that’s why I enjoy it oh so much. The PFE232 has a good amount of sparkle and isn’t overly aggressive. The sibilance is quite noticeable on the 1P2 and I rarely notice sibilance. Just something about the 1P2 with its lower treble/upper midrange that bothers me. Other than that little sibilance issue, really good treble. I found the treble to be a bit aggressive, but not upfront at all… I found this a bit odd and I asked GG if he thought the same thing. Treble situates nicely with the “fun” presentation the 1P2 demonstrates without being too hot or sparkly. The 1P2 soundstage felt both deeper and wider than the PFE232. Both has excellent instrument separation, felt that the 1P2 was better than the PFE232 in terms of instrument separation and soundstage depth and size.
 
1P2 VS AKG K3003i:
NOTE- I the comparison between the two was done at a shorter time frame than the 1P2 VS PFE232. Also, the Reference Filter was used.
 
No question, the bass on the 1P2 was more impactful. Control wise, they both seemed to do an excellent job at it. Mids on the K3003i sound much more forward, extremely detailed and really polite sounding. No signs of any Grado-like aggression here. I wouldn’t say that it’s subtle or soft, but it’s a forward and polite sound. String instruments like the Cello sound superb on the K3003i. Again, the K3003i is polite in the treble. A touch of sparkle without being aggressive. The 1P2 also had a nice touch of sparkle, but seemed overly aggressive. I just keep finding the K3003i to be overly polite and lose a sense of fun. Compared to the 1P2 it’s really Toyota Camry (K3003i) vs Ford Mustang (1P2), IN TERMS OF FUN. You can see the 1P2 doing doughnuts if it was really a car and you can see the K3003i just driving like a normal citizen; blending in, not doing anything radical in anyway. This was the sole reason why I chose the PFE232 over the K3003i. The K3003i may do things more things “correctly”, but both the PFE232 and 1P2 puts a smile over your face. Both are packed with FUN (Either you like it or you don’t) while the K3003i seems to be the socially neutral type (accepted by everyone, no reason to hate it but also not many reasons to love it). However, on a critical listening session, the K3003i is an absolute treat. Instrument separation is one of the best I’ve listened to. Reminds me of the Ety ER-4S with much more body and definition. I just felt that the 1P2 was better for pure enjoyment. In terms of fun, without a doubt the 1P2. In terms of detail and critical listening, the K3003i seems to dominate that market. I actually prefer it to the ER-4S because the ER-4S is TOO serious and the K3003i has more fun to it, even though I’ve been complaining how it sounds boring COMPARED to the 1P2.

 

[lee730]

Love the review Planx. Keep em coming guys lol. So planx would you consider the 1Plus2s treble more fatiguing than the AKG3003s? I actually found the AKGs treble to be more on the fatiguing side in comparison. We all do hear things differently. 

 
I never did find the AKGs to be boring though . However at times I did feel disconnected from the sound and thought that was related to coherency between the bass and mids. Strangely enough though using the treble filters really mitigated the issue but you had more opportunities for sibilance to creep in (although it's nothing in comparison to what I got on the EX1000s . What I loved most about the AKGs though is while out and about and not analyzing them, they just forced me to notice detail I'd have not noticed generally while out in a noisy environment. So they worked their magic on me in situations where it's generally harder to really get into the music.

 

[planx]

Quote:

Love the review Planx. Keep em coming guys lol. So planx would you consider the 1Plus2s treble more fatiguing than the AKG3003s? I actually found the AKGs treble to be more on the fatiguing side in comparison. We all do hear things differently.

I never did find the AKGs to be boring though lol . However at times I did feel disconnected from the sound and I felt that was related to coherency between the bass and mids. Strangely enough though I felt using the treble filter really mitigated the issue but you had more opportunities for sibilance (although its nothing in comparison to what I got on the EX1000s . What I loved most about the AKGs though is while out and about and not analyzing them. They just forced me to notice detail I'd have not noticed generally while out in a noisy environment.

 
Ah, I forgot to say that I was using the K3003i with the reference filters. Oddly, yes I found the 1P2 to be more fatiguing than the K3003i because I didn't find the K3003i fatiguing at all. To me, the K3003i had bit more sparkle, but was much more polite at it causing it to be very gentle on the ears. The 1P2 treble seemed a bit harsh and the sibilance was very prominent with the 1P2 to me. The K3003i were the epitome of balance within each other (Bass, Mids, Treble), but I couldn't get any fun out of them. It did everything reasonably well (often superbly well), but there was no significant "MAGIC" with the K3003i... The 1P2 MAGIC was the sheer bass and fun presentation and the K3003i's magic was... I can't think of one

 

[lee730]

Ahh. While I did find the AKGs treble to be more fatiguing, that's not saying it was in a bad way. Just I couldn't listen to them as long or as loud. But they did have an extremely smooth nature yet still peppy up top for me. Something I am not use to in an IEM. As you said the fun factor wasn't nearly as present though. I tend to lean towards musical enjoyment rather than pure analysis. If I wanted to analyze music I think I'd rather create it then lol . Too bad you didn't have an opportunity to hear them with the treble filters. The treble really has some energy in it, lots of emotion and it goes extremely well with certain tracks. I found female vocals to be quite nice with it although Medusa was likely to stick her ugly head out at times .
 

 

[planx]

I don't know about you lee, but GG and I preferred the 1P2 with the O2 over the T1 LOL. This was mainly due to our preference because we both liked the less muffled presentation the O2 demonstrated with the 1P2

 

[planx]

Quote:

Ahh. While I did find the AKGs treble to be more fatiguing, that's not saying it was in a bad way. Just I couldn't listen to them as long or as loud. But they did have an extremely smooth nature yet still peppy up top for me. Something I am not use to in an IEM.
 

 
I understand what you mean. They do have a slightly forward treble as well. Sibilance is ONE thing I cannot stand, but I usually do well with hot treble (Grado SR225i for example) so today was quite the interesting finds

 

[lee730]

Quote:

I don't know about you lee, but GG and I preferred the 1P2 with the O2 over the T1 LOL. This was mainly due to our preference because we both liked the less muffled presentation the O2 demonstrated with the 1P2

Well it really does come down to preference and sources can play a roll in it too . Like my DACport LX is a very transparent source and combining it with my UHA6 MKII with Op Amp 209 is just too much of a good thing. I get really tired fast listening to that pairing (silver wire makes it even worse lol). But when I change it to Op-Amp 8610 or 627AP its a completely different ball game. I still prefer copper wire for the LOD though as the treble and mids will become too peppy and forward for my liking.

 

[planx]

Quote:

Well it really does come down to preference and sources can play a roll in it too .

 
True true. All preference 

 
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try the 1P2 and T1!

 

[Girls Generation]

Actually, I just talked to Gavin and found out that the cable we are using with this demo tour is the silver/gold cable, which really explains why we are hearing the mid-bass bloom and the slightly less sparkly treble though it had quite the bite; sparkle and bite are very different terms. This added with the T1's lush and fuller sound stacks into a quite muddy sounding combination with the wrong music/genre. I asked Gavin if he could send me the silver cable, the one he has heard the 1plus2 with, and the one you currently posses. I'm guessing your cable has a small blue line running along the length? This may change things and give the T1 more appeal with the 1Plus2. I do enjoy the T1 with the ES5 though.
 
So no wonder why I was so confused about how an SPC cable would sound like this....
 
All of the above in one world: synergy. Silver/gold cable + T1 + dynamic bass driver = subpar synergy.
Quote:

I don't know about you lee, but GG and I preferred the 1P2 with the O2 over the T1 LOL. This was mainly due to our preference because we both liked the less muffled presentation the O2 demonstrated with the 1P2

 
Quote:

Well it really does come down to preference and sources can play a roll in it too . Like my DACport LX is a very transparent source and combining it with my UHA6 MKII with Op Amp 209 is just too much of a good thing. I get really tired fast listening to that pairing (silver wire makes it even worse lol). But when I change it to Op-Amp 8610 or 627AP its a completely different ball game. I still prefer copper wire for the LOD though as the treble and mids will become too peppy and forward for my liking.

 
 
YOU'RE WELCOME.
Quote:

 
True true. All preference 

 
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try the 1P2 and T1!

 

[planx]

Quote:

YOU'RE WELCOME.

 
NOT YOU FOO! YOU MADE ME CHAUFFEUR WHOLE DAY. YOU TAKE NO CREDIBILITY

 

[lee730]

Quote:

YOU'RE WELCOME.

 
Thank you too GG. I meant to share the love .
 
Regarding the cable bit. I really don't know if it would have that much of an effect or not GG. But if that is the case then I am more than happy to spend slightly less to keep my musical bliss . I do know that cables can make enough of a difference where it can make or break synergy. I have this happen all the time. Even with my LODs. My replacement cable is of a higher grade than my defective cable and I can tell you it does sound slightly better than the previous one. The bass is more controlled, treble seems smoother, and mids are slightly more lush and upfront. I'm skeptical myself regarding cable burn in but the sound didn't just appear better right off the bat. It was a tad edgy initially. I'm more apt to think the drivers themselves have undergone the actual burn in but who knows? Maybe the cable can undergo some form of burn in? Whatever the reason, I like . However if this really does change things for you GG could you keep us updated on this and maybe even give Planx another taste of the poison? .

 

[Girls Generation]

Took the words RIGHT out of my mouth. Literally right out. K3003i just doesn't have any "signature" sound to it. It's just a very well-rounded IEM with very impressive packaging and accessories. I just wished they were over-ear, not just straight down. The instrument separation and the soundstage was very impressive, I was quite surprised at how 3D-like and layered it was, definitely not something I expected from an IEM. It still isn't a full-sized for sure, but definitely not cram-everything-in-the-face. The mids were very forward actually, compared to the 1Plus2 which sounds a bit distant (the shallow V). However, when I put in my ES5, I was immediately shocked at how well they presented mids, the piano and the vocals, it's just so much cleaner, polished, and extremly, extremly, extremely smooth.
Quote:

It did everything reasonably well (often superbly well), but there was no significant "MAGIC" with the K3003i... The 1P2 MAGIC was the sheer bass and fun presentation and the K3003i's magic was... I can't think of one

 
Deep down, you know you loved driving my car.

 
NOT YOU FOO! YOU MADE ME CHAUFFEUR WHOLE DAY. YOU TAKE NO CREDIBILITY
 

 

[planx]

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Deep down, you know you loved driving my car.
 

 
LOL this is not what I signed up for... But yes, t'was fun.

 

[planx]

Quote:

Actually, I just talked to Gavin and found out that the cable we are using with this demo tour is the silver/gold cable, which really explains why we are hearing the mid-bass bloom and the slightly less sparkly treble though it had quite the bite; sparkle and bite are very different terms. This added with the T1's lush and fuller sound stacks into a quite muddy sounding combination with the wrong music/genre. I asked Gavin if he could send me the silver cable, the one he has heard the 1plus2 with, and the one you currently posses. I'm guessing your cable has a small blue line running along the length? This may change things and give the T1 more appeal with the 1Plus2. I do enjoy the T1 with the ES5 though.
 
So no wonder why I was so confused about how an SPC cable would sound like this....
 
All of the above in one world: synergy. Silver/gold cable + T1 + dynamic bass driver = subpar synergy.
 

 
If this cable changed things, I am MORE than willing to try them again with the correct cable. If the cable is able to fix that subtle bass bleed into the mids and "weird" treble, I think they have themselves a CLEAR winner here... But till then, my observations still stands with the unit I tried.
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However if this really does change things for you GG could you keep us updated on this and maybe even give Planx another taste of the poison? .

 
Yes, I will definitely re-audition the 1P2 with the cable you have or a better cable. I think this has serious potential and I was a bit misguided by the imperfections that could be easily corrected

 

[Girls Generation]

Yes, I hope it's alright with everyone waiting a bit more. I really want to have everything properly burnt in with the silver cable to see if it synergizes better. I just like to be on the safe side. Cable burn-in does happen to my ears, though not as prominent as something like amps.
 
Since planx did the whole write up, and I basically collaborated with him on that, confirming everything, I won't be posting up such a write up. It'll basically say the exact same things as said above... I will include a brief comparison with the K3003i later on.