In case any of you need clarification, Crin's rankings are alphabetical within each tier. No need for the #x, #y, etc.

'twas but a short month ago when the man didn't consider it seriously. Things move quickly in this industry I guess.

The 2 extra drivers were both dedicated to the bass (maybe some lower mid freqs?). I could take a guess that the extra detail arises from the frequency repsonse (the extra dBs in the 1+ kHz region). However, not everyone will perceive this the same (unique ear structure).

I enjoyed the Valkyrie more than the Legend X. To my ears, the Legend X had more depth to the stage but less width. Valkyrie mids were smoother, highs more present and shimmered more, and the bass was brought more in line with the rest of the sound. Driver flex with the W9 is still annoying when...

Brief thoughts on the Clear-Arya-HD800S, the 3 which I directly compared this week before settling on the HD800S. I’d demoed all 3 before already, and admittedly went in favouring the Arya. The HD800S and Arya were both more effortless in their ability to separate musical elements than the...

HMH's graphs are very comparable to Crinacle's (compare their KPE/KXXS or even the IE40 Pro). That 7-7.5k dip isn't there when it's not meant to be (look at the fainter line which is uncompensated, not the darker line which is labelled as having DF compensation). The Rose BR5 MK2 actually has a...

@Hawaiibadboy probably etiquette to not ask for ETAs, but I'm really eager to see how the EST8 graphs out and your impressions of it. Largely due to where its price sits and the tech inside it. Of course, the Roland (which you have really positive feelings towards) is barely pricier, but I...

Lol yes the LX has a notable amount of driver flex (Atlas too if we're naming and shaming). Noble Khan either didn't flex or had very minor flex that wasn't memorable (I didn't note it in my impressions).

Solaris wasn't bassy (vs LX, IER-Z1R) but it certainly wasn't leaner than the Andro. Had a lot more sub-bass and the mid-bass was more DD-like in its decay (slower but slightly more tactile as expected). Hearing things for yourself trumps the amalgamation of other people's impressions. Also...

I feel like I'm the only person who finds larger IEMs (e.g. IER-Z1R, Solaris) to fit better than smaller ones or at least ones with the Shure form factor (e.g. Westone, AT). A comfortable fit is an underrated part of getting the "ideal" sound in a lot of cases, and that's a good explanation for...

It should come as no surprise that subjective impressions remain just that, so nobody's ever going to be "right". You could look at graphs too if you want a more objective take on things. The best thing to do is to listen with your own two ears of course. I have no doubt it'll become clearer to...

If you're looking for an improvement to the Andro mids, I'd argue the Solaris isn't it as it's the bass that's been improved to my ears. That's just my opinion though, I'm sure this thread will confirm otherwise.

Some people don't necessarily love the Solaris; that's a well-documented matter. Besides the point though because sound quality does not directly relate to price (for the vast majority of people), as research has shown.

In my experience, there's unfortunately going to be unit variance from almost every maker, and their tolerances will differ (if I had to name and shame, just look at 64 Audio even with their pricier models). However, think about it this way. You'll only ever hear one unit at a time so the...

Arya feels "flimsier" but it also felt lighter and more svelte, and I'd also argue the headband adjustment mechanism on the Arya (and Susvara) are superior. The fact that the Ananda scratches the inside (becomes that silvery colour) while adjusting is unacceptable. I understand that while you...