The first lesson in audio is to consider how wildly different each person's subjective response is to any specific piece of gear, much less how it performs in their specific chain: source -> DAC -> AMP -> cables/wires (for some - I think this is pure scam) -> drivers -> tips/cushions. Each of...

From what I can see there are less than ~ five of us hyping unless I've missed something. :- D Seems like Trio has all the hype. Hope you enjoy them. I nearly ordered the Bass version today to sample those too. My favorite config on the Harman so far is UDDD.

It seems like these new 3D shells with the tubes have potential to fix coherency issues which do affect some of KZ's sets AS10 are the Gen II OGs in KZ's lineup and one of the most cyberpunk looking things I've ever seen in audio. Original CRA are good. These have a good treble response but...

My Castor Harman review depressing spiel is in the database. Slipping back now into my corner for a few weeks until I get bored of these, they break, or another pair magically shows up after sleep-shopping...

That's fair. I must also point out post-rant that it's the same price as KZ Symphony which has the same driver setup of 1DD + 1 planar selling on the 60-65 mark. ... but still guys ... DSP?! C'mon! I have yet to read an overwhelmingly positive review about the Symphony which is a shame. It...

yep. I'd rather spend another 15 palourdes on the next KZ than swallow the giant crap sandwich that is Moondrop's DSP offering. Like you pay them 60+ bucks to figure out that hey - EQ actually works except the people jumping on that hype train push the "DSP" lie instead of acknowledging poor...

...out a rather dark verse. There's a lot going on here. The vocals are husky and a bit dark without being too thick, and the endless riff is just *there* floating along on the top. Then when the verse dissolves and the drum & rythm guitar bridge starts and the bottom end fairly well slaps...

Yeah who knows. The cap looks like it's there more for aesthetics. They have so many different IEM being made that it could be that someone just made an honest mistake after veering rogue on the assembly line. +1. we're expecting pokemon and mildly exotic side grades. that's why we're here...

First near coffee-spit of the day - LMAO

...end is really solid. So what other pairs did that specific driver tech find its way into so that I could choose an update with a bottom end that I *know* I like and also has better treble response? I have no way to tell, and that's kind of frustrating. Suffice it to say that when you order...

Eh - I think your gut is probably correct the first time, and there will be plenty left for sale in a couple weeks after your bass versions arrive. Like you I've been tempted to get the yin to the yang just for the hell of it. My active listening tends to be classical, jazz, and metal so bass...

right? After the first 5 or 10 minutes of listening I just kind of imagined the others dissipating into the air like Marvel characters after Thanos wins. Quite possibly! From graphs alone I'm attracted more to the profile of the Vader HiRes than the advertised / reviewed warm signature of the...

First impressions of the Castor Harman: these just bodied all of the budget pairs most of my collection, including the Heart Mirrors, and it's barely a contest. At least to my ears the CRA is not in the same league despite being sold for the same price. As Nimweth laid out in his excellent...

mine too!

If you haven't seen it, there's also a DIY sub-section here on the forum :beerchug:

Definitely, and the same thing happens if your collection of over-ears start to multiply like gremlins. You settle down on 2-4 pair that are close-by and reach consistently for 1 or 2 pair, because a) switching up all the time isn't very convenient, and b) brain burn-in is a real thing and can...

Nice! That's very interesting to see the progression listed out like that. I have only succumbed to 4 pair of KZ and 3 pair of CCA, with 1 KZ in the mail. Less than 10 pairs! So many of you here have 30-40+. :-o right?! lol ---------------------- Castor Harman's have cleared customs...

Your guess is as good as mine, but the trick will be to use just a very small amount at full strength absorbed into a small cloth (or qtip) and then try to just rub the surface down, using it more like a polishing compound and less like a cleaner. If you can see excess liquid it's probably too...

I've used BKF stuff in the past and it tended to be great. This stuff is amazing for all kinds of uses - I'd look at the soft-cleanser. Good for SS, copper, brass, you name it. https://barkeepersfriend.com/products/soft-cleanser/

...respond to EQ. The Merga or Duo might slip into my cart before then ... I'm torn on it. Trying to understand KZ's recent dynamic innovations: * "Dual Driver" - So CCA Hydro is now top of the food chain with these vaguely described "dual driver" 7mm unit and single 8mm unit combination...

🙏 thank you

fwiw, Merga is a dual DD 10mm & 8mm. They claim each driver is dual ported or something bizarre like that. There are so many multi DD pokemon here that I have a hard time believing any are going to be better than the Trio.

I don't envy you having to make a choice with so many options! :) For the same reason you don't ask weed addicts what their favorite strains are, I'll jump in anyway and ask if you saw the recent reviews for the TP20 Pro? Fitty bucks - dual cirrus chips, balanced outputs, warm'ish profile, and...

tl;dr: I agree with you and have done the same, but I think the amp itself has more effect on the sound than the actual DAC. Ideally the DAC output should be flat, and any sound coloring (for better or for worse) should come from the amplification. In small devices like a dongle there's only so...