Z didn't say it sounds bad, he just said its not playing within its peers without the dongle. And there's my problem with this hole DSP dongle trend. But sure, for people solely listening via their smartphones, this might add some value... but is that us here? As you mentioned, you like switches...

I understand, and everyone can either see this trend as a feature or a bug. Thing is that Z got the impression, that the Splendor II dosn't sound like a 240$ IEM without the dongle, and that's what puts me probably off. If such an approach is like "wow, they sound really good naturally, and with...

Love the look of the TRN Medusa... so I did a quick and dirty Photoshop to see how they would look like with a more suitable cable to fit the Medusa colors. Ended up using a pic of the Tripowin Sirene ...and now we're talkin' :heart_eyes::heart_eyes::heart_eyes:

Anything more specific you might share on the Splendor II yet? (humbly asking also how they compare to the Himalaya?) EDIT: Thanks for mentioning Z's review on them, just saw his review/rant about them and even though I seldomly concur with his opinions or his style of "reviewing", this time I...

Certainly not mid price, rather low price... but definitely not the typical low-end: The new DUNU Lyre Mini 240-Strand High-Purity OCC Earphone Cable with Q-Lock Mini

@Redcarmoose said: "...this is one IEM that contradicts some of the graph, and makes a reality that 8kHz peak energy oppose from it being just measurement resonances. As such that forward energy combined with the rest makes this IEM way less musical in the end, in comparison to the XUAN NV! Sure...

Agree, the ZS10 Pro 2 are a nice and budget friendly revelation. Everything is there, the technicalities, separation, detail, aso ... but what I miss is a bit of note weight and fullness of sound. Compared to other sets I have (concerning note weight and timbre) and not in general of course...

Nope, but are they already available from Aune? ...I heard that they want to release some spare parts and accessories, amongst them are at least pleather pads, but sheep-skin? (are they from the SR7000?)

Thanks! I skipped Carat, I anyway wanted to buy only one of these "budget" 1DDs. because I'm stoked by other IEMs on the horizon e.g. AFUL Explorer, DITA Audio Project M, Simgot Supermix 4.. holy moly, wish I could try all of these but normal humans don't have that luxury :smile: .

Good and totally reasonable point, thanks for your objectivity! Splendor II is 240€... maybe too close to the Himalaya. The thing why I wanted a cheaper 1DD is, that many are so impressed what the 50-100 € price range can offer, that I just was curious to hear for myself, but then again, owning...

I have Kefine Delci and Jialai Carat in my HiFiGo cart. After the Himalaya, which brought me sooo back to love 1DDs, I wanna have now a well performing 1DD budget IEM, since we gladly hear a lot about these lately. Or would there be even a better recommendation sub 100$? (I like more a relaxed...

Short delay Slow roll off

Some short observations from my side: The use of filters pretty much depends on the whole chain. The DAP or DAC, Amp, itself, the headphones and their drivability and overall sound signature, and to lesser but still applicable extents, the IEM tip, nozzle filter, cable, and last but not least...

Wrong quote?

Ok, Akros and a 1DD tuned by him is definitely worth to keep your eyes and especially ears open. The 10k dip is fine, but the 8k peak worries me a bit. The ~13k peak is negligible. But what I'm looking forward to is that there's a very very mild rise where the pinna gain region begins, and to...

The highs will smoothen out a bit with 100+ hours of playtime, and you could try out some small bore tips (e.g. Type E's) to help with the upper mids and highs all so slightly.

Elysian Pilgrim review (standard version) is out by Super* Review:

Just read today that the V2 is a bit of a let down in general... but also compared to the V1.

For too many KZ's you better have a decent cable around... the original is even for the cheap KZ's under their class and are the only item which actually fit their price. The IEM's themselves are, on the other hand, mostly performing well over their price point (as we all know... gotta catch...

We were talkin' about Tripowin cables earlier and I wanted to share the "Amber" on my Simgot EM6L's.. like the combination, the color, and its delicate appearance. It's not the best Tripowin cable, but its so soft and at least a slight upgrade to the original cable. btw, the tips are the DUNU S&S.

Did I mention my Himalaya's yet? ...oh, sorry, maybe too often already :grin:, but aren't they gorgeous?

I think everyone at least once fell for reviews and hypes... very likely even more than once :grin: The trick is to not trust reviews and hypes in the beginning until you know exactly who made the review or started the hype train. Learn and listen very carefully what the sound and tuning...

ZiiGaat x Fresh Reviews Arete seem to drop soon... but yet another "usual" 1DD+4BA Hybrid, let's see.