Reviews by Barra
NOTE: Based on feedback, this Rn6 review has been updated to be a direct comparison to its twin Xe6. They are both the same build using the same parts but have different tuning as outlined in this update.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Fir Audio was listening to some of the Xe6 reviews of critics requesting a more treble-forward audiophile sound over the luxurious creamy Xe6 sound. Now both preferences are met with the introduction of the Rn6.
The Xenon 6 (Xe6) is Fir Audio’s next generation of their extremely popular M5, one of the best in-ears of all time when it was launched. The Xe6 from the new Frontier Series offers a very euphonic tactile sound with 3D sound staging moving from the M5’s more transparent and traditional audiophile sound with big bass. However, that came with a small but loud minority that was critical of the change preferring the next model down in the Frontier Series, the Kr5. The Kr5 sports the more traditional BA treble that is more forward and brighter overall vs. the electrostatic driver treble in the Xe6. Problem solved, Xe6 fans bought the Xe6 and the critics purchased the Kr5.
To showcase the capabilities of the 6-driver Frontier Series configuration and to answer the calls of those vocal critics, Fir Audio came out with a limited series Rn6 which amounts to a retuned Xe6. They took their Xe6 flagship 6-driver model and re-tuned it for a leaner, reference warm sound signature calling it the Rn6. So which is better…read on for the detailed answer…but in short, it depends on which signature you prefer.
Tour: Fir Audio Frontier Series – Xe6, Kr5, Ne4, Plus Rn6
For those that do not know me, I am active on AudioTiers and HEADFI under the username “Barra” and have been hosting product tours for almost a decade now. During this time, I have been able to hear all the greats and experienced the evolution of CIEMs/IEMs and all the associated equipment. From that experience, I can say without a doubt that Fir Audio has always been on top of all the lists in terms of performance and unique tuning capabilities. I have managed a number of tours for Fir Audio and am very excited to now offer another 2022 flagship tour for the Frontier Series. To sign up and to hear the Xe6, Kr5, and Ne4 for yourself, please go to the tour thread and follow the instructions: https://audiotiers.com/tour-fir-audio-gen2-frontier-series-ciem-lineup-xenon-6-krypton-5-neon-4/.
UPDATE: As you might guess, we are now adding the Rn6 to our tour as soon as a unit becomes available.
As always, my goal is not to just offer my opinion but to offer tours so you can hear this equipment for yourself. If you are not already an AudioTiers tour member, please go to AudioTiers.com and follow the instructions in the “Getting Started” box on the Tours page: https://audiotiers.com/tours/.
Fir Audio Frontier Tour Kickoff Video
The Fir Audio Family
Fir Audio is a premium CIEM manufacturer out of the US that has a full lineup of premium IEMs and custom IEMs and is a longtime favorite on HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS. Their lineup has always made the top of the charts in performance including the M5, M4, as well as their Five x Five. To learn more about Fir Audio, their new Frontier Series, or to purchase the Radon 6 from this review, please visit their website at: https://www.firaudio.com.
The Fir Audio Radon 6
The Xenon 6 and the new Radon 6 are Fir Audio’s new flagship IEMs available in both universal-fit and custom-fit models. The Radon 6 is a limited edition offering providing the same configuration as the Xenon 6 but at a different more treble-forward audiophile tuning vs. the lusher Xenon 6 tuning.
The Radon 6 is a Limited-Edition Anniversary model, the Universal-Fit model is limited to 300 production units world-wild. The Custom-fit model is limited to 100 units worldwide and only 20 units are produced per month. Celebrating 5 years in pursuit of the ultimate in-ear monitor listening experience.
Fir Audio has applied everything they learned from Frontier Series and mindfully returned our popular 6-driver model and arrived at a leaner, reference warm sound signature. Featuring proprietary technologies such as Kinetic Bass, ATOM Venting, Open Acoustics, and Rigid Technologies. It is offered at $3299.
Configuration
The Radon 6 comes equipped with 6 drivers - one 10mm dynamic driver for lows which is fed into a Kinetic Bass port, 4 balanced armature drivers (1 bass, 2 mid, 1 high), and an electrostatic driver (EST) for the ultra-highs. This differs from the M5 that proceeds it on two counts – an extra BA for bass, and the Kinetic Bass port. This is enough to create an entirely new experience. The M5 is rated for 6.8ohms with a frequency range of 10hz - 20 kHz whereas the Xe6 is rated at 28ohms with a frequency range of 20hz -20khz although the Xe6 feels like it would be the one that digs into the 10hz range due to the kinetic feedback.
Several technologies are associated with the Xe6 including Kinetic Bass, Atom Venting, Open Acoustics, and Rigid Technologies. I believe that the Kinetic Bass and the Rigid Technologies are the only two new technologies that differentiate it from the M5 with Kinetic Bass being the star of the show. The Atom Venting is a key technology for me as it allows me to turn up the volume more without hurting my ears allowing a more dynamic sound in exchange.
Universal vs. Custom
As you can see from the picture above, the universal build on the Frontier Series is smoking hot – it even looks better in person. However, the custom options are stellar too – a huge improvement in options and appeal since I ordered my custom M5. You can see how beautiful the results were from my build experience – and yes, the other options were great enough that I often second-guess myself having desired several available options.
The universal format of the Frontier series all has a heft to them and a nice universal fit where I was able to get the majority of the performance offered by these monitors. While some may have perfect ear canals to get full performance from a universal, I do not so I did experience better performance from the custom version. This may be even more important for a bone conduction design as the tight fit that my custom offered me provides better contact with the bone conduction port which provides me with a lift in the effect vs. the universal option.
Fit
Based on the bend I have in my inner ear, I can only use the soft silicone tips to get a good seal, so I have not explored any other options. However, the seal provides great performance from the traditional sound port but does not affect the contact from the bone conduction port which is all about the fit of the universal paired to your outer ear. Therefore, your mileage may vary based on these considerations.
Custom Build Process and Unboxing
There is not much to say about a custom in-ear other than you can expect to get what you design and those premium manufacturers like Fir Audio put out stellar quality as you might expect. More importantly, Fir Audio has nailed all my custom designs in fit as this is the reason that I go custom…nailed it. Also are choices and ease of design which Fir Audio nails as well. For more insight into the Fir Audio custom build process or the unboxing experience, please see my Xe6 review where I detail both: https://audiotiers.com/reviews-fir-...e-that-adds-a-new-tactile-dimension-to-sound/
The Radon 6 Sound
The name AUDIOTIERS comes from my attempt to offer performance tiers to provide perspective on the various in-ear offerings and the surrounding gear that we are touring. While we have hosted mid-tier and some entry-tier IEMs, we have mostly focused on the top-tier offerings with some mid-tier options for those who don't wish to pay flagship prices. The best of the best are termed exotics for their ability to be unique and stand above the crowd. The top 5 of the exotics are awarded GOD-Tier status. The Xenon takes its place among those 5 GOD-Tier IEMs and the Radon is slightly different tuned twin is its equivalent in performance sharing this honor in that seat.
To describe the Radon signature in a nutshell – like its Xenon twin, it has the character of the Abyss full-sized exotic headphone. There is a clarity to the signature, but it is also euphoric and thick even though that sounds contradictory. While it is not the HD800-sized soundscape, it is large or full-sized in stature offering ease in hearing all the details that it serves up in gobs. While there are finer details like you might find in the HD800 presentation, it is more about sensory details and ambiance – that “being there” experience makes it feel warmer and more tube-like. Where the Radon and Xenon 6 stand alone from other god-tier performers is in the kinetic feedback that offers something new…a sound that you can feel as well as hear. This is different than other bone conductive earphones that I have heard/felt, in that it carries a broader frequency and in a more defined, clearer way that brings transparency with it. You have to hear it to know what I mean, so please join the tour.
The Radon and Xenon Sound Comparison
While they are very close in signature, there are some distinct differences. The Radon is more audiophile-tuned with treble forward while the Xenon is lusher and more set back. The Radon is like being on stage with the details in your face while the Xenon is seated in the front first balcony taking in the larger experience. The Radon is a slightly more intensive listening experience for detail nuts with gobs of detail in your face while the Xenon is a more relaxed listening experience for feeling the vibe and how it all comes together. They are both enveloping tube-like experiences, but the Xenon is more of a lush tube whereas the Radon is a cleaner tube amp experience. They are both huge in experience and explosive in bass and tactile feeling but seated differently within the event both offering that full-sized “being there” experience.
Optimizing and Pairing
As I did not find either the Radon 6 lacking in any area, I did not feel that rolling cables at this point would be a benefit. The stock cable is wonderful, and the resulting sound is more than satisfactory. So, this optimization section is mainly about pairing given that we have all already made investments in gear that we would like to use with our purchases. My preferred DAPs are the Sony WM1a and the Calyx M as I have sold my AK and other DAPs that were not being used. The Hugo 2 rounds out my setup by offering top-tier performance using my Sony or iPhone as a source. My desktop DAC/AMP is the Burson C3R offering 7.5 watts of pure performance to test the limits of scalability. Based on experience, the C3R wattage scales my dynamic drivers to the extreme but is not necessary for BA-only setups. Here is what I found.
- iPhone 13 Max Plus: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the Rn6 sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. The music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the Rn6 on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness of the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so of constant playing. Of note is the need to turn up my iPhone to about 80 to 90 percent volume with the VE EXT vs. around 50 percent volume or less with the Rn6. The iPhone doesn’t feel colored in the signature offering a very revealing look at the Rn6 but may not extend to the extremes like my better sources. Ultimately, I would say that the Rn6 scales up better than it scales down but is extremely good on lower-end devices as well. Vs Xe6 – a final note is that I tend to choose the Xe6 over the Rn6 on the iPhone given the lower fidelity as the Xe6 is more forgiving whereas the Rn6 tends to expose the iPhone’s weaknesses.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder Calyx M signature offer more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I used to like the Calyx M better than the Sony until I got a custom firmware upgrade on the Sony. The Calyx takes the audiophile performance up a notch with more and tighter detail, while Sony can be more fun. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the Rn6 louder than normal for short bursts. This is more important for the Rn6 vs. my other non-vented IEMs as the ATOM system allows me to play louder without damaging my ears. The clarity of the Calxy M boosts the detail even more on the Rn6 and the powerful amp boosts the texturing. The M is a great pairing with the Rn6 offering a slightly different signature than the Sony which comes across as warmer and punchier. Vs. Xe6 - the Xe6 loses some of the tube-like euphonics on the M offering more clarity and finer details where the Rn6 stays treble forward. The pairing is perhaps better for the Xe6 to offer greater detail while retaining the euphonics, but it works great for the Rn6 as well.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold last year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the new custom firmware. The new firmware now plays nicely with all my CIEMs. The Rn6 pairs great with the Sony offering retaining its warm tint to its performance with a nice girth to the note and more resonance and textures. The Sony with its superior battery life and UX is my go-to DAP for the Rn6. The Rn6 signature is a little lusher on the Sony offering a nice pairing for slightly different tuning. In the end, the Rn6 sounds fantastic on Sony. Vs. Xe6 – both sound great, but the Sony offers a little lusher signature with the Rn6 making it a little easier a listen while retaining the Audiophile intent so I prefer the Rn6 over the Xe6 in this case.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up significantly on both the Rn6 and the Xe6 with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more – but cleaner with sharper edges and the fine detail is at another level. With the H2, the sound also gets fuller – more euphonic. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the Rn6/Xe6 making them sound faster for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson C3R which takes it up even another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience. The Rn6/Xe6 performance is significantly improved with the H2 with an additional gob of detail and is a wonderful pairing.
- Burson C3 Reference: Going desktop, the Burson C3R is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the Rn6/Xe6 signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the C3R drives 7.5 watts into the Rn6/Xe6 and offers a significant boost to the low end with more punch and more clarity. While the C3R is slightly warmer than the H2, not by much. The soundstage also grows with the C3R. A traditional BA configuration such as the VE PHöNIX doesn’t handle the power boost as well having to keep the volume down to 1 out of 100 or it can sound overdone whereas the Rn6/Xe6 loves the additional overhead to drive the dynamic driver as well as to bring out more detail from the ESTs. My conclusion is that the Rn6/Xe6 grabs another boost in detail and soundstage with a quicker bass note offering peak performance – it is the best I have heard the Rn6/Xe6 sound.
Radon 6 Comparisons
The comparisons offered below are of the Fir Audio M5 for those choosing within the Fir Audio brand and of Vision Ear’s new PHöNIX and EXT flagships which seem to be the most commonly requested comparisons within the HEADFI community. To compare the custom Rn6 to the other IEMs, we used the sources described in the previous section. My music ranges from EDM to classical to rock to metal to pop to new age and easy listening – yes, I am all over the place. My preference in listening and comparison testing is to play all genres randomly to jolt my senses while getting a wide sampling of music. Here is what I found.
Fir Audio M5
The M5 is very different in signature than the Rn6. What they have in common is a very full-sized sound for a “being-there” experience and ginormous bass that is textured and life-like natural and exotic audiophile performance with gobs of detail. However, they offer this experience in two different signatures. The M5 can be considered more intimate while also having a wider soundstage with intimacy in the vocals and more space between instruments for transparency. The Rn6 of more tube-like romantic while retaining its clarity having more of a 3D involving soundscape with a new tactile feel to it. Both the Rn6 and the M5 allow you to get up close and personal with the singer. I may be overstating the differences to create a meaningful comparison as they both offer a full experience, but the experience is different. The Rn6 has a fuller stage which makes it feel more compact, but it probably can be better described as round vs. the traditional large width of the M5. What I am getting at is that there is just more information provided with the Rn6 to listen to as it adds atmospheric clues. This additional 3d sense probably comes from that tactile feeling provided by the bone conduction technology. Different from other bone-conduction headphones I have heard, the Rn6 seems to bring out a sound that you can feel in the treble range as well. As for bass, they both have that huge dynamic driver, but the Rn6 adds both the kinetic port as well as an additional BA dedicated to bass. While the M5 is no slouch with bass, there is just more information in the Rn6 output. I would say that while they are both fast, the M5 feels faster and clearer than the bass on the Rn6 which adds a lot of atmospheres to the equation. However, the Rn6 is more detailed. In the end, the Rn6 and the M5 will both have prominent spots in my IEM library allowing me to have two different exotic performance options to listen to my music library to hear it differently – win/win.
Vision Ears PHöNIX
The PHöNIX is Vision Ears' new flagship in-ear replacing their previous ERLKöNIG flagship. The PHöNIX has already gained a huge fanbase given its exotic performance and is likely to replace the ERLKöNIG in AUDIOTIER’s god-tier 5 lineup. As a traditional BA configuration with 13 BAs, the PHöNIX is easier to drive than the Rn6 which is a tribrid boasting both a dynamic driver as well as ESTs plus a kinetic port which all take additional power. Regardless, both sound wonderful on my iPhone, and both scale considerably on better gear. They are both top-of-the-game, god-tier performers with different signatures to enjoy your music library.
What is different about the PHöNIX vs. the Rn6 is most notable in the bass response. While the PHöNIX enjoys that Vision Ears BA bass mastery, there is no comparison to the much more powerful Rn6 bass which compares closer to the Vision Ears EST while still surpassing the EST given the additional tactile Kinetic port. If you are looking for bass first, the Rn6 wins. However, the PHöNIX is more romantic than the Rn6 which is quite romantic itself. I often make the comparison between high-end solid-state and tube-like tuning where the solid-state has more transparency, and faster notes with more contrast whereas the tube-like sound is more akin to warm, lush, and romantic. On that scale – 1 for solid-state and 10 for tubes, the PHöNIX is a 9/10 where the Rn6 is a 5/6, and the EXT being compared next is a 3/4. In the end, both the PHöNIX and the Xe6 are the best of the best with different signatures – the PHöNIX may appeal more to easy listeners and classical genres while the Xe6 will blow the mind of those that love more lively POP or EDM. The PHöNIX is one where you sip fine wine and relax whereas the Rn6 will get you up on the tables to dance. Your choice…
Vision Ears EXT
As mentioned above, this new co-flagship Vision Ears IEM is more solid-state in tuning offering an incredibly transparent experience backed by the second-best bass in the business. While the M5 could share that second-best bass title, it is more of an all-rounder where the bass is not as forward in the signature. The EXT doesn’t fool around, that bass is huge with a 10mm dynamic driver that is only beaten by the Rn6 due to that tactile kinetic bass port technology that takes it to the next level. However, the bass is not the full story with the EXT, it is an Elysium plus. The VE Elysium is known for its mids forward signature that is very unique and exotic in performance. The Elysium is my best of the best for mids, but this is the key focus there it is not an all-rounder, but it is my go-to vocals IEM. The EXT adds that incredible bass to the equation offering the full spectrum of sound taking it to flagship status making it one of AUDIOTIERS' exotic class IEMs. These two IEMs are both exotic and offer stellar sound quality. They both offer full-sized sound and an extreme frequency range with the power to drive textures and detail from end to end. The difference is mainly in the clarity focus of the EXT vs. the euphoric richness of the Rn6.
To summarize, the EXT is more solid-state with a lively signature and an extremely awesome bass response, the PHöNIX is at the other end of the spectrum with a more laid-back, rich tube-like feel in comparison, with the Rn6 being somewhere in between with an additional level-up in a 3D atmosphere with a sound that you can feel. The Rn6 is closer to the PHöNIX than to the EXT in terms of lushness but retains that 10mm dynamic bass excitement of the EXT. Again, the PHöNIX wins for easy or traditional listening while the EXT and the Rn6 win for more dynamic genres such as POP or EDM. They all sound wonderful with all genres but have the tools to take their favored genres one step further. So what do you prefer, solid-state or tube-like signatures?
Concluding Thoughts
The Rn6 is sure to wow any listener as a unique listening experience and an easy recommendation for those who can afford it. They offer peak performance checking all the boxes of modern technology and easily reach my exotic performance tier and are a candidate for my god-tier award. The only concern is for a more laidback music listener as this is an extremely energetic IEM that makes you want to get up and dance vs. sit down and sip wine. Regardless, if you live in the US, then you are free to join our Fir Audio Frontier Series tour to hear the Xe6/Rn6 as well as their lower-cost siblings the Kr5 and the Ne4 for yourself allowing you to decide for yourself – the way it should be.
Cons: Not cheap. 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Holly hell…that is a big sound!!!
The Xenon 6 (Xe6) is Fir Audio’s next generation of their extremely popular M5, one of the best in-ears of all time when it was launched. However, listening to both side-by-side, there is little similarity between the two signatures other than both reaching exotic performance that puts them above the top-tier. I will undoubtedly keep both to offer two different signatures to enjoy my music library – the Xe6 is more euphonic and 3D with the M5 being more transparent and traditional sounding.
The M5 won a spot in the God-Tier category due to its overwhelming AudioTiers membership phrase and was awarded my “If I Could only have One” award due to its versatility compared to the others in that category. I have a feeling that the Xe6 will gain its spot in the God-Tier category as well once everyone gets a chance to hear it. Yes, we have a tour so that you can hear this IEM as well as the Kr5 and Ne4 in the Frontier Series as well – we want to hear what you think.
Tour: Fir Audio Frontier Series – Xe6, Kr5, Ne4
For those that do not know me, I am active on AudioTiers and HEADFI under the username “Barra” and have been hosting product tours for almost a decade now. During this time, I have been able to hear all the greats and experienced the evolution of CIEMs/IEMs and all the associated equipment. From that experience, I can say without a doubt that Fir Audio has always been on top of all the lists in terms of performance and unique tuning capabilities. I have managed a number of tours for Fir Audio and am very excited to now offer another 2022 flagship tour for the Frontier Series. To sign up and to hear the Xe6, Kr5, and Ne4 for yourself, please go to the tour thread and follow the instructions: https://audiotiers.com/tour-fir-audio-gen2-frontier-series-ciem-lineup-xenon-6-krypton-5-neon-4/.
As always, my goal is not to just offer my opinion, but to offer tours so you can hear this equipment for yourself. If you are not already an AudioTiers tour member, please go to AudioTiers.com and follow the instructions in the “Getting Started” box on the Tours page: https://audiotiers.com/tours/.
Fir Audio Frontier Tour Kickoff Video
The Fir Audio Family
Fir Audio is a premium CIEM manufacturer out of the US that has a full lineup of premium IEMs and custom IEMs and is a longtime favorite on HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS. Their lineup has always made the top of the charts in performance including the M5, M4, as well as their Five x Five. To learn more about Fir Audio, their new Frontier Series, or to purchase the Xenon 6 from this review, please visit their website at: https://www.firaudio.com.
The Fir Audio Xenon 6
The Xenon 6 is Fir Audio’s new flagship IEM available in both universal-fit and custom-fit models.
Configuration
The Xenon 6 come equipped with 6 drivers - one 10mm dynamic driver for lows which is fed into a Kinetic Bass port, 4 balanced armature drivers (1 bass, 2 mid, 1 high), and an electrostatic driver (EST) for the ultra-highs. This differs from the M5 that proceed it on two counts – an extra BA for bass, and the Kinetic Bass port. This is enough to create an entirely new experience. The M5 is rated for 6.8ohms with a frequency range of 10hz - 20 kHz whereas the Xe6 is rated at 28ohms with a frequency range of 20hz -20khz although the Xe6 feels like it would be the one that digs into the 10hz range due to the kinetic feedback.There are several technologies that are associated with the Xe6 including Kinetic Bass, Atom Venting, Open Acoustics, and Rigid Technologies. I believe that the Kinetic Bass and the Rigid Technologies are the only two new technologies that differentiate it from the M5 with Kinetic Bass being the star of the show. The Atom Venting is a key technology for me as it allows me to turn up the volume more without hurting my ears allowing a more dynamic sound in exchange.
Universal vs. Custom
As you can see from the picture above, the universal build on the Frontier Series is smoking hot – it ever looks better in person. However, the custom options are stellar too – a huge improvement in options and appeal since I ordered my custom M5. You can see how beautiful the results were from my build experience – and yes, the other options were great enough that I often second guess myself having desired a number of available options.The universal format of the Frontier series all has a heft to them and a nice universal fit where I was able to get the majority of the performance offered by these monitors. While some may have perfect ear canals to get full performance from a universal, I do not so I did experience better performance from the custom version. This may be even more important for a bone conduction design as the tight fit that my custom offered me provides better contact with the bone conduction port which provides me with a lift in the effect vs. the universal option.
Fit
Based on the bend I have in my inner ear, I can only use the soft silicone tips to get a good seal, so I have not explored any other options. However, the seal provides great performance from the traditional sound port but does not affect the contact from the bone conduction port which is all about the fit of the universal paired to your outer ear. Therefore, your mileage may vary based on these considerations.Build
There is not much to say about a custom in-ear other than you can expect to get what you design and those premium manufacturers like Fir Audio put out stellar quality as you might expect. More importantly, Fir Audio has nailed all my custom designs in fit as this is the reason that I go custom…nailed it. Also are choices and ease of design which Fir Audio nails as well. Other than that, most manufacturers create a plastic form-fitting insert other than a very few that do silicone, and we can inspect for bubbles and imperfections which there are none in my Xe6 which is perfect.The size characteristics change between manufacturers with my Empire Ears being the smallest custom and 64 Audio being my largest with Fir Audio being a comfortable middle. There are advantages to each, but my preference is the size middle ground like Fir Audio with a tighter fit but small enough that I can forget that it is in my ear. I also appreciate the Atom-X venting and how it is seamlessly integrated. Some other manufacturers can make this vent pop out and catch on things which is not a problem here. Venting is important to me as discussed elsewhere so better integration is also important to me.
The design is beautiful having chosen their “Purple Leaf” faceplates as seen below. It was simple to create my design using the interface shown below which is loaded with premium choices and offers a WYSIWYG design flow. This allowed me to see and perfect my choices throughout the process with the flexibility to go back and make changes. You may also notice from the picture that there is now a 2-pin option that was not available when I created my M5 design. This 2-pin option allows me to roll cables now without the need for a unique adapter.
Where there is a big build consideration is in the universal design. The Xe6 metal design is so beautiful that it is tempting for even me to chose this over the custom design to gain that unique build characteristic. However, in the end, when comparing the sound, I am sure that the custom was a better option for me and my signature preferences. It is worth joining our tour just to be able to gock at the build quality of these IEMs.
In the end, I am very satisfied with the design I created and love the nice tight fit that offers optimal sound without the chance of breaking my seal. Even better, I have perfect contact with the bone conduction port offering the best Kinetic experience.
Unboxing
What’s in the box? The box looks very commercial and professionally done…as you might see in a big box retail store. This is getting more common, but I have received many in a pouch with no packaging so I still appreciate a good box experience.
The unwrapped box gives way to a slipcover to reveal a heavy-weight cardboard cover box with your contents.
Slipping the cover off reveals your in-ears along with a Fir patch and some instructions.
Removing the top foam that holds your in-ears, beneath resides your case.
As you can see, the case holds not only your in-ears but has all the required tools held within. Of key importance is that you are provided with three options for your venting system offering a variety of signatures. The effect typically allows you to have the most bassy to least bassy option with a middle ground to choose from.
The Xenon 6 Sound
The name AUDIOTIERS comes from my attempt to offer performance tiers to provide perspective on the various in-ear offerings and the surrounding gear that we are touring. While we have definitely hosted mid-tier and some entry-tier IEMs, we have mostly focused on the top-tier offerings with some mid-tier options for those that don't wish to pay flagship prices. The best of the best are termed exotics for their ability to be unique and stand above the crowd. The top 5 of the exotics are awarded GOD-Tier status. The Xenon is likely to take its place among those 5 GOD-Tier IEMs.
To describe the Xenon signature in a nutshell – it has the character of the Abyss full-sized exotic headphone. There is a clarity to the signature, but it is also euphoric and thick even though that sounds contradictory. While it is not the HD800 sized soundscape, it is large or full-sized in stature offering ease in hearing all the details that it serves up in gobs. While there are finer details like you might find in the HD800 presentation, it is more about sensory details and ambiance – that “being there” experience makes it feel warmer and more tube-like. Where the Xenon 6 stands alone is in the kinetic feedback that offers something new…a sound that you can feel as well as hear. This is different than other bone conductive earphones that I have heard/felt, in that it carries a broader frequency and in a more defined, clearer way that brings transparency with it. You have to hear it to know what I mean, so please join the tour.
Optimizing and Pairing
As I did not find either the Xenon 6 lacking in any area, I did not feel that rolling cables at this point would be a benefit. The stock cable is wonderful and the resulting sound is more than satisfactory. So this optimization section is mainly about pairing given that we have all already made investments in gear that we would like to use with our purchases. My preferred DAPs are the Sony WM1a and the Calyx M as I have sold my AK and other DAPs that were not being used. The Hugo 2 rounds out my setup by offering top-tier performance using my Sony or iPhone as a source. My desktop DAC/AMP is the Burson C3R offering 7.5 watts of pure performance to test the limits of scalability. Based on experience, the C3R wattage scales my dynamic drivers to the extreme but is not necessary for BA-only setups. Here is what I found.
- iPhone 13 Max Plus: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the Xe6 sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the Xe6 on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness of the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so of constant playing. Of note is the need to turn up my iPhone to about 80 to 90 percent volume with the VE EXT vs. around 50 percent volume or less with the Xe6. The iPhone doesn’t feel colored in the signature offering a very revealing look at the Xe6 but may not extend to the extremes like my better sources. Ultimately, I would say that the Xe6 scales up better than it scales down but is extremely good on lower-end devices as well.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder Calyx M signature offer more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I used to like the Calyx M better than the Sony until I got a custom firmware upgrade on the Sony. The Calyx takes the audiophile performance up a notch with more and tighter detail, while Sony can actually be more fun. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the Xe6 louder than normal for short bursts. This is more important for the Xe6 vs. my other non-vented IEMs as the ATOM system allows me to play louder without damaging my ears. The clarity of the Calxy M boosts the detail even more on the Xe6 and the powerful amp boosts the texturing. The M is a great pairing with the Xe6 offering a slightly different signature than the Sony which comes across as warmer and punchier. The Xe6 loses some of the tube-like euphonics on the M offering more clarity and finer details.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold last year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the new custom firmware. The new firmware now plays nice with all my CIEMs. The Xe6 pairs great with the Sony offering retaining its warm tint to its performance with a nice girth to the note and more resonance and textures. The Sony with its superior battery life and UX is my go-to DAP for the Xe6. The Xe6 signature is not colored on the Sony sounding as expected due to both having similar characteristics. In the end, the Xe6 sounds fantastic on Sony.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up significantly on the Xe6 with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more – but cleaner with sharper edges and the fine detail is at another level. With the H2, the sound also gets fuller – more euphonic. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the Xe6 making it sound faster for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson C3R which takes it up even another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience. The Xe6 performance is significantly improved with the H2 with an additional gob of detail and is a wonderful pairing.
- Burson C3 Reference: Going desktop, the Burson C3R is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the Xe6 signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the C3R drives 7.5 watts into the Xe6 and offers a significant boost to the low end with more punch and more clarity. While the C3R is slightly warmer than the H2, not by much. The soundstage also grows with the C3R. A traditional BA configuration such as the VE PHöNIX doesn’t handle the power boost as well having to keep the volume down to 1 out of 100 or it can sound overdone whereas the Xe6 loves the additional overhead to drive the dynamic driver as well as to bring out more detail from the ESTs. My conclusion is that the Xe6 grabs another boost in detail and soundstage with a quicker bass note offering peak performance – it is the best I have heard the Xe6 sound.
Comparisons
The comparisons offered below are of the Fir Audio M5 for those choosing within the Fir Audio brand and of Vision Ear’s new PHöNIX and EXT flagships which seem to be the most commonly requested comparisons within the HEADFI community. To compare the custom Xe6 to the other IEMs, we used the sources described in the previous section. My music ranges from EDM to classical to rock to metal to pop to new age and easy listening – yes, I am all over the place. My preference in listening and comparison testing is to play all genres randomly to jolt my senses while getting a wide sampling of music. Here is what I found.
Fir Audio M5
The M5 is very different in signature than the Xe6. What they have in common is a very full-sized sound for a “being-there” experience and ginormous bass that is textured and life-like natural and exotic audiophile performance with gobs of detail. However, they offer this experience in two different signatures. The M5 can be considered more intimate while also having a wider soundstage with intimacy in the vocals and more space between instruments for transparency. The Xe6 of more tube-like romantic while retaining its clarity having more of a 3D involving soundscape with a new tactile feel to it. The Xe6 focuses more on atmosphere and the big picture while the M5 allows you to get up close and personal with the singer. I may be overstating the differences to create a meaningful comparison as they both offer a full experience, but the experience is different. The Xe6 has a fuller stage which makes it feel more compact, but it probably can be better described as round vs. the traditional large width of the M5. What I am getting at is that there is just more information provided with the Xe6 to listen to as it adds atmospheric clues. This additional 3d sense probably comes from that tactile feeling provided by the bone conduction technology. Different from other bone conduction headphones I have heard, the Xe6 seems to bring out a sound that you can feel in the treble range as well. As for bass, they both have that huge dynamic driver, but the Xe6 adds both the kinetic port as well as an additional BA dedicated to bass. While the M5 is no slouch with bass, there is just more information in the Xe6 output. I would say that while they are both fast, the M5 feels faster and clearer than the bass on the Xe6 which adds a lot of atmosphere to the equation. However, the Xe6 is clearly more fun. In the end, the Xe6 and the M5 will both have prominent spots in my IEM library allowing me to have two different exotic performance options to listen to my music library to hear it differently – win/win.
Vision Ears PHöNIX
The PHöNIX is Vision Ears' new flagship in-ear replacing their previous ERLKöNIG flagship. The PHöNIX has already gained a huge fanbase given its exotic performance and is likely to replace the ERLKöNIG in AUDIOTIER’s god-tier 5 lineup. As a traditional BA configuration with 13 BAs, the PHöNIX is easier to drive than the Xe6 which is a tribrid boasting both a dynamic driver as well as ESTs plus a kinetic port which all take additional power. Regardless, both sound wonderful on my iPhone, and both scale considerably on better gear. They are both top-of-the-game, god-tier performers with different signatures to enjoy your music library.
What is different about the PHöNIX vs. the Xe6 is most notable in the bass response. While the PHöNIX enjoys that Vision Ears BA bass mastery, there is no comparison to the much more powerful Xe6 bass which compares closer to the Vision Ears EST while still surpassing the EST given the additional tactile Kinetic port. If you are looking for bass first, the Xe6 wins. However, the PHöNIX is more romantic than the Xe6 which is quite romantic itself. I often make the comparison between high-end solid-state and tube-like tuning where the solid-state has more transparency, faster notes with more contrast whereas the tube-like sound is more akin to warm, lush, and romantic. On that scale – 1 for solid-state and 10 for tubes, the PHöNIX is a 9/10 where the Xe6 is a 6/7, and the EXT being compared next is a 3/4. In the end, both the PHöNIX and the Xe6 are the best of the best with different signatures – the PHöNIX may appeal more to easy listeners and classical genres while the Xe6 will blow the mind of those that love more lively POP or EDM. The PHöNIX is one where you sip fine wine and relax whereas the Xe6 will get you up on the tables to dance. Your choice…
Vision Ears EXT
As mentioned above, this new co-flagship Vision Ears IEM is more solid-state in tuning offering an incredibly transparent experience backed by the second-best bass in the business. While the M5 could share that second-best bass title, it is more of an all-rounder where the bass is not as forward in the signature. The EXT doesn’t fool around, that bass is huge with a 10mm dynamic driver that is only beat by the Xe6 due to that tactile kinetic bass port technology that takes it to the next level. However, the bass is not the full story with the EXT, it is an Elysium plus. The VE Elysium is known for its mids forward signature that is very unique and exotic in performance. The Elysium is my best of the best for mids, but this is the key focus there it is not an all-rounder, but it is my go-to vocals IEM. The EXT adds that incredible bass to the equation offering the full spectrum of sound taking it to flagship status making it one of AUDIOTIERS' exotic class IEMs. These two IEMs are both exotic and offer stellar sound quality. They both offer full-sized sound and an extreme frequency range with the power to drive textures and detail from end to end. The difference is mainly in the clarity focus of the EXT vs. the euphoric richness of the Xe6.To summarize, the EXT is more solid-state with a lively signature and an extremely awesome bass response, the PHöNIX is at the other end of the spectrum with a more laid-back, rich tube-like feel in comparison, with the Xe6 being somewhere in between with an additional level-up in a 3D atmosphere with a sound that you can feel. The Xe6 is closer to the PHöNIX than to the EXT in terms of lushness but retains that 10mm dynamic bass excitement of the EXT. Again, the PHöNIX wins for easy or traditional listening while the EXT and the Xe6 win for more dynamic genres such as POP or EDM. They all sound wonderful with all genres but have the tools to take their favored genres one step further. So what do you prefer, solid-state or tube-like signatures?
Concluding Thoughts
The Xe6 is sure to wow any listener as a unique listening experience and an easy recommendation for those that can afford it. They offer peak performance checking all the boxes of modern technology and easily reach my exotic performance tier and is a candidate for my god-tier award. The only concern is for a more laidback music listener as this is an extremely energetic IEM that makes you want to get up and dance vs. sit down and sip wine. Regardless, if you live in the US, then you are free to join our Fir Audio Frontier Series tour to hear the Xe6 as well as its lower cost siblings the Kr5 and the Ne4 for yourself allowing you to decide for yourself – the way it should be.
fabio19
Do the XE6 and KR5 sound very varied?
The PHöNIX is Vision Ears' replacement for their extremely popular Erlkönig, arguably the best in-ear of all time when it was launched. For the Erlkönig, Vision Ears went all out with a pure silver design with interchangeable magnetic faceplates that hid a four-way switch within each unit to offer variability in sound. This was an all-BA 13 driver design that enjoy a top-of-class, best-of-the-best rating for quite a while. But the reign had to come to an end eventually and it was discontinued last year to the disappointment of many.
From the ashes rises the PHöNIX, to reclaim the throne. Again, an all-BA 13 driver design, the PHöNIX captures the god-tier sound quality of the Erlkönig but this time, without the variable switch options. Switched in position two was the Erlkönig’s most popular configuration and this is the tuning of the PHöNIX. Now rather than silver, the PHöNIX is carbon fibre with a metal faceplate in a glowing red firebird design. Yes, the "PHöNIX" is not spelled as "Phoenix" as in the mystical bird, but it is clearly a play on words implying sound while borrowing from mythology.
Tour: Vision Ears PHöNIX and EXT Flagships
For those that do not know me, I am active on AudioTiers and HEADFI under the username “Barra” and have been hosting product tours for almost a decade now. During this time, I have been able to hear all the greats and experienced the evolution of CIEMs/IEMs and all the associated equipment. From that experience, I can say without a doubt that Vision Ears has always been on top of all the lists in terms of performance and unique tuning capabilities. I have managed a number of tours for Vision Ears and am very excited to now offer another 2022 flagship tour for the Phonix and the EXT. To sign up and to hear the EXT and the PHöNIX for yourself, please go to the tour thread and follow the instructions: https://audiotiers.com/tour-vision-ears-phonix-and-ext-flagships/.
As always, my goal is not to just offer my opinion, but to offer tours so you can hear this equipment for yourself. If you are not already an AudioTiers tour member, please go to AudioTiers.com and follow the instructions in the “Getting Started” box on the Tours page: https://audiotiers.com/tours/.
Vision Ears Tour Kickoff Video
The Vision Ears Family
Vision Ears is a premium CIEM manufacturer out of Germany that has a full lineup of premium IEMs and custom IEMs and are longtime favorites on HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS. Their lineup has always made the top of the charts in performance including the VE8, Elysium, the now-retired king – ERLKöNIG, plus the new EXT and PHöNIX. To learn more about Vision Ears, their lineup, or to purchase the PHöNIX from this review, please visit their website at: https://vision-ears.de/.
The Vision Ears PHöNIX
The PHöNIX is a new dual flagship from Vison Ears sharing the top spot with the new EXT. The EXT is being seen as an upgrade from the Elysium while the more expensive PHöNIX is a replacement for the now-retired ERLKöNIG. While this review is on the PHöNIX specifically, many readers are comparing these two to decide on a purchase as they are very close in overall performance with sonic preference being the key determining factor. Therefore, I will offer a number of comparisons within this PHöNIX review.
Universal Format Only
Both are only available in universal format only. While this was always the case with the ERLKöNIG, so it is not surprising in its replacement, the Elysium had a custom option so not having that option in the EXT was a disappointment for me. Having a custom option is very important to me as I have fit issues that are eliminated by having a custom IEM. My perfect fit allows me to wear them in an active environment without losing my seal forcing me to continually readjust and ensuring that I always have perfect performance so I can hear to the extreme ends of the frequency spectrum and I can experience the full impact of the bass response.While I would love for both/either of these models to gain a custom option, this is not likely. It was explained to me by Vision Ears that: “Both new models are just available as universals and it is not planned to make them custom - would be difficult anyway because the shell and faceplate material is an essential part of the design and not so easy to transfer to a custom version.”
FIT: While it would be preferable for me to have custom options – both the PHöNIX and the EXT offer fantastic fits for me and I am thrilled how easy they are to use in comparison to my custom fits that require more effort inserting and removing. In this case, I don’t think I would trade either my EXT or PHöNIX for a custom fit if I had a chance and that is saying a lot. Great job Vision Ears!
Configuration – Yes, it is still an all-BA 13 Driver Design
The PHöNIX is a traditional 13 BA configuration – 4 low, 4 mid, 4 high – same as the ERLKöNIG with a new super-tweeter. From memory – I don’t have the ERLKöNIG on hand currently to compare directly - the sonic results are similar to the ERLKöNIG on its popular second switch. The PHöNIX in contrast has no switch. As the ERLKöNIG is rated at GOD-TIER status, just matching performance is quite a feat. I am hoping to get the tour ERLKöNIG sometime soon to be able to compare directly.Per Vision Ears, Oliver Marino: PHöNIX Changes - "The new PHöNIX tweeter is a spoutless tweeter, so there is no spout in front of its output. This changes the resonance of this driver a lot. And for sure we did some other little magic tricks to tweak it here and there."
In comparison, the EXT is a tribrid IEM with four electrostatic drivers – same as the Elysium – to create a wide-open landscape of lush details, an additional new 9.2mm dynamic driver with loads of power in the very low end replacing the Elysiums single BA bass module, and a new upgraded 6mm dynamic driver for the mids replacing the 6mm dynamic that was found in the Elysium. Yes, you hear correctly, there are two dynamic drivers, a 6mm for the mids and a larger 9.2mm for sub-bass. This configuration similarity is why the EXT is looked at as an upgraded Elysium, it is the same configuration with the addition of a new 9.2mm dynamic driver for the lows and an upgraded 6mm for the mids. However, the tuning and crossing is very different which will be detailed in the comparison section.
Per Vision Ears, Oliver Marino: Elysium to EXT Differences - "The EXT has a new 6mm midrange driver with a double N52 magnet to increase the SPL and reduce the THD, an Al-Mg Alloy diaphragm with LSR (liquid silicon rubber) surround, and some more features. We needed to tune a new mid driver in order to better match with the DD low and the 4 Estats and we also developed the 2nd Gen HALC, which includes a side tuning chamber that allows for more precise tuning."
Build
The EXT feels noticeable smaller and lighter than the PHöNIX. While side-by-side pictures don’t echo this feel, the EXT disappears and sucks into the ears while the PHöNIX just feels more substantial overall. They are both comfortable, but the EXT does a better job of disappearing while listening to music. I can actually lay with my ear on the pillow with the EXT while listening to music at night where I wouldn’t do this with the PHöNIX. The Elysium is not comparable as it is a custom fit. In addition, the Elysium is one of the most recognizable faceplates in the world of IEMs and is extremely beautiful - see below.
The EXT feels solid and uses a nice aluminum while the PHöNIX feels heavier and more solid in a good way. They both are beautiful and well built, but the PHöNIX was obviously the one designed to win the beauty contest and is priced higher to match its looks. The carbon fibre in the picture below is very beautiful but is dark and not immediately noticeable unless in the direct Arizona sunlight. The PHöNIX faceplate does pop and appears fiery in the sunlight which is extremely beautiful. Apparently, the PHöNIX likes it here in Phoenix.
Fit
The fit and seal for both the EXT and the PHöNIX is superb, but the seal on the EXT is better for me. The EXT somehow is sucked into my ear offering a custom-like fit and seal while the PHöNIX feels more external while still offering a great seal. Both have a good enough seal that they work well in an active environment. My Elysium is a custom fit so there is no comparison – it is perfect. As a traditionally custom-only company, Vision Ears has only recently begun offering universal versions of its extended lineup. Previously, only the ERLKöNIG was offered in universal. As a traditionally custom-only company, Vision Ears is one of the best in the business at getting a perfect custom fit. In fact, my Elysium is the best custom fit that I own.For universal tips, I only go silicone due to the inner workings of my ears. With a significant bend in my ear channel, the silicone offers a wedge to seal the IEM and get full performance. Therefore, I have not tried any other tips to offer other suggestions.
The PHöNIX Sound
The name AudioTiers comes from my attempt to offer performance tiers to provide perspective on these various in-ear offerings and the surrounding gear. While we have definitely hosted mid-tier and some entry-tier IEMs, we have mostly focused on the top-tier offerings with some mid-tier. The best of the best are termed exotics for their ability to be unique and stand above the crowd. The top 5 of the exotics are awarded GOD-Tier status. The ERLKöNIG is among those 5 GOD-Tier IEMs but will lose its position soon as it is no longer available since being retired by Vision Ears. The PHöNIX has a good chance of replacing the ERLKöNIG, it is that good. The EXT is almost neck-to-neck with the PHöNIX as it is also that good but the opposite in tuning. However, we never award exotic or God-Tier status to new entries until we get consensus from our membership which is likely to happen soon. My expectations are that they will both fall into the exotic category at the minimum.
To describe the PHöNIX signature in a nutshell – it is euphoric and rich in a supersized sound stage with powerful texturing from end to end of the frequency spectrum. While the PHöNIX sports the famous Vision Ears incredible BA bass, it is not comparable to the EXT double dynamics, but that is not a bad thing as it excels in quality output. The best way that I can describe the PHöNIX sound is to compare it to the Sennheiser HD820 connected to an extremely high-end audiophile tube amplifier – the soundstage size stands out as does the detail, but in an extremely rich and euphonic presentation.
Optimizing and Pairing
As I did not find either the EXT or the PHöNIX lacking in any area, I did not feel that rolling cables at this point would be a benefit. The stock cables are wonderful and the resulting sound is satisfactory. So this optimization section is mainly about pairing given that we have all already made investments in gear that we would like to use with our purchases. My preferred DAPs are the Sony WM1a and the Calyx M as I have sold my AK and other DAPs that were not being used. The Hugo 2 rounds out my setup by offering top-tier performance using my Sony or iPhone as a source. My desktop DAC/AMP is the Burson C3R offering 7.5 watts of pure performance to test the limits of scalability. Based on experience, the C3R wattage scales my dynamic drivers to the extreme but is not necessary for BA-only setups. Here is what I found.
- iPhone 11: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the PHöNIX sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the PHöNIX on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness of the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so of constant playing. Of note is the need to turn my iPhone about 80 to 90 percent volume with the EXT vs. around 50 percent volume or less with the PHöNIX. The iPhone doesn’t feel colored in the signature offering a very revealing look at the PHöNIX but may not extend to the extremes like my better sources. Ultimately, I would say that the PHöNIX scales up better than it scales down.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder Calyx M signature offer more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I used to like the Calyx M better than the Sony until I got a custom firmware upgrade on the Sony. The Calyx takes the audiophile performance up a notch with more and tighter detail, while Sony can actually be more fun. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the PHöNIX louder than normal for short bursts. The clarity of the Calyx M boosts the detail even more on the PHöNIX and the powerful amp boosts the texturing. The M is a great pairing with the PHöNIX offering a slightly different signature than the Sony which comes across as warmer and punchier. The PHöNIX loses some of the tube-like euphonics on the M offering more clarity bringing it closer to the EXT signature.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold last year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the new custom firmware. The new firmware now plays nice with all my CIEMs. The PHöNIX pairs ok with the Sony offering retaining its warm tint to its performance with a nice girth to the note and more resonance and textures. The Sony with its superior battery life and UX is my go-to DAP for the PHöNIX. While Sony moves the EXT a little in the direction of the PHöNIX signature, the PHöNIX signature stays the same on Sony. Both the EXT and the PHöNIX sound fantastic on Sony.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up significantly on the PHöNIX with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more, the detail is at another level, and the sound gets fuller – more euphonic. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the PHöNIX for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson C3R which takes it up even another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience. The PHöNIX performance is significantly improved with the H2 with an additional gob of detail and scales significantly more than the EXT. This is a wonderful pairing for the PHöNIX.
- Burson C3 Reference: Going desktop, the Burson C3R is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the PHöNIX signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the C3R drives 7.5 watts into the PHöNIX and offers a significant boost to the low end with more punch and more clarity. While the C3R is slightly warmer than the H2, not by much. The soundstage also grows with the C3R. Applied to the EXT which requires more power it reaches the peak of performance and closes the gap on the PHöNIX, perhaps matching it. The traditional BA configuration of the PHöNIX doesn’t handle the power boost as well as having to keep the volume down to 1 out of 100 or it can sound overdone. However, the PHöNIX does grab another boost in detail and soundstage offering peak performance with the C3R as well. With the C3R, we are splitting hairs and the performance is around the same with two slightly different signatures – EXT offers more punch and dynamic bass with clarity throughout whereas the PHöNIX reminds me of a wonderful tube amp performance rendering the musical romance that can be missing from modern music.
Comparisons
To compare to the other IEMs, we used the sources described in the previous section. My music ranges from EDM to classical to rock to metal to pop to new age and easy listening. My preference in listening is to play all genres randomly to jolt my senses while getting a wide sampling of music. While I have already offered some comparisons for the EXT, ERLKöNIG, and the Elysium, I am also in possession of the new Lime Ears flagship, the Pneuma for comparison. Here is what I found.
ERLKöNIG (Head-to-Head)
Before listening to the ERLKöNIG (ERL) and the PHöNIX side-by-side, my first impression is that the PHöNIX reminded me of the ERL switched to setting two, my favorite setting. The PHöNIX brings back my memory of that high-end tube amp euphonics that I enjoyed so much with the ERL with exotic detail retrieval, supersized sound stage, and that famous Vision Ears BA bass. However, upon hearing them together, it is immediately apparent that the PHöNIX is warmer and more intimate than the ERL which is a couple rows back and more transparent.Fit Difference: However, there is something about the fit difference between the two that exaggerates this effect. The silver shell of the ERL is cold to the touch and takes a while to warm up and melt into your ears where the plastic/carbon fibre shells of the PHöNIX fit well immediately. To get the bass to work with the ERL, I need to cup my ears for a while to get the right seal until it warms. When the ERL warms up and I get a good seal, the exaggeration is gone, but the PHöNIX is still warmer and more intimate.
Tuning Differences: The transparency of the ERL allows the details to show through a bit better, but the treble is a sharper more traditional BA sound where the PHöNIX is richer and more integrated into the overall frequency range. Both have gobs of that high-end tube-like euphonics, but the PHöNIX has more of this effect and is even more addictive. There is also an obvious difference in impedance where the ERL takes more juice or volume to reach the sound level of the PHöNIX – the PHöNIX is much easier to drive. For example, my 7.5-watt Burson Conductor 3 overpowers the PHöNIX even on a volume setting of 1 out of 100 where the ERL manages the power more gracefully. To manage this excessive power, I, unfortunately, have to reduce the digital volume on the computer.
If I could only have one: While both are god-tier in performance – if I could only have one, I do prefer the richer more intimate presentation of the PHöNIX . When I get comfortable with that decision, the ERL sneaks up on me sounding better in some circumstances making me second guess myself, so don’t count it out. But in the end, in most cases I prefer the PHöNIX signature and even looks as well as the unswitched design simplicity.
EXT
These two IEMs are both exotic and offer stellar sound quality. They both offer full-sized sound and an extreme frequency range with the power to drive textures and detail from end to end. The difference is mainly in the clarity focus of the EXT vs. the euphoric richness of the PHöNIX. They both excel at bass, but the EXT bass is definitely more present and dynamic. I am splitting hairs, but I would also say that the PHöNIX sound stage feels like more full-sized headphones with the EXT being slightly smaller. In the end, the key difference is the EXT clarity focus vs. the warmer, more euphoric PHöNIX. When I listen to one, I am not missing the other as either are fully satisfying. However, it is always nice to switch as they both are slightly different.
Elysium
The Elysium is very different than the PHöNIX. The Elysium focus is on the mids, while the PHöNIX is a full spectrum performer. I love my Elysium and will run to it for vocalists or instrumentals and even live intimate performances where it shines. The PHöNIX has an extremely large soundstage whereas the Elysium is a more intimate presentation. That being said, comparing these two very different IEMs reignited my love for the Elysium as well which will always be my go-to driver for intimate vocals. At the risk of overusing the exotic term, the Elysium has exotic mids that are unbeatable.
Lime Ears Pneuma
The Pneuma is Lime Ears brand new flagship and is phenomenal. Where the PHöNIX is a traditional BA configuration, the Pneuma is a hybrid with a dynamic driver for bass and four BA drivers closer in configuration to the EXT. There is very little in common with the PHöNIX in tuning or intention, so it is better compared to the EXT. However, while these are two top-class performers, the PHöNIX is a league ahead and priced accordingly.What is different about the Pneuma vs. the EXT is the smaller 7mm (vs. 9.2mm in the EXT) titanium dynamic bass driver which is extremely fast and punchy. The results are a very resolute bass note with a fast decay that etches out the details that other bass drivers may miss. The smaller driver sacrifices some of the extremely low rumbles but gets clarity in exchange while still offering an enormous and satisfying punch. In contrast to the EXT, the Pneuma bass driver is responsible for a broader range where the bass duties on the EXT are divided between the sub-bass and the mid-bass. However, the effect is similar as the EXT uses a smaller 6mm dynamic driver for the mids as well so the EXT has that rumble separated in addition for those that find that 20-40 hertz bass to be critical and desire power in this range. Of note, there is a switch on the Pneuma that allows you to switch the bass from forward to neutral. In real-world use, you probably would not buy the Pneuma if you didn’t like its significant bass response so there is no practical reason for turning it down. I left it in bass enhanced for this comparison and found no advantage for switching.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Pneuma BA treble offers much more shimmer than I have been finding lately in the new offerings. Treble junkies may find this shimmer to be to their liking as it is very compelling and adds a lot to the overall signature. This is a very smooth audiophile shimmer and never approaches sibilance. The Pneuma is a fantastic IEM and is a very good value at its significantly lower price range and will appeal to those that miss the more traditional shimmer that a BA offers. These two IEMs are more complementary than competitors as the endearing characteristics of each are different. One last comment about the Pneuma, it is quite beautiful as you can see in the picture. However, the picture doesn’t do it justice as it looks even better in person.
Concluding Thoughts
The PHöNIX and the EXT are both easy recommendations for those that can afford them. They offer peak performance checking all the boxes of modern technology and easily reach my exotic performance tier and the PHöNIX is a candidate for my god-tier award. The only downside is the lack of a custom option, but I find these both offer a solid seal even in the universal format where this is not as much of a concern. Regardless, if you live in the US, then you are free to join our EXT/PHöNIX tour and hear them for yourself so you can decide for yourself – the way it should be.
AlfeedE
As I have the Phönix for almost 3 months now I can acknowledge that the sound is otherwordly and that they are extremely well build. The sound even grows on you over time. Sorry for my bad english.
Quartex
Thanks for the raving review and especially the great insides from Oliver Marino. I became a fan of the Phönix too, pure joy.
Just one thought regarding your statement: "Yes, the "PHöNIX" is not spelled as "Phoenix" as in the mystical bird, but it is clearly a play on words implying sound while borrowing from mythology.": the minute you appreciate that there are different languages spoken on this planet, "Phönix" magically turns into "Phoenix", the mystical bird. It's just the German spelling, nothing else.
Just one thought regarding your statement: "Yes, the "PHöNIX" is not spelled as "Phoenix" as in the mystical bird, but it is clearly a play on words implying sound while borrowing from mythology.": the minute you appreciate that there are different languages spoken on this planet, "Phönix" magically turns into "Phoenix", the mystical bird. It's just the German spelling, nothing else.
When Sennheiser created the HD800 audiophile headphone in Jan. 2009, it not only created the best-sounding mass-produced consumer headphone of its day – it also created a cult following and ultimately ignited a new genre of cost-no-limit audiophile headphones going forward. Even more importantly, the HD800 was unique as it became a platform for tweaking and hacks called “Mods”. While this is an HD820 review, there is history here that needs to be considered, so we will be taking that detour first before discussing how glorious the HD820 sounds.
Beyond the traditional shelving foam mods, these scientists would create their own optimized cables and soldered them to the HD800 for additional returns in sound quality eliminating known weaknesses in the sound chain. Some of these individuals would pull dedicated high-gauge electrical wires from their garage panels into their living room setups and would upgrade their home electrical panels with specialized grounding options to eliminate additional noise. They even built their own HD800 optimized amps and patch cables to ensure optimal sound quality. Sonarworks was eventually introduced into the equation to tweak the existing frequency curve which paid huge dividends in moving the bass-forward – Abyss level bass. This group even hacked the Sonarworks algorithm which was limited to 20hz-20khz to boost the sub-bass outside that range.
In the end, we were able to raise the bar on the HD800 so far that we could go head-to-head with the Abyss costing two to three times the HD800. Blind testing vs. the Abyss is not really possible given the Franken-headband of the Abyss vs. the top-in-class comfort of the HD800 fit, but as a group, we had mixed results across the board where the HD800 could even match the Abyss bass slam. That is saying a lot. Of the ten doing the head-to-head testing, 6 went with the Abyss narrowly with 4 going for the modded HD800 narrowly. Truthfully, it was pretty much a tie with the Abyss in sound quality.
My best setup today uses:
Amazon HD Music >> Sonarworks True-Fi (HD800 Curve) >> Digital Glass Optical (Bluejeans Cables) >> Burson Conductor 3 Reference (DAC) >> Bluejeans Cable Patch >> Eddie Current Zana Deux Tube Amp >> Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC >> HD800 (Modded)
I have lost track of the particular mod name but will add it to the review when found. This system sounds spectacular and has left me satisfied which is rare as a HEADFIER. This is my reference system by which I measure everything else. I have auditioned every major competitor from the RAAL to the LCD-5 to the HE1000 to the Abyss to the Utopia to the Shangri-La to the STAX 009/007 to even the Sennheiser Orpheus/HE-1. Yet, I do not feel that I am missing anything.
Sonarworks is a huge win for me. As you can see in the True-Fi picture above, I am using an HD800 curve. The Sonarworks people have taken a number of HD800s into the lab and pulled their sound curve to get a manufacturers average curve as seen in grey above. You can see the HD800 drop off in bass broad peak in mids, then sharp peak in treble. Sonarworks applies their algorithm to adjust that curve to match the Harmon’s curve as seen in orange. The also have age adjustments as well as optional bass adjustments which you can see that I have boosted a bit.
Best of all, the True-Fi UI offers an “Enable” button. By clicking it on and off, you can hear the True-Fi benefits in real-time – true head-to-head auditioning. It is very easy to see immediately the improvements that True-Fi offers. Yes, they do have a curve for a majority of headphone products so you can easily adjust the headphone curve with the headphone dropdown to accommodate other headphones.
For those that have not tried Sonarworks, I highly recommend taking advantage of their free 30-day trial and click away at that “Enable” button to hear for yourself.
The net results for my group of scientists were the pounding and controlled bass we were looking for – Abyss level bass – that does not interfere at all with the soundstage or details that the HD800 offers.
HD800 vs. HD820 Filters: This is where the HD820 gets very interesting. The HD800 with the HD800 filter is fantastic and clicking on and off makes the sound go from dead to alive in a snap. Yes, the HD800 sounds wonderful without the filter, but the filter is like listening to the HD800 on the world's best high-end tube setup offering an unparalleled richness that it does not have in the stock polite sound. Click the filter on and if the HD800 was a 10 before, now it is a 13 on the same scale. Playing the HD820 on the HD800 filter has the same effect...POW, magic. However, moving to the HD820 filter with the HD820 headphones and there is an additional magic taking it from the 10 to now a 15. The extra magic now seems to be a more rounded 3d sound stage with complete coherency. The HD800 with the HD820 filter seems to work well together with a more mid-centric sound, but not as coherent as the HD820. The HD820 filter seems to bring more treble forward offering a more detailed sound. The HD800 with the HD820 filter feels more lively and forward vs. the HD800 filter which is more laid back and wider in the soundstage. This gives me something to play with when I have to ship out the HD820, but the HD820 with the HD820 filter is clearly the better-sounding headphone setup.
What interested me in the HD820 was community feedback of the HD820 being what they called an HD800 S closed option. I say HD800 S as they have described it as having the modded sound with raised bass coming from the HD800 S, but in a closed design. In listening, I have found this to be pretty accurate as I will explain later. The reason that I am interested in the HD820 is several fold – (1) my HD800 is starting to show its age so I would like to have another option to slow down its demise, (2) a closed design will limit the sound leakage from the headphone as my listening station is close to the master bedroom forcing me to lower my volume at night, and (3) the closed design looks sturdier than the HD800 which is important to someone like me with young kids.
The tour kit is simply a retail HD820 and it appears to be brand new. Having spent time with the unit, burn-in was not an issue. Brand new out of the box, it sounds as wonderful as today. This is not always the case with a dynamic driver. The kit comes with the headphones and two sets of cables, one 6.5mm and one 3.5mm. This is convenient for me as the 3.5mm allowed me to plug the HD820 into my second headphone output on the Burson Conductor 3 Reference to do a true head-to-head comparison. There is also a USB key with manuals and other stuff including the frequency response curve for this headphone as seen below.
Comparing Cables: The stock cables seem to be an upgrade over the original HD800 cables as you might expect given the difference in the launch date. Therefore, the upgraded Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC cables have less impact than they did with the original cables, but there is still a clear difference, a noticeable upgrade in sound. The Noir Hybrid cable has more girth to them and just feels like they carry more signal. Not only do they carry more to the bass impact, but they have a finer detail in the treble with bringing a weightier treble at the same time. The comparison is like comparing the detail offered when turning the volume up 10 percent without the higher volume wearing on your ears. There is something more to the cable upgrade that I cannot explain, but a lot of it is a luxurious look and feel that is added. However, this new cable seems to have a lot more girth and offers more luxury than the original cables as well. Just look for yourself in the pictures above. The extra set of cables is also a very welcome addition.
HD800 – A Mods Platform
Living in Seattle, I was part of a crazy group of extreme audio scientist HEADFIERS who held “mini-meets” between official HEADFI events to showcase their individual HD800 hacks and creations. While the HD800 was the best-sounding mass-produced headphone of its time, known for the biggest sound stage ever and gobs of detail you just do not get anywhere else, the bass was not known for its slam. The platform was built around the biggest dynamic driver available so this Seattle audiophile extremist group felt that there was no excuse for the lack of slam. They are not bass heads and appreciate the polite sound that the HD800 provided that allowed the intense detail, but they wanted to bring the extremely detailed bass a little forward.Beyond the traditional shelving foam mods, these scientists would create their own optimized cables and soldered them to the HD800 for additional returns in sound quality eliminating known weaknesses in the sound chain. Some of these individuals would pull dedicated high-gauge electrical wires from their garage panels into their living room setups and would upgrade their home electrical panels with specialized grounding options to eliminate additional noise. They even built their own HD800 optimized amps and patch cables to ensure optimal sound quality. Sonarworks was eventually introduced into the equation to tweak the existing frequency curve which paid huge dividends in moving the bass-forward – Abyss level bass. This group even hacked the Sonarworks algorithm which was limited to 20hz-20khz to boost the sub-bass outside that range.
In the end, we were able to raise the bar on the HD800 so far that we could go head-to-head with the Abyss costing two to three times the HD800. Blind testing vs. the Abyss is not really possible given the Franken-headband of the Abyss vs. the top-in-class comfort of the HD800 fit, but as a group, we had mixed results across the board where the HD800 could even match the Abyss bass slam. That is saying a lot. Of the ten doing the head-to-head testing, 6 went with the Abyss narrowly with 4 going for the modded HD800 narrowly. Truthfully, it was pretty much a tie with the Abyss in sound quality.
My HD800 Setup
Personally, I wanted an HD800 setup that I could take with me to meets, so I ended up purchasing a particular mod from a fellow HEADFIER, obtaining my favorite HD800 cables as pictured below – the Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC, and cheating with Sonarworks tuning products of which I am currently using their True-Fi add-in.
My best setup today uses:
Amazon HD Music >> Sonarworks True-Fi (HD800 Curve) >> Digital Glass Optical (Bluejeans Cables) >> Burson Conductor 3 Reference (DAC) >> Bluejeans Cable Patch >> Eddie Current Zana Deux Tube Amp >> Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC >> HD800 (Modded)
I have lost track of the particular mod name but will add it to the review when found. This system sounds spectacular and has left me satisfied which is rare as a HEADFIER. This is my reference system by which I measure everything else. I have auditioned every major competitor from the RAAL to the LCD-5 to the HE1000 to the Abyss to the Utopia to the Shangri-La to the STAX 009/007 to even the Sennheiser Orpheus/HE-1. Yet, I do not feel that I am missing anything.
Source
I have a vast collection of 20,000 HD AIFF files that I love to use but have lately focused on Amazon’s HD Music setup to play new music. I found Amazon HD Music when researching a new technology used by services to digitally optimize streamed output. The list of steaming services that used this technology included Amazon which I had a free trial and tried. I was shocked at the results as streamed music often sounded better than my highest resolution files. In particular, this works well in raising the bar on my to-go music by using Amazon HD Music iOS app on my iPhone with my in-ears. It also plays well with my listening practices of mixing genres to shock my senses – piano following metal following EDM, then Enya. I have also found some great channels within that allow me to regularly discover new music.Sonarworks
Sonarworks is a huge win for me. As you can see in the True-Fi picture above, I am using an HD800 curve. The Sonarworks people have taken a number of HD800s into the lab and pulled their sound curve to get a manufacturers average curve as seen in grey above. You can see the HD800 drop off in bass broad peak in mids, then sharp peak in treble. Sonarworks applies their algorithm to adjust that curve to match the Harmon’s curve as seen in orange. The also have age adjustments as well as optional bass adjustments which you can see that I have boosted a bit.
Best of all, the True-Fi UI offers an “Enable” button. By clicking it on and off, you can hear the True-Fi benefits in real-time – true head-to-head auditioning. It is very easy to see immediately the improvements that True-Fi offers. Yes, they do have a curve for a majority of headphone products so you can easily adjust the headphone curve with the headphone dropdown to accommodate other headphones.
For those that have not tried Sonarworks, I highly recommend taking advantage of their free 30-day trial and click away at that “Enable” button to hear for yourself.
The net results for my group of scientists were the pounding and controlled bass we were looking for – Abyss level bass – that does not interfere at all with the soundstage or details that the HD800 offers.
HD800 vs. HD820 Filters: This is where the HD820 gets very interesting. The HD800 with the HD800 filter is fantastic and clicking on and off makes the sound go from dead to alive in a snap. Yes, the HD800 sounds wonderful without the filter, but the filter is like listening to the HD800 on the world's best high-end tube setup offering an unparalleled richness that it does not have in the stock polite sound. Click the filter on and if the HD800 was a 10 before, now it is a 13 on the same scale. Playing the HD820 on the HD800 filter has the same effect...POW, magic. However, moving to the HD820 filter with the HD820 headphones and there is an additional magic taking it from the 10 to now a 15. The extra magic now seems to be a more rounded 3d sound stage with complete coherency. The HD800 with the HD820 filter seems to work well together with a more mid-centric sound, but not as coherent as the HD820. The HD820 filter seems to bring more treble forward offering a more detailed sound. The HD800 with the HD820 filter feels more lively and forward vs. the HD800 filter which is more laid back and wider in the soundstage. This gives me something to play with when I have to ship out the HD820, but the HD820 with the HD820 filter is clearly the better-sounding headphone setup.
New HD800 Product Options – The HD800S and HD820
Yes, I am satisfied with my current setup, but when Sennheiser launches new flagship products everyone that I know listens. The HD800S was launched in February 2016 and yet I have shamefully not found a single place where I can audition this headphone. I moved to a new state losing my mini-meet options, and then the Covid thing happened, so I have not heard it. My understanding is that it sounds like a modded HD800 lifting the bass and saving us the trouble of having to self-mod the original HD800. The HD820 launched a couple years later in Summer 2018 which I had not had a chance to hear until now for the same reasons. For that reason, I was very thankful to Sennheiser who offered to tour the HD820 on HEADFI where I was selected to be a participant. As a participant, they shipped what seems to be a new HD820 in a retail box and have allowed me to audition it for a month in exchange for an honest review. Given the performance of the HD800 and its popularity and the similarity of the HD820, this was a pretty safe bet for Sennheiser that they would get a positive review….just sayin’.What interested me in the HD820 was community feedback of the HD820 being what they called an HD800 S closed option. I say HD800 S as they have described it as having the modded sound with raised bass coming from the HD800 S, but in a closed design. In listening, I have found this to be pretty accurate as I will explain later. The reason that I am interested in the HD820 is several fold – (1) my HD800 is starting to show its age so I would like to have another option to slow down its demise, (2) a closed design will limit the sound leakage from the headphone as my listening station is close to the master bedroom forcing me to lower my volume at night, and (3) the closed design looks sturdier than the HD800 which is important to someone like me with young kids.
The Tour Kit
The tour kit is simply a retail HD820 and it appears to be brand new. Having spent time with the unit, burn-in was not an issue. Brand new out of the box, it sounds as wonderful as today. This is not always the case with a dynamic driver. The kit comes with the headphones and two sets of cables, one 6.5mm and one 3.5mm. This is convenient for me as the 3.5mm allowed me to plug the HD820 into my second headphone output on the Burson Conductor 3 Reference to do a true head-to-head comparison. There is also a USB key with manuals and other stuff including the frequency response curve for this headphone as seen below.
Comparing Cables: The stock cables seem to be an upgrade over the original HD800 cables as you might expect given the difference in the launch date. Therefore, the upgraded Forza AudioWorks Noir Hybrid HPC cables have less impact than they did with the original cables, but there is still a clear difference, a noticeable upgrade in sound. The Noir Hybrid cable has more girth to them and just feels like they carry more signal. Not only do they carry more to the bass impact, but they have a finer detail in the treble with bringing a weightier treble at the same time. The comparison is like comparing the detail offered when turning the volume up 10 percent without the higher volume wearing on your ears. There is something more to the cable upgrade that I cannot explain, but a lot of it is a luxurious look and feel that is added. However, this new cable seems to have a lot more girth and offers more luxury than the original cables as well. Just look for yourself in the pictures above. The extra set of cables is also a very welcome addition.
HD820 Sound Testing and Comparisons
As mentioned earlier, the HD820 has the modded bass bump right out of the box as suggested with the HD800 S and it is a closed design. This bass enhancement shows in the provided curve image above when compared to the HD800 curve seen in the True-Fi screenshot. My HD800 is modded to have that same bass bump so they are very similar in signature. So my modded HD800 and the new HD820 do sound very much the same. However there are noticeable differences. The closed design of the HD820 seems to offer a little less sound stage than the vastness of my HD800, but just a little…I am nit picking here – both vast, the HD800 is just a little bigger when compared side-by-side. On the other hand, the HD820 seems a little more coherent and intimate. Again, just a little, but it is noticeable. Probably the biggest listening difference is the lack of outside sound leaking in due to the closed design offering more focus on the detail that comes through. Another difference is the pads – my older pads need replacement, but they were never as full as the HD820 pad – see the picture below. Both are very comfortable, but the HD820 pads block outside sounds better in combination with the closed design. I will probably get something similar when I replace my HD800 pads. So in general, my sound conclusions are that the HD820 is a closed design and that is where most of the differences lie. There are more similarities that differences so in general, which do you like the looks of better and is the open or closed design better suited to your use case?
My Interest Justifications Tested
As mentioned earlier, the reason that I am interested in the HD820 is several fold – (1) the HD800 is showing its age so I would like to have another option to slow down its demise, (2) a closed design will limit the sound leakage from the headphone as my listening station is close to the master bedroom forcing me to lower my volume at night, and (3) the closed design looks sturdier than the HD800 which is important to someone like me with young kids.- HD800 Backup Option: Yes, this works – it offers comparable sound with some interesting upgrades in coherence that I would like to explore more. I love the look and it is different enough that it appears to be a different headphone. Why not just buy a different headphone such as the Focal Utopia or LCD-5…because I am set up perfectly for the HD820 to maximize the SQ and the others are twice as much plus will need additional tweaks/equipment.
- Closed Design: Yes, while there is significant sound leakage from this new closed design, the leakage is muted enough to allow me to comfortably listen while my wife sleeps next door. Side-by-side, the leakage reduction was minimal, but enough. Plus, the leakage was directional from my head seal rather than radiating in all directions as with the HD800. This solves my problem, but probably would not be a solution in an open work environment.
- Sturdier: Yes, it is definitely sturdier. My kids have already damaged my HD800 band which is very similar, but the headphone itself feels more solid. My only concern would be the glass panels in the side. I was not concerned until I saw the warning stickers on the new units.
Conclusion
So will I buy an HD820 based on my needs – yes I will…but also because it is just that cool and I cannot resist cool designs. Sennheiser has another winner on their hands that answers the closed-back user use case needs. It is similar enough to satisfy my HD800 cravings, but different enough to excite me into new experimentation to see how far I can push the HD820. If I was starting from new, I would either go HD800 S or the HD820 to avoid having to do my own mods. However, the HD820 sits higher on my value list as it solves the closed issue without losing that soundstage that Sennheiser lovers crave.
Sennheiser
Thank you so much for spending some time with the HD 820, and your helpful 800-series context. Great photos and setup too! The 820 pads are indeed thicker than the 800 out of the box, so while your 800 pads may have compressed, its probably not much but the "out-of-box thickness" of the 820 pads may highlight even minor differences (so, you're not losing your mind there is still a difference haha). We appreciate the comments about the environmental isolation it offers; many potential listeners have loud neighbors, constant nearby traffic or different work/sleep schedules—things you don't have to worry about getting in the way of your hi-fi fix. Any key tracks you audition with that you want to share?
To be clear, the VE EXT is not just an upgraded Elysium, it is at a whole new level with a different overall signature. It is now supporting two dynamic drivers which should be of interest to anyone that enjoys full-sized audiophile bass. The best-in-call mids that the Elysium offers are still there, but it is not the focus of the EXT. Those mids/vocals are still forward and intimate but are now accompanied by the dual lead guitars over the vocalist’s shoulders, gobs of venue ambiance, and full-sized bass that you can feel all around while maintaining the Elysium’s texturing all the way down and up in the frequency range. Therefore, the EXT is competing more with the ERL and now the new Phonix.
Tour: Vision Ears PHöNIX and EXT Flagships
For those that do not know me, I am active on AudioTiers and HEADFI under the username “Barra” and have been hosting product tours for almost a decade now. During this time, I have been able to hear all the greats and experienced the evolution of CIEMs/IEMs and all the associated equipment. From that experience, I can say without a doubt that Vision Ears has always been on top of all the lists in terms of performance and unique tuning capabilities. I have managed a number of tours for Vision Ears and am very excited to now offer another 2021 flagship tour for the Phonix and the EXT. To sign up and to hear the EXT and the Phonix for yourself, please go to the tour thread and follow the instructions: https://audiotiers.com/tour-vision-ears-phonix-and-ext-flagships/.
As always, my goal is not to just offer my opinion, but to offer tours so you can hear this equipment for yourself. If you are not already an AudioTiers tour member, please go to AudioTiers.com and follow the instructions in the “Getting Started” box on the Tours page: https://audiotiers.com/tours/.
Vision Ears Tour Kickoff Video
The Vision Ears Family
Vision Ears is a premium CIEM manufacturer out of Germany that has a full lineup of premium IEMs and custom IEMs and are longtime favorites on HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS. Their lineup has always made the top of the charts in performance including the VE8, Elysium, the now-retired king – ERLKöNIG, plus the new EXT and Phonix. To learn more about Vision Ears, their lineup, or to purchase the EXT from this review, please visit their website at: https://vision-ears.de/.
The Vision Ears EXT
The EXT is a new dual flagship from Vison Ears sharing the top spot with the new Phonix. The EXT is being seen as an upgrade from the Elysium while the more expensive Phonix appears to be a replacement for the now-retired ERLKöNIG. While this review is on the EXT specifically, many readers are comparing these two to decide on a purchase as they are very close in overall performance with sonic preference being the key determining factor. Therefore, I will offer a number of comparisons within this EXT review. As the EXT is also seen as an upgrade to the Elysium, I will be offering a number of Elysium comparisons within this review as well. However, as I pointed out in the introduction, I don’t feel that this is simply an Elysium upgrade, that it is at a higher level of performance and has a different signature.
Universal Format Only
Both are only available in universal format only. While this was always the case with the ERLKöNIG, so it is not surprising in its replacement, the Elysium had a custom option so not having that option in the EXT was a disappointment for me. Having a custom option is very important to me as I have fit issues that are eliminated by having a custom IEM. My perfect fit allows me to wear them in an active environment without losing my seal forcing me to continually readjust and ensuring that I always have perfect performance so I can hear to the extreme ends of the frequency spectrum and that I can experience the full impact of the bass response.
My Elysium is a custom fit and this should be noted in the comparisons. This is because the custom Elysium has superior performance to the universal version as experienced in my online conversations with universal version owners as well as my direct experience comparing the universal tour Elysium to my own custom version. The difference in performance was a significant boost in the bass which the universal version owners felt was missing. A perfect seal is the only way to get a perfect bass response, and the Elysium was susceptible to imperfect seals issues as the mids were so prevelent that most never realized there was an issue. Most people will notice a marked improvement when cupping their hands over their ears when wearing a universal IEM – due to an imperfect seal.
While I would love for both/either of these models to gain a custom option, this is not likely. It was explained to me by Vision Ears that: “Both new models are just available as universals and it is not planned to make them custom - would be difficult anyway because the shell and faceplate material is an essential part of the design and not so easy to transfer to a custom version.”
Configuration – Yes, it has Two Dynamic Drivers
The EXT is a tribrid IEM with four electrostatic drivers – same as the Elysium – to create a wide-open landscape of lush details, an additional new 9.2mm dynamic driver with loads of power in the very low end replacing the Elysiums single BA bass module, and the same 6mm driver for the mids that was found in the Elysium. Yes, you hear correctly, there are two dynamic drivers, one for the mids and a larger one for sub-bass. This configuration similarity is why the EXT is looked at as an upgraded Elysium, it is the same configuration with the addition of a new 9.2mm dynamic driver for the lows. However, the tuning and crossing is very different which will be detailed in the comparison section.
The Phonix on the other hand is a traditional 12 BA configuration – 4 low, 4 mid, 4 high – same as the ERLKöNIG with the addition of a new super-tweeter offering a new 13th driver. From memory – I don’t have the ERLKöNIG on hand currently to compare directly - the sonic results are similar to the ERLKöNIG on its popular second switch. The Phonix in contrast has no switch. As the ERLKöNIG is rated at GOD-TIER status, just matching performance is quite a feat. I am hoping to get the tour ERLKöNIG sometime soon to be able to compare directly.
Build
The EXT feels noticeable smaller and lighter than the Phonix. While side-by-side pictures don’t echo this feel, the EXT disappears and sucks into the ears while the Phonix just feels more substantial overall. They are both comfortable, but the EXT does a better job of disappearing while listening to music. I can actually lay with my ear on the pillow with the EXT while listening to music at night where I wouldn’t do this with the Phonix. The Elysium is not comparable as it is a custom build with a custom faceplate. However, the Elysium is one of the most recognizable faceplates in the world of IEMs and is extremely beautiful.
The EXT feels solid and uses a nice aluminum while the Phonix feels heavier and more solid in a good way. They both are beautiful and well built, but the Phonix was obviously the one designed to win the beauty contest and is priced higher to match its looks. The carbon fibre in the picture below is very beautiful but is dark and not immediately noticeable unless in the direct Arizona sunlight. The Phonix faceplate does pop and appears fiery in the sunlight which is extremely beautiful. Apparently, the Phonix likes it here in Phoenix.
Fit
The fit and seal for both the EXT and the Phonix is superb, but the seal on the EXT is better for me. The EXT somehow is sucked into my ear offering a custom-like fit and seal while the Phonix feels more external while still offering a great seal. Both have a good enough seal that they work well in an active environment. My Elysium is a custom fit so there is no comparison – it is perfect. As a traditionally custom-only company, Vision Ears has only recently begun offering universal versions of its extended lineup. Previously, only the ERLKöNIG was offered in universal. As a traditionally custom-only company, Vision Ears is one of the best in the business at getting a perfect custom fit. In fact, my Elysium is the best custom fit that I own.For me, I only go silicone due to the inner workings of my ears. With a significant bend in my ear channel, the silicone offers a wedge to seal the IEM and get full performance. Therefore, I have not tried any other tips to offer other suggestions.
Packaging
Vision Ears packaging is worth discussing as they have gone above and beyond. There is not much to say as the following picture say it all, but they do accessorize well.
The EXT Sound
The name AudioTiers comes from my attempt to offer performance tiers to provide perspective to these various in-ear offerings and the surrounding gear. While we have definitely hosted mid-tier and some entry-tier IEMs, we have mostly focused on the top-tier offerings with some mid-tier. The best of the best are termed exotics for their ability to be unique and stand above the crowd. The top 5 of the exotics are awarded GOD-Tier status. The ERLKöNIG is among those 5 GOD-Tier IEMs, but will lose its position soon as it is no longer available since being retired by Vision Ears. The Phonix has a good chance of replacing the ERLKöNIG, it is that good. The EXT is neck to neck with the Phonix as it is that good also. However, we never award exotic or God-Tier status to new entries until we get consensus from our membership which is likely to happen. My expectation is that they will fall into the exotic category at the minimum.
To describe the EXT signature, in a nutshell, is that it offers extreme clarity, euphoric and powerful texturing from end to end of the frequency spectrum, all supported by exotic bass performance for a full-sized soundstage. The bass is quick and large, but is only there when it is called for – the 9.2mm sub-bass otherwise disappears allowing the dynamic mids to take over. The sub-bass never steps on the mid-bass which is significant given that they are both dynamic drivers. For those audiophile bass lovers out there, the EXT delivers on the bass, but it is certainly not a fart cannon. This bass has impact and soul, but it is not always on. It offers warm characteristics even though the EXT has extreme clarity.
What is unique about this IEM is its reach both up and down while retaining power throughout the frequency range to drive textures, but allowing space between the instruments to offer clarity and positioning with gobs of detail. I could say the same thing about the Phonix, but it is warmer vs. the EXT clarity. The best way to describe the sound is to compare it to other familiar IEMs as at this level they are all superb and we are splitting hairs on performance. So it all comes down to your preferred signature which can best be described through contrasting and comparing with other great IEMs. But first, let's discuss optimizing and pairing to set the stage.
Optimizing and Pairing
As I did not find either the EXT or the Phonix lacking in any area, I did not feel that rolling cables at this point would be a benefit. The stock cables are wonderful and the resulting sound is satisfactory. So this optimization section is mainly about pairing given that we have all already made investments in gear that we would like to use with our purchases. My preferred DAPs are the Sony WM1a and the Calyx M as I have sold my AK and other DAPs that were not being used. The Hugo 2 rounds out my setup offering top-tier performance using my Sony or iPhone as a source. My desktop DAC/AMP is the Burson C3R offering 7.5 watts of pure performance to test the limits of scalability. Based on experience, the C3R wattage scales my dynamic drivers to the extreme but is not necessary for BA-only setups. Here is what I found.
- iPhone 11: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the EXT sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the EXT on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness of the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so constant playing. Of note is the need to turn my iPhone about 80 to 90 percent volume with the EXT vs. around 50 percent volume or less with my other IEMs such as the Phonix. While this sounds like it may be a disadvantage, it feels like to more power to drive the output also grips the drivers better for more texture. The iPhone doesn’t feel colored in the signature offering a very revealing look at the EXT but may not extend to the extremes like my better sources.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder Calyx M signature offer more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I used to like the Calyx M better than the Sony until I got a custom firmware upgrade on the Sony. The Calyx takes the audiophile performance up a notch with more and tighter detail, while Sony can actually be more fun. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the EXT louder than normal for short bursts. The clarity of the EXT shines on the M and the powerful amp boosts the texturing. The M is a great pairing with the EXT offering a slightly different signature than the Sony which comes across as warmer and punchier. The Phonix loses some of the tube-like euphonics on the M offering more clarity bringing it closer to the EXT signature.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold last year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the new custom firmware. The new firmware now plays nice with all my CIEMs. The EXT is a wonderful pairing offering a warmer tint to its performance with a nice girth to the note and more resonance and textures. The Sony with its superior battery life and UX is my go-to DAP for the EXT. While the Sony moves the EXT a little in the direction of the Phonix signature, the Phonix signature stays the same on Sony. Both the EXT and the Phonix sound fantastic on Sony.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up a notch with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more, the detail is at another level, and the sound gets fuller. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the EXT for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson C3R which takes it up another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience. The Phonix performance also goes up a notch with the H2 with an additional gob of detail.
- Burson C3 Reference: Going desktop, the Burson C3R is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the EXT signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the C3R drives 7.5 watts into the EXT and offers a significant boost to the low end with more punch and more clarity. While the C3R is slightly warmer than the H2, not by much. The soundstage also grows with the C3R. Applied to the EXT it reaches the peak of performance and closes the gap on the Phonix, perhaps matching it. The traditional BA configuration of the Phoenix doesn’t handle the power boost as well having to keep the volume down to 1 out of 100 or it can sound overdone. However, the Phonix does grab another boost in detail and soundstage offering peek performance with the C3R as well. With the C3R, we are splitting hairs and the performance is around the same with two slightly different signatures – EXT offers more punch and dynamic bass with clarity throughout whereas the Phonix reminds me of a wonderful tube amp performance rendering the musical romance that can be missing from modern music.
Comparisons
To compare to the other IEMs, we used the sources described in the previous section. My music ranges from EDM to classical to rock to metal to pop to new age and easy listening. My preference in listening is to play all genres randomly to jolt my senses while getting a wide sampling of music. While I have already offered some comparisons for the Phonix and the Elysium, I am also in possession of the new Lime Ears flagship, the Pnenma for comparison. Here is what I found.
Phonix
These two IEMs are both exotic and offer stellar sound quality. They both offer full-sized sound and an extreme frequency range with power to drive textures and detail from end to end. The difference is mainly in the clarity focus of the EXT vs. the euphoric richness of the Phoenix. They both excel at bass, but the EXT bass is definitely more present and dynamic. I am splitting hairs, but I would also say that the Phoenix sound stage feels more full-sized headphone with the EXT being slightly smaller. In the end, the key difference is the EXT clarity focus vs. the warmer, more euphoric Phonix. When I listen to one, I am not missing the other as either are fully satisfying. However, it is always nice to switch as they both are slightly different.
Elysium
The Elysium is very different than the EXT. Yes, it has mostly the same configuration, but the dual dynamic drivers and the new tuning make it a very different IEM. The focus is no longer on the mids, the EXT is a full spectrum performer that adds to the Elysium mids in a very dynamic way it is just at a whole new level of performance. The vocalist portrayed by the Elysium, is now accompanied by the full band with the EXT with two lead guitarists over their shoulders and it is easy to tell there are two leads. The EXT bass is now so spectacular that nobody would dare complain. There is also an extremely large soundstage with the EXT with the same intimate presentation so there is more ambiance and spatial cues. That being said, comparing these two very different IEMs reignited my love for the Elysium as well which will always be my go-to driver for intimate vocals. At risk for overusing the exotic term, the Elysium has exotic mids that are unbeatable.
Lime Ears Pnenma
The Pnenma is Lime Ears brand new flagship and is phenomenal. Where the EXT is a tribrid, the Pnenma is a hybrid with a dynamic driver for bass and four BA drivers. What is different about the Pnenma is the smaller 7mm (vs. 9.2mm) titanium dynamic bass driver which is extremely fast and punchy. The results are a very resolute bass note with a fast decay that etches out the details that other bass drivers may miss. The smaller driver sacrifices some of the extremely low rumbles but gets clarity in exchange while still offering an enormous and satisfying punch. In contrast to the EXT, the Pnenma bass driver is responsible for a broader range where the bass duties on the EXT is divided between the sub-bass and the mid-bass. However, the effect is similar as the EXT uses a smaller 6mm dynamic driver for the mids as well so the EXT has that rumble separated and in addition for those that find that 20-40 hertz bass to be critical and desire power in this range. Of note, there is a switch on the Pnenma that allows you to switch the bass from forward to neutral. In real-world use, you probably would not buy the Pnenma if you didn’t like its significant bass response so there is no practical reason for turning it down. I left it in bass enhanced for this comparison and found no advantage for switching.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Pnenma BA treble offers much more shimmer than I have been finding lately in the new offerings. Treble junkies may find this shimmer to be to their liking as it is very compelling and adds a lot to the overall signature. This is a very smooth audiophile shimmer and never approaches sibilance. The Pnenma is a fantastic IEM and is very good value at its significantly lower price range and will appeal to those that miss the more traditional shimmer that a BA offers. These two IEMs are more complementary than competitors as the endearing characteristics of each is different. One last comment about the Pnenma, it is quite beautiful as you can see in the picture. However, the picture doesn’t do it justice as it looks even better in person.
Concluding Thoughts
The EXT and the Phonix are both easy recommendations for those that can afford them. They offer peak performance checking all the boxes of modern technology. The only downside is the lack of a custom option, but I find these both to offer a solid seal even in the universal format where this is not as much of a concern. Regardless, if you live in the US, then you are free to join our EXT/Phonix tour and hear them for yourself so you can decide for yourself – the way it should be.
Attachments
Barra
@magicguy - No mistake, the new EXT has four electrostatic drivers per their website. There is also two dynamic drivers, one 10mm for sub and a 6mm for mids. As for the WM1a, I am only aware of the one custom firmware option created by someone that is here on HEADFI and fairly widely know about here on HEADFI. He contacted me directly to try it having read my reviews of issues I was having with the stock firmware that he said that he had fixed. If you are interested in trying the firmware, just PM me and I will introduce you to this member. Just have to find the PM where we had talked. 
BTW, there are no options on the firmware to configure, just a different sound to the original that made the WM1a work well with all my CIEMs where it was not pairing well with many before. Now I have the best of both worlds, a great sounding player in a format that has 30 hours of battery and a great premium interface. - Bill
BTW, there are no options on the firmware to configure, just a different sound to the original that made the WM1a work well with all my CIEMs where it was not pairing well with many before. Now I have the best of both worlds, a great sounding player in a format that has 30 hours of battery and a great premium interface. - Bill
Onurb8690
Does Phönix do well in Rock?
**UPDATE 07/30/21**
After listening to my custom FIR M5 for a year now, I had to come back and update my review to give the M5 the full credit that it deserves. The FIR M5 is absolutely my “If I could only have one” CIEM. After a little background, I will break down why I feel this way.
BACKGROUND: Those that know me know that I have had access to most of the top-tier universal and custom IEMs from the top global manufacturers in the industry for over the last decade through the tours I manage and the reviews that I write. My personal collection of both custom and universal IEMs is extensive as you can view in my HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS signatures which are just a sample of what I have, not all are even listed. I also have extensive conversations with my membership and the top reviewers in the industry and the M5 has not only surprised me but has received the most universal phrase of any IEM I have toured or reviewed. Everyone that I have spoken to without exception has referred to this CIEM as a very special top performer regardless of their signature preferences.
MY TIERING SYSTEM: To break down my experience, I categorize the various top-class CIEMs I hear into 3 tiers – GOD-TIER for the rarified few – the best of the best, TOP-TIER for those that are examples of the best-in-class, and SECOND-TIER for those that are wonderful for specific use cases but not quite best-in-class. Below that, I typically respectfully decline to review. Most are at the lower tiers with a maximum of 5 in GOD-TIER where I place the M5. This list continues to evolve as the bar continues to rise where my previous favorites get pushed down the list. All these CIEMs are over $1000 and can be as high as $5000 now with the price climbing so these are not cheap products and a $5K CIEM is never 5x better than a $1K CIEM so your mileage may vary.
WHY THE M5: As a GOD-TIER IEM, the M5 not only is one of the best of the best but it checks every box. It is in the top three in all my use cases and performance categories across the board and is the top performer in many. Yes, if we get granular there are other CIEMs that can beat the M5 in some performance categories, but for my preferences, the M5 comes out on top for these reasons:
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Then came the Fir M5. It scales up and down sounding wonderful on my iPhone 11, yet scales even higher on my Burson C3R. It sounds wonderful with all my genres, offers bass fun, excels at detail retrieval, and even works great for noisy gyms. It is my “if I could only have one” CIEM. Since receiving it, it has gotten most of my ear time as it is easy to use. My others may scale higher by a little but require a lot of effort to get there with high-end cables and sources and they cost a lot more. The full-sized sound allows me to hear fine details intimately even in a noisy room. As you can tell, I am very impressed with my custom M5.
From my FIR tour, I was able to listen to all these siblings side-by-side and found quite a value in the lower-priced options for those that cannot afford the M5. Here are my early listening impressions to offer you a comparison:
Overall, I have to say that we are dealing with another CIEM manufacturer that is continuing to drive the top-tier bar even higher. Yet they have carved out a new signature that is unique to the other manufacturer’s offerings that will definitely drive some solid sales. This lineup is a must-hear if you are considering a CIEM purchase.
Here is an image of what I designed:
Here are the results:
The finish is outstanding. As you can see in the picture, it is a polished gem and there are no sharp edges anywhere. The “ATOM” module you can see on the face requires more finesse than the typical faceplate, but they offer an outstanding finish. This is a medium-sized mold so it is compact and easy to insert and has a recessed port with a screen to offer wax resistance.
In practice the modulation of the air pressure does two things for those CIEMs that offer it:
From FIR:
“atom (air transferring open module) is the 3rd generation module technology that was specifically designed to give the user maximum control with front vented In Ear Monitors. Boasting a bass tolerance of 1/2 db make these modules the most advanced way of fine tuning that perfect sound signature you’re looking for. A smaller filter design reduces the air volume in the module chamber which can have a positive effect on sound presentation. The 4 pack set comes with an assortment of +, N, -, O (plus, neutral, minus, open). Durability was a high priority with the atom design. Filtering using a precise medical grade tubing allows for a consistent production process. atom is also immune to shock from accidental drops and even humidity. Isolation levels vary among the modules relative to the bass leak.”
ATOM Specifications:
“The M5 is the showcase of all the best technology FiR has to offer in the IEM space. Sporting a dynamic driver for lows, 3 balanced armatures for midrange and highs, and an electrostatic driver to assist the treble reproduction, the M5 maximizes its driver count to present an effortlessly massive sound, with shocking clarity and extension on both ends. We’re also proud to be the first in the world to implement the electrostatic drivers, in addition to all the other drivers in the M5, in a tubeless design, paired with the 3rd generation atom pressure release system to provide the M5 with a cavernous, out of head soundstage and a pressure-free listening experience that is well suited to all professional and audiophile use cases.”
My Thoughts on the Configuration:
Other Specifications:
The value of two-pin is that it is widely accepted, but I also have issues swapping cables too much as the hole that you insert the cable pin into does wear out and stretch creating a significant problem down the line. Therefore the MMCX and the RCX were developed to create a better connection as well as the ability to swap out cables without damaging your CIEM. However, the 2-pin seems here to stay which is moving us toward adapters such as this RCX 2-Pin Adaptor available on the FIR website. What is troublesome though is the price. At $79, it is a deterrent for many…at least until the stock cable breaks.
My experience with the RCX cable connector is actually quite good. It clicks on with a good click giving you confidence that you are securely connected and remains tight. This and the MMCX are preferable to me if I wasn’t already stuck with 2-pin on my entire CIEM collection.
After listening to my custom FIR M5 for a year now, I had to come back and update my review to give the M5 the full credit that it deserves. The FIR M5 is absolutely my “If I could only have one” CIEM. After a little background, I will break down why I feel this way.
BACKGROUND: Those that know me know that I have had access to most of the top-tier universal and custom IEMs from the top global manufacturers in the industry for over the last decade through the tours I manage and the reviews that I write. My personal collection of both custom and universal IEMs is extensive as you can view in my HEADFI and AUDIOTIERS signatures which are just a sample of what I have, not all are even listed. I also have extensive conversations with my membership and the top reviewers in the industry and the M5 has not only surprised me but has received the most universal phrase of any IEM I have toured or reviewed. Everyone that I have spoken to without exception has referred to this CIEM as a very special top performer regardless of their signature preferences.
MY TIERING SYSTEM: To break down my experience, I categorize the various top-class CIEMs I hear into 3 tiers – GOD-TIER for the rarified few – the best of the best, TOP-TIER for those that are examples of the best-in-class, and SECOND-TIER for those that are wonderful for specific use cases but not quite best-in-class. Below that, I typically respectfully decline to review. Most are at the lower tiers with a maximum of 5 in GOD-TIER where I place the M5. This list continues to evolve as the bar continues to rise where my previous favorites get pushed down the list. All these CIEMs are over $1000 and can be as high as $5000 now with the price climbing so these are not cheap products and a $5K CIEM is never 5x better than a $1K CIEM so your mileage may vary.
WHY THE M5: As a GOD-TIER IEM, the M5 not only is one of the best of the best but it checks every box. It is in the top three in all my use cases and performance categories across the board and is the top performer in many. Yes, if we get granular there are other CIEMs that can beat the M5 in some performance categories, but for my preferences, the M5 comes out on top for these reasons:
- Signature: To be fair, the M5 caters to my preferred signature as discussed later. It is onstage and intimate, it is full-ranged and full-sized staging, and it is the most realistic bass I have heard. Others may have other preferences, but the M5 nails mine. When I go to other lower-tier options, I feel like something is missing so the M5 get most of my ear time.
- Custom Fit: The M5 is a GOD-TIER option that is offered as a custom which is critical to getting the best fit possible. In fact, it is, unfortunately, the only GOD-TIER option that offers a custom option. While some can get full fidelity out of a universal format, I cannot and always deal with compromise. Those universals that fit me the best still require me to stay perfectly still to enjoy them so they only work with a specific at desk audiophile listening use case. However, most of my listening is active and on the go or laying in bed which is not optimal for universal fit.
- Performance: There is not a performance category that the M5 is not in the top three and in many cases it is the top performer. Most IEMs focus on an area that makes it unique, there is always an area of concern – scales up but not down, requires lots of power, poor isolation, etc. The M5 allows me to enjoy it in all use cases and seems to not have an “Achilles heel”.
- Ear Protection: FIR’s 3rd generation atom pressure release system offers a pressure-free listening experience that allows me to turn the volume up without hurting my eardrums. I have tried many companies' pressure release options with varying degrees of success – most having a downside that reduces performance in some way. There is typically a tradeoff of bass performance, detail, and soundstage that you can have two, but not three. The M5 atom system is the best I have heard offering a cavernous, out-of-head soundstage experience and wonderful bass performance while retaining a very tight note – no compromise.
- Low-Level Listening: The M5 is one of the few that offers stellar low-level listening performance. The presentation holds tight at low volume allowing me to listen at low volumes at night without compromising performance. The full delicate detail remains even when the volume is down, it just moves me off stage and into the second row offering great performance while listening in bed.
- Scales Up and Down: The M5 sounds as wonderful on an iPhone as it does on a high-end system. Yes, it does scale up on my best equipment to a remarkable level, but on the road, with my iPhone, it offers top audiophile performance as well on the go. There is more performance out of an iPhone than you can actually hear given the background distractions when moving around in day-to-day life or while working out.
- Price Performance: Believe it or not, at $2800 the M5 is somewhat of a bargain. If you can afford it, the M5 is on the low side of pricing in the GOD-TIER category offering a high price to performance ratio. Relative to its $5K peers, I am more comfortable taking the M5 with me out of the house and to the gym which I would never do with a $5K option. This gives me more versatility to use it as I would like.
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Full Review
- Pros: God-tier performance on everything – checks every box, best bass ever, full-sized performance, low volume audiophile capable
- Cons: Monopolizes your ear time making you less patient with other CIEMs
Then came the Fir M5. It scales up and down sounding wonderful on my iPhone 11, yet scales even higher on my Burson C3R. It sounds wonderful with all my genres, offers bass fun, excels at detail retrieval, and even works great for noisy gyms. It is my “if I could only have one” CIEM. Since receiving it, it has gotten most of my ear time as it is easy to use. My others may scale higher by a little but require a lot of effort to get there with high-end cables and sources and they cost a lot more. The full-sized sound allows me to hear fine details intimately even in a noisy room. As you can tell, I am very impressed with my custom M5.
My CIEM Prospective
For those that don’t know me, I have been hosting numerous TOTL CIEM and cable tours on Head-Fi in the US for the last several years now including most of the top manufacturers ranging from moderately expensive to very expensive options. This has allowed me and my tour participants access to hear some of the most incredible mobile audiophile equipment in existence. Even in the few years that I have been managing these tours, I have seen significant advances in technologies and performance to the point that it is rare to hear any product at this level that I do not like. They are all different in signature appealing differently to different people, but they are pretty much all very good at this point. So when I am raving like I am about the M5, this is in the perspective of most of the top-tier IEMs from the last 6 years. To learn more about me, you can follow me on HEADFI where I go by username BARRA or you can go to my https://audiotiers.com/ tour membership site where you can even join my tours.What is the Deal with Fir Audio
While Fir Audio seems to have come out of nowhere and reached the tops of the performance charts overnight, there is a lot of history behind this achievement. The founder, Bogdan Belonozhko, is one of the Belonozhko brothers of 64 Audio fame. He brings with him the knowledge of 64 Audio performance, but with a twist. With his M5, he has created a tribrid CIEM before 64 Audio has come out with theirs. If you have heard any of the stellar 64 Audio products, then you probably have high expectations for the Fir Audio lineup and based on what I have heard and the reviews I have read, Bogdan has delivered. This is why I reached out to set up a tour so we can all hear them for ourselves. If you are interested in joining the tour to hear for yourself, go here: https://audiotiers.com/fir/.The FIR Family
As seen in the graphic below, the FIR family is 4 IEMs strong and they share a family sound. As you can see from the configuration chart, they all share that same dynamic driver that brings the signature to life.
From my FIR tour, I was able to listen to all these siblings side-by-side and found quite a value in the lower-priced options for those that cannot afford the M5. Here are my early listening impressions to offer you a comparison:
- M5: Nailed it! This is that big bassy sound that i have so been craving. Yes, it rivals my EE LX as the bass king with a different take on bass. My first impression is WOW as it is that different than my other CIEMs in a good way. The sound stage is huge, with players/instruments huge as if I was there. While this is not as warm of a signature as my LX, it is more intimate and close-up for in-your-face fun. Yet it checks all the boxes for audiophile performance. This reminds me a bit of the A18 with the M20 module, but with better bass and lighter treble. I Will be doing a full written and video review on this one so hang tight for comparisons and deeper insights.
- M4: The M4 is extremely close to the M5 with more of a treble presence. All the bass is there, but the treble stands out more with more splash, sizzle, and air without ever being harsh. But going back to the M5, it is not missing any of this detail, just not as pronounced and more integrated. This is a great option to save some cash for treble lovers that want that M5 bass.
- M3: Again, that same bass driver is delivering the goods with a well-defined house sound. The M3 is close to the SQ of the M4 but set back a little maybe one section back. While I prefer the M4’s more intimate signature, the M3 is pretty darn close in sound and retains the M4’s larger treble presence.
- M2: This was my biggest surprise and the greatest value play in the lineup. It has all that bass goodness the rest of the more expensive models boast which makes this lineup so much fun. However, the signature becomes more intimate closer to the M4 than the M3. While I do think that the M4 and M3 have more detailed performance, you would not notice without an A/B sampling as it feels like I am splitting hairs.
Overall, I have to say that we are dealing with another CIEM manufacturer that is continuing to drive the top-tier bar even higher. Yet they have carved out a new signature that is unique to the other manufacturer’s offerings that will definitely drive some solid sales. This lineup is a must-hear if you are considering a CIEM purchase.
Tour Kickoff Video
To give you a better perspective on the family, here is my FIR tour kickoff video that shares the universal tour kits and my experience with them.The Custom M5 Unboxing and Impressions Video
To give you an understanding of the M5, I felt it is best to start out with some video so you can see it for yourself.The Order Process
Having ordered a number of CIEMs, the lack of ordeal here is a great thing – boring is good! The entire process can be handled online offering WIZIWIG support on the custom designer. The material options are good, and the process is easy to follow end-to-end. Best of all, there is no language barrier nor time zone issues. Over the years, I have had a number of less than optimal experiences so having a seamless experience like this is wonderful.Here is an image of what I designed:
Here are the results:
Fit and Finish
My ears have a weird bend in the inner ear that makes listening to universal IEMs…difficult. This means that I often have to cup my ears or stay perfectly still once I have achieved a perfect seal. This has moved me to mostly choosing custom fit in-ears. This is a process of going to an audiologist and having impressions made – per FIR Audio’s specific instructions – then hoping that the impressions are good enough to use once received. Having found a good local audiologist, I am most certain of a good impression, but there is also a bit of craft and secret sauce from the side of the CIEM manufacturer that can vary the results. For example, Empire Ears creates a smaller mold that is easy to insert while Vision Ears offers a larger mold that creates a suction when inserted or pops when removed. Both work great, but the tighter the fit, the more the frequency range is expressed, and the loser, the more comfortable but susceptible to outside noise. FIR meets the middle ground with a nice fit that is easy to insert but creates a nice suction for full-range sound.The finish is outstanding. As you can see in the picture, it is a polished gem and there are no sharp edges anywhere. The “ATOM” module you can see on the face requires more finesse than the typical faceplate, but they offer an outstanding finish. This is a medium-sized mold so it is compact and easy to insert and has a recessed port with a screen to offer wax resistance.
ATOM (air transferring open module)
64 Audio being one of the originators of the air module design, it comes as no surprise that Bogdan has brought his own version of the technology to his company. These modules in all their formats and under all the different names all have a single purpose, to protect your hearing. By releasing some of the pressure in an optimized format, your eardrums don’t take a beating that has always been a concern with in-ears. My M5 came with three modules – black, grey, and gold.In practice the modulation of the air pressure does two things for those CIEMs that offer it:
- Sound Modulation: Many manufacturers including FIR offer a variety of modules that offer different sound enhancements. Some are closed offering a larger bass, while some are very open offering more of an out of the head experience.
- Higher Volumes: Due to the pressure system, volumes can be increased offer many advantages such as a fuller sound without discomfort.
From FIR:
“atom (air transferring open module) is the 3rd generation module technology that was specifically designed to give the user maximum control with front vented In Ear Monitors. Boasting a bass tolerance of 1/2 db make these modules the most advanced way of fine tuning that perfect sound signature you’re looking for. A smaller filter design reduces the air volume in the module chamber which can have a positive effect on sound presentation. The 4 pack set comes with an assortment of +, N, -, O (plus, neutral, minus, open). Durability was a high priority with the atom design. Filtering using a precise medical grade tubing allows for a consistent production process. atom is also immune to shock from accidental drops and even humidity. Isolation levels vary among the modules relative to the bass leak.”
ATOM Specifications:
- (+): Isolation: 17db, Bass: 2db @ 20hz
- (N): Isolation: 15db, (m15 equivalent)
- (-): Isolation: 13db, Bass: 2db @ 20hz
- (O): Isolation: 10db, Bass: -4db @20Hz
M5 Tribrid Specifications
As can be seen in the FIR family graphic, the 5 in M5 stands for 5 drivers – ESTAT-high, BA for high, mid-high, and mid, then a dynamic driver for the lows. It is a true tribrid. Here is what FIR has to say about the M5:“The M5 is the showcase of all the best technology FiR has to offer in the IEM space. Sporting a dynamic driver for lows, 3 balanced armatures for midrange and highs, and an electrostatic driver to assist the treble reproduction, the M5 maximizes its driver count to present an effortlessly massive sound, with shocking clarity and extension on both ends. We’re also proud to be the first in the world to implement the electrostatic drivers, in addition to all the other drivers in the M5, in a tubeless design, paired with the 3rd generation atom pressure release system to provide the M5 with a cavernous, out of head soundstage and a pressure-free listening experience that is well suited to all professional and audiophile use cases.”
My Thoughts on the Configuration:
- DYNAMIC BASS: The interesting part for me in this configuration is the dynamic bass module. The M5 is holding the top spot for bass with the EE LX, but both are very different in presentation. The LX is warm and laid back while the M5 is tight and huge without stepping on anything else in the frequency range. There is a clarity that comes with the M5 that you don’t ever hear with bass this big. No, not fart cannon big, but full-sized audiophile speakers in a $100K setup big. We get a full-sized foundation immediately so that the other frequencies are not strained when raising the volumes to reach realistic sizing. I did my best to get some clarity on how this is possible, but all I got from Bogdan was that this is a 10mm dynamic driver with some secret sauce tuning. This is a bigger driver than all the other top-tier CIEMs with the exception of the Noble Sultan that shares the same size with different results.
- ESTAT: The ESTAT is here to stay. Having heard a number of implementations, when done right, there is an exceptional clarity that cannot be matched by the older BA sound. The goal here is butterfly wings delicacy with oozing detail that if done wrong can be too sharp or even bright. It is fair to say, FIR got it right. Balancing out the huge audiophile bass with butterfly wings delicacy and detail is quite a feat.
- DRIVER FLEX: None. There seems to be a lot of conversation about this topic in reference to dynamic drivers so I thought I would confirm that I have not heard any driver flex with any of the FIR family lineup. Perhaps this is due to the ATOM modules managing the air pressure.
Other Specifications:
- Range: 10hz – 20Khz
- Impedance: 6.8ohms
The FIR Family Cabling
FIR went proprietary RCX on the cabling. While this is a bummer for us cable rollers with an investment in high-end cables, the cable is great and I have not felt an immediate need to upgrade as I have with many others. While I will explore a little cable rolling later and I am likely to pick up an adapter available from FIR later to enable further cable rolling if I ever get adventurous – for now, this cable is good enough.The value of two-pin is that it is widely accepted, but I also have issues swapping cables too much as the hole that you insert the cable pin into does wear out and stretch creating a significant problem down the line. Therefore the MMCX and the RCX were developed to create a better connection as well as the ability to swap out cables without damaging your CIEM. However, the 2-pin seems here to stay which is moving us toward adapters such as this RCX 2-Pin Adaptor available on the FIR website. What is troublesome though is the price. At $79, it is a deterrent for many…at least until the stock cable breaks.
My experience with the RCX cable connector is actually quite good. It clicks on with a good click giving you confidence that you are securely connected and remains tight. This and the MMCX are preferable to me if I wasn’t already stuck with 2-pin on my entire CIEM collection.
The M5 Sound
When describing the M5 sound, the first thing that comes to mind is its full-sized presentation even at lower volumes. The second is that wonderful audiophile BASS richness brings the sound stage to life…that being there feel. Then finally, the in-your-face detail from the mids offering butterfly wings to thick textures is what makes it so enjoyable. While most CIEMs with bass this big would be on the warmer side of neutral, the M5 has an intense clarity to it with large staging that allows the details to take center stage.- BASS: The M5 is my favorite bass CIEM along with the EE LX. The EE LX is set back, laid back, and calm where the M5 is more center stage, on your feet, and dancing. This bass starts big at low volumes so that it is present for my nighttime listening offering a much richer sound than I can get from my other CIEMs at that volume. The ATOM pressure regulation makes it easy on the ears as well so again, this is a wonderful low volume CIEM that I prefer for my nighttime listening. My other CIEMs need too much volume to sleep comfortably to reach that level of performance. Going to full-on EDM, that 10mm driver pounds and has become my favorite EDM CIEM. Scaling up to my high-end desktop equipment such as my Burson C3R or my Eddie Current ZDs, the bass gets even better with a tighter and more powerful response with a larger soundstage to enliven. Again, this is the top-in-class bass which I will compare later to other top-tier options.
- MIDS: Given my description of the bass, you would think this was a warmer driver that would sit on the mids, but no, the mids are what I like so much about this CIEM. At low volumes, the voices are all full-sized and upfront and center making them rich and offering gobs of in-your-face detail. In sizing other drivers, I find that the mids fall apart when getting to the right volumes, however, here on the M5, turning up the volume just scales up the details as you would expect from the top-tier audiophile equipment. As mentioned, the mids offer butterfly wing details as well as thick textures at the same time with the separation to hear it all simultaneously.
- TREBLE: Going back and forth between the M5 with the ESTATs and M4 with the BA drove treble, the BA treble sounds splashy while the ESTAT treble sounds delicate and airy. While the BA treble offers that SHHHHHHH, the ESTATs can bring out the most delicate textures. In fact, the ESTAT implementation with the M5 is so good, it doesn’t call any attention to it. What it does is layers the presentation with additional detail in the mids and the bass. It is so good that the treble goes somewhat unnoticed. With the drier treble, there is a lot more room in the soundstage to bring out the more important details which the M5 does in spades.
- PRESENTATION: The M5 feels like it is either front row or on stage in its presentation. It is a very intimate affair. I hesitate to say intimate as it is not closed in as that may imply, but more like you are in the middle of a larger theater on the stage in the VIP section.
- SOUND STAGE: The stage is large, but it is deeper than wide giving the impression that it is narrow. But if you listen, it is not narrow at all, just very layered with the Important voices up close and personal. However, there is a large ambiance, that sucks you in with access to other things going on in the room, as you might hear in live performances. There is clarity and space between voices that allows great staging. I wouldn’t go with a black background with this CIEM as there is such rich depth and depth cues that sometimes offer a holographic feel.
- SCALING DOWN: My M5 sounds wonderful on my iPhone. Going bike riding is a real treat. I am amazed at how well it scales down, even better than my A12. This is a big driver to sound so good on so little power. I typically find that dynamic drivers don’t do so well on low-powered lower-end gear like the iPhone.
- SCALING UP: My favorite source for my CIEMs is currently my Burson C3R which takes them to the stratosphere in performance. If I want to know just how high they can fly, the Burson is my go-to setup. In comparison to the much more expensive ERL or THUMMIM or the WRAITH, SULTAN, the M5 holds its own. The ERL peaks out with great DAPs with its BA design and can beat the M5 at that level, but the M5 peeks higher on the Burson where the ELR falls apart. The THUMMIM can beat the M5’s performance on the Burson, but cannot keep up using DAPs as a source. The ERL and the THUMMIM are almost double the price. We will all have varying opinions at this level as they are all stellar and offer different takes on a presentation that will appeal differently to different people, but I think we can all agree that these mentioned CIEMs are top of the class and the M5 belongs here. In scaling up, it is the power that the M5 gobbles up to produce exotic performance and the Burson offers it in spades at 7.5 watts.
- BURN IN: I thought I should mention that the M5 has benefited significantly from burn-in. While I was wowed out of the box, my review kept being pushed back as I found the performance accelerating over time. While not a total believer in burn-in, I do provide some burn-in time to all my review items to support those that do believe in it. However, I do find that dynamic drivers do benefit from being exercised to loosen up the driver. For example, the iPhone was a loser at first as there was too much driver flutter. After a month, the M5 became my best pairing with my iPhone 11. I also found that the M5 scaled up with the Burson easily with its greater grip of the driver believing that was required, but it turned out that this exercising of the driver was all that was needed. It took a month of continual usage before I felt that there were no longer gains.
- HISS: Given the low 6.8-ohm impedance, I am often asked about hiss. However, I’m probably not the right person to ask about hiss as I am over 50 and cannot hear treble like I used to. Regardless, to my ears, there is no problem with hiss on my WM1a, H2, Calyx M, iPhone, or Burson.
- PAIRING GENRES: Given its intimate nature, it is surprising that the M5 is actually very good across most genres. It is great at EDM as you would imagine, but it is also really great across the newer fresher sounding pop, instrumentals, easy listening, classic rock, and pretty much everything else that I throw at it. Specifically, it is most amazing at live, guitar-focused, or bassy music with incredible texturing and detail. If you would want to sit at the front row of a performance, then the M5 is the right CIEM for you. However, orchestra and opera where you may prefer to sit in the upper balcony to take it all in and enjoy the wider soundstage, the Legend X might be the better choice.
- ADJUSTING TO ESTAT: There is no ear fatigue with the M5. I bring this up as it took me three solid days of listening to the Valkyrie and the Wraith and their ESTAT implementation before I got used to the ESTAT sound. However, as mentioned earlier, going between the M5 and M4, I am an ESTAT believer and will likely favor ESTATs going forward.
Optimizing and Pairing
The M5 sounds great out of the box even before burn-in and the cable is wonderful. However, audiophiles such as I rarely leave good enough alone. After a couple of months of stock setup, it was time to stretch the M5’s legs. Here is what I did as described below.Optimizing Cables
In the end, the stock hybrid Effect Audio cable that came with the Valkyrie was the best pairing to my ears. It is a surprisingly good cable to be offered as a standard. While experimenting, here is what I found:- Moon Audio Black Dragon ($200): This is the thickest sounding cable of my collection and not a great match. I felt like it muddied the signature and preferred the stock cable.
- DITA Audio OLSO ($599): This is a unique oiled copper cable from DITA that really adds to every CIEM that I have paired it with. However, it added a little much with the M5 making the bass too much and created more clipping on lower power sources like my iPhone. It also brought up the treble too much which did change the M5 to more of a V-signature with recessed mids. This is not what I was looking for either.
- Beat Audio Prima Donna 8W ($1199): The Prima Donna is a silver alloy 8 wire cable that has wowed me on all my CIEMs offers significant clarity and additional dynamics. However, on the M5, it is just not a great pairing as it added too much treble and it muted the bass.
- Effect Audio Eros II ($279): This is a surprisingly good stock cable. As a hybrid, it provides the best of the copper thickness and the silver detail to emphasize all the right characteristics of the CIEM. The resulting SQ is very flat and audiophile with gobs of treble and sub-bass detail providing layering for the mids. I don’t have any other hybrid cables currently to compare apples for apples so Eros II has won a place in my heart and will stay on the M5 as long as I have the adapter.
- Stock M5 Cable: This cable was a win as is sounding as good as any of the others I tried. The only concern was that it tended to get unstranded over time making it look messy and potentially may break. However, the sound won me over, and having lost the adapter, will remain on the M5.
Scaling Source
While the M5 sounds surprisingly good on everything, there is a difference in results worth discussing. Here is what I found:- iPhone 11: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the M5 sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the M5 on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness of the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so constant playing.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder Calyx M signature offers more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I used to like the Calyx M better than the Sony until I got a custom firmware upgrade on the Sony. The Calyx takes the audiophile performance up a notch with more and tighter detail, while Sony can actually be more fun. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the M5 louder than normal for short bursts.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold last year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the new custom firmware. The new firmware now plays nice with all my CIEMs. The M5 is a wonderful pairing offering a warm performance with a nice girth to the note and more resonance and textures. The Sony with its superior battery life and UX is my go-to DAP for the M5.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up a notch with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more, the detail is at another level, and the sound gets fuller. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the M5 for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson C3R which takes it up another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience.
- Burson C3 Reference: Going desktop, the Burson C3R is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the M5 signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the C3R drives 7.5 watts into the M3 6.8 ohms, so the volume stays between 1 to 5 out of 100 steps.
Comparisons
As mentioned in the beginning, I have a great collection of CIEM from which I judge all newcomers. Besides having access to all the TOTL CIEMs in my tours, I have accumulated a nice collection of my favorite including – Thummim, ELYSIUM, Legend X, A18 Tzar, Valkyrie, Hidition NT-6 Pro, A12t, Aether, Fearless S12, and others. To offer some insight into the performance here, I will compare the M5 to my best below:- Thummin: My other GOD-TIER IEM in my personal collection is the Thummin. I compare this IEM to the ABYSS in a number of ways. One, it has the same signature and is as exotic-sounding as an IEM as the ABYSS is a full-sized headphone. However, both require a great system to reach their full potential and can sound dull on a lessor system. When driven properly on my Burson C3R, the Thummin is the best sounding IEM that I have and yes, it does beat the M5 in this use case. However, the M5 is not far behind, even driven by a lessor setup. In this case, I would compare the M5 to the Audeze LCD-4 – another exotic headphone that is close in sound quality.
- Sultan: The Sultan has received mixed reviews, but I personally insist that it is one of the rarified GOD-TIER IEMs when driven properly and with the correct seal. While this one is not currently in my collection, I have auditioned it extensively and will speak to it the best I can. I would compare the Sultan with the exotic STAX OO9 electrostatic headphones. The Sultan has the same ability to extract an exotic amount of detail putting it at the top of class in detail retrieval. Unlike the 009, the Sultan also has a very present and natural bass response which never steps on the detail. The 009 has nice bass, but it seems more distant with the treble more present. The Sultan is definitely treble first, but not at the expense of a fantastic base response. The M5 is more like the Thummin than the Sultan – the Sultan being a very different Audiophile signature that is all about the detail. While the M5 oozes detail as well, it is a more fun first warmer ride. These two IEMs are very complementary offering a great variety for your various genres offering two different presentations so you never get bored.
- 64 Audio A18: The 18 was the detail monster that I used to judge all others. That being said, it has a variable signature which I have standardized with the M15 APEX module that is more analytical and my OLSO cable to maintain that performance while bringing up the bass a notch for a richer character. The 18 has a well-deserved place in the top TOTL CIEM tier and is likely to remain there for a long time. While its perfection quickly impresses, this perfection is also its greatest weakness as it can get boring over time. For this reason, I have collected a range of CIEMs that I rotate to keep my interest high. Compared to the M5, the 18 is showing its age. The M5 has that something special and is more fun leaving the 18 wanting. This is not saying that the 18 is bad as it is a great CIEM, but that the M5 is just that much greater in performance and that the bar for performance has risen in the last half-decade since I got my custom 18.
- Legend X: My X has been my most-listened-to CIEM until the M5 arrived. Going back and forth, there are two very wonderful signatures that are very complimentary and different allowing both to sit prominently in my collection. The X takes the warmer side of the road making all music fun and rich. It makes mediocre music sound good. However, the dual subwoofers in the X are the star of the show. While they only show up when called for, my tendency is to listen to music that calls for bass when listening to the X because it is so much fun. The treble and mids and soundstage are wonderful as well reminding me of the EE Zeus when the bass is not called for so there is nothing bad to report for the X. However, the M5 bass is more intimate where the X bass is laid back and set back. The M5 is in your face on stage while the X is sitting back at the front of the first balcony. I love my X for casual listening, but the M5 is more energetic making it a great daytime driver and the X more of my nighttime listen.
- ELYSIUM: The ELYSIUM has the best mids period with a dynamic mid-driver. It also has an EST treble set up with a single BA for lows making it a tribrid as well. However, the ELYSIUM and the M5 couldn’t be any more different. The M5 is full-spectrum, energetic, and onstage where the ELYSIUM is intimate as well, but emphasizes the mids. In comparison, I would say that the ELYSIUM is my go-to for vocals where the M5 is more fun and an all-rounder. Like the X, the ELYSIUM is more of an evening listen now that I have the M5 to take over my on-the-go duties.
Concluding Thoughts
I find that about 70 percent of my ear time goes to active on the go listening while I exercise or run chores in or out of the house, with only 10 percent going to nighttime audiophile listening when I get a chance with the other 20 percent listening in bed. While I want top audiophile SQ for all three types of listening, for active listening I prefer a more energetic signature with more bass to compensate for the noise and distraction and also to put a hop in my step and wake me up. At night for audiophile listening, I prefer a bigger soundstage with a gentler audiophile tuning to pull out every last ounce of detail. For in-bed listening, I need a low-volume performer that doesn’t sacrifice SQ for low volume. The M5 somehow manages to offer top performance in all three use cases. This is why it is becoming my go-to CIEM for all my needs getting more ear time than any other in my collection.
NickleCo
Hey Barra! I was curious what your custom fw set is on your 1a.
Mcleenx
Very detailed review!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
jjthorn
Thanks for such an extremely comprehensive review.
Your review stated “However, orchestra and opera where you may prefer to sit in the upper balcony to take it all in and enjoy the wider soundstage, the Legend X might be the better choice”.
Could any of the Atom Modules improve the M5 and make it more acceptable for orchestral music?
Your review stated “However, orchestra and opera where you may prefer to sit in the upper balcony to take it all in and enjoy the wider soundstage, the Legend X might be the better choice”.
Could any of the Atom Modules improve the M5 and make it more acceptable for orchestral music?
Burson has created another winning product with their new Conductor 3 Reference product. No...that’s not good enough - consider my mind blown. I tried all Burson products from the bottom up and Burson never fails to blow me away with sound quality. Just when you think they have reached a pinnacle, they do it again. This takes everything good that I have already said about the Fun, Play, and the Playmate – my current personal favorite – and takes it all to another level.
Redefining the Audio Term “Reference”
There is a lot of jargon thrown around in audiophile circles that are meaningless – “Reference” being on of them. It is often associated with orchestra and classic genres and butterfly wings types of thinner detailed signatures. Many times for me this can be a nice way of saying boring, but checks all the marks. However, in a more general sense, it is supposed to be associated with the pinnacle of achievement or the one to measure all others. This second definition is how I see the Burson. At first listen, it can fit the boring category as it doesn’t have the color or character of a “Fun” signature – it just effortlessly does everything so right. Listening for issues, I cannot hear any. It sounds incredibly great, but doesn’t stand out in any way. Over time – as with any outstanding product – you start to hear things differently as you go through your library. They are subtle at first, but then as you get drawn in, you start to wonder how you never heard it that way before. The problem is when you go back to the way things were before you got used to the Conductor 3 Reference…”it ain’t pretty! Nothing I used to listen to sounds as good any more as this new form of audiophile “Reference” is truly a pinnacle.
As a music nut, I have a wide variety of headphones and CIEMs to fit my various tastes and moods. They all have some form of color that requires careful pairing of source to get them to sound their best. Some need more power, some need more warmth, some need more soundstage that the source can help make right. However, as a “Reference” DAC/AMP, the Burson Conductor 3 References (C3R) makes them all sound their best taking many to exotic levels of performance. The closest I have come to this before is with my Burson Playmate that takes all my gear to top tier performance, although it can be bested with more exotic sources and pairings. The C3R makes everything I have sound its best making it my new “Reference” setup to beat.
Burson Product Line – The Reference Series
The Conductor 3 comes in two series; the Reference Series as described here as well as the lower priced Performance Series which is slightly scaled down into a smaller chassis with less power and a single vs. dual DAC. The Reference Series represents Burson’s top of the tier performance for those that want the best and can afford the highest price tag. As with the Performance Series, there are two models – 3R single ended and 3XR balanced models. The price and specification differences for both Reference and Performance Series are described in the table below.
As expressed in the configuration table, the biggest differences in the two series is that the Reference Series has dual DACs and a boost in power. Less obvious is that the Reference Series has an upgraded chassis. Together, these differences command a $700 price increase over the Performance series.
Conductor 3 Reference Configuration
While there is a lot under its hood, what I have always known Burson for was its incredible power handling and amplification. While 7.5W class A may seem like overkill, even for my 600ohm Sennheiser HD800’s let alone my sensitive CIEMs, it is not about power, it is about an iron tight grip on the drivers that stamp out any potential noise. Same goes with their power handling and quality of components, they stamp out any potential noise leaving a transparency and sound scape that is very unique. While the Sabre DACs almost seem old school any more with R2R ladder and advanced field-programmable gate array (FPGA) options, it is all about implementation. I have always had a lover hate relationship with Sabre-based products with bad implementations offering the dreaded bright signature – I won’t name names – and good implementations such as the C3R and my favorite Calyx M DAP implementations toping the charts.
As you can see in the graphics below, the Conductor ticks all the right boxes with features like most modern DAC/AMPs at this price point. However, we have come to expect that. It also is a handsome work of art, not funky like some, but impressive in its elegant simplicity.
However, what is more impressive is the build of this thing. While not ridiculous, this is a heavy desktop unit built like a tank taking me back to old school weights. Even the internal build is impressive enough that they proudly show off the innards.
Of note are the four tall red user replaceable opamps that allow you to tune the sound to your preference. They come in both VIVID and CLASSIC tunings for respectively audiophile/dynamic or warm/emotional sound characteristics. My preference is the VIVID offering optimal transparency and clarity with dynamics while still providing that tube-like texturing that I long for.
My Setup and Unboxing
To offer you a little insight into my setup, I have created a video pasted below. My digital source setup also consists of Sonarworks True-Fi sound optimization and Amazon Music HD streaming as a source. Find out more below.
Unboxing Video with Setup
To give you a sense of what is delivered to the door and how it is setup, I created an unboxing video. This is a bit of a walkthrough of my digital setup as well to provide reference to how I get my results.
Sonarworks True-Fi
While I have never been someone to use an equalizer, after getting exposed to Sonarworks products, I have decided that they are a keeper for my digital chain. Each headphone that they support has a predetermined setting to get a flat performance curve as you can see in the screenshot below which wildly alters the sound characteristics raising the performance a couple of levels. In addition, to further personalize the sound, it allows you to set you age to further adjust as well as to drive the bass levels to your desired happy space. Using the HD800 curves below and bumping up the bass several notches, I am getting performance from my HD800 that is close to my favorite Abyss headphone, through the Burson Conductor 3 Reference. I should also point out that you have to specifically request the unlimited correction curve from Sonarworks to capture the entire frequency curve or you will not get the thunderous sub-bass that I am talking about.
You will notice that there is an enable button on the bottom of the screenshot. This magic button is the best sales tool I have ever seen. Sonarworks has a free trial which I think everyone should use to see how good their headphones can sound. However, once you use this button to toggle the effect on and off a few times, you will never want to hear your headphone again without the effect toggled on. It is an in your face A/B tool that makes before and after instantaneous so there is no mistake what this application does for your sound quality. It is HUGE!
Amazon Music
I have never, never liked streamed music. Even HD streamed music as it comes at a steep cost. This is not the case with Amazon Music HD for whatever reason. In the past, this was an exploration exercise only where I would quickly buy and download an HD file for full fidelity. What made me look to Amazon Music HD was the clamor at HEADFI over a new digital music processing technology – I think from Sony – that made music sound otherworldly. When I heard that Amazon Music was implementing this technology, I liked the free trial option to try it out and have been hooked ever since. This is my primary source for music now. You have to hear it for yourself to understand what I am talking about. This tech is so good that my iPhone listening using the mobile Amazon Music HD app has taken my listening experience on the crappy phone to a Sony WM1A level experience. That is saying a lot.
The Sound
Considering that Burson’s $400 Playmate intense sound quality has already replaced all my much more expensive desktop equipment from my Chord H2 to my Eddie Current ZDs, I wasn’t expecting a large jump with the new Conductor 3….I was wrong. The jump to the Playmate was more intense where the jump to the Conductor was more subtle until I try to scale down to what I was using before. With the Conductor Reference, nothing pops out on first listen, everything just sounds right…and keeps sounding right. As I listen to other sources, there is always a flavor somewhere that makes it great for pairing with one headphone over another. In most cases if find that every source has a tradeoff, but I am not finding this with the Reference. Here are some pairing considerations that I typically judge my sources:
- Warm vs. bright: Given the Sabre implementation, you may assume this is a bright source…you would be wrong. Then it must be warm…again you would be wrong. This signature is more in the natural range or perhaps we can say studio-like due to the lack of noise. However, it has very lifelike tones and timbre that are thick, textured, resolute, and vibrant while being transparent enough to hear butterfly wings in the background. There doesn’t seem to be a tradeoff here, it just sounds right.
- Bass engagement: Many of the audiophile flat products actually sound bass light or have their bass pushed back to bring out the subtleties. This is always a problem for me as I like a more audiophile subwoofer engagement to my fun listening for lifelike sizing that I have to sacrifice for my critical listening. There is no sacrifice with the Reference as the lack of warmth and the resulting clarity/transparency bring out those butterfly wing subtitles while the incredible dynamics and the full ranging powerful sub-bass/mid-bass reproduction emerges effortlessly when call upon. I can use a single source to enjoy orchestra cannons, chamber music, and EDM without sacrifice. When bass is called upon, the Reference is my go to source.
- Solid state vs. tube: Solid state is often accurate but lifeless where tubes done right brings out gobs of romantic emotion to your favorite music. However, tubes often sacrifice accuracy and that butterfly wing delicate detail for fun. However, with the reference, even butterfly wings have textures making the intense detail more 3 dimensional and fun. The Reference offers sound that while large and full sized is still intimate and personal to drive an intense emotional response and involves you in the music. There is nothing clinical about the Reference while offering ideal critical listening as long as you can function with that tear in your eye.
- Large soundstage vs. intimate: Many fun sources are more intimate and personal – front row center or on stage throwing detail in your face – but are not good for larger symphony music which likes a front row first balcony positioning to take it all in. The Reference is full sized large, but morphs for the music to always portray the right positioning. It always has the correct positioning and sizing for each genre. I can jump from genre to genre and always feel like I have the best seats in the house. There is no compromise here either.
- Audiophile vs. fun: As you can guess from the previous bullets, there is no compromise here either. In fact, the Reference makes audiophile fun! It turns my butterfly wings, critical listening Sennheiser HD800 into an EDM party animal when in the mood while also allowing large hall orchestral critical listening to become fun and emotional…and bring those cannons to life.
Like the Playmate, the Reference is a powerhouse that easily manhandles any headphone offering an iron grip on the drivers – but it takes it to another level. This iron grip eliminates noise and offers better dynamics allowing the headphones to work at its optimal for improved resolution and clarity. The Sabre line is known for a propensity for brightness in their implementation, but not here. This Sabre implementation offers a nice meaty character to the sound with detailed texturing offering an emotional character to music. This is why I say that the Reference is a top tier tube and solid-state amp love child as it has the best of both without any of the tradeoffs. For example, while offering tube like texturing and emotion, there is a deep black background for clarity and transparency to drive butterfly wings resolution with space for power dynamics that never steps on the butterfly wings. The power of the Reference is that it empowers your headphone to release their hidden character that is lost in underpowered or less resolving scenarios. For me, I am seeing my headphones being driven at full potential offering fully scaled up performance like I have never hear from them before…with no tradeoffs.
Comparing to the Playmate
The Playmate has the background blackness and a nice level of resolution, but the Reference is of higher resolution, greater size, and a more grownup effortlessness to its presentation. The Playmate is audiophile in nature staying reference while offering a fun bass and emotional element but seems like the Reference’s young apprentice in training. The Playmate is great, but the Reference is the Master of Performance with no equal. They share the same character, but the Reference is noticeably better at everything. If I was to split hairs, I would say that the Playmate is a little warmer than the Reference, but that is about all. If you cannot afford the Reference, the Playmate makes a great second choice.
Headphone Pairings
This is where the rubber meets the road as you cannot hear the Reference without a headphone. What is interesting is that my notes from my Playmate pairings are a pretty close match to the Reference pairings. The biggest difference is that the LCD2.2 sounds better with the Reference than with the Playmate which didn’t pair as well. Overall, every headphone pairing I threw at the Reference sounded top tier and as good as I have ever heard them. Keep in mind, that I frequent Audiophile and HeadFi events regularly as well as organize local HeadFi get togethers and have heard these headphones though sources worth tens of thousands. Having recently attended an event that allowed me to spend over an hour alone with the $60K Sennheiser Orpheus, I can say that some of my best CIEMs paired with the Reference come reasonably close in sound quality. This is quite a statement to both performance of the 7.5W Burson Conductor 3 Reference and the CIEMs scalability as well as the potential of overpowered setups done right. My listening notes for each headphone are below.
- Empire Ears Wraith CIEM: Comfortable but loud volume at 1/100, going over 2/100 is getting too loud. The SQ is so incredible, that I am willing to listen a little louder than normal, but this CIEM is very efficient leaving little headroom on the Reference volume. At this elevated volume, the detail is through the roof and quite exotic. As I have mentioned in the threads, this re-envisioning of the electrostatic sound competes with exotics like the 009 or the Abyss – two of my favorites. The power and resolution offered by the Playmate allows the Wraith capabilities to shine. I only wish I could lower the volume a little for easier listening when I am not rocking out.
- Empire Ears Valkyrie CIEM: Comfortable volume 10/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 25/100. The Valkyrie obviously likes the more power that the Reference offers. As a hybrid, both the dynamic subwoofer and the electrostatic drivers like the additional grunt becoming more lively and dynamic down below and more airy, detailed, and spacious on top. The Valkyrie is a very fun and in your face headphone that exudes energy and the Reference pairs nicely with this. I am already floored by its performance; the Reference takes this further making it top tier.
- Empire Ears Legend X CIEM: Comfortable volume 5/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 20/100. The Legend X is again a wonderful pairing with the Reference offering its full performance capabilities. Compared to the Wraith and the Valkyrie, the BA treble feels more laid back, but still very articulate and detailed. The bass really comes out to play on the Reference making it more of a warm and fun listen without feeling bloated in any way. Like with all the other CIEMs, the X feels fuller and more textured with the powerful Reference and offers top tier and almost exotic performance.
- Lime Ears Aether CIEM: Comfortable volume 5/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 15/100. The Aether sounds wonderful with a deep resonant growl way down for subs, nice soundstage, natural high-resolution full-sized sound. The Aether is known for a very musical natural sound – the Reference just boosts the Aether platform to be bigger and more effortless. The Reference emphasis is in the dynamics providing fuller sustain in the piano hits and surround acoustics. The added resonance adds to the Aether’s musicality. Nice pairing.
- Vision Ears VE8: Comfortable volume 2/100 but gets loud going any higher. The VE8 is a dream signature offering full-sized instruments even at low volume with an extraordinary bass that is very realistic and takes full advantage of the Reference power reserves. The sound stage on the VE8 is extra-large so the blackness in the Reference plays well for the VE8 offering it to rise to full resolution while maintaining its characteristic clarity. The VE8 on the Reference blew my mind, not much else to say.
- Vision Ears ELYSIUM: Comfortable volume 15/100 and gets loud over 30 or 40, but much more welcoming to volume than the other CIEMs. As a tribrid offering both a dynamic and EST driver complement, it enjoyed the 7.5-watts that the Reference had to offer. Right now, the ELYSIUM is my epidemy of EXOTIC sound quality and the Reference was up to the task of allowing the ELSYIUM to perform at its peak. This CIEM is mid focused driven by a dynamic driver offering the best mids that I have ever heard, and the Reference offered more girth to the texturing and a higher level of emotion. The iron grip from that 7.5-watt power supply gave the dynamic driver more snap and resolution. The ELSYIUM bass is driven by a single BA that sounds like a 10-inch subwoofer and the Reference power offered full slam. The Reference is by far the best pairing I have for this outstanding CIEM.
- HD800: The HD800 was typically played through my Hugo 2 > Eddie Current ZDs desktop setup that is exotic in nature, so the Reference has some tough competition. However, the Reference easily bests this pairing and I prefer the simpler setup. In contrast with my Hugo 2 DAC, the Sabre implementation is more textured and more fun while offering similar butterfly wing detail. The Reference is just more musical. The ZDs of course is a tube amp which changes the character with tube rolling and right now I am listening to a more analytical tube so this could change with a different tube pairing. Just sayin’
- HEX: What can I say, the HEX is the HEX. It is easily driven and sound the same on my DAP as it does on my H2 > ZDs setup. It is a wonderful headphone and I love the signature a lot, but the only thing that changes its sound is the cable. My upgraded cable gets rid of some of the treble glare that can be prominent otherwise. However, with the cable upgrade it sounds wonderful on any setup. If you are driving the HEX, just get the Playmate and save the difference.
- LCD2.2: Now this is a picky headphone. It can be bright or warm depending on the setup. In this case, the Reference optimizes the sound quality for a neutral warm approach that is highly textured and offers a controlled bass. The LCD2.2 does sound better with higher wattage so the 7.5-watt power supply works wonders. This is one case where the Playmate and the Reference vary in that the Reference does the LCD2.2 right where the Playmate was just ok. If you are an Audeze lover, then the Reference is the way to go unless you already are happy using speaker taps.
Pictures
My source setup
Conductor 3 Reference\
Comparing the Burson units - top: Playmate, middle: C3 Performance, bottom: C3 Reference
Comparing from front
Comparing from top
Conclusion
Those that want to bring emotion back to their music, look no further, the Reference offers emotional audiophile performance that feels like the love child of an exotic tube and solid-state amp. While the Playmate will do the same for less money, the difference in performance is quite noticeable. If you are a CIEM lover like me, you have to at least audition the Playmate to drive them to their fullest, but the Reference is truly at another level. If you are a headphone lover as well, the Reference goes another couple levels and becomes a must have. Now owning a number of their product, Burson’s combination of sound quality and quality power have become the cornerstone of my listening experience. The Reference is now my “reference” platform to judge headphone/CIEM performance for my reviews going forward. But more importantly, the Reference is FUN, so I can continue enjoying the music rather than just listening critically to the parts.
John Buchanan
billbishere's assertion is a well known furphy. If it's too expensive for you, don't buy it. Fit, finish and facilities all cost, if they're done right. And, in Burson's case, they are, and, compared to many others of that ilk, done at a reasonable cost. This isn't a rip-off - it's a very high quality item for a cheap price - dare I say it - a bargain.
Onik
When using C3 as a DAC OUT with FIXED VOLTAGE does the op amp rolling has any effects on the SQ?
TomKorn
Thank you for this great review! One question : How did you connect the IEMs? Unbalanced? Balanced with an XLR adapter? Thanks.
The Most Fun CIEM Ever!
For those that don’t know me, I have been hosting numerous TOTL CIEM and cable tours on Head-Fi in the US for the last several years now including most of the top manufacturers ranging from moderately expensive to very expensive options. This has allowed me and my tour participants access to hear some of the most incredible mobile audiophile equipment in existence. Even in the few years that I have been managing these tours, I have seen significant advances in technologies and performance to the point that it is rare to hear any product at this level that I do not like. They are all different in signature appealing differently to different people, but they are pretty much all very good at this point. While most purchases from my tours are safe purchases, at this price point it is very important to have a way to hear an assortment so that you can dial in your preference and make the correct purchases. Therefore, when I say that the Valkyrie is the most fun CIEM that I have heard, this is based on a significant comparison…as well as my preferences of course.
The Valkyrie has given me a “Sugar Tooth”
What makes the Valkyrie so special and so much fun is the gobs of TOTL audiophile goodness that it offers in both its dynamic bass and electrostatic treble presentation. Hands down, this has the best bass and treble that I have heard for my preferences. While it is not the widest or the most balanced presentation for technically perfect audiophile performance, once you hear this signature, it is very hard to go back to my other vastly more expensive CIEMs as I am addicted to that sugar. While I have better performers like its big brother, the Empire Ears Legend X, moving to the X makes me feel like I have to leave an extremely fun party with all my friends to put on a suit and tie and behave myself quietly at the opera. The whole time at the opera, I am thinking about how I am going to get back to the party. That is the Valkyrie experience.
Valkyrie’s Configuration
As can be seen in the graphic above, the Valkyrie is a three-driver CIEM. It uses one dedicated dynamic Weapon IX subwoofer for the lows - that to my ear is dialed in at about 60 hertz for a colder signature focusing on driving the bigger boom and rumble down under with extraordinary results. The most pedestrian part is the single BA used to drive the mids. Then it uses an electrostatic (EST) driver to offer the best treble I have ever hear in a CIEM other than its other much more expensive sibling, the Wraith which uses 4x EST. While tribrids (use of dynamic, BA, and EST technology in one CIEM) are all the rage now with EST technology abound, I would have to say that Empire Ears implementation is the most striking and satisfying that I have heard. It is the closest to the Stax 009 SQ that I use as the pinnacle to judge all other electrostatic implementations.
From Empire Ears:
“Valkyrie owes much of its energy and impact on the listener to Empire's newest technology, EIVEC, Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control. Through EIVEC we've managed to bring the three separate driver technologies into perfect harmony. Electrostatic drivers have remarkable capabilities but have a tendency to drown out their dynamic and balanced armature counterparts. Using EIVEC, the EST in Valkyrie delivers a crisp and detailed high end that blends seamlessly with the rest of the sound profile of tight, rich and natural lows from the Weapon IX dynamic subwoofer and lush mids from the balanced armature driver.”
Technical Specifications
For those audiophile geeks out there, here are the official specifications from Empire Ears:
This simplified design is offering all that sugary goodness:
EROS II Cable
While the stock cable is typically an afterthought and quickly replaced, this is not the case on the Valkyrie. After a bit of cable rolling, I found that this was the best pairing imaginable which is quite the statement given my assortment of very high-end cables that I compared it to. On closer inspection, this is not just a very pretty cable, it is actually a fairly expensive premium audiophile cable made by Effect Audio with a market price starting at just under $300. Even more important, this is a hybrid cable with separate strands of both copper and silver to offer the strengths of both. This is a very premium option from a premium cable manufacturer. No wonder I couldn’t beat this pairing with my other more expensive options. More on this later in my pairing section.
From Empire Ears:
“Every Valkyrie in-ear monitor includes a bespoke, handcrafted Eros II cable by Effect Audio. The Eros II boasts a proprietary blend of 26 AWG UPOCC Litz Copper and UPOCC Pure Silver wire with ultra-flexible insulation for maximum signal speed transmission, performance, and ergonomics. Each cable is terminated in an ultra-durable 3.5mm, 24k Oyaide gold-plated right-angle plug. Alternatively, for our audiophile clientele, we also offer 2.5 and 4.4 balanced terminations at no additional charge.”
Ordering
Empire Ears has a state-of-the-art configurator with lots of impressive options, but I had to go with the exclusive Dragonhide faceplate that offers easy identification of the Valkyrie for anyone that knows it. While it looks great in pictures, it looks even better in the Arizona sun.
Since I already had impressions on file, I was able to speed through to production. The impressions were made by Devon herself at CAMJAM a couple of years back and were used to create my Legend X which came out perfect. I cannot remember, but I do think she had me do the bite block for the Empire Ears impressions when she made them as I think I remember being embarrassed about drooling on myself.
Unboxing
As you can see in my unboxing video below, the Empire Ears unboxing experience is premium. I definitely appreciate the aluminum puck case that comes with the Valkyrie which I had Valkyrie’s name inscribed. The fit is perfect as always with Empire Ears and the build is flawless as expected from such a premium brand.
FIT: The fit offered from Empire Ears is a little more on the smaller side than my other CIEMs providing the most comfortable fit that I have with both the Valkyrie and my existing Legend X. Being on the smaller side, insertion and removal is easier. I would have expected less isolation with the smaller seal, but I have never felt any perceivable difference.
DRIVER FLEX: On the first try, the driver flex can be disconcerting sounding reminiscent of crinkling food packaging. For those that do not know what driver flex is, dynamic drivers under pressure will move to create an audible sound. So, when you put the drivers in your ears, you hear a crinkle that may make you think that something is broken. This is not the case and is something you just get used to over time. It can also happen when you adjust the CIEMs in your ear or pull them out. It may also happen when chewing.
FINISH: The entire Valkyrie experience is premium. The CIEM is flawless, the cable and the case are premium, and the box is so nice that you are forced through guilt to keep it stored rather than throwing it out. There is a solid premium heft to the CIEMs in your hand assuring you that this is no cheap Amazon offering. This is a CIEM that gets attention from your friends.
The Legend X Little Brother
Some people call the Valkyrie the Legend X (LX) little brother due to both having an emphasis on bass. While brothers can share a lot of similar qualities, they can also be extremely different in nature as well as I have experienced with my own two sons.
The LX is the more talented and mature older brother that sits front row and center on the first balcony for a perfect panoramic view of the theater with monstrous audiophile bass and a warmer smoother tone. His little brother is at the front center of the first row in the mosh pit dancing and singing with the band of a smaller venue that is much more intimate. It seems like the LX is crossed at something like 120 hertz (a guess) enhancing all bass for a warmer signature while the Valkyrie has a colder signature crossed at 60 hertz (a guess) with elevated energy-enhancing lower sub-bass more for a tighter, punchier response that doesn't flow so much into the mids. This and the excellent EST offer a colder more exciting tuning that oozes details and transparency. The bass seems like it hits harder on the Valkyrie and is warmer on the LX. Both have their own signature work well together. However, I have to say that the Valkyrie is very addictive. It is like a diet of sweet or salty foods that make normal food seem bland. It is hard to go back to the LX sometimes after listening to the Valkyrie requiring time for your ears to desensitize to enjoy the LX again. The Valkyrie is a much more intimate and exciting signature compared to the LX’s more relaxed and audiophile signature with the LX commanding a much larger soundstage compared to the Valkyries greater depth and layering.
Is the Signature Actually V-Shaped?
The Valkyrie SQ description sounds like a classic V-signature given the huge emphasis on its bass and treble…but is it? I would argue that it is a very balanced intimate signature as there is no dip in the mids. The mids are very intimate, striking, and detailed as they are enhanced/layered by the bass/treble. The problem is that the bass and treble is just so darn good separately that they steal the show giving the illusion of a V. To further emphasize the V illusion, the soundstage is very intimate similar to a V-signature. However, the V-signature tends to be characteristically flat and 2D in my opinion and out of focus due to the distortion created by the over emphasized bass and treble. This is not the case with the Valkyrie which has a stellar 3D staging with significant detail in depth and layering. In Seattle in the Pioneer district, there are a series of clubs that are shaped like bowling lanes with a bar by the door that you have to squeeze by to get to the tables behind that which are in front of a stage toward the back. We used to have some incredible live performances there which were extremely intimate with big talent whose names you would recognize. The music was exciting and intense and in your face. There was always dancing in front of the stage as the music was exciting and got you on your feet. While there was some width on these stages, there was much more depth. These bands didn’t have a V-signature, this was just the shape of the stage. The Valkyrie takes me back to these performances.
Pairing Genres
Given its intimate nature, it is surprising that the Valkyrie is actually very good across most genres. It is the best live monitor I have ever heard and great at EDM as you would imagine. But it is also really great across the newer fresher sounding pop, instrumentals, easy listening, classic rock, and pretty much everything else that I throw at it. Specifically, it is most amazing at live, guitar-focused, or bassy music with incredible texturing and detail. If you would want to sit at the front row of a performance, then the Valkyrie is the right CIEM for you. However, orchestra and opera where you may prefer to sit in the upper balcony to take it all in and enjoy the wider soundstage, the Legend X would be the better choice. Staying with the LX comparable, the exciting Valkyrie signature is better suited for energetic music and air guitar that you want to sing along with where the LX is better for sitting down and soaking in the audiophile details while sipping brandy. Just sayin’….
Driving Power adds Scale
As noted in the technical specifications, the Valkyrie has a 3 ohms impedance and a 96 dB sensitivity. While the low impedance implies that it is easy to drive, the lower sensitivity implies that it is not. The truth is that it is both. While it sounds great on my iPhone, some of the harder-hitting notes can fall short while on my 2-watt desktop Burson Playmate, that extra power not only fills out those notes but adds additional dynamics and texture. Even though I am most impressed on my Burson, I spend most of my time on the iPhone given the daytime on the road preference and I don’t feel like I am missing anything.
Scaling Down: As mentioned, the iPhone is good enough to drive the Valkyrie to audiophile bliss. This is great news for road warriors. However, I should point out a few things:
Hiss: Given the low impedance, I am often asked about hiss. However, I'm probably not the right person to ask about hiss as I am over 50 and cannot hear treble like I used to. Regardless, to my ears, there is no problem with hiss on my WM1a, H2, Calyx M, iPhone, or Burson Playmate at 2 watts. The Valkyrie is surprising black in the background even with its smaller soundstage offering a lot of transparency so I am guessing that the hiss would stand out if there was some. Perhaps the lower sensitivity helps keep the hiss away.
Why are my Ears not Hurting from the Pounding Bass?
While I am not a bass-head, I am an audiophile bass-head. This means that I like quality bass, with realistic quantity only. I dial in my volume by turning it up to the point that the bass instruments are right-sized as I feel that bass instruments are the hardest to get right. To me, a typical audiophile flat signature makes the bass sound small, distant, and unnatural. The Valkyrie and the LX are examples of bass done right with CIEMs offering audiophile goodness with natural-sounding bass. The Valkyrie as mentioned earlier is crossed lower for a cleaner overall sound and turned up to natural sizing that matches the mids and treble. While this allows me to listen to lower volumes that would obviously protect my ears, this is such a fun CIEM that it is hard for me not to keep turning it up to get more of its goodness. So why are my ears not bleeding? Why have I not lost my hearing yet? The same question with my LX as neither the LX or Valkyrie has an acknowledged pressure protection system like the 64 Audio APEX.
On inspection, as seen in the picture above, there is a dynamic driver venting system made of three holes in the side of the shells. For whatever reason, this seems to be enough to stop the bass driver from beating up my eardrums. I have always been aware that many dynamic setups use venting, but even with venting on those, my ears are quickly fatigued…not so with the Valkyrie. While I don’t have any more info to speculate here, I have to say that this is a significant point as I have been spoiled from APEX modules in my other CIEMs that is has kept me away from other more fatiguing designs.
Ear fatigue is not an issue with my custom LX or Valkyrie.
Adjusting to EST Differences
In saying that there is no ear fatigue with the Valkyrie, I do need to mention that the EST drivers do take some getting used to. At first, my ears felt fatigued because the EST signature felt bright. It took 2 days of continual listening to get my head wrapped around the Valkyrie and Wraith EST sound quality. After that, there was no going back. As mentioned earlier, it made my other favorites sound bland in comparison. I was addicted to this EST sound in a way that I knew I needed to own the Valkyrie. The brightness I mentioned was not like any of my truly bright CIEMs that emphasize treble brightness to drive detail, but just a much more significant treble response and extension than I was used to. It was the increased detail that was fatiguing as I had not heard anything like it before. Going back to a BA based treble made me see what I had been missing. Once you hear the EST difference and get used to it, even the best available BA treble just seems inferior.
Optimizing Cables
In the end, the stock hybrid Effect Audio cable that came with the Valkyrie was the best pairing to my ears. It is a surprisingly good cable to be offered as a standard. While experimenting, here is what I found:
While the Valkyrie sounds surprisingly good on everything, there is a difference in results worth discussing. Here is what I found:
As mentioned in the beginning, I have a great collection of CIEM from which I judge all newcomers. Besides having access to all the TOTL CIEMs in my tours, I have accumulated a nice collection of my favorite including – ELYSIUM, Legend X, A18 Tzar, Valkyrie, Hidition NT-6 Pro, A12t, Aether, and Fearless S12. To offer some insight to the performance here, I will compare the Valkyrie to my best below:
I find that about 80 percent of my ear time goes to active on the go listening while I exercise or run chores in or out of the house, with only 20 percent going to nighttime audiophile listening when I get a chance. While I want top audiophile SQ for both types of listening, for active listening I prefer a more energetic signature with more bass to compensate for the noise and distraction and also to put a hop in my step and wake me up. At night for audiophile listening, I prefer a bigger soundstage with a gentler audiophile tuning to pull out every last ounce of detail. The Valkyrie fits the first active listening description the best but can be used for the later as well. The 18 is better suited for the later audiophile listening. The X serves both purposes well as does the ELYSIUM but both at a far greater price tag than the Valkyrie. I think that the Valkyrie nails my needs for active listening and at a comparatively good price nearly half the ELYSIUM’s price. Yet the Valkyrie performance is nearly at the level of these much more expensive CIEMs and better suited for 80 percent of my needs. This made the Valkyrie a “no brainer” for me.
For those that don’t know me, I have been hosting numerous TOTL CIEM and cable tours on Head-Fi in the US for the last several years now including most of the top manufacturers ranging from moderately expensive to very expensive options. This has allowed me and my tour participants access to hear some of the most incredible mobile audiophile equipment in existence. Even in the few years that I have been managing these tours, I have seen significant advances in technologies and performance to the point that it is rare to hear any product at this level that I do not like. They are all different in signature appealing differently to different people, but they are pretty much all very good at this point. While most purchases from my tours are safe purchases, at this price point it is very important to have a way to hear an assortment so that you can dial in your preference and make the correct purchases. Therefore, when I say that the Valkyrie is the most fun CIEM that I have heard, this is based on a significant comparison…as well as my preferences of course.
The Valkyrie has given me a “Sugar Tooth”
What makes the Valkyrie so special and so much fun is the gobs of TOTL audiophile goodness that it offers in both its dynamic bass and electrostatic treble presentation. Hands down, this has the best bass and treble that I have heard for my preferences. While it is not the widest or the most balanced presentation for technically perfect audiophile performance, once you hear this signature, it is very hard to go back to my other vastly more expensive CIEMs as I am addicted to that sugar. While I have better performers like its big brother, the Empire Ears Legend X, moving to the X makes me feel like I have to leave an extremely fun party with all my friends to put on a suit and tie and behave myself quietly at the opera. The whole time at the opera, I am thinking about how I am going to get back to the party. That is the Valkyrie experience.
Valkyrie’s Configuration
As can be seen in the graphic above, the Valkyrie is a three-driver CIEM. It uses one dedicated dynamic Weapon IX subwoofer for the lows - that to my ear is dialed in at about 60 hertz for a colder signature focusing on driving the bigger boom and rumble down under with extraordinary results. The most pedestrian part is the single BA used to drive the mids. Then it uses an electrostatic (EST) driver to offer the best treble I have ever hear in a CIEM other than its other much more expensive sibling, the Wraith which uses 4x EST. While tribrids (use of dynamic, BA, and EST technology in one CIEM) are all the rage now with EST technology abound, I would have to say that Empire Ears implementation is the most striking and satisfying that I have heard. It is the closest to the Stax 009 SQ that I use as the pinnacle to judge all other electrostatic implementations.
From Empire Ears:
“Valkyrie owes much of its energy and impact on the listener to Empire's newest technology, EIVEC, Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control. Through EIVEC we've managed to bring the three separate driver technologies into perfect harmony. Electrostatic drivers have remarkable capabilities but have a tendency to drown out their dynamic and balanced armature counterparts. Using EIVEC, the EST in Valkyrie delivers a crisp and detailed high end that blends seamlessly with the rest of the sound profile of tight, rich and natural lows from the Weapon IX dynamic subwoofer and lush mids from the balanced armature driver.”
Technical Specifications
For those audiophile geeks out there, here are the official specifications from Empire Ears:
This simplified design is offering all that sugary goodness:
EROS II Cable
While the stock cable is typically an afterthought and quickly replaced, this is not the case on the Valkyrie. After a bit of cable rolling, I found that this was the best pairing imaginable which is quite the statement given my assortment of very high-end cables that I compared it to. On closer inspection, this is not just a very pretty cable, it is actually a fairly expensive premium audiophile cable made by Effect Audio with a market price starting at just under $300. Even more important, this is a hybrid cable with separate strands of both copper and silver to offer the strengths of both. This is a very premium option from a premium cable manufacturer. No wonder I couldn’t beat this pairing with my other more expensive options. More on this later in my pairing section.
From Empire Ears:
“Every Valkyrie in-ear monitor includes a bespoke, handcrafted Eros II cable by Effect Audio. The Eros II boasts a proprietary blend of 26 AWG UPOCC Litz Copper and UPOCC Pure Silver wire with ultra-flexible insulation for maximum signal speed transmission, performance, and ergonomics. Each cable is terminated in an ultra-durable 3.5mm, 24k Oyaide gold-plated right-angle plug. Alternatively, for our audiophile clientele, we also offer 2.5 and 4.4 balanced terminations at no additional charge.”
Ordering
Empire Ears has a state-of-the-art configurator with lots of impressive options, but I had to go with the exclusive Dragonhide faceplate that offers easy identification of the Valkyrie for anyone that knows it. While it looks great in pictures, it looks even better in the Arizona sun.
Since I already had impressions on file, I was able to speed through to production. The impressions were made by Devon herself at CAMJAM a couple of years back and were used to create my Legend X which came out perfect. I cannot remember, but I do think she had me do the bite block for the Empire Ears impressions when she made them as I think I remember being embarrassed about drooling on myself.
Unboxing
As you can see in my unboxing video below, the Empire Ears unboxing experience is premium. I definitely appreciate the aluminum puck case that comes with the Valkyrie which I had Valkyrie’s name inscribed. The fit is perfect as always with Empire Ears and the build is flawless as expected from such a premium brand.
FIT: The fit offered from Empire Ears is a little more on the smaller side than my other CIEMs providing the most comfortable fit that I have with both the Valkyrie and my existing Legend X. Being on the smaller side, insertion and removal is easier. I would have expected less isolation with the smaller seal, but I have never felt any perceivable difference.
DRIVER FLEX: On the first try, the driver flex can be disconcerting sounding reminiscent of crinkling food packaging. For those that do not know what driver flex is, dynamic drivers under pressure will move to create an audible sound. So, when you put the drivers in your ears, you hear a crinkle that may make you think that something is broken. This is not the case and is something you just get used to over time. It can also happen when you adjust the CIEMs in your ear or pull them out. It may also happen when chewing.
FINISH: The entire Valkyrie experience is premium. The CIEM is flawless, the cable and the case are premium, and the box is so nice that you are forced through guilt to keep it stored rather than throwing it out. There is a solid premium heft to the CIEMs in your hand assuring you that this is no cheap Amazon offering. This is a CIEM that gets attention from your friends.
The Legend X Little Brother
Some people call the Valkyrie the Legend X (LX) little brother due to both having an emphasis on bass. While brothers can share a lot of similar qualities, they can also be extremely different in nature as well as I have experienced with my own two sons.
The LX is the more talented and mature older brother that sits front row and center on the first balcony for a perfect panoramic view of the theater with monstrous audiophile bass and a warmer smoother tone. His little brother is at the front center of the first row in the mosh pit dancing and singing with the band of a smaller venue that is much more intimate. It seems like the LX is crossed at something like 120 hertz (a guess) enhancing all bass for a warmer signature while the Valkyrie has a colder signature crossed at 60 hertz (a guess) with elevated energy-enhancing lower sub-bass more for a tighter, punchier response that doesn't flow so much into the mids. This and the excellent EST offer a colder more exciting tuning that oozes details and transparency. The bass seems like it hits harder on the Valkyrie and is warmer on the LX. Both have their own signature work well together. However, I have to say that the Valkyrie is very addictive. It is like a diet of sweet or salty foods that make normal food seem bland. It is hard to go back to the LX sometimes after listening to the Valkyrie requiring time for your ears to desensitize to enjoy the LX again. The Valkyrie is a much more intimate and exciting signature compared to the LX’s more relaxed and audiophile signature with the LX commanding a much larger soundstage compared to the Valkyries greater depth and layering.
Is the Signature Actually V-Shaped?
The Valkyrie SQ description sounds like a classic V-signature given the huge emphasis on its bass and treble…but is it? I would argue that it is a very balanced intimate signature as there is no dip in the mids. The mids are very intimate, striking, and detailed as they are enhanced/layered by the bass/treble. The problem is that the bass and treble is just so darn good separately that they steal the show giving the illusion of a V. To further emphasize the V illusion, the soundstage is very intimate similar to a V-signature. However, the V-signature tends to be characteristically flat and 2D in my opinion and out of focus due to the distortion created by the over emphasized bass and treble. This is not the case with the Valkyrie which has a stellar 3D staging with significant detail in depth and layering. In Seattle in the Pioneer district, there are a series of clubs that are shaped like bowling lanes with a bar by the door that you have to squeeze by to get to the tables behind that which are in front of a stage toward the back. We used to have some incredible live performances there which were extremely intimate with big talent whose names you would recognize. The music was exciting and intense and in your face. There was always dancing in front of the stage as the music was exciting and got you on your feet. While there was some width on these stages, there was much more depth. These bands didn’t have a V-signature, this was just the shape of the stage. The Valkyrie takes me back to these performances.
Pairing Genres
Given its intimate nature, it is surprising that the Valkyrie is actually very good across most genres. It is the best live monitor I have ever heard and great at EDM as you would imagine. But it is also really great across the newer fresher sounding pop, instrumentals, easy listening, classic rock, and pretty much everything else that I throw at it. Specifically, it is most amazing at live, guitar-focused, or bassy music with incredible texturing and detail. If you would want to sit at the front row of a performance, then the Valkyrie is the right CIEM for you. However, orchestra and opera where you may prefer to sit in the upper balcony to take it all in and enjoy the wider soundstage, the Legend X would be the better choice. Staying with the LX comparable, the exciting Valkyrie signature is better suited for energetic music and air guitar that you want to sing along with where the LX is better for sitting down and soaking in the audiophile details while sipping brandy. Just sayin’….
Driving Power adds Scale
As noted in the technical specifications, the Valkyrie has a 3 ohms impedance and a 96 dB sensitivity. While the low impedance implies that it is easy to drive, the lower sensitivity implies that it is not. The truth is that it is both. While it sounds great on my iPhone, some of the harder-hitting notes can fall short while on my 2-watt desktop Burson Playmate, that extra power not only fills out those notes but adds additional dynamics and texture. Even though I am most impressed on my Burson, I spend most of my time on the iPhone given the daytime on the road preference and I don’t feel like I am missing anything.
Scaling Down: As mentioned, the iPhone is good enough to drive the Valkyrie to audiophile bliss. This is great news for road warriors. However, I should point out a few things:
- Warmup: I find that the iPhone may sputter a bit at first before it is warm which I cannot explain. By sputter, sometimes it feels at first like the bigger bass notes or dynamic or crowded passages are being clipped. After a warmup period on the iPhone, it feels like the Valkyrie is driven better. Please take this into consideration when auditioning a Valkyrie or with underpowered sources, you may not hear it at its best during short impressions.
- DAPs: Stepping up to my dedicated DAPs, the WM1A and Calyx M, I never feel like the Valkyrie is underpowered or there is any clipping. The Valkyrie sounds full and alive. It doesn’t seem to take a lot to have optimal performance on the road from the Valkyrie.
- Cable: As I will explain in the cable section, be careful of your cable choice when scaling down. The excellent stock cable seems to be the way to go when playing with an iPhone.
Hiss: Given the low impedance, I am often asked about hiss. However, I'm probably not the right person to ask about hiss as I am over 50 and cannot hear treble like I used to. Regardless, to my ears, there is no problem with hiss on my WM1a, H2, Calyx M, iPhone, or Burson Playmate at 2 watts. The Valkyrie is surprising black in the background even with its smaller soundstage offering a lot of transparency so I am guessing that the hiss would stand out if there was some. Perhaps the lower sensitivity helps keep the hiss away.
Why are my Ears not Hurting from the Pounding Bass?
While I am not a bass-head, I am an audiophile bass-head. This means that I like quality bass, with realistic quantity only. I dial in my volume by turning it up to the point that the bass instruments are right-sized as I feel that bass instruments are the hardest to get right. To me, a typical audiophile flat signature makes the bass sound small, distant, and unnatural. The Valkyrie and the LX are examples of bass done right with CIEMs offering audiophile goodness with natural-sounding bass. The Valkyrie as mentioned earlier is crossed lower for a cleaner overall sound and turned up to natural sizing that matches the mids and treble. While this allows me to listen to lower volumes that would obviously protect my ears, this is such a fun CIEM that it is hard for me not to keep turning it up to get more of its goodness. So why are my ears not bleeding? Why have I not lost my hearing yet? The same question with my LX as neither the LX or Valkyrie has an acknowledged pressure protection system like the 64 Audio APEX.
On inspection, as seen in the picture above, there is a dynamic driver venting system made of three holes in the side of the shells. For whatever reason, this seems to be enough to stop the bass driver from beating up my eardrums. I have always been aware that many dynamic setups use venting, but even with venting on those, my ears are quickly fatigued…not so with the Valkyrie. While I don’t have any more info to speculate here, I have to say that this is a significant point as I have been spoiled from APEX modules in my other CIEMs that is has kept me away from other more fatiguing designs.
Ear fatigue is not an issue with my custom LX or Valkyrie.
Adjusting to EST Differences
In saying that there is no ear fatigue with the Valkyrie, I do need to mention that the EST drivers do take some getting used to. At first, my ears felt fatigued because the EST signature felt bright. It took 2 days of continual listening to get my head wrapped around the Valkyrie and Wraith EST sound quality. After that, there was no going back. As mentioned earlier, it made my other favorites sound bland in comparison. I was addicted to this EST sound in a way that I knew I needed to own the Valkyrie. The brightness I mentioned was not like any of my truly bright CIEMs that emphasize treble brightness to drive detail, but just a much more significant treble response and extension than I was used to. It was the increased detail that was fatiguing as I had not heard anything like it before. Going back to a BA based treble made me see what I had been missing. Once you hear the EST difference and get used to it, even the best available BA treble just seems inferior.
Optimizing Cables
In the end, the stock hybrid Effect Audio cable that came with the Valkyrie was the best pairing to my ears. It is a surprisingly good cable to be offered as a standard. While experimenting, here is what I found:
- Moon Audio Black Dragon ($200): This is my thickest sounding cable of my collection. This one flattened the signature even more fleshing out the mids and even widened the sound stage a bit while softening the EST treble. The resulting SQ was more like the LX signature. Again, this is not better than the stock cable. While I liked the results, I felt that I was missing some of the Valkyrie magic.
- DITA Audio OLSO ($599): This is a unique oiled copper cable from DITA that really adds to every CIEM that I have paired it with. However, it added a little much with the Valkyrie making the bass too much and created more clipping on lower power sources like my iPhone. It also brought up the treble too much which did change the Valkyrie to more of a V-signature with recessed mids. This is not what I was looking for either.
- Beat Audio Prima Donna 8W ($1199): The Prima Donna is a silver alloy 8 wire cable that has wowed me on all my CIEMs offer a significant clarity and additional dynamics. However, on the Valkyrie, it is just not a great pairing as it added too much treble and it muted the bass. This was a surprise since it was such as great pairing with my warmer LX, but on retrospect, seem obvious now – don’t add more cold to a cold CIEM.
- Effect Audio Eros II ($279): This is a surprisingly good stock cable. As a hybrid, it provides the best of the copper thickness and the silver detail to emphasize all the right characteristics of the CIEM. The resulting SQ is very flat and audiophile with gobs of treble and sub-bass detail providing layering for the mids. I don’t have any other hybrid cables currently to compare apples for apples so Eros II has won a place in my heart and will stay on the Valkyrie.
While the Valkyrie sounds surprisingly good on everything, there is a difference in results worth discussing. Here is what I found:
- iPhone 6: Amazon HD Music is a new app on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the Valkyrie sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen to the Valkyrie on the go. Either way, the music sounds full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. I just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs. As mentioned above, the only weakness on the iPhone is that in crowded or dynamic passages there can be some clipping at first. However, for whatever reason, the clipping seems to disappear, and the fullness of the note returns after the iPhone warms up with 15 minutes or so constant playing.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity and transparency offered in the colder signature of the Valkyrie is expressed in this setup offer more detail than the Sony below. In comparison, I like the Calyx M better than the Sony, but both are great. The Calyx takes the performance up a notch, while Sony can actually be more fun sometimes warming up the signature. An advantage the Calyx has over Sony is that volume slider that allows me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the Valkyrie louder than normal for short bursts.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold earlier this year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the Legend X. Now the Valkyrie adds another great pairing to the list to justify keeping the Sony and its superior battery life and UX. Sony brings an overall warmer signature to the Valkyrie. Sony also brings a girth to the note and more resonance and textures. Right now, Sony gets more time with the Valkyrie than the Calyx simply due to usability.
- Hugo 2: The H2 takes the experience up a notch with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M but on steroids. The bass comes out more, the detail is at another level, and the sound gets fuller. However, as with the M, the H2 brings out the clarity/transparency of the Valkyrie for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson Playmate which takes it up another notch given the additional driving power if I have to deal with the inconvenience.
- Burson Playmate: Going desktop, the Burson Playmate is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that work well with the Valkyrie signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the Playmate drives almost 2 watts into the Valkyrie 3 ohms, so the volume stays between 1 to 20 out of 100 steps. This is a lot of volume range for a CIEM as the Wraith topped out a 1 to 2 out of 100 steps. This shows how easily the Valkyrie consumes power due to its lower sensitivity. The Burson employs a Sabre DAC, the 9038, but there is no bright signature here, just clarity and a very meaty textured sound.
As mentioned in the beginning, I have a great collection of CIEM from which I judge all newcomers. Besides having access to all the TOTL CIEMs in my tours, I have accumulated a nice collection of my favorite including – ELYSIUM, Legend X, A18 Tzar, Valkyrie, Hidition NT-6 Pro, A12t, Aether, and Fearless S12. To offer some insight to the performance here, I will compare the Valkyrie to my best below:
- 64 Audio A18: The 18 is my detail monster and the one by which I judge all others. That being said, it has a variable signature which I have standardized with the M15 APEX module that is more analytical and my OLSO cable to maintain that performance while bring up the bass a notch for a richer character. The 18 has a well-deserved place in the top TOTL CIEM tier and is likely to remain there for a long time. While its perfection quickly impresses, this perfection is also its greatest weakness as it can get boring over time. For this reason, I have collected a range of CIEMs that I rotate to keep my interest high. Compared to the Valkyrie, the 18 has a larger sound stage, better imaging, and a much more audiophile sound…but the Valkyrie is way more fun. The Valkyrie EST treble and dynamic bass are way more addicting. While the 18 tickles your ears with impressive details, the Valkyrie offers these same details in a being there front and center rave party format. The Valkyrie is just way more fun serving a different purpose and getting much more ear time than my 18.
- Legend X: My X has been my most listed to CIEM until the Valkyrie arrived. Going back and forth, there are two very wonderful signatures that are very complimentary and different allowing both to sit prominently in my collection. The X takes the warmer side of the road making all music fun and rich. It makes mediocre music sound good. However, the dual subwoofers in the X are the star of the show. While they only show up when called for, my tendency is to listen to music that calls for bass when listening to the X because it is so much fun. The treble and mids and soundstage are wonderful as well reminding me of the EE Zeus when the bass is not called for so there is nothing bad to report for the X. However, the Valkyrie bass is dialed down to lower registers and enhanced to larger slam. As mentioned before, this makes the Valkyrie much colder and defined bringing out more transparency than experience in a warmer X signature. The X is more audiophile and wider and softer when I am looking for an evening listening experience, but during the day, the Valkyrie has replaced the X on the road for my active listening.
- ELYSIUM: The ELYSIUM has the best mids period with a dynamic mid driver. It also has an EST treble setup with a single BA for lows making it a tribrid as well. However, the ELYSIUM and the Valkyrie couldn’t be any more different from the Valkyrie emphasizing the bass and treble where the ELYSIUM emphasizes the mids. In comparison, I would say that the ELYSIUM is the better all-rounder where the Valkyrie is more fun. Like the X, the ELYSIUM is more of an evening listen now that I have the Valkyrie to take active on the go duties.
I find that about 80 percent of my ear time goes to active on the go listening while I exercise or run chores in or out of the house, with only 20 percent going to nighttime audiophile listening when I get a chance. While I want top audiophile SQ for both types of listening, for active listening I prefer a more energetic signature with more bass to compensate for the noise and distraction and also to put a hop in my step and wake me up. At night for audiophile listening, I prefer a bigger soundstage with a gentler audiophile tuning to pull out every last ounce of detail. The Valkyrie fits the first active listening description the best but can be used for the later as well. The 18 is better suited for the later audiophile listening. The X serves both purposes well as does the ELYSIUM but both at a far greater price tag than the Valkyrie. I think that the Valkyrie nails my needs for active listening and at a comparatively good price nearly half the ELYSIUM’s price. Yet the Valkyrie performance is nearly at the level of these much more expensive CIEMs and better suited for 80 percent of my needs. This made the Valkyrie a “no brainer” for me.
hornytoad
Me want bad
FullBlownEargasam
Great review. Thank you. Looking forward to mine.
James_LX
Great review! Have to agree with pretty much everything you said (from memory). I've been wanting one of these ever since I heard them at CanJam. And I did listen to the Elysium right before the Valkyrie's and agree that they achieve between 90-95% of the Elysium's performance for nearly half the price.
Having reviewed a number of Burson products, it comes a no surprise that the Playmate is another top-notch product offering great value and hits well above its price level. Burson just seems to have a golden touch that exudes quality and performance. Therefore, I don’t really need to tell you how good it is as you probably already know that. However, looking at their site, there is a lot of overlap between products making it confusing to know what best suits your needs. My use case and the basis of this review is to drive my headphones consisting of both full-sized headphones as well as more sensitive CIEMs. So discussing the product line and where the Playmate fits within is a great place to start this review.
Burson Product Line – The Party Series
There are two levels of quality in the product line – the reference and the party series from which the Playmate fits into the party series. The reference line is Burson’s higher-end lineup for those that are willing to pay for the higher performance. Since I have not heard any in this series, I am not able to tell you how big the gap is between the two series, but I am sure based on experience that Burson will not disappoint at any level. So, let's break down the party series to see where the Playmate sits.
As you can tell from the product line graphic above, the bang is not meant as a way to drive headphones so it can quickly be ruled out. That being said, I do drive my LCD2.2 from speaker taps, so it does fit that special scenario, but that is not a good overall solution for the majority of my headphones. We can also rule out the Sing as it is a preamp/DAC that requires a separate amplifier to run the headphones. However, I do have amplifiers that need a DAC so in this case, it fits my needs. We can also rule out the Fun as a single solution as we need a DAC to offer a source to the Fun to drive my headphones. Again, the Swing and the Fun together make a complete solution, but for this review, I am primarily looking at the Playmate as a single DAC/AMP solution to be used to drive my headphones. So this comparison brings us down to the Play and the Playmate as the two options in the party series that best fit my needs. The Play is priced at $249 vs. $399 for the Playmate, so let’s find out what we get for the extra money.
Playmate Configuration
The keynotes here are outlined in the graphic at the top of the review – the Playmate is sporting the flagship Sabre 9038 DAC with a 2-watt power supply. In contrast, the Play is sporting the older Sabre 9018 DAC but also has a 2-watt power supply. I am not an electrical engineer to go deep into the other specs, but at a quick glance between two spec sheets, the Playmate 2-watt power supply seem stronger holding greater power across an increasing impedance workload. For example, in the 32 to 100 Ohm range where most headphones are rated, the Playmate offers almost double the wattage. So, our extra $150 pays for a better power supply and the flagship Sabre DAC, but that is obviously not the whole story.
How does it Sound
The Playmate is a powerhouse that easily manhandles any headphone offering an iron grip on the drivers. This eliminates noise and offers better dynamics allowing the headphones to work at its optimal for improved resolution and clarity. The Sabre line is known for a propensity for brightness in its implementation, but not here. This 9038 implementation offers a nice meaty character to the sound for those headphones that offer it. There is a deep black background to drive resolution and strong dynamics to drive textures offering an emotional character to the music. It is not so much that this is a colored implementation, but more that it enables the character that your headphone possesses that can be hidden in underpowered or less resolving scenarios. For me, I am seeing my headphones being driven at full potential offering the full resolution of the Sabre flagship DAC.
Comparing to the Play
The Play has the background blackness and a nice level of resolution, but the Playmate is of higher resolution. The Play is audiophile in nature staying reference while offering a fun bass where the Playmate has an emotional element to it that is not present in the Play. This makes the Playmate more fun to listen to. However, the bass is more present in the Play than the Playmate. The Play hits hard and it is a prominent feature where the Playmate focuses more on the mids and the sub-bass. This may make the Play a better choice to some that place bass as a priority, but the Playmate slams hard as well. What is interesting is that if I had to define one as warmer than the other, it would be the Playmate that is warmer where the Play is colder with more slam in the bass. The real big difference in the two is that the Playmate has more texturing and resonance with longer sustains offering a more emotional experience. So tight and precise goes to the Play and elegant and emotional go to the Playmate.
Headphone Pairings
Were the Playmate and Play comparison gets interesting is when you introduce the headphone lineup to see how they pair. Overall, the Play sounded best with warmer headphones such as my LCD2.2 where we want a little more clarity and tightness. However, overall, the Playmate won me over with the more emotional sound quality. The other interesting note was that my CIEMs unanimously sounded better with the Playmate. While 2-watts is too much for most CIEMs keeping my volume down under 10 out of 100 on average and at 1 out of 100 on some of my more sensitive CIEMs, it brought out the best in them. In all cases, the Playmate elevated the CIEMs to their full potential with a large gap between the Playmate and a DAP experience. My listening notes for each headphone are below.
- Empire Ears Wraith CIEM: Comfortable but loud volume at 1/100, going over 2/100 is getting too loud. The SQ is so incredible, that I am willing to listen a little louder than normal, but this CIEM is very efficient leaving little headroom on the Playmate volume. At this elevated volume, the detail is through the roof and almost exotic. As I have mentioned in the threads, this re-envisioning of the electrostatic sound competes with exotics like the 009 or the Abyss – two of my favorites. The power and resolution offered by the Playmate allows the Wraith capabilities to shine. I only wish I could lower the volume a little for easier listening when I am not rocking out.
- Empire Ears Valkyrie CIEM: Comfortable volume 10/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 25/100. The Valkyrie obviously like more power that the Playmate offers. As a hybrid, both the dynamic subwoofer and the electrostatic drivers like the additional grunt becoming more lively and dynamic down below and more airy, detailed, and spacious on top. The Valkyrie is a very fun and in your face headphone that exudes energy and the Playmate pairs nicely with this. I am already floored by its performance; the Playmate takes this further.
- Empire Ears Legend X CIEM: Comfortable volume 5/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 20/100. The Legend X is again a wonderful pairing with the Playmate offering its full performance capabilities. Compared to the Wraith and the Valkyrie, the BA treble feels more laid back, but still very articulate and detailed. The bass really comes out to play on the Playmate making it more of a warm and fun listen without feeling bloated in any way. Like with all the other CIEMs, the X feels fuller and more textured with the powerful Playmate and offers top tier performance.
- Lime Ears Aether CIEM: Comfortable volume 5/100 but starts to get loud to my ears with no distortion at 15/100. The Aether sounds wonderful with a deep resonant growl way down for subs, nice soundstage, natural high-resolution full-sized sound. The Aether is known for a very musical natural sound – the Playmate just boosts the Aether platform to be bigger and more effortless. The Playmate's emphasis is in the dynamics providing fuller sustain in the piano hits and surround acoustics. The added resonance adds to the Aether’s musicality. Nice pairing.
- Vision Ears VE8: Comfortable volume 2/100 but gets loud going any higher. The VE8 is a dream signature offering full-sized instruments even at low volume with an extraordinary bass that is very realistic and takes full advantage of the Playmate's power reserves. The sound stage on the VE8 is extra large so the blackness in the Playmate plays well for the VE8 offering it to rise to full resolution while maintaining its characteristic clarity. The Playmate was the best source I had to audition the VE8 while I had it during my audition during the US tour. The VE8 on the Playmate blew my mind, not much else to say.
- Vision Ears ELYSIUM: Comfortable volume 15/100 and gets loud over 30 or 40, but much more welcoming to volume than the other CIIEMs. As a tribrid offering both a dynamic and an EST driver complement, it enjoyed the 2-watts that the Playmate had to offer. Right now, the ELYSIUM is my epidemy of EXOTIC sound quality and the Playmate was up to the task of allowing the ELYSIUM to perform at its peak. This CIEM is mid focused driven by a dynamic driver offering the best mids that I have ever heard, and the Playmate offered more girth to the texturing and a higher level of emotion. The iron grip from that 2-watt power supply gave the dynamic driver more snap and resolution. The ELYSIUM bass is driven by a single BA that sounds like a 10-inch subwoofer and the Playmate power offered full slam. The Playmate is by far the best pairing I have for this outstanding CIEM.
- HD800: The HD800 typically is played through my Hugo 2 > Eddie Current ZDs desktop setup that is exotic in nature, so the Playmate has some tough competition. However, the Playmate is no slouch and offers most of the sound quality from this much higher cost setup. This is saying a lot as the Playmate is a tenth of the cost. In contrast with my Hugo 2 DAC, I was finding this 9038 implementation to be less analytical and more textured. There is a higher resolution with the H2, but the Playmate was at times more musical. The ZDs, of course, is a tube amp which changes the character with tube rolling and right now I am listening to a more analytical tube so this could change with a different tube pairing. Just sayin’
- HEX: What can I say, the HEX is the HEX. It is easily driven and sounds the same on my DAP as it does on my H2 > ZDs setup. It is a wonderful headphone and I love the signature a lot, but the only thing that changes its sound is the cable. My upgraded cable gets rid of some of the treble glare that can be prominent otherwise. However, with the cable upgrade, it sounds wonderful on any setup. If you are driving the HEX, just get the Play and save the $150.
- LCD2.2: Now this is a picky headphone. It can be bright or warm depending on the setup. In this case, the Playmate optimizes the sound quality for a neutral warm approach that is highly textured and offers a controlled bass. The LCD2.2 does sound better with higher wattage so the 2-watt power supply works wonders. However, the LCD2.2 sounds even better on a speaker amp using speaker taps. For ease of use, the Playmate is a wonderful pairing that will make most delighted. However, I have to wonder what it would sound like using the Burson Bang mentioned above.
So reviewing my comments above, the Playmate turns my CIEMs into full-sized headphone killers. The CIEMs just seem to reach another level of performance with the Playmate. The only word of caution is that the Playmate is overpowered for some CIEMs not allowing low-level listening. The flipside to that is that harder to drive CIEMs do not seem to reach peak performance without the power that the Playmate has to offer. For my use case, the Playmate is definitely a keeper. For my full-sized headphones, it is also a keeper. This a very convenient way to listen to music compared to my H2 > ZDs option that requires turning on both and waiting for the ZDs to warm up. With the Playmate, I don’t find myself going to the H2 > ZDs very often.
Front USB Source Functionality
The front of the unit has a USB C port that offers an additional input to use your DAP or phone to source your music. However, it is not as easy as it could be to implement so I thought I would share the instructions here. Once engaged, it is very convenient and offers a method to unchain from the computer and perhaps use on your side table next to the bed for bedtime listening or next to your favorite chair.
However, to engage this functionality you have to manually change your input to the front input, use an OTG adapter, and use an adapter for your sources such as the camera kit for the iPhone or the Sony adapter for the WM1A.
Changing the Input Source
To change the input source:
- Push the menu button on the right of the volume knob
- Select input with a click by pushing the volume knob in
- Select USB F for "Front" by rotating the volume knob and click by pushing the knob in
- Push the menu button to return to volume operation.
Closing an OTG cable
When connecting an iPhone or Android device to a regular USB port you will need an OTG adaptor: https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/tp-lin...Ou79Qo5l1tvGeXDpcYlVB0jeDVkkiSdxoCzaYQAvD_BwE or https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01COOQIKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
Playing the iPhone
To play the iPhone, you will need a camera kit like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014VGHG0U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
To connect the OTG cable to the camera kit on the iPhone you will need a USB male to male cable like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P0E394U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Connect the cables, select the front USB input, and now you should be able to play music.
Playing the Sony WM1A
To get a digital signal from the Sony you will need a Sony conversion cable like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FF086HE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So far, I have not gotten this to work, will update once this is figured out.
Pictures
Conclusion
Those that want to bring emotion back to their music, look no further, the Playmate offers emotional performance. For those that prefer a more analytical sound with more focus on bass, the Play will save you $150. For anyone like me that needs a way to take their CIEMs to the next level, this Playmate combination of sound quality and quality power will make it a cornerstone of your listening experience. Burson does it again, a high-value performance that doesn’t break the bank. Now I am very curious to see how the reference series takes it up another notch.
The ELYSIUM is my kind of signature – Full-sized sound, great at everything important, and excels at mids with a natural, intimate performance. As a tribrid design – BA, dynamic, EST mix – it is among the new generation that is quickly taking over the performance audiophile market reaching new levels of performance. However, the new engine that has kicked up performance in detail retrieval and layering – the EST driver – has also been the Achilles heel among the new EST offerings, acting as the attention dominator. Not so with the ELYSIUM. Vision Ears has created something radically different with the ELYSIUM tuning in their ability to integrate the EST seamlessly into the frequency spectrum rather than letting the EST dominate the show.
Learning about Vision Ears
To learn more about the history of Vision Ears, you can visit their website at https://vision-ears.de/. As you can tell from their website address, they are a German company. The reason this is important is that while they have a wide fanbase in Europe, they do not have very good representation here in the US where I am writing this review. For years, I have heard about the VE8 from those in Europe that have been enjoying their custom model or those that have been demoing them at their local dealer. We are not so lucky in the US and have no way to hear what the Europeans are sooooooo excited about. We have just had to take everyone’s word for it. However, technologies have progressed, favorites that top the CIEM SQ lists have been replaced, but that darn VE8 stays near the vary top as long is it is part of the mix. I have attended a large number of CANJAM events always looking to hear this elusive VE8, but over the years I have had no luck. But the continual phrase continues to pique my interest always being described in a way that defines my perfect signature. Of key interest is audiophile detail retrieval, fun and musical, and extraordinary bass response.
So, I knew I had to own one or at least demo the VE8, so like I have done so many times before – I contacted the company to offer to host a US tour. The trigger for me was learning that they had a new model being unveiled – the ELYSIUM. I figured, nice – two birds with one stone. The tour can showcase the new tech/model while also allowing us in the US to finally hear the VE8……finally! With a little luck, I found they were interested, initiated the tour, received the demo kit, and POW…I am now a Vision Ears believer. The VE8 was better than I could imagine, but as a surprise, the ELYSIUM was even better.
The Vision Ears House Sound
Obviously, I am a novice here only hearing two models with the Vision Ears product line containing many other models with different signatures - so I am only basing this on the VE8 and ELYSIUM. However, their flagship, the ERLKoNIG is described as a VE8 on steroids so my description probably holds true for it as well which would make my description true for all Vision Ears top tier models. Here is how I describe the VE house sound:
From what I have heard in these two CIEMs, I have confidence that VE understands the sound that I am looking for and I will be watching them very closely going forward. Expect more US tours - if they allow me - as new products are released, and perhaps an ERLKoNIG tour as I wish to help share this brand in the US as it is really that good and I don’t what my Head-Fier friends to miss out.
Order Process
The order process was smooth, and the designer offered a lot of options. This was one of the easier CIEM orders that I have placed so far.
Impressions: Knowing that I was going to order an ELYSIUM, I had preemptively scheduled an audiologist visit and had some impressions created (VE likes closed mouth impressions past the second bend per their provided audiologist instructions) and shipped them out to VE. Per their request, I took some pictures first to confirm that they were good impressions before shipping which is a nice service that can save some time and aggravation rather than shipping bad ones internationally.
Designer: I cheated and opted for the house designed ELYSIUM, so I didn’t have to design my own. But that didn’t stop me from trying (and failing) to out design them on the VE designer (Designer: https://vision-ears.de/configurator#model=elysium). Give it a go and see if you can do better than my designs I came up with below.
As you can see from the screenshot above, the designer is state-of-the-art as you would come to expect from a top CIEM house like VE with lots of shell and faceplate options including support for your own custom artwork. However, for me there was just no beating this unique VE ELYSIUM specific design.
While I cannot speak to the standard wait time as my process was accelerated, my customs were produced within a week, and the delivery was overnighted – I can say that even selecting the accelerated production options at other companies, this was by far the fastest build and delivery that I have ever experienced and the build was flawless.
Unboxing
As you can see from the unboxing video below, the VE ELYSIUM packaging is exceptional. This was the best unboxing experience I have had and as you can see from my YouTube channel, I have done a lot of high-end CIEM unboxings before.
Contents
The contents were the normal affair, but the presentation was spectacular making it a box worth saving. The case was something new for me – round leather – which I appreciate a lot. This case is large enough to fit the CIEMs easily, even with custom cables such as my PW Audio 1950 cables or other larger options. The top is friction fit rather than screw top eliminating the pinch problems that can occur making them much easier on your cable investments. I would like to have this case for all my CIEMs. Another new accessory for me was a cleaning fluid to keep your ELYSIUM shiny and clean.
Fit
BEST CUSTOM FIT EVER - Did I mention that the custom fit was the best I have ever experienced? I have gotten good seals before in my custom at the expense of being tight and a sore ear after an hour listen. I have gotten comfort before at the expense of lost seal during activity, speaking, drinking/eating. However, VE has produced the perfect fit for me that is easy in, easy out, but with suction on removal, it fits so well. It is not too tight or loose in any way, just comfortable. VE has created the best fit I could imagine.
Build
This is a flawless build as you can see in the photos below – no visible bubbles, no rough edges, cleanly built internals. There are three bores, two large bores for the dynamic and BA drivers and one smaller one for the EST. The boreholes are recessed so that they are less vulnerable to wax collection. The size of the CIEM is on the larger side which I like providing more surface area to touch the inner ear adding to the seal. For me, the smaller builds tend to lose seal when I am active or chewing regardless of the depth. In terms of depth, like the rest of my CIEMs, they go to the second bend.
I should also point out this is a filled acrylic model, so it has a little heft to it as well as a more solid feel like they will last through drops or harder wear than normal. The filled models are supposed to eliminate the crosstalk between the passive crossover setup which may explain some this wonderous sound.
Sound Impressions
I could tell from the first second that I put the ELYSIUM in my ear and started listening that it was a special CIEM. It didn’t take any time to get used to the signature or time to listen through a number of songs to gather that this was performing at a higher level. Immediately, I could hear that this was a full-sized headphone type of sound with larger sounding actors in the well-defined sound stage. It felt like someone pulled me out of the nosebleed seats and brought me on stage. This is an exotic level CIEM when driven correctly that competes with the likes of the Abyss and the 009 in terms of sound quality. Like the title implies, this is the Abyss and 009 love child.
Bass
So, am I the only person with a custom ELYSIUM that feels that the bass is top tier exotic? Or is everyone else VE fans with other custom models that beat the ELYSIUM bass? I cannot figure out why nobody else is talking about that wonderful ELYSIUM bass? While the midrange is the start of the show, this bass does steal some of the midranges thunder. What is special about this bass is that it has such power in the sub-bass lowering the boom whenever it is called for and has huge rumble that you can feel. It never steps in the way of the midrange, but the highly detailed bass does add realistic textures to complete the wonderous midrange sound. Believe it or not, this is all accomplished by a single BA driver for bass – wow.
Midrange
This is the start of the show! WOW, best mid-range I have ever heard. When you read about the house sound above, it is all that – intimate, full-sized, but it is also euphonic and a little wet, emotional, and sounds great with all genres I have tried it with. This monster loves to scale as well. The better the source, the better it gets. This is juts a CIEM that you have to hear for yourself to be able to appreciate.
Treble
The other new tribrids that I have tried with EST have taken some getting used to before I could judge them. This means I need to listen for a day or two to get used to the new brighter sound quality before I can get past the new treble feel and appreciate the added clarity and definition. Before that, all I can hear is the treble as the elephant in the room. NOT SO WITH THE ELYSIUM. The ELYSIUM treble is very well integrated rather than being a detailed gloss over the top. It take no getting used to while immediately impressing with the added clarity and definition. The ELYSIUM tuning makes the mids the star of the show and offers a 4K 3D sound quality by integrating the superpowered EST and elaborate bass to offer a highly textured, natural-sounding, super resonant focus on the music, not its parts.
Sound Stage
While this is a full-sized headphone sound stage, it is not the focus of the CIEM. Placement is extraordinary and space between plus background blackness plays a role, but it is the natural being there feeling that you focus on – not the technicalities of the width, height, and depth. The most notable item in the sound stage is how full-sized it is providing great imagery for full-sized instruments and signers regardless of volume.
Timbre
As mentioned prior, the natural feel to the whole experience is exceptional which is enhanced by natural timbre. As mentioned in my treble impressions, there is no gloss or glare as it is integrated into the sound sounding very natural. I can hear deeper into the sounds offering that hit and sustain as well as the breath and taps on the instruments. Pianos sound like pianos and drums more impressively sound like drums. I am not used to drums sounding like drums.
Custom vs. Universal
There was a considerable positive change in the ELYSIUM signature going from the universal demo to the custom. However, I am a special case with a severe bend in my inner ear that make universals hard to fit/seal. My initial universal ELYSIUM thoughts was that it was a perfect mids-based/focused monitor that had perfect treble, but bass light. The custom version I felt that the mids were still a focus and perfect, but the bass became more like the universal VE8 - big and bold and full-sized - with a supersized slam and much deeper sub-bass. Makes me wonder how a VE8 custom would sound. So the custom ELYSIUM now has two stars in the show for me, the mids first, but not far behind - the bass which is my ideal bass with lots of textures and strong rumble down low, low, low. Now that leaves the fantastic EST treble as a bystander rather than the star you would expect given that it has an EST. Where VE is unique in their tuning of the EST is how it integrates into the rest of the frequency range for maximum texture and detail without making a spectacle of itself. This is true of both the custom and the universal.
Scaling Source
Another point of interest is how much the ELYSIUM scales. It is wonderful with my iPhone 6, but paired with my desktop Burson Playmate at 2 watts of power boosts the ELYSIUM into an exotic status competing with the 009 and Abyss sounding like their full-grown love child. It is really that good IMO.
Comparisons
As mentioned, the ELYSIUM is at a level that it competes with my full-sized headphones, so I included them in my comparison alongside my two other best CIEM – the 18 and the X.
There is no doubt that Vision Ears has hit this new model out of the park. It is my top dog right now getting all my ear time and is beating out my full-sized headphones that should have a huge advantage. I would have no trouble recommending the ELYSIUM to anyone that was considering its purchase and have more confidence in this model as an all-rounder than I do with any other CIEM. Vision Ears has open my eyes to the possibilities and I look forward to hearing anything else that they add to their lineup going forward. They are really that good.
Learning about Vision Ears
To learn more about the history of Vision Ears, you can visit their website at https://vision-ears.de/. As you can tell from their website address, they are a German company. The reason this is important is that while they have a wide fanbase in Europe, they do not have very good representation here in the US where I am writing this review. For years, I have heard about the VE8 from those in Europe that have been enjoying their custom model or those that have been demoing them at their local dealer. We are not so lucky in the US and have no way to hear what the Europeans are sooooooo excited about. We have just had to take everyone’s word for it. However, technologies have progressed, favorites that top the CIEM SQ lists have been replaced, but that darn VE8 stays near the vary top as long is it is part of the mix. I have attended a large number of CANJAM events always looking to hear this elusive VE8, but over the years I have had no luck. But the continual phrase continues to pique my interest always being described in a way that defines my perfect signature. Of key interest is audiophile detail retrieval, fun and musical, and extraordinary bass response.
So, I knew I had to own one or at least demo the VE8, so like I have done so many times before – I contacted the company to offer to host a US tour. The trigger for me was learning that they had a new model being unveiled – the ELYSIUM. I figured, nice – two birds with one stone. The tour can showcase the new tech/model while also allowing us in the US to finally hear the VE8……finally! With a little luck, I found they were interested, initiated the tour, received the demo kit, and POW…I am now a Vision Ears believer. The VE8 was better than I could imagine, but as a surprise, the ELYSIUM was even better.
The Vision Ears House Sound
Obviously, I am a novice here only hearing two models with the Vision Ears product line containing many other models with different signatures - so I am only basing this on the VE8 and ELYSIUM. However, their flagship, the ERLKoNIG is described as a VE8 on steroids so my description probably holds true for it as well which would make my description true for all Vision Ears top tier models. Here is how I describe the VE house sound:
- VE House Sound:
- Full-sized: This is a front row or on-stage sound with an intimate tactile feel. Not congested or small, just full-sized instruments and voices – and this holds true at low volumes as well. Full-sized regardless of volume.
- Volume Optimized: I tend to be sensitive to louder volumes quickly finding them offensive, sibilant, or painful. The full-sized sound described above allows me to hear the proper sizing even at lower volumes so I can keep to my lower volumes without missing out. The VE8 is more sensitive than the ELYSIUM to the volume dial with fewer clicks to play with, but still, singing next to me sound even at lower volumes. Turning up the volume dial, I get more detail and slam, not noise. This is my quality tuning test and they pass with flying colors.
- Perfected Bass: The VE8 has perfect bass…it is just that the ELYSIUM has “perfecter” bass. This is the weakness of many CIEMs requiring a lot of volume to get a bass to sound like….. bass. Yet, many of the other top tier company’s bass tunings I have heard – even those with slam – miss the sizing, flavor, timbre of the instruments where the full-sized VE bass sound brings textures and emotion to the bass that I am not getting elsewhere. BTW, VE uses BA drivers for bass in both the VE8 and ELYSIUM. But it sounds like a very clean dynamic driver with both nice decay and attack. There is just something better about the VE bass than I am hearing elsewhere – it is just more effortless and larger while being detailed and integrated into the overall sound. My home speaker system is based around (pun intended) my Maggie’s and my dual subwoofers. This offers mids to die for and deep, deep, clean audiophile bass, with no mid-bass bloat. This is what I am getting from the VE house sound.
- Musical: There is nothing boring about the VE house sound. It is very musical and foot tapping. The VE8 is a little more on the energetic exciting side than the ELYSIUM which is more mid-focused and emotional, but both are very musical in their own way.
From what I have heard in these two CIEMs, I have confidence that VE understands the sound that I am looking for and I will be watching them very closely going forward. Expect more US tours - if they allow me - as new products are released, and perhaps an ERLKoNIG tour as I wish to help share this brand in the US as it is really that good and I don’t what my Head-Fier friends to miss out.
Order Process
The order process was smooth, and the designer offered a lot of options. This was one of the easier CIEM orders that I have placed so far.
Impressions: Knowing that I was going to order an ELYSIUM, I had preemptively scheduled an audiologist visit and had some impressions created (VE likes closed mouth impressions past the second bend per their provided audiologist instructions) and shipped them out to VE. Per their request, I took some pictures first to confirm that they were good impressions before shipping which is a nice service that can save some time and aggravation rather than shipping bad ones internationally.
Designer: I cheated and opted for the house designed ELYSIUM, so I didn’t have to design my own. But that didn’t stop me from trying (and failing) to out design them on the VE designer (Designer: https://vision-ears.de/configurator#model=elysium). Give it a go and see if you can do better than my designs I came up with below.
As you can see from the screenshot above, the designer is state-of-the-art as you would come to expect from a top CIEM house like VE with lots of shell and faceplate options including support for your own custom artwork. However, for me there was just no beating this unique VE ELYSIUM specific design.
While I cannot speak to the standard wait time as my process was accelerated, my customs were produced within a week, and the delivery was overnighted – I can say that even selecting the accelerated production options at other companies, this was by far the fastest build and delivery that I have ever experienced and the build was flawless.
Unboxing
As you can see from the unboxing video below, the VE ELYSIUM packaging is exceptional. This was the best unboxing experience I have had and as you can see from my YouTube channel, I have done a lot of high-end CIEM unboxings before.
Contents
The contents were the normal affair, but the presentation was spectacular making it a box worth saving. The case was something new for me – round leather – which I appreciate a lot. This case is large enough to fit the CIEMs easily, even with custom cables such as my PW Audio 1950 cables or other larger options. The top is friction fit rather than screw top eliminating the pinch problems that can occur making them much easier on your cable investments. I would like to have this case for all my CIEMs. Another new accessory for me was a cleaning fluid to keep your ELYSIUM shiny and clean.
Fit
BEST CUSTOM FIT EVER - Did I mention that the custom fit was the best I have ever experienced? I have gotten good seals before in my custom at the expense of being tight and a sore ear after an hour listen. I have gotten comfort before at the expense of lost seal during activity, speaking, drinking/eating. However, VE has produced the perfect fit for me that is easy in, easy out, but with suction on removal, it fits so well. It is not too tight or loose in any way, just comfortable. VE has created the best fit I could imagine.
Build
This is a flawless build as you can see in the photos below – no visible bubbles, no rough edges, cleanly built internals. There are three bores, two large bores for the dynamic and BA drivers and one smaller one for the EST. The boreholes are recessed so that they are less vulnerable to wax collection. The size of the CIEM is on the larger side which I like providing more surface area to touch the inner ear adding to the seal. For me, the smaller builds tend to lose seal when I am active or chewing regardless of the depth. In terms of depth, like the rest of my CIEMs, they go to the second bend.
I should also point out this is a filled acrylic model, so it has a little heft to it as well as a more solid feel like they will last through drops or harder wear than normal. The filled models are supposed to eliminate the crosstalk between the passive crossover setup which may explain some this wonderous sound.
Sound Impressions
I could tell from the first second that I put the ELYSIUM in my ear and started listening that it was a special CIEM. It didn’t take any time to get used to the signature or time to listen through a number of songs to gather that this was performing at a higher level. Immediately, I could hear that this was a full-sized headphone type of sound with larger sounding actors in the well-defined sound stage. It felt like someone pulled me out of the nosebleed seats and brought me on stage. This is an exotic level CIEM when driven correctly that competes with the likes of the Abyss and the 009 in terms of sound quality. Like the title implies, this is the Abyss and 009 love child.
Bass
So, am I the only person with a custom ELYSIUM that feels that the bass is top tier exotic? Or is everyone else VE fans with other custom models that beat the ELYSIUM bass? I cannot figure out why nobody else is talking about that wonderful ELYSIUM bass? While the midrange is the start of the show, this bass does steal some of the midranges thunder. What is special about this bass is that it has such power in the sub-bass lowering the boom whenever it is called for and has huge rumble that you can feel. It never steps in the way of the midrange, but the highly detailed bass does add realistic textures to complete the wonderous midrange sound. Believe it or not, this is all accomplished by a single BA driver for bass – wow.
Midrange
This is the start of the show! WOW, best mid-range I have ever heard. When you read about the house sound above, it is all that – intimate, full-sized, but it is also euphonic and a little wet, emotional, and sounds great with all genres I have tried it with. This monster loves to scale as well. The better the source, the better it gets. This is juts a CIEM that you have to hear for yourself to be able to appreciate.
Treble
The other new tribrids that I have tried with EST have taken some getting used to before I could judge them. This means I need to listen for a day or two to get used to the new brighter sound quality before I can get past the new treble feel and appreciate the added clarity and definition. Before that, all I can hear is the treble as the elephant in the room. NOT SO WITH THE ELYSIUM. The ELYSIUM treble is very well integrated rather than being a detailed gloss over the top. It take no getting used to while immediately impressing with the added clarity and definition. The ELYSIUM tuning makes the mids the star of the show and offers a 4K 3D sound quality by integrating the superpowered EST and elaborate bass to offer a highly textured, natural-sounding, super resonant focus on the music, not its parts.
Sound Stage
While this is a full-sized headphone sound stage, it is not the focus of the CIEM. Placement is extraordinary and space between plus background blackness plays a role, but it is the natural being there feeling that you focus on – not the technicalities of the width, height, and depth. The most notable item in the sound stage is how full-sized it is providing great imagery for full-sized instruments and signers regardless of volume.
Timbre
As mentioned prior, the natural feel to the whole experience is exceptional which is enhanced by natural timbre. As mentioned in my treble impressions, there is no gloss or glare as it is integrated into the sound sounding very natural. I can hear deeper into the sounds offering that hit and sustain as well as the breath and taps on the instruments. Pianos sound like pianos and drums more impressively sound like drums. I am not used to drums sounding like drums.
Custom vs. Universal
There was a considerable positive change in the ELYSIUM signature going from the universal demo to the custom. However, I am a special case with a severe bend in my inner ear that make universals hard to fit/seal. My initial universal ELYSIUM thoughts was that it was a perfect mids-based/focused monitor that had perfect treble, but bass light. The custom version I felt that the mids were still a focus and perfect, but the bass became more like the universal VE8 - big and bold and full-sized - with a supersized slam and much deeper sub-bass. Makes me wonder how a VE8 custom would sound. So the custom ELYSIUM now has two stars in the show for me, the mids first, but not far behind - the bass which is my ideal bass with lots of textures and strong rumble down low, low, low. Now that leaves the fantastic EST treble as a bystander rather than the star you would expect given that it has an EST. Where VE is unique in their tuning of the EST is how it integrates into the rest of the frequency range for maximum texture and detail without making a spectacle of itself. This is true of both the custom and the universal.
Scaling Source
Another point of interest is how much the ELYSIUM scales. It is wonderful with my iPhone 6, but paired with my desktop Burson Playmate at 2 watts of power boosts the ELYSIUM into an exotic status competing with the 009 and Abyss sounding like their full-grown love child. It is really that good IMO.
- iPhone 6: Amazon HD Music is a new ap on my iPhone that has improved my sound quality considerably. From the standard Apple Music app, the ELYSIUM sounds great, but better on my better DAPs. The new Amazon app takes this up several notches and gets the iPhone closer to my dedicated DAPs mentioned below. In fact, the music discovery on the iPhone has made it my preferred method to listen the ELYSIUM on the go. Either way, the music sound full-sized from the iPhone, just more filled out with the Amazon app. But the dedicated DAPs are clearly better overall. Just wish that I had access to the Amazon music app with these DAPs.
- Calyx M: The Calyx M is famous for its sound quality implying that the 9018 is responsible. While the stats don’t speak to this, the amp is likely to be the bigger influencer burning up a giant battery in less than four hours to meet that quality output. The clarity of the ELYSIUM is expressed in this setup offer more detail than the Sony below. However Calyx did it, the sound is wonderful, but the Sony seems to pair better. The biggest reason that I chose the Calyx over the Sony for a session is that I really enjoy that volume slider that allow me to perfect the volume for each song instantly and to play the ELYSIUM louder than normal for short bursts.
- Sony WM1a: The Sony was almost sold earlier this year as it didn’t pair well with my CIEMs until I got the Legend X. Now the ELYSIUM pairs even better. Sony brings an overall warmer signature to the ELYSIUM that boosts the bass to match the mids – wonderful pairing! The Sony also brings a girth to the note and more resonance and textures. Ninety percent of my listening time with the ELYSIUM comes through the Sony DAP.
- Hugo 2: The H2 take the experience up a notch with a better DAC and AMP. The pairing is more in line with the Calyx M, but on steroids. The bass comes out more, the detail is at another level, and the sound gets fuller. However, as with the M the H2 brings out the clarity of the ELYSIUM for more of an audiophile sound rather than the more fun Sony. The problem with the H2 is that it is a stack that is not always convenient, so this is not as normal of a pairing as the Burson Playmate takes it up another notch if I have to deal with inconvenience.
- Burson Playmate: Going desktop, the Burson Playmate is my favorite pairing supersizing the overall SQ significantly and in a fun musical way that crushes the Sony. It should also be mentioned that I am employing the Amazon HD Music application as a source and running it through my Sonarworks True-Fi application tuned to my HD800 headphones that works well with the ELYSIUM signature. Playing through iTunes with True-Fi turned off brings down the sound quality noticeably, so some may consider this a cheat. Regardless, the Playmate drives almost 2 watts into the ELYSIUM 16ohms, the volume stays between 1 to 30 out of 100 steps. This is a lot of volume range for a CIEM with the VE8 toped out a 1 to 2 out of 100 steps. This shows how easily the ELYSIUM consumes power. I could probably turn the volume up to 40 to 50 if I was a teenager, but I like lower volumes so 30 is far enough. The Burson also employs a Sabre DAC, the 9038, but there is no bright signature here, just clarity and a very meaty textured sound. Pairing the ELYSIUM with the Playmate puts it into exotic territory allowing it to outperform all my full-sized headphones as you will see below. Having enjoyed the Abyss an 009 before on $10K plus setups outside the cost of these headphones, getting toward this sound quality with a $400 playmate speaks volumes to this ELYSIUM.
- H2/Eddie Current ZDs: The best pairing for the ELYSIUM that I have available at home is my H2 DAC feeding my Eddie Current ZDs tube amp. Yes, also coming through the same chain from Amazon HD Music. The ZDs tubes remove the clinical quality of the H2 pairing and add several huge helpings of fun. Again, addictive exotic sound quality that hits way above its price range. While I have not gone there yet, the tube rolling capabilities allow me to dial in the sound, even more, when I have some time.
Comparisons
As mentioned, the ELYSIUM is at a level that it competes with my full-sized headphones, so I included them in my comparison alongside my two other best CIEM – the 18 and the X.
- 64 Audio A18: The 18 is my detail monster and the one I judge all others. That being said, it has a variable signature with an M15 APEX module that is more analytical and an M20 module that makes it more bassy. It is also very tunable with cable rolling with my PW Audio 1950 cable making it drier and more accurate while the 1960 cable makes it very emotional and euphonic. In terms of audiophile performance though, the 18 has been considered top tier since its release and with good reason. Like with the X, the 18 is a very different tuning than the ELYSIUM making it hard to compare and again making a great complement to each other in my collection. Typically configured with the M15 audiophile module and a warmer copper cable for euphonics, the 18 in this configuration offers a warmish audiophile sound quality. Compared to the ELYSIUM, it sounds thinner and dryer yet wider detail retrieval. The 18 dices and slices the sound to hear everything, while the ELYSIUM stitches it all together with perfect integration to sound more natural to be heard as music, not the sum of its parts. So if I want to hear the minute details, the 18 is the go-to while the ELYSIUM is the one to go to for a long night of losing myself into the music. This is not to say that the 18 doesn’t have emotion, it does in gobs. It's just to say that the 18 can be a magnifying glass to draw you into the parts where the ELYSIUM draws you into the performance – there is emotion in both places.
- Legend X: My X has been my most listed to CIEM until the ELYSIUM arrived. Going back and forth, there are two very wonderful signatures that are very complimentary and different allowing both to sit prominently in my collection. The X takes the warmer side of the road making all music fun and rich. It makes mediocre music sound good. However, the dual subwoofers in the X are the star of the show. While they only show up when called for, my tendency is to listen to music that calls for bass when listening to the X because it is so much fun. The treble and mids and soundstage are wonderful as well reminding me of the EE Zeus when the bass is not called for so there is nothing bad to report for the X. However, the mids in the ELYSIUM are addictive and my focus right now so I have not gone back other than to compare. Back and forth both are mind-blowing, but the ELYSIUM seems to be getting the ear time right now. Another note is that the bass – yes one BA – on the ELYSIUM is a powerhouse driving X level bass quantity and quality to the down lows which alleviates most of my bass itch. It is very much a star on its own and a new way to experience bass so this is driving my listening toward the ELYSIUM as well. On the flip side, where the X makes everything sound great, the ELYSIUM is more accurate in its portrayal so bad music sounds bad. So if you like genres that contain poorly recorded music, the X would be a better driver.
- LCD2.2: The LCD was my first sizable headphone investment as I love that rich meaty sound. It is rich and fun, but very hard to drive. So there is no content on my DAPs, while the desktop options drive it well. So from a desktop perspective, the LCD has its merits, but the fantastic mids of the ELYSIUM are missed when going back and forth making me want to listen to my ELYSIUMs. Win for the ELYSIUM.
- HEX: My HEX is my favorite headphone to play through my DAPs around the house. It was top dog until the ELYSIUM arrived in this format. It offers a very nice tuning that is musical, offers great bass without enhancement, and have a very flat tuning to wring out every last ounce of detail. But its soundstage is narrow in comparison with the ELYSIUM. It has that same full-sized presentation, but the ELYSIUM is more engaging and has more emotion. The ELYSIUM is the winner here.
- HD800: The HD800 is my favorite headphone in my collection. It is optimized through Sonarworks and has bass boosted to hit on all cylinders. It has been compared to the Abyss given all its optimizations to get it there, especially when enhanced through my EC ZDs. However, ELYSIUM sounds better. In comparison, nobody, even the Abyss beats the HD800 soundstage. But the ELYSIUM sounds so much better that it is not part of the equation. The HD800 sounds thin in comparison and weak in the midrange. The ELYSIUM just makes the HD800 sound lifeless in comparison.
There is no doubt that Vision Ears has hit this new model out of the park. It is my top dog right now getting all my ear time and is beating out my full-sized headphones that should have a huge advantage. I would have no trouble recommending the ELYSIUM to anyone that was considering its purchase and have more confidence in this model as an all-rounder than I do with any other CIEM. Vision Ears has open my eyes to the possibilities and I look forward to hearing anything else that they add to their lineup going forward. They are really that good.
Ike1985
Great freaking review
xAssailant
how do you connect your Elysium to iPhone?
Fearless Audio snuck up on me. I somehow missed the conversation. Then when introduced, I found that they had a fully fleshed out lineup with 12 models:
Wow, how did I miss that? I was then introduced to Fearless Audio by @ironpeg at HeadFi.org. Having managed a number of HeadFi.org tours, I offered to manage a full lineup Fearless Audio 2019 US tour – selfishly, to be able to hear the lineup myself. For this, @ironpeg introduced me to Iconic Music who is the host of our tour. When I received the tour kit, what I found is that these are very mature models at a very high value being priced significantly below its competition. Listening through the lineup, there was a wide range of signatures and pricings to suit most IEM enthusiasts with many tempting options for myself. My favorite of the lineup was the S10 and the ACME8, but there were many others that I loved as well.
However, while in the process of setting up the tour, I found out that Fearless was getting ready to launch its 12th model – the HyperS12 listed above and knew that I had to hear it. So I ordered one customized to my tastes and am here to tell you that it is a very nice addition to my collection. Beautiful, aren’t they.
Fearless Audio HyperS12 12BA
The HyperS is a 12 balanced armature earphone – yes, 12 BAs in each side. They use a 4-way passive crossover with 4 tubes to offer a spacious, transparent sound quality. Fearless Audio offers universal or custom options. Here are the stats:
I am still unclear on many of the technical elements and design choices, but here is what I have.
Given that the S12 was brand new and pre-launch, I ordered from a PDF standard form and used shell/faceplate pictures to determine the design. I was very pleased with the design options and had difficulty making the final decision as there were a lot of great options that I had not seen before. I had the full Fearless Audio Tour lineup in my possession at the time so I could see that all options were stellar making it that much harder to pick one. Finally, I decided on the design you see in the pictures above and the unboxing video below and am very happy with the results. While I am not the best photographer and didn’t capture the elegance of the final output correctly, take my word for it that it is much prettier in person. The Arizona sun makes them pop and dazzle.
Kit Quality
As you can see in my unboxing video the kit comes packaged in a nice reasonably sized box. Within the box were instructions, a warranty card, and a unique blue case that looks more like a necklace display case. The case itself contains the earphones and accessories. That’s it, simple and to the point. While the instructions and warranty card are nice touches, they are quickly pushed aside to admire the beauty of the CIEM.
For me, the HyperS12 is all about voice. The signature is flat across frequencies, but the voices seem forward. The clarity of the voice is phenomenal. If I want to clearly hear all the words, even those that I cannot understand with other CIEMs, the S12 delivers. The only other voice challenger that I know is the Unique Melody UM Mentor V3, another 12 BA CIEM. The S12 offers a transparent and wide sound stage to accomplish this goal, so instruments have extra black space between. Yet the voices take center stage and all the intricacies of the human voice. This is not a man vs. woman’s voice scenario either offering both in the highest fidelity. For all these reasons, I am loving this CIEM in voice focused applications such as for my work where I have to listen to meeting recordings at times or to listen to YouTube videos which are sometimes hard to understand. Again, the S12 really comes through for me. While I have a lot of high-value CIEMs in my collection, none of them match this quality so I am finding this to be a huge win for me.
However, most people will look at this CIEM and be most interested in the musical capabilities. For this, I can tell you that I am enjoying it immensely, and it is bringing a new signature to my collection to hear things differently than I have heard it before. First, I want to point out that this is not a very safe tuning as it is not the greatest for all genres. However, where the genres match, it is stellar. Again, voice-first recordings are wonderful as well as classic rock, instrumental, orchestra, oldies, and even well recorded DSD style tracks. However, enter the volume wars and the signature breaks down. It is hit or miss on pop and hip hop depending on the quality of the recording, but those bass first hot recordings are not a great pairing. Pair the S12 with Whitney, Mariah, Christina, etc. and I am in heaven.
Technical Breakdown:
After walking through a number of sources, I found that while the source matters when comparing the portable DAPs to my desktop options, the DAPs were harder to tell apart. So here are a few combinations for comparison.
Having listened through the entire Fearless Audio lineup including my new S12, I can say that from sound quality alone, this is a very impressive and diverse lineup. When factoring in the quality of the product and the comparative pricing, Fearless Audio offers a huge value much like 64 Audio did in their earlier days that is bound to attract a lot of attention. My only fear is that like 64 Audio who is now at premium pricing, the Fearless lineup is very likely to increase their pricing soon as they start to get backlogged in orders. This value pricing may not be here tomorrow for those that wait too long. This is in the back of my mind as I am really interested in getting the ACME8 as well for a completely different signature as I enjoyed is very unique 3D printed bass chamber.
My new S12 is a vocal champion and is likely to be the one that I reach for easy listening genres with vocal focus. It is also likely going to be the one that stays attached to my podcasts and audiobooks as it makes this process so much more enjoyable as I no longer strain to understand the spoken word. As I often do these activities at my desk, this also offers me access to the Play which offers an optimal pairing for optimal fidelity. The S12 will also be my critical listening partner to draw out those details and words that I just cannot make out with my fun signature options. In the end, this is a unique CIEM that fits well into my lineup offering its own unique take on my library of music, making it fun to listen through again and again.
Wow, how did I miss that? I was then introduced to Fearless Audio by @ironpeg at HeadFi.org. Having managed a number of HeadFi.org tours, I offered to manage a full lineup Fearless Audio 2019 US tour – selfishly, to be able to hear the lineup myself. For this, @ironpeg introduced me to Iconic Music who is the host of our tour. When I received the tour kit, what I found is that these are very mature models at a very high value being priced significantly below its competition. Listening through the lineup, there was a wide range of signatures and pricings to suit most IEM enthusiasts with many tempting options for myself. My favorite of the lineup was the S10 and the ACME8, but there were many others that I loved as well.
However, while in the process of setting up the tour, I found out that Fearless was getting ready to launch its 12th model – the HyperS12 listed above and knew that I had to hear it. So I ordered one customized to my tastes and am here to tell you that it is a very nice addition to my collection. Beautiful, aren’t they.
Fearless Audio HyperS12 12BA
The HyperS is a 12 balanced armature earphone – yes, 12 BAs in each side. They use a 4-way passive crossover with 4 tubes to offer a spacious, transparent sound quality. Fearless Audio offers universal or custom options. Here are the stats:
- Sensitivity: 118dB/MW
- Impedance: 13ohm
- Passive noise reduction: 26dB
- Frequency response range: 15Hz – 22kHz
I am still unclear on many of the technical elements and design choices, but here is what I have.
- DPP™ partition pressure treatment technology: This is my best interpretation of what I am hearing – there is soundproofing between partitions. If I am understanding correctly, sound leaks between partitions – perhaps different crossover chambers or tubes and maybe the outside world require more sound pressure to compensate for the interference. This new isolation if I am correct should further isolate the sound tubes to offer more clarity per crossover channel and ideally provide more transparency and visibility into the music. Taking a chance here, this may mean that the details come out at lower listening volumes as well. This requires a different mold processing technology to achieve this benefit which is claimed to improve the wearing experience significantly.
- Handcrafted: Per Fearless Audio, “Ear impressions scanning, digital processing, partition pressure ear impressions processing, shell, components placement reinforcement, sealing, and polishing are completed by professional technical personnel, each step will be carefully crafted, each step will be carefully produced, produced one work of art after another.”
- Medical Grade: Medical grade resin for maximum comfort.
- Cable: While I cannot figure out what the cable is, my best guess is that it is an upgraded SPC 8-wire. The cable is soft and comfortable and sounds great. In fact, it is so good that I have no immediate need to upgrade cables yet. It came in a standard 3.5mm configuration which was fine for my uses in 0.78mm 2-pin design.
Given that the S12 was brand new and pre-launch, I ordered from a PDF standard form and used shell/faceplate pictures to determine the design. I was very pleased with the design options and had difficulty making the final decision as there were a lot of great options that I had not seen before. I had the full Fearless Audio Tour lineup in my possession at the time so I could see that all options were stellar making it that much harder to pick one. Finally, I decided on the design you see in the pictures above and the unboxing video below and am very happy with the results. While I am not the best photographer and didn’t capture the elegance of the final output correctly, take my word for it that it is much prettier in person. The Arizona sun makes them pop and dazzle.
Kit Quality
As you can see in my unboxing video the kit comes packaged in a nice reasonably sized box. Within the box were instructions, a warranty card, and a unique blue case that looks more like a necklace display case. The case itself contains the earphones and accessories. That’s it, simple and to the point. While the instructions and warranty card are nice touches, they are quickly pushed aside to admire the beauty of the CIEM.
- Box: The box is very interesting as a display case, but it doesn’t have a latch so if not bound tightly, the CIEMs push the lid up. However, it has worked very nicely for me so far. The cable does have a Velcro wrap attached so this is not much of an issue. This, however, is just is not a case I would take on the road with me.
- CIEMs: The CIEMs are flawless – smooth, soft, no bubbles, no defects…perfect. There are four boar holes for the sound tubes that are flush, so I am likely to do a bit of cleaning, but they are nice sized so that it looks easy to clean. I also don’t see any components near the bore hold such as my NT6pro that could be damaged easily so that is nice. Those boreholes take up a lot of space so I can see why they wouldn’t try to recess them for ease of clean. These CIEMs are built as good or better than the others in my collection that cost 5 times as much.
- Wire: The 8-wire setup is as good as I have gotten from any CIEM manufacturer or better except for Empire Ear that offered a name brand wire from Effect Audio of known high value. I have not had a need to change the wire yet as it sounds great and I am getting good results. However, like any other wire, I am sure that an upgrade somewhere will yield better results, but the wire, in this case, is not a significant bottleneck requiring immediate replacement as I have found with others. Good work Fearless!
- Fit: This is the only area of concern. The fit is perfect, and they are very comfortable except… they are a little long. Because of this, it is uncomfortable to push them in all the way to cup my hands on the sides of my head to see if I can get more bass – a standard test for me. Now they are not uncomfortable if I just put them in, but I also have a feeling that the millimeter more insertion would add that little more seal for more bass impact that I feel I may be missing and will mention in later sections. That extra length is just pushing them out a little possibly breaking the seal. So, I am on the fence here, send them back for refit or work with them as is. For the purpose of this review, I decided to work as-is.
For me, the HyperS12 is all about voice. The signature is flat across frequencies, but the voices seem forward. The clarity of the voice is phenomenal. If I want to clearly hear all the words, even those that I cannot understand with other CIEMs, the S12 delivers. The only other voice challenger that I know is the Unique Melody UM Mentor V3, another 12 BA CIEM. The S12 offers a transparent and wide sound stage to accomplish this goal, so instruments have extra black space between. Yet the voices take center stage and all the intricacies of the human voice. This is not a man vs. woman’s voice scenario either offering both in the highest fidelity. For all these reasons, I am loving this CIEM in voice focused applications such as for my work where I have to listen to meeting recordings at times or to listen to YouTube videos which are sometimes hard to understand. Again, the S12 really comes through for me. While I have a lot of high-value CIEMs in my collection, none of them match this quality so I am finding this to be a huge win for me.
However, most people will look at this CIEM and be most interested in the musical capabilities. For this, I can tell you that I am enjoying it immensely, and it is bringing a new signature to my collection to hear things differently than I have heard it before. First, I want to point out that this is not a very safe tuning as it is not the greatest for all genres. However, where the genres match, it is stellar. Again, voice-first recordings are wonderful as well as classic rock, instrumental, orchestra, oldies, and even well recorded DSD style tracks. However, enter the volume wars and the signature breaks down. It is hit or miss on pop and hip hop depending on the quality of the recording, but those bass first hot recordings are not a great pairing. Pair the S12 with Whitney, Mariah, Christina, etc. and I am in heaven.
Technical Breakdown:
- Bass: This is not the highlight of this CIEM. While on occasion I get some wonderful performance, I think that I am having fit issues that hamper me here. It feels like it is tuned for sub-bass vs. midbass so mid-bass-heavy songs suffer. Sub bass-heavy songs don’t work well either as I am just not getting that dynamic kick. However, moderate bass songs work very well and are very elegant with wonderful bass reproduction. To put this into perspective, I am comparing against the A12 and the Legend X which are very bass first in their signature, so this is not a cut on the S12, just a differentiation from the others in my collection. Think of this as a two-way speaker setup, no subwoofers. The bass is there, hits hard, but not big and dynamic – no theatrics.
- Treble: Many might consider this to be a bright CIEM as there is a lot of the detail that comes from the top. Although when comparing to a bright IEM this is a very smooth treble without sibilance. When you bring in strings, the mids are integrated well with the treble to offer edges to the pluck and enhanced detail. The air at the top also opens the sound stage.
- Mids: This is the basis of the voice performance and the star of the show, and for good reason. But the voices are in front of the other mid objects which can be different with some recordings sometimes good, sometimes bad depending on the artist intent. Again, this is still the star of the show and well-integrated with the treble to offer my favorite mid focused CIEM results.
- Sound Stage: At first the focus is on the voices which pulls you into the center stage making a quick listen sound narrow. But, as you get sucked in you start to hear how wide this stage can go and there is a moderate depth that expands as well. I am very happy with the sound stage results that feels like an intimate vocal performance with a nice sized stage for the rest of the band. This show is about you and the singer is in front of you with other band members sometimes leaving the stage to surround you.
- Timbre: The voice is again the focus and is very well represented with realistic voices characteristics. The other instruments depend on their frequency range. Drums are not always realistic, but sometimes they are. Guitars usually sound very realistic, but sometimes in hot recordings, this is lost to noise. Pianos are good, but I have heard better as they remain on stage behind the singer.
- Speed: The transparency for this CIEM seems to be more about sound stage and space with the clarity spun up from the treble. The speed seems to be just ok as crowded passages can get noisy. Again, my preference for this CIEM is easy listening and voices that don’t require the intense speed that busy passages demand.
- Imaging: The imaging feels solid with that sense of space between instruments. The imaging offers a great atmosphere.
After walking through a number of sources, I found that while the source matters when comparing the portable DAPs to my desktop options, the DAPs were harder to tell apart. So here are a few combinations for comparison.
- Sony WM1A DAP: This is a nice pairing, but not very different from my Calyx M DAP. There is a nice stable sound signature that is consistent with both. I find that the description here is what I am pulling from to describe the S12 above. So refer there for the standard signature.
- Burson Play w/Vivid Upgrade: My Burson Play with upgraded Vivid opamps have a ton of power that is wonderful with the S12 adding a bit of warmth, girth, additional texturing, and offers more lifelike instrument timbre across all instruments. Here it is really about the added texture, but the sub-bass also comes out to play more here as well.
- Hugo 2 > Eddie Current ZDs Tube Amp: This takes the results of the Play up another notch with more sub-bass and texture. The Hugo 2 also adds additional elegance and smoothness to the treble. While this is the best the S12 has sounded, the layout of my office and the length of my cable doesn’t make this a practical setup for me to spend a lot of time here….too bad.
Having listened through the entire Fearless Audio lineup including my new S12, I can say that from sound quality alone, this is a very impressive and diverse lineup. When factoring in the quality of the product and the comparative pricing, Fearless Audio offers a huge value much like 64 Audio did in their earlier days that is bound to attract a lot of attention. My only fear is that like 64 Audio who is now at premium pricing, the Fearless lineup is very likely to increase their pricing soon as they start to get backlogged in orders. This value pricing may not be here tomorrow for those that wait too long. This is in the back of my mind as I am really interested in getting the ACME8 as well for a completely different signature as I enjoyed is very unique 3D printed bass chamber.
My new S12 is a vocal champion and is likely to be the one that I reach for easy listening genres with vocal focus. It is also likely going to be the one that stays attached to my podcasts and audiobooks as it makes this process so much more enjoyable as I no longer strain to understand the spoken word. As I often do these activities at my desk, this also offers me access to the Play which offers an optimal pairing for optimal fidelity. The S12 will also be my critical listening partner to draw out those details and words that I just cannot make out with my fun signature options. In the end, this is a unique CIEM that fits well into my lineup offering its own unique take on my library of music, making it fun to listen through again and again.
Attachments
The xDuoo EP1 is a 10mm dynamic driver IEM for $30 at XTENIK Audio that is an easy recommendation for a general duty IEM. While I have a large collection of multi-thousand-dollar custom IEMs that are clearly better for fine listening, these lower-cost IEMs are more than good enough for most situations and are garnering far more ear time than my expensive customs.
Use Case
While my expensive customs are securely stored away in nice cases to protect them, my xDuoo is setting conveniently on my desk attached to my audio out for private listening to videos and other audio that is typical in my line of work. There are many voice recordings such as self-improvement or podcasts that do not require the fidelity that the customs offer. There are also times that I am mowing the lawn or trimming bushes that I don’t wish to risk my more expensive customs where the EP1 is very handy. The bottom line, with my customs averaging $2000 each, I could buy 100 EP1 sets so if were to damage these for any reason, replacement is easy. Not so with my expensive customs.
Risk Assessment
These are very enjoyable for casual listening but will never be my go-to for critical listening. Mowing the lawn creates a lot of noise which these effectively block and provide entertainment. However, the mower is loud enough to interfere even with my best customs, so we are dealing with a diminished experience to begin with. This renders the custom advantages to be a moot point. However, in both cases, I enjoy listening to the music to pass the time and both provide that musical entertainment I crave. On the other hand, my bike rides are less noisy where the custom isolation works well enough to make a difference worth the effort of pulling out the custom. The risk is an issue though, so if I am just listening to podcasts, audiobooks, etc. then I grab the EP1 instead.
Musical Experience
The dynamic driver offers a richly enjoyable experience that brings a sense of rhythm and tempo that can get your foot tapping. However, the experience is more back row offering clarity, but lacking the texturing of my much more expensive customs. Voice seems to be what the EP1 does best offer great clarity in voice. While I have been breaking these in for a couple of months now, they seem to be continually improving so there may be updated later. The bass is mainly where I am hearing the improvements coming from muddy to tight, from mid-bass to starting to open up in the sub-bass. The treble while on the bright side is not sharp but smooth and growing smoother.
Another key point to the EP1 is that they like volume. The more I turn them up the better they sound. I tend to listen to lower volumes where it can sound a little lacking, but in turning them up I get a much richer experience. This also plays to the use case such as mowing the lawn where I am forced to turn them up creating a much more enjoyable experience. The reason that I am favoring them for voice, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. is that I can listen with great fidelity at lower volumes. At higher volumes, the driver begins to sound dynamic with the dynamic bounce that gets my foot tapping.
Product Quality
In terms of product quality, these IEMs stand up easily to most that I have experienced in the $150 range. They are a solid, durable CNC metal shell with just enough heft for confidence without feeling like weights in the ears. The cable is light and non-tangling for the most part. While not a replaceable cable, at $20 overall, it is easier to just get a new set.
The setup includes an assortment of ear tips to fit your ears which I found good enough as I am happy with the fit and isolation as well as the resulting sound quality. The plug is just 3.5mm for standard connections, no balanced, but again, this was not made for higher fidelity setups and appropriate for its use case.
Overall, there is nothing missing as far as I am concerned, and the experience is much better than expected given its price. The comfort is good enough to forget that they are in your ears as you get busy at your activity. The price allows you to take them anywhere with confidence and without fear. I am impressed with this xDuoo product and will replace if anything happens to it and that is the key take away for this review.
Use Case
While my expensive customs are securely stored away in nice cases to protect them, my xDuoo is setting conveniently on my desk attached to my audio out for private listening to videos and other audio that is typical in my line of work. There are many voice recordings such as self-improvement or podcasts that do not require the fidelity that the customs offer. There are also times that I am mowing the lawn or trimming bushes that I don’t wish to risk my more expensive customs where the EP1 is very handy. The bottom line, with my customs averaging $2000 each, I could buy 100 EP1 sets so if were to damage these for any reason, replacement is easy. Not so with my expensive customs.
Risk Assessment
These are very enjoyable for casual listening but will never be my go-to for critical listening. Mowing the lawn creates a lot of noise which these effectively block and provide entertainment. However, the mower is loud enough to interfere even with my best customs, so we are dealing with a diminished experience to begin with. This renders the custom advantages to be a moot point. However, in both cases, I enjoy listening to the music to pass the time and both provide that musical entertainment I crave. On the other hand, my bike rides are less noisy where the custom isolation works well enough to make a difference worth the effort of pulling out the custom. The risk is an issue though, so if I am just listening to podcasts, audiobooks, etc. then I grab the EP1 instead.
Musical Experience
The dynamic driver offers a richly enjoyable experience that brings a sense of rhythm and tempo that can get your foot tapping. However, the experience is more back row offering clarity, but lacking the texturing of my much more expensive customs. Voice seems to be what the EP1 does best offer great clarity in voice. While I have been breaking these in for a couple of months now, they seem to be continually improving so there may be updated later. The bass is mainly where I am hearing the improvements coming from muddy to tight, from mid-bass to starting to open up in the sub-bass. The treble while on the bright side is not sharp but smooth and growing smoother.
Another key point to the EP1 is that they like volume. The more I turn them up the better they sound. I tend to listen to lower volumes where it can sound a little lacking, but in turning them up I get a much richer experience. This also plays to the use case such as mowing the lawn where I am forced to turn them up creating a much more enjoyable experience. The reason that I am favoring them for voice, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. is that I can listen with great fidelity at lower volumes. At higher volumes, the driver begins to sound dynamic with the dynamic bounce that gets my foot tapping.
Product Quality
In terms of product quality, these IEMs stand up easily to most that I have experienced in the $150 range. They are a solid, durable CNC metal shell with just enough heft for confidence without feeling like weights in the ears. The cable is light and non-tangling for the most part. While not a replaceable cable, at $20 overall, it is easier to just get a new set.
The setup includes an assortment of ear tips to fit your ears which I found good enough as I am happy with the fit and isolation as well as the resulting sound quality. The plug is just 3.5mm for standard connections, no balanced, but again, this was not made for higher fidelity setups and appropriate for its use case.
Overall, there is nothing missing as far as I am concerned, and the experience is much better than expected given its price. The comfort is good enough to forget that they are in your ears as you get busy at your activity. The price allows you to take them anywhere with confidence and without fear. I am impressed with this xDuoo product and will replace if anything happens to it and that is the key take away for this review.
As a big Burson fan, I have been doing a lot of reviews and enjoying everything that I have used from the Cable + to the Play to the Fun. However, I have never gone down the upgrade path that makes Burson so much fun – both the Play and the Fun were "Basic" editions. However, after watching this guy’s awesome Burson Play upgrade review video:
I became very interested in trying his suggested V6 Vivid and Classic opamp upgrade setup. As mentioned in the video, there are three dual slots and two single slots for these upgraded opamps. His suggestion was to go vivid in the three dual slots and classic in the two single slots. He also suggested that the dual slots were significantly more important in upgrading the sound quality. Being conservative, I decided to start conservatively and only upgrade the dual slots to see if this was good enough. The results were spectacular!
However, after hearing the V6 Vivid in action, I decided to change course and go Vivid all the way. The Vivid matches my signature preferences exactly so I figure, if a little is good, more must be better - dangerous, right? In retrospect, it was the right thing to do. Everything did get bigger and better.
Burson Play Upgrade Test Plan
My goal in testing these two configurations below is to see how well the Play can scale with the better opamps. Since my advice is that upgrading the three dual slots make the most difference, this is where I will start to see how this differs from the basic configuration. The next step is to see if upgrading the 2 additional single slots make enough difference to matter or if upgrading the 3 dual slots are good enough. Of course, as mentioned above, this upgrade is all V6 Vivid opamps. On with the games.
Upgrade Plan:
Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V6
Burson offers a range of opamps from the ones that come in my basic model that look like you would expect, then a version 5, and now the version 6 you see below. As you can see below, these are not typical opamps. Burson designed them to optimize audio performance and I can confirm that this is exactly what they do. Burson says, “V6 Vivid and V6 Classic are the results of over 12 years of research and six generations of designs. They are the most refined we have ever created.”
While I will not claim to be an expert in general-purpose IC-based opamp design, Burson lists some of the key features below. All I know is that whatever they are doing is working.
As you can see below, the three dual V6 Vivid duals cost $200 for part one of this upgrade. The additional 2X V6 Vivid singles cost an additional $70 making the complete update $270. That means a fully upgraded Play will cost you $569.
The Upgrade
The upgrade process was not that difficult. After watching the video referenced above, I felt comfortable unscrewing the 4 hex screws and removing the top lid. The top lid came off and revealed a diagram on the inside providing you with the layout map to assure that you are messing with the right components. As you can see in the picture below, there is the Vivid and original opamp sitting on the lid so you can see the difference in build. The diagram shows exactly which three original opamps needed to come out to be replaced by the Vivid. I made note of the dot on the original opamps and the direction it faced to correctly put them back just in case. As you can see in the diagram, the opamp sockets have a “U” shaped cutout facing south in this diagram. The dot on the original is facing correctly to replace it. However, the Vivid has the same “U” shaped cutout in its design and in this picture is facing backward to how it is to be inserted. Please make note of this if you do the upgrade yourself as it only is supposed to fit one direction. While the Vivid has protection built in to avoid shorting the socket and chip, the original chip does not – so don’t make that mistake.
The original build is pictured below so you can see the alignment.
To remove the original opamps, after unplugging everything, I used a small flathead screwdriver to gently pry the sides without pins a little at a time, back and forth, until I could safely remove each opamp. This picture below shows the resulting socket and exposes the “U” shaped cutout for correctly aligning the opamps.
Finally, I just carefully dropped each V6 into its slot one at a time until I felt that they were fully seated into the socket.
As you can see below, they are rather large. For whatever reason a little bit too large which did not allow me to fully add the cover back after this operation. I ended up adding the front two screws and leaving the back two screws off to provide protection….and I guess a little more ventilation. Oh well, it is minor and nobody has noticed yet. What is important is the sound.
After testing the 3 dual Vivid opamps, I added the final two single Vivids. There was no difference in adding these single versions, they were pretty much the same as adding the duals - same size/shape and similar-looking slot. The picture below shows all five Vivids installed and powered on.
Listening to 3 Dual Vivids
I originally thought that I would be able to switch back and forth to get an accurate A/B comparison and provide much more detail into the sound quality differentiation but found that the process took to long for my audio memory to be completely accurate. Option 2 was to listen for an hour in basic mode, then upgrade and listen for an hour to see if I could provide an analysis of the differences, then to downgrade back to basic configuration to see how it felt to return. Here is what I had found.
Basic Configuration
As reported in my Play review, I like the basic play very much and felt that it hits way above its pay grade. The weaknesses that I found were that in comparison to my Hugo 2, it was narrower and not quite as elegantly smooth. They both stressed details and had a rich character, but Hugo 2 was somehow better. The instruments were placed better on the Hugo 2 and the black space seemed more apparent and there was more timbre. However, the $299 Play was not very far from this $2800 Hugo 2.
V6 3x Dual Configuration
Now this may be a bit of reviewer bias as I don’t have a great A/B setup to quickly go back and forth, but there was something superior to this upgraded setup that was immediately apparent. Things seemed richer, the bass seemed to hit harder and go deeper, and most importantly, the size of the sound stage grew noticeably. The Play now seemed to be more on the Hugo 2 level without the easier to pick out differences. The sound stage width and depth were the most noticeable differences. Side by side with the Hugo 2, there was a smoother elegance still which still puts the Hugo 2 in the lead, but the little noticeable nits that I had previously were all gone. It is close enough, I can see many people saying good enough.
Back to Basic
Going back to the basic configuration again, was a disturbing process. The basic was now sounding bright and narrow in comparison. Remember, before trying this I had no problem here. The biggest problem I had was a bit narrower sound stage. But now after experiencing the upgrade, it felt claustrophobic. The richness I heard in the basic setup sounded thinner in comparison. It was disturbing enough, that I immediately reconfigured with the upgrade – done deal.
Going all-in - 5x Vivid
This is where things get interesting. While the 3x dual upgrade was stellar and did not leave me wanting at all after upgrading from the basic configuration, going back and forth from 3 to 5 vivids made it obvious that there was something missing in the 3x approach.
Going 5x Vivid Configuration
While 3x duals were stellar, to say the least, there were parts of the sound quality that seemed perhaps underpowered or undersized in context with the remaining frequency response. I was thinking that I was exposing flaws in the files given the higher resolution response I was hearing or perhaps it needed to warm up a little more to get that enveloping sound stage. However, I now believe that it is just the lessor basic opamps working in concert with the greater Vivids. I couldn't go back to the basic or the 3x configuration after hearing all 5 duals in action.
Back to 3x Configuration
Going back and rereading my V6 3x configuration from the last section, my description remains the same with the 5x configuration. However, now I have a much fuller sound across all frequencies without that "dip" I was hearing in the comparison. I also feel like I have better detail retrieval across all frequencies that may have been missing before as well as a little richer sound stage.
Back to Basic Configuration
Going back to the basic configuration one last time, I could only stand it for 15 minutes before permanently going back to the fully upgraded 5x Vivid Play configuration. Done deal!
Conclusions
My first conclusion is that a "Basic" $299 Play that can almost stand toe to toe with a $2800 Hugo 2 is a hell of a bargain. My second conclusion is that a $499 upgraded Play that can stand toe to toe with a Hugo 2 is still a hell of a bargain. My third conclusion is that once you go Vivid you will never go back….so don’t try it if you don’t want to spend the money. The basic configuration is good enough, but yes, the Vivid 3x dual upgrade is a significant upgrade.
My final conclusion is that if you go 3x Dual, you have to add the 2x single at $70 for a total $569 to get the Play to sound its best. Once you get past the $200 for the 3x dual, the $70 for the 2x single is a no brainer decision. The Play is already a hell of a bargain. What makes it great is that you can buy your way up as you can afford it. However, if you have the money......don't wait.
I became very interested in trying his suggested V6 Vivid and Classic opamp upgrade setup. As mentioned in the video, there are three dual slots and two single slots for these upgraded opamps. His suggestion was to go vivid in the three dual slots and classic in the two single slots. He also suggested that the dual slots were significantly more important in upgrading the sound quality. Being conservative, I decided to start conservatively and only upgrade the dual slots to see if this was good enough. The results were spectacular!
However, after hearing the V6 Vivid in action, I decided to change course and go Vivid all the way. The Vivid matches my signature preferences exactly so I figure, if a little is good, more must be better - dangerous, right? In retrospect, it was the right thing to do. Everything did get bigger and better.
Burson Play Upgrade Test Plan
My goal in testing these two configurations below is to see how well the Play can scale with the better opamps. Since my advice is that upgrading the three dual slots make the most difference, this is where I will start to see how this differs from the basic configuration. The next step is to see if upgrading the 2 additional single slots make enough difference to matter or if upgrading the 3 dual slots are good enough. Of course, as mentioned above, this upgrade is all V6 Vivid opamps. On with the games.
Upgrade Plan:
- Add: 3x Dual V6 Vivid Upgrade
- Add: 2x Single V6 Vivid Upgrade
Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V6
Burson offers a range of opamps from the ones that come in my basic model that look like you would expect, then a version 5, and now the version 6 you see below. As you can see below, these are not typical opamps. Burson designed them to optimize audio performance and I can confirm that this is exactly what they do. Burson says, “V6 Vivid and V6 Classic are the results of over 12 years of research and six generations of designs. They are the most refined we have ever created.”
While I will not claim to be an expert in general-purpose IC-based opamp design, Burson lists some of the key features below. All I know is that whatever they are doing is working.
As you can see below, the three dual V6 Vivid duals cost $200 for part one of this upgrade. The additional 2X V6 Vivid singles cost an additional $70 making the complete update $270. That means a fully upgraded Play will cost you $569.
The Upgrade
The upgrade process was not that difficult. After watching the video referenced above, I felt comfortable unscrewing the 4 hex screws and removing the top lid. The top lid came off and revealed a diagram on the inside providing you with the layout map to assure that you are messing with the right components. As you can see in the picture below, there is the Vivid and original opamp sitting on the lid so you can see the difference in build. The diagram shows exactly which three original opamps needed to come out to be replaced by the Vivid. I made note of the dot on the original opamps and the direction it faced to correctly put them back just in case. As you can see in the diagram, the opamp sockets have a “U” shaped cutout facing south in this diagram. The dot on the original is facing correctly to replace it. However, the Vivid has the same “U” shaped cutout in its design and in this picture is facing backward to how it is to be inserted. Please make note of this if you do the upgrade yourself as it only is supposed to fit one direction. While the Vivid has protection built in to avoid shorting the socket and chip, the original chip does not – so don’t make that mistake.
The original build is pictured below so you can see the alignment.
To remove the original opamps, after unplugging everything, I used a small flathead screwdriver to gently pry the sides without pins a little at a time, back and forth, until I could safely remove each opamp. This picture below shows the resulting socket and exposes the “U” shaped cutout for correctly aligning the opamps.
Finally, I just carefully dropped each V6 into its slot one at a time until I felt that they were fully seated into the socket.
As you can see below, they are rather large. For whatever reason a little bit too large which did not allow me to fully add the cover back after this operation. I ended up adding the front two screws and leaving the back two screws off to provide protection….and I guess a little more ventilation. Oh well, it is minor and nobody has noticed yet. What is important is the sound.
After testing the 3 dual Vivid opamps, I added the final two single Vivids. There was no difference in adding these single versions, they were pretty much the same as adding the duals - same size/shape and similar-looking slot. The picture below shows all five Vivids installed and powered on.
Listening to 3 Dual Vivids
I originally thought that I would be able to switch back and forth to get an accurate A/B comparison and provide much more detail into the sound quality differentiation but found that the process took to long for my audio memory to be completely accurate. Option 2 was to listen for an hour in basic mode, then upgrade and listen for an hour to see if I could provide an analysis of the differences, then to downgrade back to basic configuration to see how it felt to return. Here is what I had found.
Basic Configuration
As reported in my Play review, I like the basic play very much and felt that it hits way above its pay grade. The weaknesses that I found were that in comparison to my Hugo 2, it was narrower and not quite as elegantly smooth. They both stressed details and had a rich character, but Hugo 2 was somehow better. The instruments were placed better on the Hugo 2 and the black space seemed more apparent and there was more timbre. However, the $299 Play was not very far from this $2800 Hugo 2.
V6 3x Dual Configuration
Now this may be a bit of reviewer bias as I don’t have a great A/B setup to quickly go back and forth, but there was something superior to this upgraded setup that was immediately apparent. Things seemed richer, the bass seemed to hit harder and go deeper, and most importantly, the size of the sound stage grew noticeably. The Play now seemed to be more on the Hugo 2 level without the easier to pick out differences. The sound stage width and depth were the most noticeable differences. Side by side with the Hugo 2, there was a smoother elegance still which still puts the Hugo 2 in the lead, but the little noticeable nits that I had previously were all gone. It is close enough, I can see many people saying good enough.
Back to Basic
Going back to the basic configuration again, was a disturbing process. The basic was now sounding bright and narrow in comparison. Remember, before trying this I had no problem here. The biggest problem I had was a bit narrower sound stage. But now after experiencing the upgrade, it felt claustrophobic. The richness I heard in the basic setup sounded thinner in comparison. It was disturbing enough, that I immediately reconfigured with the upgrade – done deal.
Going all-in - 5x Vivid
This is where things get interesting. While the 3x dual upgrade was stellar and did not leave me wanting at all after upgrading from the basic configuration, going back and forth from 3 to 5 vivids made it obvious that there was something missing in the 3x approach.
Going 5x Vivid Configuration
While 3x duals were stellar, to say the least, there were parts of the sound quality that seemed perhaps underpowered or undersized in context with the remaining frequency response. I was thinking that I was exposing flaws in the files given the higher resolution response I was hearing or perhaps it needed to warm up a little more to get that enveloping sound stage. However, I now believe that it is just the lessor basic opamps working in concert with the greater Vivids. I couldn't go back to the basic or the 3x configuration after hearing all 5 duals in action.
Back to 3x Configuration
Going back and rereading my V6 3x configuration from the last section, my description remains the same with the 5x configuration. However, now I have a much fuller sound across all frequencies without that "dip" I was hearing in the comparison. I also feel like I have better detail retrieval across all frequencies that may have been missing before as well as a little richer sound stage.
Back to Basic Configuration
Going back to the basic configuration one last time, I could only stand it for 15 minutes before permanently going back to the fully upgraded 5x Vivid Play configuration. Done deal!
Conclusions
My first conclusion is that a "Basic" $299 Play that can almost stand toe to toe with a $2800 Hugo 2 is a hell of a bargain. My second conclusion is that a $499 upgraded Play that can stand toe to toe with a Hugo 2 is still a hell of a bargain. My third conclusion is that once you go Vivid you will never go back….so don’t try it if you don’t want to spend the money. The basic configuration is good enough, but yes, the Vivid 3x dual upgrade is a significant upgrade.
My final conclusion is that if you go 3x Dual, you have to add the 2x single at $70 for a total $569 to get the Play to sound its best. Once you get past the $200 for the 3x dual, the $70 for the 2x single is a no brainer decision. The Play is already a hell of a bargain. What makes it great is that you can buy your way up as you can afford it. However, if you have the money......don't wait.
Having just reviewed the Burson Play, I knew I was in for a treat with the FUN and was not disappointed. The sound quality is superb and I personally don’t know how to match it at this price. It is very true to its source as a very transparent amp offering girth and size to the note that makes the music “FUN”. If the detail is there, the FUN scales it to allow listeners to hear more into the music. This is true audiophile listening for those that have champagne taste and a beer budget. Now, this begs the question, if Burson can do this for the Fun and the Play at these incredibly low prices, what do Burson’s pricier options sound like?
Configuration
The FUN (basic) was built with PC gaming in mind to bring rich audio to the gameplay. My hope was to install it into an open DVD bay and to have easy access to good sound without having to set up my more expensive chain. The FUN offers a modular design that is meant to either sit nicely on a desk or to be slipped neatly into a computer case and powered by the PC. As you can see from the back panel image below, there is a standard PC power plug allowing it to be powered from the case.
As you can see from the model options below, the FUN comes in configurations ranging from my Basic $299 configuration to the upgraded Opamp options V6 Vivid or Classic at $399. This review is based on the Basic $299 configuration, so as you can imagine, I am very interested to hear what the upgrade can offer.
To minimize distortion, the Play is tuned to operate in pure Class-A. Outputting 2000 mWatt per channel, it is over 20 times more powerful than the next best soundcard. To top it off, the Play features a high-performance mic input and fits into any PC case elegantly.
PER BURSON: Fun is a dual mono Class-A head amp and preamp. Its symmetrical circuitry is powered by four sets of Max Current Power Supply (MCPS) developed by Burson. The revolutionary MCPS is far superior to traditional transformers delivering instant, clean, and maximum electric current to the Fun. Like an engine with unlimited torque and zero latency, Fun delivers a rock solid performance regardless of demand. It will put most 4W and even 6W amplifiers to shame.
MY SETUP: For this review, I have the FUN sitting on top of the PLAY set up on my audio table across from my computer using a longer USB cable to reach the PLAY which was used primarily as the source to compare it to my much more expensive Eddie Current ZDs tube amp as well as the PLAY amp. The required XMOS driver was installed from the Burson website onto my computer previously for the PLAY review. My plan is to pair my library of headphones and CIEMs with the FUN and compare the ZDs and PLAY amps.
Comparing the Fun to the PLAY
At first glance, the FUN and PLAY look very similar sporting the same case. The main difference between the two is that the Burson Play features the SABRE32/ESS9018 DAC chip and Xmos USB receiver chip to be used as a DAC/AMP while the FUN is a dedicated amp.
OUTSIDE: They both have the same nice volume knob on the front of the case, but the PLAY also offers a digital volume display that sets them apart. In exchange, the FUN offers an additional line in input in the front to easily connect sources. The PLAY back panel offers a USB input in exchange for the RCA input on the back of the FUN. Everything else is the same on the outside.
INSIDE: As seen in the screenshots below, the PLAY and the FUN offer two different stock opamp configurations. While this implies a different sound, they are very close in practice. However, I am guessing that the optional step up to the V5 or V6 would be significant based on other reviews I have read.
COMPARING FUN/PLAY AMP SOUND QUALITY: With the PLAY connected to my computer via USB and sitting under the FUN, I was able to connect the PLAY DAC directly to the FUN RCA input to offer a single source with two headphone plugs to go back and forth. So I turned the music on and tried all my headphones going back and forth between the two headphone outs. After hours of listening enjoyment, I was having trouble hearing any detectable auditable differences in sound quality between the two amps. However, I enjoyed the FUN headphone out just a little more for some reason that I cannot explain. So while there is no perceivable difference that I can explain, to declare a winner, I definitely have been listening to the FUN headphone output more than the PLAY. Sorry,….I wish I had a better explanation. Maybe it is a lower noise level or a less complex pathway given the dedicated AMP circuitry on the FUN. But this means that either is a great choice and your use case should determine your purchase.
CONCLUSION: For me, the PLAY will go next to my bed to offer premium sound at night offering a DAC and an AMP in one convenient and compact package. My computer audio is good enough that the premium position for my FUN is as advertised – to go into my computer case for better computer sound quality and thus freeing up my desk space. I should also point out that I am a firm believer in breaking up tech into dedicated modules to get the most out of each. I am not usually a fan of DAC/AMP combos – but have made a notable exception for both the PLAY and the HUGO2 as they are really that good. In the end, having access to both the FUN and PLAY side by side, it was the FUN headphone output that I favored even if I cannot articulate the difference.
How does the FUN Sound
Am mentioned earlier, I cannot articulate the difference between the PLAY and the FUN sound quality but chose the FUN over the PLAY to listen as I enjoyed it more. Moreover, this sound quality review is based on using the PLAY as the source for the FUN – therefore, the review will sound much like the PLAY sound quality review.
To put it simply, it sounds like an audiophile headphone amplifier. The key theme for the FUN sound signature is big, textured, dynamic, and black background. While there is no color, there is a welcome richness to the bottom end offered through the highly dynamic quality. The dynamics and the bottom end offer a richness to the detail with gobs of texturing. The colorless black background is almost eerie and abyss like that provides superb spacing between the instruments. The soundstage is nice, but not the widest that I have heard. It feels deeper than wide offering great layering. While the detail is the star of the show, the texturing offers a natural organic feel to the resulting sound.
What is important about the FUN sound is that there is no sound or signature, the FUN gets out of the way to allow you to listen and enjoy your music. Often equipment offers a mix of results that sound great with some genres or songs, but not with others. Not with the FUN. It is a very neutral and flat response with full-sized instruments, much like listening to a good speaker system. While neutral and flat may sound boring, I assure you that this is not the case, the FUN offers a very dynamic, textured, and detailed window with a large sound stage.
How does it Pair
For the most part, I listened to the FUN using my HD800. However, I have a wide variety of CIEMs and HPs to try. Here is what I found:
- Sennheiser HD800: To dial in my HD800, I use SonarWorks True-Fi adding what I need to be truly satisfied with the HD800 signature – more texture, dynamics, and bass/sub-bass. This is the same setting I use when I listen through my Hugo 2 or my Hugo 2 > Eddie Current ZDs setups. When just listening to the FUN without a direct comparison, there is little to notice as I don’t feel like I am missing anything. In fact, the FUN feels like it has a little more power than the Hugo 2. Either way, the HD800 feels like it is giving all it can give leaving nothing to be desired from any of the three setups. The FUN is a great pairing with the HD800 offering lots of power to drive the headphone’s higher 300-ohm impedance. Often on lesser setups, the HD800 can sound congested in busy passages or bottom out with big bass booms – but not happening on the FUN. Lesser amps can sound noisy and detract from the gobs of HD800 detail – again, not so on the FUN. Great pairing.
- HiFiman HEX: There is nothing unexpected here as the HEX sounds good on anything including an iPhone. However, there is the occasion that a cheap source can make the HEX sound bright. This is not the case with the FUN, as it is a very nice pairing providing everything the HEX is famous for.
- Audeze LCD2.2: The LCD2’s are known for gobs of godly bass and always delivers when paired with powerful amps such as with the FUN. However, this is my least favorite pairing as the LCD2 can be particular in the source to offer its best. While the LCD has clarity and slam with the FUN, it doesn’t have the larger soundstage that some amps such as the ZDs have to offer. Switching to the ZDs, now I am hearing what I am after. Stepping up further to the Hugo 2 > ZDs the LCD2 goes wider in soundstage, but without a direct comparison, the FUN is good enough. However, I should point out that my overall planer preference has always been for a tube amp to downplay a perceived brightness.
- 64 Audio A18 CIEMs: Booooom….wow, this is the biggest I have heard the A18 bass. While it is almost too much stepping on the mids a little, I am enjoying it very much. Moving to songs with less bass, the dynamics get very snappy but very controlled with no slop. The snaps are crisp, the guitar is very plucky. If I have any complaint, it would be that the sound stage on the A18 is compressed a little compared to the Hugo 2 source it usually is paired with. While this is a great pairing, I like the Mason pairing better. However, I have to say that the a18 is sounding very big and full sized which is "mucho" fun. Moving to the ZDs, there is a big noticeable upgrade in a18 performance as it is liking the ZDs tube sound better.
- Empire Ears Legend X CIEMs: The LX says “hell ya” to the FUN. It sounds wonderful. The LX is known for its dual subwoofers which are very tight and controlled with the FUN. These sit on top of the Empire Ears famous Zeus SQ to provide a complete audiophile home stereo sound. The dynamics are very punchy while the black space in between the instruments stays very dark and clean. This is a wonderful pairing. This pairing is bringing the voices front and center and offering a lot more emotion to the mix. Like the a18, my only complaint is that I have heard a wider sound stage on other gear, but I am being fussy. Moving to the ZDs, I trade some of the blackness for euphonics and richness. I also get some of the soundstage back. Both ways, the details are intense.
- Unique Melody Mason V3 CIEMs: The Mason is my favorite CIEM for voice – male and female - and is a wonderful all-rounder that grows on you over time as does the HD800 (implemented correctly). They offer gobs of detail and texturing with black space and sound stage galore. This plays into all the strengths of the FUN as the pair very well together. In fact, this is the best I have ever heard the Mason sound.
- Fearless Audio S10-Genie CIEMs: The S10 is a huge performer at $759 for 10 BA drivers. Being new to my lineup, I am just getting used to it, but have not heard any better setup so far than through my FUN amp. Like the Mason, this CIEM is wonderful for voice – male and female - and is a wonderful all-rounder. This CIEM offer gobs of detail and black space with not quite as much texturing or sound stage as the Mason – but not that far off. Like the Mason, this plays into all the strengths of the FUN as they pair very well together.
- Fearless Audio ACME8 CIEMs: The ACME8 is the top of the line for Fearless Audio offer a unique 3D printed sound tube system to augment its bass response. While I am a fan of the innovative bass system, there are some scenarios that can sound a little off, or flabby when using DAPs to drive it. However, I have not found this to be the case with the FUN. The fun has the effect of tightening the bass on each of the mentioned test HPs offering blackness between the bass notes and speed to their delivery. This blackness on the ACME8 really added a boost to the perceived soundstage and is the best pairing I have heard to date with this CIEM. It also added a bit of life and thickness that was needed to the high notes offering a flatter response curve. Very nice pairing.
Using my HD800, I wanted to see how the Fun stood up to the other amps in my arsenal. The FUN did not disappoint.
- C&C BH2 Amp: Using the PLAY headphone out into my BH2 line in was not optimal for comparison, but it worked. Being very familiar with the performance of this little amp, I was happy with the outcome. The BH2 is a tiny $100 amp that offers 40 hours of playtime on its battery and drives the HD800 to almost full potential. It is now discontinued and rare, but has been a giant killer that has stood up against many amps that were priced in the thousands of dollars for the last five years I have owned it. This was an interesting matchup. The FUN clearly came out on top, but the BH2 was awesome like normal. The difference is that the BH2 while having clarity and a large soundscape, the FUN was even bigger, clearer, and had better texturing. The BH2 has more tube like ephonics, but in direct comparison to the FUN, it sounded a little muddy where I much preferred the FUN.
- Hugo 2 Amp Section: This was tested still using the computer as the source, but through the HUGO DAC so it is not a direct comparison. At $2500, there is an expectation that the HUGO2 would come out on top, and it did, but by a tiny margin. A one percenter audiophile will appreciate this subtle increase in sound quality, but the majority of music lovers would be better served saving their money for better headphones. While the difference was slight, there was an audible elegance to the HUGO2’s representation to the music that increased with the quality of the source file. The only way I can describe it was as a more 3D representation. My wife could not hear the difference.
- Eddie Current ZDs Tube Amp: When comparing the FUN to the ZDs, I am focused on the tube sound as the key difference. So it comes down to a solid state vs. tube amp conversation. While I favor tube amps of the SDs quality, I was surprised to find that with some genres, I was enjoying the FUN solid state presentation more. Remember, we are comparing a $2K tube amp to a $299 solid state amp so this is saying a lot. I didn’t roll tubes with the ZDs so there could be a combination that changes this opinion, but the tube employed is a $150 Sophia tube which is known to be one of the best for the ZDs. If I had to say what made the ZDs better, it would be that it was a little more lifelike for lack of a better description where the FUN is more solid state. Again, for most music lovers, they would be better off with the FUN using the savings to buy a better headphone.
Conclusion
As the title says, the FUN offers a lot more than $299 of value competing with amps that are 10x its cost. For 99 percent of the music listeners out there, the FUN is good enough – no need to go any further. Most casual listeners will not be able to tell the difference in quality in direct comparison to my $2800 Hugo 2 or my ZDs. However, for us 1 percenter that wants to see how much further we can go…. the V6 Vivid or Classic upgrade kit is shown in the table above may prove to be irresistible. What does that extra $100 have to offer? I may have to find out so I can offer an update.
Empire Ears is a custom in-ear boutique powerhouse that cannot seem to do anything wrong. Having listened through Jack’s lineup on multiple occasions, I always leave feeling that his team has raised the bar yet again. The short of it is that EE has a vast array of flagship level IEMs at all price levels and signatures with three at the very top including: the Zeus, the Phantom, and of course the subject of this review – the Legend X. While they are all classically top tier audiophile, they cover the signature range from the Zeus which is the most balanced and delicate bringing out every last ounce of detail; to thicker dynamic fun being the X which to me is the Zeus with dual dynamic subwoofers offering a fun high-end subwoofer approach to audiophile; with the Phantom right in the middle which I see as the Zeus with thickened notes and a stepped-up BA bass response. To be fair, there are several versions of the Zeus with slightly different signatures/tunings, but there is a general Zeus appeal to them all that keeps them in the family. The Phantom and the Legend X however – while obviously based on the Zeus signature – feel like they stepped out a little further than the Zeus variants in terms of the thickened note.
My Search
For those that don’t know me, I have hosted a large number of HeadFi audio gear tours, most being high-end CIEM lineups. What got me started was some hysterical claims of high quality on the go sound that I had to hear for myself, but had no way to do so. Having reached out to a few manufacturers, I have begun hosting tours to get the opportunity to hear them for myself, as well as to pass the opportunity on to other HeadFi members to share in the experience and discussion. Over the last number of years, I have come to several determinations:
This brings me back to our discussion on the Legend X which I consider to be at the rarified level of being one of the best of the best. The particular use case that I had in mind for the X was the fun category given the dual dynamic subwoofers, but it has proven to be so much more. Given its Zeus DNA, the X drives tons of detail that were completely unexpected given the subwoofer configuration. It also offers high-value production at low volumes thanks to the subwoofer configuration as well. My biggest complaint with CIEMs is that I have to turn up the volume too high for comfortable listening on many to get optimal sound. Optimal sound to me is scaling the output to sound like I am in the same room as the band and they were standing in front of me at full size. This discomfort forces me to listen to many CIEMs at too low of a volume to get that effect which in effect forces me into the nose bleed section for listening. I have sat in the front row of many performances without fatigue at venues done right. The Legend X gives me this experience and even allows me to listen at lower volumes with great detail when listening in bed.
What I was searching for and not finding was an in-ear experience like my home speaker setup which the Legend X finally offers. My home speakers consist of Magneplanars with dual 12-inch high-end subwoofers converting the low-frequency range. They are crossed at 70 hertz so the subs do not fire until the lowest frequencies are called upon. This gives me great clarity in sound, but a lot of weight and girth in the note. The subwoofers dig down to 15 hertz allow me to feel the sound even when I cannot hear it – just like in real life. Somehow Jack’s team has recreated this experience in my ear and on the go. The beauty of this speaker system is that it can play well at low volume or at high volume – same with the X. When exercising in noisy environments, the extra bass response allows me to continue to enjoy the sound quality. When listening in bed, it allows me to turn down the volume without losing the quality.
While I have a CIEM collection with a few others sitting at the best of the best levels for their particular achievements, the Legend X is the most versatile and is currently my most used CIEM for all the reason mentioned above. Let’s take a deeper dive into Empire Ear’s remarkable achievement.
Legend X Configuration
The Legend X is a hybrid CIEM with 7 BAs and 2 dynamic subwoofers for a total of 9 drivers. What really excited me though was the 10-way crossover which is unique in the industry. I guess you can say that I am a crossover junky having started my journey with the Hidition NT6pro which I contributed its 5-way crossover to its success. The X is priced starting at $2,299 depending on your final custom options. Here is how Empire Ears describes the configuration:
At long last, the Legend has returned to the throne to push the limits of in-ear monitor performance to its highest point ever. Experience a world-class prestige IEM and a new era of uncompromising design and performance. From its arsenal of 7 proprietary drivers (including twin sequential W9 subwoofers) to its industry-leading, state-of-the-art 10-way synX crossover network, the Legend X is the culmination of everything extraordinary we do at Empire.
The goal of the designer in producing the Legend X signature is described on their site as this:
“While neutral in tone and a balanced signature throughout, an addictive treble energizes the music, while simultaneously remaining smooth. But our greatest challenge yet was incorporating the low-reaching, impactful bass of the W9 subwoofers, with technical performance rivaling any in-ear monitor on the market; a challenge we can proudly proclaim we have overcome. Offering top-tier levels of transparency and separation, as well as one of the widest sound stages in the industry, our flagship has earned its position at the top of the lineup: a Legend is reborn.”
After listening to Legend X, I can confirm that the designer has reached and surpassed his goals. I am even more convinced that the unique crossover setup has offered the speaker like setup utilizing the subwoofers that I was looking for.
Technical Specifications
So I don’t leave out the details, here are the technical specifications as provided by Empire Ears.
The making of the King
As expected with a premium manufacturer, Empire Ears has a premium builder that we have come to expect. And yes, there are lots of premium and limited choices as well as custom artwork that allows you to make your one of a kind masterpiece. If you want to try it out for yourself, please go here: https://empireears.com/products/product-designer?model=Legend X. It cost nothing to play with the builder, just have fun and see what you can do.
For those of you in the US, you will really appreciate the buying experience, no shipping nightmares with impressions or receiving your gear through foreign customs. You can even call EE and discuss ideas or concerns over the phone in your own time zone and language. Delivery is estimated at 5 weeks, but for an additional $300 rush fee you can get it in 10 days. I placed my order and a few weeks later, here it is.
To share the experience of receiving your Empire Ears Legend X, I decided to make an unboxing video for you….. enjoy.
The thing that stands out most when ordering Empire Ears products is that you get a cable that you can be proud of and actually use. This is a real departure from the standard throw away cables that we have gotten in the past. This is a high-quality copper cable handcrafted by Effect Audio, a well-known quality manufacturer. That means you can hear the X in all its glory on the receipt with no need to change the cable.
The kit itself is reasonably high quality as you would expect from a high-end manufacturer for a product at this price level. There are a number of expected accessories and a high-quality case. While I love the case and its quality, I typically get something different that is more portable for the gym or other outings.
The build quality of my CIEMs is superb and I have ordered enough now to know the difference. The look, feel, and design ooze quality.
Sound Quality
Now the good stuff…..it sounds great….the end.
The signature
This is first and foremost an audiophile CIEM that offers a balanced signature from end to end. The bass, while it might seem excessive or even a bass head configuration, I assure you that it is not. The bass is dialed way down and only comes out when called for. If you are listening to EDM, it is there in gobs, the Eagles it is not even there. The bass integrates gracefully throughout the frequency range offering top tier high-resolution textures and detail. What is even more impressive is the amount of black space between the notes. Again, the dual subwoofers scream dark when looking at the configuration, but it is not. There is no slop, no hum, no bass noise of any kind unless it is called for. The bass that is called for is very tight and can stop on a dime if needed. However, in keeping it real, the dynamic bass decay just feels right – that live feeling. When I say black space, I mean it in a big way as in large sound stage. This is a large stage and you are in the front row or on stage depending on the recording. The stage is very coherent where you can close your eyes and envision the stage. This incredible sound stage is a norm for Empire Ears coming from Zeus DNA and is not lost given the extra bass talents.
Technical Breakdown
Getting into the detail, here are my findings:
Scaling my source down to an iPhone and using the stock cable, how does it sound? It sounds fantastic! When first hearing the X at RMAF, I didn’t feel that it did well with my iPhone, but on receiving my own custom, I have to say that I have been impressed. It is wonderful just the Legend X and my iPhone on the road or in the gym. This makes for a very convenient listening scenario. Yes, it does scale up significantly when paired correctly, but on the road where there is lots of noise and distraction, this is not so apparent. It is very nice not to have to wield some special stack on the road to hear music at the level that I have come to expect now that I am spoiled.
Regardless, lets split some hairs and discuss where scaling matters. While the iPhone works great in general, busy or very dynamic passages can sap the power quickly resulting in a flabby sounding bass or incoherency in the sound stage that would normally be there. In critical listening, this can be heard repeatedly over time, but on the go in a distracting environment, you will miss the decline in quality. The other point of quality reduction if I was to split hairs is that I feel that the range is somewhat stunted without the highest and lowest octaves being represented. Again, not a big deal or even noticeable on the road, but can be heard over time during quiet, critical listening.
The better than expected pairing with the iPhone was of great delight to me as it was a consideration when opting for the X over the Phantom which I was comparing. The Phantom seemed to scale down better at RMAF, but I have to admit that I was wrong and extremely happy I stayed the course with the X.
Scaling Up
Using my better sources or even my high-end desktop setup shows the significant value of the Legend X as it has the ability to scale up to an exotic level. Like all dynamic drivers, Legend X loves power. The more power, the harder the X kicks and the tighter the sound. While it does not sound to have any junk in the trunk at casual listening, the X tightens up immensely when offered a high powered source. The high amount of detail and textures that I mentioned earlier also scale with better DACs reaching a holographic sound stage quality. Adding clean power with a high-end DAC and you have a mini exotic headphone the can keep up with the likes of an LCD4 or Abyss. Don’t get me wrong, the full-sized headphones with offer a better experience when set up right, but you cannot go to the gym with that like you can with the Legend X.
Optimizing DAPs
My stable of DAPs is being consolidated down to my Calyx M and my Sony WM1a with my iPhone taking over the on the road duty. I also have the Hugo 2 for high end listening, but that is a class all its own. To supplement each of these, I have a magical little amp call the C&C BH2 which for $100 was a steal. They each have a roll to play in the sound quality adjustments when using my Legend X.
Options:
Optimizing Cables
Sorry doubters, cables do matter in some cases. While the provided Effect Audio copper cable is good enough and better than most offered stock cables, the PWAudio 1950 cable blows it out of the water as a match made in heaven for the Legend X………but at a steep cost. Having just run the PWAudio cable tour, I have their cables on hand and wanted to share some thoughts on upgrading cables.
Options:
Concluding Thoughts
This has been the longest review session that I have taken to get a review right. I found that the X took some time to settle in being a hybrid CIEM and each time I thought I was ready to write, it got better taking another leap up in sound quality. I am still not sure that I have seen the last of the burn in improvements. I also found that pairing and cables made more of a difference with this CIEM with the iPhone getting continually better as a pairing where it didn’t sound as good at first. Finally, I wanted to wait until I received a PWAudio tour set back to include them in the review. In the end, I think this led to a better review.
At first, it sat in the best of the best tier and has since set some new bars for different aspect mentioned within. At first, it was fatiguing, then it was not. This has led to numerous rewrites. When I heard it at RMAF, I thought it didn’t scale down well which almost cost me my purchase, glad I stuck with it. What I am trying to say is that this one grows on you like no other and needs some quality time with you before rendering judgment. I am really having fun with this CIEM and am listening to it more than any other.
After 5 years of searching for an on the go version of my speaker experience, I finally found it. This allows me to enjoy my music in my preferred format on the go and wherever I am. This is an easy CIEM to recommend to anyone looking for what I am out of a listening experience.
My Search
For those that don’t know me, I have hosted a large number of HeadFi audio gear tours, most being high-end CIEM lineups. What got me started was some hysterical claims of high quality on the go sound that I had to hear for myself, but had no way to do so. Having reached out to a few manufacturers, I have begun hosting tours to get the opportunity to hear them for myself, as well as to pass the opportunity on to other HeadFi members to share in the experience and discussion. Over the last number of years, I have come to several determinations:
- Overall High-Quality Sound: The quality has skyrocketed over the last 5 years to a point where there are rarely any CIEMs that I can claim not to like. It has become more a judgment on the signature mix in accordance to what I like.
- Room for Multiple CIEMs: While I have favorites in each signature style and even for particular genres, I listen to a wide range of music and have moods that change in the day from wanting to hear something tuned for fun vs. tuned for inking out every last ounce of detail. Therefore, I have a collection of several and enjoy them all. Even better, I rotate them to change up my sound when I feel like something new.
- Pairing/Source Matters: The final point that I feel is extremely important is that pairing matters. Yes, the cable matters a lot in some cases and that pairing depends on the pairing of the DAP as well as the genre or quality of the recording. There are some CIEMs that are highly sensitive to the impedance and some that are not, others have thicker signatures that need cables or sources that help clear up the sound. So for each CIEM, I have a favorite cable and a favorite source as well as a favorite genre to listen.
This brings me back to our discussion on the Legend X which I consider to be at the rarified level of being one of the best of the best. The particular use case that I had in mind for the X was the fun category given the dual dynamic subwoofers, but it has proven to be so much more. Given its Zeus DNA, the X drives tons of detail that were completely unexpected given the subwoofer configuration. It also offers high-value production at low volumes thanks to the subwoofer configuration as well. My biggest complaint with CIEMs is that I have to turn up the volume too high for comfortable listening on many to get optimal sound. Optimal sound to me is scaling the output to sound like I am in the same room as the band and they were standing in front of me at full size. This discomfort forces me to listen to many CIEMs at too low of a volume to get that effect which in effect forces me into the nose bleed section for listening. I have sat in the front row of many performances without fatigue at venues done right. The Legend X gives me this experience and even allows me to listen at lower volumes with great detail when listening in bed.
What I was searching for and not finding was an in-ear experience like my home speaker setup which the Legend X finally offers. My home speakers consist of Magneplanars with dual 12-inch high-end subwoofers converting the low-frequency range. They are crossed at 70 hertz so the subs do not fire until the lowest frequencies are called upon. This gives me great clarity in sound, but a lot of weight and girth in the note. The subwoofers dig down to 15 hertz allow me to feel the sound even when I cannot hear it – just like in real life. Somehow Jack’s team has recreated this experience in my ear and on the go. The beauty of this speaker system is that it can play well at low volume or at high volume – same with the X. When exercising in noisy environments, the extra bass response allows me to continue to enjoy the sound quality. When listening in bed, it allows me to turn down the volume without losing the quality.
While I have a CIEM collection with a few others sitting at the best of the best levels for their particular achievements, the Legend X is the most versatile and is currently my most used CIEM for all the reason mentioned above. Let’s take a deeper dive into Empire Ear’s remarkable achievement.
Legend X Configuration
The Legend X is a hybrid CIEM with 7 BAs and 2 dynamic subwoofers for a total of 9 drivers. What really excited me though was the 10-way crossover which is unique in the industry. I guess you can say that I am a crossover junky having started my journey with the Hidition NT6pro which I contributed its 5-way crossover to its success. The X is priced starting at $2,299 depending on your final custom options. Here is how Empire Ears describes the configuration:
At long last, the Legend has returned to the throne to push the limits of in-ear monitor performance to its highest point ever. Experience a world-class prestige IEM and a new era of uncompromising design and performance. From its arsenal of 7 proprietary drivers (including twin sequential W9 subwoofers) to its industry-leading, state-of-the-art 10-way synX crossover network, the Legend X is the culmination of everything extraordinary we do at Empire.
The goal of the designer in producing the Legend X signature is described on their site as this:
“While neutral in tone and a balanced signature throughout, an addictive treble energizes the music, while simultaneously remaining smooth. But our greatest challenge yet was incorporating the low-reaching, impactful bass of the W9 subwoofers, with technical performance rivaling any in-ear monitor on the market; a challenge we can proudly proclaim we have overcome. Offering top-tier levels of transparency and separation, as well as one of the widest sound stages in the industry, our flagship has earned its position at the top of the lineup: a Legend is reborn.”
After listening to Legend X, I can confirm that the designer has reached and surpassed his goals. I am even more convinced that the unique crossover setup has offered the speaker like setup utilizing the subwoofers that I was looking for.
Technical Specifications
So I don’t leave out the details, here are the technical specifications as provided by Empire Ears.
- 7 Proprietary Drivers, Hybrid Design
- 2 W9 Subwoofers, 2 Mid, 1 Mid-High, 1 High, 1 Super High
- 10-Way synX Crossover System
- A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology
- Impedance: 14 ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 40kHz
- Sensitivity: 102dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
- 26AWG UPOCC Litz Copper Cable, Handcrafted by Effect Audio
The making of the King
As expected with a premium manufacturer, Empire Ears has a premium builder that we have come to expect. And yes, there are lots of premium and limited choices as well as custom artwork that allows you to make your one of a kind masterpiece. If you want to try it out for yourself, please go here: https://empireears.com/products/product-designer?model=Legend X. It cost nothing to play with the builder, just have fun and see what you can do.
For those of you in the US, you will really appreciate the buying experience, no shipping nightmares with impressions or receiving your gear through foreign customs. You can even call EE and discuss ideas or concerns over the phone in your own time zone and language. Delivery is estimated at 5 weeks, but for an additional $300 rush fee you can get it in 10 days. I placed my order and a few weeks later, here it is.
To share the experience of receiving your Empire Ears Legend X, I decided to make an unboxing video for you….. enjoy.
The thing that stands out most when ordering Empire Ears products is that you get a cable that you can be proud of and actually use. This is a real departure from the standard throw away cables that we have gotten in the past. This is a high-quality copper cable handcrafted by Effect Audio, a well-known quality manufacturer. That means you can hear the X in all its glory on the receipt with no need to change the cable.
The kit itself is reasonably high quality as you would expect from a high-end manufacturer for a product at this price level. There are a number of expected accessories and a high-quality case. While I love the case and its quality, I typically get something different that is more portable for the gym or other outings.
The build quality of my CIEMs is superb and I have ordered enough now to know the difference. The look, feel, and design ooze quality.
Sound Quality
Now the good stuff…..it sounds great….the end.
The signature
This is first and foremost an audiophile CIEM that offers a balanced signature from end to end. The bass, while it might seem excessive or even a bass head configuration, I assure you that it is not. The bass is dialed way down and only comes out when called for. If you are listening to EDM, it is there in gobs, the Eagles it is not even there. The bass integrates gracefully throughout the frequency range offering top tier high-resolution textures and detail. What is even more impressive is the amount of black space between the notes. Again, the dual subwoofers scream dark when looking at the configuration, but it is not. There is no slop, no hum, no bass noise of any kind unless it is called for. The bass that is called for is very tight and can stop on a dime if needed. However, in keeping it real, the dynamic bass decay just feels right – that live feeling. When I say black space, I mean it in a big way as in large sound stage. This is a large stage and you are in the front row or on stage depending on the recording. The stage is very coherent where you can close your eyes and envision the stage. This incredible sound stage is a norm for Empire Ears coming from Zeus DNA and is not lost given the extra bass talents.
Technical Breakdown
Getting into the detail, here are my findings:
- Treble: This is a balanced treble and a very detailed treble. The treble has texture to it and can change to meet the needs of the music. If it needs to be splashy for a song, splashy it is, if it needs air, it is there, if it needs speed, yep, it is there too. When treble is the start of the song, this is what stands out with the X.
- Mids: Mids are very important to me as I am a voice person and this is where most of the action is. Heavy bass monitors tend to push a V curve with mids in the back, but not the X. The X puts you right next to the singer for a very intimate presentation. The mids also are very textured with a great layering of bass and treble detail to provide natural sounding, detailed voices.
- Bass: Big subs often step all over the bass….not the case. The X sounds like a CIEM without subs unless the music calls for it where the bass and the sub-bass integrate very nicely and very balanced. Soundtracks often have coherency issues for this reason with lessor CIEMs that get overwhelmed. This is where the crossover steps in and makes a difference in separating these intricate sounds while keeping them coherent.
- Sub: How low can you go….EE says 5 hertz which is a big statement. Unique to the X, I can say that during extreme sub action, there are times I feel it in my chest where I cannot hear the sound which is like my home speaker experience. There is so much excessive real estate these dual subwoofers that I have to imagine that they had a plan and I am guessing it had something to do with the crossover magic. This is the best subwoofer response I have ever heard in a CIEM, PERIOD. Nailed it. Not just in the class of best of best, but raised the bar.
- Sound Stage: Just like the Zeus, this relative has the same DNA with a magical sound stage. This puts the Legend X at the best of the best in sound stage shared with very few CIEMs.
- Coherency: Again, coming from the Zeus DNA, there is a magical coherency that ties into its grand sound stage. As mentioned earlier, just close your eyes and you can imagine the band surrounding you and you will easily be able to point out their locations.
- Sizing: This again is a unique quality that the Legend X has nailed that I find lacking in so many CIEMs. This is the ability to get the entire band to sound right sized and coherent as well as being able to reach an optimal sizing within a listenable volume. The Legend X can recreate a sound stage at full size within the easy listening volume range and there are no weird artifacts like a drummer that sounds like a chipmunk or that he is playing from a room in the back of the building. The Legend X gets this right, nailed it, best of the best category.
- Low Volume: As described in sizing, the Legend X creates a coherent sound stage at reasonably low volume and it doesn’t fall apart with volume is reduced significantly allowing for low volume listening. This allows me to listen very comfortably in bed while falling asleep without fatigue.
Scaling my source down to an iPhone and using the stock cable, how does it sound? It sounds fantastic! When first hearing the X at RMAF, I didn’t feel that it did well with my iPhone, but on receiving my own custom, I have to say that I have been impressed. It is wonderful just the Legend X and my iPhone on the road or in the gym. This makes for a very convenient listening scenario. Yes, it does scale up significantly when paired correctly, but on the road where there is lots of noise and distraction, this is not so apparent. It is very nice not to have to wield some special stack on the road to hear music at the level that I have come to expect now that I am spoiled.
Regardless, lets split some hairs and discuss where scaling matters. While the iPhone works great in general, busy or very dynamic passages can sap the power quickly resulting in a flabby sounding bass or incoherency in the sound stage that would normally be there. In critical listening, this can be heard repeatedly over time, but on the go in a distracting environment, you will miss the decline in quality. The other point of quality reduction if I was to split hairs is that I feel that the range is somewhat stunted without the highest and lowest octaves being represented. Again, not a big deal or even noticeable on the road, but can be heard over time during quiet, critical listening.
The better than expected pairing with the iPhone was of great delight to me as it was a consideration when opting for the X over the Phantom which I was comparing. The Phantom seemed to scale down better at RMAF, but I have to admit that I was wrong and extremely happy I stayed the course with the X.
Scaling Up
Using my better sources or even my high-end desktop setup shows the significant value of the Legend X as it has the ability to scale up to an exotic level. Like all dynamic drivers, Legend X loves power. The more power, the harder the X kicks and the tighter the sound. While it does not sound to have any junk in the trunk at casual listening, the X tightens up immensely when offered a high powered source. The high amount of detail and textures that I mentioned earlier also scale with better DACs reaching a holographic sound stage quality. Adding clean power with a high-end DAC and you have a mini exotic headphone the can keep up with the likes of an LCD4 or Abyss. Don’t get me wrong, the full-sized headphones with offer a better experience when set up right, but you cannot go to the gym with that like you can with the Legend X.
Optimizing DAPs
My stable of DAPs is being consolidated down to my Calyx M and my Sony WM1a with my iPhone taking over the on the road duty. I also have the Hugo 2 for high end listening, but that is a class all its own. To supplement each of these, I have a magical little amp call the C&C BH2 which for $100 was a steal. They each have a roll to play in the sound quality adjustments when using my Legend X.
Options:
- Calyx M: Stock Legend X with the Calyx M is as good as it gets. This is a match made in heaven. This has been my go to set up whenever I am willing to carry around a dap or when I go to bed at night. The Calyx M opens up the sound stage even wider with even blacker spaces between the instruments. This is a pairing where everything sounds so right. The slider volume control on the M allows me to play with the volume more than normal in optimizing the volume per song. The only downside is the 4-hour battery that needs to be recharged daily. ☹
- Sony WM1A: My new favorite pairing when upgrading the cable to the PWAudio 1950….WOW! While the stock pairing sounded boring and thick, 1950 brings out the dynamics and black space. This makes this combo an outrageous combination. This is the best I have ever heard the X in a portable configuration.
- Hugo 2: My Hugo 2 has been an outstanding performer that consistently brings performance to everything plugged into it. Definitely, the case here too as it sounds wonderful. However, Hugo 2 has a weird power of transforming all headphones into an extension of its sound. The Legend X is no different transforming to the Hugo 2 sound when plugged into it. While this is a good thing, my description becomes more of the Hugo 2 than the X.
- C&C BH2 Amp: Here is the fun part, at $100, this discontinued amp has provided me with 40 hour play time per charge for over 5 years now with no signs of deterioration. Everything I plug it into benefits from its SQ and power. However, in this case, it is the Sony WM1A that I am focused on. The stock legend X sounded muddy with the Sony and a bit boring. By adding the BH2, the DAC quality cleared up to sound more like the Calyx M sound and the BH2 added mooooooooore pooooower……boom – dynamics galore. Remember, the BH2 is an amp, not a DAC so how it cleared up the Sony DAC, I don’t know. But the Sony > BH2 beat the Calyx M pairing with the Legend X. So it really came down to the question of wanting to carry one extra component as a stack verse using the Calyx M alone. Unexpectedly, with the PWAudio 1950 cable, the BH2 became too much in dynamics with me preferring the Sony > 1950 straight without the BH2.
- Hugo 2 > Burson Fun: Boy that Burson Fun sure manhandles the Legend X. You can feel the iron grip and tightness of all that power. I mean this in a good way, no slop, just tight holographic sound quality. This is a WOW pairing that is very addictive. I am doing a review of the Burson Fun right now having just completed a review of their Play and can say that at the price offered these products are a steal. Paired with the Hugo 2, they almost keep up with my Eddie Current ZDs and Hugo 2 paring.
Optimizing Cables
Sorry doubters, cables do matter in some cases. While the provided Effect Audio copper cable is good enough and better than most offered stock cables, the PWAudio 1950 cable blows it out of the water as a match made in heaven for the Legend X………but at a steep cost. Having just run the PWAudio cable tour, I have their cables on hand and wanted to share some thoughts on upgrading cables.
Options:
- Stock Cable: The Effect Audio copper cable provided is beautiful and wonderful sounding…..period. No more needed to be said except why doesn’t everyone else offer a quality cable. My guess is that a lot of the wow provided by the Legend X is that it is not being held back by an inferior cable as most CIEMs are. This is a cable that I would spend good money on to replace the crap that other manufacturers provide. Thank you Jack, this is a wonderful gift. I just hope that other manufacturers take note and do the same. This cable combination is wonderful and I wouldn’t know how good if I didn’t have a number of cable tours that I am hosting. Every cable I tried on the Legend X made a difference in the signature with copper being the best compromise in the lower priced cables with silver often forming a v shape signature at an extreme. The Effect Audio held its own until I reached the rarified tiers of PWAudio – their 1900 lineup.
- PWAudio 1950: 1950 is a match made in heaven. 1950 tightens everything up, blackens the space between, and offers a bit wider sound stage. The sound quality becomes somewhat holographic and the staging becomes even more coherent. Even better, it works a lot like a virtual APEX module taking the fatigue out of the heavier bass passages. If you have the money for 1950, it is worth it to offer the X its soulmate.
- PWAudio 1960: 1960 is a fun cable. It takes the X dual subwoofers boom up a notch. It also adds more texture to the mids for a more emotional voice. However, there are some songs that can become too thick paired with 1960. If your genre is classic rock or oldies than you will love this combo. If you are into EDM, 1950 is your cable.
- PWAudio 1980: I loved 1980 with my other CIEMs, but with the X I felt it leaned toward a V-shaped signature. While it sounds wonderful and had many WOW moments, I thought the stock Effect Audio cable was more appropriate for general listening.
Concluding Thoughts
This has been the longest review session that I have taken to get a review right. I found that the X took some time to settle in being a hybrid CIEM and each time I thought I was ready to write, it got better taking another leap up in sound quality. I am still not sure that I have seen the last of the burn in improvements. I also found that pairing and cables made more of a difference with this CIEM with the iPhone getting continually better as a pairing where it didn’t sound as good at first. Finally, I wanted to wait until I received a PWAudio tour set back to include them in the review. In the end, I think this led to a better review.
At first, it sat in the best of the best tier and has since set some new bars for different aspect mentioned within. At first, it was fatiguing, then it was not. This has led to numerous rewrites. When I heard it at RMAF, I thought it didn’t scale down well which almost cost me my purchase, glad I stuck with it. What I am trying to say is that this one grows on you like no other and needs some quality time with you before rendering judgment. I am really having fun with this CIEM and am listening to it more than any other.
After 5 years of searching for an on the go version of my speaker experience, I finally found it. This allows me to enjoy my music in my preferred format on the go and wherever I am. This is an easy CIEM to recommend to anyone looking for what I am out of a listening experience.
Sound~Patriot
Great review but the LX has 7 drivers - - - > 2 W9 Subwoofers, 2 Mid, 1 Mid-High, 1 High, 1 Super High.
(Under the LX Config headline you wrote : 7 BA drivers + 2 DD = 9 drivers)
- - - > 2 W9 Subwoofers, 2 Mid, 1 Mid-High, 1 High, 1 Super High.(Under the LX Config headline you wrote : 7 BA drivers + 2 DD = 9 drivers)
RebeccaSugar
The "Full SQ" burn in is a relief, honestly. I'm not as impressed as other people seem to be, at least not $2000 impressed.
iBo0m
Another 5-stars for Legend X... Very good reading! and the comparison of the PW Audio TOTL cables, not many people can compare the whole 19XX line at the same time
Very good reading! and the comparison of the PW Audio TOTL cables, not many people can compare the whole 19XX line at the same time
To be honest, at a price point of $299 compared to my $2700 Chord Hugo 2, I wasn’t expecting much. I was just expecting to beat my computer’s ASUS motherboard built-in upgraded audio which is lackluster at best and to be more convenient as a permanent attachment to my computer. Mission accomplished! However, I am finding the PLAY to be way more capable than that and has opened my eyes to new possibilities.
What I didn’t expect was that the PLAY standalone through USB is driving my LCD2.2, my HD800s, and my extensive collection of CIEMs to their full potential. Yes, there are different flavors and better equipment, but if I didn’t mention that the sound wasn’t coming from my much more expensive gear, listeners would assume it was. This is not a dig at my more expensive gear, but a complement to a very capable Burson PLAY.
Configuration
The PLAY (basic) was built with PC gaming in mind to bring rich audio to gameplay. My hope was to install it into an open DVD bay and to have easy access to good sound without having to set up my more expensive chain. The PLAY as a modular design that is meant to either sit nicely on a desk or to be slipped neatly into a computer case and powered by the PC. As you can see from the back panel image below, there is a standard PC power plug allowing it to be powered from the case.
As you can see from the model options below, the PLAY comes in configurations ranging from my Basic $299 configuration to the upgraded Opamp options V6 Vivid or Classic at $549. This review is based on the Basic $299 configuration, so as you can imagine, I am very interested to hear what the upgrade can offer.
The Burson Play features the SABRE32/ESS9018 DAC chip and Xmos USB receiver chip. Both are technological benchmarks in the audiophile industry. To minimize distortion, the Play is tuned to operate in pure Class-A. Outputting 2000 mWatt per channel, it is over 20 times more powerful than the next best soundcard. To top it off, the Play features a high-performance mic input and fits into any PC case elegantly.
For this review, I have the PLAY set up on my desktop across from my computer using a longer USB cable to reach my audio table next to my Hugo 2 and my Eddie Current ZDs tube amp. I have the required XMOS driver installed from the Burson website. My plan is to pair my library of headphones and CIEMs with the Play as well as try using the PLAY DAC with my ZDs to see how those two play together.
How does it Sound
To put it simply, it sounds like an audiophile headphone DAC/amplifier. The 9018 DAC chip is a well-known performer in audiophile circles….. when implemented correctly – and the implementation is outstanding in the PLAY. The key theme for the PLAY sound signature is a detailed, dynamic, and black background. While there is no color, there is a welcome richness to the bottom end offered through the highly dynamic quality. The dynamics and the bottom end offer a richness to the detail with gobs of texturing. The colorless black background is almost eerie and abyss like that provides superb spacing between the instruments. The soundstage is nice, but not the widest that I have heard. It feels deeper than wide offering great layering. While the detail is the star of the show, the texturing offers a natural organic feel to the resulting sound.
What is important about the Play sound is that there is no sound or signature, the play gets out of the way to allow you to listen and enjoy your music. Often equipment offers a mix of results that sound great with some genres or songs, but not with others. Not with the Play. It is a very neutral and flat response with full-sized instruments, much like listening to a good speaker system. While neutral and flat may sound boring, I assure you that this is not the case, the Play offers a very dynamic, textured, and detailed window with a large sound stage.
How does it Pair
For the most part, I listened to the Play using my HD800. However, I have a wide variety of CIEMs and HPs to try. I even added my Eddie Current ZDs tube amp to the mix to determine how the DAC scales with higher-end equipment. Here is what I found:
- Sennheiser HD800: To dial in my HD800, I use SonarWorks True-Fi adding what I need to be truly satisfied with the HD800 signature – more texture, dynamics, and bass/sub-bass. This is the same setting I use when I listen through my Hugo 2 or my Hugo 2 > Eddie Current ZDs setups. When just listening to the Play without a direct comparison, there is little to notice as I don’t feel like I am missing anything. In fact, the Play feels like it has a little more power than the Hugo 2. Either way, the HD800 feels like it is giving all it can give leaving nothing to be desired from any of the three setups. The Play is a great pairing with the HD800 offering lots of power to drive the headphone’s higher 300-ohm impedance. Often on lesser setups, the HD800 can sound congested in busy passages or bottom out with big bass booms – but not happening on the Play. Lesson devices can sound noisy that detracts from the gobs of HD800 detail – again, not so on the Play. Great pairing.
- HiFiman HEX: There is nothing unexpected here as the HEX sounds good on anything including an iPhone. However, there is the occasion that a cheap source can make the HEX sound bright. This is not the case with the Play, as it is a very nice pairing providing everything the HEX is famous for.
- Audeze LCD2.2: The LCD2’s are known for gobs of godly bass and always deliver including with the Play. However, this is my least favorite pairing as the LCD2 can be particular in the source to offer its best. While the LCD has clarity and slam with the Play, it doesn’t have the larger soundstage that some setups have to offer….that is until I add the EC ZDs. Now I am hearing what I am after. The Hugo 2 ZDs goes wider in soundstage, but without a direct comparison, the Play is good enough.
- 64 Audio A18 CIEMs: Booooom….wow, this is the biggest I have heard the A18 bass. While it is almost too much stepping on the mids a little, I am enjoying it very much. Moving to songs with less bass, the dynamics get very snappy but very controlled with no slop. The snaps are crisp, the guitar is very plucky. If I have any complaint, it would be that the sound stage on the A18 is compressed a little compared to the Hugo 2 source it usually is paired with. While this is a great pairing, I like the Mason pairing better. However, I have to say that the a18 is sounding very big and full sized which is "mucho" fun. Moving to the Play > ZDs, there is a big noticeable upgrade in a18 performance as it is liking the ZDs tube sound better.
- Empire Ears Legend X CIEMs: The LX says hell ya to the Play. It sounds wonderful. The LX is known for its dual subwoofers which are very tight and controlled with the Play. These sit on top of the Empire Ears famous Zeus SQ to provide a complete audiophile home stereo sound. The dynamics are very punchy while the black space in between the instruments stays very dark and clean. This is a wonderful pairing. This pairing is bringing the voices front and center and offering a lot more emotion to the mix. Like the a18, my only complaint is that I have heard a wider sound stage on other gear, but I am being fussy. Moving to the Play > ZDs, I trade some of the blackness for euphonics and richness. I also get some of the soundstage back. Both ways, the details are intense.
- Unique Melody Mason V3 CIEMs: The Mason is my favorite CIEM for voice – male and female - and is a wonderful all-rounder that grows on you over time as does the HD800 (implemented correctly). They offer gobs of detail and texturing with black space and sound stage galore. This plays into all the strengths of the Play as the pair very well together. In fact, this is the best I have ever heard the Mason sound.
- Eddie Current ZDs Tube Amp: When pairing with the ZDs, I am focused on the SABRE 9018 DAC implementation. My comparable is the Hugo 2 which is a much more expensive custom DAC so we are not comparing apples for apple price wise, but it is interesting anyway. By itself, the 9018 implementation disappears into the ZDs tube goodness as it should offering intense detail, black space, and texturing that is enhanced by the ZDs. The pairing is wonderful allowing the ZDs to provide a very lifelike and compelling dynamics and texturing that brings out the nuances that are available in your music selection. There is nothing lacking in this matchup and the results are spectacular. However, in a direct A/B comparison (via source selection switch on the ZDs panel) with the Hugo 2, there are some subtle, but noticeable differences that make the Hugo 2 better….. surprise. Regardless, they are subtle and without a direct A/B comparison, only the most advanced audiophile may notice. The advantages the Hugo 2 offers for the additional $2500 is a slight increase in the soundstage with a bit more of the holographic goodness that the Hugo 2 is known for as well as a smoother treble integration. As a result of this comparison, I will likely keep the Play connected to the ZDs to free up the Hugo 2 for mobile duties as it has an internal battery.
Conclusion
As the title says, this audition kicked my $299 expectations of the Play to the curb. For 99 percent of the music listeners out there, the Play is good enough – no need to go any further. Most will not be able to tell the difference in quality in direct comparison to my $2800 Hugo 2. However, for us 1 percenters that want to see how much further we can go…. the V6 Vivid or Classic upgrade kit is shown in the table above may prove to be irresistible. What does that extra $250 have to offer? I may have to find out so I can offer an update.
NymPHONOmaniac
Gotta love 9018. Nice review.
A Little Background
As an audiophile or audio enthusiast, it was the love of music that began my journey. First, it was my loud bedroom teenage home stereo boombox or stack system with buddies, then a high fidelity car system as I got older, then an immersive high-end home speaker system that evolved into some real money. Then I had kids and could no longer play my speakers when I wanted nor at the volume level I did before, nor the selections that I previously listened. My dual high-end subwoofers went silent. That took me to headphones and ultimately Head-Fi.
64 Audio A12t is all about the Music
Headphones are different, they are not shared with everyone else in the room at the same time – they are an individual journey. Tied to a setup by a wire or cut off from the rest of the world in CIEM bliss, this is a whole new way of listening. Headphones even allow you to hear your music differently allowing you to rediscover your music library hearing things you had never heard before. After a while, I stopped listening to the music, rather parts of songs that I indexed in my audio test collections to compare the performance of various headphones or other components in the chain. It became active listening setting up A/B listening sessions looking for the ultimate setup. The point of this rant is that I lost the point of the whole music experience. However……. with the A12t, it is all about the music – it’s good to be back.
Taking CIEMs to the Next Level
Hosting numerous TOTL CIEM tours on Head-Fi, I have heard a large number of fantastic CIEMs and have a large number of them in my collection and enjoy them all. There is a point that you get to that you feel these fantastic TOTL CIEMs stop being better, but just different. This is not the case with the 64 Audio TIA technology. The Fourte’, A18t, Trio, and A12t in the TIA family all feel more like a full-sized headphone in performance taking CIEMs to the next level. In the right system, my A18t easily goes head to head scaling with the exotic headphones like my HD800 or HEX, or even the Utopia or LCD4 – game on!
Splitting Hairs in the Next Level
Owning both the A18t and the A12t, it is easy to say that the 12 is the 18’s warmer little brother. The 18 is still more talented than the 12, but not by much. While the 18 still scales higher than the 12 and is a little more balanced for the true audiophile, the secret of the 12 is that it scales down better making everything sound TOTL…………even my iPhone 6 playing low res streaming Apple Music. Armed with the new LID technology – which my 18 does not have – the 12 retains its intended frequency response no matter what source it is plugged into and it really seems to work well. The 12 is also warmer with a little more bass presence that takes the fun factor up a notch adding more toe-tapping to every song. The 18 is no slouch when it comes to bass, so this is saying a lot. However, the 12 is an elevated bass done right with no slop – just deep and tight - and no stepping on the mids. Both the 12 and 18 share a bell-like clarity/transparency due to the TIA drivers that is very unique and very impressive.
As mentioned above, I have spent a lot of time playing with the 64 Audio family having hosted both the 18/Fourte’ and the 12t/Trio US tours. Owning both the 12 and 18 as customs have given me a unique opportunity to test the universal vs. the custom versions as well.
Listening thoughts within the Tia Family:
The Sweet Spot
While I have a very nice collection of headphones and CIEMs and some nice DAPs, cables, DACs, AMPs, speakers, and other audio equipment – what really matters is …. what do I actually listen to? Having sunk a small fortune into this type of gear that question starts to matter. My best setup is at my desktop, but it is located in my office and not overly comfortable and ties me to a cable so that really limits my listening time. Most of my listening actually happens when I am working out, or at night in bed going to sleep, or during travel. This is why CIEMs have become so important to me as they work best in each of those environments. Even more important to me is that with the TIA family, I now can have full sized HP fidelity on the go so no sacrifices here. The point that I am trying to make here is that the A12t by far gets the most ear time of any of my equipment.
TOTL CIEMs have really gotten expensive lately with bargain TOTLs in the low $1000s and mid-tier pricing at about $2K with the high-side pricing going past the moon at 5 digit pricing. However, CIEM performance is now meeting or exceeding full sized headphone performance while offering superior convenience. The 12t priced at $1999 is not cheap, but it is only mid-tier pricing while providing top-tier performance providing what I would call the best price to performance in the market. Sounds funny to call a $2K item high price to performance, but it does have a significant jump in performance to the other more bargain-priced TOTL CIEMs that I own as well as the higher priced CIEMs outside of 64 Audio that I have auditioned. While the $2999 A18t is definitely better than the A12t in performance, the 12 is not far behind with at a significant discount in price. As you can see in the descriptions below, the 12 and 18 are configured identically – less the LID tech – with the 18 having 2 additional mid and 4 low drivers. I guess the 4 low drivers provided in the 12t must be extra-large to provide that bass lift, but the two extra mid drivers do add more emotion to the mix for the 18. In the end, any way you look at it, you get what you pay for. But IMO, at $2K for the 12t you can jump up a level in performance from the higher priced competition or at $3K for the 18 you can sit at the very top. The bottom line for me is that the 12t is what I see as the best price to performance in the market and the one I use most.
The Buying Experience
Having hosted both the Fourte’/18 and the Trio/12 tours for 64 Audio, I definitely had a communication advantage when ordering these CIEMs, but based on the rave reviews I am hearing about customer service with 64 Audio, I don’t think it was that much of an advantage. I used the traditional ordering system when ordering mine which is a huge step up from other manufacturers where they are still in the dark ages in their ordering process. 64 Audio has a design application that allows you to see your design unfold as you build it so there is no confusion. You can go back and forth between your choices until you get it right. The best part is that you can go there now to check out what your custom CIEM can look like with no obligation before making the buying decision. https://www.64audio.com/designer/#model
Placing your order is straightforward with no cryptic payment methods nor communication issues and can be done over the phone if something really special is needed. The final step after completing your design and setting up your account is to buy your new CIEM which is as easy to as using Amazon.com. After your purchase, you can follow the build process in your account so you always know that state of your order from the beginning to the end with 14 steps highlighted. This is displayed on demand within your account in their site and they provide email notification when the option is selected. Now this is what I consider notch customer service with fantastic transparency. Below is a screenshot of my a18 order process where I was able to watch the checkmarks advance as the steps were completed.
The 64 Audio team is easy to contact by email or over the phone during normal US PST working hours which is a huge bonus for US customers that are used to only overseas purchases. As a US citizen buying from a US company, I didn’t have to worry about shipping, customs, tariffs or any other additional fees or holdups. I opted for FedEx overnight shipping and it was at my door the next morning after shipping.
My Results
The box is much smaller than the universal version, but the contents are much more pleasing.
Inside, you find the case with my name on it and some stats on the 12t.
Inside the case, you find everything you need from the CIEMs to the Apex modules as well as a cleaning brush and a clip that doubles as an Apex module grabber. Notice that the cable raps nicely in the case.
I wanted to try a number of options in my design to make them look good, but mainly, I like to be able to tell the left from the right when putting them on. My normal color scheme is white for the right so that I can see it in a darker environment. This time I added rhinestones to provide an obvious texture to tell them apart in pitch black. Under the rhinestones was the pearl option. For the left, I went carbon fiber with a graphic on top. I also decided to go with flush pins on this CIEM as I had trouble with some cables on the a18.
While the premium cable is good enough on the 12t, I opted for a higher quality custom cable that was much prettier and offer better performance. Notice the case.... this is the backside and I added a Ying Yang symbol to be able to tell my 64 Audio CIEMs apart. It came out really nice.
Overall, the quality of the build is outstanding. There is a C&C precision to the 64 Audio CIEMs that make many of the others look more...... homemade for lack of a better term. The build is flawless with the 3d fit technology and 3d printing. https://www.64audio.com/3dfit
The Sound
The 64 Audio 12t is like my Hifiman HEX, it is very transparent with a bell-like clarity, highly textured, very detailed soundstage which is bigger than normal, and with a slightly elevated low end. The important thing to read here is that the 12t sounds like a full-sized headphone with an out of your head experience. Another character that they share is that they sound great on everything. While I say that they have an elevated low end, this is still a very balanced signature with the right sizing of all singers and instruments and fantastic placement on a moderately sized soundstage. They both are also forward signatures as if in the front row or on stage. The common breakdown that everyone looks for is:
The 12t has LID technology that allows it to use any source with varying impedances and sound the same. It also has elevated bass that helps fill in the greatest weaknesses in lower end sources. Together, the performance that the 12t provides is consistent even dropping down to a cellular phone or other poor sources. This makes it very portable to be used anywhere without the need to carry your other expensive gear to make it sound nice. This means, that using my iPhone 6 in the gym to drive my 12t, I am getting full audiophile quality sound on the go. Because of this, it is my most used headphones in my entire collection. All my other gear requires some sort of compromise.
Scaling Up
While the 12t’s greatest value is its ability to scale down, it does a nice job of scaling up too. There are certain pairings that bring out the best in the 12t such as source material, better well-matched gear, and cables. Because the 12t sounds so great out of a poor source, the scaling up is more subtle amounting to the last mile – meaning that it is not day and night, but an addition 5% maybe.
Optimizing DAPs
I had almost given up on my Sony WM1a until I heard it with my 12t using a high-end cable. All of a sudden, the Sony WM1a that I remembered came out to play. On the other hand, my Calyx M which is my favorite DAP for SQ is not so great with the 12t… not sure why. My iPhone 6, on the other hand, seems to be a great match. Oh ya, the Hugo 2 sounds stellar with the 12t, but the pairing with the 18 is so much better than if I go to the trouble of bringing that bad boy out, I step up to the 18s anyway. This goes back to the scaling down value as I always have my iPhone 6 available and it sounds wonderful together. I don’t have to worry about any other expensive gear to make it sound good and I can listen to them anywhere.
Optimizing Cables
Cables do have more of an influence on the 12t for me. However, even though I have been inundated lately with awesome and very expensive cables from my tours, the key ingredient that improves the 12t from the standard provided premium cable is the core count. It is hit or miss on the 4 core but sounds great with all 8 core. Even cheap ones that I have from outside my tours. That said, there is something special about the Han Sound Venom, Aurora, and Redcore cables if you have the budget that takes it a couple steps further. The Venom is only 4-wire and the Aurora is 6-wire, so I may be the girth of material as well. The difference shows up in a broader soundstage with blacker background and noticeably improved details. The Venom and Aurora both have a euphonic quality that they add as well.
Concluding Thoughts
I think I pretty much summarized early, but I will say it again. If I could only have one, the 12t would probably be it as the utilization factor is off the charts with SQ very close to the top. The ability to scale down is much more important that I imagined having experienced it in practice. My 18 are better, but to get them to a place that I can experience that requires a greater effort which defaults me back to the 12t again. It says a lot when they are by far my most used CIEM in my large collection. Besides, it would be hard to go wrong with any of the Tia family from 64 Audio.
As an audiophile or audio enthusiast, it was the love of music that began my journey. First, it was my loud bedroom teenage home stereo boombox or stack system with buddies, then a high fidelity car system as I got older, then an immersive high-end home speaker system that evolved into some real money. Then I had kids and could no longer play my speakers when I wanted nor at the volume level I did before, nor the selections that I previously listened. My dual high-end subwoofers went silent. That took me to headphones and ultimately Head-Fi.
64 Audio A12t is all about the Music
Headphones are different, they are not shared with everyone else in the room at the same time – they are an individual journey. Tied to a setup by a wire or cut off from the rest of the world in CIEM bliss, this is a whole new way of listening. Headphones even allow you to hear your music differently allowing you to rediscover your music library hearing things you had never heard before. After a while, I stopped listening to the music, rather parts of songs that I indexed in my audio test collections to compare the performance of various headphones or other components in the chain. It became active listening setting up A/B listening sessions looking for the ultimate setup. The point of this rant is that I lost the point of the whole music experience. However……. with the A12t, it is all about the music – it’s good to be back.
Taking CIEMs to the Next Level
Hosting numerous TOTL CIEM tours on Head-Fi, I have heard a large number of fantastic CIEMs and have a large number of them in my collection and enjoy them all. There is a point that you get to that you feel these fantastic TOTL CIEMs stop being better, but just different. This is not the case with the 64 Audio TIA technology. The Fourte’, A18t, Trio, and A12t in the TIA family all feel more like a full-sized headphone in performance taking CIEMs to the next level. In the right system, my A18t easily goes head to head scaling with the exotic headphones like my HD800 or HEX, or even the Utopia or LCD4 – game on!
Splitting Hairs in the Next Level
Owning both the A18t and the A12t, it is easy to say that the 12 is the 18’s warmer little brother. The 18 is still more talented than the 12, but not by much. While the 18 still scales higher than the 12 and is a little more balanced for the true audiophile, the secret of the 12 is that it scales down better making everything sound TOTL…………even my iPhone 6 playing low res streaming Apple Music. Armed with the new LID technology – which my 18 does not have – the 12 retains its intended frequency response no matter what source it is plugged into and it really seems to work well. The 12 is also warmer with a little more bass presence that takes the fun factor up a notch adding more toe-tapping to every song. The 18 is no slouch when it comes to bass, so this is saying a lot. However, the 12 is an elevated bass done right with no slop – just deep and tight - and no stepping on the mids. Both the 12 and 18 share a bell-like clarity/transparency due to the TIA drivers that is very unique and very impressive.
As mentioned above, I have spent a lot of time playing with the 64 Audio family having hosted both the 18/Fourte’ and the 12t/Trio US tours. Owning both the 12 and 18 as customs have given me a unique opportunity to test the universal vs. the custom versions as well.
Listening thoughts within the Tia Family:
- Custom vs. Universal: Overall, I have found that both the custom and universal version of the 18 and 12 have the same technical performance…. the end. No…. it is not that easy as we have not talked about the importance of fit which means YMMV. If I sit perfectly still and don’t breath, perhaps holding my ears in such a way to get a perfect seal, then yes – there is an identical performance with the universal. However, if I turn my head or sneeze, then I lose the seal and there goes the performance. Furthermore, the sub-bass is very susceptible to a perfect seal so it is the first to go. There is also an extended treble in critical listening that requires the perfect seal, but not as obvious as losing your sub bass. Moving to the custom versions, I can workout or job or actively move around the house without ever losing the perfect seal always retaining my frequency extension both directions. While resale value is a considerable issue, I would always personally chose a custom version to get the ultimate in performance, but that is an individual decision. One last factor to consider is the tuning ability by tip choice. While some may feel this is a value, the APEX modules allow better tuning options – so again, a personal decision.
- Fourte’/Trio vs. 12t/18: This is a very personal decision as well given the Tia driver performance is equivalent in each. Where they vary is in their bass presentation. My feeling is that you should own both as they are that different. The dynamic capabilities are much more alive and dynamic while the BA capabilities are more emotional and technically proficient. Yes, I said it, the 18 is more technically proficient than the Fourte’ IMO while the Fourte’ is more fun. Same with the 12 vs. the Trio, but less so. The 12 feels like it has the most fun/proficient bass performance in the family that balances out the Trio/12 equation. The 12 feel cleaner and crisper while the Trio feels more euphonic. So the question comes to performance vs. price where 18/Fourte’ offer a higher performance in direct comparison, but the 12/Trio are not very far behind and may be good enough. It also comes down to technical vs. musical edge preference with the Fourte’/Trio being on the musical side and the 12/18 being on the technical side. In the end, I cannot see anyone upset with any of the four or all of the four as they are stand out performers. Just chose what is right for you in the price/performance and tech/musical preferences and you will have a winner for years. To fine-tune your choice, check out the graphic below.
- 18 vs. 12t: The best way to describe the difference here is that the 18 scales up better and the 12 scales down better. I listen to my 12 more as I can hear it on the road with my iPhone 6 and be extremely happy with the performance. Even my Calyx M and Sony WM1A don’t drive my 18 right after hearing what it can do. My 18 is my go to when I drag out my Hugo 2 which is an extremely winning combination. It sounds even better on my desktop, but my full sized HD800 or HEX is often more convenient in this scenario allowing me to get up and move around better than my mostly shorter CIEM cables. The 18 doesn’t feel satisfying on my iPhone 6 where the enhanced bass on the 12t fills in the iPhone limitations. The mentioned LID technology probably helps the 12t a lot here as well. So are you into the ultimate in performance or the ultimate in convenience?
- Fourte’ vs. Trio: These two are very close and in many ways, I prefer the Trio to the Fourte’. This may come down to the universal fit. Both are fantastic performers and very euphonic, but I always had the feeling that the Fourte’ needed a little more bass. This is why I think it may be more to do with the universal fit not sealing correctly. When playing with the fit, I do get a big sub bass boost every once in a while that makes me think that a custom version may answer my needs very nicely. With the seal issue, the enhanced Trio bass helps me get the bass performance that I am looking for. Therefore, for me I would go Trio over Fourte’ is we do not get a custom option.
- Apex Modules: The Apex modules are awesome allowing us to have two CIEMs in one. While I usually settle on one configuration and leave it there most of the time, being able to convert to a new signature helps renew interest in equipment that you become too accustomed to and lose appreciation for. They are easy to change and easy to recognize the differences. However, in both cases, the true purpose is to alleviate pressure issues in your ears which allows you to save your hearing. Even better, while saving your hearing, you can elevate the volume to get to the proper sizing which IMO adds a lot to the performance of any headphone or CIEM. Overall, Apex modules raise the performance of the CIEMs by adding a lot of soundstage size and boosting the size of the players on the stage to sound more natural. Now that is a win-win – better SQ and save your hearing.
- Conclusion: I cannot wait until 64 Audio comes out with a custom version of the Fourte’/Trio so that I can figure out a way to own all four.
While I have a very nice collection of headphones and CIEMs and some nice DAPs, cables, DACs, AMPs, speakers, and other audio equipment – what really matters is …. what do I actually listen to? Having sunk a small fortune into this type of gear that question starts to matter. My best setup is at my desktop, but it is located in my office and not overly comfortable and ties me to a cable so that really limits my listening time. Most of my listening actually happens when I am working out, or at night in bed going to sleep, or during travel. This is why CIEMs have become so important to me as they work best in each of those environments. Even more important to me is that with the TIA family, I now can have full sized HP fidelity on the go so no sacrifices here. The point that I am trying to make here is that the A12t by far gets the most ear time of any of my equipment.
TOTL CIEMs have really gotten expensive lately with bargain TOTLs in the low $1000s and mid-tier pricing at about $2K with the high-side pricing going past the moon at 5 digit pricing. However, CIEM performance is now meeting or exceeding full sized headphone performance while offering superior convenience. The 12t priced at $1999 is not cheap, but it is only mid-tier pricing while providing top-tier performance providing what I would call the best price to performance in the market. Sounds funny to call a $2K item high price to performance, but it does have a significant jump in performance to the other more bargain-priced TOTL CIEMs that I own as well as the higher priced CIEMs outside of 64 Audio that I have auditioned. While the $2999 A18t is definitely better than the A12t in performance, the 12 is not far behind with at a significant discount in price. As you can see in the descriptions below, the 12 and 18 are configured identically – less the LID tech – with the 18 having 2 additional mid and 4 low drivers. I guess the 4 low drivers provided in the 12t must be extra-large to provide that bass lift, but the two extra mid drivers do add more emotion to the mix for the 18. In the end, any way you look at it, you get what you pay for. But IMO, at $2K for the 12t you can jump up a level in performance from the higher priced competition or at $3K for the 18 you can sit at the very top. The bottom line for me is that the 12t is what I see as the best price to performance in the market and the one I use most.
The Buying Experience
Having hosted both the Fourte’/18 and the Trio/12 tours for 64 Audio, I definitely had a communication advantage when ordering these CIEMs, but based on the rave reviews I am hearing about customer service with 64 Audio, I don’t think it was that much of an advantage. I used the traditional ordering system when ordering mine which is a huge step up from other manufacturers where they are still in the dark ages in their ordering process. 64 Audio has a design application that allows you to see your design unfold as you build it so there is no confusion. You can go back and forth between your choices until you get it right. The best part is that you can go there now to check out what your custom CIEM can look like with no obligation before making the buying decision. https://www.64audio.com/designer/#model
Placing your order is straightforward with no cryptic payment methods nor communication issues and can be done over the phone if something really special is needed. The final step after completing your design and setting up your account is to buy your new CIEM which is as easy to as using Amazon.com. After your purchase, you can follow the build process in your account so you always know that state of your order from the beginning to the end with 14 steps highlighted. This is displayed on demand within your account in their site and they provide email notification when the option is selected. Now this is what I consider notch customer service with fantastic transparency. Below is a screenshot of my a18 order process where I was able to watch the checkmarks advance as the steps were completed.
The 64 Audio team is easy to contact by email or over the phone during normal US PST working hours which is a huge bonus for US customers that are used to only overseas purchases. As a US citizen buying from a US company, I didn’t have to worry about shipping, customs, tariffs or any other additional fees or holdups. I opted for FedEx overnight shipping and it was at my door the next morning after shipping.
My Results
The box is much smaller than the universal version, but the contents are much more pleasing.
Inside, you find the case with my name on it and some stats on the 12t.
Inside the case, you find everything you need from the CIEMs to the Apex modules as well as a cleaning brush and a clip that doubles as an Apex module grabber. Notice that the cable raps nicely in the case.
I wanted to try a number of options in my design to make them look good, but mainly, I like to be able to tell the left from the right when putting them on. My normal color scheme is white for the right so that I can see it in a darker environment. This time I added rhinestones to provide an obvious texture to tell them apart in pitch black. Under the rhinestones was the pearl option. For the left, I went carbon fiber with a graphic on top. I also decided to go with flush pins on this CIEM as I had trouble with some cables on the a18.
While the premium cable is good enough on the 12t, I opted for a higher quality custom cable that was much prettier and offer better performance. Notice the case.... this is the backside and I added a Ying Yang symbol to be able to tell my 64 Audio CIEMs apart. It came out really nice.
Overall, the quality of the build is outstanding. There is a C&C precision to the 64 Audio CIEMs that make many of the others look more...... homemade for lack of a better term. The build is flawless with the 3d fit technology and 3d printing. https://www.64audio.com/3dfit
The Sound
The 64 Audio 12t is like my Hifiman HEX, it is very transparent with a bell-like clarity, highly textured, very detailed soundstage which is bigger than normal, and with a slightly elevated low end. The important thing to read here is that the 12t sounds like a full-sized headphone with an out of your head experience. Another character that they share is that they sound great on everything. While I say that they have an elevated low end, this is still a very balanced signature with the right sizing of all singers and instruments and fantastic placement on a moderately sized soundstage. They both are also forward signatures as if in the front row or on stage. The common breakdown that everyone looks for is:
- Bass: Slightly elevated to sound fuller like adding high-end subwoofers to a 2 channel speaker system. Yes, they have significant sub bass to make it go boom and the power to feel it in your chest. Like all good bass, it is only there when it is called for in the music so I would not consider this a warm signature even with the elevation – this is why it is still audiophile in quality. Being a BA, it has a tight bass response with a moderate decay. Therefore, while elevated, it is not exaggerated nor sloppy – very detailed instead.
- Mids: The mids are very clear and transparent and slightly forward to bring out voice. This is a CIEM that allows you to make out all the words in the song. Guitar plucks are backed by the bass to give them more texture.
- Treble: The Tia drivers are what raise the 12t to another level in the detailed while smooth treble that is incorporated into the rest of the signature rather than standing on its own. The treble is extended with delicate highs that you typically cannot hear on other lessor CIEMs, but it is integrated into the whole etching out gobs of detail in the rest of the frequency range.
- Sound Stage: The APEX system offers a much larger than normal CIEM soundstage and is probably responsible for that full-sized headphone out of your head feeling. The APEX system also reduces sound pressure allowing you to turn the volume up to full-sized levels without causing damage or getting sibilant. Together, the soundstage is much larger than normally experienced in a CIEM.
The 12t has LID technology that allows it to use any source with varying impedances and sound the same. It also has elevated bass that helps fill in the greatest weaknesses in lower end sources. Together, the performance that the 12t provides is consistent even dropping down to a cellular phone or other poor sources. This makes it very portable to be used anywhere without the need to carry your other expensive gear to make it sound nice. This means, that using my iPhone 6 in the gym to drive my 12t, I am getting full audiophile quality sound on the go. Because of this, it is my most used headphones in my entire collection. All my other gear requires some sort of compromise.
Scaling Up
While the 12t’s greatest value is its ability to scale down, it does a nice job of scaling up too. There are certain pairings that bring out the best in the 12t such as source material, better well-matched gear, and cables. Because the 12t sounds so great out of a poor source, the scaling up is more subtle amounting to the last mile – meaning that it is not day and night, but an addition 5% maybe.
Optimizing DAPs
I had almost given up on my Sony WM1a until I heard it with my 12t using a high-end cable. All of a sudden, the Sony WM1a that I remembered came out to play. On the other hand, my Calyx M which is my favorite DAP for SQ is not so great with the 12t… not sure why. My iPhone 6, on the other hand, seems to be a great match. Oh ya, the Hugo 2 sounds stellar with the 12t, but the pairing with the 18 is so much better than if I go to the trouble of bringing that bad boy out, I step up to the 18s anyway. This goes back to the scaling down value as I always have my iPhone 6 available and it sounds wonderful together. I don’t have to worry about any other expensive gear to make it sound good and I can listen to them anywhere.
Optimizing Cables
Cables do have more of an influence on the 12t for me. However, even though I have been inundated lately with awesome and very expensive cables from my tours, the key ingredient that improves the 12t from the standard provided premium cable is the core count. It is hit or miss on the 4 core but sounds great with all 8 core. Even cheap ones that I have from outside my tours. That said, there is something special about the Han Sound Venom, Aurora, and Redcore cables if you have the budget that takes it a couple steps further. The Venom is only 4-wire and the Aurora is 6-wire, so I may be the girth of material as well. The difference shows up in a broader soundstage with blacker background and noticeably improved details. The Venom and Aurora both have a euphonic quality that they add as well.
Concluding Thoughts
I think I pretty much summarized early, but I will say it again. If I could only have one, the 12t would probably be it as the utilization factor is off the charts with SQ very close to the top. The ability to scale down is much more important that I imagined having experienced it in practice. My 18 are better, but to get them to a place that I can experience that requires a greater effort which defaults me back to the 12t again. It says a lot when they are by far my most used CIEM in my large collection. Besides, it would be hard to go wrong with any of the Tia family from 64 Audio.
Attachments
An audiophile confession – “I often use my iPhone as a source in my audiophile setup.” I know, I know, not ideal, but my wife often leads the DJ responsibilities and her music is on her iPhone or iPod. The Spotify application on her iPhone is our go to source for all day streaming music throughout the house. What can I say, I like to please my wife – and if I don’t, the music often gets turned off or is ruined by loud complaints.
Yes, there are ways to extract digital signals from the apple products but that comes with issues too such as not being able to use the iPhone UI that makes it so good and/or making it very confusing for my wife such as with “intermittent” Airplay which my Marantz receiver does support. In the end, the iPhone dock has become the gold standard which allows her to simply use the phone to play her music by setting it into the dock and turning the stereo on. But this means that it is not digital out and we are using the iPhone DAC.
While the iPhone DAC has come a long way, the sound is very two dimensional and on a good system, the noise if very apparent. I have learned to ignore the lowered SQ and just enjoy listening to new music selections as my wife finds them. However, I have always felt that I should do something to up the game. All digital options have met with disaster or intermittent results such as AirPlay constantly losing its WiFi signal and requiring trouble shooting. This is why the Burson Audio Cable+ Pro A2R was such an interesting option for me to try to raise the bar on my iPhone source log jam.
The quick note is that it worked – the Burson Audio Cable+ Pro A2R made me forget that the iPhone was the source taking my listening to a new level.
Setup
I started out a speaker guy with a system built around my Magneplanars. The Maggies are wonderful speakers that hit way above their price point with a uniquely natural and compelling sound quality that is as full sized as it can get. Even at low volume, the singer is right in your lap in character, but the details come out to play with volume. Even fed with 800W@4ohm from my dedicated Rotel RB-1090, the Maggies eat it up and produce ever increasing amounts of detail – never sounding shouty. However, the Maggies biggest weakness is a rolloff in bass around 80htz. For this, I have dual subwoofers providing that down low and added dynamics which the Maggies already have in spades. This is my setup:
Marantz SR7007 (7.1) > Rotel RB-1090 (800W@4ohm) > Magneplanar 1.7 + Dual Subs (M&K MX-100 + B&W ASW610)
Not being a phono kind of guy, I have always reached for the CD player when I want to show off my system at its best with a few select options. However, digital has come a long way and I find myself going digital much more often than CD. My digital files are on my MacMini and sometimes I like to use my DAPs to change up the SQ or even add a my Havana 2 tube DAC into the system to drive that tubey sound. Last choice for source of course is my iPhone dock. There is a huge noticable difference downgrading from any of my preferred sources to the iPhone doc, most notably the noise and the 2D sound stage.
Burson Audio Cable+ Pro A2R
The story behind this product is impedance matching between audiophile equipment through the use of Burson’s audio buffers. According to Burson, impedance matching is pro-audio engineering 101 and esential for studio engineers to optimize their studio equipment. The interposed buffer amplifier prevents the second circuit from loading the first circuit unacceptably and interfering with its desired operation. If you don’t get what that means, don’t worry, I don’t either – but you can hear it when you A/B your system using this product.
Stating the Obvious
Sorry, but it has to be said – there is an order to improving an audiophile setup.
Mastering >>>>> HP/Speaker >>> DAC/AMP > Interconnects/Cables
A poorly mastered song or static will sound terrible on any system from $50 to $50K so yes, I am working with CD quality or better files almost exclusively with some ocassional exceptions for new music. My systems are built around my speakers and headphones to optimize the sound quality based on their signature. Now given my optimized and very familiar system, I am able to hear the differences that my cables and interconnects make. Most cable/interconnect upgrades are subtle at best, but in my use case with the impedance mismatched iPhone, the Cable+ Pro sound quality enhancements were far from subtle.
Testing
As always, when I get a new product, I simply hook it up and forget about it for a couple weeks to see who notices and to get used to the sound. I find that it is more noticable removing the improvements than it is to hear them initially. However, I did get an immediate sense of improvement that got me excited right away. While my wife didn’t come to me having noticed, when I inquired, she mentioned that things did sound better and that she thought I was just tuning the sound which I guess she was correct. Having just moved into a new house, we are dealing with 12 foot ceilings throughout and hardwoods/tile everywhere so there is excessive echoing like in a cave which is in seach of sound treatment. What she said she noticed was that the muddiness from the echoing was greatly reduced. More on that later.
To set up a test bed for more formal testing, I needed a way to quickly AB the product with my existing setup. Initially, I thought I could just unplug the mini-usb power plug to retain the same cable and just disable the active component. I quickly found out that cutting power cut off the signal. Plan B was to set up both iPhone’s and iPhone docks to different RCAs on my Marantz – one with the original wiring and one with the Cable + pro. This way, I could sink playlists and switch back and forth quickly with the input selector. The testing only confirmed what I already could hear from my informal testing over the last couple weeks.
Results
The two obvious results from testing were that the Cable + Pro amplifies the sound to a higher volume and more importantly, it removes the noise in the sound stage. Given the increase in volume, some informal volume matching was required to AB the two sources, but volume matched, the increased clarity is undeniable. I could describe it as coming into focus like putting glasses on, or like filtering all the excess between the instruments making their placement more exact and no longer blured. However I describe it, it is an obvious step up in sound quality. With the junk removed, the sound stage was no longer congested, the instruments seemed like they were better tuned, recording nuances became more noticable, and the dynamics were crisper. From the Burson site I found this diagram that illustrates very well what I am hearing.
In the case of my iPhone, the two dimentional sound stage received some depth and the instruments received some black space between. The added dynamics brought out more character/timbre to the music. The added clarity from the noise removed provided a clear window into the music where additional textures and detail could be found. This is not a miracle cure for a bad source such as an iPhone, but it removes most of my complaints. Moving up the chain to my DAPs - the AK100ii, Sony WM1A, and Caylx M, there was a noticable increase in sound quality from the iPhone as expected, but also a noticable improvement in their sound quality in my system when AB tested as well.
Conclusion
It should not go unnoticed that I am singing praises for this product, but the manufacturer themselves say that your milage may vary based on the degree of impedance missmatches or lack thereof in your system. For this reason, they offer a 30 day guarantee. In my case, I am plugging a low power iPhone into a high current audiophile system which is probably the best test case that they could ask for. If you are using a 3.5mm out from a hand held device such as the iPhone/dock or a DAP, this cable will likely show great improvements in your sound quality. While I don’t know why an impedance missmatch creates such chaos in an audiophile system, I can hear the difference when it is corrected.
Now I am intrigued. I am considering trying the R2R version to replace my interconnect in my headphone setup:
Havana 2 Tube DAC > Eddie Current Black Widow AMP > HEX / LCD2v2 / HD700
Eddie Current takes their power supplies very seriously even separating it from the amp chassis so it is likely that there is a mismatch between the Havana 2 and the BW. Can anyone tell me how to measure for impedance mismatches between audio components?
Attachments
