The A18 Tzar - A new measure of perfection
Sorry guys, but I have to gush for a bit. I am trying not to sound too much like a 64 Audio fan boy, but have to admit....... after hearing my new A18, I am now a 64 Audio fan boy. 64 Audio is definitely at the top of their game. The A18 is blowing my mind with performance that keeps getting better. I have heard pretty much all the top dogs in CIEM which are all awesome, but the A18 is playing at a new level.
I have allowed my A18 to burn in a bit as well as my mind thinking that the newness would wear off and allow me to see clearly..... but no, I am still giddy. It just keeps getting better. I am trying different equipment and the 18 brings the best out of them. In fact, I feel that I am holding the 18 down with my Calyx M and AK100i + BH2 amp that I am throwing at her. So I purchased
@Torq 's Sony WM1A to see if I can raise her game even farther. It will be hear on Tuesday to find out.The cable is usually a weakness in a CIEM, but I have been so tickled with the transparency, that I have not even tried rolling cables yet to see what a custom silver litz or copper will do but that is coming soon. That said, I am very happy with the cable that it came with, the 64 inch high quality cable has made me very happy - hence the lack of cable rolling.
My listening method is to play all songs (1000 hand selected, all genres) randomly to hear her ability to bob and weave with the various genres and she is playing all with great talent. She has bottomless bass for EDM, grit and snarl for rock, classical talents like I have never heard, clarity for my easy listening, whatever I throw at her, she delivers in spades. She is wet, dry, clear, transparent, grity, or whatever you want when called for. I have never heard such a versatile CIEM before.
Leaving the CIEM discussion, she is a big threat to exotic full sized head phones as well. She has destroyed my HD700, LCD2.2, and even my HEX in performance. I cannot say that about any other CIEM that I have ever heard. To do that, the A18 has to be out of head, check, full sized sound, check, 3D sound stage, check, proper scaling, check, exotic performance overall, check...check....check.
Working on the full review which should be ready by mid next week to allow time to add the Sony WM1A performance as well.