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You don't feel the A18 is technically more advanced and proficient than the U/A12? In this case it seems it's not just signature but Tia drivers, internal 3d printed chambers designed to reduce resonance, etc (see my review). There's actually quite a bit different with regard to the build of the A18 vs the A12.
Better or worse is a subjective opinion when it comes to totl flagships. At the end of the day it's all about a sound preference. For sure, U18 took a more advanced and innovative approach which is a big leap over U12, and as much as i hate bringing up the price - in a way it does justifies the price increase. We are not talking about just adding 6 more drivers. The shell material and design are updated, the driver count and the type of drivers (TIA) updated, the internal design is updated, the tuning is spot on, etc.
U/A18 is their new flagship, and Fourte of course, but as reviewer i learned a valuable lesson to be neutral describing what i hear and how i hear it. I had way too many discussions with my readers after U12 and Zeus reviews where people purchased it because both were flagships and I spoke highly of each. They ignored to read about U12 having a warmer signature with more bass impact or Zeus having a mid forward signature with a very neutral bass, and ended up being disappointed because they found too much or too little bass or too bright or too warm tonality. So, doesn't matter about flagship status or the number of drivers if at the end of the day the sound sig is not your cup of tea and you prefer and actually find better the sound of another lesser-driver model from the same manufacturer. That's why I'm a bit hesitant with throwing around a label of better or worth. All these totl flagships are great, just need to find the one with your preferred sound sig and pair up with your source, and also keep the price factor in mind, though in some cases i see people spending money to get 2-3 flagships which they are ok with instead of putting these money to buy one which could be their true endgame.
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