[jincuteguy]

At these levels, more about sound signature. They are all (for the most part) incredible performers bro.

I'm undecided between the AAW W500 AHMorph and the LEAR LCM-BD4.2

 

[EagleWings]

  Not sure what is the appropriate thread to put this in, but I spent some time at MS a couple of weeks back when I had some time and these were the CIEM demos that I auditioned along with some short findings:
 
1. 1964 Ears Adel 12
 
The first pair I auditioned and to be honest I wasn't entirely blown away by the sound. It sounded excellent, don't get me wrong, but for the pricepoint and with the intrigue surrounding the Adel technology, I guess I expected a very un-IEM like sound closer to full-sized cans, but instead the A12 'only' sounded like a nice flagship IEM. Granted, I'm not very familiar with the modules, and I'm not sure which ones the demo had on. Sound wise, bass was north of neutral, and it sounded really unique in a spatial sense (if I'm even making sense). I can't quite describe it nor can I decide if I like it, but the bass was probably the only frequency range that sounded different compared to all other IEMs I've ever heard. Mids and highs were excellent. Nothing noteworthy here. Clarity, detail, transparency, tonality were all great to my ears.
 
2. 1964 Ears Adel 10
 
Essentially the A12 with lesser bass. Whilst I'm not sure how much I like the A12, I definitely liked the A10 - a lot. The tuning of the A10 was flatter, and as a result of the reduced bass compared to the A12, the A10 sounded clearer and more transparent. Vocals sounded a notch better. Sounded a tinge clearer to me as well. Airiness, together with the A12, was supreme. If I had to choose between the A10 and A12, I'd definitely go for the A10. Cheaper, more linear sound - right up my alley.
 
If I had to dish out rankings, I would probably do it in tiers:
 
Tier 1: Lime Ears Aether demo
Tier 2: Rhines Stage 7 demo, 1964 Adel A10 demo
Tier 3: 1964 Ears Adel 12 demo, Earwerkz Legend R demo
Tier 4: Noble K10 demo, HUM Pervasion demo, Clear Tunes Monitors ___ demo

 
I had my eyes on the A12 first, but after demoing both, I ended up getting the A10. I highly advise people demoing these 2 before pulling the trigger, even if it means delaying your purchase. I know many A12 and A10 users who are happy with what they chose. But I also know some A12 owners who feel the mids and highs are slightly veiled because of the bass. May be these users will find the A10 to be better suited for their taste/use. Looking at 64Audio’s website, one would think that A12 is their TOTL model. Anyone wanting the best that the company has to offer, would typically get the A12. But in reality both A10 and A12 are their TOTL, one is just a variant of the other (A10 is a balanced version of the A12 or, A12 is the darker/bassy version of the A10).
 

Spoiler: Testing

Hello Testing

 
I believe, the extra $200 for the A12, goes towards the cost associated with the 2 additional bass drivers. Just because the A10 has only 2 bass driver, it is by no means bass light. The bass drivers on these are twice as big as the mid or high drivers. For reference, it has, as much bass as my Tape-Modded IE80. The difference is, the bass is tighter, cleaner and more textured, but lacks a bit of decay.

 

[Ray1684]

  I'm undecided between the AAW W500 AHMorph and the LEAR LCM-BD4.2

 
Also interested in picking up the AAW W500 AHMorph, but there doesn't appear to be much reviews or comparisons online. Curious as to how it compares to my SE846 with custom sleeves, and whether its a big enough difference to take the plunge. 

 

[arjuna93]

L-05QD is a BA IEM that sounds closest to an electrostatic headphone imo. Effortless portrayal of sound.

I am quite happy that after reading several comments here on Head-Fi that compared L05QD to electrostatics decided to buy them. They are truly awesome.

 

[arjuna93]

Lol, all these L05QD impressions are scaring me off.

You should actually try them. I find them quite outstanding. (It seemed to me they are somewhat demanding to the quality of the source, comparing them on my home set-up vs out of iPhone dongle or out of old Matrix-i in the office.)

 

[arjuna93]

Canalworks CW-L05QD ($1250)

Overall, the L05QD is very clearly an analytical IEM- lovers of a musical sound stay far, far away. On the flip side, though, you gain crystal clear clarity. The NT6 and NT6 Pros were at the same shop, and the L05QD clearly bested the korean pair in this regard. It felt like a super clear, uber transparent window into the music. Effortless.

After my audition, the shop assistant came and talked to me. How did you like it? The clarity is insane, but it's a bit too analytical for my tastes, I replied. That's why I was grinning, he quipped, apparently this sells really well in Japan, but here... Well, let's just say it's a bit overdone for local tastes.

Update: After some discussions with shotgunshane, I went to try the LQ05 again. Again I felt the clearly lacking subbass, and the lack of warmth seemed to lead to a pinched image, in fact, the clarity on the LQ05 seems to come from basically only a crystal clear presentation of all the resonant parts of the sound. I heard everything, but I couldn't feel much else- the enveloping part of the sound- that upper-bass and lower-mid- seems very much missing here. I also heard the same punchy midbass that continued to even sound a bit sharp. The mids were again super clear. Compared to the other CIEMs I had on hand, the Viento R had the tamest treble, followed by Legend R, NT6 Pro, LQ05, and then finally NT6. The LQ05's treble was my favourite though- it was detailed, had great tone, and superb clarity. A joy to listen to- just magical.

Canalworks CW-L05QD Score: 9.4

Summary
So far, I'm really not impressed with what I'm hearing from Unique Melody/ Rooth. Next I'll try their Unique Melody range, but I'm not optimistic. As for the Canalworks, both IEMs I've tried so far have been absolutely elite in at least one aspect of the sound. They both also sound extremely different from one another. Credit where credit's due, they seem to know what they're going for and manage to hit it out of the park. I'm looking forward to try their new flagship, the CW-L71.

I liked L05QD very much. Just now ordered L71 – saw them for 750 USD used. Will compare once they arrive.