So I remove the white filter mesh on my dioko and it really opened up the sound. There is also a black foam inside the nozzle. At first, I tried removing the black foam only and install the white mesh + metal grill, the result is very spicy treble. Then I put back the black foam and only install the metal grill, the result is more open sound. I like the latter combination better. I also noticed a condensation on the metal grill when there is the white mesh. I have never had any condensation on my IEM ever.
Good to know that it does indeed change the sound. Now at least we know the tuning can be tweaked. It is very hard to tell from photos, but would you say those might be the size of standard knowles filters (for instance)? They look from here bigger....
Good to know that it does indeed change the sound. Now at least we know the tuning can be tweaked. It is very hard to tell from photos, but would you say those might be the size of standard knowles filters (for instance)? They look from here bigger....
Dioko in the house. Out of the box, I'm impressed overall. Without any burn-in, the mids seem forward, vocals are clear and pronounced, bass is quiet but textured. Hopefully the bass will wake up a bit as they burn in. I'm using the wide bore stock tips (red/grey - Xelastec clones I think). I will tip roll a bit and change some cables to get a better sense of what they can do.
Details exceed those of the Timeless. Imaging isn't at the same level, however. And tonality sounds a little off, the mids are a little plasticky. I wonder if this is due to the improper filters they used? I bought mine on day 1 from Linsoul directly, so they are shipping some replacement filters.
Soundstage width is quite good, depth is very good, but height is lacking. I'm interested to hear how things might change after some burn-in. But as I said, I'm impressed. For 99 bucks, these are ridiculous. The new planar element and new magnet structure seems to be working to good effect. Different sound than the Timeless for sure. Some aspects are better, some worse. Let's see how this develops...
Good to know that it does indeed change the sound. Now at least we know the tuning can be tweaked. It is very hard to tell from photos, but would you say those might be the size of standard knowles filters (for instance)? They look from here bigger....
The shells are big. Really big. And awkwardly shaped. Not a fan.
No luck tip rolling or cable rolling so far. The stock Xelastec clones seem good, but the bass is still missing.
Upper mids are still quite forward. I don't hear any treble sizzle or anything like that. But the forward mids really mess with the soundstage.
These remind me a bit of the S12, but with better treble and stage. I'll wait for the filter kit to make any final judgment, I suppose, but I don't see the filters bringing the bass up to proper levels. When I rotate between my full size headphones, my Timeless, and the Dioko, it becomes very apparent which one is far behind the others.
EDIT: After 12 hours of burn-in, I cannot detect any noticeable changes to the sound. Clarity is very high, imaging is good, but bass is still missing and tonality is a bit off. Acoustic guitars most obviously reveal this deficiency. It will be interesting to hear how the replacement filters change the sound, because I cannot believe that Crinacle would have tuned these like this. They're just not right. And these are supposed to have MORE bass than the Timeless (according to the FR graphs)? Not even close. Very odd.
The shells are big. Really big. And awkwardly shaped. Not a fan.
No luck tip rolling or cable rolling so far. The stock Xelastec clones seem good, but the bass is still missing.
Upper mids are still quite forward. I don't hear any treble sizzle or anything like that. But the forward mids really mess with the soundstage.
These remind me a bit of the S12, but with better treble and stage. I'll wait for the filter kit to make any final judgment, I suppose, but I don't see the filters bringing the bass up to proper levels. When I rotate between my full size headphones, my Timeless, and the Dioko, it becomes very apparent which one is far behind the others.
Exactly my impression and I also find it a little low in detail and I expext even less detiall after replacing the current filter with the correct one.
So I remove the white filter mesh on my dioko and it really opened up the sound. There is also a black foam inside the nozzle. At first, I tried removing the black foam only and install the white mesh + metal grill, the result is very spicy treble. Then I put back the black foam and only install the metal grill, the result is more open sound. I like the latter combination better. I also noticed a condensation on the metal grill when there is the white mesh. I have never had any condensation on my IEM ever.
I removed the grill on one side and on the other side removed both the grill and the white filter. The tonal character is about the same. With the filter the sound is a bit more focused and more open sounding without. It's also about a dB louder without the white filter. Interesting thing is that the filter actually boosts the 9k peak.
The shells are big. Really big. And awkwardly shaped. Not a fan.
No luck tip rolling or cable rolling so far. The stock Xelastec clones seem good, but the bass is still missing.
Upper mids are still quite forward. I don't hear any treble sizzle or anything like that. But the forward mids really mess with the soundstage.
These remind me a bit of the S12, but with better treble and stage. I'll wait for the filter kit to make any final judgment, I suppose, but I don't see the filters bringing the bass up to proper levels. When I rotate between my full size headphones, my Timeless, and the Dioko, it becomes very apparent which one is far behind the others.
EDIT: After 12 hours of burn-in, I cannot detect any noticeable changes to the sound. Clarity is very high, imaging is good, but bass is still missing and tonality is a bit off. Acoustic guitars most obviously reveal this deficiency. It will be interesting to hear how the replacement filters change the sound, because I cannot believe that Crinacle would have tuned these like this. They're just not right. And these are supposed to have MORE bass than the Timeless (according to the FR graphs)? Not even close. Very odd.
I have replaced the filters of my own unit after a week with the wrong filter. I can say that it did nothing to the bass, so don't expect some bass boost or anything. What I found the filter to help was the contrast. With the upper mids and treble damped a little, they became less forward and the bass became more pronounced. Also, after the filter fix, I was able to crank the volume a bit higher without getting too much sibilant territory, so the bass has more impact. I think you should just wait for your replacement filters from Linsoul.
I removed the grill on one side and on the other side removed both the grill and the white filter. The tonal character is about the same. With the filter the sound is a bit more focused and more open sounding without. It's also about a dB louder without the white filter. Interesting thing is that the filter actually boosts the 9k peak.
And this is with some rather thick looking black filter (#400, I think)
So the correct factory filter might just be #400. Gotta say I actually prefer the brighter sound with the wrong filter. Also the grill actually tames the 9k peak.
And this is with some rather thick looking black filter (#400, I think)
So the correct factory filter might just be #400. Gotta say I actually prefer the brighter sound with the wrong filter. Also the grill actually tames the 9k peak.
And this is without any filter, it's not bad at all! I believe the foam there tames way too much micro detail making the set overly smooth (at least for me).
And the foams are not identical in thickness which explains the 0.5-1dB volume difference partially.
Ditto. Virtually no change that I can detect. If you twisted my arm, I might agree to a slightly less "plasticky" midrange. But otherwise, I can't really hear much of a difference. Highs and upper mids are still overly prominent and the bass is AWOL. I'm going to crank up the volume a bit more than usual for burn-in and try again. Currently at 30 hours. Maybe it's not enough? Honestly I don't hear a difference between right out of the box and 30 hours anyway. I'll do some more tip rolling as well to see if I can find a good match.
Anyone found any tips yet that they like on the Dioko?
Dioko arrived after some delays. (purchased from Linsoul after filter debacle)
Source: RU6, 4.4mm BAL
This isn't a bad IEM at all and tonally it's not making big missteps to my ear. The bass is definitely there, it's just not a big shelf that seems to be all the rage these days and it suits my library very well (acoustic/jazz). Nitpicking, it could do with a little more midbass. Texturing, dynamics and microdetailing are excellent for the price point. It will take me some time to decide where I stand on planar vs DD for timbre.
In terms other technicalities, stage depth and width are good and it manages to layer pretty well.
Whats probably most impressive, apart from the planar resolution, is the width of the centre image, it's very spacious and where some sets compress vocals in this space, the Dioko presents them open, to be enjoyed.
I have to say I was holding my breath based on the early feedback on here but I'm very happy with this purchase. They fit me like a glove too.
