DrewVz
1000+ Head-Fier
Power is a necessity to get the control needed for a really clear planar sound. Sure, lower powered sources can get loud, no problem. But it's like a professional singer -- they don't just sing loud, they support their vocals strongly from their core and their diaphragm so the sound is balanced and full. This is the sense I get with the Timeless. If you want depth to your stage, good tonal balance, and enough support for the distant sounds to give you a proper sense of space, you really do need the power.I might agree with you, even when using the original cable and using the installed wide bore tips. My prob was I found too much treble energy with wide bore, so switched to the supplied narrow bore (dark blue opaque silicone). That fixed the treble to my ears, increased the bass, but recessed (not good) the mids for me. Ultimately I gave up on these b/c I really need all three regions (bass, vocals, treble) to be pleasing to me. Oh, it's possible my issue was underpowering, as I used the MB Air M1 headphone out, or the iPhone dongle.
I did some cable rolling today and I was very disappointed with the 8-core graphene performance with the Azla Crystal tips. The 4-core graphene is leagues ahead when it comes to sense of space and tonal balance. The vocals are simply sublime with the 4-core, and frankly I consider them to be "below average" with the 8-core. That's why I pair the Symbio W tips with the 8-core; they're a perfect match. But not the Azla Crystals, not at all.
Another disappointment was the Rhyme cable. It was "above average" with the Azla tips, but the sense of depth and space wasn't nearly as good as the 4-core graphene. I tried a pure copper 8-core cable from KBEAR also and it while the vocals sounded decent, the highs were missing and there was no sense of space or depth compared to the 4-core graphene cable.
Lastly, I figured I'd try the stock cable just for grins and now I remember why I left it in the box. Yuck. Too thin, no tonal balance, no stage height or sense of space. Not a good match with the Azla tips at all. It went right back into the box immediately.