[Nick24JJ]

Been enjoying my Timeless for a couple of weeks, maybe around 50hrs of listening.

Went to play them yesterday and they sounded very thin and scratchy. Didn't change anything, set-up the same.

Has anyone encountered this?

Yes, I have encountered this, some times. I am listening to Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube. I remember, on some days, Amazon sounding like an mp3 at 192 Kbps... This intrigued me to the point of getting a trial subscription on Qobuz! On the next day, they sound the same = equally great.

 

[Zozo11]

Yes, I have. Although not with the Timeless yet. I use it like every other day and the only appreciable change in sound was due to the hardware replacement (cable, eartips). So I would check the eartips first. Then check the duct, if there is some cluttering or damage to the filter (there is a very fragile foil filter in the nozzle).

But I know it can happen just by itself. In my case I attribute it to my health, psychosomatics, different blood pressure, and my ears condition. It's never the same like ebb and flow. Also, such factors as humidity, atmospheric pressure, and even our mood we're in. Anyways, it happens to me all the time with all my headphones. Especially after a long break. It takes some time to adjust, to listen to music for a while. And the brain will then equalize it properly. I can't say if there might be something like too much humidity getting into the driver and... I don't know... oxidizing the conductors, covering the membrane. This is just my speculation, I never thought it could happen until I saw this post: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hifiman-ananda.879628/post-16824838

However, I wouldn't worry about it too much in terms of the Timeless. I bet it's just a matter of perception determined by our psychosomatics. But you never know...

Great reply, not something I would have thought of, very interesting... like you said, you never know...

 

[Zozo11]

Yes, I have encountered this, some times. I am listening to Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube. I remember, on some days, Amazon sounding like an mp3 at 192 Kbps... This intrigued me to the point of getting a trial subscription on Qobuz! On the next day, they sound the same = equally great.

I will try a higher quality download, I'll see if it makes a difference, thanks.

 

[Duncan]

I put on my XINHS 4 Cores Graphene 2.5mm cable today, after 50+ hours of non stop playing of my second pair of the Timeless. I'm still using the Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20, even though, for some weird/unknown to me reason, I do not have prefect fit on the right side.

I am using my Qudelix-5K.

Dear Father God, I praise and thank You for Your loving-kindness and great mercy! Mercy me! Save me! Miss Monique is driving me crazy...........................

I didn't realise until recently that Miss Monique, with that very French sounding name is actually Ukranian - which puts her squarely with DJ Juicy M as my favourite DJ

Someone I saw said about putting a +4db shelf on the sub-bass, 150hz and below - that makes either of these sound fantastic on the Timeless.

 

[Nick24JJ]

I didn't realise until recently that Miss Monique, with that very French sounding name is actually Ukranian - which puts her squarely with DJ Juicy M as my favourite DJ

Someone I saw said about putting a +4db shelf on the sub-bass, 150hz and below - that makes either of these sound fantastic on the Timeless.

Yes, she is Ukrainian. I never use any EQ/PEQ in Timeless.

 

[10000days]

Does the Timeless benefit from stock cable replacing?

 

[Nick24JJ]

Does the Timeless benefit from stock cable replacing?

A great deal!

 

[10000days]

A great deal!

Is the stock cable that bad or do you think there's some other explanation?

 

[Tomm11]

Is the stock cable that bad or do you think there's some other explanation?

To be fair and balanced ... not all Timeless owners believe that a cable replacement is necessary. Mine is replaced but not because I necessarily found the stock cable to be bad. My stock cable has a 4.4mm plug and I needed a 2.5mm.
Out of the box, with the stock cable, I was immediately impressed by Timeless. Other than what that brief experience may (or may not) say for the stock cable, I haven't spent enough time with the stock cable to offer a more detailed opinion on it's sonics. Personally, where I immediatley hear the most difference in cables is in the low end and even that seems to be iem dependent. Beyond that things are often pretty subtle to my old ears. I think that, when audible differences are perceived, preference for a certain cable can often be more a matter of personal preference. I also believe that a preference for a particular cable that is perceived to be due to sonics isn't necessarily due to sonics at all ... IOW, the feel, handling, appearance and other qualities of a cable can potentially influence what we think we are hearing.

 

[Cecala]

OK, some of my stuff arrived. First of all, I installed the Symbio W eartips from Hungary (tested with the stock cable initially). My first impression was that I kinda liked them a bit more than what I had before (stock tips and Whizzer Easytips SS20). The Symbio W smoothed out those nasty highs and widened the scene a little bit, although there were still some slightly painful stabs in the highs around 12-13K. Not that the resolution has lowered but just the offensive highs have been tamed a bit. I could still hear all the detail, at least compared to what the stock cable provided.

And now the revelation! Apparently, the cable was the culprit and the main bottleneck in my case. I then replaced the stock cable with a pure silver 8 core KBear. Oh!.. My!.. God! I couldn't even think that the cable alone could improve the sound so much. I new it could but not to such an extent! The sound opened up in three dimensional space, became holographic, I simply lost in that space which was airy, wide, the separation and layering became very distinct and apparent. I didn't expect it at all! And there was the bass! It wasn't much louder, it just extended and cleared of some veil.

It absolutely wasn't a placebo effect because I initially expected just some extension and airyness in the highs and even some roll off in the low frequencies. I had even ordered another cable which is pure copper in order to complement the silver cable and give me some variation. From the very beginning I was seriously convinced that the stock cable was good. Haha! But now, compared to this pure silver beauty from KBear, I clearly think that the stock cable is muddy and flat, one-dimensional and piercing in the high frequencies. Adding some pure copper strands to the silver plated copper could not save the stock cable from being that bad. I'm now convinced more than ever before that the silver plating is to be avoided by all means because it ruins the sound so much. The silver KBear does not offend my ears with painful high stabs anymore! I was just sitting in awe for about 10 minutes straight and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I definitely didn't expect such an improvement.

However, even though this new cable is 4.4 mm balanced, I still tested it via the 3.5 mm adapter (also pure silver) in order to compare apples to apples because my stock cable is also 3.5 mm. I really thought I could reconnect the stock cable at some point but now I realised that I'm never going back to the stock cable at all.

This is when I heard the real sound from the Timeless. What I used to hear before was garbage. The new stuff is yet to come. And I'm yet to test this new cable via a balanced connection.

Where did you purchase the pure silver 8 core KBear?

 

[Alex May]

Where did you purchase the pure silver 8 core KBear?

KBear: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001723108605.html
Similar from NiceHCK: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001704327856.html

 

[Nick24JJ]

Guys, which pair of the Symbio tips exactly are you suggesting for the Timeless? I would like to try them, as well. Can you please provide a link to the product?

Thank you

 

[samandhi]

Guys, which pair of the Symbio tips exactly are you suggesting for the Timeless? I would like to try them, as well. Can you please provide a link to the product?

Thank you

I believe they are referring to the "W" version.

 

[Alex May]

Guys, which pair of the Symbio tips exactly are you suggesting for the Timeless? I would like to try them, as well. Can you please provide a link to the product?

Thank you

You can find original Symbio W eartips by MandarinEs on the manufacturer's website (symbioeartips.com), also on eBay or Amazon. The original ones come from Hungary. Some members suggest cheaper Chinese replicas from Ali, although I can't say anything about their quality or sound signature. However, I recently found an exact copy of the Symbio W on Aliexpress (again, I don't know if it's absolutely identical to the original in real life but it looks exactly the same): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003546775800.html

I bought my original pair from Hungary.

 

[Nick24JJ]

Thanks guys! I am not getting perfect seal with the Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20, after all, so I will think about it. I am also using the SpinFit CP100+ on my other pair of the Timeless with perfect seal and sound quality for my ears. I might try all of the stock tips first, before ordering the Symbio W.