[ddmareo]

I think the right tips will solve any congestion issue. Wide bores are a must as said above. I compared them again with my other entry-level BA and dynamic iems and they're just in a different league, it's not even fair. Even out of a basic meizu hifi dongle.

so something like azla crystal will do?

 

[ddmareo]

Just curious ... how familiar are you with planar iem's/headphones?

timeless was the first planar that I've listened to. All of my IEMs are single dd

 

[mobbaddict]

so something like azla crystal will do?

I have no idea but you can trust the people here who have tested more tips then I have. I'm using Powerbeats silicon tips on mine, that works pretty well for me.

 

[Tomm11]

timeless was the first planar that I've listened to. All of my IEMs are single dd

Planar timbre is definitely unique and not everyones cup of tea. I would probably describe what I think you are hearing as "dry" rather than congested. But there may very well be as many folks in this thread that would have an issue with my finding a "dryness" to the sound (of planars in general) as there are with you hearing it as congested. That said, the timbre isn't off-putting for me. I'm a big fan of Timeless.

 

[ddmareo]

Planar timbre is definitely unique and not everyones cup of tea. I would probably describe what I think you are hearing as "dry" rather than congested. But there may very well be as many folks in this thread that would have an issue with my finding a "dryness" to the sound (of planars in general) as there are with you hearing it as congested. That said, the timbre isn't off-putting for me. I'm a big fan of Timeless.

i actually appreciate the speedy and fast timbre of planar cause I like busy tracks that requires a lot of speed. But when I first tried it, it was rather "congested" in the bass frequency. I'm pretty sure it's caused by my eartips and source. Otherwise, I find that timeless is really excellent. Fast bass, clear and clean mids but well-controlled, airy and extended treble. But sometimes I feel that the timeless doesn't sound the most organic and natural in my ears and it certainly lacks weight notes. Not to mention, I can't feel the grandness of bass that I get from dynamic drivers.

 

[yaps66]

Agreed. If it's one thing you can't say about the Timeless, it's that it's "congested." They're the most open, resolving IEMs I've heard. The planar element is just so darn fast, even the most complex passages are resolved cleanly. Very noticeable when compared against a DD, for example.

+1 Like @DrewVz I agree that the Timeless is anything but "congested". They sound almost as open as my Hifiman HE400i.

Edit: I am using Comply T500 and it does not affect the soundstage.

 

[BaTou069]

Agreed. If it's one thing you can't say about the Timeless, it's that it's "congested." They're the most open, resolving IEMs I've heard. The planar element is just so darn fast, even the most complex passages are resolved cleanly. Very noticeable when compared against a DD, for example.

I actually don't think that they sound like planars at all, to my ears they sound much more like DDs

Regarding tips, I find the Alza ones to fit my ears the best, both the Crystal and the Xelastec in my case. With the Shures I prefer the Westone Red or Blue tips that reach deep, for the 7hz its wide and shallow

 

[10000days]

Replaced the stock cable with a Tripowin Zonie 16 core silver plated cable!! Looks and feels nice, absolutely zero difference in sound. What was I thinking? I should've listened to my senses and know cables make no difference. Oh well, money wasted, lesson learned.

 

[Alex May]

Replaced the stock cable with a Tripowin Zonie 16 core silver plated cable!! Looks and feels nice, absolutely zero difference in sound. What was I thinking? I should've listened to my senses and know cables make no difference. Oh well, money wasted, lesson learned.

Well, you replaced a silver plated cable with another silver plated cable... and expected some kind of a difference in sound? Hmm... I can't fathom the logic here. Cables often do make a difference for the sound in regards to IEMs (not so much with full-sized headphones), because there are so many variables including surface effect, capacitance, conductance of different metals and alloys, and the overall interaction of these and many other factors. But changing one cable with another one of an absolutely identical configuration (the number of cores doesn't matter here)... Of course you won't hear any difference and will simply lose money for nothing unless you just wanted a thicker, heftier and nicer looking cable.

Try a pure silver cable. Or a pure copper. Or a carbon. Then you might hear a difference. I definitely hear it. Although we have to ask ourselves, do we hear much sonic information above 16K and whether we will appreciate that difference at the finest level of detail depending on whether we hear those frequencies good enough. It's not a personal attack at all, please, don't be offended. I also get disappointed very often with something I paid money for due to other people's recommendations. However, I don't have a clue who might have recommended you a silver plated cable to replace... a silver plated cable for the sake of some sound difference. Punch 'em for me.

 

[yaps66]

Punch 'em for me.

LMAO!!!

 

[10000days]

I ended up connecting it on my modified Koss Porta Pro with mmcx sockets. Looks phenomenal!

 

[samandhi]

Well, you replaced a silver plated cable with another silver plated cable... and expected some kind of a difference in sound? Hmm... I can't fathom the logic here. Cables often do make a difference for the sound in regards to IEMs (not so much with full-sized headphones), because there are so many variables including surface effect, capacitance, conductance of different metals and alloys, and the overall interaction of these and many other factors. But changing one cable with another one of an absolutely identical configuration (the number of cores doesn't matter here)... Of course you won't hear any difference and will simply lose money for nothing unless you just wanted a thicker, heftier and nicer looking cable.

Try a pure silver cable. Or a pure copper. Or a carbon. Then you might hear a difference. I definitely hear it. Although we have to ask ourselves, do we hear much sonic information above 16K and whether we will appreciate that difference at the finest level of detail depending on whether we hear those frequencies good enough. It's not a personal attack at all, please, don't be offended. I also get disappointed very often with something I paid money for due to other people's recommendations. However, I don't have a clue who might have recommended you a silver plated cable to replace... a silver plated cable for the sake of some sound difference. Punch 'em for me.

Well said but....

In all fairness, not all cables are created equally, and you CAN (in some cases) hear a difference between one SPC cable and another one (though the Timeless cable is actually a hybrid), because of a difference in the quality of material; which might translate to higher or lower resistance/conductance (for example). There are any number of other variables that might come into play here also. I have switched from one SPC to another on several of my IEMs because the stock cable was trash (very high resistance which killed the treble; for instance) with great success. This made a pretty definable difference to my ears.

There is a thread on here (several good ones actually) that show measurements for cables that help differentiate between cables. This is much like graphs for headphones/IEMs in that they aren't end-all-be-all but they can help one make an informed decision whether a cable will be worth one's time and effort.

Just some food for thought!

 

[Alex May]

I have switched from one SPC to another on several of my IEMs because the stock cable was trash (very high resistance which killed the treble; for instance) with great success. This made a pretty definable difference to my ears.

Yep, I agree. Although the stock cable on the Timeless should actually be one of the best a SPC can achieve (hybrid, I know). That's why there is no point in replacing it with another SPC unless for the looks and usability. And I still prefer my pure silver cable from KBear and I'm never going back to the stock one after I've heard the difference. Or maybe just one last time when my pure copper cable arrives in order to compare all three of them. Hopefully the MMCX sockets will survive in this experiment))

 

[samandhi]

Yep, I agree. Although the stock cable on the Timeless should actually be one of the best a SPC can achieve (hybrid, I know). That's why there is no point in replacing it with another SPC unless for the looks and usability. And I still prefer my pure silver cable from KBear and I'm never going back to the stock one after I've heard the difference. Or maybe just one last time when my pure copper cable arrives in order to compare all three of them. Hopefully the MMCX sockets will survive in this experiment))

I really love a good pure silver cable, but most of my IEMs/flathead earbuds have a pina gain boost that I am sensitive to. The pure silver cable exacerbates the issue for my ears. On the other hand, I also love pure copper, but it goes the opposite way, and I tend to crave more clarity using one or get fatigued by the lower levels. SPC, or hybrid or graphene seems to be the sweet spot for me on most of my head gear.

The only two pieces that I currently own that just HAVE to have a silver cable are the iBasso IT-07, and the TinHifi P1 (IMO). The only one pair that needs a pure copper cable is the Audiosense T800 (all BA), and even then, I am on the fence. It really tames the BA timbre up top but bogs the lower levels down a bit (more than they already are because it is BA bass).

I suppose, over time I have just gotten lazy, and just defaulted to SPC, or hybrid or graphene because it tends to neither blunt the bass or become harsh up top (which copper and silver CAN do respectively).

Edit: Sounds like you are a lot like me. I DO cable roll (in a limited capacity), but once I find one that sounds good to me, it is staying there for good. All but one of my IEMs are MMCX, and I know they have a limited amount of manipulation available before repairs are necessary. I have yet to have a set where the MMCX connector has failed on me.

 

[BobSmith8901]

Yep, I agree. Although the stock cable on the Timeless should actually be one of the best a SPC can achieve (hybrid, I know). That's why there is no point in replacing it with another SPC unless for the looks and usability. And I still prefer my pure silver cable from KBear and I'm never going back to the stock one after I've heard the difference. Or maybe just one last time when my pure copper cable arrives in order to compare all three of them. Hopefully the MMCX sockets will survive in this experiment))

Alex May: What tips have you found work best for you along with the KBear cable?