[Sharppain]

I can't decide between Timeless AE and IE600. The sounding should be similar. Can anyone help ?

I have both for more than an year:
1/ ie600 is a V-shape but one of the best in industry; sparkle in the highs is quite a lot - not disturbing and tiring but noticeable; bass and subbass are very solid, no bleeding in the mids; for me it is a brighter Z1R w/o the huge soundstage; technicalities are close to high-end;
2/ Timeless AE is very balanced - it looks like V-shape but since it is a planar the bass and subbass are solid but less prominent vs ie600 (but still present); the mids, especially vocals are a bit more forward vs ie600, while the highs are just as perfect (no glare, no sharpness, no pain or distruction); sometimes the AE looks to me so balanced that is a bit dull (vs classic Timeless or vs ie600); on technicalities it is not on the level of ie600 but hits around $500;
3/ ie600 - cable is difficult to change (proprietary trick in the connection); so every time you need 3.5mm and you have installed balanced you have to swap the whole cable; while the AE has easy modular connections and scales-up with better cable more;
4/ it is strange but ie600 is so small that is not sitting tight in my ears while AE, with proper silicon or foam tips is always tight for long time
Hope I am useful. Cheers!

 

[jasonb]

I can't decide between Timeless AE and IE600. The sounding should be similar. Can anyone help ?

The AE was too warm and had too much bass for my tastes. I've never heard the IE600. I probably would have liked the regular Timeless more than the AE, but I've never tried it either.

 

[taffy2207]

Just purchased the Original Timeless for £189 to pair with my Shanling M3 Ultra, Looking forward to hearing how they pair up

 

[samandhi]

Just purchased the Original Timeless for £189 to pair with my Shanling M3 Ultra, Looking forward to hearing how they pair up

Congrats on your new (incoming) shiny!

While they aren't/weren't perfect, there is a reason that they have had a lot of hype surrounding them for a very long time.

 

[NexusOne]

Is the Moondrop Dawn Pro strong enough for planar iems and a driver controlled sound?

 

[samandhi]

Is the Moondrop Dawn Pro strong enough for planar iems and a driver controlled sound?

First, it is hard to tell because they don't give the max current draw (or anything having to do with current) and secondly, it is going to depend on the needs of the planar IEMs as to how much current it needs to fully damp the driver(s). My suspicions with such a small device, therefore a small battery is that it will not have the best supply of current draw for planars though.

I would say that the safest bet here is to find a set that needs close to the 500mW that it can provide because remember that the higher the voltage requirement, the lower the current requirement (and vice' versa'). Having said that, your ears will probably be the best gauge as to whether they sound good to you (regardless if they are being driven to full potential or not). Some sets sound better to some when "under driven" than they might if fully driven. This dongle seems to be a fairly decently powerful device, and seems to have some really good "other" numbers that also count a lot for quality of sound (i.e. DNR, SNR, THD, etc...).

With most planars, and even some really hard to drive gear, it isn't about volume as much anymore. I have a set that is 600ohms @87dB/mW and can be driven to fairly high volume with very little power. Sounding good, on the other hand is another story.

 

[baskingshark]

Here's a review on the Salnotes Zero 2: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/7hz-x-crinacle-zero-2.26878/reviews#review-32396

Pros:
Excellent price-to-performance ratio
Good build
Moderately easy to drive
Pleasant warm neutral tuning
Smooth treble with no fatigue
Organic timbre, with lush tone
Above average technical chops for a budget single DD

Cons:
Similar to predecessor, the perpendicular edges may on occasion be uncomfortable for some
Some slight resolution loss from the original Zero
Not for trebleheads


Graphs below of the Zero 2 versus original. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

 

[Trae]

I recently upgraded from the iBasso DC04 Pro to the Topping D5 for my Legatos. Definitely cleaner sounding with improved imaging. The right channel on the iBasso got quiet after about 10min, so it's a dud. It got pretty hot during usage, so I guess that was the culprit. Thus, the Topping D5. Medium gain is all you need, and bluetooth capability is liberating when on the go.

I think the iBasso had clip protection integrated in the unit, so I had to lower the gain on wavelet to fix the clipping on the D5, but other than that it's a very nice unit. If 7Hz ever makes a Legato 2, I'm buying day one. These IEMs are amazing. Couldn't ask for a better IEM for my tastes (basshead + soundstage).

android phone- custom wavelet eq w/bass boost- legato w/spiral dot- 4.4mm balanced cable- D5

Edit: G5

 

[ldo77]

I recently upgraded from the iBasso DC04 Pro to the Topping D5 for my Legatos. Definitely cleaner sounding with improved imaging.
...

Same here.
Legato match well with topping g5.

 

[Trae]

Well, turns out it's the IEMs. For whatever reason, after listening to them (Legato) for a little while, the right channel gets quiet. I picked up another pair, and while it was fine for a couple days, it now does the same thing.

If I stop using them for a little while, the problem goes away. If I swap sides it carries over, so it isn't my ears playing tricks on me either. Not sure what to do now sigh.

 

[Jon995]

Well, turns out it's the IEMs. For whatever reason, after listening to them (Legato) for a little while, the right channel gets quiet. I picked up another pair, and while it was fine for a couple days, it now does the same thing.

If I stop using them for a little while, the problem goes away. If I swap sides it carries over, so it isn't my ears playing tricks on me either. Not sure what to do now sigh.

My set does exactly the same thing, it's the nozzle filters, I think moisture builds up and blocks them. I went through all the included spares before deciding they were a problem and replaced with other tuning filters I had. The problem is knowing what grade the stock filters equate to, to match the stock tuning. I just put 350 grade on (the lowest number I have to hand) and decided it sounds good enough...

They never went quiet again since. At some point I'll properly experiment with different grades to find a good match but I haven't used the Legatos much since I have other IEMs.

 

[Trae]

Ah that makes a lot of sense because my right ear has always produced more wax than the other. Maybe I'll try tuning these without the filter installed to rule that out for good.

 

[NexusOne]

Is the S12Pro the better timeless? Did anyone here have both of them? It seems to be a very good planar iem for a cheap price, too.

 

[Polky74]

Is the S12Pro the better timeless? Did anyone here have both of them? It seems to be a very good planar iem for a cheap price, too.

If you want something at the same price that beats them both, go for the Hidizs MP145... they are on another level compared to both the Timeless and the S12 PRO.

 

[Sharppain]

Is the S12Pro the better timeless? Did anyone here have both of them? It seems to be a very good planar iem for a cheap price, too.

I have both and keep and listen to both. Timeless is more neutral (and still fun). S12pro, needs a mod to get at the level of Timeless but still might be a bit shouty so you need a matching source to make it not shouty and get bigger soundstage vs Timeless, but still Timeless brings more details. Reall benefit of S12pro is ergonomics.