[Leonarfd]

I'm late to the party but I ordered the Neon Pro and they're now in transit (Fedex!) - I was expecting 4-8 weeks but it took only 2.5! If they're slightly better than the SA6 Mk2 I used to have I'll be happy.

Congratz, NP seem to be the most successful AüR release and liked by most. From the original SA6 there is no contest in which I prefer, enjoy yourself when you get it

 

[firesign]

Congratz, NP seem to be the most successful AüR release and liked by most. From the original SA6 there is no contest in which I prefer, enjoy yourself when you get it

I am not surprised.

The NP is a jewel, one among many, and unfortunately I also think unique among all AuR models.

If Abel or anyone else got an NP (switch off) with a more powerful subbass, without modifying anything else about the sound of the original model (switch off), they would undoubtedly have the best IEM today.

 

[BS5711]

Not sure if there is some kind of synergy going on here or it is just one of those days that things just sound better but I am thoroughly enjoying this combination regardless.

FiiO M11 Plus LTD - Astell and Kern PA10 - AuR Ascension with Kinera Dromi cable

 

[helloh3adfi]

The NP is a jewel, one among many, and unfortunately I also think unique among all AuR models.

If Abel or anyone else got an NP (switch off) with a more powerful subbass, without modifying anything else about the sound of the original model (switch off), they would undoubtedly have the best IEM today.

Do you eq the subbass on NP? What EQ do you use on Aurora nowadays? You mentioned -2dB for midrange?

 

[samandhi]

A VERY powerful (and synergistic) combination.....

Spoiler

Sorry for the (lack of) quality picture, but you get the idea.

 

[BS5711]

I am not surprised.

The NP is a jewel, one among many, and unfortunately I also think unique among all AuR models.

If Abel or anyone else got an NP (switch off) with a more powerful subbass, without modifying anything else about the sound of the original model (switch off), they would undoubtedly have the best IEM today.

I am not so sure adding sub bass only would not upset the balance of the Neon Pro tuning.



I have been listening to the Ascension this morning and did a comparison with the Neon Pro on a couple of songs that really sounded nice on the Ascension, frankly, as per my comment above, everything sounded great on the Ascension off the PA10 amp.

Immediately the Neon Pro sounded just a bit less refined by comparison on the same tracks, one of which is shown on the photo I posted above.

I swapped to some different sorts of tracks with male vocals, rumbling background bass, guitars and cymbals and the story was the same.

I have done the same thing the other way round, Neon Pro first and Ascension later and the relative perception is the same.

The Neon Pro do a great job but to my ear they are missing the refinement added by the DD and EST, which presumably is exactly why the Ascension has them.

Listening with Neon Pro they sound excellent on most music but to my ear the Ascension is immediately more polished which is very noticeable if listening to them back to back. In isolation the Neon Pro isn't lacking in any way and on some music they probably do better than the Ascension but it seems to me the Ascension are a refinement on the Neon Pro which perhaps was the tuning brief.

I am looking forward to the Aurora which I suspect I will like having 2 x small DD and 6 x BA with the bass refinement and a bit less energy in the upper range versus Neon Pro.

If you haven't, and I recall that was the case, I would encourage you to give the Ascension a try.

 

[BS5711]

A follow up ........

I pulled out my collection of tips to try some others with the Neon Pro and found a couple of pairs of those crazy expensive Coreir that I bought for something else and never used and never bothered trying beyond that other set.

Coreir seem to really suit the Neon Pro providing a metal pipe straight out of the nozzles with the BA tube openings lining up nicely.

More experimentation is needed but they seem to clean up something that to my ears makes the vocals crisper and more pleasing, a bit of resonance is cleaned up or something, I struggle to identify this sort of stuff let alone communicate it.

I can't try them on the Ascension because they won't readily fit the big nozzles.

I hate to admit it after my comments above but with the Coreir tips and on todays test tracks I am not sure which I prefer the Neon Pro or Ascension, a great dilemma to be faced with !!

Pics added, no that isn’t ear wax !!

 

[microzyma]

I am not so sure adding sub bass only would not upset the balance of the Neon Pro tuning.



I have been listening to the Ascension this morning and did a comparison with the Neon Pro on a couple of songs that really sounded nice on the Ascension, frankly, as per my comment above, everything sounded great on the Ascension off the PA10 amp.

Immediately the Neon Pro sounded just a bit less refined by comparison on the same tracks, one of which is shown on the photo I posted above.

I swapped to some different sorts of tracks with male vocals, rumbling background bass, guitars and cymbals and the story was the same.

I have done the same thing the other way round, Neon Pro first and Ascension later and the relative perception is the same.

The Neon Pro do a great job but to my ear they are missing the refinement added by the DD and EST, which presumably is exactly why the Ascension has them.

Listening with Neon Pro they sound excellent on most music but to my ear the Ascension is immediately more polished which is very noticeable if listening to them back to back. In isolation the Neon Pro isn't lacking in any way and on some music they probably do better than the Ascension but it seems to me the Ascension are a refinement on the Neon Pro which perhaps was the tuning brief.

I am looking forward to the Aurora which I suspect I will like having 2 x small DD and 6 x BA with the bass refinement and a bit less energy in the upper range versus Neon Pro.

If you haven't, and I recall that was the case, I would encourage you to give the Ascension a try.

I'm over the moon with Ascension, but that polish comes at a cost. Aggressive guitars and vocals lose some 'danger' compared to other sets. It's a trade I'm willing to make, and I consider it a plus because of how long they're in my ears each day without fatigue. I also can hear into those abrasive guitars in a way I really couldn't when their spikiness was pummelling my brain. I find I can make better sense of the notes and noise passages are easier to understand.

 

[samandhi]

A follow up ........

I pulled out my collection of tips to try some others with the Neon Pro and found a couple of pairs of those crazy expensive Coreir that I bought for something else and never used and never bothered trying beyond that other set.

I retract some of my comments, the Coreir seem to really suite the Neon Pro offering a metal pipe straight out of the nozzles with the BA tube openings lining up nicely.

More experimentation needed but they seem to clean up something that to my ears makes the vocals cleaner and more pleasing.

I can't try them on the Ascension because they won't readily fit the big nozzles.

Glad you were able to get the dust off those tips..

I have learned over the years that you never discard even your worst (stock or otherwise) tips for IEMs because what might be total trash for one set, might be golden on another. I even save the ones that I just KNOW will not fit my ears (too big, too small, tri-flange, etc...). This because I once found a set of IEMs that I just could NOT find a set that worked for both comfort and sound, except a set that normally would never in a million years fit my ears; except they did for this set, and not only that but they were comfortable and sounded terrific as well.... I was shocked to shiit....

 

[BS5711]

Glad you were able to get the dust off those tips..

I have learned over the years that you never discard even your worst (stock or otherwise) tips for IEMs because what might be total trash for one set, might be golden on another. I even save the ones that I just KNOW will not fit my ears (too big, too small, tri-flange, etc...). This because I once found a set of IEMs that I just could NOT find a set that worked for both comfort and sound, except a set that normally would never in a million years fit my ears; except they did for this set, and not only that but they were comfortable and sounded terrific as well.... I was shocked to shiit....

Indeed, tips, fit and even technique make a big difference.

I struggled for fit and comfort with my Solaris for weeks and tried all sorts of tips to no real avail. I ended right back at square one with Divinus Velvet which were the first ones I tried. Insert the Solaris at a much more rotated forward orientation and they slip in much deeper, seal well and are super comfortable. I literally went from nearly selling them to loving them within a few days after getting the tips sorted out and understanding how to insert them to get them seated deeper.

 

[samandhi]

Indeed, tips, fit and even technique make a big difference.

I struggled for fit and comfort with my Solaris for weeks and tried all sorts of tips to no real avail. I ended right back at square one with Divinus Velvet which were the first ones I tried. Insert the Solaris at a much more rotated forward orientation and they slip in much deeper, seal well and a super comfortable. Literally nearly sold them to loving them within a few days after getting the tips sorted out and understanding how to insert them to get them seated deeper.

Very nice!

When I first got my OG TinHifi P1 planars, I had a similar issue, though it was that the nozzle was SOOO short, I could not ever get a good fit, and so never truly got to hear the sound it SHOULD have made. I ended up cutting the core out of an unused tip (another reason to hang on to all of your tips), and then cut it in half, and put one ring on each side making a shim/spacer for the tips so that they would not slip down on the nozzle and not get a good seal.

Since that time, I have never had another issue with them, and are still one of my favorite sets of planar IEMs to this day.

Spoiler: Jerry riggin' at its best

 

[nikbr]

A follow up ........

I pulled out my collection of tips to try some others with the Neon Pro and found a couple of pairs of those crazy expensive Coreir that I bought for something else and never used and never bothered trying beyond that other set.

Coreir seem to really suit the Neon Pro providing a metal pipe straight out of the nozzles with the BA tube openings lining up nicely.

More experimentation is needed but they seem to clean up something that to my ears makes the vocals crisper and more pleasing, a bit of reverb is cleaned up or something, I struggle to identify this sort of stuff let alone communicate it.

I can't try them on the Ascension because they won't readily fit the big nozzles.

I hate to admit it after my comments above but with the Coreir tips and on todays test tracks I am not sure which I prefer the Neon Pro or Ascension, a great dilemma to be faced with !!

Pics added, no that isn’t ear wax !!

Coreir's are indeed magic. Had them on my NP too. And still have them on Aure. They probably offer the most realistic playback tuning-wise since sound is the least obstructed and do wonders for technicalities too.

 

[BS5711]

Coreir's are indeed magic. Had them on my NP too. And still have them on Aure. They probably offer the most realistic playback tuning-wise since sound is the least obstructed and do wonders for technicalities too.

Great to hear another recommendation Nik.

I left it for several hours and came back for another listen to reassess my earlier observations.

Nothing changed I am pleased to say.

I went through probably a couple dozen songs from Diana Krall, to Boz Scaggs to Beastie Boys to Soundgarden to Incubus to Rage Against the Machine and Metallica plus others. These were songs I know well and some have elements in them that I know are a decent test or I just know how they should sound.

Everything had an additional level of crispness and crystalline clarity that seemed to be missing with other tips. I swapped from the A&K PA10 amplifier to straight out of the M11 Plus and the PA10 might have been contributing a little to the difference but it seemed the majority of what I was hearing was due to the Coreir tips.

They are stupid expensive but I ordered a couple more pairs just to have them on hand. I don’t see me changing anytime soon.

Probably not coincidentally my previously preferred tips on the Neon Pro were the H570 which also have a big bore and more or less straight pipe off the end of the BA tubes. They are akin to a silicone version of the Coreir which go some way to achieving the same effect but the metal core kicks that up several notches and seem to really suit the Neon Pro sound, at least when stuck in my ears.

Looking forward to trying them on a set of Aurora.

 

[BS5711]

Very nice!

When I first got my OG TinHifi P1 planars, I had a similar issue, though it was that the nozzle was SOOO short, I could not ever get a good fit, and so never truly got to hear the sound it SHOULD have made. I ended up cutting the core out of an unused tip (another reason to hang on to all of your tips), and then cut it in half, and put one ring on each side making a shim/spacer for the tips so that they would not slip down on the nozzle and not get a good seal.

Since that time, I have never had another issue with them, and are still one of my favorite sets of planar IEMs to this day.

I had the same struggle with a set of P1 but hadn’t discovered the spacer trick at that time and gave up on them.

I now use spacers cut from old tips on my IE600 because of the short nozzles. It is amazing the difference even just a couple of millimeters additional effective nozzle length makes to getting a good fit.

 

[helloh3adfi]

You got me intrigued with some Coreir tips. Anyone got experience shopping at https://www.jaben.com/products/pentaconn-coreir?variant=45621994783001 ?