[291079]

211. fiio m17 (W) vs ibasso dx320 w/ amp11:

M17: slightly leaner treble, wider soundstage, airier, clearer, more transparent, tighter bass, better layering, more height, more expansive, better background detail.

Dx320: slightly more bass, slightly smoother mids.

The differences are noticeable, but are on the small side. The choice is probably going to be made on whether you want your DAP to fit in your pocket or not.

 

[dleblanc343]

Yeah, not sure if I will get a hold of the crimson soon, since my tinnitus is getting worse and am taking a break from iems.
But if I do, you can be sure that I will be comparing it to others ^^

Currently, my favorite iem is the multiverse mentor as an all rounder, and anni 2023 for the treble.
I was very impressed by the female vocals on the anni 2023. I think I prefer it to some of the 20-30k speaker setups that I heard.
For 1k used I would still go for the u12t, and for $500 the viento-b is my favorite.

As for DAPs, I do believe that going over 1k is not that cost efficient, so around that price I would choose the fiio m17 for its massive soundstage, or the sp2000t for its nutube.
Tbh, rather than spending 2k on a totl dap I would probably spend 1.5k on a home setup and $500 on a portable like the sr35.

I just want to say I've been following this thread for years now and assess gear very much like you do & it's very helpful to align with someone and know how to extrapolate data on gears I may not have heard

I also am a huge fan of both Mentor Multiverse & Anni23

 

[291079]

I just want to say I've been following this thread for years now and assess gear very much like you do & it's very helpful to align with someone and know how to extrapolate data on gears I may not have heard

I also am a huge fan of both Mentor Multiverse & Anni23

Thanks! Glad to be of some service ^^

 

[291079]

212. fiio m17 vs a&k ca1000 (W):

M17: wider soundstage, slightly more sub-bass, airier, warmer mids, more expansive, better orchestral.

Ca1000: blacker background, slightly clearer, tighter bass, slightly more transparent, slightly leaner treble, better vocals.

Again, the differences are quite small; probably the biggest difference is the wider soundstage of the m17.

 

[291079]

213. unique melody multiverse mentor (W) vs campfire audio trifecta:

Mentor: clearer, more transparent, leaner treble, better background detail, better instrument separation, more natural, better layering, leaner mids.

Trifecta: more bass, wider soundstage, airier, more sub-bass, sounds more as a whole, more analog sounding, slightly more forward mids.

Two different signatures, but I do think that the multiverse mentor is a better all-rounder and is less source sensitive. A bit less polarizing too; whereas the trifecta is a love-it-or-hate-it iem, I don't really feel like many people hate the mentor.

 

[291079]

214. unique melody multiverse mentor (W) vs thieaudio monarch mk3:

Mentor: better background detail, more natural, warmer mids, better bass/mids/treble balance, more bass, slightly clearer.

Monarch mk3: leaner treble, slightly airier, better instrument separation, tighter bass.

This was closer than I expected by the price tags. For some it might just come down to a preference of warmer vs leaner.

 

[291079]

215. unique melody multiverse mentor vs focal utopia 2020 (W):

Mentor: more sub-bass and bass, slightly clearer, more natural, better background detail.

Utopia: leaner treble, airier, wider soundstage, slightly more transparent, better layering, better instrument separation.

Though I prefer the utopia overall, the mentor does give it a good run for its money.

 

[291079]

216. unique melody multiverse mentor (W) vs tgxear desolation sound:

Mentor: more bass and sub-bass, clearer, better imaging, better bass/mids/treble balance, more natural, more transparent, smoother mids, better layering, better background detail, more height, slightly wider soundstage.

Desolation sound: tends to sound brighter and harsher overall, but female vocals can sound better because of the leaner treble.

 

[291079]

217. yincrow rw-3000 (W) vs tgxear desolation sound:

Rw-3000: slightly leaner treble, airier, clearer, a little more transparent, wider soundstage, better layering, a little more bass.

Desolation sound: smoother mids, more forward mids, more natural, better imaging.

 

[291079]

218. sony ier-m9 vs thieaudio monarch mk3 (W):

M9: warmer mids, more forward mids, better bass/mids/treble balance, sounds more as a whole, smoother and easier listen, lighter, comfier.

Monarch mk3: more sub-bass, wider soundstage, better background detail, airier, more height, clearer, more transparent, leaner treble.

The growing size of modern iems can be seen in this comparison, and I wish all newer iems were the size of the m9.

 

[291079]

219. tgxear desolation sound vs k's earphone bell-lbbs (W):

Desolation sound: wider soundstage, more sub-bass and bass, fuller smoother notes, more natural, slightly more height, but bass can bleed into mids and it sounds veiled in comparison.

Bell lbbs: tighter bass, more transparent, clearer, leaner mids, better instrument separation, better bass/mids/treble balance, more forward mids, leaner treble.

Pretty close call, but the transparency of the lbbs gives it the edge for me. For those who do not mind a more veiled sound, the desolation sound might be more favorable.

 

[291079]

220. questyle m15 (W) vs hiby fc3:

M15: clearer, wider soundstage, slightly airier, tighter bass, better layering, better instrument separation, slightly leaner treble.

Fc3: slightly more bass, warmer mids.

Although the m15 excels in most thins, the difference between the two was smaller than I expected, given the price difference.

 

[291079]

221. a&k rm01 vs no rm01

The rm01 is a really well-made bluetooth remote and the volume wheel is delightful to the touch, almost on par with naim wheels. However, it only has very basic functions (volume, play/pause, mute, fast forwards/backwards), and the buttons are touch-sensitive instead of real ones. It’s also quite heavy and expensive for what it does so I wouldn't use one myself tbh.

 

[291079]

222. chord poly vs no poly

To be honest, I don't see the appeal of the poly. It's normally $400-500 used, and for the price of a mojo 2 + poly combo you could buy a dx320 or similar, which is sonically and functionally better. Also, the poly requires wifi for good audio (the bluetooth quality is subpar), so you can only realistically use it around the home. As much as I appreciate the mojo 2, the poly is not for me.

 

[291079]

223. kef lsx 2 (W) vs naim mu-so:

Lsx 2: clearer, much wider soundstage, leaner treble, clearer bass, more height, airier, better instrument separation, better imaging, sounds more as a whole.

Mu-so: more sub-bass and bass, leaner treble, better layering, smoother mids, livelier.

I actually used both as near field speakers on my desk (though not for testing), and I don't think that either are very good as near field speakers. Good for smaller rooms though.