Aful Performer Impressions Thread

[szore]

Due to this I ordered clarion tips and yeah they are a good match!

I have been using DUNU S&S (Stage & Studio) Silicone Eartips for improved Bass and superior fit. Coming from Spiral Dots which were too loose and didnt fit the best. The Dunnu S&S fit is rock solid for me. Its the same material the Azlas are made off.

 

[lgcubana]

Aful P8

The sub-bass can be very impressive on these. Everyone go play the song Sorrow from the live Pulse Pink Floyd album. There are some super low notes in this song and the P8 can definitely play them with some authority.

If your IEM has the ability to hit notes below your hearing range, the song of choice is (for me)"Angel", Massive Attack
&
yes, the P8 gets there, for the intro

 

[jasonb]

Aful P8

If your IEM has the ability to hit notes below your hearing range, the song of choice is (for me)"Angel", Massive Attack
&
yes, the P8 gets there, for the intro

Yes, that’s a good sub-bass testing song as well.

 

[szore]

This is a good bass test track. Takes a minute to get rolling...

 

[fabio19]

Anybody know which BA drivers are inside the P8? I find the treble very similar to S12 very resolving and sometimes a little(!) piercing for hot tracks. I think it's due to the the subtle peak around 6.5-7 khz but it still surprises me because the B3 measurement looks way more aggressive around 8 khz. I have all IEMs on my desk now so no FR reading only. To sum it up:

P8 has great micro-details hands down but lacks some BA timbre imho
B3 has decent micro-details but sounds way more natural in the treble region

differences you notice between P8 and L12?

 

[n00kie]

Well I usually take Springtips for all IEMs. Now with the standard P8 ear tips the treble seems less piercing. Basically we all know in this hobby that tip rolling and proper sealing might bring drastic changes.

 

[bachankas]

Got the Performer5. Amazing IEM! Feels like Oracle MKI with a bit more subbas but without pressure buildup issue known in Thieaudio IEMs. Love from the first song!

 

[sgtbilko]

Well I usually take Springtips for all IEMs. Now with the standard P8 ear tips the treble seems less piercing. Basically we all know in this hobby that tip rolling and proper sealing might bring drastic changes.

Weirdly, I tried a pair of KZ Starlines and they are really good (better than stock tips for me). As you say, it just goes to show that tip rolling is necessary.

 

[szore]

Weirdly, I tried a pair of KZ Starlines and they are really good (better than stock tips for me). As you say, it just goes to show that tip rolling is necessary.

What are your impressions of the P8?

 

[sgtbilko]

What are your impressions of the P8?

Bear in mind I've only had them a week... ...and my current sets are Tin P1+, Ety ER4PT, Olina and Orchestra Lite - so sub $250.

That said, they are:

• Easy to drive (sound good even with an Apple dongle)
• Have tons of detail - I'm definitely in the camp that says 'I can here things in well known tracks that I've never heard before'.
• Well balanced sound with a slight sub bass boost
• Mid and Sub bass is actually very good & present. I listen to rock, fusion & prog, so cannot speak for bassheads, but for these genres there is plenty of low end.
• Pretty small for iems with 8 drivers per side
• Very comfortable for long sessions - recommend you do a bit of tip rolling though
• Unlike some of my other iems (I'm looking at you P1+ & ER4), they don't need EQ

By far the best iems I've heard to date. So, very happy with them.

At the moment, I'm not actually convinced I'd need to upgrade any further (due to my aging ears and diminishing returns over price) - though I can clearly see that quality is rising and prices are dropping (wouldn't be surprised to see a $100 set of the same standard in a couple of years).

 

[jasonb]

Bear in mind I've only had them a week... ...and my current sets are Tin P1+, Ety ER4PT, Olina and Orchestra Lite - so sub $250.

That said, they are:

• Easy to drive (sound good even with an Apple dongle)
• Have tons of detail - I'm definitely in the camp that says 'I can here things in well known tracks that I've never heard before'.
• Well balanced sound with a slight sub bass boost
• Mid and Sub bass is actually very good & present. I listen to rock, fusion & prog, so cannot speak for bassheads, but for these genres there is plenty of low end.
• Pretty small for iems with 8 drivers per side
• Very comfortable for long sessions - recommend you do a bit of tip rolling though
• Unlike some of my other iems (I'm looking at you P1+ & ER4), they don't need EQ

By far the best iems I've heard to date. So, very happy with them.

At the moment, I'm not actually convinced I'd need to upgrade any further (due to my aging ears and diminishing returns over price) - though I can clearly see that quality is rising and prices are dropping (wouldn't be surprised to see a $100 set of the same standard in a couple of years).

Agreed. I listen to prog rock/metal mostly and agree with your assessments. They are the most expensive IEMs I’ve heard as well. I also feel they sound good just from an Apple dongle and need ZERO EQ. My next best IEM is my ER4SR which “need” some small EQ tweaks, but will never be capable of the sub-bass that the P8 has. The P8 isn’t bass head level, but definitely gets down when the song calls for it.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Bear in mind I've only had them a week... ...and my current sets are Tin P1+, Ety ER4PT, Olina and Orchestra Lite - so sub $250.

That said, they are:

• Easy to drive (sound good even with an Apple dongle)
• Have tons of detail - I'm definitely in the camp that says 'I can here things in well known tracks that I've never heard before'.
• Well balanced sound with a slight sub bass boost
• Mid and Sub bass is actually very good & present. I listen to rock, fusion & prog, so cannot speak for bassheads, but for these genres there is plenty of low end.
• Pretty small for iems with 8 drivers per side
• Very comfortable for long sessions - recommend you do a bit of tip rolling though
• Unlike some of my other iems (I'm looking at you P1+ & ER4), they don't need EQ

By far the best iems I've heard to date. So, very happy with them.

At the moment, I'm not actually convinced I'd need to upgrade any further (due to my aging ears and diminishing returns over price) - though I can clearly see that quality is rising and prices are dropping (wouldn't be surprised to see a $100 set of the same standard in a couple of years).

Finding an upgrade over this one without being able to test yourself is a challenge. You likely lose that that resolution and treble extension with a random $500 purchase.

 

[sgtbilko]

Where I am in the UK, there are literally no stores to go and test these products - so everything is basically a blind buy. It's why this channel is so important. Without which...

Another downer is that are large proportion of the iems on this forum aren't easily available or will be stiffed by taxes. I've avoided using AliEx so far (due to delivery times and taxes). Just glad Elise Audio in the UK sells ThieAudio, Dunu, Symphonium & Aful iems. Literally the only store!

 

[jasonb]

I started recently having sealing issues with the stock tips on my P8’s. Currently using the SpinFit CP360 tips instead. Can’t say that they sound any worse.

 

[sgtbilko]

I started recently having sealing issues with the stock tips on my P8’s. Currently using the SpinFit CP360 tips instead. Can’t say that they sound any worse.

I've actually found that they are quite versatile with tips. Had the same problem with the included tips and rolled a few different tips, ending up with KZ Starlines (of all tips!) - which give me a good seal and stunning grip. Soundwise, they're pretty consistent with the included tips and my CP100's