Aful Performer Impressions Thread

[o0genesis0o]

I use Dunu S&S and very happy.

I tested the S&S small on a whim. Surprise surprise, it’s very good. I usually have all sorts of problem with S&S. Can vouch for this pairing.

 

[sgtbilko]

I tested the S&S small on a whim. Surprise surprise, it’s very good. I usually have all sorts of problem with S&S. Can vouch for this pairing.

What size tips do you usually use with other brands? I've never tried S&S and normally need L or XL size tips for my big lugholes.

 

[o0genesis0o]

What size tips do you usually use with other brands? I've never tried S&S and normally need L or XL size tips for my big lugholes.

It depends on the IEM, tbh. I can go from medium to small to large. P8 has long and thin nozzle, so for the proper fit (earpieces resting against the concha), I need smaller tips. So medium-small of S&S works. Small spin-fit W1 also works, but it extends the nozzles a bit more, making my inner ears itchy.

I also have very good experience with final type E, medium-small.

 

[szore]

What size tips do you usually use with other brands? I've never tried S&S and normally need L or XL size tips for my big lugholes.

I use large for S&S and its fine for me.

 

[MickBenjamins]

If anyone in Europe is after an Aful Performer8 - let me know. Bought mine July 31st, and letting them go to free up some money

 

[MickBenjamins]

Shameless self plug: https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/aful-performer-8.54246/

 

[ATOZ]

Got myself a pair of Performer 8 and I'm pairing them with a Mojo 2/Xduoo Xd-05BL for on-the-go.
They sound great. I was pretty positively surprised when I first tried the. They punch way above their price of ca. USD 360 I paid on Ali.

Please be aware these IEMs are really sensitive to the source!
I believe they are 32 ohms, but feel like way less.
Tried them them on the following portable equipment and they presented every source in full cruel transparency... You're gonna hear everything that is wrong with your Amp/Dac/Files...

They have a good soundstage and spacial presentation. Maybe not the most expansive and super-out-of-head, but pretty good! And they totally depend on the song you play. The left/right separation and transition is phenomenal! You can pinpoint the sound also in height

--> WooAudio Wa8 Eclipse (portable Tube Amp):
So far so good. Warm and nice. Very pleasant sound and of very high quality. Enough bass; I would even say the perfect amount. Not too little, it is there when the song calls for it. Not too much, to the extent where some IEMs put bass just everywhere, on every song...
I have all 3 tubes switched on per default and barely managed to turn the volume knob to 1.5!

--> Orioulus BA200s Tube Amp/Tube Stage from Raosound:
Damn! Never had I heard the ringing of the tubes before! Mainly used it with my ZMF Verité Closed (300 ohms) and my DCA Noire (32 ohms I believe). Always sounded great. When used with the Performer 8, I can hear all the misery... Sounded pretty hollow and the tubes sang on every touch/knock.

--> Chord Mojo 2:
Very nice pairing. Sounds so natural, that I tend to "forget" to (actively) listen and just drift away in my thoughts.
In the review thread, here on head-fi, I read about the dip around 4kHz. And that's true.
So on the Mojo, I bumped the 3kHZ shelf up by 2 dB and the 20kHz shelf down by 2 dB in order to compensate. Perfect! Makes the AFUL Performer 8 much more lively.
Crossfeed is on max. What rich and pleasant sound, while staying true (in order not to say neutral, which could shy away some).
I mainly feed the Mojo via Bluetooth/LDAC fed via Coax. With the Performer 8, the step up in quality when using the ddHifi TC09S Nyx cable is noticable. One can also easily descern what BT receiver and connection I feed the Mojo 2 with: Oriolus 1795D (CS8422 chip increases BT signal sampling rate to 24Bit/192kHz) vs. Xduoo Xd-05BL, Coax or Optical S/PDIF... crazy!

--> MacBook M1 16" Max:
Nothing special to say. Sounded surprisingly good! Could totally listen to them on my Mac in a pinch.


To the risk of making a fool of myself:
And please note, I believe a) cables don't make a different. Certainly not in "low budget" equipment. Maybe only once everything is at the highest level possible, there might be a hearable difference, and b) that the resistance of your IEMs/Headphones would need to be sooo low, that the conductivity of the material starts to matter.
--> I would even say, that they sounded different when I used my old DUNU Hulk cable... Sounded a bit more closed than the OG cable. I prefer the original that came with the Performer 8.
Don't know what their deal is, but they are very "revealing" of your sound equipment.

Cheers

PS. Can't wait for the Performer 14 to come out and see what they will be able to bring to the table!

 

[jasonb]

Got myself a pair of Performer 8 and I'm pairing them with a Mojo 2/Xduoo Xd-05BL for on-the-go.
They sound great. I was pretty positively surprised when I first tried the. They punch way above their price of ca. USD 360 I paid on Ali.

Please be aware these IEMs are really sensitive to the source!
I believe they are 32 ohms, but feel like way less.
Tried them them on the following portable equipment and they presented every source in full cruel transparency... You're gonna hear everything that is wrong with your Amp/Dac/Files...

They have a good soundstage and spacial presentation. Maybe not the most expansive and super-out-of-head, but pretty good! And they totally depend on the song you play. The left/right separation and transition is phenomenal! You can pinpoint the sound also in height

--> WooAudio Wa8 Eclipse (portable Tube Amp):
So far so good. Warm and nice. Very pleasant sound and of very high quality. Enough bass; I would even say the perfect amount. Not too little, it is there when the song calls for it. Not too much, to the extent where some IEMs put bass just everywhere, on every song...
I have all 3 tubes switched on per default and barely managed to turn the volume knob to 1.5!

--> Orioulus BA200s Tube Amp/Tube Stage from Raosound:
Damn! Never had I heard the ringing of the tubes before! Mainly used it with my ZMF Verité Closed (300 ohms) and my DCA Noire (32 ohms I believe). Always sounded great. When used with the Performer 8, I can hear all the misery... Sounded pretty hollow and the tubes sang on every touch/knock.

--> Chord Mojo 2:
Very nice pairing. Sounds so natural, that I tend to "forget" to (actively) listen and just drift away in my thoughts.
In the review thread, here on head-fi, I read about the dip around 4kHz. And that's true.
So on the Mojo, I bumped the 3kHZ shelf up by 2 dB and the 20kHz shelf down by 2 dB in order to compensate. Perfect! Makes the AFUL Performer 8 much more lively.
Crossfeed is on max. What rich and pleasant sound, while staying true (in order not to say neutral, which could shy away some).
I mainly feed the Mojo via Bluetooth/LDAC fed via Coax. With the Performer 8, the step up in quality when using the ddHifi TC09S Nyx cable is noticable. One can also easily descern what BT receiver and connection I feed the Mojo 2 with: Oriolus 1795D (CS8422 chip increases BT signal sampling rate to 24Bit/192kHz) vs. Xduoo Xd-05BL, Coax or Optical S/PDIF... crazy!

--> MacBook M1 16" Max:
Nothing special to say. Sounded surprisingly good! Could totally listen to them on my Mac in a pinch.


To the risk of making a fool of myself:
And please note, I believe a) cables don't make a different. Certainly not in "low budget" equipment. Maybe only once everything is at the highest level possible, there might be a hearable difference, and b) that the resistance of your IEMs/Headphones would need to be sooo low, that the conductivity of the material starts to matter.
--> I would even say, that they sounded different when I used my old DUNU Hulk cable... Sounded a bit more closed than the OG cable. I prefer the original that came with the Performer 8.
Don't know what their deal is, but they are very "revealing" of your sound equipment.

Cheers

PS. Can't wait for the Performer 14 to come out and see what they will be able to bring to the table!

I enjoy mine out of the headphone jack on my M1 MacBook Air, and just the $9 Apple dongle, but a little less so.

 

[lowrider007]

Got myself a pair of Performer 8 and I'm pairing them with a Mojo 2/Xduoo Xd-05BL for on-the-go.
They sound great. I was pretty positively surprised when I first tried the. They punch way above their price of ca. USD 360 I paid on Ali.

Please be aware these IEMs are really sensitive to the source!
I believe they are 32 ohms, but feel like way less.
Tried them them on the following portable equipment and they presented every source in full cruel transparency... You're gonna hear everything that is wrong with your Amp/Dac/Files...

.......
Don't know what their deal is, but they are very "revealing" of your sound equipment.

Cheers

These are the most sensitive IEM's I've ever used, on my Mojo 2 I can hear a mild background hiss when you plug them in which was quite surprising, I think this is why they are so dependent on the equipment they are being used on.

 

[jasonb]

These are the most sensitive IEM's I've ever used, on my Mojo 2 I can hear a mild background hiss when you plug them in which was quite surprising, I think this is why they are so dependent on the equipment they are being used on.

Same, but I don’t hear any hiss on any of my sources.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Got myself a pair of Performer 8 and I'm pairing them with a Mojo 2/Xduoo Xd-05BL for on-the-go.
They sound great. I was pretty positively surprised when I first tried the. They punch way above their price of ca. USD 360 I paid on Ali.

Please be aware these IEMs are really sensitive to the source!
I believe they are 32 ohms, but feel like way less.
Tried them them on the following portable equipment and they presented every source in full cruel transparency... You're gonna hear everything that is wrong with your Amp/Dac/Files...

They have a good soundstage and spacial presentation. Maybe not the most expansive and super-out-of-head, but pretty good! And they totally depend on the song you play. The left/right separation and transition is phenomenal! You can pinpoint the sound also in height

--> WooAudio Wa8 Eclipse (portable Tube Amp):
So far so good. Warm and nice. Very pleasant sound and of very high quality. Enough bass; I would even say the perfect amount. Not too little, it is there when the song calls for it. Not too much, to the extent where some IEMs put bass just everywhere, on every song...
I have all 3 tubes switched on per default and barely managed to turn the volume knob to 1.5!

--> Orioulus BA200s Tube Amp/Tube Stage from Raosound:
Damn! Never had I heard the ringing of the tubes before! Mainly used it with my ZMF Verité Closed (300 ohms) and my DCA Noire (32 ohms I believe). Always sounded great. When used with the Performer 8, I can hear all the misery... Sounded pretty hollow and the tubes sang on every touch/knock.

--> Chord Mojo 2:
Very nice pairing. Sounds so natural, that I tend to "forget" to (actively) listen and just drift away in my thoughts.
In the review thread, here on head-fi, I read about the dip around 4kHz. And that's true.
So on the Mojo, I bumped the 3kHZ shelf up by 2 dB and the 20kHz shelf down by 2 dB in order to compensate. Perfect! Makes the AFUL Performer 8 much more lively.
Crossfeed is on max. What rich and pleasant sound, while staying true (in order not to say neutral, which could shy away some).
I mainly feed the Mojo via Bluetooth/LDAC fed via Coax. With the Performer 8, the step up in quality when using the ddHifi TC09S Nyx cable is noticable. One can also easily descern what BT receiver and connection I feed the Mojo 2 with: Oriolus 1795D (CS8422 chip increases BT signal sampling rate to 24Bit/192kHz) vs. Xduoo Xd-05BL, Coax or Optical S/PDIF... crazy!

--> MacBook M1 16" Max:
Nothing special to say. Sounded surprisingly good! Could totally listen to them on my Mac in a pinch.


To the risk of making a fool of myself:
And please note, I believe a) cables don't make a different. Certainly not in "low budget" equipment. Maybe only once everything is at the highest level possible, there might be a hearable difference, and b) that the resistance of your IEMs/Headphones would need to be sooo low, that the conductivity of the material starts to matter.
--> I would even say, that they sounded different when I used my old DUNU Hulk cable... Sounded a bit more closed than the OG cable. I prefer the original that came with the Performer 8.
Don't know what their deal is, but they are very "revealing" of your sound equipment.

Cheers

PS. Can't wait for the Performer 14 to come out and see what they will be able to bring to the table!

Thanks for the detailed description of different sources. Can confirm that it hisses (slightly) with mojo2 from my side.

The upcoming flagship is called cantor. I guess they are sick of the “awful performer” joke. I wonder which tuning direction they would go.

 

[ATOZ]

@lowrider007
There is even a small but noticle change in sound, depending on how I connect them: The DUNU Hulk cable has interchangeable connectors. There is a difference between using the 3.5 straight into the Mojo or going 4.4 + ddHifi Nyx adapter...
I believe the adapter is adding some resistance; though way less that that ifi iem match+ adapter thingy (sound muffled, never liked it).

Luckily I hear no hiss on my Mojo 2.
Do you feed it directly from a PC?
Did you try another cable? Seems like Mojo 2 doens't like some USB cables to the point where it will just shoot some white noise at you if there is some hick-up in the electronics of the USB C plug...
I mainly use the Mojo via Coax.

 

[sgtbilko]

Same, but I don’t hear any hiss on any of my sources.

I use the iBasso DX170 and I can detect a very faint bit of white noise when the usb is plugged in, but when unplugged it is silent.

 

[Jaytiss]

Anyone heard cantor yet?

 

[ATOZ]

I believe it is not release yet.
In one if the CanJam (London?) videos online, someone mentioned it briefly and that it sounded promising.