Aful Performer Impressions Thread

Nov 11, 2024 at 3:02 PM Post #1,126 of 1,225
Man I am thinking i should grab the Cantor Starry Night this double 11. I actually have the Marine Echo but I like Starry Night more :/ Am I being paranoid lol.
 
Nov 11, 2024 at 10:53 PM Post #1,128 of 1,225
Any initial impressions on the Cantor? The suspense is killing me!
:- ) Apologies, When I mentioned Cantor in the music thread yesterday, I meant to list my intial impressions for you mainly by the end of the day, but life intervened.

Been listening for four-five days - and nights- now. So first things first, all that brouhaha about eartips is laughable. I don't see/feel any difference from any regular iem. I think @baskingshark had mentioned it: how if you are not a smartalec and have the eartips the way they want you to have, there is no difference from any other iem. I agree. You are not going to see any part of the metal tip, it's all covered by the fluffy eartip and so you don't feel. Neither is it Etymotic style hard-core-porn insertion. Yeah, just push it deeper, press it in from the side of the shell, so that it's not loose. And it stays there. Perhaps the big pain/difference comes when one is using non-Aful eartips. I haven't and so my experience with the fit has been hassle-free. Have slept with em also ( I sleep on my back), so clearly no issues there. The tip it came with was too small for me, as when I press the side of the shells, i could discern a better fit/sound. So i replaced it with another tip provided and it's v snug. Of course all this is individual ear dependent, but the fact that I haven't had even iota of an issue with the fit also says something, i feel.

second, the harshness described by a couple of reviewers. As @ToneDeafMonk pointed out elsewhere, it must be as they went in with loose tips (either stock or different). There is absolutely no harshness in the treble. Again, imo and all that. I remember the treble on the Mest 2 was wild, rough, but not this. No sibilance. But the beauty is that it's not been veiled, blunted out like a couple of iems that I have. And i like em, say the nightingale has that veil blunt or the Kira 2 has a tonality to its treble that is harsh-free but not crisp. I love both of it as kira2 is so treble-present that too much crispness wouldn't have worked in its presentation. It has the Piezoelectric tweeter (kira 2 that is) and its tonality is like that.

Cantor otoh has this lovely treble tonality that isn't blunted or Piezo-ed softness. But the one that doesn't veer into sibilance. If one is inherently anti-treble, then maybe your ears will prick but even then I wager it won't be cos of any sibilance (provided good ear-tip chosen).

That done, now for the sound. But first Consider my past: my costliest headphone is Senns 660S2 and in Iems Aful P8. So, this is coming essentially from a mid-fi experienced guy, not a Totl-ish. Except that I heard Mest 2 once. My Senns aren't cheapies, of course but they aren't TOTL either. So that has to be kept in perspective and some exuberance has to be discounted by the people who are used to hearing expensive iems. (And no Sivga Que doesn't feel cheap after hearing Cantor! Still amazed at how good it sounds and would actually want someone compare it with P7, am waging not a huge difference there, except for the planar treble region.The gap that reduces with the r4 Eva's DRX dynamic treble plugin)


Cantor kills P8, not useful for you perhaps as you haven't heard P8. P8 is a neutral sub-bass boosted IEM, but sounds thinner and not dynamic. It was Cantor's note-weight that first surprised me. For some reason, I had expected bright and thin. It isn't. Good bodied notes that fill up the aural soul. Muscular, even.

Then the bass. This is where my lack of experience with anything Totl-ish would come in, imo. The quality of the bass is several notches higher than the stuff i have heard. If you have ever hit a drum, you would have experienced the tactileness of the leather. Or in my case Mridangam, an Indian double-sided drum where you have to hit with your fingers. You would feel the cow-skin. There is a bouncing, viscerally tactile feeling to it. That similar feeling you get in the Cantor bass. Not necessarily in a bass-heavy track, but in general. So that aurally-pleasing bass texture abounds in your ears. It's not bloomy, it's not hollow, it's not slow, it's not necessarily a reverb like Que can be, but in the moment, in the here-and-now. You would feel it in your fingers when you strike the drum. With cantor, you feel it in your ears the moment that sinks in a track. Quick, snappy, but not farty, not a puff, not a ghost of aural-sound, but a lovely live life-like tactile feel. Possibly cos its BA (this is conjecture purely on reading HEadfi as I wouldn't have said this in my preheadfi days!), the posthumous life of a bass note doesn't linger too long, but it works beautifully as a whole. Because of the quality of its texture, it stays just long enough, giving a satisfied rounded feeling, and moves on to the next note.

As an aside, Mridangam: Hear it in this western track at 4:40 on... ( )


The treble as I hinted earlier is refreshing. Tonally, crisp without being harsh or blunted out, it's out there winking at you boldly.

The details pulled out are indeed quite something. Our Shark had put it thus: "I know it is a cliche when one claims that this IEM can let listeners pick up fine nuances in tracks that you didn't know existed, but it is no hyperbole to make this statement here." And I agree. It would have been easy for me to say this due to my limited experience, hence was impressed to see someone like Shark with his vast experience of expensive iems also feeling the same. And hence quoting him here to provide that context.

He also said: "Think of the Cantor as a scalpel that can dissect away layers of music, to allow critical listening. Analytical-heads will surely have a eargasm."

Now, this is where to me it gets interesting. No argument with that, but my takeaway from that line when I read it first was unclear to myself. On the negative side (in my mind, that is): Was it going to be a somewhat clinical sterile non-dynamic stuff, somehow stripping the music of its musicality. Do Iems even do that? On the positive side was: would I be hearing more details?

Now I understand what it means. More micro-details for sure, essentially more breathing space for all elements in the track. Even as O0genesis keeps saying the entire midrange is forwarded, the background elements are so crystal-clear. It's all laid out on a plane and depending on your choice, you can zoom in on a particular instrument in a busy track and stay with it effortlessly.

That effortlessness seems to be the main difference as opposed to a lesser-priced item. Not that even Sivga que doesn't or P8 doesn't present details or Kira2 doesn't (the last one does it really well in fact), but the effortlessness of Cantor comes through to us, the listeners. Since there seems to be more breathing space around well-spaced out notes that are clear, coherent, not chopped off early or coloured by bass-bleed (sorry @o0genesis0o!) emerging as it were from black background, it's all rather clear as it were happening in front of you. Hence the feeling of hearing something live. The arclights are not kept on just the vocalist or a bass-drummer but the stage is illuminated, if you get the idea.
Those elements upfront seem to have a thicker noteweight, accentuating the illusion of depth and distance. Since it's full-bodied, the musicality isn't compromised. There is nothing weak, brittle, feathery, feeble about this IEM. It's muscular but classily so. In a gym, it would be the guy with a six-packs but without bulging biceps. Not that I have gone to a gym mroe than 2 months ever in my fat life, but you get the idea.


And that leads to the staging. It isn't something magical like notes drifting in from out there in the environment, for me. But it is spacious, on the edge of the ears or in the way it uses the height. It positions the different elements around orbitally - front, above, side that it immerses you. But it's not something gigantic. I don't know if any IEMs could do that. My BC earbud Conductor from Penon has a special sauce of huggeness to it; this doesn't but it's real, musical, and not unidimensional - adapts to the music played and doesn't stretch out everything regardless.

So that's the thing, @Hypops . You can reread @o0genesis0o or @baskingshark 's review to get a better idea. Both have explained it superbly; both the Aful fanboy and the rational man have not exaggerated or underplayed.

But the thing is essentially you would have to like that balanced neutral sound. You will like the quality bass I have no doubt or the harsh-free but present treble (you like Dita Project M), and so it would come down to whether you like balanced neutral sound that doesn't colour or give special preference to a particular strain of thought/element in the music. If you do, then this is a easy recco. Else, stay away. If you are unsure, I would say something like EPZ530 iem with what seems to be a similar (?) SQ ( I haven't heard that one though) but with a far lesser price would be the way to go.
 
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Nov 11, 2024 at 11:19 PM Post #1,129 of 1,225
:- ) Apologies, When I mentioned Cantor in the music thread yesterday, I meant to list my intial impressions for you mainly by the end of the day, but life intervened.

Been listening for four-five days - and nights- now. So first things first, all that brouhaha about eartips is laughable. I don't see/feel any difference from any regular iem. I think @baskingshark had mentioned it: how if you are not a smartalec and have the eartips the way they want you to have, there is no difference from any other iem. I agree. You are not going to see any part of the metal tip, it's all covered by the fluffy eartip and so you don't feel. Neither is it Etymotic style hard-core-porn insertion. Yeah, just push it deeper, press it in from the side of the shell, so that it's not loose. And it stays there. Perhaps the big pain/difference comes when one is using non-Aful eartips. I haven't and so my experience with the fit has been hassle-free. Have slept with em also ( I sleep on my back), so clearly no issues there. The tip it came with was too small for me, as when I press the side of the shells, i could discern a better fit/sound. So i replaced it with another tip provided and it's v snug. Of course all this is individual ear dependent, but the fact that I haven't had even iota of an issue with the fit also says something, i feel.

second, the harshness described by a couple of reviewers. As @ToneDeafMonk pointed out elsewhere, it must be as they went in with loose tips (either stock or different). There is absolutely no harshness in the treble. Again, imo and all that. I remember the treble on the Mest 2 was wild, rough, but not this. No sibilance. But the beauty is that it's not been veiled, blunted out like a couple of iems that I have. And i like em, say the nightingale has that veil blunt or the Kira 2 has a tonality to its treble that is harsh-free but not crisp. I love both of it as kira2 is so treble-present that too much crispness wouldn't have worked in its presentation. It has the Piezoelectric tweeter (kira 2 that is) and its tonality is like that.

Cantor otoh has this lovely treble tonality that isn't blunted or Piezo-ed softness. But the one that doesn't veer into sibilance. If one is inherently anti-treble, then maybe your ears will prick but even then I wager it won't be cos of any sibilance (provided good ear-tip chosen).

That done, now for the sound. But first Consider my past: my costliest headphone is Senns 660S2 and in Iems Aful P8. So, this is coming essentially from a mid-fi experienced guy, not a Totl-ish. Except that I heard Mest 2 once. My Senns aren't cheapies, of course but they aren't TOTL either. So that has to be kept in perspective and some exuberance has to be discounted by the people who are used to hearing expensive iems. (And no Sivga Que doesn't feel cheap after hearing Cantor! Still amazed at how good it sounds and would actually want someone compare it with P7, am waging not a huge difference there, except for the planar treble region.The gap that reduces with the r4 Eva's DRX dynamic treble plugin)


Cantor kills P8, not useful for you perhaps as you haven't heard P8. P8 is a neutral sub-bass boosted IEM, but sounds thinner and not dynamic. It was Cantor's note-weight that first surprised me. For some reason, I had expected bright and thin. It isn't. Good bodied notes that fill up the aural soul. Muscular, even.

Then the bass. This is where my lack of experience with anything Totl-ish would come in, imo. The quality of the bass is several notches higher than the stuff i have heard. If you have ever hit a drum, you would have experienced the tactileness of the leather. Or in my case Mridangam, an Indian double-sided drum where you have to hit with your fingers. You would feel the cow-skin. There is a bouncing, viscerally tactile feeling to it. That similar feeling you get in the Cantor bass. Not necessarily in a bass-heavy track, but in general. So that aurally-pleasing bass texture abounds in your ears. It's not bloomy, it's not hollow, it's not slow, it's not necessarily a reverb like Que can be, but in the moment, in the here-and-now. You would feel it in your fingers when you strike the drum. With cantor, you feel it in your ears the moment that sinks in a track. Quick, snappy, but not farty, not a puff, not a ghost of aural-sound, but a lovely live life-like tactile feel. Possibly cos its BA (this is conjecture purely on reading HEadfi as I wouldn't have said this in my preheadfi days!), the posthumous life of a bass note doesn't linger too long, but it works beautifully as a whole. Because of the quality of its texture, it stays just long enough, giving a satisfied rounded feeling, and moves on to the next note.

As an aside, Mridangam: Hear it in this western track at 4:40 on... ( )


The treble as I hinted earlier is refreshing. Tonally, crisp without being harsh or blunted out, it's out there winking at you boldly.

The details pulled out are indeed quite something. Our Shark had put it thus: "I know it is a cliche when one claims that this IEM can let listeners pick up fine nuances in tracks that you didn't know existed, but it is no hyperbole to make this statement here." And I agree. It would have been easy for me to say this due to my limited experience, hence was impressed to see someone like Shark with his vast experience of expensive iems also feeling the same. And hence quoting him here to provide that context.

He also said: "Think of the Cantor as a scalpel that can dissect away layers of music, to allow critical listening. Analytical-heads will surely have a eargasm."

Now, this is where to me it gets interesting. No argument with that, but my takeaway from that line when I read it first was unclear to myself. On the negative side (in my mind, that is): Was it going to be a somewhat clinical sterile non-dynamic stuff, somehow stripping the music of its musicality. Do Iems even do that? On the positive side was: would I be hearing more details?

Now I understand what it means. More micro-details for sure, essentially more breathing space for all elements in the track. Even as O0genesis keeps saying the entire midrange is forwarded, the background elements are so crystal-clear. It's all laid out on a plane and depending on your choice, you can zoom in on a particular instrument in a busy track and stay with it effortlessly.

That effortlessness seems to be the main difference as opposed to a lesser-priced item. Not that even Sivga que doesn't or P8 doesn't present details or Kira2 doesn't (the last one does it really well in fact), but the effortlessness of Cantor comes through to us, the listeners. Since there seems to be more breathing space around well-spaced out notes that are clear, coherent, not chopped off early or coloured by bass-bleed (sorry @o0genesis0o!) emerging as it were from black background, it's all rather clear as it were happening in front of you. Hence the feeling of hearing something live. The arclights are not kept on just the vocalist or a bass-drummer but the stage is illuminated, if you get the idea.
Those elements upfront seem to have a thicker noteweight, accentuating the illusion of depth and distance. Since it's full-bodied, the musicality isn't compromised. There is nothing weak, brittle, feathery, feeble about this IEM. It's muscular but classily so. In a gym, it would be the guy with a six-packs but without bulging biceps. Not that I have gone to a gym mroe than 2 months ever in my fat life, but you get the idea.


And that leads to the staging. It isn't something magical like notes drifting in from out there in the environment, for me. But it is spacious, on the edge of the ears or in the way it uses the height. It positions the different elements around orbitally - front, above, side that it immerses you. But it's not something gigantic. I don't know if any IEMs could do that. My BC earbud Conductor from Penon has a special sauce of huggeness to it; this doesn't but it's real, musical, and not unidimensional - adapts to the music played and doesn't stretch out everything regardless.

So that's the thing, @Hypops . You can reread @o0genesis0o or @baskingshark 's review to get a better idea. Both have explained it superbly; both the Aful fanboy and the rational man have not exaggerated or underplayed.

But the thing is essentially you would have to like that balanced neutral sound. You will like the quality bass I have no doubt or the harsh-free but present treble (you like Dita Project M), and so it would come down to whether you like balanced neutral sound that doesn't colour or give special preference to a particular strain of thought/element in the music. If you do, then this is a easy recco. Else, stay away. If you are unsure, I would say something like EPZ530 iem with what seems to be a similar (?) SQ ( I haven't heard that one though) but with a far lesser price would be the way to go.

Dayum, impressive impressions. You should repack this as a review. It’s crystal clear and understandable.

And yeah, it does not have that “hugging” soundstage sensation. In some senses, it’s kinda like the STORM stage which projects like a square in front of the face. I hope AFUL does BCD in the future.
 
Nov 11, 2024 at 11:40 PM Post #1,130 of 1,225
:- ) Apologies, When I mentioned Cantor in the music thread yesterday, I meant to list my intial impressions for you mainly by the end of the day, but life intervened.

Been listening for four-five days - and nights- now. So first things first, all that brouhaha about eartips is laughable. I don't see/feel any difference from any regular iem. I think @baskingshark had mentioned it: how if you are not a smartalec and have the eartips the way they want you to have, there is no difference from any other iem. I agree. You are not going to see any part of the metal tip, it's all covered by the fluffy eartip and so you don't feel. Neither is it Etymotic style hard-core-porn insertion. Yeah, just push it deeper, press it in from the side of the shell, so that it's not loose. And it stays there. Perhaps the big pain/difference comes when one is using non-Aful eartips. I haven't and so my experience with the fit has been hassle-free. Have slept with em also ( I sleep on my back), so clearly no issues there. The tip it came with was too small for me, as when I press the side of the shells, i could discern a better fit/sound. So i replaced it with another tip provided and it's v snug. Of course all this is individual ear dependent, but the fact that I haven't had even iota of an issue with the fit also says something, i feel.

second, the harshness described by a couple of reviewers. As @ToneDeafMonk pointed out elsewhere, it must be as they went in with loose tips (either stock or different). There is absolutely no harshness in the treble. Again, imo and all that. I remember the treble on the Mest 2 was wild, rough, but not this. No sibilance. But the beauty is that it's not been veiled, blunted out like a couple of iems that I have. And i like em, say the nightingale has that veil blunt or the Kira 2 has a tonality to its treble that is harsh-free but not crisp. I love both of it as kira2 is so treble-present that too much crispness wouldn't have worked in its presentation. It has the Piezoelectric tweeter (kira 2 that is) and its tonality is like that.

Cantor otoh has this lovely treble tonality that isn't blunted or Piezo-ed softness. But the one that doesn't veer into sibilance. If one is inherently anti-treble, then maybe your ears will prick but even then I wager it won't be cos of any sibilance (provided good ear-tip chosen).

That done, now for the sound. But first Consider my past: my costliest headphone is Senns 660S2 and in Iems Aful P8. So, this is coming essentially from a mid-fi experienced guy, not a Totl-ish. Except that I heard Mest 2 once. My Senns aren't cheapies, of course but they aren't TOTL either. So that has to be kept in perspective and some exuberance has to be discounted by the people who are used to hearing expensive iems. (And no Sivga Que doesn't feel cheap after hearing Cantor! Still amazed at how good it sounds and would actually want someone compare it with P7, am waging not a huge difference there, except for the planar treble region.The gap that reduces with the r4 Eva's DRX dynamic treble plugin)


Cantor kills P8, not useful for you perhaps as you haven't heard P8. P8 is a neutral sub-bass boosted IEM, but sounds thinner and not dynamic. It was Cantor's note-weight that first surprised me. For some reason, I had expected bright and thin. It isn't. Good bodied notes that fill up the aural soul. Muscular, even.

Then the bass. This is where my lack of experience with anything Totl-ish would come in, imo. The quality of the bass is several notches higher than the stuff i have heard. If you have ever hit a drum, you would have experienced the tactileness of the leather. Or in my case Mridangam, an Indian double-sided drum where you have to hit with your fingers. You would feel the cow-skin. There is a bouncing, viscerally tactile feeling to it. That similar feeling you get in the Cantor bass. Not necessarily in a bass-heavy track, but in general. So that aurally-pleasing bass texture abounds in your ears. It's not bloomy, it's not hollow, it's not slow, it's not necessarily a reverb like Que can be, but in the moment, in the here-and-now. You would feel it in your fingers when you strike the drum. With cantor, you feel it in your ears the moment that sinks in a track. Quick, snappy, but not farty, not a puff, not a ghost of aural-sound, but a lovely live life-like tactile feel. Possibly cos its BA (this is conjecture purely on reading HEadfi as I wouldn't have said this in my preheadfi days!), the posthumous life of a bass note doesn't linger too long, but it works beautifully as a whole. Because of the quality of its texture, it stays just long enough, giving a satisfied rounded feeling, and moves on to the next note.

As an aside, Mridangam: Hear it in this western track at 4:40 on... ( )


The treble as I hinted earlier is refreshing. Tonally, crisp without being harsh or blunted out, it's out there winking at you boldly.

The details pulled out are indeed quite something. Our Shark had put it thus: "I know it is a cliche when one claims that this IEM can let listeners pick up fine nuances in tracks that you didn't know existed, but it is no hyperbole to make this statement here." And I agree. It would have been easy for me to say this due to my limited experience, hence was impressed to see someone like Shark with his vast experience of expensive iems also feeling the same. And hence quoting him here to provide that context.

He also said: "Think of the Cantor as a scalpel that can dissect away layers of music, to allow critical listening. Analytical-heads will surely have a eargasm."

Now, this is where to me it gets interesting. No argument with that, but my takeaway from that line when I read it first was unclear to myself. On the negative side (in my mind, that is): Was it going to be a somewhat clinical sterile non-dynamic stuff, somehow stripping the music of its musicality. Do Iems even do that? On the positive side was: would I be hearing more details?

Now I understand what it means. More micro-details for sure, essentially more breathing space for all elements in the track. Even as O0genesis keeps saying the entire midrange is forwarded, the background elements are so crystal-clear. It's all laid out on a plane and depending on your choice, you can zoom in on a particular instrument in a busy track and stay with it effortlessly.

That effortlessness seems to be the main difference as opposed to a lesser-priced item. Not that even Sivga que doesn't or P8 doesn't present details or Kira2 doesn't (the last one does it really well in fact), but the effortlessness of Cantor comes through to us, the listeners. Since there seems to be more breathing space around well-spaced out notes that are clear, coherent, not chopped off early or coloured by bass-bleed (sorry @o0genesis0o!) emerging as it were from black background, it's all rather clear as it were happening in front of you. Hence the feeling of hearing something live. The arclights are not kept on just the vocalist or a bass-drummer but the stage is illuminated, if you get the idea.
Those elements upfront seem to have a thicker noteweight, accentuating the illusion of depth and distance. Since it's full-bodied, the musicality isn't compromised. There is nothing weak, brittle, feathery, feeble about this IEM. It's muscular but classily so. In a gym, it would be the guy with a six-packs but without bulging biceps. Not that I have gone to a gym mroe than 2 months ever in my fat life, but you get the idea.


And that leads to the staging. It isn't something magical like notes drifting in from out there in the environment, for me. But it is spacious, on the edge of the ears or in the way it uses the height. It positions the different elements around orbitally - front, above, side that it immerses you. But it's not something gigantic. I don't know if any IEMs could do that. My BC earbud Conductor from Penon has a special sauce of huggeness to it; this doesn't but it's real, musical, and not unidimensional - adapts to the music played and doesn't stretch out everything regardless.

So that's the thing, @Hypops . You can reread @o0genesis0o or @baskingshark 's review to get a better idea. Both have explained it superbly; both the Aful fanboy and the rational man have not exaggerated or underplayed.

But the thing is essentially you would have to like that balanced neutral sound. You will like the quality bass I have no doubt or the harsh-free but present treble (you like Dita Project M), and so it would come down to whether you like balanced neutral sound that doesn't colour or give special preference to a particular strain of thought/element in the music. If you do, then this is a easy recco. Else, stay away. If you are unsure, I would say something like EPZ530 iem with what seems to be a similar (?) SQ ( I haven't heard that one though) but with a far lesser price would be the way to go.

Dang, man. I agree with @o0genesis0o. This should be a formal review. Really nice work. Also your descriptions avoid most of the familiar cliches that litter most reviews (probably bc you don't think of yourself as a "reviewer"). I'm sold. Might be a while, but this is definitely on my wishlist now.

As an aside since I know you're not on the discothread: our beloved sharkie has taken a leave of absence from reviews and from head-fi. We're all broken up about it!
 
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Nov 12, 2024 at 12:50 AM Post #1,131 of 1,225
Dang, man. I agree with @o0genesis0o. This should be a formal review. Really nice work. Also your descriptions avoid most of the familiar cliches that litter most reviews (probably bc you don't think of yourself as a "reviewer"). I'm sold. Might be a while, but this is definitely on my wishlist now.

As an aside since I know you're not on the discothread: our beloved sharkie has taken a leave of absence from reviews and from head-fi. We're all broken up about it!
Oh crap...
Dang, man. I agree with @o0genesis0o. This should be a formal review. Really nice work. Also your descriptions avoid most of the familiar cliches that litter most reviews (probably bc you don't think of yourself as a "reviewer"). I'm sold. Might be a while, but this is definitely on my wishlist now.

As an aside since I know you're not on the discothread: our beloved sharkie has taken a leave of absence from reviews and from head-fi. We're all broken up about it!
Oh crap.. just searched out his post. Oh man, sucks. Not just his absence but the reasons for it: about the nature of this reviewing industry. Not good, at all. As it is, he had been buying stuff in second hand market just to review
Hope it doesn't reach a stage where honesty becomes unsustainable in this industry. That's why communities like headfi becomes maha important with free flow of opinions. Hopefully enough good people remain in reviewing area.
 
Nov 12, 2024 at 1:24 AM Post #1,132 of 1,225
:- ) Apologies, When I mentioned Cantor in the music thread yesterday, I meant to list my intial impressions for you mainly by the end of the day, but life intervened.

Been listening for four-five days - and nights- now. So first things first, all that brouhaha about eartips is laughable. I don't see/feel any difference from any regular iem. I think @baskingshark had mentioned it: how if you are not a smartalec and have the eartips the way they want you to have, there is no difference from any other iem. I agree. You are not going to see any part of the metal tip, it's all covered by the fluffy eartip and so you don't feel. Neither is it Etymotic style hard-core-porn insertion. Yeah, just push it deeper, press it in from the side of the shell, so that it's not loose. And it stays there. Perhaps the big pain/difference comes when one is using non-Aful eartips. I haven't and so my experience with the fit has been hassle-free. Have slept with em also ( I sleep on my back), so clearly no issues there. The tip it came with was too small for me, as when I press the side of the shells, i could discern a better fit/sound. So i replaced it with another tip provided and it's v snug. Of course all this is individual ear dependent, but the fact that I haven't had even iota of an issue with the fit also says something, i feel.

second, the harshness described by a couple of reviewers. As @ToneDeafMonk pointed out elsewhere, it must be as they went in with loose tips (either stock or different). There is absolutely no harshness in the treble. Again, imo and all that. I remember the treble on the Mest 2 was wild, rough, but not this. No sibilance. But the beauty is that it's not been veiled, blunted out like a couple of iems that I have. And i like em, say the nightingale has that veil blunt or the Kira 2 has a tonality to its treble that is harsh-free but not crisp. I love both of it as kira2 is so treble-present that too much crispness wouldn't have worked in its presentation. It has the Piezoelectric tweeter (kira 2 that is) and its tonality is like that.

Cantor otoh has this lovely treble tonality that isn't blunted or Piezo-ed softness. But the one that doesn't veer into sibilance. If one is inherently anti-treble, then maybe your ears will prick but even then I wager it won't be cos of any sibilance (provided good ear-tip chosen).

That done, now for the sound. But first Consider my past: my costliest headphone is Senns 660S2 and in Iems Aful P8. So, this is coming essentially from a mid-fi experienced guy, not a Totl-ish. Except that I heard Mest 2 once. My Senns aren't cheapies, of course but they aren't TOTL either. So that has to be kept in perspective and some exuberance has to be discounted by the people who are used to hearing expensive iems. (And no Sivga Que doesn't feel cheap after hearing Cantor! Still amazed at how good it sounds and would actually want someone compare it with P7, am waging not a huge difference there, except for the planar treble region.The gap that reduces with the r4 Eva's DRX dynamic treble plugin)


Cantor kills P8, not useful for you perhaps as you haven't heard P8. P8 is a neutral sub-bass boosted IEM, but sounds thinner and not dynamic. It was Cantor's note-weight that first surprised me. For some reason, I had expected bright and thin. It isn't. Good bodied notes that fill up the aural soul. Muscular, even.

Then the bass. This is where my lack of experience with anything Totl-ish would come in, imo. The quality of the bass is several notches higher than the stuff i have heard. If you have ever hit a drum, you would have experienced the tactileness of the leather. Or in my case Mridangam, an Indian double-sided drum where you have to hit with your fingers. You would feel the cow-skin. There is a bouncing, viscerally tactile feeling to it. That similar feeling you get in the Cantor bass. Not necessarily in a bass-heavy track, but in general. So that aurally-pleasing bass texture abounds in your ears. It's not bloomy, it's not hollow, it's not slow, it's not necessarily a reverb like Que can be, but in the moment, in the here-and-now. You would feel it in your fingers when you strike the drum. With cantor, you feel it in your ears the moment that sinks in a track. Quick, snappy, but not farty, not a puff, not a ghost of aural-sound, but a lovely live life-like tactile feel. Possibly cos its BA (this is conjecture purely on reading HEadfi as I wouldn't have said this in my preheadfi days!), the posthumous life of a bass note doesn't linger too long, but it works beautifully as a whole. Because of the quality of its texture, it stays just long enough, giving a satisfied rounded feeling, and moves on to the next note.

As an aside, Mridangam: Hear it in this western track at 4:40 on... ( )


The treble as I hinted earlier is refreshing. Tonally, crisp without being harsh or blunted out, it's out there winking at you boldly.

The details pulled out are indeed quite something. Our Shark had put it thus: "I know it is a cliche when one claims that this IEM can let listeners pick up fine nuances in tracks that you didn't know existed, but it is no hyperbole to make this statement here." And I agree. It would have been easy for me to say this due to my limited experience, hence was impressed to see someone like Shark with his vast experience of expensive iems also feeling the same. And hence quoting him here to provide that context.

He also said: "Think of the Cantor as a scalpel that can dissect away layers of music, to allow critical listening. Analytical-heads will surely have a eargasm."

Now, this is where to me it gets interesting. No argument with that, but my takeaway from that line when I read it first was unclear to myself. On the negative side (in my mind, that is): Was it going to be a somewhat clinical sterile non-dynamic stuff, somehow stripping the music of its musicality. Do Iems even do that? On the positive side was: would I be hearing more details?

Now I understand what it means. More micro-details for sure, essentially more breathing space for all elements in the track. Even as O0genesis keeps saying the entire midrange is forwarded, the background elements are so crystal-clear. It's all laid out on a plane and depending on your choice, you can zoom in on a particular instrument in a busy track and stay with it effortlessly.

That effortlessness seems to be the main difference as opposed to a lesser-priced item. Not that even Sivga que doesn't or P8 doesn't present details or Kira2 doesn't (the last one does it really well in fact), but the effortlessness of Cantor comes through to us, the listeners. Since there seems to be more breathing space around well-spaced out notes that are clear, coherent, not chopped off early or coloured by bass-bleed (sorry @o0genesis0o!) emerging as it were from black background, it's all rather clear as it were happening in front of you. Hence the feeling of hearing something live. The arclights are not kept on just the vocalist or a bass-drummer but the stage is illuminated, if you get the idea.
Those elements upfront seem to have a thicker noteweight, accentuating the illusion of depth and distance. Since it's full-bodied, the musicality isn't compromised. There is nothing weak, brittle, feathery, feeble about this IEM. It's muscular but classily so. In a gym, it would be the guy with a six-packs but without bulging biceps. Not that I have gone to a gym mroe than 2 months ever in my fat life, but you get the idea.


And that leads to the staging. It isn't something magical like notes drifting in from out there in the environment, for me. But it is spacious, on the edge of the ears or in the way it uses the height. It positions the different elements around orbitally - front, above, side that it immerses you. But it's not something gigantic. I don't know if any IEMs could do that. My BC earbud Conductor from Penon has a special sauce of huggeness to it; this doesn't but it's real, musical, and not unidimensional - adapts to the music played and doesn't stretch out everything regardless.

So that's the thing, @Hypops . You can reread @o0genesis0o or @baskingshark 's review to get a better idea. Both have explained it superbly; both the Aful fanboy and the rational man have not exaggerated or underplayed.

But the thing is essentially you would have to like that balanced neutral sound. You will like the quality bass I have no doubt or the harsh-free but present treble (you like Dita Project M), and so it would come down to whether you like balanced neutral sound that doesn't colour or give special preference to a particular strain of thought/element in the music. If you do, then this is a easy recco. Else, stay away. If you are unsure, I would say something like EPZ530 iem with what seems to be a similar (?) SQ ( I haven't heard that one though) but with a far lesser price would be the way to go.

I don't think I described the Cantor as having harsh treble? 🤔 and the EPZ530 is the polar opposite tuning , The Cantor is the All Business End with a musical twist and the 530 as The Party Girl.
 
Nov 12, 2024 at 1:28 AM Post #1,133 of 1,225
I don't think I described the Cantor as having harsh treble? 🤔 and the EPZ530 is the polar opposite tuning , The Cantor is the All Business End with a musical twist and the 530 as The Party Girl.

No you didn't. Am saying the opposite. That You had said that those reviewers who were cribbing about harshness perhaps had the fit wrong, loose.

And thanks for that epz thingy, good to know the difference.
 
Nov 12, 2024 at 1:34 AM Post #1,134 of 1,225
No you didn't. Am saying the opposite. That You had said that those reviewers who were cribbing about harshness perhaps had the fit wrong, loose.

And thanks for that epz thingy, good to know the difference.
Sorry read that wrong, my apologies , yeah no harshness if you get proper fitment and put the eartips on correctly.

I knew some people would not spend the time to get to know the Cantor. Glad you did and are enjoying the set!

You nailed that review great job and Thank You for sharing 👏
 
Nov 12, 2024 at 4:15 AM Post #1,135 of 1,225
Sennheiser 660 i have first gen 2 years behind is too much behind better headphones. I prefer clark aeon open 2. When i can have another headphone, iem. It is between hifiman he 1000 se second hand best headphone for me, aeon open 2 new or second hand very good headphone for smooth still refined sound and iem cantor that is for me rigt now.
 
Nov 14, 2024 at 8:37 AM Post #1,136 of 1,225
Got my Performer 5 + 2 in the mail late yesterday. My comparison is the Explorer and Performer 5. I like the Explorer a lot and did not like the Performer 5 at all. The P7 retains a little more of the tonality of the P5 than I would like, but is obviously more capable than both the P5 and Explorer. Biggest thing I'm noticing is the technicalities. Detail separation and soundstage is better than I've ever heard in an IEM, but this is the most technical one I've ever had. I do still like the tonality of the Explorer better, but after getting used to the treble in the P7 it's hard to go back to the Explorer.

I think if they took the micro planar they are using for the treble extension here and added it to the Explorer, I would like it even more than the Performer 5 + 2. Even if it probably would't be as capable from a technicalities standpoint, I think the overal tone/timbre of the IEM would be closer to what I prefer.
 
Nov 14, 2024 at 8:58 AM Post #1,137 of 1,225
Finally, got the cantor in for a review.
1000073706.jpg


Initial impressions -
1. Need a deep fit, the deeper the better for smooth treble
2. Excellent sub bass for BA.
3. Detail retrieval for days.
4. Imaging is excellent.
5. Treble is lively for sure.
 
Nov 14, 2024 at 9:33 AM Post #1,138 of 1,225
Excellent sub bass for BA.
I’d argue it’s just excellent full stop. We’ve gotten to the point where, if the implementation is good (like with the Cantor), BA bass isn’t better or worse than DD bass, just different.
Of course a crap ton of people are gonna disagree with me, though.
 
Nov 14, 2024 at 12:19 PM Post #1,139 of 1,225
alright so I think I figured something out. I was trying both my Explorer and Performer 5+2 with the Spinfit W1s. I was reading up on this site, where they compare different Spinfit tips. They have this to say for the W1:

SpinFit W1 – a combination of the cap shape which is in between of Omni and CP100 and a bit softer silicone material allowed a deeper insertion that results in extra sub-bass rumble with a bit more relaxed mid-bass, balanced natural mids, and extra sparkle in treble.

So that description sounds great for the Explorer, which could use a little more sparkle in the treble, but I'm afraid that for the P5+2, it's accentuating the treble a little too much to where it could be fatiguing. I really like Spinfit, so I've ordered the Omni and the CP100 to see if I get different results.

Highly recommend the W1 with the Explorer though.
 

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