[hongky]

On the Aroma Air, an accidental find. Not sure if this means anything..

If I press the volume up/down button, and immediately tap power button, the display changes in steps from F1-F8 and back to F1, for each tap of the power button.

I could not sense any immediate sound changes. Any idea what this could be?

Seems like not many has Aroma Air
Can you give some impression how it sound compare to other DAP or DAC/AMP ?

TIA

 

[srinivasvignesh]

Seems like not many has Aroma Air
Can you give some impression how it sound compare to other DAP or DAC/AMP ?

TIA

Sure. I would say it is really really good. Maybe not up to the TOTL DAPs. But, if my memory serves me right, it is better than Mojo 2, Gryphon etc. Up there with with 1k+ DAPs for sure. The DC Elite is probably comparable, but I think, paired with the Jewel, the Air sounds more analog-ish, with a bigger stage. In terms of comparison to DAPS, it is likely up there or better than even Lotoo Paw 6000. Of course, you need to use LDAC to see the benefits (Do not have a source with AptX HD).

Please note my comparisons are based on memory.

 

[gordec]

Just got a demo unit of Aroma Jewel and pretty much blown away by the thing on n8ii. Basically a mini Susvara / Bravura without issues with bass and slam. Strongly considering keeping it.

The only issue is the stock calbe. Which is horrible. I feel like it overbrightens the sound and flattens it. What are good budget cable options for Jewel?

Once you figured out source which N8ii is pretty much endgame and cable, the Jewel should sound like a mix between well amplified Utopia 2023 and Susvara. My favorite cable so far is the Venom. It's actually better than PW First Times. Copper Wizard II is also quite good. It sounds very close to FT. That's just me. Others love PW FT. You can get the Venom for like $600 in classifieds. Copper Wizard II is like $400.

 

[Leto Dal]

Once you figured out source which N8ii is pretty much endgame and cable, the Jewel should sound like a mix between well amplified Utopia 2023 and Susvara. My favorite cable so far is the Venom. It's actually better than PW First Times. Copper Wizard II is also quite good. It sounds very close to FT. That's just me. Others love PW FT. You can get the Venom for like $600 in classifieds. Copper Wizard II is like $400.

After much testing with 1950s and FT decided to keep Traillii and Anni 2023. While being vastly improved by FT, Jewel became bit stale bit too fast to my ear and didnt work as allroudner with my playlist, some things been absolutely devine, some barely listenable, especially rock and stuff that relied on some bass rumble.
Still Jewel will be absolutely awesome for some genres and work for many people I believe, beautiful air, beuatiful vocals a and treble, but too neutral and bass anemic for me unfortunately.

 

[Polky74]

After much testing with 1950s and FT decided to keep Traillii and Anni 2023. While being vastly improved by FT, Jewel became bit stale bit too fast to my ear and didnt work as allroudner with my playlist, some things been absolutely devine, some barely listenable, especially rock and stuff that relied on some bass rumble.
Still Jewel will be absolutely awesome for some genres and work for many people I believe, beautiful air, beuatiful vocals a and treble, but too neutral and bass anemic for me unfortunately.

Strange that you find the bass of the Jewel anemic... from the reviews I read it seemed that the biggest difference between the Trailli and the Jewel was precisely the lack of bass of the Trailli which does not have a dynamic driver unlike the Jewel, instead you have you preferred Trailli. But we know that at these levels personal tastes are the most important thing. Having the opportunity to try iems of this level together is and always remains a blessing (which I didn't have). The important thing is to choose what we like best.

 

[Leto Dal]

Strange that you find the bass of the Jewel anemic... from the reviews I read it seemed that the biggest difference between the Trailli and the Jewel was precisely the lack of bass of the Trailli which does not have a dynamic driver unlike the Jewel, instead you have you preferred Trailli. But we know that at these levels personal tastes are the most important thing. Having the opportunity to try iems of this level together is and always remains a blessing (which I didn't have). The important thing is to choose what we like best.

Bass texture is not bass quantity. Jewel dynamic driver bass is better textured than on Traillii, but it lacks in quantity, Traillii is just right, instruments have body, there is proper weight to the notes. To me its a perfectly tuned IEM, yet to hear anything that comes close. While technically superior Jewel falls short tuning-wise for me.

 

[Polky74]

Bass texture is not bass quantity. Jewel dynamic driver bass is better textured than on Traillii, but it lacks in quantity, Traillii is just right, instruments have body, there is proper weight to the notes. To me its a perfectly tuned IEM, yet to hear anything that comes close. While technically superior Jewel falls short tuning-wise for me.

Have you tried Radon RN6? If you love bass maybe you might really appreciate these. However, I find the Jewel's bass already abundant... I won't say exaggerated but nice present even if not at the level of the IER-Z1R or the Thieaudio Monarch OG, but certainly not lacking (for me). Do you see how each of us perceives sound differently? For this reason, as I was saying, in the end there is nothing like trying it directly.

 

[Leto Dal]

Have you tried Radon RN6? If you love bass maybe you might really appreciate these. However, I find the Jewel's bass already abundant... I won't say exaggerated but nice present even if not at the level of the IER-Z1R or the Thieaudio Monarch OG, but certainly not lacking (for me). Do you see how each of us perceives sound differently? For this reason, as I was saying, in the end there is nothing like trying it directly.

Yet to try. I am no basshead by any means, but I need my mids to have some body. And yep, everything is subjective, we grew up with different music genres, different preferences and look for different things. But I cant listen to lets say rock music, without proper mid bass. Anni 2023, is pretty great as allrounder for example but for my taste it is almost overdoing it a little with bass, which starts to become bloomy on some recordings and leaks into the mids.
Perfect headphone so far that gets the balance between midbass and air is a well driven Susvara in my books. Jewel is nowwhere close when it comes to that unfortunately, Anni is much closer so is Traillii. But Traillii does again things that Susvara doesnt, nor any other headphone, IEM I heard to date.

 

[Polky74]

Yet to try. I am no basshead by any means, but I need my mids to have some body. And yep, everything is subjective, we grew up with different music genres, different preferences and look for different things. But I cant listen to lets say rock music, without proper mid bass. Anni 2023, is pretty great as allrounder for example but for my taste it is almost overdoing it a little with bass, which starts to become bloomy on some recordings and leaks into the mids.
Perfect headphone so far that gets the balance between midbass and air is a well driven Susvara in my books. Jewel is nowwhere close when it comes to that unfortunately, Anni is much closer so is Traillii. But Traillii does again things that Susvara doesnt, nor any other headphone, IEM I heard to date.

Sorry but I didn't understand one thing... did you already have the Trailli and the Anni 2023 or did you buy them after trying the Jewel and them together?

 

[Leto Dal]

Sorry but I didn't understand one thing... did you already have the Trailli and the Anni 2023 or did you buy them after trying the Jewel and them together?

I had Jewel as loaner, got Traillii since I already heard it previously and it didnt dissapoint next to Jewel. Got Anni 2023 shortly after as a more energetic complimentary with better more airy treble, was able to compare it to Jewel before sending it back. While Jewel is more airy, treble on Annihilator 2023 is better to my ear.

 

[Polky74]

I had Jewel as loaner, got Traillii since I already heard it previously and it didnt dissapoint next to Jewel. Got Anni 2023 shortly after as a more energetic complimentary with better more airy treble, was able to compare it to Jewel before sending it back. While Jewel is more airy, treble on Annihilator 2023 is better to my ear.

So of the three you ultimately chose the Trailli?

 

[gordec]

After much testing with 1950s and FT decided to keep Traillii and Anni 2023. While being vastly improved by FT, Jewel became bit stale bit too fast to my ear and didnt work as allroudner with my playlist, some things been absolutely devine, some barely listenable, especially rock and stuff that relied on some bass rumble.
Still Jewel will be absolutely awesome for some genres and work for many people I believe, beautiful air, beuatiful vocals a and treble, but too neutral and bass anemic for me unfortunately.

If you feel that way about the bass with the Jewel, you haven't found the right cable. The Venom was the only one that put allowed me to hear what it's capable of. The bass is one of the best I have ever heard along with everything else. I felt the bass was anemic with FT also. It had no layering or texture or body or slam. Venom took care all of that.

 

[Leto Dal]

So of the three you ultimately chose the Trailli?

Correct, to me it was not even close. But I am not looking for absolute detail and resolution, it’s important but there are more important things to music reproduction for me. I always prefer a well tuned, natural sounding device over a resoltion monster, so again - very subjective here. For example Susvara sounded too dry on many chains for me, including top end choices like Volot. With Bliss / May the tuning finally clicked.

If you feel that way about the bass with the Jewel, you haven't found the right cable. The Venom was the only one that put allowed me to hear what it's capable of. The bass is one of the best I have ever heard along with everything else. I felt the bass was anemic with FT also. It had no layering or texture or body or slam. Venom took care all of that.

Yeah maybe, I had enough adeventure trying 2 high end cables around 2k each, imho its not the buyers task to look for a good cable for a 6k IEM to make it sound good, but designers.

 

[gordec]

Correct, to me it was not even close. But I am not looking for absolute detail and resolution, it’s important but there are more important things to music reproduction for me. I always prefer a well tuned, natural sounding device over a resoltion monster, so again - very subjective here. For example Susvara sounded too dry on many chains for me, including top end choices like Volot. With Bliss / May the tuning finally clicked.


Yeah maybe, I had enough adeventure trying 2 high end cables around 2k each, imho its not the buyers task to look for a good cable for a 6k IEM to make it sound good, but designers.

I felt that way for a long time. I still liked Jewel with the other cables, but I didn't love it. I had no choice because I got customs. Sometimes to get the most of audio gear, you have to commit. With CIEMs, I'm forced into it. I guess I can take a huge loss and sell it.

I do agree, it shouldn't be this way. Aroma should at least give us some sort of recommended setup. That would give us a baseline to work with. Selling it with a very bright and thin sounding cable with strong microphonics is comical. It's beneficial to them if more customers find out the true potential of their IEMs rather than making it a treasure hunt for cables.

 

[srinivasvignesh]

Bass texture is not bass quantity. Jewel dynamic driver bass is better textured than on Traillii, but it lacks in quantity, Traillii is just right, instruments have body, there is proper weight to the notes. To me its a perfectly tuned IEM, yet to hear anything that comes close. While technically superior Jewel falls short tuning-wise for me.

Interesting observation. With the right tips, and when the tracks call for it, the bass quantity on Jewel rivals even the Z1R (on some tracks, I feel Jewel had even more sub bass rumble than the z1r). But, getting the right tips was the key for me. For me, Spinfit W1 did the trick.