CHIFI LOVE Thread-A never ending IEM-Heaphones-DAP-Dongles Sound Value Quest
Apr 6, 2021 at 11:36 AM Post #27,526 of 31,809
Coming soon: Whizzer Kylin HE01. Looking forward to this one.
 
Apr 6, 2021 at 12:05 PM Post #27,527 of 31,809
I just burned 50h my TD08. Before leaving them 1 more day. I tried some tracks. I must (and afraid) to say I like them more than my new DQ6.

I listen to some Trance tracks and these are definitely for people who love the bass department. V-shaped, mids and treble are clear. I'm a bit treble peak sensitive so like it!

The bass and sub-bass are the stars where TD08 shines! I feel like on the stage of a concert between huge monitors, and the vibrations go all over my head. And it is no harsh! - imagine velvety liquid chocolate hitting you and you need a spoon more and more :)

PS I'm comparing them with what I have so till now these just hit the spot for me!

PS. The resin shell provides great isolation and smooth comfort.
 

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Apr 6, 2021 at 12:09 PM Post #27,528 of 31,809
I just burned 50h my TD08. Before leaving them 1 more day. I tried some tracks. I must (and afraid) to say I like them more than my new DQ6.

I listen to some Trance tracks and these are definitely for people who love the bass department. V-shaped, mids and treble are clear. I'm a bit treble peak sensitive so like it!

The bass and sub-bass are the stars where TD08 shines! I feel like on the stage of a concert between huge monitors, and the vibrations go all over my head. And it is no harsh! - imagine velvety liquid chocolate hitting you and you need a spoon more and more :)

PS I'm comparing them with what I have so till now these just hit the spot for me!
I have both TD08 and DQ6 as well.

For techno/trance, TD08 is definitely better due to the awesome bass. I use mine with blue (treble) filter, otherwise there's a bass bleed into the mids. Bass is very clean yet powerful.

DQ6 is flat and has better detail retrieval. It's less sculpted and warm than TD08. Sounds great with rock/jazz.
 
Apr 6, 2021 at 6:17 PM Post #27,530 of 31,809
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CCA CSN ($15USD from aliexpress) arrived: 1BA+1DD simple config, wouldn't get this done wrong.
Out of box impressions, bass DD driver needs burn in for sure, out of box it’s muddy and uncontrolled. Except that CSN is one of fine-tuned IEM! Not a typical V-shaped, it’s rather neutral with bass boost.

size comparison to its sibling KZ DQ6, hard to see but it’s a tad bigger, but overall similar shape & size.

Highly recommended for entry model all-rounder.
-great coherence
-good imaging, good positioning
-OK resolution, need treble extension but it's 1BA after all.
-very warm sounding, I feel it's one of the best tuned CCA tonality, reminds me of a bit budget made version of CCA CA16 + air pods pro
- average to wider side of sound stage
-CCA/KZ FINALLY DONE SOMETHING WITH ITS CABLE, now it doesn't smell like a chemical plant at all!


Should be a good rival to TRN TA1 (same 1BA + 1 DD) as a coherent little entry model that works for almost any music! Only weakness is rather limited instrument separation, so for congested traffic, it would sound pretty up to its throat.
Sorry, Thie Audio legacy 3... it's hard to justify $120 for 2BA Knowles BA + 1DD..even with those fancy switches...I would just pay $15 and get this CCA CSN. not a huge difference there and here.
 
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Apr 6, 2021 at 6:57 PM Post #27,531 of 31,809
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Hey guys, I just unboxed the Kbear KS1 (CAD $25) and spent some time listening to them and A/B'ing with my other IEMs.

So finally as promised (@WendyLi ) here are my first impressions.

SOUND

Overall I'd describe the sound as warm v-shaped (or L-shaped).

Dunno what people are talking about with these having "hollow mids", that is simply the opposite case here. If you want an example of "hollow mids", listen to the TRN M10. The mids on the KS1 are clearly the star of the show. They are upfront, full-bodied and show excellent transparency throughout the entire mid-range.

The tonality of the mid-range is spot-on and honestly does not differ much from the mid-range on my $150 TRI I3. Personally I think KBear nailed it with the mids.

The low-end is obviously tuned towards fun and boasts an energetic mid-bass response that provides plenty of warmth to the sound without ever bleeding into the mids. The "shape" of the bass is leaning towards plump. EDM lovers will appreciate the bass on the KS1. Again, nothing to complain here.

Everything beyond the lows and mids, however, are mediocre. High-mids are clear and provide clarity to the sound, but their tonality becomes pretty harsh when you crank up the volume. Treble is there, but it is comparatively recessed and only provides rudimentary detail.

SEPERATION

Both instrument and frequency separation are actually so well done on here. The lows are very well separated from the mids, and the vocals are very well separated from other instruments that play within the tenor range.

SOUNDSTAGE

I was expecting a congested soundstage, but thankfully there is a noticeable sense of three-dimensional staging. It is that sort of spherical stage where sounds just float around your head. Not far-reaching, never "in-your-ear", but just floating a one or two inches away from your head. I think some people refer to this as a "nearfield" stage? Idk.

VERDICT

Overall I was not disappointed by the KS1. I'd rec them solely for the mids. Thankfully Kbear played it safe by avoiding any peaky treble and decided to go for a more bass and mid focused sound (which is what most casual users want). These are definitely not bad by any means, but because I am an old school chi-fier who hasn't listened to any of the latest budget chi-fi, I can't give any relevant verdict or comparison, at least for now. If there was anything Kbear should change though, it should be the price as currently CAD $25 isn't that competitive (within the Aliexpress chi-fi market). IMO it's better to lower the price than to improve the sound, because the sound is already acceptable enough for most casual users.
 
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Apr 6, 2021 at 9:18 PM Post #27,532 of 31,809
Anyone compared kbear lark to ks1??
 
Apr 6, 2021 at 10:08 PM Post #27,533 of 31,809
Anyone compared kbear lark to ks1??

Very different kettle of fish, when comparing budget hybrids (KBEAR LARK) to single DD like the KS1. But tuning wise they are also different (KBEAR LARK is neutralish bright versus the V shaped KS1).

The KBEAR LARK has better technicalities like clarity, details, imaging, instrument separation. KBEAR LARK has better accessories but can be a bit too hot in the higher treble area for some. Timbre isn't the best when compared to single DD types and there is sibilance. This if assuming the LARK is the retuned version (there was an original release that had a 4K area boost).

KS1 has good organic timbre and tonality, but is bottlenecked at the technicalities department. The mids are also quite recessed with some midbass bleed, so not for mids/vocal lovers, but the treble is safe and non fatiguing/non sibilant. More of a set to sit back and chill to music rather than critical listening or for analytical listening.
 
Apr 7, 2021 at 12:16 AM Post #27,535 of 31,809
Very different kettle of fish, when comparing budget hybrids (KBEAR LARK) to single DD like the KS1. But tuning wise they are also different (KBEAR LARK is neutralish bright versus the V shaped KS1).

The KBEAR LARK has better technicalities like clarity, details, imaging, instrument separation. KBEAR LARK has better accessories but can be a bit too hot in the higher treble area for some. Timbre isn't the best when compared to single DD types and there is sibilance. This if assuming the LARK is the retuned version (there was an original release that had a 4K area boost).

KS1 has good organic timbre and tonality, but is bottlenecked at the technicalities department. The mids are also quite recessed with some midbass bleed, so not for mids/vocal lovers, but the treble is safe and non fatiguing/non sibilant. More of a set to sit back and chill to music rather than critical listening or for analytical listening.
I guess ks1 has to compete with cca csn, trn ta1, and possibly dq6. While Kbear lark will compete with heart mirror and ssr. I want to buy them all, lol! :beyersmile: I already ordered the heart mirror, do you think kbear lark make sense after that? Also I don't know whether you have the csn or ta1, if you do what about csn vs ks1 vs ta1 (I already ordered csn.)?
 
Apr 7, 2021 at 12:26 AM Post #27,536 of 31,809
I guess ks1 has to compete with cca csn, trn ta1, and possibly dq6. While Kbear lark will compete with heart mirror and ssr. I want to buy them all, lol! :beyersmile: I already ordered the heart mirror, do you think kbear lark make sense after that? Also I don't know whether you have the csn or ta1, if you do what about csn vs ks1 vs ta1 (I already ordered csn.)?

Sorry I don't have TA1 or CSN.

But I do think the Heart Mirror (when amped) is an upgrade over the KBEAR LARK in most areas. Both are bright sets, but the Heart Mirror has less sibilance and harshness, and has better timbre. LARK is easier to drive, so depends whether you have any amping on hand though.
 
Apr 7, 2021 at 4:46 AM Post #27,538 of 31,809
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CCA CSN ($15USD from aliexpress) arrived: 1BA+1DD simple config, wouldn't get this done wrong.
Out of box impressions, bass DD driver needs burn in for sure, out of box it’s muddy and uncontrolled. Except that CSN is one of fine-tuned IEM! Not a typical V-shaped, it’s rather neutral with bass boost.

size comparison to its sibling KZ DQ6, hard to see but it’s a tad bigger, but overall similar shape & size.

Highly recommended for entry model all-rounder.
-great coherence
-good imaging, good positioning
-OK resolution, need treble extension but it's 1BA after all.
-very warm sounding, I feel it's one of the best tuned CCA tonality, reminds me of a bit budget made version of CCA CA16 + air pods pro
- average to wider side of sound stage
-CCA/KZ FINALLY DONE SOMETHING WITH ITS CABLE, now it doesn't smell like a chemical plant at all!


Should be a good rival to TRN TA1 (same 1BA + 1 DD) as a coherent little entry model that works for almost any music! Only weakness is rather limited instrument separation, so for congested traffic, it would sound pretty up to its throat.
Sorry, Thie Audio legacy 3... it's hard to justify $120 for 2BA Knowles BA + 1DD..even with those fancy switches...I would just pay $15 and get this CCA CSN. not a huge difference there and here.
Wait until you burn them in even more! They start sounding a lot, and I mean A LOT better!
Cheers! :beerchug:
 
Apr 7, 2021 at 6:49 AM Post #27,540 of 31,809
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CCA CSN ($15USD from aliexpress) arrived: 1BA+1DD simple config, wouldn't get this done wrong.
Out of box impressions, bass DD driver needs burn in for sure, out of box it’s muddy and uncontrolled. Except that CSN is one of fine-tuned IEM! Not a typical V-shaped, it’s rather neutral with bass boost.

size comparison to its sibling KZ DQ6, hard to see but it’s a tad bigger, but overall similar shape & size.

Highly recommended for entry model all-rounder.
-great coherence
-good imaging, good positioning
-OK resolution, need treble extension but it's 1BA after all.
-very warm sounding, I feel it's one of the best tuned CCA tonality, reminds me of a bit budget made version of CCA CA16 + air pods pro
- average to wider side of sound stage
-CCA/KZ FINALLY DONE SOMETHING WITH ITS CABLE, now it doesn't smell like a chemical plant at all!


Should be a good rival to TRN TA1 (same 1BA + 1 DD) as a coherent little entry model that works for almost any music! Only weakness is rather limited instrument separation, so for congested traffic, it would sound pretty up to its throat.
Sorry, Thie Audio legacy 3... it's hard to justify $120 for 2BA Knowles BA + 1DD..even with those fancy switches...I would just pay $15 and get this CCA CSN. not a huge difference there and here.
Do you think a wide nozzle mod able to fix the congestion?
i remember reading in KZ thread that one dude do a wide bore nozzle mod on DQ6. didn't remember the result tough.
 

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