[rbf1138]

Try the CL2

Gonna try your Xelentos first Don't want to have over $2000 worth of IEMs out from Amazon at once, either lol.

 

[autosleeper]

Would you mind listing what other IEMs you tried? I'm starting down a path of testing a bunch out and I'm curious.

Hmm ok I tried: DM6, Comet, OH500, Andromeda SS, Toneking T4, Periodic Be.

 

[rbf1138]

Is there reason to believe the AK T9iE will render these obsolete soon?

 

[Dobrescu George]

Is there reason to believe the AK T9iE will render these obsolete soon?

I think Beyer needs to also release their own version before Xelento starts going out

Tho it may keep on selling if they are really different

 

[csglinux]

Is there reason to believe the AK T9iE will render these obsolete soon?

That's highly doubtful. New headphones are cascading onto the market all the time and most of them are just glitzy marketing with slightly different tunings.

Would you mind listing what other IEMs you tried? I'm starting down a path of testing a bunch out and I'm curious.

If somebody wants a change just for the sake of it, the FLC8d is well worth considering. They're less than $200USD on Amazon at the moment. Small, comfortable, great sound, well built in a metal shell. They don't have all the tuning capabilities of the FLC8s or n models, but you likely won't miss those, as they already have (to my ears) the best of the low and ultra-low frequency tuning options from those other models. You can still separately tune the FLC8d's mids/highs. (IMHO, they're not superior to the Xelentos though.)

If you already like the Xelento's FR, that's not going to deteriorate with age or with the inevitable release of some newer headphone model, and the Xelento's distortion is already insanely low. Buying something else just because that something else is a couple of months newer could be an expensive mistake. (If anybody's seriously considering the RHA CL2, make absolutely sure to try before you buy; the CL2 has a very unnatural tuning that departs at least 5 dB above the Harman target response curve in the midrange.) The only IEM I've heard that I felt was a meaningful upgrade to the Xelentos in terms of SQ is the KSE1500, but that has its own issues - it's not nearly as portable as the Xelento because it requires you to also carry an electrostatic amp with you.

This upgraditis is a strange affliction. I guess Sennheiser HE1 owners must lie awake at night worrying about its sonic deficiencies? The Xelentos are still awesome headphones. IMHO, they're up there with the very best in terms of SQ. Enjoy them.

 

[Chessblitzer2017]

Ak t9ie what are you talking abt

 

[autosleeper]

That's highly doubtful. New headphones are cascading onto the market all the time and most of them are just glitzy marketing with slightly different tunings.



If somebody wants a change just for the sake of it, the FLC8d is well worth considering. They're less than $200USD on Amazon at the moment. Small, comfortable, great sound, well built in a metal shell. They don't have all the tuning capabilities of the FLC8s or n models, but you likely won't miss those, as they already have (to my ears) the best of the low and ultra-low frequency tuning options from those other models. You can still separately tune the FLC8d's mids/highs. (IMHO, they're not superior to the Xelentos though.)

If you already like the Xelento's FR, that's not going to deteriorate with age or with the inevitable release of some newer headphone model, and the Xelento's distortion is already insanely low. Buying something else just because that something else is a couple of months newer could be an expensive mistake. (If anybody's seriously considering the RHA CL2, make absolutely sure to try before you buy; the CL2 has a very unnatural tuning that departs at least 5

This upgraditis is a strange affliction. I guess Sennheiser HE1 owners must lie awake at night worrying about its sonic deficiencies? The Xelentos are still awesome headphones. IMHO, they're up there with the very best in terms of SQ. Enjoy them.

That's highly doubtful. New headphones are cascading onto the market all the time and most of them are just glitzy marketing with slightly different tunings.



If somebody wants a change just for the sake of it, the FLC8d is well worth considering. They're less than $200USD on Amazon at the moment. Small, comfortable, great sound, well built in a metal shell. They don't have all the tuning capabilities of the FLC8s or n models, but you likely won't miss those, as they already have (to my ears) the best of the low and ultra-low frequency tuning options from those other models. You can still separately tune the FLC8d's mids/highs. (IMHO, they're not superior to the Xelentos though.)

If you already like the Xelento's FR, that's not going to deteriorate with age or with the inevitable release of some newer headphone model, and the Xelento's distortion is already insanely low. Buying something else just because that something else is a couple of months newer could be an expensive mistake. (If anybody's seriously considering the RHA CL2, make absolutely sure to try before you buy; the CL2 has a very unnatural tuning that departs at least 5 dB above the Harman target response curve in the midrange.) The only IEM I've heard that I felt was a meaningful upgrade to the Xelentos in terms of SQ is the KSE1500, but that has its own issues - it's not nearly as portable as the Xelento because it requires you to also carry an electrostatic amp with you.

This upgraditis is a strange affliction. I guess Sennheiser HE1 owners must lie awake at night worrying about its sonic deficiencies? The Xelentos are still awesome headphones. IMHO, they're up there with the very best in terms of SQ. Enjoy them.

Could not agree more. I’ve been deeply afflicted with upgraditis these last couple of years to the massive detriment of my bank account. It’s such a relief to have settled on the Xelentos. Now I can stop thinking about the delivery system and just bliss out to the music.

 

[szore]

That's highly doubtful. New headphones are cascading onto the market all the time and most of them are just glitzy marketing with slightly different tunings.



If somebody wants a change just for the sake of it, the FLC8d is well worth considering. They're less than $200USD on Amazon at the moment. Small, comfortable, great sound, well built in a metal shell. They don't have all the tuning capabilities of the FLC8s or n models, but you likely won't miss those, as they already have (to my ears) the best of the low and ultra-low frequency tuning options from those other models. You can still separately tune the FLC8d's mids/highs. (IMHO, they're not superior to the Xelentos though.)

If you already like the Xelento's FR, that's not going to deteriorate with age or with the inevitable release of some newer headphone model, and the Xelento's distortion is already insanely low. Buying something else just because that something else is a couple of months newer could be an expensive mistake. (If anybody's seriously considering the RHA CL2, make absolutely sure to try before you buy; the CL2 has a very unnatural tuning that departs at least 5 dB above the Harman target response curve in the midrange.) The only IEM I've heard that I felt was a meaningful upgrade to the Xelentos in terms of SQ is the KSE1500, but that has its own issues - it's not nearly as portable as the Xelento because it requires you to also carry an electrostatic amp with you.

This upgraditis is a strange affliction. I guess Sennheiser HE1 owners must lie awake at night worrying about its sonic deficiencies? The Xelentos are still awesome headphones. IMHO, they're up there with the very best in terms of SQ. Enjoy them.

That's not entirely true about CL2, you need to pair it with a high end powerful dap or amp. It has the most magical sound,brich detail bass layering amazing sound stage there has been lots of discusdion on this, so I won't repeat it. I use CL2 with my 1000m and plussound silver copper canle and it astounds me every song, timbre and tone is marvelous

 

[csglinux]

That's not entirely true about CL2, you need to pair it with a high end powerful dap or amp. It has the most magical sound,brich detail bass layering amazing sound stage there has been lots of discusdion on this, so I won't repeat it. I use CL2 with my 1000m and plussound silver copper canle and it astounds me every song, timbre and tone is marvelous

What I said is entirely true. No DAP or amp is going to change the frequency response of the CL2 unless you explicitly add EQ, because its impedance curve is almost totally flat. That midrange tuning will remain, regardless of DAC/amp/cable/eartip combo. If you like the CL2 tuning, that's great. To me, it's way off, and that makes it a very risky recommendation. My theory, which I went into more detail on here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/int...ressions-thread.887229/page-125#post-14684871

is that you likely have shorter-than-average ear canals, so proportionally more of your canals are being blocked by the CL2's nozzle. Normally a large mid-range boost is only needed if the ear canal is entirely occluded, e.g., something like an Etymotic that inserts at/beyond the 2nd bend in the ear canal. The CL2 has much more midrange than any Ety but, for most people, won't insert anywhere near as deep. The result, for most people, is going to be an unnatural shift in timbre because all those midrange harmonics will be artificially elevated.

Once I realised the CL2 was not going to work for me, I unsubscribed from the CL2 thread. You might want to consider unsubscribing from this one. I don't think you're helping as much as you think you are with constant recommendations for the CL2 on every page.

 

[Chessblitzer2017]

Is there a t9ie in the making rbf

 

[rbf1138]

Is there a t9ie in the making rbf

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ast...-new-products-at-high-end-2019-munich.906316/

 

[Chessblitzer2017]

T9ie looks hella sexy . Wonder if it'll actually be an improvement on this or t8. Coffees gross like cigarettes.

 

[csglinux]

T9ie looks hella sexy . Wonder if it'll actually be an improvement on this or t8.

I'll come back here and eat humble pie if I'm wrong, but my guess is a slight re-tuning and $100 extra for the A&K logo on the back. The only guarantee with A&K is that whatever and whenever you buy, a newer, better(?) version will be released in 2 weeks time

 

[Chessblitzer2017]

Really hope this isn't the case , if it uses the same Tesla dynamic driver ... might be though which would be sad but let's Hope !

 

[Ziadax]

I might be a little late to the party but I just got a pair of Xelentos today. They really fill that missing bass itch that I don't get with my Andros. I owned the T8ie MKII a while back and while I really did enjoy it I felt that its midbass was a bit too much and the Xelento feels like it has more subbass which I like. While I feel that the EX1000 still is the overall king of dynamics in my book the Xelento has infinitely better fit and no sharp twin peaks that the EX1000 has. Besides, like Crinacle mentioned earlier the EXK kind of cheats by being practically an open back IEM with 0 isolation....and is practically unusable outdoors or any non quiet environment