[holsen]

Looks like my Gen 2 are within a day of delivery after 2 weeks in transit and 1 week "stop over" at JFK. Just got word they are at the Vancouver Airport sort facility and have cleared customs. So they may get here tomorrow but likely Thursday. I'm envious of those of you who scored the remaining sets of OG Xelento for a deal, but based on the amount of enjoyment I got out of mine before I sold them on, I'm really looking forward to the new set at even at $1K - I do a lot of consulting work in the hearing care industry and the margins are huge but I cant make them myself, the fit is unbelievably good, literally disappearing into the ear and so to me they are worth the price. I can almost certainly say that I wont be selling these. I've been looking forward to recapturing this small form with huge sound! More thoughts shortly.

 

[sjcal]

Looks like my Gen 2 are within a day of delivery after 2 weeks in transit and 1 week "stop over" at JFK. Just got word they are at the Vancouver Airport sort facility and have cleared customs. So they may get here tomorrow but likely Thursday. I'm envious of those of you who scored the remaining sets of OG Xelento for a deal, but based on the amount of enjoyment I got out of mine before I sold them on, I'm really looking forward to the new set at even at $1K - I do a lot of consulting work in the hearing care industry and the margins are huge but I cant make them myself, the fit is unbelievably good, literally disappearing into the ear and so to me they are worth the price. I can almost certainly say that I wont be selling these. I've been looking forward to recapturing this small form with huge sound! More thoughts shortly.

Care to let us know how it sounds different/similar to the 1st gen when it does arrive?

 

[holsen]

Xelento Gen 2 in the House! TL;DR They're keepers but give them a few hours to run before you judge them!
My new new Xelentos showed up this morning around 9:00 AM PST so I've been playing with them and playing through them about 5 hours now.
First impressions is that they are beautiful and although I preferred the understated bronze faceplate of Gen 1, these are not over the top and are really nice. My wife who shares nothing with me in this audio hobby and has no foreknowledge or bias, saw them come out of the box and said "They look like jewelry" - Yep

The new tips as others have commented are more robust. they are a tad thicker so they better keep their shape, fitting better in the ear and the stems have a better reinforcement so they don't rotate on the nozzle. I like them. The opening of the bore is the exact same shape and size of the nozzle so they dont color the sound and because the firm elasticity of them, I get a very good seal with them. With Gen 1, I used Tennmak Stong Silicone Foams. I believe I will stick with the OEM tips but after a few more hours of run in, I will do a bit of tip rolling just to see. For now these are exceptionally comfortable, seal well, and sound great. The synergy is very good. Just one note on sizing. With almost every tip I use a medium. For the the Xelento ovals, I am comfortably sealed having moved up to the XL.

The stock cable, both 4.4 and 3.5 feature new improved MMCX Connectors. I'm using the 4.4 and they clicked together with a reassuring "Click" and tactile feel on both sides and I immediately noticed that there is no rotation in the cable. the fit is very tight and the friction is more than sufficient to hold them in place, once you find your angle. This is what an MMCX connection should be and I much prefer it to a 2 Pin design. The cable itself looks and feels identical to the original so I can only assume that it is. With the new connectors being clear or almost translucent, it is almost impossible to see the infinitesimal "R" and "L" embossed onto the housings. I literally had to take the cable out into the bright sun to see the markings. The right side does have a small raised dot to indicate right, but it to is so small it's almost indiscernible. I've got Red and Blue sharpies so the first thing I did before connecting the cable was to mark the bottom inner ring of the MMCX connector Red and Blue as is the standard color code. You'll be able to see that in the pics, particularly the right - red - unit. It seems like a small thing but BeyerD has thought of so many small details in the units themselves, the accessories, the exquisite packaging that leaving the customer to try to figure what is left and right seems like a glaring oversight and honestly, this is my only complaint about the package. Come on, you thought of everything - please mark the left and right appropriately.

OK, what about the sound? Straight out of the box and on first listen I noted to myself that they were indeed a full sounding IEM "U" not "V" with good bass extention, excellent vocal placement, both male and female, and nice treble reach with the crisp clean cymbal strikes. But as I listened more over the course of the next hour with a more critical ear towards tracks I really know well, I found the bass lines fat and a little bloated, lacking in definition - you know in the reverb of bass string plucks - and also finding them a little recessed. Then I remember the comment I heard about the synergy with warmer sources vs more neutral ones. I had been playing on my Shanling M6 Pro21 which carries exceptional note weight and is a warmer source so I moved the same tracks over to my desktop DAC featuring ESS Chips and is a "brighter" source and much of that "bloat" disappeared but it still wasn't of the definition I'd expect for a G Note (a thousand bucks - for non North Americans). But I am a great believer in burn in so I just decided to play and enjoy for the next several hours as I worked away. I can now say that they have opened up significantly with continued play time. I've gone back to the same tracks on both the Shanling DAP and the Topping DAC and everything has tightened right up on both sources.

I've been listening to everything from Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Classical and Prog Rock today and everything sounds great on the Xelento 2nd Gen. Cellos, violins, guitars are beautifully placed and textured. Now to the treble. If you've been listening to or reading the reviews you'll note that the reviewers talk about the rolled off treble. I too noticed it slightly while at the same time making a mental note that cymbal strikes, maracas and other percussion instruments sound crystal clear and crisp. Here too as the small few hours mounted, they came forward and a little more prominent. The same thing was said about the UM Mext - They have rolled off treble - well after hours of listening critically to both the MEXT and now these Xelentos I would say that the treble is rolled off when compared to really well tuned ESTs and perhaps dedicated BA tweeters but everything in the treble region is here. No, the treble is not as forward as some planar, piezo, magnetostatic (not many around) or BA units but everything is here and I'm finding the Xelento to be a very enjoyable listen. I just finished doing a mini shootout between the Xelento and the MEXT because both are said to be "rolled off". Well I love the MEXT and dont find its treble rolled off but the Xelento treble has even a little more sparkle than the MEXT.

Conclusion: These are a GREAT set of all rounders that will give me years of pleasure. I'm going to let them run for about 100 hours and expect them to develop and blossom even more. But I already know that because of the size and the sound these are definitely going to be my travel companions. Because of the way they tuck into the ear, there is no pressure against a pillow or plane, train or auto seatback and these little beauties put out a really big sound. A+ Beyerdynamic and thank you again Bloom Audio for an exceptional buying experience! I'll update some more as the hours mount.

 

[sjcal]

Xelento Gen 2 in the House! TL;DR They're keepers but give them a few hours to run before you judge them!
My new new Xelentos showed up this morning around 9:00 AM PST so I've been playing with them and playing them about 5 hours now.
First impressions is that they are beautiful and although I preferred the understated bronze faceplate of Gen 1, these are not over the top and are really nice. My wife who shares nothing with me in this audio hobby and has no foreknowledge or bias, say them come out of the box and said "They look like jewelry" - Yep

The new tips as others have commented are more robust. they are a tad thicker so they better keep their shape, fitting better in the ear and the stems have a better reinforcement so they don't rotate on the nozzle. I like them. The opening of the bore is the exact same shape and size of the nozzle so they dont color the sound and because the firm elasticity of them, I get a very good seal with them. With Gen 1, I used Tennmak Stong Silicone Foams. I believe I will stick with the OEM tips but after a few more hours of run in, I will do a bit of tip rolling just to see. For now these are exceptionally comfortable, seal well, and sound great. The synergy is very good. Just one note on sizing. With almost every tip I use a medium. For the the Xelento ovals, I am comfortably sealed having moved up to the XL.

The stock cable, both 4.4 and 3.5 feature new improved MMCX Connectors. I'm using the 4.4 and they clicked together with a reassuring "Click Sound" on both sides and I immediately noticed that there is no rotation in the cable. the fit is very tight and the friction is more than sufficient to hold them in place, once you find your angle. This is what an MMCX connection should be and I much prefer it to a 2 Pin design. The cable itself looks and feels identical to the original so I can only assume that it is. With the new connectors being clear or almost translucent, it is almost impossible to see the infinitesimal "R" and "L" embossed onto the housings. I literally had to take the cable out into the bright sun to see the markings. The right side does have a small raised dot to indicate right, but it to is so small it's almost indiscernible. I've got Red and Blue sharpies so the first thing I did before connecting the cable was to mark the bottom inner ring of the MMCX connector Red and Blue as is the standard color code. You'll be able to see that in the pics, particularly the right - red - unit. It seems like a small thing but BeyerD has though of so many small details in the units themselves, the accessories, the exquisite packaging that trying to figure what is left and right seems like a glaring oversight.

OK, what about the sound? Straight out of the box and on first listen I noted to myself that they were indeed a full sound U not "V" with good bass extention, excellent vocal placement, both make and female and nice treble reach with the crisp clean cymbal strikes. But as I listened more over the course of the next hour with a more critical ear towards tracks I really know well, I found the bass lines fat and a little bloated, lacking in definition - you know in the reverb of bass string plucks - and also finding them a little recessed. Then I remember the comment I heard about the synergy with warmer sources vs more neutral ones. I had been playing on my Shanling M6 Pro21 which carries exceptional note weight and is a warmer source so I moved the same tracks over to my desktop DAC featuring ESS Chips and is a "brighter" source and much of that "bloat" disappeared but it still wasn't of the definition I'd expect for a G Note. But I am a great believer in burn in so I just decided to play and enjoy for the next several hours as I worked away. I can now say that they have opened up significantly with continued play time. I've gone back to the same tracks on both the Shanling DAP and the Topping DAC and everything has tightened right up on both sources.

I've been listening to everything from Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Classical and Prog Rock today and everything sounds great on the Xelento 2nd Gen. Cellos, violins, guitars are beautifully placed and textured. Now to the treble. If you've been listening to or reading the reviews you'll note that the reviewers talk about the rolled off treble. I too noticed it slightly while at the same time making a mental note that cymbal strikes, maracas and other percussion instruments sound crystal clear and crisp. Here too as the small few hours mounted, they came forward and a little more prominent. The same thing was said about the UM Mext - They have rolled off treble - well after hours of listening critically to both the MEXT and now these Xelentos I would say that the treble is rolled off when compared to really well tuned ESTs and perhaps dedicated BA tweeters but everything in the treble region is here. No, the treble is not as forward as some planar, pezio or BA units but everything is here and I'm finding the Xelento to be a very enjoyable listen. I just finished doing a min shoot out between the Xelento and the MEXT because both are said to be "rolled off". Well I love the MEXT but the Xelento treble has even a little more sparkle the MEXT.

Conclusion: These are a GREAT set of all rounders that will give me years of pleasure. I'm going to let them run for a bout 100 hours and expect them to develop and blossom even more. But I already know that because of the size and the sound these are definitely going to be my travel companions. Because of the way they tuck into the ear, there is no pressure against a pillow or plane, train or auto seatback and these little beauties put a really big sound. A+ Beyerdynamic and thank you again Bloom Audio for an exceptional buying experience! I'll update some more as the hours mount.

Great detailed review. Would you say for TLDR; folks that it’s more neutral/flat sounding compared to gen1 with less full/in your face/warm bass and more detailed treble? Your comment about vocals seem like the mids are slightly more forward as well compared to the OG but maybe not as full sounding.

 

[holsen]

Great detailed review. Would you say for TLDR; folks that it’s more neutral/flat sounding compared to gen1 with less full/in your face/warm bass and more detailed treble? Your comment about vocals seem like the mids are slightly more forward as well compared to the OG but maybe not as full sounding.

They are still developing but I would say that they definitely have a full sound. Neutral compared to 1st Gen? No I wouldn't say that. I haven's had my 1st gen for almost a year so I can only go by memory, but I would call the bass here better controlled not more neutral. These IEMS are definitely not "In Your Face" and going from recollection they are a little less warm. But as my little experiment showed me source does make a difference. I'm listening to Diana Krall right now - Temptation - on the ESS DAC and it is clean, full, excellent placement, beautiful vocal staging, The bass is perfectly undergirding the entire performance and Diana sings out from center stage with her wispy voice. Incredible detail in the guitar strings, gentle cymbals floating in the upper left and right corners and whisking of the fibres of the drum sticks (what do you call those paint brush sticks?) on the drum skins. Excellent bass control here. So yeah, I might say less warm at least on this source. Nils Lofgren's "Kieth Don't Go" just came on. It's a great track for evaluating string texture and detail and I would describe the low notes of the acoustic guitar as full but not fat and the higher registers are just sweet in my ears. Does this help? They are definitely opening up.

 

[sjcal]

They are still developing but I would say that they definitely have a full sound. I haven's had my 1st gen for almost a year so I can only go by memory, but I would call the bass here better controlled. These IEMS are definitely not "In Your Face" and going from recolection they are a little less warm. But as my little experiment showed me source does make a difference. I'm listening to Diana Krall right now - Temptation - on the ESS DAC and it is clean, full, excellent placement, beautiful vocal staging, The bass is perfectly undergirding the entire performance and Diana sings out from center stage with her whispy voice. incredible detail in the guitar strings, gentle cymbals floating in the upper left and right and whisking of the fibres on the drum skins. Excellent bass control here. so yeah, I might say less warm at least on this source. Nils Lofgren's "Kieth Don't Go" just came on. It's a great track for evaluating string texture and detail and I would describe the low notes of the acoustic guitar as full but not fat and the higher registers are just sweet in my ears. Does this help? They are definitely opening up.

This was very helpful.

 

[phiemon]

The Xelento 2nd is definitely the best in-ear I've ever heard. I like them much better than the Andromeda, Solaris and IE900. But still, I had to send it back because this sound quality is too addictive --> I unfortunately find that I can't stand cables on the go anymore. Very, very sad!

Pro tip: The JVC SpiralDots are a MUST!

 

[sjcal]

The Xelento 2nd is definitely the best in-ear I've ever heard. I like them much better than the Andromeda, Solaris and IE900. But still, I had to send it back because this sound quality is too addictive --> I unfortunately find that I can't stand cables on the go anymore. Very, very sad!

Pro tip: The JVC SpiralDots are a MUST!

Can you describe how it compares to the ie900?

 

[phiemon]

Can you describe how it compares to the ie900?

I'm afraid that's hard to answer now, because I have nothing more at the moment. I sold Andromeda and Solaris, Xelento is returned back and I was able to test IE900 for two days and compare it with Solaris. I just stick with the AirPods Pro 2 which are for me good enough for commuting. But I can tell you: Between IE900 and Solaris, I found Solaris generally better (sharper bass and better holographic sound). Between the Solaris and the Xelento, I just found the Xelento better again (especially in terms of strong, sharp bass and vocals that really sit in-your-face). Ergo: The Xelento is better than the IE900. Man that bass and vocals of the Xelento were just fantastic – and how comfortable! I have always hated the Campfires because of this.

Note: I can't technically define sound characteristics and probably can't really recognize them. My opinion is based on a general impression regarding common characteristics. It was always about what sounds better for me "overall" and creates better emotions for me.

Here is a very good review and comparison:

 

[holsen]

Well, I've got about 30 hours on these Gen 2s now and I can categorically say that they have opened right up and really sound like a pair of incredible closed back headphones.
The bass has continued to refine. It's now deeper, faster and has far better definition with no bleed into the mids, at least to my discernment. They are still a U sound signature but the mids have come a bit forward and the treble has "woken up". With the hours of break-in the treble has not only come forward a bit, but they reach a little higher with greater clarity and resolution. I've also done a little tip rolling now having tried the Azla Crystals, Azla Sedna Earfit Short & regular and Tennmak Strong Silicone Foam. Stock Xelento Gen 2 Silicone Oval Tips simply for my ear, provide the best seal and the fullest sound across the spectrum. As I noted in the earlier post, they are a little (really just a little) thicker than the original tips, they sit firmly on the nozzles and unlike the originals they are symmetrical so you don't have to figure which is the front and back of the tip and what is the front and back of the IEM as it relates to the tip. These tips were made for these IEMs and they are a delight to wear. I don't know if any more burn in will improve these further. It's unlikely, but I'll continue to let them run through 100 hours when I'm not actually listening to them. For me, these were a strong buy. I'm very happy with them and they have now replaced my EJ07Ms which were my all rounders and travel companions. The EJ07s which are a very fine set, are now for sale.

 

[Liberte]

I gave the beyer silicones another try this afternoon and find that with the XL I can actually get a decent seal, not quite as tight as the Comply foams but in comparison there's considerably more air, detail, soundstage and separation, with a bit less isolation and bass emphasis. The silicones also allow the earphones to sit a bit closer, feel lighter and easier to forget I'm wearing anything in my ears. I have to hand it to beyer, these are the only silicones I've tried which my ears don't reject within seconds. I must've not been fitting them well initially even though I followed the instructions.

 

[RIGATIO]

Xelento Gen 2 in the House! TL;DR They're keepers but give them a few hours to run before you judge them!
My new new Xelentos showed up this morning around 9:00 AM PST so I've been playing with them and playing through them about 5 hours now.
First impressions is that they are beautiful and although I preferred the understated bronze faceplate of Gen 1, these are not over the top and are really nice. My wife who shares nothing with me in this audio hobby and has no foreknowledge or bias, saw them come out of the box and said "They look like jewelry" - Yep

The new tips as others have commented are more robust. they are a tad thicker so they better keep their shape, fitting better in the ear and the stems have a better reinforcement so they don't rotate on the nozzle. I like them. The opening of the bore is the exact same shape and size of the nozzle so they dont color the sound and because the firm elasticity of them, I get a very good seal with them. With Gen 1, I used Tennmak Stong Silicone Foams. I believe I will stick with the OEM tips but after a few more hours of run in, I will do a bit of tip rolling just to see. For now these are exceptionally comfortable, seal well, and sound great. The synergy is very good. Just one note on sizing. With almost every tip I use a medium. For the the Xelento ovals, I am comfortably sealed having moved up to the XL.

The stock cable, both 4.4 and 3.5 feature new improved MMCX Connectors. I'm using the 4.4 and they clicked together with a reassuring "Click" and tactile feel on both sides and I immediately noticed that there is no rotation in the cable. the fit is very tight and the friction is more than sufficient to hold them in place, once you find your angle. This is what an MMCX connection should be and I much prefer it to a 2 Pin design. The cable itself looks and feels identical to the original so I can only assume that it is. With the new connectors being clear or almost translucent, it is almost impossible to see the infinitesimal "R" and "L" embossed onto the housings. I literally had to take the cable out into the bright sun to see the markings. The right side does have a small raised dot to indicate right, but it to is so small it's almost indiscernible. I've got Red and Blue sharpies so the first thing I did before connecting the cable was to mark the bottom inner ring of the MMCX connector Red and Blue as is the standard color code. You'll be able to see that in the pics, particularly the right - red - unit. It seems like a small thing but BeyerD has thought of so many small details in the units themselves, the accessories, the exquisite packaging that leaving the customer to try to figure what is left and right seems like a glaring oversight and honestly, this is my only complaint about the package. Come on, you thought of everything - please mark the left and right appropriately.

OK, what about the sound? Straight out of the box and on first listen I noted to myself that they were indeed a full sounding IEM "U" not "V" with good bass extention, excellent vocal placement, both male and female, and nice treble reach with the crisp clean cymbal strikes. But as I listened more over the course of the next hour with a more critical ear towards tracks I really know well, I found the bass lines fat and a little bloated, lacking in definition - you know in the reverb of bass string plucks - and also finding them a little recessed. Then I remember the comment I heard about the synergy with warmer sources vs more neutral ones. I had been playing on my Shanling M6 Pro21 which carries exceptional note weight and is a warmer source so I moved the same tracks over to my desktop DAC featuring ESS Chips and is a "brighter" source and much of that "bloat" disappeared but it still wasn't of the definition I'd expect for a G Note (a thousand bucks - for non North Americans). But I am a great believer in burn in so I just decided to play and enjoy for the next several hours as I worked away. I can now say that they have opened up significantly with continued play time. I've gone back to the same tracks on both the Shanling DAP and the Topping DAC and everything has tightened right up on both sources.

I've been listening to everything from Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Classical and Prog Rock today and everything sounds great on the Xelento 2nd Gen. Cellos, violins, guitars are beautifully placed and textured. Now to the treble. If you've been listening to or reading the reviews you'll note that the reviewers talk about the rolled off treble. I too noticed it slightly while at the same time making a mental note that cymbal strikes, maracas and other percussion instruments sound crystal clear and crisp. Here too as the small few hours mounted, they came forward and a little more prominent. The same thing was said about the UM Mext - They have rolled off treble - well after hours of listening critically to both the MEXT and now these Xelentos I would say that the treble is rolled off when compared to really well tuned ESTs and perhaps dedicated BA tweeters but everything in the treble region is here. No, the treble is not as forward as some planar, piezo, magnetostatic (not many around) or BA units but everything is here and I'm finding the Xelento to be a very enjoyable listen. I just finished doing a mini shootout between the Xelento and the MEXT because both are said to be "rolled off". Well I love the MEXT and dont find its treble rolled off but the Xelento treble has even a little more sparkle than the MEXT.

Conclusion: These are a GREAT set of all rounders that will give me years of pleasure. I'm going to let them run for about 100 hours and expect them to develop and blossom even more. But I already know that because of the size and the sound these are definitely going to be my travel companions. Because of the way they tuck into the ear, there is no pressure against a pillow or plane, train or auto seatback and these little beauties put out a really big sound. A+ Beyerdynamic and thank you again Bloom Audio for an exceptional buying experience! I'll update some more as the hours mount.

Wow, great review! Thanx!

 

[RIGATIO]

My friend had a listening session with the 2nd gen and he wasnt impressed. He said that you can get a similar performance with a chifi iems at 1/3 of the price.
I think he was bit too critical for them and it was in an audio shop so they probably werent burned in yet. He also prefers more neutral sound, more towards harman target.
Im also harman fan after having the Monarch Mk2 and decided to go with the Dunu SA6 Ultra.
I love full and realistic mids, expecially vocals and this wasnt great on the OG version for me. It improved quite significantly with spin fits 100+ but the lack of body is still there and i even prefer the Hook X or Kinera Nanna for vocal oriented music.
Would be great to see the graphs but i just couldnt find any.

 

[kairoo]

My guess. The new Xelento 2.gen will be very similar to the A&K T8iE mk1 in terms of tuning.

 

[RIGATIO]

My guess. The new Xelento 2.gen will be very similar to the A&K T8iE mk1 in terms of tuning.

This would be a good direction as the T8ie were better tuned than the OG Xelentos.