I really wish I could speak to a comparison between the Black Star and Cascaras.. Maybe I’ll pick one up in the coming weeks since I’m becoming a true CA fanboy. Comfort is great for me, but the only set I’ve really had a slight issue with on my journey were the FF Grand Maestros, but those are HUGE and a terrible comparison. Ive had the Black Stars in my ears for almost 3.5 hours now with zero discomfort or pressure build up. As far as music, I’m a little all over the place. Main jams would be progressive metal > metalcore but I also listen to a fair amount of alternative/ classic rock/ bluegrass. Really depends on my mood and set but I don’t discriminate. I’m a sucker for talent. Xe6 isn’t a great comparison other than treble. Xe6 has an outlandish amount of mid bass. It’s incredible, but nothing like the Black Star. I would also say the Black Stars timbre and tonality is way more natural. I almost exclusively only use my Xe6 for hip-hop/ EDM. What type of music do you listen too? What are your preferences?
If I go by favorite artists, stuff like Radiohead or Bowie, but having listed to it so much, these days I'll easily veer into modern pop, jazz, orchestral, or game soundtracks. I don't actively avoid hip hop or rap, but it's lower on the list. Blues and country are what I don't really listen to. I like bass over treble, but ideally it's not going to be muddy. For reference, other IEMs I've tried and liked included the Ne4, EXT, and U6t.