[Bondipix]

Is there a reason to buy a Holocene if I can get an older used Andromeda for close to the same price?

I picked up some Andromeda S on eBay for less than $500. All thoughts of Holocene have completely disappeared.

 

[vsg28]

Man I love the case design on the Mammoth (and the Holocene's here too, but not opened yet):

 

[TjFont]

Anxious to know whether you think the sound lives up to the case!

 

[NovaFlyer]

Anxious to know whether you think the sound lives up to the case!

Hopefully it's a glowing impression

 

[kmmbd]

Man I love the case design on the Mammoth (and the Holocene's here too, but not opened yet):

Absolutely love the design of them, and the fact that they are unique for each unit. I am a bit more partial towards the Mammoth case design.

 

[Star Ace]

Love mine, both the case and earphones. Still use the IEMs every day, and open headphones at home. I like the sound enough that I still use it a lot even at home. Still *love* the Xelastec tips with them, as I had previously stated.

The cynics hate the case and the "glow in the dark" feature, because it doesn't have anything to do with the sound-obviously. Hater stuff, I suppose. It is a beautiful-and practical-case as far as I am concerned.

 

[vsg28]

Anxious to know whether you think the sound lives up to the case!

Sadly I don't think so. The Mammoth, at least my sample, feels overpriced for what it offers in the listening department. It's certainly more balanced than the Honeydew, but I feel that ends up making it somewhat less focused on what it wants to be. There's not much detail in the upper mids and it gets dark quickly in the treble. I don't know if it's the new custom BA used in the highs that needs some more time to be figured out. Mid-bass is excellent though, even if some of the bass bleeds into the lower mids. Some of my favorite tracks played really well here, and I do agree with Campfire Audio in that it did make me seek out some more songs to listen to in similar genres that I typically would have gone with something else more specialized. But overall, and especially from a technical and tuning perspective, it's just not where I think the marketing talk had me believe. The Holocene on the other end...

 

[DCofficehack]

Dude, don't leave us hanging like that. Tell us more about the Holocene.

 

[Star Ace]

Sadly I don't think so. The Mammoth, at least my sample, feels overpriced for what it offers in the listening department. It's certainly more balanced than the Honeydew, but I feel that ends up making it somewhat less focused on what it wants to be. There's not much detail in the upper mids and it gets dark quickly in the treble. I don't know if it's the new custom BA used in the highs that needs some more time to be figured out. Mid-bass is excellent though, even if some of the bass bleeds into the lower mids. Some of my favorite tracks played really well here, and I do agree with Campfire Audio in that it did make me seek out some more songs to listen to in similar genres that I typically would have gone with something else more specialized. But overall, and especially from a technical and tuning perspective, it's just not where I think the marketing talk had me believe. The Holocene on the other end...

It may be the marketing is not clear enough.

The one thing they hinted at which is true (which I see you differ from me, and that is fine) is that it's simultaneously "fun" and "technical" (the "brawn" sentence they use.)

Their official comments on Reddit better represent the IEM-an W shaped FR, not L, not V, that is not strictly only for bassheads (that last part is my conclusion, not their statements.) Bassheads can love it, but those seeking a balanced tonality in which bass is more prominent than the norm may also enjoy it.

I believe it's confusing, since it won't please the super basshead expectations, nor the "perfectly accurate tonality" crowd. So I have read both types of reviewers be a bit disappointed.

I also find that neutral to bright amps, and "bright eartips" bring out all these mids and highs some are not hearing. The mids, for instance, do not sound recessed to me compared to some other headphones and earphones I own. And the low to mid treble is pretty "normal" and good. It definitely does not have the mids of a Grado, but that does not make the mids it has recessed. Perhaps my ears do a lot of compensation in this frequency range.

(The treble in your graph is not too bad? Two other graphs I have seen measure it worse. I honestly love treble prominent headphones more than most, and do not find the Mammoth dark-only warm.)

The mids of the Holocene look a bit recessed in one popular graph-how do they sound? I know graphs do not tell the whole story.

Be well, and please do not feel I am being a contrarian. Like what you like! Stay safe, and enjoy your music.

 

[vsg28]

It may be the marketing is not clear enough.

The one thing they hinted at which is true (which I see you differ from me, and that is fine) is that it's simultaneously "fun" and "technical" (the "brawn" sentence they use.)

Their official comments on Reddit better represent the IEM-an W shaped FR, not L, not V, that is not strictly only for bassheads (that last part is my conclusion, not their statements.) Bassheads can love it, but those seeking a balanced tonality in which bass is more prominent than the norm may also enjoy it.

I believe it's confusing, since it won't please the super basshead expectations, nor the "perfectly accurate tonality" crowd. So I have read both types of reviewers be a bit disappointed.

I also find that neutral to bright amps, and "bright eartips" bring out all these mids and highs some are not hearing. The mids, for instance, do not sound recessed to me compared to some other headphones and earphones I own. And the low to mid treble is pretty "normal" and good. It definitely does not have the mids of a Grado, but that does not make the mids it has recessed. Perhaps my ears do a lot of compensation in this frequency range.

(The treble in your graph is not too bad? Two other graphs I have seen measure it worse. I honestly love treble prominent headphones more than most, and do not find the Mammoth dark-only warm.)

The mids of the Holocene look a bit recessed in one popular graph-how do they sound? I know graphs do not tell the whole story.

Be well, and please do not feel I am being a contrarian. Like what you like! Stay safe, and enjoy your music.

Can you please point me to the Reddit comments? What you said here quoting them actually does make more sense. To me when I review something, how the company intends the product to be is an important factor also. As such this does influence things to a small extent.

Mids are quite fine and in fact the mids proper are really what I was referring to when I mentioned these made me go listen to genres that I would otherwise not have associated typically with the Mammoth based on the marketing as I read it. I think I know which graph you are referring to and note that I have slightly recessed sub-bass here compared to that one also and I don't think it's a fit issue either since it was statistically reproducible. A bit more channel variation than I'd like but not really a factor as much as the massive drip beginning ~9 kHz (not just measurement artifact) when I mentioned treble darkness for orchestral music, as an example.

Dude, don't leave us hanging like that. Tell us more about the Holocene.

Haha I am still listening to it so I'd rather hold on for another day or two before I gauge one way or the other. I'll be sure to add in my thoughts here though.

 

[Star Ace]

vsg28,

Here's the link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones..._source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

They also comment further below that it is not a true Polaris III, though it was originally intended to be a new and improved Polaris. Inspired by it, but a "different beast".

Feel free to disagree with their description. I do find it more informative than the official, more "creative" information on the Mammoth's official page. I find I agree with their treble description-they are not really claiming it has super extended highs.

If the Mammoth had super extended treble, it would be magnificent in my view, even with the boosted bass it already has. As it is, though, when I compare recessed cymbal work on many not so well mastered recordings, they do better than *my* average headphone/earphone. I do have many others with better air and extension, and that *is* my preference, but within the concept of the Mammoth, I do not deem it bad by any means.

Thanks so much for your own review! Do not mind me too much.

 

[vsg28]

vsg28,

Here's the link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones..._source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

They also comment further below that it is not a true Polaris III, though it was originally intended to be a new and improved Polaris. Inspired by it, but a "different beast".

Feel free to disagree with their description. I do find it more informative than the official, more "creative" information on the Mammoth's official page. I find I agree with their treble description-they are not really claiming it has super extended highs.

If the Mammoth had super extended treble, it would be magnificent in my view, even with the boosted bass it already has. As it is, though, when I compare recessed cymbal work on many not so well mastered recordings, they do better than *my* average headphone/earphone. I do have many others with better air and extension, and that *is* my preference, but within the concept of the Mammoth, I do not deem it bad by any means.

Thanks so much for your own review! Do not mind me too much.

Hah my actual review will be multiple pages with tons of photos and thousands of words, but that's a story for another time. Thanks for the link, I'll go through it for sure!

Update: While waiting for more thoughts, perhaps some images of the Holocene case are in order?

 

[No Deal]

Plugged the Mammoth into the C9 today. Why? Sometimes I just like a good clean thumpin'! Just for fun. This will do it.

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

I hope the Mammoth and Holocene cases get posted for sale soon. Gonna miss this one with the Mammoth when it goes off to it's new home at @rantng's!

 

[TjFont]

I am sooooo on the fence about the Mammoth. I really appreciate the wide range of opinions voiced here from @Sebastien Chiu, @Star Ace, @vsg28 and others.

Has anyone seen a comparison with the Dorado 2020? At twice the price (new) I am wondering if it is worth saving my pennies for the Dorado. Like others here I am a satisfied Andro 2020 owner who is looking for a CA DD IEM for an alternative listening experience with more punch. I do like my treble, though, so I don't want to give that up completely in the bargain. Maybe I should just keep saving until I can justify buying a Solaris....