[shigzeo]

Are people here able to test the Andromeda with Grimes - Venus fly and also emika - double edge?

Because i don't need bass to be thrown in my face all the time (though my preferred signature is boosted sub bass with a gentle slope down for the mid bass) but if a song called for bass I want BASS.

Andromeda isn't a bass monster. 

 

[Antihippy]

Hmm, yeah, I expected as much. But I have heard that the Andromeda is sorta like the hd600 with more heft in the sub bass region. Does that hold true? How is the bass in relation to the hd600?

 

[angelom]

I’m sorry but I don’t think shigzeo’s review is very useful, for me it isn’t help understand the sound quality of this earphone. I think this review is vague when he describing sound quality impressions. “Chalky” and “Chalkily”? What are those words mean to describe sound quality?
 
I prefer also that he comparing with earphones or headphones that is more close to flat or neutral like er4s, UERM, se535 or hd800 or hd600 (earphones still produced today and many people know) and not Ultrasone IQ which people don’t knowing about this iem, or CK10 that isn’t in production in a long time and many people don’t knowing. This way the comparison is more clear because is comparing with more or less a standard of neutral/reference sound.
 
I think the review mention EDM too much and not other genres like classical, jazz, acoustic, rock, metal, reference recordings and loudness wars recordings, etc., and discussing important aspects for example speed, transients, dynamics, etc.
 
The description of fit and construction is good but I think this is very easy in general.

 

[WCDchee]

  I’m sorry but I don’t think shigzeo’s review is very useful, for me it isn’t help understand the sound quality of this earphone. I think this review is vague when he describing sound quality impressions. “Chalky” and “Chalkily”? What are those words mean to describe sound quality?
 
I prefer also that he comparing with earphones or headphones that is more close to flat or neutral like er4s, UERM, se535 or hd800 or hd600 (earphones still produced today and many people know) and not Ultrasone IQ which people don’t knowing about this iem, or CK10 that isn’t in production in a long time and many people don’t knowing. This way the comparison is more clear because is comparing with more or less a standard of neutral/reference sound.
 
I think the review mention EDM too much and not other genres like classical, jazz, acoustic, rock, metal, reference recordings and loudness wars recordings, etc., and discussing important aspects for example speed, transients, dynamics, etc.
 
The description of fit and construction is good but I think this is very easy in general.

 
 
I think you should understand that as a reviewer, Nathan isn't an all encompassing music/audio encyclopedia with limitless music tastes. If you've read his other reviews, you will be able to tell that he LOVES his EDM, and thus no wonder why he writes about it most. For me, I love classical, broadway, acoustic stuff, ask me how something does on trance or EDM, there is no way in hell I can answer that question.
 
I don't always get Nathan's reviews I'll be fair with you (nothing against him though that's just his style), But I thought this review was considerably less flowery that some of his other reviews, and describes precisely what I heard with the andromedas, a sweet, emotive midrange, with incredible spaciousness. In fact he also points out that he finds the spaciousness not to be the most natural or accurate at times for certain types of recordings. Bass is described as having adequate presence, extension and body, not necessarily the most dynamic with the most slam, but rather, with a more resolving detailed approach. The highs are described as being more sparkly and energetic than neutral.
 
That sounds like quite a clear description to me
 
I'm not sure what else you would like to hear

 

[Ultrainferno]

Even I understood his review this time 

 

[angelom]

   
 
I think you should understand that as a reviewer, Nathan isn't an all encompassing music/audio encyclopedia with limitless music tastes. If you've read his other reviews, you will be able to tell that he LOVES his EDM, and thus no wonder why he writes about it most. For me, I love classical, broadway, acoustic stuff, ask me how something does on trance or EDM, there is no way in hell I can answer that question.
 
I don't always get Nathan's reviews I'll be fair with you (nothing against him though that's just his style), But I thought this review was considerably less flowery that some of his other reviews, and describes precisely what I heard with the andromedas, a sweet, emotive midrange, with incredible spaciousness. In fact he also points out that he finds the spaciousness not to be the most natural or accurate at times for certain types of recordings. Bass is described as having adequate presence, extension and body, not necessarily the most dynamic with the most slam, but rather, with a more resolving detailed approach. The highs are described as being more sparkly and energetic than neutral.
 
That sounds like quite a clear description to me
 
I'm not sure what else you would like to hear

 
Hello WCDchee.
 
My intention isn’t criticising shigzeo, and I’m really sorry if this is how my post before is looking.
 
Maybe my concept of a (good) review is different (I think Tyll’s reviews for example are excellent), and isn’t necessary for the person to be encyclopaedia for that, but reference points that are useful (comparisons with standard neutral/reference earphones or headphones) is very important, and include other important aspects of SQ too, specially if you’re writing about very expensive products.
 
If you don’t doing this and you prefer or listen to EDM and Trance a lot for example, and compare with se846, K10, Ultrasone IQ or CK10, maybe is better you writing a long post here with your impressions but don’t say it's a review. This is my opinion and I knowing everyone isn't agree with me.

 

[ajaxender]

I think its fair to criticize a review for lacking points of reference in general - not so fair for lacking specific ones. Its simply not the case that providing specific points of reference will make a review objectively useful. In this case I've not heard any of the gear Shigzeo compared the Andromeda to in their review - I've also not heard anything Angelom mentions. Furthermore, such comparisons may simply be impossible for Shigzeo to provide. Asking (nicely, perhaps even via PM) for them separately, no problem! But to make them strictly necessary, that is untenable.
 
I think the criticism of 'chalky' is more fair because really, the criticism is of unclear language. I think I get the intended meaning but I can easily see how it could be interpreted differently, or even not at all. 
 
I find the concept of reviews interesting, and especially so criticism of what is essentially criticism to begin with. I think meaningful criticism of a review is always of the abstract, not the detail. A review is, when it comes down to it, one persons opinion, formed by their experiences which simply may not match up to our own. And from that we must accept that not every review will be useful to us. For myself, I can't deny that the utter lack of negative reviews of the Andromeda is telling - but much more telling than any of the reviews so far is that users who I know I have similar tastes to have given it their approval.
 
But like the other day, lets not let this get out of hand. Again, a review is an opinion - and unfortunately there just aren't too many of them around yet for this alluring IEM. When they're all saying essentially the same thing - it real good, yo - I guess its fair to have a little skepticism. Keeps ones wallet (/ bank account) safe!

 

[audio123]

   
But like the other day, lets not let this get out of hand. Again, a review is an opinion - and unfortunately there just aren't too many of them around yet for this alluring IEM. When they're all saying essentially the same thing - it real good, yo - I guess its fair to have a little skepticism. Keeps ones wallet (/ bank account) safe!

only way to keep wallet safe is to quit headfi!

 

[ajaxender]

  only way to keep wallet safe is to quit headfi!

 
Haha true, I forgot

 

[shigzeo]

   
 
I think you should understand that as a reviewer, Nathan isn't an all encompassing music/audio encyclopedia with limitless music tastes. If you've read his other reviews, you will be able to tell that he LOVES his EDM, and thus no wonder why he writes about it most. For me, I love classical, broadway, acoustic stuff, ask me how something does on trance or EDM, there is no way in hell I can answer that question.
 
I don't always get Nathan's reviews I'll be fair with you (nothing against him though that's just his style), But I thought this review was considerably less flowery that some of his other reviews, and describes precisely what I heard with the andromedas, a sweet, emotive midrange, with incredible spaciousness. In fact he also points out that he finds the spaciousness not to be the most natural or accurate at times for certain types of recordings. Bass is described as having adequate presence, extension and body, not necessarily the most dynamic with the most slam, but rather, with a more resolving detailed approach. The highs are described as being more sparkly and energetic than neutral.
 
That sounds like quite a clear description to me
 
I'm not sure what else you would like to hear

Bingo. 
 
I must ask (publicly) about the flowery language. I do my best to be straight and use every day language, but who knows: everyone has a different definition of flowery. If you have examples, by all means give them here because I'd like to purge my vocabulary of them. It would be very helpful. 
 

   
Hello WCDchee.
 
My intention isn’t criticising shigzeo, and I’m really sorry if this is how my post before is looking.
 
Maybe my concept of a (good) review is different (I think Tyll’s reviews for example are excellent), and isn’t necessary for the person to be encyclopaedia for that, but reference points that are useful (comparisons with standard neutral/reference earphones or headphones) is very important, and include other important aspects of SQ too, specially if you’re writing about very expensive products.
 
If you don’t doing this and you prefer or listen to EDM and Trance a lot for example, and compare with se846, K10, Ultrasone IQ or CK10, maybe is better you writing a long post here with your impressions but don’t say it's a review. This is my opinion and I knowing everyone isn't agree with me.

Totally reverse order here (not sure why), so sorry: of course what you wrote was a criticism. And it is your right to criticise what you see as faulty in a review. And it is my right (duty?) to clear up what I can. I'm not a jazz listener. I'm not a classical listener. And I don't have time to waste trying to become one just to write reviews. As to 'SQ' I would prefer not to use that term. If I had the equipment and know-how to judge objectively I'd clearly do so. But I don't. So I do my best to make it pretty obvious that I'm writing from anecdote. How could I judge dynamic range without a test setup? My ear? Believe you me, that tool is next to worthless unless dynamic range means something opposite to what audiophiles think it does. If you feel that it would have been better to throw in definitives in a subjective review, then you are after the language, not the reality. Again, I can only write what I can write. Someone else will write the review you want.
 
To your final paragraph: I think your point is lost. If by review you mean 'a formal assessment of something' rather than a 'a critical appraisal', then I would lay out an uncomfortable truth: there are like two writers in the entire world that actually review earphones. The rest of us wing it- sometimes in style, sometimes not in style. I am not sure where I fit. If by review you mean 'no EDM and more Christian sex music', then I say that your opinion is as worthless as the fellow that shouts that yellow is a better colour than blue and that anyone that likes blue and not yellow is not a man, or carries only worthless opinions. Naturally, that is a rubbish opinion.
 

 
contribute a review first before you slam others

 
It wasn't a slam. With all that talk about jazz and classical, I don't think it could have been one. EDM listeners: we know slam. 

  I’m sorry but I don’t think shigzeo’s review is very useful, for me it isn’t help understand the sound quality of this earphone. I think this review is vague when he describing sound quality impressions. “Chalky” and “Chalkily”? What are those words mean to describe sound quality?
 
I prefer also that he comparing with earphones or headphones that is more close to flat or neutral like er4s, UERM, se535 or hd800 or hd600 (earphones still produced today and many people know) and not Ultrasone IQ which people don’t knowing about this iem, or CK10 that isn’t in production in a long time and many people don’t knowing. This way the comparison is more clear because is comparing with more or less a standard of neutral/reference sound.
 
I think the review mention EDM too much and not other genres like classical, jazz, acoustic, rock, metal, reference recordings and loudness wars recordings, etc., and discussing important aspects for example speed, transients, dynamics, etc.
 
The description of fit and construction is good but I think this is very easy in general.

In his defence Nathan wasn't writing for you (I talked with him about it). He also said that he doesn't have an earphone testing rig, so objective testing isn't possible. 
 
Nathan here. That other guy was a wreck. 
 
If you want an audiophile reviewer, you'll get twelve next week. I don't fit in the traditional audiophile club. I only own headphones I really like. I don't collect. I don't give the slightest care about fitting in. I even choose headphones for their looks (OH MY GOSH!). The HD600 is fantastic, but why would I reference an open headphone directly against an earphone except in passing terms? Wouldn't it be better for me to keep it to earphones? If I'm wrong, point taken. Still, I'll not change my method on that count. I happen to like the IQ and happen to have written about it in almost every review I've done since purchasing it. Tough love. If you want an audiophile review, slow Christian sex music, virtue-signalling classical, and of course Diana Krall, you will have a million reviews to sort through soon. 

I simply can't write for you. I can only write for me. If I tried to write for you, I'd fail you on YOUR terms, not mine. I'd prefer to fail on my terms. 
 
As it is, I don't feel confident or qualified to write about jazz or classical. Why? Because I don't listen to them much. Have you ever read a camera/lens review where a portrait photographer tries to describe sports shooting? It happens a lot. Every time it is a complete waste of space. A portrait photographer has no clue how to shoot sports. And I have no clue how to do describe jazz for the jazz head. Nor do I care to study that. I'm simply not interested enough in it. That may change. I listen to music that I like, and don't care about audiophile staples. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that my review wasn't helpful for you. But like I said, you soon will have dozens of reviews that fit your bill.
 

There's a difference between constructive feedback and slamming.

I enjoy all the impressions on the Andromeda so far. I have yet to hear it myself but I hope that it doesn't turn out to be yet another hype train.

It wasn't slamming. It was frustration that what I wrote and what he expected me to write (or write about) didn't meet in the middle. BTW, it is a very nice earphone.

 

[audio123]

@shigzeo your private 333 suggests that you have a good taste for sound already

and you are living in a country of iems!

 

[kimD]

@shigzeo
your private 333 suggests that you have a good taste for sound already and you are living in a country of iems!

Lol now looks like still too early, once everyone has their pair on hand that's become another story.

 

[shigzeo]

  @shigzeo your private 333 suggests that you have a good taste for sound already

and you are living in a country of iems!

I love good-qualty manufacture, especially if it is done differently to the market. I also own Leica and Linhof for the same reason. The FitEar 333 is my favourite custom sound-wise and it is built wonderfully, especially considering that I got it in 2009 or 2010 when the market wasn't buoyed up as much by makers whose purpose it was to make a perfect custom. That same love of well-built items is what draws me to Andromeda, which is phenomenal well built and wonderfully branded to boot. 
 

Lol now looks like still too early, once everyone has their pair on hand that's become another story.

At the recent Fujiya show, pretty much everyone loved it. Some said it was the earphone of the show. That's a pretty tall order to fill. I was pretty impressed by the FitEar MH334 SR (for which my small ear canals are ineligible). Personally, it would be between the two. 

 

[audio123]

  I love good-qualty manufacture, especially if it is done differently to the market. I also own Leica and Linhof for the same reason. The FitEar 333 is my favourite custom sound-wise and it is built wonderfully, especially considering that I got it in 2009 or 2010 when the market wasn't buoyed up as much by makers whose purpose it was to make a perfect custom. That same love of well-built items is what draws me to Andromeda, which is phenomenal well built and wonderfully branded to boot. 
 
At the recent Fujiya show, pretty much everyone loved it. Some said it was the earphone of the show. That's a pretty tall order to fill. I was pretty impressed by the FitEar MH334 SR (for which my small ear canals are ineligible). Personally, it would be between the two. 

im pretty much at the ocharaku booth all the time at fujiya

 

[shigzeo]

 
im pretty much at the ocharaku booth all the time at fujiya

I forgot to mention that one... only because I went to Ocharaku office to listen to the two new earphones. I've not written about them yet, but will try to write about tea and earphones. Ocharaku is my favourite open earphone of all time. And Mr. Yamagishi is god. But let's get back to the topic.