[Tristy]

Not to rain on the happy parade too much, but I think I hate my pair. Still in return window, so I am on the fence, and wondering why they sound so bad to me. Just continuous burning in and checking back on them right now. They are super tiny and get lost in my ear, so it could be a fit issue? I get a seal, but also some pressure. The highs are close to sibilant and the mids are dark and un-fun. The DD punch is money though.

You given any foams tips a go? I've never heard anything close to sibilance with the Dorado 2020 but I'm not particularly sensitive in that region... I'm guessing you'll be using the M8 like @Rockwell75 so maybe he can give you some tips.

 

[Rockwell75]

I've never heard anything close to sibilance with the Dorado 2020 either so I can't really comment on that. The mids are definitely on the darker side of the spectrum but this may be more or less of an issue depending on the music you're listening to ie., music with more focus on upper mids than lower will probably sound better on an IEM with more presence in that region. Something like CCR for example is gold (to my ears) on the Dorado 2020 but sounds a little shouty and off on something like the MEST Mkii...as with all things though YMMV.

 

[blotmouse]

Thanks for the comments, yeah, still in the discovery phase. I am listening to a variety of stuff on shuffle, Mingus, Death, Belle and Sebastian, Converge, Astrud Gilberto, Wu-Tang Clan, Squarepusher. All over the place. Part of Dorado is satisfying and part isn't. lol. Just feeling that return window closing and a decision has to be made. I have huge diameter, short length ear canals, like a speaker, so finding tips that seal is very hard and going custom is not an option right now as I still need to get impressions. And you need to know you're going to love it, right? I need like 15mm+ diameter tips. I tried some Comply foam, but the large don't really seal well (if I move too much, it will leak). I also have been listening to Dorado single ended with the stock cable and will be swapping that out soon. I can't imagine it to change too drastically, but you never know? Same tips work really well on the Solaris and MEST, so it could be due to the small shell of the Dorado? If anyone has a line on huge ear tips, I'm all... well, you know?

 

[Mehran]

Thanks for the comments, yeah, still in the discovery phase. I am listening to a variety of stuff on shuffle, Mingus, Death, Belle and Sebastian, Converge, Astrud Gilberto, Wu-Tang Clan, Squarepusher. All over the place. Part of Dorado is satisfying and part isn't. lol. Just feeling that return window closing and a decision has to be made. I have huge diameter, short length ear canals, like a speaker, so finding tips that seal is very hard and going custom is not an option right now as I still need to get impressions. And you need to know you're going to love it, right? I need like 15mm+ diameter tips. I tried some Comply foam, but the large don't really seal well (if I move too much, it will leak). I also have been listening to Dorado single ended with the stock cable and will be swapping that out soon. I can't imagine it to change too drastically, but you never know? Same tips work really well on the Solaris and MEST, so it could be due to the small shell of the Dorado? If anyone has a line on huge ear tips, I'm all... well, you know?

Maybe you can try thickening the nozzles with something that comes with Final E tips. Or cuting some rubber from the inside of other silicon tips that you don't use . Maybe you can get a better seal that way.

 

[Rockwell75]

Thanks for the comments, yeah, still in the discovery phase. I am listening to a variety of stuff on shuffle, Mingus, Death, Belle and Sebastian, Converge, Astrud Gilberto, Wu-Tang Clan, Squarepusher. All over the place. Part of Dorado is satisfying and part isn't. lol. Just feeling that return window closing and a decision has to be made. I have huge diameter, short length ear canals, like a speaker, so finding tips that seal is very hard and going custom is not an option right now as I still need to get impressions. And you need to know you're going to love it, right? I need like 15mm+ diameter tips. I tried some Comply foam, but the large don't really seal well (if I move too much, it will leak). I also have been listening to Dorado single ended with the stock cable and will be swapping that out soon. I can't imagine it to change too drastically, but you never know? Same tips work really well on the Solaris and MEST, so it could be due to the small shell of the Dorado? If anyone has a line on huge ear tips, I'm all... well, you know?

Have you tried regular Sedna tips? They're quite wide (I have wide ears too so am very limited in the tips I can use). OG Sednas have been my go-to for a while.

Also @blotmouse do you have the MEST MKii? (What other IEMs do you have on hand?). I only ask as I had the MEST MKii for a bit and I had the inverse problem that you're having with the Dorado-- namely I found it great some of the time then other times I found it a little shouty up top and lacking presence and weight down low. YMMV etc.

 

[blotmouse]

I'l be looking those up and/or going MacGyver on those nozzles. Thanks for the suggestions.
Now everyone go back to loving the Dorado!!

 

[Rockwell75]

I'l be looking those up and/or going MacGyver on those nozzles. Thanks for the suggestions.
Now everyone go back to loving the Dorado!!

Cheers man and thanks for your thoughtful feedback. The Dorado is most certainly a colored IEM and as such will always appeal more to some tastes and sensitivities than others. There are plenty of IEMs revered by many audio purists that I personally find manifestly dull and uninspiring and would be very reluctant to rec to anyone unless I knew that's exactly the sort of sound they were looking for (the u12t, for example). You can't please everyone with anything.

Edit: I'm just going to dwell on the u12t for a minute as it's a good example of an IEM that I personally just flat-out don't like that is often heralded as some kind of ultimate IEM by the sorts of people who especially don't like the Dorado. You mentioned that the mid-range on the Dorado is on the darker end of the spectrum-- I would not disagree with this. However to me despite being tucked behind the bass at times (something true of the IER Z1R as well) the weight and texture of the mids on the Dorado is, to my ears, beautifully textured, rich and natural sounding. On the other hand on something like the u12t you won't find the mids being colored by the lows but the whole signature is so thin and insubstantial that all life and energy is sucked out of it. Despite all this I can still acknowledge that the u12t is great at what it does-- it's just not for me. Similarly imho the Dorado 2020 is also great at what it does and it just so happens that what it does feels almost tailor-made to my own personal preferences. As has been said before let it be said again-- YMMV.

 

[Mehran]

Cheers man and thanks for your thoughtful feedback. The Dorado is most certainly a colored IEM and as such will always appeal more to some tastes and sensitivities than others. There are plenty of IEMs revered by many audio purists that I personally find manifestly dull and uninspiring and would be very reluctant to rec to anyone unless I knew that's exactly the sort of sound they were looking for (the u12t, for example). You can't please everyone with anything.

Edit: I'm just going to dwell on the u12t for a minute as it's a good example of an IEM that I personally just flat-out don't like that is often heralded as some kind of ultimate IEM by the sorts of people who especially don't like the Dorado. You mentioned that the mid-range on the Dorado is on the darker end of the spectrum-- I would not disagree with this. However to me despite being tucked behind the bass at times (something true of the IER Z1R as well) the weight and texture of the mids on the Dorado is, to my ears, beautifully textured, rich and natural sounding. On the other hand on something like the u12t you won't find the mids being colored by the lows but the whole signature is so thin and insubstantial that all life and energy is sucked out of it. Despite all this I can still acknowledge that the u12t is great at what it does-- it's just not for me. Similarly imho the Dorado 2020 is also great at what it does and it just so happens that what it does feels almost tailor-made to my own personal preferences. As has been said before let it be said again-- YMMV.

Your impressions on the U12t is my exact thoughts on the Blessing 2 Dusk when I had it.

 

[Rockwell75]

Your impressions on the U12t is my exact thoughts on the Blessing 2 Dusk when I had it.

That...does not surprise me at all. I basically felt the same about the Moondrop S8 when I heard it. Again, YMMV etc. etc.

 

[Tristy]

Haha I thought the U12t felt a little... 'soulless' for lack of a better term. No, actually I think thats the perfect term for it. But yeah there Is definitely 2 prominent camps of 'audiophile' (if they can be called that in the traditional sense with the amount of diversity in peoples tastes) on head-fi and it doesn't take long for you to realise which camp you sit in. Although it's not uncommon for people to straddle the line, ultimately when it comes to the crunch I think that most people will prioritise one camps idealisms over the other.

 

[Rockwell75]

Haha I thought the U12t felt a little... 'soulless' for lack of a better term. No, actually I think thats the perfect term for it. But yeah there Is definitely 2 prominent camps of 'audiophile' (if they can be called that in the traditional sense with the amount of diversity in peoples tastes) on head-fi and it doesn't take long for you to know which camp you sit in. Although it's not uncommon for people to straddle the line, ultimately when it comes to the crunch I think that most people will prioritise one camps idealisms over the other.

I think you yourself described it best-- it's a tool, great for analysis and dissection, but not so much for enjoyment or engagement.

 

[snapandslide]

I'm tempted to try these at some point - they have the same config as my now dead Sony Z5s and they seem to have that same fun factor and a colourisation. Admittedly the tuning will be different, but that's ok, I have the Z1R for the Sony sound. Possibly too similar to the Z1R (from what @Rockwell75 says), but I do like a certain style, why do I need variation

 

[Rockwell75]

Possibly too similar to the Z1R (from what @Rockwell75 says), but I do like a certain style, why do I need variation

Just to emphasize-- I find them similar to the Z1R in terms of overall engagement and tuning philosophy-- the difference is that the Z1R is something of an inverted Dorado (Dorado has a mid bass/lower mid emphasis and Z1R has a sub-bass and upper mid emphasis.

 

[snapandslide]

Just to emphasize-- I find them similar to the Z1R in terms of overall engagement and tuning philosophy-- the difference is that the Z1R is something of an inverted Dorado (Dorado has a mid bass/lower mid emphasis and Z1R has a sub-bass and upper mid emphasis.

I definitely notice the mid bass/lower mids not being quite there - Gregory Porter just doesn’t quite sparkle as he should with the Z1R.

Definitely one for the radar to try if I can to see if justifiable to own both (though of course you concluded no!)

 

[Rockwell75]

(though of course you concluded no!)

Purely a personal choice-- Dorado FR just plays nicer with more of the music I listen to which tends to really benefit from more lower mid/mid-bass presence.

Edit: And if I'm being totally honest I mainly sold the Z1R to fund the MEST, which I wound up not liking nearly as much as the Z1R. I still miss the sub-bass and beautiful treble of the Sony and may yet find myself in possession of one again some day.