Alright, going to try and keep this relatively short, but still pack in as much info as I can. So relatively short may still be pretty long.
All listening here has been done on my cayin n6ii with e01 board in class A mode. I just received the dorado this morning, so for those who dont trust super initial impressions or think they need to burn in, keep that in mind. I dont plan to do a burn in period as I am not convinced, and would rather just listen through anyways. I seem to be gravitating towards spinfits or final e tips with these, and am listening with spinfits right now. I also want to say as I always do, to take my impressions with a grain of salt. I wonder if much of whats said on these forums is hyperbole, because while I try to bring out the differences, most of what I hear are very small changes. And in my experience so far, above that $1k mark everything has been quite good, and I would be hard pressed to call anything strictly "better" or "worse" just different, and it all depends on personal preference.
Some basic impressions: Overall, I would describe these are relatively balanced, with some "boosts" in places. Bass overall feels a bit elevated, with some good physicality and power. I wouldn't call them a bassy IEM, but they lean a bit warm. I like bass, and am pretty happy with what I am hearing. There also seems to be some elevation in the treble too as it has a bit of an edge to it, giving it a nice sense of clarity. Im not the one to tell at what frequency any boosts might be happening, but its nice. I have heard a few songs get a bit hot, but nothing I would classify as sibilant yet. Initially, mids felt recessed (I judge a lot based on vocals) and I do still hear some male vocals that seem farther back in the mix, but it may also just be due to how certain songs are recorded as overall I dont really find the mids recessed or lacking.
Some Comparisons:
Atlas: Bass into lower mids feels pretty similar between the two. Which I would hope based on the driver. But then moving up into the upper mids and treble, thats where I hear a lot of difference. The Dorado pretty much is what I think I would personally look for as an upgrade to the atlas. Its a different signature, but it very much feels to me like the low end of the atlas, with added clarity and definition added on from the addition of the BA. The dorado feels cleaner and tighter throughout, while atlas almost feels veiled... almost. The atlas was my favorite for a long time until I started dipping my toes into some slightly higher end stuff, and the dorado to me feels like the upgrade I would have been hoping for from the Atlas. Using spiral dot ++ on the atlas to not choke off treble at all.
64 Audio Nio (m15 module): Very very first thing... Apex is wonderful. I realize it affects tuning, but I think I have been spoiled by how nice it is to not have any pressure in my ears. I absolutely notice the air pressure in my ear from the dorado, where theres just none from the nio. I think my initial impressions here were about right. Nio is smoother and a bit warmer, with a focus more on bass and mids, with smooth but extended treble. The dorado is a bit quicker and tighter in the bass, not quite as warm in the mids, and treble is sharper, though potentially not quite as extended as the nio. As mentioned above, I have had a few tracks sound a bit hot the dorado, but have never heard that on the Nio. Given the price and driver differences, the dorado is doing a good job holding its own. I find the nio pretty comfortable, but still opted for custom tips. The Dorado is significantly smaller and should be a much easier fit.
Sony IER Z1R: These two are really just not that similar. The Z1R is definitely a bit more of a classic V shape, with mids a bit scopped out in comparison to the treble and the bass. The Z1R is also pretty unique with its dynamic tweeter. The dorado comes across as sharper, but not more detailed. I dont find the z1r hot, but I have definitely heard the treble called that before. Bass has that wonderful slow decay with more of a subbass focus on the z1r, while its a bit tighter and more full on the dorado. The one area the z1r absolutely still crushes everything else I have heard is soundstage. There is something about its presentation that makes it pretty much the only IEM I have heard to really sound big and holgraphic. Others have some degree of it, but the z1r just has a very unique presentation. Again I should mention size. The Z1R is huge, and the dorado is tiny by comparison. Even when the z1r doesnt hurt, its always noticeable in my ears, and I have to adjust it quite a lot.
To finish here. I am definitely enjoying the dorado, and it certainly has met my expectations as an atlas with improved technicalities and a bit of a more balanced sound without sacrificing what made the atlas great, the big bold low end.
And some photos to round this off:
A comparison with the atlas to see overall size and stem size:
A comparison of stem size vs the z1r:
And finally just an overall size comparison between the dorado, Nio, and Z1R.... seriously the dorado is tiny: