CanJam London 2022 Impressions Thread (July 30-31, 2022)
Aug 7, 2022 at 6:28 PM Post #286 of 348
My listening targets based on reviews were the THIEAudio Monarch mk2 and the 64Audio u12t. I think the Monarchs are astounding value (better than the more expensive Andros), and I think the u12t are better if you can afford them, although I found the u12t bass a bit overwhelming. What I wonder now is whether that overwhelming feeling would persist, or whether it was a reaction based on a comparison with the Andros that I was living with. I don't know, but it's another lesson for me. Listen more than once, if you can. I had decided to buy the u12t at the show price and listened to the u18t out of curiosity. I'd read a number of reviews before the show where people prefer the u12t to the u18t which is about £1k more expensive. I was hacked off to find I preferred the u18t as the bass wasn't overwhelming. It seemed to retain all the pluses of the u12t and to be more balanced across the spectrum. I couldn't justify the extra cost though.
I would definitely recommend two days next time. I bought the weekend ticket just before the price increase but was only planning on attending on Saturday as I thought I could demo and purchase my IEMs, and still have time to demo full-sized headphones ahead of my next purchase... I probably take more time evaluating than most due to my requirements but over two full days, I only managed 25x IEMs, albeit with multiple revisits of my top 5 until I convinced myself to part with my cash in the last minute of the show... ☺️ Worth it though as I am extremely happy with my purchase.

Funny, our journeys have intersected... I started with the Shure SE530 (or 535, it was a while ago) as well which got replaced under warranty when a cable failed, and the Andromeda was my favourite after a long demo at Audio Sanctuary to decide between closed back and IEMs a few years ago... Are we long lost twins? 🤭

Hifi Headphones near Worthing were my last pre-CanJam demo and I left there with the U12T shortlisted as my favourite, but with a lot of unknowns to try at the show. As you mentioned, this level of IEMs are in reality an obscene amount of money...

I would need to spend more time with both, but I also found the U18T to be the better model at the show. It felt very similar to the U12T, but I thought it had a more balanced presentation, more breathing space. They were however my first demo on Saturday morning so I cannot compare after hearing all the others. I tried again briefly in the last run around late on Sunday afternoon, but either my ears had given out or they had because they sounded awful. 😅

I am doubting myself now but if I remember correctly, Michael from 64 Audio said they were using the M15 modules...? I tried the MX, M15, and M20 back to back in the U12T at Hifi Headphones; it sounds like you prefer tighter control like me so I highly recommend the MX as the others sounded too present to me, bloated and not as tight...

I will add that coming from years of full sized headphones and progressively upgraded speakers systems (my final set up consisting of custom floor standers, supplemented by 2x 18" custom subs, properly integrated in a dedicated room), the bass that people rave about in IEMs is far too audible (forward) to be what I would refer to as "sub-bass". I appreciate that it is deemed hard to implement in IEMs but the lower frequencies should be far less (audibly) prominent, and more felt. I say "deemed hard to implement" because I did find some that for me had the right balance of audible LF, with my brain applying what would have been the trouser flapping, punch in the gut sub-bass that continues below 20Hz...

This hobby is far more subjective than speakers though so as per the standard disclaimer, this is all to my ears. I appreciate that most other people are looking for a different experience, which is probably why I struggled so much to find IEMs that sounded right to me, and the ones I settled on are far less popular to most people.
 
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Aug 8, 2022 at 3:50 AM Post #287 of 348
@miT It sounds like we do have similar tastes. Which IEMs did you settle on?
 
Aug 8, 2022 at 12:25 PM Post #288 of 348
@miT It sounds like we do have similar tastes. Which IEMs did you settle on?
Sounds like it.

I settled on the LETSHUOER EJ09 as I felt that the low end was well controlled (which a lot people would deem to be "bass shy" as it is not overly present like the majority of others...). All of the LF are present but presented in a balanced way so real instruments sound natural and do not trip over themselves in complex pieces (e.g. classical music), but it still has plenty of punch on tracks with a heavy bass-line (e.g. drum and bass or dance).

My main requirement was realistic HF detail as I find that is generally the biggest let down for IEMs, but this set unleashed the final octaves so edged out the competition for me, even some costing 3x as much.

I did not find any of the others bettered it overall, especially in the HF delivery, apart from perhaps the Subtonic Storm and maybe another one. Some outperfom elements if you want to drown in copious bass or prefer overly warm mids, but none of that is natural sound so does not appeal to me as it does not sound right. YMMV though.
 
Aug 8, 2022 at 1:01 PM Post #289 of 348
Koji from convincemeaudio at canjam London 2022

 
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Aug 9, 2022 at 9:49 AM Post #290 of 348
🤣 Because my family was the Southern California branch of my family, we were required to be tour guides any time out-of-state family and friends came to visit. Later on in high school, a friend of mine worked there during the summer, and could get two people in free every day. We basically spent summers there, hanging out the way other kids would hang out at a shopping mall. And of course, there were the times when I went to go with SWGOH friends. It all adds up rather quickly.
Growing up in Southern California I went to Disneyland all the time. At one place I lived in the Ciry of Orange, I could see and hear the fireworks nightly. My co-workers Husband was in charge of all the dolls cloths in “it’s a small world”.......he would start washing them on Monday and get to the final dolls cloths to wash on Friday. So the whole ride gets it’s clothes washed once a week. My Dads friend met his future wife while they were both working there. My Brother’s second wife is employed by Disney Studios, in the voice translation department. Actually I have maybe 20 wild stories about that place. IBM used to rent the whole park privately on a week-day, so the company and it’s families would have unlimited use. Being my Dad worked for IBM, it was an incredible gift to have a day there for the holidays! I have never been to the underground Disneyland, under the park, but have heard numerous stories about it from people who work there. Though my best memories are of that place in the 1970s and 1980s, there are so many rides that have changed!
 
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Aug 9, 2022 at 11:59 AM Post #291 of 348
Here is the current full exhibitor list from the main thread:

64 Audio
Akoustyx
ampsandsound
Astell&Kern
Atlas Cables
Audeze
Audio-Technica
Awedyo Audio
Benchmark Media Systems
Bloom Audio
Burson Audio
Campfire Audio
CEntrance
Chord Electronics
DALI
Dan Clark Audio
dCS
Dekoni Audio
DUNU
Effect Audio
Eletech
Empire Ears
FatFreq
Feliks Audio
Ferrum Audio
Focal
HeadAmp Audio Electronics
Headphones.com
HIFIMAN
InEar
Jerry Harvey Audio
Linear Tube Audio
Manley Labs
Meze Audio
NAD
Noble Audio
Pathos Acoustics
PrimaLuna
Pro-Ject Audio Systems
PSB
RAAL-requisite
RME
Roon Labs
Rupert Neve Designs
sBooster
Schiit Audio
Sennheiser
Soekris Audio
Soundcore
Spirit Torino
The Source AV
Upscale Audio
Vision Ears
Viva Audio
VZR Audio
Warwick Acoustics
Wells Audio
Woo Audio
ZMFheadphones

Edit: Musicteck has also confirmed to me he’ll be there
This event was taken place in London but without Ifi?? I am a fan of Ifi. Always love seeing its products because of beautiful designs, material and quality 😭
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 1:45 PM Post #292 of 348
Growing up in Southern California I went to Disneyland all the time. At one place I lived in the Ciry of Orange, I could see and hear the fireworks nightly. My co-workers Husband was in charge of all the dolls cloths in “it’s a small world”.......he would start washing them on Monday and get to the final dolls cloths to wash on Friday. So the whole ride gets it’s clothes washed once a week. My Dads friend met his future wife while they were both working there. My Brother’s second wife is employed by Disney Studios, in the voice translation department. Actually I have maybe 20 wild stories about that place. IBM used to rent the whole park privately on a week-day, so the company and it’s families would have unlimited use. Being my Dad worked for IBM, it was an incredible gift to have a day there for the holidays! I have never been to the underground Disneyland, under the park, but have heard numerous stories about it from people who work there. Though my best memories are of that place in the 1970s and 1980s, there are so many rides that have changed!

Oh wow! :smiley:

Yes, you are so right, any private capacity day is absolutely awesome! We can basically re-ride any ride as fast as we can run from the exit back to the front! And I agree, about the timeframe, the early Eighties was the best for me. Have you seen the Imagineering documentary?
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 1:58 PM Post #293 of 348
Great weekend, it's nice to be back and seeing all the familiar faces!

xMEMS early engineering sample demo was the highlight for me.

Can't wait for this to be implemented in the future products, thank you Michael for letting me play with the EQ to find a suitable sound tuning for my taste. It's easily one of the best sounding IEMs I have heard this weekend!

20220731_155846~3.JPG
That xMems IEM looks really unique! Never seen one like that before.
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 2:33 PM Post #294 of 348
Oh wow! :smiley:

Yes, you are so right, any private capacity day is absolutely awesome! We can basically re-ride any ride as fast as we can run from the exit back to the front! And I agree, about the timeframe, the early Eighties was the best for me. Have you seen the Imagineering documentary?
No, have not seen that documentary.
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 4:25 PM Post #295 of 348
That xMems IEM looks really unique! Never seen one like that before.
Brand new driver tech, it's likely just a 3D printed engineering prototype for demo. Sounds amazing despite looking rather unfinished.
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 5:44 PM Post #296 of 348
Great weekend, it's nice to be back and seeing all the familiar faces!

Thieaudio Monarch Mk2


First thing on my list to try and did not disappoint at all, easily my favourite allrounder IEM I heard the whole weekend. Liked it enough to have bought it on day 1


Have you heard the MEST MK2?
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 6:09 PM Post #297 of 348
xMEMS early engineering sample demo was the highlight for me.

Can't wait for this to be implemented in the future products, thank you Michael for letting me play with the EQ to find a suitable sound tuning for my taste. It's easily one of the best sounding IEMs I have heard this weekend!

20220731_155846~3.JPG

Is that an ear bud converted into an IEM? Having a 15.4mm driver as an in ear would be interesting, given how bassy they can be. @Ronion @samandhi
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 7:39 PM Post #298 of 348
Is that an ear bud converted into an IEM? Having a 15.4mm driver as an in ear would be interesting, given how bassy they can be. @Ronion @samandhi
I think you can purchase something like the face on the Earpods that are semi in-ear, but those look very interesting nonetheless. I love that tech is progressing, rather than standing still... :)

Something like this (though I'm not sure if those particular ones will fit):
https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Silicon-Replacement-Earbuds-Samsung/dp/B091FB7QC7/
 
Aug 9, 2022 at 8:15 PM Post #299 of 348
I think you can purchase something like the face on the Earpods that are semi in-ear, but those look very interesting nonetheless. I love that tech is progressing, rather than standing still... :)

Something like this (though I'm not sure if those particular ones will fit):
https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Silicon-Replacement-Earbuds-Samsung/dp/B091FB7QC7/

Not quite what I mean, what I meant is putting the usual MX500 15.4mm into an in-ear shell. I imagine a lot of front vents must be opened to cut the unholy amount of lower mid and bass that MX500 drivers tend to have when working in a sealed environment.
 

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