Ah now i understand. No rca at all. You need a Power amplifier
CanJam NYC 2023 Impressions Thread (February 25-26, 2023)
- Thread starter AxelCloris
- Start date
Why they make these high end audio stuff that you cant even buy LOLA few pics from the show
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Yes even portable stuff (IEMs, DAPs, fancy cables) prices now are crazy expensive. This trend where the prices keeps climbing is bad for wallets.
it's our fault that we believe the fairy tales they tell us
Perfectly stated.
I am a bit surprised that you disliked the Yamaha as an musician as it sounds pretty close to typical Monitors like the TG335 or the IER-M9.A few pics from the show
I can understand why you disliked it though based on your description but by your description, it sounded exactly how I would expect an Headphones from an company like Yamaha to sound.
I doubt they target audiophiles, I am pretty sure they are targeting musicians who want an authentic "live" like performance and are so hitting the same nerv like the MDR-Z1R
Are there really people having trouble differentiating between bottled water flavors? I can even taste the difference in my cappuccino.
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This discussion should move to the watercooler thread
If anyone was interested in the xMEMS booth but didn't have a chance to try it, I did a write-up on my impressions about their showcase:
https://headphones.com/blogs/featur...ook-at-mems-the-next-step-for-in-ear-monitors
Here's the excerpt on the sound impressions part but there's quite a bit of other info on what MEMS I've included in there if you're unfamiliar with it so I do encourage you to read the full post for more info and my thoughts around the technology.
The showcase itself was fairly guided. Michael had a nice selection of test tracks he walked me through - all of them were very well mixed and mastered. From slow acoustic sets with solo vocalists to tightly produced instrumentals from Polyphia and Toe, Michael Jackson’s Beat It was the closest thing to a busy rock track. We played each song for about 30 seconds or so to highlight the different characteristics of the IEM I was listening to. Unfortunately, not having my own music meant I couldn’t look for familiar flaws.
The xMEMS demo unit. Note the short nozzles and circular head.
Given that minimal tuning was done with the demo unit, its tuning was fair. I found it plenty bassy and rich in the lower mids. None of the instruments immediately stood out to me as being tonally off. That is, until I got to the vocal tracks. Though I was unfamiliar with the vocalists, they sounded suspiciously warm, especially for female singers, questioning whether that was their natural voice. It was in Beat It that my suspicions were confirmed - Michael Jackson’s voice lacked upper mids brilliance. The treble was well extended but not overly exaggerated or artificially airy.
The iFi iDSD Diablo-X used to power the xMEMS demo unit. These amps were specifically by iFi made in collaboration with xMEMS for their foray into the IEM world.
It’s on a technical level that this IEM becomes intriguing. The first thing I noted was its staging. The soundstage was constrained. Not so much claustrophobic but rather focused within the head. This was accompanied with some very nice imaging. The center image of vocalists had great depth, as if they’re coming from deep within your mind rather than just behind your eyes. It reminds me of the first time I heard the Etymotic ER4 which has a similar presentation in its vocal imaging. Instruments similarly had excellent precision with each note dancing spatially around where the main body of the instrument is placed. Needless to say, separation was very good. At the risk of sounding cliché, it sounded live. Like you were on stage rather than listening through the mics of a recording, particularly for vocals.
The bass of the xMEMS demo unit was unique. Michael played a couple bass- heavy songs to show off what it could do. And it delivered. The bass presents a feeling of excursion that’s different from a dynamic driver. There's a perception that air is pushed freely by the MEMS driver to create sheer volume at the lowest octaves. There is a lot of control and precision on display, like the driver is carving out the sound waves, but it lacks some of the sense of weight and dynamics behind each note commonly found in dynamic drivers.
The last point of interest is its treble response. It’s highly articulate. As a whole, it gives the xMEMS demo unit a very snappy feeling and ties its sound together. Every note is clean and tight. Yet, I didn’t find it to be a sharp IEM. I didn’t detect any sibilance or harshness in the treble. There weren’t any major peaks piercing my ears. Though lively, it wasn’t fatiguing in the least. I suspect MEMS drivers will find a lot of success in implementations as a tweeter to handle treble notes in hybrid configurations.
The Singularity Audio ONI. I was requested not to take a photo of the unit I had listened to. Note once again the short nozzles. Perhaps it was necessary to achieve the tuning they wanted? Image credit to singularityaud.io.
Soundwise, the ONI had many similar traits to the xMEMS demo unit. The key difference was twofold. First, the in-line DSP (EQ) gave it a much more balanced tuning. It wasn’t quite as midbass-heavy and had a clearer subbass tint. The upper-mids was much better filled in and vocal timbre was restored. Secondly, its soundstage was larger and more diffused but imaging was a little less precise. The same snappiness and articulation of the xMEMS demo unit was present ONI leading to a similar overall feel. It seems that perhaps MEMs IEMs may have a “timbre” of their own. I also briefly snuck in a listen using my own silicon tips (AZLA Sednas) and it still sounded pretty good, though perhaps there was a bit of a roll-off at the lowest octaves.
As with all impressions, do take it with more than a few grains of salt. Hopefully I'll have the chance to sit down with a review unit one day and actually do a proper review of them with measurements.
https://headphones.com/blogs/featur...ook-at-mems-the-next-step-for-in-ear-monitors
Here's the excerpt on the sound impressions part but there's quite a bit of other info on what MEMS I've included in there if you're unfamiliar with it so I do encourage you to read the full post for more info and my thoughts around the technology.
xMEMS Demo Unit
The first IEM I tried was the xMEMS demo unit, powered by the iFi iDSD Diablo-X. This demo model features a single xMEMS driver in a 3D printed shell with no tuning applied to as purely demonstrate the capabilities of its driver. As you can see in the image, the nozzle is very short and there is a large circular portion directly behind it. It’s almost like an earbud in its shape. Michael requested I use Comply foam eartips and we went the whole nine yards to ensure I got as good of a seal as possible. We’re talking deep fit and tip twisting for complete occlusion. Unfortunately, while it sealed, the shallow nozzle and circular frame prevented me from getting a comfortable deep insert.The showcase itself was fairly guided. Michael had a nice selection of test tracks he walked me through - all of them were very well mixed and mastered. From slow acoustic sets with solo vocalists to tightly produced instrumentals from Polyphia and Toe, Michael Jackson’s Beat It was the closest thing to a busy rock track. We played each song for about 30 seconds or so to highlight the different characteristics of the IEM I was listening to. Unfortunately, not having my own music meant I couldn’t look for familiar flaws.
The xMEMS demo unit. Note the short nozzles and circular head.
Given that minimal tuning was done with the demo unit, its tuning was fair. I found it plenty bassy and rich in the lower mids. None of the instruments immediately stood out to me as being tonally off. That is, until I got to the vocal tracks. Though I was unfamiliar with the vocalists, they sounded suspiciously warm, especially for female singers, questioning whether that was their natural voice. It was in Beat It that my suspicions were confirmed - Michael Jackson’s voice lacked upper mids brilliance. The treble was well extended but not overly exaggerated or artificially airy.
The iFi iDSD Diablo-X used to power the xMEMS demo unit. These amps were specifically by iFi made in collaboration with xMEMS for their foray into the IEM world.
It’s on a technical level that this IEM becomes intriguing. The first thing I noted was its staging. The soundstage was constrained. Not so much claustrophobic but rather focused within the head. This was accompanied with some very nice imaging. The center image of vocalists had great depth, as if they’re coming from deep within your mind rather than just behind your eyes. It reminds me of the first time I heard the Etymotic ER4 which has a similar presentation in its vocal imaging. Instruments similarly had excellent precision with each note dancing spatially around where the main body of the instrument is placed. Needless to say, separation was very good. At the risk of sounding cliché, it sounded live. Like you were on stage rather than listening through the mics of a recording, particularly for vocals.
The bass of the xMEMS demo unit was unique. Michael played a couple bass- heavy songs to show off what it could do. And it delivered. The bass presents a feeling of excursion that’s different from a dynamic driver. There's a perception that air is pushed freely by the MEMS driver to create sheer volume at the lowest octaves. There is a lot of control and precision on display, like the driver is carving out the sound waves, but it lacks some of the sense of weight and dynamics behind each note commonly found in dynamic drivers.
The last point of interest is its treble response. It’s highly articulate. As a whole, it gives the xMEMS demo unit a very snappy feeling and ties its sound together. Every note is clean and tight. Yet, I didn’t find it to be a sharp IEM. I didn’t detect any sibilance or harshness in the treble. There weren’t any major peaks piercing my ears. Though lively, it wasn’t fatiguing in the least. I suspect MEMS drivers will find a lot of success in implementations as a tweeter to handle treble notes in hybrid configurations.
Singularity Audio ONI
Next Michael showed me the Singularity Audio ONI. It’s an IEM that sports two MEMS drivers. The unit I tried was particularly interesting as it was attached to an MMCX cable with an in-line volume control module below the Y-split. This module contained a couple chips and terminated in USB-C instead of 3.5 mm. In other words, no iFi Diablo-X was needed. Michael ran it straight from his iPhone during the demo. Furthermore, this control module applied a basic level of DSP to the ONI which meant that I was effectively listening to an EQ’d unit. Unfortunately, I had some fit issues as well. The design of the shell is unusual and it wasn’t obvious how it was meant to be angled in ear. It additionally suffers from the same short nozzle as the demo unit.
The Singularity Audio ONI. I was requested not to take a photo of the unit I had listened to. Note once again the short nozzles. Perhaps it was necessary to achieve the tuning they wanted? Image credit to singularityaud.io.
Soundwise, the ONI had many similar traits to the xMEMS demo unit. The key difference was twofold. First, the in-line DSP (EQ) gave it a much more balanced tuning. It wasn’t quite as midbass-heavy and had a clearer subbass tint. The upper-mids was much better filled in and vocal timbre was restored. Secondly, its soundstage was larger and more diffused but imaging was a little less precise. The same snappiness and articulation of the xMEMS demo unit was present ONI leading to a similar overall feel. It seems that perhaps MEMs IEMs may have a “timbre” of their own. I also briefly snuck in a listen using my own silicon tips (AZLA Sednas) and it still sounded pretty good, though perhaps there was a bit of a roll-off at the lowest octaves.
As with all impressions, do take it with more than a few grains of salt. Hopefully I'll have the chance to sit down with a review unit one day and actually do a proper review of them with measurements.
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If Aminus liked it, it's worth a listen, thanks for the impressions, but I didn't understand which Ucotech multi BA version you weren't listening to, could it be the Ucotech IL1000 (DD)?
You are correct, it was indeed the IL1000. Somehow I got it in my head that it was a BA setup, may have made the assumption due to the acrylic shell against the RE1/2's metal shell. Fixed in the original post.
Its called SnakeOil 🛢 business! Soon I might start selling £300 amp to £3000+
Can't put a price cap on fantasy
You will sell a lot. Just put a nice caseIts called Snake
Anyone able to get a nice dealer price on the HE-1? Wondering how much its going for on the streets? 
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