[voteforpedro]

Has anybody looked into getting custom molds made for these IEMs? I just cannot get a good, solid fit with either of the supplied white or blue ear tips.

 

[tienbasse]

Quote:

Now while I am liking these babies more and more, I can't help myself wondering about some, um,  confusing marketing on the part of Cardas,
1. I know Cardas is all about the golden ratio blah blah blah but............what's so good about the golden ratio in designing a tiny pair of earphones?
2. Yes I've read about the ear mirror bit, how the EMs mimic the auditory system blah blah blah..............but again, what's so good about mimicking the auditory system in designing a tiny pair of earphones?
3. Very well, Cardas followed the trend and show us proudly a blown up diagram of the inside workings of the EMs...........with absolutely NOTHING to see. Just plain good-old-fashioned dynamic earphones like millions others that were thrown into the market in the past 10 years. So..........am I missing something, or the diagram is MEANT to be showing NOTHING?
 
Unlike many others (or like many out there as well), I do appreciate manufacturers letting us know the concept behind their designs and technology applied into their products. That'd be great. BUT the missing link in the Cardas case is: why this concept? how is the concept related to the sound intended by Cardas? Don't give me the shXt that the golden ratio exist in the nature blah blah blah............that makes no sense.

Glad to see I'm not the only being puzzled by this thread and by the Cardas IEMs since they were annouced more than 2 years ago.
 
There is absolutely no proof of science nor the beginning of an explanation behind these IEMs. The concha thing is just... unexplainable...
Although there's a lot of marketing bullsh*t with most manufacturers when it comes to headphones, it's always better than nothing, especially when you're asked for a hefty price.
 
And to make it more cryptic, reviews by Headfi-ers in this thread are pretty ambiguous: these IEMs do not have awesome ergonomics so far, sound has no "amazing" clarity or any obvious quality that makes them stand apart from the crowd of dynamic driver IEMs.
 
And still people claim "they like them more and more" for some unknown reason like "they sound just right".
 
Although it may look like I'm bashing, I'm actually just wondering: what exactly make people like these IEMs ? Anything precise / concrete that can appeal to others ?
Because so far it's not really exciting.

 

[fzman]

Quote:

Glad to see I'm not the only being puzzled by this thread and by the Cardas IEMs since they were annouced more than 2 years ago.
 
There is absolutely no proof of science nor the beginning of an explanation behind these IEMs. The concha thing is just... unexplainable...
Although there's a lot of marketing bullsh*t with most manufacturers when it comes to headphones, it's always better than nothing, especially when you're asked for a hefty price.
 
And to make it more cryptic, reviews by Headfi-ers in this thread are pretty ambiguous: these IEMs do not have awesome ergonomics so far, sound has no "amazing" clarity or any obvious quality that makes them stand apart from the crowd of dynamic driver IEMs.
 
And still people claim "they like them more and more" for some unknown reason like "they sound just right".
 
Although it may look like I'm bashing, I'm actually just wondering: what exactly make people like these IEMs ? Anything precise / concrete that can appeal to others ?
Because so far it's not really exciting.

 
I'm really not sure what your point is here.   If you want to know how they sound - try a pair and decide for yourself.  As for the rest, i think you've actually answered your own question, but have simply not realized it yet.  
 
Whenever an audio component has a sonic characteristic that gives it an 'amazing clarity or any obvious quality', it turns out that it was really a flaw not a virtue, but it initially generated attention and/or interest. I think the strength of the 5813s is how they present the music, and that they have an intrinsic 'rightness', and there is really no other word for it.  They make a lot of other iems sound wrong, broken, or really colored.  This is not too say they will satisfy every preference, but they are not a me-too product in any way, shape or form. 
 
I think the the 5813s are starting to show people a different way of presenting music, and that it sometimes takes time to accept a new 'mode of presentation', for lack of a better term.  Whether there is a publicly disclosed scientific explanation for why they work the way they do, is largely irrelevant. 
 
Ergonomically, they are not perfect- they are a bit heavy, and the cable is a bit thick/stiff/cumbersome, but with the clip, it is more than manageable.  
 
So, my review would not include a paragraph (or a few lines) about the bass, the mids, the treble, the image, etc...  it would be as follows.
 
When i listen to music thru the 5813s I note that tracks take less time to play - listening to the first track from a folder almost always turns into a listening session of the whole folder, and then more folders.  I tap my foot more, boogie down, air guitar, whatever more with these than any others. I smile more when i am using them, and i do not pick up my Nook or smart phone to "read" while i am listening to them. They give me more insight into the tonality of the instruments being played on the recording, and the talent of the musicians. 
 
Now, do you get it?

 

[Inspektor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fzman
 
When i listen to music thru the 5813s I note that tracks take less time to play - listening to the first track from a folder almost always turns into a listening session of the whole folder, and then more folders.  I tap my foot more, boogie down, air guitar, whatever more with these than any others. I smile more when i am using them, and i do not pick up my Nook or smart phone to "read" while i am listening to them. They give me more insight into the tonality of the instruments being played on the recording, and the talent of the musicians.

 
I had to register to reply to this, and man: you nailed it - these are my thoughts exactly! I really won't spend any time describing the treble, the mids, the bass, the 3D soundstage...
 
No. What really amazed me is that I keep getting lost in the music while listening to them. This summer I took them to the beach a few times, sat in my beach chair, put them on, and thought to myself "I'm gonna play a few songs, then go for a swim". Well, three times in a row I'd just close my eyes, sink in and when I opened them - the beach is empty, the sun has fallen and I'm sitting all alone in my chair. They are really immersive, I never touched my phone or looked around - not even all the hot babes at the beach They just pull you in, make you close your eyes, relax and lose track of time.
 
I will say they require a LOOONG burn in. Mine didn't really open up before 150 hour mark. I happen to have a brand new pair and when directly comparing them with my burned in piece, it's night and day difference.
 
Several small adjustments: I bought a cheap cable clip from ebay, it helps A LOT with the cable noise. It's just a small plastic clip that discretely attaches to a shirt. Get the one that has rotatable cable holder, it's quite nice. Also, I got a third party earphone storage box, since I find that the included leather pouch is just too small and eartips seem to pick up loads of black lint from inside that annoy me beyond words. It's a standard black, round shape, with a zipper and an inside compartment for eartips. Looks nice and cost a buck.

 

[fzman]

Dude,  Nooks and phones are one thing - but hot babes??   That's where I'd draw the line.

 

[Sweden]

Any store in the EU who have these for sale ATM?

 

[Inspektor]

http://www.ekran-avc.hr/
 
This is where I got mine, I believe they have one more pair available!

 

[alpha421]

Has anyone compared the Cardas to the MTPC (Monster Turbine Copper Pro)? I have the MTPC and would like to read a comparison.  From the available Cardas impressions, it sounds like it may sound darker but with a bigger sound stage  - yes?
 
aka - alphaphoenix

 

[alpha421]

Ah - the sound of crickets.  Well, I'll post a mini review once I receive the Cardas.

 

[fzman]

these are not generating much interest - or, people are too busy listening to them to post

 

[alpha421]

Ok.  Mine is only burned in for about 10 hrs and upon matching it with my HM-801 and listening to 'The Joshua Tree' album, I can't help but think I'm listening to the portable version of the HD650. Bass goes pretty deep, but the overall sound is very relaxed and a little dark.  It's pretty detailed, but to my ears are far from the more neutral MTPC. It definitely has the looks and feel of high-end. I think the thick cable is overkill and takes away from the portability aspect, but I don't think it was really design for that.  It is very tip dependent.  I initially used a pair of single flange UE silicone tips and it sounded down right weird.  The included double flange tips brought the sound back to my perceived normality. 
 
If George's goal was to create an earphone that matches the rest of his product line; one that is mainly used for home use, and matches the ambiance of a vinyl loudspeaker setup with an Italian leather chair at center stage while the listener is slowly sipping on fine wine or a cognac - well, I think he met that goal.
 
If you're a detail freak and/or a treble head, pass on this.  If not, one can easily perceive this as a very easy to listen earphone. I can see how one can get "lost" into the music.
 
I'll revisit after another 40-50 hrs of burn in.

 

[audiofreakie]

Me too, first I think UE single flange tips is the b est, but I was wrong. Now after +200 hour of burnin, I found that white stock double flange is the best.
Its sound like asg 1 but far more refine.
The big round undistortion bass is great.
The treble is rolloff and a little bit dark but the detail is noticeable.
The soundhouse is unique. Give it pop music, rock music, instrumental, trance, etc, this baby is awesome.
I will keep this iem. FYI you need spend few hour of listening to like this iem.

 

[alpha421]

Funny you mentioned the ASG1.  The Cardas sounds a lot like my AS-2 (minus the treble extension).  So far, I think it really excels with rock, but I'm sure a little more burn in will result in a wider genre to my ears.
 
Had this came out in time, I can see this being my go to everyday iem.  Instead, I'm stuck with the AS-2 and I really can't have two similar sounding monitors.

 

[audiofreakie]

They both are made in usa house sound, hahahahaha...

 

[ericp10]

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