[SabreToothBunny]

So over the weekend, I had about 25 hours play with the Pearl Bundle.
Didn't encounter any major issues nor any problems with heat. Latest firmware; volume issue (after some time when screen has turned off) persists but no hiss on any settings or output configurations.
One thing I did notice is the leather that's used for the case; Boy, when the N30le Pearl gets toasty, the smell of animal hide can really hit you when you're not expecting it!
So one additional observation; the Amber Pearl IEM is very tip sensitive and I highly recommend experimenting before drawing final conclusions.
If you wish to increase midbass and reduce treble, foam tips achieve this. I've found the included Xalastec tips to be good for increasing upper treble and reducing midbass (but also subbass). The stock UM tips sit somewhere between foam (closer to foam) and Xalastec tips, but for now I've been using a selection of Spinfit double flanged and normal tips as they work best for my anatomy.
I've tried the different combinations but ended up mostly preferring my original settings of P+, AB, Tube, Classic/Modern. The only thing is I now exclusively use it on low gain.
I tried Hyper and there is a noticeable increase in dynamics but honestly, with the Amber Pearl, Hyper on is like turning up the heating when your house is on fire.

I've been hesitant about whether to write this post so I sincerely apologise to those who contemplated whether to go for the Pearl Bundle or not, but please bear in mind these are my experiences and others' opinion on the Pearl Bundle might differ and also that I don't own any of the current crop of $5k+ IEMs to test extensively with the N30le (just the Multiverse).
I was really hoping that there would be other users who would post their detailed feelings on the Pearl Bundle because it would make it easier to say what I'm about to say, without the risk of my head-fi postings losing credibility but after spending around 30 hours with the bundle and knowing there is more burn-in to go, I'm going to claim that in my opinion; irrespective of what anyone thinks of the cost, I guestimate 95-99% of people would consider the sound presentation of the Pearl Bundle to be endgame... and I don't mean (along with any other IEM/DAP you can get for $13k) I mean 'I don't need to buy another system again' endgame.
Over the 25 odd years I've been in this hobby, I've seen the evolution of technology and audio but we're at such a high level of fidelity now that most flagships will offer a ridiculous level of performance... so this goes beyond just a 'synergy' thing. There are many systems and combos which have good synergy but there are very few which have that 'X Factor'. Since receiving the Pearl Bundle, I've tried to think about what that X factor is;

Spoiler: Ramble About my Theory on 'X Factor'

I will to try to explain what that X Factor is but first I will have to do this by framing my perspective a little;
To begin with, the Pearl Bundle is not what I understand to be reference and as I've mentioned before I do not consider the Sennheiser HE-1 to be reference either. There are appropriate parallels to be drawn between the Pearl Bundle and the HE-1 because despite how much the HE-1 costs, you will very rarely hear anyone who has heard it and didn't say it sounded incredible, irrespective of the price. So why is this?
In headphones there are a few setups which have this certain 'X Factor' and can thus demand the price tags they do; The Sennheiser HE-1, The Hifiman Shangri-La Sr, Warwick Acoustic Aperio are the ones I know of. You will rarely, if ever, read criticism of how they sound nor will you hear many alternatives which genuinely compare. While there are amazing sounding headphones and IEMs with certain amps and DACs which can also reach that level, the one thing those three units have in common is they have been designed using the cutting edge of very experienced companies, carefully optimising every element of the amplifier and headphone to achieve things which clearly I've never thought about properly.
This level can sometimes be achieved by individual headphones but in my experience it tends to be when a third party company has developed an amplifier specifically for those setups; eg. Wells Audio for the Abyss AB-1266 and/or optimised amps/transformers for the Stax SR-009 are two I've experienced. It's more often heard this achieved with speakers, but I've only experienced it on systems whose components cost more than my entire headphone collection... and frankly, terrify me. I've never come close to experiencing it with IEMs. That's not an exhaustive list but that's my experience and some of you will have your own and know exactly what I'm refering to.

Firstly let's establish that reality isn't 'real' and we experience each of our realities differently based on how our individual brains interpret the information fed by our senses and neural pathways. How we experience the world differs from person to person and thus where subjectivity is rooted, however how our senses work remains the same. At the end of the day we can influence this experience of perception by choosing how we feed our senses and it is through this medium we are able to trick the brain into how it hears what it perceives it hears.

Let me define 'Reference' as I interpret it; it is the reproduction of a raw, unfiltered, unaltered signal in as high a resolution as possible. If you want to hear a reference sound then go to a quality local studio and listen to the reproduction of a recording on a perfectly setup monitor system. That is reference; it is clean, uncoloured and full of detail but I doubt it sounds like your favourite personal audio setup.
So why is that?

It's easiest for me to use visual reproduction as an example and compare it to audio;
Firstly; when it comes to films, a studio is filming the 'best' visual version of what is happening with the best lighting, sharpest cameras and perfect filters so what you are viewing is not what any of us would actually experience in reality; it is more vivid, more detailed, more focused.
The same is true with audio and if you objectively compare any concert heard 'live' to a mastered live recording... the reality of hearing is not what the studio is trying to achieve in a recording in the first place. That quality is even more true for a studio recorded song where the sound engineer has complete control over each individual element of a composition.
The aim is to produce something realistic and compelling but not real. The difficulty is finding a way to make the output sound realistic enough for us to believe it is real.

Secondly; Film editting is undertaken on calibrated IPS panels because these are extremely accurate in their visual renditions, however the high end consumer TV market is flooded with rich, super colour saturated, high contrast AMOLED panels which are not accurate but are more visually stimulating.
The same is true with audio where recording studios will use highly calibrated studio monitor headphones to master but the consumer market lies in the most vivid, dynamic and rich reproduction of this sound (delta-sigma vs R2R, Solid State vs Tubes, Planar vs Dynamic vs BA vs Electrostats) and also why your favourite setup can sound instrumentally accurate but likely doesn't sound like a reference monitor system.

Thirdly; So what do I believe is the 'X Factor' which makes endgame?
A few years ago I visited a friend who had just bought a Samsung Quantum AMOLED TV and I remember watching an 8k test video and thinking 'this looks so real'... then I looked out of the window and realised... no it doesn't. It looks better than real; detailed, saturated with rich colours, black blacks. It all looked realistic but it didn't look like reality, I wanted reality to look like this. That 'X Factor' is where you detach from the screen and come away thinking 'that just looks incredible'.
In audio; This level is much rarer but the best way I can explain it is when you hear a piece of music being reproduced in such a way that you become detached from the speakers/headphone/IEM and come away thinking 'that just sounds incredible'. It doesn't just sound realistic, it sounds real.

Spoiler: Synergy vs 'X Factor'

This is not just synergy because for me, synergy is careful curating a source to enhance its abilities (and mitigate the inabilities) of a particular component eg. pairing a dark source with bright headphones, pairing a dynamic source with a dynamic headphone for sonic punch etc.
A system with 'X Factor' will already have near perfect tuning because too much or too little bass/treble/imaging/dynamics will leave us wanting. That 'X Factor' is the quality to be able to pull you away from the equipment you are listening to and only hear the music.
It is thus difficult to describe the qualities of what it sounds like, because it is more of an experience and less a sound and if you've only experienced darkness, it is difficult to describe light... you are not listening to sounds which are music, you are only listening to music. It is, coloured for the ears, in the way Quantum AMOLED is for eyes.

Spoiler: Small Note about Amber Pearl Vs Multiverse and Pearl Bundle Synergy Tweaks

I was A-Bing the Multiverse and the Amber Pearl with the N30le Pearl, and the Multiverse is 95-97% of what the Amber Pearl is. The biggest differences being the Amber Pearl having slightly more subbass, forward mids & treble and slightly higher dynamic contrast, resolution & clarity, but it's obvious they are of the same DNA however, despite the law of diminishing returns, there is a big difference between paying double to bring your system from 9.5/10 to 9.7/10 and doing the same to bring your system from 9.7/10 to a 9.9/10.
In listening, the difference between the Multiverse and the Amber Pearl is the sensation that the Multiverse sounds realistic while the Amber Pearl simply sounds real. Despite that realism, the huge dynamics make every track sound gorgeous; even poor quality recordings have an energy and realism that I rarely hear. Literally every genre sounds incredible and rich on it. Even tracks which have never really engaged me before.
I also tried the line-out of the N30le into Shure KSE1200 electrostats (which is basically a 'tool' more than an earphone) and it is immediately obvious there is a heap of texture and harmonics being provided by the hybrid tube DAC implementation. Pass that through actual tube amplification and into something with the presentation of the Amber Pearl and it's just a whole different level of 'colour' and contrast.
There is also a physical element to the experience and probably why speakers can achieve this more easily and my experience being that the few headphones that do, do so because they are large and move a huge amount of air. I was trying to think how the Amber Pearl manages this (though the Multiverse does a little too) and I think it has to do with the bone conductor giving genuine physical body to the low frequencies. The Amber Pearl's increased subbass response adds significantly to this physicality and a grand, out of head sound.

The other thing is that while I said I can see Unique Melody perhaps releasing a universal version of the Amber Pearl, having compared the Amber Pearl to the Multiverse and now knowing that 97/100 is nothing like 99.5/100; I feel the 1-2% tweaks made to the N30le in the Pearl bundle are potentially more significant to the overall package than I initially thought they might be.

I personally find the Pearl Bundle to have that same particular 'X Factor' that the HE-1, Shangri-La and Amperio possess. It does what Quantum AMOLED technology does for visuals, but for audio.
Today I brought The Pearl bundle along to a small gathering where someone had the IBasso DX300Max Ti+Subtonic Storm and another the Hiby RS8+Audio Campfire Trifecta and we all tried different combos. Both agreed that the Amber Pearl bundle is something else entirely. I feel more confident posting this as at least I know a couple of others hear the same.

It will take me a long time to burn this unit in because its sound is not something I can indulge on a whim. It would feel like getting into a Lambourgini to pop down to the shops.
Anyway, I was wondering whether I'm the only one who feels this way about the Pearl bundle and I'd be very curious to hear impressions from the international show model too. Either way, if you get the chance to hear this bundle, I recommend you do because I think it might be something special.
The Pearl Bundle is what I would like reality to sound like.

 

[Torq]

Crossing nine hours of listening on this particular N30LE now.

I won't drone on about the hiss issue here; post some testing today I've just avoided it for now by using IEMs that don't excite/invoke the problem. Not excusing it, in any way, I want it fixed ... but I wanted to spend some time just exploring the thing with stuff it DOES work with.

Minor software niggles aside (see above, and common to all new DAPs and, indeed, some that have been out for years ... and all things I could live with/or am sure will be fixed) ... this is really quite special.

No other issues have cropped up. None of the thermally-dependent stuff (other hiss, static) I had with my first. unit has occurred ... even with this unit well into the temperature range were those issues occurred before (hope I am not jinxing myself ...).

I hope that, for the benefit of others, Cayin find a customer-amicable/convenient way to address the one common issue (when I say "common", I mean shared or "most common" ... not a high rate of occurrence) ... and that then, from this design, something like an N8iii comes about.

---

On another note ... I was asked, several times, why I didn't go with the Amber Pearl version.

The short version is that, since the AAW W900 ... I have not been able to listen to (or, more correctly, ENJOY) an IEM that used BA drivers for its bass/sub-bass that didn't wind up grating on me (and in very short order). If the Amber Pearl had used DD drivers for the bass region, I'd probably have gone that route instead. And ... maybe ... it's the first IEM I'd have heard that would have overcome this issue for me ... will be interesting to hear ... but wasn't something I was gambling on.

 

[zoidbb]

Crossing nine hours of listening on this particular N30LE now.

I won't drone on about the hiss issue here; post some testing today I've just avoided it for now by using IEMs that don't excite/invoke the problem. Not excusing it, in any way, I want it fixed ... but I wanted to spend some time just exploring the thing with stuff it DOES work with.

Minor software niggles aside (see above, and common to all new DAPs and, indeed, some that have been out for years ... and all things I could live with/or am sure will be fixed) ... this is really quite special.

No other issues have cropped up. None of the thermally-dependent stuff (other hiss, static) I had with my first. unit has occurred ... even with this unit well into the temperature range were those issues occurred before (hope I am not jinxing myself ...).

I hope that, for the benefit of others, Cayin find a customer-amicable/convenient way to address the one common issue (when I say "common", I mean shared or "most common" ... not a high rate of occurrence) ... and that then, from this design, something like an N8iii comes about.

---

On another note ... I was asked, several times, why I didn't go with the Amber Pearl version.

The short version is that, since the AAW W900 ... I have not been able to listen to (or, more correctly, ENJOY) an IEM that used BA drivers for its bass/sub-bass that didn't wind up grating on me (and in very short order). If the Amber Pearl had used DD drivers for the bass region, I'd probably have gone that route instead. And ... maybe ... it's the first IEM I'd have heard that would have overcome this issue for me ... will be interesting to hear ... but wasn't something I was gambling on.

The lack of DD and the insane price jump were the reason I didn’t go with Amber Pearl. If the jump were more in-line with where multiverse mentor already sitting, in the $4500-5000 range, I would have maybe jumped on it and taken that gamble. But with EE Raven right around the corner at less than half the price, and reviews already stating it’s also very much end-game? I just couldn’t.

I suspect we will see Amber Pearl show up in the used market a few times within the next year, I might grab it when that happens.

Edit: curious if anyone has reached out to UM to ask if they’ll do a custom fit shell for Amber Pearl. They offer Multiverse Mentor as a CIEM…

 

[Mcleenx]

The best combo I heard so far, which makes one wonder: should I have gone for the AP bundle or this is already good enough for an old man.

From one old man to another, if you want to enjoy Paradise, go with the AP blundle!

 

[osocan]

The lack of DD and the insane price jump were the reason I didn’t go with Amber Pearl. If the jump were more in-line with where multiverse mentor already sitting, in the $4500-5000 range, I would have maybe jumped on it and taken that gamble. But with EE Raven right around the corner at less than half the price, and reviews already stating it’s also very much end-game? I just couldn’t.

I suspect we will see Amber Pearl show up in the used market a few times within the next year, I might grab it when that happens.

Edit: curious if anyone has reached out to UM to ask if they’ll do a custom fit shell for Amber Pearl. They offer Multiverse Mentor as a CIEM…

I a/b the Raven with the Odin on N30LE. FWIW, their differences are nuanced and on the whole it wasn't different enough for me to like the Raven more than the Odin. In fact, I prefer the Odin more especially for its fit and comfort.

And personally, I prefer the MM to the Odin on the N30LE. I suspect AP could indeed be endgame for me too.

 

[Torq]

But with EE Raven right around the corner at less than half the price, and reviews already stating it’s also very much end-game? I just couldn’t.

Raven intrigued me. I was an in-at-the-start/pre-order EE FE Odin buyer. Still have and love them (in my ears right now). But I swore I wouldn't do any more universal IEMs at that price level or above. I haven't, in general, been the biggest IEM fan anyway ... but needs must ... and I want custom over $3K now. Willing to audition as universals, but not buying anything not CIEM at that level going forward - and I understand Raven is too big to do a CIEM on (would love to be wrong).

 

[osocan]

From one old man to another, if you want to enjoy Paradise, go with the AP blundle!

I'm going to pretend that I didn't see your post!

 

[RonaldS86]

Crossing nine hours of listening on this particular N30LE now.

I won't drone on about the hiss issue here; post some testing today I've just avoided it for now by using IEMs that don't excite/invoke the problem. Not excusing it, in any way, I want it fixed ... but I wanted to spend some time just exploring the thing with stuff it DOES work with.

Minor software niggles aside (see above, and common to all new DAPs and, indeed, some that have been out for years ... and all things I could live with/or am sure will be fixed) ... this is really quite special.

No other issues have cropped up. None of the thermally-dependent stuff (other hiss, static) I had with my first. unit has occurred ... even with this unit well into the temperature range were those issues occurred before (hope I am not jinxing myself ...).

I hope that, for the benefit of others, Cayin find a customer-amicable/convenient way to address the one common issue (when I say "common", I mean shared or "most common" ... not a high rate of occurrence) ... and that then, from this design, something like an N8iii comes about.

---

On another note ... I was asked, several times, why I didn't go with the Amber Pearl version.

The short version is that, since the AAW W900 ... I have not been able to listen to (or, more correctly, ENJOY) an IEM that used BA drivers for its bass/sub-bass that didn't wind up grating on me (and in very short order). If the Amber Pearl had used DD drivers for the bass region, I'd probably have gone that route instead. And ... maybe ... it's the first IEM I'd have heard that would have overcome this issue for me ... will be interesting to hear ... but wasn't something I was gambling on.

Have you tried Storm? Many people said it has one of the best BA bass. I myself always prefer a DD bass, but I'm eager to try the Storm.

 

[zoidbb]

I a/b the Raven with the Odin on N30LE FWIW, their differences are nuanced but on the whole it wasn't different enough for me to like the Raven more than the Odin. In fact, I prefer the Odin more especially for its fit and comfort.

And personally, I prefer the MM to the Odin on the N30LE. I suspect AP could indeed be endgame for me too.

Good to know. I don’t have Odin, I have Legend Evo — and the bone conduction for me has been gamechanging for my bass cravings. Unfortunately it seems the BC driver in UM’s IEMs don’t service the bass region, which I always found odd considering that’s the region such drivers are most effective.

 

[kevin638880]

The lack of DD and the insane price jump were the reason I didn’t go with Amber Pearl. If the jump were more in-line with where multiverse mentor already sitting, in the $4500-5000 range, I would have maybe jumped on it and taken that gamble. But with EE Raven right around the corner at less than half the price, and reviews already stating it’s also very much end-game? I just couldn’t.

I suspect we will see Amber Pearl show up in the used market a few times within the next year, I might grab it when that happens.

Edit: curious if anyone has reached out to UM to ask if they’ll do a custom fit shell for Amber Pearl. They offer Multiverse Mentor as a CIEM…

Not interested in the AP IEM at all so I am not willing to shell out $7000 more for a $50 upgrade that a) may not necessarily be better with my own IEMs and, b) may not be replacable since the parts are discontinued. @SabreToothBunny said that the AP N30LE is on another level (which I totally believe it is) and I think the same could be said for the regular version as well. So despite all the extravaganza, I have enjoyed the sound immensely and props to Cayin for creating a new listening experience.

 

[zoidbb]

Well, if anyone is willing to let me borrow their APs or let me listen while I’m at CanJam Dallas, I’d love to experience them and compare to my ravens — which will hopefully be here by then o.o

 

[osocan]

Good to know. I don’t have Odin, I have Legend Evo — and the bone conduction for me has been gamechanging for my bass cravings. Unfortunately it seems the BC driver in UM’s IEMs don’t service the bass region, which I always found odd considering that’s the region such drivers are most effective.

From memory, the Raven is more similar to the Odin than the Evo for bass. Put it another way, the Evo is quite different from the Raven and Odin.

 

[RonaldS86]

Well, if anyone is willing to let me borrow their APs or let me listen while I’m at CanJam Dallas, I’d love to experience them and compare to my ravens — which will hopefully be here by then o.o

I hope it does't make you want to upgrade to AP version
AFAIK there's no one trying to compare N30LE and the AP version side by side using different IEMs? And yes I hope that Raven will be available soon. I can't wait to feel the bass with my 1st ever BCD IEM

 

[zoidbb]

From memory, the Raven is more similar to the Odin than the Evo for bass. Put it another way, the Evo is quite different from the Raven and Odin.

I’ve heard some say this, and others say that the bass is closer to evo. I think it depends on how well the BC couples to you. Same thing for whether you hear a 500hz dip in Evo.

I hope it does't make you want to upgrade to AP version
AFAIK there's no one trying to compare N30LE and the AP version side by side using different IEMs?

i haven’t seen anyone do this, no.

 

[zoidbb]

@Andykong feature request: warm-up mode. I’d like to click a button to kick on the amp circuit to my preferred settings and let it reach operation temp, without needing to play music. It takes almost 45m for this bugger to really reach optimal temperature and “open up” — even when not using the tubes. My listening sessions aren’t always long enough to allow for it to warm up before I need to stop listening.