[r31ya]

That is really great, thank you!
I saw several more truncated versions.
I did miss it, though his website is now full speed

My limited DAC quest summary: a better version of BTR5 with more battery life and a better range is something to look for.

Battery life of BTR5 is a bit limited but the better range is the one i'm definitely looking for.
On LDAC mode BTR5 could stutter when i put it in different pocket to my phone.
So forget walking to different room, clothing thickness affect it.

Connection seems to be better on APTX-HD but the sound is less lively compared to LDAC

 

[Rush87]

Hey all…you probably saw this posted elsewhere but jeez there are multiple threads where it seems relevant for me to post…

Full Aria Review with Sound Demos and Comparisons

Thanks for that, it's pretty interesting to listen to the demo. I think my Sundara do a good job for this experiment, being transparent and "neutral".
I'm surprised by how well your setup can convey differences.
The Aria sounds claustrophobic (or congested) IMO, while the MEST and UP both sound much clearer and open....better.

 

[430633]

Thanks for that, it's pretty interesting to listen to the demo. I think my Sundara do a good job for this experiment, being transparent and "neutral".
I'm surprised by how well your setup can convey differences.
The Aria sounds claustrophobic (or congested) IMO, while the MEST and UP both sound much clearer and open....better.

Yeah it's a good thing that this issue can easily be rectified in the Aria, and reversibly so

 

[tkddans]

Thanks for that, it's pretty interesting to listen to the demo. I think my Sundara do a good job for this experiment, being transparent and "neutral".
I'm surprised by how well your setup can convey differences.
The Aria sounds claustrophobic IMO, while the MEST and UP both sound much clearer and open....better.

Yea for sure. To be fair to the Aria, I have to say they do sound clearer in real life.

Though at least looking at them relative to the MEST and UP, they certainly are less clear than them.

 

[Rush87]

Yeah it's a good thing that this issue can easily be rectified in the Aria, and reversibly so

That would make for an interesting sound demo

Yea for sure. To be fair to the Aria, I have to say they do sound clearer in real life.

Though at least looking at them relative to the MEST and UP, they certainly are less clear than them.

And to be fair, the $$$ difference is not insignificant.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Listening some HQ acoustic recordings with 100hr+ GK10. This IEM is such a surprise ….I can bring MEST MKII to a comparison for this sub $50 IEM.

I’d just blindly recommend GK10 despite tonality preference variations.

 

[boost3d]

Can someone do a quick rundown between the Heart Mirror, CVJ Mirror, and SSR? My preference leans towards neutral-neutral/bright. Thanks.

 

[baskingshark]

Can someone do a quick rundown between the Heart Mirror, CVJ Mirror, and SSR? My preference leans towards neutral-neutral/bright. Thanks.

I haven't tried the CVJ Mirror, but that is kinda comparing apples to oranges, since the CVJ Mirror is a hybrid, compared to the other 2 (SSR and Heart Mirror), which are single DD. The different driver types have their pros and cons.


FWIW, comparing the Heart Mirror to the Moondrop SSR:
The Heart Mirror is a neutral bright IEM. The Moondrop SSR is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. Both sets have good technical performance for a single DD set, the Moondrop SSR edges it in clarity, details and imaging. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in both sets. The Moondrop SSR has quite bad sibilance and a thinner note weight compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror. Isolation is better on the HZSound Heart Mirror.

The Moondrop SSR actually sounds nice at low volumes, but by pumping up the volume a few dB, the 3 kHz area is shouty and is too much for me (Fletcher Munson Curve). The Moondrop SSR has very polarizing reviews, and I think this may be due to the different volumes all of us are using it at, and volume levels are typically not mentioned by reviewers or consumers. Not to mention the different sources, tips, hearing health we all have may affect our perception of upper mids/treble in the Moondrop SSR. After doing A/B testing using the same source, tips (and even cable), I’ll take the HZSound Heart Mirror any day over the Moondrop SSR, as the 3 kHz peak and the sibilance on the SSR is a deal breaker for me.

The Moondrop SSR actually has better technical performance than the HZSound Heart Mirror, but unfortunately it isn’t my cup of tea in terms of tonality.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I haven't tried the CVJ Mirror, but that is kinda comparing apples to oranges, since the CVJ Mirror is a hybrid, compared to the other 2 (SSR and Heart Mirror), which are single DD. The different driver types have their pros and cons.


FWIW, comparing the Heart Mirror to the Moondrop SSR:
The Heart Mirror is a neutral bright IEM. The Moondrop SSR is tuned somewhat diffuse-field neutral with an upper mids boost. Both sets have good technical performance for a single DD set, the Moondrop SSR edges it in clarity, details and imaging. Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good in both sets. The Moondrop SSR has quite bad sibilance and a thinner note weight compared to the HZSound Heart Mirror. Isolation is better on the HZSound Heart Mirror.

The Moondrop SSR actually sounds nice at low volumes, but by pumping up the volume a few dB, the 3 kHz area is shouty and is too much for me (Fletcher Munson Curve). The Moondrop SSR has very polarizing reviews, and I think this may be due to the different volumes all of us are using it at, and volume levels are typically not mentioned by reviewers or consumers. Not to mention the different sources, tips, hearing health we all have may affect our perception of upper mids/treble in the Moondrop SSR. After doing A/B testing using the same source, tips (and even cable), I’ll take the HZSound Heart Mirror any day over the Moondrop SSR, as the 3 kHz peak and the sibilance on the SSR is a deal breaker for me.

The Moondrop SSR actually has better technical performance than the HZSound Heart Mirror, but unfortunately it isn’t my cup of tea in terms of tonality.

Oh SSR that good? That brings a good hope for upcoming Quarks!

 

[baskingshark]

Oh SSR that good? That brings a good hope for upcoming Quarks!

Honestly, I'm not really optimistic after I saw the 3 kHz middle finger on the graphs for the Quark. It graphs similarly to the SSR.

But maybe I'm sensitive to that upper mids area, and I'm sure other folks who are trebleheads or low volume listeners (not affected by Fletcher Munson curve) may like the SSR. SSR has one of the best technicalities for a sub $50 USD single DD set for sure, just that the 3 kHz area is polarizing.

 

[lushmelody]

Honestly, I'm not really optimistic after I saw the 3 kHz middle finger on the graphs for the Quark. It graphs similarly to the SSR.

But maybe I'm sensitive to that upper mids area, and I'm sure other folks who are trebleheads or low volume listeners (not affected by Fletcher Munson curve) may like the SSR. SSR has one of the best technicalities for a sub $50 USD single DD set for sure, just that the 3 kHz area is polarizing.

thought they were trying to compete against Tanya, but good news for SSR fans

 

[Barusu Lamperouge]

Honestly, I'm not really optimistic after I saw the 3 kHz middle finger on the graphs for the Quark. It graphs similarly to the SSR.

But maybe I'm sensitive to that upper mids area, and I'm sure other folks who are trebleheads or low volume listeners (not affected by Fletcher Munson curve) may like the SSR. SSR has one of the best technicalities for a sub $50 USD single DD set for sure, just that the 3 kHz area is polarizing.

If that's the case, then it will seriously undercut their own product that has some good response in the Asian markets. Because Quarks looks more like Etymotic neutral as opposed to Moondrop house sound. I'm excited to see how they will pan out but it's been almost 3 days and Shenzhenaudio still hasn't shipped my order, so I don't think I will receive them anytime soon.

thought they were trying to compete against Tanya, but good news for SSR fans

Looks like they're targeting fans who prefer DF neutral target but don't want to spend $30 for T2 or $50 for Heart Mirror/Neon. Because they're definitely going to be deep insertion type of IEMs so that bass and mids will definitely get elevated than what it looks on the store graph. And, the decision to release non-mic version means they're definitely targeting entry-level hobbyists and want to build a brand equity so when the hobbyist begins to spend more they will definitely buy their higher priced offerings.

 

[G777]

Honestly, I'm not really optimistic after I saw the 3 kHz middle finger on the graphs for the Quark. It graphs similarly to the SSR.

But maybe I'm sensitive to that upper mids area, and I'm sure other folks who are trebleheads or low volume listeners (not affected by Fletcher Munson curve) may like the SSR. SSR has one of the best technicalities for a sub $50 USD single DD set for sure, just that the 3 kHz area is polarizing.

You could probably just stick a piece of micropore tape on the nozzle to smooth that peak out

 

[lushmelody]

If that's the case, then it will seriously undercut their own product that has some good response in the Asian markets. Because Quarks looks more like Etymotic neutral as opposed to Moondrop house sound. I'm excited to see how they will pan out but it's been almost 3 days and Shenzhenaudio still hasn't shipped my order, so I don't think I will receive them anytime soon.

Looks like they're targeting fans who prefer DF neutral target but don't want to spend $30 for T2 or $50 for Heart Mirror/Neon. Because they're definitely going to be deep insertion type of IEMs so that bass and mids will definitely get elevated than what it looks on the store graph. And, the decision to release non-mic version means they're definitely targeting entry-level hobbyists and want to build a brand equity so when the hobbyist begins to spend more they will definitely buy their higher priced offerings.

its so well priced, i hope they achieve their intended success in that market

 

[baskingshark]

You could probably just stick a piece of micropore tape on the nozzle to smooth that peak out

Yeah that's a possibility, or there's always EQ. But even so, I wasn't a fan of the thin note weight on the SSR, don't think the micropore mod or EQ could fix that.

Anyways the SSR was a loaner and I've returned it. Oh wells.