[chickenmoon]

The BL01's are definitely excellent. I've been ABC'ing them with the YBF and the Black Bat and it's hard to say which I prefer. The 01's actually graph a lot like the YBF's and the difference's I am seeing on the graphs appears to match what I'm hearing as well. The 01 have a bit more bass weight and the vocals are a little softer. I think I prefer the vocal tonality on the 01's but the extended treble on the YBF's gives them a sense of air and space that I have not been able to find on another IEM yet.

I have been pleasantly surprised with the Smabat Black Bat as well. Monstrous sub-bass that is kept under control (with the right tips) and great vocals. They are a particularly good set for hip hop, but they sound good with everything really.

Green: 01 / Red: YBF

Now you made me buy the Black Bat, hopefully I like them better than the NCO which I think is a bit meh in most aspects.

Two days ago after I bought the FiiO FD5 I thought it was my last purchase of the year and this is now the fourth one I buy after that... OpenHeart Resin, NS Audio NS5 MKII Bass, Tripowin TC-01 and now the Black Bat...

Tomorrow I should receive Focus Rythm and Focus EDM to compliment my recently acquired Focus Vocal.

NM2+ purchased on 11/11 still MIA so far.

 

[ShakeThoseCans]

The end of this damned year approach,it would be cool if headfier can share their personal favorite 2020 discoveries!

To me, the biggest under-$60 IEM surprise of late 2020 is the CCA CA16.

I didn't know what to expect, I was kinda hoping for a 'super-C10.' And in some ways it is. It is miles better at rendering instruments, while retaining some of the elevated vocals. It's a 'gentle' tuning, like the C10, but taken further. The treble is very very rolled-off.

See, if you use 'proper' eartips with the CA16, instead of the short wide-bore stock tips, you will get a much more well-rounded sound, with actual treble. But it can be shouty in some instances. So CCA got out of this by using these un-treble tips. And it has quite an effect.

In another thread, I described the CA16 as a 'smooth caramel latte for the ears.' (I stole that phrase from a comment on a Pamplemoose video. The CA16 is by far the best IEM for that band, IMHO.) It's so soft and sweet. It's going to be boring for a lot of people on a lot of tracks, but it's easy-listening to the max. No fatigue.

I admit that you can't use the stock CA16 as an all-rounder, you'd have to use CP800 to turn it into a monitor. [Not really a monitor, just a more 'balanced' sound.] But it provides something new and unique in my stable of IEMs.

Lastly, I mentioned Pamplemoose. In the CCA thread, I provided examples of some of their tracks that sound almost as if they were mixed by someone wearing a CA16. True, the CA16 loses treble in those, when compared with my others. But it's ethereal and unreal. I can never say no to holographic sound, so the CA16 gets my vote.

Only trouble is, I bent the edge of my left housing grille a little bit, about 15-20 degrees. I hope that doesn't affect sound performance. The holography seems a bit less.

 

[baskingshark]

The BL01's are definitely excellent. I've been ABC'ing them with the YBF and the Black Bat and it's hard to say which I prefer. The 01's actually graph a lot like the YBF's and the difference's I am seeing on the graphs appears to match what I'm hearing as well. The 01 have a bit more bass weight and the vocals are a little softer. I think I prefer the vocal tonality on the 01's but the extended treble on the YBF's gives them a sense of air and space that I have not been able to find on another IEM yet.

I have been pleasantly surprised with the Smabat Black Bat as well. Monstrous sub-bass that is kept under control (with the right tips) and great vocals. They are a particularly good set for hip hop, but they sound good with everything really.

Green: 01 / Red: YBF

Do u know which version of the Urbanfun YBF u got? There's a noble metal version and the beryllium version and they sound different according to folks who have both driver types. Supposedly the beryllium one is more V shaped with better subbass extension/quantity, the noble metal one is more U shaped.

I am also not sure which driver graph Crinacle puts for the Urbanfun on his site.

 

[RicHSAD]

Do u know which version of the Urbanfun YBF u got? There's a noble metal version and the beryllium version and they sound different according to folks who have both driver types. Supposedly the beryllium one is more V shaped with better subbass extension/quantity, the noble metal one is more U shaped.

I am also not sure which driver graph Crinacle puts for the Urbanfun on his site.

My pair was ordered quite early on and before the big hype, so most likely Beryllium? I hope it is anyway, because if they break and I have to order them again, I want to have the same sound. Don't know what Crinacle got either, but his graph seems to match what I'm hearing.

 

[tgx78]

I just took both out and measured them and can confirm that they graph and sound very similar to me. My YBF is a noble metal version.

 

[RikudouGoku]

I just took both out and measured them and can confirm that they graph and sound very similar to me. My YBF is a noble metal version.

My graph:

Crinacle:

It looks like both your and crinacle´s urbanfun is the noble metal.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Honnestly, i'm addicted to KBEAR BELIEVE rich nuanced sound since Day 1 i got them. To the point I paranoi getting brain cancer of overexposition to radioactive Beryllium element from cosmos....
Timbre richness (dense, textured, transparent), fast layering capabilities, fast attack lead in mids and treble notes, articulate dynamic, thumpy juicy but imperfect bass.
As already said, it do have more similiraties with the DUNU LUNA than FINAL A8000 (my favorite IEM), but I consider Believe as capricious about amping as A8000, LUNA being less power hungry.

Believe remind me HIFIMAN RE2000 too...i mean, as see, i tend to compare them to way pricier IEM....why? Because they can be priced 500$ and I would not be shock.

I prefer them over the NF AUDIO NM2+, which sound tamed in dynamic, less effortless in it's layering and overall more V shape, recessed in vocal. Because the vocal of BELEIVE are excellent, fowards, natural, full, both male-female sound rich.

Anyway, just go give a look the the Headfi reviews....real eulogy....from real consumers mostly because this time KBear didnt distribute the Believe to million of random audio enthusiast.

We will surely have a BLON like Believe fanatism soon IMO

 

[RicHSAD]

My graph:



Crinacle:



It looks like both your and crinacle´s urbanfun is the noble metal.

This comes to mind...

 

[Tonymac136]

So in my sleep last night I appear to have ordered a pair of Tin T1 Plus and a few tips. damn.

 

[sebek]

Honnestly, i'm addicted to KBEAR BELIEVE rich nuanced sound since Day 1 i got them. To the point I paranoi getting brain cancer of overexposition to radioactive Beryllium element from cosmos....
Timbre richness (dense, textured, transparent), fast layering capabilities, fast attack lead in mids and treble notes, articulate dynamic, thumpy juicy but imperfect bass.
As already said, it do have more similiraties with the DUNU LUNA than FINAL A8000 (my favorite IEM), but I consider Believe as capricious about amping as A8000, LUNA being less power hungry.

Believe remind me HIFIMAN RE2000 too...i mean, as see, i tend to compare them to way pricier IEM....why? Because they can be priced 500$ and I would not be shock.

I prefer them over the NF AUDIO NM2+, which sound tamed in dynamic, less effortless in it's layering and overall more V shape, recessed in vocal. Because the vocal of BELEIVE are excellent, fowards, natural, full, both male-female sound rich.

Anyway, just go give a look the the Headfi reviews....real eulogy....from real consumers mostly because this time KBear didnt distribute the Believe to million of random audio enthusiast.

We will surely have a BLON like Believe fanatism soon IMO

I know they are different types of iems, but how does it more or less compare to TRI I3 if you've heard it?

 

[elvergun]

Can anyone recommend a Vsonic GR07 v.II replacement? I'm looking for something neutral with a good amount of sub-bass (which is what the GR07 is, more or less).

 

[Slater]

+1 Got one yesterday.

I wasn't gonna buy them since I've already ordered more buds than I anticipated in the past month(MT300 included), then I saw KP580 listed for $12. Well... I'd get them just for that ceramic housing and screw MMCX alone! The expectation for the sound is LOW, but the design and built is too good for the price!

I just got these today.

They’re wired out of phase unfortunately

They also have ridiculous driver flex upon insertion. Sounds like someone is jamming my ear full of krinkly krunchy foil.

Im going to try and take them apart to fix the phase problem. Hopefully I don’t damage the shell trying to get it apart.

I’ll try and address the driver flex at the same time.

 

[cappuchino]

I just got these today.

They’re wired out of phase unfortunately

They also have ridiculous driver flex upon insertion. Sounds like someone is jamming my ear full of krinkly krunchy foil.

Im going to try and take them apart to fix the phase problem. Hopefully I don’t damage the shell trying to get it apart.

I’ll try and address the driver flex at the same time.

My left one also has driver flex. But with careful insertion, it can be avoided 90% of the time. How do you find them? The sound and build that is.

Edit: Oh sorry. Missed the "out of phase" part. If only the brand improves QC, they would have been one of, if not the king of Chi-fi.

 

[Slater]

My left one also has driver flex. But with careful insertion, it can be avoided 90% of the time. How do you find them? The sound and build that is.

Edit: Oh sorry. Missed the "out of phase" part. If only the brand improves QC, they would have been one of, if not the king of Chi-fi.

Well, the sound cannot be accurately evaluated when they are wired out of phase. But the mmcx connections are good quality, and the shape of the shell is comfortable.

I will also mention that they are NOT ceramic (ie zirconia) shells as advertised. It is just white paint. The shell itself is cast metal. I don’t think this was deceit on the company’s part though. It’s likely something got lost in English translation - the PAINT itself looks like it could be ceramic based, not the shell.

 

[TheVortex]

Well, the sound cannot be accurately evaluated when they are wired out of phase. But the mmcx connections are good quality, and the shape of the shell is comfortable.

I will also mention that they are NOT ceramic (ie zirconia) shells as advertised. It is just white paint. The shell itself is cast metal. I don’t think this was deceit on the company’s part though. It’s likely something got lost in English translation - the PAINT itself looks like it could be ceramic based, not the shell.

I am glad I held off buying these as I don't have the expertise to fix them and that depends if I had a out of phase pair. I am looking forward to your impressions when they are in phase.