Hi @crinacle , ive an Andromeda and im in the market for something similar in sound signature but with a good DD bass .
What uiem would you recommend i try out? Thanks in advance!
What uiem would you recommend i try out? Thanks in advance!
crinacle's IEM Ranking List
Closest I can think of is the Tia Fourte (upper treble boost, enhanced bass) but still sounds very different from the Andromeda.
Ahmad313
Headphoneus Supremus
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also check the Tia Trio , i think it is within your budget ,
Ok noted thanks will check it out.
Ahmad313
Headphoneus Supremus
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@twister6 post a very detailed comparison/impressions between the tia fourte, U18t, tia trio and U12t , it will be very helpful to you ,
Read that after you pointed me in the Trio direction. Very helpful indeed ! Thks
Have you tried the Vega already?
Have not , but did have the Galaxy 2 . Prefer the Andro , so i sold it .
Why did you rate massdrop plus as A- ?
Moreover, Hope you have a chance to rate LZ-A4
Moreover, Hope you have a chance to rate LZ-A4
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@crinacle hi , out of curiosity how do you rate the Zeus xiv & the Zues R ? Same as the XR ? Thks
eugene2
100+ Head-Fier
While this is a fun read, Crinacle’s best advice is let your ears be the final judge. It took a lot of time and care to write this ranking system and measure all of these iems. As I read reviews of iems for some reason I keep thinking about rental cars lol. I rent a lot for business, when you get in and turn on the radio the eq is generally bass heavy, bass light, treble heavy or occasionally in the Neutral position. So I often wonder is the reviewer bass heavy, light or neutral. Crinacle seems like a neutral guy...
In the past year I’ve owned a few iems; Shure 535, Westone’s (can’t remember which ones), Campfire Nova, Andromeda, Jupiter, JH Audio 16 pro, Roxanne’s, recently Layla, noble Audio X, Savant, Sage, Kaiser 10 and Encore. The most important lesson I’ve learned is the importance of tips and fit.
I’ve tested a lot of iems at shows also, though it is very tough because of tip selection, sources used and noise. While I enjoyed the 64 Audio booth, I live in Orlando so I decided to visit JH Audio to try the Lola’s and Layla. After much mediation I decided to purchase custom Layla’s, even after hating my 16 pro ciems, finally realizing it was the fit not the 16’s.
After I was fitted eight days later the Layla’s were ready. I tried them on plugged in my AK 320 and poof, they sucked! So for two hours they adjusted, filed my molds until they were perfect and in my opinion, these are the GOAT or Muhammad Ali of iems. I’m a musician so I’m talking from a musicians point of view sound wise. If I would have ordered these through the mail I do not think I would come close to this fit.
The Noble Encore’s are terrific also, I use the comply TS500 tips and a fantastic cable by Original Cable Company, tomorrow I get a cable for my Layla’s from Wagnus. I tried the Spinfit that everyone seems to like but find them snatching the bottom end from recordings. I’m actually sitting here right now switching back and forth between the Spinfits and the Comply’s. Listening to Terance Blanchard’s A Tale of Gods Will, Levees, the bass really backs down several dB with the Spinfits (rental car with bass turned down). Generally listening to jazz live the bass is upfront not deep in the background. I wish there was a tip which would give me a mixture of the two, but for now I’m a Comply guy.
Just for the hell of it here’s how I rank my top few 1. Layla 2. Encore 3. Savant (with LQI Cables) 4. Andromeda (recently sold) etc. I haven’t listened to the Sage yet so they are not included.
Selling Massdrop X and Campfire Nova as a pair on Audiogon.
Will be selling Savant (which I love, just no time)
System: Desktop, Neve RNHP amp, PS Audio DS, Antipodes DX
Portable: VorzAmp, Mojo, AK320
In the past year I’ve owned a few iems; Shure 535, Westone’s (can’t remember which ones), Campfire Nova, Andromeda, Jupiter, JH Audio 16 pro, Roxanne’s, recently Layla, noble Audio X, Savant, Sage, Kaiser 10 and Encore. The most important lesson I’ve learned is the importance of tips and fit.
I’ve tested a lot of iems at shows also, though it is very tough because of tip selection, sources used and noise. While I enjoyed the 64 Audio booth, I live in Orlando so I decided to visit JH Audio to try the Lola’s and Layla. After much mediation I decided to purchase custom Layla’s, even after hating my 16 pro ciems, finally realizing it was the fit not the 16’s.
After I was fitted eight days later the Layla’s were ready. I tried them on plugged in my AK 320 and poof, they sucked! So for two hours they adjusted, filed my molds until they were perfect and in my opinion, these are the GOAT or Muhammad Ali of iems. I’m a musician so I’m talking from a musicians point of view sound wise. If I would have ordered these through the mail I do not think I would come close to this fit.
The Noble Encore’s are terrific also, I use the comply TS500 tips and a fantastic cable by Original Cable Company, tomorrow I get a cable for my Layla’s from Wagnus. I tried the Spinfit that everyone seems to like but find them snatching the bottom end from recordings. I’m actually sitting here right now switching back and forth between the Spinfits and the Comply’s. Listening to Terance Blanchard’s A Tale of Gods Will, Levees, the bass really backs down several dB with the Spinfits (rental car with bass turned down). Generally listening to jazz live the bass is upfront not deep in the background. I wish there was a tip which would give me a mixture of the two, but for now I’m a Comply guy.
Just for the hell of it here’s how I rank my top few 1. Layla 2. Encore 3. Savant (with LQI Cables) 4. Andromeda (recently sold) etc. I haven’t listened to the Sage yet so they are not included.
Selling Massdrop X and Campfire Nova as a pair on Audiogon.
Will be selling Savant (which I love, just no time)
System: Desktop, Neve RNHP amp, PS Audio DS, Antipodes DX
Portable: VorzAmp, Mojo, AK320
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Ahmad313
Headphoneus Supremus
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Nice post , please share some detailed impressions about Layla specially about vocals and soundstage , thanks ,
eugene2
100+ Head-Fier
If I could start by saying for me it was the tale of three headphones. The first time I listened to the Layla’s was at RMAF, I really didn’t like what I heard. They sounded rather flat and the highs were a little harsh in my opinion. After reading several reviews on the Layla being the best iem and others on blogs indicating otherwise. Also, with the Lola being voiced by Slash of Guns and Roses I decided to pay JH Audio a visit.
The people of JH are very hospitable letting me have access to their full line up of iems and giving me a lesson on how many of their iems are voiced, many with the assistance of musicians some local and not essentially by engineers and just measurement, that’s why I question these guys that refer to a JHA house sound. I heard distinct diffferences between the iems. Also I got to use my own portable setup.
So for vocals I used Andy Bey, Diana Krall, P. Barber and C. Wilson, for my instrument Sax, I use Branford Marsalis, A DSD track from Coletrane and some Maceo Parker. For sound stage width I use Macy Grays Annabelle for depth I use Ala Carte Brass & Percussion “Papa Was A Rolling Stone.” With that said the first thing I did was play some Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck and some classical guitar tracks on the Lola’s and right away you could hear Slash’s influence. The Lola is a very nice iem (being an iem nut I may buy a set next year) especially in the mid’s. They have a very relaxing sensitivity to them. I switched to the Layla’s and could hear the difference, these were made for mastering as everything seemed to snap into focus, they were much more aggressive attacking when necessary and very dynamic. With better fit from the tips I used I could hear bass lines were distinct, I could almost see the fingers brushing the strings on the upright bass, the splash of Zildjian Cymbals and vocals. I tried my Andromedas and after the Layla they seem to have a slight veil almost like a thin curtain in front of the musicians, Maceo’s tenor sax taking on a slight coloration. I still wasn’t quite satisfied with the Layla’s... it was then we discussed possibly going custom, I then whipped out my Jh 16 pro and discussed my dissatisfaction with the molds.
After a lengthy discussion they talked me into getting new molds, the tech said he would work with me to make sure they were perfect. As I stated earlier they completed my molds in eight days. I inserted them in my ears. And ugh terrible. So after nearly two hours of work, they finally got them to snap in under my antihelix and with a little more work the seal was perfect. Make no mistake these are very edge of your seat technical iems, they play the track as the engineer and musicians intended. The opening guitar on Annabelle was way out to they left, as I recall rivaling the LCD i4, with much better isolation, depth was excellent, I was happy. Credit that to their resolving power and ultimately low noise floor which allow it to transmit those beautiful spatial cues. Like speakers no, but up there with some of the best over ears (no not quite hd800 level).
After several days of continuous play, vocals have taken on more body and to me realism. To my ears the Layla’s are harmonically neutral, as harmonically neutral as any headphone I have ever heard. Female vocals take on an immediacy and realism that is bewitching because of the low noise floor or lack of distortion. Andy Bey, Cassandra Wilson and a Patricia Barbers voices sound the way I’ve heard them live. That is why this is a Reference iem Harvey intended it that way.
Ok, I know enough is enough, that’s it, so in closing... I don’t know I think some of the criticism received by the Layla is due to wrong tips, bad fit, equipment or taste technical versus euphoric. Can’t wait to get the Wagnus Cables...
Remember this is just one man’s opinion.
The people of JH are very hospitable letting me have access to their full line up of iems and giving me a lesson on how many of their iems are voiced, many with the assistance of musicians some local and not essentially by engineers and just measurement, that’s why I question these guys that refer to a JHA house sound. I heard distinct diffferences between the iems. Also I got to use my own portable setup.
So for vocals I used Andy Bey, Diana Krall, P. Barber and C. Wilson, for my instrument Sax, I use Branford Marsalis, A DSD track from Coletrane and some Maceo Parker. For sound stage width I use Macy Grays Annabelle for depth I use Ala Carte Brass & Percussion “Papa Was A Rolling Stone.” With that said the first thing I did was play some Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck and some classical guitar tracks on the Lola’s and right away you could hear Slash’s influence. The Lola is a very nice iem (being an iem nut I may buy a set next year) especially in the mid’s. They have a very relaxing sensitivity to them. I switched to the Layla’s and could hear the difference, these were made for mastering as everything seemed to snap into focus, they were much more aggressive attacking when necessary and very dynamic. With better fit from the tips I used I could hear bass lines were distinct, I could almost see the fingers brushing the strings on the upright bass, the splash of Zildjian Cymbals and vocals. I tried my Andromedas and after the Layla they seem to have a slight veil almost like a thin curtain in front of the musicians, Maceo’s tenor sax taking on a slight coloration. I still wasn’t quite satisfied with the Layla’s... it was then we discussed possibly going custom, I then whipped out my Jh 16 pro and discussed my dissatisfaction with the molds.
After a lengthy discussion they talked me into getting new molds, the tech said he would work with me to make sure they were perfect. As I stated earlier they completed my molds in eight days. I inserted them in my ears. And ugh terrible. So after nearly two hours of work, they finally got them to snap in under my antihelix and with a little more work the seal was perfect. Make no mistake these are very edge of your seat technical iems, they play the track as the engineer and musicians intended. The opening guitar on Annabelle was way out to they left, as I recall rivaling the LCD i4, with much better isolation, depth was excellent, I was happy. Credit that to their resolving power and ultimately low noise floor which allow it to transmit those beautiful spatial cues. Like speakers no, but up there with some of the best over ears (no not quite hd800 level).
After several days of continuous play, vocals have taken on more body and to me realism. To my ears the Layla’s are harmonically neutral, as harmonically neutral as any headphone I have ever heard. Female vocals take on an immediacy and realism that is bewitching because of the low noise floor or lack of distortion. Andy Bey, Cassandra Wilson and a Patricia Barbers voices sound the way I’ve heard them live. That is why this is a Reference iem Harvey intended it that way.
Ok, I know enough is enough, that’s it, so in closing... I don’t know I think some of the criticism received by the Layla is due to wrong tips, bad fit, equipment or taste technical versus euphoric. Can’t wait to get the Wagnus Cables...
Remember this is just one man’s opinion.
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Ahmad313
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So nice of you , your this detailed information/impressions are really helpful ,
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