In my opinion Noble K10 , Katana and Ecore, do everythings well, but nothing very well. As you wrote they don't have the wow factor and are essentially boring.
I think the Encore does have the Wow factor, but it may not be noticed right off. Obviously most of this is subjectively liking the tune. That’s the thing the qdc Anole VX does very good technically, and even has an amount of “wow” due to it, but fails to have any stand out wild tweak. It’s great but walks a conservative line. Some IEMs have personalities.
Though neutral the Encore offers subtle V curve response and not the most detailed though it’s musical. It technically does do some stuff well, it HAS been passed up by other better performers, but.....still I have not heard an IEM like it. If it was better at being technical and detailed it may loose some of what makes it what it is?
I could very well be lost here though?
Maybe the best thing about crinacle’s list is the objectivity? How can someone come up with a giant list and have it hold weight other than to try and achieve objectivity.
I dunno. On Audio Video Show Warsaw this year I heard them for the first time (Katana and K10 don't know which, probably the newest), and I thought they sound cool. Only that K10 highs will be fatiguing for sure after a while. Actually Katana highs also. Comply Isolation needed for sure. I love the aluminium housings though, and technically they sounded really great for 9-10 BA, spacious, high resolution, very good. Still keeping my Khan though, will not sell it - one of the best IEMs in my collection for me. And just learned how to use IER Z1R properly - I thought it's not as good as Khan, but was mistaken; you really need to push this one far, past the first bend of ear canal preferably, and it's not easy with these tips being so soft (and also it only sounds "right" on the stock tips; and it also sounds the same on triple comfort and silicone; will get bashed for this for sure but measure this and you'll see).
To me the Khan and IER-Z1R are polar opposites. I know that the Khan is not exactly that but as far a midrange is concerned the two IEMs offer opposite focus. Sony is gaining the feeling of resolution by taking away so much which kind of exposes imaging and frequency personality. I have not had that much listening time with the Khan but feel the mids and upper mids were slightly too forward for me.
Obviously this is all subjective. I accept the Khan as the technical successor to the Encore and Katana. Though crinacle is pointing out the Khan is not a success? Or not a success the K-10 was........in his last post? As we all know........ we found what we like, and go on to defend it. Lol
Yes, for me it’s hard to imagine the similarities in the way the two graph out.
I’m probably concentrating on some small frequency response?
Also I’ve read about folks going and finding a deep insertion for the Z1R treble. Myself............they only fit one way, and can’t be really moved forward or back? But I’ve read about the folks finding a new sound from Z1R deep insertion.......so it’s a concept you just have to take as a reality for some ears.
I’m kinda surprised about someone owning both the Khan and Z1R together. To me, regardless of how they graph......they seem to be too much of a divergence to mentally get around? But.......everyone has different abilities so maybe you adjust.
I think the Encore does have the Wow factor, but it may not be noticed right off. Obviously most of this is subjectively liking the tune. That’s the thing the qdc Anole VX does very good technically, and even has an amount of “wow” due to it, but fails to have any stand out wild tweak. It’s great but walks a conservative line. Some IEMs have personalities.
Though neutral the Encore offers subtle V curve response and not the most detailed though it’s musical. It technically does do some stuff well, it HAS been passed up by other better performers, but.....still I have not heard an IEM like it. If it was better at being technical and detailed it may loose some of what makes it what it is?
I could very well be lost here though?
Maybe the best thing about crinacle’s list is the objectivity? How can someone come up with a giant list and have it hold weight other than to try and achieve objectivity.
I think the Encore does have the Wow factor, but it may not be noticed right off. Obviously most of this is subjectively liking the tune. That’s the thing the qdc Anole VX does very good technically, and even has an amount of “wow” due to it, but fails to have any stand out wild tweak. It’s great but walks a conservative line. Some IEMs have personalities.
Though neutral the Encore offers subtle V curve response and not the most detailed though it’s musical. It technically does do some stuff well, it HAS been passed up by other better performers, but.....still I have not heard an IEM like it. If it was better at being technical and detailed it may loose some of what makes it what it is?
I could very well be lost here though?
Maybe the best thing about crinacle’s list is the objectivity? How can someone come up with a giant list and have it hold weight other than to try and achieve objectivity.
I think we are speaking of music and how IEM can transmit to our senses music. Some music is dry the way how it is played and registered. Other music is very dirt for the same reason. Modern jazz contaminated by rap or tribal component is dirt in the way it resonates, goes up and down and shake your soul. Now, few IEM are able to reproduce the most of dirt music. One of this is QDC Anole VX. For sure no K10 of Katane, too perfect but right for the dry music, less, much less for dirt music. I don't know if this is linked to Crin list. But i think yes.
I remember a Tux avatar reviewed the Xelento some time ago and included measurements from the Skullcandy Smokin Budzz 2 that were quite similar. I got curious and... hey, at literally less than 1/50th the price totally listenable, if peaky & plasticky (though I guess this describes about 95% of budget IEMs).
I remember a Tux avatar reviewed the Xelento some time ago and included measurements from the Skullcandy Smokin Budzz 2 that were quite similar. I got curious and... hey, at literally less than 1/50th the price totally listenable, if peaky & plasticky (though I guess this describes about 95% of budget IEMs).
To be fair most of us started off our music addiction on peaky and plasticky... for most of my life I listened on the earphones that came with my phone you know
To this day though, I sometimes pick up my sister's Mickey Mouse Beats solo 3 and they're no hifi but pretty enjoyable nonetheless you know
I think the key factor here is that once you're done with the Skullcandy, you get to pick up your Xelentos haha - imagine having to only listen to 30$ headphones and IEMs - personally would really put me off my music after some time
To be fair most of us started off our music addiction on peaky and plasticky... for most of my life I listened on the earphones that came with my phone you know
To this day though, I sometimes pick up my sister's Mickey Mouse Beats solo 3 and they're no hifi but pretty enjoyable nonetheless you know
I think the key factor here is that once you're done with the Skullcandy, you get to pick up your Xelentos haha - imagine having to only listen to 30$ headphones and IEMs - personally would really put me off my music after some time
I think the key factor here is that once you're done with the Skullcandy, you get to pick up your Xelentos haha - imagine having to only listen to 30$ headphones and IEMs - personally would really put me off my music after some time
I still occasionally go for long stretches using only PortaPros-easy to not think about, throw on after a long workday. There are some very livable budget IEMs IMO (for me Tenore, but been a while since I dipped into budgetsphere, guess I should try the the 755, E2000, one of the Tin things).
(for the record, don't own Xelento, but point taken)
I still occasionally go for long stretches using only PortaPros-easy to not think about, throw on after a long workday. There are some very livable budget IEMs IMO (for me Tenore, but been a while since I dipped into budgetsphere, guess I should try the the 755, E2000, one of the Tin things).
(for the record, don't own Xelento, but point taken)
oh yeah definitely, the etymotics are also a classic example of HiFi on a budget - I was rather referring to the classic “tonality and QC completely off chifi”
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