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crinacle's IEM Ranking List
Jul 8, 2020 at 5:10 PM Post #2,942 of 3,338
shizzin said:
Yes I get it and I agree but I'll tell you my reasons why I think he and also possibly this joker guy are significant.
I think a lot comes down not to personal taste but aggressive marketing and conditioning. I've seen expensive gear that's plain ordinary in terms of quality - sound, interface, presentation. I think one should be able to buy good audio at say $1500 for iems that sound good - that 10% in the treble or soundstage that makes things great for someone. I personally am willing to ditch my personal taste in favor of something that sounds better overall, that I didn't know sounded that good before.
I don't consider myself an avid audiophile - there are people here who have auditioned tens or hundreds of iems and have been in it for years. But I didn't know I liked treble so much before hearing the Andromeda to discover sound that I didn't know I appreciated, having thought that I liked warm signature for most of my life. Turns out cold-sounding and bright signature is super if I can hear detailed, extended treble. Similarly, give me tight bass with a balanced sound signature of a good IEM and I'd be into it. It was exactly the case when I auditioned a Heir 10.0 with a special balanced cable yesterday - it doesn't have the treble of the Andromeda, but is it accurate in the lower mids and bass and does it convey technicality and neutrality? Yes, it does and for the things it does right, I consider it an overall better listening experience than the Andromeda.
My point is, with the marketing and pricing of most manufacturers, it gets deliberately confusing and we can't know. I can't argue with someone's tastes, but not all elements of quality are subjective, and then there's price. In my opinion, in the audiophile community, there are configurations that you can buy for $1,000 which will surpass $1,500 configurations in terms of SQ, usability and noise. Is my AK a great sound system? Yes, it is. Would I have paid the original price of GBP4,000? Probably not worth it, considering most people don't walk around with a spare sum for an entry-level car. Maybe next year, if I'm making $150k a year, I'd be thinking differently, but consistent reviewers like Crinacle help us understand how to spend our budget on better decisions.
And for what it's worth, I've come to appreciate his tierlist and concise reviews by listening to some of the tech he reviews. I'd be surprised if I like the Solaris better than the rank he's given it, even though I should be biased considering the money I've spent on the unit.
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You’re right in that there is a legitimacy to an experienced person being able to pick out subtle good and bad characteristics of a product’s sound, who also knows when something is missing, that many of us enthusiasts could easily miss, if we’ve never heard or experienced it before. Just like a wine expert or a top chef are great guides to trying and learning new things. Ultimately, though, it’s what you the consumer likes. Do you want foie gras, or maybe you just prefer a burger?

FWIW, I do take Crin’s opinions seriously, whether or not I happen to agree. I just wish he’d post more YouTube videos. I can always use a good laugh, while learning something new!
 
Jul 10, 2020 at 11:28 AM Post #2,944 of 3,338
Jul 16, 2020 at 2:27 PM Post #2,945 of 3,338
Regarding the Legacy 3, given the recent discovery of widely varied tunings/poor QC, I’m just curious if the set Crinacle reviewed is the same set that is represented by his graph.
 
Jul 16, 2020 at 10:36 PM Post #2,947 of 3,338
Jul 16, 2020 at 11:15 PM Post #2,949 of 3,338
papa_mia said:
I mean you here as all the buyers in general. On one hand you have something that doesn't quite live up to the hype, on the other hand, ain't nobody wants it to be like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you're gon get.
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I don’t have a bone to pick if that’s what you’re getting at. Crinacle‘s review was exactly what I expected. It was very c/w his other reviews, and fair, with good points. Though I really like my L3, I know what it is and is not.

I like the looks of the L3 graph on his database, and I think my sample sounds pretty much like that graph. I’m simply curious, with the sample variation that has been noticed recently with the L3, if the units he measured are the same as the ones he listened to for his review.
 
Jul 17, 2020 at 1:08 AM Post #2,950 of 3,338
QC problems for a new brand can be its death knell if they’re not acted upon immediately by the factory, regardless of how successful the product has been. QC issues create doubt for the entire brand lineup, not good for sales.

My Legacy 9 had a QC issue that I was fortunately able to correct, but in the end, I sold it.
 
Jul 17, 2020 at 3:15 AM Post #2,951 of 3,338
jwbrent said:
QC problems for a new brand can be its death knell if they’re not acted upon immediately by the factory, regardless of how successful the product has been. QC issues create doubt for the entire brand lineup, not good for sales.

My Legacy 9 had a QC issue that I was fortunately able to correct, but in the end, I sold it.
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Aug 6, 2020 at 11:38 PM Post #2,953 of 3,338
Hi! Have you ever compared the QDC 5SH and the 4SS? I noticed the that they are ranked similarly.
 
Aug 7, 2020 at 9:38 AM Post #2,954 of 3,338
Interesting similarity.
I wonder about how VK4 does technically and if the tonality between the two is anything alike in reality.

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Aug 9, 2020 at 6:38 PM Post #2,955 of 3,338
Per Crinacle, on his EE sneak peek: “Full disclosure: my own personal budget ceiling for an IEM would be around $1,500 and most of the top-tier IEMs I’ve ranked hover around the 2k mark, so the Odin would have to exceed everything in my “S” tier in order to fully justify its pricing. At least in the opinion in this one guy on the internet.”

I can really get on board with this statement, and applaud it! Though personally, I’d stretch it to around $1700, to include such IEMs as the Sony IER-Z1R and the 64 Audio Nio. With the state of current Summit-Fi, and IEMs in the $6000 range, I like the idea of setting a personal price ceiling.
 
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