Custom Art – Music Two – Appreciation/Discussion/Impressions/Review Thread

[991 Carrera 4S]

Custom Art – Music Two – Appreciation/Discussion/Impressions/Review Thread

https://www.facebook.com/thecustomart/info
https://www.facebook.com/thecustomart
http://www.thecustomart.com/
http://www.head-fi.org/t/663051/new-custom-iem-company-custom-art-discussion-review-and-appreciation-thread
 
Music Two:
• Dual BA (with Sonion AcuPass Technology)
• 2-way (single bore)
• vented driver in silicone
• advanced acoustic tuning (no passive dampers, stepped acoustic horn, vented woofer, back volume control)
 
ALWAYS keep your IEMs in OtterBox with drying pallet, when not used.
 

  The Music Two uses a dual driver assembly with a single output port, damperless, with tube resonances controlled by a stepped acoustic horn. The woofer driver of the Music Two is filtered by an acoustic low-pass design, trademarked by Sonion as AcuPass. This type of low-pass technology is similar to that used in the Shure SE846 (just simplified). The Music Two's woofer is vented for better low frequency extension and headroom. Normally, the vented configuration of the woofer causes the bass response to rise well above neutral, but with a special construction method Peter controls the back venting volume, giving a small bass thump centered around 80-100 Hz, while preserving bass extension. As far as I'm concerned, no other company that uses silicone shell materials implements bass venting and back volume control. CustomArt started it with the Music One and Pro330, and now the Music Two has it.
 
With regard to tech specs, the Music Two has a minimum impedance (not including cable resistance/reactance) of 22 Ω @ 4200 Hz and DCR of 41.5 Ω. Impedance @ 1 kHz is 75 Ω, but that's just a transient value; the Music Two should be easy to drive from the most common audio sources.
 
People concerned about output impedance pairing with amps and DAPs should look at the 22 Ω value and pair accordingly. If we use the 8× damping factor rule-of-thumb, then OI should be no higher than 2.75 Ω on your sources. However, output impedance affects mainly only the mid-highs and lower treble of the Music Two. Here is a graph of the difference between the response of the Music Two when paired with a high output impedance source (~20 Ω), and a low output impedance source (~0.5 Ω, green trace). Depending on personal preferences, people can use different output impedance sources (e.g. CEntrance HiFi-M8, or serial resistance adapters) to alter the desired mid-highs.
 

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With regard to bandwidth, +/- 20 dB tolerance would give the Music Two an effective bandwidth from <20 Hz to >17 kHz.

 

 

Originally Posted by piotrus-g /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

Originally Posted by jswansong /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

  Since so far there's no on who could answer that I will.
Music Two is basically an upgrade of Music One. Both share the same sound signature with Music Two having slightly more bass with even slightly longer notes' decay. Bass is still very controlled, but additional woofer does its job in providing better bass presence. It you read |joker|'s review of Music One you might have noticed that joker said Music One's bass in not a competitor for higher end IEMs - which of course is somehow true since single fullrange armature will have trouble squeezing out bass depth of say dual dedicated woofer. Music Two with vented woofer takes the bass up a nothc. Music Two also has more intimate mids that still offers similar brightness and details. Music Two has more highs comparing to Music One, however highs typically for Music series are non fatiguing. What Music Two gains is more realistic high-hats and cymbals' sound.
Improvement is also noticeable in resolution, soundstage and 3D effect.
 
Hope that helps you a bit more.
(Details on the website will be updated with the new layout - aim is to finish it in December)

 
If I'm reading this right, the Music Two has the same sound in the mids, albeit more detailed and refined, more bass presence and extension, and more treble crispness, extension and presence. So it's the same general idea of a lush, musical iem as the Music One, but more fully realized and technically capable. Am I right?

  Couldnt say it better. 100% correct sir

 

 

I imagine a lot of it is trying to get the venting just right. As you know CustomArt is the only company to do vented drivers in silicone, and it goes beyond just boring out a hole behind the vent to let more air expand; the amount of volume displaced actually helps determine how much and where in the bass band the venting helps boost. I imagine he wanted to preserve the extra sub-bass while not boosting the rest of the bass too much. Fine-tuning that stuff is not easy to do! Silicone assembly is already complicated, and using venting just complicates it more --- these IEMs take quite a bit of time to get right.  
The AcuPass driver is excellent (which is why so many are already using it, despite being a product that hasn't been released for more than 10 months) and I have confidence that the Music Two will sound excellent! I imagine it will outstrip many expectations of what a dual driver can do --- I've heard a number of demo incarnations of this driver and have been impressed in each case. The only few issues I've had with it is the relative lack of layered texturing in the bass region when the vent is closed (not a problem with the Music Two) and the slightly rough nature of the treble (silicone and the horn design will help in this regard, I imagine). Previously, I'd be considering getting a Pro210, but the Music Two is making me think twice, very hard.

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

 
Oh come on, where are the owners of Music Two? I know you are out there!

 

[Ritvik]

I received my pair yesterday, haven't been able to spend too much time with them with work keeping me busy. I'll try to post some impressions here soon.
 
They're great fun and a very nice change from my last iem of any significance (Tzar 350). Piotr will also be doing a UM Miracle re-tune for me sometime soon which should provide a nice alternative signature to the music two.

Here's my humble little setup for the bus ride to work. The Music 2, stock AK100 and the ALO International. They slip off my balanced cable quite easily which is a concern, but are perfect on the stock cable. The comfort level after using acrylic ciems is a welcome change. 
 

 

[desmondinhk]

I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago and this will be my very first CIEM.  Am waiting with great anticipation.  I've had the UE 5vi (prior to its acquisition by Logitech) before, now using a Sony XBA 3IP on an iPhone 5s.  As for headphones, I use the Beryadynamics DT1350 without the use of an amp / dac.  Wondering if I could seek members' advice.  Do I need an amplifier to get the best out of the earphones?  I will mostly be using it to commute back and forth from work and also at work.  Given portability, would prefer to use it without an amp and basically straight from the iPhone.
 
Thanks in advance,

 

[bcpk]

Can't wait for mine to arrive

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

Great State-of-Art-Design for Music Two:
 

 
https://www.facebook.com/thecustomart/photos/a.435772459876914.1073741834.223884597732369/528171343970358

 

[obsydion]

Any chance of getting a pair of these to Soundwaves Studio in Singapore?
I know they carry the One and Pro models but would love to try the Two as well when I'm there in the beginning of April!

 

[shotgunshane]

I thought I'd share my Music Two pics. They're using a UE ciem cable.

 

[shotgunshane]

I thought I'd share my Music Two review that just went up over at Cymbacavum:
http://cymbacavum.com/2014/03/23/customart-music-two/
 
Here's a selected quote:
 
"So how does the Music Two sound? Thick, rich, and potent are three words that quickly come to mind. Bass is reverberant and excellently textured. Treble is articulate and crisp with each note clearly defined but overall remaining non-fatiguing. Midrange is weighty, organic and slightly laid back. It’s a frequency response that doesn’t stray too far from accuracy but strives for a fun and musical approach to it."

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

Just to let you guys know:
 

  Used my Custom Art Music Two with a Nokia Lumia 920, which sounds (to me) similarly good (or bad) as my iPod Nano 4th Gen.
 
Up until today!
 
Man, the Lumia 920 sounds like pure crap – not exaggerating – compared to the Dell Venue 8 Pro.
 
Holy crap!
 
Does anybody know which DACs are used in the Dell V8P? These must have to be Wolfsons', haven't they?

 

[jeycam]

As I've head my M2s for some time for now I've decided I'd share a couple of impressions of mine.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have a comparison to any other CIEMs, but coming from universal IEMs and headphones - these surely are the best sound/comfort/price ratio purchase I've ever done. These may not be the best CIEMs ever (as eg. I believe that both highs and low bass could possibly be a bit better), but they build a very enjoyable soundstage, the vocals are extremely pleasant (especially for jazz, like Diana Krall) and there's a lot of fun. Also, they're very revealing and are exceptional when it comes to differences in recording and mastering. Together with X5 I use I doubt there's a way to get better setup in overall terms for this money. Highly recommended!

 

[tomscy2000]

Wanted to share a picture of my Music Two:
 

 

[stefu]

I’m a happy owner of Music Two for about two month now and I think it is time to write something about them. Initially I ordered Music One as an alternative to bulky and expensive Roxannes, as an everyday IEMs for walkaround and gym. However, later on I decided to change my order to Music Two. Was it good decision? I have no idea, never heard Music One, but I’m quite happy with Music Two. I ordered version with non-detachable cable to get more compact package. I went with rather low profile design: clear shells with clear cable. I like to see internals
 

 
Fit is very good. They are very comfortable, definitely more comfy than Roxannes. With Roxannes I always feel I have them on - they are comfortable, but due to size and weight (including bulky cable) you can’t forget about them. Music Two are much smaller and lighter and I don’t really feel them. Thanks to silicon, the occlusion effect is much less prominent than with acrylic Roxannes.
 
Build quality is good. I could be picky and complain about few bubbles and maybe not so smooth surfaces, but all of these doesn't really matter. The clear silicon is actually slightly foggy/milky.
 

Sound

I’d describe Music Two’s sound signature as fun: slightly v shaped, upfront presentation a bit in your face, but with quite a good resolution and nice texture (but not as good as Roxanne), definitely more musical than analytical. Bass is definitely there, not overwhelming nor dominating, but enough to enjoy it (unless you are a basshead). It has nice rumble and texture, not that much impact, but is fast and accurate. Soundstage is relatively wide and there is a good separation, but it lacks depth, presenting very flat, up front  image (I maybe biased here by very 3D Roxannes). It works well for all genres, but I found it the most appealing with rock, metal and jazz.

Music Two is quite sensitive, I could clearly hear a hiss from my Little Dot mkI+ and NX1, but less than with Roxanne. Testing was done mostly with Fiio X5 headphone out. However, I also paired it with Sansa Clip+. With Music Two you can easily hear superiority of X5, but Clip+ does a good job driving them and this is my default 'super compact' rig.
 

How does it compare to other IEMs I own?

In comparison with Etymotic HF5, Music Two sounds much bigger, there is more at both sides of the spectrum, which makes Music Two much more lively and fun. HF5 mids are smoother and may be slightly more detailed, but overall Music Two wins for me without any questions.
 
It is hard to compare Music Two to JH Audio Roxannes or Sennheiser IE8. They are very different, offering totally different experience. Roxannes has advantage of 12 drivers and costs few times more, it is technically better in most aspects (Music Two may have an edge in trebles), but it is also so different, that it rather matter of taste then clear cut. IE8 on the other hand, offers better soundstage and lovely bass from dynamic driver, but in my opinion Music Two has better mids and trebles, but again, it is matter of taste, not really clear superiority of one over the other one. I grab IE8 from time to time to enjoy its strong points, but I’m quickly reminded about superiority of custom fitting - my biggest gripe with IE8 is fiddly fit, but when fitted correctly, they sound great.
Music Two made my HF5 obsolete and they will coexist with IE8 and Roxannes.
 

Conclusion

I don't have that much experience with large number of IEMs and custom IEMs particularly, but from what I have heard so far, Music Two are really good performers: fun and musical, with rather “standard” sound signature executed in a very good way. They hold their ground against more expensive alternatives and are major upgrade for well regarded Etymotic HF5. I can honestly recommend them to anyone looking for solid performance in custom package for reasonable price.

 

[rekondita]

Anyone have insight of M2 paired with the FiiO X1? I've got an M2 in the making and am a bit concerned with my sources (iDevices); would like a single DAP for ultraportable times, if possible (sub $399). For portable desktop, home lounge I've purchased FiiO Mont Blanc F12A to pair with whatever. Cheers and thanks.

 

[stefu]

Anyone have insight of M2 paired with the FiiO X1? I've got an M2 in the making and am a bit concerned with my sources (iDevices); would like a single DAP for ultraportable times, if possible (sub $399). For portable desktop, home lounge I've purchased FiiO Mont Blanc F12A to pair with whatever. Cheers and thanks.

When I have some time, I'll compare how they sound with my iPod Classic and iPad Mini vs Fiio X5. Nowadays I use my M2 mostly with X5 or Sansa Clip+. I don't have X1 or any other iDevices, but in general, I'd recommend to check first how M2  performs with your current devices - I used them with Nexus 5 and they are more than acceptable for portable / on-the-street use in this setup... but if you are just looking for an excuse to buy a new player... go for it