[nyonya]

Nulliverse, could you post your impressions regarding note thickness and timbre for these? I'm worried, going from a dynamic driver earphone to a multi-BA setup, that I'll lose some of the natural sound. Specifically, I'm comparing to the JVC FXT90s - no doubt the 5Xs are significantly better in every technical matter, but are they as musical? Also, regarding the treble, are the customs less fatiguing than the JVCs?

Thanks!

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

 

Buying Experience                                                                                                                                                   

I did have reservations here, what with Mitch being on the other side of the pond, particularly with regards to p&p and import tax. It turned out easy as pie. Impressions were booked and done in just 2 days, with Mitch receiving them just 2 days after. 3 weeks later (literally) my completed AUD-5X were shipped. Mitch even took a pic and posted it on Facebook just before sending them. He was friendly and incredibly efficient, answering emails within a couple of hours (despite the 8 hour time difference). Mitch is a top bloke who is clearly in this line of business through integrity and passion.

 

The import tax was pretty horrendous - £94 / $148 – which is something EU buyers need to cost into the retail price.   

 

Accessories
My Dreamearz arrived in very minimal packaging - a cardboard envelope - which gave no real protection on it's journey from Florida to the UK. This unfortunately lead to the carrying case being crushed on one side. Thankfully, the CIEM contained within were unscathed… but still, you can imagine my horror when I opened the envelope. I'd therefore advise any potential European buyers to specifically request Mitch to package accordingly ordering. With the jewellery-style case (which would otherwise be perfectly functional) written off,  I took to using my AT hard case.

 

The included cleaning tool is decent enough, though perhaps less sturdy and effective than others I've received… but if you haven't already guessed, these things mean little to me when scaled against sound.

Build
Being acrylic, the ASG-1s appear to be more solid than anything I've previously owned, barring perhaps the ASG-1s. I certainly don't have any concerns here. The included cable is the same generic Westone style cable that comes with many top-tier universals. It's exactly the same as the stock ASG-1 cable, and very similar to the stock SM3, so no complaints there.

Isolation / Comfort
Although I have no other CIEM as a point of reference, I can say with certainty that the AUD-5X isolate better than any universal I've used. My previous benchmark, the ASG-1, isolates significantly better than all else I've used, but the AUD-5X bests it, if only by a small amount.

 

In terms of comfort, I initially found a CIEM to feel a little odd - namely the sheer depth of insertion - but quickly became accustomed to it. After just 1 day I was surprised at how quickly they naturally slipped into my canals. I now find them incredibly comfortable, again, more so than any universal I've used. Needless to say, they fit like a glove, so thankfully no need for bothersome refits.

Sound
Before I get stuck into the gory details of my listening experience, I’d like to tread on the side of caution and highlight that any thoughts or opinions expressed are just that, rather than facts, and are more importantly formed in the context of my relatively limited IEM experience (see sig). That said, I hope my thoughts prove useful to others who teeter on the edge of top-tier universals, like I did, and are contemplating that oh-so-significant jump to customs.

 

Bass
Ok, Mitch clearly didn't stick that sub-bass driver in just for show… The sense of power and depth is incredible, and unlike anything I've previously heard. This level of sub-bass capability is, by my standards, unprecedented. When called for, the AUD-5X digs seriously deep and hits equally hard. The mid-bass is equally impressive, giving punch and impact which do heavy genres real justice, and all without so much of a hint of muddiness in those lower mids (zero bleed here!) Speed impressive and the AUD-5X demonstrates real agility, never sounding clumsy or cumbersome on my faster psytrance or death metal tracks.

 

Texturing and detailing are equally impressive, revealing tones, textures and nuances which were previously inaudible. What makes this all the more impressive however is that the sig on offer here is no way bass dominated, despite ample bass enhancement. As has previously been described with good affect, the bass is never intrusive or overly dominant, unless of course the song or genre intends it to be. In my case, the genre often calls for enhanced bass, so output / quantity is high on my priority list. That said, I listen to many softer / slower genre which would sound ungainly or muddy with enhanced bass, so I'd say my bass needs change regularly, resulting in on-going adjustment of EQ / amp settings. The AUD-5X adjusts perfectly to bass levels in various genres, conveniently eliminating the need for any adjustments.    

                                                                                                                                                        

For the above reasons it's difficult to quantify the amount of bass the AUD-5X actually puts out, as it changes significantly with track and genre. However, I'd say that it has the potential to belt out more bass, particularly sub-bass, than anything else I've heard. For example, with the J3 / ASG-1 (which is in no way a lean phone) I used an EQ setting of Mach Bass +3-4 and a +4db enhancement at 80hrz (wide). With the J3 + AUD-5X however, I have MachBass turned off, with no enhancement on any aspect of EQ, and they STILL put out more than double the bass of the ASG-1s.
 
Mids
And so it came to pass that for the first time, I truly understood the meaning of the word "transparency". I mean, I've always known the definition, but not until now have I gained insight - via the AUD-5X - into just how much it can transform the overall listening experience. Before the AUD-5X, transparency was just a word! Detail and clarity go beyond anything I've previously heard, but not at the expense of musicality. Indeed, the mids ooze liquidity, which coupled with the transparency, give the impression of sounds manifesting effortlessly as if from thin air, feeling more like the audial essence of music, as oppose to mere sound waves entering the ears via sound tubes.

The mids are just a little forward, but not so far as to make the AUD-5X sound mid-centric. Indeed, the balance achieved here is probably the best I've heard. Imaging and placement is... you guessed it, remarkable. Piano sweeps and percussions fills appear to cascade around my head with a meticulous precision I've not yet been graced with.

Treble
Immediately I was impressed by familiar TWFK sparkle and detailing, albeit is slightly smoother fashion than that of the DBA-02 or B2. That's not to say that the high end on the AUD-5X it's any less detailed, but it does appear less aggressive, perhaps due a placement more in balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Whatever the case, transients are a real treat, particular hi hats and cymbals, which sparkle and ring with some of the best decay I've heard.

 

The detailed and articulate, yet non-fatiguing treble really leaves nothing to be desired. Although it's the only area that hasn't set a precedent for me, it’s certainly up there with widely acclaimed treble happy universals such as the FX-700 and DBA-02, at least on a technical level. In terms of personal preference, I'd say I prefer it, as it's comes across as much more natural.

Presentation   
Ok, you guessed it, yet another precedent was set for me here! The presentation impressed me as much as the mids and bass, i.e. significantly more than anything I've previously heard.

Nothing prepared me for quite how much bigger music would sound through the AUD-5X. The width and depth of soundstage stretch significantly further out than I imagined they would, but as well as having this immense (by my standards) size, the soundstage is incredibly 3D. The AUD-5X throws out cues from behind me, much like the SM3 and ASG-1, but in a more convincing manner. This adds a sense of realism to the music, which regularly blows my mind. 

 

Imaging is incredibly precise - placement of individual sounds and instruments brings out nuances and details I never knew existed. Drum fills/rolls and piano sweeps are particularly impressive, cascading and panning around the head with incredible affect. The space between instruments is also incredible, creating a sense of separation which feels so real it’s almost tangible. This has caused me to truly perceive instruments being played separately in their own personal spaces, for the first time, which itself allows dynamics and subtleties in ambiance to wash over me like never before.

With the above you might expect cohesion to take a hit, with the mind getting caught up on individual details rather than the music as a whole (an issue I had with universals such as the DBA-02 / B2). Whether due to a technical factor I'm yet to understand however, the AUD-5X comes across as very cohesive. At no time have I thought "analytical", yet neither have I thought "musical", as the AUD-5X seems to somehow straddle that sacred ground between two.

Conclusion
Do I need one? Simply count the amount of times I’ve - quite unconsciously - written "better than anything I've previously heard”!

How much better though? Better enough to warrant the increase of price and ordering process? After all, making the jump from top tier universals to customs involves risk of being underwhelmed. I had to save up for over 6 months as well as sell off most of my gear, to get these. Am I underwhelmed? Hell no. Quite the contrary.

 

Some users may well perceive the various sonic improvements as incremental, but I'm certainly not one of them.  Perhaps this is testament to just how much the AUD-5X punches above it's weight, or maybe it's merely me being particularly sensitive to sonic improvements. Whatever the case, I’ve felt absolutely no desire to look into my next pair of earphones. The AUD-5X has met my expectations and exceeded them.

 

Lastly, I'd like to thank Average_Joe for putting such time and dedication into his reviews. Without them I'd never have even found the AUD-5X, let alone risked buying it.
 

 
Great review; it is great to see a review from a different perspective than mine, thank you for posting it!  One thing I try to get across, and what was surprising for me going to custom IEMs is that they can have so much more capability and do things much better than I imagined was possible.  Of course, that isn't true for all CIEMs, but it is for the aud-5X as you have so eloquently pointed out.

 

[jamliao]

Great price compared with the 1000$ plus JH 13, and JH 13 only has two sound tubes although 6 drivers.

 

[Nulliverse]

@Colinharding: there you go
 
Quote:

great write up.
 
I do enjoy my 5x.  I had to send it in twice for a refit and the last time i was thinking to myself.... was the sound even that good? maybe ill just cut my losses, sell the 5x for half and stick with my W4.  Then i got them back... fit is still not perfect, not even close to my past two customs (one was made at the same lab as the 5x) but its good enough and im sure these refits arent free so Mitch is losing money.  i would like to note, that during the last refit, there was a large scratch along side the face plate.  Mitch knows and looked in to it.  It hurts the look of them, but again, not a huge deal.  Maybe ill just pay myself later down the line to get it reshelled if it bothers me. 
 
in the end, the separation compared to the w4 is awesome.  Sound quality is better than the w4 and the value is great.   i really like the w4 but i havent touched it since the 5x came back.... not sure when ill grab them again.
 
btw, using it with the j3 unamped and silver dragon IEM cable. 

 
I'm sorry to hear about that caracara08. I consider myself lucky not to been faced with such things - having such a great sounding phone fit so poorly must be torture! Also, the acquired scratch sounds like a real bothersome eyesore. What did Mitch have to say?
 
It's interesting that you mention your setup, as I'm also using a J3 + Moon Audio SD cable. What effects are you using, if any? I ask because for the first time I've turned off all BBE enhancements, finding the AUD-5X to excessively exaggerate their properties, which suddenly sound overly synthetic and unbalanced (perhaps linked to the AUD-5Xs sensitivity to poor mixing/mastering?). Subsequently I'm now questioning my source - which without effects could be described as a glorified Clip+ - and am considering downgrading to appease my bruised and beaten wallet.
 
 
Quote:

Fantastic review, Nulliverse.. it gives me a very good idea of what to expect if I order the 5X.

 
Thanks Flysweep - I'm glad it's been useful to you.
 
Quote:

Nulliverse, could you post your impressions regarding note thickness and timbre for these? I'm worried, going from a dynamic driver earphone to a multi-BA setup, that I'll lose some of the natural sound. Specifically, I'm comparing to the JVC FXT90s - no doubt the 5Xs are significantly better in every technical matter, but are they as musical? Also, regarding the treble, are the customs less fatiguing than the JVCs?
Thanks!

 
It's interesting that you mention the FXT90s Nyonya, as they were perhaps my favorite universal, at least in terms of signature. Alas they were sold to fund the AUD-5X, without any regrets I might add. The JVCs offer great clarity due to the boost in the upper mids, compared to the Dreamnearz which offer outstanding clarity through transparency and resolution. The JVCs are much brighter and leaner sounding... but that's not to say that the Dreamearz are warm or bottom heavy, despite having greater thickness of note. I'd say the thickness of note is very natural, making thicker sounding phones such as the SM3 sound dark, muddy and ill-defined.
 
Timbre is a difficult one to comment on without the FXT90s to hand, but looking at notes and going by my current state of awe, I'd say that the AUD-5X sound much more natural, not only through timbre, but through dynamics and conveyance of ambiance (as well as numerous other things). Like you, I came from a largely dynamic background, so had similar reservations about musicality, and even more so cohesion (jumping from 1 driver to 5!?). Initially, the AUD-5X was a little overwhelming, purely due to the drastic increase in separation, resolution and numerous other things. The amount of musical info entering my brain forced me to look at detail after detail... but after my brain adjusted accordingly (4 hours or so), I found the AUD-5Xs to be just as musical as the FXT90s, if not more so, as the musicality is achieved without the sig being nearly as colored as the JVCs.
 
In terms of treble the Dreamearz are many, many times more detailed and articulate, yet also much smoother, and significantly less fatiguing (not that I ever had an issue with the FXT90s).      
 
Quote:Originally Posted by average_joe /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 
Great review; it is great to see a review from a different perspective than mine, thank you for posting it!  One thing I try to get across, and what was surprising for me going to custom IEMs is that they can have so much more capability and do things much better than I imagined was possible.  Of course, that isn't true for all CIEMs, but it is for the aud-5X as you have so eloquently pointed out.

 
Thankyou. And I concur that above all else, the thing that has surprised me most about the AUD-5X is just how much better it is than anything I've previously heard. It's as if it's combined the strengths of all my favorite universals, improved upon them, and done away with the trade-offs. Quite a feat given the price!
 

 

[AlexRoma]

Guys, an important message for those of you, who want a custom earphones in the nearer future !
 
 
Keep your mouth shut from the beginning till the end of the entire impressions setting-up procedure.
 
Using a custom earphone, you are not gonna talk because of the insane isolation levels, you'll need to take them off anyway, so, most of the time, while custom monitors do their job, you're gonna stay with your mouth closed. During a speech, thy ear canal gets larger, so that there is a big chance of getting uncomfortable tight seal in closed-mouth position. In case you've got the wrong seal (too tight or too lean), the sound signature of your earphones may change dramatically, so that a High-End multi-driver Armature Earphone can sound like a 100$ RE-0 or worse (narrow, in-your-head fill, bass shy, sibilant etc).
 
 
Don't forget, custom-made earphones are a kind of a lottery, in which you become rather a winner or a looser. It all depends on your luck, ear impressions and the engineer's personal tastes and hearing. 
You may end up discovering that your hearing is quite different from an average-human hearing, or you need another refit, or may be you don't like the signature in general, but you hope a refit might help you. In the end you spend lots of cash and time just to find out it wasn't you cup of tee from the beginning. 
 
IF you are on a tight budget, also need international shipping and have quite particular music taste, better stick with universals... Think twice before pulling the trigger on custom in general, if your wallet isn't weighty enough. Buying costumes is like buying a pure 100%-silk dress (700$), having seen a studio-made photo only, never having tried it on...
 
Once again, kip your mouth shut the entire impression-modeling procedure, especially if you deal with international shipping fees.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

 

Thankyou. And I concur that above all else, the thing that has surprised me most about the AUD-5X is just how much better it is than anything I've previously heard. It's as if it's combined the strengths of all my favorite universals, improved upon them, and done away with the trade-offs. Quite a feat given the price!

 
I am glad you are enjoying it!  Be sure to let us know what you think as time goes.
 
Quote:

Guys, an important message for those of you, who want a custom earphones in the nearer future !
 
 
Kip your mouth shut from the beginning till the end of the entire impressions setting-up procedure.
 
Using a custom earphone, you are not gonna talk because of the insane isolation levels, you'll need to take them off anyway, so, most of the time, while custom monitors do their job, you're gonna stay with your mouth closed. During a speech, thy ear canal gets larger, so that there is a big chance of getting uncomfortable tight seal in closed-mouth position. In case you've got the wrong seal (too tight or too lean), the sound signature of your earphones may change dramatically, so that a High-End multi-driver Armature Earphone can sound like a 100$ RE-0 or worse (narrow, in-your-head fill, bass shy, sibilant etc).
 
 
Don't forget, custom-made earphones are a kind of a lottery, in which you become rather a winner or a looser. It all depends on your luck, ear impressions and the engineer's personal tastes and hearing. 
You may end up discovering that your hearing is quite different from an average-human hearing, or you need another refit, or may be you don't like the signature in general, but you hope a refit might help you. In the end you spend lots of cash and time just to find out it wasn't you cup of tee from the beginning. 
 
IF you are on a tight budget, also need international shipping and have quite particular music taste, better stick with universals... Think twice before pulling the trigger on custom in general, if your wallet isn't weighty enough. Buying costumes is like buying a pure 100%-silk dress (700$), having seen a studio-made photo only, never having tried it on...
 
Once again, kip your mouth shut the entire impression-modeling procedure, especially if you deal with international shipping fees.

 
I have to say I disagree with you about keeping your mouth shut, unless you are taking impressions for silicone shells.  You should follow the manufacturers instructions as their process will yield the best results when you do as they request.  I have plenty of custom IEMs that I can eat with and not break the seal and they have no discomfort, and I used a 1" bit block for my impressions.  Oh, and I think you mean keep, not kip.
 
I do agree people should buy primarily based off sound signature which is why I have reviewed and compared so many CIEMs, so people can make an educated decision.

 

[Nulliverse]

Quote:

Guys, an important message for those of you, who want a custom earphones in the nearer future !
 
 
Kip your mouth shut from the beginning till the end of the entire impressions setting-up procedure.
 
Using a custom earphone, you are not gonna talk because of the insane isolation levels, you'll need to take them off anyway, so, most of the time, while custom monitors do their job, you're gonna stay with your mouth closed. During a speech, thy ear canal gets larger, so that there is a big chance of getting uncomfortable tight seal in closed-mouth position. In case you've got the wrong seal (too tight or too lean), the sound signature of your earphones may change dramatically, so that a High-End multi-driver Armature Earphone can sound like a 100$ RE-0 or worse (narrow, in-your-head fill, bass shy, sibilant etc).
 
 
Don't forget, custom-made earphones are a kind of a lottery, in which you become rather a winner or a looser. It all depends on your luck, ear impressions and the engineer's personal tastes and hearing. 
You may end up discovering that your hearing is quite different from an average-human hearing, or you need another refit, or may be you don't like the signature in general, but you hope a refit might help you. In the end you spend lots of cash and time just to find out it wasn't you cup of tee from the beginning. 
 
IF you are on a tight budget, also need international shipping and have quite particular music taste, better stick with universals... Think twice before pulling the trigger on custom in general, if your wallet isn't weighty enough. Buying costumes is like buying a pure 100%-silk dress (700$), having seen a studio-made photo only, never having tried it on...
 
Once again, kip your mouth shut the entire impression-modeling procedure, especially if you deal with international shipping fees.

 
Or just hand the audiologist the written instructions provided by Mitch, which state specifically that you should talk or move your jaw as per usual. I appreciate your caution though - people should be mindful about these things before hand.
 
Whilst I agree about luck being involved with first time fit impressions, I disagree about the process being like a lottery, which in effect is purely a gamble, with low odds of a good return. There are factors which increase the chances of a good fit, which A_J covers in detail elsewhere.
 
I think it's good to remind people to be cautious about sigs, and how their personal preferences may not match up to what they read on the screen. In my case, I tapped into the huge resource of reviews on Head-fi, and researched into what matched my preferences. I discovered my preferences by tapping into the trading / loaning community, and trying out most sigs in the universal world. After a whole year of research, I finally felt I that I was in a position where I was totally clear on what I wanted. Only then did I feel comfortable enough to pull the trigger.
 
*Edited for typos

 

[AlexRoma]

Ok, then it all depends on the manufacturer, I suppose.
 
At least, based on my own experience, I have given you my warning.
 
I have followed the part about "normal talk while the impressions is setting-up", and ended up with a uber-tight seal, so tight, that I wasn't able to endure my customs over 30 minutes in closed-mouth position. 
Using international shipping, a warranty refit trip might cost ~ 100$ ...

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Ok, then it all depends on the manufacturer, I suppose.
 
At least, based on my own experience, I have given you my warning.
 
I have followed the part about "normal talk while the impressions is setting-up", and ended up with a uber-tight seal, so tight, that I wasn't able to endure my customs over 30 minutes in closed-mouth position. 
Using international shipping, a warranty refit trip might cost ~ 100$ ...

 
OK, you are basing it on your personal experience, and sorry to hear about the issues and additional cost.  Was it a Dream Earz custom?  In my experience, it is important to follow the manufacturers specific instructions. 

 

[v0nn]

Mitch actually doesn't recommend a bite block but I used it any how. No real problem for me.

 

[bigc23]

Hi Guys,
 
So just to update on my situation.
My review will have to wait a little while as my AUD-5Xs are on their way back to Mitch (Who by the way is one of the nicest guys around, a true gentlemen and amazing with his relentless aim for the upmost quality in his IEMs and customer service)
 
I have discussed this at length with Mitch and we decided a re-fit was in order for my right ear. I picked up on the issue pretty early on, but never had picked up on it before with any other head-phones. When listening to these, because they are so damn good, I think I could really hear the problem. When listening to them, my right ear never quite matched the performance of the left ear, the bass seemed ok, the mids were muddy and the treble was rather flat, no tttttttttt inside my head like with my left ear with the treble. I switched over the cables and tried again and still the right ear was flat and muddy.
 
On further inspection the right IEMs inner ear piece is a fair bit shorter than the left, quite a significant difference really. I have no idea if it was an original impression issue or what but the right ear inner canal piece was shorter by a good margin.
 
Could the fit be the cause of the issue? After visiting the audiologist he had said that my ears are fine and I had no problems there. And after listening to the IEMs through his stethoscope looking things he mentioned the sound signature was pretty good and no problems there, he then went onto say he thought it was more than likely a fit issue. I had another impression done there and then, he took the impressions as deep as I could tollerate and I blocked out the pain for a few seconds as he pushed the foam into place.
 
So having gone through all of this, Mitch and I came to the conclusion a Re-Fit was in order and that is what's going to happen now. I'm not bummed i'm not dissapointed, primarily because Mitch has been there every step of the way making this a painless as possible and doing everything in his power to get them right for me.
 
I thought it would help maybe if anyone here had ever had that happen? uneven sound in either ear, due to a fit issue? Anyone think of any other reason what this could be? The left ear sounds really tight and on point throughout all the ranges, the right ear just sounded muddy in the treble and the mids sounded a little muddy too. The best way for me to describe it is that I get a strongtingle in the back of my head when the treble really goes for it, and I feel none of that in my right ear. Taking out one IEM and listening with one then the other by themselves just shows the problem even more, and using my fiio E17 correcting the imballance, leaves me with a central level of hearing rather than off to the left, only makes the overal sound signature worse. Even when trying to push the IEM in further the sound didnt get better, I couldn't really push it in any further to be honest it fits perfect on the ear and the outside of my ear but iside the ear it feels a little loose and not as tight in there as the left.
 
All opinions are welcome!
 
Can't wait to get these back and write up a full review for y'all
 
Cheers everyone
 
Chris

 

[colinharding]

Man I go on vacation for just a short time and already this thread is exploding with activity!!  Nulliverse, that was a wonderfully articulate review and I'm glad that it echoed a lot of my own feelings toward the Aud-5x.  Everyone seems to be testing out new cables with these phones and I might just have to jump on the band wagon!  I'm still using the stock cable and absolutely loving the sound.  As for the fit issues that some users seem to be having, it doesn't seem that there is a specific root cause that at least I've been able to identify.  Personally, I used the bite block and mine came out fine.  Nulliverse chatted during his impressions and his seemed to have come out fitting like a glove as well.  Not sure what is causing the fit issues for some users, but in parallel with other custom threads, the fit issue seems to be unique in most scenarios and inexplicably prevalent.  I think Chris's case provides evidence for this as I'm not sure I've heard of an imbalance issue before, but more than likely has to do with the fit.  Seems that it would help if someone could explain how the actual phones are made from the impressions.  So far that part has proved a mystery to me.  In any case, Mitch is a wonderfully patient person and will assuredly solve the problem with little stress.  
 
After listening to these for quite some time now I feel like the best way to describe their sound signature is round.  Bear with me here, nothing is harsh nor is it overly warm (but the phones definitely lean toward the warmer side of life) but there is a significant amount of detail that just embellishes the rich musical nature of the phones.  If I just focus on the actual music, the voice, instruments, etc, and not the detail, breathing, the sound of the guitarists fingers on the strings, etc; the overall presentation of the phones is quite round.  I've picked round because the adjective seems to embody that rich, thick, spectral balance these phones have without making their description sound harsh at all.  Kind of reminds me of a cashmere basketball hahaha.  Anyway enough out of me, glad to see that everyone is enjoying the phones thus far.  Please keep us updated on any cable upgrades!!!  
 
ps...any recommendations on where I should start with a new cable?

 

[Mozu]

Aud 5x'es ordered, going for impressions tomorrow, then the painful waiting.

Huge thanks to everyone who's posted their impressions of the Aud 5x - and especially Nulliverse, who was kind enough to answer some questions via PM - making the choice for my first pair of custom IEMs pretty easy in the end.

Fingers crossed for no fit issues.

 

[ChrisSC]

Dream Earz alternate appreciation thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/613186/dream-earz-appreciation-thread#post_8436827
 
Stop by and say hi!

 

[Nulliverse]

Sorry to hear about your issue bigc23. Any progress on this?
 
Quote:

 
After listening to these for quite some time now I feel like the best way to describe their sound signature is round.  Bear with me here, nothing is harsh nor is it overly warm (but the phones definitely lean toward the warmer side of life) but there is a significant amount of detail that just embellishes the rich musical nature of the phones.  If I just focus on the actual music, the voice, instruments, etc, and not the detail, breathing, the sound of the guitarists fingers on the strings, etc; the overall presentation of the phones is quite round.  I've picked round because the adjective seems to embody that rich, thick, spectral balance these phones have without making their description sound harsh at all.  Kind of reminds me of a cashmere basketball hahaha.  Anyway enough out of me, glad to see that everyone is enjoying the phones thus far.  Please keep us updated on any cable upgrades!!!  
 
ps...any recommendations on where I should start with a new cable?

 
And here, Colinharding, you sum up my thoughts regarding the AUD-5X perfectly. "Round" is particularly apt a word! WIth regards to replacable cables, i'd recommend checking out Average_Joes cable thread, which was the basis of my choice - the Moon Audio Silver Dragon. I recall reading about others that paired equally well, but the SD appealed more due to it's relatively low cost and good fitting. I was also very tempted by the Chris_Himself, which is also highly regarded and cheaper still.
 
With new toy syndrome having well and truly worn off, I'd usually expect niggling doubts regarding a sig to come creeping in. Not so with the AUD-5X however. If anything, it's grown on me even more over time. Believe me, I've approached it with a very critical ear, at times actively looking for faults... but have now simply given up, with absolutely no urge to go looking for my next CIEM. The balance achieved here - imo the holy ground between musical and analytical - is seriously impressive. And that's without even mentioning technical proficiency.
 
Going back to what I was saying previous about my current source (J3), I decided to downgrade to a Fuze or Clip+ after the 5X made the J3s stock BBE enhancements sound artificial, and overly colored. That is, until I saw the Rocco BA thread... in which Average_Joe, amongst others, gave impressions which exactly met my criteria. Furthermore, I was lucky enough to find one cheap on the FS forum (many thanks Mython!), so am excited to hear how this pairs with the AUD-5X. Will give impressions in due course!
 
Average_Joe, have you had a chance to try the AUD-5X with the BA yet?