"Ear Kegs" - MusicMaker Phantom III / Shockwave III appreciation & impressions
Feb 27, 2016 at 2:45 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 1,906

Skullophile

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http://www.head-fi.org/products/musicmaker-phantom-iii-shockwave-iii#

So far two H-fi reviews and a GoldenEar review

http://www.golden-ear.net/#!Review-MusicMaker-ShockWave-III-5-Driver-Hybrid-1DD-4BA/cmbz/573cfe320cf2817e4ba12376

Twin says it best even if you don't believe in burn in. Do it anyways.

"The recommended burn in is a HUGE 350 Hours. According to many reviews on Tao Bao this is the point at which they Mature, and from my own experience it's true. You can actually hear the changes as they progress. Mine have +500 hours on them now. The Sub Bass is the lowest extension I have heard on any IEM to date. (of course I haven't heard ALL of them but....). It rivals my home theater Sub. They also have Bass, but because they have a crossover network inside them, the Bass is only apparent when it's present in your source music. It's not a consumer oriented enhanced bass like many of the IEMs from China." -TwinAcStacks


I got the MusicMaker Phantom III / Shockwave III and after some tip rolling and burn in I have them under control. At first there was a very large spike in the upper mids causing sibilance galore but now that has been tamed and these puppies sing like nothing else I've heard. Wide bore tips opened them up and made all the difference to the spike. (Medium bore tips shouldn't be included with these). The Phantom III is wider and taller sounding than their little brother, the MusicMaker TK12 (which is already massive) and there is much more detail in the mids and highs and better extension to boot. Bass is colossal and might make this more of a basshead phone but although I am more of a treble head its quality can't be faulted to my ears. Treble is well extended and detailed, no polite roll-off like the little brother. Mids are well centered and brimming with detail, resolution levels on par with the T-Peos H300.

Tone is similar to their little brother, mids and highs don't have too much warmth. Just right and natural sounding to me. Bass is huge but not sloppy at all. The 11mm dynamic sounds enhanced as though the bass player turned his amp up a few notches above the rest of the band. Mids and highs are very clear while being thick of note and convey an amazing amount of detail.

More people have these on the way like TwinAcStacks for one so we will see how he and they feel about the sound of this monster.
In the meantime I'll keep posting impressions from my fiio X5 and O2 amp.
 
Feb 27, 2016 at 6:23 PM Post #2 of 1,906
:grinning: Wow. I can't wait. I'm betting it contines to get better with more use. Remember it's brand-new and notoriously tough to break in.

Happy dance, Happy dance...

:grinning::grinning: TWIN
 
Feb 27, 2016 at 9:30 PM Post #3 of 1,906
Subscribing, even though probably above my budget. I know they don't include a mic on highest end IEMs, but darn it, I'd probably pull the trigger if they did. I'm willing to wait months to see if they offer the option.
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 3:38 AM Post #4 of 1,906
http://www.head-fi.org/products/musicmaker-phantom-iii-shockwave-iii# got the MusicMaker Phantom III / Shockwave III and after some tip rolling and burn in I have them under control. At first there was a very large spike in the upper mids causing sibilance galore but now that has been tamed and these puppies sing like nothing else I've heard. Wide bore tips opened them up and made all the difference to the spike. (Medium bore tips shouldn't be included with these). The Phantom III is wider and taller sounding than their little brother, the MusicMaker TK12 (which is already massive) and there is much more detail in the mids and highs and better extension to boot. Bass is colossal and might make this more of a basshead phone but although I am more of a treble head its quality can't be faulted to my ears. Treble is well extended and detailed, no polite roll-off like the little brother. Mids are well centered and brimming with detail, resolution levels on par with the T-Peos H300.

Tone is similar to their little brother, mids and highs don't have too much warmth. Just right and natural sounding to me. Bass is huge but not sloppy at all. The 11mm dynamic sounds enhanced as though the bass player turned his amp up a few notches above the rest of the band. Mids and highs are very clear while being thick of note and convey an amazing amount of detail.

More people have these on the way like Actwinstacks for one so we will see how he and they feel about the sound of this monster.
In the meantime I'll keep posting impressions from my fiio X5 and O2 amp.

How is the upper midrange and treble compared to the DQSM? 
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 3:40 AM Post #5 of 1,906
How is the upper midrange and treble compared to the DQSM? 

And thanks for impressions. 
etysmile.gif
 
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 6:53 AM Post #6 of 1,906
I'm really interested in this IEM, but the price is quite high for me...I've never spent that much money on any piece of audio equipment.
That's why I'm torn between these and the MusicMaker TK12...is the upgrade in SQ worth 130$ over the tk12's price?
 
Thanks 
smily_headphones1.gif
 
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 9:46 AM Post #7 of 1,906
And thanks for impressions. :etysmile:  
The Phantoms initial spike has settled down. In a 2 hour listening session I only heard sibilance a few times and it was pretty mild. And the response is pretty smooth other than the bass making it seem v shaped. The stage of the phantom is so much bigger than the dqsm and it spreads out the details making them easier to pick out. Resolution of the phantom makes the dqsm sound muffled, huge difference there. Dqsm sounds two dimensional compared to the holographic phantom. And to answer the question, yes to my ears the Phantoms treble and upper mids crush the Dqsm. You can hear a lot more detail and there is way more instrument separation.
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 9:50 AM Post #8 of 1,906
  I'm really interested in this IEM, but the price is quite high for me...I've never spent that much money on any piece of audio equipment.
That's why I'm torn between these and the MusicMaker TK12...is the upgrade in SQ worth 130$ over the tk12's price?
 
Thanks 
smily_headphones1.gif
 

cool.gif
gecko, from what Skull has told me it's absolutely worth it. Although the TK12 is Stellar, this one is supposed to have a different plane of existence. I certainly hope so. I'm the OTHER person who was so impressed with the TK12's performance that I popped the $$$ for the Shockwave III (Phantom III is the old name). Unseen, Unheard.
 
I'm betting it's everything we think it will be.
 
IF you decide to order the Shockwave OR the TK12 don't forget to message Easy at his Easy Earphones store on Aliexpress inform him you are a Head-Fi member and see what kind of discounts he will offer, BEFORE you buy it. The TK12 is not on his Store yet. Mr. Z is making some new colors for him exclusively. It will be under new arrivals shortly.
 
beerchug.gif
beerchug.gif
TWIN
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 9:51 AM Post #9 of 1,906
I'm really interested in this IEM, but the price is quite high for me...I've never spent that much money on any piece of audio equipment.
That's why I'm torn between these and the MusicMaker TK12...is the upgrade in SQ worth 130$ over the tk12's price?

Thanks :)  
After spending two days with the Phantom III it's becoming obvious that for me they are worth the extra money. If you got the TK12 you'd end up ordering the Phantom.
But if you went straight for the Phantom the Tk12 would only be needed if you wanted a more casual listening iem.

Wait for reviews on the Phantom is the best way to go.
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 9:55 AM Post #10 of 1,906
After spending two days with the Phantom III it's becoming obvious that for me they are worth the extra money. If you got the TK12 you'd end up ordering the Phantom.
But if you went straight for the Phantom the Tk12 would only be needed if you wanted a more casual listening iem.

Wait for reviews on the Phantom is the best way to go.

beerchug.gif
YOU review it first. I can't take the pressure of waiting then immediately reviewing it....
 
I'm older. I'm gonna have to nap after delivery.
ksc75smile.gif

 
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
TWIN
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:02 PM Post #12 of 1,906
Oh boy, hype train leaving the station.
 
 
 
 

 
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:37 PM Post #13 of 1,906
After spending two days with the Phantom III it's becoming obvious that for me they are worth the extra money. If you got the TK12 you'd end up ordering the Phantom.
But if you went straight for the Phantom the Tk12 would only be needed if you wanted a more casual listening iem.

Wait for reviews on the Phantom is the best way to go.

You're right, I'll wait for some reviews before deciding.
But now I'm already more inclined towards the Shockwave 3 :D

:cool: gecko, from what Skull has told me it's absolutely worth it. Although the TK12 is Stellar, this one is supposed to have a different plane of existence. I certainly hope so. I'm the OTHER person who was so impressed with the TK12's performance that I popped the $$$ for the Shockwave III (Phantom III is the old name). Unseen, Unheard.

I'm betting it's everything we think it will be.

IF you decide to order the Shockwave OR the TK12 don't forget to message Easy at his Easy Earphones store on Aliexpress inform him you are a Head-Fi member and see what kind of discounts he will offer, BEFORE you buy it. The TK12 is not on his Store yet. Mr. Z is making some new colors for him exclusively. It will be under new arrivals shortly.

:beerchug: :beerchug: TWIN

Thanks for the tip, I'll certainly do that :)
 
Feb 28, 2016 at 4:34 PM Post #14 of 1,906
Feb 28, 2016 at 6:42 PM Post #15 of 1,906
Hi all, this is my first post after lurking and learning on these threads for about a year. I have made many purchases starting with The various KZ's and up to the recently ordered HckA2 that I ordered from Teresa last week and are on their way. I made these purchases based on info from the members here and am very Grateful for the wealth of knowledge and information. I am a musician and a lover of music more than an audiophile but my tastes have moved towards more balanced sound with clear and detailed sound. I now feel confident enough to share some information so that I can help someone else like I have been helped, although I am far from 100 percent on the linguo.lol. So bear with me and when my A2's arrive I will try and share me experience with them.Thanks for allowing me to participate in your community.
 

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