[Sam L]

gonna post observations as I go along with my critical listening of the Smabat s-10s, Datura Pro and Fiio EM5. (LOL... my shameless approach to getting to supremus status. I'm almost there!)

This is going to be a bit more involving than I anticipated because I don't listen to most of my buds with stock tuning anymore. There is really only a small handful that I can tolerate w/ stock tuning. Regarding the Smabat s-10s black/silver version, there's an obnoxious notch at 9k that really is quite destructive to the overall sound quality. I suspect that it isn't there with the higher impedance black/gold version. I didn't notice it previously that much since I only listen to my Smabat with correction.

I'm definitely going to have to eventually pick up the black/gold version one of these days...

 

[mtl171]

I want to know how it compares to the equalized datura pro.

I only have the Smabat ST-10s black/gold, though I have been listening to the Datura Pros EQ'ed over the past week. Like BaskingShark said, the black/gold is neutralish with a warm tilt. I do find it to have suprisingly good bass extension and enough upper bass to warm up male vocals. Mids are a bit rolled off near the upper end and turning up the volume just results in treble piercing your eardrum (with full foams). In this way, it kind of reminds me of the HD650 with tighter bass when listened to at a normal volume (granted the HD650 doesnt have a treble spike).

The EQ'ed Datura Pros remind me more of Etymotics ER4XR. On SamL's neutral preset, you still keep the mids/treble the Datura were praised for but you also gain back enough upper bass/mid bass to make things sound right. It definitely does lean more colder, and I ended up EQing in more bass for pop music. Though I'd hardly say they're bass deficient (but I'm more of a trouble head). Oh and the EQ'ed Datura Pros on default handle volume adjustments much better as theres no sudden treble spike.

gonna post observations as I go along with my critical listening of the Smabat s-10s, Datura Pro and Fiio EM5. (LOL... my shameless approach to getting to supremus status. I'm almost there!)

This is going to be a bit more involving than I anticipated because I don't listen to most of my bud with stock tuning anymore. There is really only a small handful that I can tolerate w/ stock tuning. Regarding the Smabat s-10s black/silver version, there's an obnoxious notch at 9k that really is quite destructive to the overall sound quality. I suspect that it isn't there with the higher impedance black/gold version. I didn't notice it previously that much since I only listen to my Smabat with correction.

I'm definitely going to have to eventually pick up the black/gold version one of these days...

They were half price on AliExpress for a while! Though reading some of these last few posts, I wonder if I shouldve got the Yincrow RW2000...

 

[Sam L]

more smabat s-10s black silver ramblings as I work through my library with stock tuning...

I am absolutely certain the single, glaring issue with the stock tuning is the 9k notch. Because of it, snares sound lifeless, staging suffers and piano timbre is affected in the upper registers of the instrument. Violin timbre is also affected noticeably, particularly e string notes.

 

[Sam L]

Smabat s-10s silver owners, who don't run my compensation file, just do this and your buds will sound 3x better:

 

[baskingshark]

more smabat s-10s black silver ramblings as I work through my library with stock tuning...

I am absolutely certain the single, glaring issue with the stock tuning is the 9k notch. Because of it, snares sound lifeless, staging suffers and piano timbre is affected in the upper registers of the instrument. Violin timbre is also affected noticeably, particularly e string notes.

I don't have the Black Silver, but my Black Gold doesn't have a 9 Khz area peak. Black Gold does have a peak around the 2 khz area. I find this peak can get hot with poorly recorded materials for trumpets for example, or with louder volumes (fletcher munson curve), but by and large it isn't shouty with normal listening volumes or with good material, and assuming adequate power is fed in the source.

Timbre for the Black Gold is quite good, better than the SMABAT ST10 predecessor, but I've heard better timbre in some other single DD IEMs/earbuds. Technicalities are really very good in the Black Gold, though I haven't tried anything more expensive than it, so perhaps TOTL buds may still trump it in this area.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Regarding the Smabat s-10s black/silver version, there's an obnoxious notch at 9k that really is quite destructive to the overall sound quality. I suspect that it isn't there with the higher impedance black/gold version. I didn't notice it previously that much since I only listen to my Smabat with correction.

I'm definitely going to have to eventually pick up the black/gold version one of these days...

Regarding my Black-Golds I don't hear any sibilance or brightness or lack thereof at 9kHz or really anywhere in the upper treble region for that matter... though I do suffer some hearing loss which effects the middle range (~275 Hz to ~1500 Hz) and middle treble (~4000 Hz). Though there are many that experience some achy high treble with the Black-Gold so I might not have the hearing capacity to catch it... lucky me.

 

[Sam L]

I don't have the Black Silver, but my Black Gold doesn't have a 9 Khz area peak. Black Gold does have a peak around the 2 khz area. I find this peak can get hot with poorly recorded materials for trumpets for example, or with louder volumes (fletcher munson curve), but by and large it isn't shouty with normal listening volumes or with good material, and assuming adequate power is fed in the source.

Timbre for the Black Gold is quite good, better than the SMABAT ST10 predecessor, but I've heard better timbre in some other single DD IEMs/earbuds. Technicalities are really very good in the Black Gold, though I haven't tried anything more expensive than it, so perhaps TOTL buds may still trump it in this area.

The silver has the same 2k peak you're describing with the gold version. The 9k issue I'm describing is a gigantic notch (valley/trough). I think it's clear that the gold version is a much better bud than the silver one.

 

[jogawag]

Regarding my Black-Golds I don't hear any sibilance or brightness or lack thereof at 9kHz or really anywhere in the upper treble region for that matter... though I do suffer some hearing loss which effects the middle range (~275 Hz to ~1500 Hz) and middle treble (~4000 Hz). Though there are many that experience some achy high treble with the Black-Gold so I might not have the hearing capacity to catch it... lucky me.

As reference: smabat st-10s silver retune vs gold

 

[mtl171]

I don't have the Black Silver, but my Black Gold doesn't have a 9 Khz area peak. Black Gold does have a peak around the 2 khz area. I find this peak can get hot with poorly recorded materials for trumpets for example, or with louder volumes (fletcher munson curve), but by and large it isn't shouty with normal listening volumes or with good material, and assuming adequate power is fed in the source.

Timbre for the Black Gold is quite good, better than the SMABAT ST10 predecessor, but I've heard better timbre in some other single DD IEMs/earbuds. Technicalities are really very good in the Black Gold, though I haven't tried anything more expensive than it, so perhaps TOTL buds may still trump it in this area.

Welp that explains a lot. I guess this calls for some EQing and yet another reason click buy on that Dayton imm6 I have sitting in my amazon cart.

As reference: smabat st-10s silver retune vs gold

Oh yikes. That peak is sharper then I expected :O

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Could someone offer a basic EQ correction for the Black-Gold then... I be very interested in seeing that.

 

[Sam L]

As reference: smabat st-10s silver retune vs gold

Interesting.... There's a concept that I'm going to call the "10k to 1k margin" that is healthier with the gold than the silver. I'm not sure what the proper nomenclature is, but with headphones and iems the 10khz value should be roughly in the same area as the 1khz reading. My current thinking, as I consider version 1.6 target, is that buds can be more forgiving, just as long as the differential is within 3-7dB when comparing 1k and 10k.

With your graph, the silver verison's 10k terminal point is a good -20dB from 1k, which is detrimental. My graph is a bit different, but highlights things similarly. Your Smabat silver reading has a significant valley at 8k, which is what I'm hearing with my unit as well. I'll probably have to break out my measuring rig, double check calibration and re-measure my smabat silver's again.

@jogawag is your reading an average of both sides? How many re-seats did you do per side? Re-seat = taking the bud off the coupler and putting it back on for measurement.

 

[Sam L]

Could someone offer a basic EQ correction for the Black-Gold then... I be very interested in seeing that.

I can compile a correction off of jogawag's graph, either by plotting his graph or if he sends me his arta file. I'm a little hesitant to generate compensation files because his post 10k reading is absent a resonant point for iec711 couplers. @jogawag what coupler are you using?

**edit** @cenizas' rig outputs results nearly identical to mine. @cenizas do you have measurements for the Smabat s-10s Black Gold?

 

[jogawag]

@jogawag is your reading an average of both sides? How many re-seats did you do per side? Re-seat = taking the bud off the coupler and putting it back on for measurement.

I can compile a correction off of jogawag's graph, either by plotting his graph or if he sends me his arta file. I'm a little hesitant to generate compensation files because his post 10k reading is absent a resonant point for iec711 couplers. @jogawag what coupler are you using?

**edit** @cenizas' rig outputs results nearly identical to mine. @cenizas do you have measurements for the Smabat s-10s Black Gold?

Sorry, this FR graph was measured by @ClieOS. I do not have the Smabat s-10s Black Gold...

 

[furyossa]

How about using other drivers, such as one of the DIY models with modular parts and an M2Pro shell. Has anyone tried it?
I wonder if the M2 Pro shell provides adequate conditions for any driver and not just for silver and gold type from their offer?

 

[Sam L]

anyone know who runs this site?

https://hiendportable.com/

Curious if he/she is on headfi. I want to get more info on the measurement rig used for their graph of the Smabat s-10s silver