[samandhi]

I wouldn’t straight out say that the 150 is my favorite, it can just do things that I don’t have from other drivers that can be fit into an MX500 shell. The SO, little bio, LCP, and 150ti are all great drivers IMO. Anyone one of them can be the one I want to listen to at the moment. If I absolutely had to pick one, I’d say it’s probably my favorite. I’m actually convinced that SMABAT designs the best overall driver lineup. i wish I had more experience when I was first modding that 150ti. I broke it and never replaced it. I miss it, but I have very little time and money for the hobby right now.

What about the 40ti (stock driver)? Because it was all that I had access too for a time, I got to know it, and I find it to be really good sounding also.

Oh, that sux. Hopefully you can get your hands on another one before they decide to discontinue it?! I think the comparison between this driver and the ST10S will be a heated debate (in my mind only) for some time because I CAN go back and forth with those. I may resign to saying that they are different enough that I can't say one sounds better than the other unless one is looking for specific use cases.

Nice! Yeah, they really did send you the plain pine, no frills 'coffin' box... But that's not where it really matters.

Good thing they sent the carry case inside of it, because that is what I will see more often than the box anyhow.

What they lack in quality of their accessories, they certainly make up for in sound, I can say that for sure! I REALLY wish they had stuck to MMCX for these. I worry that I will have to open them up for cable repair at some point in their life (and so far these seem well worth it IMHO).

 

[syazwaned]

What about the 40ti (stock driver)? Because it was all that I had access too for a time, I got to know it, and I find it to be really good sounding also.

Oh, that sux. Hopefully you can get your hands on another one before they decide to discontinue it?! I think the comparison between this driver and the ST10S will be a heated debate (in my mind only) for some time because I CAN go back and forth with those. I may resign to saying that they are different enough that I can't say one sounds better than the other unless one is looking for specific use cases.

Good thing they sent the carry case inside of it, because that is what I will see more often than the box anyhow.

What they lack in quality of their accessories, they certainly make up for in sound, I can say that for sure! I REALLY wish they had stuck to MMCX for these. I worry that I will have to open them up for cable repair at some point in their life (and so far these seem well worth it IMHO).

In term of bass quantity, is RW2000 is better than Ms2 Pro with Super One Driver?

 

[samandhi]

In term of bass quantity, is RW2000 is better than Ms2 Pro with Super One Driver?

I will have to listen to both against each other to honestly answer that one. I'll try and get to it tomorrow.

 

[samandhi]

Oh, I guess I forgot to include pictures of the Yinman 2.0 by themselves. here are a couple of shots:

Spoiler

 

[syazwaned]

I will have to listen to both against each other to honestly answer that one. I'll try and get to it tomorrow.

thanks appreciate it!

 

[Ronion]

What about the 40ti (stock driver)? Because it was all that I had access too for a time, I got to know it, and I find it to be really good sounding also.

Oh, that sux. Hopefully you can get your hands on another one before they decide to discontinue it?! I think the comparison between this driver and the ST10S will be a heated debate (in my mind only) for some time because I CAN go back and forth with those. I may resign to saying that they are different enough that I can't say one sounds better than the other unless one is looking for specific use cases.

Good thing they sent the carry case inside of it, because that is what I will see more often than the box anyhow.

What they lack in quality of their accessories, they certainly make up for in sound, I can say that for sure! I REALLY wish they had stuck to MMCX for these. I worry that I will have to open them up for cable repair at some point in their life (and so far these seem well worth it IMHO).

I hate to say it because I really like that driver as well, but it’s my least favorite SMABAT driver. It’s the one that sounds most bass shy to me. It’s still a great driver however. It has a huge soundstage and a wide frequency response…. It just doesn’t have the weight that I like in the bass. I would rate the other SMABAT drivers as 8-10 on a 10 scale with an average driver being a 5, but the 40 more like a 6 or a 7.

I keep thinking about buying it. It’s not like it would break me. I just have a lot of expenses at the moment and it seems frivolous as I have a bucket full of buds LOL. It sucks because my memories of that driver are very positive and I know I have a whole other level of skill when it comes to measuring, tuning or even handling drivers at this time and that driver has massive potential. I haven’t even really tuned my other SMABAT drivers yet barring the SO.

 

[ttorbic]

Incoming from @RikudouGoku: Lancer 1 and Saber 1

Nice! I have the Alter Rider 1. What are your impressions of your two Rikubuds?

 

[ttorbic]

Tantalus received, now some days on burn in.

Ooooh you got the Tantalus #001!! Excited to read your impressions about them soon!

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Thank you!

Yes it is and adventure to say the least. Did you get the "puck" style carry case in yours also? And yes, I was looking forward to the cool little box too (though not sure why, it is a box...)

Oh yeah, and I knew I would end up with the higher powered amp card in the end, but I had to try since you were able to get decent sound from a very low power source. I wish my tube amp card had more power to it than a typical SE can provide, but I am thinking the synergy with the setup I am using ATM is "butter".

Well, here I might have to (almost) disagree with you. Take a listen to the song below: Atrey: Dark Prince (Final Cut) (also keep in mind I am listening to it in higher resolution)?! I like to use this song as a test for airyness, separation, bass quantities and textures because there is a whole lot of things going on from low lows to upper lows, and these really resolve well in that area, and there is almost some slam going on there (though it is obvious that it has more mid-bass for thump though). First part is the airy, and separation test. At about 3:26 it kicks into the bass, and then again around 4:40, and then again with another cool derivation at 6:52. Normally I don't like this kind of music at all, but when I heard it through my iBasso IT07s with the DX300, it was absolutely magical and completely justified the $1k I paid for them... LOL I decided to use it as a test track from then on.

And the second song: Zapp & Roger: More Bounce To The Ounce is simply because I noticed there MIGHT actually be a spike around the 1k or a bit lower frequency. Listen for the (old school) fake clap sound. It is the only song where that particular frequency hurt my ears, so it COULD just be that song in general.

No, I did not get the puck carry case but I guess it does make up for that atrocious looking "coffin" as so correctly named by @mt877!

I am pleased that the 2022 - Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE are performing well for you and to your liking as I had a very strong inkling that you would fancy these little wooden flatheads!


Regarding Atrey's Dark Prince... what a marvelous music piece! I actually never heard this before! Thank you for sharing it. Very well mastered with remarkable layering of chords. I bought the entire album immediately upon only a few minutes listening. Was this a soundtrack for a game or something?

I must admit though that on this Dark Prince recording you offered the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE do indeed slam at 4:40 as you offered and most definitely demonstrate their authority in the bass resolution department. So no disagreement but a rather enlightening observation you have made! Thank you.


Bass impact can be a difficult one to judge sometimes especially with flathead earbuds. To me bass impact really requires that the golden three: depth, punch, and slam maintain their strength and presentation across all the lower frequencies... something that open-air earbuds and open-back headphones have difficulty accomplishing in comparison to IEMs, closed-backs, or full size speakers. I probably should have been a tad more specific and said:

"the bass is far from IEM-level slamming it is still rather present, extraordinarily deep, and extremely detailed making the overall bass resolution and presentation quite remarkable without any bleed into the midrange which is remarkable."​

​

An excellent recording to use for showcasing bass impact is Daniel Deluxe's Star Eater... now the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE have absolutely no problem reproducing the bass depth and detail of this recording but they are struggling to maintain the slam and punch. Throw on a pair of mediocre IEMs or go two-channel and you will immediately understand what I mean. Another recording is Grorr's Ddulden Dreams Beyond the Peak @ 0:55 the gong sound is lacking the sustained impact (especially punch) with the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE but again the bass resolution is making up for it big time!

​

Regarding Zapp & Roger's More Bounce... I think due to both my aging ears and partial hearing loss in the upper half frequencies I am not hearing that spike or sibilance at 1K... thankfully so as I am horribly sensitive to bright, sibilant, fatiguing treble in general. I tried a few other 80s New Wave Funk recordings that have that same and sometimes rather annoying "fake clap" and also do not hear any 1K spike on the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE. Though it could very well be there and your younger, healthier ears are indeed catching it. We will need to be mindful to offer this 1K spike as a possible con for some listeners.

 

[yaps66]

Nice! I have the Alter Rider 1. What are your impressions of your two Rikubuds?

I really have not had time to listen to them without any distractions but out of the box, they are different. The Lancer is more bright neutral and the Saber is more U-shaped warm centric. My preference is for the Saber as I do like a warmer presentation. Both scale well. I will be burning-in both after I have freed up some space for two other buds that are currently burning-in!

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Tantalus received, now some days on burn in.

Ooooh you got the Tantalus #001!! Excited to read your impressions about them soon!

Awesome! My MMCX version of the Tantalus should be here any day now. Looking forward to comparing our findings with one another

 

[WoodyLuvr]

FiiO's new 'drum head' bass tech sounds pretty good to me with the FF3's. The upcoming FF5's might even be better? I guess we won't know until they come out.

Indeed I am too very much looking forward to the FF5 as it is rumored that FiiO has solved some of the fatigue and timbre issues exhibited by the EM5. Even more importantly the FF5 is supposed to be tuned as an all-rounder. Hoping that these rumors are true in all regards and keeping my fingers double crossed for FiiO that there are no QA/QC issues like they had with the EM5. FiiO has had some really stellar products in the past and generally treat their customers extremely well so I think they deserve some good fortune in regards to the FF5.

The FiiO EM5 is a nicely performing and great sounding earbud but they have had some concerning QA/QC issues which do seem to have been fully rectified by FiiO (FiiO is actually very good at responding to such problems so not surprised if they have been fully solved and corrected). The FiiO EM5, like the Moondrop Chaconne, is not an all-rounder per se but rather a one or two-trick pony. It is wonderful for specific music genres and/or preference'd signature tastes but will fail miserably for all-use purposes. It is most definitely a nice accompanying earbud to have in your collection for specific roles. Also, those hyper-sensitive to certain peaks in the upper midrange and treble may find the EM5 fatiguing as it may exhibit some "bright" and "aggressive" secondary sound characteristics especially with longer listening sessions and with specific music genres and certain recordings. I really liked them though but personally found them quite fatiguing and a little lacking in timbre compared to some other God-Tier models.

 

[foniak]

How often do you clean your earpods or change the foams? Im happy with the yincrows x6, but I use them so much that the foam is already pretty used, I dont want to get an infection or some bacteria, how do you cleans the foam, or should I just use a new one each month or something? I was considering an UV box thing but these things release ozone so I'll pass. Putting them in water with soap im not sure, may destroy the foam. What is the best method?

 

[samandhi]

No, I did not get the puck carry case but I guess it does make up for that atrocious looking "coffin" as so correctly named by @mt877!

Sorry to hear that, because actually the case is pretty nice. I like it alot!

I am pleased that the 2022 - Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE are performing well for you and to your liking as I had a very strong inkling that you would fancy these little wooden flatheads!

You were sort of right. Fancy them? I am in love with them. These are brilliant. I can hear everything without having to try really hard, but they are smooth enough to not sound thin or fatiguing. I kid you not, I have had these in my ears since I got them yesterday (including sleeping, where they DID fall out after I fell asleep).

Regarding Atrey's Dark Prince... what a marvelous music piece! I actually never heard this before! Thank you for sharing it. Very well mastered with remarkable layering of chords. I bought the entire album immediately upon only a few minutes listening. Was this a soundtrack for a game or something?

Yes, I thought so as well, and as was mentioned in my previous post, I don't normally like that type of music as well as other genres generally. I am not sure if it was a soundtrack for something, but they have other albums (from looking them up on Amazon Music HD). This particular album was introduced to me by our good friend miserybeforethemusic.

I must admit though that on this Dark Prince recording you offered the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE do indeed slam at 4:40 as you offered and most definitely demonstrate their authority in the bass resolution department. So no disagreement but a rather enlightening observation you have made! Thank you.

You are welcome! And you are right also, in that they don't maintain the slam unless it is REALLY present in the mix (which it is here).

Bass impact can be a difficult one to judge sometimes especially with flathead earbuds. To me bass impact really requires that the golden three: depth, punch, and slam maintain their strength and presentation across all the lower frequencies... something that open-air earbuds and open-back headphones have difficulty accomplishing in comparison to IEMs, closed-backs, or full size speakers. I probably should have been a tad more specific and said:

"the bass is far from IEM-level slamming it is still rather present, extraordinarily deep, and extremely detailed making the overall bass resolution and presentation quite remarkable without any bleed into the midrange which is remarkable."An excellent recording to use for showcasing bass impact is Daniel Deluxe's Star Eater... now the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE have absolutely no problem reproducing the bass depth and detail of this recording but they are struggling to maintain the slam and punch. Throw on a pair of mediocre IEMs or go two-channel and you will immediately understand what I mean. Another recording is Grorr's Ddulden Dreams Beyond the Peak @ 0:55 the gong sound is lacking the sustained impact (especially punch) with the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE but again the bass resolution is making up for it big time!

I listened to both suggestions (good songs btw, thanks for the rec), and you are, of course correct. But as you also stated, they have such good resolution and reach so low that most times it just doesn't matter. The fact that these have quantity AND resolution in the lower end is amazing to me.

Regarding Zapp & Roger's More Bounce... I think due to both my aging ears and partial hearing loss in the upper half frequencies I am not hearing that spike or sibilance at 1K... thankfully so as I am horribly sensitive to bright, sibilant, fatiguing treble in general. I tried a few other 80s New Wave Funk recordings that have that same and sometimes rather annoying "fake clap" and also do not hear any 1K spike on the Longyao-Yinman 2.0 600 LE. Though it could very well be there and your younger, healthier ears are indeed catching it. We will need to be mindful to offer this 1K spike as a possible con for some listeners.

I suppose I need to qualify deficiencies I might hear in any future (mini) reviews I write with listening levels, because this phenomenon is a victim of the Munson curve. It really is only present when I am at louder than normal volumes (I listen mostly at 60-80dB). The strange part is that no other song I have heard at those volumes does it except this one (so far)....

Also know that I am very sensitive in the presence region (not treble though, I'm deaf past 12K). This is why it has been hard to get used to the Smabat, and Maria II buds of the world. It has made me lower my listening levels with these (30-60dB)...

On another note, I would like to hear more of your thoughts regarding these?! I know you said you like them, but how do they compare against your (thousands of) buds you have had in your ears, for instance?

 

[samandhi]

I hate to say it because I really like that driver as well, but it’s my least favorite SMABAT driver. It’s the one that sounds most bass shy to me. It’s still a great driver however. It has a huge soundstage and a wide frequency response…. It just doesn’t have the weight that I like in the bass. I would rate the other SMABAT drivers as 8-10 on a 10 scale with an average driver being a 5, but the 40 more like a 6 or a 7.

I keep thinking about buying it. It’s not like it would break me. I just have a lot of expenses at the moment and it seems frivolous as I have a bucket full of buds LOL. It sucks because my memories of that driver are very positive and I know I have a whole other level of skill when it comes to measuring, tuning or even handling drivers at this time and that driver has massive potential. I haven’t even really tuned my other SMABAT drivers yet barring the SO.

Very interesting! Though, now that I have heard them (all but the 32 Ohm), I can't say I disagree with you.

Oh, I totally get you there. I probably have way too much head gear laying around to not seem like I am frivolous. I keep telling my wife that I have all the different ones because they all sound a bit different (which they do), and she simply looks at me as if to say "yeah right".

So, what driver do you have (perma) installed on the M2s Pro if you are using the other drivers in an MX shell?