[mt877]

First on the market? I think Smabat st20 pro is dual driver too. also other older double driver.

Capture from this most excellent document: WoodyLuvr's Flathead Corner, in @WoodyLuvr we trust!

EDIT: Check out this archive of the DUNU-TOPSOUND ALPHA 1 webpage from Jan. 26, 2015 (Courtesy of archive.org). The Smabat ST20 Pro was introduced to the world in 2022.

 

[harishl20]

Got my very first newbsound buds and both phenomenal ones.
They look and sound great. I need to spend considerable time to give an impression but to begin with both are very positive sound wise(for me). They also smell great lol.

Newb50 - Energetic last child

Newb50 is very fun sounding, deep sub bass, punchy mid bass, forward mids and sparkly treble. I would say these are like W shaped curve. Engaging and treble got good bite.

Jester - Calm and composed big brother

Jester feels relaxed when compared to newb50. They've slightly bigger stage and the mids are tiny bit pushed back than its sibling(still forward mids). So far the lower end is similar to newb50 - deep and punchy bass, mids as said earlier is forward yet relaxed. Both the buds have clean mids free from bloat n bleed(love such tuning). Treble is where i find bigger difference, these are relaxed yet have good extension. These are not as bitey as newb50.

 

[sofastreamer]

That exposed BA driver is pretty badass. That said, I have not been a fan of BA drivers in IEMs, they always sound a bit artificial to me. I'm VERY curious to see what they'd be like in an earbud, but at the same time I'm honestly pretty skeptical

i am not a fan of hybrid iems because of a lot of things. but there are some all ba implementations with exceptional timbre. the not so hyped anymore ultimate ears guys for example do a pretty good job in realistic timbre.

 

[sofastreamer]

Interesting about hating vocal. Can you share some playlist or recommendations on music you listen to?

maybe hating was too harsh. but most of the time it annoys me. so my music consists like this: 50% large classical orchestra, mostly symphonies with very well recorded spatial informations, like https://listen.tidal.com/album/76289433

about the other half is a mix of epic soundtracks like for example the Transformers OSTs and electronic Music, mostly Deep Drum and Bass, some Liquid Drum and Bass and calmer electronical music like carbon based lifeforms, Koan, Kruder & Dorfmeister and the likes. The last genre in the mix is jazz like Cinematic Orchestra, Hidden Orchstra, Portico Quartet, Bersarin Quartet etc.

Hope that helps

 

[sofastreamer]

You kind of sound like me. I use the Iris 2.0s—later the Iris Ancestor since it has a mic that I can instantly identify as being on the right side for convenience—and 90–95% of my music is instrumental. About the bloated bass, do you use foams? I feel like I'm one of the minorities that use earbuds bare.

nice read! are there sonical differences in the Ancestor?
Yes, i use the full foams, that came with it.

 

[sofastreamer]

Capture from this most excellent document: WoodyLuvr's Flathead Corner, in @WoodyLuvr we trust!

EDIT: Check out this archive of the DUNU-TOPSOUND ALPHA 1 webpage from Jan. 26, 2015 (Courtesy of archive.org). The Smabat ST20 Pro was introduced to the world in 2022.

thank you, interesting, i own the listed 1more but also have another 1more, which has two dynamic drivers if i remember correctly. it is similar but darker tuned, than the other one and the flat side looks like rims.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

thank you, interesting, i own the listed 1more but also have another 1more, which has two dynamic drivers if i remember correctly. it is similar but darker tuned, than the other one and the flat side looks like rims.

Yes, 1MORE (XiaoMi) offered(s) a few different multi-driver IEMs... the Dual Driver EO323 (Graphene Dynamic + Balanced Armature), Triple Driver E1001 (HD Hybrid 3-way = 16mm Dynamic + 2 x Balanced Armature); and the Quad Driver E1010 / 1MEJE0032 (PET Diamond Carbon Dynamic + 3 x Balanced Armature).

 

[baskingshark]

First on the market? I think Smabat st20 pro is dual driver too. also other older double driver.

Capture from this most excellent document: WoodyLuvr's Flathead Corner, in @WoodyLuvr we trust!

EDIT: Check out this archive of the DUNU-TOPSOUND ALPHA 1 webpage from Jan. 26, 2015 (Courtesy of archive.org). The Smabat ST20 Pro was introduced to the world in 2022.

Haven't heard the Alpha 1, but the Smabat ST20 Pro was an epic fail.

Yes the added BA in the ST20 Pro gives improved technical performance (like better micro-detailing, soundstage etc), but it made the earbuds huge as hell, and thus fit became an issue, with the ST20 Pro dropping out of the ears frequently. Secondly, the BA was a icepick in the ears at the 3 kHz region. This earbud is not usable without EQ, and I tried various ways to salvage it (like positioning, different foam combinations, sources etc). It was one of my most expensive purchases, but a big flop.

No doubt I would like earbud tech to innovate and try more funky drivers, but there's a reason why most earbuds generally still use single DD, these are easier to tune (and are cheaper too) than exotic drivers.

 

[Cheesebuggah]

nice read! are there sonical differences in the Ancestor?

Yes, none that I believe will be favorable to you. Using no foams, the Ancestors are more mid-forward, bass heavy, and slightly less detailed. It became a timbral issue without foams on the Iris 2.0 but I appreciated the better separation and soundstage. In the end, I would likely agree with Rikuodougoku's ratings between those two.

 

[ksb643]

Got my very first newbsound buds and both phenomenal ones.
They look and sound great. I need to spend considerable time to give an impression but to begin with both are very positive sound wise(for me). They also smell great lol.

Newb50 - Energetic last child

Newb50 is very fun sounding, deep sub bass, punchy mid bass, forward mids and sparkly treble. I would say these are like W shaped curve. Engaging and treble got good bite.

Jester - Calm and composed big brother


Jester feels relaxed when compared to newb50. They've slightly bigger stage and the mids are tiny bit pushed back than its sibling(still forward mids). So far the lower end is similar to newb50 - deep and punchy bass, mids as said earlier is forward yet relaxed. Both the buds have clean mids free from bloat n bleed(love such tuning). Treble is where i find bigger difference, these are relaxed yet have good extension. These are not as bitey as newb50.

Nice! My Rocket will ship Tuesday.

 

[harishl20]

Nice! My Rocket will ship Tuesday.

That's awesome. Still contemplating if i should rocket as well.

 

[anli]

Are there some traditions in flathead specs? Say, what is "max power"? For example, Yincrow Calf specs say:

- power 5 mW
- distortions < 1%
- max power 20 mW

I guess 5 mW is a power when distortions are still below 1%. And what is max power? Is it a threshold above which buds starts to irreversibly destroy? Or what?

Also sensitivity units are often not complete (say, "109 dB"). Does it mean per mW?

 

[samandhi]

Are there some traditions in flathead specs? Say, what is "max power"? For example, Yincrow Calf specs say:

- power 5 mW
- distortions < 1%
- max power 20 mW

I guess 5 mW is a power when distortions are still below 1%. And what is max power? Is it a threshold above which buds starts to irreversibly destroy? Or what?

Input power directly relates to the sensitivity of a pair of earbuds, and isn’t necessarily a specification carried by the earbuds themselves. Sometimes, earbud makers give two values — a “rated” input power, and a maximum input power. The maximum is technically the amount of power you can deliver to a pair of earbuds without damaging them, however you probably won’t even want to get near that maximum input power. At that level you will most certainly damage your hearing, as well as the buds themselves. And you will know it because the buds will distort.

When I was younger, I had a little rack stereo, and I decided to cut the connector off my (ON ear) headphones; you know the kind that had foams just like earbuds?! Anyhow, I connected them to the "A" speaker out on my rack stereo.... Boy did those get really loud! The problem was that before I could go deaf (thankfully), they burned out... It wasn't until much later that I figured out why. hahaha (that is a very true story, and while they lasted, they sounded the best they ever had).

The rated input power, on the other hand, gives you an idea of the best level of power to deliver the earbuds to achieve their best sound (in theory).

Generally speaking, headphone power specifications are very broad estimates, so they’re sometimes somewhat meaningless. So, I normally don't really even pay attention to those numbers, as they aren't absolute numbers, but instead are a "derived" number (on paper).

The most important numbers are the impedance (given in Ohms) and the sensitivity (given in SPL). THD is also an important number. But keep in mind, that if they have shown it as less than one, that is also very generic because most head gear nowadays is less than one (it is normally always in decimals), and at .99999% this is not a good number at all for a bud. But technically it IS less than 1%.

 

[anli]

Input power directly relates to the sensitivity of a pair of earbuds, and isn’t necessarily a specification carried by the earbuds themselves. Sometimes, earbud makers give two values — a “rated” input power, and a maximum input power. The maximum is technically the amount of power you can deliver to a pair of earbuds without damaging them, however you probably won’t even want to get near that maximum input power. At that level you will most certainly damage your hearing, as well as the buds themselves. And you will know it because the buds will distort.

When I was younger, I had a little rack stereo, and I decided to cut the connector off my (ON ear) headphones; you know the kind that had foams just like earbuds?! Anyhow, I connected them to the "A" speaker out on my rack stereo.... Boy did those get really loud! The problem was that before I could go deaf (thankfully), they burned out... It wasn't until much later that I figured out why. hahaha (that is a very true story, and while they lasted, they sounded the best they ever had).

The rated input power, on the other hand, gives you an idea of the best level of power to deliver the earbuds to achieve their best sound (in theory).

Generally speaking, headphone power specifications are very broad estimates, so they’re sometimes somewhat meaningless. So, I normally don't really even pay attention to those numbers, as they aren't absolute numbers, but instead are a "derived" number (on paper).

The most important numbers are the impedance (given in Ohms) and the sensitivity (given in SPL). THD is also an important number. But keep in mind, that if they have shown it as less than one, that is also very generic because most head gear nowadays is less than one (it is normally always in decimals), and at .99999% this is not a good number at all for a bud. But technically it IS less than 1%.

Thanks. And, by the way, I'm newbie in flathead earbuds, but not in audio in general (years of apms schematics design, soldering, even programming in this area). Just don't know (have zero experience) the degree flathead buds are sensitive to overpower.

 

[samandhi]

Well, some (potentially) good news on the A-Bell and Fiio FF1 front. The A-Bells have already cleared customs and are two states away from delivery.... The FiiO buds are still awaiting custom clearance (although are also in the same state as the A-Bells). I wonder if they will hold the A-Bells to be delivered along with the FiiO buds. I ordered them at the same time, but from different stores, so we shall see... What makes that good news (to me) is that they weren't estimated to be deliverred until September 10.