[Undun]

You buy a 799 best pairing cable. Making it 3.2k IEM.

Agree how marketing have been using “Sustainability” on a masked “make extra profit” way.

This is the same company that put out the questionably-tuned King Arthur IEM, which they priced at 7k USD, and sell IEM cables that cost more than a lot of flagship headphones. This does not inspire much trust nor interest, lol.

 

[domiji]

Thats one reason why i don't buy Astell&Kern and Effect Audio stuff anymore....

 

[AlwaysForward]

So here we have a company that sells expensive cables made with premium materials, that has introduced an expensive IEM where the introduction focused on the premium materials.

I am pretty biased towards engineering driven products and don’t really pick up on any pride in their innovations here.

Sometimes you capture lightning in a bottle. Results are results. We’ll see.

 

[suman134]

There are a whole lot of people who don't really like this pricing or the concept of not having a cable and that's understandable.
But my experience with the Axiom has been surprisingly different from what I used to have with whole bunch of Vision Ears and Campfire IEMs.
Axiom is one of those rare IEMs which changes with each cable. Those concepts of having thicker sound with copper, thinner sound with silver and having best of both worlds with SPC and hybrid cables is a lot more apparent with the Axiom.
What you want from this IEM depends on you. That's the beauty of the Axiom. This IEM can be molded to personal preferences with just a change of cable.
I personally like it with SPC cables, I dont have any Pure silver cables though.
Copper cable lack the added finishing definition and resolution.
SPC cables brings out the best of Axiom with excellent lower end extension and thump while the mid range and treble region are calmer and inoffensive while retaining better contrast and sparkle than the Vision Ears VE6XC. I will not shed a lot of light on the IEM's sound since the unit I have is a Prototype, but this already is very capable.
Inoffensive yet very detailed is what this IEM delivers with SPC and Hybrid cables.





If you are worried about fit, use a spin fit maybe but I have no problem with fit or stability inside the ear. I definitely can tell that this IEM doesn't have a deep insertion.



The modular design is something very unique and I was told that they might introduce modules with different sound signatures. Thats exciting for those who like to explore the possibilities.
The Axiom promises to bring something unique. You do not need to spend a lot more to upgrade the IEM, spend on a good cable and you are good to go. If you already have good cables, no need to have another one.
Look it as a positive or negative, it is a different approach, love it or hate it, it depending on your inventory.

Happy Dipawali (Diwali) to everyone, Cheers!!

 

[Skullar]

This is the same company that put out the questionably-tuned King Arthur IEM, which they priced at 7k USD, and sell IEM cables that cost more than a lot of flagship headphones. This does not inspire much trust nor interest, lol.

You clearly miss the point here, who cares about the sound.... You should read the announcement like this:

"Hi, we are releasing an iem with some extra removable parts. So they fall apart quicker.
This is an audiophile dream you ever wanted! Imaging rolling between MMCX and 2 pin modules that are made of silver and copper changing tonality and soundstage depth before even plugging the cable in. Customisation options are limitless!!.

In future we are looking to release a sustainably sourced gold uranium composite plated stainless steel kauchuk modules, which will run iems on photosynthesis! Thats right, no more daps, and its just $3699.

Due to our experience in manufacturing best selling and famous iems, we decided to price them in line with best iems on market. Just because....

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If by any chance, you are also interested in how they perform? They are reference sounding, like any other iem."

 

[GiullianSN]

If by any chance, you are also interested in how they perform? They are reference sounding, like any other iem."

I didn’t comment that as I though I was too picky about the “reference sounding”, but that was “strange” comment on the marketing material.

Looks like EA Marketing have been watching/studying Apple’s announcements when they compare to whatever and say they’re better, sell high end gadgets without critical parts for a higher cost and uses sustainability to justify a few questionable directions.

I stop ranting/commenting as I’m not a buyer of these anyway.

 

[Chuck Dee]

The majority of the comments here are cynical at best and negative at worst, which is probably a good litmus test as to how they will fair in the marketplace sadly.
Having worked in product development I also fail to see any true innovation of offering an IEM with interchangeable cable connectors. For me, this aspect is just a risk to it's end user function due to the fact it relies on a spuriously weak-looking fastening method and friction-fit connectors that could...will fail at some point, or be subject to loss, foreign body ingress or damage while not connected. While connected it looks like dust/detritus could creep in via gaps and also cause issues.

As someone said earlier, it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist and in that sense it isn't real innovation. Who researched this and presented it as a viable/sellable design feature and thought people would buy into it at this price-point? I think your product development board needs to go back to school.

A budget/design focus would be better invested in innovating driver technology, materials and overall sound quality to really stay ahead in this crowded marketplace.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Skullar]

The majority of the comments here are cynical at best and negative at worst, which is probably a good litmus test as to how they will fair in the marketplace sadly.
Having worked in product development I also fail to see any true innovation of offering an IEM with interchangeable cable connectors. For me, this aspect is just a risk to it's end user function due to the fact it relies on a spuriously weak-looking fastening method and friction-fit connectors that could...will fail at some point, or be subject to loss, foreign body ingress or damage while not connected. While connected it looks like dust/detritus could creep in via gaps and also cause issues.

As someone said earlier, it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist and in that sense it isn't real innovation. Who researched this and presented it as a viable/sellable design feature and thought people would buy into it at this price-point? I think your product development board needs to go back to school.

A budget/design focus would be better invested in innovating driver technology, materials and overall sound quality to really stay ahead in this crowded marketplace.

Just my 2 cents.

This hobby is simply too niche to have a environmental impact big enough to be so loud about. Its a nice move but should not have a release revolving around it.

Its like samsung releasing galaxy s20 and having a universal usb C as their breakthrough feature promoted lol.

To pay such a price for IEM it has to sound incredible. Because there were quite a fee solid releases above $1.5k mark. So removeable plugs wont cut it.

That said i will stay to and hope to be surprised by its performance. Or just wish them luck in going back to braiding wires lol.

 

[FlowLikeWater]

Hmmm....I do enjoy some quality >10mm DDs...definitely interested in impressions and comparisons for this one. Pricing seems a bit....ambitious, for an unproven IEM company.

The marketing strategy also feels like buying a car with no wheels, but I think it may actually work quite well with the cable lovers.

Looking forward to impressions, but expectations are low.

 

[armstrj2]

People constantly complain about cables pushing up the price of iems. You just have to look at the classifieds to see people selling plato and 1960s that came bundled so there is grounds for not including a cable and keeping price down. People might buy in if it was sold that way.

But when a cable manufacturer does this and then says it is because of sustainability......

 

[GiullianSN]

People constantly complain about cables pushing up the price of iems. You just have to look at the classifieds to see people selling plato and 1960s that came bundled so there is grounds for not including a cable and keeping price down. People might buy in if it was sold that way.

But when a cable manufacturer does this and then says it is because of sustainability......

I was actually one of those complainer’s. But as you mentioned “to keep the price down”… simple example, EE Odin a 3.5k IEM with a 1k cable. Without the cable it has Comparable price to the LX with a simpler cooper cable and both are amazing IEM.

These IEMs have a lot to prove in these price ranges. The whole marketing was around something else than sound quality to actually please the Audiophile world, that (in theory) prioritise sound over the rest.

Also agree with @Chuck Dee … nice tentative to innovate, but on a point that creates more problems than solutions.

 

[armstrj2]

I was actually one of those complainer’s. But as you mentioned “to keep the price down”… simple example, EE Odin a 3.5k IEM with a 1k cable. Without the cable it has Comparable price to the LX with a simpler cooper cable and both are amazing IEM.

These IEMs have a lot to prove in these price ranges. The whole marketing was around something else than sound quality to actually please the Audiophile world, that (in theory) prioritise sound over the rest.

Also agree with @Chuck Dee … nice tentative to innovate, but on a point that creates more problems than solutions.

100% behind keeping prices down. 100% behind companies focussing on making great sounding IEMs. What I am not into is sustainability spin.

We're selling an IEM, it sounds great. We are not including some cheap cable which you'll probably throw out and we are not including an expensive cable which will push the price up. Of course, we can sell you a cable if you don't already have one, that is after all, what we are known for. Simple. No "save the environment" BS.
Rather than negative posts, it would probably be more roundly applauded.

Giving people choice is great. That choice will not affect landfill levels.

 

[dieslemat]

What I am not into is sustainability spin

Im with you on this statement. Its a spin for sure.

 

[Earbones]

So I said what I said, and it was nice and snarky, and honestly I do think there is some green-washing here.

But that said, everybody makes mistakes… I don’t think one ill-thought-out marketing move should sink a new IEM. Maybe I’m just philosophical tonight (little too much wine), but it occurs to me that we all, every one of us, have dreams. And this IEM is somebody’s dream. Somebody over at Effect Audio sat over a desk for months designing this, and dreaming that it would be great. And I come along and poop on that with a cutting remark. So funny as it is that a premium cable company thought selling a pricy IEM without a cable was a good idea, that really doesn’t reflect on the potential greatness of said IEM. Or it’s potential mediocrity. Or it’s piss-poorness. The point is, cable debacle aside, the IEM deserves to succeed or fail on how it sounds, not it’s accessories.

And maybe, just maybe… Effect Audio is watching this thread, and noting the general displeasure, and perhaps thinking about walking back the cable thing? Not too late for that, after all. Maybe offer customers a choice of connector with the newly included cable… That’s kind of cool. Turn what was a selling mistake into a selling point.

 

[Skullar]

So I said what I said, and it was nice and snarky, and honestly I do think there is some green-washing here.

But that said, everybody makes mistakes… I don’t think one ill-thought-out marketing move should sink a new IEM. Maybe I’m just philosophical tonight (little too much wine), but it occurs to me that we all, every one of us, have dreams. And this IEM is somebody’s dream. Somebody over at Effect Audio sat over a desk for months designing this, and dreaming that it would be great. And I come along and poop on that with a cutting remark. So funny as it is that a premium cable company thought selling a pricy IEM without a cable was a good idea, that really doesn’t reflect on the potential greatness of said IEM. Or it’s potential mediocrity. Or it’s piss-poorness. The point is, cable debacle aside, the IEM deserves to succeed or fail on how it sounds, not it’s accessories.

And maybe, just maybe… Effect Audio is watching this thread, and noting the general displeasure, and perhaps thinking about walking back the cable thing? Not too late for that, after all. Maybe offer customers a choice of connector… That’s kind of cool. Turn what was a selling mistake into a selling point.

Agreed. Its not the first time people come up with some odd marketing themes just to stand out in to this exploding market.
At least its not some crappy A&K rebrand iem with 1k slapped on top just for a label.

Who knows maybe after all they now what they are doing and we release a very competitive iem.

As i mention the price range is very risky due to some excellent releases.
But there are also many, that are total rubbish.
So there is an opportunity.