[NaiveSound]

Rattling issues are not an issue for me with regard to MAM.  It's not so much rattling as it is flopping.  When the membrane is the least tensioned it can be it will tend to flop around if you headband or tilt your head left and right.  I don't listen at that setting as I don't like the thump-less/bass-less sound at that setting.  If you do your listening sitting down, flopping or "rattling" as you say will not be an issue for you at all.  I listen a8-10 hours a day at my desk and her 0 flops.  I tend to listen at the impedance matched setting and 1/2 to 1/4 turn from fully open (knob all the way in).

Just to poke you a little bit...I knew you would eventually want ADEL.  I tried no-ADEL yesterday by closing my MAMs all the way and I could only stand the pressure for a few minutes before I had to switch back to ADEL and was greeted by the lovely fluttering of the membrane as pressure left my canals and then the fluttering stopped and the pressure was normalized.  Once you go ADEL you never go back.  Also I don't perceive ADEL as lower quality (less resolution/detail), it's just different.  If you want me to elaborate I can.

Please do, the more I know the better

 

[ironpeg]

  I'd like to knwo if there will be a sale soon like on BlackFriday on the EE line? I have the Zeus R in universal, and I am interested in testing the XIV sound signature, so it may be an occasion to buy a XR universal pair

 
I remember they have 4th of July sale last year.

 

[Ike1985]

Please do, the more I know the better

Well it's not that the detail is lost, it's that's its presented differently. Bass frequencies take a more natural tone. The entire spectrum becomes more light and airy. Much of these affects are due to changes (increases) in the width (most noticeable direction) of the sound stage. Listening now as I have for a few hours with the MAM impedance matched vs the MAM closed (yes I'm suffering for you), I observe these changes and more. The sound is more LIVE, like you'te listening to a live performance due to the way your ear is now working. Consider turning on a speaker and then partially plugging your ears and cranking up the speaker. You will still hear the music but it will sound unnatural, a bit of an extreme example but illustrative none the less. Imagine now that you remove the finger that was partially closing your ear. You will hear the sound better and your ear will be reacting to it in a natural way. Granted this example has more to do with tone than BA generated pneumatic pressure and I admit it isn't the best example but the basic idea is the same. When you listen without ADEL the stapedius reflex occurs (ear anatomy walls itself off to protect itself-this is the finger in your ear in my example). Your ear isnt interacting with the sound the way it would naturally during say a live show (assuming you are a decent distanfe back and not triggering your stapedius reflex in the front row). Whn you hear naturally without the pressure the sound enters your canal and then the ear anatomy, it sounds natural because it is not being obstructed by the reflex(finger in ear analogy). In this way ADEL makes the sound more natural by not messing with the tone via triggering the stapedius reflex and not pressurizing the canal.

If you get MAM you can customize to your hearts content which is why I am such an advocate of it.

 

[NaiveSound]

Well it's not that the detail is lost, it's that's its presented differently. Bass frequencies take a more natural tone. The entire spectrum becomes more light and airy. Much of these affects are due to changes (increases) in the width (most noticeable direction) of the sound stage. Listening now as I have for a few hours with the MAM impedance matched vs the MAM closed (yes I'm suffering for you), I observe these changes and more. The sound is more LIVE, like you'te listening to a live performance due to the way your ear is now working. Consider turning on a speaker and then partially plugging your ears and cranking up the speaker. You will still hear the music but it will sound unnatural, a bit of an extreme example but illustrative none the less. Imagine now that you remove the finger that was partially closing your ear. You will hear the sound better and your ear will be reacting to it in a natural way. Granted this example has more to do with tone than BA generated pneumatic pressure and I admit it isn't the best example but the basic idea is the same. When you listen without ADEL the stapedius reflex occurs (ear anatomy walls itself off to protect itself-this is the finger in your ear in my example). Your ear isnt interacting with the sound the way it would naturally during say a live show (assuming you are a decent distanfe back and not triggering your stapedius reflex in the front row). Whn you hear naturally without the pressure the sound enters your canal and then the ear anatomy, it sounds natural because it is not being obstructed by the reflex(finger in ear analogy). In this way ADEL makes the sound more natural by not messing with the tone via triggering the stapedius reflex and not pressurizing the canal.

If you get MAM you can customize to your hearts content which is why I am such an advocate of it.

OK and resolution and clarity? What happens to that?

 

[seamon]

OK and resolution and clarity? What happens to that?

I believe these 2 remain unaffected. Get a good wire if you want to improve these 2

 

[Ike1985]

OK and resolution and clarity? What happens to that?

 
From what I remember, you demo'd ADEL.  You may have mistaken the increased airiness of the sound for a lack of resolution/clarity.  It's simply a different presentation. 

 

[Ike1985]

OK and resolution and clarity? What happens to that?

 
I wonder if it was a 64 audio IEM you heard while demo'ing ADEL, my A12 is very dark with a recessed upper mids and highs.  When combined with the S1 the results were terrible.  Adding an airiness to a very warm and dark signature makes detail even harder to glean out of the sound.  Which is why it was so puzzling to me why they decided a warm dark signature is best for their flaghship.  I think ADEL should be much better with Zeus given that Zeus is a much less dark signature and Zeus also has solid high-s and upper mid's. I am especially intrigued with ADEL + XIV given that XIV has a thick midrange which may benefit greatly from the increased stage ADEL brings.  I'm rambling, curious to hear which ADEL module and IEM you previously heard it on, can't remember or find it in the thread.

 

[Ike1985]

  I believe these 2 remain unaffected. Get a good wire if you want to improve these 2

 
Would also add that having a DAC/DAP known for detail/resolution would be a good choice as well. 

 

[smy1]

I am super confusion right now about my fit and how my ear is designed.

I don't have any issues with headphones like the dunu dn1000 type of style but around the ear universal type, I always get a good fit on my left ear but my right ear always feels like it's not deeply inserted. So I got my ciem Athena last month at first I thought the fit was good then later down the road my right side felt loose so I sent them back for refit. Then next 2 weeks I got my Athena back and right side felt good then later down the road it still didn't feel tight enough then after few weeks trying to see if I can just use them my right side all of sudden feels great but I have to kinda press the side and my ear canal more to get a good fit but my left side I don't really have to press as hard to at all to get a good fit. Sometimes even if I press the right side it still feels loose and sometimes it feels my right side isn't covering my whole ear and some say that my left side ear canal is shorter then my right.

What is wrong with my ears?!?!

I sent Pm to jack about this but just want to know your guys opinion as well.

 

[EagleWings]

OK and resolution and clarity? What happens to that?

 

  I believe these 2 remain unaffected. Get a good wire if you want to improve these 2

 
I have discussed both these aspects in my review of the Zeus. In short: Zeus by itself, is a high resolution monitor. To truly test the difference in resolution, one would have to do a critical A/B comparison between, a non-ADEL Zeus and an ADEl-Zeus. But I assure you, even with the ADEL in place, Zeus remains a high resolution monitor. ADEL removes some boldness from the mid-range which increases the clarity on my Zeus-XIV. If you love the Zeus-XIV for its bold mid-range and don't want to change it even a bit, better to stay with the non-ADEL.
 
And as Seamon mentioned, cable can help you with those aspects as well. What you need is a high resolution cable with neutral bass, dry mid-range and slightly bright treble to help improve the clarity. 

 

[Ike1985]

uote:

I am super confusion right now about my fit and how my ear is designed.

I don't have any issues with headphones like the dunu dn1000 type of style but around the ear universal type, I always get a good fit on my left ear but my right ear always feels like it's not deeply inserted. So I got my ciem Athena last month at first I thought the fit was good then later down the road my right side felt loose so I sent them back for refit. Then next 2 weeks I got my Athena back and right side felt good then later down the road it still didn't feel tight enough then after few weeks trying to see if I can just use them my right side all of sudden feels great but I have to kinda press the side and my ear canal more to get a good fit but my left side I don't really have to press as hard to at all to get a good fit. Sometimes even if I press the right side it still feels loose and sometimes it feels my right side isn't covering my whole ear and some say that my left side ear canal is shorter then my right.

What is wrong with my ears?!?!

I sent Pm to jack about this but just want to know your guys opinion as well.

 
Sounds like a bad fit, I would suggest a refit.  They shouldn't be slipping out IMO.  Aren't EE IEM's 3d printed?

 

[Ike1985]

   
 
I have discussed both these aspects in my review of the Zeus. In short: Zeus by itself, is a high resolution monitor. To truly test the difference in resolution, one would have to do a critical A/B comparison between, a non-ADEL Zeus and an ADEl-Zeus. But I assure you, even with the ADEL in place, Zeus remains a high resolution monitor. ADEL removes some boldness from the mid-range which increases the clarity on my Zeus-XIV. If you love the Zeus-XIV for its bold mid-range and don't want to change it even a bit, better to stay with the non-ADEL.
 
And as Seamon mentioned, cable can help you with those aspects as well. What you need is a high resolution cable with neutral bass, dry mid-range and slightly bright treble to help improve the clarity. 

 
Would also add that he can go MAM, close it all the way and replicate a non-ADEL iem. Best of both worlds. 
 
Do you know any cables in the $100-$300 range that would accomplish this?

 

[smy1]

uote:

Sounds like a bad fit, I would suggest a refit.  They shouldn't be slipping out IMO.

Yeah might need to get another refit, last time it cost me $25 to ship it with insurance

I have noticed that bigger iems like the Roxanne, I can get a good fit on.

 

[EagleWings]

   
Would also add that he can go MAM, close it all the way and replicate a non-ADEL iem. Best of both worlds. 
 
Do you know any cables in the $100-$300 range that would accomplish this?

 
I agree. The versatility of the MAM is really coming in handy.
 
As for cables, the one that I have tested, that would accomplish that is, Norne Therium. Many of the pure Silver Litz cables in the market can do that as well. 

 

[Ike1985]

Yeah might need to get another refit, last time it cost me $25 to ship it with insurance

I have noticed that bigger iems like the Roxanne, I can get a good fit on.

 
Would you mind posting a picture with the CIEM laying flat on a table with the nozzle pointing up in the air and maybe a few other angles.  $25 isn't bad at all if they have to do a complete re-shell, that's like making an entirely new CIEM for them.