[Quirkz]

I define timbre AKA timbral accuracy as "what lets us tell apart a musical instrument or voice, even when they are hitting the same note at the same fundamental pitch and loudness". I've been playing in a band for the last 20 years and think the Senn IE600's DD sounds more natural in timbral accuracy when it comes to acoustic instruments like strings, woodwinds and brasses. The Euclid, like most planars, have very fast transients and rapid decay, so the note weight and timbre of instruments sound a bit off to me (but they have superb technical chops cause of the planar physics!). Euclid trumps most other similarly priced competitors in technicalities and that's something I appreciate.

Not meaning to be argumentative, so take this as genuine curiosity:

I thought that timbre is basically created by the physical characteristics of the instrument - The way the string vibrates, the wind over a reed, etc.
Recording and playback doesn't recreate that, instead, it measures transient moments in time, then plays back those transient moments as accurate as it can.

Given that, wouldn't the euclid with it's high transients and rapid decay be able to recreate those original recordings more accurately without introducing 'interference', and thus have better/more accurate timbre?

I'm not expert, so I'm asking out of curiosity, as you know more than I.

Perhaps you can try with various other tips (silicone or foam), or even tips of various sizes, to see if you can get a better seal?

I tried a slightly larger tip: You won't be surprised to hear that the bass improved, and now it's much more dominant, and louder than the euclid. In general, I still prefer the way the euclid renders bass, but I now agree with you, the ie600 is in no ways light on bass, without being overwhelming.

I'm liking the ie600 quite a bit more than I did before; though the comfort is slightly diminished.

 

[baskingshark]

Not meaning to be argumentative, so take this as genuine curiosity:

I thought that timbre is basically created by the physical characteristics of the instrument - The way the string vibrates, the wind over a reed, etc.
Recording and playback doesn't recreate that, instead, it measures transient moments in time, then plays back those transient moments as accurate as it can.

Given that, wouldn't the euclid with it's high transients and rapid decay be able to recreate those original recordings more accurately without introducing 'interference', and thus have better/more accurate timbre?

I'm not expert, so I'm asking out of curiosity, as you know more than I.

We are all learning, myself too, and it is great to see alternative view points and others' perspectives!

Generally, I find that planar IEMs have too fast decay/transients, so the tail end of string vibrations or woodwinds trailing air tends to be abruptly cut off when it comes to planars, say compared to single DD IEMs. But therein, the strength of planar IEMs are in their technical chops, due to the fast transients they bring to the table, so the different transducers have their pros and cons.

But timbre perception is quite subjective, so that's just my 2 cents, I think others can chime in too on their interpretation?



Am also glad that you managed to get a good eartip seal with the IE600 to allow it to show its full potential! Eartips can literally make or break an IEM, not on in terms of isolation/seal, but also for comfort and sound.

 

[Click]

Just an update. Finally decided to buy the IE600. Straight out of the box with default cables, IE600 is not even close to the Euclid in sound quality.

IE600 doesn't sound bad, but it just doesn't compare to how good the Euclid sound. Euclid has much better technicalities, soundstage, incisiveness in notes, details, tonality, literally everything except maybe bass quantity.

I would've been mad if I paid retail price for the IE600, but at $350, it's not a terrible purchase. Will have to burn it in more and see if that makes a difference, since dynamic drivers need burn in, just like planar drivers. Euclid didn't impress me either straight out of the box, but is now probably my favorite.

IE600 does have 1 thing it has much better than the Euclid: fit and comfort. It's tiny and very comfortable compared to the Euclid. The Euclid is a massive giant compared to the IE600.

 

[PixelSquish]

Just an update. Finally decided to buy the IE600. Straight out of the box with default cables, IE600 is not even close to the Euclid in sound quality.

IE600 doesn't sound bad, but it just doesn't compare to how good the Euclid sound. Euclid has much better technicalities, soundstage, incisiveness in notes, details, tonality, literally everything except maybe bass quantity.

I would've been mad if I paid retail price for the IE600, but at $350, it's not a terrible purchase. Will have to burn it in more and see if that makes a difference, since dynamic drivers need burn in, just like planar drivers. Euclid didn't impress me either straight out of the box, but is now probably my favorite.

IE600 does have 1 thing it has much better than the Euclid: fit and comfort. It's tiny and very comfortable compared to the Euclid. The Euclid is a massive giant compared to the IE600.

Does the Euclid Bass EQ as amazingly as the LCD-X? Because the IE600 is a little below necessary bass levels, so I eq it up a bit. Would only want to EQ something more up if it had LCD-X quality bass eq-ability

 

[Click]

Does the Euclid Bass EQ as amazingly as the LCD-X? Because the IE600 is a little below necessary bass levels, so I eq it up a bit. Would only want to EQ something more up if it had LCD-X quality bass eq-ability

Yes, the Euclid takes EQ well and will rumble and slam more with a bass shelf put on it. However, it won't turn into a basshead IEM with EQ.

I usually don't EQ the Euclid because I enjoy it's bass quality the way it is, and other sound qualities too much to mess with the frequencies.

If you're looking for amazing bass quantity and quality, while not sacrificing great technicalities and tonality, I highly recommend the Penon 10th AE. It's my go-to for when I want bass. It's my favorite IEM or headphone currently. Replays everything extremely well. It's honestly a bargain at $500. If you're looking to spend IE600 money, forget it and go with the 10th AE. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.