[antdroid]

I too used to use cheaper IEM's for portability and full size headphones at home or when I wanted to listen to music and feel it too. I ALWAYS thought that headphones we're King and that's just the way it is!

Fast forward to around 1.5 years ago when I bought my first pair of decent IEM's, the Westone UM Pro 30's. I was completely amazed at how much detail, resolution and balance that such tiny devices could have. It totally changed my opinion on the quality and difference between IEMs vs headphones. I knew that I was going down the right path and loved every second of it!!!

Then I wanted a really HQ pair of IEM's made from metal that would last me many years to come, so I started doing LOTS of research. I finally found what I wanted and ordered the Campfire Audio Andromeda AND Dorado IEM's to have two different flavors.

Wowza, those Andromedas really blew my mind, especially compared to the UM Pro 30's, and I was totally amazed that something that small inside of my ear canal could sound SOOOOOOOOOOOO HUGE!!! The definition of details and resolution, the massive soundstage, the ultra precise imaging, and the overall tonal balance all just blew me away ️

I like my Andromedas better than my Dorado's, so I've been thinking about selling those and getting the Fearless S8F/Pro or going big and getting the ACME 8 IEM's. What do you guys think I should do? I've also been eyeing up the Beyerdynamic Xelento's too just to have a really nice DD IEM, but I'm not sure where to go from the Dorado's??? Or should I say screw it and sell BOTH of my Andromedas and Dorado's and get the CA Solaris's?

Anyway, getting back to my point, IEM technology is advancing very rapidly and I have pretty much sworn off headphones for good now. I plan on selling my MINT CONDITION Sony MDR-7506 because I don't EVER see myself using headphones ever again. Ive even been using my UM Pro 30's to monitor AND mix/EQ my live audio recordings that I make of concerts with really HQ gear (Schoeps mics and Sound Devices MixPre Series recorders). Headphones are just way too big to carry around to monitor live, and to fit in my laptop bags, so just another reason why I prefer IEM's!!!

Headphones are only using dynamic/electrostatic/Planar Magnetic driver's, and IEMs have the super clean and fast BA Drivers, which headphones will probably never use!!! So there's a LOT going for IEM's. They're MUCH smaller and portable, don't make my ears really hot, have AMAZING isolation compared to headphones using soundboothing, have better details and resolution, a much better and more comfortable fit, and I can wear them much longer. Plus IEM's are usually MUCH easier to drive too!!!

With all of those advantages over headphones, I will ONLY buy IEM's in the future and I consider headphones "old" technology that doesn't hold ANY of my interest ANYMORE. I'll definitely be selling my Sony cans whenever I remember to take some pictures of them!!!

So for ALL of those reasons, I now consider IEM's KING, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for IEM's and they're rapidly growing technology ️

Solaris is a fantastic IEM. I’ve been demoing them and the Andromeda and my review will be published tonight or tomorrow on headphone.com. I am strongly considering shelling out the bucks to buy the Solaris now. It suits me more than the Andromeda does.

I still prefer over-ear open-back headphones though. Price for price, headphones are a better deal than in-ears but you can get more versatility from portables.

Back to topic, I started relistening to the fearless s4 and bgvp DM6 recently on travel and they are really similar sounding IEMs. Really similar. I think the s4 is just slightly more refined and more open, but other than that, I find them similar enough. I find the treble on both to be a little off and missing body but really like the warm lower mids and bass response.

 

[No Deal]

Beautiful looking set...very classy. I also have the Kanas Pro, and LOVE them. If possible, please post a review and a comparison between these and Kanas Pro. I want/need some good reasons to spend money on these...to justify why and how these are an upgrade from the Kanas Pro. In your opinion, what makes these better...or why should I justify spending significantly more for the Fearless?

Thank you.

I must condition my response by first saying that I am a qualitative listener and I am not going to spend a lot of time looking at graphs. You may also notice that I am an Etymotic fan. I like detail. My brief time with the S8F tells me that I have the detail of the Etymotic that I like along with a better bass and midrange than the Kanas Pro has. Tough to say if these are worth the added cost to anyone but they have made a better initial impression than the Kanas. I did burn the Kanas in. We'll see how these do after a few more days.

I am a jazz lover. I had a friend who was a speaker builder. He always told me that a speaker has to do piano well. I use the same criteria (no graphs) for my IEMs. Listening to Brian Simpson's "Something About You". To my ears, great piano and great bass.

By the way, the Symbios don't work for me. I think Comply for these and the Kanas is better. May be because of what I listen to.

Like everything else in this post, just my personal opinion.

 

[courierdriver]

But you need to see the edited post...!

Haha...ok, just read it. Maybe your wife has a point. Still, I got me a great laugh at the overkill Pelican case. At the same time, I can relate to wanting to protect such a fine set of iem's. I'm using the Pelican 1040 to store my Q1MK2 dac/amp and the original Lyre cable from my KanasPro. For the iems themselves and my new ISN C16 upgrade cable, I'm using a smaller hard shelled zippered case I bought from aliexpress with the upgraded cable. Both the Pelican case and the iem case have those spring loaded hooks, so I just hook the 2 together for transport. I'm going to get another slightly bigger case for the iems and cable though...the current one I'm using is a bit small and I find I need to wrap the cable rather tight to get it and the KanasPro to fit in to be able to close the zipper. Not really comfortable with that, so I'm looking for something a bit bigger for cheap. I'm also researching other cheaper iems to use as a daily driver. I love the sound of my KanasPro sooo much, that I'm petrified that something will happen to them if I'm out and about. These are for staying close to home and enjoying the best quality sound for me. When I finally decide to get a Fearless (still trying to decide between S6Rui or S8f) it's gonna be the same. I dont wanna risk damaging them when I'm on the bus or at the grocery store. Something around $50-100. That way, if something does happen, I won't be crying or trying to replace an iem that costs so much. I can swing $50-100 to replace something...a KanasPro or Fearless is for me a devastating $$ loss and would take the better part of a year to replace.

 

[courierdriver]

Great stuff here. I agree that IEM tech is getting insane results in such a quick time. I feel bad for people still spending the same I spent on my S6pro for things like the Westone UM30Pro. It’s just not even close. Especially for that they are marketed use case is.

It’s hard to beat physics and that’s whats so fascinating able psychoacoustics to me. With things like the 64 Tia/Forte coming out with some wild shell designs and the ACME8 bass maze, we are making strides to get some seriously good spacial sense and awareness in our iems.

It’s a really crazy feeling when you essentially put earplugs in and then have live mics being fed into your ears from multiple singers and a room mic. It’s a very hyper aware sensation that just can’t be had without blocking everything out completely. So there are aural advantages to IEMs over cans in these kinds of situations. Where physics works with their strengths to bring some special stuff to the table.

It’s a good time to be in audio that’s for sure.

Yeah, your right...it is a great time to be into audio for sure. Another reason why I'm diggin iems more lately, is that most over ear cans cause my ears and area around them to sweat. I haven't found that to be an issue with iems. On the other hand, it can be more difficult to get a good and comfortable fit with iems as the buds themselves come in various sizes. My ears are small but deep, so it can be a challenge. Even there, though; I'm seeing real headway being made by alot of these companies to design shells and nozzles that fit a larger segment of the population

 

[courierdriver]

I too used to use cheaper IEM's for portability and full size headphones at home or when I wanted to listen to music and feel it too. I ALWAYS thought that headphones we're King and that's just the way it is!

Fast forward to around 1.5 years ago when I bought my first pair of decent IEM's, the Westone UM Pro 30's. I was completely amazed at how much detail, resolution and balance that such tiny devices could have. It totally changed my opinion on the quality and difference between IEMs vs headphones. I knew that I was going down the right path and loved every second of it!!!

Then I wanted a really HQ pair of IEM's made from metal that would last me many years to come, so I started doing LOTS of research. I finally found what I wanted and ordered the Campfire Audio Andromeda AND Dorado IEM's to have two different flavors.

Wowza, those Andromedas really blew my mind, especially compared to the UM Pro 30's, and I was totally amazed that something that small inside of my ear canal could sound SOOOOOOOOOOOO HUGE!!! The definition of details and resolution, the massive soundstage, the ultra precise imaging, and the overall tonal balance all just blew me away ️

I like my Andromedas better than my Dorado's, so I've been thinking about selling those and getting the Fearless S8F/Pro or going big and getting the ACME 8 IEM's. What do you guys think I should do? I've also been eyeing up the Beyerdynamic Xelento's too just to have a really nice DD IEM, but I'm not sure where to go from the Dorado's??? Or should I say screw it and sell BOTH of my Andromedas and Dorado's and get the CA Solaris's?

Anyway, getting back to my point, IEM technology is advancing very rapidly and I have pretty much sworn off headphones for good now. I plan on selling my MINT CONDITION Sony MDR-7506 because I don't EVER see myself using headphones ever again. Ive even been using my UM Pro 30's to monitor AND mix/EQ my live audio recordings that I make of concerts with really HQ gear (Schoeps mics and Sound Devices MixPre Series recorders). Headphones are just way too big to carry around to monitor live, and to fit in my laptop bags, so just another reason why I prefer IEM's!!!

Headphones are only using dynamic/electrostatic/Planar Magnetic driver's, and IEMs have the super clean and fast BA Drivers, which headphones will probably never use!!! So there's a LOT going for IEM's. They're MUCH smaller and portable, don't make my ears really hot, have AMAZING isolation compared to headphones using soundboothing, have better details and resolution, a much better and more comfortable fit, and I can wear them much longer. Plus IEM's are usually MUCH easier to drive too!!!

With all of those advantages over headphones, I will ONLY buy IEM's in the future and I consider headphones "old" technology that doesn't hold ANY of my interest ANYMORE. I'll definitely be selling my Sony cans whenever I remember to take some pictures of them!!!

So for ALL of those reasons, I now consider IEM's KING, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for IEM's and they're rapidly growing technology ️

Yup...I agree with pretty much all you posted here. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[expatriot]

redrol: I have the Fearless Audio S5H and use the Spinfit CP100. If the A8 is the same size bore it would work fine. I find them comfortable and do provide a deeper fit in my opinion.

 

[courierdriver]

Thank you.

I must condition my response by first saying that I am a qualitative listener and I am not going to spend a lot of time looking at graphs. You may also notice that I am an Etymotic fan. I like detail. My brief time with the S8F tells me that I have the detail of the Etymotic that I like along with a better bass and midrange than the Kanas Pro has. Tough to say if these are worth the added cost to anyone but they have made a better initial impression than the Kanas. I did burn the Kanas in. We'll see how these do after a few more days.

I am a jazz lover. I had a friend who was a speaker builder. He always told me that a speaker has to do piano well. I use the same criteria (no graphs) for my IEMs. Listening to Brian Simpson's "Something About You". To my ears, great piano and great bass.

By the way, the Symbios don't work for me. I think Comply for these and the Kanas is better. May be because of what I listen to.

Like everything else in this post, just my personal opinion.

Thanks for the feedback! I think I would probably really like the S8f based on what you and others have said. I like detail without brightness or severe stridency in the mids and treble, but at the same time I still like a slightly warm harmonic (that quality that gives a bit of body and fullness to certain voices and instruments). I also like a wide and deep soundstage. This is what I enjoy so much about the Kanas Pro that makes me question how much of an improvement I would get by getting an S6Rui or S8f. Btw, I have used the stock silicones that came with the KPE, Comply foams (the ones with the dirt/earwax filter in the middle of the core), and also New Bee wide bore foam tips and I find the New Bees to work best for me. The stock silicones didn't give me a good enough seal and kept working themselves out; they also caused the insides of my ears to sweat alot (one of the main reasons why I'm not a big fan of any silicones...prefer foams overall). Also found the bass lacking and without enough impact for my tastes. The Complys gave me a better seal and blocked out more outside noise and definitely improved the bass, but I found that the mesh/foam filter in the center cut the detail in the mids and highs, making for a veiled sound in those areas. I also find those to be rather uncomfortable after about an hour or so because the foam itself is kinda rough and was causing a bit of chafing inside my ear. The New Bees on the other hand, were perfect in every way. The memory foam is very soft (it feels like there is some kind of coating on the outside that makes it smooth like a silicone but still spongy like a foam), and compresses very well to get it nice and deep into my ear canal. The bass is on par with the Comply but because there is no filter in the wide bore, there is no veiling...just the natural, open airy sound of the KPE shines through. For $14 on Amazon for a set of 6 (SML), these are my favourites. You may want to give these a try with both the KPE and your Fearless (I'm sure they will fit the nozzles of both sets).

 

[jnsaudiophile]

Meanwhile I dont have have a carry case for my s8pro. I just let it hang around my ear or shirt and just hurriedly stuff them in my pants pocket for storage. i am going to hell aren't i? haha

 

[courierdriver]

Meanwhile I dont have have a carry case for my s8pro. I just let it hang around my ear or shirt and just hurriedly stuff them in my pants pocket for storage. i am going to hell aren't i? haha

Repent sinner, REPENT!!! Oh, and just do yourself a favor and get a case, even just a cheap one. My concern with these iems (especially these ones that use a 2 pin connector) is that any kind of weird pressure in the pocket could cause the pins to snap off the cable. I wouldn't be as concerned if they used an MMCX connector to the buds, but these 2 pins seem pretty fragile. That would suck huge, especially given the fact that even the stock cable is so nice, and that you might have to go through the trouble and expense of having to send them back to China for repairs. Having sunk so much money into this set already, an extra $5-15 seems like a smart and small investment to protect a great multi hundred dollar iem from accidental damage.

 

[FOBean]

Solaris is a fantastic IEM. I’ve been demoing them and the Andromeda and my review will be published tonight or tomorrow on headphone.com. I am strongly considering shelling out the bucks to buy the Solaris now. It suits me more than the Andromeda does.

I still prefer over-ear open-back headphones though. Price for price, headphones are a better deal than in-ears but you can get more versatility from portables.

Back to topic, I started relistening to the fearless s4 and bgvp DM6 recently on travel and they are really similar sounding IEMs. Really similar. I think the s4 is just slightly more refined and more open, but other than that, I find them similar enough. I find the treble on both to be a little off and missing body but really like the warm lower mids and bass response.

Yeah, EVERYONE who's heard the Solaris's has absolutely LOVED them, even though they're kinda big and don't fit everyone's ears. If I did sell my CA Andromedas and Dorado's to buy the Solaris's, I would have 15 days to try them out and burn them in as much as possible, and still return them to get a 100% refund. And if for some CRAZY reason I don't fall in love with them (HIGHLY DOUBTFUL), I could simply buy another set of the Andromedas, and a pair of the Fearless Audio S8F/P or the ACME 8 and still be PLENTY happy for a long time to come ️

So yeah, EVERYONE ivI' talked to and read opinions and reviews from have ALL said that the Solaris's are something very special, and to just buy them and see for myself LoL I've heard they're like an Andromeda and Atlas/Dorado combo if they had a baby, and thatst DEFINITELY something I'm interested in!

That said, this chi-Fi stuff is getting really badass and amazing, and Fearless Audio seems to be at the top of the list IMO Even if I do get the Solaris's, I'll still be buying a pair of IEM's from Fearless, and the design of the bass maze of the ACME 8 has REALLY caught my attention!!!

 

[FOBean]

Yup...I agree with pretty much all you posted here. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Thanks!!! I'm really glad that my thoughts resonate with someone else who feels the exact same way!

And I have read a few of your recent posts. If I were you and didn't have much money to invest into a decent pair of IEM's, I'd definitely start looking at the chi-fi stuff, and Fearless Audio seems like a great place to start, even though I've never heard their IEMs. But from this thread alone, it seems like they care about and cater to their customers very much, and if something were to happen or go wrong with your Fearless Audio IEM's, they seem like a really stand up company and I would imagine that they would definitely make things right with you and make and keep you happy as a customer!!!

Also, ive never heard the ToneKing T88 (I think that is the model number), as well as the Kanas Pro (but I think that is just a DD IEM and doesn't have any BA Drivers, which is a completely different sound signature), as well as the KZ IEM's and DGMV (or however you spell their name LoL ). But those companies seem like a good starting point for you and someone else doing this hobby on the cheap or just starting out. I've read enough posts and threads on Head-Fi about those chi-fi companies to know that they're a good starting point and/or ending point, depending on which models we're talking about!!!

Good luck on your IEM's search!!! If I were you and just starting out like you are, I'd get the best Fearless Audio IEM's I could possibly afford! I'm sure that those would make you VERY happy for a long time coming ️

 

[courierdriver]

Thanks!!! I'm really glad that my thoughts resonate with someone else who feels the exact same way!

And I have read a few of your recent posts. If I were you and didn't have much money to invest into a decent pair of IEM's, I'd definitely start looking at the chi-fi stuff, and Fearless Audio seems like a great place to start, even though I've never heard their IEMs. But from this thread alone, it seems like they care about and cater to their customers very much, and if something were to happen or go wrong with your Fearless Audio IEM's, they seem like a really stand up company and I would imagine that they would definitely make things right with you and make and keep you happy as a customer!!!

Also, ive never heard the ToneKing T88 (I think that is the model number), as well as the Kanas Pro (but I think that is just a DD IEM and doesn't have any BA Drivers, which is a completely different sound signature), as well as the KZ IEM's and DGMV (or however you spell their name LoL ). But those companies seem like a good starting point.

Good luck on your IEM's search!!! If I were you and just starting out like you are, I'd get the best Fearless Audio IEM's I could possibly afford! I'm sure that those would make you VERY happy for a long time coming ️

Thanks for the kind words and advice! I actually DO own the Kanas Pro and am very impressed with them. The sound signature is just what I like and yes, it does have a single dynamic driver...and a very high quality diamond like carbon (DLC) one at that. Now, I'm searching around for an all BA iem to complement the Kanas Pro. I've looked into alot of different brands over the past few months and I'm leaning towards something from Fearless. I agree with you...I think these guys are really at the top of the Chi fi world right now when it comes to quality and customer service. That's one of the main reasons why they are at the top of my list for my next iem. Another reason is value for money. From all that I have read in this thread, this company's products compete with TOTL from the more well known manufacturers as a much more affordable cost.

 

[FOBean]

Meanwhile I dont have have a carry case for my s8pro. I just let it hang around my ear or shirt and just hurriedly stuff them in my pants pocket for storage. i am going to hell aren't i? haha

Pelican 1010 Micro Case is a GREAT case, especially for how cheap they are!!! They're only like $15/Shipped on eBay! That case will hold ANY IEM's and super thick 16-core/8-core cables that you can possibly throw at it! You might need a little bit of foam to keep everything from bouncing around, but for around $20 total it's amazing protection for IEM's!!!

 

[FOBean]

Thanks for the kind words and advice! I actually DO own the Kanas Pro and am very impressed with them. The sound signature is just what I like and yes, it does have a single dynamic driver...and a very high quality diamond like carbon (DLC) one at that. Now, I'm searching around for an all BA iem to complement the Kanas Pro. I've looked into alot of different brands over the past few months and I'm leaning towards something from Fearless. I agree with you...I think these guys are really at the top of the Chi fi world right now when it comes to quality and customer service. That's one of the main reasons why they are at the top of my list for my next iem. Another reason is value for money. From all that I have read in this thread, this company's products compete with TOTL from the more well known manufacturers as a much more affordable cost.

100% agree with everything YOU SAID too LoL. I already own some TOTL IEM's from Campfire Audio, and I'm still VERY interested and intrigued in the Fearless Audio IEM's!!! Not to mention the quality of the backs of them and they're amazing design quality. Just absolutely jaw droppingly beautiful inside and out. Add in their sound quality AND price/value, and you have an all around winner for sure!!!

 

[antdroid]

Yeah, EVERYONE who's heard the Solaris's has absolutely LOVED them, even though they're kinda big and don't fit everyone's ears. If I did sell my CA Andromedas and Dorado's to buy the Solaris's, I would have 15 days to try them out and burn them in as much as possible, and still return them to get a 100% refund. And if for some CRAZY reason I don't fall in love with them (HIGHLY DOUBTFUL), I could simply buy another set of the Andromedas, and a pair of the Fearless Audio S8F/P or the ACME 8 and still be PLENTY happy for a long time to come ️

So yeah, EVERYONE ivI' talked to and read opinions and reviews from have ALL said that the Solaris's are something very special, and to just buy them and see for myself LoL I've heard they're like an Andromeda and Atlas/Dorado combo if they had a baby, and thatst DEFINITELY something I'm interested in!

That said, this chi-Fi stuff is getting really badass and amazing, and Fearless Audio seems to be at the top of the list IMO Even if I do get the Solaris's, I'll still be buying a pair of IEM's from Fearless, and the design of the bass maze of the ACME 8 has REALLY caught my attention!!!

It looks like you're in the US. Headphones.com has a year long return policy. Just an FYI.