[Idsynchrono_24]

When you state that the SM3 had too much bass, you mean relative to the rest of the spectrum right? And thanks for the thoughtful replies, there really aren't too many people here in a position to comment on these phones so I appreciate your effort. Layering is relative to imaging, everything is stratified and everything occupies a select space and you can pin point where sound is originating from relative to the space the phone portrays. Sound just takes on a more dimensional feel (i.e. depth), that's what people describe as feeling "3D" 
 
They sound like really great phones from your descriptions and very much in line with what I'm looking for. If Dale has made further optimizations to the final product then I can only imagine what they're like 

 

[naoo]

Hi all,

I'm currently auditioning a demo unit of the AS-2s - just thought I'd share some thoughts. I don't have the depth of experience that members like ericp10 and FlySweep have, so I'd think their opinions should carry more weight. Anyways, here's a short comparison of the AS-2s vs. my current favorite IEM, the GR07 Mk II:

Overall, the signatures of these are very very close; this is a good thing for me, as I picked the GR07s over all the other IEMs I've had the fortune to hear (check my profile for a list of almost everything I've heard; I've also briefly auditioned the Ortofon EQ-5, Brainwavz B2 and Hisound Crystal). The bass of the AS-2s hits lower than the GR07s, if you can believe it - making everything sound just that much sharper. I'd previously found the GR07s the kings of sub-bass, but the AS-2 is clearly better in this regard. The mids of the AS-2s sound very much in line with the bass and the treble - a little more forward than the GR07s I think, but it's very close. The treble of the AS-2s sounds very technically competent - I'm not a huge treblehead but they do seem slightly better than the GR07s here - certainly a bit less fatiguing. I'd guess it's missing some of those peaks in the upper registers of the GR07s, but I'll leave it to more experienced members to corroborate that.

The separation on the AS-2s is clearly better than the GR07s as well - if audio memory serves, they aren't far from the UM3X here. Also, I finally see what eke2k6 means with respect to the GR07's soundstage - it really is height that they're missing, which the AS-2 isn't. Consequently, it certainly sounds more open and well-rounded than the (now in my mind) squished GR07. The AS-2s are more efficient as well, requiring about a 5 step lower volume level than the Vsonics out of my Clip Zip - which by the way drives them just fine. I do hope to experiment with some better sources at some point.

If I had to pick one word to describe the AS-2s, it would be: natural. Everything sounds great on these - the timbre is great, and I'm pretty confident the dynamics are improved over the GR07 as well. It sounds very cohesive as well - I can't pinpoint any difference between the sound of the dynamic driver and the balanced armatures; I won't pretend to be an expert in this area however.

Now for the main question: are these improvements worth a ~$350 premium (my other option is getting custom tips for my GR07s)? I have yet to fully figure that out, but I'm leaning towards ordering a pair.

If anyone has any specific questions, or any tracks they'd like me to listen to with these and provide feedback - I'm happy to do that. I'll be going on vacation starting Friday morning however, so won't be able to listen to these after that.

Would like to ask, are you auditioning the AS-2 or is it AS-2S :0

And also how would you rate them according to accuracy?

 

[nyonya]

Quote:

When you state that the SM3 had too much bass, you mean relative to the rest of the spectrum right? And thanks for the thoughtful replies, there really aren't too many people here in a position to comment on these phones so I appreciate your effort. Layering is relative to imaging, everything is stratified and everything occupies a select space and you can pin point where sound is originating from relative to the space the phone portrays. Sound just takes on a more dimensional feel (i.e. depth), that's what people describe as feeling "3D" 
 
They sound like really great phones from your descriptions and very much in line with what I'm looking for. If Dale has made further optimizations to the final product then I can only imagine what they're like 

Yes, I do mean the rest of the spectrum - at my comfortable listening volume bass was too overbearing on those, and even greater in quantity on the UM3X. I feel like the AS-2 has a balance very similar to the GR07s.
 
Still can't say for sure about the layering aspect, but I do think that choosing any one instrument to listen to (or even one out of three guitars playing simultaneously) is quite easy, so I suppose I could call that layering.
 
I am also curious about how these will sound with the recent updates, as well as when they're full customs perfectly matched to the shape of a person's ear. I might just have to find out 

 

[7nationarmy]

Dale, is it possible to have a polished only option for the ASG2? I kind of prefer my iem to be good looking but still low profile (and I do not have the extra money currently to get metal faceplate). Rhodium seemed low profile enough but boy that is not cheap.

 

[nyonya]

Quote:

Would like to ask, are you auditioning the AS-2 or is it AS-2S :0
And also how would you rate them according to accuracy?

I'm auditioning the universal demo of the AS-2s - I don't believe there will be different custom AS-2 versions, but Dale can comment on that.
 
I feel they sound very natural and don't color the music much - if you're asking whether they're analytical IEMs I don't think I'd say yes, they're more on the balanced side, with great detail, but thicker notes than you'd associate with something like an Etymotic.

 

[EveTan]

I'm auditioning the universal demo of the AS-2s - I don't believe there will be different custom AS-2 versions, but Dale can comment on that.

I feel they sound very natural and don't color the music much - if you're asking whether they're analytical IEMs I don't think I'd say yes, they're more on the balanced side, with great detail, but thicker notes than you'd associate with something like an Etymotic.

How is the soundstage/imaging?

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Quote:

Yes, I do mean the rest of the spectrum - at my comfortable listening volume bass was too overbearing on those, and even greater in quantity on the UM3X. I feel like the AS-2 has a balance very similar to the GR07s.
 
Still can't say for sure about the layering aspect, but I do think that choosing any one instrument to listen to (or even one out of three guitars playing simultaneously) is quite easy, so I suppose I could call that layering.
 
I am also curious about how these will sound with the recent updates, as well as when they're full customs perfectly matched to the shape of a person's ear. I might just have to find out 

Nice, sounds like they'd make for a nice complement to my ES5s. And yeah, I'd hope that separation is good on them, I think that's a hallmark that should be found in every top performing IEM and greatly contributes to clarity. How do you find drums on the AS-2 proto? Do snares have a palpable snap and crack and do toms and kick drums have a nice weighty resonance to them?

 

[ChrisSC]

Can someone who has listened to the as2s say how opening the bass port affects the sound?
 
How much bass is added? Does it muddy up the mids? etc.

 

[Aurisonics]

Quote:

Dale, is it possible to have a polished only option for the ASG2? I kind of prefer my iem to be good looking but still low profile (and I do not have the extra money currently to get metal faceplate). Rhodium seemed low profile enough but boy that is not cheap.

Sorry only options listed is what we will be doing for now. Thank you though for asking.

 

[kenman345]

While in general I agree with you they are not what you'd call analytical, they very well could be if you listen to them like I do. It just a matter of condition. If you are sitting down with them and just listening to them you'll feel they're a lot more analytical than you previously thought, but if you're reading or walking around or doing much of anything then they are just music to your ears in a metaphorical sense and quite literal sense. Also, custom versions will definitely be an interesting mix for you. You want to use them while commuting on the subway and I can't think of something to help you out better than a custom when wanting to block out some of that noise. 
Quote:

I'm auditioning the universal demo of the AS-2s - I don't believe there will be different custom AS-2 versions, but Dale can comment on that.
 
I feel they sound very natural and don't color the music much - if you're asking whether they're analytical IEMs I don't think I'd say yes, they're more on the balanced side, with great detail, but thicker notes than you'd associate with something like an Etymotic.

EDIT: I know what I am saying may seem a bit controversial or nonsensical (about them not being analytical yet they kinda are), but when you've had the AS-2's for as long as I have you will agree. They will keep on surprising you the more and more you use them. Try listening to some 192 kbps mp3's (or lower, I personally don't listen to anything not lossless if I can help it) on the AS-2 demo you got. If they are like my AS-2's you'll find yourself wishing you hadnt stepped down that path. The combination of the BA and the Dynamic driver really tear apart low quality sources. The more information you feed them though, the better they become. 

 

[Aurisonics]

Quote:

I'm auditioning the universal demo of the AS-2s - I don't believe there will be different custom AS-2 versions, but Dale can comment on that.
 
I feel they sound very natural and don't color the music much - if you're asking whether they're analytical IEMs I don't think I'd say yes, they're more on the balanced side, with great detail, but thicker notes than you'd associate with something like an Etymotic.

[size=10pt]I know it's easy to get mixed up. He has an earlier version of the AS-2 generic demo which we have a few pairs of that we allow musicians to use on stage if they are on the fence. Have not had a set come back that was not followed by an excited new customer and order. We do continue to make things better also. [/size]

 

 

[anoxy]

Quote:

While in general I agree with you they are not what you'd call analytical, they very well could be if you listen to them like I do. It just a matter of condition. If you are sitting down with them and just listening to them you'll feel they're a lot more analytical than you previously thought, but if you're reading or walking around or doing much of anything then they are just music to your ears in a metaphorical sense and quite literal sense. Also, custom versions will definitely be an interesting mix for you. You want to use them while commuting on the subway and I can't think of something to help you out better than a custom when wanting to block out some of that noise. 
EDIT: I know what I am saying may seem a bit controversial or nonsensical (about them not being analytical yet they kinda are), but when you've had the AS-2's for as long as I have you will agree. They will keep on surprising you the more and more you use them. Try listening to some 192 kbps mp3's (or lower, I personally don't listen to anything not lossless if I can help it) on the AS-2 demo you got. If they are like my AS-2's you'll find yourself wishing you hadnt stepped down that path. The combination of the BA and the Dynamic driver really tear apart low quality sources. The more information you feed them though, the better they become. 

Have you ever owned Etymotic ER-4 or ER-6?

 

[Aurisonics]

[size=medium]I snuck some space in so a bass port could be added on the ASG-2 so the bass on those equipped with that can be tuned a bit more to a person's liking. The new drivers that will be in all have an even greater detail to them, higher sensitivity, and the kick drum at about 100Hz is thumpin' as well as the upper mids where the snare crack and top end of a vocal are is brought in a bit more without being overbearing. [/size]

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Quote:

[size=medium]I snuck some space in so a bass port could be added on the ASG-2 so the bass on those equipped with that can be tuned a bit more to a person's liking. The new drivers that will be in all have an even greater detail to them, higher sensitivity, and the kick drum at about 100Hz is thumpin' as well as the upper mids where the snare crack and top end of a vocal are is brought in a bit more without being overbearing. [/size]

Do you mean new in regards to the drivers shipping in current production phones, and not the ones found in the AS-2 generic demo that doesn't have the final tweaks? 

 

[daveyostrow]

I wonder how different the ASG2 will sound from the AS2. They both have the added tweeters?