[Owludio]

I've been reading the latest posts on this thread while listening to my... Legend X. (Independence day sale put it in my budget). Just switched to FH7 and must say that of all my iem collection FH7 is the only one that does not prompt me to switch back immediately. I boost bass and also avoid recordings with to many treble flaws as FH7 pushes them to the front. These two sound so different that LX didn't leave FH7 out of business like others. LX is laid back, smooth, forgiving while FH7 is intense, engaging. Diminishing returns effect is here but no buyer's remorse.
I cannot use FH7 in the morning when I'm too treble sensitive. FH7 also forces me to focus on recording imperfections that interferes with pure music enjoyment. No such thing with LX.
To be fair, I have the same problem with Sony ier-M9 and had it with ier-Z1R.
If I've walked into the store and had auditioned both LX and FH7, in the morning it would be LX easily, while at night 4-x the price tag would give me a pause.
Still I don't think FH7 is anywhere close to 80% SQ, more like 40% for 22% price. It just does something LX doesn't do for me and filling a niche.

 

[FactoryStock]

Let's just say $3000 Empyrean killing juggernaut. Or even a full sized can. Would love to see their take on that.

I would definitely like to have a manufacturer make a Havi B3 successor. Not better sound or worse sound, but just exactly the same; congruent FR, ADSR, tube-ish harmonics, and sheer size of soundstage. With the exact same behaviour when connected to increasingly more powerful amps.

I'm pretty sure having an exact sound won't get then into trouble. It's only when they start imitating the design, logo, and materials used, that patent lawyers might be kept busy...

 

[Ludwig1968]

For those looking for a better fit, a guy I know said about the now extinct Sony hybrid tips, he took some comply memory foam tips, took the bore out and filled his tips, i did the same with a pair of cp100 and spiral dots, seal is as good as my wh1000xm3, and bass got a bit tighter and present, I couldn’t upload the picture with my iPad, but you get the idea

Hi, have you tried to use Symbio WB? I like them too much.

 

[AlexCBSN]

Haven’t, I’ll be gettin spiral dot ++ soon, hoping they’ll be end game

 

[Ludwig1968]

Haven’t, I’ll be gettin spiral dot ++ soon, hoping they’ll be end game

Good choice! Never read negative opinions about spiral dots. Good Music to You.

 

[mkygod]

I was going back and forth between Symbio W and Spiral dots last week but settled on the Spiral dots because the shipping costs made the Symbio W too expensive due to international shipping. Plus the offiicial site for it was out of stock of the mediums and is currently down. Anyone know a US reseller for the Symbio W?

 

[Ludwig1968]

I was going back and forth between Symbio W and Spiral dots last week but settled on the Spiral dots because the shipping costs made the Symbio W too expensive due to international shipping. Plus the offiicial site for it was out of stock of the mediums and is currently down. Anyone know a US reseller for the Symbio W?

Sorry, no. Same but reversed situation here. Spiral dots are hard to find and very expensive. I've bought Symbio WB on ebay by the brand owner. He sells Symbio skins too, same tips but foamless. Very comfortable too. I understand, shipping costs Hungary-Italy are less than Hungary-USA.

 

[konakonata]

Could anyone recommend a shirt clip for FH7? I am using the original cable and it's just too thick for my current clip. Thanks!

 

[AlexCBSN]

Could anyone recommend a shirt clip for FH7? I am using the original cable and it's just too thick for my current clip. Thanks!

Wasn’t one bundled with the iems?

 

[konakonata]

Wasn’t one bundled with the iems?

You're right! I didn't check the bag.

 

[pstickne]

Today's recordings are very compressed and have little concern fora full dynamic range.

All about the recording / mastering .. different music chasing different audiences, including hardware.

Listening to some Talk Talk the other day, and some of their songs seem to have a fair dynamic range. Also, we both talking about range in VOLUME of frequencies, right?

(one could argue that 16-bit is slightly below human perception limits, regardless if a specific individual can hear a difference; ~20 bits PCM is threshold, so 24-bit covers with 16x extra)

 

[Brooko]

All about the recording / mastering .. different music chasing different audiences, including hardware.

Listening to some Talk Talk the other day, and some of their songs seem to have a fair dynamic range. Also, we both talking about range in VOLUME of frequencies, right?

(one could argue that 16-bit is slightly below human perception limits, regardless if a specific individual can hear a difference; ~20 bits PCM is threshold, so 24-bit covers with 16x extra)

In terms of dynamic range, 24 bit covers dynamic range of 144 dB while 16 bit is 96 dB. Perceived DR is more like 120dB (16 bit) when dither is applied. If you're talking normal noise floor of around 30 dB, 16 bit will fully cover dynamic range (from a whisper to something which could instantly deafen you). The reason for use of 24bit is in recording, where you're laying multi-tracks, and need to be mindful of the noise floor when combining tracks. You want headroom.

In reality, music only has a dynamic range of around 80 dB (concert hall, with an orchestra), and most modern music can be far below that. Typical speech only has a DR or around 40dB.

 

[sidecross]

In terms of dynamic range, 24 bit covers dynamic range of 144 dB while 16 bit is 96 dB. Perceived DR is more like 120dB (16 bit) when dither is applied. If you're talking normal noise floor of around 30 dB, 16 bit will fully cover dynamic range (from a whisper to something which could instantly deafen you). The reason for use of 24bit is in recording, where you're laying multi-tracks, and need to be mindful of the noise floor when combining tracks. You want headroom.

In reality, music only has a dynamic range of around 80 dB (concert hall, with an orchestra), and most modern music can be far below that. Typical speech only has a DR or around 40dB.

Good points!

Recorded music has quite a history and its listeners too.

 

[Wyville]

The FH7, for me, is a true giant killer only because it fits my sound and comfort preferences so well, that I wouldn’t buy 2-3x more expensive IEMs even if they were equally priced.

I think this is something a lot of people underestimate. That the "best" is really more about what fits your preferences, rather than what is the most expensive you can afford. Music is an intimately personal experience and getting the signature of your gear right is much more effective to improve that experience than merely buying the most expensive stuff.

 

[gLer]

I think this is something a lot of people underestimate. That the "best" is really more about what fits your preferences, rather than what is the most expensive you can afford. Music is an intimately personal experience and getting the signature of your gear right is much more effective to improve that experience than merely buying the most expensive stuff.

So true! If you’re lucky you can find one of the TOTL IEMs that match your sound sig preferences, but that’s not always the case. If you find an IEM for $500 that ticks all your boxes, what are you really getting for 4x or 5x or 6x the price? A bit of extra resolution? A bit of extra soundstage? Possibly, and it may still not sound as cohesive or appealing to you as your $500 IEM.