Fir Audio Thread - Discussion and Impressions

[toaster]

you said the fir stuff all has something similar to lid tech, right?

when 64a first said that the a18 didn't have lid-tech was because they wanted audiophiles to have complete control over changing the sound, i didn't really understand. but after hearing the a18 with the 1950 cable and seeing people with lots of cables not hear a difference as they anticipated when swapping cables or other components, it makes a lot of sense.

that said, i'm still really looking forward to hearing the m5 next week!

 

[mvvRAZ]

you said the fir stuff all has something similar to lid tech, right?

when 64a first said that the a18 didn't have lid-tech was because they wanted audiophiles to have complete control over changing the sound, i didn't really understand. but after hearing the a18 with the 1950 cable and seeing people with lots of cables not hear a difference as they anticipated when swapping cables or other components, it makes a lot of sense.

that said, i'm still really looking forward to hearing the m5 next week!

There’s definitely reasoning behind both

The FiR tech is definitely a step up on LID - I tried the U12t off two sources last summer and difference was somewhat noticeable

Personally though; that and the proprietary connectors made me sell mine, I enjoy cable rolling and sound tweaking too much

 

[aaf evo]

you said the fir stuff all has something similar to lid tech, right?

when 64a first said that the a18 didn't have lid-tech was because they wanted audiophiles to have complete control over changing the sound, i didn't really understand. but after hearing the a18 with the 1950 cable and seeing people with lots of cables not hear a difference as they anticipated when swapping cables or other components, it makes a lot of sense.

that said, i'm still really looking forward to hearing the m5 next week!

yes sir! when I listened through my DC01 and my SP2000 SS the sound signature was virtually the same, obviously the DC01 can’t touch the SP2000 SS in background, stage, or dynamics though.

I will do some more cable rolling today and give it some more runs but I’m fairly sure I can hear a difference between to two. The more revealing aspects of the 1960s sounds a better pair up to my ears over the 1950s smoothness

 

[John2e]

It should also be pointed out the FIR stock cable is an excellent cable. I would be interested in putting the cheapest cable available in and comparing it to the PW 60/50. That might yield a greater perceived difference...

 

[aaf evo]

Also after giving my A18t some listening time I’d say overall the sound signatures aren’t drastically different but the way they are presented is what would come down to the listeners preference over which they prefer more.

The M5 is a thicker and smoother sound whereas the A18t is leaner. Both sound fantastic.

 

[aaf evo]

It should also be pointed out the FIR cable is an excellent cable. I would be interested in putting the cheapest cable available in and comparing it to the PW 60/50. That might yield a greater perceived difference...

yep unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that comparison but I’m sure there will be other people that can cover that, looking forward to hearing everyone’s impressions

 

[John2e]

Also after giving my A18t some listening time I’d say overall the sound signatures aren’t drastically different but the way they are presented is what would come down to the listeners preference over which they prefer more.

The M5 is a thicker and smoother sound whereas the A18t is leaner. Both sound fantastic.

YUP

At this level it all comes down to personal sound preference and the type of music we listen to

 

[aaf evo]

YUP

At this level it all comes down to personal sound preference and the type of music we listen to

give me an A18t with estat/DD goodies and a fully tubeless CIEM design and I would be in heaven!

 

[twister6]

for me it wasn’t as drastic of a change as it is with something like my A18t (where I personally don’t like the 1960s pair at all) but it was noticeable enough that I knew I preferred the 60s over the 50s.

I believe Bogdan himself has also stated cable rolling should have an effect but he would have to confirm that.

I have some notes on M5 cable rolling, as well as RCX adapters, in my review. I personally decided to stick to their 8-conductor Scorpion wire cable my review unit arrived with, great pair up synergy IMHO.



And that short adapter comes in very handy!

 

[aaf evo]

I’m not sure exactly what stock cable came with the M5 I am demoing but it certainly is nice in terms kid build quality and overall looks. Shame I couldn’t give it a test.

 

[twister6]

I have some notes on M5 cable rolling, as well as RCX adapters, in my review. I personally decided to stick with their 8-conductor Scorpion wire cable my review unit arrived with, great pair up synergy IMHO.



And that short adapter comes in very handy!

 

[John2e]

I’m not sure exactly what stock cable came with the M5 I am demoing but it certainly is nice in terms kid build quality and overall looks. Shame I couldn’t give it a test.

5's got an 8 wire, 4's also have an 8 wire and the 3' have a 4 wire.

 

[eldss]

I didn’t try other manufacturers’ cables, but when I auditioned the lineup all the way up to the M4, I did tried switching the cables from the M4 to the other iems. The M4 and M5 I believe have the 8 conductor cable as standard vs the rest of the lineup that comes w/ 4 conductor cables as standard. The biggest difference I can remember was the soundstage was much improved across the board with the 8 core cable. It was quiete noticeable for me, it don’t remember other changes other than that. One thing to mention is my 8 core cable has held up pretty good to crazy usage. Had it on tour all summer long and it’s the best cable I’ve tried to take abuse.

 

[John2e]

With regard to lid and cable swapping

" It’s not LID, lid is a reversed zoble circuit, our circuit is a lot more advanced and does a lot more than just impedance. Therefore a12t would not be as resistive to changes. We use ours to control the bass driver as well. I would say to swing the sound signature noticeably you would have to have a big swing, from our low resistance scorpion wire to a much higher resistance source or cable. Our circuit will work overtime to combat the change but that’s what allows us to ensure wherever pro audio users plug in they’re getting what they are expecting. "

 

[John2e]

There IS transfer of ownership

The reshell prices range from $500-$800 depending on model and extras