For those who can have Xe6 and Kr5 in their collection, honestly nothing else is needed 
Fir Audio Thread - Discussion and Impressions
I mostly listen to various sub genres of electronica, so for me XE6 plays well with anything that needs a stronger mid bass and lower mids presence like dubstep, drum & bass and/or melodic bass. But I find it plays extremely well with all of my library, even vocal-centric trance that traditionally sounds best with a more upper mid forward tuning.
I'm going to ask a perhaps difficult question, if I had to compare Xe6 and Jewel what would I say? I think they are on the same level... I thought about the jewel but my friend, it's very expensive
Does anyone happen to know what brand and model the stock silicone tips are?
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Dualscreens2
New Head-Fier
This one really had my ears shaking and my wrists too
Having already purchased the NE4 previously, over this weekend I was able to demo the KR5 and XE6 as I had an interest in both of the other Frontier series models. Thanks to Andrew of MusicTeck for allowing me to do so. He's a pleasure to deal with. For full disclosure, I was offered a discount in exchange for my short review/analysis, and I hope to write up a fuller review in the future when I have the time.
The NE4 is an excellent baseline model in the Frontier series, and I was originally interested in it as it supposedly combined elements of its more expensive siblings; the clarity and soundstage of the KR5, and the more present bass of the XE6. However, I hadn't gotten to confirm that for myself. I consider the NE4 to be a very balanced all-rounder IEM for anyone looking to get into what is absolutely the TOTL price point. For its price you get a clear, non-fatiguing W-shaped sound in a shell which is much smaller than most anything at or above its price bracket. If ergonomics are important to you, especially if you have smaller ears, you won't do much better here. It's amazing what they've done in such a small space. Mid-bass is especially notable.
My curiosity with the KR5 having tried Vision Ears's EXT for some time was whether or not there were any similarities. The EXT is a fantastic IEM in its own right, but is plagued by fit issues that I myself experienced, never truly knowing if my ears would jive with it on a given day. It's got great bass while maintaining that general W-shaped tuning, and if it can work for you, I won't argue that it's something you should consider.
That said, when I put the KR5 in my ears and spun up some tracks, I was admittedly underwhelmed. The model is arguably the least popular of the series and I understand why. It's got technical performance, but it has a withdrawn sound that you have to be looking for. Playing David Bowie's "Joe the Lion" I can only describe the sound as being sucked out of the room. It feels far, but not (to me) in a soundstage kind of way. It's very hard to explain. The technical prowess is there, but I absolutely can't recommend it as a blind buy compared to the NE4, where if you like warmer-tuned all-rounders then you likely won't go wrong. I'm inclined to think it could do better with other genres, but I put it down pretty quickly after going through a few songs I usually listen to.
The XE6 was the model I really wanted to test, and I immediately understood why people love or hate it. I have a limited range of experience but I cannot fathom better sub-bass from any other IEM right now. If you don't love deep, powerful bass, you'll probably hate it, and I won't try to sell you on it. It's polarizing, but I can describe it as an all-rounder if you love bass and want to really feel the music. The kinetic bass functionality is absolutely no joke with the way it's been implemented. A fellow user recommended using James Blake's "Limit to Your Love" as a sub-bass test, and they were right. I really don't even know if it's worth trying to explain the impact you get, but you can feel the sub-bass drop throughout your body.
The NE4, for those who haven't heard it, takes a lot more from the XE6. I don't see much overlap with the KR5, and they're ultimately very different IEMs. Again, I think it's an excellent blind buy if you feel it could work for you based on your personal preferences, but like anything in this hobby, you should test it in person if you can.
While I was there, I also tested the Aroma Jewel, another popular model comprising what people presently consider a true summit-fi IEM. I can understand why people love it, but I preferred the XE6. It takes what the NE4 does and to my ears simply does it better. I've spent the weekend listening to it and it's really just a ton of fun.
The NE4 is an excellent baseline model in the Frontier series, and I was originally interested in it as it supposedly combined elements of its more expensive siblings; the clarity and soundstage of the KR5, and the more present bass of the XE6. However, I hadn't gotten to confirm that for myself. I consider the NE4 to be a very balanced all-rounder IEM for anyone looking to get into what is absolutely the TOTL price point. For its price you get a clear, non-fatiguing W-shaped sound in a shell which is much smaller than most anything at or above its price bracket. If ergonomics are important to you, especially if you have smaller ears, you won't do much better here. It's amazing what they've done in such a small space. Mid-bass is especially notable.
My curiosity with the KR5 having tried Vision Ears's EXT for some time was whether or not there were any similarities. The EXT is a fantastic IEM in its own right, but is plagued by fit issues that I myself experienced, never truly knowing if my ears would jive with it on a given day. It's got great bass while maintaining that general W-shaped tuning, and if it can work for you, I won't argue that it's something you should consider.
That said, when I put the KR5 in my ears and spun up some tracks, I was admittedly underwhelmed. The model is arguably the least popular of the series and I understand why. It's got technical performance, but it has a withdrawn sound that you have to be looking for. Playing David Bowie's "Joe the Lion" I can only describe the sound as being sucked out of the room. It feels far, but not (to me) in a soundstage kind of way. It's very hard to explain. The technical prowess is there, but I absolutely can't recommend it as a blind buy compared to the NE4, where if you like warmer-tuned all-rounders then you likely won't go wrong. I'm inclined to think it could do better with other genres, but I put it down pretty quickly after going through a few songs I usually listen to.
The XE6 was the model I really wanted to test, and I immediately understood why people love or hate it. I have a limited range of experience but I cannot fathom better sub-bass from any other IEM right now. If you don't love deep, powerful bass, you'll probably hate it, and I won't try to sell you on it. It's polarizing, but I can describe it as an all-rounder if you love bass and want to really feel the music. The kinetic bass functionality is absolutely no joke with the way it's been implemented. A fellow user recommended using James Blake's "Limit to Your Love" as a sub-bass test, and they were right. I really don't even know if it's worth trying to explain the impact you get, but you can feel the sub-bass drop throughout your body.
The NE4, for those who haven't heard it, takes a lot more from the XE6. I don't see much overlap with the KR5, and they're ultimately very different IEMs. Again, I think it's an excellent blind buy if you feel it could work for you based on your personal preferences, but like anything in this hobby, you should test it in person if you can.
While I was there, I also tested the Aroma Jewel, another popular model comprising what people presently consider a true summit-fi IEM. I can understand why people love it, but I preferred the XE6. It takes what the NE4 does and to my ears simply does it better. I've spent the weekend listening to it and it's really just a ton of fun.
srinivasvignesh
100+ Head-Fier
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If you already had the z1r, would you recommend the Kr5 or the Xe6?
paul_uk_81
100+ Head-Fier
I’m trying to make this decision right now.
I have the Kr5 and Z1R (new to both, I’d been using a 64 Fourte for probably 3-4 years).
I think the Z1R has the slight edge for me in tuning, most music feels more pleasurable and detailed through that. Having said that, the Kr5 bass is really fun.
My plan was to keep both for a few months, see which I use most and then sell the other.
I also have an LCDi4 which I really like when I use it but not often enough, it also sounds a little boring against the Kr5 and Z1R.
I’d love to try the Xe6 but I find the Kr5 best when it’s mid-bass and mids are toned back just a touch and not sure if the Xe6 has that even more strongly.
I have the Kr5 and Z1R (new to both, I’d been using a 64 Fourte for probably 3-4 years).
I think the Z1R has the slight edge for me in tuning, most music feels more pleasurable and detailed through that. Having said that, the Kr5 bass is really fun.
My plan was to keep both for a few months, see which I use most and then sell the other.
I also have an LCDi4 which I really like when I use it but not often enough, it also sounds a little boring against the Kr5 and Z1R.
I’d love to try the Xe6 but I find the Kr5 best when it’s mid-bass and mids are toned back just a touch and not sure if the Xe6 has that even more strongly.
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Is it worth going to 4.4? I have an iBasso DX240.
godlikegamer
100+ Head-Fier
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SQ wise not sure will there be improvement since placebo effect occurs, sturdy wise is better than 2.5 but depend on your usage since mine (2.5) is already 5 years and still working flawless... not sure how other breaks their termination with normal usage...
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Balanced is nice, but not essential. Just for extra power if needed. But sound wise is ok, not a huge difference. Depends a lot on the source implementation as well.
rofflemywaffle
Head-Fier
After borrowing the XE6 from my friend for a week (he got my Odin), I'm going to take the plunge for a CIEM XE6. My new favorite combo is XE6 + DX300 (stock amp). Very excited about the CIEM, high hopes.
Having already purchased the NE4 previously, over this weekend I was able to demo the KR5 and XE6 as I had an interest in both of the other Frontier series models. Thanks to Andrew of MusicTeck for allowing me to do so. He's a pleasure to deal with. For full disclosure, I was offered a discount in exchange for my short review/analysis, and I hope to write up a fuller review in the future when I have the time.
The NE4 is an excellent baseline model in the Frontier series, and I was originally interested in it as it supposedly combined elements of its more expensive siblings; the clarity and soundstage of the KR5, and the more present bass of the XE6. However, I hadn't gotten to confirm that for myself. I consider the NE4 to be a very balanced all-rounder IEM for anyone looking to get into what is absolutely the TOTL price point. For its price you get a clear, non-fatiguing W-shaped sound in a shell which is much smaller than most anything at or above its price bracket. If ergonomics are important to you, especially if you have smaller ears, you won't do much better here. It's amazing what they've done in such a small space. Mid-bass is especially notable.
My curiosity with the KR5 having tried Vision Ears's EXT for some time was whether or not there were any similarities. The EXT is a fantastic IEM in its own right, but is plagued by fit issues that I myself experienced, never truly knowing if my ears would jive with it on a given day. It's got great bass while maintaining that general W-shaped tuning, and if it can work for you, I won't argue that it's something you should consider.
That said, when I put the KR5 in my ears and spun up some tracks, I was admittedly underwhelmed. The model is arguably the least popular of the series and I understand why. It's got technical performance, but it has a withdrawn sound that you have to be looking for. Playing David Bowie's "Joe the Lion" I can only describe the sound as being sucked out of the room. It feels far, but not (to me) in a soundstage kind of way. It's very hard to explain. The technical prowess is there, but I absolutely can't recommend it as a blind buy compared to the NE4, where if you like warmer-tuned all-rounders then you likely won't go wrong. I'm inclined to think it could do better with other genres, but I put it down pretty quickly after going through a few songs I usually listen to.
The XE6 was the model I really wanted to test, and I immediately understood why people love or hate it. I have a limited range of experience but I cannot fathom better sub-bass from any other IEM right now. If you don't love deep, powerful bass, you'll probably hate it, and I won't try to sell you on it. It's polarizing, but I can describe it as an all-rounder if you love bass and want to really feel the music. The kinetic bass functionality is absolutely no joke with the way it's been implemented. A fellow user recommended using James Blake's "Limit to Your Love" as a sub-bass test, and they were right. I really don't even know if it's worth trying to explain the impact you get, but you can feel the sub-bass drop throughout your body.
The NE4, for those who haven't heard it, takes a lot more from the XE6. I don't see much overlap with the KR5, and they're ultimately very different IEMs. Again, I think it's an excellent blind buy if you feel it could work for you based on your personal preferences, but like anything in this hobby, you should test it in person if you can.
While I was there, I also tested the Aroma Jewel, another popular model comprising what people presently consider a true summit-fi IEM. I can understand why people love it, but I preferred the XE6. It takes what the NE4 does and to my ears simply does it better. I've spent the weekend listening to it and it's really just a ton of fun.
Great write-up here, with a bunch of valuable information!
Appreciate the analogy - as someone who loves the tuning of the Diana Phi, I would likely love the KR5 too.
Look forward to your feedback on the custom version. Congratulations on the buy!
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