[Majid Mute]

plz comparison
rn6 VS odyssey

 

[phiemon]

plz comparison
rn6 VS odyssey

… and Mentor

 

[Majid Mute]

yes

 

[MatW]

Apologies in advance – this isn't a review

Follow-up to my quick impressions after 36 hours of exclusive listening with Rn6 and 1 hour of Rn6 / Xe6 comparative listening. Posting consists of this novice Head-Fier's not so critical listening notes of both UIEMs using an Oriolus-RAOSOUND Audio Selector.

Bonus, I did cable roll CODE 23 with Rn6 and found it even more detailed and a bit "sizzly" in the highs. For Cooler's who know me, I love cables but Rn6's exclusive is f'ing exceptional and don't feel the urge to or recommend cable rolling. And another bonus, it's also f'ing guud with Xe6 where it's comparable to Xe6 paired with Code 23. I'll cable roll Rn6 when I get discharged sometime next week.

Is Rn6 better than Xe6? Nah, I think of both as co-flagships. Rn6 is Xe6's opposite twin retuned to a neutrally warm signature with excellent clarity, technicals, more sub-bass and leaner mid-bass. Both IEMs are very versatile across my music collection where Rn6 has me rediscovering my favorite tracks and playlists.

I haven’t had the opportunity to audition the latest TOTL IEMs from UM, Noble, Campfire, etc and looking forward to my other Watercooler mates to post their impressions and thoughts. Shout out and thanks to @Garney for our conversations.

If you’re blind buying and seeking a neutrally warm IEM with exceptional range across your music collection, I’d recommend giving FiR’s Rn6 a listen.


The Set Up:
FiR Audio Rn6 with Red ATOM XS
Exclusive Rn6 pure silver with copper shielding cable
JVC Spiral Dots++ ear tips

FiR Audio Xe6 with Silver ATOM XS
Stock Scorpion-C 8-core copper and Effect Audio's CODE 23 (Pentaconn OFC 4.4)
JVC Spiral Dots++ ear tips

HiBy RS8
Audio Settings

• Class AB
• Turbo Mode
• H Gain
• No plugins or MSEB
• DSD gain compensation +6dB

Darwin Controller

• Low-pass antialiasing filter - Darwin Default
• DSD Filter - Darwin Default
• NOS - non-oversampling ON
• Harmonic Controller - 0
• No custom presets

Oriolus/RAOSOUND Audio Selector with Eletech Illiad 4.4–4.4 interconnect

Tonight's first track selection
Starting with Kriz's, “Zhin Zhin (For My Wife)” from his The Journey Home album on Humania Records

Trombone Player and Session Musician Krisztian Csapo, also known as “Kriz” brings a new Stereo Pure DSD 256 album of Big Band Jazz music. The album was recorded with the Horus Analog to Digital Converter from Merging Technologies at SuperSize Recording Studios.

Solos: Hadrien Feraud, Krisztián Csapó, Gergő Borlai
Krisztián Csapó - trombone
Ádám Meggyes - trumpet
Gergő Kováts - tenor sax
Gabor Ladanyi - guitar
Áron Tálas - rhodes
Hadrien Feraud - bass
Gergő Borlai - drums

Xenon 6 with stock Scorpion-C, Volume 25
"Zhin Zhin" opens with a seductively rhythmic drum and bass duo. It's percussive and impactful with slow decay and thick full body mid-bass extending into the lower mids. The full body signature extends throughout the track where the horns and cymbals are swimming in the fullness of drums and bass especially in the early parts of the track. The drums, bass and rhodes are the stars with Xe6 and only when the drums and bass recede do the horns – trumpet, sax and Kriz's trombone solos shine. Soundstage is small and at times intimate like a jazz club around 10pm. Instruments are shallowly layer with precise positioning.

Xenon 6 with EA CODE 23, Volume 25
Big improvement with expansive soundstage – open and spherical. Thickness is reduced, but still there, allowing the horns and cymbals to shine. Drums, bass and rhodes are more in the background with faster decay.

Radon 6 with Exclusive pure silver with copper shielding cable, Volume 30
Immersive spatial large soundstage makes the biggest impression – very much like Xe6 with CODE 23 but more airy and definition. All of the instruments are in their lane but not as recessed as Code 23. Drums are sub-bass punchy and impactful. If the drums, bass and rhodes are the stars with Xe6, the horns are the stars with Rn6. Kriz's trombones solo truly shines along with cymbals sounding more like cymbals with a satisfying splash without sizzle. Instruments come across as natural, expressive with realistic timbre and weight.




Tonight's second track selection
Aes Dana's, “Inks” from his album "Topic"

The title track "Inks" starts with shadowy atmospheric sounds of water, dense clouds engorged with drizzly rain. Waves roam on a solitary beach where hoops form drones wandering on a shoreline of lost tones. Heavy pulse spawns through the dark atmospheres, where rhythm structures turn into futuristic beats. Rhythm is fed with textural psybient tones, fauna refuses to form in organic beats and a sustained rhythm where each footstep makes microscopic sound particles leap.

TL;DR a gorgeously dark atmospheric track with clicks, glitches, deep sensual textural bass that washes over and pulls, luring you further away from safe shores.

Xenon 6 with stock Scorpion-C, Volume 25
Spatial wide and thick weighty atmospheric – like fog. Bass is impactful and slowly spreads, lingering.
Track note: 00:52, there's a series of water-like tones that traverse spatially from back to front – the tone movement sounds shallower on Xe6

Xenon 6 with EA CODE 23, Volume 25
Identical impression as earlier – improvement with expansive soundstage – open and spherical. Thickness is reduced, but still there and weighty notes. Glitches, pops, clicks are more precise and defined.

Radon 6 with Exclusive pure silver with copper shielding cable, Volume 30
Expansive, spatially layered and atmospherically spherical in all axis. 00:52 subtle water details are more apparent which was hidden in Xe6 + Scorpion-C. "Inks" sounds expansive where Rn6 immerses you in gorgeously dark atmospheric seas where quiet pauses are dark and lonely. The microscopic glitches delightfully dance pleading you to try to grasp only dissipating. Track note: 00:52, there's a series of water-like tones that traverse from back to front – the tone movement sounds delightfully spatial on Rn6, I here it traveling overhead teasing me to look up.

Great post.

Regarding the graph, best to normalize at 500 or 1000 hertz to reveal salient differences:

 

[Garney]

Great post @Auricon! Thanks for the initial impressions with Code 23, too. I’m somewhat relieved that you don’t find it to have better synergy with Rn6 than the stock cable lol. I love the FiR included such a competent, well suited cable with Rn6. I’ve not at all felt the need to try any of my other (basic) cables yet.

I switched to the gold modules (-16 dB isolation versus -10dB of the reds) and have been playing through some death and black metal tracks that include lots of hefty double bass kicks in rapid fire succession.

Off the batt, there is more weight and oomph on the low end. More of a guttural punch than the quicker stab with the red modules on bass hits. It’s not a massive difference but certainly noticeable. Across the FR, everything is just a tad thicker. This comes at the expense of decreased stage width but only slightly. Pans left to right are still excellent as is layering and instrument placement which is still pinpoint. Vocals don’t seem pushed back much at all compared to reds and still have nice, up front presence.

I will say, the red modules seem to let everything breath more up top. There’s air with golds but it’s not as free flowing or unencumbered as it is with the reds.

Warmth with clarity, detail and spaciousness are what I’m finding to be the Rn6’s main attributes, with really nice subbass punch and reach.

Rn6, with any module, won’t get you the Xe6 bass IMO. No sir. I think the reduced diameter of the kinetic bass port is the differentiator between the two models and as @Auricon mentioned, I think Xe6 and Rn6 should be looked at as two different flagship flavors built on FiRs Frontier house sound.

Back to headbanging to Japanese black metal in my 2 weeks old daughters nursery

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

I wake up this morning and first thing i do is not eating food but bass.
there come the Fir XE6 which i test with a different cable (Tri Grace S) which make it crisper cleaner keeping great sens of dynamism but making it jsut a bit less chunky-euphonic in bass.
This very track I listen right now (Roller the Wick by Clark) take advantage of unique bass thump of these and the result is near surrealist...im not sure im able to explain with words yet the bass experience I get since it doesnt feel it come out of an IEM...im really into some holographic rave right now, in a vast soundscape fullfill with sound layers moving around me and the bass pound on my head....ive never live similar audio experience to this before.

 

[Benesyed]

I wake up this morning and first thing i do is not eating food but bass.
there come the Fir XE6 which i test with a different cable (Tri Grace S) which make it crisper cleaner keeping great sens of dynamism but making it jsut a bit less chunky-euphonic in bass.
This very track I listen right now (Roller the Wick by Clark) take advantage of unique bass thump of these and the result is near surrealist...im not sure im able to explain with words yet the bass experience I get since it doesnt feel it come out of an IEM...im really into some holographic rave right now, in a vast soundscape fullfill with sound layers moving around me and the bass pound on my head....ive never live similar audio experience to this before.

This man knows exactly how I felt when I first tried the Xe6. they are not for people who want a polite neutral set. that frequency response can be found in so many others. It's for a very specific experience, a wonderful guilty pleasure. like having a decadent dessert.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

This man knows exactly how I felt when I first tried the Xe6. they are not for people who want a polite neutral set. that frequency response can be found in so many others. It's for a very specific experience, a wonderful guilty pleasure. like having a decadent dessert.

hehe, exactly....but we are in a special place where bass quantity meet unexpected quality....especially in term of unique dynamic heft...
its rare that bass give me ''beard goosebump'' but this track does right now...
in fact, this whole album tend to sound quite muddy with bassy IEM, strugglin to separated the bass line and chunky kick drum....here with ''All the words we don't say'' track something crazy happen, the bass line is full of grunt and density, well layered in the back of the very round kick and percussions are super crisp, fast snappy, and female vocal lush, smooth, non offensive yet very enjoyable.
very very exotic tonality....which perhaps explain the god-tier price....since as a owner of UM Mext and Final A8000, and with a loan of the Aroma Thunder too right now...i can confirm it's the funniest and most immersive listen of them all. but sure not for neutral head, or mature (and boring) audiophile!!

 

[toaster]

"Mature (and boring) audiophile..."

 

[Auricon]

Great post @Auricon! Thanks for the initial impressions with Code 23, too. I’m somewhat relieved that you don’t find it to have better synergy with Rn6 than the stock cable lol. I love the FiR included such a competent, well suited cable with Rn6. I’ve not at all felt the need to try any of my other (basic) cables yet.

I switched to the gold modules (-16 dB isolation versus -10dB of the reds) and have been playing through some death and black metal tracks that include lots of hefty double bass kicks in rapid fire succession.

Off the batt, there is more weight and oomph on the low end. More of a guttural punch than the quicker stab with the red modules on bass hits. It’s not a massive difference but certainly noticeable. Across the FR, everything is just a tad thicker. This comes at the expense of decreased stage width but only slightly. Pans left to right are still excellent as is layering and instrument placement which is still pinpoint. Vocals don’t seem pushed back much at all compared to reds and still have nice, up front presence.

I will say, the red modules seem to let everything breath more up top. There’s air with golds but it’s not as free flowing or unencumbered as it is with the reds.

Warmth with clarity, detail and spaciousness are what I’m finding to be the Rn6’s main attributes, with really nice subbass punch and reach.

Rn6, with any module, won’t get you the Xe6 bass IMO. No sir. I think the reduced diameter of the kinetic bass port is the differentiator between the two models and as @Auricon mentioned, I think Xe6 and Rn6 should be looked at as two different flagship flavors built on FiRs Frontier house sound.

Back to headbanging to Japanese black metal in my 2 weeks old daughters nursery

@Garney Thank you for the kind compliment. Ja, the more time I'm spending Rn6's stock cable, the more I'm reluctant to recommend rolling or upgrading – perhaps I'm being lazy, LOL. If one has cables, definitely give them a roll and would enjoying hearing those impressions. I'll still plan on rolling later next week and report back.

After hibernating for 10 hours, I carefully swapping in the gold modules too. I love and appreciate how FiR incorporated reviewers and owners feedback and made accessing the ATOM XS module holder so much easier by reducing the depth of the cutout and also including all the ATOM XS modules

ATOM XS swapping process notes:
Rn6 ATOM XS module swapping seems smoother than my previous Xe6 swaps. Might be the variance in ATOM holder, but inserting the tool and removing the modules didn't require much effort – just the right amount of friction. The color ATOM XS module color markings are also more distinct – gold looks gold and distinct from silver. Extracting the red ATOM XS from Rn6 is simple as insert tool and pull out – there was just the right amount of friction. Inserting another module was also easy, inserted the gold ATOM XS part of the way and used my thumb or finger to push it flush into the shell.

Gold ATOM XS module quick impressions:
I concur with @Garney's impressions. Though, I didn’t notice much change in the stage size but instrument positioning sounds a tad closer, more impactful but still spatial and immersive. What stands out is the notable weight especially in the low end – lush and texturally detailed. As Garney noted, across the FR, everything is just a tad thicker – I could soak for hours in this thickness and warmth. Gold ATOM XS has been sublime for electronica, R&B – body and arse twerking grooviness:

• With Red ATOM XS, Massive Attack's "Angel" Mezzanine (Deluxe) sounded a bit bass light especially in its signature bass track. Gold dials back in the weight, impact and lush thickness that "Angel" is known for. Unfortunately, EVO ruins "Angel" for me with an elastic metallic reverb – could just be my pair
• Com Truise's "Ultrafiche of You" also stands out with more layered synths and weighty drum beats. The decay sounds just right allowing you to enjoy the reverb and texture
• Robert Glaspers "Why We Speak" is harmoniously soulful with gorgeous vocals layered on top of the impactful groovy bass beats
• Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze" and "We May Never Pass this Way (Again)" brings me back to 70s with analog sounds, harmonious lyrics and strings
• Kodomo's "Concept 11" rolling sub-bass lush and subwoofer deep, you can hear and feel the air
• Late Night Alumni's "Can't Wait" – Becky Jean Williams gorgeous vocals floats on a dark background with layered enveloping synths and instruments
• Telefon Tel Aviv "Sound in a Dark Room" is an experience with sensual vocals and tickling glitches, clicks layered over a moving synth soundscape
• Roxy Music's "Avalon" and "Love is the Drug" brings me back to my college days and just needs to be heard – Bryan Ferry's vocals and female vocals are sultry and emotive
• Sam Hunt's "Outskirts", dobro intro resonates beautifully with its metallic twang and throughout the track
• Blood Orange's "Jesus Freak Light" has an ethereal airy soundstage and vocals, lovely guitar reverb
• Venbee's "Messy in Heaven" feat. Goddard has me turning down the lights out and twerking the glow sticks
• Jenevieve's "Love Quotes" soul vocals are punctuated by impactful sub-bass and reverb. Sub-bass impact and reverb of this track on Rn6 sounds on point where EVO comes off bloated and metallic.
• Skrillex's "RATATA" feat. Miss Elliot and Mr. Oizo is a f'ing head bobbing roller coaster

Warmth with clarity, detail and spaciousness are what I’m finding to be the Rn6’s main attributes, with really nice sub bass punch and reach.

I warmly concur! Rn6's tuning is solid and by including all ATOMs provides the possibilities that one can fine tune to their liking and music collection. For new and potential Rn6 owners, I recommend module rolling first. Red is neutrally musically out of the box and gold adds in nicely weighted coloration.

IEMs now iced in my collection: UM Indigo/Mk2, VE EXT, EE EVO and extremely content with my FiRry duo.

 

[toaster]

enjoying these impressions…looking forward to more!

 

[CodenameBK201]

@Garney Thank you for the kind compliment. Ja, the more time I'm spending Rn6's stock cable, the more I'm reluctant to recommend rolling or upgrading – perhaps I'm being lazy, LOL. If one has cables, definitely give them a roll and would enjoying hearing those impressions. I'll still plan on rolling later next week and report back.

After hibernating for 10 hours, I carefully swapping in the gold modules too. I love and appreciate how FiR incorporated reviewers and owners feedback and made accessing the ATOM XS module holder so much easier by reducing the depth of the cutout and also including all the ATOM XS modules

ATOM XS swapping notes:
Rn6 ATOM XS module swapping seems smoother than my previous Xe6 swaps. Might be the variance in ATOM holder, but inserting the tool and removing the modules didn't require much effort – just the right amount of friction. The color ATOM XS module color markings are also more distinct – gold looks gold and distinct from silver. Extracting the red ATOM XS from Rn6 is simple as insert tool and pull out – there was just the right amount of friction. Inserting another module was also easy, inserted the gold ATOM XS part of the way and used my thumb or finger to push it flush into the shell.

Gold ATOM XS module quick impressions:
I concur with @Garney's impressions. I don't notice much change in the stage size – instrument positioning sound a tad closer but still very spatial and immersive. What stands out is the notable weight and f'ing low end – lush and texturally detailed. As Garney noted, across the DR, everything is just a tad thicker – I could soak for hours in this just right thickness and warmth. Gold ATOM XS is sublime for electronica, R&B – body and arse twerking grooviness:

• With Red,Massive Attack's "Angel" Mezzanine (Deluxe) sounded a bit thin especially in its signature bass track. Gold dials back in the weight, impact, and lush thickness that "Angel" is known for
• Com Truise's "Ultrafiche of You" also stands out with more layered synths and weighty drum beats. The decay sounds just right allowing you to enjoy the reverb and texture
• Robert Glaspers "Why We Speak" is harmoniously soulful with gorgeous vocals layered on top of the impactful groovy bass beats
• Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze" and "We May Never Pass this Way (Again)" brings me back to 70s with analog sounds, harmonious lyrics and strings
• Kodomo's "Concept 11" rolling sub-bass lush and subwoofer deep, you can hear and feel the air
• Late Night Alumni's "Can't Wait" – Becky Jean Williams gorgeous vocals floats on a dark background with layered enveloping synths and instruments
• Telefon Tel Aviv "Sound in a Dark Room" is an experience with sensual vocals and tickling glitches, clicks layered over a moving synth soundscape
• Roxy Music's "Avalon" and "Love is the Drug" brings me back to my college days and just needs to be heard – Bryan Ferry's vocals and female vocals are sultry and emotive
• Sam Hunt's "Outskirts", dobro intro resonates beautifully with its metallic twang and throughout the track
• Venbee's "Messy in Heaven" feat. Goddard has me turning down the lights out and twerking the glow sticks
• Skrillex's "RATATA" feat. Miss Elliot and Mr. Oizo is a f'ing head bobbing roller coaster

I warmly concur! Rn6's tuning is solid and by including all ATOMs provides the possibilities that one can fine tune to their liking and music collection. For new and potential Rn6 owners, I recommend module rolling first. Red is neutrally musically out of the box and gold adds in nicely weighted coloration.

IEMs now iced in my collection: UM Indigo/Mk2, VE EXT, EE EVO

Feeling very reassured in my purchase choice by the cable impressions. Appreciate the impressions here.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

man....
ok, it become ridiculous...i just cant stop listening to those Xe6....yesterday I sleep super late and today still can't stop....this track, just wow, its exactly the sub bass spot that is magnify by Kinetic bass driver....it pound out and in my head, without fatigue, and holographic soundscape is very open in this track, with the snappy percussion wondering around...fast and clean....Xe6 user, even if not electronics fans, should try this track. Its just insane TOTL FUN.
Gut Ritual from Amzondotcom

 

[claud W]

N

@Garney Thank you for the kind compliment. Ja, the more time I'm spending Rn6's stock cable, the more I'm reluctant to recommend rolling or upgrading – perhaps I'm being lazy, LOL. If one has cables, definitely give them a roll and would enjoying hearing those impressions. I'll still plan on rolling later next week and report back.

After hibernating for 10 hours, I carefully swapping in the gold modules too. I love and appreciate how FiR incorporated reviewers and owners feedback and made accessing the ATOM XS module holder so much easier by reducing the depth of the cutout and also including all the ATOM XS modules

ATOM XS swapping process notes:
Rn6 ATOM XS module swapping seems smoother than my previous Xe6 swaps. Might be the variance in ATOM holder, but inserting the tool and removing the modules didn't require much effort – just the right amount of friction. The color ATOM XS module color markings are also more distinct – gold looks gold and distinct from silver. Extracting the red ATOM XS from Rn6 is simple as insert tool and pull out – there was just the right amount of friction. Inserting another module was also easy, inserted the gold ATOM XS part of the way and used my thumb or finger to push it flush into the shell.

Gold ATOM XS module quick impressions:
I concur with @Garney's impressions. Though, I don't notice much change in the stage size – instrument positioning sounds a tad closer but still very spatial and immersive. What stands out is the notable weight and f'ing low end – lush and texturally detailed. As Garney noted, across the DR, everything is just a tad thicker – I could soak for hours in this just right thickness and warmth. Gold ATOM XS is sublime for electronica, R&B – body and arse twerking grooviness:

• With Red ATOM XS, Massive Attack's "Angel" Mezzanine (Deluxe) sounded a bit bass light especially in its signature bass track. Gold dials back in the weight, impact and lush thickness that "Angel" is known for. Unfortunately, EVO ruins "Angel" for me with an elastic metallic reverb – could just be my pair
• Com Truise's "Ultrafiche of You" also stands out with more layered synths and weighty drum beats. The decay sounds just right allowing you to enjoy the reverb and texture
• Robert Glaspers "Why We Speak" is harmoniously soulful with gorgeous vocals layered on top of the impactful groovy bass beats
• Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze" and "We May Never Pass this Way (Again)" brings me back to 70s with analog sounds, harmonious lyrics and strings
• Kodomo's "Concept 11" rolling sub-bass lush and subwoofer deep, you can hear and feel the air
• Late Night Alumni's "Can't Wait" – Becky Jean Williams gorgeous vocals floats on a dark background with layered enveloping synths and instruments
• Telefon Tel Aviv "Sound in a Dark Room" is an experience with sensual vocals and tickling glitches, clicks layered over a moving synth soundscape
• Roxy Music's "Avalon" and "Love is the Drug" brings me back to my college days and just needs to be heard – Bryan Ferry's vocals and female vocals are sultry and emotive
• Sam Hunt's "Outskirts", dobro intro resonates beautifully with its metallic twang and throughout the track
• Blood Orange's "Jesus Freak Light" has an ethereal airy soundstage and vocals, lovely guitar reverb
• Venbee's "Messy in Heaven" feat. Goddard has me turning down the lights out and twerking the glow sticks
• Jenevieve's "Love Quotes" soul vocals are punctuated by impactful sub-bass and reverb. Sub-bass impact and reverb of this track on Rn6 sounds on point where EVO comes off bloated and metallic.
• Skrillex's "RATATA" feat. Miss Elliot and Mr. Oizo is a f'ing head bobbing roller coaster

I warmly concur! Rn6's tuning is solid and by including all ATOMs provides the possibilities that one can fine tune to their liking and music collection. For new and potential Rn6 owners, I recommend module rolling first. Red is neutrally musically out of the box and gold adds in nicely weighted coloration.

IEMs now iced in my collection: UM Indigo/Mk2, VE EXT, EE EVO and extremely content with my FiRry duo.

it appears that I have joined the SERIOUS Bassheads. I also own EE EVO, VE EXT.

 

[MRT-Man]

man....
ok, it become ridiculous...i just cant stop listening to those Xe6....yesterday I sleep super late and today still can't stop....this track, just wow, its exactly the sub bass spot that is magnify by Kinetic bass driver....it pound out and in my head, without fatigue, and holographic soundscape is very open in this track, with the snappy percussion wondering around...fast and clean....Xe6 user, even if not electronics fans, should try this track. Its just insane TOTL FUN.
Gut Ritual from Amzondotcom

Try Becoming Insane by Infected Mushroom. Some other head-fier recommended it once. It's now my go-to track for testing bass, and it's quite an experience with the Xe6.