[Mython]

 
Quote:

My To Go's just arrived at my flat. 

 
May I ask what other CIEMs you have (if any) ?
 
Just interested in any comparisons you might be able to share, vs. the Fitears

 

[MuppetFace]

Mine has arrived as well. I'll post some initial impressions tomorrow morning.

 

[Mython]

I have an inkling that the Fitear To-Go may possibly sound a little similar to the UM Miracle. I'd be very interested to hear anyone's comparisons of these 2 (C)IEMs

 

[bizkit]

 
Quote:

Maybe an AKG/FitEar comparison in the future?

 
I'll try, but I'm still trying to find the time to finish my K3003i review.
 
Quote:

 
 
May I ask what other CIEMs you have (if any) ?
 
Just interested in any comparisons you might be able to share, vs. the Fitears

 
 The only CIEM's I have left are the Hidition NT-6.

 

[MuppetFace]

Here are some impressions. Please keep in mind these are very early; after I spend a week or so with these I'll post more in-depth thoughts.
 
Suyama's FitEar TO GO 334
 
These arrived packaged in a simple cardboard box with the FitEar logo printed on the side. Inside, everything is very neatly presented: you get a booklet stored in a plastic sleeve, as well as a Pelican hardcase adorned with the same logo, cellophane-wrapped to a cardboard pallet. Basically what you'd expect from a pair of customs. Opening up the case, one finds a little mesh carry bag. Inside the bag are the IEMs, the cable coiled just-so and fixed with a tag featuring the company info. Very professional. One can tell a lot of care went into this presentation. It's low-key and minimalistic, but satisfying.
 
The IEMs themselves are similar to a demo pair of customs: they're "universalized" with a pair of tips on the end and an amorphous shell. These are a step above and beyond however. The build quality is absolutely immaculate. The bore is finished off neatly like any universal's, and the shell is simply gorgeous. It's has a black, barely-translucent finish that is clean and free of any noticeable imperfections upon inspection. The entry points and connectors for the cables continue the impressive build quality, and the cable itself is plain but substantial. The jack is quite big, finished with a big (for an IEM cable) metal plug casing. All in all the TG 334 feels solid. Serious business.
 
They fit me fairly well. Unlike a fully custom IEM, the shell sticks out a bit further than what I expected, but while it's larger than most other IEMs, it's not overly so like the RedGiant A03. The seal is pretty tight and does a very good job of isolating. About on the level of the Heir 8.A I tried out, keeping in mind that said custom wasn't my custom but rather my twin's. I wouldn't be at all surprised if these weren't quite on par with a fully custom IEM when it comes to isolation. Either way, the TG 334 is comfortable to wear for me. One caveat: these things are seriously microphonic. I guess that's due to the shell material? However these seem more microphonic than either the 8.A or ASG-1.
 
So, what do they sound like? One word: transparent. It's a somewhat lazy comparison, but these are the closest an IEM has come to matching the SR-009's transparency I've come across thus far. Simply stunning. Tonally, the balance of these is extremely linear. No coloration is standing out to my ears immediately as I listen this morning. They manage to avoid an overly analytic sterility though, and the treble is not a harsh, emphatic presence in the sonic spectrum. Detail-wise, these are on par with---if not beyond---the FI-BA-SS (keeping in mind I have the white-cabled version). This is pretty much the most detailed I've heard an IEM sound; I've spoken about "detail saturation" before, and honestly, when I reach this level of information extraction, it becomes difficult and altogether trivial to try and determine if anything else surpasses it. More important [for me personally] is the imaging capability of these: instruments are positioned with brilliant accuracy in space. Separation is also impressive, and the overall presentation seems evenly distributed. These manage to avoid the "blob effect" of overly delineating things into left, right, and center channels. The size of the soundstage / headstage is not overly impressive however, and thus far I'm perceiving things as a bit densely arranged.
 
In short, these are already shaping up to be tremendous IEMs given the brief time I've been able to devote to them this morning. They're not "fun" in the sense of wild coloration or smoke 'n' mirrors presentation; instead the TO GO 334 strikes me as a serious, no compromises relay device. It's a window onto one's music, a characterization I'd give the SR-009 as well. Which brings me to a final point for this morning: these aren't going to do any favors for poor quality tracks.
 
This is the sort of device that gets out of the way rather than make its presence known. It seems like a top contender for anyone looking to ascend the vertical path of performance audio. For those searching for something romantic or dreamy---an exotic flavor---I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

 

[vwinter]

@muppetface
Firstly, great read. Loving your writing style.
Secondly, I don't know what this says about me lol, but I paused for a little while after I read twins with some serious audio gear. Just out of curiosity, how close are twins' ears in terms of fit on the customs?
Thirdly, looking forward to further impressions! Shame about the soundstage, do you think it could have been tuned that way on purpose?

 

[AnakChan]

Brilliant write up Muppet. Must say is interesting that you didn't find the soundstage wide however you've had a lot more listening experience than I have. I'll see if I can pop by Fujiya to take another listen - or just wait till the festival and listen to them again then.

 

[eke2k6]

 
Quote:

@muppetface
Firstly, great read. Loving your writing style.
Secondly, I don't know what this says about me lol, but I paused for a little while after I read twins with some serious audio gear. Just out of curiosity, how close are twins' ears in terms of fit on the customs?
Thirdly, looking forward to further impressions! Shame about the soundstage, do you think it could have been tuned that way on purpose?

 
Since they're fraternal twins, I'd imagine their ears are as close as any ordinary brother or sister and not identical.
 
I agree about MuppetFace's writing style. Are you an English professor?

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

 
Since they're fraternal twins, I'd imagine their ears are as close as any ordinary brother or sister and not identical.
 
I agree about MuppetFace's writing style. Are you an English professor?

 
Fraternal twins sharing the same extra-chorionic environment have a higher chance of similar axis patterning during gestation. Facial bone patterns are commonly decided by neural crest cell migration. Environmental factors can come into heavy play when deciding the migrational pattern of these cells. Thus, they may have a higher chance of having similar ear canal shapes compared to typical siblings. Of course, there is also a high degree of randomness involved as well.
 
She's a Philosophy professor.

 

[tomscy2000]

Quote:

 
So, what do they sound like? One word: transparent. It's a somewhat lazy comparison, but these are the closest an IEM has come to matching the SR-009's transparency I've come across thus far. Simply stunning. Tonally, the balance of these is extremely linear. No coloration is standing out to my ears immediately as I listen this morning. They manage to avoid an overly analytic sterility though, and the treble is not a harsh, emphatic presence in the sonic spectrum. Detail-wise, these are on par with---if not beyond---the FI-BA-SS (keeping in mind I have the white-cabled version). This is pretty much the most detailed I've heard an IEM sound; I've spoken about "detail saturation" before, and honestly, when I reach this level of information extraction, it becomes difficult and altogether trivial to try and determine if anything else surpasses it. More important [for me personally] is the imaging capability of these: instruments are positioned with brilliant accuracy in space. Separation is also impressive, and the overall presentation seems evenly distributed. These manage to avoid the "blob effect" of overly delineating things into left, right, and center channels. The size of the soundstage / headstage is not overly impressive however, and thus far I'm perceiving things as a bit densely arranged.
 
They're not "fun" in the sense of wild coloration or smoke 'n' mirrors presentation; instead the TO GO 334 strikes me as a serious, no compromises relay device.

 
Seems like it does exactly what its intended purpose is --- a no-nonsense listening device.
 
It seems like it'll be a good thing for people who want that kind of accuracy for professional purposes, for evaluation of equipment, etc. but don't want to go through with the hassle of the custom fitment process.
 
THREAD UPDATE: Made the second post of the thread dedicated to Links & Impressions, for better organization.

 

[vwinter]

Quote:

 
Since they're fraternal twins, I'd imagine their ears are as close as any ordinary brother or sister and not identical.
 
I agree about MuppetFace's writing style. Are you an English professor?

 
Fraternal twins sharing the same extra-chorionic environment have a higher chance of similar axis patterning during gestation. Facial bone patterns are commonly decided by neural crest cell migration. Environmental factors can come into heavy play when deciding the migrational pattern of these cells. Thus, they may have a higher chance of having similar ear canal shapes compared to typical siblings. Of course, there is also a high degree of randomness involved as well.
 
She's a Philosophy professor.

@bolded text: I knew it!
Edit: damn, I had my Chandler going and was all excited until I realized that I probably read that out of the context of the first sentence. Is there any evidence that the external environment has any effect on this extra-chorionic environment?

 
Quote:  
Since they're fraternal twins, I'd imagine their ears are as close as any ordinary brother or sister and not identical.
 
I agree about MuppetFace's writing style. Are you an English professor?



Are you asking me or her (assuming her) about being an English professor?

 

[vwinter]

Quoted myself.

 

[eke2k6]

Quote:

 
Since they're fraternal twins, I'd imagine their ears are as close as any ordinary brother or sister and not identical.
 
I agree about MuppetFace's writing style. Are you an English professor?

 
Fraternal twins sharing the same extra-chorionic environment have a higher chance of similar axis patterning during gestation. Facial bone patterns are commonly decided by neural crest cell migration. Environmental factors can come into heavy play when deciding the migrational pattern of these cells. Thus, they may have a higher chance of having similar ear canal shapes compared to typical siblings. Of course, there is also a high degree of randomness involved as well.
 
She's a Philosophy professor.

Very interesting. We didn't go that that in depth in my physiology classes. I was under the impression that the two different paternal zygotes with two different eggs would have similar, but not identical genomes. I also thought that the migration was predetermined via fibronectin tracks.

Sorry for the OT

 

[tomscy2000]

 
Quote:

Very interesting. We didn't go that that in depth in my physiology classes. I was under the impression that the two different paternal zygotes with two different eggs would have similar, but not identical genomes. I also thought that the migration was predetermined via fibronectin tracks.

Sorry for the OT

 
Yeah, I don't wanna get too OT either, but I'll reply quickly with the short answer: it's true that dichorionic, diamniotic twins have their own environments, but the composition is very similar simply because they are inside the mother at the same time. About the migration of NCCs, if you play with one of the cells and alter its chemotactic signals, it'll crawl whichever way you want it to. Facial cleft malformations and things of that ilk often happen because of interference of these signals, which are brought about in the first place by ectopic axis patterning expression.
 
Anyways, if you want to discuss more on DevBio/Embryology, feel free to PM me.

 

[MuppetFace]

 
 
Quote:

@muppetface
Firstly, great read. Loving your writing style.
Secondly, I don't know what this says about me lol, but I paused for a little while after I read twins with some serious audio gear. Just out of curiosity, how close are twins' ears in terms of fit on the customs?
Thirdly, looking forward to further impressions! Shame about the soundstage, do you think it could have been tuned that way on purpose?

 
Thanks! 
 
Regarding my brother's customs: it's by no means a perfect fit. One of the ears is actually pretty close, but the other isn't such a good match, and when I open my mouth it causes the seal to break often times. We were both told that we have unusually straight ear canals when we got our impressions done, so there's at least a bit of similarity there. It's enough for me to get a general idea of what the customs sound like.
 
The soundstage / headstage seems fairly average to me. It certainly doesn't strike me as having that sense of grandeur that something like the A03 or Piano Forte IX has, but I find it perfectly satisfying. I personally find instrument separation and imaging more important, and in these areas the TG 334 really excels.
 
 
 
Quote:

Brilliant write up Muppet. Must say is interesting that you didn't find the soundstage wide however you've had a lot more listening experience than I have. I'll see if I can pop by Fujiya to take another listen - or just wait till the festival and listen to them again then.

 
Thank you!
 
I've been listening to the A03 and Piano Forte IX a lot lately, both of which have abnormally large presentations, so that could definitely be influencing my perception of the TG 334. I think my posts will be more helpful when I've had more time to get to know it. 
 
 
 
Quote:

Seems like it does exactly what its intended purpose is --- a no-nonsense listening device.
 
It seems like it'll be a good thing for people who want that kind of accuracy for professional purposes, for evaluation of equipment, etc. but don't want to go through with the hassle of the custom fitment process.
 

 
I can definitely see the benefit of these for professional applications. Thankfully they're also really nice to my ears when it comes to just listening to music! I wish I had more experience with customs, so I could say more about how they compare, but alas.
 
They're worth serious consideration for anyone who likes their type of sound signature (neutral, highly resolving) but doesn't want to go through the hassle of the CIEM process. Or even someone willing to go through the hassle. : )
 
Speaking of which... I'm very curious about the MH334 now, as well as the rest of Suyama's FitEar line-up. I really hope he reconsiders his stance on exporting his products, or that he'd be willing to work with a deputy service, as I'd put FitEar at the top of my list now if I were to get customs.