[proedros]

@Wyville he's gorgeous, you just wanna squeeze him lovely doggie

 

[gLer]

If nothing else those are very cool looking IEMs indeed.

 

[Layman1]

So quite a phenomenal meetup in Paris today a lot of exciting auditions!

First, Empire Ears Odin struck me by its impressive resolution with a huge stage and a pinpoint precise imaging. Odin bass is outstanding with superb control and details, the mids are very open and articulate with a lot of bite and treble is highly refined. Of all the EE IEMs I have heard also the one with a coherence and performance on par with the likes of Fourté Noir and Erkönig.



Another IEM I had been willing to audition again in better conditions the IER-Z1R, stage is still very impressive as well as massive bass presence. It's the most headphone like experience with an IEM really powerful and massive, a fairly unique presentation.



And now courtesy of Valentin ( @Modwright01 ) at HiFi Portable (many thanks for this!!!) a pretty unique set of IEM from Rhaposodio the Infinity mk2 stunning looks and even more impressive and unique sounding... dynamics and layering are outstanding and the 3D image is breathtaking! The most impressive listen of 2020 so far @Solarsammy has worked magic there!



Another pic of the internals which are exquisite, unique technology using copper coil around the drivers :



This is really not only a technically superb IEM but it has a lot of soul... The attack and decay of notes is exquisitely rendered and give life to the music, I found myself engulfed at re-discovering my favorite tracks... stunning! I definitely see a custom Infinity mk2 in my future if I only have to get one this year along with the Luna (interestingly both are unique listen to my ears that just stand apart).

Also from Rhapsodio, the Supreme powered by a magnetostatic driver is quite impressive with a huge soundstage, more sub bass presence than Infinity mk2 and more upper treble as well. I had less time wih it than the Infinity mk2 but clearly Sammy is pushing the enveloppe!




Not in the TOTL segment but a brand that I discovered again thanks to Valentin at HiFiPortable, Gaudio Nair a very nice take on reference tuning, superb build quality, highly coherent tuning.



Its brother Gaudio Clariden is more organic with more bass slam, fuller bodied mids and silky smooth treble.
The brand is definitely on my map now!

A great meetup and the most incredible experience with the Infinity mk2 that simply might be the best IEM I have ever heard, which is no small feat!

Some astonishingly well made and attractive IEMs there, and your impressions had me drooling at times

 

[Ckro]

;

So quite a phenomenal meetup in Paris today a lot of exciting auditions!

This was one hell of a meeting ! Many thanks to TellementNomade for putting together so many good folks, and especially to JM for the invitation and @Modwright01 for the various exciting items he brought.

@davidmolliere : happy to see you feedback on the Odin, I thought I lost you on this pair with Etta James . I could give the Fourte Noir a try and it was a (very) good surprise. I was not a fan of the simple Fourté, but the Noir definitely have something special.

Anyway the real surprise for me were the Rhapsodio Infinity mk2. One of the best experiences I ever had with iems so far, if not the best. This pair defines a new way to listen to the music. Hats off, I thought i was gonna take a break after receiving the Odin last week... and I end up buying a new pair..

 

[davidmolliere]

This was one hell of a meeting ! Many thanks to TellementNomade for putting together so many good folks, and especially to JM for the invitation and @Modwright01 for the various exciting items he brought.

Yes thanks to @popof94 for the invite indeed, always a great place lots of space, outside which these days was key and sure a hell of a collection to audition from @Modwright01.

@davidmolliere : happy to see you feedback on the Odin, I thought I lost you on this pair with Etta James . I could give the Fourte Noir a try and it was a (very) good surprise. I was not a fan of the simple Fourté, but the Noir definitely have something special.

I had a tough moment on Etta James "At Last" it's a test track of mine and out of LPGT with Odin this was too much for me, so upper mids won't be for everyone and I am not that sensitive but I actually winced there... Maybe also more time to tip roll would have helped. YMMV depending on source and cable pairings, I used the stock cable (some kind of rebranded PW 1960 if I recall correctly).

 

[Deezel177]

Yes thanks to @popof94 for the invite indeed, always a great place lots of space, outside which these days was key and sure a hell of a collection to audition from @Modwright01.



I had a tough moment on Etta James "At Last" it's a test track of mine and out of LPGT with Odin this was too much for me, so upper mids won't be for everyone and I am not that sensitive but I actually winced there... Maybe also more time to tip roll would have helped. YMMV depending on source and cable pairings, I used the stock cable (some kind of rebranded PW 1960 if I recall correctly).

I've found the LPGT wasn't the best match for the Odin. I thought it sounded better-balanced out of the warmer-sounding PAW 6000. Having tried Cayin's new, tube-equipped N3 Pro's last week, I think that pairing would sound beautiful too. I also prefer a more open-bore tip like the AZLA Sedna's over the stock Final's. The wider bore really opens up the bass, and provides a better foundation for those higher registers to rest on, so they don't come off shouty or brassy.

 

[gLer]

I had a tough moment on Etta James "At Last" it's a test track of mine and out of LPGT with Odin this was too much for me, so upper mids won't be for everyone and I am not that sensitive but I actually winced there...

Careful what you say about Odin's upper mids. There's a lynch mob on the loose...

First time I've heard of Rhapsodio - looking forward to reading more about these. All this talk about a very different presentation - can you elaborate on what you mean with some examples?

 

[davidmolliere]

I've found the LPGT wasn't the best match for the Odin. I thought it sounded better-balanced out of the warmer-sounding PAW 6000. Having tried Cayin's new, tube-equipped N3 Pro's last week, I think that pairing would sound beautiful too. I also prefer a more open-bore tip like the AZLA Sedna's over the stock Final's. The wider bore really opens up the bass, and provides a better foundation for those higher registers to rest on, so they don't come off shouty or brassy.

Yeah I did use open bore tips, whirlwinds I think.
I am not surprised Odin pairs better with warmer sounding units also

Cayin N3 Pro sure might end up in my DAP collection as well, I am a sucker for tubes

Careful what you say about Odin's upper mids. There's a lynch mob on the loose... First time I've heard of Rhapsodio - looking forward to reading more about these. All this talk about a very different presentation - can you elaborate on what you mean with some examples?

One thing nobody ever managed to have me loose is freedom of speech even if I have to face forks and pitches

Ah and of course I don't own the truth it was just on test tracks I know can be sensitive and as @Deezel177 rightfully points out, from a more revealing source

 

[Deezel177]

Yeah I did use open bore tips, whirlwinds I think.
I am not surprised Odin pairs better with warmer sounding units also

Cayin N3 Pro sure might end up in my DAP collection as well, I am a sucker for tubes



One thing nobody ever managed to have me loose is freedom of speech even if I have to face forks and pitches

Ah and of course I don't own the truth it was just on test tracks I know can be sensitive and as @Deezel177 rightfully points out, from a more revealing source

It's a great-sounding DAP for the price, IMO. It's a clear step-down from the LPGT or a modded WM1A in terms of resolution, background clarity and top-end extension, but it provides ample staging with a well-executed, organically-natural tonality. This is especially of the treble, which has some of the best-tempered body I've heard out of a DAP. Ride cymbals bell beautifully on them. What I also found neat is that its warm, buttery timbre isn't completely lost when you switch over to solid-state too. It still has a bit of a looseness to its bottom-end, so it's a really wholesome-sounding player no matter the output you pick. I'm tempted to get it myself, but I feel like I'm gonna save my pennies for AK's upcoming KANN ALPHA, simply as a show of support for their long-awaited move to 4.4mm.

 

[davidmolliere]

It's a great-sounding DAP for the price, IMO. It's a clear step-down from the LPGT or a modded WM1A in terms of resolution, background clarity and top-end extension, but it provides ample staging with a well-executed, organically-natural tonality. This is especially of the treble, which has some of the best-tempered body I've heard out of a DAP. Ride cymbals bell beautifully on them. What I also found neat is that its warm, buttery timbre isn't completely lost when you switch over to solid-state too. It still has a bit of a looseness to its bottom-end, so it's a really wholesome-sounding player no matter the output you pick. I'm tempted to get it myself, but I feel like I'm gonna save my pennies for AK's upcoming KANN ALPHA, simply as a show of support for their long-awaited move to 4.4mm.

Thanks for the feedback on N3 Pro

KANN Alpha is intriguing but I wonder how the tuning will be (similar to SE200 ESS output ?) if you get an audition, I'd be glad to have your take!

 

[Wyville]

@Wyville he's gorgeous, you just wanna squeeze him lovely doggie

You should have been here an hour ago when his sister came to visit:
Sister in the attack

Barnie gets his own back

Sister on top again

Barnie stands his ground

It's an even match

Now she's gone, so out for the count

 

[Wyville]

First time I've heard of Rhapsodio - looking forward to reading more about these. All this talk about a very different presentation - can you elaborate on what you mean with some examples?

Rhapsodio is one of my favourite brands because Sammy (the man behind it) is an absolute mad audio scientist in the best way possible. You never know what he will come up with next and he has done some really unique things. I don't really know anyone who does it quite like Sammy. Gotta love him!

 

[hshock76]

Talking about N3Pro and Odin. This is what I’ve been listening to over the weekend. Letting it burn in abit more before giving more impressions but the warmer tubes does make the upper mids on the Odin better for me. To be fair, the upper mids are not shouty or harsh but I’m more used to a denser more organic signature.

The blue cable on the Elysium is another superb recommendation from Valentin. It’s the Frozen cable from Taiwanese cable company called OC Studio. Silver gold alloy in 24Awg 4 wire configuration. It’s has elevated the Elysium to levels I’ve not heard even with the TOTL EA and PW cables. It will say resolution, clarity and other technical performance are now on par with or close to Odin’s levels While maintaining and even extending the dense, organic and buttery smooth signature of the Elysium’s mids. There is further bass extension and the extra Sub bass depth has caught me by surprise. I have not been able to get this combo out of my ears driven by both SE200 and Modded MAX for the last week.

With regards to Infinity 2, pics like the one below from Valentine are not making it easy for me. I go weak in the knees when I see Great color coordination like this.

 

[hshock76]

Very keen on your impressions! I wanted to get one before the covid but didnt know how to purchase one in EU and Sammy was also not active in the forum!

I got mine from Valentin So I’m sure he can help u there. U can PM me your details and I can help connect you both. He’s a great guy to deal with. I’ve def been poorer in the last 2-3 mths due to his superb recommendations.

 

[gLer]

Excuse my ignorance but who is this Valentin you speak of?