KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
We'e gone from earmods for the Z1R to implanting birds in our heads now?!
flinkenick's 17 Flagship IEM Shootout Thread (and general high-end portable audio discussion)
Last edited:
tawmizzzz
1000+ Head-Fier
Traillii:
Quite a bit has been said on this IEM already, so I will just share my general impressions during my recent couple day audition with them. I will also compare it to the only other IEM that has been able to really captivate me lately-Rhapsodio Infinity MK2 paired with Turbo Mode HiBy R8.
*Disclaimer #1: I have not heard the Erlkonig
*Disclaimer #2: I will keep my diatribe against Traillii’s packaging to a minimum…but seriously…A CARDBOARD BOX?!!!
Summary:
Traillii is undeniably an IEM in its' own tier...in terms of price but more importantly, sound quality. It is a W-shaped, balanced IEM with just absurd clarity and extension all around. Traillii, to my ears, is like if you took the Odin and created a larger stage, added more weight into the mids (in a linear fashion without the upper-mid intensity), and focused more on the mid-bass slam rather than mostly sub-bass. It has excellent attack and bite on the transients without being piercing. It also has slightly more warmth/texture that allows it to not only come across as more technically-proficient, but also more musical than Odin. Do not ask me how-but I said what I said. I thought Odin had great layering, but sheesh, Traillii gives “depth” a new meaning.
Bass: Traillii could had fooled me with its two BAs for the bass. There is great extension, and the slam is very impressive for BAs. I usually always write “excellent BA bass that will not satisfy true bassheads”-and although that would be true here if you are looking for a LX'esque (tongue twister anyone?) experience, it should satisfy most people’s bass preferences. The bass has slight boost over-neutral, with excellent speed and virtually no decay. It still does not quite reach the “visceral” feeling that I love from well-implemented DDs like in the Noir or Sultan, but it is easily the best BA bass I have heard that actually beats out most DDs.
Mids: This section will include some subjective adjectives (that I promise are not sexual innuendos) like “wet” and “sweet”. The mids are simply excellent. As others have pointed out, they are somewhat laid-back (meaning not in your face), but still incredibly engaging which helps the overall special stage spacing. Vocals are sweet, they have emotion, they have nice texture and heft. Mids are quite wet, in contrast to something like Odin where it feels thinner and a bit more analytical/cold/dry (cause wet is the opposite of dry, no?).
Anyways-string instruments have strong impact, and although they do not quite reach Infinity texture levels (more on that later), I cannot imagine anyone who loves their mids to have many complaints, unless you need a forward midrange or extreme warmth. Simply put, the mids are incredibly detailed and engaging-the latter being something most IEMs, even TOTLs, tend to miss the mark for me.
Treble: These are what properly implemented electrostats should sound like (Odin and Thummim being other examples that come to mind). There is excellent extension, with vivid detail and bite while still retaining smoothness. To my ears, there seems to be more of a lower treble intensity rather than upper, which does fatigue my ears a bit, but I tend to be pretty sensitive to electrostats in general. Cymbals sound great, and there is excellent air between instruments. Overall, superb.
Staging: If I had a crown, I would place it on Traillii as king of staging. If you want an intimate night, call your significant other because you won’t get it from Trailli's huge stage. It does an excellent job putting instruments, vocals and bass in their own space. All the frequencies can extend DEEP in terms of depth, with tons of layering. I have relistened to some of my favorite songs for flying notes (e.g., “Out of Control”-Chemical Brothers or “Inertia Creeps”-Massive Attack being two examples), and Traillii has easily rendered them the most enjoyably due to its imaging, layering and separation capabilities. I’d imagine how incredible it would sound under the influence, but it sadly is a Tuesday so we will leave that theoretical for now
.The Supermodel (Traillii SQ…not shell lol) VS the Sweet Girl Next Door (R8 Infinity2)
Infinity MkII
Nonetheless, quick but important disclaimer: Traillii seems to be consistent in tonality across sources but Infinity can vary dramatically. Out of iBasso MAX, Inf2 sounded like I was shoving porcupines into my ears. It was incredibly sharp, cold and emotionless (as if a Dementor sucked the song's soul out)-whereas from R8, it is my gold standard for a mid-centric tonality with a huge stage, sensual vocals and rich texture. I believe @hshock76 was able to test this synergy recently and validated my lonely impressions. So-this comparison includes impressions from R8 Turbo mode, mid-gain ONLY.
Bass: I am sticking to my Infinity=Elysium on steroids analogy. The bass is neutral but extended and perfectly supports the mids, whereas Traillii’s bass is balanced within the mix and has more of a notable slam that is better suited for EDM, or if you want your head to almost rattle. So to my ears, the bass from Traillii definitely wins here. Yet I still highly respect Infinity’s bass extension and neutrality in its impressive supporting act.
Mids: Traillii has an advantage in overall clarity and precision, whereas Infinity is slightly warmer, “tad sweeter” with a bit more of an upper mid-range boost that allows vocals to sound more emphasized and airy in the mix. Traillii seems to effortlessly bring a bit more microdetail in the mix. Infinity’s mids hold more weight, especially with stringed instruments where the texturing is still king for me. To my ears, Infinity has the advantage in the ability to replicate low-level-detail so that I am able to hear the decay/nuances in plucked strings, hit cymbals, pressed keys etc., all of which that I associate with excellent texture/timbre. Ultimately, Traillii being slightly more laid-back and less aggressive makes it sounds more refined and clear.
Treble: Traillii is a bit more extended in the treble. R8 Inf2 has a bit more sparkle and upper treble versus Traillii’s lower treble emphasis. Trailli does have a bit more clarity overall, rendering down to the microdetail and coming across again as more refined and mature. As of now, I prefer R8 Infinity’s treble presentation because I am more of an upper treble, sparkle, and air guy since as mentioned before, electrostats tend to fatigue my ears.
Staging: Inf2 was my staging, holographic king until Trailli came along and forcefully dethroned it. Trailli does have a larger width and depth presentation due to its more laid-back mids. I hear sounds extend further in front of me from Traillii. Infinity is more aggressive in its “flying notes” with more warmth and “musicality”, whereas Traillii comes across with a more refined, sharper attack in its transients with more detail.
Summary:
These two are easily the best IEMs I have had the pleasure to listen to. And for my preferences, I think although Trailli is the more technically proficient and impressive IEM overall, R8 Infinity is more in line with my overall preferences. Infinity gives me near unlimited staging, unparalleled texture, slight upper-mid boost for vocals with a sub-bass over mid-bass bass and upper over lower treble, all of which fit in line with my preferences.
In short, Traillii is the hot supermodel that I know will be fun for a while that everyone will chase, whereas R8 Infinity is the sweet, perfect girl next door. I will use the next few days to decide if I remain monogamous or not (in the IEM world).
TLDR; Trailli is world-class in its clarity, balance, layering and separation. It has very impressive bass for BAs that outrival most DDs. If it was not for my Infinity MK2 + R8 synergy that fits nearly perfectly within my preferences, I would have already sold some organs to fund these…and hey, maybe I still will.
Brilliant impressions bro!
Traillii:
Quite a bit has been said on this IEM already, so I will just share my general impressions during my recent couple day audition with them. I will also compare it to the only other IEM that has been able to really captivate me lately-Rhapsodio Infinity MK2 paired with Turbo Mode HiBy R8.
*Disclaimer #1: I have not heard the Erlkonig
*Disclaimer #2: I will keep my diatribe against Traillii’s packaging to a minimum…but seriously…A CARDBOARD BOX?!!!
Summary:
Traillii is undeniably an IEM in its' own tier...in terms of price but more importantly, sound quality. It is a W-shaped, balanced IEM with just absurd clarity and extension all around. Traillii, to my ears, is like if you took the Odin and created a larger stage, added more weight into the mids (in a linear fashion without the upper-mid intensity), and focused more on the mid-bass slam rather than mostly sub-bass. It has excellent attack and bite on the transients without being piercing. It also has slightly more warmth/texture that allows it to not only come across as more technically-proficient, but also more musical than Odin. Do not ask me how-but I said what I said. I thought Odin had great layering, but sheesh, Traillii gives “depth” a new meaning.
Bass: Traillii could had fooled me with its two BAs for the bass. There is great extension, and the slam is very impressive for BAs. I usually always write “excellent BA bass that will not satisfy true bassheads”-and although that would be true here if you are looking for a LX'esque (tongue twister anyone?) experience, it should satisfy most people’s bass preferences. The bass has slight boost over-neutral, with excellent speed and virtually no decay. It still does not quite reach the “visceral” feeling that I love from well-implemented DDs like in the Noir or Sultan, but it is easily the best BA bass I have heard that actually beats out most DDs.
Mids: This section will include some subjective adjectives (that I promise are not sexual innuendos) like “wet” and “sweet”. The mids are simply excellent. As others have pointed out, they are somewhat laid-back (meaning not in your face), but still incredibly engaging which helps the overall special stage spacing. Vocals are sweet, they have emotion, they have nice texture and heft. Mids are quite wet, in contrast to something like Odin where it feels thinner and a bit more analytical/cold/dry (cause wet is the opposite of dry, no?).
Anyways-string instruments have strong impact, and although they do not quite reach Infinity texture levels (more on that later), I cannot imagine anyone who loves their mids to have many complaints, unless you need a forward midrange or extreme warmth. Simply put, the mids are incredibly detailed and engaging-the latter being something most IEMs, even TOTLs, tend to miss the mark for me.
Treble: These are what properly implemented electrostats should sound like (Odin and Thummim being other examples that come to mind). There is excellent extension, with vivid detail and bite while still retaining smoothness. To my ears, there seems to be more of a lower treble intensity rather than upper, which does fatigue my ears a bit, but I tend to be pretty sensitive to electrostats in general. Cymbals sound great, and there is excellent air between instruments. Overall, superb.
Staging: If I had a crown, I would place it on Traillii as king of staging. If you want an intimate night, call your significant other because you won’t get it from Trailli's huge stage. It does an excellent job putting instruments, vocals and bass in their own space. All the frequencies can extend DEEP in terms of depth, with tons of layering. I have relistened to some of my favorite songs for flying notes (e.g., “Out of Control”-Chemical Brothers or “Inertia Creeps”-Massive Attack being two examples), and Traillii has easily rendered them the most enjoyably due to its imaging, layering and separation capabilities. I’d imagine how incredible it would sound under the influence, but it sadly is a Tuesday so we will leave that theoretical for now
The Supermodel (Traillii SQ…not shell lol) VS the Sweet Girl Next Door (R8 Infinity2)
Infinity MkIIiswas the latest IEM to dethrone all the other TOTLs for me up to date (RIP Odin, Elysium,18s, Thummim), so I figured I would compare it to Traillii despite the $2.5k price differential (yes, I know Traillii comes with the fancy 1960 4-wire that is factored into the cost). The following comparisons are using the IEM's respective stock cables. I won't discuss it in this post but putting the stock 1960 4-wire on Infinity actually did refine it quite a bit and tighten the technical gap slightly.
Nonetheless, quick but important disclaimer: Traillii seems to be consistent in tonality across sources but Infinity can vary dramatically. Out of iBasso MAX, Inf2 sounded like I was shoving porcupines into my ears. It was incredibly sharp, cold and emotionless (as if a Dementor sucked the song's soul out)-whereas from R8, it is my gold standard for a mid-centric tonality with a huge stage, sensual vocals and rich texture. I believe @hshock76 was able to test this synergy recently and validated my lonely impressions. So-this comparison includes impressions from R8 Turbo mode, mid-gain ONLY.
Bass: I am sticking to my Infinity=Elysium on steroids analogy. The bass is neutral but extended and perfectly supports the mids, whereas Traillii’s bass is balanced within the mix and has more of a notable slam that is better suited for EDM, or if you want your head to almost rattle. So to my ears, the bass from Traillii definitely wins here. Yet I still highly respect Infinity’s bass extension and neutrality in its impressive supporting act.
Mids: Traillii has an advantage in overall clarity and precision, whereas Infinity is slightly warmer, “tad sweeter” with a bit more of an upper mid-range boost that allows vocals to sound more emphasized and airy in the mix. Traillii seems to effortlessly bring a bit more microdetail in the mix. Infinity’s mids hold more weight, especially with stringed instruments where the texturing is still king for me. To my ears, Infinity has the advantage in the ability to replicate low-level-detail so that I am able to hear the decay/nuances in plucked strings, hit cymbals, pressed keys etc., all of which that I associate with excellent texture/timbre. Ultimately, Traillii being slightly more laid-back and less aggressive makes it sounds more refined and clear.
Treble: Traillii is a bit more extended in the treble. R8 Inf2 has a bit more sparkle and upper treble versus Traillii’s lower treble emphasis. Trailli does have a bit more clarity overall, rendering down to the microdetail and coming across again as more refined and mature. As of now, I prefer R8 Infinity’s treble presentation because I am more of an upper treble, sparkle, and air guy since as mentioned before, electrostats tend to fatigue my ears.
Staging: Inf2 was my staging, holographic king until Trailli came along and forcefully dethroned it. Trailli does have a larger width and depth presentation due to its more laid-back mids. I hear sounds extend further in front of me from Traillii. Infinity is more aggressive in its “flying notes” with more warmth and “musicality”, whereas Traillii comes across with a more refined, sharper attack in its transients with more detail.
Summary:
These two are easily the best IEMs I have had the pleasure to listen to. And for my preferences, I think although Trailli is the more technically proficient and impressive IEM overall, R8 Infinity is more in line with my overall preferences. Infinity gives me near unlimited staging, unparalleled texture, slight upper-mid boost for vocals with a sub-bass over mid-bass bass and upper over lower treble, all of which fit in line with my preferences.
In short, Traillii is the hot supermodel that I know will be fun for a while that everyone will chase, whereas R8 Infinity is the sweet, perfect girl next door. I will use the next few days to decide if I remain monogamous or not (in the IEM world).
TLDR; Trailli is world-class in its clarity, balance, layering and separation. It has very impressive bass for BAs that outrival most DDs. If it was not for my Infinity MK2 + R8 synergy that fits nearly perfectly within my preferences, I would have already sold some organs to fund these…and hey, maybe I still will.
Traillii:
Quite a bit has been said on this IEM already, so I will just share my general impressions during my recent couple day audition with them. I will also compare it to the only other IEM that has been able to really captivate me lately-Rhapsodio Infinity MK2 paired with Turbo Mode HiBy R8.
*Disclaimer #1: I have not heard the Erlkonig
*Disclaimer #2: I will keep my diatribe against Traillii’s packaging to a minimum…but seriously…A CARDBOARD BOX?!!!
Summary:
Traillii is undeniably an IEM in its' own tier...in terms of price but more importantly, sound quality. It is a W-shaped, balanced IEM with just absurd clarity and extension all around. Traillii, to my ears, is like if you took the Odin and created a larger stage, added more weight into the mids (in a linear fashion without the upper-mid intensity), and focused more on the mid-bass slam rather than mostly sub-bass. It has excellent attack and bite on the transients without being piercing. It also has slightly more warmth/texture that allows it to not only come across as more technically-proficient, but also more musical than Odin. Do not ask me how-but I said what I said. I thought Odin had great layering, but sheesh, Traillii gives “depth” a new meaning.
Bass: Traillii could had fooled me with its two BAs for the bass. There is great extension, and the slam is very impressive for BAs. I usually always write “excellent BA bass that will not satisfy true bassheads”-and although that would be true here if you are looking for a LX'esque (tongue twister anyone?) experience, it should satisfy most people’s bass preferences. The bass has slight boost over-neutral, with excellent speed and virtually no decay. It still does not quite reach the “visceral” feeling that I love from well-implemented DDs like in the Noir or Sultan, but it is easily the best BA bass I have heard that actually beats out most DDs.
Mids: This section will include some subjective adjectives (that I promise are not sexual innuendos) like “wet” and “sweet”. The mids are simply excellent. As others have pointed out, they are somewhat laid-back (meaning not in your face), but still incredibly engaging which helps the overall special stage spacing. Vocals are sweet, they have emotion, they have nice texture and heft. Mids are quite wet, in contrast to something like Odin where it feels thinner and a bit more analytical/cold/dry (cause wet is the opposite of dry, no?).
Anyways-string instruments have strong impact, and although they do not quite reach Infinity texture levels (more on that later), I cannot imagine anyone who loves their mids to have many complaints, unless you need a forward midrange or extreme warmth. Simply put, the mids are incredibly detailed and engaging-the latter being something most IEMs, even TOTLs, tend to miss the mark for me.
Treble: These are what properly implemented electrostats should sound like (Odin and Thummim being other examples that come to mind). There is excellent extension, with vivid detail and bite while still retaining smoothness. To my ears, there seems to be more of a lower treble intensity rather than upper, which does fatigue my ears a bit, but I tend to be pretty sensitive to electrostats in general. Cymbals sound great, and there is excellent air between instruments. Overall, superb.
Staging: If I had a crown, I would place it on Traillii as king of staging. If you want an intimate night, call your significant other because you won’t get it from Trailli's huge stage. It does an excellent job putting instruments, vocals and bass in their own space. All the frequencies can extend DEEP in terms of depth, with tons of layering. I have relistened to some of my favorite songs for flying notes (e.g., “Out of Control”-Chemical Brothers or “Inertia Creeps”-Massive Attack being two examples), and Traillii has easily rendered them the most enjoyably due to its imaging, layering and separation capabilities. I’d imagine how incredible it would sound under the influence, but it sadly is a Tuesday so we will leave that theoretical for now
The Supermodel (Traillii SQ…not shell lol) VS the Sweet Girl Next Door (R8 Infinity2)
Infinity MkIIiswas the latest IEM to dethrone all the other TOTLs for me up to date (RIP Odin, Elysium,18s, Thummim), so I figured I would compare it to Traillii despite the $2.5k price differential (yes, I know Traillii comes with the fancy 1960 4-wire that is factored into the cost). The following comparisons are using the IEM's respective stock cables. I won't discuss it in this post but putting the stock 1960 4-wire on Infinity actually did refine it quite a bit and tighten the technical gap slightly.
Nonetheless, quick but important disclaimer: Traillii seems to be consistent in tonality across sources but Infinity can vary dramatically. Out of iBasso MAX, Inf2 sounded like I was shoving porcupines into my ears. It was incredibly sharp, cold and emotionless (as if a Dementor sucked the song's soul out)-whereas from R8, it is my gold standard for a mid-centric tonality with a huge stage, sensual vocals and rich texture. I believe @hshock76 was able to test this synergy recently and validated my lonely impressions. So-this comparison includes impressions from R8 Turbo mode, mid-gain ONLY.
Bass: I am sticking to my Infinity=Elysium on steroids analogy. The bass is neutral but extended and perfectly supports the mids, whereas Traillii’s bass is balanced within the mix and has more of a notable slam that is better suited for EDM, or if you want your head to almost rattle. So to my ears, the bass from Traillii definitely wins here. Yet I still highly respect Infinity’s bass extension and neutrality in its impressive supporting act.
Mids: Traillii has an advantage in overall clarity and precision, whereas Infinity is slightly warmer, “tad sweeter” with a bit more of an upper mid-range boost that allows vocals to sound more emphasized and airy in the mix. Traillii seems to effortlessly bring a bit more microdetail in the mix. Infinity’s mids hold more weight, especially with stringed instruments where the texturing is still king for me. To my ears, Infinity has the advantage in the ability to replicate low-level-detail so that I am able to hear the decay/nuances in plucked strings, hit cymbals, pressed keys etc., all of which that I associate with excellent texture/timbre. Ultimately, Traillii being slightly more laid-back and less aggressive makes it sounds more refined and clear.
Treble: Traillii is a bit more extended in the treble. R8 Inf2 has a bit more sparkle and upper treble versus Traillii’s lower treble emphasis. Trailli does have a bit more clarity overall, rendering down to the microdetail and coming across again as more refined and mature. As of now, I prefer R8 Infinity’s treble presentation because I am more of an upper treble, sparkle, and air guy since as mentioned before, electrostats tend to fatigue my ears.
Staging: Inf2 was my staging, holographic king until Trailli came along and forcefully dethroned it. Trailli does have a larger width and depth presentation due to its more laid-back mids. I hear sounds extend further in front of me from Traillii. Infinity is more aggressive in its “flying notes” with more warmth and “musicality”, whereas Traillii comes across with a more refined, sharper attack in its transients with more detail.
Summary:
These two are easily the best IEMs I have had the pleasure to listen to. And for my preferences, I think although Trailli is the more technically proficient and impressive IEM overall, R8 Infinity is more in line with my overall preferences. Infinity gives me near unlimited staging, unparalleled texture, slight upper-mid boost for vocals with a sub-bass over mid-bass bass and upper over lower treble, all of which fit in line with my preferences.
In short, Traillii is the hot supermodel that I know will be fun for a while that everyone will chase, whereas R8 Infinity is the sweet, perfect girl next door. I will use the next few days to decide if I remain monogamous or not (in the IEM world).
TLDR; Trailli is world-class in its clarity, balance, layering and separation. It has very impressive bass for BAs that outrival most DDs. If it was not for my Infinity MK2 + R8 synergy that fits nearly perfectly within my preferences, I would have already sold some organs to fund these…and hey, maybe I still will.
Really nice write up! Would love to hear more impressions on Infinity2+1960s 4W after you get the chance to listen more. The PW scaled up the Rhapsodio quite a fair bit to my ears vs the stock cable.
toaster
Headphoneus Supremus
Bravo @tawmizzzz.
Super enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the
.
What you describe loving about the infinity is just what I enjoy about the erlky, and why I think something with slightly thicker vocals and fatter and richer mids is complementary to the uber clean transient monster that the traillii is.
Super enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the
.What you describe loving about the infinity is just what I enjoy about the erlky, and why I think something with slightly thicker vocals and fatter and richer mids is complementary to the uber clean transient monster that the traillii is.
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With all the recent bird findings, I thought I'd share mine (Warbler)
Ain't she pretty
riverground
Headphoneus Supremus
Speaking of birds...
I've been curious about this Planar powered bird for a while.
Does anyone have impressions of it?
(Nightingale)
I've been curious about this Planar powered bird for a while.
Does anyone have impressions of it?
(Nightingale)
Speaking of birds...
I've been curious about this Planar powered bird for a while.
Does anyone have impressions of it?
(Nightingale)
I’ve got impressions of it from CanJam here: https://theheadphonelist.com/canjam-singapore-2019/
If you get to try the AAW lineup, try the A3H too. You'd be surprise at how good it is despite its less expensive price. It's one of my favourite at that range
riverground
Headphoneus Supremus
I will for sure!
Nowadays, I'm after more unique sounding IEMs
I'd love to own the LCD-i4 but the ergonomics and form factor just turns me off. (I understand it's a bigger driver, but still, it's more like a mini-open-back headphones to me)
mvvRAZ
Headphoneus Supremus
AAW is a company I've been stalking for a while now, especially since I tried their Canary. Absolutely lovely IEM, and the bass might just be the best I've heard to date. I really like the shell they used for the Halcyon, I hope they come up with some cool stuff in 2021
A collab with Custom Art, Project 4+2 is said to be coming first week of February. L-shaped signature with 2 DD, for less than $1000.
A delight for bass lovers
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
A collab with Custom Art, Project 4+2 is said to be coming first week of February. L-shaped signature with 2 DD, for less than $1000.
I think @piotrus-g said one of the filter will be L shaped the other one a more balanced signature
Exciting times
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