[Damz87]

I thought they were the Polaris V2

Polaris II has black screws

 

[CL14715]

Polaris II has black screws

Yes, I know. It’s been a long night

 

[ranfan]

Ooo how’s the C/2019 Q4? They look great!

Thanks It has a flat or neutral sound overall. With the midrange and treble being the main highlight. Bass is rather weak, but it makes up for it with its beautiful and accurate midrange, as well as extended non-sibilant treble. Remarkable extension given it has only 3 drivers. It's cheaper than the MW10 (due to lower driver count), but by no means lower in SQ. The MW10 has a more fun bright tuning, while the C/2019 can be alikened to its more mature reference-sounding version. Its base, and essence.

Spoiler: FR

from here

I really like the midrange in particular. It has this good lower and upper part balance, that it doesn't favor male or female vocals. It does both accurately well. Although not as emotional and warm as the Prelude, it's very accurate and realistic in its portrayal. As well as transparent in its presentation due to its excellent treble. Its weakness though is in its bass. That said, I love its midrange as much as the Prelude. I think they complement each other really well. The Prelude being more vinyl-like analog warm sounding, and the C/2019 more accurate, pure/clean and transparent sounding.

I just hope that @KB would make the C/2019 more available someday.

 

[gLer]

Psychoacoustics play a big role here. The level of SQ these days especially with TOTL equipment is unbelievable. But just knowing there's potentially better out there doesn't let you enjoy even your 3 or 4k worth of equipment sometimes. It's a bit silly really.

Nail on head. Much of the 'thrill' we seem to get is in the chase. Once we actually have gear in hand and the adrenaline subsides, that addiction to another dopamine hit starts up afresh...and so you find someone saying 'this IEM sounds better here or there' suddenly takes the shine off your newfound 'endgame'. But, there is an endpoint...the higher up the ladder you go, the less the impulse to go out and hunt, and the stronger impulse to settle down and enjoy becomes.

I’m currently thinking of keeping these two and selling the Nio, as the Noir is kind of a ‘better Nio’.

Yes! I got so tired of hearing 'Trio is a better Noir' when a) Trio sounds nothing like Noir and b) Noir sounds like a grown-up Nio. The one advantage of Nio over Noir is its flexibility. You can't tune that midbass thickness out of Noir (without expensive cables anyway), but you can with a module swap on Nio. Still, if you enjoy Nio's bassy persona, then Noir is that sound taken to max - albeit with hotter treble.

If something smacks me in the face and I prefer it to Odin, I'll sell my Odin's to fund it.

Isn't that like saying you'll sell one of your children to fund it? You are the Odin Whisperer around here!

It's been weird since I got the Odin. I'm still interested in hearing other stuff, but there isn't really this "I can sell this and that and top off a bit to try x". mentality for me anymore when I do see something on my bucket list. Is this the rumoured audio satisfaction?

This is the 'endpoint' I hinted at above. Once you're near the top of the ladder there's just not much stuff that can compete let alone displace one of your IEMs. For me it happened when I hit flagship level with Fourte and LX (and found them so complementary for my music library). For others it might happen lower down the totem pole, but then it's just semantics anyway and more about the sound that gets you going. Nowadays I ask myself: will this IEM replace the LX? The Fourte? Both? Work as a threesome? So far, all I've seen or tried has not. There's possibly one or two that might, and I keenly await to try them. But if the market fell apart today and I was left with my two, I'll gladly live happily ever after.

 

[RTodd]

This! We are so damn lucky to have the technology and options for listening to music these days. Super grateful for what’s available to us.

My childhood was recording songs off the radio onto a cassette to play on my Walkman, trying my best to get the perfect cut before the radio announcer spoke or an advert started

Comparing that to what we have now, it’s just incredible.

Making mix cassette tapes, followed by mix mini discs, and mix CDs. Now over 10,000 tracks on a little piece of storage smaller than a postage stamp. In my wildest dreams in 1975, when I was 11, I could not have imagined that.

 

[Deezel177]

Nail on head. Much of the 'thrill' we seem to get is in the chase. Once we actually have gear in hand and the adrenaline subsides, that addiction to another dopamine hit starts up afresh...and so you find someone saying 'this IEM sounds better here or there' suddenly takes the shine off your newfound 'endgame'. But, there is an endpoint...the higher up the ladder you go, the less the impulse to go out and hunt, and the stronger impulse to settle down and enjoy becomes.

Yes! I got so tired of hearing 'Trio is a better Noir' when a) Trio sounds nothing like Noir and b) Noir sounds like a grown-up Nio. The one advantage of Nio over Noir is its flexibility. You can't tune that midbass thickness out of Noir (without expensive cables anyway), but you can with a module swap on Nio. Still, if you enjoy Nio's bassy persona, then Noir is that sound taken to max - albeit with hotter treble.

Isn't that like saying you'll sell one of your children to fund it? You are the Odin Whisperer around here!

This is the 'endpoint' I hinted at above. Once you're near the top of the ladder there's just not much stuff that can compete let alone displace one of your IEMs. For me it happened when I hit flagship level with Fourte and LX (and found them so complementary for my music library). For others it might happen lower down the totem pole, but then it's just semantics anyway and more about the sound that gets you going. Nowadays I ask myself: will this IEM replace the LX? The Fourte? Both? Work as a threesome? So far, all I've seen or tried has not. There's possibly one or two that might, and I keenly await to try them. But if the market fell apart today and I was left with my two, I'll gladly live happily ever after.

There’s a freedom that comes with that “apathy” as well. As a consumer, once you’ve heard all there is to hear, you’re more equipped to make better choices. And, as a reviewer, once you’ve heard a 10, it’s easer to give something a 7 or 8. It’s a shame that Japan, Hong Kong or Singapore are some of the only places where you actually can try everything, but such is life.

 

[twister6]

...
One thing about the Fourte, I find it terrific for showing the difference among different cables. I do not like to change cables often, but when I used to go to shows, I always found it my easiest IEM to change cables and then easily hear the differences among them.

Probably cause Fourte doesn't have LID, so changing between cables has a more noticeable effect due to variation in wire resistance along with their own crossover design. It is less noticeable when changing between premium cables on U12t, Trio, Nio, U18s where they have LID. And btw, Fourte/U18t implemented some really good 2pin sockets. After years of cable rolling with literally hundreds of insertions/disconnects, the socket still feels like brand new.

 

[gLer]

Probably cause Fourte doesn't have LID, so changing between cables has a more noticeable effect due to variation in wire resistance along with their own crossover design. It is less noticeable when changing between premium cables on U12t, Trio, Nio, U18s where they have LID. And btw, Fourte/U18t implemented some really good 2pin sockets. After years of cable rolling with literally hundreds of insertions/disconnects, the socket still feels like brand new.

That and the fact that Fourte's microscope-like resolution will help you determine which quarry the copper in your cable was mined from.

 

[Tristy]

That and the fact that Fourte's microscope-like resolution will help you determine which quarry the copper in your cable was mined from.

I loled at this.

 

[CL14715]

Isn't that like saying you'll sell one of your children to fund it? You are the Odin Whisperer around here!

To put this into context...

1.) I would have to perceive a clearly discernible improvement over the Odin, which I’m skeptical about but not exempt from being humbled.

2.) It would have to be something where I could not justify the expense on top of owning Odin, which is no sneeze at $3400. Obviously using Odin to partially fund it.

I do love the Odin... but it has introduced 2 different frames of mind after owning it for quite a while. First one, is after listening to it like a madman for months, I stopped regularly because it makes everything else I demo or buy sound meh in comparison. The other is, when I go back to my LX and give the Odin a break, I think, “I love these LX, do I really need a $3400 IEM if it’s just going to sit there for occasional use?” First world problems.

 

[proedros]

best part abou all those 6K iems ?

they make me look like a ****in' genius - i mean , i paid 2.1K for my custom Zeus XR + my pw audio 1960s 2-wire cable . Combined.

ps : you need to chill , settle down and just enjoy the music - stop being upgrade junkies, and become music junkies

 

[CL14715]

best part abou all those 6K iems ?

they make me look like a ****in' genius - i mean , i paid 2.1K for my custom Zeus XR + my pw audio 1960s 2-wire cable . Combined.

ps : you need to chill , settle down and just enjoy the music - stop being upgrade junkies, and become music junkies

Some of us like sub bass.

 

[RTodd]

best part abou all those 6K iems ?

they make me look like a ****in' genius - i mean , i paid 2.1K for my custom Zeus XR + my pw audio 1960s 2-wire cable . Combined.

ps : you need to chill , settle down and just enjoy the music - stop being upgrade junkies, and become music junkies

I think you look like a young Jack Nicholson.
Joking aside.

Enjoy Music Junkies (EMJ) like that.

 

[Vitaly2017]

I loled at this.

Haaa dont cause I approve it! Fourté is high in throwing at your face the junk that is in your music that nothing sleeps threw you will get all of it

 

[Darkestred]

This is the 'endpoint' I hinted at above. Once you're near the top of the ladder there's just not much stuff that can compete let alone displace one of your IEMs. For me it happened when I hit flagship level with Fourte and LX (and found them so complementary for my music library). For others it might happen lower down the totem pole, but then it's just semantics anyway and more about the sound that gets you going. Nowadays I ask myself: will this IEM replace the LX? The Fourte? Both? Work as a threesome? So far, all I've seen or tried has not. There's possibly one or two that might, and I keenly await to try them. But if the market fell apart today and I was left with my two, I'll gladly live happily ever after.

I paraphrased but so much this. I was tired of playing around in the mid range so started demo'n big boys at all the canjams over the years. I was set on the Anole VX or the EE LX and went with the VX. I was happy as a pig in....but it wasnt until i started joining audition tours where i was like oh, i actually think i like this more than what i original was looking for or settled on.

Now i have added the LX to the stable and im not one to rotate IEMs. So yes, if the market stopped producing. Id be just fine.