[Frankie D]

Hey, it's understandable that you think there might be some ulterior motive behind my reviews. It's unfortunate, but reviews are often used as tools to drum up hype and to dictate sales in this industry. However, I encourage you to take a look at some of my other reviews, such as the following:

• Here's my HD800S review where I straight-up say it's a critical review and go on to criticize it more than any other review I've seen on the internet.
• Here's my Focal Clear review where, again, I criticize it more than any other review I've seen.
• A&K SE180 review where I say I flat-out can't recommend it.
• 64 Audio U18s review were I say just go buy the U12t. Remember, the U18s is a thousand bucks more.
• Kilobuck shootout where I say the Sony IER-M9, the IEM that we don't sell, is objectively the best IEM out of the bunch.
• 64 Audio Fourte review where I basically say I can't recommend it.
• Campfire Dorado/Vega 2020 review where I flat-out say I don't recommend them.
• Campfire Ara review where I say the Ara's tonality is borked and I don't really recommend it.
• Moondrop B2 Dusk review where I say the Dusk is better than the B2. We don't sell the Dusk, we sell the B2.
• My middling review of the Empire Ears Hero where I call the treble harsh and uncontrolled.
• My middling review of the Audeze LCDi4 where I say it's a niche product that won't work for most people and that it sounds broken without DSP.
• My middle review of the Thieaudio Monarch where I recommend it, but say that it's not for me personally.
• My review of the Campfire Solaris 2020 where I straight-up say I recommend the Andro 2020 over it. Remember, the Solaris 2020 is more expensive.

These are all products that we sell (except for the couple times I recommended a product we don't sell over ones we sell). Something else you'll notice quickly is that even for products we do sell that I have given a positive review, mine are almost always the most critical one that you'll find. I don't get paid depending on whether my review is positive or negative. I simply write as true to what I hear as possible.

You might wonder how it's possible for us to operate like this; after all, we've lost sales and brands because of our reviews in the past. That's because unlike a lot of other review sites or retailers, the goal here isn't to make a quick buck. Sometimes that means taking a hit in the short term. We're comfortable with taking that hit because the trust we establish with readers - and future customers - in the long run is much more significant, something that can't possibly be quantified by short term sales numbers. Furthermore, educating consumers on good sound means better products for everyone in the long run! So yes, there's absolutely a motive behind my reviews. But it's never been an ulterior one, and I'm always happy to explain what we're all about.

Happy to hear you do not have an ulterior motive. That means we simply completely disagree on what we hear. You dislike both the bass and especially the treble of the Traillii. I consider both areas exceptional ( I am not a person who has to have a DD bass, but rather tight impactful bass when called for in the music.).

This means your reviews are not useful for me. That is fine, everyone is a bit different. When reading reviews it is good to know the likes of the reviewer. Thank you.

 

[Precogvision]

Edited to note: I just checked and see that you actually rated the Traillii a 7. You gave the Blessing 2 Dusk the same rating. I own both and there is no universe where these 2 IEMs are equal. I think if you give it another listen, you will either move it up to an 8 or at least create a 7 and a 7.5. This is the issue with creating a linear scale for ranking IEMs when they have far more than 1 relevant dimension.

Thanks for the words of encouragement

Regarding the Traillii vs. Dusk scoring, I do not believe they are equals in terms of pure sonic performance. While I only have my standard Blessing 2 on-hand for A/B comparison, it's clear to me that the Traillii is considerably more technical. The current scores that I have on the list are “bias” scores that basically just reflect “how much I like X IEM for what it is," which takes into account value and tonal preference too. I’m in the process of putting together a revised list, that will have various sub-categories, to maintain better consistency in the future. That way people can also disregard tonality if it's not a consideration. There's just...quite a few IEMs to go through haha.

Happy to hear you do not have an ulterior motive. That means we simply completely disagree on what we hear. You dislike both the bass and especially the treble of the Traillii. I consider both areas exceptional ( I am not a person who has to have a DD bass, but rather tight impactful bass when called for in the music.).

This means your reviews are not useful for me. That is fine, everyone is a bit different. When reading reviews it is good to know the likes of the reviewer. Thank you.

Yup, glad to clear that up! Something I will point out is that my reviews can be useful to you. In fact, the more you disagree, the more useful they are! Like @Mehran noted, you can better extrapolate from my tastes as to what will or will not work for you. If I think something sucks? You'll probably like it. If I like something? It probably sucks for you. That's something that you'll never be able to do if all the reviews you read are unanimously positive.

 

[hshock76]

On a lighter note, custom case from Vishnu for the sp2k and Aeneid arrived today:

 

[subguy812]

For some reason I always feel the need to say this; reviews are only subjective opinion. Ratings, mean nothing to me, and because I feel that way, I don't use stars or numbers, unless I am forced to on HF. Keeping in mind, when you read a review, whether it is a review on Audio Rabbit Hole or anywhere, a reviewer is no more an expert than the next guy. Each and everyone is an expert of what we hear and our own individual thoughts and opinions. It is humanly impossible for someone else to tell me what I am hearing.

Also, whether a reviewer is credible, whether attached to a retail outlet or not, is also subjective. Only you can decide if steering plays a part in the reviewer's take if he is associated with a retail site. Although shilling, steering and writing in a controversial, hate everything manner are all styles to attract a reader and have nothing to do with a reviewer being part of a retail site, plenty of that occurs from non-retail associated reviewers . Personally, I could care less what anyone thinks of my reviews, and my site is self funded, I just wanted my own, unmanaged venue.

I am going to work on a Traillii review, when time permits. I am not certain price plays into a review as much as it does a rating, meaning a value/$ rating. Traillii is not a value purchase, it is an indulgent purchase. If I am telling the reader a price and then telling the reader what signature I hear, it is up to the reader to decide if they want to pay the admission price. One item may be a lot of money to one individual and to the next guy, nary a concern. Rich is relative, there is always someone richer, prettier, holier and so on...

Embrace the music, don't lose focus on why we are discussing, bantering, agreeing or disagreeing about this gear in the first place, all about the music.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

I am going to work on a Traillii review, when time permits. I am not certain price plays into a review as much as it does a rating, meaning a value/$ rating. Traillii is not a value purchase, it is an indulgent purchase. If I am telling the reader a price and then telling the reader what signature I hear, it is up to the reader to decide if they want to pay the admission price. One item may be a lot of money to one individual and to the next guy, nary a concern. Rich is relative, there is always someone richer, prettier, holier and so on...

Embrace the music, don't lose focus on why we are discussing, bantering, agreeing or disagreeing about this gear in the first place, all about the music.

Regarding the Traillii vs. Dusk scoring, I do not believe they are equals in terms of pure sonic performance. While I only have my standard Blessing 2 on-hand for A/B comparison, it's clear to me that the Traillii is considerably more technical. The current scores that I have on the list are “bias” scores that basically just reflect “how much I like X IEM for what it is," which takes into account value and tonal preference too.

Reviews which do not consider price and therefore value are ridiculous. I will spend top dollars for gear if I think it will give me extra delight, but I definitely do want to know why I'd hand out more in comparison to alternative offers. So I very much would like to read what an Abyss ab-1266tc will potentially give me in comparison to let's say a HD800S, or what a Woo WA-33 brings to the table over an ifi Pro iCan, to name some rather extreme examples. The Traillii must face comparisons and value propositions here in the forum and in reviews.

It is nice that for some people to be able to say "it's all about the music", but for me it is also making the best buying decision with my hard earned money. Plus, not considering the value will lead to these insane and inflated prices without stop. It only happens ... because people pay for it.

 

[Frankie D]

Thanks for the words of encouragement

Regarding the Traillii vs. Dusk scoring, I do not believe they are equals in terms of pure sonic performance. While I only have my standard Blessing 2 on-hand for A/B comparison, it's clear to me that the Traillii is considerably more technical. The current scores that I have on the list are “bias” scores that basically just reflect “how much I like X IEM for what it is," which takes into account value and tonal preference too. I’m in the process of putting together a revised list, that will have various sub-categories, to maintain better consistency in the future. That way people can also disregard tonality if it's not a consideration. There's just...quite a few IEMs to go through haha.



Yup, glad to clear that up! Something I will point out is that my reviews can be useful to you. In fact, the more you disagree, the more useful they are! Like @Mehran noted, you can better extrapolate from my tastes as to what will or will not work for you. If I think something sucks? You'll probably like it. If I like something? It probably sucks for you. That's something that you'll never be able to do if all the reviews you read are unanimously positive.

Maybe, I will keep that in mind. I would probably argue this difference makes your reviews unreliable for my use. Your description of what you hear is not accurate in my view. Do you use a specific reference to keep your reviews grounded? For example, live piano music, or a reference system, or other? Just curious. Tks.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

For some reason I always feel the need to say this; reviews are only subjective opinion. Ratings, mean nothing to me, and because I feel that way, I don't use stars or numbers, unless I am forced to on HF. Keeping in mind, when you read a review, whether it is a review on Audio Rabbit Hole or anywhere, a reviewer is no more an expert than the next guy. Each and everyone is an expert of what we hear and our own individual thoughts and opinions. It is humanly impossible for someone else to tell me what I am hearing.

Also, whether a reviewer is credible, whether attached to a retail outlet or not, is also subjective. Only you can decide if steering plays a part in the reviewer's take if he is associated with a retail site. Although shilling, steering and writing in a controversial, hate everything manner are all styles to attract a reader and have nothing to do with a reviewer being part of a retail site, plenty of that occurs from non-retail associated reviewers . Personally, I could care less what anyone thinks of my reviews, and my site is self funded, I just wanted my own, unmanaged venue.

I am going to work on a Traillii review, when time permits. I am not certain price plays into a review as much as it does a rating, meaning a value/$ rating. Traillii is not a value purchase, it is an indulgent purchase. If I am telling the reader a price and then telling the reader what signature I hear, it is up to the reader to decide if they want to pay the admission price. One item may be a lot of money to one individual and to the next guy, nary a concern. Rich is relative, there is always someone richer, prettier, holier and so on...

Embrace the music, don't lose focus on why we are discussing, bantering, agreeing or disagreeing about this gear in the first place, all about the music.

I am just the opposite. I want to know how a person ranks various IEMs because then I can triangulate on what they like and decide if I also might like it. When a reviewer ranks IEMs, they actually have to make a value judgement as to what is better. When a person just gives subjective preferences, the words can all sound the same and one person might use very different words to describe the same sound. I get more from a reviewer when they tell me their ranking and don't use any words.

For example: this is one of the most helpful reviews I've ever seen on Head Fi.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rank-the-iems-youve-heard.454855/post-16443282

As I hear different IEMs, I can see how my opinions line up with Damz and points me in directions to look for gems I wouldn't otherwise consider. The bigger list of IEMs a person has ranked, the more information is there. Crinacle has the most compelling list because he has ranked around 1000 IEMs. I don't agree with everything these reviewers say, but I feel like I know where they are coming from.

 

[RTodd]

I am just the opposite. I want to know how a person ranks various IEMs because then I can triangulate on what they like and decide if I also might like it. When a reviewer ranks IEMs, they actually have to make a value judgement as to what is better. When a person just gives subjective preferences, the words can all sound the same and one person might use very different words to describe the same sound. I get more from a reviewer when they tell me their ranking and don't use any words.

I do like the Piano as a good instrument to check coherence across the frequencies.

This whole topic is interesting and controversial, everyone seems to have a review style and a set of musical preferences, knowing those preferences helps.

I learn the most when just using adjectives to describe what they hear if they reference particular tracks, best when it is not just one genre or style of music, highlighting some impressions with lighter stripped down music plus impressions with complex music is best for me.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I do like the Piano as a good instrument to check coherence across the frequencies.

This whole topic is interesting and controversial, everyone seems to have a review style and a set of musical preferences, knowing those preferences helps.

I learn the most when just using adjectives to describe what they hear and if they reference particular tracks, best when it is not just one genre or style of music, highlighting some impressions with lighter stripped down music plus impressions with complex music is best for me.

I learn the most when a person's words are set in the context of the trade offs they've made with respect to one IEM vs another or or collection of IEMs. Their words are very helpful to unpack the details of those rankings and to get specific technical detail of what they are hearing. So, I like technical descriptions that are consistently applied across reviews. My favorite reviewers are @Resolve, @Precogvision, @antdroid and @crinacle because all of them use very precise technical language to describe what they hear and all but @Resolve have a rankings list that sets their words into a context of trade offs they've made. But, @Resolve always tells you what he is hearing as it relates to what he hears in other headphones or IEMs.

bggar and mvvraz are also helpful reviewers even though I don't hear things the way they do because they have ranked IEMs. I can readily figure out where they are coming from and then triangulate from there. damz87 is the best because he ranked IEMs and each sub element and since I've heard and/or own a lot of what he has ranked, his impressions really resonate with me.

 

[proedros]

let's wish @flinkenick a Happy Birthday , wherever he is

he may be 'gone' but this thread will live until the end of TOTL iems (and the head-fi site)

 

[Precogvision]

Maybe, I will keep that in mind. I would probably argue this difference makes your reviews unreliable for my use. Your description of what you hear is not accurate in my view. Do you use a specific reference to keep your reviews grounded? For example, live piano music, or a reference system, or other? Just curious. Tks.

My reference for neutrality and technical metrics (like dynamic range, resolution, and imaging) are generally based off of my Genelec G Two speakers.

 

[chickenmcnug]

let's wish @flinkenick a Happy Birthday , wherever he is

he may be 'gone' but this thread will live until the end of TOTL iems (and the head-fi site)

Oh he's still around if you know where to find him

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

let's wish @flinkenick a Happy Birthday , wherever he is

he may be 'gone' but this thread will live until the end of TOTL iems (and the head-fi site)

Cheers. He created an epic thread.

 

[bigbeans]

Who knew the journey to the summit Flick started would conclude with BLON. Accept no imitations!

 

[rantng]

Who knew the journey to the summit Flick started would conclude with BLON. Accept no imitations!

I'd like to see that! An imitation (successful) of the BL-03, a ~$30 IEM. Can't imagine how many they would have to sell.