[HiFiHawaii808]

Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least. I was just planning on proposing a US/EU demo tour to Emil. Maybe that’s something @Rockwell75 would be interested in arranging?

I'm in for a listen.

 

[Wyville]

Hi Ricky,
I’m wondering if your opinion haven’t been influenced by the fact that we have declined your proposal of reviewing Aether and Model X universals back in 2020?

As far as I remember you demonstrated strong disconcent regarding this fact.
Adding that you will be „happy to not review any of LE IEMs” (it seems that you have changed your mind regarding the latter).

Since then you shared unequovically negative opinions about Aether R and Pneuma that I found hard to confirm with other people (reviewers and non-reviewers).

And now Anima seems to be on the crosshair.

Please, correct me If I’m wrong.

All the best!
Emil

P.S. I would ask this question privately but since you voiced your position publicly I thought both your readers and the witnessing community might have been interested if it’s not the case?
I, personally, would be happy to know if I’m reading honest opinion on the product or rather private innuendos towards particular people involved in its making.
Both are fine but I would like to have this clarity.

Talking in general (not this case in particular), I think herein lies a fundamental problem with reviews as they are today. I mean the combination of reviews generally being done by enthusiasts and review samples all too often being seen as “free gear” (by reviewers) or “gifts” (by manufacturers) instead of tools of the trade required to write comprehensive reviews. It all too often risks creating a situation where those reviewers who lack a professional mentality or simply the integrity that forms the cornerstone of a professional approach, see a rejection of a review collaboration as something personal. This can then lead them to try and get their own back by using their social media influence to spread negative comments, not caring that they are affecting the livelihood of people (i.e. treating manufacturers as impersonal entities).

Over the years that I have been reviewing, I have been unpleasantly surprised by just how petty some reviewers are and how eager they can be to hurt those who they feel have caused them harm by denying them review samples. Worse, some reviewers will go out of their way to hurt other reviewers simply in an attempt to corner the (review) market for themselves. And that includes reviewers who are generally hailed as “objective” and “critical”, their audience not realising that the negative criticisms they are presented with are coming from a very different place than “objectivity”.

It is an unprofessional, playground-type of mentality present in far too many reviewers, which is driving away those who have a sincere interest motivating them to write reviews, to learn and grow as a reviewer, and to contribute informative pieces to the community. Most sincere reviewers also bite their tongue in order not to get dragged down into the muck, which in turn means they get less attention and as a result become less interesting for many manufacturers to work with because those are focusing primarily on social media footprint rather than actual expertise (I know Lime Ears is different because I know @Animagus' actual, real-life expertise ).

I would like to write more and perhaps one day I will, but right now I will keep it short, sweet and to the point.

 

[armstrj2]

Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least. I was just planning on proposing a US/EU demo tour to Emil. Maybe that’s something @Rockwell75 would be interested in arranging?

An EU tour would be great too! Happy to get involved.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hi Ricky,
I’m wondering if your opinion haven’t been influenced by the fact that we have declined your proposal of reviewing Aether and Model X universals back in 2020?

As far as I remember you demonstrated strong disconcent regarding this fact.
Adding that you will be „happy to not review any of LE IEMs” (it seems that you have changed your mind regarding the latter).

Since then you shared unequovically negative opinions about Aether R and Pneuma that I found hard to confirm with other people (reviewers and non-reviewers).

And now Anima seems to be on the crosshair.

Please, correct me If I’m wrong.

All the best!
Emil

P.S. I would ask this question privately but since you voiced your position publicly I thought both your readers and the witnessing community might have been interested if it’s not the case?
I, personally, would be happy to know if I’m reading honest opinion on the product or rather private innuendos towards particular people involved in its making.
Both are fine but I would like to have this clarity.

It's more important for you to get your products heard by a lot of people than worry about a few negative reviews. I think the recent success of FIR audio is a tribute to this idea. A few key influencers around here fell in love with their products and then a lot of people tried it and they also liked them. As a result, their sales and positive impressions have really escalated accordingly. If a product is great, it will sustain itself amidst negative reviews from individuals. In fact, it's better for you to have a few bad reviews to make it sound credible. If there are only positive impressions then people get suspicious of something else going on. The opposite thing can also occur. The Jewel came out of the gate with the billing of Traillii killer. Man, that didn't go well. But then, lots of people started hearing it and enough people like it where a legitimate argument can be made that it is a Traillii killer. But, we wouldn't have known that had it not gotten out there so that a critical mass of people could hear it so that the community can get the essence of it.

 

[Elite_Force]

And in this hobby I would expect rather opinions more precise than types of „this is trash” or „don’t bother trying, buy X instead”.

Sometimes these are exactly the words that must be said in the context to a specific iem. Several iems occur to my mind, which back in the days were reviewed by renowned web-sites and local head-fiers. Once I had a chance to test them locally, well yeah, these are exactly the only words that I could say despite all the laudatory reviews and opinions – that is a trash. Not the “trash for the asked price”, simply the trash.

Another trend, especially in the realms of watercooler sandbox, is a non-stop hype train. Each iem is like a revelation, each iem is great (at least in some areas). Having read this flood, you can buy them all and wouldn’t be mistaken.

That’s why simple yeah/meh would be nice to have. Of source, it is a fantasy because every person is somehow biased and has hit own coordinate system of genre preferences, perception threshold etc.

PS. I have neutral attitude to LE simply because never had a chance to audition any model. I would go safest way and buy smth that can be demoed locally. For blind buy I would probably prefer something “safer” in terms of hype and liquidity on secondary market – Traillii is a great example.

Anima has been already compared with Odin. If it is really a more musical, more natural and smoother Odin, without uplifted upper mids, Anima has a very good perspective even for the asked retail price. Most totls are kind of Asian tuning – exaggerated clarity, razor sharp details. Bright and fatiguing.

 

[Rockwell75]

Talking in general (not this case in particular), I think herein lies a fundamental problem with reviews as they are today. I mean the combination of reviews generally being done by enthusiasts and review samples all too often being seen as “free gear” (by reviewers) or “gifts” (by manufacturers) instead of tools of the trade required to write comprehensive reviews. It all too often risks creating a situation where those reviewers who lack a professional mentality or simply the integrity that forms the cornerstone of a professional approach, see a rejection of a review collaboration as something personal. This can then lead them to try and get their own back by using their social media influence to spread negative comments, not caring that they are affecting the livelihood of people (i.e. treating manufacturers as impersonal entities).

Over the years that I have been reviewing, I have been unpleasantly surprised by just how petty some reviewers are and how eager they can be to hurt those who they feel have caused them harm by denying them review samples. Worse, some reviewers will go out of their way to hurt other reviewers simply in an attempt to corner the (review) market for themselves. And that includes reviewers who are generally hailed as “objective” and “critical”, their audience not realising that the negative criticisms they are presented with are coming from a very different place than “objectivity”.

Preach. This sort of behavior is the main reason I stopped paying attention to the main reviewer & influencer scene and and now confine myself more-or-less to trusted folks (some of whom, like @Deezel177 are reviewers) and actual consumers, primarily here on Head Fi, but here and there on a few other sites as well.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Talking in general (not this case in particular), I think herein lies a fundamental problem with reviews as they are today. I mean the combination of reviews generally being done by enthusiasts and review samples all too often being seen as “free gear” (by reviewers) or “gifts” (by manufacturers) instead of tools of the trade required to write comprehensive reviews. It all too often risks creating a situation where those reviewers who lack a professional mentality or simply the integrity that forms the cornerstone of a professional approach, see a rejection of a review collaboration as something personal. This can then lead them to try and get their own back by using their social media influence to spread negative comments, not caring that they are affecting the livelihood of people (i.e. treating manufacturers as impersonal entities).

Over the years that I have been reviewing, I have been unpleasantly surprised by just how petty some reviewers are and how eager they can be to hurt those who they feel have caused them harm by denying them review samples. Worse, some reviewers will go out of their way to hurt other reviewers simply in an attempt to corner the (review) market for themselves. And that includes reviewers who are generally hailed as “objective” and “critical”, their audience not realising that the negative criticisms they are presented with are coming from a very different place than “objectivity”.

It is an unprofessional, playground-type of mentality present in far too many reviewers, which is driving away those who have a sincere interest motivating them to write reviews, to learn and grow as a reviewer, and to contribute informative pieces to the community. Most sincere reviewers also bite their tongue in order not to get dragged down into the muck, which in turn means they get less attention and as a result become less interesting for many manufacturers to work with because those are focusing primarily on social media footprint rather than actual expertise (I know Lime Ears is different because I know @Animagus' actual, real-life expertise ).

I would like to write more and perhaps one day I will, but right now I will keep it short, sweet and to the point.

To be honest, I get very little out of professional reviews any more. I get the most out of the enthusiast community. All I need to know is their top 10 IEMs and their preferred music genre. Then, let them tell me why they love what they do and not love what they don't. The problem with professional reviews is that they literally all sound alike after a while. The enthusiast community votes with their dollars. That's skin in the game and it makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Deezel177]

Talking in general (not this case in particular), I think herein lies a fundamental problem with reviews as they are today. I mean the combination of reviews generally being done by enthusiasts and review samples all too often being seen as “free gear” (by reviewers) or “gifts” (by manufacturers) instead of tools of the trade required to write comprehensive reviews. It all too often risks creating a situation where those reviewers who lack a professional mentality or simply the integrity that forms the cornerstone of a professional approach, see a rejection of a review collaboration as something personal. This can then lead them to try and get their own back by using their social media influence to spread negative comments, not caring that they are affecting the livelihood of people (i.e. treating manufacturers as impersonal entities).

Over the years that I have been reviewing, I have been unpleasantly surprised by just how petty some reviewers are and how eager they can be to hurt those who they feel have caused them harm by denying them review samples. Worse, some reviewers will go out of their way to hurt other reviewers simply in an attempt to corner the (review) market for themselves. And that includes reviewers who are generally hailed as “objective” and “critical”, their audience not realising that the negative criticisms they are presented with are coming from a very different place than “objectivity”.

It is an unprofessional, playground-type of mentality present in far too many reviewers, which is driving away those who have a sincere interest motivating them to write reviews, to learn and grow as a reviewer, and to contribute informative pieces to the community. Most sincere reviewers also bite their tongue in order not to get dragged down into the muck, which in turn means they get less attention and as a result become less interesting for many manufacturers to work with because those are focusing primarily on social media footprint rather than actual expertise (I know Lime Ears is different because I know @Animagus' actual, real-life expertise ).

I would like to write more and perhaps one day I will, but right now I will keep it short, sweet and to the point.

 

[Scubadevils]

An EU tour would be great too! Happy to get involved.

+1

 

[solstice15]

Awesome, man. The Anima is upper-treble city, so I’m sure you’ll like that, at least. I was just planning on proposing a US/EU demo tour to Emil. Maybe that’s something @Rockwell75 would be interested in arranging?

I'd love to have a listen if we could get something going in NA

 

[feverfive]

To be honest, I get very little out of professional reviews any more. I get the most out of the enthusiast community. All I need to know is their top 10 IEMs and their preferred music genre. Then, let them tell me why they love what they do and not love what they don't. The problem with professional reviews is that they literally all sound alike after a while. The enthusiast community votes with their dollars. That's skin in the game and it makes all the difference in the world.

Word.

The only value so-called professional reviewers have for me is making me aware of a product. I truly value them (and likewise, even fanboys/shills) simply because they make me aware....but I give pretty much no weight beyond that.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Word.

The only value so-called professional reviewers have for me is making me aware of a product. I truly value them (and likewise, even fanboys/shills) simply because they make me aware....but I give pretty much no weight beyond that.

Lately, the professional reviewers haven't had access to the most interesting IEMs so they can't even tell us about the existence of the latest and greatest. @precog went to CanJam SG to hear some of the IEMs we have been discussing over the past 2 months and it is strange reading his reviews after I already have heard the FIR line up. I find I don't hear them anything like he does.

 

[KickAssChewGum]

Talking in general (not this case in particular), I think herein lies a fundamental problem with reviews as they are today. I mean the combination of reviews generally being done by enthusiasts and review samples all too often being seen as “free gear” (by reviewers) or “gifts” (by manufacturers) instead of tools of the trade required to write comprehensive reviews. It all too often risks creating a situation where those reviewers who lack a professional mentality or simply the integrity that forms the cornerstone of a professional approach, see a rejection of a review collaboration as something personal. This can then lead them to try and get their own back by using their social media influence to spread negative comments, not caring that they are affecting the livelihood of people (i.e. treating manufacturers as impersonal entities).

Over the years that I have been reviewing, I have been unpleasantly surprised by just how petty some reviewers are and how eager they can be to hurt those who they feel have caused them harm by denying them review samples. Worse, some reviewers will go out of their way to hurt other reviewers simply in an attempt to corner the (review) market for themselves. And that includes reviewers who are generally hailed as “objective” and “critical”, their audience not realising that the negative criticisms they are presented with are coming from a very different place than “objectivity”.

It is an unprofessional, playground-type of mentality present in far too many reviewers, which is driving away those who have a sincere interest motivating them to write reviews, to learn and grow as a reviewer, and to contribute informative pieces to the community. Most sincere reviewers also bite their tongue in order not to get dragged down into the muck, which in turn means they get less attention and as a result become less interesting for many manufacturers to work with because those are focusing primarily on social media footprint rather than actual expertise (I know Lime Ears is different because I know @Animagus' actual, real-life expertise ).

I would like to write more and perhaps one day I will, but right now I will keep it short, sweet and to the point.

Very well said!

 

[Frankie D]

To be fair the Traillii is a joke at 6000$ Imo. The faster, cleaner version of it has been out for years, and retails at a third of the price - the U12t haha

I would disagree. I dislike the price, but it is still the best in my opinion. The U12T, while excellent, is not in the same ball park. I just made that comparison again and felt the same. I do feel the U12T and Fourte are the two I like best from 64 Audio.

 

[jlbrach]

on a relative basis the 64 group of IEMs is IMHO the best bang for the buck given the prices in the used market...that said the "bird" is in a different league...perhaps the Mason FS competes and 1 or 2 others but the bird flies high!