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flinkenick's 17 Flagship IEM Shootout Thread (and general high-end portable audio discussion)
Quote:
being an analytical brain, i like the numerical summetry, and i have another suggestion
review 18 iems, and make it 6(asian)6(european)6(american)
show to the head-fi members who you truly are
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (evil laugh from the bowels of Hell)
being analytical and such,
i agree *echo of the evil laugh still resonating*
Very evil indeed!
ANNOUNCING IEM #15:
Unique Melody Maestro V2
The previous announcement, the 5-Way Ultimate, is the reigning champion of @jelt2359's FFAB shootout. The Maestro V2 might not be the first to come to mind when thinking of top contenders, but this 12 BA heavyweight currently resides at the top of @MikePortnoy's ciem chart. For those of you who are not completely familiar with MikePortnoy, he is the most technically proficient reviewer this community has to offer when it comes to sound analysis - there is no doubt in my mind about that.
To paraphrase his words: UM's Maestro V2's resolution might not be the highest, it provides a full-bodied presentation that excels in its tonality. Both the midrange and treble have an exceedingly natural tone, that might be taken as an example for the rest.
So.. get hype?
1TrickPony
Headphoneus Supremus
Lols @ exceedingly natural comment from the most technically proficient reviewer. Just tongue in cheek on my part ;p
proedros
Headphoneus Supremus
this list is like the dream team of (c)iems , i can spot at least 8 ciems that i would LOVE to audition, let alone own
you may have sold your soul to the Evil One , but it's definitely worth it
you may have sold your soul to the Evil One , but it's definitely worth it
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Hi Nic - do you anticipate reviewing these one by one and posting your review as you complete the review, or releasing your reviews all at once.
Hi Bob, definitely the former. It takes me about two weeks to complete a review if I push myself, and have the time. I've written 6 reviews now, so there's still some work to do. Plus I haven't even heard 5 yet.
At approximately 1 review per two weeks, this might take a while
-edit-
However, if can take a week off and relax at some point I'll be able to punch a few out just like during xmas. So most likely it will be a lot quicker.
In other news, I'm pleased to say the list is finally complete. Next week all will be revealed.
Ike1985
Headphoneus Supremus
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Hi Bob, definitely the former. It takes me about two weeks to complete a review if I push myself, and have the time. I've written 6 reviews now, so there's still some work to do. Plus I haven't even heard 5 yet.
At approximately 1 review per two weeks, this might take a while
-edit-
However, if can take a week off and relax at some point I'll be able to punch a few out just like during xmas. So most likely it will be a lot quicker.
In other news, I'm pleased to say the list is finally complete. Next week all will be revealed.
Patiently waiting.
@flinkenick
Can't wait for the next. Reading your posts of articles/reviews is really wonderful. Detailed, but not too difficult too read, I really like them. While reading, felt like listening to music beautifully orchestrated by a master. Not to mention, the amount of knowledge (notes) delivered, haha. This thread is fantastic
The waiting though. ow the suspense..
Can't wait for the next. Reading your posts of articles/reviews is really wonderful. Detailed, but not too difficult too read, I really like them. While reading, felt like listening to music beautifully orchestrated by a master. Not to mention, the amount of knowledge (notes) delivered, haha. This thread is fantastic
The waiting though. ow the suspense..
EagleWings
Headphoneus Supremus
Hey guys, I just wanted to share some thoughts on soundstage based on my experience in this hobby. I am a soundstage head and, a good soundstage is an absolutely necessity for me, when it comes to IEMs/Headphones. After owning and trying many IEMs and headphones, I have learnt that, not all large soundstages sound the same. I realized that these large soundstages can be broadly classified into 3 types:
Type X: Well Defined Expansive Stage – This type of stage is a result of high technical performance and high resolution of the IEM/Headphone. TOTL multi BA IEMs have this type of stage. Instruments on both center stage and corner stage are well defined and focused. This stage also has air but is not the star of the show. Having an overly large stage can start to affect the speed and coherency of the presentation.
Type O: Open Airy Stage – This type of stage is a result of the physical design of the IEM/Headphone. Open-Back Headphones, Vented IEMs and ADEL IEMs are a few example of phones that have this type of stage. Because of the non-closed nature, there is abundant air in the presentation that provides a sense of expansive stage. In this stage, the instruments on the center stage are well defined and focused, whereas, the corner stage instruments lack the same level of definition and focus. The beauty of this type of stage is that it sounds natural. But having too much air, will start to impact the definition of the instruments further.
Type V: Vacant Stage – This type of stage is a result of tuning choice with either small instrument sizes of the mid-range or pushed back midrange due to a dip in the 900-Hz to 2kHz area. The lack of mid-range fill, creates a void that is perceived as stage space. This stage can be found in 'V' or 'U' shaped IEMs. This stage usually provides a laid-back feel. Accentuating this type of stage can result in an empty presentation.
O and V types are fairly easy to create, compared to type X. In many cases, the soundstage of an IEM/Headphone is a combination of any 2 or all 3 types of these stage types. I usually prefer type X, with some O in the mix. Layla, Katana are good examples of Type X stages. A10, Zeus-ADEL are good examples of X+O. Sennheiser IE80 is an example of O+V.
Please feel free to comment, agree or debate.
Type X: Well Defined Expansive Stage – This type of stage is a result of high technical performance and high resolution of the IEM/Headphone. TOTL multi BA IEMs have this type of stage. Instruments on both center stage and corner stage are well defined and focused. This stage also has air but is not the star of the show. Having an overly large stage can start to affect the speed and coherency of the presentation.
Type O: Open Airy Stage – This type of stage is a result of the physical design of the IEM/Headphone. Open-Back Headphones, Vented IEMs and ADEL IEMs are a few example of phones that have this type of stage. Because of the non-closed nature, there is abundant air in the presentation that provides a sense of expansive stage. In this stage, the instruments on the center stage are well defined and focused, whereas, the corner stage instruments lack the same level of definition and focus. The beauty of this type of stage is that it sounds natural. But having too much air, will start to impact the definition of the instruments further.
Type V: Vacant Stage – This type of stage is a result of tuning choice with either small instrument sizes of the mid-range or pushed back midrange due to a dip in the 900-Hz to 2kHz area. The lack of mid-range fill, creates a void that is perceived as stage space. This stage can be found in 'V' or 'U' shaped IEMs. This stage usually provides a laid-back feel. Accentuating this type of stage can result in an empty presentation.
O and V types are fairly easy to create, compared to type X. In many cases, the soundstage of an IEM/Headphone is a combination of any 2 or all 3 types of these stage types. I usually prefer type X, with some O in the mix. Layla, Katana are good examples of Type X stages. A10, Zeus-ADEL are good examples of X+O. Sennheiser IE80 is an example of O+V.
Please feel free to comment, agree or debate.
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PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
Well articulated, EagleWings. Thank you.
My U12-B1 certainly fits the A+B category. Solar feels like C with a touch of A.
My U12-B1 certainly fits the A+B category. Solar feels like C with a touch of A.
Great post Vishnu! I have a post prepared on the matter that I will post in a short while.
EagleWings
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks buddy. Looking forward to your post.
Nice post @EagleWings . Thanks for sharing.
For some Noble UIEMs I found that the stage is deep but not wide/narrow. Is it because of the housing? Because they have a uniform sort of oval shape houses. And another problem with the Universals is that the fit sometimes doesn't fit very well, affecting the soundstage. I wonder if that counts/
For some Noble UIEMs I found that the stage is deep but not wide/narrow. Is it because of the housing? Because they have a uniform sort of oval shape houses. And another problem with the Universals is that the fit sometimes doesn't fit very well, affecting the soundstage. I wonder if that counts/
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