[jelt2359]

if he's gonna spend close to 2000$ , he should go all in for a Zeus XR - or another totl which fared much better than Katana

orhell, he could even go for the NT6 ,which is also a detail monster and costing much less than Katana

Fond memories of the NT6 here too!

 

[jelt2359]

I was wondering if someone could answer a question please. I recently returned to the hobby and am currently using Vsonic GR07s & KZ ZS5s with an AK380, and plan to upgrade to a TOTL IEM before the end of the year. I listen mostly to rock, vocal & electronica in Hires & DSD and love the speed of BAs but also the bottom-end thump of DDs, but am not a fan of the incoherency of hybrids. I'd much prefer a universal IEM for less hassle and easier re-sale, and have narrow ear canals which suit small-sized Spinfits and Complys.

The Andromeda is top of my list as the price is (relatively) affordable, form factor is the same as the ZS5s which fit me well and they are apparently very resolving which is a big tick for me. The question (sorry about the preamble) is there any particular reason why the Andromeda hasn't made flinkenick's list while the Vega has? They're priced similarly, and although I've considered the Vega also have been a little put off by comments to the effect that the bass can be overpowering, and generally prefer the 'hyper detail' sound signature of BAs compared with DDs.

I haven't heard the Vega but I will be reviewing the Andro and it is in my personal top tier

 

[474194]

Many thanks to @flinkenick for your support, time and advice. Would be so lost otherwise.

 

[Kerouac]

Thank you for clearing that up flinkenick. Out of curiosity if I asked you to weigh the Andromeda against the TOTL IEMs on your list where do you think it might end up? I was surprised it wasn't included since my impression was it has been a huge hit since being released and frequently referenced as the current IEM to beat on another headphone audio forum.

Ranfan my local specialty headphone store sells both Andromeda, Vega and The Dream so I'll certainly aim to demo them all at the same time. However the price difference between Andromeda & Dream is significant and after reading about it I'd been turned off by suggestions the AK380's internal amp isn't powerful enough to drive it optimally and that the add on AMP would be required. The form factors of Vega & Dream appear smaller than Andromeda though which may be a comfort factor in long listening sessions.

Knopi I would prefer a more balanced sound signature and am wary that despite my enjoyment of powerful sub-bass the thump of an IEM like the Vega may be fatiguing in long listening sessions. Paying a significant amount of money for earphones doesn't bother me so much as the fear of paying a large amount and being stuck with a pair that have significant shortcomings which are difficult to live with.

Imo the Andromeda is an excellent performing iem especially with it's pricetag in mind. I personally prefered it over the Vega as (like you mentioned) the Andro has a more balanced (less V shaped) signature and it sounds great (to my ears) out of all my daps.
The Vega however scaled up pretty nicely from the LPG and turned into some kinda holographic [3D] little monster that way. Form fit of the Andro matches my ears better (but I've read often that it's a hit or miss) than the Vega. The Vega is so freakin' small that the pressure of the eartips (I use Spiral Dots) had to keep it in place. And last, but not least...after listening with Vega for a longer time I could even feel a little ear fatigue...and I don't consider myself to be that sensitive to that in general.

Many thanks to @flinkenick for your support, time and advice. Would be so lost otherwise.

The flinkenick effect:

Nice! In you signature I see it's the SilverFy R5. Any differences with the R4 as far as you know?

I have the SilverFy R4 on a loan these days and just posted this in the EE thread => might as well copy/paste it over here...


I've got the SilverFy R4 on a loan currently (thanks Nic) and I would not have expected beforehand how much the Zeus XR could even scale up with such a hq (in this case silver) cable
Very impressed with its 'natural' signature, while the (micro)details are even more noticeable, and the soundstage opens up in a way that I haven't heard with any other (c)iem before.

To be honest, a $2K pricetag for a cable is just too much for me. And I have to say that because of its thickness, ergonomics aren't the best either, but that sound.....sigh, that sound
Maybe I should tell myself that it was just a beautiful dream (of audio nirvana) once it's gone

 

[Deezel177]

With all this talk about value-oriented, bang-for-the-buck IEMs, I feel like now is as good a time as any to present you guys with...

Custom Art FIBAE 2 - Dynamite!

​

 

[Wyville]

I have the SilverFy R4 on a loan these days and just posted this in the EE thread => might as well copy/paste it over here...


I've got the SilverFy R4 on a loan currently (thanks Nic) and I would not have expected beforehand how much the Zeus XR could even scale up with such a hq (in this case silver) cable
Very impressed with its 'natural' signature, while the (micro)details are even more noticeable, and the soundstage opens up in a way that I haven't heard with any other (c)iem before.

To be honest, a $2K pricetag for a cable is just too much for me. And I have to say that because of its thickness, ergonomics aren't the best either, but that sound.....sigh, that sound
Maybe I should tell myself that it was just a beautiful dream (of audio nirvana) once it's gone

Ooh, lovely! Just absolutely lovely! Maybe one day... This place is such a slippery slope when it comes to high-end gear!

With all this talk about value-oriented, bang-for-the-buck IEMs, I feel like now is as good a time as any to present you guys with...

Custom Art FIBAE 2 - Dynamite!



​

Great work! First Twister's Horus review and now FIBAE-2... Today is a good day!

 

[subguy812]

They are truly fantastic and compared to most offerings in this thread a value.

It will be great to have another review join mine on HeadFi...

 

[Tulku1967]

I sold the U18 and I'm going to buy an SE5 ultimate ...
In my opinion, the U18 is one of the best IEM-s in the world (maybe the best of classical music) but universal and 64audio can not do a reshell.
In addition, I feel silicone CIEM will be the ultimate solution for me.

I'm really curious about the ultimate sound of SE5 ...

 

[Deezel177]

I sold the U18 and I'm going to buy an SE5 ultimate ...
In my opinion, the U18 is one of the best IEM-s in the world (maybe the best of classical music) but universal and 64audio can not do a reshell.
In addition, I feel silicone CIEM will be the ultimate solution for me.

I'm really curious about the ultimate sound of SE5 ...

According to most reviews I've found, the U18 and the SE5U are worlds apart. The U18 has a more transparent, open, lively and sparkly signature, while the SE5U is darker, thicker and slower in comparison. It all comes down to preference at the end of the day.

 

[subguy812]

I sold the U18 and I'm going to buy an SE5 ultimate ...
In my opinion, the U18 is one of the best IEM-s in the world (maybe the best of classical music) but universal and 64audio can not do a reshell.
In addition, I feel silicone CIEM will be the ultimate solution for me.

I'm really curious about the ultimate sound of SE5 ...

Unfortunately you can't demo the SE5. Lots of hoops to jump through to purchase the SE5 as well, imo. I am sure it is worth it but it won't be one I will be buying.

 

[proedros]

With all this talk about value-oriented, bang-for-the-buck IEMs, I feel like now is as good a time as any to present you guys with...

Custom Art FIBAE 2 - Dynamite!



​

great review , i liked the writing style a lot - informative , yet flowing

Piotr seems to be on to something here , this review should be read by all

 

[Wyville]

great review , i liked the writing style a lot - informative , yet flowing

Piotr seems to be on to something here , this review should be read by all

I fully agree, @Deezel177 did an amazing job on this review! Very impressive and a great read.

And yeah, Piotr makes some great IEMs that offer outstandingly good value for money. Really looking forward to future FIBAE releases!

 

[Deezel177]

great review , i liked the writing style a lot - informative , yet flowing

Piotr seems to be on to something here , this review should be read by all

Thanks, man! Piotr is on a roll right now and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.

I fully agree, @Deezel177 did an amazing job on this review! Very impressive and a great read.

And yeah, Piotr makes some great IEMs that offer outstandingly good value for money. Really looking forward to future FIBAE releases!

Incredibly humbled, bud. Thank you.

 

[Tulku1967]

According to most reviews I've found, the U18 and the SE5U are worlds apart. The U18 has a more transparent, open, lively and sparkly signature, while the SE5U is darker, thicker and slower in comparison. It all comes down to preference at the end of the day.

I have a DIY custom Layla with Apex module.
Dark and detailed, and very good depth layering ... I can listen much more than the U18 ...
It will not surprise with SE5 Ultimate...

 

[Rollk2]

Hi @flinkenick, could you quickly compare the EM10 and SE5U with the VE8? Why do you consider SE5U and VE8 in the top tiers and not the EM10? Thank you