[ChrisSC]

Exactly- you can convert a balanced cable to single ended with an adapter, but can't go the other way around.

 

[13candles]

Thought a drier is only needed for silicon IEMs, though I might be wrong.

With my se5u experience, I don't think you really need a drier.

Once I left my 5-way in a camera dry-box littered with silica sachets together with some of my Stax for a couple of days , it was more of a hassle wearing them .

Grzegorz told me before to not over clean them except for those 5 bores . Silicon iems need to sit effortlessly in your ears to provide optimum SQ in my 2cents . If it ain't lubricated enough it will sound different. So I guess a drier ain't really needed and just some TLC and common sense would surely suffice .

Oh and btw, not a knock on Jomo but those driers can only probably fit one iem with a very thin cable . Any thicker cables would be stretching it and you would prob have to remove them . I doubt it would do the connectors any good if it were to be plugged and unplugged everytime you use the dryer

 

[Deezel177]

With my se5u experience, I don't think you really need a drier.

Once I left my 5-way in a camera dry-box littered with silica sachets together with some of my Stax for a couple of days , it was more of a hassle wearing them .

Grzegorz told me before to not over clean them except for those 5 bores . Silicon iems need to sit effortlessly in your ears to provide optimum SQ in my 2cents . If it ain't lubricated enough it will sound different. So I guess a drier ain't really needed and just some TLC and common sense would surely suffice .

Oh and btw, not a knock on Jomo but those driers can only probably fit one iem with a very thin cable . Any thicker cables would be stretching it and you would prob have to remove them . I doubt it would do the connectors any good if it were to be plugged and unplugged everytime you use the dryer

Yup. The horror story definitely put me off, but what ultimately keeps me from getting/using a dry box is the need to constantly plug-and-unplug my cables.

 

[tsn141]

Anyone here use a mini UV dry box for cleaning in-ears? Is it OK so far for using with IEM?

Spoiler

Dryer is better for eject excesive moisture from sound tube, damper and driver. But for UV light, i can not guarantee. At hearing aid UV light sterilizing but CIEM it may cause deformotion. Because UV light changes polimers moleculer structure so a fast aging occur.

edit: I can say that for your prelude.

 

[Wyville]

Based on how much importance Nic put on warm, natural treble, I doubt even Encore would have gone much higher than Katana. It took something insane like A18 to win a high seat in this shootout, while also possessing bright treble.

The Encore and Katana have given me some food for thought. I wish I would have demoed them back-to-back with the VE6. All three have a somewhat brighter treble, but with the Encore and Katana it sounded to me like it was caused by a peak, whereas the VE6 came across more natural. Not sure if that is actually the case because I did not have that much time with them and especially the Noble demo was in show floor conditions. How would you characterise the treble of the Encore compared to the VE6?

 

[Deezel177]

The Encore and Katana have given me some food for thought. I wish I would have demoed them back-to-back with the VE6. All three have a somewhat brighter treble, but with the Encore and Katana it sounded to me like it was caused by a peak, whereas the VE6 came across more natural. Not sure if that is actually the case because I did not have that much time with them and especially the Noble demo was in show floor conditions. How would you characterise the treble of the Encore compared to the VE6?

Agreed 100%. The two Noble's have an upper-mid peak for a more energetic form of clarity, at the risk of peaks in certain conditions. The VE6 - on the other hand - has an upper-treble bump which invokes a sense of air, dryness and cleanliness, with a lower risk of sibilance.

 

[Wyville]

Agreed 100%. The two Noble's have an upper-mid peak for a more energetic form of clarity, at the risk of peaks in certain conditions. The VE6 - on the other hand - has an upper-treble bump which invokes a sense of air, dryness and cleanliness, with a lower risk of sibilance.

Thanks! Good to hear I am beginning to pick up on those things. As I keep trying to improve my critical listening, I still find it difficult to get a feeling for what consequences specific peaks and dips have, so it is nice when I come across examples like this where I can test whether or not I have picked up the general characteristics correctly. From that I can then eventually learn to identify the corresponding peaks or dips.

 

[Deezel177]

Thanks! Good to hear I am beginning to pick up on those things. As I keep trying to improve my critical listening, I still find it difficult to get a feeling for what consequences specific peaks and dips have, so it is nice when I come across examples like this where I can test whether or not I have picked up the general characteristics correctly. From that I can then eventually learn to identify the corresponding peaks or dips.

I've gained most of my knowledge on the effects of frequency anomalies through messing around with an EQ. I'd recommend finding a good EQ plug-in on Foobar or something and messing around with tracks you're familiar with. It should give you an easier time pinpointing an IEM's peaks and troughs simply through listening.

 

[Wyville]

I've gained most of my knowledge on the effects of frequency anomalies through messing around with an EQ. I'd recommend finding a good EQ plug-in on Foobar or something and messing around with tracks you're familiar with. It should give you an easier time pinpointing an IEM's peaks and troughs simply through listening.

Thanks! I'll see if I can find something. The EQ on my AK70 still does not work (as far as I know that has never been fixed) so I would have to find an alternative solution.

 

[flinkenick]

Thanks! I'll see if I can find something. The EQ on my AK70 still does not work (as far as I know that has never been fixed) so I would have to find an alternative solution.

What doesn't work about it?

 

[Wyville]

What doesn't work about it?

The EQ itself does nothing. The only setting that works is the stock "pro" setting and beyond that you can change settings all day without any effect.

 

[flinkenick]

The EQ itself does nothing. The only setting that works is the stock "pro" setting and beyond that you can change settings all day without any effect.

I also thought this was the case first with the AK380 since the effects are really subtle, but apparently it was implemented this way on purpose for engineers; the EQ only affects very specific frequencies without changing the tone or other frequencies. As a result, you kinda have to know a priori what you're listening for. Unless you're referring to a specific issue with your own unit of course.

 

[Wyville]

I also thought this was the case first with the AK380 since the effects are really subtle, but apparently it was implemented this way on purpose for engineers; the EQ only affects very specific frequencies without changing the tone or other frequencies. As a result, you kinda have to know a priori what you're listening for. Unless you're referring to a specific issue with your own unit of course.

Ah, okay. Not sure what it is. A&K said a couple of months ago that they would look into complaints about the AK70's EQ, but I have not heard anything about it since. I am just updating to the latest firmware and will give it a go. If it is indeed very subtly, then that might explain why so many people complained. I have not fiddled around with it enough to know, as I always prefer the sound without any EQ.

 

[Kerouac]

Ah, okay. Not sure what it is. A&K said a couple of months ago that they would look into complaints about the AK70's EQ, but I have not heard anything about it since. I am just updating to the latest firmware and will give it a go. If it is indeed very subtly, then that might explain why so many people complained. I have not fiddled around with it enough to know, as I always prefer the sound without any EQ.

Have you not considered selling it and go for the (upgraded) AK70 MkII instead?

I've recently even considered the MkII myself, as I do like the design (in pics), it seems very portable, should have great sq (according to @Deezel177) and has balanced out as a bonus.
At first I didn't think of it as a serious option, because I thought it would not be able to hold (data wise) my music library. But now I've read that it also should work with the new 400GB micro sd cards, it might be an interesting option for later on

Btw, this might be the right time to do so (if you should want to upgrade) with the BF sale coming up.

 

[Deezel177]

Have you not considered selling it and go for the (upgraded) AK70 MkII instead?

I've recently even considered the MkII myself, as I do like the design (in pics), it seems very portable, should have great sq (according to @Deezel177) and has balanced out as a bonus.
At first I didn't think of it as a serious option, because I thought it would not be able to hold (data wise) my music library. But now I've read that it also should work with the new 400GB micro sd cards, it might be an interesting option for later on

Btw, this might be the right time to do so (if you should want to upgrade) with the BF sale coming up.

To put it very roughly, the MkII technically performs (single-ended) between the stock MkI and the MkI-Kai. Tonally, its single-ended output is more similar to the MkI's balanced output; warmer and more laid-back. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to try its balanced output, but considering the fact that it reportedly uses technology developed for the SP1000, I can imagine it's more than a subtle improvement.