[twister6]

....
guess what PAPA just got in the mail????

PAPA's Got A Brand New Bag

 

[Wyville]

its the reverse here, my two Cairn's are currently residing with Granny & Grandad in the next village, because my wife insists 2 pet boys (2 and 3 ) is enough. Even though i think growing up with dogs is a fundamental human right

That's no good. Cairns are great and you live in the UK, so growing up with a dog is pretty much a cultural obligation. If it were not for Brexit we might well have stayed on a bit longer to see if we could have set up a lab for cancer research in dogs, as the UK is the perfect country to do that. Most dog loving nation I know.

What tips are you using atm, just the stock ones or something else? Tried custom ones, but think they suit straight barrelled iems better due to the way the tips make the shells stick out more.

I switch around a bit every now and then, but I mainly use the selection of tips Piotr included or Final E-tips. The ones in the picture are, I believe, Sony hybrid tips, but I'm not sure about that.

Oh, I figured they'd eventually find the body...candlelight vigils...couple months pass...Daniel gets his own thread.

Hehe! Nic is okay, just currently in hiding from the assassins someone keeps sending after him. But don't worry, Daniel still owes us a YouTube-based shootout series "24 - THL edition". He did not like the number 19 for a 2019 shootout, so we compromised.

@Wyville So I spent the last week trying to come up with an appropriate tribute to post once the shock subsided, but can we just say out loud, dead cat gifs are nowhere near as popular as this dog-lover would've imagined. What I did manage to find I figure I'll just repurpose here now, rather than waste it...

Just follow my lead k...

Spoiler

Hahaha, good one Erik! In it for the dog gifs!! Always such a jokester!! Can't ever take you seriously can we??
Yep, nothing but crab gifs for us here. Wouldn't even dream of considering posting a gif without said gif containing some crab, would we?
Yes sir, crab gifs are our fav here. OK, hopefully he heard us. What an asshole eh?

Sure, I can do crabs...

guess what PAPA just got in the mail????

Nice one! How do you like the pairing with your Phantom?

 

[Kerouac]

Sorry, bit off topic, but i've been tempted by an offer to trader Rhapsodio Solar universals for my Earsonics S-EM9.

As part of my break-neck journey around the world of IEMs, i've been keen to try something from Rhapsodio, but before i part with my lovely but seldom used S-EM9s had 2 questions to throw out to this floor of experts

1- Do they have any sort of a spike in the lower treble/ upper mids say 4-6K?
2 - As a circa 2016 model, do they stand up to current standards or is this more a sonic cul-de-sac best avoided?

thank you in advance

Sorry for the late reply. But here are my thoughts on the Solar...

1- I have never noticed such a spike. But maybe my ears are just less sensitive to it, if it is there.
The only iems that gave me some ear fatique (probably because of a treble spike) after longer listening sessions were the Shure SE535 (sold 'em quickly because of that) and CA Vega.
Maybe you could read all 14 Solar reviews (in case you haven't already done that) to make sure.

2- For me they certainly stand up to current standards. Imo they are technically not as extremely good as let's say the Zeus XR, Phantom, VE8, A18t etc. but they have a special signature, which justifies their place in my collection.
If you're not into big (superb) bass, thick notes and an overall warm (in this case I would even like to call them 'romantic') signature, then you're probably better off skipping them.
But for me they're certainly here to stay.

I've never heard the S-EM9 myself. So, I wouldn't know which one I would prefer between the two.

Btw, some fantastic 'action dog' pic you posted there

Who knows, there might even be some @Kerouac earwax on those S-EM9 then!

Haha...I wouldn't worry about that. Chances are that you would even get your iems back cleaner (yes, I'm that ocd) compared to how they were sent over in the first place
For universals I always tend to use my own Spiral Dot tips anyway, as they usually give me the best sq results.

 

[teknorob23]

I've the universal version. I don't hear any spike in the treble region. I'm not a treble head and I've been comfortable with it. I liked the sound signature but not totally wowed by it. The bass punches well and good. Nothing to complain about the sound signature. The iems may be a little too big.

Sorry for the late reply. But here are my thoughts on the Solar...

1- I have never noticed such a spike. But maybe my ears are just less sensitive to it, if it is there.
The only iems that gave me some ear fatique (probably because of a treble spike) after longer listening sessions were the Shure SE535 (sold 'em quickly because of that) and CA Vega.
Maybe you could read all 14 Solar reviews (in case you haven't already done that) to make sure.

2- For me they certainly stand up to current standards. Imo they are technically not as extremely good as let's say the Zeus XR, Phantom, VE8, A18t etc. but they have a special signature, which justifies their place in my collection.
If you're not into big (superb) bass, thick notes and an overall warm (in this case I would even like to call them 'romantic') signature, then you're probably better off skipping them.
But for me they're certainly here to stay.

I've never heard the S-EM9 myself. So, I wouldn't know which one I would prefer between the two.

Btw, some fantastic 'action dog' pic you posted there


Thanks chaps, very useful intel. I'd read all of the reviews most of which were written back in 2016 and i couldnt find any detail about any spikes and its good to hear they still stand up. At the moment i'm just looking to have a one or two IEMs as keepers and then chop and change a a 3rd pair trying as many different flavours as i can playing the used market. It sounds like the Solars are reasonable swap for the S-EM9s and i'm keen to hear the Rhapsodio approach first hand... Thank god my wife never reads any of this

Oh and glad you like the pic. I'd like to credit, but they love a short cut and do it all the time

 

[ctsooner22]

PAPA's Got A Brand New Bag

That's no good. Cairns are great and you live in the UK, so growing up with a dog is pretty much a cultural obligation. If it were not for Brexit we might well have stayed on a bit longer to see if we could have set up a lab for cancer research in dogs, as the UK is the perfect country to do that. Most dog loving nation I know.

I switch around a bit every now and then, but I mainly use the selection of tips Piotr included or Final E-tips. The ones in the picture are, I believe, Sony hybrid tips, but I'm not sure about that.

Hehe! Nic is okay, just currently in hiding from the assassins someone keeps sending after him. But don't worry, Daniel still owes us a YouTube-based shootout series "24 - THL edition". He did not like the number 19 for a 2019 shootout, so we compromised.

Sure, I can do crabs...

Nice one! How do you like the pairing with your Phantom?

I haven’t even had a chance to install them yet. Hopefully I’ll get that done today. I’m probably not going to say much about impressions until I get them burned in for a little bit and fairness to the cable. Twister yes I’m ecstatic about this purchase. It wasn’t too much money and I’m thinking it was probably the right way to go

 

[ctsooner22]

Wow this new Rhapsodio cable is really good in these Phantoms. No loss of meat on the bones but so musically beautiful. Needs break in but the highs are wonderful and my bass tracks sound great. Huge upgrade over stock Cable. Wish I had some of the EA cables in to see how it compares but I now know why Nic loves thisparing. Anyone else using the 2.98 Rhapsodio?

 

[Wyville]

Wow this new Rhapsodio cable is really good in these Phantoms. No loss of meat on the bones but so musically beautiful. Needs break in but the highs are wonderful and my bass tracks sound great. Huge upgrade over stock Cable. Wish I had some of the EA cables in to see how it compares but I now know why Nic loves thisparing. Anyone else using the 2.98 Rhapsodio?

Not me, but I will be pestering Nic to let me borrow that cable once we are back in the Netherlands.

Eros II 8-wire also pairs incredibly well and I am having a hard time listening to anything else at the moment. More neutral, but still natural and it is the first time that the sound feels like it is coming from an open-back. I keep checking to see if my Phantom haven't fallen out, which is ridiculous because I am still hearing the music.

 

[SeeSax]

Sorry, bit off topic, but i've been tempted by an offer to trader Rhapsodio Solar universals for my Earsonics S-EM9.

As part of my break-neck journey around the world of IEMs, i've been keen to try something from Rhapsodio, but before i part with my lovely but seldom used S-EM9s had 2 questions to throw out to this floor of experts

1- Do they have any sort of a spike in the lower treble/ upper mids say 4-6K?
2 - As a circa 2016 model, do they stand up to current standards or is this more a sonic cul-de-sac best avoided?

thank you in advance

I missed this too, but totally agree with @Kerouac and his assessment of the Solar. That said, I do have the S-EM9 and love them equally to the Solar, but they're very different sounds. Where the Solar is warm and musical overall, the S-EM9 is a fairly enhanced U-shape sound with incredible treble extension and bass that rivals some dynamic drivers. I think the Solar is the more adaptable IEM for most genres of music, but the S-EM9 holds a special place in my hear too for pop or electronic music. Sadly, or fortunately, these are probably the two IEMs that I own that I will NEVER sell. I re-purchased the Solars after selling them and regretting it a month later, so that might tell you something. Suggesting a trade is tough, so it really comes down to whether or not you fancy a more natural, warm and musical signature or very detailed and technical (but still fun) sound of the S-EM9.

Wow this new Rhapsodio cable is really good in these Phantoms. No loss of meat on the bones but so musically beautiful. Needs break in but the highs are wonderful and my bass tracks sound great. Huge upgrade over stock Cable. Wish I had some of the EA cables in to see how it compares but I now know why Nic loves thisparing. Anyone else using the 2.98 Rhapsodio?

Glad to hear you're liking it. I have both the 4-wire and 8-wire version (have not really compared them yet) and it's definitely a winner that Sammy created. Tons of comfort, tons of great sound and has that spice to make it "not just another silver" cable. Mine's on my Solar while my 8-wire is on the Legend X.

Here's a photo from when it lived on my Mason:



-Collin-

 

[ctsooner22]

Wow. Didn’t know he made an 8 wire. How are they different

 

[SeeSax]

Wow. Didn’t know he made an 8 wire. How are they different

One is heavier.

Haven't really compared the sound, but will do so in the coming days.

-Collin-

 

[Barra]

thank you I'm really leaning towards these!

One more option at $299: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/inearz-zen-2-zen-4-iems - The InEarz Zen 2 with ADEL technology. If she listens to music at high volumes, that could damage her hearing over time - but the ADEL tech protects against that by releasing the damaging pressure. While it may drop isolation a dB or two, it is not enough to be noticeable, but creates a much nicer soundstage - think full sized HP. Was just on the tour and it sounds very nice. If you are in the US and want to hear them, you can try contacting @BulldogXTRM who is about to close up the tour. However, the Massdrop sale is only going on for another 5 days so you wouldn't get them in time and they are normally $370.

 

[proedros]

I have both the 4-wire and 8-wire version (have not really compared them yet) and it's definitely a winner that Sammy created. Tons of comfort, tons of great sound and has that spice to make it "not just another silver" cable. Mine's on my Solar while my 8-wire is on the Legend X.


-Collin-

@flinkenick also suggested it to me as a Zeus XR pairing , how would you describe the 4-wire sound ? i see you pairing it with warm iem (solar) so would it be a good match for something transparent and neutralish like Zeus ?

 

[SeeSax]

@flinkenick also suggested it to me as a Zeus XR pairing , how would you describe the 4-wire sound ? i see you pairing it with warm iem (solar) so would it be a good match for something transparent and neutralish like Zeus ?

I think it would be pretty good on the Zeus XR personally, since the cable adds a little warmth to the mid-bass and some top end sparkle as well. I haven't heard the XR, but have researched it enough times to sort of understand the attributes. What I do not know is how different the Phantom is from the Zeus, but @ctsooner22 seems to like the pairing. Like Nic said, it's a very easy cable to pair. Feel free to message Sammy and get his thoughts

-Collin-

 

[proedros]

@SeeSax thanx man

i am also checking daily the cables FS thread , maybe something 2-pin/4.4 mm shows up , too good to pass

oh well , at least we have tamed the upgraditis bug on iems/daps

2/3 cured is acceptable

edit : @junix that's one sonic masterpiece you have there for profile pic , SD are one of the best bands in rock territory

aja is monstrous , along with gaucho and royal scam my fav SD albums

 

[papa_mia]

guess what PAPA just got in the mail????

.....Wat?