actually I'm in it for the sexual pleasures
flinkenick's 17 Flagship IEM Shootout Thread (and general high-end portable audio discussion)
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
Rainbow deep insertion tips and all?
MrLocoLuciano
500+ Head-Fier
@KuroKitsu
Please stop, I'm gonna die laughing.
I think everyone saw the way you manipulate things.
Went back to the Zeus XIV tonight after 3 complete weeks on the Trinity SS.
Oh my, pretty hard to remember why I was so much in love with them.
So please dont justify by anything else and clearly say your statement is dumb, cause it was, just being bothered by the fact that someone's finding something after Zeus...
Here in France, you had to import Zeus, retail price around 2400US$. You also have to import Trinity, 2800US$. Do stick your subjective bias where you want but not in my face.
Final word and I'm done, subjective opinion is the fondation of a forum.
Please stop, I'm gonna die laughing.
I think everyone saw the way you manipulate things.
You said that after this :
Went back to the Zeus XIV tonight after 3 complete weeks on the Trinity SS.
Oh my, pretty hard to remember why I was so much in love with them.
So please dont justify by anything else and clearly say your statement is dumb, cause it was, just being bothered by the fact that someone's finding something after Zeus...
Once again, everything is not turning around you.
Here in France, you had to import Zeus, retail price around 2400US$. You also have to import Trinity, 2800US$. Do stick your subjective bias where you want but not in my face.
Final word and I'm done, subjective opinion is the fondation of a forum.
proedros
Headphoneus Supremus
guys chill , everyone hears differently here
MrLocoLuciano
500+ Head-Fier
Completely agree with that.
Every one should pay respect to what other people say and argue if they desagree, and not pull out a statement that is disrespectful please.
Every one should pay respect to what other people say and argue if they desagree, and not pull out a statement that is disrespectful please.
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KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
Must be pretty loud in your echo chamber eh?
Guess you took my initial comment as an insult, how petty....
400 USD is about 530 CAD. I can feed my family of 4 for a month with that kind of money. I would say thats a pretty big gap in price Scrooge Mc Duck.
Price placebo still valid.
I was under the impressions that the foundation of this forum isn't that everyone's hearing is subjective.
I thought we're here to just listen to what Nic, Daniel, and Mim have to say. And possibly become Mim's wife.
I thought we're here to just listen to what Nic, Daniel, and Mim have to say. And possibly become Mim's wife.
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
Unless you somehow insult a twat by making a subjective statement I guess.
*flashback to when crinacle (god) insulted the Layla and I almost committed suicide
@pithyginger63 ‘Longer than something I’d write today, but everything still applies. 
I used it as a Bluetooth DAC when mixing on my Macbook Pro one time. There’s a very slight delay, but I wouldn’t say it’s noticeable at all.
IMPORTANT PSA, HOWEVER: I may be mistaken about delay on the Mojo. I just remembered that I used it as a DAC for movies, gaming and general listening. If there was a delay, I would never have done so. There’s a possibility that the device I used that had a delay wasn’t the Mojo - it was my AK70! I’m too lazy to hook up the Mojo and double check, but that should very much be the case.
Alright, back to the promised impressions.
I used it as a Bluetooth DAC when mixing on my Macbook Pro one time. There’s a very slight delay, but I wouldn’t say it’s noticeable at all.IMPORTANT PSA, HOWEVER: I may be mistaken about delay on the Mojo. I just remembered that I used it as a DAC for movies, gaming and general listening. If there was a delay, I would never have done so. There’s a possibility that the device I used that had a delay wasn’t the Mojo - it was my AK70! I’m too lazy to hook up the Mojo and double check, but that should very much be the case.
Alright, back to the promised impressions.
Hey guys, as you may or may not know, I recently acquired a Sony WM1A modded by Music Sanctuary. I've spent a few weeks with this DAP and a wide variety of IEMs, and now I'd like to tell you why this mod is one of the most impressive "products" I've come across thus far in 2018. Enjoy!
Music Sanctuary's WM1A Mod
Music Sanctuary’s Walkman mod is a service that aims to maximise sound quality through a number of significant modifications. These include:
1) A brand new Pentaconn 4.4mm socket (to ensure that solder used on the socket is fresh and uncontaminated)
2) PWAudio 1960s wiring for both single-ended and balanced outputs, as well as DC ground
3) Exotic, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries solder used for all solder joints, with all existing solder cleaned off prior to the mod
4) Isolation of all inductor coils and capacitors with shielding products from Japan (Oyaide and fo.Q)
Depending on how many 1960s conductors are used within the mod, pricing is separated into the following tiers:
Basic
2-wire SE and BAL: S$549 (single 1960s wire for DC ground)
Deluxe
4-wire SE and BAL: S$699 (dual 1960s wire for DC ground)
Premium
4-wire SE, 8-wire BAL: S$899 (dual 1960s wire for DC ground section)
These impressions apply to the 4.4mm balanced output, via the Premium option applied to a Sony WM1A purchased stock from E-Earphone in Japan.
Sound Impressions
Before I move on to impressions of the MS mod, I should mention that I’ve had my fair share of reservations towards Sony’s WM1A in stock form. Although I enjoyed its tonal balance, smoothness and body, I found its dynamic performance lacking; struggling to conjure any sense of immediacy or punch due to a lack of extension on either end. Despite a relatively prominent peak in the lower treble, articulation does not make up for what sounds like a lack of note definition; a missing contrast between the player’s background and the notes up above. I liked what its warmer, heftier tilt was going for, but it was clear to me that the 1Z is the superior player - even at its luxurious price and its egregious weight.
Which is why I was immensely surprised when I heard the MS1A. Maintaining its excellent sense of weight, the MS mod gives the 1A vast improvements in dynamic energy, bidirectional extension, stage stability and resolution. Note definition and body are the hallmarks of its new signature, presenting instruments as fully formed objects fanned out across a romantic, intimate stage, as well as a pitch-perfect black background. Although technical improvements from the stock 1A are quite significant, the tonality it ends up producing may not be for everyone. Because of a full, meaty and warm upper-bass - in conjunction with a calmer upper-treble - the MS1A exudes a thick, warm and natural timbre; a significant departure from - say - my airy, open and clarity-focused AK70-Kai. But, where the AK70-Kai excels in sparkle, the MS1A bathes in organicity; producing a textured, resolving and smooth signature that promotes naturalness above all.
The most impressive - and most noticeable - change the mod achieves is bass extension and sub-bass performance. The MS1A produces the most palpable, visceral and textured low-end response I have personally ever heard. It’s a guttural rumble that obviously requires an equally-capable IEM to highlight, but this gorgeous quality is audible from my $650 Custom Art FIBAE 3, all the way to the $2699 Unique Melody Mason V3. A linear mid-bass and a thick upper-bass complement this to form a warm, physical and romantic low-end; creating a strong foundation for the midrange and treble to stand upon. This player/mod won’t be for those looking for either a neutral response, or a cleaner signature, but it does impart a tinge of richness that sounds beautifully organic with everything I’ve heard it with. Infusing meatiness, heft and definition to the entire presentation, the MS1A’s low-end defies expectation; producing a sub-bass that’s as devilishly satisfying as it is wonderfully natural.
This warmth then flows through unto the midrange. The MS mod gives the 1A a beautifully textured vocal presentation with vast improvements in depth, body and three-dimensionality. Instruments pop against the background as fully-realised, physical objects; benefitting realism through tactility and heft. The MS1A also utilises overtones to form its sizable notes. Harmonics fill the stage with an organic warmth, but excellent bidirectional extension prevents the stage from ever becoming hazy or veiled. Instead, timbre benefits from this phenomenon in naturalness and ease. The upper-midrange echoes this sentiment; minimizing on sparkle for smoothness’ sake. Doing away with the stock 1A’s articulative vocal presentation, this renewed sense of coherence benefits the MS1A’s linearity - complementing thick notes with a feathered release. But, despite these inhibitions toward articulation, the MS1A uses its black background and stable stage to produce well-resolved and exceptionally-defined instruments; full, organic and transparent at all times.
The lower-treble is where the MS1A is most like its unmodded counterpart. A slight emphasis here is the MS1A’s sole source of articulation and air. It’s a necessary touch of sparkle that cuts through its warm, romantic stage - even if it can approach brittle with the wrong pairing. The peak isn’t as noticeable as the one on the stock unit, but it is certainly present. Despite this accentuation, the MS1A’s middle-and-upper-treble display excellent coherence. Extension is the DAP’s forte, and its performance in this regard endows it with a rock solid, exceptionally layered and effortlessly transparent stage - mating bodied organicity with great finesse. The MS1A’s highest registers can lack excitement for some. While it isn’t as mellow as a partially-modded WM1Z I heard months ago, it’s also not as bright as my AK70-Kai. It strikes a healthy in-between where sparkle and openness offset the player’s richer overtones; benefitting the player’s hefty midrange and spectacular low-end with an open stage to strut their stuff.
In the end, only one question still remains: Is the mod worth the cash? Subjectively speaking, the MS1A is a departure from the WM1A’s stock signature, and that may not be universally appreciated. In place of the latter’s articulative and neutral-natural signature, the MS1A yields a more organic, weighty and rich listen. But, when it comes to technical performance, there is absolutely no contest. Experiencing boosts in extension, dynamics and resolution, the MS1A affords its effortless, life-like and engaging signature without any real compromise; naturalising the WM1A yet besting it in solidity and impact. Manifesting three-dimensional instruments within a fully-realised, physical soundscape, the MS1A is truly a class above its peers. If you’re capable of enjoying a warmer and more organic signature, Music Sanctuary’s Walkman mod is a worthwhile investment - turning Sony’s middle son into the alpha of the pack.
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
Oh I saw the post on /r/inearfidelity and I was like "oh boy, some folks are gonna bring out the pitchforks when they hear this". I'm still planning to test it out though if my dealer has it. Guidelines =/= what my ears like.
I was a bit flabbergasted when Zeus XRA dropped from S. But I still love mine.
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KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
@Deezel177 Does the mod void the warranty? Id be a bit worried if I bought a DAP at that price and then some to mod it and have it flake out on me only to find its better to buy a new one.
Yep, my Macbook Pro also did not work too well with the AK70 as a USB DAC and I frequently had delays.@pithyginger63 ‘Longer than something I’d write today, but everything still applies.
IMPORTANT PSA, HOWEVER: I may be mistaken about delay on the Mojo. I just remembered that I used it as a DAC for movies, gaming and general listening. If there was a delay, I would never have done so. There’s a possibility that the device I used that had a delay wasn’t the Mojo - it was my AK70! I’m too lazy to hook up the Mojo and double check, but that should very much be the case.
Alright, back to the promised impressions.
Funny, the FiiO K3 had the reverse, pictures being delayed... No idea how that is possible, but perhaps the hardware on my ageing Macbook Pro (late 2011) is not up to the job anymore.
lol, the A12t is in S class, and even though I own a pair, I still think it sounds kind of boring when my brain starts cancelling out the bass. It sounds great in bursts but living with it reveals flaws in the treble and the mids. The treble is flat sounding now imo (referring to flat as in soundstage flat), although, people have said that the A12t doesn't have great soundstage height in the first place. Mids sound pretty neutral in tone to me but everything is presented really close. I can hear the echo of instruments far away but the instruments themselves are close to my ears.
I don't think whether or not something is in S class is a good indicator of what I will like. It's just the impressions of one guy (admittedly a cool guy)
any word on whether there's a delay for an ibasso dx200 when used as a USB DAC?
