[Wyville]

You did get the standard headfi greeting "welcome to headfi, sorry about your wallet" when you joined didn't you? Might be worth keeping an eye on the classifieds and CA's own second hand list as well.

Oh, I knew that all too well. Nic emphasised that fact when I first started talking to him and kept repeating it until he knew I was a lost cause like so many here.

No, the sigh was one of disappointment about interpreting the shootout in a 'value for money'-context, which I feel is not fair towards Nic and those who have helped make the shootout happen, as he has been quite clear it was never intended to be such.

 

[ezekiel77]

Pricing on the top 6:

-1964 Audio A18 Tzar - $2,999.00 (Universal)
-Advanced AcousticWerkes W900 - about $2069.29 (Custom)
-Empire Ears Zeus-XIV - $2,099.00 (Custom)
-Spiral Ear 5-Way Ultimate - about $1826.70 (Custom)
-Unique Melody Maestro V2 - $1,699.00 (Universal)
-Warbler Prelude - $1099 (Custom)

Jest post.

How about price per driver? I just divided the prices above with the total drivers they each have.
A18 - $166.60 per driver
W900 - $230 each
Zeus - $150 each
SE5U - $365 each
Maestro v2 - $141.60 each
Warbler - $1099 for a single driver!

Warbler doesn't look so much like the value buy now, right? So who has the hots for Maestro?

 

[rskbug]

The OEM cost of a driver is 20 to 30 buck, somewhere around that?

 

[crinacle]

The OEM cost of a driver is 20 to 30 buck, somewhere around that?

That's probably just ezekiel having a little joke. Obviously there's more to pricing than just material costs.

 

[ezekiel77]

The OEM cost of a driver is 20 to 30 buck, somewhere around that?

Yeah, the price of a TOTL IEM = drivers + wiring + crossovers + shells + cables + special sauce. No one knows what's in the special sauce, but its price is unfortunately, highly variable.

 

[Kerouac]

Yeah, the price of a TOTL IEM = drivers + wiring + crossovers + shells + cables + special sauce. No one knows what's in the special sauce...

No one knows? I'm pretty sure the Swedish cook is well informed with the special sauce ingredients...

You know iem is short for in-ear muppet, right?

 

[Wyville]

You know iem is short for in-ear muppet, right?

Gonzo concurs, but he would like to know where his ears are because he's been wanting to try out my Ei.3.

 

[Deezel177]

My setup for Mozart's Requiem: A&K AK70 - EA Eline - CA Ei.3


Not quite as high end as your gear, but it is lovely smooth and easy on the ears (and wallet).

If you are a bit of a history nerd like me (I know, I know, why would anyone be that boring?) and haven't yet done so, check the booklet that came with it. It explains how they went about reconstructing the first performance. I thought that was very interesting, but then again history is my life and I know it bores most people to death. My idea of a good time is sitting on the couch reading a 1,000-page Beethoven biography.

You have come a long way! Just a couple of weeks ago it struck me how much you have been producing since joining the Headphone List and I enjoy reading your reviews because of your unique writing style, really funny and still very informative. I can readily see why the guys at the Headphone List brought you in.

Is that a black AK70 I see?

 

[Wyville]

Is that a black AK70 I see?

You do!

 

[ranfan]

Gonzo concurs, but he would like to know where his ears are because he's been wanting to try out my Ei.3.

Is that his nose?

 

[Wyville]

Is that his nose?

I don't think it was ever established with any certainty whether or not Gonzo had a nose. It could be a beak, but he is alien, so perhaps nothing Earthly is adequate to describe it.

 

[Deezel177]

You do!

Badass, brother... Bad. Ass.

In the meantime, my AK70's off to Japan for a Ryuzoh mod fix. Hopefully his capacitors don't crap out on me this time...

 

[Wyville]

Badass, brother... Bad. Ass.

In the meantime, my AK70's off to Japan for a Ryuzoh mod fix. Hopefully his capacitors don't crap out on me this time...

Nice! Hope you get it back soon! I have heard a little about Ryuzoh's mods, but don't dare go down that route myself. I think next up for me is to first get a balanced cable and then after that I will see. Do love the AK70's sound!

 

[Deezel177]

Nice! Hope you get it back soon! I have heard a little about Ryuzoh's mods, but don't dare go down that route myself. I think next up for me is to first get a balanced cable and then after that I will see. Do love the AK70's sound!

Yeah... unfortunately, unlike his other mods, his AK70-Kai doesn't have the greatest track record thus far. A friend of mine is also sending his AK70 back for the fifth time because of faulty caps. Ryuzoh tells me he's gonna change the brand of caps he's using because of the current one's terrible defect rate, so I reckon you should wait until we get our DAPs back before even considering a trip to Japan.

The balanced out of the AK70 is interesting because it is significantly more laidback than the SE. You do get a larger soundstage and better separation, but clarity and dynamism take a step back IMHO. Though, if that's what you're looking for, then a balanced cable would work great, especially since an adapter is all you need to go back to SE should you wish to.

 

[jmills8]

Yeah... unfortunately, unlike his other mods, his AK70-Kai doesn't have the greatest track record thus far. A friend of mine is also sending his AK70 back for the fifth time because of faulty caps. Ryuzoh tells me he's gonna change the brand of caps he's using because of the current one's terrible defect rate, so I reckon you should wait until we get our DAPs back before even considering a trip to Japan.

The balanced out of the AK70 is interesting because it is significantly more laidback than the SE. You do get a larger soundstage and better separation, but clarity and dynamism take a step back IMHO. Though, if that's what you're looking for, then a balanced cable would work great, especially since an adapter is all you need to go back to SE should you wish to.

You going to Supe up your Ford Escort so it will be faster than a Nissan Skyline ?