[Deezel177]

There's got be a term for products like that. Something with "bait" attached to it, like jail-bait, click-bait, etc..

Aha! Audiofool bait.

There is one, dude: "Marketing."

 

[ductrung3993]

@Mimouille how would you compare Prophile 8 vs SE5 ult?

 

[Wyville]

Back from Indulgence and as promised some (tentative) impressions, sans photos because I remembered to charge the battery and I remembered to bring the camera, but I forgot to take the battery out of the charger... Doh! Took a few shots with my phone, but that was just tragic and unworthy of the wonderful IEMs and cables I have heard.

First up a visit to Gisele Flower of Aid2Hearing. She had arranged the Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro especially for me, and I had been dying to demo them for a long time. They did not disappoint! Beautiful, I would call them. Warm and smooth with a gorgeous tonality and wonderful coherence. They did so much right that they are one of two things that I demoed that really stuck with me. Other IEMs on my "to demo" list were of course the Custom Art Harmony 8.2. These too did not disappoint me at all. They were a bit more bass-heavy and a little warmer, but an excellent bass, great tonality and just my type of treble. Piotr's latest creations were also there: FIBAE-1 and 2. I listened to the FIBAE-2 and they were great, very dynamic and engaging. I think really special IEMs in their price range. Gisele was also representing Noble and so I got a chance to demo the Noble Encore and Katana, but they did not do it for me. The Katana had great clarity, but was too bright and did not really do anything for me. The Encore was more exciting but again with the treble a bit too forward for my taste, although it did work great for music like Imagine Dragon's "Thunder". Another brand Gisele was representing was the much less known Hear Wave Audio, a London-based brand. I met with Lewie Winters, the man behind HW Audio, and demoed his universal iE6 (6-driver) model and was really impressed by it. Lewie explained that his IEMs were made for musicians (etc) who wear them a lot and the signature was very well done with a nice bit of sparkle, but entirely fatigue free. Great warm and smooth IEMs that really fit my preferences.

So you might ask, what else did stick alongside the UE18+ Pro? Well it is of course the Effect Audio Horus. That was my next stop at the booth of HiFiHeadphones where I met up with @Oscar-HiFi, a really great guy and I could have talked for hours with him! Horus was a stunning cable and does things I did not think were possible. Oscar and I came to the same conclusion here. With the 64 Audio U6 (M15 module) it has a bass presence that is astonishing and yet everything else is crystal clear and smooth with an amazingly natural tonality. The dynamics are unbelievable. I made the fatal error of listening to the Horus first and Lionheart second, and Lionheart came off as subdued while it was clearly an amazing cable, I just needed a few minutes to adjust after Horus. Worth its eye-watering price tag? I am tempted to say 'yes', even with just that short demo. It really impresses straight away. Lionheart was also very impressive. I got the impression that it improved clarity while maintaining an organic tonality. Another one of those things where you would normally expect the two to oppose each other and yet Lionheart did it very well. I did suspect that the qualities of Lionheart did not come through well enough in the noisy environment. At least, I got the impression there were subtle qualities in its tonality there that were hard to pick up with all the noise around. Oscar also gave me the Oriveti New Primacy paired with (I believe) Thor Silver II and what fun IEMs! The pairing was quite exciting, although perhaps a little too exciting in the treble for me, but I think the Oriveti are really nice and very comfortable IEMs that offer an attractive option at the price.

I went around the show a bit more and tried a few other things. I met with the owner of Kumitate Lab and he offered me his flagship IEMs, the Lakh, for demo. I was quite impressed despite the fact that they seemed to have a somewhat stronger treble presence, but it worked very well for classical music and strings. Not so well for vocal jazz such as Caro Emerald, where I felt the lushness of her voice was lacking a bit. Could also be because I am used to very warm IEMs with a strong vocal presence. Next door were Acoustune and I demoed their HS1500 series, the red copper. I hadn't even really looked at what they were and did not realise it was a dynamic driver until the music started. What a wonderful bass! Very engaging, but perhaps not the most practical IEMs (and the metal was bloody cold!). Both companies develop their own cables and Kumitate Lab make a very nice thin, Linum-like cable, while Acoustune make a very thick and rugged one (well fitted for the build of the IEMs). Finally I had a go with the Audioquest Nightowl. I really did like these; warm and smooth, and very comfortable, but I think I am very much an IEM-guy because the bulk of the headphones was just too much on my head.

So lightning quick impressions, but given the circumstances I would not want to go into any more detail. Certainly a very interesting show with a lot more interesting things I did not get to demo.

 

[Deezel177]

Back from Indulgence and as promised some (tentative) impressions, sans photos because I remembered to charge the battery and I remembered to bring the camera, but I forgot to take the battery out of the charger... Doh! Took a few shots with my phone, but that was just tragic and unworthy of the wonderful IEMs and cables I have heard.

First up a visit to Gisele Flower of Aid2Hearing. She had arranged the Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro especially for me, and I had been dying to demo them for a long time. They did not disappoint! Beautiful, I would call them. Warm and smooth with a gorgeous tonality and wonderful coherence. They did so much right that they are one of two things that I demoed that really stuck with me. Other IEMs on my "to demo" list were of course the Custom Art Harmony 8.2. These too did not disappoint me at all. They were a bit more bass-heavy and a little warmer, but an excellent bass, great tonality and just my type of treble. Piotr's latest creations were also there: FIBAE-1 and 2. I listened to the FIBAE-2 and they were great, very dynamic and engaging. I think really special IEMs in their price range. Gisele was also representing Noble and so I got a chance to demo the Noble Encore and Katana, but they did not do it for me. The Katana had great clarity, but was too bright and did not really do anything for me. The Encore was more exciting but again with the treble a bit too forward for my taste, although it did work great for music like Imagine Dragon's "Thunder". Another brand Gisele was representing was the much less known Hear Wave Audio, a London-based brand. I met with Lewie Winters, the man behind HW Audio, and demoed his universal iE6 (6-driver) model and was really impressed by it. Lewie explained that his IEMs were made for musicians (etc) who wear them a lot and the signature was very well done with a nice bit of sparkle, but entirely fatigue free. Great warm and smooth IEMs that really fit my preferences.

So you might ask, what else did stick alongside the UE18+ Pro? Well it is of course the Effect Audio Horus. That was my next stop at the booth of HiFiHeadphones where I met up with @Oscar-HiFi, a really great guy and I could have talked for hours with him! Horus was a stunning cable and does things I did not think were possible. Oscar and I came to the same conclusion here. With the 64 Audio U6 (M15 module) it has a bass presence that is astonishing and yet everything else is crystal clear and smooth with an amazingly natural tonality. The dynamics are unbelievable. I made the fatal error of listening to the Horus first and Lionheart second, and Lionheart came off as subdued while it was clearly an amazing cable, I just needed a few minutes to adjust after Horus. Worth its eye-watering price tag? I am tempted to say 'yes', even with just that short demo. It really impresses straight away. Lionheart was also very impressive. I got the impression that it improved clarity while maintaining an organic tonality. Another one of those things where you would normally expect the two to oppose each other and yet Lionheart did it very well. I did suspect that the qualities of Lionheart did not come through well enough in the noisy environment. At least, I got the impression there were subtle qualities in its tonality there that were hard to pick up with all the noise around. Oscar also gave me the Oriveti New Primacy paired with (I believe) Thor Silver II and what fun IEMs! The pairing was quite exciting, although perhaps a little too exciting in the treble for me, but I think the Oriveti are really nice and very comfortable IEMs that offer an attractive option at the price.

I went around the show a bit more and tried a few other things. I met with the owner of Kumitate Lab and he offered me his flagship IEMs, the Lakh, for demo. I was quite impressed despite the fact that they seemed to have a somewhat stronger treble presence, but it worked very well for classical music and strings. Not so well for vocal jazz such as Caro Emerald, where I felt the lushness of her voice was lacking a bit. Could also be because I am used to very warm IEMs with a strong vocal presence. Next door were Acoustune and I demoed their HS1500 series, the red copper. I hadn't even really looked at what they were and did not realise it was a dynamic driver until the music started. What a wonderful bass! Very engaging, but perhaps not the most practical IEMs (and the metal was bloody cold!). Both companies develop their own cables and Kumitate Lab make a very nice thin, Linum-like cable, while Acoustune make a very thick and rugged one (well fitted for the build of the IEMs). Finally I had a go with the Audioquest Nightowl. I really did like these; warm and smooth, and very comfortable, but I think I am very much an IEM-guy because the bulk of the headphones was just too much on my head.

So lightning quick impressions, but given the circumstances I would not want to go into any more detail. Certainly a very interesting show with a lot more interesting things I did not get to demo.

You didn't disappoint either my friend, great write! Also, now that I've heard your impressions on several IEMs, it'll be easier for me to recommend stuff to poison you with. My top three recommendations of IEMs to check-out off the top of my head would be the Unique Melody Legacy, whatever Lime Ears will release on the 10th (the Aether's vocals might be too laidback for you) and the A12. I'll come up with more after my next MS visit in a week-and-a-half. Have fun!

 

[SilverEars]

I didn't think 8.2 was bass heavy or really all that warm. Signature is toward the thinner side, lacking a bit of a body. Treble is laid back for the most part until you find a track that hits the sharpness in the very low treble region which is quite minor in band. The harsh/sharp low treble region seems to be dropped a bit and/or the band is quite narrow. Not enough weight in the mid presence with a bit of a narrow lower treble band making it more of a thinner sounding sig,

 

[crinacle]

I didn't think 8.2 was bass heavy or really all that warm. Signature is toward the thinner side, lacking a bit of a body. Treble is laid back for the most part until you find a track that hits the sharpness in the very low treble region which is quite minor in band. The harsh/sharp low treble region seems to be dropped a bit and/or the band is quite narrow.

You're honestly the first person I know that described the 8.2 that way. Usually I'll hear them described as any variation of thick, warm, non-fatiguing or even dark.

 

[Wyville]

I didn't think 8.2 was bass heavy or really all that warm. Signature is toward the thinner side, lacking a bit of a body. Treble is laid back for the most part until you find a track that hits the sharpness in the very low treble region which is quite minor in band. The harsh/sharp low treble region seems to be dropped a bit and/or the band is quite narrow. Not enough weight in the mid presence with a bit of a narrow lower treble band making it more of a thinner sounding sig,

How curious! I agree with @crinacle here, the H8.2 are warm and organic to my ears. Did you listen to a demo unit? If so, then the tips and fit will have had a big effect on the bass response and warmth. I think it was earlier in this thread that Jelt explained how he thought the H8.2 had one of the best bass available (I believe he rates the H8.2 higher than Nic) and I agree that it was really very good.

 

[SilverEars]

How curious! I agree with @crinacle here, the H8.2 are warm and organic to my ears. Did you listen to a demo unit? If so, then the tips and fit will have had a big effect on the bass response and warmth. I think it was earlier in this thread that Jelt explained how he thought the H8.2 had one of the best bass available (I believe he rates the H8.2 higher than Nic) and I agree that it was really very good.

Yes, I listened to the demo unit. I can't imagine tips effecting such a significant differences in impressions. On the avg, and I have experiences in tip rolling with various iems, and that I have a pretty good idea what the bore sizing and tip fit does for sound. Arguments can be made that the demo unit wasn't a custom, but it is a demo unit after all, and my impression is of a demo unit which is obviously not a custom that comes with varieties of tips, so the demo is infact a universal which I treat it as such.

Out of the circle of terms crinacle list, only term I can say apply is the non-fatiguing or not being really forward, and not dark to be specific. Other than that, I can't say bassy or all that warm sounding.

 

[Wyville]

Just saw Nic's review of the VE8 is up! (Not sure if posted already.)

http://theheadphonelist.com/vision-ears-ve8/

 

[SilverEars]

I've been really enjoying M1060 out of the Questyle i600. i600 has a bit of a laid back sig compared to the Mojo with more textures(there are some slight grainy textures on the mid treble which seems to be a characteristics of the i600 which may not define the fine details fully), but makes the headphones sound more refined, whereas the Mojo really tights up the response of the M1060 with bolder bodied tones with aggressive peaks. I love the Mojo for the tight reponse and high clarity. In the past I had issues with LCD2 with buried upper mids(And also Ether Flow open with the mids), but with the M1060 I don't experience that. Vocals are clearly represented and can be engaging. I like it, and the price is well worth trying out. Fraction of what you pay for Audeze, and the sig is pretty leveled, which I like very much.

 

[Deezel177]

Yes, I listened to the demo unit. I can't imagine tips effecting such a significant differences in impressions. On the avg, and I have experiences in tip rolling with various iems, and that I have a pretty good idea what the bore sizing and tip fit does for sound. Arguments can be made that the demo unit wasn't a custom, but it is a demo unit after all, and my impression is of a demo unit which is obviously not a custom that comes with varieties of tips, so the demo is infact a universal which I treat it as such.

Out of the circle of terms crinacle list, only term I can say apply is the non-fatiguing or not being really forward, and not dark to be specific. Other than that, I can't say bassy or all that warm sounding.

Either the demo unit you tried was faulty, or you seriously underestimate the power of tip-rolling.

Just saw Nic's review of the VE8 is up! (Not sure if posted already.)

http://theheadphonelist.com/vision-ears-ve8/

Thanks for the heads-up! Been waiting for this one.

 

[SilverEars]

Either the demo unit you tried was faulty, or you seriously underestimate the power of tip-rolling.

That's a quite a bit of assumptions to assert on another person you have no idea of, or their actions or experiences. Quite offensive to say the least. If you disagree with my impressions, it's a disagreement. I'm here to provide my honest impressions, I don't beat around the bush.

 

[ljnew]

Back from Indulgence and as promised some (tentative) impressions, sans photos because I remembered to charge the battery and I remembered to bring the camera, but I forgot to take the battery out of the charger... Doh! Took a few shots with my phone, but that was just tragic and unworthy of the wonderful IEMs and cables I have heard.

First up a visit to Gisele Flower of Aid2Hearing. She had arranged the Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro especially for me, and I had been dying to demo them for a long time. They did not disappoint! Beautiful, I would call them. Warm and smooth with a gorgeous tonality and wonderful coherence. They did so much right that they are one of two things that I demoed that really stuck with me. Other IEMs on my "to demo" list were of course the Custom Art Harmony 8.2. These too did not disappoint me at all. They were a bit more bass-heavy and a little warmer, but an excellent bass, great tonality and just my type of treble. Piotr's latest creations were also there: FIBAE-1 and 2. I listened to the FIBAE-2 and they were great, very dynamic and engaging. I think really special IEMs in their price range. Gisele was also representing Noble and so I got a chance to demo the Noble Encore and Katana, but they did not do it for me. The Katana had great clarity, but was too bright and did not really do anything for me. The Encore was more exciting but again with the treble a bit too forward for my taste, although it did work great for music like Imagine Dragon's "Thunder". Another brand Gisele was representing was the much less known Hear Wave Audio, a London-based brand. I met with Lewie Winters, the man behind HW Audio, and demoed his universal iE6 (6-driver) model and was really impressed by it. Lewie explained that his IEMs were made for musicians (etc) who wear them a lot and the signature was very well done with a nice bit of sparkle, but entirely fatigue free. Great warm and smooth IEMs that really fit my preferences.

So you might ask, what else did stick alongside the UE18+ Pro? Well it is of course the Effect Audio Horus. That was my next stop at the booth of HiFiHeadphones where I met up with @Oscar-HiFi, a really great guy and I could have talked for hours with him! Horus was a stunning cable and does things I did not think were possible. Oscar and I came to the same conclusion here. With the 64 Audio U6 (M15 module) it has a bass presence that is astonishing and yet everything else is crystal clear and smooth with an amazingly natural tonality. The dynamics are unbelievable. I made the fatal error of listening to the Horus first and Lionheart second, and Lionheart came off as subdued while it was clearly an amazing cable, I just needed a few minutes to adjust after Horus. Worth its eye-watering price tag? I am tempted to say 'yes', even with just that short demo. It really impresses straight away. Lionheart was also very impressive. I got the impression that it improved clarity while maintaining an organic tonality. Another one of those things where you would normally expect the two to oppose each other and yet Lionheart did it very well. I did suspect that the qualities of Lionheart did not come through well enough in the noisy environment. At least, I got the impression there were subtle qualities in its tonality there that were hard to pick up with all the noise around. Oscar also gave me the Oriveti New Primacy paired with (I believe) Thor Silver II and what fun IEMs! The pairing was quite exciting, although perhaps a little too exciting in the treble for me, but I think the Oriveti are really nice and very comfortable IEMs that offer an attractive option at the price.

I went around the show a bit more and tried a few other things. I met with the owner of Kumitate Lab and he offered me his flagship IEMs, the Lakh, for demo. I was quite impressed despite the fact that they seemed to have a somewhat stronger treble presence, but it worked very well for classical music and strings. Not so well for vocal jazz such as Caro Emerald, where I felt the lushness of her voice was lacking a bit. Could also be because I am used to very warm IEMs with a strong vocal presence. Next door were Acoustune and I demoed their HS1500 series, the red copper. I hadn't even really looked at what they were and did not realise it was a dynamic driver until the music started. What a wonderful bass! Very engaging, but perhaps not the most practical IEMs (and the metal was bloody cold!). Both companies develop their own cables and Kumitate Lab make a very nice thin, Linum-like cable, while Acoustune make a very thick and rugged one (well fitted for the build of the IEMs). Finally I had a go with the Audioquest Nightowl. I really did like these; warm and smooth, and very comfortable, but I think I am very much an IEM-guy because the bulk of the headphones was just too much on my head.

So lightning quick impressions, but given the circumstances I would not want to go into any more detail. Certainly a very interesting show with a lot more interesting things I did not get to demo.

Which one you like best and why?

 

[Wyville]

Which one you like best and why?

Among the IEMs I tried the Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro were by far my favourite. They sounded so realistic and had a warmth and smoothness to them that was quite alluring. Vocals too sounded very nice with them. I was not entirely sure what to expect based on Nic's review but I can understand why he initially thought they might win the shootout. As he said, the tone feels spot on and that makes them very special to my ears.

In terms of cables Horus left a real impression, but it is highly likely that I will be looking to buy the UE18+ Pro with Lionheart in a few months time. I will still demo a few other options, but I would be surprised if anything can suit my preferences as well as the UE18+.

 

[Mimouille]

@Mimouille how would you compare Prophile 8 vs SE5 ult?

I would not

They are different, SE5 Ultimate had smoother. Treble although just as extended, more body in the bass, more subbass.