flinkenick's 17 Flagship IEM Shootout Thread (and general high-end portable audio discussion)

[toaster]

Proud of you, @Rockwell75!

 

[Sound Eq]

So much VE temptation. As of this morning I'm a one IEM guy for the first time in like a year and the Elysium is presently the only real monkey on my back...

so u got the elysium and gave up all your campfire

 

[Rockwell75]

so u got the elysium and gave up all your campfire

No I've given up everything except my Solaris and am currently tempted by the Elysium...more as a side piece than a replacement.

 

[mvvRAZ]

So much VE temptation. As of this morning I'm a one IEM guy for the first time in like a year and the Elysium is presently the only real monkey on my back...

Edit: I haven't purchased the Ely...but I find it very tempting.

Between the Erl and the Ely I honestly still lean a bit more towards the Elysium in terms of personal preference. The erl has certainly grown on me since my first listen last year but Ely is like that first love that you can never quite forget

 

[Rockwell75]

Between the Erl and the Ely I honestly still lean a bit more towards the Elysium in terms of personal preference. The erl has certainly grown on me since my first listen last year but Ely is like that first love that you can never quite forget

I've basically settled on the idea that I need DD bass to be happy long term but I can't seem to let go of the idea of the Ely and I will probably pounce if I can ever come across a decent deal for one.

 

[proedros]

I've basically settled on the idea that I need DD bass to be happy long term but I can't seem to let go of the idea of the Ely and I will probably pounce if I can ever come across a decent deal for one.

there are some universal massdrop Zeus floating around on th FS threads , for 550-600$

or you can sell a kidney and buy Erlky , sure.

btw , since i got my custom Zeus XR in 2017 i have made 0(zero) iem puchases...

 

[mvvRAZ]

there are some universal massdrop Zeus floating around on th FS threads , for 550-600$

or you can sell a kidney and buy Erlky , sure.

btw , since i got my custom Zeus XR in 2017 i have made 0(zero) iem puchases...

Yeahhh but I had both the U and A18t, which are kinda a Zeus XR on steroids and neither was able to keep me satisfied so I don’t think that this experience is universally applicable

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

Yeahhh but I had both the U and A18t, which are kinda a Zeus XR on steroids and neither was able to keep me satisfied so I don’t think that this experience is universally applicable

just play with PEQ

 

[Frankie D]

just play with PEQ

I have tried that on my Cayin, but I feel like the sound is clearer and more open without it. It somehow puts a vail over the sound to my ears. I may try again. Tks.

 

[normie610]

So much VE temptation. As of this morning I'm a one IEM guy for the first time in like a year and the Elysium is presently the only real monkey on my back...

Edit: I haven't purchased the Ely...but I find it very tempting.

I know in the back of your mind you sold the LX to make way for Ely

 

[Rockwell75]

I know in the back of your mind you sold the LX to make way for Ely

One day...I have some other "real life" expenses that need taking care of first but I can definitely see it in my future.

 

[ranfan]

I think for VE to up their sales of Erl (especially in the middle east), they need to release a gold (yes pure) faceplate someday. Just saying..

Spoiler: emas

 

[twister6]

Erik's (@Wyville ) review of Thummim just went live on tw6, and soon on Head-fi as well. I might have to borrow these from Musicteck, cause based on many impressions and reviews I have read so far, the treble doesn't sound as bright I heard it at canjam NYC, though I was using Type-E eartips which could have been the problem. But either way, very informative write up from Erik.

 

[rskbug]

Erik's (@Wyville ) review of Thummim just went live on tw6, and soon on Head-fi as well. I might have to borrow these from Musicteck, cause based on many impressions and reviews I have read so far, the treble doesn't sound as bright I heard it at canjam NYC, though I was using Type-E eartips which could have been the problem. But either way, very informative write up from Erik.

I hope somebody says that these are END GAME IEM's. At this price point if there is still room for improvement and people are waiting for new IEM in the future to beat the Thumimm's then there is some serious flaw.

 

[Wyville]

I hope somebody says that these are END GAME IEM's. At this price point if there is still room for improvement and people are waiting for new IEM in the future to beat the Thumimm's then there is some serious flaw.

It depends a bit on how you look at it. "End game" in an absolute sense does not exist because every IEM has its own character and will fit only with the preferences of some people. Like I said in my review, the Thummim will not fit those who consider the U12t to be close to perfection. The Thummim are raw, coloured and all out fun. They present music in a unique way as well and therein I think is the deciding factor whether or not these will be worth their price for someone. Anyone who likes their music to be presented in such powerful way will find a lot to love with the Thummim. I certainly enjoyed it tremendously. Equally, I personally don't much care for the Thummim when listening to classical music. For classical my current favourites would be the DITA Dream XLS. Those are half the price, but they have imaging that is better for classical music, exceptional layering and are capable of conveying nuances in tonality a lot more clearly. It does not mean that the Thummim are flawed in any way, you just need to understand what the Thummim aim at. In what I think the Thummim focus on, I do feel they absolutely excel.