[KuroKitsu]

Been having issues at the termination end of my "endgame" cable with the Odin for the past week. Been flip flopping all week as to whether send it in for repair as the flat 2 pin connectors I wanted to swap in as well have been in limbo on the cable maker's end, and due to the cable's status, the original owner has to be the one to send it in. I'm the famous loon that sold his Stormbreaker so Odin is essentially useless for whatever the turnaround is.

Finally gave in and put the Saladin on it and was surprised at how good Odin still sounded, even off a non-kilobuck cable. Now the wait begins.

@riverground can attest to my Odin withdrawal. It's my iem version of a Snickers Bar. We often do trades that get renegotiated more than a debtor does, but this was odd. I'm surprised he's still friends with me. So shout out for him, great trustworthy guy. If he asks whether you want to do a trade, really consider it.

 

[Progisus]

Been having issues at the termination end of my "endgame" cable with the Odin for the past week. Been flip flopping all week as to whether send it in for repair as the flat 2 pin connectors I wanted to swap in as well have been in limbo on the cable maker's end, and due to the cable's status, the original owner has to be the one to send it in. I'm the famous loon that sold his Stormbreaker so Odin is essentially useless for whatever the turnaround is.

Finally gave in and put the Saladin on it and was surprised at how good Odin still sounded, even off a non-kilobuck cable. Now the wait begins.

@riverground can attest to my Odin withdrawal. It's my iem version of a Snickers Bar. We often do trades that get renegotiated more than a debtor does, but this was odd. I'm surprised he's still friends with me. So shout out for him, great trustworthy guy. If he asks whether you want to do a trade, really consider it.

I’ve been using PW No 10 on the Odin for quite awhile. Helps the hot mids for me. Stormbreaker is on the LX. I feel for your withdrawal.

 

[jwbrent]

Been having issues at the termination end of my "endgame" cable with the Odin for the past week. Been flip flopping all week as to whether send it in for repair as the flat 2 pin connectors I wanted to swap in as well have been in limbo on the cable maker's end, and due to the cable's status, the original owner has to be the one to send it in. I'm the famous loon that sold his Stormbreaker so Odin is essentially useless for whatever the turnaround is.

Finally gave in and put the Saladin on it and was surprised at how good Odin still sounded, even off a non-kilobuck cable. Now the wait begins.

@riverground can attest to my Odin withdrawal. It's my iem version of a Snickers Bar. We often do trades that get renegotiated more than a debtor does, but this was odd. I'm surprised he's still friends with me. So shout out for him, great trustworthy guy. If he asks whether you want to do a trade, really consider it.

Here’s a Stormbreaker in the classifieds for you for $600 that is supposedly new.

 

[KuroKitsu]

I’ve been using PW No 10 on the Odin for quite awhile. Helps the hot mids for me. Stormbreaker is on the LX. I feel for your withdrawal.

It's a testament to Odin that it sounds amazing even with the more entry level cables.

But once you've tried it with the high end cables you can't help but want more with a "lesser" cable

Here’s a Stormbreaker in the classifieds for you for $600 that is supposedly new.

I sold my Stormbreaker for even lower than . Mine is getting reterminated and then back to me.

 

[efftee]

Just to chime in, I am a cable nut, and have hardly ever used stock cables that came with my IEMS. Not that I didn't think the Odin sounded bad with the Stormbreaker, but the all-around SQ improvements with the Orpheus was audibly noticeable. My original thought, and also sort of confirmed by Peter himself, since it's from the same maker, he'd probably saved some special sauce for the Orpheus over his other cables.

But then came the Traillii. I am still in the process of burning in, but I was surprised how the 1960 has held up over both the Centurion and Orpheus. It's early days yet, and though I can hear the wider soundstage and greater details off the Centurion, and though I haven't had much time to critique the Bird on the Orpheus, somehow, I know I prefer the 1960 on the Traillii. Chalk it down to synergy, I guess? Quite a epiphany for me actually.

Another one I am keenly waiting for is the Venom cable to go with the Annihilator, which Lee has unequivocally declared is the best-matched cable. If that turns out to be true too, then I think once a cable attains a certain high enough quality, the synergistic tuning to match the inherent characteristics of an IEM -- not the price or technical intricacies of wires and braidings -- becomes the defining standards upon which it is measured. Can't wait...

 

[gLer]

I think once a cable attains a certain high enough quality, the synergistic tuning to match the inherent characteristics of an IEM -- not the price or technical intricacies of wires and braidings -- becomes the defining standards upon which it is measured.

Brilliantly said. Take cost and fancy features out of the equation - once any gear nails your sound preferences to your tonal and technical standards, and does so better than anything else you've heard, that's the bar. It doesn't matter a jot how others hear it, and even less so how it measures objectively. But it does rely on your trying out the different combinations to find 'your best'.

 

[ian91]

My universal Mentawai just arrived from Alambic Ears:

5 ways crossover 12 drivers

- Proprietary 10mm DD for low
- 4 Knowles BA for low
- 2 Sonion BA and 1 Knowles BA for medium
- 4 Sonion EST for high

It's tuned akin to the Traillii from the FR I've seen but with more subbass and with lows supported by a DD for greater impact.

Initial impressions are positive prior to burn in. I can only compare to Traillii based on memory. Tonally I think Mentawai is warmer. Bass is visceral and has some of the best depth and nuance I've heard (I think the details on the specs of this driver are a closely guarded secret). This lends to greater resolution and weight than Traillii down low. Another diversion from the bird I can hear is greater uppermid presence pushing things further into a W shape signature. Timbre is better than Traillii with some of the sweetest strings I've heard on an IEM. Treble is detailed with plenty of extension. In terms of technicalities stage is narrower but with excellent depth, imaging of instruments and layering of complexity.

 

[toaster]

Just to chime in, I am a cable nut, and have hardly ever used stock cables that came with my IEMS. Not that I didn't think the Odin sounded bad with the Stormbreaker, but the all-around SQ improvements with the Orpheus was audibly noticeable. My original thought, and also sort of confirmed by Peter himself, since it's from the same maker, he'd probably saved some special sauce for the Orpheus over his other cables.

But then came the Traillii. I am still in the process of burning in, but I was surprised how the 1960 has held up over both the Centurion and Orpheus. It's early days yet, and though I can hear the wider soundstage and greater details off the Centurion, and though I haven't had much time to critique the Bird on the Orpheus, somehow, I know I prefer the 1960 on the Traillii. Chalk it down to synergy, I guess? Quite a epiphany for me actually.

Another one I am keenly waiting for is the Venom cable to go with the Annihilator, which Lee has unequivocally declared is the best-matched cable. If that turns out to be true too, then I think once a cable attains a certain high enough quality, the synergistic tuning to match the inherent characteristics of an IEM -- not the price or technical intricacies of wires and braidings -- becomes the defining standards upon which it is measured. Can't wait...

interesting...which version of orpheus do you have?

 

[efftee]

interesting...which version of orpheus do you have?

The Shielding version.

Edit: But please, before anyone jump any guns here. Let me say that I've not had enough time cable rolling to make a qualified judgement and I also failed to mention that they were assessed on different DAPs, which definitely makes a difference but that's another topic. My point, fundamentally, was how impressed I had been with the 1960 on the Traillii (in Peter's words -- "it's the perfect mate" heh) and that the synergy of cable-IEM was showing up the much higher rated Centurion and Orpheus, either of which I would happily snapped the Traillii or any other IEM onto and listen blissfully all day any day of the week!

 

[toaster]

The Shielding version.

Edit: But please, before anyone jump any guns here. Let me say that I've not had enough time cable rolling to make a qualified judgement and I also failed to mention that they were assessed on different DAPs, which definitely makes a difference but that's another topic. My point, fundamentally, was how impressed I had been with the 1960 on the Traillii (in Peter's words -- "it's the perfect mate" heh) and that the synergy of cable-IEM was showing up the much higher rated Centurion and Orpheus, either of which I would happily snapped the Traillii or any other IEM onto and listen blissfully all day any day of the week!

Heh, dude it’s your ears!

After I heard orphy, my perspective about how much a cable could do to enhance sound shifted.

And, as many others have said, it was hard to go back to stock. Indeed, I ultimately ended up selling the stock cable because I no longer had a use for it.

I assume when you spend more time, your perspective may change…but it also may not.

We all have our own ears.

 

[gLer]

We all have our own ears.

And, more to the point, wallets

 

[efftee]

Heh, dude it’s your ears!

After I heard orphy, my perspective about how much a cable could do to enhance sound shifted.

And, as many others have said, it was hard to go back to stock. Indeed, I ultimately ended up selling the stock cable because I no longer had a use for it.

I assume when you spend more time, your perspective may change…but it also may not.

We all have our own ears.

Yes, I’ve read those same comments; goes to show how differently we all hear things. But like I said, different source (and music too) makes a difference, perhaps there are other such variables that didn’t factor into the equation. Anyway, not sure if you meant the Stormbreaker or 1960, I didn’t like the Stormbreaker on the Odin so much, the Orpheus was a better match in my opinion.

 

[toaster]

...hard to go back to stock on traillii, I meant.

 

[davidmolliere]

While I am waiting on Alambic Ears Mentawai (*) I should get next week, I finally wrapped up my Tansio Mirai Spark review, first in several month :
https://iem.reviews/2021/11/19/tansio-mirai-spark/

Spark has earned a special place in my lineup and prooves once again that Tansio Mirai is certainly one of the best at tuning IEMs that are transparent, natural sounding with a very coherent tuning all in a decently priced package.

(*) For those who missed this under the radar release Mentawai is a 5 way 12 drivers, proprietary10mm DD, 4 lower mids knowles BA, 2 mids Sonion and 1 medium knowles BA and 4 EST Sonion. And yes Alambic does it custom - if your ears make it possible space wise - contrary to some manufacturers that opt out of 4EST custom build like Oriolus for the Traillii and VE for the EXT. I am pretty excited about this, stay tuned!

 

[efftee]

Yo @aaf evo, you’re gonna love this track on your incoming Annihilator buddy!