For those of us with multiple headphones, which ones are you listening with now?

[JAnonymous5150]

Astell & Kern Activo P1 - Focal Hadenys

In my imagination I want to believe that this is an album of "Real Deal" Evander Holyfield singing covers of his favorite songs. I can't help it...

Topical Content:

Doing a little overnight oil change on my girl's car and listening to some tunes while I do. I'm rockin' the Oriolus Szalayis through my Fiio BTR5 for the sake of convenience. It's pretty cool how good BT has gotten in a relatively short span of time.

Providing the musical entertainment is The Mantra Discord and their 2022 LP, Relapse Into Silence. I've put up this rec before so I won't go back into how absolutely sick it is, but if you haven't given it a spin, you're missing out.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Ohh man, I've been waiting for my Oracle MKIII for weeks! I really picked the wrong store when I ordered them, as they have delayed delivery 3 times now. And now they will most likely end up arriving when I'm on vacation for a week
Anyway, glad to hear that you like them, hope you will get a lot of enjoyment out of them

Thanks! They have been on the burn in station for the day, and I've been enjoying some other IEMs, and I just pulled them off a few minutes ago, as they will be my post-shift listen. Still doing some tip rolling too. Sorry to hear about your delay! Hope you get yours soon? Who did you go through? Got mine from Headphones.com. They sent them out and they arrived in two days.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Astell & Kern Activo P1 - Focal Hadenys

How do you like the Activo? How's it sound? I was flip flopping between that, and RS2, a Cayin N3 Ultra, or the iBasso D Elite. I ended up going with the DC Elite.

 

[Singaravelan]

How do you like the Activo? How's it sound? I was flip flopping between that, and RS2, a Cayin N3 Ultra, or the iBasso D Elite. I ended up going with the DC Elite.

Oh elite plunged? Wah! Have only heard great things about it, esp the technicalities including staging it brings out in iems. Oraclemk3 and Elite -- over and out for couple of months atleast I hope?! Until next big sales at least. Anyway... Enjoy your goodies.

On topic, continuing with Italian theme...on Miroak2

Link to streamers: https://album.link/i/272725106

Rolling stone

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Still out in the garage and my workshop having a few beers while I tinker with random stuff and reorganize some things. I have two meditation studios in my house and they're called "My Music Room" and "My Workshop." Anyways, I wanted something warm, lush, and enveloping so I immediately grabbed my MMR Thummims and threw them on the Hiby RS6.

On deck in tonight's queue is the ultimate slow burn in album form: Mechanical Bull by Kings of Leon (rel. 2013). When this album came out, I wasn't sure how well I liked it, but within a few months it became one of my favorites from them and it has some of my favorite tracks too. Comeback Story, Supersoaker, and Beautiful War are some of the standouts on here for sure. "Now I'm a mile and I've got your shooo-ooooes..."

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

Starting the day off with Public Service Broadcasting’s Every Valley. These guys make great concept albums spanning from pioneering space flight to what we have here, the mining for coal.
Elegant art rock interspersed with beautiful keyboard or guitar hooks, radio announcements from back in the day in order to tell a story..and well things just flow like a sonic dream. I haven’t been let down by this band yet.
On the Tanchjim One for this as it’s realistic approach was something I craved this morning. It is going to be my music purveyor for the upcoming weekend, nothing else as I’m away, but it’s something I’m looking forward to still.

 

[theintention]

S12 2024 / DC-Elite / R4


Going through some older posthardcore favorite releases to fill out my streaming collection for eventual physical pick ups and remembered this gem.

PM Today was yet another band that burned out too quickly. They push the proggier end of that spectrum similar to A Lot Like Birds or The Fall of Troy, but without quite as much bite; which is perfect for reading comics in bed. This band should have like a billion albums man instead it was just this one and one other EP that isn’t on streaming…. Huge bummer but at least this exists.

 

[JAnonymous5150]

S12 2024 / DC-Elite / R4


Going through some older posthardcore favorite releases to fill out my streaming collection for eventual physical pick ups and remembered this gem.

PM Today was yet another band that burned out too quickly. They push the proggier end of that spectrum similar to A Lot Like Birds or The Fall of Troy, but without quite as much bite; which is perfect for reading comics in bed. This band should have like a billion albums man instead it was just this one and one other EP that isn’t on streaming…. Huge bummer but at least this exists.

Oooh, I've never heard of this outfit. Color me intrigued. Thanks for the rec!

Topical Content:

Finally retreated to my music room and the main listening station. I decided to go with the OG Hifiman Susvaras running off the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack with the Holo May KTE pulling DAC duty.

I came across this next album by accident while searching for a band with a similar name: Sweep The Leg Vol 2 by Sweep The Leg (rel. 2022). The jazzy stylings of this duo from Wellington, NZ caught my ear and I knew I needed to listen to the rest on a rig more attuned to this style of music. At only 6 tracks and 30 minutes, it's a fun little palette cleanser after a day that's been a bit hit or miss with some of the new artists I've been checking out. It's also perfect for kickin' back and enjoying the flow while I relax.



Edit: The rapping that comes in on track two is freaking hilarious! I had no idea that was coming up and it nearly made me spit beer all over my laptop. Freakin' classic! Thank you New Zealand! I owe you one. Talk about taking a hard left...

 

[Singaravelan]

PM Today was yet another band that burned out too quickly. They push the proggier end of that spectrum similar to A Lot Like Birds or The Fall of Troy, but without quite as much bite; which is perfect for reading comics in bed. This band should have like a billion albums man instead it was just this one and one other EP that isn’t on streaming…. Huge bummer but at least this exists.

The Brogan brothers of PM Today regrouped as "Modelling" and put out album EP too. New soundscape from what they did as PM Today. Synths and such.



Edit: https://artists360.art/artists/connor-brogan/

 

[ThEvil0nE]

NDH 30 < Vali 3 + United Electron 2C51 < Zen DAC Signature v3 < Variations V6

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Still on the Susvaras and the Ferrum Oor/Hypsos stack with the Holo May KTE. After that ridiculous fiasco on the last pick (the sample I listened to sucked me in good ) I needed something to calm me back down from the massive, impromptu laughing fit I had.

Ending the night on an absolutely serious rec, Mogwai's 2021 classic As The Love Continues is a great album for listening to in a dark room with your eyes closed. These guys are thought of as one of the OGs of the post-rock genre for a reason. The way they use dynamics to create the mood and sounds with texture to paint the soundscape combined to make an instantly identifiable sound in a genre that's sometimes criticized for having too many bands that sound the same. Ritchie Sacramento also happens to be one of my favorite Mogwai tunes so it's hard not to dig the album it's on.

Anyways, I think I'm done for the night so I'll wish you all good night or good day depending on where you are. Happy listening and I'll catch you guys around.

 

[Skev]

How do you like the Activo? How's it sound? I was flip flopping between that, and RS2, a Cayin N3 Ultra, or the iBasso D Elite. I ended up going with the DC Elite.

I’ve recently been using Fiio K11, Astell & Kern HC4 (also PA10), iFi Go Blu, Khadas Tea, iFi Zen Dac/Amp 3 - I really do prefer the P1 to all of them. I like a natural, transparent and clean presentation and the P1 seems to deliver. It’s not the most powerful, great for IEM’s and easy to drive dynamic overears but it really struggled with the DCA Aeon 2C. Drives the Hadenys very well.

 

[Singaravelan]

On the Sivga Que

@Hypops we got a winner with warm bassy (mid bass with surprisingly neat sub-bass thump as and when called out) musical with enough treble presence as possible without upsetting the warm applecart. And without turning dire dark.

I use wavelet app's treble boost (preset), adds some zing without spoiling overall sq.

Came last evening.

I would like to present one track LEAH by Messa to showcase this.



Rollinstones

Delicious, almost muscular low end, needed. Addictive mids needed for that croon to hit home witch style. And enough presence up there not to make it blunt. (I would normally definitely need more brightness Treble, air and extension on top but that would be silly/odd in this muscularly-cosy Que soundscape. That glorious air is Sivga Nightingale's area). The way it plays out this track also suggests que is not just one track bass thingy ( else would be redundant for me with stuff I usually listen).

Not in this track, but there is something about the Que's resonance/decay/trailing of note's harmonics in bass (perhaps the wood effect) , that makes it very pleasing.


And regardless of your iem, the full album is definitely worth your time.

Link to streamers: https://album.link/i/1359507392

Thanks again for the suggestion @Hypops. This will have its place in my rota. There is something special with its uppermids (so Anti-simgot, phew) , will be able to suss more I hear. Looks like one of those iems better on relatively high(er)- (not necessarily loud) volume.

What's that fab cable! Brilliant for this price.

Headphonics

And iem due to metal is very SOLID! Can still sleep with it due to its Nightingale'ish teardrop shape and overall snug feel. I went with peñón orange liquer tips as main choice and now and then tried with Coreir aluminium alloy.

 

[rids57]

Qobuz > roon > HoloAudio Cyan 2 > Violectric V222 > Hifiman Arya Stealth

The Shape Of Fluidity (2024) by Dool - Found these tonight on roon radio, they are a Dutch band described as "an ominous blend of gothic pop, psychedelic rock, post rock and doom metal" and have been around since 2016'ish. They have an interesting vocalist, who as a result of being intersex has a quite striking voice, it's somewhere between male and female with the best attributes of both and reminds me of Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes. They have three studio albums on Qobuz and I've been playing them all since the early hours and the the band are very strong instrumentally, not just vocally with some fine riffage from the dual guitarists. The Aryas sound great and are very comfortable for long listening sessions so there was little reason to change them.

 

[Lindholdt]

Thanks! They have been on the burn in station for the day, and I've been enjoying some other IEMs, and I just pulled them off a few minutes ago, as they will be my post-shift listen. Still doing some tip rolling too. Sorry to hear about your delay! Hope you get yours soon? Who did you go through? Got mine from Headphones.com. They sent them out and they arrived in two days.

I got mine on order from a European shop called Audiophonics, and I have been checking the status each day for the last few weeks. Just checked again, and they are now in stock! So they should ship out today...