Geek Wold Discussion
Aug 11, 2021 at 4:31 PM Post #871 of 1,619
I have had my GK10 set for a few days now, and my impressions are very similar to what Nimweth had described earlier. I think that this set does have decent separation for the price range, but that's the only real positive standout attribute. The midbass is bloated, soft, mushy, bleeds into the midrange, and gives excessive thickness to male vocals. The excessive mid bass is paired with sub bass that lacks proper slam and texture - the sub bass is audible but doesn't have good definition, slam or tightness.

The biggest disappointment to me has been midrange in general. Vocals, guitars, keyboards, etc. all sound blunted and slightly muted, I'm craving more bite, excitement, and just straight up detail retrieval in that range. When I am listening to to songs, there are parts of the arrangement/mix that are either missing, or barely audible. Ultimately they sound "thuddy" and pretty dull.

I have a blue set ordered from Penon approximately 3 weeks ago, dunno if there are similarities across "batches" or whatever.
 
Aug 11, 2021 at 6:32 PM Post #872 of 1,619
IMG_20210805_005720-01.jpeg

I think I've had these long enough now to post at least semi coherent impressions, though by way of a disclaimer I did buy these for the looks as well - kitsch is cool in my book.

First thing to get out of the way is that even though there are sets that I do find fatiguing because of their mid bass emphasis, GK10s are not one of those sets, though the wrong tips will definitely make them sound terrible - in my case it was XL CP100s - with instant mid bass woollyness and general dullness across the rest of the range. I moved on pretty quick.

Notwithstanding I might have a completely different tuning to anyone else, it's definitely worth tip rolling with these - the 2 configurations I've really liked so far have been: narrow and short bore Sony hybrid clones (similar to the stock narrow bores but softer, they make for a more secure fit), which give a nice balanced tuning akin to something like a more detailed Final E1000, very relaxing but at the cost of some detail as there's a little bit of haze over the mids and treble, and: using a horn shaped tip (Flare Everyday Earfoams, in my case, which aren't actually made of foam but are one of the relatively few tips that fit me) for a boost to upper mids and treble - more of a KBear Believe kind of tuning, though with different technical characteristics (much more separation but thinner and brighter tonality) very clear and dynamic and just the right side of my midrange sensitivity (so a little more reserved than the Oxygens of this world - and the Geeks are definitely in the same overall ballpark, even if they present themselves quite differently, especially tonally). I'm aware this isn't everyone's experience, hopefully it's not unit variance and there's a tip option out there that snaps them into focus for you - I was surprised at how big a difference tips make on these, especially to the bass clarity, and very glad I found something that worked for me.

Onto the staging and imaging, this is where I have to agree with everyone else who swore GK10s were awesome. They are indeed very good, very evenly weighted (as opposed to centre weighted, if you will) and wrap around, and I'm seriously impressed with this aspect of the sound, the resulting imaging is all very coherent and clear.

One random comparison - I really wish my Dunu DK2001s were tuned more like the Geeks (less aggressive mids), they stage similarly but I think the 2001s have the edge on note weight and bass technicalities, with the Geeks winning on treble performance once I EQ the Dunus (mids are pretty much a wash, I think stage width is a bit better on Dunu after EQ). Without EQ I'd just listen to the Geeks.

Albums I've been testing with, Geeks definitely have versatility (using horn tips at about 90db, and balanced out from a Radsone es100, which has a 0.5 output impedance fwiw):

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

Male Vocals: Old gravel guts himself, tonality sounds pretty damn good, vocals float front and centre without any issues, percussion has great weight and punch.

Strauss - Four Last Songs

Female Vocals: This is great as well, maybe a tiny bit of occasional glare/lack of transparency in the upper mids but that's compared to listening with speakers. Excellent details from the orchestra on this.

Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Separation / Layering / Imaging / Dynamics: Just great, feels like you're on the stage. Smooth and detailed, has no trouble managing hits (fun fact, the first synthesised orchestra hit was based on an unlicensed sample from Stravinsky's Firebird). Tonality seems fine, though I'm far from a purist about these things.

Santana - Caravanserai

Speed Test: Can the drivers keep up, especially with the treble percussion? Yes, piezos love this album, even when there's a blizzard of noises to process, and GK10 is no exception. Treble is really well controlled, and pulls out a lot of detail and inflexion from the mix. Also good with the imaging on this album, there are a lot of panning guitar solos going off, all really nicely presented with a very natural attack to the midrange with a tiny bit of diffusion to things like tomtom rolls (could actually be the recording). That said this is the first time I feel like there's anything really missing - I think the Geeks could use a tiny bit more texture and focus in the bass. I'm being picky but if there's one issue with their tuning of bass it's not bleed into the mids but the rolloff on the sub bass, which just needs a small raise, not too much or it'll kill the agility, but something.

Last one :)
Vangelis - Blade Runner

Immersion / Atmosphere: So many versions of this soundtrack, the Esper Retirement Edition is my favourite as a complete piece of music but this one has insanely good mastering and is a 100% chronologically accurate mix of the Final Cut soundtrack, with zero dialogue and character effects but all the ambience and music. Very cool and really lets you appreciate what a huge space the Geeks can render and how nuanced (and hard, very occasionally, but it's how the mix is mastered) the piezos can be. Lack of subbass should be a problem but really isn't - I'm too distracted by the sheer vastness of the soundstage and all the details that the dialogue was covering up.

TL;DR these kind of confounded my expectations, which were up and down like a yo-yo before they arrived. They're definitely impressive for the price IF you win the QC lottery AND achieve some kind of synergy with source and tips, at least based on what I've been reading and have experienced, but they do sacrifice note weight to achieve all that clarity. Would have loved it if the upper treble was slightly more diffuse and the sub bass a little more extended, but definitely glad I took a punt, they've really worked with some of my favourite tunes, so I have to consider my time with them as well spent.
 
Aug 11, 2021 at 11:37 PM Post #873 of 1,619
IMG_20210805_005720-01.jpeg

I think I've had these long enough now to post at least semi coherent impressions, though by way of a disclaimer I did buy these for the looks as well - kitsch is cool in my book.

First thing to get out of the way is that even though there are sets that I do find fatiguing because of their mid bass emphasis, GK10s are not one of those sets, though the wrong tips will definitely make them sound terrible - in my case it was XL CP100s - with instant mid bass woollyness and general dullness across the rest of the range. I moved on pretty quick.

Notwithstanding I might have a completely different tuning to anyone else, it's definitely worth tip rolling with these - the 2 configurations I've really liked so far have been: narrow and short bore Sony hybrid clones (similar to the stock narrow bores but softer, they make for a more secure fit), which give a nice balanced tuning akin to something like a more detailed Final E1000, very relaxing but at the cost of some detail as there's a little bit of haze over the mids and treble, and: using a horn shaped tip (Flare Everyday Earfoams, in my case, which aren't actually made of foam but are one of the relatively few tips that fit me) for a boost to upper mids and treble - more of a KBear Believe kind of tuning, though with different technical characteristics (much more separation but thinner and brighter tonality) very clear and dynamic and just the right side of my midrange sensitivity (so a little more reserved than the Oxygens of this world - and the Geeks are definitely in the same overall ballpark, even if they present themselves quite differently, especially tonally). I'm aware this isn't everyone's experience, hopefully it's not unit variance and there's a tip option out there that snaps them into focus for you - I was surprised at how big a difference tips make on these, especially to the bass clarity, and very glad I found something that worked for me.

Onto the staging and imaging, this is where I have to agree with everyone else who swore GK10s were awesome. They are indeed very good, very evenly weighted (as opposed to centre weighted, if you will) and wrap around, and I'm seriously impressed with this aspect of the sound, the resulting imaging is all very coherent and clear.

One random comparison - I really wish my Dunu DK2001s were tuned more like the Geeks (less aggressive mids), they stage similarly but I think the 2001s have the edge on note weight and bass technicalities, with the Geeks winning on treble performance once I EQ the Dunus (mids are pretty much a wash, I think stage width is a bit better on Dunu after EQ). Without EQ I'd just listen to the Geeks.

Albums I've been testing with, Geeks definitely have versatility (using horn tips at about 90db, and balanced out from a Radsone es100, which has a 0.5 output impedance fwiw):

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

Male Vocals: Old gravel guts himself, tonality sounds pretty damn good, vocals float front and centre without any issues, percussion has great weight and punch.

Strauss - Four Last Songs

Female Vocals: This is great as well, maybe a tiny bit of occasional glare/lack of transparency in the upper mids but that's compared to listening with speakers. Excellent details from the orchestra on this.

Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Separation / Layering / Imaging / Dynamics: Just great, feels like you're on the stage. Smooth and detailed, has no trouble managing hits (fun fact, the first synthesised orchestra hit was based on an unlicensed sample from Stravinsky's Firebird). Tonality seems fine, though I'm far from a purist about these things.

Santana - Caravanserai

Speed Test: Can the drivers keep up, especially with the treble percussion? Yes, piezos love this album, even when there's a blizzard of noises to process, and GK10 is no exception. Treble is really well controlled, and pulls out a lot of detail and inflexion from the mix. Also good with the imaging on this album, there are a lot of panning guitar solos going off, all really nicely presented with a very natural attack to the midrange with a tiny bit of diffusion to things like tomtom rolls (could actually be the recording). That said this is the first time I feel like there's anything really missing - I think the Geeks could use a tiny bit more texture and focus in the bass. I'm being picky but if there's one issue with their tuning of bass it's not bleed into the mids but the rolloff on the sub bass, which just needs a small raise, not too much or it'll kill the agility, but something.

Last one :)
Vangelis - Blade Runner

Immersion / Atmosphere: So many versions of this soundtrack, the Esper Retirement Edition is my favourite as a complete piece of music but this one has insanely good mastering and is a 100% chronologically accurate mix of the Final Cut soundtrack, with zero dialogue and character effects but all the ambience and music. Very cool and really lets you appreciate what a huge space the Geeks can render and how nuanced (and hard, very occasionally, but it's how the mix is mastered) the piezos can be. Lack of subbass should be a problem but really isn't - I'm too distracted by the sheer vastness of the soundstage and all the details that the dialogue was covering up.

TL;DR these kind of confounded my expectations, which were up and down like a yo-yo before they arrived. They're definitely impressive for the price IF you win the QC lottery AND achieve some kind of synergy with source and tips, at least based on what I've been reading and have experienced, but they do sacrifice note weight to achieve all that clarity. Would have loved it if the upper treble was slightly more diffuse and the sub bass a little more extended, but definitely glad I took a punt, they've really worked with some of my favourite tunes, so I have to consider my time with them as well spent.

Your impressions line up with my take nearly identically. There is a bit of thinness to the mids (note-weight) and needs a tad more heft to the bass below 50hz.

There are so many variables to IEM use--tips, cables, source, fitment--that the variances people hear are hard to pin down. Sure, there could be qc issues, but hopefully some tip-rolling and burn-in is fully invested in before judgments are made.

I'm still a bit concerned with the stated impedance, as it doesn't seem quite as sensitive as it should be for 8ohm (or 6 as stated on box!). With so many drivers, and particularly different types of drivers (which could all be specd at different impedances), how the x/o is implemented could affect the sound impressions via different sources. Low/high gain outputs, etc. ...

But my set is sure worth the price without question, and the tuning is quite good, and with the few tweaks you mention, would be even more my ideal too.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 12:33 AM Post #874 of 1,619
Yesterday, I received my 2nd Geek Wold GK10 in blue. My first pair was defective and wasn't sounding any better as the days went by. But, a quick return Penon Audio proved to be worth every penny, and all I have to say about how the new pair sounds now is..."oh, so sweet"!

For everyone else, just swap the default tips to "wide-bore silicone tips"...just my 2 cents.

-Clear :yum: :thumbsup:
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 1:00 AM Post #875 of 1,619
I received my GK10 some days ago and I have had it 'burn' for days. Paired with Misodiko Mix460 Ear Tips and a good copper cable.
Now at largely 100h I can agree with many it sounds great. Best features at my liking the spaced detailed brightness and a enjoyable, textured (exceptional, for a $50 IEM) subbass I do not feel bleeds significantly in the mids. I mainly listen to acoustic jazz FLACS I rip from my CD collection and sure GK10 sounds good with classic Blue Note music and with my pocket DAPS. I am very happy with it as a commuting iem. My favorite ones in the last year (for commuting and home listening) have been LZ A7 and Penon Volt.
 

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Aug 12, 2021 at 2:02 AM Post #877 of 1,619
I received my GK10 some days ago and I have had it 'burn' for days. Paired with Misodiko Mix460 Ear Tips and a good copper cable.
Now at largely 100h I can agree with many it sounds great. Best features at my liking the spaced detailed brightness and a enjoyable, textured (exceprional, for a $50 IEM) subbass I do not feel bleeds significantly in the mids. I mainly listen to acoustic jazz FLACS I rip from my CD collection and sure GK10 sounds good with classic Blue Note music and with my pocket DAPS. I am very happy with it as a commuting iem. My favorite ones in the last year (for commuting and home listening) have been LZ A7 and Penon Volt.
more cuprum :) What cable a you use ?
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 2:47 AM Post #878 of 1,619
Your impressions line up with my take nearly identically. There is a bit of thinness to the mids (note-weight) and needs a tad more heft to the bass below 50hz.

There are so many variables to IEM use--tips, cables, source, fitment--that the variances people hear are hard to pin down. Sure, there could be qc issues, but hopefully some tip-rolling and burn-in is fully invested in before judgments are made.

I'm still a bit concerned with the stated impedance, as it doesn't seem quite as sensitive as it should be for 8ohm (or 6 as stated on box!). With so many drivers, and particularly different types of drivers (which could all be specd at different impedances), how the x/o is implemented could affect the sound impressions via different sources. Low/high gain outputs, etc. ...

But my set is sure worth the price without question, and the tuning is quite good, and with the few tweaks you mention, would be even more my ideal too.
What is the output impedance of you DAP / DAC? For 6-8 ohm earphone impedance the output impedance of the source component can be much more important. Fopr earphone at 20 to 30 ohm it's not as important.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 2:48 AM Post #879 of 1,619
I’ve heard it said that there has been a cable change on shipped GK10s. Any details on those changes? I received mine today and I cannot get the pins into the sockets, I’m afraid I’ll push the sockets through the chassis. I took the cable off my V90s, and could only seat them half way. Anyone else having this difficulty? The sockets seem too tight.
Yes, I tried a balanced cable I have in my collection and the pins would only go half way in.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 3:47 AM Post #881 of 1,619
Your impressions line up with my take nearly identically. There is a bit of thinness to the mids (note-weight) and needs a tad more heft to the bass below 50hz.

There are so many variables to IEM use--tips, cables, source, fitment--that the variances people hear are hard to pin down. Sure, there could be qc issues, but hopefully some tip-rolling and burn-in is fully invested in before judgments are made.

I'm still a bit concerned with the stated impedance, as it doesn't seem quite as sensitive as it should be for 8ohm (or 6 as stated on box!). With so many drivers, and particularly different types of drivers (which could all be specd at different impedances), how the x/o is implemented could affect the sound impressions via different sources. Low/high gain outputs, etc. ...

But my set is sure worth the price without question, and the tuning is quite good, and with the few tweaks you mention, would be even more my ideal too.
I have been burning my set in for over 100 hours and there has been very little change. I have tried a variety of cables and tips but no major changes in sound have been detected. Should I try narrow or wide bore tips, and what cable material is thought best? I have tried pure silver, silver plated and copper/silver hybrid so far. Any help would be great, but perhaps I have a poor sample.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 4:22 AM Post #882 of 1,619
I have been burning my set in for over 100 hours and there has been very little change. I have tried a variety of cables and tips but no major changes in sound have been detected. Should I try narrow or wide bore tips, and what cable material is thought best? I have tried pure silver, silver plated and copper/silver hybrid so far. Any help would be great, but perhaps I have a poor sample.

My only suggestion is to try and very wide and shallow bore tip and aim for a deep insertion (have you got CP360 - the TWS spinfit?). Beyond that and EQ'ing them it may just be the set (or the signature just doesn't sit well with you).
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 4:28 AM Post #883 of 1,619
My only suggestion is to try and very wide and shallow bore tip and aim for a deep insertion (have you got CP360 - the TWS spinfit?). Beyond that and EQ'ing them it may just be the set (or the signature just doesn't sit well with you).
The only tips I have fitting that description are Spiral Dots. I tried these and the sound remained the same. I have just been testing the GK10 and then switched to the Smabat NCO. It was like night and day. All the energy in the music returned with life and sparkle. Looks like I have a sub standard example.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 4:31 AM Post #884 of 1,619
The only tips I have fitting that description are Spiral Dots. I tried these and the sound remained the same. I have just been testing the GK10 and then switched to the Smabat NCO. It was like night and day. All the energy in the music returned with life and sparkle. Looks like I have a sub standard example.

I think you may have yes. I don't hear the treble as lacking sparkle. The note weight is light in the mids but there's great definition and resonance to string instruments and when I first received mine I was pleasantly suprised by the BA/piezo treble.
 
Aug 12, 2021 at 4:54 AM Post #885 of 1,619
I think that
I think you may have yes. I don't hear the treble as lacking sparkle. The note weight is light in the mids but there's great definition and resonance to string instruments and when I first received mine I was pleasantly suprised by the BA/piezo treble.
I think that's right. There is very little output in the high frequencies, I have the BQEYZ Summer and that is very sparkly in the treble. I suspect the piezo drivers are dead and the tiny bit of treble I am hearing is coming from the BA. In fact they sound worse now than when I first heard them.
 

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