[phrancini]

hello everyone,
I finally decided to pull the trigger and embark myself in this journey. I've always been fascinated with CIEMs and now it's my turn to get a pair.
This saturday I'm going to visit an audiologist to take my impressions, in the meantime I placed an order on McEar.de after all the post mentioning the store, but now I've a problem.

I placed an order that I'd like to modify before it gets shipped (and also ordered by mistake a product not available in my country but it still went through). I sent them 2 emails but no reply so far.
has anybody ordered from them recently?

since the laquer seems to be unavailable to be shipped internationally is there any alternative product that i can buy?

thanks in advance

 

[eunice]

They usually reply quickly but only during German office hours. Keep in mind this is a small enthusiast store, it’s just one or two persons.

I personally do not use lacquer, since I am simply not capable of using it properly. But I will try again.

What works for me is first sanding with fine rubber tips

Rubber Silicon Nail Drill Milling Cutter
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cVbPecLq


Then wild leather https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NH97NOM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FQj1Cb2DWP3XV


Dreve Polishing Compound Polish Wax Bar Buffing
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cjkBPj3i

Polishing Buff Round Wheel
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/c2vGyWqU


This is a very time consuming process and the results are not as good as with lacquer. But it’s comfortable and good enough for me.

I hope I will learn how to use lacquer one day.

 

[phrancini]

They usually reply quickly but only during German office hours. Keep in mind this is a small enthusiast store, it’s just one or two persons.

I personally do not use lacquer, since I am simply not capable of using it properly. But I will try again.

What works for me is first sanding with fine rubber tips

Rubber Silicon Nail Drill Milling Cutter
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cVbPecLq


Then wild leather https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NH97NOM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FQj1Cb2DWP3XV


Dreve Polishing Compound Polish Wax Bar Buffing
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cjkBPj3i

Polishing Buff Round Wheel
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/c2vGyWqU


This is a very time consuming process and the results are not as good as with lacquer. But it’s comfortable and good enough for me.

I hope I will learn how to use lacquer one day.

Thank you very much for your kind reply,
I'll wail for them to answer my email. I hope they will be able to help me.
In the meantime I'll work on the impression and maybe i'll ask some more help on how to cut them!

 

[Kulgrinda]

hello everyone,
I finally decided to pull the trigger and embark myself in this journey. I've always been fascinated with CIEMs and now it's my turn to get a pair.
This saturday I'm going to visit an audiologist to take my impressions, in the meantime I placed an order on McEar.de after all the post mentioning the store, but now I've a problem.

I placed an order that I'd like to modify before it gets shipped (and also ordered by mistake a product not available in my country but it still went through). I sent them 2 emails but no reply so far.
has anybody ordered from them recently?

since the laquer seems to be unavailable to be shipped internationally is there any alternative product that i can buy?

thanks in advance

I've placed an order couple of days ago ant it hasn't been shipped yet. But I'm not worried, it is not the first time I buy this that store. Maybe owner is on spring vacation

 

[Kulgrinda]

So I finally found time to test 3 more driver configuration.
I gave another chance for ala etymotic ER4 (ED29689+green filter+18Ohm resistor) and it still was disappointing. Quite sibilant, harsh, without proper bass response and overall unenjoyable.

Then I tried dhruvmeena96's gem - GQ+RAB32033 . Finally managed to wire first setup correctly, can easily say this is a sensitive setup even though I haven't measured total resistance. Oh man this is good! Bass is clear and not overwhelming, details are very much pronounced and there is no sibilance or harshness what so ever. Soundstage is wide, music just flows. This I would recommend more for mainstream music, for classical music I like more pronounced top end. Before this point I wasn't fully happy with any setup I've had made, but this one will probably remain.

And I also did RAB32257 with zobel and helmholtz and horn. This is also a very enjoyable sound coming from 1 driver. Classical music sounds just great, not harsh, but brighter than GQ+RAB. However this is quite difficult earphone to driver. @dhruvmeena96 why do you add series 20 ohm resistor to the whole setup? Does it improve sound? I will probably try it without an additional resistance, some more sensitivity might improve effortlessness of this setup.

 

[dhruvmeena96]

So I finally found time to test 3 more driver configuration.
I gave another chance for ala etymotic ER4 (ED29689+green filter+18Ohm resistor) and it still was disappointing. Quite sibilant, harsh, without proper bass response and overall unenjoyable.

Then I tried dhruvmeena96's gem - GQ+RAB32033 . Finally managed to wire first setup correctly, can easily say this is a sensitive setup even though I haven't measured total resistance. Oh man this is good! Bass is clear and not overwhelming, details are very much pronounced and there is not sibilance or harshness what so ever. Soundstage is wide, music just flows. This I would recommend more for mainstream music, for classical music I like more pronounced top end. Before this point I want fully happy with any setup I've had made, but this one will probably remain.

And I also did RAB32257 with zobel and helmholtz and horn. This is also a very enjoyable sound coming from 1 driver. Classical music sounds just great, not harsh, but brighter than GQ+RAB. However this is quite difficult earphone to driver. @dhruvmeena96 why do you add series 20 ohm resistor to the whole setup? Does it improve sound? I will probably try it without an additional resistance, some more sensitivity might improve effortlessness of this setup.

Resistor is to linearise the electrical phase, tighten up the lagged bass due to resonator. Resonator can lag the bass up and resistor tightens it back. Resistor increase the overall treble detail and takes away driver IMD and DPD, which makes it sound larger and effortless.

IMD is intermodulation distortion
DPD is Doppler distortion

Reduction of DPD makes driver effortless
Reduction of IMD increase clarity.


I have done 600ohms on RAB and it outclasses all multi drivers setup. But I needed an amp.

Effect in change of sound starts from 14ohms and the largest effect is at 27.5ohms

After that, resistor seem to show law of diminishing returns

14, 20, 33 and 600ohms are recommended

For MASM....its 8ohms to 12ohms
This amount of resistor can be added...after that...it disbalance the sound... So dont try above that

 

[Kulgrinda]

Resistor is to linearise the electrical phase, tighten up the lagged bass due to resonator. Resonator can lag the bass up and resistor tightens it back. Resistor increase the overall treble detail and takes away driver IMD and DPD, which makes it sound larger and effortless.

IMD is intermodulation distortion
DPD is Doppler distortion

Reduction of DPD makes driver effortless
Reduction of IMD increase clarity.


I have done 600ohms on RAB and it outclasses all multi drivers setup. But I needed an amp.

Effect in change of sound starts from 14ohms and the largest effect is at 27.5ohms

After that, resistor seem to show law of diminishing returns

14, 20, 33 and 600ohms are recommended

For MASM....its 8ohms to 12ohms
This amount of resistor can be added...after that...it disbalance the sound... So dont try above that

I haven't tried MASM with series resistor yet, maybe I'll give a go. Thanks!

 

[dhruvmeena96]

I haven't tried MASM with series resistor yet, maybe I'll give a go. Thanks!

Series resistor will go on positive leg, after that the whole circuit continues.

Series resistor will increase treble slightly and will increase the tightness of bass overall. Still not sibilant. Overall resolution magnitude will increase and static noise will decrease due to low impedance.

I recommend 10ohms

Overall 16ohms DCR impedance.

 

[Kulgrinda]

Series resistor will go on positive leg, after that the whole circuit continues.

Series resistor will increase treble slightly and will increase the tightness of bass overall. Still not sibilant. Overall resolution magnitude will increase and static noise will decrease due to low impedance.

I recommend 10ohms

Overall 16ohms DCR impedance.

Static noise is not bad on my DX150. On high output there is some hissing, but on low it is inaudible.

 

[Ivan TT]

In a case you haven’t heard yet, Soundlink will have Sonion BAs in stock in about a week

Datasheets here:
https://www.sonion.com/documentation/

 

[dhruvmeena96]

In a case you haven’t heard yet, Soundlink will have Sonion BAs in stock in about a week

Amazing.......amazing

 

[eunice]

Interesting measurements, thanks! For the argument's sake - have you tried the same test with reversed polarity on CI?

This should settle it:



What Knowles calls "Positive Terminal" in the data sheet should be connected to the positive of the audio source.

 

[Kulgrinda]

This should settle it:



What Knowles calls "Positive Terminal" in the data sheet should be connected to the positive of the audio source.

Clear as the sky in the cloudless February day Thanks!

 

[eunice]

Clarity Shootout 2:

Spoiler: Graph

Keep in mind:

- Tube lengths are too long. Since I build CIEMs, I need the tubes longer to insert and then cut to length later
- No dampers at all yet
- MASM v2 with resonator but no damper and additional tube length
- Knowles GV is included with closed and open vents. Interestingly: Open vents improve clarity a lot.

 

[dhruvmeena96]

Clarity Shootout 2:

Spoiler: Graph

Keep in mind:

- Tube lengths are too long. Since I build CIEMs, I need the tubes longer to insert and then cut to length later
- No dampers at all yet
- MASM v2 with resonator but no damper and additional tube length
- Knowles GV is included with closed and open vents. Interestingly: Open vents improve clarity a lot.

That's C80, which checks the music clarity. Without dampers and tuning perspective, it would just show the capability of driver only.
C50 is important

And D clarity test will actually show overall clarity.

GV with vents open boost the bass so its more hearable but the decay eats up the clarity in real world scenario

As the graphs seems balanced to each other, it will show the nature of clarity and not the amount.

And MASM is a full range design, so the clarity just shows that MASM dont compete in the clarity section. It is just tuning that makes it up.
Crossover drivers like B6 and GV will show higher clarity due to reduced IMD and DPD due to frequency division. 4x RAF shows clarity improvement due to load sharing between same drivers.
Tubing length may create issue as the loss of detail in high frequency is noticeable and long tube adds tube reverb too, which messes up the sound clarity.
But still nice work done. It shows the capability of drivers

Can you post a comparative frequency analysis. That is important for me to tune up the MASM