[pstickne]

I have absolutely no issues with the mids on the Hyla TE5B. Tips, tips and tips make the difference! Try some Azla Sedna wide bore tips and the sound all comes together!

Prior to the CE5B, I was all for silicon tips and an 'airtight seal' (which, face it, is required for any BA-bass presence). The Hylas appear to fit my ears too well and the super easy to create airtight silicon seal created a serious headache-inducing pressure issue for me.

So, I guess my questions:

How does the Azla fit compare to Spiral Dot and/or Type E in terms of sizing/fit?
Do the Azla's create an airtight seal?
Tried/recommend the 'pin prick' trick on silicon tips with the Hylas?
Have another method to manage the pressure/seal differential?

 

[pstickne]

duaned -- where can you order the Azla Sedna tips? I don't see anywhere to get them on Azla's website.

Good question, I've only been able to find https://www.minidisc.com.au/azla-sedna-eartips-2-pack (from AU) and some JP sites I can't read

I wish headphone manufacturers would make it easier to purchase their 'stock' tips. Only a few companies make this easy to order at all, much less in reasonable size packs. Final Audio, Westone, RHA are some of the rare few. I guess Starliners and Tennmak and whatnot are a dime a dozen..

 

[pstickne]

Okay, don’t know why I was so scared by the Hyla super-seal silicon tips. Those things are like octopus suckers.

My usual foam-stuffed Spiral Dots are sounding .. like Spiral Dots, which definitely make sounds more ‘room temperature’ than warm

I’m using a light seal and there is none of that initial pressure issue I experienced with the stock tips fully inserted. The Hyla fit my ears so well (yay me!) that they hold the tips in place with a ‘safe’ shallow insertion. Now I have to go through a bunch of silicon tips/sizing over the next few days. I guess it’s a bit cheaper than cable rolling

Definitely looking forward to a good place to order the Azla/Sedna tips from, as they look like a cross between Type E (rear diameter change, albeit more forward), Spiral Dots (flatter with large bore size), and maybe even EX-TC50 (texture, not thickness).

FWIW: Type E tips won’t stay on the Hyla..

 

[AlexRv]

I found Hyla tipnondependent. I tried several different tips and they sounded almost the same. As for good sealing I found symbio eartips the best for me.

 

[duaned]

duaned -- where can you order the Azla Sedna tips? I don't see anywhere to get them on Azla's website.

Yes as mentioned, I purchased them from Minidisc.

 

[pstickne]

Alright, on day 4 with 6+ hours/day. The "brain burn in" is starting to take effect. Now when I put in my K10's I'm like "why are mids so forward and sharp"? "where is that 'bang' coming from"? Now I am torn between the signatures, and preference varies between genres. It'll be fun to play with EQ again once my new ES100 arrives .. I wish I had a clear excuse to sell the K10 as it looks like it will get significantly reduced ear time.

That said the TE5B is able to bring out amazing high 'shimmers' that the K10 simply can't match. The TE5B also has much smoother and more nuanced bass (although equivalent sub/low-bass) to the K10's: a rounded "Bonng" vs a sharper in-your-face "Bang".

I find that tips still make a large difference; not quite as much on the Noble, probably due to the DD + piezo being able to 'fill in' more around the comparatively recessed mids. Yet there is still a large difference between tips on opposite ends of the spectrum as illustrated by Spiral Dots vs. OEM Ultimate Ears. And yes, tips are a good bit about psychological interpretations and odd shapes of ears as [primarily lower or higher] frequencies are muted / leaked. OEM Ultimate Ears are still syrupy sweet and treble-repressive, Spiral Dots (+foam) still mid-centered with bass shyness, and the KZ Starliners are feeling surprisingly balanced while being still scratchy and uncomfortable. The Type E's would probably work well.. if they would say on.

Seriously thinking of getting the Azlas still .. and how it makes me cry a bit on how much I've spent on tips already.

 

[pstickne]

Yes as mentioned, I purchased them from Minidisc.

I tried to purchase the Azla / Sedna tips today.. Minidisc has no overseas shipping

Now using RHA silicon tips which I am enjoying over the Spiral Dots which allow a slightly better fit in my ears and seem to have more clear low-mids.

I really wish the Type E would stay on..

 

[duaned]

Shame you didnt know someone around you that wants a pair of TE-5B IEMs. Id throw in some new Sedna tips in various sizes.

 

[pstickne]

After a month and some change of listening to her more than 6 hours each day, I’m officially declaring “my love” of the Hyla TE5B. Now I need to part with my neglected K10U.

The expansive space and separation generated by the TE5B is .. well, maybe I’ve found my “soulmate”. She lacks just a bit of directness, replacing it with insightful conversation and depth of character..

I’ve settled on some sanely priced HIFIMAN RE tips ($3.99 for the bundle on Amazon). The large flat tips fit my ears really well and don’t appear to alter the sonics in either direction. I’m considering ordering custom silicon molds.. yes, these IEMs are keepers!

For my music and preferences the TE5B dominates the K10U with one exception: the K10 does better at really low volume levels. The Hyla drivers and tuning takes a little bit more to come online. (Anyone know of relevant phon graphs?)

While I original believed vocals were an issue, this is only true or lower-pitched male singers. Again, brain “burn in” and one notch up on the volume mostly addresses this topic. Even Frank Sinatra is very listenable on the TE5B.

I found the Hyla to pair well with the FiiO Q5 and iPhone 6 SE. The Q5 might be little more clear and spacious, although the overall body feels about the same. The HiBy W5 introduced too much coloring. The ES100 feels “too clean” / sterile / analytical / lifeless with both the TE5B and K10.

I’ve tried to return to the K10 on multiple occasions, and I have no desire after having found the gentle affirming presence of the lovely Hyla TE5B.

 

[SeeSax]

Loving my TE-5B as well and I've had them for I guess a month and a half now. I love that they offer insanely fun sound while still being refined. I prefer them to my Legend X. I think the bass is tighter, the treble is more sparkly and while the mids are not as thick and lush as the Legend X, it's a trade off I can easily make for more controlled bass with real slam and more sparkly treble. I'm almost tempted to buy the TE-5T, but I feel like that will be pretty far off the signature I like. By the way, using a PW Audio "The Gold" 24PE gold-plated silver cable with the TE-5B and 4.4mm balanced out of a Sony TA-ZH1ES desktop DAC/amp. Suffice to say, this combination is pure joy. It makes 90% of the other gear I own sound boring. All that said, the Sony Z1R do give these a run for their money, but the TE-5B is still more fun

-Collin-

 

[pstickne]

Loving my TE-5B as well and I've had them for I guess a month and a half now. I love that they offer insanely fun sound while still being refined. I prefer them to my Legend X. I think the bass is tighter, the treble is more sparkly and while the mids are not as thick and lush as the Legend X, it's a trade off I can easily make for more controlled bass with real slam and more sparkly treble. I'm almost tempted to buy the TE-5T, but I feel like that will be pretty far off the signature I like. By the way, using a PW Audio "The Gold" 24PE gold-plated silver cable with the TE-5B and 4.4mm balanced out of a Sony TA-ZH1ES desktop DAC/amp. Suffice to say, this combination is pure joy. It makes 90% of the other gear I own sound boring. All that said, the Sony Z1R do give these a run for their money, but the TE-5B is still more fun

-Collin-

It’s a bit ironic that one of the amazing features of the “bass” tuning is the treble

I find the TE5B can tease the line of treble right between amazing and too much - and it’s that dance that my ears find delicious. It pushes the boundary while only occasionally stepping too far. I did elect to skip over a few jazz songs the other day though

The TE5T might have been too much for me.

 

[issuzark]

It’s a bit ironic that one of the amazing features of the “bass” tuning is the treble

I find the TE5B can tease the line of treble right between amazing and too much - and it’s that dance that my ears find delicious. It pushes the boundary while only occasionally stepping too far. I did elect to skip over a few jazz songs the other day though

The TE5T might have been too much for me.

If you think so I'm quite sure TE5T will be too much for you ahaha

 

[BananaOoyoo]

Hyla really needs to make version with a switch between the CE5/TE5-B and TE5-T. I think I’d take that over most (all?) hybrids currently available.

 

[issuzark]

Hyla really needs to make version with a switch between the CE5/TE5-B and TE5-T. I think I’d take that over most (all?) hybrids currently available.

Which is the one that'll have really nice mids? On a sidenote, I tried to EQ to get the mids in on my CE5 yesterday. I did eventually get it, but now the separation magic is lost.

 

[BananaOoyoo]

Which is the one that'll have really nice mids? On a sidenote, I tried to EQ to get the mids in on my CE5 yesterday. I did eventually get it, but now the separation magic is lost.

Well the CE-5 is the one that is supposedly tuned mid-centric (HA).

The TE-5T has some very interesting upper mids though...