IMR Acoustics EDP (Every Day Planar)
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Ludwig1968
100+ Head-Fier
HI, good EDP review, I agree 100% with you. I can add only two things: 1) with some recordings I slightly prefere EDP over Rah, Aten etc.I'm a planar fan (Infinity home speakers). 2) I've forgotten even the cable, during listening; Linum cables are the nearest thing to wireless without wireless sound quality issues. I apologize for my poor English, it's only a souvenir of schooldays......Finally received my EDP as well. And wow, that is one solid first listening experience. Used them 2 days for about 10 hours each, for music and communication.
The sound is excellent, especially for the price. Maybe not as 'big' or deep as the RAH, but still very impressive. And I am sure they will keep opening up while burn-in progresses. Maybe it's me getting used to them, but I feel they already improved from minute one to 20 hours later.
Especially the mids are incredible (Thanks, Planar <3). Extremely precise and detailed, with almost life like instrument representation. Although you can clearly tell, when you stumble across a lower quality recording or sample. The EDP's are certainly not going to hide anything from you.
The titanium bass is incredibly clean, even at very high volumes. A bit too less for my taste on subtle tracks (I am IMR customer for a reason), but very capable, if called for by the source.
And honestly, I am glad to have a little break from Bass-Head land, especially since I recently upgraded my home cinema with an ASW AS10, which is really shaking things up
Not sure if I prefer the planar-only highs over the piezzo. Both the RAH and the EDP have no real sibilance and I don't get any fatigue, even after several hours of listening.
They are pretty holographic and are capable of giving a good representation of the sound stage, although not to an extend like the RAH for example. Same goes for instrument separation. Not as great as with other IEM's, but certainly on a high level.
In terms of Genre affinity, the EDP is best suited for vocal oriented tracks and instrumentals with string instruments. Especially fast paced metal sounds really good, since the fast kick-drums are represented cleanly and not overpowering.
Hiphop sounds great as well, especially if you prefer the focus to be on the artists voice instead of the drums. Also the typical V shaped mixing of modern Hiphop tracks works perfectly with the EDP.
For electronic music without vocals there are better alternatives (Aten and RAH for example, which are perfect for those genres), since here most tracks rely heavily on deep, impactful low end and a big sound stage.
As I said, they are Incredibly pleasant to use. Probably the best experience of any audio product I have had in terms of look and feel:
The design is very appealing to me, the build quality is superb. Anodisation is on the same level as the RAHs and the seams between the parts are even cleaner.
They are super lightweight, especially compared to the RAHs, which were additionally rather top-heavy. The fit inside the ears is pretty flush, might even be suitable for bed-time listening.
I barely notice them during use, the only part I feel after a while is the cable.
Also they don't tend to slip out after some time or require a lot of readjustment to keep them sounding good, which was bothering me a bit with previous IMR IEM's. Especially that the fit got loose while talking expressively, which was a bummer if I used them on the PC...
Since they are fully closed, apart from the little venting hole, there is close to no leakage. Isolation is sufficient, you will still be able to tell what's going on around at moderate volume.
One negative (or positive?) thing is, I don't feel the need to try any other filter combinations than black on black. Less low-end is not really an option for me (I am IMR customer for a reason), and the highs feel really good already.
Negative, because that always was a very nice part of the journey with IMR products.
So far i feel like Bob has reached all (and maybe more) of what he wanted to achieve with this product:
Providing an affordable, more pleasant to use Planar IEM, that is easy to drive and still delivers incredible sound quality.
Too bad the EDP is no longer available for purchase, I think there are not many people that would not appreciate this product.
And well, I would certainly order 1 or 2 for my family... For the price you cannot do anything wrong here, these might have the best value of mid range IEM's.
On a side note, I'm glad Bob can now move away from the pre-order model and offer products from stock, because for some people reviews are necessary to decide for a product of this class in this highly competitive market.
About the delay with shipping... Bob clearly is not the best with mass communication and planing realistically. People that bought previously from him know there is always a couple weeks of delay with pre-orders.
But in this case not only he is to blame. This whole Corona situation, reduced staff numbers in this already small post office and the much higher number of pre-orders (EDP, Halcyon and PB1 at the same time) certainly delayed it a lot on top.
I guess patience is the price you have to pay for an excellent product with even better customer service later on.
Sorry if formatting is a bit strange, I'm writing all of this on my phone
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Your souvenir English is better than my Trophy Italian any day! I'm also a big fan of planar and I really can't wait for my EDPs to arrive. They've been in transit for 21 days so they've got to be close.HI, good EDP review, I agree 100% with you. I can add only two things: 1) with some recordings I slightly prefere EDP over Rah, Aten etc.I'm a planar fan (Infinity home speakers). 2) I've forgotten even the cable, during listening; Linum cables are the nearest thing to wireless without wireless sound quality issues. I apologize for my poor English, it's only a souvenir of schooldays......
Ludwig1968
100+ Head-Fier
You'll not be disappointed by EDP. I'm on black+black filters and about 30 hours of listening and they are still getting better day by day. I'm rediscovering some subtle particulars on records I was presuming to know "groove by groove". EDP signature reminds me, by far, to the signature of another IEM I like too much, Campfire Orion; EDP shows, of course, better extension in both sides of the spectrum (low and high) but the detail rendition is IMHO very similar. They are both music.... 
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My EDP are now released from quarantine, and my very first impressions as I opened the case are that it's an impressive package and includes everything I'd need.
Cables look, and feel very nice, and the absence of the 4.4mm that I ordered doesn't concern me since Bob has already been in touch to reassure his customers that they're on their way to us (glad he did this as I'd be assuming an error otherwise).
The inclusion of the 2.5 balanced cable is very nice, especially as IMR's cables are considerably classier and more expensive than the ones I generally buy myself, nice bonus!
The EDP themselves are really nice looking, and (with due respect to relevant photographers) haven't come across in pictures to their full advantage.
The anodising is very nice, and in person, the colour falls between silver and gunmetal.
The red piece, which in some of the early pic's looks like it could be plastic, is actually a very nicely done rich red colour (very obviously metal in person). The combo' results in a very attractive overall presentation.
Fit and finish is impeccable on the shell, and the nozzles/filters are easy to remove and fit.
The nozzle length is just right IMO.
I'd assumed that the EDP would come with 3 or 4 of IMR's filter sets, but I was surprised to find a full 6 sets!
BTW, can anyone tell me what the extra two base 'filters' (more nozzles to me, as they don't introduce anything between eardrum and driver) included in the case are for? They're silver and grey, and don't get a mention on the 'key' card in the box.
I haven't done any burning in yet, but, my impressions after about 20 tracks, straight outta' the box are that I'm gonna LIKE these!
Clarity and definition are on point, even though I'm coming straight from my Shuoer Tapes, which are superb in those regards (EDP seems to be better in both).
Mids are refreshing, in that they're fairly front and centre (metaphor, not spatially) and both male and female voices are very well represented.
Treble is very clear and seems extended without any sibilance or other FR peaks that I can hear (early 50's with some tinnitus here, for context).
Bass is taut, agile and articulate, but maybe somewhat lower in quantity than I'd expect from a manufacturer famed for their dedication to the bottom end of the FR. My EDP (my first IMR BTW) came fitted with black lower filters, and black uppers, which is a bassy combo according to the key card, and I'd hoped for MOAR BASS with that combo'.
BTW, my preferred territory is the no-mans-land between bass aficionado and straight up basshead, but with few, or even no compromises in the rest of the FR (demanding, I know).
Perhaps the bass will emerge a little after more extended use/burn? Even if it doesn't though, I think I might be fine with the black lower. For what it's worth, the lack of a 4.4mm cable means that I'm currently comparing my Tape, balanced, with the EDP- single ended (Hiby R5).
Voices and guitars are what're getting my immediate attention. Fiddle and violin seem very nicely represented too.
I'm cautiously optimistic that my high expectations will be satisfied, as these are very accomplished and quite mature sounding OOTB and as long as nothing goes awry during burn-in I can say that these are the best sounding iem's I own (competing against custom TF10's, blon bl03's, and my current champ the Shuoer Tape!)
OK, they're going in a box to burn on my Echobox Explorer for a couple of days, and I'll give 'em a short listen then.
Cables look, and feel very nice, and the absence of the 4.4mm that I ordered doesn't concern me since Bob has already been in touch to reassure his customers that they're on their way to us (glad he did this as I'd be assuming an error otherwise).
The inclusion of the 2.5 balanced cable is very nice, especially as IMR's cables are considerably classier and more expensive than the ones I generally buy myself, nice bonus!
The EDP themselves are really nice looking, and (with due respect to relevant photographers) haven't come across in pictures to their full advantage.
The anodising is very nice, and in person, the colour falls between silver and gunmetal.
The red piece, which in some of the early pic's looks like it could be plastic, is actually a very nicely done rich red colour (very obviously metal in person). The combo' results in a very attractive overall presentation.
Fit and finish is impeccable on the shell, and the nozzles/filters are easy to remove and fit.
The nozzle length is just right IMO.
I'd assumed that the EDP would come with 3 or 4 of IMR's filter sets, but I was surprised to find a full 6 sets!
BTW, can anyone tell me what the extra two base 'filters' (more nozzles to me, as they don't introduce anything between eardrum and driver) included in the case are for? They're silver and grey, and don't get a mention on the 'key' card in the box.
I haven't done any burning in yet, but, my impressions after about 20 tracks, straight outta' the box are that I'm gonna LIKE these!
Clarity and definition are on point, even though I'm coming straight from my Shuoer Tapes, which are superb in those regards (EDP seems to be better in both).
Mids are refreshing, in that they're fairly front and centre (metaphor, not spatially) and both male and female voices are very well represented.
Treble is very clear and seems extended without any sibilance or other FR peaks that I can hear (early 50's with some tinnitus here, for context).
Bass is taut, agile and articulate, but maybe somewhat lower in quantity than I'd expect from a manufacturer famed for their dedication to the bottom end of the FR. My EDP (my first IMR BTW) came fitted with black lower filters, and black uppers, which is a bassy combo according to the key card, and I'd hoped for MOAR BASS with that combo'.
BTW, my preferred territory is the no-mans-land between bass aficionado and straight up basshead, but with few, or even no compromises in the rest of the FR (demanding, I know).
Perhaps the bass will emerge a little after more extended use/burn? Even if it doesn't though, I think I might be fine with the black lower. For what it's worth, the lack of a 4.4mm cable means that I'm currently comparing my Tape, balanced, with the EDP- single ended (Hiby R5).
Voices and guitars are what're getting my immediate attention. Fiddle and violin seem very nicely represented too.
I'm cautiously optimistic that my high expectations will be satisfied, as these are very accomplished and quite mature sounding OOTB and as long as nothing goes awry during burn-in I can say that these are the best sounding iem's I own (competing against custom TF10's, blon bl03's, and my current champ the Shuoer Tape!)
OK, they're going in a box to burn on my Echobox Explorer for a couple of days, and I'll give 'em a short listen then.
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NellieG
1000+ Head-Fier
Pretty much ignore the card with the graph as all models receive the same one.
You should be able to separate the coloured filters and the silver and grey are bass nozzles which you would screw onto them a coloured top filter.
You should be able to separate the coloured filters and the silver and grey are bass nozzles which you would screw onto them a coloured top filter.
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Very cool, thank you.Pretty much ignore the card with the graph as all models receive the same one.
You should be able to separate the coloured filters and the silver and grey are bass nozzles which you would screw onto them a coloured top filter.
EDIT:
Wow, the nozzle/filter options are dizzying in number.
Six upper filters, and EIGHT nozzles!
48 possible combo's seems almost excessively opulent when compared to the... ONE most iem's provide, LOL.
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BTW, what filter combination you prefer on the EDP? What combination is the best to capture their nature? Black on black?
ChrisPBacon
Head-Fier
I've done several combos; black on black seems best so far with red on black second. @NellieG sounds from other threads to be an IMR filter guru. They might be a good person to ask... What source are you using?
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NellieG
1000+ Head-Fier
Oh god no, i'm so not and i apologise if i ever presented myself this way. All i know is to use them as attenuators rather than thinking of them as sound signatures, too much bass then go down the bar chart, too hot in the treble then go down the filters, most to least blue, black, red, pink, green, gold. I set the mids with the desired volume and see if the lows or highs are too hot and adjust accordingly.
masterpfa
1000+ Head-Fier
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Ah Ha, someone else who owns an Echobox Explorer. ALthough I couldn't tell you where mine is, somewhere packed away in my house
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