[NellieG]

 

[Toesnip13]

Hey everybody! I’m a total newbie on here but have gone through every page of this and the Aten R2 forum and then purchased a pair of B-stock 5th Gen New Atens

What an incredible listen they are! I’ve settled on the included double flange tips and am using a silver bass filter and golden treble filter. I found that after running them in a bit (Bob said B-stock won’t really require it)and experimenting I initially had purple bass and blue treble but this new setup now gives me such a beautiful pulsating bass and a flat-ish response.

I cannot believe that I’m able to listen to a jazz quartet, death metal and EDM/Psytrance with the same earphones, and I’m just listening through an iPhone X using Tidal!
It’s just a magnificent stereoscopic experience. They absolutely ate my SE535s (which I sent back) for breakfast.

I think one of the best IEM test tracks I’ve played so far over the years is Trilok Gurtu, "Once I Wished a Tree Upside Down" and wow I was blown away

I also use them for my e-drums.

Anyways cool to be on here and be with so many music lovers and fellow audiophiles.


Thanks
Dave

 

[Poganin]

Welcome to our merry band of IMR fans. I was extremely happy with the Aten, too, when I got it. I need to give it some love again, because I've neglected it in favour of the Semper.

 

[Toesnip13]

Welcome to our merry band of IMR fans. I was extremely happy with the Aten, too, when I got it. I need to give it some love again, because I've neglected it in favour of the Semper.

Thanks!
Would you say the Semper compares to a KSE1200?

 

[Poganin]

Thanks!
Would you say the Semper compares to a KSE1200?

I've never heard the KSE1200, so I can't comment, I'm afraid.

 

[AlexCBSN]

Thanks!
Would you say the Semper compares to a KSE1200?

I can chime in.

no man, the Kse1200 is in another league, totally out of whatever you put in front of it.

 

[Toesnip13]

I can chime in.

no man, the Kse1200 is in another league, totally out of whatever you put in front of it.

Wow crazy stuff. I almost wouldn’t wanna try because not sure if I’d go back to anything else haha.

quick side question: in my tuning guide for the Aten, what does Reference mean in the recommended filter combinations?

thanks!

 

[runningwitit]

BC and the Astra for me, i think?

 

[Toesnip13]

Hey guys. If I’m using the Shure SE846 at present, will PB2 match or better them at EDM, heavy metal and classical?
Need it for critical listening. Thanks.

 

[AlexCBSN]

Hey guys. If I’m using the Shure SE846 at present, will PB2 match or better them at EDM, heavy metal and classical?
Need it for critical listening. Thanks.

The 846 is such an amazing headphone, have you tried the final audio e type tips with the adapter for em? Soundstage grows a wee and bass feels more spatial, only other ba configuration I own that feels like dd like this one is the Sony ier m9 and it goes for twice the price, amazing pair.

the pb2 has more soundstage and more textured mids, bass is alike, though the dd in the pb2 and extended highs (that need several hours of burn in) give it more realism and a more “life like” feeling to it, if you got the cash and want to try, the pb2 is an excellent choice, caveat: it does need a good source and several days of burn in (I’m at 200 and something hours and treble had settle, but i was about to send em back)

 

[Toesnip13]

The 846 is such an amazing headphone, have you tried the final audio e type tips with the adapter for em? Soundstage grows a wee and bass feels more spatial, only other ba configuration I own that feels like dd like this one is the Sony ier m9 and it goes for twice the price, amazing pair.

the pb2 has more soundstage and more textured mids, bass is alike, though the dd in the pb2 and extended highs (that need several hours of burn in) give it more realism and a more “life like” feeling to it, if you got the cash and want to try, the pb2 is an excellent choice, caveat: it does need a good source and several days of burn in (I’m at 200 and something hours and treble had settle, but i was about to send em back)

Wow thanks so much for that answer. I really am willing to order them right now. I’m just really unsure.
from what you say, the SE846 being incredible are only better by the PB2 in every aspect after adequate burn in. Fair?

 

[Daiyama]

In contrast to the Opus Mia, which is for me a very relaxing and easy listening experience, the PB2 is for me a „complicated“ inear.
The PB2 has a lot of qualities (soundstage, refined deep bass, and great mods) and I keep coming back and enjoy listening. But the PB2 has this quite emphasised peak at 2kHz (about 10-12dB, which means the PB2 is up to 4! times louder in this frequency range). This can give quite pronounced details and is fascinating in the beginning but can also get very easy very strenuous listening to. For some music this works, for some not. For me high female vocals do not work, high pitched guitar solo do not work or pronounced solo strings in classical music do not work. They all more or less „cut“ into my ears so that I have reduce the volume and the rest of the music is pushed very much in the background (but I may be more sensible in this frequency range than others).

You can try to use the lower and upper gold filter, but then the PB2 gets quite dark in tonality (or try only lower gold or upper gold). You can use an equalizer or try to find your own filter material which gets rid of the peak without changing the overall neutral tonality.
Please note this peak will not go away by burn in or changing cables. Best case scenario: you get used to it and probably start to actually like it. There are others in this forum who seems to have no issue with this peak at all.

As Bob has a very customer friendly return policy and you are from Scotland you can easily try the PB2 for your self.

 

[koyl]

In contrast to the Opus Mia, which is for me a very relaxing and easy listening experience, the PB2 is for me a „complicated“ inear.
The PB2 has a lot of qualities (soundstage, refined deep bass, and great mods) and I keep coming back and enjoy listening. But the PB2 has this quite emphasised peak at 2kHz (about 10-12dB, which means the PB2 is up to 4! times louder in this frequency range). This can give quite pronounced details and is fascinating in the beginning but can also get very easy very strenuous listening to. For some music this works, for some not. For me high female vocals do not work, high pitched guitar solo do not work or pronounced solo strings in classical music do not work. They all more or less „cut“ into my ears so that I have reduce the volume and the rest of the music is pushed very much in the background (but I may be more sensible in this frequency range than others).

You can try to use the lower and upper gold filter, but then the PB2 gets quite dark in tonality (or try only lower gold or upper gold). You can use an equalizer or try to find your own filter material which gets rid of the peak without changing the overall neutral tonality.
Please note this peak will not go away by burn in or changing cables. Best case scenario: you get used to it and probably start to actually like it. There are others in this forum who seems to have no issue with this peak at all.

As Bob has a very customer friendly return policy and you are from Scotland you can easily try the PB2 for your self.

judging by other reviews and a review from the porta fi, we can conclude that pb2 turned out to be a fun (not in the usual sense of the word) and not universal model, now there is a model for each frequency range, you need extended high-frequency take the zenith, need basses - halcyon/opus, need the middle - pb2

 

[yiokuan]

Why not give PB1 a try if you can get hold of one in the re-sale market.
Mine with more than 500hrs, and IMO on black nozzle still gives you the glorious clean sounding midrange with excellent vocal harmony and stereo imaging base on my DAP MAX and cable. Bass respond and thumping with weight to my ears is different from the rest of IMR and don’t mess with the midrange.

Enjoying Eagles Hell Freezes Over while typing.

 

[Toesnip13]

Ok so I have a bit of a confession to make. I’m using Tidal Master through an iPhone X
I know. Blapshemy right?