[Xinlisupreme]

For sure, I see you know Bob.
I’ll skip these and I’ll finish endless PB2 burnin.
I found it very demanding for daps, should I plug to an external amp?
Any suggestion for Pb2?

 

[jsmiller58]

I really doubt these ones are the last builds. By the end of the year we have a PB3 or something like that.

Maybe “Last” was an autocorrect of “Latest”... Anyway, everyone wins if Bob keeps putting out new products, in that more choice is better than less choice... and yes, I can hear the grumbles about resale value...

 

[AlexCBSN]

I really doubt these ones are the last builds. By the end of the year we have a PB3 or something like that.

Yep

 

[weexisttocease]

For sure, I see you know Bob.
I’ll skip these and I’ll finish endless PB2 burnin.
I found it very demanding for daps, should I plug to an external amp?
Any suggestion for Pb2?

I own Zenith, EDP, RAH and Halcyon. Last year I was kind of pissed off since after getting Halcyon, Bob announced the Opus Mia and PB2. I really wanted the later but wasn't the best time financial, so I had to quit.

I don't find them hard to drive with my mid-range DAPs but probably PB2 is a different beast. Ask Bob but I don't think you need a Amp. What I find is they need a lot of burn in. EDP has been a surprise, the more I use it, the more I love it. Really good detail retrieval, lush vocals and lots of fun and musicality. Also it has the best fit and isolation. It's a bargain!

 

[weexisttocease]

Maybe “Last” was an autocorrect of “Latest”... Anyway, everyone wins if Bob keeps putting out new products, in that more choice is better than less choice... and yes, I can hear the grumbles about resale value...

That's a good one.

 

[Owludio]

This reminds me again about the difference between the WOW factor and the AHHH factor. WOW factor headphones initially makes you go WOW . . .BUT quickly loose their attraction and after a while become a bit tiring, where as AHHHH headphones just sound....'right' and natural, true to the source - You need to be quiet and in a good space, giving them high quality audio to really get that knowing AHHHH feeling - to effortlessly relax and naturally absorb INTO the music
This is certainly what it means to be an Audiophile to me

This is such a good point! The sheer raw effortless power of the Semper bass along with incredibly dense mids was the WOW factor for me, but the tonal balance wasn't coming together at first. Mids and treble however - won me over eventually. It appears to be a niche specialty IEM with ultra deep presentation. That bass, besides WOW factor, actually never becomes tiring, unless my bass sensitivity comes back and murders clarity. So, not for every day, but neither is "Every Day Planar".
Curiously, my bass sensitivity usually goes away at the same time with treble sensitivity, which is why V-shaped IEMs have place in my collection but L-shaped - not so much. EDP happens to be L-shaped.
The most notable AHHH factor I had with UM MEST. It sounded very good out of the box, but I haven't discovered its true potential for weeks, until, (once burn-in was complete), - I started experimenting with cables, fit and tips and found that every other IEM, when pushed deeper in ears, - gets more bass(most IEMs) and/or mids(ier-z1r), but MEST stage had just exploded, making me realize that this IEM meant to be custom.

Personally I sold the UM MEST right after getting the Z1R. Since I mainly listen to classical music, MEST’s timbre was quite bothersome for me. UM 3DT however sounds lovely.

So, without proper engagement of Bone Conduction driver MEST is just nicely tuned IEM with overly smooth mids(which I happen to like), but that extra resolution in upper mids and lower treble is delivered by BCD and IMO, - makes most of the difference from z1r in that area.
Sony minimizes ear-canal resonances by minimizing canal space with deep insertion. BC drivers - by bypassing ear-canal altogether.

That brings me to the important point: Fit needs to be good to get full benefits from BC and IMR IEMs with the bare exception of EDP, - aren't known for tight ergonomic fit. It makes me concerned about implementation of BC driver in the new line.

@Xinlisupreme I'd like to ask this interesting question here, because I personally am not a Bass-head & Mid-head at the same time:
Is this an oxymoron - a bass-head IEM with good mids?
I understand, that at least it has to have a very wide and deep sound-stage that can positionally separate the bass and get it out of the way of mids. Rah could accomplish that better than LX, but I suspect, only because I tuned its bass down(purple nozzle).
Also, Rah & Semper have thicker and denser mids done by planar that also helped.
So, maybe Elysium is the most promising IMO, to maybe become one?

 

[yiokuan]

My personnel preference is PB1. Great synergy with my gears. Always put me on a high when listening to Gary Moore’s album Back to the Blue. Plenty of bass air in some of the tracks and whenever that track Drowning in Tears starts playing, PB1 rendered the tuneful singing guitar with sadness. So emotional. Excellent as well with all my albums and genres.

Beauty of PB1, is bass will vary with tracks and doesn’t mess up the midrange, letting the midrange expan and excel in a slightly forward fashion than Semper. It also has good clarity with sense of space and air in the midrange and treble rivalling my Vision Ears (VE) V6x2. Matter of fact, I find PB1 and VE complement each other very well.

Overall, tonally right naturally, dynamic, cohesive and very scalable. With a thicker cable and power, it delivers the sonic bliss musically. I always deem this IMR IEM a gem and a TOTL.

Using black nozzle gold filter with Comply T600 L- the best synergy in term of my kind of signature for all my IMR with planar except OM.

 

[yiokuan]

For sure, I see you know Bob.
I’ll skip these and I’ll finish endless PB2 burnin.
I found it very demanding for daps, should I plug to an external amp?
Any suggestion for Pb2?

C9?

 

[Xinlisupreme]

This is such a good point! The sheer raw effortless power of the Semper bass along with incredibly dense mids was the WOW factor for me, but the tonal balance wasn't coming together at first. Mids and treble however - won me over eventually. It appears to be a niche specialty IEM with ultra deep presentation. That bass, besides WOW factor, actually never becomes tiring, unless my bass sensitivity comes back and murders clarity. So, not for every day, but neither is "Every Day Planar".
Curiously, my bass sensitivity usually goes away at the same time with treble sensitivity, which is why V-shaped IEMs have place in my collection but L-shaped - not so much. EDP happens to be L-shaped.
The most notable AHHH factor I had with UM MEST. It sounded very good out of the box, but I haven't discovered its true potential for weeks, until, (once burn-in was complete), - I started experimenting with cables, fit and tips and found that every other IEM, when pushed deeper in ears, - gets more bass(most IEMs) and/or mids(ier-z1r), but MEST stage had just exploded, making me realize that this IEM meant to be custom.

So, without proper engagement of Bone Conduction driver MEST is just nicely tuned IEM with overly smooth mids(which I happen to like), but that extra resolution in upper mids and lower treble is delivered by BCD and IMO, - makes most of the difference from z1r in that area.
Sony minimizes ear-canal resonances by minimizing canal space with deep insertion. BC drivers - by bypassing ear-canal altogether.

That brings me to the important point: Fit needs to be good to get full benefits from BC and IMR IEMs with the bare exception of EDP, - aren't known for tight ergonomic fit. It makes me concerned about implementation of BC driver in the new line.

@Xinlisupreme I'd like to ask this interesting question here, because I personally am not a Bass-head & Mid-head at the same time:
Is this an oxymoron - a bass-head IEM with good mids?
I understand, that at least it has to have a very wide and deep sound-stage that can positionally separate the bass and get it out of the way of mids. Rah could accomplish that better than LX, but I suspect, only because I tuned its bass down(purple nozzle).
Also, Rah & Semper have thicker and denser mids done by planar that also helped.
So, maybe Elysium is the most promising IMO, to maybe become one?

Yes Elysium would be a great choice because has ADLC 10mm instead Aten 15mm DD Bass driver!
Anyway Monday we will know more about Elysium and what Bob chose for highs, I think he would add a piezo or BA, planar for mids and ADLC for bass.
Opus Melius would be an opus mia with tighter bass and astra ultraque?!? A more reference semper?

 

[Xinlisupreme]

C9?

I thought about Romi BX-2 plus...: C9 would be amazing but maaaaan, I think it’s very expensive and you can have many options at this price, no?

 

[yiokuan]

I thought about Romi BX-2 plus...: C9 would be amazing but maaaaan, I think it’s very expensive and you can have many options at this price, no?

Was thinking of Romi as well. Along this portable/transportable price range C9 from my read and those impressions in the C9 thread should be a better option in term of flexibility and spec than Mass Kobo 424/8 or Phatlab Phantasy.

Anyway, MAX is serving me well besides those portable amps still laying around- ALO CV5(tube), TA-1 (discrete), Wagnus preamp ( tube) and Wagnus amp (discrete with black gates caps).

I am still resisting to demo C9, but knowing resistance is futile in this hobby.

 

[jon parker]

I wonder when the Astra Ultraque, Opus melius and Elysium will actually ship. I was thinking, the first we get a chance to hear the new ADLC driver & updated Planar driver in any depth will be at a minimum, nearing the end of April so that means IF the Astra Ultraque, Opus melius actually go on sale from Monday there is a lot of blind buying potentially going to have to happen. I dont distrust Bob at all and I have no doubts they will all sound phenomenal but (as one of the few people) who couldn't find a [natural] tonality I was 100% happy with from the EDP it does slightly concern me. Having said that Im not a fan of titanium drivers, I find something a tad too 'narrow' and 'tight' in how they deliver bass. Not to say they are 'bad' just something not quite right for me

 

[Poganin]

Why not just give this generation a skip then and see how it turns out? That's what I'm doing at least, since I'm quite happy with the IMR products I have and I want to do some other investments this year.
You shouldn't feel obliged to jump on each and every product that IMR puts out. My guess is that's also the reason why the runs of those BCD IEMs are so limited: Bob himself isn't too certain how they're going to be received. There's also the bit where you can't be sure if your anatomy will be compatible. I'm not trying to diss IMR here, because the company's track record has been good so far; it's just that this time there's quite a bit of uncertainty.

Also, it looks like there is some one who's interested in buying the Semper in the classifieds, if somebody wants to sell. There's another user on the ASR forum interested in a Semper, too, though I'm not sure if they're the same person.

 

[jon parker]

Why not just give this generation a skip then and see how it turns out?

To put it simply - because Bob is creating some of the best sounding IEM's out there at at price that is not taking the piss! His tuning skills are extraordinary

 

[holsen]

I own Zenith, EDP, RAH and Halcyon. Last year I was kind of pissed off since after getting Halcyon, Bob announced the Opus Mia and PB2. I really wanted the later but wasn't the best time financial, so I had to quit.

I hear you. I ordered the EDP+ to upgrade from EDP and literally 10 days later, if that, Elysium details begin to emerge. Anyway, I love they way he does Planars so I am going to ask to cancel my EDP+ in favor of the Elysium.