[curicat]

Any tips on buying azla xelastecs without trying it first? I normally wear small/medium tips on other devices for example on sony wireless TWS I fit with small ear tips. but I just dont want to spend ear buds only then realising its too small/big.

The first time I bought I ordered the pack with 3 different sizes (one pair per size). Look for that one. Mine was I think M/ML/L. But they seem to be consistent with most other eartips size wise, so you'll probably find a fit with your normal size.

 

[firesign]

Welcome to the club, my friend. Have you also got 3 of those with your DM? Since I exorcisied and buried all of mine in a sacred ground I definetly became a much better person overall!

Soundwise, yeah, that cable is different from the ones I have too. However I found that with Avalon it's possible to just use the filters to tune the iems to account for that. May worth a try. For example, I settled on a Dunu DW02 (silver plated copper) and moved the lower filter a bit bassier then with original and upper to blue. And it sounds even better now.

I will try with an NiceHCK cable I have, trying to sand the plastic of the connector a little until it fits into the hole of the capsules.

 

[curicat]

BTW, there are also cable options from IMR itself too. On there website in accessories they sell two previous (pink) cables. I have the original one (not the 2021 option) and it's pretty soft and comfortable, miles better then the latest abomination. The loyality code can be applied at checkout too.

I wouldn't necessarily be rushing to buy it, but it's another option, if you eventually decide that you want a new cable. And it is guranteed to fit in the socket without issues.

 

[firesign]

BTW, there are also cable options from IMR itself too. On there website in accessories they sell two previous (pink) cables. I have the original one (not the 2021 option) and it's pretty soft and comfortable, miles better then the latest abomination. The loyality code can be applied at checkout too.

I wouldn't necessarily be rushing to buy it, but it's another option, if you eventually decide that you want a new cable. And it is guranteed to fit in the socket without issues.

I have one of those too. I will try it this evening before doing nothing to my NiceHCK cable, but I remember I didn't like it.

 

[lukito09]

Sizing is difficult. I use the 14mm large tips as I have wider ear canals. The Xelastecs are available on Amazon here in the UK but they cost £16 for two pairs....very expensive....too expensive to make a mistake with. I really have no idea if you can get the fit you need.

It is expensive such an overprice piece of plastic the three diff size is $50 aud alone. But I get it its a niche product hence the price. So can you just tell me if you are using L size from original dark matter bud is it the same size on Xelastecs?

The first time I bought I ordered the pack with 3 different sizes (one pair per size). Look for that one. Mine was I think M/ML/L. But they seem to be consistent with most other eartips size wise, so you'll probably find a fit with your normal size.

Hmm yes I saw mine has ss/s/ms and MS/M/ML I am looking at these 2 and they xost $50 I cant afford to make mistake as paying $100 for eartips are beyond dumb

Some people say the you go one size down, but if you use eartips from imr which size u use and is it the same size on Xelastecs? Or you go one sise down?

 

[Zeppmeister]

It is expensive such an overprice piece of plastic the three diff size is $50 aud alone. But I get it its a niche product hence the price. So can you just tell me if you are using L size from original dark matter bud is it the same size on Xelastecs?

Hmm yes I saw mine has ss/s/ms and MS/M/ML I am looking at these 2 and they xost $50 I cant afford to make mistake as paying $100 for eartips are beyond dumb

Some people say the you go one size down, but if you use eartips from imr which size u use and is it the same size on Xelastecs? Or you go one sise down?

I did go a size down. I typically use L in right ear and M in left ear (fun). With Xelastec, the ML was good for right ear and MS (and M, actually) worked fine for left ear.

I really liked the Xelastec ... for two months. Then they became less effective. Too pricey for the short lifespan.

 

[jon parker]

Having owned almost all of the IMR IEMs a couple of points
Disclosure: I use Newbee foam tips that fit my ears perfectly / I use 4.4mm balanced with Hi res/ DSD / vinyl using Sony Flagship player. Speaking from POV of fully burned in IEMs

A few people have been having a go at the new cable citing fit issues and others and dismissing it out of hand
Just to say I respect people's experiences but...
To perhaps ponder...Bob creates universally praised IEMs - to suggest that he doesn't know what he is doing with his cable selection doesn't seem logical or sing true

In terms of fit - an over ear cable universally speaking, will not pull IEMs out of an ear. An inflexible plastic ear guide may prove to be less than ideal though in how they position the unit for some ear shapes.
Personally I always [carefully] remove the plastic bit which allows the cable to sit tight over the top and behind the ear

Ear tips need to be a snug / correct fit to allow the full spectrum of frequencies to present themselves in the way that the tuning is intended. If the tips are not fitting well then of course the shell will move or fall out.
One of the 'joys' of this hobby is finding a tip that works perfectly for YOUR ears both in terms of fit and the sound signature relationship.

In terms of how the new cable sounds - FIRSTLY you have to have a fully burned in IEM to accurately form an opinion on the relationship between what the cable adds or subtracts to the sound signature of the IEM. Its gets more complicated as you can use many different filters to tweak the sound and they do sometimes act differently between Models.
Which each IMR IEM, as well as trying different technologies Bob also tends to offer a different / unique tuning to arrive at the specific sound signature / experience he wants -
This does not always match one's personal wishes in terms of sound signature!
In regards to Dark Matter - Bob has tuned to give maximum bass quality and quantity whilst still retaining Mids and treble AND with a huge soundstage via the conduction

He is using the largest 'Motors' yet which means the pistonic action of the drivers can be pretty huge - Combine that with the ultra rigid ADLC/CNT drivers then you get some specific and interesting sound signature potentialities.
I have experienced what I expected and slightly feared which is sometimes a highly accurate but at times aggressively lively-nouss - The driver very quickly pushes the information 'at you' - I find this can be a bit fatiguing at times and yet very similar to the experience of sound at a live concert
This is where I think the new cable comes into its own as it is slightly darker and warmer than his previous cables - I think this slightly mitigates and calms down this effect
I find this a profoundly skillful approach - Working with sound is often game of a thousand subtleties

Bit also there is 'SYNERGY' - an often overlooked but vital aspect on your sound set up - There is so much that happens before the sound hits your mind
DAP - Balanced / Un-balanced - quality & type of music - cable - tips - tuning of IEM - Mood
If you get ONE of these 'not quite right' then you might then think or blame all or some of the other parts
This is where time and experience in this hobby really comes into its own - and why this forum is so useful to share views and ideas
At the moment I have 1x Main TOTL DAP and one much cheaper 'Travel' DAP - My IEMS sound very different on each one so if I go from one to another I can KNOW the difference lies in the different tuning and components of each DAP - Sometimes certain albums sound much 'better' on one than than the other.

With IMR's I usually work to get the bass how I prefer and then tune the mids and highs whilst trying to appreciate the characteristic of the specific IEM

BUT - you HAVE to FULLY burn in IMR IEMs as the sound characteristics can and do change drastically until they are fully burned in. Perhaps due to the rigidity of the new CNT/ADLC drivers my Dark Matter took well OVER 400 hours to finally change for the better - They sounded awful for many many hours before that

Anyway - im just trying to say - maybe better to explain why something is not working well for you than trashing it as this can influence others in a negative way and so is not very helpful.
We are all at different places in our audio journey - what may be true for us today may be left behind tomorrow as we learn and increase the quality of our equipment, improve the quality of our listening and source / source material

Sorry, Im thinking out loud here - day off & listening to music so rather than stare at a wall IM writing down some thoughts

PS - I have tried lots of different cables with my IMRs but in the long run it has only increased my respect for the IMR cables and 99% of the time I come back to and use them

 

[firesign]

Having owned almost all of the IMR IEMs a couple of points
Disclosure: I use Newbee foam tips that fit my ears perfectly / I use 4.4mm balanced with Hi res/ DSD / vinyl using Sony Flagship player. Speaking from POV of fully burned in IEMs

A few people have been having a go at the new cable citing fit issues and others and dismissing it out of hand
Just to say I respect people's experiences but...
To perhaps ponder...Bob creates universally praised IEMs - to suggest that he doesn't know what he is doing with his cable selection doesn't seem logical or sing true

In terms of fit - an over ear cable universally speaking, will not pull IEMs out of an ear. An inflexible plastic ear guide may prove to be less than ideal though in how they position the unit for some ear shapes.
Personally I always [carefully] remove the plastic bit which allows the cable to sit tight over the top and behind the ear

Ear tips need to be a snug / correct fit to allow the full spectrum of frequencies to present themselves in the way that the tuning is intended. If the tips are not fitting well then of course the shell will move or fall out.
One of the 'joys' of this hobby is finding a tip that works perfectly for YOUR ears both in terms of fit and the sound signature relationship.

In terms of how the new cable sounds - FIRSTLY you have to have a fully burned in IEM to accurately form an opinion on the relationship between what the cable adds or subtracts to the sound signature of the IEM. Its gets more complicated as you can use many different filters to tweak the sound and they do sometimes act differently between Models.
Which each IMR IEM, as well as trying different technologies Bob also tends to offer a different / unique tuning to arrive at the specific sound signature / experience he wants -
This does not always match one's personal wishes in terms of sound signature!
In regards to Dark Matter - Bob has tuned to give maximum bass quality and quantity whilst still retaining Mids and treble AND with a huge soundstage via the conduction

He is using the largest 'Motors' yet which means the pistonic action of the drivers can be pretty huge - Combine that with the ultra rigid ADLC/CNT drivers then you get some specific and interesting sound signature potentialities.
I have experienced what I expected and slightly feared which is sometimes a highly accurate but at times aggressively lively-nouss - The driver very quickly pushes the information 'at you' - I find this can be a bit fatiguing at times and yet very similar to the experience of sound at a live concert
This is where I think the new cable comes into its own as it is slightly darker and warmer than his previous cables - I think this slightly mitigates and calms down this effect
I find this a profoundly skillful approach - Working with sound is often game of a thousand subtleties

Bit also there is 'SYNERGY' - an often overlooked but vital aspect on your sound set up - There is so much that happens before the sound hits your mind
DAP - Balanced / Un-balanced - quality & type of music - cable - tips - tuning of IEM - Mood
If you get ONE of these 'not quite right' then you might then think or blame all or some of the other parts
This is where time and experience in this hobby really comes into its own - and why this forum is so useful to share views and ideas
At the moment I have 1x Main TOTL DAP and one much cheaper 'Travel' DAP - My IEMS sound very different on each one so if I go from one to another I can KNOW the difference lies in the different tuning and components of each DAP - Sometimes certain albums sound much 'better' on one than than the other.

With IMR's I usually work to get the bass how I prefer and then tune the mids and highs whilst trying to appreciate the characteristic of the specific IEM

BUT - you HAVE to FULLY burn in IMR IEMs as the sound characteristics can and do change drastically until they are fully burned in. Perhaps due to the rigidity of the new CNT/ADLC drivers my Dark Matter took well OVER 400 hours to finally change for the better - They sounded awful for many many hours before that

Anyway - im just trying to say - maybe better to explain why something is not working well for you than trashing it as this can influence others in a negative way and so is not very helpful.
We are all at different places in our audio journey - what may be true for us today may be left behind tomorrow as we learn and increase the quality of our equipment, improve the quality of our listening and source / source material

Sorry, Im thinking out loud here - day off & listening to music so rather than stare at a wall IM writing down some thoughts

PS - I have tried lots of different cables with my IMRs but in the long run it has only increased my respect for the IMR cables and 99% of the time I come back to and use them

The cable is very rigid and placed "leverage" behind the ear, colliding with it and quite annoying.
And on the other side, that "lever" pulls the capsules out.

Bob may have experience and know what he's doing, I'm not saying anything against it. And I also know that what I say in my case is true. I've tried dozens of cables and dozens of IEMs, at all price points. I have had from the cheapest KZ to my top an U12t. And this effect of taking the capsules out has only been caused by these cables from the DM, and a very thick cable from Kbear that I bought 1 year ago, and had to sell because I couldn't use it.

 

[jon parker]

The cable is very rigid and placed "leverage" behind the ear, colliding with it and quite annoying.
And on the other side, that "lever" pulls the capsules out.

Bob may have experience and know what he's doing, I'm not saying anything against it. And I also know that what I say in my case is true. I've tried dozens of cables and dozens of IEMs, at all price points. I have had from the cheapest KZ to my top an U12t. And this effect of taking the capsules out has only been caused by these cables from the DM, and a very thick cable from Kbear that I bought 1 year ago, and had to sell because I couldn't use it.

Thanks for clarifying - my point was only that I personally have never had any issues with any IMR's or their cables, although I do remove the plastic sleaving! -
It just worry's me that people may read comments and then just assume that the cable is Inherently bad
I'm genuinely sorry to hear you have had issues and I very much empathise with your experience. Did you try removing the plastic sheath ?
That is the only part of the cable that I did not like

 

[dharmasteve]

It is expensive such an overprice piece of plastic the three diff size is $50 aud alone. But I get it its a niche product hence the price. So can you just tell me if you are using L size from original dark matter bud is it the same size on Xelastecs?

I never use stock eartips. From my experiences with stock eartips, which are not good, I usually use a few eartip brands that fit me and seal well and suit my ear canals to. So usually I will cycle between L Spiral Dot originals, L Azla Sena Earfits, L Azla Xelastecs, L Acoustune, and super large Penon Audio tips to get big bass. 14mm and 15mm for the Penon.

 

[paggio]

Is here anybody who has both Elan & Astra Ultraque iems at the moment?

 

[yaps66]

The cable is an issue and tips too. I bought a cable from https://kotoriaudio.com/
They fit on to the Dark Matter reasonably well and are lighter by far than the original. I do get a seal with Spiral Dots but I find Azla Xelastecs have a natural kind of surface that is mildly sticky and seal well. I do have larger ear canals so we all differ. The angle of the DM in the ear is important. Anyway I got the Kotori 'Carbon' Cable. It's Copper Litz and I like it. It may be worth emailing Kotori if you get interested.

+1 on having an important fit and +1 on the angle of the insertion. It is key to getting the most out of the amazing bass that the DM is capable of. My goto tips are the Comply branded foam tips. Hasn’t failed me yet.

 

[dharmasteve]

The quality of the cable that comes with the Dark Matter is excellent except for the ear guides. I found that as recommended by @yiokuan the Kotori 'Carbon' Copper Litz cable is very light but reproduces slightly more defined leading note edges than the stock cable and fits my ears better. So I've got the IMR 'Pro' cable on my Ozar and the Kotori 'Carbon' on the Dark Matter.

 

[firesign]

Thanks for clarifying - my point was only that I personally have never had any issues with any IMR's or their cables, although I do remove the plastic sleaving! -

Did you try removing the plastic sheath ?
That is the only part of the cable that I did not like

Of course. It's the first thing I have done, and almost the first thing I wrote in my post before.

The old IMR cable seems to work a lot better.

 

[curicat]

Or you go one sise down?

No I use the same L size.

But I don't try to shove it deep in the ear channel. I think that was the idea of going size down and I don't think it was related specifically to xelastics, so you can just try to go one size down on original tips to see if you like it.

But as mentioned xelastics degrade over time, so if you feel they are expensive to try out may be reconsider getting them as you may want to replace them from time to time, so it may not be a one time purchase. They are still functional, but the material looks old and deforms.