The DM are an interesting IEM
in summary
[The low end is much better now after many hours but i think the DM is tuned to showcase 'bass' so it will always be a big part of the IEM. For me there is an over all warmth but with blue upper filter I never notice anything about the treble - Ive never noticed it being less or more than desired so i guess that means my ears like it. Most of my music is sourced from Vinyl and the Sony DAP is quite rich so maybe less warm for others?]
and
[I think the DM can be an incredible IEM BUT you really need to tweak and try different set ups to find the best sound for you and your own set up. Sometimes, some albums don't sound 'quite right' but when the synergy is spot on such as with the 1997 Remaster of Band of Gypsies then I cant see the sound being able to sound much better - If you think of the DM's as 'Rock/folk IEM' then no problems!!]
Well over 500 hour and now and they seem to be presenting a very pleasant warmth in general but with a natural tonality and clarity. They can be a bit of a wild horse though !
In general I prefer a natural as true-to-life sound as possible whilst also enjoying whatever unique characteristics an IEM offers.
I don't want anything exaggerated - There are times when I love a big bad bass or a sparkly ultra revealing clarity but in general I just want to enjoy the natural tonality of instruments and vocals without being 'artificially' enhanced
Anyway, blah blah - Im currently using (but need to go though another round of trying different set ups since burn in!)
the grey lower filter (blue upper) which does make the low end known with most tracks that have a quite notable low end but not TOO much beyond what is there on the track itself.
BUT with tracks that dont have an obviously produced bass like 'weirdy beardy folk music' such as
Whizz Jones you get a really nice note weight and the vocals are rich yet intimate
Switching to newly remastered
Bob Marley - Live at the Rainbow - You hear and feel the bass guitar but the quality of the tonality of it superb. TBH Im not a fan of the remaster - it seems the bass guitar is more forward than drums and vocals a lot of the time but its a good judge of bass - Im wondering if thats how it sounded in the theatre that night - If so then maybe they did a good job?
Listening to a few infamously 'all time great produced and mastered' albums - the DM's seem at their best and most well behaved & well balanced although they always sound 'powerful'
Something that is a bit more gentle really reveals though how beautiful they can sound - EG:
Gillian welch dark turn of mind
One track that I think is one the best examples Ive heard of how the DM sounds at its very best is Machine Gun - by Jimi Hendrix - Band of Gypsies (1997 remaster)
The bite and energy of the guitar / the clarity of the vocals and the hard hitting of the drums is sublime and yet perfectly balanced.
Hard to find
decent video of it but....
For Jazz lovers -
John Coltrane's 'Say it ' from album Ballards - sounds especially creamy and almost painfully intimate. a sublimely natural sound like settling into a warm bath
I find the DM really like very cleanly precise mastered audio - seems to allow the accuracy of the diamond hard fast drivers to deliver a sound that sounds. The HDTracks remaster of
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures sounds extraordinary - Like a modern day recording - Never heard Ian's lyrics so natural and in their space. It is an experience listening to this album with the DM's!!
EDM and more electronic music also sound particularly stunning with the DM
Something like Low Roar - even though its mastered to be quite 'large' its quite an all enveloping experience with the DM's -
>You become surrounded by and enveloped by the sound<
In fact i think THIS is where some issues can come - because it is so unabashed in how it surrounds you in pillows of sound if the mastering of the album isn't done well the sound can be a little disjointed
I still need to tweak but I think the bass needs to be over all slightly more fast and tighter in general - it too easily billows out and so if the low end of the music being listening too isnt ideal it doesnt work
This may be a mistake in Bob not including an actual designed Sonion Bone Conduction driver and instead relying on the chassis mounted vibrations of the 6mm driver.
This is just a critical observation
When the DMs find their synergy they sound incredible BUT its perhaps more the EXPERIENCE' of how they sound instead of the TECHNICAL abilities if how it SHOULD sound that in some circumstances let it down a bit
I have some amazing experiences listening to them but then if I switch over to the Ozar it can be a sigh of relief at times!
