Zeppmeister
500+ Head-Fier
I can say with my Elan B-stock, the right unit had a couple modest scratches, about 1/4 centimeter and 1/2 centimeter. Both are on the "ear side" so it wasn't a big deal.
IMR Audio : Sonic Adventures & Impressions
- Thread starter NellieG
- Start date
Tiaa
100+ Head-Fier
I look forward to hearing from you after the burn in. I know Bob doesn't use a crossover. I think it could improve the bass without darkening the rest. but what he does is already great.Dynamics is excellent with new 10mm CNT. One of the best if not the best in my collection. As I burn in both the time will tell which one (Bravado2 or Astra) bass going to win. So, no doubt 14mm driver going to be something insane, though I'm afraid that it will be like Semper, which is too much for me, so I personally going to skip Zenith2. Good luck! The value is unbeatable indeed.Bobs tuning is phenomenal. Somehow it's magically engaging and fun.
Right now Astra is head to head with MEST, but only because of MEST superior resolution.
stormcloud64
New Head-Fier
I actually traded in my Semper for an Avalon. I hope it wasn’t a mistake.
monsieurfromag3
1000+ Head-Fier
My Dark Matter are inside a pouch, playing death metal loudly in the dark, burning-in Guantanamo style. At least my dogs have not started barking at them.
From a brief first listen, I can offer the following articulate feedback: they’re mighty good. IMR goodness, turned to 11, which is what I wanted.
Out of the box, my wife, who uses the Aten daily, was amazed by the clarity, soundstage depth, and layering. Note she is not versed in audiophile lingo; the Dark Matter do these spectacularly enough for her to spontaneously point these out instead of going through an analytical checklist. Gone are the days of the wide but shallow stage, as you could still encounter on relatively recent IMR iterations. If the Avalon better these, you soundstage-heads are in for quite a ride.
We used purple lower and red upper, the « Reference » filter set as presented in the manual, which was my exact favourite combination on the Semper, but we both agreed it was probably sub-optimal on the DM. I’ll try other combos and report. I am very curious about the experimental tuning system.
The shell looks a lot like the Rah’s, and to me the fit is infinitely better than the Semper’s. I am spoiled for unobtrusive fit by Final iems, which also amaze me with their natural timbre. But the Dark Matter will dish out more energy with superior technicality, of that I am sure, while remaining light enough.
I haven’t acclimatized to the new stock cable yet, my wife found it weird at first then noted how quickly she forgot it was even there. Also, the new small case is great. It looks a lot like what you’d put your glasses into - ingenious.
From a brief first listen, I can offer the following articulate feedback: they’re mighty good. IMR goodness, turned to 11, which is what I wanted.
Out of the box, my wife, who uses the Aten daily, was amazed by the clarity, soundstage depth, and layering. Note she is not versed in audiophile lingo; the Dark Matter do these spectacularly enough for her to spontaneously point these out instead of going through an analytical checklist. Gone are the days of the wide but shallow stage, as you could still encounter on relatively recent IMR iterations. If the Avalon better these, you soundstage-heads are in for quite a ride.
We used purple lower and red upper, the « Reference » filter set as presented in the manual, which was my exact favourite combination on the Semper, but we both agreed it was probably sub-optimal on the DM. I’ll try other combos and report. I am very curious about the experimental tuning system.
The shell looks a lot like the Rah’s, and to me the fit is infinitely better than the Semper’s. I am spoiled for unobtrusive fit by Final iems, which also amaze me with their natural timbre. But the Dark Matter will dish out more energy with superior technicality, of that I am sure, while remaining light enough.
I haven’t acclimatized to the new stock cable yet, my wife found it weird at first then noted how quickly she forgot it was even there. Also, the new small case is great. It looks a lot like what you’d put your glasses into - ingenious.
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stormcloud64
New Head-Fier
Has anyone received either the Avalon or Dark Matter yet? I received my tracking number on 2/9 and STILL nothing on the Royal Mail website. "Sorry, we're currently unable to confirm the status of your item with reference XXXXX." Frustrating...
Here's the blemish on mine. Luck of the draw I guess. No impact on sound though as far as I can tell.
Hi Yaps66, how is the Ozar bass compared to Tri I3 pro bass?Here's the blemish on mine. Luck of the draw I guess. No impact on sound though as far as I can tell.
Does Ozar sound natural and smooth? My reference is Timeless.
TIA
The Ozar are bass elevated for sure. Listening to Bulgogi by the Bob James Trio on the album Espresso I get the following:
Ozar
Big quantity
Punchy
There is bloom in terms of expansiveness and richness
Good sub-bass extension
Grainy texture
I3 Pro
Clean bass
Less grainy than Ozar
Most natural sounding bass of the three
Timeless
Closest to the Ozar in terms of quality and tonality
Less elevated than Ozar
Least grain of the three
The Ozar represents the most fun bass of the three and is my preference. It is the most weighty of the three. Second is the I3 Pro with good quantity but is the most clean. It is the grainy texture of the Ozar that gives me the most satisfaction!
The most natural sounding bass goes to the I3 Pro and the most smooth bass goes to the Timeless. The Ozar is just fun!
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Got my Dark Matter 4 days ago and I am confident to say that these are an upgrade from the BC. Bass wise they are even. The first thing that DM makes me noticed is the grand soundstage which is pretty amazing for a closed back. Next are the mids and how the bass really doesn't over shadows it. Vocals are clear while still hearing the massive bass. Treble is also more forward and detailed over the BC. This tuning really matches my preference and I dare say I think I prefer these even over the Semper. Fit is pretty good for me though the OG EDP is the most comfortable shape from IMR's lineup I've tried so far. The cable is a minor upgrade over the previous line. They are still too stiff for my liking but the quality is better. The new included case is a nice touch though I would have preferred something more solid and hard which could protect it from accidental crushes. Although the iems themselves are pretty solid as opposed to plastic like my Sony xba-n3 which got crushed in my bag while riding the public bus. DM is a clear winner in my book and I can't wait to hear Avalon although it's the EDP Ace which I'm really excited about. Of all the IMR iems in my collection, I've put the most hours on my OG EDP. I'm a bass head but EDP sounds special to me.
Attachments
Same, except for DHL Express. I'm guessing Bob just created the shipping labels to prevent people from cancelling their orders, because, you know, they've supposedly been fulfilled. But since only the Dark Matters have been sent out and in small quantities it looks like, I wouldn't be surprised if the Avalons were still being assembled due to some other, heretofore undisclosed delay and the Facebook message from 25 January about stuff being shipped within a few days was just to pull wool over our eyes.
Don't you think this cable was made for Elan specifically?
Presenting Elan paired with Nocturnal Audio Acrux-4, 24AWG 7N UP-OCC cryo-treated pure stranded silver wire (18 strands per conductor) cable, 4 core, litz structure.
The sound is even more open now, and the bass very slightly restrained, very slightly.
Presenting Elan paired with Nocturnal Audio Acrux-4, 24AWG 7N UP-OCC cryo-treated pure stranded silver wire (18 strands per conductor) cable, 4 core, litz structure.
The sound is even more open now, and the bass very slightly restrained, very slightly.
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Ryokan
Headphoneus Supremus
Was going to buy another set of Timeless but after reading 30 odd pages of this thread thought I'd try IMR. Was tempted to go for Dark Matter but went for a Splash of Gold to see what they're like. Have no idea what to expect.
Welcome to be IMR club. I hope you enjoy your purchase.
Maedhros
New Head-Fier
Got an update this morning, but it only said they attempted to pickup the parcel at 9 am, but it was not available..
It doesn't even say that in my tracking. It's been "Shipment information received" for a week now.
I asked for explanation yesterday, but predictably no response has been given.
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