[jon parker]

@jon parker I've just bought the Sony NW-MW1A after reading your regular eulogies about it's sound quality, is the firmware you used the Mr Walkman firmware? I was close to pulling the trigger on a Shanling M9 (I have a Shanling M6pro 21) and saw a The Sony for literally a third of the cost so jumped on it.

YES !
I've found all the Modded NW-NW1A firmware files. I knew I would have saved them somewhere. SUPER excited as they cant be found anywhere now. When you are back I'll send them to you. I would very much appreciate if you could try the one I use in comparison to stock. I tried them ALL but to my ears the one Im using now is the 'best'
Having said that I now have a new set of IEMs since I did that tuning so I would very much value your thoughts on some of their different sound signatures.

 

[PeacockObscura]

YES !
I've found all the Modded NW-NW1A firmware files. I knew I would have saved them somewhere. SUPER excited as they cant be found anywhere now. When you are back I'll send them to you. I would very much appreciate if you could try the one I use in comparison to stock. I tried them ALL but to my ears the one Im using now is the 'best'
Having said that I now have a new set of IEMs since I did that tuning so I would very much value your thoughts on some of their different sound signatures.

That's brilliant I'll contact you on my return thank you for taking the time to look.

 

[Bungle1]

What has surprised me is the shimmer of the treble and the details. How did he get that from a DD, Planar and Bone Conductor?

I've always assumed that the bone conduction is responsible for that extra presence in the treble on IMRs but nothing to back that up with as no idea whether they are handling certain frequencies. Would be interesting to know.

 

[dharmasteve]

I've always assumed that the bone conduction is responsible for that extra presence in the treble on IMRs but nothing to back that up with as no idea whether they are handling certain frequencies. Would be interesting to know.

On the Ace something must be behind the exceptional treble. Is it the BC...I don't know?

 

[jon parker]

I've always assumed that the bone conduction is responsible for that extra presence in the treble on IMRs but nothing to back that up with as no idea whether they are handling certain frequencies. Would be interesting to know.

Its a common practice to use Piezo (Ceramic) drivers for Bone Conduction when emphasising Highs
Not sure if they also use the same for bass or if they use different material to emphasise different areas of the frequencies

 

[paggio]

I've always assumed that the bone conduction is responsible for that extra presence in the treble on IMRs but nothing to back that up with as no idea whether they are handling certain frequencies. Would be interesting to know.

Sonion BC works on high mids, low treble.

 

[homocogitum]

I see that everyone is amazed with edp ace but what about zenith II? Is is also great and very underpriced ?

 

[galushsen]

I see that everyone is amazed with edp ace but what about zenith II? Is is also great and very underpriced ?

I’m waiting for Zenith 2 even more than Ace I want to have those sub bass cannon with great stage. First zenith were not so great on bass and overbearing on 3-4k peak. Hope these 2-nd version would be more balanced with meaty bass

Package is still somewhere in Europe so at least one more week waiting

 

[Ryokan]

EDP's give more detail than much more expensive iem's I've owned. I can hear faint noises in some songs I haven't heard before, and I've been listening to the songs for years.

 

[AnandaHri]

My ACE is on its way... no idea how long it will take.
I'm pretty excited but also worried because of its treble. Do you think it has a lot of treble? For example, those of the original ACE seem perfect to me.

 

[jon parker]

I see that everyone is amazed with edp ace but what about zenith II? Is is also great and very underpriced ?

ZENITH II - So Ive been listening since lunchtime. I couldn't resist after reading alexCBSN 's early impressions

Its gonna be tricky to talk about the sound of the Zenith II because to put it simply - I found the ACE to be VERY special BUT the ZII is . . . just Profoundly - MYSTICAL -
I am dumbstruck at how great they sound!! Not like other IMR's - special, unique sound and
THE most addictive listening IEM I have ever heard
Listening to them is like hearing your favourite band at an outdoor concert with the love of your life in the summer timeb after eating the purest mushrooms you've ever had
Anyway - [grey/red - black cable 4.4mm - Sony]

1. SPACE - SO much space - not like the 3D holographic stage of the ACE but different. Not so much 3D and yet somehow MORE space ? o_0 -
Like listening to a concert in Bridgewater Hall in Manchester - a purpose built hall for the Manchester Philharmonic Orchestra
The picture doesn't do the room justice - every diffuse angle on the roof for example is angled differently, the whole room is digitally designed to perfectly deliver the purest frequencies anywhere in the room
Point being, you can sit far away and hear a violinist play the softest stroke and hear it as right in front of you !!
The Z II's remind me very much of this experience

One notable exceptional quality is that you can effortlessly hear the whole room space & reverberations where the vocalist was recorded even IN the midst of a busy track.
2. Imaging - Never heard such clear separation of instruments in an IEM and yet everything is PERFECTLY balanced to ALSO give you the song as a whole
Its like hearing all your music for the first time again - going from mono to stereo . In fact songs I am very familiar with...its like hearing them for the first time. Im listening to Jacob Collier who admittedly produces music that is out of this world but on the ZII - speechless
3 Bass, Mids, Treble - OMG the bass - as rich and natural, full restrained - DELICIOUS and so qualified punchy yet wth the perfect reverberation tails - you hear the sound of the skin on tom toms, Magical
Mids are . . . vocals fill the head like watching an IMAX movie yet everything else is in perfect equilibrium. Treble is pure champagne & butter. Going to easily be one the best implementations of a Piezo ceramic driver out there - Even after only 6 hours the treble is beautifully pure. I can't imagine what it will be like after burn in - Scary !

Im waxing lyrical here but in a nutshell - BUY IT - BUY IT NOW
They sound SO good, I cant begin to hope to explain the sound and how profound just the experience of listening to music with the ZENITH II is but its an experience Ive NEVER had before.
I am utterly smitten.
Imagine watching films on your laptop and then going to watch a film at an IMAX cinema.! That's probably the best way I can explain them.
And yet despite that you can so effortlessly and easily drift away from the music as the ZII's are just so well done.
It may just be luck, hitting on a prefect synergy but the ZENITH II's are IEM's of the God Realms
I very much hope others experience the same as what I am hearing....better to say actually EXPERIENCING

 

[NellieG]

I wonder if i buy a Zenith ii i could get a free Titan?

 

[PeacockObscura]

ZENITH II - So Ive been listening since lunchtime. I couldn't resist after reading alexCBSN 's early impressions

Its gonna be tricky to talk about the sound of the Zenith II because to put it simply - I found the ACE to be VERY special BUT the ZII is . . . just Profoundly - MYSTICAL -
I am dumbstruck at how great they sound!! Not like other IMR's - special, unique sound and
THE most addictive listening IEM I have ever heard
Listening to them is like hearing your favourite band at an outdoor concert with the love of your life in the summer timeb after eating the purest mushrooms you've ever had
Anyway - [grey/red - black cable 4.4mm - Sony]

1. SPACE - SO much space - not like the 3D holographic stage of the ACE but different. Not so much 3D and yet somehow MORE space ? o_0 -
Like listening to a concert in Bridgewater Hall in Manchester - a purpose built hall for the Manchester Philharmonic Orchestra
The picture doesn't do the room justice - every diffuse angle on the roof for example is angled differently, the whole room is digitally designed to perfectly deliver the purest frequencies anywhere in the room
Point being, you can sit far away and hear a violinist play the softest stroke and hear it as right in front of you !!
The Z II's remind me very much of this experience



One notable exceptional quality is that you can effortlessly hear the whole room space & reverberations where the vocalist was recorded even IN the midst of a busy track.
2. Imaging - Never heard such clear separation of instruments in an IEM and yet everything is PERFECTLY balanced to ALSO give you the song as a whole
Its like hearing all your music for the first time again - going from mono to stereo . In fact songs I am very familiar with...its like hearing them for the first time. Im listening to Jacob Collier who admittedly produces music that is out of this world but on the ZII - speechless
3 Bass, Mids, Treble - OMG the bass - as rich and natural, full restrained - DELICIOUS and so qualified punchy yet wth the perfect reverberation tails - you hear the sound of the skin on tom toms, Magical
Mids are . . . vocals fill the head like watching an IMAX movie yet everything else is in perfect equilibrium. Treble is pure champagne & butter. Going to easily be one the best implementations of a Piezo ceramic driver out there - Even after only 6 hours the treble is beautifully pure. I can't imagine what it will be like after burn in - Scary !

Im waxing lyrical here but in a nutshell - BUY IT - BUY IT NOW
They sound SO good, I cant begin to hope to explain the sound and how profound just the experience of listening to music with the ZENITH II is but its an experience Ive NEVER had before.
I am utterly smitten.
Imagine watching films on your laptop and then going to watch a film at an IMAX cinema.! That's probably the best way I can explain them.
And yet despite that you can so effortlessly and easily drift away from the music as the ZII's are just so well done.
It may just be luck, hitting on a prefect synergy but the ZENITH II's are IEM's of the God Realms
I very much hope others experience the same as what I am hearing....better to say actually EXPERIENCING

So when I get back to the Ace and Zenith plus the new Sony DAP I may need tissues....

 

[Poganin]

EDP's give more detail than much more expensive iem's I've owned. I can hear faint noises in some songs I haven't heard before, and I've been listening to the songs for years.

Nice. I got that effect from the Avalon, and you're experiencing the same at a lower price. That's fantastic!

The first time I experienced this was when I replaced my old cheapo Panasonic IEMs with a pair of RHA I750 (or something like that). Suddenly, music opened up so much, all those new notes and instruments I'd never heard before. Avalon did the same thing again, but to a smaller degree. But it's always such a surprise. You'd listen to a song you know very well and hear something new and go "Wait, where did that bit come from?!"

 

[jon parker]

So when I get back to the Ace and Zenith plus the new Sony DAP I may need tissues....

All I can say is that they both suit me profoundly
Because Im working with audio every day I always assumed I would enjoy something pure, clean and neutral but . . . the heart wants what the hearts wants and the Zenith II and the Ace together are as perfect as I could ever wish for in terms of everything...tonality, timbre, soundstage, imaging, bass, mids, highss, etc etc,
ticking all the box's and new box's I never even knew about !!

I would like to say 'I couldn't be happier with them'
but its more like I thought I was going out with mates for a pie and a pint BUT instead a bevvy of delightful ladies have given me some of the purest LSD and dragged me back in time to woodstock 1969

To those who 'know' Lets just say the that with the Zenth II's I am 'On the Bus'