[Dobrescu George]

anyone able to compare these with Acoustune's offerings? 1650 or 1670

What kind of sound are you looking for?

I have both IMR R1 and HS1560CU

 

[Focux]

What kind of sound are you looking for?

I have both IMR R1 and HS1560CU

an improved 1650CU of sorts?

energetic, perhaps a tad less warm than 1650, resolving and more treble extension (no piercing highs tho)

generally V shape kinda sound i guess

trying to get as close to the Jomo Trinity but hey i think EST drivers for highs are tough to replicate with DD/BA (presumably)

 

[Dobrescu George]

an improved 1650CU of sorts?

energetic, perhaps a tad less warm than 1650, resolving and more treble extension (no piercing highs tho)

generally V shape kinda sound i guess

trying to get as close to the Jomo Trinity but hey i think EST drivers for highs are tough to replicate with DD/BA (presumably)

I think R1 is actually warmer than 1650 CU, it is a more organic, more lush sound than HS1650, which is quite analytic

 

[wkoh]

When I received the zenith, it was like the next picture.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...2ZCTHg0ZzJPUW1CS3QwOUc5dTMxZ1A1SHZTSkln&hl=ko

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...2ZCTHg0ZzJPUW1CS3QwOUc5dTMxZ1A1SHZTSkln&hl=ko
​

And when I asked Bob, I got an answer like the following picture

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...2ZCTHg0ZzJPUW1CS3QwOUc5dTMxZ1A1SHZTSkln&hl=ko
​

I turn the connector as follows, it was confirmed to Bob.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...2ZCTHg0ZzJPUW1CS3QwOUc5dTMxZ1A1SHZTSkln&hl=ko​

 

[Podster]

Thanks pal, I've always been intrigued by Bob's designs. Just got my Zenith (connector flipped), I have a set of Delta V2 and one of Master, they're alright but miles away from the Zenith or the R1, which I shouldn't have sold but I could not resist the offer. I would like to find a good Icarus, and I'm also wondering about the Hunter, I had found a couple of sets but they were very expensive, and also I thought that having the R1 there might be some duplication. Now I'm having second thoughts...

I like Bob's designs as well as tuning except with the PM 4's which I never got a handle on no matter what combo's (Tips/Filters) but my sons exchange student friend from Brazil absolutely loved them so they are at least in a loving home now So as I've stated many times the music lies in the Mids and Highs for me and 9 times out of 10 if an iem is too bright for some or even many I tend to like them, my ears obviously resist ultra high freq's! I like to think I hear OK but I've never claimed to have a Golden one or even one near as critical as some out here. I can actually most of the time get very close to the other models in the lineup depending on filter/tip selection. I still think the R1 is a very nice iem but the Zenith is a refined version and I find it to be tighter and cleaner across the line, each frequency seems to come across more articulate for me, the reason I love the Icarus III so much is the way I have them setup now provides me with a little better SS than my old R1. Also if you see my signature Zenith's and Icarus III's are my top two iem's and I have a plethora of iem's to include a 12BA, BGVP DM6 and DMG's , NICEHCK M6's, Kinera IDUN's, ToneKing 9 Tails, Secret Garden's, Mee P1's, LZ A4's, FLC8S, Sendiy M1221's, ASG Rockets, Tin T2, Opera Factories, 4In1's, Macaww GT600S and a host of Chi-Fi budget to include KZ ZS6's which I think is one of the best bangs for the buck in this hobby. IMO all great little iem's with their own special attributes but on any given day they all can sound different based on mood and what your hearing has adjusted too prior to wearing the next pair.

I've found that most grow on you the more your in them and that often throws one off when they finally decide to jump into something new to listen too and then we bring the mood and what one might be anticipating they are going to hear when they switch out. This is some of the main factors/reasons this hobby and just listening to music can and is so subjective. I've never been a formal reviewer, don't really have the ear nor time for it and I can also say that in my lifetime of iem purchasing I've really only had 4-5 duds, I tend to find what works best and is palpable to my palette and enjoy each one for just what they are. So to answer your question the R1 is a great choice to have in ones stable and can sound close to it's predecessor or far depending on how you filter/tip it out. So with all that said I may not have helped you one iota

@playininjapan , not sure if I've answered your questions as well but as I've got my Icarus III set up I do prefer it to my R1 and it has plenty of stage width for me but always remember that's just my ears and hearing

Oh, by the way Jeff, I still say this is a great deal while they last https://penonaudio.com/iems/trinity-icarus-iii.html IMHO these can hold their own with any other iem's I have in the $200 range

 

[Nowymusic]

Greetings, mine I went to look for yesterday, I had not opened them in case I had to return them, I wrote to Bob and told me to try them, these are my first hi-fi headphones, over 150 € that was the range where I moved, okay I test the video phase and out of phase, when it says the video 'phase' the sound comes to the center, when it says out of 'phase' the sounds go to the sides, then this good or bad my unit? And excuse my inexperience hearing

For people who want to check, this Youtube vid might prove helpful:



It starts posing with phase about half way through - if it sounds "right" and coming from the centre when In Phase is being displayed, the phase is correct. Easy to check by taking out the cable on the RHS earpirce and turning it through 180 degrees before reinserting it - the in phase and out of phase sounds should now be reversed.

Makes more sense when you listen to the vid!

 

[rocko77]

Greetings, mine I went to look for yesterday, I had not opened them in case I had to return them, I wrote to Bob and told me to try them, these are my first hi-fi headphones, over 150 € that was the range where I moved, okay I test the video phase and out of phase, when it says the video 'phase' the sound comes to the center, when it says out of 'phase' the sounds go to the sides, then this good or bad my unit? And excuse my inexperience hearing

I use Jackos thriller as my phase tester and soundstage checker, Have done for 25 years. If it goes from the extreme right to the extreme left on his footsteps at he beginning then you are in phase. If one side is out it wont stage properly. There are probably better ways to test but I prefer to use something I know what is meant to sound like. My Zenith were out on the right side so the footsteps didn't step outside much of centre until they transferred to the left.

 

[jeffhawke]

I use Jackos thriller as my phase tester and soundstage checker, Have done for 25 years. If it goes from the extreme right to the extreme left on his footsteps at he beginning then you are in phase. If one side is out it wont stage properly. There are probably better ways to test but I prefer to use something I know what is meant to sound like. My Zenith were out on the right side so the footsteps didn't step outside much of centre until they transferred to the left.

Nice test! Last night I flipped the right connector and, although after that I was sure they were in phase, your suggested test worked beautifully: I could distinctly perceive the steps moving left>center>right.

 

[Zetax]

Nice test! Last night I flipped the right connector and, although after that I was sure they were in phase, your suggested test worked beautifully: I could distinctly perceive the steps moving left>center>right.

Hopefully just a typo. I believe its meant to go right->center->left.

 

[jeffhawke]

Hopefully just a typo. I believe its meant to go right->center->left.

Absolutely!

 

[PacoBdn]

Feeling a lot, I have to say that my pair is wrong. I tried with cables that I have at home, I turned the right connector and this sounds bad.
It has been a disappointment because I was really excited about the new Zenith. I love my R1 and I thought that a slight improvement on them could be my end of the game, but ...
We will wait to see what solutions Bob gives, but at the moment it has been a major disappointment.

 

[BigNewsII]

@playininjapan , not sure if I've answered your questions as well but as I've got my Icarus III set up I do prefer it to my R1 and it has plenty of stage width for me but always remember that's just my ears and hearing

Not really And I say that because I had the exact same question as @playininjapan but didn't ask because I like to keep TA out of this conversation But I get what you are saying about personal taste.

Myself, I find the R1 a little bigger and better at everything over the I3. I think that's immensely impressive because the I3 are fantastic sounding! It's really the ridiculous cable system that keeps me from using them more. But I have them in today (Gold filter, OG silicone tips) and they are sounding pretty darn fine. To me the R1 is an overall upgrade though. But also to me the R1 are so wonderful sounding overall, and comfortable, that I did not feel a need to move from them to a Zenith. Plus the whole per-order situation.

 

[Immortal]

Feeling a lot, I have to say that my pair is wrong. I tried with cables that I have at home, I turned the right connector and this sounds bad.
It has been a disappointment because I was really excited about the new Zenith. I love my R1 and I thought that a slight improvement on them could be my end of the game, but ...
We will wait to see what solutions Bob gives, but at the moment it has been a major disappointment.

even with the stock cables you can invert them to test if the phase is ok or not. You can't push them to the bottom, but you can just insert them a little bit until you see they're connecting and it's enough (no puns intended lol).

 

[PacoBdn]

Yes, I know, but I wanted to entertain myself for a while and I opened them to turn the connector.

 

[rocko77]

Feeling a lot, I have to say that my pair is wrong. I tried with cables that I have at home, I turned the right connector and this sounds bad.
It has been a disappointment because I was really excited about the new Zenith. I love my R1 and I thought that a slight improvement on them could be my end of the game, but ...
We will wait to see what solutions Bob gives, but at the moment it has been a major disappointment.

Unless you have about 100 hours of burn in I would reserve judgement personally. They are a definite step up over the R1 in my listening tests.