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To anyone with experience with customs, how long does it take for the cables to oxidize and turn green? I'm not looking forward to it. Keep in mind, I won't be sweating in these, but my skin does get oily over time. I would get the Null clear cable, but I've read their service is disappointing.
I wanted the the clear wire by preference, but was told to avoid it as it not also looks horrible when it turns green, but does actually affect the SQ with harmonics and advised to go with the black cable because of the SQ alone which is what i have done even though i personally do not like the black.
I am going to upgrade to the twag for sure anyway a month or two after i receive my 16's anyway.
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The TWag is a cable in its own league, it brings out definition to the sound spectrum and rounds the bass up a lot more nicely. The stock cable sounds a lot more thinny in comparison to the TWag.
I'm using quite a number of sources to drive the customs actually-the iMod, Hifiman, iPod and even the iPhone.I'll also be using the incoming RSA Apache to drive my customs in full balanced mode.(Got a TWag balanced cable ready for them)
For the 13s, pretty much any genre can do well with them. They're relatively flat in response so I just use the amp that I feel will suit my music best. The 13s really are like a chameleon, they take on the characteristics of the amp particularly well. I love the ttvj slim with the 13s but HATED the 18s with it.
For the 16s, I can't conclusively say which genre is best for it (for me personally) as I only had them for one day. But I'm beginning to see that I will reach out for them when I want to listen to vocal heavy stuff. The mids baby, the mids! Really engaging!
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I love the 18s. I said before as compared to the 13s, the listening experience is akin to that of being in a concert hall, the soundstage is massive on those babies while the 13s seem like you're listening to the music in a more intimate setting. The 18s are constructed very differently, having a custom tubing encasing the drivers to direct sound into your ears. That may explain why I'm often hearing details or layers of the mix "outside" of my head before the music gets piped intoit. It's a weird feeling I tell you.
You have different sides of the camp for the TWag cables really. Some people believe that it's all placebo while others think it's God's Gift to custom iems. I don't have golden ears, but I've been using the cables long enough to recognize that there really are succinct differences between the stock and the TWag, as in the cable really does improve definition in my music.
Like for the 16s for example, in fact I've noticed how the TWag brings the other highs and mids much more clearly over that of the stock cable, while keeping the lows in check.( I can't really see how the bass is "overpowering" on the 16s with the TWag cable.)
Have, to say Super_fied, i concur with with pretty much 95% of your comparisons with the 13,16 & 18's.
Even though i only heard the demo versions for a four day period with just stock cable (courtesy my very generous dealer here in the UK) i also found the 16's had a Sig that was distinguishable enough from the 13's enough that made them different which is why i had such a hard time choosing between them in my final decision as it might and hopefully won't be my only custom purchase i make, so had to be the right choice for myself.
I know X30 touched upon them sounding similar after a time of owning them together and for sure the 13 & 16's do share a lot of the basic fundamental's or chassis if you will, with sound stage, separation, micro detail, speed, attack, timbre, but the Sig does seem different with the 16's compared to the 13's, whether this is due to different type of drivers used or just the way the 16's extra bass frequency renders the rest of the sound spectrum i'm not sure?
I found the 13's seemed to portray the sound that was there in the recording and could change a bit given to what that source recording chucked at it, but the 16' seemed to have it's own characteristics that seemed to stay there with whatever sound recording or genre that came it's way which may lead to the 13's been the more analytical pair in that sense and the 16's already labelled by other owners as a more fun sound to have which i can relate to after hearing the two demo version's.
It is not a chalk and cheese difference, but one that is noticeable enough from what i heard over four day's of comparable listening between the two.
Again the 18's is a spot on assessment to what i found in comparison with the 13 & 16's and the 18's sound stage did feel more arena/stadium like field of sound with it been quite airy and as if you was more in the middle of the seating plan of a 10,000 arena and the JHpros more auditorium with a roof with only 20 rows back of a 2000 seater plan. This does not make the JHpros a small sound stage by any means but after hearing the 18's it did make them seem a little more centrally focused at times compared to the 18's.
The 18's do sound a bit more analytical over the JHpros with indiividual instrument's are reprodcued , perhaps a dryer Sig maybe due to mids being emphasised and being more forwards in it's presentation to the 13's mids.
The only ting i personally found, not sure if any other 18's owners have was the treble's where not quite as defined, sharp/sparkly, or pronounced as the JH range and seemed to just fade away a bit to soon into the mix.... if the 18's had achilles heel bearing in mind i heard the demo pair with stock cable was the treble section.
The major road block in which i ruled them out pretty early on even though they sounded really nice (reminded me of my old E500's) was too many stories from experience like yours with UE and for my first customs did not want that hassle and would rather potentially wait another four weeks to get a product from a company who will at least do what it takes to put anything right if needed.
In the end after hard deliberation i finally went with the 16's over the 13's just for the sole fact with me not been a bass junkie my nature and have gone for the more analytical or neutral stance in the past that when i finally got the 16's in the right position in my lugs after a initial prolonged dissapointing first two days not sounding impressive, once i found the sweet spot with the fit and heard the true sound come through the 16's bass was evident with it's extra low bass response compared to the 13's was done with such control and detail in layers with a transparency and realism of how a good rig setup at a gig would be without affecting the rest of the sound, it pretty much did wow me with how well it done this to such an extent i choose it over the 13 sound that i had fallen in love with and developed a strong bond with it's neutral presentation but the 16's, well.....Wow!
Both as good, but different and a bloody hard choice when having to factor into the decision it may be the only customs i have in the next coming years (even though i hope not!).
When i do get my 16's again like you Super_fied i have heard enough cables in my time to know you only get what you pay for and the improvements to be had and found that out when i upgraded my stock K702 cable to an ALO SXC cable to know that, so will for sure be looking at a twag, but i am in two minds as to which porta amp i will go with for my 16Pros bearing in mind this would be my first ever porta amp and will not get to demo them all like i did the custom's.
So my dilemma would be which will hold up my order/ decision to how i have my twag terminated as i am not sure whether to start out with a single ended amp in the TTVJ, Pico Slim for example or just jump straight to the much appraised RSA Protector in balanced mode and have the twag balanced cable with Craig doing one of those adaptors so i can still use it through my other single ended sources?
Hoping Super_fied you could shed light on that a bit more from your experience with some of those amp's even though i know it is early days with your 16's with your other amp's.
Just be interested to know if getting a single ended porta amp is just prolonging the jump up to the inevitable balanced mode of the Protector or if it is possible to have a TTVJ slim or Pico slim say and a balance Protector and enjoy both in their own rights or if a TTVJ / Pico slim would soon be forgotten about and collect dust having a Protector balanced?
Gotta say, you seem to have a comprehensive inventory locker there and must be intriguing listening and comparing them all ; )
I just cannot wait now to see if my choice of the 16's over the 13's will be justified with the actual custom fit as opposed to my demo session versions (fingers crossed).
