Its been about 2 weeks since I've had the flamenco, which means that both flamenco and dream have had roughly the same amount of burn in time since I've first gotten them.
Initially, the Flamenco was much brighter and sparkly than the dream, and was no way near as lush in its mids and lowers. However, post 2 weeks of 24/7 burn in on a rig using different tracks to work out each frequency band, the sound has shifted slightly.
Initially, the Flamenco was a rather in your face, mid centric iem that sounded a little thin. However, with some good burn in time, its settled slightly more laid back, with a much richer and lusher mid and a bass presence that has increased in prominence. Vocals, from singers like Ayumi hamasaki/koda Kumi/LISA simply sang (pun intended). Coupled with most of Jpop's emphasis on the vocals and the treble, the Flamenco's multiple BA set up allows it to cover a much wider frequency band and maintain that nice sparkly treble extension without sacrificing the lower bass regions. If purchased to fill the role of a vocal iem, or a general all purpose sound iem, it will not disappoint. It is also very,very detailed, easily pulling out details from songs and presenting it to the listener (Comparable to giants like the EE Zeus, and the Noble Katana), yet remaining very very musical in comparison to them. Its soundstage however, is rather intimate and focused (as expected of Jomo's house sound), so depending on your preferences that may make or break the Flamenco.
In short, the Flamenco, is a very all rounded IEM that, IMO, will not fail to easily impress anyone who listens to it, regardless of his song preference. It just doesnt do anything wrong, in a package that will work out of the box on any set ups. If you have the patience to let it run in, it will only reward you by exceeding your initial impression and expectations.
That said, in comparison to the dita dream. I would like to first state that while I think that such a comparison is an apple to pear comparison, I can see why some people might want to know how they stack against each other. The dream is, imo, one level above in detail retrieval and its spatial presentation when compared to the Flamenco(more on this later). The dream also has a much deeper and textured bass impact and extension (Daft punk-Lose yourself to music). On the Flamenco, the bass sounds a little more uniform, while on the Dream you can easily make out the nuances of the bass impact and its extension as it decays. This increased bass presence, contributes to the vocals (Utada Hikaru - First love) in general sounding much more full bodied and lush than the Flamenco (not that the Flamenco, once it has been properly burned in, is thin or cold by any measure). But, that larger emphasis on the lower frequency ranges may lead to the dream sounding less detailed, as one needs to actually search for the details, as opposed to the Flamenco which simply reveals it to you by virtue of its brighter signature (not that the Flamenco is bright or cold by any measure)
On the Dream, live concert recordings (LISA recordings/orchestra - Gundam Unicorn OST live performance hall recording) sound much, much more immersive on the dream than the flamenco because of the coherency and staging, which also leads to it being a touch more realistic than the Flamenco. However, the dream falls short in its treble extension and sparkle against the Flamenco. In addition, the cost of that lovely Dream dynamic bass response, is its power demand. Unless you carry around an amp stack, or are willing to invest in a powerful player like the paw gold or the 1Z, the Dream will sound, lacklustre, for a 2.5k SGD iem, for lack of a better word. In addition, the dream has NO CUSTOM version, a huge drawback in my books. Also, because it is a dynamic, it is very sensitive to cable rolling or component changes, and the cable will make or break it. I used the PW 1960 4 wire on it with and amp, and I immediately found myself questioning the necessity of every buying another IEM. Needless to say, I dont thin I'll ever use the stock VDH cable again.
In a nutshell, if you are willing to carry an amp stack, will spend on a good cable that synergizes with it (vv impt), or own a player with a good power output, dont mind the universal shell, you will get what I feel represents the the pinnacle of portable iem listening (sounds like a hyperbole, but canjam has left me convinced) in the DITA DREAM.
If, the above is too much trouble for you, and you are willing to settle for something just slightly below perfect for convenience, then get the flamenco. Personally, if i am glad that I have both routes to choose depending on my mood or needs. During commutes I'll use the Flamenco. If I'm stationary, e.g., sitting down and reading a book, I'll use the Dream.
Its less a dilemma between two good iems and its signature difference, and more a needs driven choice. Neither will disappoint regardless of your chouce.
IMO, get both. Then get a good amp and cable, and you've got all grounds covered. The nice aspect of these two IEMS is that they dont overlap.
I should also state, that both the Dream and the Flamenco were tested using the same wire; a DHC type 2 litz fusion cable. I like my Fusion cable for testing purposes, because it doesnt add its colour into the IEM signature, but rather, it only expands the soundstage and increases transparency at the cost of a slightly reduced bass decay.
Now, I wonder with the Flamenco being such a vocal centric IEM, should I compare it to another very vocal centric IEM, the FIterear Monet 17. Plus, there is the Tia Forte as well, which I am also wondering if I should get too as a partner to the Dream heh.
