[ScrofulousBinturong]

Can y'all either stop bickering or get a room? We have important issues to discuss here, like does a chrome face plate exhibit more sibilance than a brushed metal one?

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

Can y'all either stop bickering or get a room? We have important issues to discuss here, like does a chrome face plate exhibit more sibilance than a brushed metal one?

Beautiful champ. Brushed metal obviously is smoother sounding with a warmer tonality.

 

[ScrofulousBinturong]

Beautiful champ. Brushed metal obviously is smoother sounding with a warmer tonality.

And chrome plating is brighter, so it shines when paired with a copper cable to tame the 40kHz+ band.

 

[Plumbus the Wise]

And chrome plating is brighter, so it shines when paired with a copper cable to tame the 40kHz+ band.

Very true. In my older age however I cannot hear much over 37k anymore. Sadly lost that sense of super air and the 4d soundstage.

 

[Taila]

And chrome plating is brighter, so it shines when paired with a copper cable to tame the 40kHz+ band.

 

[jananan78]

for a moment i was wondering what was going on there lol. might as well. i removed the metallic faceplate and cut out the plastic shell underneath and then super glued the metallic shell back on it does increase the treble energy but it works even better when i polished the brushed metal to a shine with the finest grade sandpaper and then a nail polisher for that super shine and floss. now i feel bad.

 

[Carpet]

And chrome plating is brighter, so it shines when paired with a copper cable to tame the 40kHz+ band.

Everyone rush out to buy the new sandpaper ear tips, that take the rough edges off the sound!

They have just been released at FairyMagicTips.com

 

[1clearhead]

Hello fellow head-fier’s…here’s my “quick impression” on the CCA PLA13.



https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cca-in-ear-monitors-impressions-thread.900149/post-17139261

Enjoy!

-Clear

 

[KipNix]

I ran across this thread and theory and found it fascinating.
It's about soundstage depth by studying FR graphs.
With all the KZ models out there, I'm wondering, fellow KZ bros:
- what do you think of this theory?
- have you found any KZ models proving this theory?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/can-a-graph-show-iem-soundstage-maybe-so.960191/

(If this has already been discussed in here, my apologies.)

 

[baskingshark]

I ran across this thread and theory and found it fascinating.
It's about soundstage depth by studying FR graphs.
With all the KZ models out there, I'm wondering, fellow KZ bros:
- what do you think of this theory?
- have you found any KZ models proving this theory?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/can-a-graph-show-iem-soundstage-maybe-so.960191/

(If this has already been discussed in here, my apologies.)

Graphs can tell some information, but they don't tell the full story.

They can tell tonality quite well - eg quantity of bass/treble and midrange recession/boost in relation to the other frequencies. Some qualitative aspects can perhaps be hinted but not 100% ascertained from a standard FR graph - eg timbral accuracy, transients, imaging, instrument separation, soundstage cannot be fully told without listening to the IEM itself.

There are more niche graphs such as waterfall graphs that perhaps can let u glean other information, but from a standard FR graph, that's some stuff that cannot be told TBH.

I do measurements with a IEC711 coupler for IEMs and consider myself a part-time measurebator, but if graphs told the full story and you can EQ any IEM to sound like another IEM just based on FR graphs, then why don't people just buy a $1 IEM from a dollar store and EQ it to sound like a Moondrop Illumination and call it a day? I know nowadays, if a new IEM is released, people will demand a graph first. That's fair enough, you can use these graphs as a gatekeeper to see if you will like (or dislike) the tonality, but even if two graphs measure similarly, the IEMs may sound quite different.

Case in point:

Graph of Olina versus Oxygen via IEC711 compliant coupler. 8/9 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.

Tonally, while the Olina and Oxygen are similar as the graphs suggest, on actual A/B testing, the Oxygen sounds smoother, being less bright/sibilant and causing less fatigue than the Olina during longer listening sessions. In terms of timbral accuracy, the Oxygen is more natural sounding, with the Olina sounding nasal.

In soundstage (width and depth), imaging, and instrument separation, the Oxygen is better. The Olina also has a less tight bass; the low frequencies sound a bit undefined and lacking texture compared to the tighter and cleaner bass of the Oxygen.


Another case study:

The TOTL Final Audio A8000 graphs similarly to the KZ ZSN Pro. But the A8000 is leagues ahead in timbral accuracy and technicalities (soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, micro-detailing, transients).

 

[PhonoPhi]

I ran across this thread and theory and found it fascinating.
It's about soundstage depth by studying FR graphs.
With all the KZ models out there, I'm wondering, fellow KZ bros:
- what do you think of this theory?
- have you found any KZ models proving this theory?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/can-a-graph-show-iem-soundstage-maybe-so.960191/

(If this has already been discussed in here, my apologies.)

In my limited perception, the stage (positioing) is largely the property of recording, in time and phase differences between channels.
It can be surely enhanced by the transducers, e.g. by positioning multiple drivers and possibly imementing some time/phase delay by crossovers.
I have harder time understanding how it can be linked to frequency responses. I tried ro read several h these threads, and could not get it. So my subjective opinion about it is another overinterpretation of frequency response graphs.

Graphs can tell some information, but they don't tell the full story.

They can tell tonality quite well - eg quantity of bass/treble and midrange recession/boost in relation to the other frequencies. Some qualitative aspects can perhaps be hinted but not 100% ascertained from a standard FR graph - eg timbral accuracy, transients, imaging, instrument separation, soundstage cannot be fully told without listening to the IEM itself.

There are more niche graphs such as waterfall graphs that perhaps can let u glean other information, but from a standard FR graph, that's some stuff that cannot be told TBH.

I do measurements with a IEC711 coupler for IEMs and consider myself a part-time measurebator, but if graphs told the full story and you can EQ any IEM to sound like another IEM just based on FR graphs, then why don't people just buy a $1 IEM from a dollar store and EQ it to sound like a Moondrop Illumination and call it a day? I know nowadays, if a new IEM is released, people will demand a graph first. That's fair enough, you can use these graphs as a gatekeeper to see if you will like (or dislike) the tonality, but even if two graphs measure similarly, the IEMs may sound quite different.

Case in point:


Graph of Olina versus Oxygen via IEC711 compliant coupler. 8/9 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.

Tonally, while the Olina and Oxygen are similar as the graphs suggest, on actual A/B testing, the Oxygen sounds smoother, being less bright/sibilant and causing less fatigue than the Olina during longer listening sessions. In terms of timbral accuracy, the Oxygen is more natural sounding, with the Olina sounding nasal.

In soundstage (width and depth), imaging, and instrument separation, the Oxygen is better. The Olina also has a less tight bass; the low frequencies sound a bit undefined and lacking texture compared to the tighter and cleaner bass of the Oxygen.


Another case study:



The TOTL Final Audio A8000 graphs similarly to the KZ ZSN Pro. But the A8000 is leagues ahead in timbral accuracy and technicalities (soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, micro-detailing, transients).

True, the driver properties are not limited to the frequency response that is generated just by sweeping the frequency.
Then one can"t equalize what is not there, so $1 IEM do not have much chance.

At the same time, with multidrivers, like many affordable KZs, a lot can be done to shape the response to one's liking.

My recent fascination/obsession is AST with the impedance adapters - the drivers are all there, and they can respond, so channeling the power differently to those BA drivers works well. Similarly, equalizing these multidriver IEMs should offer a lot to get it close to one's preferences.

 

[saldsald]

I ran across this thread and theory and found it fascinating.
It's about soundstage depth by studying FR graphs.
With all the KZ models out there, I'm wondering, fellow KZ bros:
- what do you think of this theory?
- have you found any KZ models proving this theory?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/can-a-graph-show-iem-soundstage-maybe-so.960191/

(If this has already been discussed in here, my apologies.)

I think it only works for headphones. According to Rtings.com:

In order to measure the amount of interaction between the pinna and headphones, a test was devised that we call PRTF, short for pinna-related transfer function. For this test, we got an extra ear for our dummy head, chopped its pinna off, and measured the frequency response of each headphone twice. Once with the intact ear, and once with the ear with the missing pinna. The difference between the two frequency responses is the PRTF of the headphone.

Headphone's PRTF = (Frequency Response w/ Pinna) - (Frequency Response w/o Pinna)

You need two measurements to calculate the PRTF and since IEMs' sound paths do not involve the pinna (not the pinna gain), the adoption of this technique by randomly picking some values from the FR graphs should be very questionable.

 

[HAMS]

I ran across this thread and theory and found it fascinating.
It's about soundstage depth by studying FR graphs.
With all the KZ models out there, I'm wondering, fellow KZ bros:
- what do you think of this theory?
- have you found any KZ models proving this theory?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/can-a-graph-show-iem-soundstage-maybe-so.960191/

(If this has already been discussed in here, my apologies.)

I tried it with EQ. Reducing upper treble make soundstage less wider or "more 3D", for me it is just less resolution. So I guess FR can contribute partially to soundstage.

 

[r31ya]

New KZ teaser from Tyvan Lam (kz rep)

Seems to be KZ with resin shell with inner tubing

 

[PhonoPhi]

New KZ teaser from Tyvan Lam (kz rep)



Seems to be KZ with resin shell with inner tubing

I hope, it is a hybrid of a small planar driver and BAs