[gLer]

Impressions: Empire Ears Evo

Preamble: My love for the Empire Ears brand is well known at this point, between my incessant outbursts as @riverground can attest to and my ownership of 8 of their items in the kilobuck and above range in the 4 years I've been at this hobby. This might be a feat only surpassed by @CL14715 with more in a shorter period of time. My disdain for the LX is also fairly well known outside of the forum and I was extremely weary as the LX was reference in the blurb Empire dropped. Of course, this was my same reaction to the Odin and look at how that turned out... So of course, it necessitated a visit to the Canadian dealer of Empire a week after the demo unit arrived to see for myself (and give the LX yet another chance to redeem itself). Shoutout to Charles @ Headfoneshop for giving me and @riverground 2 hours between the 2 of us with Evo (and also tempting us with more gear), all around great guy, go help fund his daughter's education y'all fellow Canucks!

I was extremely pleased that my reaction was the same as the Odin, the LX on the other hand...Ehhhhh. But that's another story. Long story short, the Evo is what happens with Jack and Dean turn their Odinizing beam on the LX: something that invokes the pleasant parts of the LX, but something also...different.

Design: Compared to the bling of the Bifrost on the Odin, the Evo takes a classier route with a well designed logo representing both the brand and the model name. The Evo won't be turning any heads if you're mad enough to take it out on the go. I found it similar to Odin if no the same shells, and both sat in my earlets perfectly fine. They're still the lipless stems Empire is known for, so a minor point off for that as it's nowhere as egregious as being off a couple EVs playing competitive. Despite it's sensitivity, there is no hiss at all. The Evo is silent off the 4.4 even on high gain, a welcome addition given how distracting for me the hiss on the Wraith was. For those off you where the notorious Empire driver flex causes your stomach to lurch. I'm pleased to say that the Evo has significantly less driver flex than DD equipped Empire models of yore. Whether this is due to the venting on the Evo or Empire figuring something out, I hope this is something they can carry forward. The leather case would have been nice as a standard for all Evos, the dealer demo didn't come with that anyways. Big thumbs up to Empire going with 4.4 for the stock cable.

The purple sheen on the Genesis cable is an excellent match aesthetic wise to go with the mature and demure Evo. it's an excellent stock cable and the only issue I have was with how chonky the new hardware PWA uses was compared to the wires themselves, but that's an issue with them and not Empire. I'm sure Dean has his reasons for a stock copper cable, but my experience with the LX and Evo I both concluded that both would be better served to my ears with a warmer silver than pure copper.

Testing: Radius Deepmounts by default, they had no issue staying on the stem and I got a good insertion to make sure the WX was coming across fine. I had the 1A at 35 on high gain off the 4.4. Similar to the Wraith, it does need a bit of power to be driven properly, yet incredibly sensitive. I also tried on the standard 55 on low gain, and while the Evo is mostly fine it does seem to take a hit in musicality. The 1A outputs sufficient driving power in case anyone is concerned about "moar powuh".

Sound: BASS is what the LX is known for and what the Evo invokes: A visceral bass that borders on guilty pleasure territory. A deep rattle that you can feel in your fillings with excellent slam and impact. But that's where it starts and ends. Unlike the bass cannon reputation of the LX, the Evo exudes control as well as quantity in the low frequencies with a clean bass shelf that eliminates any bleed. If anything, this is the Odin's bass, but with quantity added to the control that we've already seen. I like to say that this is Empire showing their mastery over the W9+ iteration of DD's but this could equally be due to the WX's addition. Either way a fun iteration of the Odin's bass is an excellent start to a new TOTL and something I've been waiting for post-Odin honeymoon.

I would like to say that the mids are forward. But even in comparison to the Odin, the mids on the Evo are slightly recessed. Of course the bass being so clean, this is not an issue. Even with the bass firing on all cylinders, vocals still come across clearly and are never drowned out. I had no issues with the upper mids "bump", for those who had issues with the Odin there should find the Evo to be a superior match for their ears. The overall recession of the mids allows for more air without pushing female vocals into shouty territory. The Evo despite being a darker sounding iem easily has my favourite upper mid signature amongst the dark iems I've heard to date.

The mids is also where you hear the WX driver doing it's magic yet again. I noticed 2 distinct things that the Evo does. First: Despite the recession, the mids have excellent body. Normally this is achieved through colouration of the mids by warmth in the mid and upper bass ala Balmung. The fact that Evo can do this despite the bass shelf is astounding. Second: The reverb of string instruments on the Evo are unlike anything else I've ever heard on an iem. It's very difficult to describe and something you have to hear for yourself. This also makes the Evo incredible for listening to live and acoustic recordings,

Treble wise, the Evo is a mixed bag for me. It does what dark and bassy iems tend to do: Excellent energy but little sparkle. Taken in a vacuum or treble heavy tracks, the treble feels unbalanced and a bit fatiguing for me at times. I also noticed the lack of sparkle makes high hats and cymbals sound slightly off for me. This is probably the one place I actually found the LX taking an advantage over the Evo. Despite the lack of sparkle, I found extension well done, no doubt another feat of the WX.

Conclusion: As initial impressions trickled out following the arrival of Evo's into consumer hands, there seemed to be a lot of disappointment on the Empire thread that the Evo was not a LX successor despite Empire never having marketed the Evo as an upgrade to the LX , as well as Jack's comment earlier this year that an LX upgrade was not in the works. While the memory of the Hero being "Odin Jr" is still fresh in my mind, Empire has been very consistent as to what the Evo is and isn't. The LX was already at the pinnacle of bass cannon iems, and there's not much you can improve there. Instead they took the inspiration and ended up with an "Evo"lution of the LX: a fun but balanced iem where the technicalities are also allowed to shine without the bass hogging the spotlight. I could only find 1 area where I found the LX "better" than the Evo and I much rather take the Evo where it can show off it's imaging and soundstage chops while being simultaneously fun. To me, the Evo is a more fun and less technical interation of the Odin and I wouldn't have it any other way. Well done (again) Empire!

The full review is definitely getting Pokemon references, it would be a shame to not

Great first impressions! Can you post a track or two that showcase what you consider to be EVO's lack of 'sparkle'? I only ask because I find EVO's treble spot on for me, but am always open to learning about what others look for in an IEM, especially when it comes to treble (which, for me, must just provide enough air and sparkle and then get out the way). So far all the pings, dings and chimes sound perfectly fine on EVO.

 

[proedros]

i want t try Odin so much , especially now that Zeus XR has been collecting dust for one month cause NT6 ftw baby

 

[nastypoker]

Can't wait for my demo set of EVO's to arrive. I love my Odins but occasionally want a bit more bass quantity. The LX was too much for me so it really does seem like the Odin and EVO combo will be my perfect pair of pairs for a long while.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Great first impressions! Can you post a track or two that showcase what you consider to be EVO's lack of 'sparkle'? I only ask because I find EVO's treble spot on for me, but am always open to learning about what others look for in an IEM, especially when it comes to treble (which, for me, must just provide enough air and sparkle and then get out the way). So far all the pings, dings and chimes sound perfectly fine on EVO.

I think @Precogvision uses similar tracks as well.

SNSD (Girls Generation) Galaxy Supernova and Into the New World

For me the former is more a theoretical track for tolerance, but it also gives me an idea of how much sparkle can be eeked out, it's rare to not have at least some.

The latter I use mainly to assess the cymbal hits.

Can't wait for my demo set of EVO's to arrive. I love my Odins but occasionally want a bit more bass quantity. The LX was too much for me so it really does seem like the Odin and EVO combo will be my perfect pair of pairs for a long while.

Definitely agree here. Odin and Evo complement each other perfectly. Unless Wraith gets an update or something in the vein of the Evo, it's been supplanted for me.

 

[gLer]

I think @Precogvision uses similar tracks as well.

SNSD (Girls Generation) Galaxy Supernova and Into the New World

For me the former is more a theoretical track for tolerance, but it also gives me an idea of how much sparkle can be eeked out, it's rare to not have at least some.

The latter I use mainly to assess the cymbal hits.

I can genuinely say these are the first two K-Pop tracks I've ever heard in my life Quite cool actually.

I get what you're saying about sparkle on the first and cymbal hits on the second, but will also say 1) you must enjoy your treble alot brighter than I do (this was on point for my liking), and 2) the cymbals in the second track have been micced further back in the mix, compared to a track like Def Leopard's Love Bites, which I often use to test how 'hot' the cymbal crashes are (throughout the track but mainly between 1:28 and 2:00), and again, for me, EVO is perfectly on point (i.e. the cymbal crashes don't make we wince).

With this in mind I'd probably score EVO's treble higher than you would, but it also goes to show how much song choice, mastering quality/mixing, and personal preference comes into play here.

 

[KuroKitsu]

I get what you're saying about sparkle on the first and cymbal hits on the second, but will also say 1) you must enjoy your treble alot brighter than I do (this was on point for my liking), and 2) the cymbals in the second track have been micced further back in the mix, compared to a track like Def Leopard's Love Bites, which I often use to test how 'hot' the cymbal crashes are (throughout the track but mainly between 1:28 and 2:00), and again, for me, EVO is perfectly on point (i.e. the cymbal crashes don't make we wince).

With this in mind I'd probably score EVO's treble higher than you would, but it also goes to show how much song choice, mastering quality/mixing, and personal preference comes into play here.

Both valid points.

I think 1 (is the cause and) leads into point 2 as well for how I evaluate treble overall. I ended up having a lot of room for the cymbal response to differ.

Overall, I do enjoy the Evo as a whole.

 

[Layman1]

I can genuinely say these are the first two K-Pop tracks I've ever heard in my life Quite cool actually.

I get what you're saying about sparkle on the first and cymbal hits on the second, but will also say 1) you must enjoy your treble alot brighter than I do (this was on point for my liking), and 2) the cymbals in the second track have been micced further back in the mix, compared to a track like Def Leopard's Love Bites, which I often use to test how 'hot' the cymbal crashes are (throughout the track but mainly between 1:28 and 2:00), and again, for me, EVO is perfectly on point (i.e. the cymbal crashes don't make we wince).

With this in mind I'd probably score EVO's treble higher than you would, but it also goes to show how much song choice, mastering quality/mixing, and personal preference comes into play here.

Oh, Def Leppard 'Love Bites'. Love that one! Was listening to 'Rocket' this morning too. A classic
I like Girls Generation too, haha. 'Honey, 'Perfect for you' and 'Echo' are tracks I often use when listening to gear

 

[KuroKitsu]

I like Girls Generation too, haha. 'Honey, 'Perfect for you' and 'Echo' are tracks I often use when listening to gear

I think @Precogvision was the first reviewer of notable fame to openly use Kpop in his evaluation.

That certainly opened the door to others like myself to talk about that as well.

 

[KuroKitsu]

V14 impressions have been delayed because of a lack of motivation and my other hobby of gunpla taking up time recently.

Given the promoted V14 review on the front page and it's questionable usefulness other than marketing, I will be dropping mine tonight.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Full Evo review is up!

V14 is still WIP. Got sidetracked all evening by Gunpla issues.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Impressions: QDC Anole V14

Preamble: As much as QDC is my equivalent of Fitear is to @riverground, the cost of whatever their latest iteration is in the Anole series is hard to stomach when the Odin is in the same range. These impressions have been enabled by Aussie audiophile and revolving door of high end audio gear @Damz87 . Who generously accepted a multi-continent trade for his meticulously maintained V14 in exchange for a slightly scratched A8000 and a demo model M4. What initially was an attempted to free up funds in the A8000 became the opportunity to try yet another kilobuck TOTL (thanks HeadFi). I really hope the price doesn't jump up for the next iteration of their flagship as the VX was relatively high for it's time already with the V14 is eye-watering given the competition. But enough of that, the V14 comes first.

I've waxed poetic and am a huge fan of the Empire and 64 Audio house sounds and for all intents and purposes you really couldn't go any further....or so I thought. In comparison to other markets in East Asian, the Chinese market has a relatively different preference for their sound. Especially when compared to the more western leaning hybrid signatures that come out of Japanese, Korean and Singaporean manufacturers. From the first time I put a QDC product in my ears, there's always been this sense of "yes, THIS is what I was looking for". Backed by years of experience with audio reproduction, QDC has an essential monopoly on the professional market. In fact I don't think I've ever seen any competitor in a Chinese music competition have anything in their ears. Unfortunately their house sound is firstly professional rather than audiophile (like 64) and secondly the uniquely Chinese sound preference and I just don't see it clicking with western audiophiles or even those who listen to western music. As such their market is limited to the East Asia area. It's horrible for my wallet, great for my ears and hard to resell (Is that a bad thing though?).

Design: As always, the semi-custom shells are a perfect fit. Not as snug as my A12t mind you, but close enough that I almost forget the V14 is in my ear during long listening sessions, there's never any feeling that the fit is loose or shifting. Despite the whopping 14 driver configuration per side, the V14 is surprisingly light as well. QDC has followed up the metallic silver on the VX and the elegant purple wood on the DMagic with yet what feels like another art piece than a set of audio transducers. A classy black speckled with carbon fibre with the gold V14 logo on both sides as well as "qdc" on the antitragus. Of course this being a flagship with the highest price tag outside of the Blue Dragon meant that QDC also made it glow in the dark after being exposed to UV light (or the sun), a bit gimmicky but also much more useful than say having switches. The switches get an additional toggle from the VX, and I'd much rather opt for a slightly cheaper model without for both practical and theoretical concerns. Thought the appeal of having potentially 16 different tunings in an iem might appeal to some of you. While it is possible to get a normal 2 pin socket version of the V14, for ease and speed most of us will be the getting the standard extruded 0.75 2 pin with reverse polarity (Not an issue as covered by @jwbrent) which does make life for use prolific cable rollers so I advise spending some time to get the normal 2 pin version if you plan to try cables. V14 also comes with a brand new 12 core iteration of the stock copper/silver (6 copper, 6 silver) with the swappable termination which I found an already excellent pairing out of the box and the third entry onto my list of excellent stock cables. Of course, the stock cable comes with angled connectors and that may pose an issue with comfort for some of you. The nozzles as usually are metal with lips.

Testing: QDC includes excellent stock tips out of the box, so rather than go to the Deepmounts I opted to use the stock tips in small. Some testing also resulted in a better fit for me than the Deepmounts in this case. They must be using the Gen 2 Estas in the V14 as I could discern no change in the treble regardless of low or high gain on the 4.4 of the WM1A. I ended up going to my usual combination of low gain/4.4/55 on the 1A for the V14. Switch equipped models have always been a hit or miss for me so I just went for the stock tuning with all switches off.

Sound: The V14 seems to have shifted from what I remembered as a slight midbass bias on the VX, instead opting this time for subbass bias. It holds up well in the price bracket in terms of extension, perhaps coming across much more clearly than say the warmer tuned Balmung. The bass is not a basshead tier but offers good slam to please the average audiophile. However the impact seems to have been dialed back, but this seems to be a compromise on the part of QDC to maintain a balanced signature that's also doesn't induced fatigure too quickly being a sealed design. The bass shelf is clean and there is no bleed at all into the mids, however the bass response still manages to give the lower mids excellent body.

The VX had this really weird issue that was pointed out to me by another audio friend with the mids. There's some sort of weird dip when transitioning between the lower and upper mids that is blantaly obvious. The V14 has no such issue I'm glad to report. As mentioned in the paragraph prior the lower mids have excellent body and not a hint of recession despite the bass shelf. While not the boosted " Do y'all have more of that upper mids" that I really really like, there is ample air for female mids, and similarly no recession. Both male and female vocals are extremely well balanced while offering what they need to shine. The mids have a slightly forward presentation so that regardless of the treble sparkling or bass line, the mids are always clear and present but never shouty.

V14 carries the concept of balance right into the treble as well. There's good treble energy with a slight sparkle. While dark and smooth, cymbals and high hats come across perfectly and those with 5 and 7k sensitivities can rest easy and eat their cake too. This ensures that the treble, like the bass never steals the show. I could have done with a bit more sparkle, but I really can't complain if cymbals and high hats sound right. Treble extension is fairly good, but the V14 like most other flagships opt for a focus in the lower and mid treble with a roll off in the upper treble. This also benefits those who's auditory systems no longer handle upper treble.


Conclusion: QDC's flagship line is called "Anole" or Chameleon in Chinese (Chameleons are not Anoles, which is a weird choice in english) and with the V14 I think they've done it again. A flagship that hits well in it's price bracket and by virtue of the well tuned signature is a chameleon to whatever music you put through it. Technicality wise it has solid imaging, handling the busy of my test tracks with ease backed by an equally wide and depth soundstage that makes it feel like you're sitting in the middle of a concert hall with the music flowing around you. During my time with the V14, I noticed a striking similarity in tuning with the A12t. To the point where I was flip flopping on which to keep over the better part of a week. The deciding factor ended up being the treble presentation: I just liked A12t's use of the upper mids much more than the lower and mid treble focused V14. The biggest difference this time is QDC's choice to opt for a darker hybrid signature. This time leaning towards a darker signature that would appeal better to western audiences, they also managed to still retain the appeal of the QDC house design, giving me those elements of the Chinese sound preference. While many of you are looking for some sort of specialist iem in the V14's price bracket, the V14 is a true all-rounder iem backed by excellent performance that I recommend giving a try especially due to the signature. This isn't your grandfather's or even your father's QDC, you never know you might like it.

 

[jwbrent]

Impressions: QDC Anole V14

Preamble: As much as QDC is my equivalent of Fitear is to @riverground, the cost of whatever their latest iteration is in the Anole series is hard to stomach when the Odin is in the same range. These impressions have been enabled by Aussie audiophile and revolving door of high end audio gear @Damz87 . Who generously accepted a multi-continent trade for his meticulously maintained V14 in exchange for a slightly scratched A8000 and a demo model M4. What initially was an attempted to free up funds in the A8000 became the opportunity to try yet another kilobuck TOTL (thanks HeadFi). I really hope the price doesn't jump up for the next iteration of their flagship as the VX was relatively high for it's time already with the V14 is eye-watering given the competition. But enough of that, the V14 comes first.

I've waxed poetic and am a huge fan of the Empire and 64 Audio house sounds and for all intents and purposes you really couldn't go any further....or so I thought. In comparison to other markets in East Asian, the Chinese market has a relatively different preference for their sound. Especially when compared to the more western leaning hybrid signatures that come out of Japanese, Korean and Singaporean manufacturers. From the first time I put a QDC product in my ears, there's always been this sense of "yes, THIS is what I was looking for". Backed by years of experience with audio reproduction, QDC has an essential monopoly on the professional market. In fact I don't think I've ever seen any competitor in a Chinese music competition have anything in their ears. Unfortunately their house sound is firstly professional rather than audiophile (like 64) and secondly the uniquely Chinese sound preference and I just don't see it clicking with western audiophiles or even those who listen to western music. As such their market is limited to the East Asia area. It's horrible for my wallet, great for my ears and hard to resell (Is that a bad thing though?).

Design: As always, the semi-custom shells are a perfect fit. Not as snug as my A12t mind you, but close enough that I almost forget the V14 is in my ear during long listening sessions, there's never any feeling that the fit is loose or shifting. Despite the whopping 14 driver configuration per side, the V14 is surprisingly light as well. QDC has followed up the metallic silver on the VX and the elegant purple wood on the DMagic with yet what feels like another art piece than a set of audio transducers. A classy black speckled with carbon fibre with the gold V14 logo on both sides as well as "qdc" on the antitragus. Of course this being a flagship with the highest price tag outside of the Blue Dragon meant that QDC also made it glow in the dark after being exposed to UV light (or the sun), a bit gimmicky but also much more useful than say having switches. The switches get an additional toggle from the VX, and I'd much rather opt for a slightly cheaper model without for both practical and theoretical concerns. Thought the appeal of having potentially 16 different tunings in an iem might appeal to some of you. While it is possible to get a normal 2 pin socket version of the V14, for ease and speed most of us will be the getting the standard extruded 0.75 2 pin with reverse polarity (Not an issue as covered by @jwbrent) which does make life for use prolific cable rollers so I advise spending some time to get the normal 2 pin version if you plan to try cables. V14 also comes with a brand new 12 core iteration of the stock copper/silver (6 copper, 6 silver) with the swappable termination which I found an already excellent pairing out of the box and the third entry onto my list of excellent stock cables. Of course, the stock cable comes with angled connectors and that may pose an issue with comfort for some of you. The nozzles as usually are metal with lips.

Testing: QDC includes excellent stock tips out of the box, so rather than go to the Deepmounts I opted to use the stock tips in small. Some testing also resulted in a better fit for me than the Deepmounts in this case. They must be using the Gen 2 Estas in the V14 as I could discern no change in the treble regardless of low or high gain on the 4.4 of the WM1A. I ended up going to my usual combination of low gain/4.4/55 on the 1A for the V14. Switch equipped models have always been a hit or miss for me so I just went for the stock tuning with all switches off.

Sound: The V14 seems to have shifted from what I remembered as a slight midbass bias on the VX, instead opting this time for subbass bias. It holds up well in the price bracket in terms of extension, perhaps coming across much more clearly than say the warmer tuned Balmung. The bass is not a basshead tier but offers good slam to please the average audiophile. However the impact seems to have been dialed back, but this seems to be a compromise on the part of QDC to maintain a balanced signature that's also doesn't induced fatigure too quickly being a sealed design. The bass shelf is clean and there is no bleed at all into the mids, however the bass response still manages to give the lower mids excellent body.

The VX had this really weird issue that was pointed out to me by another audio friend with the mids. There's some sort of weird dip when transitioning between the lower and upper mids that is blantaly obvious. The V14 has no such issue I'm glad to report. As mentioned in the paragraph prior the lower mids have excellent body and not a hint of recession despite the bass shelf. While not the boosted " Do y'all have more of that upper mids" that I really really like, there is ample air for female mids, and similarly no recession. Both male and female vocals are extremely well balanced while offering what they need to shine. The mids have a slightly forward presentation so that regardless of the treble sparkling or bass line, the mids are always clear and present but never shouty.

V14 carries the concept of balance right into the treble as well. There's good treble energy with a slight sparkle. While dark and smooth, cymbals and high hats come across perfectly and those with 5 and 7k sensitivities can rest easy and eat their cake too. This ensures that the treble, like the bass never steals the show. I could have done with a bit more sparkle, but I really can't complain if cymbals and high hats sound right. Treble extension is fairly good, but the V14 like most other flagships opt for a focus in the lower and mid treble with a roll off in the upper treble. This also benefits those who's auditory systems no longer handle upper treble.


Conclusion: QDC's flagship line is called "Anole" or Chameleon in Chinese (Chameleons are not Anoles, which is a weird choice in english) and with the V14 I think they've done it again. A flagship that hits well in it's price bracket and by virtue of the well tuned signature is a chameleon to whatever music you put through it. Technicality wise it has solid imaging, handling the busy of my test tracks with ease backed by an equally wide and depth soundstage that makes it feel like you're sitting in the middle of a concert hall with the music flowing around you. During my time with the V14, I noticed a striking similarity in tuning with the A12t. To the point where I was flip flopping on which to keep over the better part of a week. The deciding factor ended up being the treble presentation: I just liked A12t's use of the upper mids much more than the lower and mid treble focused V14. The biggest difference this time is QDC's choice to opt for a darker hybrid signature. This time leaning towards a darker signature that would appeal better to western audiences, they also managed to still retain the appeal of the QDC house design, giving me those elements of the Chinese sound preference. While many of you are looking for some sort of specialist iem in the V14's price bracket, the V14 is a true all-rounder iem backed by excellent performance that I recommend giving a try especially due to the signature. This isn't your grandfather's or even your father's QDC, you never know you might like it.

You are on a roll, my friend! Nice observations plus I learned a few things. Well, you beat me to it in getting a V14 review up.

I have this grand plan to write a single comparison review on the 8 flagships in my collection, but I’m being lazy and I’m looking for motivation to get me going on this project. I hope to have it out by the end of this year.

By the way, I’d love to read your impressions on the VE EXT, especially in comparison to the EVO, so I hope you have a plan to borrow—or buy—a set sometime in the future.

Great work you prolific reviewer!

 

[KuroKitsu]

You are on a roll, my friend! Nice observations plus I learned a few things. Well, you beat me to it in getting a V14 review up.

I have this grand plan to write a single comparison review on the 8 flagships in my collection, but I’m being lazy and I’m looking for motivation to get me going on this project. I hope to have it out by the end of this year.

By the way, I’d love to read your impressions on the VE EXT, especially in comparison to the EVO, so I hope you have a plan to borrow—or buy—a set sometime in the future.

Great work you prolific reviewer!

Hoping to see your V14 review as well, you seemed to like it as well!

Motivation is probably the biggest hurdle to be fair. It takes me about 30-45 minutes with rested ears to pull about 1 to 2 pages of notes from a demo session, that's the easy part. Writing is probably the hardest, sometimes I have a theme in mind and I end up doing the review in one go, and then a little bit of extra work to water down that for my impressions. Sometimes, it's a struggle and I end up reorganizing sentences, or even rewriting huge swaths.

I will definitely be getting time with the EXT, @riverground isn't going to let me off the hook.

 

[jwbrent]

Hoping to see your V14 review as well, you seemed to like it as well!

Motivation is probably the biggest hurdle to be fair. It takes me about 30-45 minutes with rested ears to pull about 1 to 2 pages of notes from a demo session, that's the easy part. Writing is probably the hardest, sometimes I have a theme in mind and I end up doing the review in one go, and then a little bit of extra work to water down that for my impressions. Sometimes, it's a struggle and I end up reorganizing sentences, or even rewriting huge swaths.

I will definitely be getting time with the EXT, @riverground isn't going to let me off the hook.

Well, I’m glad that @riverground is applying the pressure.

You are much more methodical in writing your reviews than I am … which is a good thing. I, on the other hand, trust on the universe to guide me in my writing. I take several days after listening to a review subject to ponder what I heard and how I’m going to write the review. Then I get my laptop out and retrieve any photos I want to use, links I want to add, album covers if need be, and start organizing the page in my mind.

Once I get the first sentence out, it just all flows out of me as if I’m a conduit for the universe. It’s a magical feeling. But sometimes I get stuck and can’t think of a good opening sentence, and that is when the difficulty comes about. It’s really hard sometimes.

Anyway, keep doing what you do, I do find it enjoyable to read.

 

[gLer]

Hoping to see your V14 review as well, you seemed to like it as well!

Motivation is probably the biggest hurdle to be fair. It takes me about 30-45 minutes with rested ears to pull about 1 to 2 pages of notes from a demo session, that's the easy part. Writing is probably the hardest, sometimes I have a theme in mind and I end up doing the review in one go, and then a little bit of extra work to water down that for my impressions. Sometimes, it's a struggle and I end up reorganizing sentences, or even rewriting huge swaths.

I will definitely be getting time with the EXT, @riverground isn't going to let me off the hook.

Enjoying your reviews Kuro. For me it depends on the product. A quick review for a smaller product is usually a few listens, some descriptions of the obvious stuff, and maybe 3-4 hours of solid writing. Then photos, editing, proofing and publishing.

For a major review, like the latest EVO review, that's a project in and of itself. Once burn-in is done, it's at least a week or two of regular listening to get a 'feel' for it and get over the honeymoon phase. Then another few days of comparative listening. Then the writing starts, usually with the 'easy part' (what it is, what's in the box etc.), before embarking on a series of focused listening and note-taking for the body of the review, which can take up to two full days of writing. Editing is another day, photos another. If I had to monetize the hours spent I'd be pulling in more than my full-time salary, but I enjoy it so much more!

Keep writing and sharing.