[acygni]

I think that was e40 for the cheapest one, and CKR series for more expansive one if I recall correctly. They sound really interesting as well, the staging is quite unique

For real. I did not expect it to be a "push pull" system. That's pretty cool and I assume it probably enhances the responsiveness. Wonder if b3 is using the same concept.

 

[redrol]

Audio-technica did this kind of DD design 10 years ago

I dont believe you. Show proof.

 

[Audio Fun]

I dont believe you. Show proof.

Read previous page please

 

[DiMenezes]

With the price of the Blessing 3 confirmed I have to say I'm optimistic. It'll probably be the same price as the Blessing 2.
I have the Blessing 2 Dusk and I like it buy I have discovered a lot about myself with a few years in the hobby and one complain I have about the Dusk is the base. It is too much for me and sometimes it feels "out of place" to my ears. Whenever I EQ it down I think it sounds better.

I truly hope the Blessing 3 doesn't go for the Dusk tuning as I'd love to have a neutral-bright good IEM but I didn't want to buy the "same" IEM one more time.

Anyone else looking forward to the Blessing 3 or will you just keep the Blessing 2 if the tuning is too much alike?

 

[Audio Fun]

For real. I did not expect it to be a "push pull" system. That's pretty cool and I assume it probably enhances the responsiveness. Wonder if b3 is using the same concept.

It’s definitely the same concept, but a little bit different I will say, it’s only used for lower frequency, and it has 3D printed structure to hold it with tube as well. But really interested to me definitely

 

[Audio Fun]

With the price of the Blessing 3 confirmed I have to say I'm optimistic. It'll probably be the same price as the Blessing 2.
I have the Blessing 2 Dusk and I like it buy I have discovered a lot about myself with a few years in the hobby and one complain I have about the Dusk is the base. It is too much for me and sometimes it feels "out of place" to my ears. Whenever I EQ it down I think it sounds better.

I truly hope the Blessing 3 doesn't go for the Dusk tuning as I'd love to have a neutral-bright good IEM but I didn't want to buy the "same" IEM one more time.

Anyone else looking forward to the Blessing 3 or will you just keep the Blessing 2 if the tuning is too much alike?

Definitely looking forward to B2OG kind of tuning as well. Don’t like Dusk at all, based on the graph is kind of between OG and dusk for the bass hopefully it will be good

 

[acygni]

It’s definitely the same concept, but a little bit different I will say, it’s only used for lower frequency, and it has 3D printed structure to hold it with tube as well. But really interested to me definitely

Isn't it basically a simulated planar driver. But it only handles the low end so maybe it's beneficial.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Still debating myself If I should get B3.

Based on my recent 2 LCP covering same frequency band, hakugei Seaelf, I do see a dynamic benefit in that dual DD, it cast layering and increases sound pressure.

Sea-Elf has completed 30 hours of burn-in.

▶︎I still see somewhat awkward mid-presentation

▶︎Then I noticed that was not Sea-Elf’s native habit, the awkward mid presentation was mainly attributed to its modulated cable!!

I rolled the cables to GS Audio GT12, KZ ZAS, ZEX, AST, DQ6S, DQ6, Moondrop B2/Variations, HEXA, HOLA, ZERO, and some other IEMs and confirmed Hakugei’s Sea-Elf cable does some very weird veiling effect to all of IEMs tested, very hard to explain but here are the cable native habit that I noted.

Sea-Elf cable:
▶︎recude gain level across all spectrum especially for mid range and treble region. As a result only frequency range that retain original gain level is left to mid-bass

▶︎upper mid tamer it can be used, however what makes this cable hard to apply is not only upper mid, it also tones down upper registers and sucking air out of most of IEMs. So I could think this cable would match with extremely upper-mid focused bass thin and ultimately bright tuned IEMs. Many KZ IEMs has upper-mid and bright tuning but sadly they already have very high bass floor, so this Hakugei cable won’t match.


Back to Sea-Elf:

After 30hour of initial run, the driver shall have enough flexibility to perform its potentia, for that I tried with same set up that I use for See Audio Bravery, as they both share some FR similarity.



Ear tips: TRI Clarion
Cable : PW Audio Legend II

Result: Sea Elf does follow what PWA Legend II and TRI Clarion are designed to do, Legend II levels down upper mid floor, Clarion opens up diffusion field and tame mid-bass. Sea-Elf is now closer to “Energetic qdc” tuning which I desired for

Facts: Even after 30 hours of Burn in, dual 10mm LCP drivers on Sea-Elf are not as technical as that of Truthear’s
LCP drivers, I’d day this LCP driver quality is what you may expect from Tripowin Lea, Tinhifi C2, those $20-class LCP IEMs(except HOLA). Good thing is Sea-Elf is double-stacked of those mid-grade LCP and the sound pressures with this dual LCPs singing in unison is actually musically entertainin.

When directly A-B test with Bravery on the same set up, although tuning are fairly close, somewhat mid-grade dual LCP and CIEM-like 4BA configured Bravery has a very different Timbre and technicalities.

As if you are seeing WWII aircraft and Latest Jet fighters. They both has unique taste and I like both, but technically I may say Sea-Elf belongs to C-grade overall, with B+ for bass, but C for rest of the spectrum.

Interesting thing of Sea-Elf is it has dual stacked wings, the dual LCP, and when playing full orchestral you get a sense of multi-BA like layers of instruments with somewhat rough textures, but those are not BA timbre, layers full of energy. And the detail articulation is a lot better than similar dual DD rendered DQ6 series.

For this tuning with given technicalities, I may find Sea-Elf shines in old-recordings, of which modern BA/EST are too revealing of poor recording qualities, Sea-Elf will make those analog records sound lively with layering full of energy.

Sea-Elf also has very good match with Nils Frahm piano tracks

The only concern is 6khz peak which I’m pretty sensitive. Having all B2/ Dusk /Variafions, I find B2’s little 6khz peak a bit too sibilant, it’s tamable with ear tips and recabling though.

 

[Matias]

The other day I was playing around with sweeping a sine wave through the Dusk, and hearing where the peaks were. I did notice that little 6 kHz peak indeed, but it does not bother me much while listening to music.

What did surprise me though was that the whole pinna gain area was raised and sounded like a low Q peak. I was expecting this area to be natural but found it quite pronounced. I wonder if I should try other IEMs with less pinna gain? Even though I love the Dusk a lot.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

The other day I was playing around with sweeping a sine wave through the Dusk, and hearing where the peaks were. I did notice that little 6 kHz peak indeed, but it does not bother me much while listening to music.

What did surprise me though was that the whole pinna gain area was raised and sounded like a low Q peak. I was expecting this area to be natural but found it quite pronounced. I wonder if I should try other IEMs with less pinna gain? Even though I love the Dusk a lot.

Yea that 6khz is just OK for many genre, only some harsh female vocals like this
https://tidal.com/track/155965268
would overrun the sibilance.

Dusk’s upper mid is made to put a focus on vocal’s lip, so yes, that’s a type of colorations. It is in alignments with diffusions so when actual songs processed through that acute pinna peak, it will generate a diffusing sound stage.

If you are interest in less pinna peak, AFUL Performer 5 is a good choice, or see audio bravery will be more flat pinna approach too, with much better treble extensions when compared to Dusk.

I’ve made a A-B test this month including B2: hope it helps:
4+1 and similar A-B test:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17412148

One of a kind IEM A-B test:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17473402

 

[MOONDROP]

For real. I did not expect it to be a "push pull" system. That's pretty cool and I assume it probably enhances the responsiveness. Wonder if b3 is using the same concept.

Nope, b3 has 2 individual DD each side, for extra dynamic/transient.

 

[acygni]

Nope, b3 has 2 individual DD each side, for extra dynamic/transient.

Bluetooth 5.3?

 

[acygni]

 

[helloh3adfi]

First impressions on Variations. I never used stock tips, instead I'm using H570 and Dunu S&S. The bass slope is very recognizable so I'm using EQ to get a warmer sound. H570 really reduces the bass and the treble becomes more shouty. S&S on the other hand are more comfortable to listen. Still burning-in the Variations. Penon Serial sounds more punchy of course.

New waifu!

 

[DiMenezes]

I ordered the Moondrop Variations on the last AliExpress sale and they arrived only two days ago but I already can tell I'm nothing short of impressed!
My first impressions so far have been:

Compared to the Blessing 2 Dusk (my now second most expensive IEM), the Variations just destroys it. I've seen reviews saying that if you had the Dusk the improvement would be minor while others said it would be significant, so I honestly wasn't expecting much upgrade in technicalities (just sound signature) but wow. These are already so good and I say this with very little use.

So far I have used them to listen to a few K-Pop tracks released this year on my playlists and a few older tracks. In every song, without exception, I'm listening to either new stuff of getting a better presentation. Of course, the 'better' here is completely subjective since they do present female vocals very forward but this is how I like it.

I also trying them for gaming, in particular the last 5 or 6 hours of A Plague Tale Requiem. For those that may not know, the game has a very good sound, with open areas, great dialogue and fantastic moving soundtrack. For comparison, I did play a good part of it with the Dusk and it was already great as it gave a sense good of openness, much better than any other thing I did try, that was of course until I got the Variations. I can't comment on imaging as this is not the game to test it but as far as soundstage goes in no more than 5 minutes I could see a clear upgrade, and not just that 5% to 10%, something that clearly makes you open your mouth in disbelief.

In short, I'm liking the Variations so much that I honestly can say that if anything happen to them one day, I will not even look into something different, I'll just get them again. Basically with them, for me, there is no more upgrade for me, only side grades. I do plan to get something on this tier of quality but with a different sound signature in the future but I could honestly stay a decade with them and never think about getting another IEM.