[james444]

^ I believe your opinion is far too speculative to be even slightly offensive. Have you heard the e-Q7? It really doesn't take much experience with IEMs to make out the similarities to both BA and DD.

 

[jaw2ek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaoDi /img/forum/go_quote.gif To me, more drivers doesn't mean better. More drivers mean you can "make" a monitors that's superior to a single driver. But this "making" is about ten times harder than working with a single driver. There's just so much more to worry about. Downfall of multi-driver monitors are when manufactures thinking just grabbing two drivers that are good for their frequencies and hooking it up and selling it.

Sounds like my Klipsch Custom-2s, which mange to sound both thin and congested.

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james444 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ I believe your opinion is far too speculative to be even slightly offensive. Have you heard the e-Q7? It really doesn't take much experience with IEMs to make out the similarities to both BA and DD.

There's nothing very speculative about it--you surely knew what the technology was, and could vaguely imagine such a hybrid sound, before you'd ever heard the e-Q7--except insofar as I'm speculating that you're as likely to be suggestible as you are to be an astute observer. I have no reason to think otherwise. (I don't remember your particular posts in the e-Q7 thread. I was generalizing.) No, haven't heard it.

 

[bcpk]

Do 10 CX-300s sound better than one IE8? Can you replace a CanAmp with 50 FiiO E5s?

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alec E /img/forum/go_quote.gif There's nothing very speculative about it--you surely knew what the technology was, and could vaguely imagine such a hybrid sound, before you'd ever heard the e-Q7--except insofar as I'm speculating that you're as likely to be suggestible as you are to be an astute observer. I have no reason to think otherwise. (I don't remember your particular posts in the e-Q7 thread. I was generalizing.) No, haven't heard it.

Speculation again, and sorry to say: you're wrong. I knew then that it was a new type of BA that was said to be larger than the traditional ones. Here are some excerpts of my review:

Quote:

Originally Posted by james444 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Manufacturer specs: Single balanced armature driver Impedance: 31Ω Sensitivity: 117dB (forget about driving them from the AMP3! ) Frequency: 10-20,000Hz Max. Input: 20mW Cord length: 1.2m Weight: 11.5g ... Vladimir Ashkenazy - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2, last movement (Classical Orchestra) e-Q7: Most impressive speed and accuracy in piano rendering. Seemingly effortless handling of orchestra dynamics. Very flat, detailed and transparent. Great instrument separation and nice soundstaging. Strings are very nice, which comes as a big surprise, as normally I don’t like strings with balanced armature phones so much. These are the first BA IEMs that I wholeheartedly enjoy with classical music. ... Markus Schulz - Mainstage / I am (Trance, kudos to shigzeo!) e-Q7: Now, this is a surprise! Never heard such nice low bass rumble from a BA phone before, it almost sounds like a dynamic driver IEM (must be the large size of the armature). Overall bass is very controlled with good punch, but there are harder hitting phones out there. Very relaxed sound with excellent imaging and spacey feeling. e-Q7 is a master in sounding effortlessly.

In fact it was ClieOS' review, posted shortly after mine, that explained the technology and made me aware of the crossbreed design. But all that wasn't even my point. What I was saying is that anyone who has a bit of listening experience with BA and DD could make out that the Ortofons have similarities to both.

 

[Alec E]

As I said: "I don't remember your particular posts in the e-Q7 thread. I was generalizing."

As far as this: "I knew then that it was a new type of BA that was said to be larger than the traditional ones." If you were going to compare this unusual new, larger BA to some other sort of driver, then you would obviously compare it to the only larger sort of driver that there is--the only other sort of driver that there is, period.

I realize you're saying that anyone would notice the things which you say you noticed. I'm saying that anyone is liable to say exactly what you were saying, knowing what you knew about the technology, which, granted, is somewhat less than I would have guessed you to have known. But that of course is speculation.

And this is now officially very off topic.

 

[rawrster]

^

it would help if you stopped speculating and found out for yourself

 

[GuyDebord]

I come from the speaker world and I prefer my speakers over every HP-IEM I have ever tried. Now, I remember the speaker multi-way wars that were going on with the mainstream manufacturers in the 1980's and early 1990's, you could buy 8ways, 9ways, 7 ways, it was a marketers dream, similar to most things people try to market us with the theme, "the more, the better".

Now, look at what happened to the speaker market now, two way monitors have never had it better, Magico, Kharma, YG, Hansen, Verity, Wilson... as people understood that crossovers were indeed a very weak link! and if they wanted multi-way (not multi-driver) the crossovers needed a lot of research and money. Even companies like von Schweickert and Reference3A have been pushing the idea of augmented ONE way. Most well sesoned audiophiles will tell you that for modest budgets most 2ways are better than multiways, it is only when they get very sophisticated full range that 3ways become better, but at a price.

The IEM multi-way war is a well targeted MARKETING PLOT more than anything else! wake up people!

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ it would help if you stopped speculating and found out for yourself

I simply made the modest point that no one has said anything about these that a fiction writer, equipped with the Ortofon e-O7 webpage, might not have written, minus any experience with the IEM, about their amazing new sound. "But he heard it and you didn't!" doesn't contradict that.

 

[lordsegan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyDebord /img/forum/go_quote.gif I come from the speaker world and I prefer my speakers over every HP-IEM I have ever tried. Now, I remember the speaker multi-way wars that were going on with the mainstream manufacturers in the 1980's and early 1990's, you could buy 8ways, 9ways, 7 ways, it was a marketers dream, similar to most things people try to market us with the theme, "the more, the better". Now, look at what happened to the speaker market now, two way monitors have never had it better, Magico, Kharma, YG, Hansen, Verity, Wilson... as people understood that crossovers were indeed a very weak link! and if they wanted multi-way (not multi-driver) the crossovers needed a lot of research and money. Even companies like von Schweickert and Reference3A have been pushing the idea of augmented ONE way. Most well sesoned audiophiles will tell you that for modest budgets most 2ways are better than multiways, it is only when they get very sophisticated full range that 3ways become better, but at a price. IEM multi-way wars is a well targeted MARKETING PLOT more than anything else! wake up people!

Fantastic post. I didn't know that before now. I feel better about my little two-way Polk monitors now

 

[shigzeo]

^^ shouldn't have to 'feel' better about anything. At a certain point, you do just have to trust your ears. Staying around here will get you to upgrade every few months or every year regardless of the need or real desire.

It most certainly is marketing, but to a certain extent, it is true. I agree with the good sentiments of the Orotofon, but I am not their biggest fan. Them aside, every good multi-balanced armature I've heard (2-3) sounds better than any good single balanced armature.

Dynamics, of course, are a different affair and are great (and shouldn't be more than one) in a single package.

 

[Spyro]

(Putting the new hybrid BA type drivers aside for a moment E-Q7 and GR-8)

While I agree that there is a certain degree of marketing hype with multi-drivers, generally speaking I still would say they sound better than same type single drivers. More HAS made it better in many regards.

I remember a mere 5 years ago on this board, it was all about the battle between Shure E4 and Etymotic ER4P as best IEM's. Both single drivers and very good. Super Fi Pro (dual) was a huge improvement over Super Fi 3, Triple Fi Pro a huge improvement over Super Fi Pro, SE530 was a huge improvement over E4. Westone 3 is a huge improvement over the UM1 and UM2. Not sure what there is to dispute? Multi-driver IEM's started to make IEM's sound like headphones. ER4P is resolving and transparent but is far too cold and analytical to be considered a top tier IEM these days IMHO.
Having said that I am very impressed with the single driver Grado I am using and also what I have read about single driver Orotron. The Grado has certain characteristics that easily rival other triple drivers I have owned.

 

[gameboy115]

Custom is already another league no matter it is 10 pro/11 por / JH 13/ Jh 16 / 18 pro. It would not be too fair to put some universal IEM even they are remolded to compare with.

Spending 3 times more money to get better performance seems rational to me. Custom tends to sound better as it has better fit, and fine tune to reach better frequencies response which is not achievable by remolding your universal IEM alone

More drivers equal better sound? Not really. Like what IE8, Ck10 , SM2 can offer is living proof

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alec E /img/forum/go_quote.gif I simply made the modest point that no one has said anything about these that a fiction writer, equipped with the Ortofon e-O7 webpage, might not have written, minus any experience with the IEM, about their amazing new sound. "But he heard it and you didn't!" doesn't contradict that.

I think provocative is a more apt description. If there is more to your views than strident conjecture, then I would be interested in knowing what they are based upon. I note that you have "come to feel that a dynamic driver IEM provides a too-obviously dwarfed and stunted version of closed headphone sound." Presumably this means that you have tried a dynamic driver earphone, but have you heard any of the more highly regarded ones such as the REO, FX500, IE8, or the new Monster Turbine Pro's? lf not, then perhaps you should consider giving one of them a try. You may find yourself reassessing your prejudices and gaining some credibility here as well.

 

[Alec E]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iponderous /img/forum/go_quote.gif You may find yourself reassessing your prejudices and gaining some credibility here as well.

I can't tell for certain exactly which of my comments are referred to by many of your own; but I have no interest in credibility here, and I find the remark laughably arrogant.