New Custom-to-Universal IEMs: InEar StageDiver 2/3

[nazrin313]

The mighty SD-3 is now part of a legendary family

 

[Music225]

What is that shiny little gem in middle , I've never heard of a metallic custom before

hm not custom but big housing that is

 

[nazrin313]

  What is that shiny little gem in middle , I've never heard of a metallic custom before

hm not custom but big housing that is

Its the Reference Titanium One from Rhapsodio. Its their flagship with a titanium 8mm Dynamic Driver. Its the detail monster of the family..Immense Details and second to none instrument separation.

 

[Music225]

:sigh: just headfier does headfier's things , makes others feel so darn envious

 

[nazrin313]

  :sigh: just headfier does headfier's things , makes others feel so darn envious

Hahaha...its not that, now I think my IEM/Headphone journey is complete cos with my current set up it pretty much covers all possible music genres..
 
Now, to pay off bills for the next few months lol

 

[Music225]

Nah , blasphemy ! A headfier never feels completed , you may stop for a little while but admit it you know that you will keep looking for something sooner or later as long as you are still visiting head-fi forum and that sensation , that urge to try something new that gets a lot of praises and looks too darn sexy and then you check if all the bills have been paid ,then you find some extra to jump on the bandwagon , the cycle repeats .
You can not stop ,unless you leave here, for good

 

[nazrin313]

  Nah , blasphemy ! A headfier never feels completed , you may stop for a little while but admit it you know that you will keep looking for something sooner or later as long as you are still visiting head-fi forum and that sensation , that urge to try something new that gets a lot of praises and looks too darn sexy and then you check if all the bills have been paid ,then you find some extra to jump on the bandwagon , the cycle repeats .
You can not stop ,unless you leave here, for good

hahhaa u are absolutely right..but I have stopped looking for my desktop setup and my portable rig..cos its the end game for me..
 
and I think im also done both on the headphone (HD600/NAD Viso HP50) and IEMs (1p2/RTi1/SD-3)
 
promise...scouts honour

 

[Music225]

  Westone has their Monitor Vault i think it's about $20 on Amazon, it's rather tiny when compared to the Pelican 1010 and it's very pocket-friendly.
 
Haven't tried the X5 as of writing this post, though I'm on the list for FiiO:s "X5 world tour" and will probably be getting my sample around the international release of the X5, which should be somewhere around the middle of march.

Looking forward to your pairing it with X5 , without amp please if you can

 

[skalkman]

  I'm going on my third day now. 
The X5 is rather neutral, maybe slightly warm in some areas but that would be to stretch it.
The one thing that the X5 does really well is detailing, there is just so much detail there compared to something like the X3 or an iPod classic 7G. It's rather spectacular. It won't grab you by the nuts and shake you with amazing dynamics like the HM901, though it will still make you hear new nuances of your music. I am a detail nut and i like this combo, you may not. The only thing that i would consider is maybe giving the SD-2:s some more air and sparkle, either with a new silver cable or going balanced (maybe both).

  Looking forward to your pairing it with X5 , without amp please if you can

I have already sent it back.
 
I will be getting my own unit in the next couple of weeks probably. And i haven't tried the SD-2 + Ortofon tips with the X5. 

 

[Music225]

OK , looking forward to your review, have you read about the Sony ZX1

 

[skalkman]

If you enjoy it you should just enjoy it and not bother about possibly upgrading the sound. I would tell you to only start thinking about cables when you have the rest of your system dialed. 
 
I'll make a baby's-first-system list (no offence) for you guys.
 
Number one: Headphones/IEM:s. Get a pair of headphones/IEM:s that you really like.
Number two: Source. Get yourself a nice DAP, DAC, or DAC/AMP combo that works well with your headphones/IEM:s of choice. TRY EVERYTHING!
Number three: Amplifier. This is optional, if you don't really feel that you absolutely need it then you don't, as simple as that.
Number four: Interconnects (optional). Get yourself a nice IC that fits your budget. I always recommend ecbuyonline2008 if you're on a budget and want some of the best IC:s you can get for reasonable money. 
Number five: Headphone/IEM cables. Now finally, when everything else is nailed down start to think about cables. Once again "Try all the things" (really, do it) get a cable that compliments your system as well as your headphones/IEM:s. 

 

[skalkman]

  OK , looking forward to your review, have you read about the Sony ZX1

Yes, i have been reading up on the Sony NWZ-ZX1, though it's ****expensive and I'm bleeding money as it is, and my "upgradeitis" is bad enough already. So no review/rambling from me, for the foreseeable future at least.

 

[modulor]

  If you enjoy it you should just enjoy it and not bother about possibly upgrading the sound. I would tell you to only start thinking about cables when you have the rest of your system dialed. 
 
I'll make a baby's-first-system list (no offence) for you guys.
 
Number one: Headphones/IEM:s. Get a pair of headphones/IEM:s that you really like.
Number two: Source. Get yourself a nice DAP, DAC, or DAC/AMP combo that works well with your headphones/IEM:s of choice. TRY EVERYTHING!
Number three: Amplifier. This is optional if, you don't really feel that you absolutely need it then you don't, as simple as that.
Number four: Interconnects (optional). Get yourself a nice IC that fits your budget. I always recommend ecbuyonline2008 if you're on a budget and want some of the best IC:s you can get for reasonable money. 
Number five: Headphone/IEM cables. Now finally, when everything else is nailed down start to think about cables. Once again "Try all the things" (really, do it) get a cable that compliments your SYSTEM as a whole not only your headphones/IEM:s. 

Excellent advice, and tiered correctly in terms of where you'll hear the most improvements and what you should focus on first.  The transducers are clearly the first step and the rest is just added refinement on top of that - I can definitely contest that some upstream gear has better synergy with speakers/headphones/IEMs than others.  It's all part of the fun though, trying out different options and seeing what works best with your tastes!
 
My SD-3 just arrived moments ago but it's a busy day at work...I can't wait to try them later today 

 

[Music225]

That list is what I would sort audio gears' priority too . The reason I asked you guys about synergy cables for SD2 is not because I'm looking for a little bit improvement for SQ of SD2 , but rather about its aesthetic, I just want to know what kind of cables should I look for on the unavoidable incident that the cable turns green and if I happen to hate that color so much . I actually want to ask you guy if I can make it more green lol , that light green quite annoys me a good bit , but if it's green like the the picture with the  coffee , it's not so bad , even though still has nothing to do with the black monitors on your ears .

I am a total newbie to head-fi , I don't have enough experience in this hobby to decide which sound signature is best for me , thus SQ is not my ultimate goal . I'm looking for a temporary end game combo to use for many years to come , which must sound good , look incredible to my eyes and must last for a long while . ZX1 already caught my eyes as my dream DAP , it looks exactly and better than what I have always imagined a DAP should be .Even though I acknowledge that SQ wise, it is at least slightly worse than an X5 or AK120 and not much better than its sibling F886 and the like , regardless of the funny price tag . I skip AMP , imo , within my budget, a good 150-200$ iem with a good 200$ Amp may not be clearly better or as good as a great 400$ iem , and then there will be portability issues, not to mention , with all the cables and straps, destroys the point of ZX1 design , which is what I love about it in the first place , which also leads me back to the start , if I have to buy an Amp , I'd rather buy a clip sansa+ or at maximum DX50, Fseries , or X3 then strap whateverrr to its back , save me so much money .
ZX1 is now the base for me to choose the synergy IEMs both in aesthetic and SQ , I could have decided the Final Audio Design Heaven VI (dat name , I know) and Heaven IV , damn , that sweet feminine, poetic (I hate poems) look works like a perfect couple pairing with the sturdy ,trusty , brushy metallic ZX1 , you should google those images to see what I mean . (Chrome not Gold version)

 
Then I find out it is not suitable for me , housings are gonna fall out every now and then , considering I spend a large amount of time using IEMs while cycling or jogging , also not practical for listening on bed. I looked at MA750 , seems to be also a good match , wont say a gay couple kind of match , more like 2 friend with the same mind , minus the incomprehensible decision of GREY cable ,

 
but that's not the main put off , I can spend more , thus eventhough it is such a strong performer for its price , I feel the need to look at something else , because I'm looking for an endgame combo . Was thinking of going the road of CIEMs , but availability and my budget only allowed either UM Marvel or Noble 3C , both gave me a hard time finding any review , can't risk it ! Before that , I had grown quite an interest in Jphonic K2 SP , its analytical , revealing nature may actually make my mostly 320kb collection sound worse or may be wont sound fun for my taste , there is MX ver tuned for enjoying music , then again , no review to be found . One thing for sure , I dig that deep black gem reflecting light source looks , despite its cheap looking cable , wandering to the border of 1k$ IEMs just for fun , I found TG334 , felt a little bitter that I am not rich ))  Actually , if I was rich , I would go straight to CIEM JH 16 and ask them to plate/spray/handcraft absolubeutifuluminum on everything . Back to the TG334 , I still love the design of K2 SP more , that whole round body look transcend so well the way light projected on those , nah , who am I to say ,I'm so poor

After reading literally hundreds of reviews of dozens and dozens of IEMs , I stumble upon the unknown , unpopular Inear StageDiver , still wont look as smooth as K2 but to my eyes better than TG334 ,also at the price I can reach , plus as well as minus , the sparkling silver cable , minus the silly 3,5mm jack . Having read so far , SD2's sound signature seem the most suitable for my varied ridiculous music taste , comfort wise is also the best bet I can rely on , if performer can sweat a bucket and stage dive with it , then this is for my moisture ears . It simply hits the sweet spot of what I want and need .
 
Sorry for a lot of ranting ) got myself carried away in thoughts , also realized the post is too long , add a bit pictures , less boring to read.

 

[Migou67]

The great and powerful SD3 does not stop to impress me, always addictive for me. At the moment I use it with Viper4Android on my Wolfson Note2, you can literaly sculpt the sound to your taste without significant degradation.
A really impressive app and I'm a regular user for decades of audio recording, using a lot of quality studio DSP with Cubase (VST) and also with hardware racks at the begining of my home studio.
 
PowerAmp is the best matching for V4A, I have try a lot of players and I always go back to PowerAmp.
 
Here is my V4A profile, maybe someone has a rooted Android and the mighty SD3 

 
Driver version 2.3.2.6 : Super Audio Quality
 
Convolver* : Enabled
Impulse Response File : Waves MaxxAudio AudioWizard 1 (payed version)
 
Dynamic System : Enabled
Listening Device : Philips Earphone (does wonders with the SD3)
Dynamic Bass : 16 8 Percent
 
Viper Clarity : Enabled
Clarity Mode : OZone+
Clarity : 12 6 dB
 
Output Gain : -14.0 -10.5 dB
 
*Realtime convolution is the process of mapping a signal to reflect the frequencies of an impulse response (IR), also sometimes referred to as an "impulse curve". An IR is basically the set of frequencies that define how sound reacts in a certain environment, and the process of mapping these two frequencies together is convolution.