azel831
100+ Head-Fier
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NEW: Tralucent Audio Plus5 BA IEM
- Thread starter Kiats
- Start date
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Good to see you here, shotgunshane. Unfortunately, I don't own a SE5. That might have to wait for mimouille to get a chance to listen and compare. The closest thing I have to that is the ACS Encore.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Good to hear that we will have overseas visitors from afar during CanJam. Sadly, the prototype will have made its way back to Gavin before CanJam.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Unknownguardian and azel831, those were my questions to Gavin as well.
I hope to have the answers in hand soon myself. I'll share the information when I have them. Azel831, going by the price of the Ref1 Too, I would think you are correct.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Ref1 & Plus5 on the Tera Player
As requested by MusicDay, and which I think is of interest to any Tera Player owner like myself. It is universally accepted that the Tralucent IEMs, the 1Plus2 and Ref1 are stellar with the Tera Player.
Test Tracks
What I intend to do here to is to compare the performance of the Ref1 and Plus5 on the Tera Players on 3 selected tracks.
The first is Alan singing the theme song from the OST of Red Cliff (Part 1). You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQRV1kI8L0
The second is Damien Rice singing Volcano. You can find on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5C25SPOM4M
The final track is Alison Krauss singing It wouldn't Have Any Difference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJVn01q4oE
Alan: RED CLIFF 〜心・戦〜
Alan Dawa Dolma is a Tibetan singer who first made her name in Japan. She has fantastic vocal range and her songs are noted for the wonderfully rich instrumentation and excellent recording. This song came from the part 1 of the Red Cliff movie which dramatises an episode early in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Part 1 is a bit slow as it is building up towards confrontation between the two sides in the impending conflict which will mark the end of the Han Dynasty in China and start of the time of the Three Kingdoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cliff_(film).
I chose this song because of the various conflicting emotions shown in the course of the song - when Alan has these mood swings and uncertainty as do the protagonists in the film.
Ref1
This song is wonderfully atmospheric on the Ref1. I think this is because of its slightly darker tone. The bass that is present throughout the song rumbles and decays slightly slowly to create this sense of waves cascading along the Yangtze River where the events of Part 1 of Red Cliff took place. It is very effective in conveying the underlying emotions behind the song. Make no mistake however: there is no smearing in all of this. That is because the Ref1 is very layered.
Plus5
The Plus5 does a brilliant job keeping pace with the changes in the course of the song. Around 0:49, there is the striking of the drums and thereafter there are regular percussion. What is noticeable here is the drums seem to strike deeper than in the Ref1 although admittedly the Ref1 seems to exhibit more bass because of its slower decay. Slightly different portrayal of the bass line in the song. The Plus5 seems to convey that extra bit of detail. However, there is one thing which I think the Plus5 perhaps edges out the Ref1 is the portrayal of Alan's voice and the emotions in her voice. The Plus5 is not more mids centric but yet the voice of Alan is more distinct in that you can hear the nuances and inflection of her voice. The soundstage of the Plus5 also seems wider than the Ref1 because the bass is cleaner.
Damien Rice: Volcano
This is a superbly recorded song. Very simple setup a drum set, 3 guitars, 1 cello, Damien Rice as lead vocals and a female vocal.
Ref1
This song presents an immediate bass line right from the word go on the Ref1. Again the Ref1 seems a tad darker than the Plus5 with a slightly slower decay for the bass. Like in the song before, it does present a very attractive atmospheric setting for the vocals and the guitars and cello.
Plus5
There is a pulsating bass line throughout the song. I always swear on the Plus5 I can hear either a Bass or Double Bass. On the Plus5, the song is not just toe tapping, but you can also hear the terrible timbre it has with strings - the cello. There is real grip as as the cellist draws the bow. The cymbal is also crisp and clean. The layering of vocals towards to the end of the song is wonderful on the Plus5: there is beautiful blending as the vocals, the guitars two of which are being strummed and one being plucked, and the cello play off one another. Only when the song ends do you realise that you had a mental image of where everyone was placed when they recorded this song. The details and imaging of the Plus5 is very well demonstrated by this song.
This is the song which when I first heard on the Plus5, I was blown away by its imaging, details and soundstage.
Alison Krauss: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
Alison Krauss has been described as having the "voice of an angel". Her plaintive frail voice however has proven the test for many a source and driver. If things do not work well, Alison Krauss loses her girly voice and sounds like a woman. On the flipside, her high pitched voice could sound too dry and shrill and be filed with sibilance. Hence, I figured that this track would be a good test for the tonality of the two IEMs.
The song I have chosen here is an acoustic song featuring: Alison Krauss, a simple drum set, a piano, a guitar and a dobro. There is also backing vocals during the chorus
Ref1
The Ref1 seems to nail it with this song. Despite the fact that it seems slightly warmer in terms of the backing music, Alison Krauss' voice shines through and is still the right tone: high, frail and plaintive with nary a hint of sibilance, treble glare. Insofar as the song goes, the Ref1 paints a very rich blend if a bit darker than the Plus5.
Plus5
The Plus5 seems to offer greater insight into the inflection and nuances of Alison Krauss' voice. Of course, the tonality of her voice is just right, but somehow there is better details. And during the chorus, you will sit up and take notice that you can actually hear that there are more than one backup singer. If these were two pictures, I would say that the Plus5 is a brighter picture with rich details and slightly better colour separation.
Notes:
There are a few things which should be noted in this exercise:
1. The Tera Player is organic regardless of which IEM is used
2. There does not seem to be any bass roll off in either IEM
3. I used the Ortofon tips for both IEMs
Conclusion?
I am not sure if the above little exercise was useful to anyone else in comparing the Ref1 and the Plus5 on the Tera Player. I think at the end of the day, the caveat is that this is all to my ears only. :atsmile:
What perhaps one can say is that the Ref1 is more atmospheric because of its slightly slower decay while the Plus5 has a quicker but deeper bass while it has stunning details and separation. Which is not to take anything away from the Ref1 which has great details and separation in its own right.
I would simply say - different ways of portraying the music and of conveying the emotions behind the music. You can't go wrong with either.
As requested by MusicDay, and which I think is of interest to any Tera Player owner like myself. It is universally accepted that the Tralucent IEMs, the 1Plus2 and Ref1 are stellar with the Tera Player.
Test Tracks
What I intend to do here to is to compare the performance of the Ref1 and Plus5 on the Tera Players on 3 selected tracks.
The first is Alan singing the theme song from the OST of Red Cliff (Part 1). You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQRV1kI8L0
The second is Damien Rice singing Volcano. You can find on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5C25SPOM4M
The final track is Alison Krauss singing It wouldn't Have Any Difference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJVn01q4oE
Alan: RED CLIFF 〜心・戦〜
Alan Dawa Dolma is a Tibetan singer who first made her name in Japan. She has fantastic vocal range and her songs are noted for the wonderfully rich instrumentation and excellent recording. This song came from the part 1 of the Red Cliff movie which dramatises an episode early in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Part 1 is a bit slow as it is building up towards confrontation between the two sides in the impending conflict which will mark the end of the Han Dynasty in China and start of the time of the Three Kingdoms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cliff_(film).
I chose this song because of the various conflicting emotions shown in the course of the song - when Alan has these mood swings and uncertainty as do the protagonists in the film.
Ref1
This song is wonderfully atmospheric on the Ref1. I think this is because of its slightly darker tone. The bass that is present throughout the song rumbles and decays slightly slowly to create this sense of waves cascading along the Yangtze River where the events of Part 1 of Red Cliff took place. It is very effective in conveying the underlying emotions behind the song. Make no mistake however: there is no smearing in all of this. That is because the Ref1 is very layered.
Plus5
The Plus5 does a brilliant job keeping pace with the changes in the course of the song. Around 0:49, there is the striking of the drums and thereafter there are regular percussion. What is noticeable here is the drums seem to strike deeper than in the Ref1 although admittedly the Ref1 seems to exhibit more bass because of its slower decay. Slightly different portrayal of the bass line in the song. The Plus5 seems to convey that extra bit of detail. However, there is one thing which I think the Plus5 perhaps edges out the Ref1 is the portrayal of Alan's voice and the emotions in her voice. The Plus5 is not more mids centric but yet the voice of Alan is more distinct in that you can hear the nuances and inflection of her voice. The soundstage of the Plus5 also seems wider than the Ref1 because the bass is cleaner.
Damien Rice: Volcano
This is a superbly recorded song. Very simple setup a drum set, 3 guitars, 1 cello, Damien Rice as lead vocals and a female vocal.
Ref1
This song presents an immediate bass line right from the word go on the Ref1. Again the Ref1 seems a tad darker than the Plus5 with a slightly slower decay for the bass. Like in the song before, it does present a very attractive atmospheric setting for the vocals and the guitars and cello.
Plus5
There is a pulsating bass line throughout the song. I always swear on the Plus5 I can hear either a Bass or Double Bass. On the Plus5, the song is not just toe tapping, but you can also hear the terrible timbre it has with strings - the cello. There is real grip as as the cellist draws the bow. The cymbal is also crisp and clean. The layering of vocals towards to the end of the song is wonderful on the Plus5: there is beautiful blending as the vocals, the guitars two of which are being strummed and one being plucked, and the cello play off one another. Only when the song ends do you realise that you had a mental image of where everyone was placed when they recorded this song. The details and imaging of the Plus5 is very well demonstrated by this song.
This is the song which when I first heard on the Plus5, I was blown away by its imaging, details and soundstage.
Alison Krauss: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
Alison Krauss has been described as having the "voice of an angel". Her plaintive frail voice however has proven the test for many a source and driver. If things do not work well, Alison Krauss loses her girly voice and sounds like a woman. On the flipside, her high pitched voice could sound too dry and shrill and be filed with sibilance. Hence, I figured that this track would be a good test for the tonality of the two IEMs.
The song I have chosen here is an acoustic song featuring: Alison Krauss, a simple drum set, a piano, a guitar and a dobro. There is also backing vocals during the chorus
Ref1
The Ref1 seems to nail it with this song. Despite the fact that it seems slightly warmer in terms of the backing music, Alison Krauss' voice shines through and is still the right tone: high, frail and plaintive with nary a hint of sibilance, treble glare. Insofar as the song goes, the Ref1 paints a very rich blend if a bit darker than the Plus5.
Plus5
The Plus5 seems to offer greater insight into the inflection and nuances of Alison Krauss' voice. Of course, the tonality of her voice is just right, but somehow there is better details. And during the chorus, you will sit up and take notice that you can actually hear that there are more than one backup singer. If these were two pictures, I would say that the Plus5 is a brighter picture with rich details and slightly better colour separation.
Notes:
There are a few things which should be noted in this exercise:
1. The Tera Player is organic regardless of which IEM is used
2. There does not seem to be any bass roll off in either IEM
3. I used the Ortofon tips for both IEMs
Conclusion?
I am not sure if the above little exercise was useful to anyone else in comparing the Ref1 and the Plus5 on the Tera Player. I think at the end of the day, the caveat is that this is all to my ears only. :atsmile:
What perhaps one can say is that the Ref1 is more atmospheric because of its slightly slower decay while the Plus5 has a quicker but deeper bass while it has stunning details and separation. Which is not to take anything away from the Ref1 which has great details and separation in its own right.
I would simply say - different ways of portraying the music and of conveying the emotions behind the music. You can't go wrong with either.
audionewbi
Headphoneus Supremus
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pictures please
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
pictures please
Of the Plus5? Not ready yet, I understand. The one I've been listening to is a prototype. Will post once I get my hands on a commercial unit.
Kiats- thank you for the wonderful comparation of Ref1 and Plus5 using them with the Tera Player.
So Plus5 is not really a huge upgrade, but is a step above Ref1 right?
Hoping when Plus5 comes out Ref1 price will drop.
I just need the best of the best IEM for my Tera Player.
The Westone W60 didn't sound that good.
So Plus5 is not really a huge upgrade, but is a step above Ref1 right?
Hoping when Plus5 comes out Ref1 price will drop.
I just need the best of the best IEM for my Tera Player.
The Westone W60 didn't sound that good.
fattycheesebeef
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
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So tempting to try Uber cable.
I'm looking at the Silver/Gold ones, and I'm hoping it would be good to the TG334s.
I'm looking at the Silver/Gold ones, and I'm hoping it would be good to the TG334s.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
No worries, Musicday. Yes, it is a step above. Ah... I don't know the price will drop because each of the 3 Tralucents occupy a different space. None is a replacement for another.
What may happen, however, is a few used Ref1s may come up if current owners find that they prefer the sonic signature of the Plus5 and do not wish to keep both.
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Tralucent does have good cables for FitEar iems. I use them. I no longer have the TG 334. The chaps at the TG 334 thread (http://www.head-fi.org/t/597146/fitear-to-go-universal-series-suyamas-custom-iem-made-universal) may be able to share their experiences with the silver/gold cable.
I have to say, I have been pretty much out of the loop in terms of foreign makers TOTL universals IEM for quite awhile ever since I bought my Dita Audio Answer Truth Edition roughly a year back. And although amongst my small local circle of like-minded peers who are also into this particular hobby just like me, I was indeed aware that there are quite a couple of recent interesting products that came into my radar such as Ibasso/Hibino Intersound's very own Oriolus, Rhapsodio Solar and Galaxy that have been receiving lotsa word of mouth and raving positive impressions from various people of the community. Kiats, who is a fellow local countrymen gave me a personal shout out regarding Gavin's latest creations, the Tralucent Audio Plus-5 prototype pre-production model about two days ago but as I have been very busy myself, I haven't actually checked out his thread impressions until today.
As a fellow hobbyist who have been into this audio activity alittle more seriously than your average joe on the streets for close to 11 years, I can still fondly remember how Kiats warmly offered me his Tralucent Ref 1 universals for me to try it out on a particular faithful day sometime ago previously during December 2014, dating alittle back more than a year ago. Ironically, our fated meet-up session on that day was pre-arranged by someone whom we both know quite closely, but not because of my interest of trying out the Tralucent Ref 1 as initially my original motive and agenda was to actually try out his pair of Final Audio's LAB 1 universals, as these were known to be extremely elusive in Singapore back then and have also since been discontinued as there are only 150 pairs of this particular titanium-clad IEM been produced and released by Final Audio.
Filled with much high spirits and enthusiasm, I proceeded to try out the Final LAB 1's. However I was left particularly unfazed and unimpressed actually especially for their exorbitant price-tag (then again, I can understand why faithfully as I'm a Final fan myself and have quite a plethora of their own IEM series under my own belt as well). Kiats then proceeded to offer me his Tralucent Ref 1 and I can still remember to this day, while rotating some of Corrinne May and Olivia Ong's album tracks in FLAC on my very humble but trusty Walkman NW-ZX1, I was totally caught dumbfounded and remarkably impressed by the pair of Ref 1's even though it was just plugged to the headphone out of the NW-ZX1's, not via Line-out of its WM-Port jack to some excessively priced portable amplifier gears or transportable-size DACs such as the Chord Hugo.
The Ref 1's signature is fantastically rich, musically-involving with grand-scale size soundstaging cues but it also has amazingly clear and thoroughly detailed clarity as showcased by its upper registers/treble regions. Yes, from my own listening session the overall tonal balance/signature is inherently more towards dark instead of being bright, this is a very different IEM as what you would expect when pitted next to well-received custom models such as the Ultimate Ear's UERM or even the Hidition NT6PRO's, or against popular universal models such as Audio-Technica's CK100PRO and Final's FI-BA-SS model. The Ref 1 is definitely not as lean-sounding and bright/fatiguing as the above-mentioned models compared against going by the back of my memory, it has quite a densely-packed body for its midrange qualities, with good authoritative bass factor that are also complemented by its excellent treble and micro-detail qualities. Simply to put, if I were to compare Ref 1 to the above-mentioned IEMs to quote a fine example in the real world, a professionally-trained masculine male dancer would be Tralucent Ref 1, while IEMs such as UERM, ATH-CK100PRO and the FI-BA-SS would likened to be a ballerina artist who had just graduated from an Arts creative academy and about to embark on her professional journey.
Kiat's, just coming in to say hi to a fellow friend and hats off kudos to you for sharing such a concise and thoroughly write-up of those pre-production based model of the latest Plus-5 Flagship from Tralucent Audio. I have to say I am intrigued especially since you mentioned that they share a good synergy bond with the Lotoo Paw Gold, which I had acquired not too long ago. Will be waiting patiently for you so I can get my hands on the commercial model to give these a spin via my own library by artists such as Corrinne May and Olivia Ong again. Nice write-up by the way! Happy listening with the Plus-5 pre-production model!
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks, Haonan, for your kind words.
Yes, I recall that time fondly. Always good to meet up with like-minded music lovers.
I remember it was an exciting time because, prior to that, the conventional wisdom was that an audiophile IEM should lean more on the bright side in order to reveal all the details and nuances in the recording. Then we had the FitEar MH335DW, the Final Audio Design Lab1 and the Tralucent Ref1 introduced to the market at around the same time. All of which challenged this preconception and how we listened to music and what an IEM could sound like while maintaining clarity and details. It marked the emergence of what I would simply call the full range IEM: full range because it no longer ignored that in real life when we listen to a live performance or music from speakers, there will always the ever present bass line.
I am indeed blessed to have been able to witness, and then experience, this part of audio evolution. I still own all 3 of these great IEMs and I still listen to them regularly. Of course, I have since added the ACS Encore (with its double woofers) with its distinctive tube-like sound due in part to it being encased in a silicone shell.
Absolutely! We will get together again once the commercial production starts and I receive my own Plus5. Of course, some patience will be needed as with all Tralucent IEMs, more than 100 hours of burn is recommended for it to settle. Since I suspect it will come with the Uber Too cable, 200 hours would be optimal. But once it is burnt in, I will happily share the sonic bliss and wonderment.
What I can tell you is that the Plus5 leverages off wonderfully the sonic strengths of the LPG: it's power, clarity, details and neutrality. I am, as I'm writing to this, listening to this mainland male singer, Jiang Zhi Min, and his rendition of 红豆 （red bean) originally by Faye Wong singing about the longing for a return to days spent in simple pleasures and joy with a loved one. It sends shivers down my spine because the excellent instrumentation is so well placed and layered while the emotional inflections of his singing is conveyed so clearly across...
Haonan, thanks for dropping by and sharing. Much appreciated. I look forward to catching up in due course!
Yes, I recall that time fondly. Always good to meet up with like-minded music lovers.
I remember it was an exciting time because, prior to that, the conventional wisdom was that an audiophile IEM should lean more on the bright side in order to reveal all the details and nuances in the recording. Then we had the FitEar MH335DW, the Final Audio Design Lab1 and the Tralucent Ref1 introduced to the market at around the same time. All of which challenged this preconception and how we listened to music and what an IEM could sound like while maintaining clarity and details. It marked the emergence of what I would simply call the full range IEM: full range because it no longer ignored that in real life when we listen to a live performance or music from speakers, there will always the ever present bass line.
I am indeed blessed to have been able to witness, and then experience, this part of audio evolution. I still own all 3 of these great IEMs and I still listen to them regularly. Of course, I have since added the ACS Encore (with its double woofers) with its distinctive tube-like sound due in part to it being encased in a silicone shell.
Absolutely! We will get together again once the commercial production starts and I receive my own Plus5. Of course, some patience will be needed as with all Tralucent IEMs, more than 100 hours of burn is recommended for it to settle. Since I suspect it will come with the Uber Too cable, 200 hours would be optimal. But once it is burnt in, I will happily share the sonic bliss and wonderment.
What I can tell you is that the Plus5 leverages off wonderfully the sonic strengths of the LPG: it's power, clarity, details and neutrality. I am, as I'm writing to this, listening to this mainland male singer, Jiang Zhi Min, and his rendition of 红豆 （red bean) originally by Faye Wong singing about the longing for a return to days spent in simple pleasures and joy with a loved one. It sends shivers down my spine because the excellent instrumentation is so well placed and layered while the emotional inflections of his singing is conveyed so clearly across...
Haonan, thanks for dropping by and sharing. Much appreciated. I look forward to catching up in due course!
Kiats
Headphoneus Supremus
I was chilling this lazy Sunday afternoon and listening to music off the LPG with the Plus5. I was drifting off listening to Stefanie Sun, a Singapore singer who has made it big in the Mandopop world. Then a random thought occurred to me as I spied my Just Audio AHA120 portable amp. For those of you who may remember, it was on the first Class A portable amps. One of my favourites before the advent of post-iPod DAPs.
I set it up via line out from LPG, via a crystal piccolino cable IC. I set the impedance on the AHA120 to 32 ohm and plugged in the Plus5 and slowly and gently turned up the volume.
I am sitting here with a silly grin on my face: the Plus5 sounds more authoritative, smoother and more expressive. The differential, while not great, from the HO of the LPG is discernible.
Two things are clear: the LPG is a real powerhouse to not be that far behind a dedicated portable amp of the AHA120's pedigree; the Plus5 seems to relish and scale up with more driving power.
Interesting discoveries on a lazy Sunday afternoon...
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