[hydroid]

Hybrid (spc and copper mix) on 4.4mm balanced cable sounds and looks pleasing to me.
Got it used from an audio marketplace. I was told it was made by a local diyer.
It brings just the right amount of warmness I'm expecting from the NM2+
It didn't overshadow the details, clarity and vocals which I really liked about the NM2+
Not as overly warm as the faaeal high purity copper that sounded muddy/veiled for my taste.
Lovin the nm2+ to bits..

 

[tgx78]

NM2+ stock

NM2+ front vent taped.

Go ahead and play your favorite Hip hop & R&Bs

or play

Suddenly, you are in the Boiler Room NYC.

 

[IEMusic]

This NM2+ graph I believe was confirmed by multiple sources, yet it just goes to show how graphs have limitations. This graph looks quite horrible to me, with Mount Pinna Gain, then a canyon centered around 7 Khz, yet with listening to music, I don’t notice any strange imbalances or odd tuning, and when listening to freq. sweeps, I hear what the graph represents, but it all sounds rather mild. One big thing is the scale of the X and Y axis, which on BGGAR’s graphs make the peaks and dips look more massive, whereas they look a lot milder on Crin’s graphs, so one can’t interpret them just by the way the graph looks, but one has to pay close attention to the numbers.

 

[H T T]

How does the NM2+ compare to the Hifiman RE600s v.2? From descriptions here of the NM2+ and my experience with the RE600, I am thinking the tunings are fairly analogous or are they not? I am talking about a listening experience comparison not necessarily FR graph-wise.

 

[tgx78]

I had the RE600, but it was so long ago that I don’t even remember how it sounded. I would categorize NM2+ sound as analogous yes. If you meant analogous as typically something in which makes clearer the nature of the things compared. If you meant the analog (like vinyl) sound, not really.

 

[tgx78]

Hey @Dsnuts do they sound somewhat similar to you? Or LUNA sounds even more realistic?

 

[Dsnuts]

Ya it is uncanny aint it? Sound balancing has some similarities and that detail but where the Luna stands apart is that pure beryllium driver. More organic in presentation. You can say it is what the NM2+ would be at the next level. Of course diminishing returns there but it is a flagship level dynamic for a reason. It has a tonality that other dynamics can't match. NM2+ using stock cable is more brighter and has a bit more upper register emphasis vs the Luna. .Luna has some mids warmth that the NM2+ doesnt have on their own. Bass ability the NM2+ is not much different in fact the sub bass region the NM2+ actually has a bit more emphasis.

Luna sounds more dimensional and has the edge in imagery but not by the large difference in cost. I am very certain Dunu folks know about the NM2+ and how the sound tuning pretty much mimics their Luna. I showed them the NM2+ graph so they know. This is a case where the $169 NM2+ shows a much greater value vs a $1699 earphone. Lol.

 

[H T T]

I had the RE600, but it was so long ago that I don’t even remember how it sounded. I would categorize NM2+ sound as analogous yes. If you meant analogous as typically something in which makes clearer the nature of the things compared. If you meant the analog (like vinyl) sound, not really.

I meant as in similar, as you thought. Yeah, using the term analogous, meaning similar, in a audio forum is rife with issues! Thanks

I am trying to save money, so if the RE600 is in the ballpark of theNM2+ then I should be set with my present IEM herd.

 

[tgx78]

Ya it is uncanny aint it? Sound balancing has some similarities and that detail but where the Luna stands apart is that pure beryllium driver. More organic in presentation. You can say it is what the NM2+ would be at the next level. Of course diminishing returns there but it is a flagship level dynamic for a reason. It has a tonality that other dynamics can't match. NM2+ using stock cable is more brighter and has a bit more upper register emphasis vs the Luna. .Luna has some mids warmth that the NM2+ doesnt have on their own. Bass ability the NM2+ is not much different in fact the sub bass region the NM2+ actually has a bit more emphasis.

Luna sounds more dimensional and has the edge in imagery but not by the large difference in cost. I am very certain Dunu folks know about the NM2+ and how the sound tuning pretty much mimics their Luna. I showed them the NM2+ graph so they know. This is a case where the $169 NM2+ shows a much greater value vs a $1699 earphone. Lol.

Hope Dunu comes out with more affordable ‘baby Luna’ soon. Thanks for your comparison.

 

[Dsnuts]

If NF audio keeps refining their tuning with a higher end dynamic and charge less than $300. We might get a giant killer for real. I bet if the NM2+ succeeds for them which in all likelihood will be the case, they probably will seriously consider upping their game for their next earphone. If anyone can do it these guys can.

 

[IEMusic]

If NF audio keeps refining their tuning with a higher end dynamic and charge less than $300. We might get a giant killer for real. I bet if the NM2+ succeeds for them which in all likelihood will be the case, they probably will seriously consider upping their game for their next earphone. If anyone can do it these guys can.

I don’t know what ya’ll are talking about. I’m thrilled with the NM2+! Not looking around for the next IEM.

(but I do understand what you mean)

 

[Stuff Jones]

Has anyone tried these with tubes? I wonder if that might tame the potential harshness and thinness.

 

[IEMusic]

Has anyone tried these with tubes? I wonder if that might tame the potential harshness and thinness.

Not harsh, not thin...to me at least. Running it straight off a phone, or off a Qudelix 5K, sounds neutral. FDX1 sounds colder to me.

 

[Stuff Jones]

I‘ll try to post a more detailed comparison later, but in general, I find little if anything better about the JVC FDX1/FD01 compared to the NM2+. The FD01 may be a bit more accurate/neutral in it’s frequency response, w/o the anti-sibilance dip, but I don’t find that part of the frequency spectrum really missing with the NM2+. I think the NM2+ is better in almost all categories. If you ask me about specific aspects that you’re wondering about, I can compare those for you.

Sorry, I missed this. Two areas find the modded FD01 wanting are bass dynamics and detail, and sound stage. How does the NM2+ fare there? Looking forward to your expanded comparison!

 

[IEMusic]

Sorry, I missed this. Two areas find the modded FD01 wanting are bass dynamics and detail, and sound stage. How does the NM2+ fare there? Looking forward to your expanded comparison!

So, a few things about my FDX1 that I wasn’t thrilled about include a “shouty” upper midrange, centered around 4 KHz, that needs mods to help tone down, a poor overall fit (though it can be worn with cable over ear or straight down, but I don’t like the rotating shell design), and lack of impressive soundstage/imaging. The main strengths to me include excellent timbral accuracy, great detail retrieval and resolution for a DD, and a neutral-ish tuning (I actually quite like the cool tonality).

In comparison, the NM2+ maintains or improves on all of these strengths and addresses all of these weaknesses. Despite the looks of the graph, surprisingly, I don’t find the NM2+ shouty. It is almost at my personal threshold, but doesn’t reach it. I’m actually quite sensitive to prominent upper midrange frequencies, so if I can tolerate, and actually enjoy the upper midrange on the NM2+, I think most people will be able to tolerate it as well. No mods needed IMHO. I really like the shape of NF Audio IEM shells. They have long nozzles, but I find that this makes them capable of both shallow and deep insertion. I don’t myself constantly fiddling with these IEMs to get the angle of the nozzle correct, when there are no fixed landmarks, as is the case with the rotating FDX1 shells. It is important to note, however, that the insertion angle of the nozzles and ear tips is important, and one has to find the optimal angle for the best tonality and imaging. The NM2+ shells are very lightweight too.

The imaging is exceptionally good for a single-DD IEM. Instrument placement it accurate and well defined. Soundstage size seems above average, though I’m not good at assessing this. Instrument separation is very good, even during complex passages. It’s not quite as holographic as the best multi-driver IEMs, but it is one of the best I have heard from a single-DD IEM (perhaps tied with the ISN D02?).

Timbral accuracy is exceptional for acoustic instruments, the best I have heard yet. I would consider the tuning to be neutral-ish, though the bass is slightly boosted from true neutral, which is great IMO. I don’t find the tonality to be warm or cool, but really quite neutral. The FR dip around 7KHz doesn’t seem that noticeable to me. The only minor criticism I have of the NM2+ so far, is regarding the bass. It seems more mid bass biased. While the sub bass extension is excellent, it seems to be less than the mid bass. The bass on this IEM is fast and really punchy, with great dynamics, but I apply a little EQ, to boost the sub bass a little, and cut the bass some at 100Hz. This seems to make the mid bass a little less boomy, and quite a bit cleaner. The bass is never muddy though, even w/o EQ. Overall, the bass seems a bit more prominent on the NM2+ than on the FDX1, though the bass is more sub bass biased on the FDX1. While the bass is not as dynamic or textured as beryllium coated drivers tend to be, I think the bass sounds more nuanced, and this definitely has DD bass, with nice rumble and decay. Lastly, the speed, accuracy, resolution, and micro detail retrieval is the best I’ve yet heard from a single-DD IEM. This doesn’t take away anything from how good the FDX1 is, but the NM2+ is just a little bit better, especially with detail retrieval.

The NM2+ is a very impressive IEM IMO, and is especially superb with classical, jazz, instrumental, acoustic genres, as well as with female vocals. While I think it can play all genres of music quite well, R&B, rap, EDM are not its strong suits (I have not yet tried taping the back vent to boost the bass though). The NM2+ could be great with metal, depending on one’s preferences. The driver is very fast, detailed, with great transient response, which is necessary for metal, but I personally find the tuning a bit too intense for a lot of metal, at least at loud volumes.

While I personally love the tuning of this IEM, it is certainly not for everyone. It depends on one’s music preferences, and this is not a universal, all-purpose recommendation.