[gugman]

Hi all

Has anyone had a chance to compare Sage to Empire's Cerberus Adel or Cerberus III ?

cheers

 

[gugman]

never mind, just ordered sage

 

[Redcarmoose]

I’ve just spent about two weeks with the Universal Noble Encores. On my Encore purchase mission I hit the shop to test them with my magical “do all tips”, a set of tips I’ve had for about seven years that seem to just work for me. The crazy tips worked again (at least for in-store testing) though I've actually switched now to Sony Hybrids.

Listened to the (flat-line) Katana with the shop's NW-WM 1Z, but found the Encore was pretty close in signature to what was described in all the reviews I've read about it. Amazingly I was prepared to go on my way if the fit was off. I was simply prepared to walk away even with the smallest fit issue! I mean if you like the sound and feel like spending a while getting to know the sound, a bad fit will not help matters at hand. Plus at $1800 the fit better be dead on,.......right?

Lucky the fit was great. I could actually play a game of basketball with these in. No lie. Also I seem to get a good seal in a number of fitting areas so that helps, and becomes more proof of an all-around good fit. They are really easy to get fit with, and not near as big as they look in the photographs.

The sound is not my preferred sound signature but I knew that going in. Normally I like slightly more bass, but in this hobby I think it's important to try new stuff and grow as a listener. Listening to my Japan 1st CD pressing of PF's 1975's "Wish You Were Here" was absoulutly amazing. Another clue I was going down some new roads sonically was hearing those weird bells in the beginning. Also the guitar in "Wish You Were Here" is a great demo for both the mid-tone reproduction going on with the Encore, but also encapsulates that slight guitar crunch they do with in studio guitar-amp recordings.

I still can't quite get over the synth sounds at the start of the CD!
Don't know if they are actual bells........ (or ring modulated synths?)..........but it was cool to hear them in what sounded like natural correct reproduction...?? Guess they have always been there, but I never noticed them in quite the "Encore Fashion". Sheeeese .................


Don't think I have ever heard triangle-idiophones reproduced in such staggeringly realistic treble before?

Be interesting to get to how they sound in another two weeks? Also the included cable rocks!


I may have to go out and get a bottle of Whisky in warrant of further testing?

 

[Alexdre119]

I received my pair of Kaiser Encore UIEMs last week and I have a couple questions for anyone know knows these well.

When I listened to these at CanJam in Denver, I was thoroughly pleased with every aspect of the sound. The detail, clarity and separation in every frequency was astonishingly good. I knew these would be my end-game in the in-ear world.

When I received my own pair last week, I had a different impression. The bass and highs sound exactly how I remember, however the mids sound different and I'm having difficulty adjusting. The problem is that sounds like the mids are behind me and too far left and right. To paint a picture, the mids (especially vocals) sound like two semi-circles that touch each other at their round ends. The mids are muffled or harsh, they sound great but they really lack a center image and it throws off the rest of the music. I understand the Encores are supposed to have a large soundstage, but this seems like a different issue.

I have tried almost every tip that is available from noble to Spinfits to Comply. Part of the problem with my ears is the canals are tiny and the wrong fit easily distorts the sound for me. Its been difficult to find the right fit with the large nozzle size of the Encores, but I've ordered custom tips from Snugs to hopefully solve this problem.

I have also tried different cables, Dac/amps, and sources. None are making a large difference. I have also put at least 50+ hours of listening/sound through these so I don't think burn-in is the factor at play here. Is there a possibility that the pins are wired backwards or I have them in the wrong way? I have the red dot on the right and the blue on the left like noble suggests. I also have the pins in the front with the cable looping to the back, nozzles angling slightly forward.

I suppose my question is; am I the only one experiencing this or is this actually how it should sound and I just haven't gotten used to it yet? I just got in the IEM world fairly recently, but I have young/sensitive ears that seem to pick up on every little problem when it comes to sound - hense why I call myself an audiophile.

 

[Bina]

The problem is that sounds like the mids are behind me and too far left and right. To paint a picture, the mids (especially vocals) sound like two semi-circles that touch each other at their round ends. The mids are muffled or harsh, they sound great but they really lack a center image and it throws off the rest of the music. I understand the Encores are supposed to have a large soundstage, but this seems like a different issue..

This seems like out of phase to me. Can you try to put in one of the cables opposite way( loop down) to see if it makes difference?

 

[Alexdre119]

This seems like out of phase to me. Can you try to put in one of the cables opposite way( loop down) to see if it makes difference?

Ok that fixed the sound problem! Wow, I thought I was going crazy. So do I have to just wear the cable backwards or use another cable?

 

[Bina]

Ok that fixed the sound problem! Wow, I thought I was going crazy. So do I have to just wear the cable backwards or use another cable?

Now it depends if the problem was in cable (but you said you tried different ones?), if not, it means Encore itself is wired badly in one side, in that case send in the unit for repair.

 

[Alexdre119]

Now it depends if the problem was in cable (but you said you tried different ones?), if not, it means Encore itself is wired badly in one side, in that case send in the unit for repair.

Yeah it’s the units themselves. Just tested a couple other cables backwards to make sure. That’s a bummer because it’s going to be hard to send them in right after I got them to sound right. Thanks for your help Bina. That was clutch.

 

[FullCircle]

Now it depends if the problem was in cable (but you said you tried different ones?), if not, it means Encore itself is wired badly in one side, in that case send in the unit for repair.

Or the cable polarity was wired wrong or the cable was inserted wrong

Yeah it’s the units themselves. Just tested a couple other cables backwards to make sure. That’s a bummer because it’s going to be hard to send them in right after I got them to sound right. Thanks for your help Bina. That was clutch.

When u send them in, send them in with the cable inserted exactly how it was when u got them

 

[Alexdre119]

Or the cable polarity was wired wrong or the cable was inserted wrong



When u send them in, send them in with the cable inserted exactly how it was when u got them

Will do. Thank you for personally taking care of your customers. It’s highly appreciated.

 

[kertong]

That’s a bummer because it’s going to be hard to send them in right after I got them to sound right.

Oh man, I feel your pain. I can't imagine having to send them right back after getting a taste of that sweet sweet sound. I just got my hands on an AK240SS and I feel like they've opened up the encores even more - I just can't get enough of these IEMs. Hands down the best IEMs I've ever had the pleasure of trying. To get a taste of that, then have to send them back, aaahhh - that is torture.

Godspeed - I hope you get a new set in soon, and I'm glad to see the wizard taking care of you himself here. Gotta love head-fi!

 

[Alexdre119]

Hey FullCircle, I still haven't gotten my Kaiser Encore back that I sent you on Nov 20th. Any update on when they will be repaired or replaced? I was hoping to use them to travel soon.

 

[FullCircle]

Hey

I'm not sure how I could answer this question without knowing who u r

You would have better luck contacting brannan or sending me your details through pm

 

[Alexdre119]

Hey

I'm not sure how I could answer this question without knowing who u r

You would have better luck contacting brannan or sending me your details through pm

Ah, good point. I’ll PM.

 

[notorious4163]

Ah, good point. I’ll PM.

hey guys how does the campfire atlas (or campfire general products) compare to the kaiser encores? or the k10 or katana?