[audionewbi]

Shipping forwarding sites like tenso or proxies like pricejapan which I highly recommend.

 

[audionewbi]

Yea Kaede II is my favourite gear of all time, that includes DAC/amp/ etc.

 

[fusionsword]

 
More info at: http://ocharaku.jp/sound/topics/5342/
 
Seems like Ocharaku has something new in store for us at the upcoming Fujiya Avic Headphone Festival...My command of Japanese is poor but it seems like they managed to have a new acoustic technology (A.I.R.). Could someone translate if possible (what are its touted improvements)? This looks exciting considering how the Donguri Keyaki sounds awesome as it already is!

 

[BlinkST]

 
 
More info at: http://ocharaku.jp/sound/topics/5342/
 
Seems like Ocharaku has something new in store for us at the upcoming Fujiya Avic Headphone Festival...My command of Japanese is poor but it seems like they managed they have new acoustic technology (A.I.R.). Could someone translate if possible (what are its touted improvements)? This looks exciting considering how the Donguri Keyaki sounds awesome as it already is!

What they ended up releasing wasn't all that exciting:
 
http://www.trdsn.com/product_chonmage.html

 

[audionewbi]

Ocharaku magic takes time for it to show itself. I would have love to try this, I believe in their work, it is no non-sense approach, he puts a lot thoughts into his products. 

 

[fusionsword]

Ocharaku magic takes time for it to show itself. I would have love to try this, I believe in their work, it is no non-sense approach, he puts a lot thoughts into his products. 

I agree. Having heard both the Flat4 and Donguri series I believe a lot of effort has been put into this technology. Can't wait to hear how it turns out!

 

[Dopaminer]

I demo`d the Chonmage today and it has nice detail, nice mids and highs, a little thin on the low end.  Deal breaker for me is that it is wide open (hence the `air`) and does not isolate . . .
 
Have you guys noticed the new TOTL Donguri Keyaki Ti ?  4-conductor wire, new components internally, titanium nozzle structure incorporated into the zelkova wooden shell, new sound sig; pretty mind-blowing . . . 
 

 

[ToddRaymond]

Looks nifty indeed....

 

[fusionsword]

  I demo`d the Chonmage today and it has nice detail, nice mids and highs, a little thin on the low end.  Deal breaker for me is that it is wide open (hence the `air`) and does not isolate . . .
 
Have you guys noticed the new TOTL Donguri Keyaki Ti ?  4-conductor wire, new components internally, titanium nozzle structure incorporated into the zelkova wooden shell, new sound sig; pretty mind-blowing . . . 
 

Hi Dopaminer,
 
How does the Donguri Keyaki differ from the Donguri Ti, and is it worth the upgrade? Considering on getting a friend to grab the Chonmage for me when it it is released next month, or a Flat-4...
 
Thanks

 

[Dopaminer]

  Hi Dopaminer,
 
How does the Donguri Keyaki differ from the Donguri Ti, and is it worth the upgrade? Considering on getting a friend to grab the Chonmage for me when it it is released next month, or a Flat-4...
 
Thanks

 
I owned the old Keyaki in the past but don`t have it any more, and there was no old Keyaki there at the show to do an A-B comparison with the new Ti version.  It`s something I`m looking forward to doing soon.   The old Keyaki was all wood, had a 3 wire cable (so no balancing). The new one has that titanium section fused to the wood (beautiful workmanship there) and according to the Ocharaku guy, it was done for sound quality and for the skin-material interface (Ti is non-reactive).  He emphasized that the internal components were mostly different with the new version, so I am expecting a noticeable difference between the new one and the old. 

 

[shigzeo]

Ocharaku design and build are phenomenal. I missed his booth this time. I was sooo busy and caught up in ridiculous stuff.

 

[sodesuka]

Quite interesting! I've always wanted to try Ocharaku's stuff and this looks just perfect!

Though looking at the Japanese addendum on Ocharaku site, looks like it's to be released at the end of November this year?

Any impression on the sound?

 

[audionewbi]

I find it harder to pair Kaede II with things like HUGO or Lotoo PAW Gold. Upon long absence from them I find the sound to be slightly lacking in mids, still the lower extension is well noticeable but I am starting to feel Kaede II major flaw is that particular disjoint sensation I get in the midbass in relation to the rest of the sound. 

 

[ToddRaymond]

Over this past week, I made my first foray into the wondrous realm of Ocharaku.  I picked up both the Donguri Keyaki, and Flat 4 Kaede II models from two different (but equally gracious) Head-Fiers.  Here are my initial impressions:
 
I'm very much fascinated by the degree which each IEM has their own strengths and weaknesses.  The Keyakis, first off, seem to be able to do a better job reproducing certain percussion instruments.  At least snares, toms, cymbals, but not necessarily marimbas or vibraphones.  They certainly are more coherent than the Kaedes, but they seem to sort of lose their s*** more easily during busier, higher amplitude passages.  Soundstaging isn't as impressive on the Keyakis, and higher frequency detail certainly loses out to the (albeit more sibilant) Kaedes.  Bass seems more natural on the Keyakis.  Having said all of that, in spite of the Kaedes' tendency to sound a bit ['tizzy'?] or to perhaps having phasing issues, there are times when there's this magic that happens with them that's insanely remarkable, where everything is beautifully layered, and the music just has this palpable energy that seems to move beyond the drivers, and you just feel it, truly on a deeper level... in spite of the added sibilance.  Colour me impressed with both 'phones.  I'm very tempted to just hang onto both of them, but I could use the cash for other toys.  It would be tough to chose between the two of them.  The Donguris, to me, are clearly the better buy, but the Kaedes are rather special.  I just wish they were wired for a balanced connection.
 
Wee disclaimer:  My Kaede IIs are not yet broken in.

 

[sonickarma]

  The Donguris, to me, are clearly the better buy, but the Kaedes are rather special.  I just wish they were wired for a balanced connection.  
 

 
there are a few balanced out there

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634902/ocharaku-flat-4-kaede-maple/1170#post_11736136