[Mimouille]

Quote:

You guys are killing me. I know I'm going to miss the buy window.

I am sorry just sounds like nothing else I own. Had to have it. Why don't you sell something (like a cornea) to get it ?

 

[audionewbi]

Saw this and I thought I post it, recognize the face?

 

[shigzeo]

Yep, he invented those headphones plus a number of interesting speakers. Really, Mr. Yamagishi is famous headphone designer.

 

[raylliant]

I've had the Flat4 Kaede for more than a week. What impresses me most is the soundstage of this little gem. Its soundstage is significantly larger than my Fitear 334, and close to the k3003's scale.

 

[mattio84]

Quote:

I've had the Flat4 Kaede for more than a week. What impresses me most is the soundstage of this little gem. Its soundstage is significantly larger than my Fitear 334, and close to the k3003's scale.

Hi Raylliant,
 
How would you compare the soundstage to..say the HD800's?  Would this be the IEM version of HD800's?  I currently have the Heir 8.a's and they're pretty much the CIEM version of LCD2's
 
  Thanks

 

[raylliant]

Quote:

Hi Raylliant,
 
How would you compare the soundstage to..say the HD800's?  Would this be the IEM version of HD800's?  I currently have the Heir 8.a's and they're pretty much the CIEM version of LCD2's
 
  Thanks

Hi Mattio84,
Flat4 Kaede has a wide and open soundstage being an IEM, but I don't think it can compete with HD800. TBH, I have not found any IEM or CIEM that can offer the vast soundstage like HD800. If I have to choose one, I would say the JH16 Freqphase can be the IEM version of HD800, but it is still an IEM. 

 

[up late]

I've had the Flat4 Kaede for more than a week. What impresses me most is the soundstage of this little gem. Its soundstage is significantly larger than my Fitear 334, and close to the k3003's scale.

you've got some schmick earphones for a noob. how do you like the kaede compared to your k3003 and ie800?

 

[raylliant]

Quote:

you've got some schmick earphones for a noob.

how do you like the kaede compared to your k3003 and ie800?

Hi Up late,
They are all very capable and highly detailed IEMs with different sound signature. The Kaede is more balanced and more open than IE800, which has the most bloated bass among the three. The K3003 has a little bit wider sound stage than the other two. So it's all up to your personal preference.  If you are a basshead, the IE800 may be for you. If you prefer wide sound stage and sparkle treble, you may like K3003. The Kaede is like a mixture of K3003 and IE800. 

 

[lee730]

Personally I like the Flat 4 more than the AKG3003 .
 

 

[up late]

Hi Up late,
They are all very capable and highly detailed IEMs with different sound signature. The Kaede is more balanced and more open than IE800, which has the most bloated bass among the three. The K3003 has a little bit wider sound stage than the other two. So it's all up to your personal preference.  
If you are a basshead, the IE800 may be for you.
 If you prefer wide sound stage and sparkle treble, you may like K3003. 
The Kaede is like a mixture of K3003 and IE800. 

thanks bro.

 

[Mimouille]

The mail delivered a little gem.
 

 

[spkrs01]

Congratulations...
 
Great sounding IEM

 

[putente]

Quote:

The mail delivered a little gem.
 

 
What's the pricetag on these and where are they available? 

 
 
Btw, how many of the high-end IEMs don't you have with you right now? 

 

[Mimouille]

What's the pricetag on these and where are they available? 

Btw, how many of the high-end IEMs don't you have with you right now? 

These are available at Musica Acoustics immediately or with Price Japan but with longer delays. This version, the Kaede, is between 850 and 985$ depending if you live in Japan or not. The little brother is around 450$. Right now you can see the list of what I have in my profile

 

[james444]

Quote:

Hi James
 
Wondering if you still have the JVC FX700 to compare with Flat-4 SUI.

Quote:

I'll try to look into this on the weekend. From memory the FX700 have more mid-bass and probably less mids presence, but it's been a while since I've heard them.

 
Well, sorry for being one week late with that, but here we go: JVC FX700 vs. Flat-4 SUI
 
Putting the FX700 on again, I'm instantly reminded of how their cable length simply sucks: 87cm (34") as compared to the SUI's generous 130cm (51"). Nuff said, SUI wins hands down in the usability department.
 
However, things are far closer when it comes to sound quality. Let's start with a fully sealed FX700 first: bass has a lot more impact than the SUI's, even though the latter are no slouch. Moving up to the mids, the FX700 sound significantly warmer and slightly recessed, whereas the SUI stay clearer, though not particularly forward. Moving on upwards, throughout the upper midrange and highs, the SUI start sounding thinner and sharper than the FX700, while presence is about the same. Top extension is excellent on both, at least till the upper limit of my hearing at 16kHz.
 
Looking at their overall signature across the whole range, the FX700 are rather a V and the SUI a U, but both IEMs have some disparity in note-weight, the FX700 being too weighty in the lows and the SUI too feathery in the highs. ymmv.
 
Now, wearing the FX700 with a loose seal (the way I actually prefer them), things change dramatically, and all of a sudden the two contenders seem much more similar. The FX700 lose a good part of their bass impact and warmth, but also a little note-weight in treble, which brings them overall quite close to the SUI. They still retain a tad more mid/upper bass though and I feel that the SUI's bass is more evenly distributed between mid/upper and deep bass. In the midrange, the FX700 gain presence and lie level with the SUI, but the former sound a bit sweeter and lusher, whereas the latter appear a little drier. The same impression continues throughout the upper mids and highs, where the SUI seem aimed at retrieving every tiny bit of detail, whereas the FX700 keep up with them in sheer resolution, but present everything in a slightly smoother and less analytical way.
 
To wrap up my impressions, while I don't feel that either of these has an edge over the other, my personal preference leans towards the JVCs, because their timbre is just to die for, especially with strings.
The SUI, while far from lacking in timbre, can't quite make my skin crawl like the FX700 in that regard.