[Slater]

Are there any options for the screens/filters besides AE? More specifically, from the USA?

No clue. If there are options from US sellers, they would most certainly be made in China anyways! Aliexpress just cuts out the middle man. Maybe Alibaba (but someone would have to buy in bulk).

In addition to the stainless mesh type, I’ve found the ‘cheese grater’ type of screens (like found on the KZ ZS6 for example). But I have not found the nylon ones anywhere yet.

 

[pr0b3r]

Been quite a while since I last used my CH9T. Still great and having good synergy with the ZX300 for the additional oomph and thump.

 

[cpk313]

So my RHA MA750 finally went south after many years of use. Not hard use, as I am pretty anal retentive or a ton of hours but way past anything that fall under the warranty. The left side output just dropped by a few db. I very carefully cleaned the screen with IPA, there was no build up/blockage but really I was looking for an excuse to buy the pioneer's so....

$99 from Amazon shipped. I had tried a few multi-driver IEM's but I find them lacking in the coherency of a good single driver. Last one I tried was the Fiio F9 and it was all over the board. Here's the treble, there's the bass, midrange's down the hall and to the left and maybe we can arrange a meeting tomorrow at 2. I also never ponyed-up for anything super pricey either, $250 is about my limit for IEM's .
In 2 days the Pioneer's show up and I am amazed at the size of the tip bore, wow. I need to use the smallest tips supplied but when I do the fit and isolation are actually better then anything else I have had. I tried the Symbio W tips but even the smallest was too big for me. First thing I didn't dig was the stock cable. Poop, that sums it up, I run the cable up and over my ear and the cinch of the stock cable was blocked by the control buttons (which I don't use) causing the cable to flop around and dangle loosely. But even right out of the box they sound really good and pretty balanced. I bought an Oyaide HPC-MX cable and it is great. It is hard to attribute which sonic changes are due to time used and to the cable but the Pioneers sound really great. Isolation and comfort with the new cable far surpass anything that I had used in the past, (a few Shure's, RHA, Fiio, Beyerdynamic) I find the detail, bass extension, and over all balance to be excellent. I do not find the treble harsh or strident in the least but it is noticeably more resolving then the RHA's. The Oyaide cable is perfect, I have heard that frequent swapping iem's can cause the MMCX connection to fail but these went on once and I am not planning on removing them.

I would be interested to know how other people are cleaning the protective screen? My thought was when needed hold the iem with the screen facing down and use a q-tip and 91% IPA and clean it then dry with dry q-tip so hopefully there is very,very to no chance of the IPA going where it shouldn't

 

[Slater]

I would be interested to know how other people are cleaning the protective screen? My thought was when needed hold the iem with the screen facing down and use a q-tip and 91% IPA and clean it then dry with dry q-tip so hopefully there is very,very to no chance of the IPA going where it shouldn't

Nah, just remove the black screen. As long as you carefully peel it off, there is a normal stainless steel screen right underneath (just like the kind you see in most IEMs). The 2 screens are stacked up like layers of a sandwich, so all you’re doing is removing the top bun of the sandwich.

After a short period of time, you’ll find that the black screen gets gunked up we’ll beyond the point that cleaning helps.

The sound without the black screen is much better too - it’s like lifting a veil.

I haven’t looked back since removing my black screens. Others in this thread have done the same thing to their as well.

 

[Lurk650]

I haven't listened to mine in months. Gonna give them a go tonight.

One tip for Symbios is to invert them and remove the inner foam, that's how I use my Large and Medium

 

[Slater]

I haven't listened to mine in months. Gonna give them a go tonight.

One tip for Symbios is to invert them and remove the inner foam, that's how I use my Large and Medium

So you are converting Symbios back into normal silicone tips by removing the foam?

 

[Lurk650]

Yeah, the Large is too big with the foam but just right without it and provides a good seal.

 

[Lurk650]

Got them in my ears with my ES100, running balanced. No nozzle filters. Sound is a bit harsh, more vshaped without the nozzles. Narrower stage than I remember. Have to get some of those Silver guards for the nozzles from AE, unless any of you want to drop a pair in an envelope for me

 

[Lurk650]

Switched to some narrow bore tips. Seems to have made it more balanced in the mids. Also, these do have really good depth and a good amount of height.

 

[frustration101]

I haven't noticed any flex with these, thankfully. Like I said before, the Litz cable from CA seemed to increase the treble a bit, I like it, using Spiral Dots last night and it helped to smooth out the treble a bit though noticeably maybe a bit "fuzzy" whereas the Large Startips seemed to sharpen the sound but didn't feel as comfy. Gonna test out the Medium Starline tonight. If they don't work then I'll just be content with the SD. It's gym use so I don't need super accurate sound but clarity to immerse myself and have time fly as I'm on the boring elliptical is what I need lol

If anybody is interested as a sidenote, since I now have the CA Lyra II, I'm selling my AKG N40. It's a great IEM, just no need for it https://head-fi.org/threads/akg-n40.860202/

Hi Lurk,
How does the N40 compare to the pioneer?
Considering both. Can get N40 for £200.
Thanks.

 

[Lurk650]

Hi Lurk,
How does the N40 compare to the pioneer?
Considering both. Can get N40 for £200.
Thanks.

No longer have the N40, moved on to the N5005 but from memory I'd go with the N40.

I still have the CH9T but barely use it, I'll have to pull it out again and pair with my ZX300 I now have. I removed both the screens/filters and IMO its good and bad, more clarity but took away about of the mids magic.

 

[durwood]

Older thread but I recently decided to give the CH9T a go, I already owned the CH5T. Either I need better ear/brain training or I cannot pickup the differences. I looked and did not come across any measurements so I thought I would add them here.

If the additional brass insert in the nozzle does anything, it is either between 400-800Hz where it smooths out the response, or it affects the lower distortion. At least this is my thinking based on what I measured. Perhaps there is some other measurement I should pursue to attempt to capture the difference. The CH9T actually had higher 3rd order distortion <200hz. The 400-800Hz wiggle gets lost once I use 1/3 octave smoothing, so not sure this would be picked up with our hearing or not. Both L and R CH5T had the wiggle and the CH9T did not.

If you don't need the removable cable, I think the CH5T is perfectly acceptable.

CH5T vs CH9T frequency response

Spoiler

CH5T distortion

Spoiler

CH9T distortion

Spoiler

 

[cpk313]

Why are you running these tests at those levels? The distortion information based off a 118 db fundimental is irrelevant as that's not a level anyone who likes their hearing would ever listen at. Surely that information is going to look much different at 90 or 100db. Those levels are probably well above those drivers upper operating limits so now your seeing information reflecting a driver being driven beyond its given operating range. I'm not sure how that is helpful. I'm surprised that they are not damaged with a freq. sweep were the first 100Hz are at 130db; Wow!

 

[Mindstorms]

Been quite a while since I last used my CH9T. Still great and having good synergy with the ZX300 for the additional oomph and thump.

Friend how does it sounds? can you describe? i need some bass with good detail retrieval... on my wmn1a thanks in advance

 

[HungryPanda]

Best earphone I've heard in a while with great bass, excellent highs and clarity is the TRN IM1