Precog's IEM Reviews & Impressions

[Precogvision]

64 Audio tia Fourte Impressions

As requested by @gLer.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The tia Fourte is 64 Audio's four-driver, flagship behemoth that clocks in at a hefty $3600. So what's the best way of putting this? The Fourte is something of a technical savant to my ears. For a sense of staging and imaging, the Fourte is one of the most open IEMs I've heard. It's holographic, no doubt, although with some quirks I'll delve into shortly. Detail retrieval is, expectedly, excellent on the Fourte. I can easily pick up the electronic resonances on Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" in the backdrop. But the dynamics, oh man, can we take a moment to talk about the Fourte's dynamics? The way the Fourte scales dynamic swings is borderline guttural. At 0:56, when Illenium's "Broken Ones" transitions into the drop, you can just feel the shift and energy that's about to slam you. It would not be an understatement to say that the Fourte knows no peer in this department amongst IEMs; this is what I mean when I say 64 Audio's tia Trio comes off a tad compressed compared to something like the U12t, much more the Fourte. It's not about the sheer contrast here so much as it is the vibrancy, vigor, and weight with which the Fourte articulates swings.

Unfortunately, while the Fourte has nailed the technical department, here, we come back to my "savant" comment. The first thing that stuck me listening to the Fourte was how odd and colored it sounded. I can clearly hear regions of the frequency response that have been dipped; said dips likely contribute to the Fourte's incredible staging chops. To this end, despite the ample center image diffusal with vocals, I do hear some sort of disconnect between the depth of said vocals and the rest of the instruments tokening the center image, which I don't get as much with the U12t. The Fourte's also got the usual coherency issues where the BAs don't quite match the bombastic DD.

Along these lines, the Fourte's bass is pretty good, but it's not class-leading in my opinion. It sits somewhere between the Nio and the Trio, minus the Trio's tightness - which already had something of a softness to its transient attack - and the Nio's meatiness. The Fourte is a tad puffier, less dense by comparison; nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quantity. Don't ask me why, but I always thought the Fourte was a bass-light IEM. I think most listeners'll be happy with the Fourte's bass. The midrange is where most of the tonal issues come into play with the Fourte, though. It's got a fat dip throughout 1kHz which just doesn't sit right with me. Midrange notes are crossed between thin and thick, emphasis on the former, all sorts of tonally colored. I'll save the analysis for the full review, but that's a shame too because those tia drivers are magical. The Fourte's got that really pleasing micro-detail and texture to it that the U12t has in the treble. And the treble, the Fourte's treble is equally contentious. It's basically what you'd get if you took the Trio's treble and boosted it some more, crazy post-10kHZ, tia peaks and all. Yeah, no doubt it boosts resolution, but ehhh it's really pushing it.

I think the Fourte is somewhat misunderstood. I find myself enjoying the Fourte quite a bit on stuff like Au5 & Slander's "Anywhere"; that is, when I'm not particularly concerned with tonal accuracy. It also brings to mind a brief discussion I had recently about the influx of very well-tuned IEMs that have been hitting the market. You can only get so far by adhering to academic target curves, and while I like tonally "correct" IEMs, I wouldn't want every IEM to sound the same. That'd be really boring if you ask me. So don't get me wrong: There's clearly motivation at hand for tuning like this, and I know 64 Audio's likely carefully considered, deliberated upon each part of the Fourte's frequency response; when you have such an expensive IEM, there is the expectation of making a statement. Ultimately, though, I’d also be remiss to ignore the Fourte's glaring tonal flaws despite its class-leading, technical performance and flavorful sound.

Score: 6/10

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

64 Audio tia Fourte Impressions

As requested by @gLer.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The tia Fourte is 64 Audio's four-driver, flagship behemoth that clocks in at a hefty $3600. So what's the best way of putting this? The Fourte is something of a technical savant to my ears. For a sense of staging and imaging, the Fourte is one of the most open IEMs I've heard. It's holographic, no doubt, although with some quirks I'll delve into shortly. Detail retrieval is, expectedly, excellent on the Fourte. I can easily pick up the electronic resonances on Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" in the backdrop. But the dynamics, oh man, can we take a moment to talk about the Fourte's dynamics? The way the Fourte scales dynamic swings is borderline guttural. At 0:56, when Illenium's "Broken Ones" transitions into the drop, you can just feel the shift and energy that's about to slam you. It would not be an understatement to say that the Fourte knows no peer in this department amongst IEMs; this is what I mean when I say 64 Audio's tia Trio comes off a tad compressed compared to something like the U12t, much more the Fourte. It's not about the sheer contrast here so much as it is the vibrancy, vigor, and weight with which the Fourte articulates swings.

Unfortunately, while the Fourte has nailed the technical department, here, we come back to my "savant" comment. The first thing that stuck me listening to the Fourte was how odd and colored it sounded. I can clearly hear regions of the frequency response that have been dipped; said dips likely contribute to the Fourte's incredible staging chops. To this end, despite the ample center image diffusal with vocals, I do hear some sort of disconnect between the depth of said vocals and the rest of the instruments tokening the center image, which I don't get as much with the U12t. The Fourte's also got the usual coherency issues where the BAs don't quite match the bombastic DD.

Along these lines, the Fourte's bass is pretty good, but it's not class-leading in my opinion. It sits somewhere between the Nio and the Trio, minus the Trio's tightness - which already had something of a softness to its transient attack - and the Nio's meatiness. The Fourte is a tad puffier, less dense by comparison; nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quantity. Don't ask me why, but I always thought the Fourte was a bass-light IEM. I think most listeners'll be happy with the Fourte's bass. The midrange is where most of the tonal issues come into play with the Fourte, though. It's got a fat dip throughout 1kHz which just doesn't sit right with me. Midrange notes are crossed between thin and thick, emphasis on the former, all sorts of tonally colored. I'll save the analysis for the full review, but that's a shame too because those tia drivers are magical. The Fourte's got that really pleasing micro-detail and texture to it that the U12t has in the treble. And the treble, the Fourte's treble is equally contentious. It's basically what you'd get if you took the Trio's treble and boosted it some more, crazy post-10kHZ, tia peaks and all. Yeah, no doubt it boosts resolution, but ehhh it's really pushing it.

I think the Fourte is somewhat misunderstood. I find myself enjoying the Fourte quite a bit on stuff like Au5 & Slander's "Anywhere"; that is, when I'm not particularly concerned with tonal accuracy. It also brings to mind a brief discussion I had recently about the influx of very well-tuned IEMs that have been hitting the market. You can only get so far by adhering to academic target curves, and while I like tonally "correct" IEMs, I wouldn't want every IEM to sound the same. That'd be really boring if you ask me. So don't get me wrong: There's clearly motivation at hand for tuning like this, and I know 64 Audio's likely carefully considered, deliberated upon each part of the Fourte's frequency response; when you have such an expensive IEM, there is the expectation of making a statement. Ultimately, though, I’d also be remiss to ignore the Fourte's glaring tonal flaws despite its class-leading, technical performance and flavorful sound.

Score: 6/10

Nice review. How would you compare and contrast the various flavors of the 64 Audio line up you've heard with the U12t? I am thinking about picking up a 64 Audio IEM and I respect your opinion.

I completely agree that if all IEMs are turned to the same preference curve, it's boring. I actually did that. I tuned my HD800S and ZMF Verite Closed to the same curve and they sounded amazingly similar and boring because of it.

I am leaning toward the Nio or Trio if not the U12t.

 

[gLer]

64 Audio tia Fourte Impressions

As requested by @gLer.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The tia Fourte is 64 Audio's four-driver, flagship behemoth that clocks in at a hefty $3600. So what's the best way of putting this? The Fourte is something of a technical savant to my ears. For a sense of staging and imaging, the Fourte is one of the most open IEMs I've heard. It's holographic, no doubt, although with some quirks I'll delve into shortly. Detail retrieval is, expectedly, excellent on the Fourte. I can easily pick up the electronic resonances on Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" in the backdrop. But the dynamics, oh man, can we take a moment to talk about the Fourte's dynamics? The way the Fourte scales dynamic swings is borderline guttural. At 0:56, when Illenium's "Broken Ones" transitions into the drop, you can just feel the shift and energy that's about to slam you. It would not be an understatement to say that the Fourte knows no peer in this department amongst IEMs; this is what I mean when I say 64 Audio's tia Trio comes off a tad compressed compared to something like the U12t, much more the Fourte. It's not about the sheer contrast here so much as it is the vibrancy, vigor, and weight with which the Fourte articulates swings.

Unfortunately, while the Fourte has nailed the technical department, here, we come back to my "savant" comment. The first thing that stuck me listening to the Fourte was how odd and colored it sounded. I can clearly hear regions of the frequency response that have been dipped; said dips likely contribute to the Fourte's incredible staging chops. To this end, despite the ample center image diffusal with vocals, I do hear some sort of disconnect between the depth of said vocals and the rest of the instruments tokening the center image, which I don't get as much with the U12t. The Fourte's also got the usual coherency issues where the BAs don't quite match the bombastic DD.

Along these lines, the Fourte's bass is pretty good, but it's not class-leading in my opinion. It sits somewhere between the Nio and the Trio, minus the Trio's tightness - which already had something of a softness to its transient attack - and the Nio's meatiness. The Fourte is a tad puffier, less dense by comparison; nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quantity. Don't ask me why, but I always thought the Fourte was a bass-light IEM. I think most listeners'll be happy with the Fourte's bass. The midrange is where most of the tonal issues come into play with the Fourte, though. It's got a fat dip throughout 1kHz which just doesn't sit right with me. Midrange notes are crossed between thin and thick, emphasis on the former, all sorts of tonally colored. I'll save the analysis for the full review, but that's a shame too because those tia drivers are magical. The Fourte's got that really pleasing micro-detail and texture to it that the U12t has in the treble. And the treble, the Fourte's treble is equally contentious. It's basically what you'd get if you took the Trio's treble and boosted it some more, crazy post-10kHZ, tia peaks and all. Yeah, no doubt it boosts resolution, but ehhh it's really pushing it.

I think the Fourte is somewhat misunderstood. I find myself enjoying the Fourte quite a bit on stuff like Au5 & Slander's "Anywhere"; that is, when I'm not particularly concerned with tonal accuracy. It also brings to mind a brief discussion I had recently about the influx of very well-tuned IEMs that have been hitting the market. You can only get so far by adhering to academic target curves, and while I like tonally "correct" IEMs, I wouldn't want every IEM to sound the same. That'd be really boring if you ask me. So don't get me wrong: There's clearly motivation at hand for tuning like this, and I know 64 Audio's likely carefully considered, deliberated upon each part of the Fourte's frequency response; when you have such an expensive IEM, there is the expectation of making a statement. Ultimately, though, I’d also be remiss to ignore the Fourte's glaring tonal flaws despite its class-leading, technical performance and flavorful sound.

Score: 6/10

That's a really excellent review @Precogvision and thanks for the shout-out.

I actually don't dispute anything you've written, though we probably hear the midrange tonality slightly differently (or, at least, regard the importance of this accuracy slightly differently).

And that's cool. Just as it would be boring if all IEMs started sounding the same, so we wouldn't have much to talk about if we heard or valued things exactly the same.

Perhaps our music libraries differ - in fact I have no doubt they do - but some of the material I've been listening to lately (Flowers for Vases / Descansos by Hayley Williams, for example) have been impressively natural, but also quirky at the same time. Maybe it's the fact that it sounds so different - vocals ranging between intimate and ethereal, and sounds popping up in unexpected parts of the stage, sometimes with an unexpected viguor as your so eloquently described - that very unpredictability, that makes them so much fun to listen to. But then there's other stuff, like Steven Wilson's The Future Bites, which is hit and miss. Excellently mastered as Steven always is, but coming across a bit thin and placid in parts on the Fourte (thankfully this isn't my usual fare).

I totally get why some people don't like it. But...if it ticks more boxes in your library than it doesn't (which seems to be the case for me so far), I struggle to think of an IEM that can do what it does better. Certainly, techically, it has few peers.

PS. Ok maybe I sipute one thing. Unlike you, I find the Fourte's bass to be just about ok, quantity-wise, most of the time. Quality-wise we can debate ad naseum. I realised pretty quickly that if this were my only IEM I'd be missing a few big guns from my bass arsenal, so I got a Legend X, and can happily report that between the two, I have just about every conceivable base covered now.

Look forward to your full review, and future ones too.

 

[Precogvision]

Campfire Andromeda 2020 - Revisited

If you've read my review on this IEM, then you'll know that I was very impressed when I first heard it. I've likewise played around with the idea of purchasing my own pair for some time. Admittedly, a part of me was worried. It's been over six months since I last heard it, my tastes have matured, and I just don't find myself particularly happy with a lot of the stuff I hear nowadays. Cue a few days ago when a deal presented itself that I couldn't resist, and I pulled the trigger. Well, as it turns out, I needn't have been worried: The Andro 2020's just as good as I remember it, and I spent the entirety of yesterday evening (and today's very early morning) in auditory bliss. Let's talk about what makes the Andro 2020 tick and why this is my favorite kilobuck IEM.

Spoiler: Photo

Spoiler: FR Graph

First, the tonality of the Andro 2020 - I'd say it's pretty close to hitting my preferences. More pronounced, 3kHz, Harman ear compensations and aggressive upper-midranges seem to be all the rage these days when it comes to tuning. While I recognize this tuning direction as being more tonally accurate (at least relative to how I hear neutral), I adore the Andro 2020's more relaxed, 2kHz ear compensation and the subsequent dip to the upper-midrange. Why the dip, you ask? There are a couple reasons. Done appropriately, I find it takes a lot of the edginess off of female vocalists that Harman-oriented tunings exhibit. Of course, you've also got stuff like the B2: Dusk (and theoretically, the Hidition Viento) that toe the line very closely but don't quite result in this edginess. What these IEMs lack, however, is center image diffusal - something I'll delve into later.

The main tuning issue, which I've cited before, is the contrast between said upper-midrange dip and the more weighty, thick lower-midrange. This lends to slight tonal disconnect on stuff that tokens both; take for example Trace Adkin's "Watch the World End" where Colbie Callait sounds noticeably recessed and Adkin's gruffer voice dominates more than it does on, say, the U12t. This blobby-ness is even more noticeable on stuff like Joe Nichol's "Sunny and 75". Treble on the Andro 2020 also isn't as smooth as I remember, but I don't think its a big deal. It seems to be a tad mid-treble emphasized; nonetheless, I find it much preferable to something like the Viento with its crazy resonance in the decay. Along these lines, extension is ample on the Andro 2020, flying upwards of even something like the Moondrop S8 (although with less sheer quantity in those air frequencies). Suffice it to say that Campfire Audio knows how to do their treble.

Let's talk intangibles; we might as well get the Andro 2020's biggest pitfall out of the way: dynamics. It really doesn't do dynamics - of any sort - particularly well. I'm sure you've already read less-than-favorable comments about the Andro 2020's bass, and yep, it's pretty textureless with next to zero decay, so let's move on. I've critiqued the Andro 2020's macrodynamic ability in the past; I have to say, though, I don't think it's as bad as I made it out to be. Sheer contrast isn't bad, it's the weight and intensity - or rather, lack there of - of dynamic swings on the Andro 2020 that leaves desiring. It was, however, good to confirm what I've long suspected about the Andro 2020's microdynamic ability: It's pretty poor. Transient attack in the bass and midrange sounds static, dry, and upwards compressed; the shift in the snare drum hit at 0:36 on Sawano's "Cage" is nigh-indistinguishable from its peers, Taeyeon sounds too flat at times. I'd posit microdynamics go hand-in-hand with noise floor to a certain extent, so I ran the Andro 2020 off of the iDSD Micro BL with IEMatch to confirm. Most listening was done with my DX160 which I found to have the lowest noise floor otherwise (still just the slightest of hissing; I don't really notice it playing music).

As usual, there's plenty of issues I can point out. Nonetheless, I'm inclined to make concessions here because the Andro 2020's imaging is, simply put, amazing. This is where that upper-midrange dip comes into play; there is ample center-image diffusal, the likes of which I've only heard on stuff like my U12t and the tia Fourte. I'm not going to slam you with bold claims of the Andro 2020 playing ball with headphones for imaging (at least not in totality), but admittedly, I don't get very much center image diffusal even on something like the HD800S. And for me, center image diffusal - that is, depth - is essential to keeping my engagement; I find myself glued to the Andro 2020 like so. More generally, the Andro 2020's imaging is what I'd qualify as holographic, although it's not exhibiting the same level of image distinction, solidity, that something like its older brother the Solaris 2020 or tia Fourte displays. Perhaps soundstage height is where it stumble a tad. Nonetheless, layering on the Andro 2020 also plays with the best, no question. I've made this example before, but the way it sieves through Taeyeon's "Fine" and the vocal overdubs scattered throughout the center image at varying heights, depths, and widths, as she enters the chorus is nothing short of breathtaking. Make no mistake that the Andro 2020 has that wow factor in spades. It's the IEM you hand, by default, to someone who has no idea of what good sound is because you want to knock their socks off.

Ultimately, I'll still be the first to admit that the Andro 2020 is not the best kilobuck IEM on paper. The IER-M9 runs circles around it in the bass and timbre departments. The Moondrop S8 is tuned better and offers comparable technicalities for significantly less cost. The Viento's cheaper with far more engaging microdynamics. And jeez, stack on all the sensitivity issues you have to deal with on the Andro 2020! But, honestly, I just don't find myself caring. I've said this before, but once you start hitting around the kilobuck price point, so much comes down to preference. The Andro 2020's warm, not-quite-neutral tuning speaks to me on a more fundamental level; the way it balances said tuning with its unique, stellar technical chops has me charmed, making it my kilobuck IEM of choice. The Viento (see thoughts here) has been knocked down a peg on the bias scale accordingly.

Score: 7/10

 

[toaster]

your 7/10 is like someone else’s 12/10.

you must really like it.

 

[eloelo]

Great review as always precog! I loved the andro 2020 too, being warm yet having enough bite in the midrange and treble. 4SS is another warm iem I like which has a similar graph but with the peak closer to 4k, hope you could get your hands on it someday =).

As for viento B uni, I'm surprised you found it having great detail in the vocals, but for me it was the opposite experience. I went to demo viento 3 times just to make sure I was not missing out on its high ranked tone on crin's list, but was left disappointed each time. Since I'm really picky about my vocals, I found that the vocals were 1) too thin and dry, 2) skims through many details and vocal inflexions I usually look for then emphasizes only the upper harmonics (viento B is surprisingly my lowest rated viento among the 4 configurations when it comes to vocals lol). This was apparent when I A/B it beside Hidition's own Waltz, which had a ton more dynamics and more detail in female vocals (while smearing male vocals, what a shame). I did like that the vocals are snappy and tight, esp on configuration D, but Im left wanting more. Listening to viento B made the verses (where ballad singers don't go 100% yet) feel lifeless, and you are left waiting for the chorus. I thought perhaps this was because of the pinna ending at 3k rather than 2-2.5k iems, but then moondrop S8 didnt have this issue (so maybe it's the slight lower mids emphasis? hmm). Ok rant ended.

btw may I know what you meant by "resonance in the decay"? Thanks!

 

[Precogvision]

Great review as always precog! I loved the andro 2020 too, being warm yet having enough bite in the midrange and treble. 4SS is another warm iem I like which has a similar graph but with the peak closer to 4k, hope you could get your hands on it someday =).

As for viento B uni, I'm surprised you found it having great detail in the vocals, but for me it was the opposite experience. I went to demo viento 3 times just to make sure I was not missing out on its high ranked tone on crin's list, but was left disappointed each time. Since I'm really picky about my vocals, I found that the vocals were 1) too thin and dry, 2) skims through many details and vocal inflexions I usually look for then emphasizes only the upper harmonics (viento B is surprisingly my lowest rated viento among the 4 configurations when it comes to vocals lol). This was apparent when I A/B it beside Hidition's own Waltz, which had a ton more dynamics and more detail in female vocals (while smearing male vocals, what a shame). I did like that the vocals are snappy and tight, esp on configuration D, but Im left wanting more. Listening to viento B made the verses (where ballad singers don't go 100% yet) feel lifeless, and you are left waiting for the chorus. I thought perhaps this was because of the pinna ending at 3k rather than 2-2.5k iems, but then moondrop S8 didnt have this issue (so maybe it's the slight lower mids emphasis? hmm). Ok rant ended.

btw may I know what you meant by "resonance in the decay"? Thanks!

Thanks man! I think the Viento is really fit-dependent; the nozzles are intentionally long to try and mimic the fit of the custom as closely as possible. Unfortunately for those of us without black hole ears, it's going to sound pretty sibilant and more upper-midrange forward than it should. The custom Viento apparently fixes all of these issues, but I'm hesitant to drop that much on blind faith. By "resonance", I'm just referring to how after treble instruments hit, there is a noticeable ringing, or sort of echo, to them. It's strongly emphasized on the Viento to my ears.

 

[eloelo]

Thanks man! I think the Viento is really fit-dependent; the nozzles are intentionally long to try and mimic the fit of the custom as closely as possible. Unfortunately for those of us without black hole ears, it's going to sound pretty sibilant and more upper-midrange forward than it should. The custom Viento apparently fixes all of these issues, but I'm hesitant to drop that much on blind faith. By "resonance", I'm just referring to how after treble instruments hit, there is a noticeable ringing, or sort of echo, to them. It's strongly emphasized on the Viento to my ears.

Hmm I was thinking...since I have a pretty wide and short ear canal, uni viento hits the end of my ear canal early. Does this mean I would tend to get the sibilance and upper midrange forwardness since I didnt get the viento shell all the way in, or is this closer to the custom sound because it had already hit the end of the ear canal? I was told deep fit reduces lower treble so it's closer to custom, but i'm not sure if that deep fit is also affected by whether I can get also get the shell all the way in lol. Sorry just wondering if you might know XD, maybe for my ears i won't get the supposed benefits of custom.

 

[gLer]

your 7/10 is like someone else’s 12/10.

you must really like it.

Very nice review, as always. Just live your passion and insight. Unfortunately for me, this is why I could never own an Andro of ANY vintage:

I'm sure you've already read less-than-favorable comments about the Andro 2020's bass, and yep, it's pretty textureless with next to zero decay, so let's move on.

At that point, which is by the way one of the first things I test for in any IEM, it's either pass or fail. Any IEM that can be described as above won't get more than 5/10 if I had to score it, and it would them pretty much need to ace everything else. The fact that it's BA bass docks another point, although chances are that's mainly the reason for what it gives you.

Only my opinion and my preferences of course. The Andro certainly has a vast and loyal following, so it's definitely just me

 

[Precogvision]

At that point, which is by the way one of the first things I test for in any IEM, it's either pass or fail. Any IEM that can be described as above won't get more than 5/10 if I had to score it, and it would them pretty much need to ace everything else. The fact that it's BA bass docks another point, although chances are that's mainly the reason for what it gives you.

Only my opinion and my preferences of course. The Andro certainly has a vast and loyal following, so it's definitely just me

Haha I think you're the most die-hard DD proponent I know. Not that I don't understand, of course, as I'm pretty picky about my bass too. Funny how both of my most expensive IEMs have ended up being all-BA IEMs despite that; maybe my preferences have shifted some. Still waiting on that single-DD, endgame dream anyways...

Hmm I was thinking...since I have a pretty wide and short ear canal, uni viento hits the end of my ear canal early. Does this mean I would tend to get the sibilance and upper midrange forwardness since I didnt get the viento shell all the way in, or is this closer to the custom sound because it had already hit the end of the ear canal? I was told deep fit reduces lower treble so it's closer to custom, but i'm not sure if that deep fit is also affected by whether I can get also get the shell all the way in lol. Sorry just wondering if you might know XD, maybe for my ears i won't get the supposed benefits of custom.

Yup, that's the problem exactly, and why you're getting sibilance. I'm not sure how that would translate to the custom, though.

Nice review. How would you compare and contrast the various flavors of the 64 Audio line up you've heard with the U12t? I am thinking about picking up a 64 Audio IEM and I respect your opinion.

I completely agree that if all IEMs are turned to the same preference curve, it's boring. I actually did that. I tuned my HD800S and ZMF Verite Closed to the same curve and they sounded amazingly similar and boring because of it.

I am leaning toward the Nio or Trio if not the U12t.

Sorry, missed this. Will do a full 64A IEM shootout when the U18t arrives. I still prefer the U12t most out of all the 64A IEMs I've heard, but I don't think you can go wrong with most of their flagships. All of them have some sort of unique flavor whilst maintaining the brand's signature sound.

 

[gLer]

Still waiting on that single-DD, endgame dream anyways...

Oddly enough I think the advantage IEMs have over headphones is their ability to run multiple drivers. I'm yet to see a single DD IEM that can pull off the resolution and imaging of a hybrid or tribrid, and either out of luck or ignorance I'm yet to be able to hear any incoherency in the sound as a result of multiple drivers. I'm quite happy for the mids and highs to be clear, detailed and precise with a slower, deeper DD drumming away in the background. Layering for me is a plus, not an anomaly. As always YMMV.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Oddly enough I think the advantage IEMs have over headphones is their ability to run multiple drivers. I'm yet to see a single DD IEM that can pull off the resolution and imaging of a hybrid or tribrid, and either out of luck or ignorance I'm yet to be able to hear any incoherency in the sound as a result of multiple drivers. I'm quite happy for the mids and highs to be clear, detailed and precise with a slower, deeper DD drumming away in the background. Layering for me is a plus, not an anomaly. As always YMMV.

Agree with you 100%. This is the real reason I don't have a single DD iem in my collection as well. They just don't cut it for me in the same that multi drivers do. That and I'm really not a headphone person.

 

[gLer]

Agree with you 100%. This is the real reason I don't have a single DD iem in my collection as well. They just don't cut it for me in the same that multi drivers do. That and I'm really not a headphone person.

If anything the lack of a DD (there I go again) in all-BA IEMs is even more incoherent when it comes to how I hear the music. Maybe it's because I grew up listening to recorded music on dynamic drivers (we all do, especially if our listening has mainly been in speakers), but the lack of a real (physical) kick drum or an unnatural decay of the bass strings is far more obvious to me than the clarity of BA driver vocals or HF instruments combined with that natural drum or bass. I'm not sure I'd even call myself a basshead, because thick, wooly, overbearing bass is not my thing at all. Nor do I want bass everywhere in the track. So maybe bass purist is more apt. If the bass doesn't sound (and feel) right, even the most spectacularly expensive IEMs will be like a multimillion dollar house on a cracked foundation, to my ears.

 

[baskingshark]

Oddly enough I think the advantage IEMs have over headphones is their ability to run multiple drivers. I'm yet to see a single DD IEM that can pull off the resolution and imaging of a hybrid or tribrid, and either out of luck or ignorance I'm yet to be able to hear any incoherency in the sound as a result of multiple drivers. I'm quite happy for the mids and highs to be clear, detailed and precise with a slower, deeper DD drumming away in the background. Layering for me is a plus, not an anomaly. As always YMMV.

Have u tried the DUNU LUNA and Final Audio A8000? They are single DD full beryllium sets, but I think the latter especially (when adequately amped) has resolution that can rival multi driver IEMs.

But yeah, in general, the single DD types do lose to multi driver types in terms of technical performance like imaging, details, instrument separation. Though in general too, the single DD types tend to have better instrumental timbre than BA types, so different strokes for different folks, pros and cons are present in the different transducer types. I find BA bass in general sounds a bit unnatural in the bass like in terms of decay and movement of air, compared to DD bass. Though lately, the rage has been to use vented BA bass (eg in Audiosense T800), these types can come close to sounding like a DD bass, but still won't beat a well tuned DD bass.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

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FiR VxV / 5x5

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