Tips make measurable differences too.
Precog's IEM Reviews & Impressions
- Thread starter Precogvision
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Azla Crystal > xelastic btw
Well crap, thread kind of exploded haha. Before I get blasted any further, I hope it's not some sort of epiphany, but I’ve gone on record in the past saying that tips absolutely make an audible difference.
However, those differences tend to be minor; this is measurable. So to clarify, for me, it’s more along the lines of “I don’t care enough to use anything outside what the manufacturer provides for reasons of consistency”. When you introduce aftermarket tips into the equation, there’s suddenly way more things to deal with. At what point do you stop testing tips? Someone is always going to tell you, "Oh, you didn't test this, so your impressions are invalid". And what if there is an IEM that’s make it or break it with a certain pair of tips? Am I supposed to tell people, "Well, shoot, you need to buy X tips with this IEM or else you effectively have a paper weight". I'd certainly hope not. And if you did need to, I’d argue that’s a problem with the IEM itself more than anything, just like I’d argue that the Andro 2020’s extreme sensitivity is lazy design - hence why I called it a "diva". It's the same idea with sources which, again, I absolutely believe make an audible difference. While tips are lower hanging fruit, there's only a certain amount of leeway that I can afford an IEM, and (for me) this stops at the assortment of tips that a manufacture provides.
If someone finds something that works better for them on their own, that's great! I'm all for it, and as BaskingShark noted, tips are a very personal thing. But I simply don't have the time to be testing every tip under the sun. I hope this clarifies my stance on the matter.
However, those differences tend to be minor; this is measurable. So to clarify, for me, it’s more along the lines of “I don’t care enough to use anything outside what the manufacturer provides for reasons of consistency”. When you introduce aftermarket tips into the equation, there’s suddenly way more things to deal with. At what point do you stop testing tips? Someone is always going to tell you, "Oh, you didn't test this, so your impressions are invalid". And what if there is an IEM that’s make it or break it with a certain pair of tips? Am I supposed to tell people, "Well, shoot, you need to buy X tips with this IEM or else you effectively have a paper weight". I'd certainly hope not. And if you did need to, I’d argue that’s a problem with the IEM itself more than anything, just like I’d argue that the Andro 2020’s extreme sensitivity is lazy design - hence why I called it a "diva". It's the same idea with sources which, again, I absolutely believe make an audible difference. While tips are lower hanging fruit, there's only a certain amount of leeway that I can afford an IEM, and (for me) this stops at the assortment of tips that a manufacture provides.
If someone finds something that works better for them on their own, that's great! I'm all for it, and as BaskingShark noted, tips are a very personal thing. But I simply don't have the time to be testing every tip under the sun. I hope this clarifies my stance on the matter.
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I am not using xelastec tbh but I will buy crystal too lol
yeah I'm on the same boat. I don't use Xelastic but got the crystal anyway. Eveyrthing is better, just not my cup of tea,I guess
But ear anatomy is diverse among different people, and in my experience more often than not stock tips can't make a good seal and the SQ suffers plenty as a result. I don't know about you ears though
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RikudouGoku
Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
Same, here. Stock tips almost always fail at sealing for me.But ear anatomy is diverse among different people, and in my experience more often than not stock tips can't make a good seal and the SQ suffers plenty as a result. I don't know about you ears though
most stock tips suck. that said, dunu includes nice tips. Campfire does too actually given they provide their own plus final audio tips (which actually I dont like).
Given that, shouldnt you review Andromeda with all the tips included, which is their own + aftermarket ones?
*i'm just giving you a hard time*
Given that, shouldnt you review Andromeda with all the tips included, which is their own + aftermarket ones?
*i'm just giving you a hard time*
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Nice save, this almost became the "Amir says ear pads don't matter" for IEMs.
But ear anatomy is diverse among different people, and in my experience more often than not stock tips can't make a good seal and the SQ suffers plenty as a result. I don't know about you ears though
That's rough man. I can only think of two instances where I couldn't get a good seal with stock tips: the Sennheiser IE900 and the Etymotic ER2XR. The latter I figured out pretty quickly; it was just a matter of getting over how deep they go into the ears. Even stuff with crazy wide bore diameters like the Audeze iSine stuff seals properly (albeit somewhat painfully) for me.
Haha, I'm sure I have some hot takes, but that sounds like a particularly spicy one.
iFi Audio IEMatch+ Impressions
This unit was kindly provided by @Sebastien Chiu of iFi Audio at my request.
I don't really care to cover the unboxing or the tech specifications too closely. So what better way to frame my impressions of the IEMatch+ than within the context of one of my favorite IEMs, the Campfire Audio Andro 2020? It's notoriously picky and known for being something of a diva when it comes to synergy. This is largely due to its ridiculously high sensitivity which begets background hissing on every source that I've tried. And believe me, I've tried a few! The DX160, DX300, SE180, SE200, SP1000M, Cayin N3 Pro, Apple Lightning/USB-C dongle, Sony NW-A105, and the Plenue R2; I hear hissing off of the Andro 2020 with every single one of these sources.
But no longer. The Andro 2020 has finally met its match, so to speak, with the iFi IEMatch+. Hissing begone! Even just the High setting on the IEMatch+ is enough to kill any hissing I heard previously. That said, the Andro 2020's impedance curve is pretty notorious as well. With lower OI sources, it is more bassy and treble light; vice versa with higher OI sources. Below is the Andro 2020 graphed off of the Apple USB-C dongle versus with the Apple USB-C dongle > IEMatch+ (High). You can see it makes a pretty noticeable difference.
Now subjectively, I think this is a great pairing. The IEMatch+ lowers the bass and brings forward the treble, so the Andro 2020 eschews some of the warm haziness it can exhibit from the "stock" pairing with the Apple dongle. The Andro 2020 effectively has a more forward, brighter, slightly leaner sound with the IEMatch+. Micro-dynamic contrast sees a decent jump by virtue of a completely dark background, and I hear a lot more subtle detail that I just couldn't hear with the Apple dongle and other sources. This perception is no doubt aided by the treble also being brought forward more. The one criticism I have is that the IEMatch+ shifts around the Andro 2020's center image by pushing it up to a higher plane (when I try and visualize vocals tokening the center image in my head); consequently, the Andro 2020's perceived depth suffers. Again, this is likely baked into frequency response, as the recession to the Andro 2020's upper-midrange is also brought up by the IEMatch+.
The Ultra setting of the IEMatch+ has lower impedance than the High setting. In practice, this results in a very slight difference of about ~1dB. I was barely able to pick it up playing between the settings.
I've seen some talk about the IEMatch+ neutering dynamics. To test this, I turned to my 64 Audio U12t. This is for two reasons: 1) the U12t has excellent dynamic range for an IEM to my ears, and 2) it has a nearly flat impedance curve. But honestly? Accounting for the volume differential, I couldn't discern a difference using Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" from the 2VALK album. The dip in volume to the vocalist at 2:49 and the subsequent explosion to loudness are scaled identically; the U12t sounds the same to me directly out of the jack of my DX300 versus the DX300 > IEMatch+. Perhaps having to turn up the volume while using the IEMatch+ gives some listeners the impression that the sound is being compressed, but I'd wager this perception falls more along the lines of placebo. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm not an expert on this; I can only attest that I do not hear a difference subjectively.
Overall, I think this is a solid product for anyone who's using a pair of super-sensitive IEMs. It's still on the pricier side, and with some minor drawbacks, but it gets the job done well. Don't bother purchasing this if you're using headphones, as most headphones are not at all sensitive, and you'll just be making more work for yourself (and your source) when you jack up the volume.
This unit was kindly provided by @Sebastien Chiu of iFi Audio at my request.
I don't really care to cover the unboxing or the tech specifications too closely. So what better way to frame my impressions of the IEMatch+ than within the context of one of my favorite IEMs, the Campfire Audio Andro 2020? It's notoriously picky and known for being something of a diva when it comes to synergy. This is largely due to its ridiculously high sensitivity which begets background hissing on every source that I've tried. And believe me, I've tried a few! The DX160, DX300, SE180, SE200, SP1000M, Cayin N3 Pro, Apple Lightning/USB-C dongle, Sony NW-A105, and the Plenue R2; I hear hissing off of the Andro 2020 with every single one of these sources.
But no longer. The Andro 2020 has finally met its match, so to speak, with the iFi IEMatch+. Hissing begone! Even just the High setting on the IEMatch+ is enough to kill any hissing I heard previously. That said, the Andro 2020's impedance curve is pretty notorious as well. With lower OI sources, it is more bassy and treble light; vice versa with higher OI sources. Below is the Andro 2020 graphed off of the Apple USB-C dongle versus with the Apple USB-C dongle > IEMatch+ (High). You can see it makes a pretty noticeable difference.
Now subjectively, I think this is a great pairing. The IEMatch+ lowers the bass and brings forward the treble, so the Andro 2020 eschews some of the warm haziness it can exhibit from the "stock" pairing with the Apple dongle. The Andro 2020 effectively has a more forward, brighter, slightly leaner sound with the IEMatch+. Micro-dynamic contrast sees a decent jump by virtue of a completely dark background, and I hear a lot more subtle detail that I just couldn't hear with the Apple dongle and other sources. This perception is no doubt aided by the treble also being brought forward more. The one criticism I have is that the IEMatch+ shifts around the Andro 2020's center image by pushing it up to a higher plane (when I try and visualize vocals tokening the center image in my head); consequently, the Andro 2020's perceived depth suffers. Again, this is likely baked into frequency response, as the recession to the Andro 2020's upper-midrange is also brought up by the IEMatch+.
The Ultra setting of the IEMatch+ has lower impedance than the High setting. In practice, this results in a very slight difference of about ~1dB. I was barely able to pick it up playing between the settings.
I've seen some talk about the IEMatch+ neutering dynamics. To test this, I turned to my 64 Audio U12t. This is for two reasons: 1) the U12t has excellent dynamic range for an IEM to my ears, and 2) it has a nearly flat impedance curve. But honestly? Accounting for the volume differential, I couldn't discern a difference using Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" from the 2VALK album. The dip in volume to the vocalist at 2:49 and the subsequent explosion to loudness are scaled identically; the U12t sounds the same to me directly out of the jack of my DX300 versus the DX300 > IEMatch+. Perhaps having to turn up the volume while using the IEMatch+ gives some listeners the impression that the sound is being compressed, but I'd wager this perception falls more along the lines of placebo. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm not an expert on this; I can only attest that I do not hear a difference subjectively.
Overall, I think this is a solid product for anyone who's using a pair of super-sensitive IEMs. It's still on the pricier side, and with some minor drawbacks, but it gets the job done well. Don't bother purchasing this if you're using headphones, as most headphones are not at all sensitive, and you'll just be making more work for yourself (and your source) when you jack up the volume.
If you want a hiss-free Andro experience, you could also try a L&P W2 or Lotoo Paw S1. They're both completely silent, even using 4.4mm. The only DAP that I've tried that is completely free of hiss with Andro is a DMP-Z1. A lot of money to spend to avoid hissiFi Audio IEMatch+ Impressions
This unit was kindly provided by @Sebastien Chiu of iFi Audio at my request.
I don't really care to cover the unboxing or the tech specifications too closely. So what better way to frame my impressions of the IEMatch+ than within the context of one of my favorite IEMs, the Campfire Audio Andro 2020? It's notoriously picky and known for being something of a diva when it comes to synergy. This is largely due to its ridiculously high sensitivity which begets background hissing on every source that I've tried. And believe me, I've tried a few! The DX160, DX300, SE180, SE200, SP1000M, Cayin N3 Pro, Apple Lightning/USB-C dongle, Sony NW-A105, and the Plenue R2; I hear hissing off of the Andro 2020 with every single one of these sources.
But no longer. The Andro 2020 has finally met its match, so to speak, with the iFi IEMatch+. Hissing begone! Even just the High setting on the IEMatch+ is enough to kill any hissing I heard previously. That said, the Andro 2020's impedance curve is pretty notorious as well. With lower OI sources, it is more bassy and treble light; vice versa with higher OI sources. Below is the Andro 2020 graphed off of the Apple USB-C dongle versus with the Apple USB-C dongle > IEMatch+ (High). You can see it makes a pretty noticeable difference.
Now subjectively, I think this is a great pairing. The IEMatch+ lowers the bass and brings forward the treble, so the Andro 2020 eschews some of the warm haziness it can exhibit from the "stock" pairing with the Apple dongle. The Andro 2020 effectively has a more forward, brighter, slightly leaner sound with the IEMatch+. Micro-dynamic contrast sees a decent jump by virtue of a completely dark background, and I hear a lot more subtle detail that I just couldn't hear with the Apple dongle and other sources. This perception is no doubt aided by the treble also being brought forward more. The one criticism I have is that the IEMatch+ shifts around the Andro 2020's center image by pushing it up to a higher plane (when I try and visualize vocals tokening the center image in my head); consequently, the Andro 2020's perceived depth suffers. Again, this is likely baked into frequency response, as the recession to the Andro 2020's upper-midrange is also brought up by the IEMatch+.
The Ultra setting of the IEMatch+ has lower impedance than the High setting. In practice, this results in a very slight difference of about ~1dB. I was barely able to pick it up playing between the settings.
I've seen some talk about the IEMatch+ neutering dynamics. To test this, I turned to my 64 Audio U12t. This is for two reasons: 1) the U12t has excellent dynamic range for an IEM to my ears, and 2) it has a nearly flat impedance curve. But honestly? Accounting for the volume differential, I couldn't discern a difference using Sawano Hiroyuki's "e of s" from the 2VALK album. The dip in volume to the vocalist at 2:49 and the subsequent explosion to loudness are scaled identically; the U12t sounds the same to me directly out of the jack of my DX300 versus the DX300 > IEMatch+. Perhaps having to turn up the volume while using the IEMatch+ gives some listeners the impression that the sound is being compressed, but I'd wager this perception falls more along the lines of placebo. Obligatory disclaimer that I'm not an expert on this; I can only attest that I do not hear a difference subjectively.
Overall, I think this is a solid product for anyone who's using a pair of super-sensitive IEMs. It's still on the pricier side, and with some minor drawbacks, but it gets the job done well. Don't bother purchasing this if you're using headphones, as most headphones are not at all sensitive, and you'll just be making more work for yourself (and your source) when you jack up the volume.
If you want a hiss-free Andro experience, you could also try a L&P W2 or Lotoo Paw S1. They're both completely silent, even using 4.4mm. The only DAP that I've tried that is completely free of hiss with Andro is a DMP-Z1. A lot of money to spend to avoid hiss
Okay, now you're just flexing your DMP-Z1. I'm not sure how I feel about bringing a player the size of a shoebox with me on the go.
If you want a hiss-free Andro experience, you could also try a L&P W2 or Lotoo Paw S1. They're both completely silent, even using 4.4mm. The only DAP that I've tried that is completely free of hiss with Andro is a DMP-Z1. A lot of money to spend to avoid hiss
I too lug my desktop dac/amp around with power supply for a hiss free listening experience!Okay, now you're just flexing your DMP-Z1. I'm not sure how I feel about bringing a player the size of a shoebox with me on the go.
RME gang ftw!
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