Ha! Dude where's your commitment to hi fidelity sound?!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.
This guy has the right idea...
Precog's IEM Reviews & Impressions
- Thread starter Precogvision
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This guy has the right idea...
efftee
1000+ Head-Fier
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May I ask what power supply (LPSU?) you use with the DMP-Z1? Thanks.
KuroKitsu
Headphoneus Supremus
No DMP for me. I could only afford the RME ADI 2.
I have no issues with grounding so everything is off surge protected power bar.
Dont need to with the NW-A45/55 DMP-Z1 firmwareOkay, 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.
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.
Thanks for this small review. I'M having hiss problems and I had ifi iematch on the cart already, this made me sure.
mvvRAZ
Headphoneus Supremus
CFA IEMs should all come with this by default loliFi 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.
Ifi iematch lives on the end of my Andro 2020. The only sources that I don't detect any noticeable hiss on are the Hiby R3 Saber and Hidizs S8 dongle.
toaster
Headphoneus Supremus
Crazy.Ha! Dude where's your commitment to hi fidelity sound?!
This guy has the right idea...
But the real dedication in this shot is the haircut designed to cushion the headband.
Hidition Waltz Impressions
Hidition is a company that hails from South Korea and that is best known for their legendary Viento IEM. Those who have read my thoughts on the Viento, though, know that I go against the grain of my peers; I was not very fond of it. From the fit which exacerbated tonality issues to its excessive intangible grit, the Viento and I were simply not meant to be. Part of this simply had to do with the poor ergonomics of the universal model; Hidition has always been very set in their ways and seems to have designed their IEMs around being CIEMs first, UIEMs second. But I do believe the Waltz, a humble 3BA setup, is Hidition's first IEM intended to be a UIEM first and a CIEM second. At the very least, the Waltz has noticeably smaller shells than any of Hidition's other UIEMs. That in mind, I approached the Waltz with more gusto than I did the NT6 which I also have on hand (impressions tomorrow, if I have time).
The overall tonality of the Waltz can be considered a more V-shaped, fun interpretation of the Viento. Bass on the Waltz is certainly not bad for a BA setup. In some respects, I'm reminded of the UM MEST's bass. The Waltz's bass leans toward the drier side - it's not as wet as, say, the Dunu SA6's bass - but it has a good amount of bounciness to it. It also seems to slam a tad harder than your average BA monitor. I criticized the MEST for sharing these same qualities because it had a dynamic driver, but within the context of the Waltz's driver setup I will give passing marks here.
I don't think any of Hidition's IEMs have particularly poor bass though (heck, the Violet has the best BA bass I've heard), so I would expect nothing less. What I'm really concerned with is the midrange and treble, where those other IEMs - particularly the Viento - decidedly fell short. The Waltz's midrange is characterized by moderate amounts of warmth to the lower-midrange and then a more controlled approach to the pinna compensation. Thus, the Waltz discards the lean and mean, reference-y midrange of the Viento. I do not hear the sibilance that the Viento exhibited, and even better, the Waltz's decay is cleaner than the Viento's. It's not perfect - I find it's still somewhat lean, more than the graph would suggest - but I can get on board with this. Likewise, the treble response of the Waltz is much more reigned in relative to my memory of the Viento. It's mid-treble oriented like all of Hidition's IEMs that I've heard are, but it does not exhibit the nasty ringing the Viento did. Extension is sufficient, but not best-in-class. Pretty alright treble overall.
Technicalities on the Waltz are adequate. It has a characteristic "BA" presentation with which notes are articulated with good speed. For sheer note definition, then, it is competent. However, I feel that the Waltz stumbles in the imaging department. In A/B versus the Moondrop Blessing 2, I find the Blessing 2 to have better soundstage and a more out-of-head presentation. The Waltz's imaging is mostly just average in my opinion. Macro-dynamics on the Waltz don't seem particularly compressed; however, they're perhaps a smidge behind the Blessing 2. I'd need more listening to confirm on that front.
Generally, at its MRSP of $900, I don't really find the Waltz competitive. But ignoring the price, I think this is a pretty solid IEM overall and a testament to Hidition's versatility of tuning. I can appreciate the simplicity of a lower driver count setup too.
Score: 6/10
Hidition is a company that hails from South Korea and that is best known for their legendary Viento IEM. Those who have read my thoughts on the Viento, though, know that I go against the grain of my peers; I was not very fond of it. From the fit which exacerbated tonality issues to its excessive intangible grit, the Viento and I were simply not meant to be. Part of this simply had to do with the poor ergonomics of the universal model; Hidition has always been very set in their ways and seems to have designed their IEMs around being CIEMs first, UIEMs second. But I do believe the Waltz, a humble 3BA setup, is Hidition's first IEM intended to be a UIEM first and a CIEM second. At the very least, the Waltz has noticeably smaller shells than any of Hidition's other UIEMs. That in mind, I approached the Waltz with more gusto than I did the NT6 which I also have on hand (impressions tomorrow, if I have time).
The overall tonality of the Waltz can be considered a more V-shaped, fun interpretation of the Viento. Bass on the Waltz is certainly not bad for a BA setup. In some respects, I'm reminded of the UM MEST's bass. The Waltz's bass leans toward the drier side - it's not as wet as, say, the Dunu SA6's bass - but it has a good amount of bounciness to it. It also seems to slam a tad harder than your average BA monitor. I criticized the MEST for sharing these same qualities because it had a dynamic driver, but within the context of the Waltz's driver setup I will give passing marks here.
I don't think any of Hidition's IEMs have particularly poor bass though (heck, the Violet has the best BA bass I've heard), so I would expect nothing less. What I'm really concerned with is the midrange and treble, where those other IEMs - particularly the Viento - decidedly fell short. The Waltz's midrange is characterized by moderate amounts of warmth to the lower-midrange and then a more controlled approach to the pinna compensation. Thus, the Waltz discards the lean and mean, reference-y midrange of the Viento. I do not hear the sibilance that the Viento exhibited, and even better, the Waltz's decay is cleaner than the Viento's. It's not perfect - I find it's still somewhat lean, more than the graph would suggest - but I can get on board with this. Likewise, the treble response of the Waltz is much more reigned in relative to my memory of the Viento. It's mid-treble oriented like all of Hidition's IEMs that I've heard are, but it does not exhibit the nasty ringing the Viento did. Extension is sufficient, but not best-in-class. Pretty alright treble overall.
Technicalities on the Waltz are adequate. It has a characteristic "BA" presentation with which notes are articulated with good speed. For sheer note definition, then, it is competent. However, I feel that the Waltz stumbles in the imaging department. In A/B versus the Moondrop Blessing 2, I find the Blessing 2 to have better soundstage and a more out-of-head presentation. The Waltz's imaging is mostly just average in my opinion. Macro-dynamics on the Waltz don't seem particularly compressed; however, they're perhaps a smidge behind the Blessing 2. I'd need more listening to confirm on that front.
Generally, at its MRSP of $900, I don't really find the Waltz competitive. But ignoring the price, I think this is a pretty solid IEM overall and a testament to Hidition's versatility of tuning. I can appreciate the simplicity of a lower driver count setup too.
Score: 6/10
DetoNatioNFocusFizz
New Head-Fier
I actually met a similar dude (but he was white) on the Shanghai metro, the man had a pretty big bundle with him too, meanwhile I was just getting started with hifi back then and just chlling with my OG andros and apple dongle.Ha! Dude where's your commitment to hi fidelity sound?!
This guy has the right idea...
Hidition waltz made me stop considering viento lol. Imo, best female vocals of all iems I heard, makes female vocals sound rich and slightly wet, makes viento sound boring. Unfortunately, perhaps because it's slightly v shaped, male vocals take a hit and sound lifeless. But I totally vibe with that pinna gain and upper mids in the graph, which seems similar to U12t but with slightly more upper mids. I will be interested in iems with similar tuning in the upper mids area but without the dip in the lower mids.Hidition Waltz Impressions
Hidition is a company that hails from South Korea and that is best known for their legendary Viento IEM. Those who have read my thoughts on the Viento, though, know that I go against the grain of my peers; I was not very fond of it. From the fit which exacerbated tonality issues to its excessive intangible grit, the Viento and I were simply not meant to be. Part of this simply had to do with the poor ergonomics of the universal model; Hidition has always been very set in their ways and seems to have designed their IEMs around being CIEMs first, UIEMs second. But I do believe the Waltz, a humble 3BA setup, is Hidition's first IEM intended to be a UIEM first and a CIEM second. At the very least, the Waltz has noticeably smaller shells than any of Hidition's other UIEMs. That in mind, I approached the Waltz with more gusto than I did the NT6 which I also have on hand (impressions tomorrow, if I have time).
The overall tonality of the Waltz can be considered a more V-shaped, fun interpretation of the Viento. Bass on the Waltz is certainly not bad for a BA setup. In some respects, I'm reminded of the UM MEST's bass. The Waltz's bass leans toward the drier side - it's not as wet as, say, the Dunu SA6's bass - but it has a good amount of bounciness to it. It also seems to slam a tad harder than your average BA monitor. I criticized the MEST for sharing these same qualities because it had a dynamic driver, but within the context of the Waltz's driver setup I will give passing marks here.
I don't think any of Hidition's IEMs have particularly poor bass though (heck, the Violet has the best BA bass I've heard), so I would expect nothing less. What I'm really concerned with is the midrange and treble, where those other IEMs - particularly the Viento - decidedly fell short. The Waltz's midrange is characterized by moderate amounts of warmth to the lower-midrange and then a more controlled approach to the pinna compensation. Thus, the Waltz discards the lean and mean, reference-y midrange of the Viento. I do not hear the sibilance that the Viento exhibited, and even better, the Waltz's decay is cleaner than the Viento's. It's not perfect - I find it's still somewhat lean, more than the graph would suggest - but I can get on board with this. Likewise, the treble response of the Waltz is much more reigned in relative to my memory of the Viento. It's mid-treble oriented like all of Hidition's IEMs that I've heard are, but it does not exhibit the nasty ringing the Viento did. Extension is sufficient, but not best-in-class. Pretty alright treble overall.
Technicalities on the Waltz are adequate. It has a characteristic "BA" presentation with which notes are articulated with good speed. For sheer note definition, then, it is competent. However, I feel that the Waltz stumbles in the imaging department. In A/B versus the Moondrop Blessing 2, I find the Blessing 2 to have better soundstage and a more out-of-head presentation. The Waltz's imaging is mostly just average in my opinion. Macro-dynamics on the Waltz don't seem particularly compressed; however, they're perhaps a smidge behind the Blessing 2. I'd need more listening to confirm on that front.
Generally, at its MRSP of $900, I don't really find the Waltz competitive. But ignoring the price, I think this is a pretty solid IEM overall and a testament to Hidition's versatility of tuning. I can appreciate the simplicity of a lower driver count setup too.
Score: 6/10
Closest run-in I've had with hifi was some guy on the bus to my uni rocking a pair of etymotic er2xr 
Best I've got are a few KZs and shuresClosest run-in I've had with hifi was some guy on the bus to my uni rocking a pair of etymotic er2xr
prawdziwysimone
100+ Head-Fier
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@Precogvision i wrote down the same comment in tanchjimās thread with no result. It seems like you can help me (and maybe others)
āIs anyone own both Oxygen and Hana 2021? On some graphs new Hana seems to be more bassy than Oxygen (for example crinacle) which is a good thing for me. Also i wonder If there is any difference in technical performance. If itās not a problem to pay a bit more for oxygen, are these any better than new hana? I wish there is a black or silver version of hana..
ā
āIs anyone own both Oxygen and Hana 2021? On some graphs new Hana seems to be more bassy than Oxygen (for example crinacle) which is a good thing for me. Also i wonder If there is any difference in technical performance. If itās not a problem to pay a bit more for oxygen, are these any better than new hana? I wish there is a black or silver version of hana..
ā
The Oxygen still have a better technicality,@Precogvision i wrote down the same comment in tanchjimās thread with no result. It seems like you can help me (and maybe others)
āIs anyone own both Oxygen and Hana 2021? On some graphs new Hana seems to be more bassy than Oxygen (for example crinacle) which is a good thing for me. Also i wonder If there is any difference in technical performance. If itās not a problem to pay a bit more for oxygen, are these any better than new hana? I wish there is a black or silver version of hana..
but the Hana have a smoother more refined tuning,
another option would be the Shozy B2,
I like it more than both,
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