Rank the IEM's you've heard

[Sa700]

Thanks for that @newworld666. I’ll pick up the WM1AM2 at some point and A/B with my BTR7 to see if I notice a difference.

I find the Final Type E tips work best for me with the Z1R.

I myself am thinking the same. I like my BTR7, but I also liked having a dedicated player for listening. Let us know if you do pull the trigger - am very curious what you think of it.

 

[pseudomagick]

I´m interesting in comparison of UM Mest MKII vs Noble Audio Kublai Khan.
Can anyone here compare these 2 IEMS, please?
Is really KK upgrade from UM MEST MKII and is it worth buying it for 2.600 €?

 

[Nooseybear]

I´m interesting in comparison of UM Mest MKII vs Noble Audio Kublai Khan.
Can anyone here compare these 2 IEMS, please?
Is really KK upgrade from UM MEST MKII and is it worth buying it for 2.600 €?

I compared the Noble KK to my own personal UM MEST mkii at the last CanJam I went to. In short, the frequency response was very similar, but the KK felt like it had more of everything. More energy, more detail retrieval, a slightly wider soundstage, bigger shells, higher price tag... I enjoyed auditioning them but wondered whether they would be fatiguing for longer listens.

I don't think they're overpriced compared to other TOTL iems, but the UM MEST are fantastic value and get you most of the way there. Whether the KK are worth the extra money depends on how much the cash is worth to you. I certainly was tempted but couldn't justify it. The man sitting next to me was debating how angry his wife would be if she found out...

 

[Tybot]

I compared the Noble KK to my own personal UM MEST mkii at the last CanJam I went to. In short, the frequency response was very similar, but the KK felt like it had more of everything. More energy, more detail retrieval, a slightly wider soundstage, bigger shells, higher price tag... I enjoyed auditioning them but wondered whether they would be fatiguing for longer listens.

I don't think they're overpriced compared to other TOTL iems, but the UM MEST are fantastic value and get you most of the way there. Whether the KK are worth the extra money depends on how much the cash is worth to you. I certainly was tempted but couldn't justify it. The man sitting next to me was debating how angry his wife would be if she found out...

I would 2nd these thoughts on KK vs Mest. I also have Mest Indigo and that’s a much closer battle for the KK. 2 of my favorites for sure.

 

[Nooseybear]

Crin's graphs of the KK vs MEST mkii match my listening impressions that the FR are almost identical!

 

[pseudomagick]

I compared the Noble KK to my own personal UM MEST mkii at the last CanJam I went to. In short, the frequency response was very similar, but the KK felt like it had more of everything. More energy, more detail retrieval, a slightly wider soundstage, bigger shells, higher price tag... I enjoyed auditioning them but wondered whether they would be fatiguing for longer listens.

I don't think they're overpriced compared to other TOTL iems, but the UM MEST are fantastic value and get you most of the way there. Whether the KK are worth the extra money depends on how much the cash is worth to you. I certainly was tempted but couldn't justify it. The man sitting next to me was debating how angry his wife would be if she found out...

Thank you very much.
I believe that audiophiles who spend money on IEMs or DAPs have a problem with their wives at home.
My next IEM candidate is the Nostalgia Audio Camelot, so I don't know whether to buy the KK or the Camelot.
I don't have the option to listen before buying.
I managed to lose one (right) earpiece with my UM Mest MKII.
So I'm listening to the U12t and I miss the hybrid IEM now.
For that reason I am deciding between buying KK or Camelot.

 

[conceptcar3]

Thank you very much.
I believe that audiophiles who spend money on IEMs or DAPs have a problem with their wives at home.
My next IEM candidate is the Nostalgia Audio Camelot, so I don't know whether to buy the KK or the Camelot.
I don't have the option to listen before buying.
I managed to lose one (right) earpiece with my UM Mest MKII.
So I'm listening to the U12t and I miss the hybrid IEM now.
For that reason I am deciding between buying KK or Camelot.

May I advise the aroma audio thunder

 

[pseudomagick]

May I advise the aroma audio thunder

I was also considering the Aroma Audio Thunder.
I found a negative on this forum in a review by Wolfhawk46.
He wrote this:
Cons: Some bass bloat - mostly noticeable on EDM
Terrible cable - use aftermarket
Mediocre Ear Tips - use aftermarket
Puzzle Boxes

Full review here: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aroma-audio-thunder.25814/reviews

I listen to a lot of EDM.

 

[nocturne19]

I was also considering the Aroma Audio Thunder.
I found a negative on this forum in a review by Wolfhawk46.
He wrote this:
Cons: Some bass bloat - mostly noticeable on EDM
Terrible cable - use aftermarket
Mediocre Ear Tips - use aftermarket
Puzzle Boxes

Full review here: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aroma-audio-thunder.25814/reviews

I listen to a lot of EDM.

What are your preferences? And what are you finding in your upcoming iem?

 

[conceptcar3]

I

I was also considering the Aroma Audio Thunder.
I found a negative on this forum in a review by Wolfhawk46.
He wrote this:
Cons: Some bass bloat - mostly noticeable on EDM
Terrible cable - use aftermarket
Mediocre Ear Tips - use aftermarket
Puzzle Boxes

Full review here: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aroma-audio-thunder.25814/reviews

I listen to a lot of EDM.

I am the new owner of his set and I will say, I disagree with it being bass bloated. It is bass POWERFUL. And rich and detailed and clear and thick. But not bloated. And if you flip the switch from “focus mode” to “harmony mode” you can tame the bass, but I think the focus mode bass hammer would be more fun with edm. That’s my 2 cents

 

[pseudomagick]

What are your preferences? And what are you finding in your upcoming iem?

Smooth mids with no bump in the upper mids, strong sub-bass and bass, and clear and sparkling highs. A lot depends on soundstage, separation and resolution.
Almost everyone here wants something similar.
I have the U12t and based on the comparisons (U12t vs Camelot) on Headfonics.com I think the Nostalgia Audio Camelot would be ideal.
I quote:
"The sub-bass on the U12t digs deeper and has more rumble. Both the sub-bass and mid-bass of the U12t are more forward in the overall sound signature.

The mid-bass on the U12t slams harder and is slow to decay which results in it being almost ever present in the sound signature. The mid-bass on the Camelot has less forwardness and quantity but has better control, texture, and quality. It is also punchier, faster, and cleaner.

The most noticeable difference between these two within the midrange is the timbre. The timbre is much warmer with the U12t which tends to give the midrange on the Camelot a more accurate feel to its timbral coloration when comparing the two.

The midrange on the U12t is not as far forward in the overall signature compared to the Camelot which has a more pronounced lower mid-range. With its advantage of having a more complex driver setup, the Camelot is able to produce higher resolution and quality within the midrange compared to the U12t."

Full review here: https://headfonics.com/nostalgia-audio-camelot-review/

Unfortunately Skullar wrote here " Camelot is kinda just really bland. But its not doing anything bad either.
Not a technical wonder though."

So now I'm wondering if Noble Kublai Khan will be better.

But I don't really like the dip from 10kHz up.

 

[nocturne19]

Smooth mids with no bump in the upper mids, strong sub-bass and bass, and clear and sparkling highs. A lot depends on soundstage, separation and resolution.
Almost everyone here wants something similar.
I have the U12t and based on the comparisons (U12t vs Camelot) on Headfonics.com I think the Nostalgia Audio Camelot would be ideal.
I quote:
"The sub-bass on the U12t digs deeper and has more rumble. Both the sub-bass and mid-bass of the U12t are more forward in the overall sound signature.

The mid-bass on the U12t slams harder and is slow to decay which results in it being almost ever present in the sound signature. The mid-bass on the Camelot has less forwardness and quantity but has better control, texture, and quality. It is also punchier, faster, and cleaner.

The most noticeable difference between these two within the midrange is the timbre. The timbre is much warmer with the U12t which tends to give the midrange on the Camelot a more accurate feel to its timbral coloration when comparing the two.

The midrange on the U12t is not as far forward in the overall signature compared to the Camelot which has a more pronounced lower mid-range. With its advantage of having a more complex driver setup, the Camelot is able to produce higher resolution and quality within the midrange compared to the U12t."

Full review here: https://headfonics.com/nostalgia-audio-camelot-review/

Unfortunately Skullar wrote here " Camelot is kinda just really bland. But its not doing anything bad either.
Not a technical wonder though."

So now I'm wondering if Noble Kublai Khan will be better.

Imo KK has a more refined signature, while Camelot has decent technicalities at its price point. Bass are similar if not, Mids on KK are smoother, Highs on KK are a tad more extended. Camelot has slightly better techs though (e.g. soundstage)

My 0.2.

 

[HiFlight]

Smooth mids with no bump in the upper mids, strong sub-bass and bass, and clear and sparkling highs. A lot depends on soundstage, separation and resolution.
Almost everyone here wants something similar.
I have the U12t and based on the comparisons (U12t vs Camelot) on Headfonics.com I think the Nostalgia Audio Camelot would be ideal.
I quote:
"The sub-bass on the U12t digs deeper and has more rumble. Both the sub-bass and mid-bass of the U12t are more forward in the overall sound signature.

The mid-bass on the U12t slams harder and is slow to decay which results in it being almost ever present in the sound signature. The mid-bass on the Camelot has less forwardness and quantity but has better control, texture, and quality. It is also punchier, faster, and cleaner.

The most noticeable difference between these two within the midrange is the timbre. The timbre is much warmer with the U12t which tends to give the midrange on the Camelot a more accurate feel to its timbral coloration when comparing the two.

The midrange on the U12t is not as far forward in the overall signature compared to the Camelot which has a more pronounced lower mid-range. With its advantage of having a more complex driver setup, the Camelot is able to produce higher resolution and quality within the midrange compared to the U12t."

Full review here: https://headfonics.com/nostalgia-audio-camelot-review/

Unfortunately Skullar wrote here " Camelot is kinda just really bland. But its not doing anything bad either.
Not a technical wonder though."

So now I'm wondering if Noble Kublai Khan will be better.


But I don't really like the dip from 10kHz up.

Frequencies above 10khz are notoriously difficult to measure accurately. I would not be overly concerned about that graph.

 

[sanjaycr]

I enjoy four IEMs and are permanent rotation.
1. Sony Z1R
2. QDC Gemini
3. Stax sr003 MK2
4. Etymotics ER4SE.

 

[Skullar]

The first thing I think of when people aggressively dislike the Trifecta is music library. If someone listens to a lot of EDM, or some orchestral music, that requires super fast drivers then the Trifecta is not going to shine there. This is not a big need of my music library which consists of a lot of classic rock, funk, soul, jazz and other music based in acoustic instruments. Failing that it could just be that you need more time with them. Show demos are not the best to get a final word on something and Trifecta is perhaps one of those IEMs (like the Xe6) that people need to wrap their brains around before getting a real sense of it-- especially as both Trifecta and Xe6 can be overwhelming at first for a lot of the same reasons. Alternately it could just be that we don't see the IEM the same way-- there is nobody out there, even among folks who I genuinely agree with, who I don't flatly disagree with from time to time. Trifecta clearly will not be for everyone but there is a healthy community of us who are very experienced in this hobby and who feel the Trifecta is up there with the best-- so I feel very confident that my love of this IEM is not for nothing. I look forward to future thoughts if you ever get more time with it.

This is the only real explanation that makes sense to me. Any track i have tried just did not work with Trifecta.
The only thing that does not go with that theory is that i find it lacking in technicalities at that price. But then i will not dwell on it too much as i did not spend too much time with it. Some iems just need time to get used and appreciate. Also the usual suspects like source synergies etc. must have a big impact.