[samandhi]

Awesome! I’m happy you like them. Honestly, I think the Bridge missed the hype because of how the shells look. Personally I love them but the design was pretty roundly criticized here upon their launch.

It looks like (from reading some comments on the discovery thread) that HBB was pretty hard on them also? People like him (and Crinacle) with one word can ruin a set's popularity. The masses follow these people like sheep sometimes. As for myself, I have (purposely) bought sets that Crinacle has given a C or D mark, and they have been some of my favorite sets; the OG Tinhifi P1 for example.

It is these reviewers that are much more subjective than objective that I take with a grain of salt when watching/reading their reviews.

Excellent. The Bridge has really flown under the radar. I’ve made it my mission to expose more people to it. The Hook-X kind of suffered a slow start too. Probably because Raptgo doesn’t seem to send out a lot of review copies.

Yeah, I have another TOTL set that this sort of happened with also; the iBasso IT-07. I STILL don't think they are hyped enough, even today. They only got something like 79 pages on their thread. But these should get their own thread for sure. Why don't you start one? I started one for the Tri StarRiver, but it also didn't garner too much fanfare (though admittedly they were just average to my ears). These seem to be on another level for their price entry.

Having said all that, the market is SO flooded with ChiFi these days, it is possible that a true "gem" goes under the radar for a long period of time.

In Surf Monkey we trust

LOL Nice!

I love the shells, they look like tie-fighters.

Now that you mention it, they kind of DO. Though, I have never thought they look bad either way to my eyes. Leastways I never thought them to look near as bad as the 7Hz Dioko (old grandma earings).

 

[Joe-Siow]

Currently running in and listening to my pair of Bridge with the Penon Flow cable. It scales very well to good source and cables

 

[samandhi]

So, I thought I would share with you some quick thoughts about the new Bridge that I now have. I didn't feel like re-writing the whole thing, so I am simply copying and pasting here my comments to @FranQL (I guess I am a bit lazy ).

So, the Bridge are something really special IMHO. They have really deep bass, but not a midbass hump, so if your music doesn't have big bass in it, you will not hear it as much (though the bass is quite boosted when it needs to be). It is not the fastest or most texutured bass I have heard, but there is somethig addicting to it.

The mids are very well done, even though these are a slight V signature, you don't miss anything in this area. I was quite surprised after looking at the graph because they look like they would be "ice pick" levels, but are really not.

The treble is really gorgeous on these. It is similar to the Chaconne in that it IS boosted, but not sibilance levels at all. Rather, it is detailed yet very smooth in it presentation to my ears. There is enough overall warmth for nothing to sound hollow, though the cymbols or second harmonic on some higher pitched tom drums might sound just a tad hot (though they don't hurt my ears even with volume). Where these REALLY shine is in the macro and micro dynamics and details, imaging, staging, and all the technicalities. The dynamics are bordering on Focal levels (which they are known to be an industry leader at, in case you didn't know). While the tuning is good, bordering on great, the technicalities make these shine and so very unique sounding. Layering is just so perfectly obvious even on first listen. This is why I recommended them to you, because I am just not sure you have anything that sounds quite like this. It helps that there is nothing really offensive about the tuning.

 

[samandhi]

To take it one step further, I am using the stock cable (which is actually very nice in its own right). The stock tips are not very good (pretty standard affair), and don't seem to be matched with the shape, length, width, etc... of the monitors. I have settled on the stock OG Timeless (squared) tips, pretty much the same as the DUNU SS tips, for both comfort and seal.

I am running these from my DX300 with the stock amp card, though I would bet these would also sound amazing from the Nutube tube amp card (either of them I would guess). I CAN say that these DO seem to be picky with the quality of music and amplification sent into these. At high gain (on my DAP), and at about 1.2W, I hear absolutely no background noise; though I didn't expect to with the DAP having less than 1Ohm output impedance.

 

[InvisibleInk]

I now have the Bridge in-ears now. Default nozzle and swith settings are good so far. Very airy and detailed. Nice imaging and holographic spacial out of my head presentation.

Nice box and tips. I like the cable. I feel good so far about $100 USD I got them for on sale.

Lots to explore here in terms of possible settings. I’m going to be busy with these guys.

Oh, and they look and feel so much nicer in person. Light and handsome.

 

[samandhi]

I now have the Bridge in-ears now. Default nozzle and swith settings are good so far. Very airy and detailed. Nice imaging and holographic spacial out of my head presentation.

Nice box and tips. I like the cable. I feel good so far about $100 USD I got them for on sale.

Lots to explore here in terms of possible settings. I’m going to be busy with these guys.

Oh, and they look and feel so much nicer in person. Light and handsome.

Congrats on your new shiny!

Please share more once you have listened to them for a week or so?!

I find that the more I listen to these, the more I like them, and I really liked them right out of the box and totally stock. That is saying something in my book.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Congrats on your new shiny!

Please share more once you have listened to them for a week or so?!

I find that the more I listen to these, the more I like them, and I really liked them right out of the box and totally stock. That is saying something in my book.

I had the same experience. They sounded better and better to me as I listened to them over the first couple weeks.

 

[samandhi]

Regarding the Bridge, does anyone know the "real" difference between the filters? The two that are vexing me the most are the "standard" and "equilibrium". To my ears, they sound alike, and I can't hear any differences. Admittedly, it is hard to change them fast enough to get a fair difference though. Also, I am not sure how it is physically possible to simultaneously cut bass and treble, or simply boost vocals using a simple screen/filter where the "vocal booster" filter is concerned.

Update for those interested: I have these running through my tube amp now, and oh boy! They absolutely shine with this combination. These are bright by nature anyhow (though not too much IMO), and the warmth with clarity that the "tube distortion" adds to this is amazing sounding. It doesn't affect the technicalities that I can tell to this point, though I am planning on listening with this combination for a time to get to know the different sound I am getting.

The tube sound really makes them sound a lot more "analog" and less SS. While this can be said for most/all sets, this one takes to it very well, and is a very noticeable sound change to my ears. Having said that, YMMV depending on the amount of "tubieness" that an amp might add. The DX300 with Amp13 card adds quite a bit (especially in the low output power connection, where the high output power connection is more of a hybrid sound intentionally; different opamps).

Edit: OK! So, I have to edit part of this. I misread the "vocal booster" filter. It is "hi frequency" booster. Of course, there is no way to physically boost these frequencies with a screen/filter except to remove it altogether. Having said that, it does indeed boost treble, though I don't know if I would call it boosting the treble; more like promote clarity, because cymbals, and higher frequency sounds aren't more in your face, there has just been a veil lifted from it. Even with a tube amp, I can hear REALLY subtle things that I wasn't hearing otherwise. Example would be Joe Walsh - Dreams, where the tom is being "brushed" very lightly throughout most of the song (except the chorus). I was not actually hearing this before, other than it sounded like SOME noise; I was just not able to decipher what exactly. Excellent!

 

[ktks1]

After going through this thread, I pulled the trigger on the bridge and expecting them in about 3 weeks time..

Are they good to listen to with default tips and cable or needs swapping? Also, can they be run off of 3.5mm via qudelix?

 

[samandhi]

After going through this thread, I pulled the trigger on the bridge and expecting them in about 3 weeks time..

Are they good to listen to with default tips and cable or needs swapping? Also, can they be run off of 3.5mm via qudelix?

Congrats one your new (incoming) shiny!

Yes, no, and yes. I have to admit that I haven't experimented a WHOLE lot with tip rolling and cable rolling, but I have been really impressed with the sound just from the stock gear. Of course YMMV and you may find the need to roll some. As to whether it can be driven from the Qudelix, I will say yes. These don't require a lot to sound their best; though it is a different matter if they synergize well and I can't answer that one...

Do let us know your impressions on them when you have had a chance to listen to them?!

 

[Surf Monkey]

After going through this thread, I pulled the trigger on the bridge and expecting them in about 3 weeks time..

Are they good to listen to with default tips and cable or needs swapping? Also, can they be run off of 3.5mm via qudelix?

The Bridge comes with a nice cable. I swapped mine but the stock one is actually above average for a pack in cable.

As to tips, it’s all down to personal preference. My ears are large enough that most stock tips don’t work for me, so I use either DUNU S&S tips or AZLA SednaEarFit Max tips. As always YMMV.

 

[ktks1]

Thank you @samandhi and @Surf Monkey for the suggestion. Will post my impressions soon.

 

[Tamizhan]

It's a shame that bridge doesn't get it's own page. No reviews either, just a gallery on head fi.

 

[brazy001]

Any comparisons of the bridge vs hook x? It's of a clear upgrade or different beasts

 

[samandhi]

It's a shame that bridge doesn't get it's own page. No reviews either, just a gallery on head fi.

You can make one of your own if you like... I would visit it, though I am not sure that it would take off a this point. For some reason (unknown to me) these have not gotten the hype that they really do deserve.

Any comparisons of the bridge vs hook x? It's of a clear upgrade or different beasts

While they have some similarities, they are almost completely different animals overall. Having said that, I would also not call them an upgrade BECAUSE they are different enough from each other. I would either call them a side grade or a compliment to each other.