[KuroKitsu]

Ah we're back on track with actual discussion.

Curious if you revisited the DMagic again or was the inital smoothness too off putting for you Michael.

Any chance that you'll be trying the MEST as well? I think you might like it.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Ah we're back on track with actual discussion.

Curious if you revisited the DMagic again or was the inital smoothness too off putting for you Michael.

Any chance that you'll be trying the MEST as well? I think you might like it.

Yup we’re back on track!

The DMagic was a tour demo, and it didn’t impress me enough to warrant a purchase - I got my A12t for a little more than what the DMagic would cost me so in comparison it doesn’t really make sense - quite excited to receive it, I know you’re a big fan

The MEST - I’d love to try it, and the bone conduction has me especially curious but I’m not sure where I’ll get to demo that

 

[KuroKitsu]

Yup we’re back on track!

The DMagic was a tour demo, and it didn’t impress me enough to warrant a purchase - I got my A12t for a little more than what the DMagic would cost me so in comparison it doesn’t really make sense - quite excited to receive it, I know you’re a big fan

The MEST - I’d love to try it, and the bone conduction has me especially curious but I’m not sure where I’ll get to demo that

Ah gotcha.

For me the DMagic with the interchangeable terminations ala Dunu and the aesthetic wood shells were the primary reasons. Well the triple DD setup did too. But I can see why it wouldn't piqued the interest of DD fans.

Hope you enjoy the A12t, word seems to be that it's darker than the uni. Might get it down the road when employment becomes a thing again. Either way, I'm sure it'll sound excellent, regardless of whether it matches your prefs. 12t shill awayyyyyyyyyy!

Forgot where you were based, MEST might be a bit difficult to locate. If you ever end up in Toronto, mine will most likely be still here to try.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Ah gotcha.

For me the DMagic with the interchangeable terminations ala Dunu and the aesthetic wood shells were the primary reasons. Well the triple DD setup did too. But I can see why it wouldn't piqued the interest of DD fans.

Hope you enjoy the A12t, word seems to be that it's darker than the uni. Might get it down the road when employment becomes a thing again. Either way, I'm sure it'll sound excellent, regardless of whether it matches your prefs. 12t shill awayyyyyyyyyy!

Forgot where you were based, MEST might be a bit difficult to locate. If you ever end up in Toronto, mine will most likely be still here to try.

The 12t shill is real haha that IEM collects so much unanimous praise I simply had to get one - I tried the U12t briefly but consider just how bad 64 unis fit me it’s hard to really get a feel for the sound of the custom

I’m in Europe mostly but Canada has been on my travel list for too long now... I’ve wanted to go skiing there so badly, but with COVID that’s become a bit tricky - I’ll certainly hit you up when I visit though!

 

[arijitroy2]

Just when i sold my U12T, everyone is getting a new pair! Talk about a real FOMO now!

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

Just when i sold my U12T, everyone is getting a new pair! Talk about a real FOMO now!

and I've sold them too...
U12t are great inears, just a little polite for me in the upper mids

 

[proedros]

and I've sold them too...
U12t are great inears, just a little polite for me in the upper mids

how is Odin next to your Zeus ?

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

how is Odin next to your Zeus ?

my Zeus is not a Zeus anymore with the retuned BA, so hard to say.

Odin does sound a bit like U12t. There is definetly similarities to my ears.

 

[arijitroy2]

and I've sold them too...
U12t are great inears, just a little polite for me in the upper mids

Same for me!!

 

[mvvRAZ]

and I've sold them too...
U12t are great inears, just a little polite for me in the upper mids

Sounds like something I’ll really enjoy - these days I can’t really deal with overloaded upper mids, it makes so much of the modern music sound terrible

 

[arijitroy2]

Well finally managed to get my hands on the Hiby R8, hopefully should be getting it next week end or the other week! Finally can't wait to replace the DX220 in terms of the slowwwwwwwww OS performance!

 

[SLC1966]

I haven't heard either yet, which is also part of the reason I kept postponing. I am looking for fairly neutral/natural headphones that will work well with classical music because that is what I listen to most. But really I just need to demo a few so I can best decide which fits my preferences. Hence the annoyance at not having stores closer by. Ideally I would like to work out the entire setup of headphones, DAC and amp so that it all complements each other. That seems to be the biggest challenge with desktop gear.

I think a used ZMF Atticus (open back) or Eikon (closed) will give you what you are looking for. And looking at them is also a joy! But I am an unabashed ZMF fanboy! The used prices of those two are not bad since they are not as hot since the Verite came out. The Atticus or Eikon does classical really well IMHO.

 

[Wyville]

I think a used ZMF Atticus (open back) or Eikon (closed) will give you what you are looking for. And looking at them is also a joy! But I am an unabashed ZMF fanboy! The used prices of those two are not bad since they are not as hot since the Verite came out. The Atticus or Eikon does classical really well IMHO.

I thought the Atticus was also closed back, or did you mean the Auteur? I really enjoyed reading your Atticus and Eikon review, although by the end I just wanted both. I really like ZMF too. Even though they look quite big, they are just so pretty.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Sony IER M9 - mini review and impressions

If you ever tried purchasing one of these in the EU you'll know it's next to impossible to dig one up - they're an elusive little son of a *****, so when I got the opportunity to trade my Ara that I wasn't using much anyways for one, I immediately jumped on it (it was pretty crap value for a trade but hey, you live and you learn)

Before we even begin, this is easily one of the more boring reviews I'll ever write - I almost hate the M9 for how solid and un-criticisable it is to the point where it makes the sub-1000$ segment practically useless to play in. It's just outstanding in how solid and consistent it is while also being pleasing to listen to - if you're looking for something natural, with good technical ability and a great FR, that is also very comfortable - easily recommended

The IER M9 has a neutral natural tonality, with a slight subbass boost, which ends up being quite crucial within the signature as a whole. My only complaint about the bass would be that the midbass feels quite fast, snappy and punchy, while the subbass has a more drawn out, slower presentation, which ends up being just slightly off when a track has both - it's an extremely minor qualm though, and for the most part it would be completely unnoticeable so I wouldn't really worry about that. It has decent texture for a BA without being anything groundbreaking - once again, just solid and all around good

The midrange of the IER M9 is somewhat reference-y, slightly dry and quite linear. It has really good body and downright great texture (it absolutely obliterates something like the Solaris 2020 or the QDC DMagic in that respect). I really like that they didn't scoop out the lower mids the way they did on the IER Z1R (even though that's an IEM that I love as well), but instead present it with a more balanced and even tonality. The upper midrange, being one of the most divisive topics of 2020, is in line with the rest of the signature, and is presented in a natural and realistic manner.

The dryness in the midrange isn't overly apparent, so if you aren't coming from something like a custom Elysium, it is barely noticeable. The Andromeda 2020 has a colder midrange overall, but punchier bass, and more present treble, giving off a very slightly V or U shaped presentation.

The treble of the M9... man - if there's one thing that Sony can REALLY do, it is treble. The IER Z1R has the most soberingly awesome treble extension and control I've heard to date, and even though it does sound a bit harsh and unpleasant at times, the raw quality on it is something that left me stunned time and time again. The IER M9 follows in that it does has a certain level of dryness to the treble, but deviates in that it is at no point harsh or unpleasant to listen to. It is insanely well extended as well, giving excellent sense of air and space within the signature as a whole. I'm a big fan, and it shows

The good news is that the M9 is also fairly technical - it is no soundstage monster in that it has pretty average width, but pretty good height and depth. I've stated before I love width above all else, but it is not a dealbreaker in this case. It also has very good detail retrieval and decent instrumental separation - all in all though, especially considering its price point, it's an extremely respectable option that is comfortably more technical than a lot of the more mediocre TOTL offerings.

I think the real magic of the IER M9 is in that it really makes no mistakes - would I like a somewhat larger stage? Sure. A bit more instrumental separation? Yes please. A slightly more unique tonality? Always - realistically though, even the things that I don't absolutely love about it are not ones I can criticise whatsoever - it is just so goddamn solid all around that I can't help but praise it.

For the big question - is it a giant slayer? I wouldn't really say so, because the best stuff in the TOTL bracket tend to still have the upper hand - is it a mid-fi slayer? Yeah absolutely. The only other options around its price point I could think about recommending are the Andromeda 2020, and possibly like a used or heavily discounted Noble Katana

 

[normie610]

Sony IER M9 - mini review and impressions

If you ever tried purchasing one of these in the EU you'll know it's next to impossible to dig one up - they're an elusive little son of a *****, so when I got the opportunity to trade my Ara that I wasn't using much anyways for one, I immediately jumped on it (it was pretty crap value for a trade but hey, you live and you learn)

Before we even begin, this is easily one of the more boring reviews I'll ever write - I almost hate the M9 for how solid and un-criticisable it is to the point where it makes the sub-1000$ segment practically useless to play in. It's just outstanding in how solid and consistent it is while also being pleasing to listen to - if you're looking for something natural, with good technical ability and a great FR, that is also very comfortable - easily recommended

The IER M9 has a neutral natural tonality, with a slight subbass boost, which ends up being quite crucial within the signature as a whole. My only complaint about the bass would be that the midbass feels quite fast, snappy and punchy, while the subbass has a more drawn out, slower presentation, which ends up being just slightly off when a track has both - it's an extremely minor qualm though, and for the most part it would be completely unnoticeable so I wouldn't really worry about that. It has decent texture for a BA without being anything groundbreaking - once again, just solid and all around good

The midrange of the IER M9 is somewhat reference-y, slightly dry and quite linear. It has really good body and downright great texture (it absolutely obliterates something like the Solaris 2020 or the QDC DMagic in that respect). I really like that they didn't scoop out the lower mids the way they did on the IER Z1R (even though that's an IEM that I love as well), but instead present it with a more balanced and even tonality. The upper midrange, being one of the most divisive topics of 2020, is in line with the rest of the signature, and is presented in a natural and realistic manner.

The dryness in the midrange isn't overly apparent, so if you aren't coming from something like a custom Elysium, it is barely noticeable. The Andromeda 2020 has a colder midrange overall, but punchier bass, and more present treble, giving off a very slightly V or U shaped presentation.

The treble of the M9... man - if there's one thing that Sony can REALLY do, it is treble. The IER Z1R has the most soberingly awesome treble extension and control I've heard to date, and even though it does sound a bit harsh and unpleasant at times, the raw quality on it is something that left me stunned time and time again. The IER M9 follows in that it does has a certain level of dryness to the treble, but deviates in that it is at no point harsh or unpleasant to listen to. It is insanely well extended as well, giving excellent sense of air and space within the signature as a whole. I'm a big fan, and it shows

The good news is that the M9 is also fairly technical - it is no soundstage monster in that it has pretty average width, but pretty good height and depth. I've stated before I love width above all else, but it is not a dealbreaker in this case. It also has very good detail retrieval and decent instrumental separation - all in all though, especially considering its price point, it's an extremely respectable option that is comfortably more technical than a lot of the more mediocre TOTL offerings.

I think the real magic of the IER M9 is in that it really makes no mistakes - would I like a somewhat larger stage? Sure. A bit more instrumental separation? Yes please. A slightly more unique tonality? Always - realistically though, even the things that I don't absolutely love about it are not ones I can criticise whatsoever - it is just so goddamn solid all around that I can't help but praise it.

For the big question - is it a giant slayer? I wouldn't really say so, because the best stuff in the TOTL bracket tend to still have the upper hand - is it a mid-fi slayer? Yeah absolutely. The only other options around its price point I could think about recommending are the Andromeda 2020, and possibly like a used or heavily discounted Noble Katana

Yeah it’s a solid little s.o.b Too bad I’ve just sold it to a colleague of mine who‘s just making his way into head-fi world and couldn’t sleep after hearing the M9. Loaned it to him for more than a month and he begged me to sell it to him (with a heavily discounted price). So I thought yeah, why not help a head-fier-to-be once in a while?

i believe the construction of M9 with magnesium housing and tubeless BAs plays a role in how it sounds. And one of the BA drivers used is the same as the one found in Z1R (or similar perhaps).