[arijitroy2]

@arijitroy2 @8481 have either of you boys received the R8 yet? Would love some impressions

Na i think mine is coming end of next week. I bought the LTE one, so it's taking a while!

 

[jwbrent]

Na i think mine is coming end of next week. I bought the LTE one, so it's taking a while!

It would be interesting to learn whether the stainless steel chassis sounds better/different than the aluminum version.

 

[arijitroy2]

It would be interesting to learn whether the stainless steel chassis sounds better/different than the aluminum version.

Only if I had both I will give my impressions ofcourse but not sure how to distinguish between the two!

But luckily, i know LUNA pairs really well with R8, so that for me is good enough to keep R8, plus i stream most of my music, althought i have a quite a big collection of music offline but Tidal/Qobuz is so much more convenient!

 

[mvvRAZ]

Only if I had both I will give my impressions ofcourse but not sure how to distinguish between the two!

But luckily, i know LUNA pairs really well with R8, so that for me is good enough to keep R8, plus i stream most of my music, althought i have a quite a big collection of music offline but Tidal/Qobuz is so much more convenient!

I'll wait for your and @8481 impressions before jumping on one though for once I don't have to go in completely blind

 

[aaf evo]

I sold my R8 already, less than 24 hours after receiving it.

Amazing DAP itself. Falls short in the SQ department for me for being a $1900 DAP.

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

I sold my R8 already, less than 24 hours after receiving it.

Amazing DAP itself. Falls short in the SQ department for me for being a $1900 DAP.

So fully satisfied with your DX220 MAX ?

 

[aaf evo]

So fully satisfied with your DX220 MAX ?

Sound wise? Easily. UI wise the iBasso leaves a lot to be desired. I’m okay with a small downgrade in SQ for a big boost in DAP performance but I felt the R8 was too much of a downgrade SQ wise, which I wasn’t okay with doing. Even if you take the hiss equation out of the R8 I didn’t really think the soundstage expansion was very good and the bass came off as super flat to me, maybe both could be better with burn in but the hiss alone with the erlkonig was enough for me to sell.

At $1900 I expect a quiet noise floor, from memory both the DX160 and Fiio M11 pro had blacker backgrounds and are a fraction of the cost.

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

Sound wise? Easily. UI wise the iBasso leaves a lot to be desired. I’m okay with a small downgrade in SQ for a big boost in DAP performance but I felt the R8 was too much of a downgrade SQ wise, which I wasn’t okay with doing. Even if you take the hiss equation out of the R8 I didn’t really think the soundstage expansion was very good and the bass came off as super flat to me, maybe both could be better with burn in but the hiss alone with the erlkonig was enough for me to sell.

At $1900 I expect a quiet noise floor, from memory both the DX160 and Fiio M11 pro had blacker backgrounds and are a fraction of the cost.

What don't u like in the UI ?
Did you put the Lurker and / or Fidelizer flash ROM and if so did you find an improvement in sound ?

 

[aaf evo]

What don't u like in the UI ?
Did you put the Lurker and / or Fidelizer flash ROM and if so did you find an improvement in sound ?

I don’t really have a problem with the iBasso UI, I find it snappy enough for the use I put it through. But compared to something like the R8 there’s no doubt the iBasso comes off sluggish.

I haven’t bothered flashing any ROMs yet. I really need to as I use Lurker on any iBasso product. I’ve just been lazy.

 

[mvvRAZ]

To start the weekend on a spicy note, let's talk about the Noble Zephyr!

As we're in 2020 and everything must be explicit, let's start with our usual 6-8 disclaimers

Disclaimer 1: as usual, I purchased the Zephyr with my own cash. I got a 5% discount because, um, I just got a Sultan a week ago
Disclaimer 2: I'm evaluating the Zephyr at the universal 1450$ pricetag - while the Prestige comes in at 2300$, that's a purely cosmetic option, and shouldn't really figure in the price. The design and craftsmanship is absolutely stunning though, so Noble delivered there.
Disclaimer 3: the sound signature of the Zephyr doesn't quite match what I enjoy and while I've tried to adjust somewhat for that bias, it is an existing bias nonetheless

Anyhow, if you haven't already dozed off reading all the disclaimers (mind you I took a quick nap between the two because I managed to bore myself to death), let us begin!

To head off the review, I wouldn't personally say the Zephyr is a giant killer of any sort. It's a pretty decent and reasonable option at its 1500$-ish price tag, but it isn't like a groundbreaking IEM that completely changed each and every conception I've had about what value is yadda yadda.

If you've heard the Odin, and liked its signature, but found it was way too emphasised in certain areas (I.e overly represented extremities), I think the Zephyr might actually be a good match for you.

With the Zephyr we will begin with the midrange, as that's sort of the emphasis of the IEM. It has a somewhat forward upper midrange, and to a certain extent the entirety of the signature is built up from that, which results in an actually tasteful and coherent implementation. As with any upper midrange forward IEM, the vocals are pulled quite close to you - not quite as in your face as they are on the Odin, but certainly closer than neutral. Instruments are placed further back in the performance, taking on a sort of supporting role to the vocals.

Realistically I have two issues with forward upper mids - the fact that vocals sound too close to you (which the Zephyr can't really resolve), and the fact that it makes a lot of modern recordings as well as rock, 90s rap etc sound a bit hot, unpleasant and generally speaking odd - the Zephyr does go some of the way by having a generally wetter and warmer midrange, but it's still not quite optimal to me. It makes female vocals sound great at the expense of well, everything else.

I do have to say though, when comparing the Zephyr to the Homunculus, I'd say that they have both the same general concept, but the Zephyr remains the more balanced and tasteful of the two.

The bass of the Zephyr is great - I'd love to see that same bass on another IEM of theirs with a more linear midrange personally - it is warm, impactful, with great depth. It manages to sound pleasant while also being fast enough to sound in line with the rest of the midrange, which is a big thumbs up from me

The treble... I mean it's alright but it's nothing to really drool over. It has a certain lower treble focus, which at times masks the upper treble and I personally don't especially love that, but it does add pretty good clarity to the mix.

Technical ability - I enjoyed that aspect of the Zephyr. It's a bit 2 dimensional, but stretches pretty wide making for an enjoyable and spacious listen. The detail is alright, but to me gets somewhat masked by the upper midrange - I personally find it hard to focus on instruments and the finer nuances with the vocals being this close to me. Separation is alright, but once again gets masked by the upper midrange to me.

All in all, I think the Zephyr is a great IEM if you're looking for something that specifically pulls off female vocals, but also kinda falls short as an all rounder.

Please do note if you are reading this that I've become a little um... allergic to forward upper mids. It seems like half the IEMs in the market are in a way completely relying on just overdoing that frequency region, and in the process sacrificing the IEM's entire ability to be an adequate all rounder. The Zephyr is more balanced in that aspect than both the Odin and the Homunculus, but well, I still can't quite get behind it either.

 

[arijitroy2]

To start the weekend on a spicy note, let's talk about the Noble Zephyr!

As we're in 2020 and everything must be explicit, let's start with our usual 6-8 disclaimers

Disclaimer 1: as usual, I purchased the Zephyr with my own cash. I got a 5% discount because, um, I just got a Sultan a week ago
Disclaimer 2: I'm evaluating the Zephyr at the universal 1450$ pricetag - while the Prestige comes in at 2300$, that's a purely cosmetic option, and shouldn't really figure in the price. The design and craftsmanship is absolutely stunning though, so Noble delivered there.
Disclaimer 3: the sound signature of the Zephyr doesn't quite match what I enjoy and while I've tried to adjust somewhat for that bias, it is an existing bias nonetheless

Anyhow, if you haven't already dozed off reading all the disclaimers (mind you I took a quick nap between the two because I managed to bore myself to death), let us begin!

To head off the review, I wouldn't personally say the Zephyr is a giant killer of any sort. It's a pretty decent and reasonable option at its 1500$-ish price tag, but it isn't like a groundbreaking IEM that completely changed each and every conception I've had about what value is yadda yadda.

If you've heard the Odin, and liked its signature, but found it was way too emphasised in certain areas (I.e overly represented extremities), I think the Zephyr might actually be a good match for you.

With the Zephyr we will begin with the midrange, as that's sort of the emphasis of the IEM. It has a somewhat forward upper midrange, and to a certain extent the entirety of the signature is built up from that, which results in an actually tasteful and coherent implementation. As with any upper midrange forward IEM, the vocals are pulled quite close to you - not quite as in your face as they are on the Odin, but certainly closer than neutral. Instruments are placed further back in the performance, taking on a sort of supporting role to the vocals.

Realistically I have two issues with forward upper mids - the fact that vocals sound too close to you (which the Zephyr can't really resolve), and the fact that it makes a lot of modern recordings as well as rock, 90s rap etc sound a bit hot, unpleasant and generally speaking odd - the Zephyr does go some of the way by having a generally wetter and warmer midrange, but it's still not quite optimal to me. It makes female vocals sound great at the expense of well, everything else.

I do have to say though, when comparing the Zephyr to the Homunculus, I'd say that they have both the same general concept, but the Zephyr remains the more balanced and tasteful of the two.

The bass of the Zephyr is great - I'd love to see that same bass on another IEM of theirs with a more linear midrange personally - it is warm, impactful, with great depth. It manages to sound pleasant while also being fast enough to sound in line with the rest of the midrange, which is a big thumbs up from me

The treble... I mean it's alright but it's nothing to really drool over. It has a certain lower treble focus, which at times masks the upper treble and I personally don't especially love that, but it does add pretty good clarity to the mix.

Technical ability - I enjoyed that aspect of the Zephyr. It's a bit 2 dimensional, but stretches pretty wide making for an enjoyable and spacious listen. The detail is alright, but to me gets somewhat masked by the upper midrange - I personally find it hard to focus on instruments and the finer nuances with the vocals being this close to me. Separation is alright, but once again gets masked by the upper midrange to me.

All in all, I think the Zephyr is a great IEM if you're looking for something that specifically pulls off female vocals, but also kinda falls short as an all rounder.

Please do note if you are reading this that I've become a little um... allergic to forward upper mids. It seems like half the IEMs in the market are in a way completely relying on just overdoing that frequency region, and in the process sacrificing the IEM's entire ability to be an adequate all rounder. The Zephyr is more balanced in that aspect than both the Odin and the Homunculus, but well, I still can't quite get behind it either.

You need to review the UM Mest now! I think the hype around makes it very interesting and given the cost its an interesting product!

 

[Sound Eq]

You need to review the UM Mest now! I think the hype around makes it very interesting and given the cost its an interesting product!

i adore my MEST and its no hype, and believe me if it was I would be among the first to just say it is

 

[mvvRAZ]

You need to review the UM Mest now! I think the hype around makes it very interesting and given the cost its an interesting product!

I’m interested but it would have to be demo I’ve overspent quite severely already, though my sister is happy cause she got so many free toys haha

 

[arijitroy2]

i adore my MEST and its no hype, and believe me if it was I would be among the first to just say it is

I actually meant it in a good way! I'm asking Michael since he has a lot of TOTL and would be a nice comparison and see where it actually stands among them!!

 

[arijitroy2]

I’m interested but it would have to be demo I’ve overspent quite severely already, though my sister is happy cause she got so many free toys haha

Dude what does a brother have to do to get free toys around here!!