RAZ's TOTL review and rambles thread... could it be.... alive?

[arijitroy2]

but we have similar preferences - if you hate it won't I hate it too

Then I'm here to pick up the scraps

 

[mvvRAZ]

Then I'm here to pick up the scraps

The pecking order has been established

 

[chickenmcnug]

Then I'm here to pick up the scraps

The pecking order has been established

It’s okay I’ll just split it in half for you all.

 

[doctorjuggles]

@mvvRAZ So time to pass the Thummim today, it sounds amazing but I just couldn't get the fit right! If i sit in a place, then it stays there, else it's a bit hard for my ears which are small!
My eyes are on Sultan now and hopefully with the Socrates cable paired up, so really keen on your impressions on this combo once you get your hands on them!

Not trying to change your mind here, but I had the same experience. Loved the sound, but the only way I could get a good fit is with the weird silicone sleeves that came with my WF-1000XM3. But after about 45min - 1hr, I'd get a pain in the concha as the edge was digging into it.
However the acrylic custom sleeve 100% solved the issue for me and I'm so glad - still the most engaging IEM I have heard

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. No UAPP no dice (with the only exception being if the native music player has all the features of UAPP I depend on).

That app is an absolute game-changer and the way that guy updates for new gear so promptly is insane. The Sony ZX507 didn't play nicely with it, so it got sold

You mean you're debt free and not buying audio gear like a lunatic?

And you call yourself an audiophile....

Kids these days, eh Raz?

 

[arijitroy2]

Not trying to change your mind here, but I had the same experience. Loved the sound, but the only way I could get a good fit is with the weird silicone sleeves that came with my WF-1000XM3. But after about 45min - 1hr, I'd get a pain in the concha as the edge was digging into it.
However the acrylic custom sleeve 100% solved the issue for me and I'm so glad - still the most engaging IEM I have heard

Definetly it is an engaging IEM, i was using the Symbio W so far, then used the spinfit C100 but didnt fit well at all. Apart from the fit, i had no concerns with the iem at all!

 

[mvvRAZ]

closing Odin thoughts have been updated as I spent an hour or two today with it and Stormbreaker - check them out if you're interested

Regarding burn in - as some of you know I'm not a big believer of driver burn in, and even less so cable burn. I believe that most of what people call burn in is actually "brain burn" where they spent days or weeks adjusting to an IEM that is simply not suitable for them - If I'm going to spend 3400$ on a set of earphones I'd rather simply get something that I actually enjoy and not one that I force myself to listen to until I find pleasant.

 

[gLer]

I think a good track that exemplifies that is K.Flay's High Enough - when she goes "I'm already high enough" the Odin feels like it bursts through my eardrums with the amount of upper midrange quantity.

Firstly thanks for introducing me to a new artist I never knew about. Gonna grab her three studio albums on the back of that one track. And speaking of which, just had a listen with the Nio, and I don't find that chorus line harsh or shouty at all. Which either means I'm much less sensitive to that FR area, or the Nio's mids aren't as energetic or forward as the Odin's (and if Odin's upper mids are more forward than Nio, I'd say they're too forward to be considered reference!). And I was listening at decently high volume to make sure I didn't underplay it.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Firstly thanks for introducing me to a new artist I never knew about. Gonna grab her three studio albums on the back of that one track. And speaking of which, just had a listen with the Nio, and I don't find that chorus line harsh or shouty at all. Which either means I'm much less sensitive to that FR area, or the Nio's mids aren't as energetic or forward as the Odin's (and if Odin's upper mids are more forward than Nio, I'd say they're too forward to be considered reference!). And I was listening at decently high volume to make sure I didn't underplay it.

I haven’t heard the Nio but I did have an N8 demo uni which should be pretty similar. Eminem’s Kamikaze album was too hot on it, but K.Flay did sound great

What I enjoy about Every Where is Some Where is that it sounds good on slightly enhanced upper mids, but sounds really bad once you overdo it, so it catches that threshold very well to my ears

Generally though, if lifted upper mids make a female vocal sound unpleasant that’s big trouble IMHO. The whole point of lifted upper mids is that you get better female vocals at the expense of shouty and weirder lower midrange male vocals.

The Homunculus is an IEM that has a slightly similar tonality to the Odin - I really didn’t like it at its 16-700$ price point, so something with even more upper mids at double the price... pass from me

 

[gLer]

I haven’t heard the Nio but I did have an N8 demo uni which should be pretty similar. Eminem’s Kamikaze album was too hot on it, but K.Flay did sound great

What I enjoy about Every Where is Some Where is that it sounds good on slightly enhanced upper mids, but sounds really bad once you overdo it, so it catches that threshold very well to my ears

Generally though, if lifted upper mids make a female vocal sound unpleasant that’s big trouble IMHO. The whole point of lifted upper mids is that you get better female vocals at the expense of shouty and weirder lower midrange male vocals.

The Homunculus is an IEM that has a slightly similar tonality to the Odin - I really didn’t like it at its 16-700$ price point, so something with even more upper mids at double the price... pass from me

The only reason for lifted mids in general is to help separate the vocals from elevated bass, as in the case with the Nio. I believe Nio has slightly more forward mids than the N8 Demo (according to 64 Audio anyway), done to better articulate the vocals, and it works very well for me. I find the tonality of the Nio's mids very euphonic, which also helps distinguish them from drier, more clinical mids typical of 'reference' IEMs (I like female voices to sound sweet and inviting, shoot me!). Nothing grates me more than shouty, harsh or sibilant vocals - any of that in well-mastered tracks and the IEM is binned. When you're paying this much for an IEM, vocal flaws are unacceptable to me (unless they're recorded that way, in which case you can't really blame the IEM).

 

[mvvRAZ]

The only reason for lifted mids in general is to help separate the vocals from elevated bass, as in the case with the Nio. I believe Nio has slightly more forward mids than the N8 Demo (according to 64 Audio anyway), done to better articulate the vocals, and it works very well for me. I find the tonality of the Nio's mids very euphonic, which also helps distinguish them from drier, more clinical mids typical of 'reference' IEMs (I like female voices to sound sweet and inviting, shoot me!). Nothing grates me more than shouty, harsh or sibilant vocals - any of that in well-mastered tracks and the IEM is binned. When you're paying this much for an IEM, vocal flaws are unacceptable to me (unless they're recorded that way, in which case you can't really blame the IEM).

Lifted upper mids when they’re done right do create that euphonic effect I agree. One of my favourite (maybe the only actually) upper mid-forward IEMs is the Acoustune 1695Ti, which has a really warm, smooth and coherent tone throughout

 

[gLer]

Another quick question while I'm in your thread: do you ever use an IEM vacuum to clean your IEMs? Seriously considering getting one, especially with Xelastec tips managing to eek out any bit of loose skin, dust, hair and wax from my ears with every use. I'm constantly cleaning the tips and picking out debris from the IEM mesh. (And before you say it, yes I do clean my ears too).

 

[mvvRAZ]

Another quick question while I'm in your thread: do you ever use an IEM vacuum to clean your IEMs? Seriously considering getting one, especially with Xelastec tips managing to eek out any bit of loose skin, dust, hair and wax from my ears with every use. I'm constantly cleaning the tips and picking out debris from the IEM mesh. (And before you say it, yes I do clean my ears too).

I clean my ears obsessively (Q tips, I know I should stop), but yes I also have a FiR vacuum. It works especially well with my Elysium and Thummim neither of which has a mesh. For 64 audio IEMs which are covered I don’t think it’s super essential, except for picking up some ultra small particles that you can’t been see yourself

 

[KuroKitsu]

Regarding burn in - as some of you know I'm not a big believer of driver burn in, and even less so cable burn. I believe that most of what people call burn in is actually "brain burn" where they spent days or weeks adjusting to an IEM that is simply not suitable for them - If I'm going to spend 3400$ on a set of earphones I'd rather simply get something that I actually enjoy and not one that I force myself to listen to until I find pleasant.

That seems like being smart. Personally, if I dislike how an iem sounds during a demo, listening over time won't make me like it. Inversely, if I enjoy it immensely I'm bound to discover more things with it.

While there have been certain outliers *cough* looking at you Khan and Valkyrie *cough*. I certainly don't regret what I've spent and what I've got.

Really liked the AMA Michael . Other reviewers are gonna hate you for setting such a high bar (Expect concise clear AMAs to be required for reviewing duties in the future).

 

[mvvRAZ]

That seems like being smart. Personally, if I dislike how an iem sounds during a demo, listening over time won't make me like it. Inversely, if I enjoy it immensely I'm bound to discover more things with it.

While there have been certain outliers *cough* looking at you Khan and Valkyrie *cough*. I certainly don't regret what I've spent and what I've got.

Really liked the AMA Michael . Other reviewers are gonna hate you for setting such a high bar (Expect concise clear AMAs to be required for reviewing duties in the future).

Thanks dude!!!

There’s a few IEMs that really sneak up on you, they charm you at first but then you get to know them, and well...

“Dating is collecting information about someone until you realize you don’t like them”

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

“Dating is collecting information about someone until you realize you don’t like them”

Nice one