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

[mvvRAZ]

Apologies from the break from reviews but I’ll be coming back strong!

Abyss Diana V2 impressions coming along soon as I’ve been figuring out what I’m hearing, and a 1266 Phi that’s arriving tomorrow!

 

[tawmizzzz]

As for the Thummim:

I spoke to Raz a bit already about how much I enjoyed the Thummim. It’s truly one of a kind unique IEM-with my R8 pairing, mids felt slightly recessed but with the insane texture (across all frequencies), smooth but still flashy treble, and layers on layers on layers of bass, it was sad to have to return them back.

I know mood, diet, stress levels, etc. all factor in day-to-day or even hour-to-hour listening enjoyment. I’ve had a few “eureka” moments in my audio journey where I’m like “holy ****, this really sound amazing” (e.g., Megadeth’s Tornado of Souls on the CA Atlas when I was first starting my journey), but none beats what I experienced with the Thummim and Zenith-Original Mix by Dannic (particularly the build up from 1:30 thru the bass drop at 1:47, and then onwards). The combo of the midbass and subbass texture with the flying higher frequencies rushing left to right + background sparkle honestly made me like I was at the club drinking pure serotonin. Didn’t even need to finish my cup of coffee for work after that jolt of natural energy.

I tried replicating that enjoyment with my Legend X and as amazing as LX is for EDM, it did fall slightly short with the smaller staging and more laid back treble. The texture of the bass also fell lightly short. Of course there were several other songs and genres that the Thummim really shined for, but that was one instance that really resonated with me.

I also noticed that they scaled the most compared to Ely/LX/Odin/18s…they sounded very mediocre (i.e., congested, overly thick) out of my DX160 (which usually is never the case) and significantly better with the R8. Would have loved to try another source to see if those mids would become more of a W sig than V.

Nonetheless, if you get an opportunity to demo them, I would agree with most folks here-definitely worth the experience.

 

[mvvRAZ]

As for the Thummim:

I spoke to Raz a bit already about how much I enjoyed the Thummim. It’s truly one of a kind unique IEM-with my R8 pairing, mids felt slightly recessed but with the insane texture (across all frequencies), smooth but still flashy treble, and layers on layers on layers of bass, it was sad to have to return them back.

I know mood, diet, stress levels, etc. all factor in day-to-day or even hour-to-hour listening enjoyment. I’ve had a few “eureka” moments in my audio journey where I’m like “holy ****, this really sound amazing” (e.g., Megadeth’s Tornado of Souls on the CA Atlas when I was first starting my journey), but none beats what I experienced with the Thummim and Zenith-Original Mix by Dannic (particularly the build up from 1:30 thru the bass drop at 1:47, and then onwards). The combo of the midbass and subbass texture with the flying higher frequencies rushing left to right + background sparkle honestly made me like I was at the club drinking pure serotonin. Didn’t even need to finish my cup of coffee for work after that jolt of natural energy.

I tried replicating that enjoyment with my Legend X and as amazing as LX is for EDM, it did fall slightly short with the smaller staging and more laid back treble. The texture of the bass also fell lightly short. Of course there were several other songs and genres that the Thummim really shined for, but that was one instance that really resonated with me.

I also noticed that they scaled the most compared to Ely/LX/Odin/18s…they sounded very mediocre (i.e., congested, overly thick) out of my DX160 (which usually is never the case) and significantly better with the R8. Would have loved to try another source to see if those mids would become more of a W sig than V.

Nonetheless, if you get an opportunity to demo them, I would agree with most folks here-definitely worth the experience.

Big agree here as everyone knows

The Thummim paired with the Hugo 2 is quite possibly the best IEM setup I’ve experienced to date

 

[Damz87]

Thummim scaled up incredibly well for me too. Going from WM1Z, to DX220 MAX, to DMP-Z1 is like listening to 3 completely different IEM’s.

Although to be fair, I think the WM1Z is a particularly bad pair up for Thum. There’s just way too much warmth, to the point that it sounds quite muddy. It sounds much much better on the other two.

 

[toaster]

The combo of the midbass and subbass texture with the flying higher frequencies rushing left to right + background sparkle honestly made me like I was at the club drinking pure serotonin. Didn’t even need to finish my cup of coffee for work after that jolt of natural energy.

Hah...love that description!

Have you heard the erlky as well? Curious how'd you compare it to the thum.

I'm awaiting a demo of the thum, and thinking erlky/thum would make a truly ultra-totl pair.

The Thummim paired with the Hugo 2 is quite possibly the best IEM setup I’ve experienced to date.

My H2 is naked...waiting for that THUMMM goodness...

 

[tawmizzzz]

Hah...love that description!

Have you heard the erlky as well? Curious how'd you compare it to the thum.

I'm awaiting a demo of the thum, and thinking erlky/thum would make a truly ultra-totl pair.



My H2 is naked...waiting for that THUMMM goodness...

Never got to experience the Erlky but have only heard (mostly) amazing things.
I’d imagine it’s a more balanced, laid-back listen compared to the craziness of Thummim. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re amazing complements!

 

[toaster]

Never got to experience the Erlky but have only heard (mostly) amazing things.
I’d imagine it’s a more balanced, laid-back listen compared to the craziness of Thummim. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re amazing complements!

yes...erlky is truly incredible, indeed. hopefully you'll have the chance to hear it sometime.

and yes again, that's exactly what the erlky experience is; balanced and effortlessly detailed with massive headroom. perhaps calling the erlky "laid back" isn't quite accurate, as it is massively engaging and musical. however, in comparison to the exaggerated and hyped-up tuning of the thummim (based on what i've gathered from conversations with friends who own or have heard the thum,) i think the erlky/thum combo would be phenomenal.

 

[Craftsman1511]

I see many mentions of various UIEM TOTLs here, Im actually currently tempting myself with these 3 IEMs :

1) Thummim (Based on the many great reviews but the company itself is kind of new and a little bit of enigma)
2) Erlkonig (It's VE and it screams luxury)
3) Noble Sultan (Incredible design aesthetics and they've been having a good track record)

Im leaning just a little more towards Thummim but im worried about the fit and if they are releasing anything better soon..?

Would appreciate you guy's opinion on this.

 

[mvvRAZ]

I see many mentions of various UIEM TOTLs here, Im actually currently tempting myself with these 3 IEMs :

1) Thummim (Based on the many great reviews but the company itself is kind of new and a little bit of enigma)
2) Erlkonig (It's VE and it screams luxury)
3) Noble Sultan (Incredible design aesthetics and they've been having a good track record)

Im leaning just a little more towards Thummim but im worried about the fit and if they are releasing anything better soon..?

Would appreciate you guy's opinion on this.

MMR is owned by Joseph Mou (owner of Jomo), so while the MMR company is new, the team behind it has been in the industry longer than most others. As to the fit, from the tour we ran we only had one person that had some issues with it - almost all the others found them decently comfortable.

The Erl is luxury all around - super refined sound, really clean presentation, loads of options etc etc (I'm not a huge fan personally as I found them a little boring but that's just me) - they have a massive fanbase, and rightfully so.

Noble Sultan is great as well, can't go wrong there either. It's somewhere between the Erl and the Thummim in terms of presentation and tonality

 

[toaster]

I see many mentions of various UIEM TOTLs here, Im actually currently tempting myself with these 3 IEMs :

1) Thummim (Based on the many great reviews but the company itself is kind of new and a little bit of enigma)
2) Erlkonig (It's VE and it screams luxury)
3) Noble Sultan (Incredible design aesthetics and they've been having a good track record)

Im leaning just a little more towards Thummim but im worried about the fit and if they are releasing anything better soon..?

Would appreciate you guy's opinion on this.

What kind of sound are you looking for - what specific sound characteristics are most important to you (lots of bass, extended treble, massive soundstage...etc.)

What music do you listen to?

The Erl is luxury all around - super refined sound, really clean presentation, loads of options etc etc (I'm not a huge fan personally as I found them a little boring but that's just me) - they have a massive fanbase, and rightfully so.

Raz and i are buds off head-fi, but calling the erlky "boring" counts as fighting words : ) Seriously though, in an effort to help you with your decision, i think it's important to clarify two things:

1) The erlky has an extremely balanced sound, with a relatively equal representation of all frequencies. For me, this is one of the characteristics that i look for when choosing an iem/headphone. That said, of course there are 4 different tunings that are easily accessible to you with the erlky. I generally switch between two of them myself, and these two tunings are easily as good as owning 2 separate iems, (for reference, the differences in sound on the erlky are far greater than say, when you swap apex modules on a 64a iem.) Each of the two settings I use have their own incredible tunings. My favorites are setting 1, which is a true bass monster, but with absolutely zero bass bleed and an uber-refined sound. Setting 2 tones down the bass a bit and is also ultra-refined, but is supremely balanced and still retains a truly powerful sound. Setting 2 on the erlky is my favorite tuning i've heard on an iem to date.

2) Raz and I have spoken extensively about the importance of knowing our sound preferences, and how that greatly shapes the kind of sound we all find personally pleasing. If your preference is for an "exaggerated sound," (with extreme highs, crazy huge sound-stage, and overall accentuated details,) I'd say the Thummim may work better for you than the erlky. I have not yet heard the thum myself, but I believe that it has a somehwat exaggerated tuning. In fact, this is precisely why I'm considering adding it as a partner iem to the erlky - I would love something that sounds "crazy" to complement the "natural realism" of the erlky.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to call the erlky "boring," but in this context of one specifically seeking a "crazy and extreme" tuning, I suppose I can see it. For somone considering purchasing the erlky, but unable to hear it first, "boring" may be a bit misleading (imho,) and I think it may be a confusing adjective to compute with all of the other descriptions out there about the erlky's sound.

I would say that the erlky has an extremely natural, realistic, and emotional sound; treble is the best i've heard to date (along with the bass, mids, organization of the soundstage, and overall level of detail.) But, the erlky doesn't have much exaggeration in its sound (except the bass on setting 1,) nor does it have an ethereal sound or any extreme sparkle in its treble; it sounds very natural, with amazing musicality and emotion.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea about the erlky, and how it is tuned vs something that's more "exaggerated," as I believe the Thum is (though again, I have yet to hear the thum myself.)

I doubt you can go wrong with any of the three iems you mentioned.

This is Raz's thread afterall, so I'll happily give him the last word. : )

 

[mvvRAZ]

What kind of sound are you looking for - what specific sound characteristics are most important to you (lots of bass, extended treble, massive soundstage...etc.)

What music do you listen to?


Raz and i are buds off head-fi, but calling the erlky "boring" counts as fighting words : ) Seriously though, in an effort to help you with your decision, i think it's important to clarify two things:

1) The erlky has an extremely balanced sound, with a relatively equal representation of all frequencies. For me, this is one of the characteristics that i look for when choosing an iem/headphone. That said, of course there are 4 different tunings that are easily accessible to you with the erlky. I generally switch between two of them myself, and these two tunings are easily as good as owning 2 separate iems, (for reference, the differences in sound on the erlky are far greater than say, when you swap apex modules on a 64a iem.) Each of the two settings I use have their own incredible tunings. My favorites are setting 1, which is a true bass monster, but with absolutely zero bass bleed and an uber-refined sound. Setting 2 tones down the bass a bit and is also ultra-refined, but is supremely balanced and still retains a truly powerful sound. Setting 2 on the erlky is my favorite tuning i've heard on an iem to date.

2) Raz and I have spoken extensively about the importance of knowing our sound preferences, and how that greatly shapes the kind of sound we all find personally pleasing. If your preference is for an "exaggerated sound," (with extreme highs, crazy huge sound-stage, and overall accentuated details,) I'd say the Thummim may work better for you than the erlky. I have not yet heard the thum myself, but I believe that it has a somehwat exaggerated tuning. In fact, this is precisely why I'm considering adding it as a partner iem to the erlky - I would love something that sounds "crazy" to complement the "natural realism" of the erlky.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to call the erlky "boring," but in this context of one specifically seeking a "crazy and extreme" tuning, I suppose I can see it. For somone considering purchasing the erlky, but unable to hear it first, "boring" may be a bit misleading (imho,) and I think it may be a confusing adjective to compute with all of the other descriptions out there about the erlky's sound.

I would say that the erlky has an extremely natural, realistic, and emotional sound; treble is the best i've heard to date (along with the bass, mids, organization of the soundstage, and overall level of detail.) But, the erlky doesn't have much exaggeration in its sound (except the bass on setting 1,) nor does it have an ethereal sound or any extreme sparkle in its treble; it sounds very natural, with amazing musicality and emotion.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea about the erlky, and how it is tuned vs something that's more "exaggerated," as I believe the Thum is (though again, I have yet to hear the thum myself.)

I doubt you can go wrong with any of the three iems you mentioned.

This is Raz's thread afterall, so I'll happy to give him the last word. : )

Toaster and I will never agree on the Erl it's all cool though, we got nothin' but love for each other

It depends on how you approach the hobby. The Erl has pretty ordinary tuning, with ordinary treble extension, and an ordinary soundstage size, but they've all been taken to an extreme in the sheer quality of each one. Like everything about the Erl's sound and build just oozes luxury

The way I see it however, if I were to spend over 3500$ on an IEM, I want it to deliver something that is absolutely unique and unheard of before, whereas the Erl focuses on a very technical, yet regular and natural presentation. I can't not recommend the Erl, but to me personally as an end user (the whole reviewer biz aside), I couldn't help but get bored after a number of listening sessions back when I owned it.

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

I do understand what both @mvvRAZ and @toaster say on Erlk.
For me, it's a safe tunning pushed to the max that can be done. Nothing shines at first listen but this is just because everything is natural High Level. When you listen more carefully, it's a true masterpiece.
A great inear for someone liking natural and safe sound.

 

[toaster]

The way I see it however, if I were to spend over 3500$ on an IEM, I want it to deliver something that is absolutely unique and unheard of before...

If the thum gives me something I've never heard before I think I'll really like it.

Toaster and I will never agree on the Erl it's all cool though, we got nothin' but love for each other

 

[Wyville]

I do understand what both @mvvRAZ and @toaster say on Erlk.
For me, it's a safe tunning pushed to the max that can be done. Nothing shines at first listen but this is just because everything is natural High Level. When you listen more carefully, it's a true masterpiece.
A great inear for someone liking natural and safe sound.

It is such a shame I never got to hear the Erlkönig. I feel the Thummim offer something truly unique, but because I mainly listen to classical music I think the Erlkönig would be a more realistic "end-game" (for what it's worth) contender. Of course they would need to beat the Dream XLS for classical and that would be no mean feat.

 

[toaster]

I listen extensively to classical music.

The strengths of the erlky make it a phenomenal piece for the genre.

The A18t was great, but over time, i realized its accuracy of timbre was severly lacking; it was tough to tell the difference between clarinets and oboes, or violins and violas.

The erlky's accuracy of timbre is startlingly good. It also has the blackest background, the most detail, and the most well-organized stage i've heard. And it has so much headroom along with powerful, tight, and textured bass, which makes bass plucks or timpani hits extremely engaging and controlled.

The above strengths make the erlky a treat for classical or orchestral music, and easily the best i've heard.

My expectation is that the thum will not beat the erlky for classical music, due to its extremely strong dynamic bass, however, i can see the thum being a real treat for things like electronic or pop music. (of course, the erlky sounds phenomenal with those as well...it is a true all-arounder for sure.)

have not heard the xls myself, so unfortunately i can't give you a direct comparison.