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

[ctop]

i am really struggling in which cable to buy for my iems, bought few cables and the silver cable from a company i will not mention it stiffened and is turning black, it really sucks that i pay for an after market cable, and then after few months it becomes stiff and turns green or black, also it really sucks not knowing which cables are a good match as where i live i can not audition cables at all, also i do not want to spend over 500 usd for a cable unless its really a cable that will offer something notice in improvement, if i can buy it used it will be better

i need 2.5 mm balanced cable, that adds body to the mids of course not at expense of bass or making and iem splashy in the highs, so i am all after tonality, body and texture of sound, not looking to tame bass, mids or highs or getting a cable that is analytical

-solaris 2020
-noble khan
-noble sultan--- soon to be purchased
- campfire ara
- jhaudio lola

if anyone has a good advice please help

I think PW Audio 1960s 2W or Eletech Socrates will be suited to your requirements

 

[Sound Eq]

I think PW Audio 1960s 2W or Eletech Socrates will be suited to your requirements

this made me a bit hesitant about Socrates

" The treble is something I am a bit conflicted about. With some monitors, like the Zeus XIV or JH Layla, it has a tendency to sound sharp and hot. It pushes the lower treble regions a bit over the edge of comfort for me. Especially with Zeus XIV it was cymbal crashes that came across as hard edged and even aggressive at times. If you are using another, less bright, monitor you should be in the clear. For example with the Empire Ears Odin you get a clean and clear treble with Socrates. It does push highs a bit further up, but doesn’t overstep the boundaries of comfort for me.

https://www.headfonia.com/eletech-socrates-review/2/

 

[Wyville]

i am really struggling in which cable to buy for my iems, bought few cables and the silver cable from a company i will not mention it stiffened and is turning black, it really sucks that i pay for an after market cable, and then after few months it becomes stiff and turns green or black, also it really sucks not knowing which cables are a good match as where i live i can not audition cables at all, also i do not want to spend over 500 usd for a cable unless its really a cable that will offer something notice in improvement, if i can buy it used it will be better

i need 2.5 mm balanced cable, that adds body to the mids of course not at expense of bass or making and iem splashy in the highs, so i am all after tonality, body and texture of sound, not looking to tame bass, mids or highs or getting a cable that is analytical

-solaris 2020
-noble khan
-noble sultan--- soon to be purchased
- campfire ara
- jhaudio lola

if anyone has a good advice please help

Perhaps the DITA Oslo cable will be a good solution. I have only tried it briefly with the Ara (will do a proper pair-up for my Ara review), but it seemed like an excellent pairing. The Oslo added a little bit of warmth to give the Ara a more natural sound with better texture and it extended the stage. Great advantage is that it comes with the changeable plug, so termination is never an issue.

 

[ctop]

this made me a bit hesitant about Socrates

" The treble is something I am a bit conflicted about. With some monitors, like the Zeus XIV or JH Layla, it has a tendency to sound sharp and hot. It pushes the lower treble regions a bit over the edge of comfort for me. Especially with Zeus XIV it was cymbal crashes that came across as hard edged and even aggressive at times. If you are using another, less bright, monitor you should be in the clear. For example with the Empire Ears Odin you get a clean and clear treble with Socrates. It does push highs a bit further up, but doesn’t overstep the boundaries of comfort for me.

https://www.headfonia.com/eletech-socrates-review/2/

I think thats where synergy with a particular iem comes in as I'm having good results with U18t... even on M15 module. Socrates has slightly tamed the highs from what I experienced.

 

[mvvRAZ]

I think thats where synergy with a particular iem comes in as I'm having good results with U18t... even on M15 module. Socrates has slightly tamed the highs from what I experienced.

Similar experience here, I found it to have quite a dark tonality

 

[tawmizzzz]

this made me a bit hesitant about Socrates

" The treble is something I am a bit conflicted about. With some monitors, like the Zeus XIV or JH Layla, it has a tendency to sound sharp and hot. It pushes the lower treble regions a bit over the edge of comfort for me. Especially with Zeus XIV it was cymbal crashes that came across as hard edged and even aggressive at times. If you are using another, less bright, monitor you should be in the clear. For example with the Empire Ears Odin you get a clean and clear treble with Socrates. It does push highs a bit further up, but doesn’t overstep the boundaries of comfort for me.

https://www.headfonia.com/eletech-socrates-review/2/

same here as others have reported-Socrates tames the treble for my IEMs. Seems to work best with brighter IEMs like the Ely rather than dark ones like LX.

 

[mvvRAZ]

A little audio porn while some reviews are cooking! Next up will probably be the Noble Sultan’s full review

 

[MeggaMortY]

A little audio porn while some reviews are cooking! Next up will probably be the Noble Sultan’s full review

Did you have a chance to listen them some more? If yes, how are you liking the a12t after having them for some days now?

 

[KuroKitsu]

@mvvRAZ The only kind of porn audiophiles need. Those faceplates go well with the new logo.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Did you have a chance to listen them some more? If yes, how are you liking the a12t after having them for some days now?

I fully stand by my opinion that the A12t is the single best sub-2000$ IEM I’ve heard. Warm, a little dark, really pleasant with well extended treble and DD-like bass, as well as some of the most tonally correct FR I’ve heard to date

When I’m at home I generally go for the A18S paired with the Iliad as it is a slightly better A12t to my ears but the A12t has become a sort of no brainer IEM that I use on walks, hikes runs etc etc and it never disappoints

 

[KuroKitsu]

...the A12t has become a sort of no brainer IEM that I use on walks, hikes runs etc etc and it never disappoints

Agree 120% with this. Earlier in our lockdown, I just took my u12t and M11 Pro and disappeared into the woods for an hour. It's very good for those scanerios.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Agree 120% with this. Earlier in our lockdown, I just took my u12t and M11 Pro and disappeared into the woods for an hour. It's very good for those scanerios.

it's not the most "original" sounding IEM in the sense that it has absolutely 0 quirks and weirdness about it, so if you want a session where you're listening to the IEM more so than the headphone itself it wouldn't really be my go-to. All my other stuff are much more unique and have some more defining characteristics, which would either be positives or negatives depending on your preference

The A12t and A18s are my easiest recommendations though, it seems to be difficult to really go wrong with them

 

[KuroKitsu]

it's not the most "original" sounding IEM in the sense that it has absolutely 0 quirks and weirdness about it, so if you want a session where you're listening to the IEM more so than the headphone itself it wouldn't really be my go-to. All my other stuff are much more unique and have some more defining characteristics, which would either be positives or negatives depending on your preference

The A12t and A18s are my easiest recommendations though, it seems to be difficult to really go wrong with them

Yup, it really depends on what you're looking for. For me it suits my preference to a T. I'm not too big in going for specialist territory and prefer 2 or 3 all rounders at the most in my arsenal.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Yup, it really depends on what you're looking for. For me it suits my preference to a T. I'm not too big in going for specialist territory and prefer 2 or 3 all rounders at the most in my arsenal.

I've also resorted to having everything I own be able to play anything I want to listen to. I fully appreciate that some IEMs are better suited for certain genres, but I just don't really want to spend several grand on a setup and have to pick and choose what I listen to with it

 

[ctop]

I fully stand by my opinion that the A12t is the single best sub-2000$ IEM I’ve heard. Warm, a little dark, really pleasant with well extended treble and DD-like bass, as well as some of the most tonally correct FR I’ve heard to date

When I’m at home I generally go for the A18S paired with the Iliad as it is a slightly better A12t to my ears but the A12t has become a sort of no brainer IEM that I use on walks, hikes runs etc etc and it never disappoints

The U12t to me is the closest to a "jack of all trades" among the 64 audio line up...you will be hard pressed to find a song that will make it sound bad.