[bluestorm1992]

EQ can absolutely improve clarity.

Then it will be a fun exercise to try to EQ a mid-tier DAP and see how it can approach a top-tier DAP from the same brand, like to EQ R6 towards R8.

Edit: to enhance the exercise, perhaps we can use an IEM that can certainly be driven by both R6 and R8 by looking at the output specs, such that the concern of power is taken out of the discussion.

 

[mungster]

I tried to eq my iPhone via neutron music player. Still sound like crap.

 

[mungster]

You need a good source like p6 pro and C9 to amplify the sweetness of the R2R dac signal for HP'S use and harder to drive iems and you will be in heaven with nine beautiful women fanning you as you're sipping a margarita.

 

[mungster]

If you can deal with the p6 pro quirks and occasional UI sloppiness, this POS sounds amazing.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Then it will be a fun exercise to try to EQ a mid-tier DAP and see how it can approach a top-tier DAP from the same brand, like to EQ R6 towards R8.

Edit: to enhance the exercise, perhaps we can use an IEM that can certainly be driven by both R6 and R8 by looking at the output specs, such that the concern of power is taken out of the discussion.

My current quest is to understand both what pairings of products produce the best sound and why. Then, predict how you can improve sound with various combinations. Right now, I am terrible at it. I feel like I am throwing darts at a dart board when predicting the outcome of various combinations and I am wrong way more than I am right.

 

[bluestorm1992]

My current quest is to understand both what pairings of products produce the best sound and why. Then, predict how you can improve sound with various combinations. Right now, I am terrible at it. I feel like I am throwing darts at a dart board when predicting the outcome of various combinations and I am wrong way more than I am right.

I end up just doing lots of demos and auditions these days. I can read about all the reviews and impressions, but it is my ears to finally tell if I like it and whether it fits into my system.

I think what reviews and impressions help me is to filter out some gears that are absolutely not a great fit for me. When searching for new gears, I always start with functionality. The major reason I bought C9 was I wanted to experience tube sound. I have my eyes on WA8 for a long time but worried that it was a bit outdated, so I was very excited when C9 launched. The purchase was an impulse, but fortunately it went well.

My purchase for Verite Closed is similar. I need a closed back to stop my wife from yelling at me for the music volume from the Diana. VC is among the best closed back in the market, so I thought I wouldn’t go wrong with it.

The question for IEMs is much more subtle. I thought I would like the Elysium a lot as I almost solely listen to vocals, but it turns out to be the opposite. Fortunately, it was just an audition.

 

[mvvRAZ]

This whole discussion has me thinking. What is actually most responsible for delivering the best sound quality we experience? The conventional wisdom is that everything in the sound chain affects sound, but some more than others. The IEM/Headphone has the greatest impact, then the Amp, and so on. But, how much of that is simply because the various pairings make slight adjustments to the Frequency Response curve to make it perfect to our taste? Clearly, there are technical attributes of an IEM or headphone that uniquely impact sound outside of FR like timbre or sound stage. Tubes add distortion that is pleasant to the ear that don't change FR much. So this begs the question, if you can make perfect EQ adjustments to tune an IEM or headphone to your specific preference curve, what in the sound chain produces the remaining elements of sound quality we experience? Is it possible to make a $1200 DAP sound better than a $3000 DAP with EQ? What does the C9 actually do to the sound to improve it that EQ or pure power can't fix?

As a slight spinoff of this discussion, FR is generally heavily underestimated in reviews. Not in the sense that people don’t discuss whether a FR is well executed or not, but how personal preferences affects our evaluation of certain IEMs

It’s way easier to experience the technical ability, staging yadda yadda of an IEM that you just enjoy the crap out of than it is to evaluate those same things in an IEM that just doesn’t work for your preferences or music

in that sense, can a 1000$ DAP sound better than a 3000$? Absolutely. The SP2000 is to date the only DAP that has managed to get my elysium to sibilance with some tracks, and I generally find its tuning to be quite unpleasant - I’d take pretty much any warm-ish 1000$ DAP over an SP2000 and not because they’re flat out better, but because the “EQ” that the DAP acts as fits me way better

the P6 Pro, at close to 4000$ will get some terrible reviews sooner or later imo. Its upper mids are the most recessed I’ve heard on any DAP so far, it literally places everything in front of the vocals when given the opportunity - I’m certain a large part of the community will feel like that’s a terrible execution for a DAP - for me personally, sign me TF up

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

As a slight spinoff of this discussion, FR is generally heavily underestimated in reviews. Not in the sense that people don’t discuss whether a FR is well executed or not, but how personal preferences affects our evaluation of certain IEMs

It’s way easier to experience the technical ability, staging yadda yadda of an IEM that you just enjoy the crap out of than it is to evaluate those same things in an IEM that just doesn’t work for your preferences or music

in that sense, can a 1000$ DAP sound better than a 3000$? Absolutely. The SP2000 is to date the only DAP that has managed to get my elysium to sibilance with some tracks, and I generally find its tuning to be quite unpleasant - I’d take pretty much any warm-ish 1000$ DAP over an SP2000 and not because they’re flat out better, but because the “EQ” that the DAP acts as fits me way better

the P6 Pro, at close to 4000$ will get some terrible reviews sooner or later imo. Its upper mids are the most recessed I’ve heard on any DAP so far, it literally places everything in front of the vocals when given the opportunity - I’m certain a large part of the community will feel like that’s a terrible execution for a DAP - for me personally, sign me TF up

I completely agree. This just happened to me this week. I reported what I heard and some people must have thought I was out of my mind. This week, I picked up a pair of Sony ier-z1rs. I did my normal thing which is to try it out with multiple tips and all of my sources. I reported to the ier-z1r thread that my preferred pairing was with my Chord Mojo and not my Chord Hugo 2. I tried to explain why I think it's the case. First, my comment was the out of the box experience. In other words, with no EQ. What I explained is that the z1r has a v-shaped frequency response curve which really negatively impacts the mids for vocals. And, the Hugo 2 with its detail and resolution just reinforced vigorously a FR curve that I don't like. The Mojo is warm, so it acted like an impedance adapter and lifted the mids and tamed the 6k peak balancing out the FR curve and elevating the bass which is its most attractive feature. So, for good quality recordings with lots of bass like modern Pop music, the Mojo sounds sublime. Then, when I EQ the Z1R with my Hugo 2, it definitely outperforms the Mojo due to its superior technical attributes. So, I am well aware that FR curve really is the most important determinant of sound quality. I'd like to get a C9 to see if I can isolate why it makes IEMs sound good. Is it adjusting the FR curve, it is adding some intangible qualities due to its specific electronics or is it just pure power filling out the sound. This is the key question that my own insatiable curiosity needs answered and is the source of my audio addiction.

 

[RTodd]

I completely agree. This just happened to me this week. I reported what I heard and some people must have thought I was out of my mind. This week, I picked up a pair of Sony ier-z1rs. I did my normal thing which is to try it out with multiple tips and all of my sources. I reported to the ier-z1r thread that my preferred pairing was with my Chord Mojo and not my Chord Hugo 2. I tried to explain why I think it's the case. First, my comment was the out of the box experience. In other words, with no EQ. What I explained is that the z1r has a v-shaped frequency response curve which really negatively impacts the mids for vocals. And, the Hugo 2 with its detail and resolution just reinforced vigorously a FR curve that I don't like. The Mojo is warm, so it acted like an impedance adapter and lifted the mids and tamed the 6k peak balancing out the FR curve and elevating the bass which is its most attractive feature. So, for good quality recordings with lots of bass like modern Pop music, the Mojo sounds sublime. Then, when I EQ the Z1R with my Hugo 2, it definitely outperforms the Mojo due to its superior technical attributes. So, I am well aware that FR curve really is the most important determinant of sound quality. I'd like to get a C9 to see if I can isolate why it makes IEMs sound good. Is it adjusting the FR curve, it is adding some intangible qualities due to its specific electronics or is it just pure power filling out the sound. This is the key question that my own insatiable curiosity needs answered and is the source of my audio addiction.

Expecting the C9 would add color, depth, and clarity due to increased head room and lower interference from the physical separation from the DAC processing. Not thinking any of that translates to changes in Frequency or what you can do with EQ type db adjustments.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Expecting the C9 would add color, depth, and clarity due to increased head room and lower interference from the physical separation from the DAC processing. Not thinking any of that translates to changes in Frequency or what you can do with EQ type db adjustments.

I am not sure I agree completely with your statement. If what you say is true, then if we measure the frequency response curve before and after adding the C9, then it would measure the same. I don't think that is true. At least some of what the C9 is doing when you say "coloring" is altering the FR curve. I think there are certain attributes that don't show up in measurements such as timbre and sound stage. @Resolve mentioned in one of his latest tube amp reviews that the distortion added to sound from a tube amp doesn't all show up in the FR curve.

I do think that there are sound improvements due to increased head room, I just don't know what it is exactly. I think some, but not all, of it can be addressed with EQ.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Oriolus Traillii - The Summit-Fi IEM

The Oriolus Traillii is the most expensive, and yet the absolute best IEM I have ever tried. I feel comfortable calling it the Summit-fi in the IEM world. If you do not completely agree with me in its sound, at least you will agree with me for its price - it retails for a shocking $6000. In this impression, I will try to use my own experience with the Traillii to explain what makes it stand out among all the TOTL IEMs. Whether it is worth the price tag? I hope my review can help you draw your own conclusion.

Disclaimer

This unit is sent to me by @MusicTeck in exchange for my honest opinion.

Packaging and Accessories

The packaging of the Traillii is among the simplest I have ever seen. You get a Van Nuys protective case, a bag of ear tips, a twin-tube double sleeve (in red) to keep the earpieces separated in travel, and the Traillii itself. I was not impressed by its packaging at all, as I was clearly expecting more for an ultra-high-end IEM. However, after using it for a couple of days, I find that these accessories are exactly all I need. The case is large enough to comfortably put the Traillii inside it (my Eletech leather case is in fact not big enough). The case looks and feels very durable and low-profile - perfect for traveling with such an expensive item. The red double sleeve is also very useful in keeping the Trailli protected on the way.

The Build of the IEM and Cable

Traillii is a gorgeous IEM. It has a darker red faceplate (just like the little bird Traillii) and a transparent shell on the other side that allows you to clearly see all the units inside and the internal wires. The Traillii is also very comfortable to have on. It is slightly bigger than my 64 Audio U18t, but smaller than UM MEST. I also don't need to push the Traillii all the way in to get a good seal - it just comfortably sits in my ears and delivers a nice fit. I use the AZLA SednaEarfitLight as recommended by some other Traillii users, but the stock tips work just fine.

The cable is a collaborative one with PW Audio - a custom-made one from PW 1960 4-wired terminated in 4.4mm. The cable is soft, durable, and aesthetically paring very well with the earpieces. Tuning-wise, Oriouls says the cable is specially tuned to optimize its synergy with the Traillii. I did not bother to do cable swapping as I feel that they two work really work together.

General Sound Analysis

The source I have been using the Traillii with is Cayin N6ii (A02) + C9 in tube mode (class A). The sound signature of this source is relatively warm and smooth. I also have an LP P6 Pro coming in a couple of days and will be able to add a quick section to discuss the pairing afterward. 80% of my listening is done with vocals, with the others being some rock and classical music (orchestra).

Traillii is the most balanced and natural IEM I have listened to. When listening to it, you feel the smooth flow of music delivering to you. The bass is tight and fast. The mid is smooth with great textures. The treble has a nice extension. I rarely hear sharpness in any part of the music, and the details and clarity of the music are always there. The soundstage is the highlight of Traillii as it is expansive and well-organized. It surely gives me the feeling of listening to my headphones. Because of its excellent balance in sound, the Traillii is a very non-fatiguing IEM and I can easily enjoy my music with it for hours and hours.

If I want to better explain what "balanced" means for the Traillii, it is that none of the bass, mids, or treble is too forward; nor are they too recessed. And, this is accompanied by an expansive sound stage. From reading this, you may say "Sure! Isn't this what all the (good) IEMs do?" However, this is not the case based on my experience with several TOTL IEMs. For each of the IEM I have experienced, there are always parts of the music that the IEM emphasizes. I tend not to cheat this as deficiencies. Instead, I think these emphases are what give the IEM a characteristic that appeals to a certain group of customers. Just to give a quick example, to me the Sony IER Z1R excels in its expansive sound stage, clarity of the music, and outstanding treble. These characteristics are what keep me engaged when listening to this IEM and drive what I choose to listen to with this IEM. Meanwhile, some of these characteristics come with tradeoffs. Again for the IER-Z1R, some people have found its finds to be a bit recessed, and this is what makes me move away from it eventually.

For the Traillii, I don't find it to put a particular emphasis on any part of the music. However, it is able to deliver different aspects of the music really well and keep me engaged throughout. The soundstage and layering of the music are excellent as I get to enjoy the depth of the music. It is overall a very 3D listening experience with a balanced, natural tuning that I have not experienced in any other IEMs.

Selected Comparisons

I am able to compare the Traillii side-by-side with my two most-used IEMs: 64 Audio U18t and UM Mest. I also had a short demo of the VE Elysium and had some interesting comparison results.

Traillii and U18t (with Eletech Socrates)

Both are quite neutral with respect to the sound. The details and imaging are on the same level. There are two major differences: (1) U18t is a more imtimate, or some may say more "engaging" IEM, than the Traillii. The vocals from U18t are noticiably closer to you. This could be very enjoyable when you want to dance with the music, so I like it very much with fast songs. The vocals in Traillii, on the other hand, is further away but without being recessed, so it is more enjoyable for long listening sessions. (2) The soundstage is also better for the Traillii. I can more clearly recognize what is happening in the background, and those information does not distract me away from the vocals I listen to.

Traillii and UM MEST (with Eletech Iliad)

I find both of them to have a similar size in sound stage. The position of vocals are also similar. The biggest difference between them is the smootheness in sound. N6ii + C9 already helps the MEST to smooth out most of its edges, but the the smoothes and rich textures in the sound from Traillii are at the next level, making the vocals truly enjoyable. The details and imaging are also better with the Traiill.

Traillii and VE Elysium

I find the mids and vocals between them to share lots of similarities. The textures and richness in sound are all there and are the best I have ever listened to. However, as has been mentioned by many users, the Ely is a very mid-focused IEM. Threfore, when compared to Traillii, I do not get as much from other parts of the music. The Ely somewhat strike me as being a not-so-balanced IEM while the Traillii is able to maintain and deliver all the aspects of the music in addition to its intoxicated mids. Overall, if you are a big fan of mid-focused IEMs, you are going to enjoy both of them immersely.

Source Comparison

To be added after I receive the P6 Pro.


Verdict

Listening to and writing the review of Traillii reminds me of how a reviewer (Josh) describes the TOTL headphone HiFiMan Susvara. The Susvara is able to achieve at least 90% of the very best in the market for every dimension it is evaluated at. However, if you narrow down to a specific angle, you could find a "winner" that slightly outperforms the Susvara in that specific region, such as HD800s's advantage in soundstage. What makes Susvara a truly summit-fi headphone is that it is able to pack all of these excellency into one headphone and delivers it to the user. I find this description applies to the Traillii in the IEM world as well.

Would the Traillii be a good fit for your need? I think it really depneds on your "habit" in collecting and using IEMs. For some of the users, we would like to have a collection of IEMs and we can enjoy the diversity form these IEMs with different characteristics. For some others, they primarily use 1 IEM to listen to all kinds of music, and it is for this group of listeners that I think the Traillii could be a good fit, especially if you are into vocals like I am. In my own experience, if I can only own one IEM, then Traillii is the one.

 

[bluestorm1992]

This is my first review of an IEM, so all feedback is greatly appreciated! I hope to improve my ability in reviewing IEMs over time.

 

[aaf evo]

Oriolus Traillii - The Summit-Fi IEM

The Oriolus Traillii is the most expensive, and yet the absolute best IEM I have ever tried. I feel comfortable calling it the Summit-fi in the IEM world. If you do not completely agree with me in its sound, at least you will agree with me for its price - it retails for a shocking $6000. In this impression, I will try to use my own experience with the Traillii to explain what makes it stand out among all the TOTL IEMs. Whether it is worth the price tag? I hope my review can help you draw your own conclusion.

Disclaimer

This unit is sent to me by @MusicTeck in exchange for my honest opinion.

Packaging and Accessories

The packaging of the Traillii is among the simplest I have ever seen. You get a Van Nuys protective case, a bag of ear tips, a twin-tube double sleeve (in red) to keep the earpieces separated in travel, and the Traillii itself. I was not impressed by its packaging at all, as I was clearly expecting more for an ultra-high-end IEM. However, after using it for a couple of days, I find that these accessories are exactly all I need. The case is large enough to comfortably put the Traillii inside it (my Eletech leather case is in fact not big enough). The case looks and feels very durable and low-profile - perfect for traveling with such an expensive item. The red double sleeve is also very useful in keeping the Trailli protected on the way.

The Build of the IEM and Cable

Traillii is a gorgeous IEM. It has a darker red faceplate (just like the little bird Traillii) and a transparent shell on the other side that allows you to clearly see all the units inside and the internal wires. The Traillii is also very comfortable to have on. It is slightly bigger than my 64 Audio U18t, but smaller than UM MEST. I also don't need to push the Traillii all the way in to get a good seal - it just comfortably sits in my ears and delivers a nice fit. I use the AZLA SednaEarfitLight as recommended by some other Traillii users, but the stock tips work just fine.



The cable is a collaborative one with PW Audio - a custom-made one from PW 1960 4-wired terminated in 4.4mm. The cable is soft, durable, and aesthetically paring very well with the earpieces. Tuning-wise, Oriouls says the cable is specially tuned to optimize its synergy with the Traillii. I did not bother to do cable swapping as I feel that they two work really work together.



General Sound Analysis

The source I have been using the Traillii with is Cayin N6ii (A02) + C9 in tube mode (class A). The sound signature of this source is relatively warm and smooth. I also have an LP P6 Pro coming in a couple of days and will be able to add a quick section to discuss the pairing afterward. 80% of my listening is done with vocals, with the others being some rock and classical music (orchestra).



Traillii is the most balanced and natural IEM I have listened to. When listening to it, you feel the smooth flow of music delivering to you. The bass is tight and fast. The mid is smooth with great textures. The treble has a nice extension. I rarely hear sharpness in any part of the music, and the details and clarity of the music are always there. The soundstage is the highlight of Traillii as it is expansive and well-organized. It surely gives me the feeling of listening to my headphones. Because of its excellent balance in sound, the Traillii is a very non-fatiguing IEM and I can easily enjoy my music with it for hours and hours.

If I want to better explain what "balanced" means for the Traillii, it is that none of the bass, mids, or treble is too forward; nor are they too recessed. And, this is accompanied by an expansive sound stage. From reading this, you may say "Sure! Isn't this what all the (good) IEMs do?" However, this is not the case based on my experience with several TOTL IEMs. For each of the IEM I have experienced, there are always parts of the music that the IEM emphasizes. I tend not to cheat this as deficiencies. Instead, I think these emphases are what give the IEM a characteristic that appeals to a certain group of customers. Just to give a quick example, to me the Sony IER Z1R excels in its expansive sound stage, clarity of the music, and outstanding treble. These characteristics are what keep me engaged when listening to this IEM and drive what I choose to listen to with this IEM. Meanwhile, some of these characteristics come with tradeoffs. Again for the IER-Z1R, some people have found its finds to be a bit recessed, and this is what makes me move away from it eventually.

For the Traillii, I don't find it to put a particular emphasis on any part of the music. However, it is able to deliver different aspects of the music really well and keep me engaged throughout. The soundstage and layering of the music are excellent as I get to enjoy the depth of the music. It is overall a very 3D listening experience with a balanced, natural tuning that I have not experienced in any other IEMs.

Selected Comparisons

I am able to compare the Traillii side-by-side with my two most-used IEMs: 64 Audio U18t and UM Mest. I also had a short demo of the VE Elysium and had some interesting comparison results.

Traillii and U18t (with Eletech Socrates)

Both are quite neutral with respect to the sound. The details and imaging are on the same level. There are two major differences: (1) U18t is a more imtimate, or some may say more "engaging" IEM, than the Traillii. The vocals from U18t are noticiably closer to you. This could be very enjoyable when you want to dance with the music, so I like it very much with fast songs. The vocals in Traillii, on the other hand, is further away but without being recessed, so it is more enjoyable for long listening sessions. (2) The soundstage is also better for the Traillii. I can more clearly recognize what is happening in the background, and those information does not distract me away from the vocals I listen to.

Traillii and UM MEST (with Eletech Iliad)

I find both of them to have a similar size in sound stage. The position of vocals are also similar. The biggest difference between them is the smootheness in sound. N6ii + C9 already helps the MEST to smooth out most of its edges, but the the smoothes and rich textures in the sound from Traillii are at the next level, making the vocals truly enjoyable. The details and imaging are also better with the Traiill.

Traillii and VE Elysium

I find the mids and vocals between them to share lots of similarities. The textures and richness in sound are all there and are the best I have ever listened to. However, as has been mentioned by many users, the Ely is a very mid-focused IEM. Threfore, when compared to Traillii, I do not get as much from other parts of the music. The Ely somewhat strike me as being a not-so-balanced IEM while the Traillii is able to maintain and deliver all the aspects of the music in addition to its intoxicated mids. Overall, if you are a big fan of mid-focused IEMs, you are going to enjoy both of them immersely.

Source Comparison

To be added after I receive the P6 Pro.


Verdict

Listening to and writing the review of Traillii reminds me of how a reviewer (Josh) describes the TOTL headphone HiFiMan Susvara. The Susvara is able to achieve at least 90% of the very best in the market for every dimension it is evaluated at. However, if you narrow down to a specific angle, you could find a "winner" that slightly outperforms the Susvara in that specific region, such as HD800s's advantage in soundstage. What makes Susvara a truly summit-fi headphone is that it is able to pack all of these excellency into one headphone and delivers it to the user. I find this description applies to the Traillii in the IEM world as well.

Would the Traillii be a good fit for your need? I think it really depneds on your "habit" in collecting and using IEMs. For some of the users, we would like to have a collection of IEMs and we can enjoy the diversity form these IEMs with different characteristics. For some others, they primarily use 1 IEM to listen to all kinds of music, and it is for this group of listeners that I think the Traillii could be a good fit, especially if you are into vocals like I am. In my own experience, if I can only own one IEM, then Traillii is the one.

Great impressions, the Traillii is a marvel. I’ve had mine for about 2 months now and I am still wow’d by them.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

This is my first review of an IEM, so all feedback is greatly appreciated! I hope to improve my ability in reviewing IEMs over time.

Can I have your autograph? I want to sell it some day and buy myself an Oriolus Traillii with the proceeds.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Can I have your autograph? I want to sell it some day and buy myself an Oriolus Traillii with the proceeds.

You are too kind! I hope my review helps, or at least is a pleasure to read.