[Layman1]

Some thoughts about the ranking...

I’m actually considering having each ranking chart only be valid for a specific year - the current one for example would be 2019/2020, next year’s will be 2021 etc etc

Several reasons why that might be a good idea:

- it means I only rank things that I’ve heard in that year. Comparing next year’s IEMs to things that I haven’t heard in over 2-3 years will be increasingly unreliable and it’ll only get worse with the years

- accounts for tech getting better with time - I was looking at the chart the other day, and some of the differences in sound quality are becoming quite big within the same tier. For the most part that is happening as a result of new releases that provide either exceptional performance, or exceptional value

- reflects my current preferences and standards as opposed to what I thought was good or what I enjoyed some time ago. Over time I’ve become way more critical of IEMs, and I’m sure that if I re-listened some of the stuff I heard at the canjam in 2019 I’d give them much lower ranks.

- more consistency when it comes to DAPs used. I generally tend to use a DAP for long periods of time, so if the ranking only covers a given year, it’s most likely that everything will have been listened to with the same DAP

Any thoughts? I’d love some counter arguments, as the idea sounds pretty good in my head

I think reviewing involves a fair degree of self-reflection and tweaking of approach as time goes by.
I think all of these are excellent suggestions

The only thing that occurs to me is that I think there are probably IEM's that are capable of achieving top 10 status for excellence and/or value, for more than a year at a time.
Look how long Tia Fourte, Phantom and Legend X have been popular and garnering critical acclaim.
On the other hand, I objectively agree that separating out by year seems a more fair 'apples for apples' comparison process.

Perhaps you could have a separate 'Hall of Fame' category, where ALL currently competitive IEMs can be ranked against each other on an equal basis, regardless of age?
If you wanted to get really technical, you could assign a points multiplying modifier where older IEMs that are still competing at the highest levels get bonus points lol

 

[mvvRAZ]

I think reviewing involves a fair degree of self-reflection and tweaking of approach as time goes by.
I think all of these are excellent suggestions

The only thing that occurs to me is that I think there are probably IEM's that are capable of achieving top 10 status for excellence and/or value, for more than a year at a time.
Look how long Tia Fourte, Phantom and Legend X have been popular and garnering critical acclaim.
On the other hand, I objectively agree that separating out by year seems a more fair 'apples for apples' comparison process.

Perhaps you could have a separate 'Hall of Fame' category, where ALL currently competitive IEMs can be ranked against each other on an equal basis, regardless of age?
If you wanted to get really technical, you could assign a points multiplying modifier where older IEMs that are still competing at the highest levels get bonus points lol

Hahaha that actually sounds pretty lit - have like a weighting algorithm which scales with age I generally speaking want to keep it somewhat more subjective though, as I have been doing currently - the ranking reflects how I feel about the product as a whole, including build quality, etc etc

To be fair if the Fourte still performs at the highest level now, I’d still rank it as an S tier, regardless of age - I would however wait before assigning it a grade until I’ve heard it in the current year.

I’d probably wait until it’s definitive that trade shows are coming back next year or else the ranking will have to consist of some 15 IEMs that I bought in a given year

 

[Layman1]

Hahaha that actually sounds pretty lit - have like a weighting algorithm which scales with age I generally speaking want to keep it somewhat more subjective though, as I have been doing currently - the ranking reflects how I feel about the product as a whole, including build quality, etc etc

To be fair if the Fourte still performs at the highest level now, I’d still rank it as an S tier, regardless of age - I would however wait before assigning it a grade until I’ve heard it in the current year.

I’d probably wait until it’s definitive that trade shows are coming back next year or else the ranking will have to consist of some 15 IEMs that I bought in a given year

Speaking of which, are you planning to try MEST any time soon? (or have you done so already? I lost track, haha).

I mention this purely because I know you talked about it previously, but now I've had the chance to demo MEST with Iliad, and for me, it was a game-changer.
And I'm aware you've got an Iliad or two knocking around, so I'd be interested to hear what you think of that combo

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

DAPs... yeah they make a very big difference - the closest I can come to “adjusting” for that is the LPGT - dead neutral and powerful enough to drive any IEM. Realistically that doesn’t do justice to IEMs that are designed to be driver by a warmer or brighter source, but it’s also a sort of Jack of all trades solution

The re-listening part - yeah that’s the main concern but with trade shows coming back hopefully it should be pretty doable

Which trade shows do you like to attend? Everything on the West Coast of USA is pretty much cancelled for the foreseeable future.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Speaking of which, are you planning to try MEST any time soon? (or have you done so already? I lost track, haha).

I mention this purely because I know you talked about it previously, but now I've had the chance to demo MEST with Iliad, and for me, it was a game-changer.
And I'm aware you've got an Iliad or two knocking around, so I'd be interested to hear what you think of that combo

Unfortunately haven’t gotten the chance to yet! I’ve heard mostly positive things about it, the signature isn’t something I normally go for though, so I’d definitely demo before purchasing. I’ve got a few friends who own one so I’ll be able to give it a go at some point!

Which trade shows do you like to attend? Everything on the West Coast of USA is pretty much cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Last year I went to the High End Munich and Canjam London. This year I was supposed to go to a few other EU shows as well but alas, no luck :/

 

[buonassi]

Custom Art does them but I'm not a big fan of how they make the IEMs stick out in your ears

https://www.adv-sound.com/products/eartune-fidelity-custom-fit-eartips - I've been really curious about these but haven't gotten any yet

If you already don't like how custom art custom tips will make your iem stick out of your ears, the advanced tips are not going to be any better and may actually be worse since they are a full concha fit vs just a canal fit for the custom art.

Mashuto hit the nail here. I have adv eartune fidelity custom tips and they do fill most of the concha. Also, the iems sat further out of the ear and the volume of air between the nozzle end of the iems and the eardrum seems to be considerably more than standard fit with silicone tips. This shifts the resonance further lower. Ie from 7-8k to 4.5-5k in my case with the rai penta (now sold).

Plus the other thing folks may not realize is that the iems will still 'spin' and shift despite keeping a seal. I quickly found myself wanting to revert back to standard fit with silicone or even foam tips. Insertion and removal was also more challenging because they're silicone customs and more tacky against the skin. Sometimes I would attempt to remove them and only the earphone itself would become detached while keeping the tip in my ear.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Interesting new product: Dita x Final Audio. Limited edition of 500 pairs globally. Launching in early 2021.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Abyss 1266 Total Consciousness - when the name checks out

Around two months ago I got the 1266 Phi CC, and I loved that - it had a pretty synthetic sound all around (and I do enjoy that personally), with insane detail, pretty large but very well defined staging. There were two issues with it really - for one, the unit I got was second hand and at an amazing price, but in a pretty well worn condition, and me being the looks-obsessed-audiophile that I am, it bugged me. The second is the existence of a newer and better model, that being the 1266TC, so the FOMO was kicking in pretty hard.

@Abyss Headphones also offer customization, which pretty much goes as far as your imagination and wallet does - a custom color adds 1000$ to the bill (which is where I stopped), but you can get custom grills, materials, leathers and well... pretty much anything. It is very pricey and I'd say only really worth it if you are 1) certain that they are for you and 2) pretty nutty about looks as I am

Fitting the 1266TC has become almost a meme in the audiophile community - I happen to have a pretty big head, so the 1266 fits me well, but I certainly can't get that effect where they "sit" on top of your head, barely clamping on your ears. I'm not sure if that would have a significant impact on the sound, but I've come across a few others owners who wear it the same way I do, so take it as you will

The build quality of the 1266 is nothing short of phenomenal, and I absolutely love the industrial look and vibe that they have - I love the MMR Thummim for the same reason, the full metal look just resonates with me, and has made me an instant, tryhard fanboy of both brands. Luckily in both cases the sound that they produce matches the nutty, industrial, hardcore look of the headphones.

On sound, I'd actually say the 1266 TC is more of a blend between the Diana Phi and the 1266 Phi CC as opposed to a direct upgrade of the latter. I can definitely see myself owning one of these as well, as there was something appealing about just how industrial and artificial they sounded - listening to hard rock on them was an unparalleled experience.

The bass on the 1266 TC remains to me the best bass any open back has produced (or at least from the ones I've heard). It has quantity, it has impact, depth, texture and that oh-so-satisfying decay. The Diana Phi approaches it in a way, but the 1266 comes in with more quantity and more quality. To my ears it comes across as bass you can hear as opposed to that bass that open backs tend to produce that you "feel." It might have to do with the housing - they isolate a little better than other open backs I've heard, so maybe Abyss has found a way for higher pressure build-up.

The midrange on the 1266 is a blend of the Diana Phi and the 1266 Phi CC - the Phi CC was especially cold and sharp in how it presented vocals, while the Diana Phi has taken a bit more from the V2's warmth in that region. The 1266TC remains quite cold and uninviting in the midrange, offering technical performance above all else - the clarity, detail and texture are nothing short of incredible - each sound and instrument is rendered with obscene precision, to the point where it's giving you the option to single it out and listen to nothing but that.

That of course comes at the expense of a more natural and realistic sound - the 1266TC is a headphone that wants to be heard in that it adds a fair bit of its own personality to the track. It isn't a transducer that disappears to allow you to just enjoy the music, it requires a certain "total consciousness" of the fact that it is there reproducing the sound.

In terms of vocal presence, I'd say it places vocals on the same plain as instruments, maybe even slightly further back.

The treble on the 1266TC follows suit - the level of precision and sobriety that it exhibits is incredible, allowing you to hear every nuance - the upper treble is quite overloaded, which hits the sweetspot for me, but would definitely hit on some people's sensitivities. The speed of the treble is quite remarkable, in many ways reminding me of the Sony IER Z1R - something to marvel at really, and Abyss have placed it quite forward in terms of raw quantity, so you do need to want treble to enjoy these, and quite a bit of it too.

In terms of technical ability, the first second and third thing that needs to be addressed is the level of detail that these produce - you can hear, and I kid you not, anything. No IEM I've ever listened to has been able to produce this much detail, and IEMs are generally speaking my reference point for overloaded detail. When I was first listening to them I couldn't even focus on the music because of the sheer amount of stuff that was happening. I'd absolutely recommend that you listen to these at least once in a lifetime for the amount of detail if nothing else.

The staging of the 1266TC follows in the footsteps of the two Diana's in a way - you can clearly here where its boundaries lie, and everything occupies an extremely specific place within the space they create - the height is nothing short of incredible, and the width is good, but because of said boundaries, it might come across as somewhat narrower than something like the HD800. It is my preferred kind of staging for headphones tbh, as I really can't deal with that borderless presentation.

Instrumental separation is just as exaggerated on the TC as umm... everything else - every instrument and vocal has a life of its own within the performance as a whole.

Verdict? Everything about the 1266 TC just screams metal - from the build, to the feel, to the music it plays especially well with. It is anything but a stereotypical open back, in how engaging and intense the sound is and just how artificially precise its technical ability is. It is a transducer that adds a lot of its own flavoring to the mix, and achieves incredible performance at the expense of a more natural and laid-back presentation.

It fits me and my preferences exceptionally well, and tbh I would've been happy even if there were no improvements on the 1266 Phi CC, but I'd have to go with a cautious recommendation - I can see it not fitting the preferences of a lot of audiophiles out there as it is anything but traditional.

 

[Blueoris]

Great post @mvvRAZ. I always enjoy reviews without superlative words.

And your comments are inline with what I have been told by owners of TC's and CC's.

 

[tommir]

It fits perfectly with wa33 or any warm tube amp. With SS it could be a bit fatiguing except Benchmark Dac3 and Hpa4. SMSL M400 Cambridge cxnv2 could also be non fatiguing match.

That's right! Unless you have some dark ss like the ones from Wells Audio or similar. They're just not for bright amps.

 

[mvvRAZ]

That's right! Unless you have some dark ss like the ones from Wells Audio or similar. They're just not for bright amps.

I’ve had Wells Audio recommended to me actually - might check them out as well

 

[mvvRAZ]

For those of you that have been buying/selling stuff lately - how's the FS market feeling? I've spoken to a few friends and it seems like nothing is really moving :/

 

[gLer]

For those of you that have been buying/selling stuff lately - how's the FS market feeling? I've spoken to a few friends and it seems like nothing is really moving :/

Buyers probably keeping their powder dry for BF. Next week will likely see an uptick in sales. Also, sellers need to be realistic with their prices given the general economic malaise.

 

[ctop]

Last week was pretty fast for the 2 items I sold, EE Odin and SP1000M. I think it boils down to aggressive pricing that even BF can't match or maybe I was just lucky.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Here's a quick update. Recently, I picked up a set of Vision Ear VE8 universals reshelled from custom. In my initial review, I mentioned that I was hearing sibilance on certain tracks with the stock cable and a silver litz cable. It was pretty consistent on high hats and some vocals. I am very pleased to report that this sibilance problem is solved. I bought an upgrade cable which is a DIY silver plated copper cable and it did wonders for these IEMs. They tightened up the very deep bass of these IEMs, improved the sound stage and clarity and most importantly eliminated the sibilance. These are world class IEMs. So warm and lush. Easy to listen to and a sound that will bring tears to your eyes.

I've been tip rolling and so far I like two tips. First, I like the Symbio type F foams. They fit the best and they are the darkest. I also like the spinfit cp145s. The brighten up the sound and are better for classical music and jazz. Tips are having as much impact on sound signature as filters.