[mvvRAZ]

I'm not a fan of the vol position either. Iirc Andy said basically from market research they carried out, users wanted less strain on cables. If you've got a straight jack then there's no issue, only affects 90deg Jack's and even then it should be minimal. Flip the coin now, if you want vol control with a straight jack, that ain't happening at all and same if you use 2.5mm and need to use the adaptor. Bonkers decision but I'll put up with it as a trade off for the rest.

I've had mine for a while now and still not used to vol direction!

Treble calms down after a while imo. I know there's been a dig at the 'burn in' crew earlier but pretty sure it's not brain burnzz.

Just kidding around haha, it’s playing at the moment so I’ll see how it evolves.

Vol wheel direction… if that could be resolved/changed I can make the rest work I think

 

[arijitroy2]

I hate the ports on bottom too, R8 has it and it's kinda annoying when I have to lie down somewhere to listen to the music and the headphone jack keeps bumping against the chest. Luckily Hiby listened to the feedback and put the "flip 180 vertically" option to rotate the screen.

Volume wheel wise, I prefer scroll left to increase, right to decrease, works perfectly on R8 and M17.

 

[mvvRAZ]

The GOATs

 

[Blanchot]

I see you have both the LPGT and LPGT Ti. Are there any differences in tuning between them?

 

[mvvRAZ]

I see you have both the LPGT and LPGT Ti. Are there any differences in tuning between them?

Yeah about as different as any two DAPs could be really lol.

Impressions post on the LGPT Ti: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/razs-totl-review-and-rambles-thread.916021/page-222#post-16842746

I don't know if I've posted one on the LPGT, but all around way, way less bright - I perceive the LPGT to be perfect neutrality, the N8II to be slightly bright and the Ti being very bright

 

[mvvRAZ]

Woooooooooo

 

[arijitroy2]

Demo unit? What's the initial impression?

 

[mvvRAZ]

Demo unit? What's the initial impression?

Demo indeed, still rolling tips and forming opinions haha.

I’ve narrowed it down to spinfits and Xelastecs… it’s a little too aggressive but quite entertaining on the spinfits and quite technical but boring on the xelastecs

Tuning on spinfits is W shaped, and of the three tips the only place where I can hear proper midbass presence. Treble quality is insane but very forward in the lower treble making them quite sibilant at times.

On xelastecs you get the typical - midbass and lower mid scoop, forward upper midrange, super even treble response with no accents. Not too dissimilar to the Odin, but a much more musical midrange, less bass texture and actual treble quality… EE treble tuning has always been various levels of yucky to me but their bass drivers do have the upper hand. Props to Anima for being forward without being shouty like the aforementioned Odin or the more recently reviewed Ne4. I’d say it sounds objectively very good with these but it also doesn’t have me excited at all

Quite technical on both spinfits and Xelastecs, great soundstage dimensions, depth, resolution, detail and Imo separation would be incredible if not for the upper midrange presence

As with any 3000$+ IEM, my main review focus is what they manage to pull off that almost nothing else does… and this is where I am struggling. The mids are musical (bleh I know ) but not traillii musical. Bass gets outperformed by a lot of stuff to me, while the treble certainly can make a case for being most ethereal any estat has sounded so far, it comes at the cost of being too controlled or uncontrolled depending on tip choice. If I can find a tip that gets the treble to that sweet spot while muting the upper midrange a little I think the impressions would change significantly.

————————————————

N8II follow up - as I’ve gotten used to the inconvenience that comes with the brick, I have to say it is the absolute f-ing GOAT. Genuinely ridiculous sound quality, detail, neutrality, texture and technical ability. It’s massive and expensive but to this day I haven’t heard a source with sound that’s this clean and balanced, able to check every single sound requirement and desire

 

[Deezel177]

Demo indeed, still rolling tips and forming opinions haha.

I’ve narrowed it down to spinfits and Xelastecs… it’s a little too aggressive but quite entertaining on the spinfits and quite technical but boring on the xelastecs

Tuning on spinfits is W shaped, and of the three tips the only place where I can hear proper midbass presence. Treble quality is insane but very forward in the lower treble making them quite sibilant at times.

On xelastecs you get the typical - midbass and lower mid scoop, forward upper midrange, super even treble response with no accents. Not too dissimilar to the Odin, but a much more musical midrange, less bass texture and actual treble quality… EE treble tuning has always been various levels of yucky to me but their bass drivers do have the upper hand. Props to Anima for being forward without being shouty like the aforementioned Odin or the more recently reviewed Ne4. I’d say it sounds objectively very good with these but it also doesn’t have me excited at all

Quite technical on both spinfits and Xelastecs, great soundstage dimensions, depth, resolution, detail and Imo separation would be incredible if not for the upper midrange presence

As with any 3000$+ IEM, my main review focus is what they manage to pull off that almost nothing else does… and this is where I am struggling. The mids are musical (bleh I know ) but not traillii musical. Bass gets outperformed by a lot of stuff to me, while the treble certainly can make a case for being most ethereal any estat has sounded so far, it comes at the cost of being too controlled or uncontrolled depending on tip choice. If I can find a tip that gets the treble to that sweet spot while muting the upper midrange a little I think the impressions would change significantly.

————————————————

N8II follow up - as I’ve gotten used to the inconvenience that comes with the brick, I have to say it is the absolute f-ing GOAT. Genuinely ridiculous sound quality, detail, neutrality, texture and technical ability. It’s massive and expensive but to this day I haven’t heard a source with sound that’s this clean and balanced, able to check every single sound requirement and desire

It’s the size and bounce that sets it apart for me. Instruments are probably the tallest I’ve ever heard them, and their energy is interestingly-rooted in the midrange, rather than the contrast between the lows and highs. And, as you pointed out, it’s done without becoming too saturated too, which is rare.

I love the clarity of tone in the bass as well. As I said in my review, it doesn’t have the raw physicality that the LX or the EXT has. It probably loses out to the XE6 there too, which I haven’t heard yet. But, the tone of the bass itself (the sound of the bass) is something that those aforementioned IEMs don’t do as well. Maybe it’s something I appreciate more as a drummer/engineer, but I love hearing all the different kick drum tones drummers choose for certain tracks, or the different bass sounds bassists go for in different situations. As you said, though, unlocking that bass (or un-dampening/un-compressing it) does require a wide-bore tip. It was the standard, black SednaEarfit tips for me. On any other tip, as you pointed out, the mid-bass gets fairly muted, and that tone was lost.

 

[mvvRAZ]

It’s the size and bounce that sets it apart for me. Instruments are probably the tallest I’ve ever heard them, and their energy is interestingly-rooted in the midrange, rather than the contrast between the lows and highs. And, as you pointed out, it’s done without becoming too saturated too, which is rare.

I love the clarity of tone in the bass as well. As I said in my review, it doesn’t have the raw physicality that the LX or the EXT has. It probably loses out to the XE6 there too, which I haven’t heard yet. But, the tone of the bass itself (the sound of the bass) is something that those aforementioned IEMs don’t do as well. Maybe it’s something I appreciate more as a drummer/engineer, but I love hearing all the different kick drum tones drummers choose for certain tracks, or the different bass sounds bassists go for in different situations. As you said, though, unlocking that bass (or un-dampening/un-compressing it) does require a wide-bore tip. It was the standard, black SednaEarfit tips for me. On any other tip, as you pointed out, the mid-bass gets fairly muted, and that tone was lost.

The midbass on the spinfits is indeed some of the better I’ve heard but specifically for midbass my reference is the Kr5 - without being midbass bloated or focused, that IEM manages to capture every single nuance and hit. I might be gushing over the Kr5 too much considering how perfectly it nails my preferences, and I don’t think it’s really a competitor of the anima - the tuning they go for is too different.

I need to see if I can get some of those plain Sedna’s to hopefully get the midbass of the Spinfits with some more upper midrange and lower treble recession while maintaining the extension, which seems to be very easy to lose :/

I’ve been discussing this with a friend who owns them - we both feel like the impressions on the anima will be all over the place considering how overly dependent it is on tips, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed differences that were this extreme.

It’s also worth noting that all rounders were never something I gushed over particularly. The only Jack of all trades IEM I’ve loved is the A12t but that’s because it has arguably the best upper treble execution on the market while having been released around the time I was born

Will check how the anima fares on something warmer like the MHA150 (only used LPGT and N8II with spinfits so far and the lower treble was way over the top) - maybe that’ll bring it a bit more in line with what I’d like

Also, I saw that you might be leaving the reviewing biz?? I gotta say my wallet rejoices but I’ll certainly be very sad to see you go man, make sure to pop by regularly!

 

[Deezel177]

The midbass on the spinfits is indeed some of the better I’ve heard but specifically for midbass my reference is the Kr5 - without being midbass bloated or focused, that IEM manages to capture every single nuance and hit. I might be gushing over the Kr5 too much considering how perfectly it nails my preferences, and I don’t think it’s really a competitor of the anima - the tuning they go for is too different.

I need to see if I can get some of those plain Sedna’s to hopefully get the midbass of the Spinfits with some more upper midrange and lower treble recession while maintaining the extension, which seems to be very easy to lose :/

I’ve been discussing this with a friend who owns them - we both feel like the impressions on the anima will be all over the place considering how overly dependent it is on tips, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed differences that were this extreme.

It’s also worth noting that all rounders were never something I gushed over particularly. The only Jack of all trades IEM I’ve loved is the A12t but that’s because it has arguably the best upper treble execution on the market while having been released around the time I was born

Will check how the anima fares on something warmer like the MHA150 (only used LPGT and N8II with spinfits so far and the lower treble was way over the top) - maybe that’ll bring it a bit more in line with what I’d like

Also, I saw that you might be leaving the reviewing biz?? I gotta say my wallet rejoices but I’ll certainly be very sad to see you go man, make sure to pop by regularly!

For sure, and you can throw in the source in there as well. The LPGT compressed the upper-treble (or, rather, wasn’t able to open up the upper-treble enough) for me, and it killed the staging and dynamics. The N8ii with the Anima was superb when I tried the pair. The amount of textures they achieved together was lovely. SpinFits definitely make it sound more sharply w-shaped than the standard AZLA’s. I mentioned on my review that it brings out the low-treble tizz more too. I think you’ll enjoy them more with the Sedna’s.

Yeah, I’ll be retiring once I finish all the reviews I have left. I can’t really call it a biz if I don’t make any money off of it. But, I’ll still be active here for sure. There’ll basically be no difference in my activity, aside from no more reviews.

 

[mvvRAZ]

For sure, and you can throw in the source in there as well. The LPGT compressed the upper-treble (or, rather, wasn’t able to open up the upper-treble enough) for me, and it killed the staging and dynamics. The N8ii with the Anima was superb when I tried the pair. The amount of textures they achieved together was lovely. SpinFits definitely make it sound more sharply w-shaped than the standard AZLA’s. I mentioned on my review that it brings out the low-treble tizz more too. I think you’ll enjoy them more with the Sedna’s.

Yeah, I’ll be retiring once I finish all the reviews I have left. I can’t really call it a biz if I don’t make any money off of it. But, I’ll still be active here for sure. There’ll basically be no difference in my activity, aside from no more reviews.

I did a final session of tip rolling today, I have to say the closest I can come to enjoying them is the spinfits. The AZLA’s… midrange sits in front of bass and treble which makes my brain keep looking for the instruments and lows and it ends up pissing me off haha

Honestly I think it’s safer to say the Anima is not for me, than to try and force it into sounding like something that it isn’t. I’m probably the least qualified person on headfi to evaluate forward upper mids haha… will take some photos later though, the shell design is some of the best I’ve ever seen

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

For sure, and you can throw in the source in there as well. The LPGT compressed the upper-treble (or, rather, wasn’t able to open up the upper-treble enough) for me, and it killed the staging and dynamics. The N8ii with the Anima was superb when I tried the pair. The amount of textures they achieved together was lovely. SpinFits definitely make it sound more sharply w-shaped than the standard AZLA’s. I mentioned on my review that it brings out the low-treble tizz more too. I think you’ll enjoy them more with the Sedna’s.

Yeah, I’ll be retiring once I finish all the reviews I have left. I can’t really call it a biz if I don’t make any money off of it. But, I’ll still be active here for sure. There’ll basically be no difference in my activity, aside from no more reviews.

Hopefully, you will post more since you have more free time.

 

[gryphonos]

N8II follow up - as I’ve gotten used to the inconvenience that comes with the brick, I have to say it is the absolute f-ing GOAT. Genuinely ridiculous sound quality, detail, neutrality, texture and technical ability. It’s massive and expensive but to this day I haven’t heard a source with sound that’s this clean and balanced, able to check every single sound requirement and desire

Hi Michael,
have you come to something like a "final up" about the Cayin N8ii ? Does this dap provides such qualities that it has become a keeper for you?
I mean, until now you've not put it to the devices of your profile ...

I am considering to buy it, too, but I am not absolutely sure this decision.

Thanks.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Hi Michael,
have you come to something like a "final up" about the Cayin N8ii ? Does this dap provides such qualities that it has become a keeper for you?
I mean, until now you've not put it to the devices of your profile ...

I am considering to buy it, too, but I am not absolutely sure this decision.

Thanks.

Whoops need to add it to my signature ASAP. Yeah the N8II is an absolute keeper. Not the most comfortable considering just how portable my use case is, but definitely worth the hassle in terms of sound

Will be posting a complete review soon, but yes - 100% recommended

Also I heard you’ll be joining us in High End Munich?? Would be super cool to meet you in person and @doctorjuggles