[seaskimmer]

Man you must have a lot of money to spend on head-fi.....

Great review though, wants to make me get customs more now (but my audiologist is on vacation....)

Interested in hearing how these stack up against JH16's though

 

[kiteki]

This thread only has 770 views, and people are raving about the UM Miracle in every other thread, for shame.

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

Man you must have a lot of money to spend on head-fi.....

Great review though, wants to make me get customs more now (but my audiologist is on vacation....)

Interested in hearing how these stack up against JH16's though

Luckily the stock market recovered.
 
Thanks, but take your time with your decision! I am working on the JH16 review but I have commented on the differences in other threads already. I will summarize quickly: The JH16 bass is more enhanced with the enhancement starting at 100 Hz down vs. less enhancement starting in the mid-bass region resulting in the LS8 being warmer and the JH16 being punchier. The JH16 can generate more bass rumble but the notes are a little thinner/tighter. The midrange of the JH16 is more neutral as the LS8 has that peak in the upper mids, although the JH16 also has a peak a little higher up, but it is less of a peak. Treble of the LS8 is more extended and flatter with more air.

As far as soundstage presentation, the JH16 is a little wider but the LS8 has more depth and height to the soundstage. Notes are slightly thicker across the spectrum with the LS8 giving the JH16 a more analytical sound when A/Bed, and the LS8 is more punchy and dynamic sounding in general except the bass section. Both are fast but the JH16 seems faster because of the quicker note decay. The LS8 has more clarity but not by all that much as well as more overall detail/resolution, however actual instrument are just about as detailed with the JH16 as the LS8. Instrument separation is better with the LS8.

These two are fairly similar, but their difference in presentation makes them different enough where I could see someone preferring either sound signature over the other.
 
 
Quote:

This thread only has 770 views, and people are raving about the UM Miracle in every other thread, for shame.

People will buy what they know and I am sure the Miracle is good, especially compared to their other IEMs.  People do seem to primarily buy the popular models as there is safety in numbers.  Plus how many of the people that do rave about a particular custom have others for comparison?

 

[seaskimmer]

Thanks Joe, I will probably end up getting JH16's or JH13's though, since you mentioned the LS8 as having the mid range hump. I prefer an analytical sound since it makes me feel like I am back in the studio rather than listening to a recording

 

[average_joe]

 
Quote:

Thanks Joe, I will probably end up getting JH16's or JH13's though, since you mentioned the LS8 as having the mid range hump. I prefer an analytical sound since it makes me feel like I am back in the studio rather than listening to a recording

Great, I am all for you getting what you think is best for you and hope my comparisons help in the decision process, either helping to reinforce a particular custom IEM or by giving an option that might have been missed.  I will look for your thoughts in the JH threads or my custom IEM thread...

 

[seaskimmer]

Hopefully I will be able to get them... still looking around in the FS forums for people selling at good prices...
If I do get them, I will definitely post some comments about them

 

[kiteki]

So I'm lusting over some pictures floating around of Rooth's exceptional custom artwork... and I'm noticing a dynamic driver incorporated into several models?
 
 

 
 
Time to send an email to Rooth to see what's up.
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

[seaskimmer]

Hmmm that seems interesting. Based on the fact that they are a branch of UM, could it possibly just be a rebranded UM Merlin?

 

[project86]

Those first two look very much like the Merlin, as far as I can tell from the angle of the pictures. The third pic doesn't look to me like it has a dynamic driver though. I see it as just the black background showing through. 
 
EDIT The middle pic (light blue) looks very similar to Merlin except for the triple bore on the tip. All the Merlins I've seen (including mine) have a dual bore design.

 

[kiteki]

Oh, the third pic just has really nice colours imho, not a dynamic driver.
 
Rooth's counterpart in Japan is selling the dynamic driver version for ~$410 USD, Japanese market price, not sure if we can avoid tax when/if ordering from overseas which might take it down a notch, just speculation.
 
 
 

 

[kiteki]

Hmm.. a switch?
 

 

[average_joe]

Yes, very interesting with a triple bore and dynamic driver.  The last picture above posted by kiteki is not a switch but a BA attached to the shell.

 

[3602]

Don't they need to paste over the exposed portion to protect the unit? Or is it there for venting purposes?

 

[project86]

The picture makes it look funny from that angle, but I think it's just a regular BA driver inside the shell. Sometimes when there isn't much room they will attach to the inside of the shell like that. So the shell is actually a bit thinner in that spot, making it appear that the driver is sticking out. A different angle would help it make sense. 

 

[3602]

...I tell ya they're indeed sticking out.