Yes, mine is also shipped. The fr looks great. Something that has forward vocal and not bright. Also, likely bassy a little which lead to something grand sounding with forward vocals and smooth top end. Will tell the exact sound when i receive mine, also shipped.
A guy from audioreviews.org said 'the bad boy' had a pre production sample, so might well not be final tuning. I'm eagerly awaiting views / reviews of shipped models
The words from China where guys already received the actual production units, essentially confirmed what review has stated thus far. I would think HBB got the pre-sale unit but that’s in final tuning already, Shuoer not known for shipping non-final version out and consequently adjust production batches, I think?
9th November. Looks like they have had a mass mailing.
Mine is from Ali. Ordered on the first day. 3rd Nov.
That is impressive. That's also without Brain Burn in and possibly Empirical Burn in. A good portent.Tape pros are here -
Quick & dirty impressions:
source: hifiman HM1000 red (dual PCM 1702 R2R DAC/Amp), custom litz SPC 4.4 balanced cable, azla xelastic tips
Bass: Very much present. I never owned the OG tape, but if the bass was tuned down for this model I reckon the OG tape would be too much. The bass response is excellent, if not a tad slow on the decay for me. Keep in mind however I have a warm source. So someone using a more neutral source would likely have a difference experience with the bass. Suffice to say, bass is good though a tad flabby, without managing to bleed into the mids.
mids: forward. Very forward. But very much clear and detailed. I guess OG tape required some EQ to reduce a harsh peak. No need here. It's got smooth, detailed mids with a natural timbre. Though the forwardness leads to what I feel is flat imaging that takes some of the immersiveness away. But this is a $120 product, and my benchmark is the uber holographic EJ07. This isn't a replacement for that set.
treble: very well tuned. Tight and just a hint of sparkle, though I would describe it on the slightly relaxed side. This is my preference though again, this is apparently the OG tape had a very pronounced treble energy. On this one I feel it's tuned just right enough that you can listen for hours without fatigue, but not worry about lost detail.
Overall: Crazy good value for $120. It's expertly tuned. Pronounced bass, forward mids, relaxed-ish but detailed treble. Only complaint is due to the forwardness, the tape presents no sense of depth or height in the imaging department. You can still pinpoint detail, but it's not "special" in any sort of way that the EJ07 or other higher priced sets.
But for what it is, it's probably one of the best values in the under $300 category. It easily beats my $300 T800.
Yeah this is just a quick first impression. And I am not using the stock cable or tips. I started with the stock tips actually, but quickly changed them as I couldn't get that good of a seal. The exelastic improved both the bass and treble response. So I personally recommend a wide bore. Sometimes wide bore tips tend to make the treble too harsh, but with the tape pro it makes it just right. With the stock tips I would almost describe the treble as a bit lacking. But that's totally based on my personal preference and not something I can objectively evaluate.
In the little plastic case with the eartips, there's little mesh looking things. Are those for the earphone's nozzles? If so, that's pretty cool, then you can clean the nozzles separately from the IEM's for earwax buildup.Tape pros are here -
Quick & dirty impressions:
source: hifiman HM1000 red (dual PCM 1702 R2R DAC/Amp), custom litz SPC 4.4 balanced cable, azla xelastic tips
Bass: Very much present. I never owned the OG tape, but if the bass was tuned down for this model I reckon the OG tape would be too much. The bass response is excellent, if not a tad slow on the decay for me. Keep in mind however I have a warm source. So someone using a more neutral source would likely have a difference experience with the bass. Suffice to say, bass is good though a tad flabby, without managing to bleed into the mids.
mids: forward. Very forward. But very much clear and detailed. I guess OG tape required some EQ to reduce a harsh peak. No need here. It's got smooth, detailed mids with a natural timbre. Though the forwardness leads to what I feel is flat imaging that takes some of the immersiveness away. But this is a $120 product, and my benchmark is the uber holographic EJ07. This isn't a replacement for that set.
treble: very well tuned. Tight and just a hint of sparkle, though I would describe it on the slightly relaxed side. This is my preference though again, this is apparently the OG tape had a very pronounced treble energy. On this one I feel it's tuned just right enough that you can listen for hours without fatigue, but not worry about lost detail.
Overall: Crazy good value for $120. It's expertly tuned. Pronounced bass, forward mids, relaxed-ish but detailed treble. Only complaint is due to the forwardness, the tape presents no sense of depth or height in the imaging department. You can still pinpoint detail, but it's not "special" in any sort of way that the EJ07 or other higher priced sets.
But for what it is, it's probably one of the best values in the under $300 category. It easily beats my $300 T800.
