docentore
500+ Head-Fier
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Shuoer impressions thread
- Thread starter SciOC
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Let Shuoer DX1 impressions
My impressions of Let Shuoer's DX1:
I am lucky enough to have been sent this by Let Shuoer - so thank you allowing me to listen to this!
So, I don't think this one is for me, but I think it has many strengths, and so it could be for you. This is the most capable single DD I have heard and, in my opinion, it punches way above it's weight in terms of technical performance.
When I first plugged DX1 in, it was immediately apparent that I hadn't previously heard an IEM like it. It was a familiar track I was listening to, Haken's 'Eyes of Ebony', and the vocal was so clearly out in front of the rest of the mix. This shocked me as Haken are a prog metal outfit that allow space for all of the instruments to shine, and, I'd argue, as good as Ross Jennings is, are not a vocal-centric band - it's just one of the many instruments contributing to the overall performance. But listening to this track on DX1, the vocals were so clear and almost separate from the rest of the instruments, it caught me off guard! The rest of the mix sounded like it was one step back from the vocals.
When looking at a squig of the DX1, you can see that the pinna gain region is ever so slightly elevated. This is in large part responsible for the forward vocals. There were other benefits to the slight elevation in this region and that was that bass guitars were more carved out of the mix; they're tonality/character came through a lot more clearly. There was also a real weight to bass guitars that came through the mix. Snare drum hits had a real snap to them too. Drums all sounded quite tactile and full.
As you may have already guessed, if you have read the 'About Me' section above, I listen to drums first, then bass, then guitar, etc., and vocals last. So this vocal-centric tuning is pretty much the only reason why I would say that DX1 isn't for me.
However, the drivers in DX1 are Let Shuoer's newest creation and they are very capable. Imaging, separation, and frequency extension are all excellent. These drivers didn't break a sweat even during busy passages. Because of this, I was somewhat in awe of this IEM and wished to see what they could do so I attenuated the 1-3k region by 1 dB and BAM, it set the vocals back into the mix where I prefer them to be. This tweak to the tuning didn't harm any of it's technical ability, but it did lose some of the "special sauce" of this IEM. It wasn't quite as engaging with the EQ; snares weren't as snappy, the drums weren't as tactile...
In summary, this is an impressive IEM. It has slightly elevated, satisfying bass. It is somewhat mid-forward, but in a very inoffensive/beneficial manner. The treble is smooth and detailed. It stages well, images great and can resolve busy passages with ease. Apart from the vocal-forward presentation, it otherwise comes across as a well-balanced tuning.
I know my tastes are an outlier, given my penchant for drum-focussed listening. I also know that most people tend to listen to vocals as the primary focus of their music. I'd wager that most people listening to DX1 would see strengths where I see weaknesses and love this IEM.
I hopes someone finds what I've written useful.
I am a drummer. But, wait, it's worse than you think; when I listen to music, I listen to primarily, and care most about, ...the drums. This is my main focus when I audition hifi gear. I listen to the drums, then the bass guitar, then guitar guitars, then synths/pianos, etc., and vocals last. I'm telling you this as it really colours my view of gear. I care about staging and imaging a lot, because, done well, it sounds like I'm sitting in front of the drum kit. How punchy/tactile gear is is another aspect of sound I find very engaging as if you are sitting in front of a drum kit, you can feel it. If I refer to how accurate or not timbre is, I am really focussing on the timbre of snare drums, cymbals, toms, etc.. So, if I rate a piece of gear, it is likely because it reproduces drums well. Although I have an ear for if vocals sound off, this aspect of music gets the least of my focus. Please bare this in mind when reading my impressions of the below gear.
Secondly, I studied sound engineering at university. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't does it? However, it does mean that I have a preference for "studio neutral" tunings and am very familiar with how instruments should sound. For me, the most "correct" sounding IEM I have heard is Let Shuoer's Cadenza 12. I like other tunings, but my preference is for studio neutral. Do I have any hearing quirks? I don't know, but I don't think I do. My preference for neutral tunings is because they sound "correct", i.e., more natural/true to life. So I likely have a-typical hearing. I listen fairly loud (in the high 80 bB range) and, although love all music, listen mostly to prog rock/good metal. I have included screenshots of the tracks from my test playlist for reference.
Thirdly, I have lots of tips, but don't really tip roll. I do all of my listening with bog-standard Amazon foam tips as I find them to fit me well, be comfortable and sound good with most IEMs. I have lots of different tips, but I tend to only roll tips if I have a lot of time on my hands or my standard foams don't fit; and even then, I usually just pick a different shape/size Comply set. So, almost all of my listening is done with narrow bore foam tips.
Lastly, I am a headphone/speaker guy. I'm not even sure this is relevant, but I feel that I am always drawn to presentations that are out in front of me and spacious-sounding. So while I may critique gear for staging in a certain way, it may just be my bias for headphone/speaker presentations.
Secondly, I studied sound engineering at university. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't does it? However, it does mean that I have a preference for "studio neutral" tunings and am very familiar with how instruments should sound. For me, the most "correct" sounding IEM I have heard is Let Shuoer's Cadenza 12. I like other tunings, but my preference is for studio neutral. Do I have any hearing quirks? I don't know, but I don't think I do. My preference for neutral tunings is because they sound "correct", i.e., more natural/true to life. So I likely have a-typical hearing. I listen fairly loud (in the high 80 bB range) and, although love all music, listen mostly to prog rock/good metal. I have included screenshots of the tracks from my test playlist for reference.
Thirdly, I have lots of tips, but don't really tip roll. I do all of my listening with bog-standard Amazon foam tips as I find them to fit me well, be comfortable and sound good with most IEMs. I have lots of different tips, but I tend to only roll tips if I have a lot of time on my hands or my standard foams don't fit; and even then, I usually just pick a different shape/size Comply set. So, almost all of my listening is done with narrow bore foam tips.
Lastly, I am a headphone/speaker guy. I'm not even sure this is relevant, but I feel that I am always drawn to presentations that are out in front of me and spacious-sounding. So while I may critique gear for staging in a certain way, it may just be my bias for headphone/speaker presentations.
FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 / U2 Pro > Exogal Comet+ / Mojo / Onix XM10 / Hiby R4 > Taurus mk. II / WA6 / LD mk. II / LB B4-X / Earman Eagle
I do most of my listening on my desktop rig. This overkill for many of the IEMs I have auditioned, but outside of a synergy issue, I find that using my desktop chain really allows me to hear what an IEM/headphone is truly capable of as there's no shortage of power or resolution.
This is my primary chain - FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 > Exogal Comet+ > Taurus mk. II
For IEMs, I justify whether they're going to stay or not based on their performance on my DAP. This has been the Hiby R4 since it's release, but I am in the process of auditioning Onix's XM10.
I do most of my listening on my desktop rig. This overkill for many of the IEMs I have auditioned, but outside of a synergy issue, I find that using my desktop chain really allows me to hear what an IEM/headphone is truly capable of as there's no shortage of power or resolution.
This is my primary chain - FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 > Exogal Comet+ > Taurus mk. II
For IEMs, I justify whether they're going to stay or not based on their performance on my DAP. This has been the Hiby R4 since it's release, but I am in the process of auditioning Onix's XM10.
My impressions of Let Shuoer's DX1:
I am lucky enough to have been sent this by Let Shuoer - so thank you allowing me to listen to this!
So, I don't think this one is for me, but I think it has many strengths, and so it could be for you. This is the most capable single DD I have heard and, in my opinion, it punches way above it's weight in terms of technical performance.
When I first plugged DX1 in, it was immediately apparent that I hadn't previously heard an IEM like it. It was a familiar track I was listening to, Haken's 'Eyes of Ebony', and the vocal was so clearly out in front of the rest of the mix. This shocked me as Haken are a prog metal outfit that allow space for all of the instruments to shine, and, I'd argue, as good as Ross Jennings is, are not a vocal-centric band - it's just one of the many instruments contributing to the overall performance. But listening to this track on DX1, the vocals were so clear and almost separate from the rest of the instruments, it caught me off guard! The rest of the mix sounded like it was one step back from the vocals.
When looking at a squig of the DX1, you can see that the pinna gain region is ever so slightly elevated. This is in large part responsible for the forward vocals. There were other benefits to the slight elevation in this region and that was that bass guitars were more carved out of the mix; they're tonality/character came through a lot more clearly. There was also a real weight to bass guitars that came through the mix. Snare drum hits had a real snap to them too. Drums all sounded quite tactile and full.
As you may have already guessed, if you have read the 'About Me' section above, I listen to drums first, then bass, then guitar, etc., and vocals last. So this vocal-centric tuning is pretty much the only reason why I would say that DX1 isn't for me.
However, the drivers in DX1 are Let Shuoer's newest creation and they are very capable. Imaging, separation, and frequency extension are all excellent. These drivers didn't break a sweat even during busy passages. Because of this, I was somewhat in awe of this IEM and wished to see what they could do so I attenuated the 1-3k region by 1 dB and BAM, it set the vocals back into the mix where I prefer them to be. This tweak to the tuning didn't harm any of it's technical ability, but it did lose some of the "special sauce" of this IEM. It wasn't quite as engaging with the EQ; snares weren't as snappy, the drums weren't as tactile...
In summary, this is an impressive IEM. It has slightly elevated, satisfying bass. It is somewhat mid-forward, but in a very inoffensive/beneficial manner. The treble is smooth and detailed. It stages well, images great and can resolve busy passages with ease. Apart from the vocal-forward presentation, it otherwise comes across as a well-balanced tuning.
I know my tastes are an outlier, given my penchant for drum-focussed listening. I also know that most people tend to listen to vocals as the primary focus of their music. I'd wager that most people listening to DX1 would see strengths where I see weaknesses and love this IEM.
I hopes someone finds what I've written useful.
I finished my review today, taken good time on this one as I felt it deserved my all. I am already a Letshuoer fan from previous models, and with the DX1 having a familiar sound to Cadenza 12 and Mystic 8 it was destined to be nice for me.
You will get a single DD that’s transparent and technical, with a tuning that’s neutral warm. I have been more than satisfied, and if price is still under $200 it will be a bargain.
Can read more in the review, cheers.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-dx1.28120/reviews#review-37747
You will get a single DD that’s transparent and technical, with a tuning that’s neutral warm. I have been more than satisfied, and if price is still under $200 it will be a bargain.
Can read more in the review, cheers.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-dx1.28120/reviews#review-37747
from your impressions it seems like Letshuoer is using a high quality DD in this IEM, sounds really good. Hope we will see the official price soon for these!Let Shuoer DX1 impressions
I am a drummer. But, wait, it's worse than you think; when I listen to music, I listen to primarily, and care most about, ...the drums. This is my main focus when I audition hifi gear. I listen to the drums, then the bass guitar, then guitar guitars, then synths/pianos, etc., and vocals last. I'm telling you this as it really colours my view of gear. I care about staging and imaging a lot, because, done well, it sounds like I'm sitting in front of the drum kit. How punchy/tactile gear is is another aspect of sound I find very engaging as if you are sitting in front of a drum kit, you can feel it. If I refer to how accurate or not timbre is, I am really focussing on the timbre of snare drums, cymbals, toms, etc.. So, if I rate a piece of gear, it is likely because it reproduces drums well. Although I have an ear for if vocals sound off, this aspect of music gets the least of my focus. Please bare this in mind when reading my impressions of the below gear.
Secondly, I studied sound engineering at university. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't does it? However, it does mean that I have a preference for "studio neutral" tunings and am very familiar with how instruments should sound. For me, the most "correct" sounding IEM I have heard is Let Shuoer's Cadenza 12. I like other tunings, but my preference is for studio neutral. Do I have any hearing quirks? I don't know, but I don't think I do. My preference for neutral tunings is because they sound "correct", i.e., more natural/true to life. So I likely have a-typical hearing. I listen fairly loud (in the high 80 bB range) and, although love all music, listen mostly to prog rock/good metal. I have included screenshots of the tracks from my test playlist for reference.
Thirdly, I have lots of tips, but don't really tip roll. I do all of my listening with bog-standard Amazon foam tips as I find them to fit me well, be comfortable and sound good with most IEMs. I have lots of different tips, but I tend to only roll tips if I have a lot of time on my hands or my standard foams don't fit; and even then, I usually just pick a different shape/size Comply set. So, almost all of my listening is done with narrow bore foam tips.
Lastly, I am a headphone/speaker guy. I'm not even sure this is relevant, but I feel that I am always drawn to presentations that are out in front of me and spacious-sounding. So while I may critique gear for staging in a certain way, it may just be my bias for headphone/speaker presentations.
FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 / U2 Pro > Exogal Comet+ / Mojo / Onix XM10 / Hiby R4 > Taurus mk. II / WA6 / LD mk. II / LB B4-X / Earman Eagle
I do most of my listening on my desktop rig. This overkill for many of the IEMs I have auditioned, but outside of a synergy issue, I find that using my desktop chain really allows me to hear what an IEM/headphone is truly capable of as there's no shortage of power or resolution.
This is my primary chain - FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 > Exogal Comet+ > Taurus mk. II
For IEMs, I justify whether they're going to stay or not based on their performance on my DAP. This has been the Hiby R4 since it's release, but I am in the process of auditioning Onix's XM10.
My impressions of Let Shuoer's DX1:
I am lucky enough to have been sent this by Let Shuoer - so thank you allowing me to listen to this!
So, I don't think this one is for me, but I think it has many strengths, and so it could be for you. This is the most capable single DD I have heard and, in my opinion, it punches way above it's weight in terms of technical performance.
When I first plugged DX1 in, it was immediately apparent that I hadn't previously heard an IEM like it. It was a familiar track I was listening to, Haken's 'Eyes of Ebony', and the vocal was so clearly out in front of the rest of the mix. This shocked me as Haken are a prog metal outfit that allow space for all of the instruments to shine, and, I'd argue, as good as Ross Jennings is, are not a vocal-centric band - it's just one of the many instruments contributing to the overall performance. But listening to this track on DX1, the vocals were so clear and almost separate from the rest of the instruments, it caught me off guard! The rest of the mix sounded like it was one step back from the vocals.
When looking at a squig of the DX1, you can see that the pinna gain region is ever so slightly elevated. This is in large part responsible for the forward vocals. There were other benefits to the slight elevation in this region and that was that bass guitars were more carved out of the mix; they're tonality/character came through a lot more clearly. There was also a real weight to bass guitars that came through the mix. Snare drum hits had a real snap to them too. Drums all sounded quite tactile and full.
As you may have already guessed, if you have read the 'About Me' section above, I listen to drums first, then bass, then guitar, etc., and vocals last. So this vocal-centric tuning is pretty much the only reason why I would say that DX1 isn't for me.
However, the drivers in DX1 are Let Shuoer's newest creation and they are very capable. Imaging, separation, and frequency extension are all excellent. These drivers didn't break a sweat even during busy passages. Because of this, I was somewhat in awe of this IEM and wished to see what they could do so I attenuated the 1-3k region by 1 dB and BAM, it set the vocals back into the mix where I prefer them to be. This tweak to the tuning didn't harm any of it's technical ability, but it did lose some of the "special sauce" of this IEM. It wasn't quite as engaging with the EQ; snares weren't as snappy, the drums weren't as tactile...
In summary, this is an impressive IEM. It has slightly elevated, satisfying bass. It is somewhat mid-forward, but in a very inoffensive/beneficial manner. The treble is smooth and detailed. It stages well, images great and can resolve busy passages with ease. Apart from the vocal-forward presentation, it otherwise comes across as a well-balanced tuning.
I know my tastes are an outlier, given my penchant for drum-focussed listening. I also know that most people tend to listen to vocals as the primary focus of their music. I'd wager that most people listening to DX1 would see strengths where I see weaknesses and love this IEM.
I hopes someone finds what I've written useful.
great review man! your photos are always top notch.I finished my review today, taken good time on this one as I felt it deserved my all. I am already a Letshuoer fan from previous models, and with the DX1 having a familiar sound to Cadenza 12 and Mystic 8 it was destined to be nice for me.
You will get a single DD that’s transparent and technical, with a tuning that’s neutral warm. I have been more than satisfied, and if price is still under $200 it will be a bargain.
Can read more in the review, cheers.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-dx1.28120/reviews#review-37747
UnderwaterB0i
100+ Head-Fier
Last night I was able to snag the Cadenza 4 off Amazon for a little less than $150 USD. Seemed a little too good to be true. I've been liking the S08 lately, so we'll see how I like that one.
It is a good price for them, but it is also the price they are going for on sale on AliExpress
heard many good things about them, but not sure if they are going to sound like the S08
congratulations!
Zerstorer_GOhren
1000+ Head-Fier
Initial Product Impression
LETSHUOER DX1: Astounding Mid-centric Tuning
Sweet Mother of Audio Jesus! This one is a pretty remarkable set from LETSHUOER. This is LETSHUOER DX1, their latest model with a single driver configuration that uses a 11mm dynamic driver made of aluminium-magnesium with a nanoparticle coating on it with a topology-processed diaphragm, and then housed in a stainless steel shell structure which has a similar shaped profile with the older DUNU set, the DK series as it offers a better ergonomic fitting in most ear sizes. Another new feature of this was its newest type of ear tips as it has a wide bore, and wide bore ones are my preferred ear tips as I love vocals and instruments.
The tonal profile of this one is pretty neutral with more emphasis on the vocals and instruments while maintaining their natural and life-like tonal colour that makes this set more of a mid-centric sound that truly aligns with one of my tonal preference and probably one of the most impressive single DD sets that will be release in the market soon. It has a good definition and volume on vocals that makes this set more versatile from the satisfying denseness with resonating sound of bass vocals up to satiny and open sounding of coloratura sopranos. The instrument sounds well-defined as it has a sufficient crispness and sweet sound on strings instruments, a mild and graceful sound on woodwinds, full and warm sounding on brasses and lastly, the hardness and striking sound on percussives.
Another strong aspect of this set will be its overall technical capabilities as this is probably one of the spacious head stage cues that I've ever perceived on this driver set-up along with well-layered atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation with good separation of musical elements. This is also quite a resolving one to one on both macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics.
Will post a full review on this one next week or two.
LETSHUOER DX1: Astounding Mid-centric Tuning
Sweet Mother of Audio Jesus! This one is a pretty remarkable set from LETSHUOER. This is LETSHUOER DX1, their latest model with a single driver configuration that uses a 11mm dynamic driver made of aluminium-magnesium with a nanoparticle coating on it with a topology-processed diaphragm, and then housed in a stainless steel shell structure which has a similar shaped profile with the older DUNU set, the DK series as it offers a better ergonomic fitting in most ear sizes. Another new feature of this was its newest type of ear tips as it has a wide bore, and wide bore ones are my preferred ear tips as I love vocals and instruments.
The tonal profile of this one is pretty neutral with more emphasis on the vocals and instruments while maintaining their natural and life-like tonal colour that makes this set more of a mid-centric sound that truly aligns with one of my tonal preference and probably one of the most impressive single DD sets that will be release in the market soon. It has a good definition and volume on vocals that makes this set more versatile from the satisfying denseness with resonating sound of bass vocals up to satiny and open sounding of coloratura sopranos. The instrument sounds well-defined as it has a sufficient crispness and sweet sound on strings instruments, a mild and graceful sound on woodwinds, full and warm sounding on brasses and lastly, the hardness and striking sound on percussives.
Another strong aspect of this set will be its overall technical capabilities as this is probably one of the spacious head stage cues that I've ever perceived on this driver set-up along with well-layered atmospheric-like stereo imaging presentation with good separation of musical elements. This is also quite a resolving one to one on both macro-dynamics and micro-dynamics.
Will post a full review on this one next week or two.
Knee Deep In Epoxy
500+ Head-Fier
I have a Thieaudio Prestige LTD as my highest end IEM. I love it.....BUT... I have used squig to EQ it to the tuning of the Mystic 8.... I think I prefer this tuning for most listening. It sounds smooth and natural... less "contrasty" but still very enjoyable... better for most music but if I am listening to something that needs more bass for the fun of it the stock LTD tuning has me covered.
Very keen to try the actual Mystic 8 now to see how much of a difference the driver configuration makes... Can Jam London can't come soon enough!
Very keen to try the actual Mystic 8 now to see how much of a difference the driver configuration makes... Can Jam London can't come soon enough!
See you there
and defo try their C12, it was one of the outstanding sets I tried last year, I still prefer it over M8 but can understand why folks like the M8 so much though 
NymPHONOmaniac
Headphoneus Supremus
wazzup guys, my review of Letshuoer DX1 is up here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-dx1.28120/reviews#review-37970
lotta audio porn too....those are quite photogenic IEMs. if i put it aside of Dita Fealty and ask which is priciest, no doubt DX1 will be the one....craftmanship and sound quality wise! thinking about it, i ''should'' have compare those to Project M since it's notably better balanced and more mid licious, smoother, more neutral too....which make me think: is it the new neutrality standard? sure it's bass light but not bass less....and more musical than colder neutrality (and shoutier) i've heard before.
Pros:
-neutral and musical
-effortless clarity
-natural timbre
-mid centric focus
-well extracted and tactile bass line
-beautiful male and female vocal, non shouty way
-smooth yet speedy attack transient
-great imaging
-some treble sparkle-brilliance
-instrumental and acoustic music specialist
-refreshing tuning that is mature but not plain boring
-prime construction and design
-good sound value
Cons:
-not most textured and clear mid bass (dark kick drum)
-not very punchy nor rumbly (anti basshead)
-average soundstage
-not most versatile tuning when it come to anything beat heavy
-not widest and most enveloping instruments and vocals presence (very centered)
-driver flex issue occur (pressure build-lack of venting)
-clarion eartips is detrimental while wide bore over warm the tonality (affect attack control)
-so so cable
simply put: those are baby Mystic8, very similar tonality yet notch crisper on top and ''''''''''bassier'''''''''''' with DX1. gotta applause companies that take their own musical path, DX1 isn't Harman nor V shape, it's unique (apart Mystic 8 similarities)
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/letshuoer-dx1.28120/reviews#review-37970
lotta audio porn too....those are quite photogenic IEMs. if i put it aside of Dita Fealty and ask which is priciest, no doubt DX1 will be the one....craftmanship and sound quality wise! thinking about it, i ''should'' have compare those to Project M since it's notably better balanced and more mid licious, smoother, more neutral too....which make me think: is it the new neutrality standard? sure it's bass light but not bass less....and more musical than colder neutrality (and shoutier) i've heard before.
Pros:
-neutral and musical
-effortless clarity
-natural timbre
-mid centric focus
-well extracted and tactile bass line
-beautiful male and female vocal, non shouty way
-smooth yet speedy attack transient
-great imaging
-some treble sparkle-brilliance
-instrumental and acoustic music specialist
-refreshing tuning that is mature but not plain boring
-prime construction and design
-good sound value
Cons:
-not most textured and clear mid bass (dark kick drum)
-not very punchy nor rumbly (anti basshead)
-average soundstage
-not most versatile tuning when it come to anything beat heavy
-not widest and most enveloping instruments and vocals presence (very centered)
-driver flex issue occur (pressure build-lack of venting)
-clarion eartips is detrimental while wide bore over warm the tonality (affect attack control)
-so so cable
simply put: those are baby Mystic8, very similar tonality yet notch crisper on top and ''''''''''bassier'''''''''''' with DX1. gotta applause companies that take their own musical path, DX1 isn't Harman nor V shape, it's unique (apart Mystic 8 similarities)
I am a drummer. But, wait, it's worse than you think; when I listen to music, I listen to primarily, and care most about, ...the drums. This is my main focus when I audition hifi gear. I listen to the drums, then the bass guitar, then guitar guitars, then synths/pianos, etc., and vocals last. I'm telling you this as it really colours my view of gear. I care about staging and imaging a lot, because, done well, it sounds like I'm sitting in front of the drum kit. How punchy/tactile gear is is another aspect of sound I find very engaging as if you are sitting in front of a drum kit, you can feel it. If I refer to how accurate or not timbre is, I am really focussing on the timbre of snare drums, cymbals, toms, etc.. So, if I rate a piece of gear, it is likely because it reproduces drums well. Although I have an ear for if vocals sound off, this aspect of music gets the least of my focus. Please bare this in mind when reading my impressions of the below gear.
Secondly, I studied sound engineering at university. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't does it? However, it does mean that I have a preference for "studio neutral" tunings. For me, the most "correct" sounding IEM I have heard is Let Shuoer's Cadenza 12. I like other tunings, but my preference is for studio neutral. Do I have any hearing quirks? I don't know, but I don't think I do. My preference for neutral tunings is because they sound "correct", i.e., more natural/true to life. So I likely have a-typical hearing. I listen fairly loud (in the high 80 bB range) and, although love all music, listen mostly to rock/prog rock/good metal. I have included screenshots of the tracks from my test playlist for reference.
Thirdly, I have lots of tips, but don't really tip roll. I do all of my listen with bog-standard Amazon foam tips as I find them to fit me well, be comfortable and sound good with most IEMs. I have lots of different tips, but I tend to only roll tips if I have a lot of time on my hands or my standard foams don't fit; and even then, I usually just pick a different shape/size Comply set. So, almost all of my listening is done with narrow bore foam tips.
Also, I am a headphone/speaker guy. I'm not even sure this is relevant, but I feel that I am always drawn to presentations that are out in front of me and spacious-sounding. So while I may critique gear for staging in a certain way, it may just be my bias for headphone/speaker presentations. I have also noticed that there is a slight difference in language between headphone enthusiasts and IEM enthusiasts; I thus endeavour to communicate in a manner to hopefully avoid the potential lack of clarity.
Lastly, I am not a reviewer. I do not consider my evaluations of gear to be detailed enough to be reviews. Nor do I consider my experience of other gear to be wide enough to pass judgement on what is on my desk this week. I wish to speak about how I find gear to sound to me. In the following impressions, I will only really discuss what jumps out to me about gear, rather than going through every detail of it's sound or function. So, if you think your sonic preferences are similar to mine, then maybe me posting my impressions will help you focus in on where to spend your hard earned cash.
Secondly, I studied sound engineering at university. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't does it? However, it does mean that I have a preference for "studio neutral" tunings. For me, the most "correct" sounding IEM I have heard is Let Shuoer's Cadenza 12. I like other tunings, but my preference is for studio neutral. Do I have any hearing quirks? I don't know, but I don't think I do. My preference for neutral tunings is because they sound "correct", i.e., more natural/true to life. So I likely have a-typical hearing. I listen fairly loud (in the high 80 bB range) and, although love all music, listen mostly to rock/prog rock/good metal. I have included screenshots of the tracks from my test playlist for reference.
Thirdly, I have lots of tips, but don't really tip roll. I do all of my listen with bog-standard Amazon foam tips as I find them to fit me well, be comfortable and sound good with most IEMs. I have lots of different tips, but I tend to only roll tips if I have a lot of time on my hands or my standard foams don't fit; and even then, I usually just pick a different shape/size Comply set. So, almost all of my listening is done with narrow bore foam tips.
Also, I am a headphone/speaker guy. I'm not even sure this is relevant, but I feel that I am always drawn to presentations that are out in front of me and spacious-sounding. So while I may critique gear for staging in a certain way, it may just be my bias for headphone/speaker presentations. I have also noticed that there is a slight difference in language between headphone enthusiasts and IEM enthusiasts; I thus endeavour to communicate in a manner to hopefully avoid the potential lack of clarity.
Lastly, I am not a reviewer. I do not consider my evaluations of gear to be detailed enough to be reviews. Nor do I consider my experience of other gear to be wide enough to pass judgement on what is on my desk this week. I wish to speak about how I find gear to sound to me. In the following impressions, I will only really discuss what jumps out to me about gear, rather than going through every detail of it's sound or function. So, if you think your sonic preferences are similar to mine, then maybe me posting my impressions will help you focus in on where to spend your hard earned cash.
FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > Node Nano > SU-1 / U2 Pro > Exogal Comet+ / Mojo / Onix XM10 > Taurus mk. II / WA6 / LD mk. II / LB B4-X / Earman Eagle
I do most of my listening on my desktop rig. This overkill for many of the IEMs I have auditioned, but outside of a synergy issue, I find that using my desktop chain really allows me to hear what an IEM/headphone is truly capable of as there's no shortage of power or resolution.
This is my primary chain - FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > XM10 > SU-1 > Exogal Comet+ > Taurus mk. II
For IEMs, I justify whether they're going to stay or not based on their performance on my DAP. This has been the Hiby R4 since it's release, but I have now upgraded to Onix's XM10.
I do most of my listening on my desktop rig. This overkill for many of the IEMs I have auditioned, but outside of a synergy issue, I find that using my desktop chain really allows me to hear what an IEM/headphone is truly capable of as there's no shortage of power or resolution.
This is my primary chain - FLAC / WAV / Qobuz > XM10 > SU-1 > Exogal Comet+ > Taurus mk. II
For IEMs, I justify whether they're going to stay or not based on their performance on my DAP. This has been the Hiby R4 since it's release, but I have now upgraded to Onix's XM10.
My impressions of Let Shuoer's S15:
OG Timeless got me into IEMs. When I first got my Timeless, I plugged it into my Chord Mojo and was in awe. I used to say that it was at least 80-90 % of my headphone/desktop rig's performance/enjoyment/engagement. I have since gone much deeper down the headphone rabbit hole and would struggle to make that same claim; plus, I'd argue that was more speaking to my subjective experience and preferences. I also purchased a Let Shuoer S12 a few months after, curious about the buzz surrounding the "Timeless killer". I'd say I enjoyed that IEM just as much, but I preferred the more natural presentation of Timeless and so, it remained my only IEM ...until SuperMix 4.
I'd say the primary "magic" of planars is excellent instrument separation, and thus more natural staging. This is something I have always highly valued and why I have always sought planar IEMs and headphones.
The performance of Simgot's SuperMix 4 really dragged me into IEMs - I've got the bug now. I have long favoured planar magnetic headphones, and so it made sense to me that a planar IEM also left such an impression on me. With the SuperMix signifying me joining the hobby, I have jumped on many of the new budget and mid range planar IEMs released.
It was Kiwi Ears Aether that have me give up on planar IEMs. I started to hear what many refer to as "planar timbre", or maybe it was just elements of the tuning disagreed with me, but regardless, I decided to stop pursuing the perfect planar IEM and just pursue IEMs.
...then came along S15. Let Shuoer kindly offered me an audition of this unit and I agreed, in part because some reviewers have called S15 "planar endgame". It only took me a few minutes of listening to understand S15's reputation, and largely agree.
The first thing that struck me about S15 is that it is a high volume set. I plugged it in and kept on turning up the volume. This reminded me of Let Shuoer's EJ07; a dark, warm presentation at low and mid volumes, but when you crank it, you get all the treble information you want, and the bass is elevated and the whole presentation is super engaging. I'd say you start to hear the magic high-medium volume, but obviously, be careful when going past this - it's worth it, but it's so easy to turn it up too loud. The second time I plugged this IEM in, I had it turned up so high and listened for half an hour - my ears were ringing afterward. I knew I was listening way too loud, but I didn't care! I'm a loud listener, but I really pushed it because these IEMs were so damn engaging at those volumes.
At high volume, the presentation is quite tactile. Plucks of bass strings and hits of snare drums are felt. I really enjoy this. S15 stages pretty well, it's not huge, but it ain't small sounding, either. It's warm to the point that it didn't ruin the timbre, but I wouldn't say it was necessarily "correct" sounding. But it is such an engaging listen, this didn't distract.
The other aspect of this IEM that is worth noting, it needs power. On paper, you shouldn't have trouble, but in reality, this 14.8 mm planar needs some juice. I didn't run into trouble with any of my gear, but that's because everything I have currently is quite capable. However, that's one of the ways I can tell, S15 drank up the power from my Auralic Taurus mk. II desktop amp. I have heard quite a few stories of what S15 sounds like on lesser powered gear from those with the variety of sources, and a capable DAP, or a desktop amplifier is what is required to hear what this IEM is capable of. Most dongles and some DAPs will leave you disappointed.
It's warm, bassy, engaging, tactile, dynamic, has good instrument separation, and good resolution for the price.
I don't usually comment, or care about, the packaging and contents for IEMs. But I thought the packaging and it's presentation was slick. The accessories are pretty good, too. I really appreciate getting a cable with interchangeable terminations.
I was curious about this IEM, but I had little intention of buying one. However, now I have spent some time with S15, I am going to buy one. This isn't because it's a good planar set - the good instrument separation that comes from the driver-type is just a bonus - but it's the tuning. I don't have a set like this and I have really enjoyed my time listening to it.
I don't think this set is necessarily for everyone because of the tuning/volume scaling and power requirements, but if you've read the above and are still curious, I'd recommend spending some time with S15. Just do it justice and make sure you power it properly.
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