Single & Multi Dynamic Driver Only IEM Discussion Thread
- Thread starter IEMusic
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DUNU LUNA. Had it for about 10 days as part of a loaner tour, but too bad I can't afford it. And worse still, now I can't unhear it when listening to other single DD types.
MrDelicious
500+ Head-Fier
Moondrop Illumination, by far the best tuned single DD I've ever heard.
I've traded my FH3 (never been a fan of its treble and driver-flex) for an Oxygen and even though I've already owned a pair a year ago, now with better sources/dap, the Oxygen is even better than I had in my memory. I still wish it had a bit more extension at the sub-bass (or the decay wasn't so fast) but it does everything so good and the mids are really really special on this one, so this is my favorite overall.
My 2nd place is ER2XR. I simply love the bass extension and mids tonality, which is crazy for an IEM with a 5.8mm driver. Also, ER2 is the one I use the most because of its crazy good isolation. The typical flaw of narrow/2D soundstage isn't a big deal to me and after the tip softens up it's really comfy to me, though.
I'm liking the NM2+, but as a guy who listens to music moderate-loud they can be a bit fatiguing for long sessions, so I'm in the process to find a good synergy.
Do u find the NM2+ hot in the upper mids? I almost got it at the last sale, but the graphs there look a bit scary for my tastes.
IMO, not as hot as the graph suggest. For reference, it's less hot and way more full-bodied than SSR due to the tasty boost at the mid-bass but with a similar symptom -- the more you crank up the volume, the more fatiguing it can get depending on the musical genre. Using wide bore tips, it's more evident but I'm right now using Final Type E tips with really good results (and almost zero issues with hotness) attached to an iPod touch last-gen. (FWIW I'm using the stock cable, and people recc copper ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
Also, it's been hard to find a mod that suits my taste because it's really easy to tame the upper-mids too much (e.g. micropore tape, kxxs filter, foam tips) and turn it into a boring listening since the clarity at the vocals and imaging are the highlight of this IEM and after mods, they just don't shine as the stock configuration.
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rggz
500+ Head-Fier
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I see you have the YBF. Out of curiosity, do you find it hot at the upper-mids? I think in some cases the bass can act as a "blanket" for the mids shoutiness, despite the graphs looking suspicious.
I see you have the YBF. Out of curiosity, do you find it hot at the upper-mids? I think in some cases the bass can act as a "blanket" for the mids shoutiness, despite the graphs looking suspicious.
Thanks for your feedback. Agree with you that our ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole and that it may sound different from graphs. I felt the urbanfun could be hot in the upper mids during bass lite music, the upper mids spike may then rear it's ugly head and make a sudden appearance! Or at louder volumes (fletcher munson curve).
Though i am not sure if the crinacle graph may be that of the noble metal version or beryllium one. Supposedly the beryllium one is more V shaped than the noble metal version. I think mine is the beryllium version.
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IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
The Oxygen and ER2 are both very well respected and excellent sounding IEMs, and I don’t think they are going anywhere anytime soon. The Ety is especially amazing given its versatility (isolation-wise) and its price now ($100).
The NM2+ is probably one of the best examples that I’ve experienced so far, where the graph doesn’t really match the sound. It is a SCARY looking graph, and it almost deterred me, but a good price and glowing recommendations from trusted members convinced me to try it. The upper mids don’t bother me at all, even though the upper mids on the TFZ No.3 do. There are many factors in play, but I think most people won’t have problems with it up to moderate volumes, and with a little time adjusting to the sound signature. FWIW, I can crank it up w/o problems.
I find the TFZ No.3 to be hot in the upper mids, but not the bery YBF. It may be skirting the line of being hot, but I can crank up that bass to brain shaking levels and still enjoy the mids.I see you have the YBF. Out of curiosity, do you find it hot at the upper-mids? I think in some cases the bass can act as a "blanket" for the mids shoutiness, despite the graphs looking suspicious.
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
Wow, who did you get to trade you? Even trade? The Oxygen retails for more the twice the price of the FH3. For me, the FH3 was a great example of a sound signature I like, with solid technicalities and performance, yet inexplicably boring to me. It just felt uninspiring.
I also am really starting to think that there are numerous slight characteristics to the sound of certain IEMs, particularly single-DD IEMs, that give it its own (for lack of a better word) “timbre”.
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K i agree with your findings bout the beryllium Urbanfun and the TFZ No. 3. In fact I sold away the No. 3 due to this (too hot upper mids at louder volumes). I'll see if there's a good deal for the NM2+ at the next sales, thanks for your advise.
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
Yeah, I would definitely wait for another great deal on the NM2+ to come along. With the rate that Chi-Fi is spitting out great single-DD IEMs, it probably would benefit you to take your time.
RikudouGoku
Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
At the rate chi-fi is churning out iems, you wont lose anything by waiting lol.
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
Exactly. It’s been more like computers lately, things only get better and less expensive over time (but this only applies to Chi-Fi, and for the time being, during this IEM Renaissance).
chickenmoon
1000+ Head-Fier
It's been a couple of days I have the NM2+, it finally arrived after some 40 days, and I must say I regard it as a mandatory purchase for the serious collector of affordable yet good quality DD IEMs.
However, while I understand where all the superlatives I've read about it are coming from I'm not of the opinion, unlike many, that this is a neutral, monitoring or really transparent set. To me this is a very pleasant, lean and fun, well extended, non-fatiguing v-shape IEM with excellent bass, perceived clarity and apparent detail retrieval.
Just like the JVC FDs it breaks down for me in busy tracks where stuff in some frequencies is so buried it can hardly be heard at all, the price to be paid for their leanness, which is why I regard both these sets only as pseudo-transparent. Also I watched a couple of movies with them and a lack of weight/body on male voices was quite apparent and weird giving them some ethereal/deincarnate feel, I got used to it though. So this for some minuses but unlike the JVCs which I find relatively unpleasant these are mostly unabated pleasure I can see myself indulging in regularly as I indulge in gourmet ice cream, a quite apt analogy to their sound I believe.
Oh and some genres such as darkpsy sound so good with them it's almost unreal.
Get them.
However, while I understand where all the superlatives I've read about it are coming from I'm not of the opinion, unlike many, that this is a neutral, monitoring or really transparent set. To me this is a very pleasant, lean and fun, well extended, non-fatiguing v-shape IEM with excellent bass, perceived clarity and apparent detail retrieval.
Just like the JVC FDs it breaks down for me in busy tracks where stuff in some frequencies is so buried it can hardly be heard at all, the price to be paid for their leanness, which is why I regard both these sets only as pseudo-transparent. Also I watched a couple of movies with them and a lack of weight/body on male voices was quite apparent and weird giving them some ethereal/deincarnate feel, I got used to it though. So this for some minuses but unlike the JVCs which I find relatively unpleasant these are mostly unabated pleasure I can see myself indulging in regularly as I indulge in gourmet ice cream, a quite apt analogy to their sound I believe.
Oh and some genres such as darkpsy sound so good with them it's almost unreal.
Get them.
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