[LFC_SL]

I have tried and owned almost all the ones you have listed. M9 and Z1R are more or less equal. Z1R has larger stage and more impactful bass response (M9 has excellent, S- tier bass while Z1R is S or SS class). Midrange is superior on M9. I am not a fan of how 64audio stuff sounds, they are technically extremely capable but I don't find them engaging enough. VE IEMs have exceptional midrange but treble needs to be eq'd often, bass is adequate.

Agree with most of this though found VE to sound slightly muddy or congested at can jam with the Sony WM1Z, with the caveat this was a show demo only. I think 64A has a couple of different tunings and I appreciate their flatter mid range. Nice change from the copycat monitors that boost the female vocal frequencies

 

[BonGoBiLai]

Agree with most of this though found VE to sound slightly muddy or congested at can jam with the Sony WM1Z, with the caveat this was a show demo only. I think 64A has a couple of different tunings and I appreciate their flatter mid range. Nice change from the copycat monitors that boost the female vocal frequencies

Yeah VE stuff are good but flawed. I am quite intrigued about the 64 duo and trio though. A friend has both on the way.

 

[Gus141]

Just received my M9's and starting to burn my ears in. Thoughts so far based on my demo tracks run through a Mojo 2 with EQ turned off (HDTracks/24bit vs. the YouTube below)... Syrupy smooth and easy to listen to without fatigue. Biggest issue I am having is with lead guitar which tends to sound more recessed in the mix than I am used to. Assuming the dip at 5k-10k in the M9's FR is the reason. Thinking about trying out a pair of IE600 as well to see which signature I prefer.

Instrumental track testing for bloat. Nice clean guitar tones. bass and balance but missing a bit of bite


Test of air, dynamics, and vocals - first 1:30 in particular. Drums and guitar were recessed while the vocals moved forward. Guitar and drums lack bite/dynamics.


You know it/standard test. Liked the balanced presentation here and M9 was able to bring out subtle details I had not heard before - jazz guitar tones in particular.


Issues with guitar being recessed/lacking bite. Sax, keys and vocals well presented


Grateful Dead Testing

UCLA '73. Single Drummer - Wall of Sound. Of note are the double balanced microphones being used to cancel out the Wall which is also their monitor. Great separation, definition, and bass tones. Jerry and Donna are not piercing your skull (double mic noise cancellation made vocals sound nasally). Like the way the M9 is able to handle older recordings which may have harsher elements.



Buffalo '77. Cornell gets all the glory, but I prefer the next night in Buffalo. Markedly different sound from pre-hiatus - Mickey is back/double drums, no wall of sound, sweeter tones, and all around tighter. Help->Slipknot->Franklin's Tower is a great test of the whole package. If this doesn't play well and put a smile on your face then there is no point in continuing. Test passed.



Nassau '90. Eyes -> Estimated -> Dark Star with Branford Marsalis sitting in. Jerry is tired and his body is wearing out, but was able to tap into the magic for Spring 90. Another smile test and check of definition/balance/resolution/air.

Nice post. If your curious, this the EQ I use on the Mojo2 for the M9: +2, 0, 0, +1

I’ve noticed a lot of Mojo2’s in the sigs of members here so I figured most are using it without EQ but I like a little on both ends to make them sound a little more like my IER-Z1R (which I don’t EQ at all).

Here is my post on Mojo2 EQ’s for all my Sony kit: Post #26 of 52

Cheers, Gus

 

[Gus141]

My XBA-Z5 finally died after almost 10 years of loyal service - fallen soldiers, we salute you

In the past, I've favored the Z5 over the M9, due to the slamming bass in the Z5. But with my Z5 in IEM heaven, I decided to give the M9 a second look.

After a lot of fiddling in Apple Music - which does NOT have a proper equalizer, only presets - I found that the "DANCE" preset gives me the same bass response as my beloved Z5, while retaining the more open soundstage of the M9. Plus the superior ergonomics of the M9, which fit in my ear and seal perfectly.

All is good with the world.

Awesome find! I‘m glad I stumbled onto this post since I just sent my Mojo2 in to the service center and I’ve been using my L&P W2 dongle-DAC. Since I EQ the M9 on the Mojo2 I have been missing the sound signature I get, but after trying Apple Music ‘Dance’ EQ-preset, I’m very satisfied with the compromise. I still use my IER-Z1R mostly (not EQ’d) but when listening to the M9 (because they are so damn comfy and offer more noise isolation in noisy environments) I’ll use this ‘Dance’ preset until my Mojo2 is back.

Thanks!

 

[aftersound]

1. Resolution/detail retrieval wise, How does Sony m9 hold up to other TOTL IEMs out there? 64 audio u18s/t, 64 audio fourte, empire Odin, empire evo, VE Ext, VE Phoenix, Sony Z1r, UM mest mk2, Moondrop S8 etc? Thanks all


2. Which have better details Sony m9 or moondrop S8?

3. Pure BA is my preferred Iem of Choice. Any recommendations in upgrade path from Sony m9?

1. M9 is not as resolving as those TOTLs
2. definitely M9, S8 has more impactful sound and more forward midrange, yet i notice a lot missing music elements in S8 after trying the M9 (before owning M9, my favorite iem was S8, sold it immediately after i purchased M9)
3. i have tried a lot of TOTLs but none is a real "upgrade" from M9, there are many that offers better resolution
but M9 for me remains special due to its coherence and naturality, also that imaging capabiliy..

 

[dennarwhal]

1. Resolution/detail retrieval wise, How does Sony m9 hold up to other TOTL IEMs out there? 64 audio u18s/t, 64 audio fourte, empire Odin, empire evo, VE Ext, VE Phoenix, Sony Z1r, UM mest mk2, Moondrop S8 etc? Thanks all

2. Which have better details Sony m9 or moondrop S8?

3. Pure BA is my preferred Iem of Choice. Any recommendations in upgrade path from Sony m9?

I just came back from CanJam so the impressions are still fresh in my head. Thanks for asking!

1) M9 does not hold up to other TOTLs. It does not get absolutely destroyed but if a Z1R was a 10/10 in detail, the M9 would be like 7.5-8/10. I attribute this to the warmer midbass presentation.

2) Moondrop S8 for sure. But I do not recommend the S8 cos if you want to try harman curve, you can just buy the Blessing2 and be happy with it. Besides, the Blessing3 is already right round the corner.

3) 64 Audio A12t. Since we are cracking the 1000USD range and you are looking for a TOTL pure BA, might as well go custom. Try the universal version (U12t) at your local audio shop. I am sure it wont disappoint.

 

[BonGoBiLai]

1. M9 is not as resolving as those TOTLs
2. definitely M9, S8 has more impactful sound and more forward midrange, yet i notice a lot missing music elements in S8 after trying the M9 (before owning M9, my favorite iem was S8, sold it immediately after i purchased M9)
3. i have tried a lot of TOTLs but none is a real "upgrade" from M9, there are many that offers better resolution
but M9 for me remains special due to its coherence and naturality, also that imaging capabiliy..

Yes same feeling about the upgrade. The only IEM I felt like a true 'upgrade' was the Aroma Jewel but it had its own issues plus its 5x more expensive. M9's coherency and timbre is extremely hard to beat. Probably only Sony can one up the monsters they have created.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Any of you guys happen to know if there's an adapter for the M9's connector to accept 2 Pin cables? Not The regular MMCX.

 

[Vamp898]

1. Resolution/detail retrieval wise, How does Sony m9 hold up to other TOTL IEMs out there? 64 audio u18s/t, 64 audio fourte, empire Odin, empire evo, VE Ext, VE Phoenix, Sony Z1r, UM mest mk2, Moondrop S8 etc? Thanks all


2. Which have better details Sony m9 or moondrop S8?

3. Pure BA is my preferred Iem of Choice. Any recommendations in upgrade path from Sony m9?

I own both the Moondrop S8 and the IER-M9, and the IER-M9 has significantly more details.

Especially in the mids the Moondrop S8 is pretty recessed and the mids sometimes tend to sound off and weird. So everything that needs good mids like pianos, chello, viola, male voices and so on tend to sound extremely flat, plastic and unrealistic with the S8.

Especially Violas have much more detail and sound way more realistic on the IER-M9

There is also much more details in the treble of the IER-M9. I have several songs with high pitched instruments like triangles and they sound much clearer and more authentic than with the Moondrop S8.

Also the S8 has typical BA timbre (which i thnk is caused by the soundpipes) the IER-M9 doesn't have. The Bass is nothing alike

You always have to keep in mind the difference between amound of detail, quality of detail and how easy it is to pickup.

There are lot of IEM that have less detail than the IER-M9 but the people think they have more, because they push certain frequencies (especially upper mids and lower treble) so you can hear the details easier. So even when they contain less detail and are less resolving, because its easier to hear, at first it sounds like they have more detail.

So you have to know your songs and listen to both IEM for a longer time to actually know which one has more detail so it is hard to compare.

When i listened to the Moondrop S8 for the first time, i thought its on par with the IER-M9 and even has more details in some areas. But listening to it closer for a longer time i noticed with a lot of songs, especially more complex songs with acoustic instruments, that there is quite an big difference. Not just Detail, also Soundstage and overall presentation.

 

[Vamp898]

I just came back from CanJam so the impressions are still fresh in my head. Thanks for asking!

1) M9 does not hold up to other TOTLs. It does not get absolutely destroyed but if a Z1R was a 10/10 in detail, the M9 would be like 7.5-8/10. I attribute this to the warmer midbass presentation.

2) Moondrop S8 for sure. But I do not recommend the S8 cos if you want to try harman curve, you can just buy the Blessing2 and be happy with it. Besides, the Blessing3 is already right round the corner.

3) 64 Audio A12t. Since we are cracking the 1000USD range and you are looking for a TOTL pure BA, might as well go custom. Try the universal version (U12t) at your local audio shop. I am sure it wont disappoint.

The Moondrop Blessing 2 is one of the worst In-Ear that exists on this planet. There is almost no music that sounds good with the Blessing 2. People only buy it because of its measurement and not due to its sound. It sounds horroundes with one of the worst Soundstage, Layering and Imaging i have ever heard in any IEM. It sounds 100% typical ChiFi and not in the positive way.

The Moondrop S8 even has better and more authentic bass than the Blessing 2 even though the Blessing 2 is a hybrid. The Blessing 2 bass sounds more BAish than the S8 Bass which is, i have to admit... something i did not expect. Don't know how they managed to make an DD sound that bad, but i give it to them, if that is what they wanted, they made it.

I personally think only people who really hate how Music sounds in real live can enjoy the Blessing 2 so i do not trust any person who owns and enjoys the Blessing 2. Its the ulitmate "I don't care how music sounds, i listen to my In-Ear". Also the Tuning has nothing to do with Harman. Compared to the Harman Target Curve, the Blessing 2 has recessed Bass, Lower mids and pushed upper Mids/Lower Treble. Typical ChiFi. Nothing more, nothing less.

To quote other Headfier: "I rather listen to silence than music with the Blessing 2". I am sorry for the rant, i can accept most In-Ear and Headphone and accept their tuning, but as an musician, i really hate the Blessing 2. It destroys everything the Artist and/or the Mixing/Mastering Engineer worked hard for. It destroys music for the sake of being as detailed and clear as possible.

Also the IER-Z1R has significantly less details than the IER-M9 in all areas. I own both and listen to them every day, the IER-Z1R has less details.

 

[aftersound]

The Moondrop Blessing 2 is one of the worst In-Ear that exists on this planet. There is almost no music that sounds good with the Blessing 2. People only buy it because of its measurement and not due to its sound. It sounds horroundes with one of the worst Soundstage, Layering and Imaging i have ever heard in any IEM. It sounds 100% typical ChiFi and not in the positive way.

The Moondrop S8 even has better and more authentic bass than the Blessing 2 even though the Blessing 2 is a hybrid. The Blessing 2 bass sounds more BAish than the S8 Bass which is, i have to admit... something i did not expect. Don't know how they managed to make an DD sound that bad, but i give it to them, if that is what they wanted, they made it.

I personally think only people who really hate how Music sounds in real live can enjoy the Blessing 2 so i do not trust any person who owns and enjoys the Blessing 2. Its the ulitmate "I don't care how music sounds, i listen to my In-Ear". Also the Tuning has nothing to do with Harman. Compared to the Harman Target Curve, the Blessing 2 has recessed Bass, Lower mids and pushed upper Mids/Lower Treble. Typical ChiFi. Nothing more, nothing less.

To quote other Headfier: "I rather listen to silence than music with the Blessing 2"

Also the IER-Z1R has significantly less details than the IER-M9 in all areas. I own both and listen to them every day, the IER-Z1R has less details.

man... strangely agree with you

b2 is very well balanced but it's missing impact, timbre and dynamics, the music's soul isn't there somehow, like s8 much more even though the upper mid could be a bit intense in some songs

also agree with Z1R, compared with M9 for about 2 weeks for review, Z1R sounds larger, more impactful and forward, it does give this impression of "detail jump" at first listen, but after weeks of comparing it is clear that Z1R is clearer in some areas but the detail and imaging is more noticable on M9

let get this straight i mean clearer = note definition are better on some areas due to more elevated frequency
more detail = i could hear more song's information due to more neutral presentation (not as "clear" as z1r, but i did miss some elements during hearing Z1R), and better imaging of M9 helps with the detail retrieval too, Z1R simply larger in soundstage and more impactful, but detail and imaging i still prefer M9

 

[BonGoBiLai]

The Moondrop Blessing 2 is one of the worst In-Ear that exists on this planet. There is almost no music that sounds good with the Blessing 2. People only buy it because of its measurement and not due to its sound. It sounds horroundes with one of the worst Soundstage, Layering and Imaging i have ever heard in any IEM. It sounds 100% typical ChiFi and not in the positive way.

The Moondrop S8 even has better and more authentic bass than the Blessing 2 even though the Blessing 2 is a hybrid. The Blessing 2 bass sounds more BAish than the S8 Bass which is, i have to admit... something i did not expect. Don't know how they managed to make an DD sound that bad, but i give it to them, if that is what they wanted, they made it.

I personally think only people who really hate how Music sounds in real live can enjoy the Blessing 2 so i do not trust any person who owns and enjoys the Blessing 2. Its the ulitmate "I don't care how music sounds, i listen to my In-Ear". Also the Tuning has nothing to do with Harman. Compared to the Harman Target Curve, the Blessing 2 has recessed Bass, Lower mids and pushed upper Mids/Lower Treble. Typical ChiFi. Nothing more, nothing less.

To quote other Headfier: "I rather listen to silence than music with the Blessing 2". I am sorry for the rant, i can accept most In-Ear and Headphone and accept their tuning, but as an musician, i really hate the Blessing 2. It destroys everything the Artist and/or the Mixing/Mastering Engineer worked hard for. It destroys music for the sake of being as detailed and clear as possible.

Also the IER-Z1R has significantly less details than the IER-M9 in all areas. I own both and listen to them every day, the IER-Z1R has less details.

Blessing 2 sucks ass. In fact, every moonjank IEM does. Chi Fi peddlers on the internet has put this and other similarly crappy IEMs on pedestals they don't deserve

 

[BonGoBiLai]

man... strangely agree with you

b2 is very well balanced but it's missing impact, timbre and dynamics, the music's soul isn't there somehow, like s8 much more even though the upper mid could be a bit intense in some songs

also agree with Z1R, compared with M9 for about 2 weeks for review, Z1R sounds larger, more impactful and forward, it does give this impression of "detail jump" at first listen, but after weeks of comparing it is clear that Z1R is clearer in some areas but the detail and imaging is more noticable on M9

let get this straight i mean clearer = note definition are better on some areas due to more elevated frequency
more detail = i could hear more song's information due to more neutral presentation (not as "clear" as z1r, but i did miss some elements during hearing Z1R), and better imaging of M9 helps with the detail retrieval too, Z1R simply larger in soundstage and more impactful, but detail and imaging i still prefer M9

Bang on observation. Although Z1R is more fun I find it to be slightly genre specific while M9 can handle everything thrown at it like a champ. M9 and IE 900 are the allrounders of the Sub 2000 Zone IMO

 

[BonGoBiLai]

Any of you guys happen to know if there's an adapter for the M9's connector to accept 2 Pin cables? Not The regular MMCX.

Variant 1 (transparent) : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004183690831.html (HD 800 is a typo)

Variant 2: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004283167351.html

 

[kefs]

I still need to find comfortable tips !
I think my ear canals are tiny, i get pain with everything on these