[RotundCatto]

I am torn between purchasing a hifiman sundara or a 7Hz timeless. I know its like comparing apples and oranges but I am mainly interested in raw technical ability and resolution between them. I currently own a Hifiman he400se running on a Topping L30 II amp and a Ibasso Dc03 pro dac. I am open to eqing them both to achieve my desired tonality so only technical ability matters. I know sundara will definitely have much better soundstage but what about other technical abilities like instrument separation, bass texture, upper treble extension etc ?

 

[msing539]

I find the Timeless technically better but comfort is an issue for many... It's an oddly shaped IEM and I couldn't wear it for long periods without some fatigue.

 

[RotundCatto]

I find the Timeless technically better but comfort is an issue for many... It's an oddly shaped IEM and I couldn't wear it for long periods without some fatigue.

How does the timeless compare to letshouer s12 for technicalities ? is there any difference in soundstage and imaging between them?

 

[dunring]

I've had all those. The Sundara clamp was too tight and soundstage is really wide but too little front to back depth for gaming. The 7hz and S12 are good, but I just got the Seeaudio Yume II and would never buy the other two after hearing them. It's a real upgrade over the original Yume which I have also.
If it's just the planar sound your after, and had to pick between them? The timeless have a fun slam, more like the He4xx does when well powered. The treble on the S12 really beat me up after half an hour of gaming, though they are more comfortable.
I have a Topping l30 ii, on a Topping e50 via optical, to really show off it's completely silent noise floor. USB might be ok for laptops, but in a noisy gaming computer optical is great. That amp is kingpin for IEMs, especially the 10 ohm ones.
I get a lot of IEMs these days, for comfort issues I wipe the sharp edge with alcohol and put a few layers of electrical tape to smooth a pointy corner or edge.
Regardless of price, if I had to pick only one IEM to use all the time for everything? I'd pick the Yume II over even my Sennheiser ie600 due to it's versatility, sound stage, comfort, and fun factor.

 

[RotundCatto]

I've had all those. The Sundara clamp was too tight and soundstage is really wide but too little front to back depth for gaming. The 7hz and S12 are good, but I just got the Seeaudio Yume II and would never buy the other two after hearing them. It's a real upgrade over the original Yume which I have also.
If it's just the planar sound your after, and had to pick between them? The timeless have a fun slam, more like the He4xx does when well powered. The treble on the S12 really beat me up after half an hour of gaming, though they are more comfortable.
I have a Topping l30 ii, on a Topping e50 via optical, to really show off it's completely silent noise floor. USB might be ok for laptops, but in a noisy gaming computer optical is great. That amp is kingpin for IEMs, especially the 10 ohm ones.
I get a lot of IEMs these days, for comfort issues I wipe the sharp edge with alcohol and put a few layers of electrical tape to smooth a pointy corner or edge.
Regardless of price, if I had to pick only one IEM to use all the time for everything? I'd pick the Yume II over even my Sennheiser ie600 due to it's versatility, sound stage, comfort, and fun factor.

Well did you find 7Hz technically better than the sundara? Did you encounter any sibilance on your setup of l30 ii + sundara on any tracks?

 

[yookym]

I think nailing down what kind of technicality you are seeking after will be the deciding factor.
The sheer clarity of timeless is great however there are other things I found lacking.
Those are stage depth and mid-bass response.

If I were to prefer IEM over headphones, it would be the perception of depth they tend to do better. While the height and width (not satisfactory for me though) are 'OK', the depth is not really the Timeless's strong suite. It probably is the most 2D-ish in my collection after ER4. However this is not necessarily bad thing depending on what you intend to do with timeless or how you'd like your music served, as, again for example, the ER4's 2D staging (almost 1D) is more suitable for its intended purpose.

When it comes to soundstage, at least for me, the more is not always better. It's more about how you want to cook the music. If wide soundstage is what you want, headphone will be of course better. If not, IEMs can do the work but if you are looking for depth, Timeless won't be the solution.

Another thing I criticize about the Timeless is the mid-bass being a bit loose. This gave me a bit of uncanny feeling that felt like the mid-bass speed is having a hard time catching up with the rest of the frequency (sub-bass felt OK).

In terms of technicality, the Timeless is exceptional in its price range in its resolution (not sure about the comparison to newer releases though) and treble extension (which could be weakness for some people but still hard to see at this price range). Also it's quite EQ-able. I think due to its slightly narrow and rather on shallower side presentation, the imaging did take a hit.

About the S12, I never heard of it but do hear its fun to modify and allegedly has preferable bass response. At similar price range, it seems like you have to sacrifice something, so it will be the best to sort out what you need the most. Hope my Timeless experience helped!