[tgx78]

Up late last night which always means trouble. Ordered Spark just before I read D’s new review. Stoked!
Put my ESR2 up for sale, likely Land too.
It’s been written here, variously, many times and, recently, someone wrote it very well—to continue discovering you have to part with something you love.
Comments on DD vs BA bass. My ears are oversensitive. Pressure can be a trigger. Sometimes Land moves a little too much air for my comfort. An actual sensation of bass. Quite potent. Thinking the BA better suited to my peculiarities.
To DD or not to DD—bass is the question!

Spark’s bass sounds so correct to my ears that I really don’t care about the driver implementation.

 

[Frombauge]

Spark’s bass sounds so correct to my ears that I really don’t care about the driver implementation.

Implementation is merely a means to an end. The end is good audio reproduction and a sublime experience.

 

[feverfive]

LMAO, it should go without saying it's all about the end result. The fact is, however, simply physics prevents (currently at least) BA's to push air like DD do, and I have yet to hear a non-DD IEM provide bass texture that I envision as well (I need to hear a planar IEM though, to be honest).

 

[RPKwan]

The best BA bass I have heard so far from an IEM is the Trailli.

There are many with DDs but my favs so far are the Simphonio VR1, the Fitear Air2/Ti Universal and Hyla CE-5. Sony IER Z1R is also very good but I think most ppl know that.

 

[davidmolliere]

Look what just arrived

The fit is great, I love it, although if you do go custom I'd advise to ask for a relaxed fit this is more of a compressive fit

 

[paolo63]

Mine arrived yesterday but universal. First listening is very promissing, now its time for burn in and wait for cardas clear light cable to arrive. I think it will be interesting to compare them with my Anole VX.
Enjoy!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Look what just arrived




The fit is great, I love it, although if you do go custom I'd advise to ask for a relaxed fit this is more of a compressive fit

Congrats David!!!
Enjoy your "cherries"

 

[davidmolliere]

Congrats David!!!
Enjoy your "cherries"

Thanks, honestly first impressions are very very good Spark is a special IEM for sure a big step up from the already excellent Zodiac... Tansio has outdone themselves with the Land and Spark releases.

I love Tansio midrange tuning... with open with superb separation yet a very organic presentation.
If I had to sum up Spark first impression it would be clear, smooth and highly engaging with a huge stage.
Resolution is impressive, naturalness is outstanding it might be the most natural sounding IEM I have heard especially out of DX300 (prefer it to M8 pairing).

 

[snapandslide]

Thanks, honestly first impressions are very very good Spark is a special IEM for sure a big step up from the already excellent Zodiac... Tansio has outdone themselves with the Land and Spark releases.

I love Tansio midrange tuning... with open with superb separation yet a very organic presentation.
If I had to sum up Spark first impression it would be clear, smooth and highly engaging with a huge stage.
Resolution is impressive, naturalness is outstanding it might be the most natural sounding IEM I have heard especially out of DX300 (prefer it to M8 pairing).

That engagement and staging seems to be where the Traillii excels too and clearly an area that TSMR have also nailed!

 

[Scubadevils]

That engagement and staging seems to be where the Traillii excels too and clearly an area that TSMR have also nailed!

New purchase brewing?

 

[snapandslide]

New purchase brewing?

haha, brewing yes and currently on top of the wish list, intent to actually purchase probably a few months off.....

 

[davidmolliere]

That engagement and staging seems to be where the Traillii excels too and clearly an area that TSMR have also nailed!

I admit I'd love to do an A/B session but whether it's close or similar, the result is here, Spark is there to play with the best at a reasonable price...

 

[Dsnuts]

I am convinced the Sparks are more about the actual tuning and materials for the earphones themselves minus the cable. All the higher end TOTLs out there seem to include a cable that is worth the cost of the Sparks in comparison. Odin with stormbreaker which the cable itself cost as much as the Sparks. UM FUSANG also uses a cable that cost over what the Sparks cost then there is Trailli which also has a cable that cost more than the Sparks.

For me I think Tansio got it right. I would much the earphones themselves be affordable and let the user throw in their own cable. Speaking of which I did some more cable rolling and I am now more than ever convinced this was done on purpose to have the Sparks more accessable. The Sparks sound better with just about anything I tried them on over their included cable.. I tried a cheaper OS849 and sound spectactular with that cable. Which also leads me to believe that the Sparks are not so picky of cable match ups like some earphones can be and I do believe it is due to how balanced the sound tuning is. My Solaris is a great sounding unit but cable match ups for them is really been more complicated than you would figure it would be.

Comparatively they are much more affordable than the others I have mentioned all due to the fact that they didn't throw in a kilobuck cable..
I am curious how the Sparks would do with one of them cables that came with the earphones I mentioned to level the playing field.

 

[RPKwan]

I am convinced the Sparks are more about the actual tuning and materials for the earphones themselves minus the cable. All the higher end TOTLs out there seem to include a cable that is worth the cost of the Sparks in comparison. Odin with stormbreaker which the cable itself cost as much as the Sparks. UM FUSANG also uses a cable that cost over what the Sparks cost then there is Trailli which also has a cable that cost more than the Sparks.

For me I think Tansio got it right. I would much the earphones themselves be affordable and let the user throw in their own cable. Speaking of which I did some more cable rolling and I am now more than ever convinced this was done on purpose to have the Sparks more accessable. The Sparks sound better with just about anything I tried them on over their included cable.. I tried a cheaper OS849 and sound spectactular with that cable. Which also leads me to believe that the Sparks are not so picky of cable match ups like some earphones can be and I do believe it is due to how balanced the sound tuning is. My Solaris is a great sounding unit but cable match ups for them is really been more complicated than you would figure it would be.

Comparatively they are much more affordable than the others I have mentioned all due to the fact that they didn't throw in a kilobuck cable..
I am curious how the Sparks would do with one of them cables that came with the earphones I mentioned to level the playing field.

I 100% agree that the cables marking up the cost of an IEM as a package is ridiculous. I can only speak on the Trailli but I don't use the included PWA 1960s with it since I prefer a mixed metal cable with a hybrid. I wouldn't mind an A/B with Sparks too but I'll say that I have heard most TOTL EST IEMS (Not the recent UM ones) and none come close to Trailli regardless of cable. Again, can't speak about Fusang but there is no IEM that stages and is as natural as Trailli - when people say it's like a full-sized headphone it really is. Don't forget, as much as the Sparks scales up, so does the Trailli with various cables, players, DACs and Amps. At the moment I'm using it with Hifiman HM1000 Quad and it's brilliant.

 

[snapandslide]

Agree with both of the posts above - I think Sony nailed the cable selection with the Z1R, the Odin's is far too expensive, but then again synergy is good. I've no inclination to cable roll with either, but I'm also not hugely into cables. A Trailli at $4k and adding even a $500 cables changes the cost equation massively.

@Dsnuts - have you settled on a particular cable with the Sparks?