[piotrus-g]

I believe it's a rolling drop, do we know when it will be live again?

Not yet, I would like to see how our lab will handle so many orders at once. My estimate we could run next drop within 4-5weeks.

 

[chimab]

Sounds good

 

[lookingforIEMs]

I'm not sure if your questions was related to a part of my previous reply that you quoted?

Cable is not going to drastically change a sound signature, but it can change sound characteristics by making it brighter or darker, more revealing or bassier, even make sound perception louder.  It's one complicated formula with a lot of variables.  My point was that just because one specific cable worked great with another specific pair of IEM/CIEMs, it doesn't guarantee the same synergy with a different pair of CIEMs.

Regarding # of drivers/config/crossover/tuning, it's all part of that same complicated cooking formula that masterminds like Piotr come up with   I'm just a happy listener who gets a chance to enjoy and comment on it

I think I accidentally deleted the wrong part I wanted to comment on haha. Was just tryna respond to your comment that drivers needed to be added to change the sound. Doesn't work that way cos tuning is rather what matters more.

But yea.. . Enjoy the music

 

[twister6]

 

I'm not sure if your questions was related to a part of my previous reply that you quoted?

Cable is not going to drastically change a sound signature, but it can change sound characteristics by making it brighter or darker, more revealing or bassier, even make sound perception louder.  It's one complicated formula with a lot of variables.  My point was that just because one specific cable worked great with another specific pair of IEM/CIEMs, it doesn't guarantee the same synergy with a different pair of CIEMs.

Regarding # of drivers/config/crossover/tuning, it's all part of that same complicated cooking formula that masterminds like Piotr come up with

  I'm just a happy listener who gets a chance to enjoy and comment on it

I think I accidentally deleted the wrong part I wanted to comment on haha. Was just tryna respond to your comment that drivers needed to be added to change the sound. Doesn't work that way cos tuning is rather what matters more.

But yea.. . Enjoy the music

 
With regard to your comment above, yes, tuning is important.  But the type and the number of drivers were selected and tuned for a specific sound signature Piotr had in mind.  I don't consider myself to be "know-it-all" and instead try to stay on a "surface" evaluating the design and analyzing the sound rather than pretending to be an audiophile, but I'm pretty sure to change or to alter the signature of the current Ei.xx model you will either have to select different drivers to cover upper frequency range or to add more drivers (perhaps 2 more dedicated mids) and to adjust crossover points and sound-tube filters, etc.  Just guessing that Piotr's Ei.xx cooking recipe will have to be adjusted with more than just re-tuning

 

[piotrus-g]

   
With regard to your comment above, yes, tuning is important.  But the type and the number of drivers were selected and tuned for a specific sound signature Piotr had in mind.  I don't consider myself to be "know-it-all" and instead try to stay on a "surface" evaluating the design and analyzing the sound rather than pretending to be an audiophile, but I'm pretty sure to change or to alter the signature of the current Ei.xx model you will either have to select different drivers to cover upper frequency range or to add more drivers (perhaps 2 more dedicated mids) and to adjust crossover points and sound-tube filters, etc.  Just guessing that Piotr's Ei.xx cooking recipe will have to be adjusted with more than just re-tuning

Well I think cooking is good metaphor. Think of tuning a monitor as cooking a stake with asparagus on a side. Too long on grill and the meat is dry, too long in the water and vegies are hard and blant in taste. Not enough seasoning and you end up wanting more
For Ei.xx I selected two dual drivers with tuned vents and low THD.
BA speakers come as vented and tune-vented.[edit] there are non-vented drivers as well, but we focus on vented options here [end] Vented drivers have simply holes in the back that amplify anything from 10 to 3000Hz. Tuned-vents increase only certain range like say 10-500Hz (depends on driver) Tuned vents also offer lower THD than just vented design.
Point is - driver selection is important and proper choice will get you sound you wanted in the first place. Obviously the same crossover design could have been applied to different drivers, probably only two (like Knowles CI family) instead of four, but I was after completely different sound than CI drivers would produce.
We also recently got request to incorporate Ei.xx bass section as is into custom project with 12-drivers in total, and it merged pretty well with proper adjustments on higher frequency drivers.
So think of drivers as building blocks that create the whole. You can add or remove something and it can be done either by selecting new ingredient (driver) or seasoning (crossover) - both are really important but only when combined properly give you what you wanted.

 

[twister6]

Awesome post with a very educational explanation, Piotr!  I learn something new every day!
 
Now about that 12-driver recipe, man, that sounds delicious!!!

 

[MrButchi]

Follow-up on cables in wonderland. As @piotrus-g mentionned before, it turns out the Ei.XX must be really sensitive to source impedance :
- I hate the iPhone 6-Linum BaX-Ei.XX combination,
- I totally appreciate the Gungnir MB-Lyr2-Linum BaX-Ei.XX combination.
 
My conclusion ? The iPhone 6 output impedance must be high (because the Lyr2 is like 0.3 ohms or the like).
 
For due measure, I also listened for about 5-6 hours to iPhone 6-Linum Music-Ei.XX combination, and that was really good. Better than with stock cable ? I couldn't tell. Maybe the bass was a smidge tighter, but that could be total BS on me.

 

[piotrus-g]

   
Now about that 12-driver recipe, man, that sounds delicious!!!

Yeah... As you may know we do some custom projects from time to time. Right now they are very limited. Basically it's Anzu v3 http://www.head-fi.org/t/663051/new-custom-iem-company-custom-art-discussion-review-and-impressions-thread/2415#post_11604091 with changed low section as mentioned above.

 

[AUserName501]

Spoiler: Quote: MrButchi

Originally Posted by MrButchi /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Follow-up on cables in wonderland. As @piotrus-g mentionned before, it turns out the Ei.XX must be really sensitive to source impedance :
- I hate the iPhone 6-Linum BaX-Ei.XX combination,
- I totally appreciate the Gungnir MB-Lyr2-Linum BaX-Ei.XX combination.
 
My conclusion ? The iPhone 6 output impedance must be high (because the Lyr2 is like 0.3 ohms or the like).
 
For due measure, I also listened for about 5-6 hours to iPhone 6-Linum Music-Ei.XX combination, and that was really good. Better than with stock cable ? I couldn't tell. Maybe the bass was a smidge tighter, but that could be total BS on me.

 

 
iPhone 6/6+ output impedance is 3Ω
 
Lyr 2 has an output impedance of 0.3Ω on low gain.
 
Linum BAX cable has an impedance of 1.5Ω.
 
That is 1.8Ω with the Lyr 2 and 4.5Ω with the iphone 6/6+.
 
Can't say how much that would affect frequency response without impedance curve of ei.xx.

 

[acain]

My daughter said it was cool Custom Art put my initials on the faceplates LOL. I never realized they are the same as my initials, can't get over how cool these look.
 

 

[twister6]

Full Review of CustomArt Ei.xx is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/customart-ei-xx-6-driver-ciem-massdrop-edition/reviews/14140
 

 

[Tobias89]

  Full Review of CustomArt Ei.xx is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/customart-ei-xx-6-driver-ciem-massdrop-edition/reviews/14140
 

 
Nicely written! Agree with the part that one end game IEM isn't possible when we change listening preferences to suit our mood. I have the SE846 when is one of my favourite IEMs (not that I have alot), and I did back this so I'll try to do a comparison though.
 
Just one question though, regarding the mids. Did you find them recessed in anyway? 

 

[twister6]

 

  Full Review of CustomArt Ei.xx is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/customart-ei-xx-6-driver-ciem-massdrop-edition/reviews/14140
 

 
Nicely written! Agree with the part that one end game IEM isn't possible when we change listening preferences to suit our mood. I have the SE846 when is one of my favourite IEMs (not that I have alot), and I did back this so I'll try to do a comparison though.
 
Just one question though, regarding the mids. Did you find them recessed in anyway? 

 
Looking forward to Ei.xx vs SE846 comparison with "fresh" ears, since I did it by memory looking at my notes I took when reviewing W60.
 
Relative to elevated low end, mids do feel a bit recessed but signature doesn't feel too v-shaped.  I know we talked plenty about cables in the last few pages, and our opinions our subjective and maybe not necessary aligned, but I feel like with a stock cable you get more of that slightly recessed feeling in mids since a sound is smoother/warmer, but with BaX and silver cables mids get brighter/detailed and naturally sound more upfront giving the overall sound a more balanced signature.

 

[Tobias89]

   
Looking forward to Ei.xx vs SE846 comparison with "fresh" ears, since I did it by memory looking at my notes I took when reviewing W60.
 
Relative to elevated low end, mids do feel a bit recessed but signature doesn't feel too v-shaped.  I know we talked plenty about cables in the last few pages, and our opinions our subjective and maybe not necessary aligned, but I feel like with a stock cable you get more of that slightly recessed feeling in mids since a sound is smoother/warmer, but with BaX and silver cables mids get brighter/detailed and naturally sound more upfront giving the overall sound a more balanced signature.

 
I'll do my best. Haha. If it isn't too V-shaped I'm safe.

 

[piotrus-g]

  Full Review of CustomArt Ei.xx is up: http://www.head-fi.org/products/customart-ei-xx-6-driver-ciem-massdrop-edition/reviews/14140
 

Thanks! Impressive review.