TGXEAR discussion thread.
Feb 17, 2024 at 11:54 PM Post #1,801 of 1,915
Feb 18, 2024 at 4:33 AM Post #1,804 of 1,915
I'm very curious how Tantalus 2 will compare to Revelstoke and Tantalus OG. The original has one of my favorite tunings - I thought Revelstoke was going to be the successor, so I am very surprised for Tantalus 2!
 
Feb 18, 2024 at 4:37 AM Post #1,805 of 1,915
Wow, I just ordered one, my first TGX bud!
Congratulations! Hope Revelstroke meets your expectations and more. Do share your impressions so I can live vicariously 😅
 
Feb 18, 2024 at 5:17 AM Post #1,806 of 1,915
I still own Carbon #2 and love it to bits:) biggest soundstage out of all the TGX buds (and one Dunu one) I have tried and just a very natural tuning that sounds great for acoustic music :)
 
Feb 18, 2024 at 5:54 AM Post #1,807 of 1,915
Spending some quality time with Sunniva on a beautiful Sunday in sunny South Africa.

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Pairs quite nicely with the Shanling H7 and has been my favorite duo the past 10 months since I blind bought my first TGXEar bud.
 
Feb 20, 2024 at 2:53 PM Post #1,808 of 1,915
The Revelstoke and Tantalus 2 have got me excited! A savings pot has been opened for Revelstoke and I'm looking forward to hearing impressions as they roll in. :)
 
Feb 20, 2024 at 2:59 PM Post #1,809 of 1,915
The Revelstoke and Tantalus 2 have got me excited! A savings pot has been opened for Revelstoke and I'm looking forward to hearing impressions as they roll in. :)
Ooooh nice mate!
 
Feb 23, 2024 at 2:24 AM Post #1,810 of 1,915
Feb 24, 2024 at 7:28 AM Post #1,812 of 1,915
RU7 + Desolation Sound is offering up some great sonics today. For a few months now I have been using the 'Focus' donuts that came with the Sunniva for a bit more warmth. The lighter note and upper midrange presence of DS make it perfect for falsetto / acoustic music...

Based on my (admittedly) paper thin predictions, Revelstoke & Desolation Sound could be two sides of a very beautiful musical coin.

 
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Feb 24, 2024 at 7:48 AM Post #1,813 of 1,915
Feb 24, 2024 at 2:01 PM Post #1,814 of 1,915
I declare Revelstoke the unofficial earbud for listening to Eric Johnson. His voice combined with guitar tones on Revy just makes me so happy.

 
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Feb 24, 2024 at 11:05 PM Post #1,815 of 1,915
I received Desolation Sound Black Sand and Revelstroke a few days ago. CCing my first impressions from the WC thread here:

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Jims higher end sets (Revelstroke and DS) have been equipped with a wooden case and iem ear mesh (not pictured).

Desolation Sound Black Sand - $650
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Custom 130ohm composite diaphragm N55 Driver. Reference tuned + Black Sand damping.

Black Sand dampening: I have used the OG Desolation Sound as a daily driver. This version gets a SS shell upgrade, as well as added black sand dampening technology last used by his Serratus Black Sand model. Not only is this time consuming to make, but has a chance of drivers failing during the creation process.

I have found Desolation Sound to be the most resolving earbud I have come across so far alongside earbuds I have demoed such as Black Dragon (Susvara) and a few of VEs flagship models. This dampening technique seems to give Desolation Sound a further technical upgrade by providing a quieter background with transients being separating and "popping out" more.

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Sound Impressions: Compared to the OG model Desolation Sound, I find the mid bass to be reduced (noticibly) slightly with more upper treble. Zooming out, this is fairly uncoloured letting the music present itself naturally. Concurrently, I find this to be the most neutral out of Jims tunings. Totems tuning for example would be the closest to it while it tilting towards an ethereal, airier presentation.

Use case: Enjoying using Desolation Sound BS as an all-rounder palette cleanser allowing me to hear the integrity of a given recording. Not recommended however for those that are like bass quantity as it is shy in that department.

Revelstroke - $450:

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Custom 1+ Tesla Neodymium magnet driver. Impedance: 130ohm

Custom DD drivers: The first Earbud that I purchased from Jim was the Red Serratus. Since then Jim has continued to invest R&D with custom drivers with better capabilities. The first noticible jump for me was was with Totem. In terms of speed, Revelstrokes Tesla Neodymium magnet drivers seems to be at DS level.

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Sound Impressions: Revelstroke is warmer, more macro dynamic than DS but less mid bass leaning compared to Sunniva. Hearing this set as a W shaped warm neutral... balancing natural acoustic timbre while having sparkle sustain. In terms of resolution, I would slot it just behind Desolation Sound and above Serratus Black Sand.

Use Case: Similar to DS, this set too plays back my library to satisfaction on shuffle albeit with a more of an exciting U shaped presentation.

I'll post more detailed comparisons to the whole earbud roster in this thread after I get more ear time.
 

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