[AverageDude]

I haven't spent on anything since the KZ ZS5, which I immensely regret. They were a waste of money. And I'm now trying to buy a 64 audio, but it seems like this is not panning out either. And my X5 3rd gen is defective... And I'm stuck with a Westone W3 which noone wants to buy.

Damn you fiio!!!

I've been running on my FiiO X7 Mark II since last Wednesday, and I must say I am very happy with it!

 

[OldDude04]

I've been running on my FiiO X7 Mark II since last Wednesday, and I must say I am very happy with it!

I know it's not a DAP, but I love my E17k.

 

[JaeYoon]

I've been running on my FiiO X7 Mark II since last Wednesday, and I must say I am very happy with it!

Looks like fiio learned a lot for mark II.

 

[Richsvt]

What are your impressions on the Exclusive 5? I used to own a TFZ Series 5 awhile back.

I'll post some impressions once I get a little time with it. From the little I heard last night, pretty decent sounding.

 

[Richsvt]

Review I read: "The 5 is my personal favorite of the group. It offers nearly the same performance as the King (slightly smaller sound stage with more relaxed treble and more prominent bass) but in a smaller, more comfortable housing. There is just something about their take on this signature and that really clicks with me."

9mm graphene on the 5 vs 12mm graphene on the king

It was from that review that I chose the EX 5 over the King. But now have to go back and re-look at if getting the King makes sense, especially at the lower price.

Saving up is a joke. I'm looking at saving for some NightOwls but i guess that'll be pushed back some after all the stuff I've gotten recently...

 

[Karendar]

Looks like fiio learned a lot for mark II.

Yeah, they learned a lot... At a bunch of beta testing user's expense.

 

[timorinolee]

@Jackpot77 read about your impressions about Empire Ear's latest prototypes, the Savage 5 & 9, the 9 sounds really appealing to me, warm and heavy on the lows and mids but your comments about the smoothness of the treble is quite unsettling. I know it was a brief listen but could you explain it a little bit more?

 

[Howlin Fester]

Out of curiosity how did the rest of you get into this hobby / this website?

I was happy enough with cheap Sennheisers for years (CX300s were a staple), had tried a Kickstarter called Decibullz as I was intrigued by their home molded earphones, and then saw the Trinity Phantom Air Kickstarter.

That led me to this website, and a few other Trinity purchases, for example got the Master and the Icarus III as I was curious as to what the difference between Analytical and Emotional IEMs was.

This website then led me to Schiit Audio (Modi and Vali) for a desktop set up to see what a Tube Amp was like, and it's kind of Snowballed a bit. Hence my earlier asking about DAPs and portable Amps (which I'm still mulling over, thanks for all the advice).

Well there's my short tale, be interested to hear yours.

I have been into music since I was five. My first albums were Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon and Kansas Masque. This was 1974 and my grandmother took me to K-Mart to buy these records. Since then everything I've done has been with music. I had low to mid-fi equipment, though. After the iPod came out, I started listening to a lot more in-ear instead of boom-box CD players. I think my first decent iem was the Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 5. At this time I think I was about 170 Variable Bit rate Rips. I used to read this website called the i-Lounge to help fix iTunes database problems and such. They were really hot on the Shure SE-530. So I bought a pair of those and really liked them. But the grommet kept coming loose, and hot glue wouldn't hold it. So I read (on Amazon, I think) about the Ultimate Ears Triple Fi. The upgrade and big brother of the Super-Fi 5 that I had enjoyed. So I bought them.. At this time I think I had to re-rip my entire collection to MP3 CBR 320. (I never used apple formats. I hate proprietary.)

There is where I got into Head-fi... My cable on the the Ultimate Ears Triple fi broke. I just used it so much. So I looked up something like "Ultimate Ears Triple Fi cable replacement." The first place it took me to was a thread about taking your UE Triple Fi and re-shelling it. I think it was a Unique Melody thread. From that point on, I just kept seeing references to other things. One was the Jerry Harvey JH-12 and JH16 custom in ear monitors. I was sure that I was going to save up and get one or the other. (I never did). I still haven't broken the 500 dollar mark for iem. I'm sure I will get a high end iem at some point, but right now the Hunter is suiting me just fine.

Along the way, i have also purchased some high end headphones. About the time I had the Triple Fi, my wife bought me the AKG-702 for our anniversary. That was also when I got my first portable amp. The Headstage Arrow. I read about it on Anything But Ipod. Later I picked up the Grado RS1i. Then the Fostex TH-900. And the Audeze LCD-XC.

After I started picking up more high end headphones and amps, I started the process of re-ripping yet again. This time to FLAC. Now I'm at the point where anything new I get is ripped to FLAC and MP3 320. FLAC for my Cayin N3 and Ibasso DX50. MP3 320 for my ipods. I have 3 or 4 high rez albums, but most of my music is 16/44 rips. As I want to hear something that I don't have FLAC rips of yet, I pull the CD out and rip it.

Things I've learned on the way. I listen to waaaaayyyy more in-ear music than I do headphones. If I listen to headphones, I listen to closed back waayy more than open back. I LOVE MUSIC.

There. Now you know the life and head-fi adventures of Howlin' Fester.

 

[Howlin Fester]

Hi guys. I posted this in the Nasty Trinity thread. Someone asked about Hunter impressions there. So I obliged. But I liked my comparison to the Icarus 3 and my description, so I thought I would copy over here. Hope you guys don't mind the double post. I would rather talk here than the Nasty Trinity Thread.

Re-posted:
I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to get the Hunters. I listen to them just about every day. I also sent my email to get the Litz cable, and I received them relatively quickly. So I've been listening balanced through a RSA Kobicon connector. The Hunters have over 100 hours, but the cable doesn't yet.

I find them to be clear and detailed. I have gunmetal filters and feel that the bass sound and impact is perfect. I initially liked the red and the silver for bass too, but it felt like my seal was too tight and caused too much pressure with filters that didn't have a port hole. The soundstage is wide and well presented. I put JVC Spiral Dots on them for tips. I think that the wide bore tips really helped open up soundstage.

I'm using the Hunter with Cayin N3 and RSA Intruder.
FLAC 16/44 > N3 > usb out > RSA Hunter > Trinity Balanced Litz cable > Hunter burnt titanium > Gunmetal Filter > JVC Spiral Dots.

Here is my review of the N3. The Hunter was the primary iem used.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ca...lity-digital-audio-player-black.22343/reviews

I also recently received the Icarus 3. I've only got about 30 minutes on them. I was doing some testing between the Hunter and the Icarus 3. The Icky3 does have a fun sound to them. But I much more prefer the detail retrieval of the Hunter. I was listening to a recent rip of Chicago's greatest hits. I listened to the song "I'm a Man" It starts out with a deep thudding bass line. And there is someone snapping their fingers in time. It sounds like it is coming from behind you. Very faint. One of those things that makes you look around to see if you wife came into your office. Then drums enter. Third percussion sticks in the far left sound field with cowbell added next. Organ come in on the right side.

With the Hunter everything sounds clear and natural, you hear the finger snaps behind you, and you can place the location of the instruments as they come into the song. With the Icky3, you cannot hear the finger snaps, the sound field is closed in, and the percussion sticks sound dull and lifeless. I much more prefer the clarity of the hunter.

I have not yet figured out where the Icky3 fits in my life. I have the N3>Intruder>Hunter sitting next to me on my desk at work. I use ipod nano>RSA Predator>Trinity Delta VII for out and about. I use Fiio M3>Trinity Delta (Original) while cutting the grass.

 

[HungryPanda]

love it, I fell into head-fi due to the Unique melody thread and the ibasso DX50. Thought I was all set up with the custom Miracle and that DX50. Such a step up from my Cowon J3. Then the journey began..... Alway wanted a Sennheiser HD650..... I went up and then came down. I'm sitting here witha pair of OKCSC M1 DIY that I got today ($34) playing music from Foobar 2000 > Fostex HPA4BL and I'm ever so happy

 

[Jackpot77]

@Jackpot77 read about your impressions about Empire Ear's latest prototypes, the Savage 5 & 9, the 9 sounds really appealing to me, warm and heavy on the lows and mids but your comments about the smoothness of the treble is quite unsettling. I know it was a brief listen but could you explain it a little bit more?

Hi

These aren't the new model prototypes, they are a "hidden" line of IEMs they sell for musicians, and are tuned more in line with a stage monitor. Therefore the treble was clear but less emphasised than in their main range, which is usually the case with stage gear to avoid listening fatigue from high volume listening for extended periods. They are warmer and more recessed up top than the Olympus range of their "new" prototypes.

It was only a brief listen, but hope that helps?

 

[Kevinb0127]

I have both the Andro and the Vega at the moment, and the Vega definitely excels with guitar based music. The depth to the notes and weight of the bass add a level of dynamics and energy to the sound it's just difficult to find elsewhere (closest I've come so far is the Focal Elear over-ear).

Thank you very much @Jackpot77 much appreciated. I am a guitar fan primarily so you might have swayed me...

 

[Karendar]

Hi guys. I posted this in the Nasty Trinity thread. Someone asked about Hunter impressions there. So I obliged. But I liked my comparison to the Icarus 3 and my description, so I thought I would copy over here. Hope you guys don't mind the double post. I would rather talk here than the Nasty Trinity Thread.

Re-posted:
I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to get the Hunters. I listen to them just about every day. I also sent my email to get the Litz cable, and I received them relatively quickly. So I've been listening balanced through a RSA Kobicon connector. The Hunters have over 100 hours, but the cable doesn't yet.

I find them to be clear and detailed. I have gunmetal filters and feel that the bass sound and impact is perfect. I initially liked the red and the silver for bass too, but it felt like my seal was too tight and caused too much pressure with filters that didn't have a port hole. The soundstage is wide and well presented. I put JVC Spiral Dots on them for tips. I think that the wide bore tips really helped open up soundstage.

I'm using the Hunter with Cayin N3 and RSA Intruder.
FLAC 16/44 > N3 > usb out > RSA Hunter > Trinity Balanced Litz cable > Hunter burnt titanium > Gunmetal Filter > JVC Spiral Dots.

Here is my review of the N3. The Hunter was the primary iem used.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ca...lity-digital-audio-player-black.22343/reviews

I also recently received the Icarus 3. I've only got about 30 minutes on them. I was doing some testing between the Hunter and the Icarus 3. The Icky3 does have a fun sound to them. But I much more prefer the detail retrieval of the Hunter. I was listening to a recent rip of Chicago's greatest hits. I listened to the song "I'm a Man" It starts out with a deep thudding bass line. And there is someone snapping their fingers in time. It sounds like it is coming from behind you. Very faint. One of those things that makes you look around to see if you wife came into your office. Then drums enter. Third percussion sticks in the far left sound field with cowbell added next. Organ come in on the right side.

With the Hunter everything sounds clear and natural, you hear the finger snaps behind you, and you can place the location of the instruments as they come into the song. With the Icky3, you cannot hear the finger snaps, the sound field is closed in, and the percussion sticks sound dull and lifeless. I much more prefer the clarity of the hunter.

I have not yet figured out where the Icky3 fits in my life. I have the N3>Intruder>Hunter sitting next to me on my desk at work. I use ipod nano>RSA Predator>Trinity Delta VII for out and about. I use Fiio M3>Trinity Delta (Original) while cutting the grass.

I don't know how different the PM6 and Hunters will be... Bob was saying at some point that if you're onboard with the PM6, not bother with the hunter. Guess I heeded his suggestions after all.

 

[grs8]

Some funny ot

Sitting at my pc playing a round D3 and a pheasant hen jumps through the window at my desk. Fortunately she didn't hit my monitor.

Maybe she wanted to taste my Whiskey Ginger.

and now btt

 

[Midgetguy]

Some funny ot

Sitting at my pc playing a round D3 and a pheasant hen jumps through the window at my desk. Fortunately she didn't hit my monitor.

Maybe she wanted to taste my Whiskey Ginger.

and now btt

You got a pheasant to the desk while playing Diablo 3? Talk about immersion!