[Mimouille]

I'm going to wait on the Roxanne for several reasons.

~> They need quite a bit of polish based on what I've been told by some. I'm sure it'll happen, but the question to my mind is will it be enough polish to make them truly shine? 
~> Too many other IEMs on my radar right now.
~> JH usually has holiday sales, even on new stuff, in my experience.
~> I'm going to be sending the JH-3A in for warranty repair on the amp, and how I'm treated by JH during this experience will factor into my decision.


I'm becoming more and more convinced as time goes on that I should just sell off most of my remaining gear aside from the LAu + Abyss and a few odds and ends. It mostly stems from a desire to clear out a lot of this stuff and consolidate. I'd still collect IEMs since they're small and easy to organize, but for the most part I kind of want to get out of the full-sized headphone game. Apart from the Abyss and some other orthos, I don't listen to much else these days. The only stats I've really touched since the beginning of summer have been the Floats.

If I went down that route, I'd most certainly go for some floor standing speakers. Probably a line array setup of some sort.

Gavin seems to be in the same situation with the Abyss...good thing I am not into full sized cans because I would not want to be tempted into that 10k+ rig...

So what are the top contenders in ciems in your radar?
I myself have a NT6 incoming and interested in the upcoming Custom Art TOTL...I think Piotrus has something awesome in stock for us. The Roxanne if it manages to overcome the current issues tou mention is also on my hot list. And finally the Earsonics EM32...I will try it when going back to France.

 

[MuppetFace]

   
Is the Abyss really that good? I'm in the process of putting together my 10 year end game rig (based around an Apex Pinnacle) and it's sort of a toss up when it comes to the ortho category.

 
The Abyss is certainly the best ortho you can buy right now in my opinion. Whether you'd prefer them to, say, the SR-009 is more a matter of taste. Sort like whether you'd prefer a Bugatti Veyron to an Ariel Atom.
 

Gavin seems to be in the same situation with the Abyss...good thing I am not into full sized cans because I would not want to be tempted into that 10k+ rig...

So what are the top contenders in ciems in your radar?
I myself have a NT6 incoming and interested in the upcoming Custom Art TOTL...I think Piotrus has something awesome in stock for us. The Roxanne if it manages to overcome the current issues tou mention is also on my hot list. And finally the Earsonics EM32...I will try it when going back to France.

 
UERM, L05QD and L51a, Noble 4S, and maybe the EM32.

 

[DigitalFreak]

The Abyss is certainly the best ortho you can buy right now in my opinion. Whether you'd prefer them to, say, the SR-009 is more a matter of taste. Sort like whether you'd prefer a Bugatti Veyron to an Ariel Atom.

 


UERM, L05QD and L51a, Noble 4S, and maybe the EM32.

You'll like the UERM Romy. It's taken over as my C/IEM top dog. Best money I've ever spent. The only regret I had was I wish the artwork had turned out a bit better but besides that I love how the UERM was voiced. Question, why the 4S and not the Noble Audio 10 driver flagship?

 

[bizkit]

   
The Abyss is certainly the best ortho you can buy right now in my opinion. Whether you'd prefer them to, say, the SR-009 is more a matter of taste. Sort like whether you'd prefer a Bugatti Veyron to an Ariel Atom.
 
 

 
I'm off the stats for the time being; the only one I kept from my collection is the SR-002. It sounds like the Abyss willing partnering my LCD-3's in filling the 2 orthodynamic MVP slots in the consolidated collection.

 

[MuppetFace]

You'll like the UERM Romy. It's taken over as my C/IEM top dog. Best money I've ever spent. The only regret I had was I wish the artwork had turned out a bit better but besides that I love how the UERM was voiced. Question, why the 4S and not the Noble Audio 10 driver flagship?

 
Glad to hear you're getting on with it so well. I actually had demos for both the UERM and UEPRM (along w/ the big tuning box) for a while, just haven't had a chance to really write up any impressions of them. The UEPRM was not so compelling to me, and I actually felt the UERM [non "P"] sounded quite a bit better.
 
I actually have a Kaiser 10 on order.

 

[Mimouille]

Glad to hear you're getting on with it so well. I actually had demos for both the UERM and UEPRM (along w/ the big tuning box) for a while, just haven't had a chance to really write up any impressions of them. The UEPRM was not so compelling to me, and I actually felt the UERM [non "P"] sounded quite a bit better.

I actually have a Kaiser 10 on order.

What compelled you to give the Kaiser a shot?

 

[MuppetFace]

What compelled you to give the Kaiser a shot?

 
Having spent some time listening to my brother's semi-fitting 8.A (main problem for me was the right ear that would not stay put), I was actually planning on putting in an order for my own. We also talked to Dr. Moulton about getting a 10 driver model made at the time too, and he was open to it making it as a special request, but then Heir ended up tanking.

 

[tomscy2000]

I've been weirdly interested in portable headphones lately, but mostly in their looks, and not so much in their sound. The KEF M500 looks really nice, and feels really comfortable. I didn't plug them in and listen, though. I'm also looking forward to the Oppo PM-1, which I guess is supposed to be somewhat portable? The NAD Viso HP50 also has me curious. They look like protective ear muffs, but in a good way.
 
In a related manner, I've been sort of detached from IEMs lately. I'm supposed to be enjoying the UERM (which are very nice, indeed) but I only seem to be testing them in fits and starts, and can't seem to accrue any type of momentum with them. Instead, I've downgraded myself to laptop speakers to listen (not music, hardly got time for that these days).

 

[Mimouille]

Having spent some time listening to my brother's semi-fitting 8.A (main problem for me was the right ear that would not stay put), I was actually planning on putting in an order for my own. We also talked to Dr. Moulton about getting a 10 driver model made at the time too, and he was open to it making it as a special request, but then Heir ended up tanking.

I see, so you do like the Wiz house sound. Is it comparable to anything else you own? Anyways eager to read your thoughts on the K10.

 

[blueangel2323]

  I've been weirdly interested in portable headphones lately, but mostly in their looks, and not so much in their sound. The KEF M500 looks really nice, and feels really comfortable. I didn't plug them in and listen, though. I'm also looking forward to the Oppo PM-1, which I guess is supposed to be somewhat portable? The NAD Viso HP50 also has me curious. They look like protective ear muffs, but in a good way.
 
In a related manner, I've been sort of detached from IEMs lately. I'm supposed to be enjoying the UERM (which are very nice, indeed) but I only seem to be testing them in fits and starts, and can't seem to accrue any type of momentum with them. Instead, I've downgraded myself to laptop speakers to listen (not music, hardly got time for that these days).

I wouldn't consider the Oppo portable because they're open and so they can't be used in noisy environments, and on the other hand anything short of an electrostat is transportable for sit-down listening. I am very curious about how they'll turn out sound quality and pricing wise.

 

[Mimouille]

I've been weirdly interested in portable headphones lately, but mostly in their looks, and not so much in their sound. The KEF M500 looks really nice, and feels really comfortable. I didn't plug them in and listen, though. I'm also looking forward to the Oppo PM-1, which I guess is supposed to be somewhat portable? The NAD Viso HP50 also has me curious. They look like protective ear muffs, but in a good way.

In a related manner, I've been sort of detached from IEMs lately. I'm supposed to be enjoying the UERM (which are very nice, indeed) but I only seem to be testing them in fits and starts, and can't seem to accrue any type of momentum with them. Instead, I've downgraded myself to laptop speakers to listen (not music, hardly got time for that these days).

I think the Aedle are pretty

 

[tomscy2000]

  I wouldn't consider the Oppo portable because they're open and so they can't be used in noisy environments, and on the other hand anything short of an electrostat is transportable for sit-down listening. I am very curious about how they'll turn out sound quality and pricing wise.

 
True. But I guess that's why I have IEMs for noisy environments.
 

  I think the Aedle are pretty

 
They are indeed; slipped my mind.

 

[MuppetFace]

I see, so you do like the Wiz house sound. Is it comparable to anything else you own? Anyways eager to read your thoughts on the K10.

 
The models from Heir I have the most experience with are the 8.A and Tzar 350, and those are about as polar opposite as two earphones get (okay maybe the Cardas Ear Mirrors and the Tzars are more opposites). From what I gather though, most of the models aside from the Tzars could be characterized as a bit warm and laid back to varying degrees with the 4.A coming closest to the UERM but with a hint more of that aforementioned coloration. Generally I'm not a fan of overly warm and bassy signatures, but the 8.A is within the threshold of acceptability as far as the overall balance goes, reminding me of the earlier Audez'e LCD-2s. It's a signature I can best describe as comfortable. Like a worn sofa you sink into, though not so much that you suffocate. Pleasant. No major sins of commission. The biggest flaw for me is a certain lack of vital energy in the mids which gives them a kind of dull sense of presence. Vocals on the 8.A are a bit boring as a result. Which I felt was a bit unfortunate, as in other respects they sound fairly natural. Apparently the Noble 8C (<---looks like a frowny face) addresses this exact issue with a boost in that region.
 
For me, the main attraction of Heir's designs (again, the fringe Tzars excepted) is two fold. First in their maintaining a sense of clarity despite that added warmth in varying degrees. The second is driver integration; say what you will about Dr.Moulton, but I think he can really massage drivers into tandems and is usually very deliberate in his tuning. Those CIEMs I've heard (6.A and 8.A) sound very coherent, natural, and effortless to me as a result. They're not perfect mind you: the 6.A has some upper mids stuff going on I don't exactly care for personally, and the 8.A is a little dynamically 'flat' as I mentioned above. That's why I'm interested in hearing the changes in the Noble line.

 

[C.C.S.]

Any Giraffes? Giraffes! fans in the thread?

 

[a_recording]

  I've been weirdly interested in portable headphones lately, but mostly in their looks, and not so much in their sound. The KEF M500 looks really nice, and feels really comfortable. I didn't plug them in and listen, though. I'm also looking forward to the Oppo PM-1, which I guess is supposed to be somewhat portable? The NAD Viso HP50 also has me curious. They look like protective ear muffs, but in a good way.
 
In a related manner, I've been sort of detached from IEMs lately. I'm supposed to be enjoying the UERM (which are very nice, indeed) but I only seem to be testing them in fits and starts, and can't seem to accrue any type of momentum with them. Instead, I've downgraded myself to laptop speakers to listen (not music, hardly got time for that these days).

 
I have a pair of the KEFs. They are indeed very pretty and very comfortable. I'm not 100% sold on the sound signature compared to my Amperior, Momentum or ES10 though. Whenever there is a scoop in the vocal range I tend to feel a little unengaged.