The discovery thread!

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I might be interested in hearing about M21 VS JM21 comparisons. My JM21 wasn't getting used much as I had it more like a backup unit but a few days back I decided to use it, charged it to 100% listened for an hour or so and put it away. The next day the unit was already turned off and wouldn't charge anymore
Wrote the seller on Ali but haven't got a message back because of the weekend. Not sure how easy/difficult they will make it for me to get a refund but if it works out I might shop for a replacement. Although somehow I am also tempted to just use my phone as source and get the Muse m5 ultra. But that one is a lot more expensive.

You're having charging issues with your JM21 too? That is probably the main QC complaint of that unit. I never had any issues with it with functionality or battery, but I got lucky. If I had any issues, I would have never sold it. Yeah, by Wednesday I can give a comparo between the two. Sorry about your unit. Crossing my fingers with getting a solid unit for my M21. If it has any issues, I'm sure HiFiGo will take care of me?

 

[Hypops]

On another subject, how do you think companies are getting around the tariffs and taxes in regards to review units? I don't see any slow down with the amount of review units getting into the hands of Americans (myself included). I'm wondering if there's a loophole for that? Especially Kiwi Ears and Ziigaat. I see a huge review "dump" with their sets, despite the tariffs. Or maybe I haven't noticed and these sets are not in American hands?

Nothing to “get around.” There’s no sale happening with review units, so there’s no tariff to be paid and passed along to the end consumer. I figure that manufacturers are figuring this nonsense will end sometime, and they don’t want to lose out in mindshare by skipping the US market entirely. Besides, review coverage doesn’t care about national boundaries. Everything reaches everyone on most major platforms/outlets.

 

[Okcerg]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx0ry7kdk5o

The US tariffs on Chinese imports will now be cut to 30% for 90 days, while Chinese tariffs on US imports will be cut to 10% for the same period of time.

 

[Redcarmoose]

PENON APEX
Audiophile In-earphone IEM Cable
Oil-immersed single crystal copper + gold-plated copper + liquid nitrogen silver
8 strands,106 cores per strand, 24AWG, single strand is 1.5mm
Transparent dark blue PVC skin
OFC gold-plated 2pin connectors
OFC gold-plated plug
Cable length is 1.2m

 

[nikbr]

Been busy this weekend which left little time for this place. Some catching up to do, meanwhile I'm making my Monday less painful with these.

 

[Narendhiran]

VE Devastator: Rocket Raccoon of the Dongle Universe​

Review In Short:
The Venture Electronics Devastator dongle is a pocket rocket raccoon; it packs the punch to drive almost anything. It shines best with Planar IEMs and power-friendly Headphones.

Like Rocket Racoon, it outperforms when you least expect it.

Pros:

• Build quality
• Ease of use
• Widely compatible (seamless with iOS, Mac, older Android devices, newer Android devices, and Windows as sources while supporting single DDs, hybrids, planar IEMs, and headphones)

Cons:

• Maybe our audiophile expectations from a 20$ dongle

Price - 15$ (3.5 mm) || 20$ (4.4 mm) [I tried the 4.4, extra power -- why not]
Build - Aluminum with copper wire

Specifications- a useful snippet from VE listing.

Disclaimer:
Not a seasoned audiophile, so please take my impressions with a grain of salt (perhaps even several grains).

Thanks to Sandeep from the Audie Geek community for sharing (read gifting) his VE Devastator with me.

It has stayed with me for 3 months now - it has moved to gifting from being just shared. I have no intent on returning it as it has become part of my daily routine. (unless forced )

Gears used:
Source device:

1. Samsung S23
2. Apple MacBook Pro

Music streaming:

1. Apple Music

IEMs & Headphones:

1. Dunu Titan S2
2. Letshouer S12 Pro
3. TSMR Shock
4. Sennheiser HD600

Design & build:

• No frill dongle design.
• Sturdy aluminium build; reinforced connector points is a big plus
• Ample frictioned 4.4 connector; neither loose not super tight
  (I have had dongles where connecting & disconnecting the IEMs/Headphones becomes a hassle)

Cable: One of the best connecting cables for a budget dongle DAC. Flexible & smooth to bend and at the same time durable, it has undergone enough duress.

Stuff it inside the pocket test: Pass -- with flying colors. I have damaged/deformed multiple dongle DACs/ connectors.

About this test: If it isn't obvious, this is just to test my daily usage style, where I stuff my phone and dongle in my jeans pocket while listening on the go.

• Moon drop dawn pro just passes this test.
• Kiwi Allegro Mini passes this test only when L-shaped IEM connectors are used

Sounds:

Overall: VE Devastator is neutral with a mild, warm tilt. Best suited for non-critical, on-the-go listening while delivering the best part of your favorite tracks without any compromises.

Bass: Smooth bass delivery, the quantity it thumps is very good. Bass lines are clear and easy to follow; bass guitars are rendered very well, but on busy tracks, bass hits a little short of the mark, especially with percussive instruments (like tabla).

Vocals: Warm and lush, adds a very good lushness to vocals.

Treble, Details, & Resolution: Details and resolution are present if you listened critically. It is not its strong point- at par with most dongles in this price range.

Pairing & Synergy:
It paired super well with most of my collection,

• Single DD IEMs (Dunu Titan S2)
• Hybrid IEMs (TSMR shock, no hiccups with BCDs)
• Planars (S12 Pro, S12 2024)
• Headphones (HD600- woah, surprisingly good, HD600 had Allegro mini and D07 struggle a bit, while the devastator took strides with ease)

I did not notice any noise issue, even with highly sensitive IEMs in my repertoire (Titan S2).

Verdict (and quick comparison):

VE Devastator is truly a pocket rocket.

Like Rocket Raccoon, it outperforms when you least expect it.


vs Moondrop Dawn Pro:
At 2.5x the price, the Dawn Pro outperforms the VE Devastator, but the Devastator holds its spot.

• The bass is more nuanced and tighter in the Dawn Pro
• Vocals are lusher in Devastator (better, especially when you are listening in to live shows)
• Resolution and layering the Dawn Pro takes the lead with devastator not severely lacking (would call it at par given the price difference)
• VE Devastator wins the portability battle with easy usage when in the pocket.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Shanling ME600?

Yep. Only one I know of with that array. Most others are 3+1.

 

[caryking]

PENON APEX
Audiophile In-earphone IEM Cable
Oil-immersed single crystal copper + gold-plated copper + liquid nitrogen silver
8 strands,106 cores per strand, 24AWG, single strand is 1.5mm
Transparent dark blue PVC skin
OFC gold-plated 2pin connectors
OFC gold-plated plug
Cable length is 1.2m

Is this a new cable? It’s not on their website…

Also, heard, this morning on the news, that the reciprocal trade tariff will be reduced to 10%, for 90 days. Now, this is the reciprocal tariff; however, what was the tariff prior to the increase on electronics, like IEM’s and cables? Also, the de minimis exemption is not being discussed.

So, what does this truly mean?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Is this a new cable? It’s not on their website…

Right, it shows up on Facebook a little while before the product goes to retail.

 

[GroovyAudio]

Alright guys, I've managed to fix the cable with my Penon Archangel. Thanks so much @Dsnuts for your suggestion to use a hairdryer. The iem are now sitting better in my ears and I don't need to spend money on another cable so that's a win for me.

I've listened last night for a about an hour using NF MS42 S size eartips, BUT get this, despite being a very chunky iem, every eartip works with it, I can't believe it honestly. I mean TRI Clarion, Divinus Wide Bore, EVEN the Tangzu Normal and wide bore works, what magic is this?? I was never able to use those tips on my other iems but Archangel nozzles somewhat makes them work. I haven't tested them in the long run how they feel in my ears but now I have so many option to choose from and all of them changed the sound to the point where I don't even know what to pick. I would say a wide bore tip will work better on Archangel but it will take a while for me to test them all.
For now with NF MS42 S size works and after an hour of listening there was a slight discomfort on my right ear, but not the left one surprisingly. With H60 6.9mm nozzles after 30-35 minutes of listening I was having a lot of pain in both of my ears so I'm glad Archangel seems to fit a lot better (more test to be done here).

Now that I rambled a lot about eartips and comfort, well, how do they sound??

OH MY GOD! So... words... difficult to find them to describe this beauties. Just wanna say a BIG THANK YOU to @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 for his comparison with H60! You're the man, mate! This is the UPGRADE that I've wanted after departing with my beloved H60. I mean WOW!!! Archangel is a pure monster, A H60 on steroids if I may.
I don't know about EBC80 and Shocks, I didn't have these iems to test but for me this Archangel is THE UPGRADE to my H60.

The bass... those carbon nanotubes are not joke folks. The bass is visceral, tight, punchy, I mean my MG800 has a very good subbass with a very good rumble but Archangel is simply in another league. Just wow!

Mids
Do you expect anything other than simply magical?
We have the Penon mids here: sweet, creamy and syrupy. Exactly like H60!
Intruments, male and female voices sound incredible. I had tears in my eyes while listening last night. I don't remember who posted a few pages ago a song by Men I Trust - To Ease You. Incredible song so I decided to look more into them and I absolutely love this band. Emma's voice is angelic and Archangel truly shows that.



Another band that I discovered thanks to @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 is Magnolia Park and their new album VAMP. The song "Crave" is my favorite and it sounds thunderous on Archangel.



There are some OST from Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000 that I enjoy. I don't know if you guys played NFS in your childhood but I grew up with this games. I really recommend you to give these OST a try. Made by Saki Kaskas (RIP) and Rom Di Prisco.



Also some cool guy made these covers from NFS II OST:



There's also another great composer Mellow Sonic that made remixes of these OST's. Check it out if you have time!


Treble
Very extended, lots of sparkles but never fatigue and this comes from a guy who is treble sensitive. This treble reminds me of Fiio FA19 which cost $1000. I admit I didn't like the tunning of FA19 but the treble stood out to me. On Archangel I was shocked! Those sonion BA's are showing every detail, every nuances like a champ. Simply outstanding! I'm not really a treble guy, I just don't care that much because bass and mids are more important to me BUT this treble is just mind blowing to me.

The Soundstage
An explosion of sound coming from all directions, man and I thought my MG800 has a huge soundstage and indeed they have BUT Archangel goes to another level completely. I guess those BC drivers really help with the stage expansion. I've never heard anything this big before.

I just can't ended here. I need to say more about this Archangel. We all like to listen to music here but I believe the most important aspect is how these iems make you feel while listening.
Archangel takes you on a trip like you're in a another dimension, just you and the music surrounding you. Guys, is just... an ethereal thing. I know I've praised this so much but for me this is it, the end game iem. I can't possible ask for more because Archangel gives you everything you want. This iem represents the saying "you can have your cake and eat it too".
I won't lie saying I won't ever purchase another iem but at $800 I'm set. I would probably explore the $300 market just for curiosity sake.

Thank you for reading this far!

 

[caryking]

Messaging with XINHS this morning on Aliexpress. They are saying the final tariff right now, to the US, is 34%. I’m still trying to figure out where the extra 24% is coming from. Do we know what the original tariff was, prior to the massive rise in tariff?

 

[jbfps116]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/pe...in-ear-monitor-headphones.28158/review/37991/

I remember when I was on vacation. I was listening to these on a longer 3.5 hour bus ride to Busan S. Korea from Won Ju which is a mountainous city about an hour drive south of Seoul Korea. That was when I discovered just how good these things sound. The bus ride was pleasant as it had larger recliner seats with a large window looking out. Just a fantastic way to enjoy the countryside looking out and being immersed in my music. These turned out spectacularly and I got word Effect Audio people had no idea what they were getting into as they have never heard a Penon made IEM. Dealing with Effect Audio folks, those guys are all audiophiles knee deep in the hobby just like you guys. For them to sign off on a sound design, you know it had to be good. These are more than good, it is literally one of the best sounding Penon IEMs to date. The thing immerses the listener with a full bodied musical experience and for that, these are easily worth the money these guys are asking for. I still own IEMs that I spent 1K plus on just a few years back that can't come close to how these sound. It is amazing just how much our hobby has advanced. My overdue take on the Archangel.

Alright guys, I've managed to fix the cable with my Penon Archangel. Thanks so much @Dsnuts for your suggestion to use a hairdryer. The iem are now sitting better in my ears and I don't need to spend money on another cable so that's a win for me.

I've listened last night for a about an hour using NF MS42 S size eartips, BUT get this, despite being a very chunky iem, every eartip works with it, I can't believe it honestly. I mean TRI Clarion, Divinus Wide Bore, EVEN the Tangzu Normal and wide bore works, what magic is this?? I was never able to use those tips on my other iems but Archangel nozzles somewhat makes them work. I haven't tested them in the long run how they feel in my ears but now I have so many option to choose from and all of them changed the sound to the point where I don't even know what to pick. I would say a wide bore tip will work better on Archangel but it will take a while for me to test them all.
For now with NF MS42 S size works and after an hour of listening there was a slight disconfort on my right ear, but not the left one surprisingly. With H60 6.9mm nozzles after 30-35 minutes of listening I was having a lot of pain in both of my ears so I'm glad Archangel seems to fit a lot better (more test to be done here).

Now that I rambled a lot about eartips and comfort, well, how do they sound??

OH MY GOD! So... words... difficult to find them to describe this beauties. Just wanna say a BIG THANK YOU to @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 for his comparison with H60! You're the man, mate! This is the UPGRADE that I've wanted after departing with my beloved H60. I mean WOW!!! Archangel is a pure monster, A H60 on steroids if I may.
I don't know about EBC80 and Shocks, I didn't have these iems to test but for me this Archangel is THE UPGRADE to my H60.

The bass... those carbon nanotubes are not joke folks. The bass is visceral, tight, punchy, I mean my MG800 has a very good subbass with a very good rumble but Archangel is simply in another league. Just wow!

Mids
Do you expect anything other than simply magical?
We have the Penon mids here: sweet, creamy and syrupy. Exactly like H60!
Intruments, male and female voices sound incredible. I had tears in my eyes while listening last night. I don't remember who posted a few pages ago a song by Men I Trust - To Ease You. Incredible song so I decided to look more into them and I absolutely love this band. Emma's voice is angelic and Archangel truly shows that.



Another band that I discovered thanks to @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 is Magnolia Park and their new album VAMP. The song "Crave" is my favorite and it sounds thunderous on Archangel.



There are some OST from Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000 that I enjoy. I don't know if you guys played NFS in your childhood but I grew up with this games. I really recommend you to give these OST a try. Made by Saki Kaskas (RIP) and Rom Di Prisco.



Also some cool guy made these covers from NFS II OST:



There's also another great composer Mellow Sonic that made remixes of these OST's. Check it out if you have time!


Treble
Very extended, lots of sparkles but never fatigue and this comes from a guy who is treble sensitive. This treble reminds me of Fiio FA19 which cost $1000. I admit I didn't like the tunning of FA19 but the treble stood out to me. On Archangel I was shocked! Those sonion BA's are showing every detail, every nuances like a champ. Simply outstanding! I'm not really a treble guy, I just don't care that much because bass and mids are more important to me BUT this treble is just mind blowing to me.

The Soundstage
An explosion of sound coming from all directions, man and I thought my MG800 has a huge soundstage and indeed they have BUT Archangel goes to another level completely. I guess those BC drivers really help with the stage expansion. I've never heard anything this big before.

I just can't ended here. I need to say more about this Archangel. We all like to listen to music here but I believe the most important aspect is how these iems make you feel while listening.
Archangel takes you on a trip like you're in a another dimension, just you and the music surrounding you. Guys, is just... an ethereal thing. I know I've praised this so much but for me this is it, the end game iem. I can't possible ask for more because Archangel gives you everything you want. This iem represents the saying "you can have your cake and eat it too".
I won't lie saying I won't ever purchase another iem but at $800 I'm set. I would probably explore the $300 market just for curiosity sake.

Thank you for reading this far!

Wow if you all keep this HYPE train up for the Archangel, I might be more and more tempted by it, no matter how I feel about the looks.

 

[SbassX]

Hey Folks, first of all: Happy Mother's Day!
And, my review for this little and very capable dongle is up, enjoy it!:
Review of the TANCHJIM Stargate II by Jamsblast

This seems like a solid choice, shame it doesnt have DSP capacity for OS other than android. You mentioned that its able to drive various IEMs, I just wanted to check if you have tried them on some really power hungry sets like the deuce or scarlet?

On another subject, how do you think companies are getting around the tariffs and taxes in regards to review units? I don't see any slow down with the amount of review units getting into the hands of Americans (myself included). I'm wondering if there's a loophole for that? Especially Kiwi Ears and Ziigaat. I see a huge review "dump" with their sets, despite the tariffs. Or maybe I haven't noticed and these sets are not in American hands?

That’s actually good question. It’s defo interesting to see the steady flow of review units despite the tariffs. The common approach which we are all familiar with is marking them as "sample" or "evaluation unit," which usually allows them to bypass regular import duties since they are usually non commercial items and depending on the declared value and purpose. Additionally, i am assuming some companies might be using distribution hubs in regions with more favorable trade agreements before shipping to the US, effectively sidestepping direct import fees.

 

[Hypops]

Any guidance as to why the mods keep deleting my posts any time I mention tariffs, but other posters seem to be fine discussing them? Heck, other posters seem to be able to get away with name-calling leveled at the current US president without getting posts deleted. Is that just because someone keeps reporting my posts? It's becoming annoying and increasingly frequent.

EDIT: A mod responded and said that, yes, it’s because someone keeps reporting my posts. The mod suggested I should report other posts if I think I’m being unfairly singled out. Ugh. Not my style.

 

[darmanastartes]

The Moondrop Rays builds on the same hybrid driver configuration as the Moondrop May, but with a revised set of DSP profiles and a more gaming focused aesthetic. In this review, I break down its frequency response vs the May, analyze Moondrop’s DSP implementation in the Link app, and explore whether the $25 premium over the May is justified.