The discovery thread!

[perrew]

Looking forward to your impressions when you get this thing in, and let us know how the "VTK" (it's BCD, folks) driver sounds?

---

The Alien Brain is my favorite Kilobuck IEM since the Lime Ears Terra. I prefer it's sonics to the Elysian Apostle and the Lime Ears Maris, and it's right toe to toe with the Terra and Incognita. I also prefer it to the only CFA I've ever heard, the Solaris. So now I wonder, is the Clara even better than this?! If so, then I want a piece of that!

Campfire Audio Alien Brain (Balanced and punchy bass, clean, warm, and incisive midrange, and crisp and airy treble, with dimensional stage)




@ListlessHeart - I currently have 6 of those in your box, a 7th on hand (Aether), and another was sold immediately (Supermix4). I'll probably add the Aether, so I'll have 7. I'd only add the Supermix 4 back if someone gave it to me for free. Oh and we have the Capsule 3 Pro+!

Looks like the Alien Brain and P7 have similar graphs, any resemblance in sound?

 

[Ace Bee]

Hate me for saying this

Tanchjim is the only Company in Chifi with a clear vision. That reflects on each of their IEMs. Their foundation philosophy towards neutral sounding is so strong, I almost can blind buy them due to my preference.

( If there is any other brand that has this strong perspective, let me know)

I whole-heartedly agree!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Can you provide a more detailed comparison between the MG800 and Archangel? Has the Archangel made the MG800 redundant?

I am asking because Penon iems have never been much of a hit for me. I liked them initially but then the charm wore off and I sold them. For MG800 the charm still goes on.

How open and clear the Archangel sounds in comparison? Asking because you mentioned ut has more voluminous bass than MG800.

Is the midrange of Archangel similarly full, organic and romantic as MG800?

Is the treble of Archangel more textured, more energetic, and mkre airy?

Thanks in advance.

Can't Answer personally for the MG800, but I can answer those questions about the Archangel. Is it an open and clear sound? No. It's open and lush. Does it have a high degree of detail retrieval in the midrange and the bass?? Yes it does. It is analytical? No. I'd say it's cleaner than clearer.

The midrange is Penon, so yes, it's a romantic, lush, natural, and full midrange. That's a Penon midrange trait.

The treble is indeed airy, crisp, and textured, yet it's free of shrill, metallic, or off timbre treble tonality. It's on the borderline with safe, while still going airy and crisp, but refined. Now, with the switches, you can increase the treble presence as well as decrease it. Bass is BIG, punchy, and rumbly, with a warm mid bassy wash that touches some warmth into the lower mids, but never gets bloomy or boomy. It's note incisive, but not as balanced top to bottom of the bass range as the EBC80 or H60. Stage is full and dimensional without coming off as unnatural in the spatial cues and staging, unlike the EBC80 can. The switches can make it a very bassy IEM, or just an IEM with strong bass presence. Have it your way?

@perrew - Yes, the Alien Brain and P7 share some similarities in tonality, and mostly in the midrange tone and timbre, but the graph can't tell you about spatial cues, or stage fullness, which are both advantage Alien Brain. Also the Alien Brain has more mid bass punch and energy, while the P7 lacks this, as the P7 bass is more about linearity and sub bass. Treble extension advantage P7, as it is crisper, airier, and shimmery, while the AB is more textured, mature, and less strident, but still airy and crisp.

 

[GroovyAudio]

Can you provide a more detailed comparison between the MG800 and Archangel? Has the Archangel made the MG800 redundant?

I am asking because Penon iems have never been much of a hit for me. I liked them initially but then the charm wore off and I sold them. For MG800 the charm still goes on.

How open and clear the Archangel sounds in comparison? Asking because you mentioned ut has more voluminous bass than MG800.

Is the midrange of Archangel similarly full, organic and romantic as MG800?

Is the treble of Archangel more textured, more energetic, and mkre airy?

Thanks in advance.

I've already sold my MG800 but don't worry, I have good memory for sounds for some reason.

To answer your question, was MG800 redundant? Absolutely not!
I miss my MG800 but I had to sell it because of the fit issues.

It's a good thing you asked me how do they differ because last night I had about an hour and a half of listening with Penon Archangel so I feel I finally can give a proper impression.

Impression are with switch 1 Down and 2 Up

The bass on Archangel is more visceral, more impactful and more overwhelming on some songs. I'm not gonna choose a winner here because both have some nitpicks. On MG800 I would've liked more midbass but I feel the mids were gonna be affected while on Archangel, depending on the song, there is too much bass. It's mostly to due with the BC which I feel enhances the bass more.

The mids on MG800 were more forward compared with Archangel which has good balance, not to forward but not too back either. I'll admit something here about the mids. They are very clean and transparent, but after some careful listening and the honeymoon out of my head, the mids are not how I remembered on my H60 sadly and I think it's because they used BA's Knowles for Archangel instead of Sonion BA's on H60. That's my theory anyway. Regarding the mids on MG800 vs Archangel. I'll give the edge to the MG800 just because they were a little forward in the mix and I loved them. Never shouty or harsh. Archangel feels more V shaped here, like the bass can steal a little bit of the spotlight of the mids.

Treble on Archangel is a lot more energetic than I thought and last night I got a good taste of it when on some heavy metal songs I started getting fatique. It was the same with MG800 using the "Clear" nozzle, so that's why I stuck with the "Balanced" nozzle. So both can be energetic depending on the switch or nozzle. But I admit the treble on Archangel is superior to MG800. There's some details on some songs that I've only heard with FA19 and that is a $1000 iem.

The stage is just a WOW factor for me with Archangel. I mean don't get me wrong, MG800 has a very good soundstage for how small they are but Archangel just takes it on another level completely.
The thing is MG800 and Archangel are just 2 iems with different tunnings that don't have anything in common but the price. MG800 is mid-centric and Archangel feels more V shaped with a very impactful bass, very good treble with lots of details and that big stage size. To add more, Archangel is not for chilling listening sessions that's for sure, but MG800 can be with the "Balanced" nozzle.

That being said I won't recommend you to discard MG800 just yet. It is still a very good single DD iem and for me was a real gem. If it weren't for the bad fit, I would've kept it. And now I have the same problem with Archangel, lucky me, right? But really it was a gamble, I mean they are big shells so it was expected to not fit properly in my small ears.

I've ordered the DDHifi Surface today. After watching @ToneDeafMonk video on it I was sold. I need something similar with ME600 and Surface being more analog/vinyl like makes me very excited!
As for Archangel I'll have another listening session with the switch 2 down and then I'll see how It feels with less treble energy but due to the bad fit I'm positive I will sell it sooner or later. That's it, really. At least I'll get back some money for the upcoming Aful quadbrid.

EDIT: Alright, I gave it another go with the switch 2 down and yes, I can say it's so much better for me with the treble reduced. No more head fatigue. Treble is still present but not so energetic. Every time I put them in my ears I'm in awe by that big stage. Really loving this iem. If only it was smaller to fit me better

 

[gadgetgod]

Looking forward to your impressions when you get this thing in, and let us know how the "VTK" (it's BCD, folks) driver sounds?

---

The Alien Brain is my favorite Kilobuck IEM since the Lime Ears Terra. I prefer it's sonics to the Elysian Apostle and the Lime Ears Maris, and it's right toe to toe with the Terra and Incognita. I also prefer it to the only CFA I've ever heard, the Solaris. So now I wonder, is the Clara even better than this?! If so, then I want a piece of that!

Campfire Audio Alien Brain (Balanced and punchy bass, clean, warm, and incisive midrange, and crisp and airy treble, with dimensional stage)




@ListlessHeart - I currently have 6 of those in your box, a 7th on hand (Aether), and another was sold immediately (Supermix4). I'll probably add the Aether, so I'll have 7. I'd only add the Supermix 4 back if someone gave it to me for free. Oh and we have the Capsule 3 Pro+!

Man as much as i admire the previous designs of CFA, this one looks the worst so far Personal subjective opinion though.

 

[nikbr]

Upon first listen of the Prelude, my mind gravitated towards this comparison. In direct A/B the differences are more pronounced than once brain burn in does its job.

They're both on the bassier side of the spectrum & primarily concerned with musicality. H60 rumbles, while Prelude punches. Vocals are good on both, free of sibilance and shout. I prefer the placement on H60 which dares a more forward midrange. They are about equally as stunning in their natural vividness - this is my new wording for what only a handful of sets managed to convey to my ears in 2,5 years in this hobby. Treble nuance and texture is much improved on Prelude, while both are on the calmer side of treble energy.

Enough for now, still some burn-in to be had.

 

[Fantomax]

Looks like I know what my next purchase will be?! Probably need to sell my XD05T to fund this, but yeah, I want.

From my point of view, if the issue is the search for portability, I understand it. Otherwise I would not trade the audiophile experience of the xDuoo XD05T tubes for another product that (at the moment) is unknown or that I'm not entirely sure about. For me the XD05T is an absolute keeper.

 

[nikbr]

And a few size comparison pics for those who struggle with H60's size or nozzle. Prelude is a fit & forget IEM. No sore spots for me after an hour.

 

[gadgetgod]

Upon first listen of the Prelude, my mind gravitated towards this comparison. In direct A/B the differences are more pronounced than once brain burn in does its job.



They're both on the bassier side of the spectrum & primarily concerned with musicality. H60 rumbles, while Prelude punches. Vocals are good on both, free of sibilance and shout. I prefer the placement on H60 which dares a more forward midrange. They are about equally as stunning in their natural vividness - this is my new wording for what only a handful of sets managed to convey to my ears in 2,5 years in this hobby. Treble nuance and texture is much improved on Prelude, while both are on the calmer side of treble energy.

Enough for now, still some burn-in to be had.

Man that texture on the Prelude looks classy.

 

[jbfps116]

Just another absolutely stunning piece from Adam Young... sounds lovely on my burning-in Tino.
While the Tino doesn't have massive soundstage, [it's still pretty darn good though,] it has excellent tonality and a richness that reminds me of nice bookshelf speakers.

 

[Leonarfd]

Waiting on my flight to Munich, Astrolith keeping me company.

Got a long list of brands to visit in Munich High End Society, Letshuoer, Campfire, Yamaha, Aune, Cayin and more.

Letshuoer Serenade is on the demo list, also a special high end tribrid Lady Shuoer (unofficial model)

CFA Brain Dance, loved most CFA models so this will probably be a home run.

I am traveling mostly to meet some brands I talk with, but also to demo headphones as I have had more and more interest in this lately. Aune will have AR9000, new flagship from them in two variants. And I already ow. A few ZMF models but look forward to try the Caldera, though I bet there be wait line on this one.

 

[Ace Bee]

4+1 for $700 would be a big NAH for me. I don't care who's releasing it, when you have some 4+1 in the $200 range that are BALLERS and punching above their weight. In today's market, if you are over $500, you better bring some EST's, BCD's, MPL, or something to that effect if you want to be competitive, and we're talking multiples of those arrays.

I respectfully disagree with you here.

See, if this were true, single DD iems from 10 USD to 2000 USD would not have existed. However, they exist, because the tuning, acoustic engineering, driver material make all the differences.

Well, here we are talking about hybrids. Let's take Penon Voltage for example, 2DD+4BA+4EST, 1199 USD. And then there is Eminent Ears Ruby, 1DD+4BA+4EST, 2300 USD. Now, going by your logic, Ruby should have many more drivers of other types as well to justify the almost double price jump, instead, it has 1 less DD.

However, I have heard both of them, and I can say it with confidence that Voltage's performance does not come within miles of Ruby's. Ruby is several classes above altogether. Stage, transparency, note weight, macro and micro-dynamics, tonality, air, end-to-end extension, resolution - everything.

Granted, currently most hybrid iems above 500 USD seem to be having at least 3 types if not 4 types of drivers. However, that does not automatically make a good old DD+BA hybrid iem irrelevant. The tuning matters, not the driver count.

 

[gadgetgod]

G

Waiting on my flight to Munich, Astrolith keeping me company.

Got a long list of brands to visit in Munich High End Society, Letshuoer, Campfire, Yamaha, Aune, Cayin and more.

Letshuoer Serenade is on the demo list, also a special high end tribrid Lady Shuoer (unofficial model)

CFA Brain Dance, loved most CFA models so this will probably be a home run.

I am traveling mostly to meet some brands I talk with, but also to demo headphones as I have had more and more interest in this lately. Aune will have AR9000, new flagship from them in two variants. And I already ow. A few ZMF models but look forward to try the Caldera, though I bet there be wait line on this one.

Good luck man, would be interesting to know your thoughts on those new products this month.

 

[jayxmpc]

XENNS Mangird Top Pro​

https://www.linsoul.com/products/xenns-mangird-top-pro

Excited about this new release. I will blind buy this set after a great experience with the Tea Pro.

Is there anyone that can give a comparison of how the Top (og) compares to the Tea Pro?

Similar to you, Tea Pro blew me away and it was basically Tea Pro vs Hype 4 for me. I loved the details of Tea Pro and would have stayed with them, if not for the fact that they did get uncomfortable after listening for a while.

I never did get to try the Tops and always wondered if they were basically Tea Pro on steroids or if it was a different sound all together. The Top Pro announcement got me excited to discover this again.

 

[pk4425]

The Aether is POWER HUNGRY. It likes A LOT of juice. Probably that 15mm planar driver? Once I hooked it up to the Clarinet, it really started to sing, and it opened up much better than directly through my daps, and that includes the ones that have lots of power already. It's night and day when you feed it juice. Might have to sell all my planars (minus the S08, which I can't sell), and pick this up as my go-to planar (outside of the S08, as this is a very easy planar to drive)? Not sure yet, but leaning that way. You will not get a dynamic or open sound with just a phone, a normal powered dap, or dongle. This will take a DAP with desktop mode or lots of power in high gain, a powerful dongle with desktop mode, or an amplifier.

As most here know, I run all my IEMs from a JDS Labs Atom+ desktop amp pushing 1 watt at 32 ohms. I own no DAPs and run IEMs from an Apple dongle and phone about as often as Halley's Comet appears. So, I never have any issue with IEMs that require power.

Maybe that's why I've loved the Aether from the very first listen!

Glad you're digging it, Charlie. It's special. Kiwi Ears seems to be on a bit of an AFUL-like roll now, even with its avalanche-like release schedule.