Spending the Sunday with Earacoustics Spa- Hi End max and wanted to quickly drop some impressions here
This one leans into a more aggressive tuning- tight and boomy bass, though it doesn’t dig deep enough in the sub-bass region for my liking. The lower mids feel recessed, but the upper mids push vocals forward nicely, giving them a bit of presence. That said, the treble is gritty and can get sibilant fairly often, especially on poorly mastered tracks.
So far, I’d say the technicalities are average—nothing standout in terms of layering or stage, but it's not a complete letdown either. Definitely need to spend more time with it, and these are just my first thoughts..
Alright so I’m dumb and didn’t realize the xDuuo X5 didn’t even come with a gapless option in specs, I just went into it expecting based on experience with X3ii. Anyway, UI isn’t the best, a bit laggy and slow too but it’s whatever. Line out is ok but I have to crank the volume to max manually, unless I’m not seeing something in settings..
For sound it has a lower mid-bass bump in the dac section which gives the whole sound a warmth but it’s a touch slow, although this does add some nice reverb ambience and romanticism resonating in the mids. Single-ended is kinda eh but the balanced out can hang with the mid-fi bros with a nicely dimensional stage and good timbre. Treble is crispy enough to satisfy but I wouldn’t call it a master of air. Maybe treble is a little papery in texture?
I feel like it’s better than the HiBy R3 Sabers in sound, but the HiBys might actually have the tighter bass.. Anyway, not a complete dud of a dap imo.
I don't know? No gapless. The way you describe the sound and the meh 3.5mm, and that's a lot of "sorta"'s that I'd call it a dud. Maybe not complete dud, but a dud nonetheless?
I have supermoon, project m, vega2020, I'm looking for something else that's not similar to what I have, I'm considering fatfreq deuce and tangzu legend, can you recommend any other options?
The Legend is a neutral, with an upper mids/treble emphasis, and a very linear bass, which I'd say is very similar to the DX1, ZS12 Pro X, YuXuan Ji, and KZ ZA12. So while it does have a bit of speed, snap, and note resolution, it's lacking in energy and impact, and more sub bass than mid bass. It's open design, so it has a fantastic dimensional stage, but the Legend will not satisfy those looking for Project M type bass presence, or heck, Kiwi Ears Aether type bass. I love it for instrumental jazz music, and atmospheric tracks. It's immersive and will draw you in. Not for reggae, metal, or acid jazz.
Quick guys, help haha. ISN Neo 1 can be had for under $30 on AE… (final price!) but I already have SP01. Tell me Neo 1 is redundant… or is it worth getting still???
Bro, I own both, and though they both sport CNT drivers, this is a completely different tuning. The SP01 is bassier, and dare I say "bloatier" than the Neo1. The Neo, though it does come with mesh filters to customize the sound, virgin, has very snappy, speedy bass response (more mid than sub, but the sub isn't lacking, just not the focus), a clean, slightly warm and incisive midrange (just a touch), and crisp, airy CNT treble, which means very shimmery, airy, and present, like most CNT drivers, but the overall tonality is thinner and less dimensional than the SP01, which has a warmer, more full bodied, and dimensional stage and spatial cues than the Neo1. So they are different, but share some similar driver DNA qualities.
The Shell should definitely be above the XuanJi?? I had to boomerang my set tbf...
oh that list started at "worst" [ZS6] first, then goes down to the best... Yea the Shell is actually probably better than ZVX Pro, maybe Jaws [totally different sound sigs though] and... well the PA 02 is pretty good. but Shell could give it a run for its money as well!
The Ji is for neutral lovers. If you are a lover of bright neutral, then the Ji will hit that spot. It's for picking out nuance, and leans towards technical vs warmth or fun. The bass is very linear, and not very impactful, so yeah, if you're even a bright neutral but mid bass elevated lover, this isn't going to be an IEM for you. This is very neutral, with very little coloration, and a flatter bass response. I have no idea how this IEM has survived my grand culls and sell offs, but against the odds, it has. Might not be forever, but for now, it continues to live in the rotation. Might be it's absolutely gorgeous shell?
This one got quite a lot of love some months go, and I just had a couple weeks with it. The TRI i3 MK3 is a $220 hybrid IEM: 10mm planar, 10mm beryllium DD, and a Sonion 2356 mid-range BA. With an impedance of 21 ohms and sensitivity of 104±1dB
@1kHz, this driver configuration sounds promising on paper but the tuning bass-light tuning execution left me wanting.
The presentation is tight and fast with good separation and detail retrieval, but suffers from an overall thin character. While there's a nice, tasteful bass thump, there's not much sub-bass to speak of. Vocal presence is good, though male voices lack body and warmth, contributing to a somewhat dry and, to me, boring presentation.
Voices have a nice bite to them without being sibilant, though they're heading in that direction. The upper mids are forward but remain smooth and natural-sounding. EEven with metal like Gila Monster by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard things sounded smooth and and nothing was tiring (as can easily be the case if there are peaks in the upper mids or treble). Cymbals come through nicely with good detail and the treble maintains a nice balance.
The shells are comfy and small.
At this price point, I'd personally reach for something with a more balanced tuning like the Ziigaat Odyssey. The i3 MK3 might appeal to listeners looking for a thinner signature with mids and treble emphasis, but the lack of body didn't suit me so well.
Slap this cable on it
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807982823902.html , give it Divinus Wild Boar tips, and a nice warm source or TOOBS, and this IEM is a sonic gift. There's not as much thinness, and the bass takes on a very present character, but it does take some massaging. It's source picky, as well as being power hungry, so you want to feed it power (preferably 4.4mm), and give it the right source tonality, and it soars!
Cheers for clarifying the list order, PA 02 were one set on my wishlist last year. If I added up all the potential EG sets between the Klean & Shell era - it'd easily add up to thousands!! Fortunately, managing to bypass them all, means my funds are still in tact: reckon CanJam London 25 will inform me which mid>high tier set to PTT on next?
Btw at the top spot, what extra would SP01 bring to the party over The Shell? they're another set that constantly keep cropping up lol.
Technically, the Shell and SP01 are very close. They both perform on a similar playing field, but what differentiates the two is one is a single DD, so you're getting the full flavor of a CNT driver, with that tonality, bass snap, and fullness. The Shell has micro planar highs, so the tonality of that driver is in effect. Now the mids and bass are DD, but that tonality isn't exactly manifested, since again, it's a hybrid, plus while they both share lower mids warmth from the mid bass etc, the SP01 is just slightly more elastic and note resolute, as per the CNT, but not as midrange clean and resolute as the Shell, with less air and shimmer in the highs, again, due to it being a single DD and not a hybrid.
June 1st appears to have brought change to Aliexpress and
Hifigo.com. All prices have increased at both Hifigo's website and at Aliexpress. The change at their website will include shipping charges on all items of at least $21.00. The items at the Aliexpress site have significantly increased per item. Tariffs are alive and well.
I am curious to see what happens with the typical mid-June sales that occur every year with all the Chinese sellers.
You are still quite honed in on Chi-fi sellers lol I checked out awhile ago now. As for the tariffs, it's such a yo-yo, along with the court battles, that there is no chance of it leveling off, or cooling down. So as far as the MASSIVE summer sale, that's still a go. Just not for U.S. customers. The thing you might not have noticed (or maybe you have, Lee?), is that non-U.S. customers are still enjoying great steals and deals on Alix. Have you not noticed the cable teases we get deluged with daily from our esteemed Canadian and European members? Or the IEMs? They are still getting great deals and optimal gains from coupons, so the HifiGo sale, the Linsoul LECs, and the grand Alix summer sale will go on, unabated, and make lots of folks very happy, it just won't be U.S. customers. I figured by now, you'd have pulled the foot from the pedal, and focus on what you currently have, like many of us Americans have lately? Now, if you want to pay more, just to feel like you're still in the game, then by all means, you do you, but I know I'm certainly not thinking about the summer sale, because since late April/Early May, we are no longer target customers in this hobby. That is the reality of the situation we live in currently.
Sivga Que UTG - is a completely different level of sound!
Hello, friends! Today is the third day I've been listening to my new Sivga Que UTG headphones, and I can say right away that I'm very surprised.
To be honest, I didn't expect to get such sound from a dynamic driver with a new Flat Ultra Thin Glass Diaphragm, and it literally changes the rules of the game!
They sound completely different from the original Que, and the first thing I noticed was a completely different, more transparent, airy sound with phenomenally fast transitions. And the overall dynamics are now just crazy, the bass is lightning fast, precise and punchy, and the midrange has become more lively, energetic and at the same time clear, detailed and even, to some extent, more musical and correct.
The bass in Sivga Que UTG is a real treat.
It is fast, elastic, focused, without a hint of rumble or blurriness.Each beat is clear and physically palpable, with a fairly powerful punch and perfect control.
It doesn't dominate like in bass-heavy headphones, but when its moment comes, it bursts in with predatory precision, without upsetting the balance of the other frequencies.
This is exactly the kind of bass that doesn't try to “capture” all your attention, as it works for the music, supporting the right rhythm and overall atmosphere, adding mass, weight, and drive where needed.It really shines in genres with live instruments, and of course with electronic music and hip-hop, where the kick drum doesn't blend in with the bass line, and you can clearly distinguish every detail and structure.
But the main thing is that it has intelligence and musicality. It's not just bass, but a complete and mature foundation of sound that you can feel but never overwhelms.
The midrange frequencies in the Sivga Que UTG are a direct emotional connection to the music.
They have become more emotional, rich, and expressive, with lively, clear articulation and natural dynamics.
Voices sound voluminous and intimate, as if the performer is standing at arm's length, every breath, lip movement, and vibration of the vocal cords can be heard, everything is conveyed with striking accuracy and realism.The microdetails have become deeper, the textures richer, and the overall feeling is as if you are now in the same room with the musician.And most importantly, the instruments. Guitars, pianos, and violins sound physical, rich, and truly alive.
You feel the touch of the wood, the tension of the strings, the vibrations of the body, as if the music is not just sounding, it is breathing, resonating, and living in front of you.
This is exactly the case when music captivates not only technically, but also emotionally, giving you goosebumps.
The high frequencies in the Sivga Que UTG are a breath of fresh air.
They have become more transparent, bright, and airy, noticeably cleaner and more refined compared to the original Que.
Technicality and analyticality have reached a new level, now even the smallest nuances, such as rustles, reverberations, cymbals, and reverberations, are conveyed naturally, effortlessly, but with vivid expressiveness and crystal-clear detail.At the same time, the sound remains light, free, and unrestrained, with a wonderful sense of air between the instruments and a feeling of an open stage above and beyond.
Of course, it should be noted that this presentation now makes the headphones more demanding in terms of recording quality, but if the track is really well mixed, the experience will be nothing short of “wow.”
The soundstage in Sivga Que UTG is now truly spacious.
Compared to conventional Que, it has become noticeably wider, deeper, and most importantly, more voluminous, and is now perceived not just as a panorama, but as a full-fledged acoustic space with air and perspective.
And you hear not only “left-right,” but also forward, deep, and upward, creating a pleasant sensation as if you are inside a concert hall, rather than simply listening to music.
The instruments are arranged with precision, each occupying its own place on the stage, without overlapping others or getting lost in the background.
The sound is not flat, but three-dimensional, alive and breathing, with superb localization and excellent separation.
As a result, you are not just listening to the composition, but feel as if you are inside it.
Sivga Que UTG - is not just an update, it's a whole new level of sound!
The new UTG diaphragm radically changes everything we know about the sound of dynamic models. It provides exquisite transparency, instantaneous transients, precise, controlled bass with excellent impact, emotional, rich midrange, and airy, detailed, and spacious high frequencies.
The soundstage is spacious, multi-layered, and well-positioned, creating the feeling of a real live performance right in front of you.
In my opinion, the Que UTG is not just “another version” but a serious leap forward in quality, and if you think you already know how the Sivga Que sounds, trust me, you're in for a big surprise.
Where I wanted nothing to do with the OG Que based on the massive amounts of corroborating impressions of it, and
@nikbr advising me to skip it based on my public preferences, this one seems to speak my language, and this might be something I need to consider, or see if I can get a review unit in? Yep. This is hopping to the top of the want list.
Love this idea always cool to see what hidden gems people are finding. I’ll definitely drop in if I come across something worth sharing. Appreciate the welcoming vibe here!
Welcome and yes, drop your Discoveries here! Always welcomed. also, the
ISN H60 is the BEAST gatekeeper of the sub $400 sets. It's the Golden State Warriors of the 2010's.
They look way better than that!
