[Leo888]

thatBeastsguy, any SQ difference between the new brown piston and the older version. Thanks.

 

[mochill]

Ordered the pistons rose gold edition.....will get them in a week or two...willmpost impressions soon ...couldn't resist the sexi iem .

 

[thatBeatsguy]

thatBeastsguy, any SQ difference between the new brown piston and the older version. Thanks.

Hmm, I don't know. I haven't owned the older one, but judging from the new damping system of the new pistons (I like to call them the P2s), they seem to have a better soundstage. I can't say for certain though.
 

Ordered the pistons rose gold edition.....will get them in a week or two...willmpost impressions soon ...couldn't resist the sexi iem

.

Rose gold? Don't they have only one color? Please send me a link to where you bought it so I could verify. There is only one gold color, unless what you mean is basically the same thing, or a fake. 
 
 
UPDATE: I did a little more scouring on the rose gold Pistons, and there is in fact no "rose gold edition" of the Pistons. It might be a fake.
     Also, I found on TMall silver Pistons. As it turns out (thanks to a little browsing of Xiaomi's joint design group 1More Design), the silver Pistons are the first one, or so it seems. There is also a "paperback" edition of those Pistons, which are labeled in 1More's website as the H02 (the silver Pistons are labeled H01). The new Pistons are labeled in the website as the MK301, so I would assume that that is its model number of sorts. 
     Why I wrote about them is for something to help you guys in buying the new Pistons. There might be some confustion as to which is which, but the original MK301 is the gold Pistons, nothing else.

 

[Leo888]

Thanks thatBeatsguy. Have you done any comparison with any of the discoveries in this thread.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

Thanks thatBeatsguy. Have you done any comparison with any of the discoveries in this thread.

Well, yes, I've listened to the Philips SHE-3590s, also a budget competitor, but that's about it, sadly.

 

[mochill]

Yeah I got the dold I think...... and any sound update?

 

[Leo888]

That's fine thatbeatsguy, I had the 3590 but it's basically dead with a bad plug. I think I can relate to that as you mentioned that the piston is kind of an upgrade.

 

[mochill]

Gr07 mk2 classic edition is out :0.... $119 on ebay

 

[thatBeatsguy]

Yeah I got the dold I think...... and any sound update?

   Okay, so the case should be rested by now. As for the sound updates, the smaller, longer double-flange tips change up that sound a lot, with a less prominent bass (really good) and more midrange clarity (though not by much). However, its travel case is only made to fit the medium-size tips, so I have to switch 'em out before I get anywhere. Using the regular tips, however, the fit is kinda tricky. You have to simply let the tip rest just under the little flap on your ear (though I think I already wrote about that); pushing it any further reduces isolation and takes away most of the bass.
 

That's fine thatbeatsguy, I had the 3590 but it's basically dead with a bad plug. I think I can relate to that as you mentioned that the piston is kind of an upgrade.

   OMG, we actually have the same problem. Mine's also pretty much dead because of the plug. I tried to open it up and replace it with a different jack from some other earbuds, but Philips did a great job insulating the cable filaments. It was way too hard to fix, so it's dead now, basically.

 

[sfwalcer]

This one is for us DISCOVERY Bois!!! Love you gias........

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 
The Value of A Threesome of Sum: ASG 2 v. KEF M200 v. VSonic VSD1 LE (Limited Edition)
 

     ​

 

​

 
ASG 2: Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price $500+
 
I'll start this comparison party with some sweet lovin', cuz that's how these ASG 2 sound.
 
Now that I have got that off, lets get down to the nitty-gritty shall we and exactly what do I mean when I say that these ASG 2s is "sweet" sounding. To expound on this I'll start by describing the basic sonic traits of these ASG 2s. What immediately jumped out at me during my initial listening sessions was the airiness, spaciousness and sparkly presentation of these ASG 2s. What I mean by airiness is that the instrument separation is very well layered which makes it easy to pinpoint exactly where each instrument is coming from/ is located during even very complex musical passages. The ASG 2s spaciousness is attributed to their big soundstage, hence there is a great sense of 3D depth and width to the atmosphere of the music, but yet still feels intimate because it is not overly diffused. So imagine a very airy 3D presentation with great headroom that is also really sparkle is what these ASG 2 sounded to me during my initial listening.  I was like what's the big hoopla all about because these things sounds so nice and sweet???  Then I was like ahhh, those infamous graphs which measured their audio quality as akin to a "telephone receiver" with "no treble." 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

***DISCLAIMER*** ​

 ​

*Graph and link posted is for the first ASG 2's that UnityIsPower received which Aurisonics said was defective, tho not in great detail.*
 
​

PRO: Sleek look.
 
CON: All the others including unstable impedance characteristic, unmatched woofer response, short bandwidth & non-linear frequency response. Moreover, unlike what the engineer has stated, there is no treble.
​

ON SECOND THOUGHT #6: Aurisonics ASG-2 is far far away from Harman's reference target. No, my friend. The sound quality of ASG-2 is not of a radio. It's rather of a telephone receiver.

 
Ay there's the rub, can a $600 plus set of IEMs really sound THAT bad as those graphs seem to indicate??? I for one see graphs and other raw forms of measured data as only one aspect of the sonic jigsaw puzzle and not the entire story of a said gears true characteristics. Other pieces of this puzzle would have to come from doing research and reading the impressions of others as well as hearing them for yourself in order to truly have a firm grasp of how it sounds. Alright enough preaching and beating around the bush let's get down to how these ASG 2 telephone receivers really sound.
 
These ASG 2s got my feet tapping and head bobbing with those Ortofon clear tips since day one of my audition, so I never bothered nor felt the need to pressure test them with my tried and true test tracks for treble quality and extension. But once I switched to their stock tips, the short comings of these IEMs became very apparent because they sounded much more dull as the result. The tracks I use to check for sonic traits and capabilities are the same as the ones I have used for my VSonic GR07 BE write-up, and the treble extension and quality of these ASG 2s sounded pretty rolled off early on because it is merely present with very little extension or sparkle to them. This lack of treble energy didn't catch my attention before because it was over compensated by the overly sparkliness/ lushness of the mid-range presentation due to those Ortofon clear tips, which I misconstrued as having more treble energy than it really has.  Therefore, the criticism of the lack of treble on these ASG 2s is indeed warranted from my experience as those infamous graphs indicated, especially with the stock tips but the "no treble" statement is overly harsh and not justified because there is treble presence albeit just rolled off.
 
Now that we got the negatives outta' the way, lets focus on the positive traits of these ASG 2s shall we. The sonic experience of these ASG 2s is akin to a nice cold bottle of soda pop on a hot summer afternoon because it's so refreshing and fun. I was mesmerized by how lush, sparkly, and refine the mids were on these ASG 2s, which made me simply enjoyed the hell outta' the music instead of trying to really over analyze it. This was what I meant when I stated that these ASG 2s sounded so "sweet." Not only is the mid-range of these ASG 2s sonically akin to a fizzy soda pop but their mid-bass is similarly well textured, punchy, with good speed, impact as well as clarity. The mid-bass is very nicely integrated and executed hence it is never muddy, congested nor bleeds much into the rest of the sonic spectrum. The sub-bass on these ASG 2s is satisfactory even for my borderline basshead needs despite it not having as much presence in both quality and quantity as compared to the mid-bass. Therefore, such luscious mid-range to mid-bass combination makes for a lethal dose of deliciousness that just makes the music "pop" on these ASG 2s. This is especially true for Asian pop as well as hip hop music because the non-fatiguing/ non-revealing yet very fun nature of these ASG 2s makes more brightly recorded, and poorly mastered music sound oh so sweet. Such a musical rendition will literally get your feet tapping, your head bobbing, and your @** popping because it will give you a sugar rush of auditory enjoyment. Bubble Soda popped!!! 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 
VSonic VSD1 LE (Limited Edition) : Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price $50 - $70
 
These VSD1 LEs are eerily similar in sonic signature and presentation compared to the ASG 2s. This sub $100 sonic wonder sounds very natural in its musical rendition, hence the timbre is one of the most realistic I have heard. Its mid bass to sub bass ratio is very well balanced both in quantity and quality, so these have pretty good depth to their sub bass extension as well a great mid bass impact. Just like the ASG 2s the bass slam on these LEs can really grab your attention, and combined with their large soundstage provides a very big out of the head experience akin to a set of headphones. The instrument layering and separation is very well placed, hence these gives a good sense of 3Dness to them as well unlike the more flat/2D presentation of VSonic's GR07 BEs. Therefore, these LEs are sonically very close to the ASG 2s in capability but what it lacks is the mid-range resolution, airiness and sparkle which is the bread and butter of the ASG 2s. Even though the mids of these VSD1 LEs is slightly more forward and more realistic sounding, it's the sweetness of the ASG 2s mids and better resolution which gives them a more refined sound overall. The treble of these VSD1 LEs lacks some extension and is similarly rolled off akin to the ASG 2s especially when compared to VSonic's old flagship the GR07 BEs but the VSD1 LEs treble quality and extension still bests that of the ASG 2s albeit only slightly.
 
Both IEMs offer you a really bold sound that has great headroom due to their grand 3D presentation, yet is never fatiguing sounding even when listened to at high volumes for lengthy sessions. I would even venture to say that these VSD1 LEs is the poor mans version of the ASG 2s, but there are things that these LEs do better than the ASG 2s ie; slightly better treble, better ratio of sub to mid bass quality and quantity, as well as more natural/ realistic sounding. Although the ASG 2s undoubtedly has much better 3D resolution, with the iPods "Jazz" present EQ applied makes these VSD1 LEs sound even closer in sonic presentation to the ASG 2s, which is pretty scary since these LEs are a $50 set of IEMs as compared to a $500 plus one. These VSD1 LEs take basic EQing and amping very well because of their higher impedance which was purposely implemented by VSonic during their tuning process. In fact these VSD1 LEs made me realize for the first time that there was a difference between my iPods "Off" and "Flat" EQ presents. This was a real revelation because I have always thought both settings sounded the same, but innately I seem to enjoy these VSD1 LEs more when it's on the "Flat" setting instead of "Off" because they sound slightly more balanced. As I have said before Scalability/ malleability baby is what these VSD1 LEs be!!! It's just too bad that once burn-in is finalized these VSD1 LEs loses some of its fullness because with a bit more volume (as in voluptuousness) and resolution to their sound these VSD1 LE is almost at the level of the ASG 2s. No joke....

 
 
KEF M200: Street/ Head-Fi Market Place Price $119-$150
 
The KEF M200 was the most 3D set of IEMs I have heard so far, that is until I had the chance to audition these ASG 2s. Overall these M200s are more technically capable than the ASG 2s if you analyze each of their sonic frequencies separately. The bass, mids and treble of the M200s is more balanced with better extension and depth, but since music is such a visceral experience, these ASG 2s for me provides a more satisfying experience as a whole even though they lack some extension up top and depth down under. The bass of these M200s are on the warmer, more mellow side with pretty good sub bass depth and extension. The bass quality just don't have as much impact nor slam when compared to that of the ASG 2s, hence this is why I find the bass presentation of ASG 2s more engaging and satisfying since I listen to a lot of hip hop music where there is more mid bass emphasis. With their stock tips the bass quantity of these M200s gets in the way of their overall clarity for me, therefore instrument layering/ separation is masked a bit. I found that aftermarket tips that have the same wide bore as the stock M200 tips but with a shorter barrel height helps to not only bring forward better clarity but a better sense of 3Dness as well as I have posted here. The shorter barrel height decreases the overall bass quantity of these M200s, yet it improves the overall bass quality. Short barrel wide bore tips balances the overall sound of these M200 which not only makes the bass tighter, increases its impact and speed but helps to bring forward their mids and adds a nice touch of lushness to it as well.
 
These KEF M200s is one of the best and most refined set of universal IEMs I have heard in the budget-fi arena due to its great 3D instrument layering/ separation. Though not quite as wide as the ASG 2s the large soundstage of these M200s also gives them a great sense of atmosphere and spaciousness as well.  Despite lacking a bit of sparkle the treble quality and quantity of these M200s is pretty well extended yet is never harsh, bright nor sibilant which in comparison really make the highs of the ASG 2s seem domesticated. These M200s sound pretty natural to me, but their sound signature leans more towards that of Balanced Armature IEMs due to its accuracy, 3Dness and clarity especially with shorter barrel aftermarket tips. I didn't even realized that they were comprised of double dynamic drivers at first because based solely on how they sounded, these M200s appear to have a BA slant than a dynamic one.
 
In conclusion:
These ASG 2s was an interesting/ educational experience to say the least because it was able to help me lift the veil of that higher_end-fi exclusivity somewhat. Haven't read all those ASG 2 comparisons in ekey bois thread with all those summit-fi IEMs but the gist I got outta' it was that many of those $1K and up IEMs offered only incremental minor "refinements" over these ASG 2s as it was also exemplified by the gears on this write-up as well. Most seem to offer different flavors in presentation/ sound signatures instead of true total and complete upgrades of the entire sonic spectrum. Hence the gap between mid-fi to summit-fi these days is A LOT smaller than those often inflated perceived value of summit-fi gears call for because the "price still doesn't reflect acoustic performance on the whole"currently. It is already apparent that with each new release due to so much competition and different/ new tech that is utilized today this sonic gap is furthered bridged. VSonics cheapo $50 VSD1 LE as well as KEFs M200s is more than technically capable in competing with higher end gears such as these ASG 2s, and if these ASG 2s already can hang with those Big Bois up top then are we lowly budget-fi affectionados REALLY missing out on THAT much of the music??? I dunno, but as one kooky dood once told me summit-fi is not really THAT exclusive, but it's more of the exclusivity of the brand name and high prices associated with it, or something along those lines. : P
 
So it is really up to us for being educated and savvy consumers to demand that our top dollars truly command top-shelf performance not just sonically but the total package as well because the phenomena of  the Law of Diminishing Returns as well as FOTM (Flavor Of The Month)  is very real indeed in this hobby especially with how fast gears are released nowadays which is kinda ironic since this is The Discovery Thread. haha Oh and despite that I was warned "the problem is that once you get used to these little refinements, it's hard to go back" it is not necessarily always true because I was able to be more than content and trick my mind back into their enjoying my cheapo VSD1 LEs, especially with some "Jazz" EQ even after I have gotten a taste of the "refinements" of the higher sound of these ASG 2s. Though I understand exactly what that statement meant my audio journey still marches forward........... entering the danger zone???........ is ignorance REALLY bliss???

........................

 
Since we are on this topic, one anal one dropped some nice wisdom when he stated that "buy what you want, as long as it's within your means" because this is a hobby afterall, so just enjoy the music with which ever gears you have as long as it makes you happy cuz the rainbow is forever elusive.  So no need to dwell on those negative nancy graphs unity cuz despite I consider them as overpriced these ASG 2s are a great sounding set of IEMs that compliment those GR07 BEs of yours really well. Therefore, despite the price to performance discrepancies between all three of these IEMs there is really no love lost here cuz all of them sound great.
 
VSonic VSD1 LE (Limited Edition) <3 KEF M200 <3 ASG 2
 
BUT If Aurisonics ever decide to sell these ASG 2s at a more competitive price instead of a boutique one for around $250 -$300....

                                                                                                                               ....cuz I don't mind a new telephone receiver.

 
Big thanks to Unity for the loaner pair of these ASG 2s and Danny for trading me those stock KEF M200s tips or else I wouldn't have been able to hear how they truly sounded and subsequently sold them off to that lil' rascal up north as the result.
 
Signing out.......... I mean on.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

.... just wanna make an excuse to use these gifs.

 

[d marc0]

Wow! Great read you got there Sf! Thanks

 

[sfwalcer]

Wow! Great read you got there Sf! Thanks

D'YAM already done??? O.O
 
You must want dat bubble pop real bad.

 
Pleasure is all mine meng. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[d marc0]

Hehehe! You snooze, you lose... Remember?

 

[sfwalcer]

Hehehe! You snooze, you lose... Remember?

^


LoL, i really don't recall, don't ring a bell..... BUT HAVE YOU BEEN READING THE PMs BETWEEN WAYNE AND I???
 
Cuz was just teasin' him on this EXACT matter. LMAO

 

[peter123]

Wow! Great read you got there Sf! Thanks

+1, thank you