The discovery thread!

[audio123]

Just few thoughts on GK10 and the hype:

DT-6 and DT-6 pro of S...r are tribrids at ~$25.

If to resend them to few reviewers for their "unbiased opinion", we can safely "unbiasedly" bet that they will be very noteworthy and really great price/performance ratio

The question what would drive 8-Ohm IEM was largely left unanswered, so saving $45 for popcorn makes it really enjoyable to watch where this hype train will drive to, thank you!

Please list the flagship TOTL IEMs you have tried.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Exactly. I might invest in an impedance adapter or ifi iematch+ to mitigate this.

I have played with impedanxe adapters quite a bit - they largely ruin the sound of weak sources.

Similarly, IEM match work great with too powerful sources to mitigate noise and to manage the optimal performance levels - a good source is still needed.

 

[Dsnuts]

While the GK10 are rated at 8 ohms its not overly sensitive, what is interesting when I was testing out the SG-01 which is rated at 32 Ohms but clearly has more sensitivity. The GK10 requires just a bit more juice from the volume nob to achieve same volume.

They do well with amping due to the dynamics it uses for the main sound. Of course amping is not required but sound expands accordingly. I think if the GK10 was made with BAs I dont know if it would have benefited with using more power as much but the GK10 clearly does.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Please list the flagship TOTL IEMs you have tried.

Please list IEMs that you did not like in your positive "unbiased" opinion.

My budget is below $150 and I am happy to stick to it not giving a... to obnoxious opinions!

 

[ian91]

The high currents needed are exactly the problem.
Very few sources that I know are claimed/certified to drive IEM below 16 Ohm.

Those with high-level DAPs will be surely fine, but not the majority of people subscribing to this hype train...

The Cayin C9 is rated as <50mOhm output impedance.

The Shanling M8 on its balanced output is 2Ohm output impedance.

The GK10 still sounds great on the M8, but slightly warmer and with a thicker bass signature.

It will be a matter of taste, but I concede if the output impedance exceeds 2Ohm it will probably deviate even further from the intended tuning.

 

[audio123]

Please list IEMs that you did not like in your positive "unbiased" opinion.

My budget is below $150 and I am happy to stick to it not giving a... to obnoxious opinions!

This is why I only started reviewing after purchasing TOTL IEMs because by owning TOTL IEMs, one will know what the best sound the market has to offer. Why on earth will I trust someone with limited exposure to IEMs? Get a TOTL IEM first bro.

 

[RikudouGoku]

While the GK10 are rated at 8 ohms its not overly sensitive, what is interesting when I was testing out the SG-01 which is rated at 32 Ohms but clearly has more sensitivity. The GK10 requires just a bit more juice from the volume nob to achieve same volume.

They do well with amping due to the dynamics it uses for the main sound. Of course amping is not required but sound expands accordingly. I think if the GK10 was made with BAs I dont know if it would have benefited with using more power as much but the GK10 clearly does.

The sensitivity affects the volume more than the impedance (the impedance affects the tuning though) does from what I know.

The GK10 has 106db while the SG-01 is at 110db

 

[ian91]

The sensitivity affects the volume more than the impedance (the impedance affects the tuning though) does from what I know.

The GK10 has 106db while the SG-01 is at 110db

While we are at it, lets drop that impedance even further....

My GK10 box says impedence is 6Ohm! (obviously there's probably a margin of error).

 

[RikudouGoku]

While we are at it, lets drop that impedance even further....

My GK10 box says impedence is 6Ohm! (obviously there's probably a margin of error).

Either that is a typo or the specs on the site is wrong.

Probably more likely that it is a typo on your package...

 

[ian91]

Either that is a typo or the specs on the site is wrong.

Probably more likely that it is a typo on your package...

Who knows 'ey? I don't know what or who to trust when it comes to ChiFi.

 

[Dsnuts]

You know regardless of high end or budget IEMs. I don't find too much gap in enjoyment from both types. If you guys think about it. What is the difference in something like a Solaris or a GK10. Both sets are hand made and both sets are tuned by experts.

Sure we are talking about different levels of earphones here but. To be honest I was more surprised and elated with hearing the GK10 more so than my Solaris. I mean I expect the Solaris to have the type of sound it does. But something like a $45 IEM your not gonna expect excellence from it but how surprising is it to hear how refined it is from a set you aren't expecting.

I seen folks post all the time in certain threads that "own" a few higher end sets if not just owning one higher end earphone. They know about that phone they own sure but that don't mean they know sound. It just means they like that one earphone.

To me it is actually the opposite. I honestly feel the more you own regardless of level the more you know about sound since there is a vast difference in sound signature and quality at all levels. Owning higher end stuff is great, I mean who don't want to get a Trailli for themselves if you got the means but imo it dont make you the Jedi of earphone sound just because you own it. That just means you have the means to pay for higher end earphones.

That one guy that owns a 6K earphone just knows that 6K earphone. He don't know anything about the GK10s and the 10 other budget sets that sounds great. Who out of the two guys here are learning from sound.?

What makes me respect Audio here is that he has the means and is a crazy collector hobbiest reviewer. Beyond just his higher end earphone experience the guy owns more than you and I put together. There is a respect factor from me just due to this fact. For him it isnt just about all high end stuff. What new earphones have you not seen him review or own? My wife wants to destroy my work space as I have too many earphones. I bet he has a museum dedicated for his earphones. Would love to see a pic of all he owns that would be something. But at same time I also respect the budget level hobbiest as they are learning and enjoying the hobby at their level.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[ian91]

You know regardless of high end or budget IEMs. I don't find too much gap in enjoyment from both types. If you guys think about it. What is the difference in something like a Solaris or a GK10. Both sets are hand made and both sets are tuned by experts.

I think the law of diminishing returns is incredibly steep, just from first hand observation. I also agree that my enjoyment doesn't vary vastly between budget and high end provided the drivers are well tuned and well implemented.

The GK10 is a perfect example of a high price to performance ratio and emphasises that with expert tuning you can eek great performance out of 'cheaper' drivers. With the speed at which ChiFi moves I think we underestimate and undervalue the gradual refinement of exisiting driver technology and overvalue new tech that either crucially doesn't add anything of value or is not properly implemented or understood.

 

[audio123]

You know regardless of high end or budget IEMs. I don't find too much gap in enjoyment from both types. If you guys think about it. What is the difference in something like a Solaris or a GK10. Both sets are hand made and both sets are tuned by experts.

Sure we are talking about different levels of earphones here but. To be honest I was more surprised and elated with hearing the GK10 more so than my Solaris. I mean I expect the Solaris to have the type of sound it does. But something like a $45 IEM your not gonna expect excellence from it but how surprising is it to hear how refined it is from a set you aren't expecting.

I seen folks post all the time in certain threads that "own" a few higher end sets if not just owning one higher end earphone. They know about that phone they own sure but that don't mean they know sound. It just means they like that one earphone.

To me it is actually the opposite. I honestly feel the more you own regardless of level the more you know about sound since there is a vast difference in sound signature and quality at all levels. Owning higher end stuff is great, I mean who don't want to get a Trailli for themselves if you got the means but imo it dont make you the Jedi of earphone sound just because you own it. That just means you have the means to pay for higher end earphones.

That one guy that owns a 6K earphone just knows that 6K earphone. He don't know anything about the GK10s and the 10 other budget sets that sounds great. Who out of the two guys here are learning from sound.?

What makes me respect Audio here is that he has the means and is a crazy collector hobbiest reviewer. Beyond just his higher end earphone experience the guy owns more than you and I put together. There is a respect factor from me just due to this fact. For him it isnt just about all high end stuff. What new earphones have you not seen him review or own? My wife wants to destroy my work space as I have too many earphones. I bet he has a museum dedicated for his earphones. Would love to see a pic of all he owns that would be something. But at same time I also respect the budget level hobbiest as they are learning and enjoying the hobby at their level.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

I think I can arrange a time to take a pic of all I own.

@Dsnuts nailed it. It's not a matter of owning higher end gears but higher end gears provide a reference point on what's good. Why am I still interested in lower end gears even though I have higher end gears? To find the next gem which is satisfying. For example, GK10 under 50 USD, what a steal. To that user (Phono), he is probably jealous of those who can purchase higher end gears.

 

[430633]

Initially didn't bother to try the Geek Wold GK10 at all as I thought it will probably has similar sonic performance as IEMs in that price range but succumb to it in the end eventually. Glad I finally tried it. Fresh out of the box, it has an engaging and fun sound. What a bargain for its price.

EDIT: The more I listened to the GK10, I cannot imagine this is only under 50 USD. Its sonic performance is way beyond its price.

It is really pretty. How's it compared to the IT01X?

 

[PhonoPhi]

This is why I only started reviewing after purchasing TOTL IEMs because by owning TOTL IEMs, one will know what the best sound the market has to offer. Why on earth will I trust someone with limited exposure to IEMs? Get a TOTL IEM first bro.

Are you seriously suggesting to get $1000+ IEM based on your biases??

If you are in US, you may get into some ... serious incovenience with such attitude...

I do not advise people on IEMs, but I can surely disadvise against the hype after burning few times with those "unbiased reviews".
It is seriously damaging to this hobby, "bro"!