[DynamicEars]

Thanks mate! Maybe I’ll wait for a demo of EAxEA Gaea and see. Otherwise, Monarch.



Second the U12t for comfort. I like the fact that U12t has 3 signatures for swapping when I am bored with one. The price is tough to swallow though



Will do. You must be the fourth or fifth audio geek asking me to try M9. I wonder what the fuzz is about

Talking about BA bass, really the sony open BA is similar concept like 64audio TIA system BAs
Moondrop S8 double Sonion BA i rated it 6.5 / 10 even they are fast and accurate with great tuning
Moondrop Kato bass is 7 /10
Hana 2021 bass is 5.5 / 10
Tri Starsea bass is 5.5 / 10
Sony M7 / M9 bass is getting 7.5 / 10 for me, one of the few that reaching pass the 7 score for my picky bass scoring
best bass I've rated is 9.5 / 10 in the Z1R

 

[chinmie]

You have to try Sony M7 / M9 BA bass mate

Will do. You must be the fourth or fifth audio geek asking me to try M9. I wonder what the fuzz is about

the M9 is where i put my endgame at right now. tuning/feel wise is similar to u12t, with the u12t a bit more engaging overall and thicker on the midbass, but the M9 has "secret sauce" on the staging presentation that i haven't found on any other IEM.

the other IEM that ive tried and love is the bigger brother Z1R, but for a whole different reasons. for overall points including fitting and sound preference, i still prefer M9 as my daily driver

if you have the chance to try it (the M7 also deserve a try), i would love to hear your thoughts on them

 

[o0genesis0o]

Re: Sony M9: I’m meeting a local Head-fier soon. Hopefully I can audition and measure his M9. Last time he let me listened to Z1R, I never felt so sad when returning an IEM

---

Today I learn: DAC/AMP can have a noticeable impact on the soundstage presentation of IEM, more than what I expected. When I sat down to write the JD7 review, I decided to use my trusty Fiio KA3 so that the Topping G5 can “have a rest”. And I was shocked: where is my soundstage depth??? why is the subbass so strong all of the sudden???

Yup, it’s the KA3. I don’t know whether Fiio intended to do this, but this dongle is quite bright with forward midrange (thus shallow stage) and punchy at the same time. If you want soundstage and feel that your stage is too shallow, and if you are using KA3, that might be the culprit.

I guess KA3 is no longer ”trusty” to me.

 

[yaps66]

I have tried the Zen, but not the Zen Pro. My understanding was that it had average technical performance and if I'm paying $900 for an IEM, I expect it to have good technical performance. Obviously, I don't expect a 1DD to have elite resolution like tribids or multi-BA sets, but I have heard single DD sets that have good detail retrieval that just didn't do it for me tuning wise. However, you and @Scuba Devils have me thinking I might need to give them a whirl.

I agree with both @o0genesis0o and @Scuba Devils and can recommend the Zen Pro. I have never heard the Zen myself but from all the reviews I have read, the Zen Pro pretty much addressed the criticisms of the Zen and in a good way. The Zen Pro has great technical performance and is such a coherent iem. Pretty good resolution too!

 

[Kris77]

Actually the comfort is really good on the HEXA. I've used it for about 6 hours continuously today without any discomfort (average sized ears). The profile is very small, and on the inner aspect, there are no edges pressing on the concha/auricle of the ear.



In terms of sound, the Truthear HEXA is neutral with a sub-bass boost. Definitely very different from the usual Harman spam sidegrade tunings.

Note weight is on the slightly thinner side, timbre is natural (despite the BAs) and it is very coherent despite the 3BA + 1DD config. In fact, if I didn't know it was a hybrid setup, I would have thought that this was a single driver set. The DD bass can keep up with the BAs in speed and timbre.

Technically, the HEXA has very good imaging and layering, but as the treble isn't very boosted, it perhaps doesn't have as great sheer resolution as some treble-boosted hybrids. Soundstage is also below average, but it makes up for this intimate soundstage with pinpoint imaging.

The HEXA is sub-bass focused, just slightly north of neutral at the bass, with a small tickle in the sub-bass. There is a mid-bass scoop, so EDM and hip-hop fans best consider alternatives. The mids are neutral, with just a slight boost in the upper mids, nothing fatiguing, but the vocal heads may want vocals a bit more forwards. Treble as described, is very safe and sibliant-free.

The HEXA however, is quite hard to drive for a hybrid. Amplification is recommended, cause without sufficient juice, dynamics sound quite flat.

The isolation is very good, in addition to the aforementioned good ergonomics. In fact, I think it will make an excellent budget stage monitor cause of these properties, plus the neutralish tuning with good technical performance.

The stock cable is quite bad - tangly, thin with microphonics. But no biggie just replacing it with an aftermarket cable. Comes with foam, wide bore silicone and narrow bore silicone tips, a leatherette soft case and a standing waifu called Shiroi.

I'd rate it a 4.5/5 if you like this tuning (neutral with sub-bass boost). Bassheads and those that do not have a more robust source, might wanna look elsewhere. Soundstage is compressed, but the good imaging/layering makes it up somewhat in this aspect.

Are the Truthear HEXAs better than the Reecho SG-01 OVAs (which I am very happy with)? Or is there no point in bothering?

 

[Scubadevils]

I agree with both @o0genesis0o and @Scuba Devils and can recommend the Zen Pro. I have never heard the Zen myself but from all the reviews I have read, the Zen Pro pretty much addressed the criticisms of the Zen and in a good way. The Zen Pro has great technical performance and is such a coherent iem. Pretty good resolution too!

Yes I found the Pro a bit upgrade on the OG.

 

[r31ya]

Re: Sony M9: I’m meeting a local Head-fier soon. Hopefully I can audition and measure his M9. Last time he let me listened to Z1R, I never felt so sad when returning an IEM

---

Today I learn: DAC/AMP can have a noticeable impact on the soundstage presentation of IEM, more than what I expected. When I sat down to write the JD7 review, I decided to use my trusty Fiio KA3 so that the Topping G5 can “have a rest”. And I was shocked: where is my soundstage depth??? why is the subbass so strong all of the sudden???

Yup, it’s the KA3. I don’t know whether Fiio intended to do this, but this dongle is quite bright with forward midrange (thus shallow stage) and punchy at the same time. If you want soundstage and feel that your stage is too shallow, and if you are using KA3, that might be the culprit.

I guess KA3 is no longer ”trusty” to me.

i used to use Dragonfly black who are pretty damn good for the price BUT the soundstage or positioning is very much of left and right.
and its very jarring when you used it for things like gaming. one dude steps sound is either on the left or the right, no center image or proper transitioning.

 

[baskingshark]

Re: Sony M9: I’m meeting a local Head-fier soon. Hopefully I can audition and measure his M9. Last time he let me listened to Z1R, I never felt so sad when returning an IEM

---

Today I learn: DAC/AMP can have a noticeable impact on the soundstage presentation of IEM, more than what I expected. When I sat down to write the JD7 review, I decided to use my trusty Fiio KA3 so that the Topping G5 can “have a rest”. And I was shocked: where is my soundstage depth??? why is the subbass so strong all of the sudden???

Yup, it’s the KA3. I don’t know whether Fiio intended to do this, but this dongle is quite bright with forward midrange (thus shallow stage) and punchy at the same time. If you want soundstage and feel that your stage is too shallow, and if you are using KA3, that might be the culprit.

I guess KA3 is no longer ”trusty” to me.

The Sony M9 is my current end game (well I bought mine second hand at slightly below $500 USD). And even though the M9 is around 4 years since release, I think it can compete with modern day TOTL models.

The M9, even though it is a pure BA, has a very natural timbre. Warm neutral, very organic and non-fatiguing. Also has superb layering/imaging and soundstage. I use it for stage monitoring and critical listening, and have since sold all my pure BA sets away. The BA bass of the M9 won't rumble and move air as much as a DD bass, but is is tight and fast and well textured.

Are the Truthear HEXAs better than the Reecho SG-01 OVAs (which I am very happy with)? Or is there no point in bothering?

I haven't tried the SG-01 OVAs. But FWIW, the special thing about the HEXA is the neutral with sub-bass boost tonality. This kind of tuning is rarely seen at the budget segment. And if you add in the good technicalities, timbre, fit and isolation, I think it does most areas well, and isn't a typical sidegrade of one-trick pony.

 

[chinmie]

The Sony M9 is my current end game

bonus photo for all M9 gang!

 

[baskingshark]

Wow @$*)(!&@*(#&!(@#@!!!?

Is that 4 Sony M9s in your collection!? How many kidneys did you sell away for this? (BTW the kidneys are not as important as audio nirvana and eargasm achieved here).

 

[chinmie]

Wow @$*)(!&@*(#&!(@#@!!!?

Is that 4 Sony M9s in your collection!? How many kidneys did you sell away for this? (BTW the kidneys are not as important as audio nirvana and eargasm achieved here).

naah, just one of them
I have an audio group that have frequent meets, and four of our members have one

 

[saldsald]

XuanWu vs the Celest, similar but quite different driver. Looks like a full plastic shell so this one should probably be quite budget friendly.

 

[freelancr]

Allure is on the way.

The Allure is among my favorite single DDs. This set made me realize why I like certain single DD IEMs more than others: It's the 10 kHz dip! The higher the 10 kHz SPL the more likely I am to like the IEM. This is not the sole factor for sounding good to my ears but a strong one.
I checked all my favorites and compared to my less liked sets and surprise here is how it looks.

Sets I like a lot. All have a rather high/stable 10kHz SPL or weak dip:

Allure

JQ 4U (non pro)

Tri HBB Kai

Not so liked single DD IEMs, strong dip:

Aria

Heartmirror Pro

Blon A8 Prometheus

 

[Tzennn]

The Allure is among my favorite single DDs. This set made me realize why I like certain single DD IEMs more than others: It's the 10 kHz dip! The higher the 10 kHz SPL the more likely I am to like the IEM. This is not the sole factor for sounding good to my ears but a strong one.
I checked all my favorites and compared to my less liked sets and surprise here is how it looks.

Sets I like a lot. All have a rather high/stable 10kHz SPL or weak dip:

Allure


JQ 4U (non pro)

Tri HBB Kai


Not so liked single DD IEMs, strong dip:

Aria


Heartmirror Pro


Blon A8 Prometheus

As someone with tinnitus around 10khz, i can't relate!
Translate: with moderate amount of 10khz i will hear much more than that --> sibilance, only the dip or the super peak can cure it.

 

[Jmop]

The Allure is among my favorite single DDs. This set made me realize why I like certain single DD IEMs more than others: It's the 10 kHz dip! The higher the 10 kHz SPL the more likely I am to like the IEM. This is not the sole factor for sounding good to my ears but a strong one.
I checked all my favorites and compared to my less liked sets and surprise here is how it looks.

Sets I like a lot. All have a rather high/stable 10kHz SPL or weak dip:

Allure


JQ 4U (non pro)

Tri HBB Kai


Not so liked single DD IEMs, strong dip:

Aria


Heartmirror Pro


Blon A8 Prometheus

Same, and the treble spike after the dip is no help either, it just sounds detached and lacking resolution. The JQ measurements aren’t too shabby but the Kai drops off a bit rapidly post 10k for my taste.