[Vonbuddy]

I just opened my Meze 109 Pros, a discovery for me, and I can say initially they are the best sounding anything I own. I own a pair of Quad tall speakers priced at over 2500 dollars and they needed time to break in. But these right out of the box blew me away playing the Andor soundtrack. Just magnificent. It is like they are not on my head and the room is filled with lush music. It is early, but my initial reaction is worth every penny I paid.

 

[Vonbuddy]

I think the depth of the music is the selling point for the 109s. No, there are better detailed devices. But the overall depth of these makes me forget details. And I like details a lot. I had just worn the Sigva 23s and they were great. But there is no question this set is steps ahead. Just rich for the price. By the way I am using the Questyle M12 dongle dac. Likely will use M15 a little later. All of this watching YouTube videos. Think about music services and cds/records.

 

[Dsnuts]

I just opened my Meze 109 Pros, a discovery for me, and I can say initially they are the best sounding anything I own. I own a pair of Quad tall speakers priced at over 2500 dollars and they needed time to break in. But these right out of the box blew me away playing the Andor soundtrack. Just magnificent. It is like they are not on my head and the room is filled with lush music. It is early, but my initial reaction is worth every penny I paid.

quite the looker. Love me some open cans on occasion.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I was pretty sure of getting a planar for Chinese new year sales, but BQEYZ Winter is so tempting... I want to feel how airy and lively it is, Idk. Nothing at same price range sharing similar tech

( Maybe Truthear could bring bone conduction to lower price tag )

I’ve been hanging in the wings waiting for someone to review the Winter. I’m curious about the tech too.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I’ve been hanging in the wings waiting for someone to review the Winter. I’m curious about the tech too.

Here is one youtube review, english cc available. The IEM shop manager’s one.

 

[Bitsir]

I think the depth of the music is the selling point for the 109s. No, there are better detailed devices. But the overall depth of these makes me forget details. And I like details a lot. I had just worn the Sigva 23s and they were great. But there is no question this set is steps ahead. Just rich for the price. By the way I am using the Questyle M12 dongle dac. Likely will use M15 a little later. All of this watching YouTube videos. Think about music services and cds/records.

Really can't recommend the M15. Detailed yes, but very narrow stage with that thing. You're better off with Ru6, Link2Bal or Tanchjim Space!

 

[Ace Bee]

discoveries of the day

How is the SIE? I have the Venture Electronics Azure...and I am quite disappointed by them. They sound very cheap V shaped, nowhere close to other $50 contenders at all!

 

[PhonoPhi]

I realize this discussion doesn’t need another chime, and I’m pages behind in my reading (so it’s probably a done deal already or even prohibited by now) but I’ve got to say a few things, please, and feel it out as I go.

Per my own experience, expectations or preconceived notions (regarding affects of cables on sound) don’t reasonably account for perceived changes.

For one, you can be swapping cables without any idea whether (and to what extent) sound will be altered. If psychology is the cause, in all likelihood, it must be present at the outset as belief. Unless, of course, one wishes to argue that subjective impressions can never be appropriately unbiased.

In the case of distinct changes, the comparative sonic profiles are perceived to be so strikingly different that it would be unreasonable to expect unconscious notions, if present, to produce them.

Why? Under normal conscious conditions our senses respond too rapidly and, in the present example involving strong auditory stimuli, in such vivid detail that no other explanation, save for psychotic hallucination, could reasonably account for perception but that the material components themselves are responsible.

In everyday practice, sensory perception is not susceptible to the possibility of mentally-induced distortions powerful enough, per this scenario, to provide sufficient alternative account.

To discount the perceptions because a thoroughly convincing physical explanation is absent is akin to ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’.

(Not mentioning cables anymore, I apologize to those, who may feel it not belonging. I used the cable analogy to get few points across for the DAP case, which is more involved. I will return to a constructive DAPs vs. DACs point in the end).

Just the other way around!
A bias can be expected, but it can't define physical laws (even if absolutely all believe in flat Earth - the Earth won't get any flatter).

So having a pre-conceived biased, be it visual (nice blue colour or a beatifull shell) or other biased views (significant money paid, expected to be very good, otherwise feeling silly) affect very fluid, and prone-to-bias auditory perceptions.
That is the main reason for all subjective evaluations common in this hobby.
With whichever general laws existing, I am not denying any subjective perception (I have a lot of mines that I fully enjoyed: blue cables, liking the shells, as in KZ ESX, and overall presentation experience in Gumiho that definitely shaped my more positive auditory perception).
Whatever subjective can be perceived, it remains subjective - not to be generalized and advised as a common wisdom. The latter should be pointed out and argued against, in my opinion.

Back to the DAPs vs. DACs, one good advantage of high-level DAPs is their powerfull batteries enabling their DAC/amp to fully perform at the "desktop" level (and no AC interference).
For DACs, the phone power is often some limitation (though many recent phones are much better with USB 3 and similar).
With my Samsung S10, many DACs sound noticeably better when using an external battery. E1DA even provided a splitter cable, and a significant difference powering all its capacitors fully. I commonly use a USB C splitter onto two with designated power and audio ports, which is somewhat clumsy but audiophilic

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Can't wait for your impressions between two. And yes my Hola also haven't shipped yet since 3 days back. Hopefully make it before everyone in china get busy and holiday like 2 weeks before chinese new year.

I also interested in Sea-Elf actually but like @AmericanSpirit said after sleep and the next day I can think clearly I may not need them, but the $19 Hola is hard to resist, an LCP 11mm DD with S class tuning

I have sea-elf, Hola / shio incoming too, very excited to see where would this new comers would land among the red ocean We have so far

Sea-elf as great modulated cable with lightning DSP/usb-c dsp/2.5/3.5/4.4, and somewhat lowest priced qdc tuning (qdc Anole VX/ Aur Audio Neon Pro/See Audio Bravery / DUNU SA6) meets LCP driver.

Also for qdc tuning at budget range, I’d like to honer TRI Starsea.

Starsea is a”full-resin filled” energized baby-Anole VX with different HRTF group with 2.5kz pinna gain spot which actually comes with 2 tuning switches vs 3 switches of Anole VX.

HOLA (HALO) as very neutral 11m LCP IEM that’s seemingly Moondrop Chu/Jiu competitor.

It seems Truthear this time, paid attention to even slightest detail, the nozzle outlet is painted mat black as opposed to “gold” /“silver” raw finish.

 

[4ceratops]

HOLA (HALO) as very neutral 11m LCP IEM that’s seemingly Moondrop Chu/Jiu competitor.

Damn it! HOLA has an 11m LCP? How do we stuff it in our ears?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Damn it! HOLA has an 11m LCP? How do we stuff it in our ears?

Haha maybe not even to my bedroom!

 

[nraymond]

In everyday practice, sensory perception is not susceptible to the possibility of mentally-induced distortions powerful enough, per this scenario, to provide sufficient alternative account.

https://www.wixanswers.com/amp/color-psychology-marketing

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._on_perceptions_of_brand_logo_appropriateness

 

[Surf Monkey]

https://www.wixanswers.com/amp/color-psychology-marketing

https://www.researchgate.net/public..._on_perceptions_of_brand_logo_appropriateness

As a professional working in this field (design and marketing) I can concur with these articles. It’s a fact of human nature. Synesthesia on the genetic level. Silver sounds bright because silver is bright and shiny. Gold sounds rich and warm because gold is a rich and warm color.

This kind of thing absolutely works on potential customers of all sorts of products. Color is critical to the customer’s perception of the product’s function, not just aesthetic.

 

[Carpet]

As a professional working in this field (design and marketing) I can concur with these articles. It’s a fact of human nature. Synesthesia on the genetic level. Silver sounds bright because silver is bright and shiny. Gold sounds rich and warm because gold is a rich and warm color.

This kind of thing absolutely works on potential customers of all sorts of products. Color is critical to the customer’s perception of the product’s function, not just aesthetic.

So black IEMs are targeted at grim, soulless individuals with no colour left in their lives?​

And here was me thinking that their popularity with married men, was because they all look the same, and new additions didn't draw as much attention!

 

[o0genesis0o]

Thanks for the comparison. Have you tried Variations and Xenns Up, too?

I have not even seen these in real life, sorry

Speaking of bass. The new FH15 has about 10dbs of it. Which is full on basshead territory.
Its got very good treble and mids. Dont know if any of you guys owned the original FH5. But apparently that is where the inspiration for the tuning on the FH15 came from. I recognize the vocal fowardness. Treble this time is non fatiguing slightly smoother in character but detailed well. Then you get 10dbs of brawn. This one is more or less consumer tuned. Which is ok. A slight reduction for its bass end would have yeilded a much better balance as they are these are a bit more L shaped in its tuning.

Fiios FH7S is what these strive to be but unfortunately the closed in shell and that 10dbs of bass is not the best combo. They are enjoyable but at the cost of bass bloom and a slower decay for bass. The bass end here reminds me of the bass of the FH3 more than any of their higher end IEMs. It is using the shell shape of the old F9, the tuning from the FH5 and the bass tech and emphasis from the FH3. You put those three IEMs together and you essentially get the FH15. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-fh15.26274/reviews

I have to agree to disagree about the bass and soundstage. If FH3 has this quality of bass, I wouldn’t have returned to the hifi store for more (and end up rambling here). Might let the FH15 jump queue to get the review out before other items