The discovery thread!

[W0lrince]

What type of tips are on the longer side for short nozzle IEM's?
Was supposed to use the HOLA for some spinning cardio at home, but the nozzle is quite short. Very similar to to both the Reecho sg01 and Blon Bl-03.

Still recommend foam or flipped starlight if you can find one

 

[Fat Larry]

Anyone tried these? https://drop.com/buy/helm-f2-planar-magnetic-dual-driver-wired-headphones#overview

Helm F2 didn't show any results here. DD and Planar sounds like an interesting combination.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

This Japan exclusive (?) cable brand JSHiFi’s cable looks nice.

https://amzn.asia/d/iaxUH1B

it’s around 2500JPY = 18USD

I bet it’s same ODM’s product of XINHS & NiceHCK, Anyone know OEM cable like this?

 

[Leonarfd]

This Japan exclusive (?) cable brand JSHiFi’s cable looks nice.

https://amzn.asia/d/iaxUH1B

it’s around 2500JPY = 18USD

I bet it’s same ODM’s product of XINHS & NiceHCK, Anyone know OEM cable like this?

It has the jelly coating that is on many of the Nicehck cables, reminds me a little of the red from XINHS but that's braided with red copper and silver plated cobber.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

What type of tips are on the longer side for short nozzle IEM's?
Was supposed to use the HOLA for some spinning cardio at home, but the nozzle is quite short. Very similar to to both the Reecho sg01 and Blon Bl-03.

ASLA long stem would be a great but not cheap choice my go to for this IEM

 

[Leonarfd]

Thanks, think I'll pass on getting more expensive tips.
Since the HOLA is not my favorite, it's not worth using much on.
I can repack it and give it as a gift for nephew for his birthday
Or I'll try and mod it and see if I can get the sound more to my liking. Can sound quite great with a little EQ, but I don't always wanna be locked to needing EQ.

ASLA long stem would be a great but not cheap choice my go to for this IEM

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Thanks, think I'll pass on getting more expensive tips.
Since the HOLA is not my favorite, it's not worth using much on.
I can repack it and give it as a gift for nephew for his birthday
Or I'll try and mod it and see if I can get the sound more to my liking. Can sound quite great with a little EQ, but I don't always wanna be locked to needing EQ.

If clarity on stock HOLA’s tuning is something, you probably could try filter removal. I’ve done to stock Aria of which I had very uneasy feeling about muffled & over dampened mid.

Remove iron filter with picture guide

Post Mod notes

Just any regular clip pin would work.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

A best of early 2023 purchase!

Silver & Gold

I purchased this and it came in today. I bought it for my Fearless Audio Shangri-la on a whim. I've been enjoying this IEM, but I didn't feel like I had a good enough cable for it. I had been switching up between some Kbear, Tripowin, and the Sands cable. Though they were pretty good, I wasn't hearing the 3d imaging and stage that the reviewers were saying this IEM had. Linsoul claims this combination of gold and silver help with the soundstage, so I took a flier on them for $60.00. About what I paid for the Sea-Elf....

BEAUTIFUL SYNERGY!! This cable helped open up the stage just enough (this isn't some grand revelation, and the stage was already there), that it's optimized! This has moved the Shangri-la very close to the Sands, but it's a fun musical experience vs the analytical but killer bass experience of the Sands. Rarely in my life have I been so satisfied with my rig and gear. I still have the IE200 coming in too.

The cable itself is supple, soft, well built, and beautiful. It's not a stiff or rigid cable, which is exactly what I prefer. Some prefer a thicker more rigid cable, but this is perfect for me. Feels so good in the hand. Tonality is definitely different from pure silver or copper cable. I think I'll be buying this same cable to try out on the IE200?

Pretty pics to come....

 

[helloh3adfi]

A best of early 2023 purchase!

Silver & Gold

I purchased this and it came in today.

So it's like a mix between gold and silver plated. Is it better or just different to other SPC cables like Whitecrane?

 

[kmmbd]

SIMGOT EN1000​

MINI REVIEW​

It's been a while since Simgot released something new in their lineup. A couple years ago, I heard their EN700 and that one was competitive in their respective price-bracket. However, since then, there has been silence on Simgot's front.

It appears that in 2023 they want to change that trend, and has come up with the EN1000, their mid-range (USD$190) single-dynamic driver offering. They sport a single, 10mm dynamic driver with DLC + Be plated diaphragm.

However, their claim to fame is not the driver itself, rather it's the "tuning plug" system where you swap out the 3.5mm termination to attain a different tuning. More on this later.

Build quality is excellent. The shell is a three-part design: the front is aluminum, the mid-frame is stainless steel, and the back is tempered glass with a decorative pattern underneath. It's all rather glitzy without going overboard, and definitely has the classic "Simgot" design.

Comfort is good, but isolation is below average. The stock accessories are good, with the cable being the highlight. I didn't manage to take photos of the cable, will update this section later with photos of the internal mechanism.

Basically, there are four push-pins on the wire side, and the "breakaway" termination side holds the crossover circuit. The entire thing is held by friction, and it is rather difficult to swap out once pushed in tightly.

The change in sound is basically in the treble region.

The Black plug (stock plug) has the highest amount of treble, especially upper-treble. It sounds the most exciting, and the added air expands the stage. I like this one in short sessions, since the extra treble tends to get fatiguing after a while for me.

The Blue plug is slightly less emphasized in upper-treble, and consequently sounds less "sharp" in that region.

The Red plug probably has the "best looking" graph, as the lower-treble is smoothed out and upper-treble is inoffensive. I find it very suitable for laid-back listening.

Unfortunately, the red plug makes the 5kHz peak somewhat pronounced, which leads to consonants and "s"/"t" sounds being over-emphasized. Stage is also more intimate with this plug. All plugs exhibit some metallic sheen in the treble region, which can be somewhat tamed by changing tips (e.g. Final E-type).

All three plugs have very good bass response. The bass has fast attack, natural decay, and the sub-bass rumble is noticeable. Mid-bass punch also adds some body and physicality to the lower region.

Lower-mids do not sound lean or thin, but the upper-mids and mid-treble tend to steal the spotlight. As a result, high-pitched female vocals can veer into "shout" territory, but it was within margin of tolerance for me. Your mileage may vary.

General technicalities are very competitive for a single-DD in this price range. Staging is above-average, positional cues are well-rendered with no gaps when panning across the channels, and macrodynamic punch is delivered with gusto.

It's only the brilliance in treble that might make this one a hit or miss for you. If you like treble sparkle and also want great bass, the EN1000 deserves an audition. The tuning plugs make them more versatile across genres, and you won't miss a lot in terms of sheer technicalities as well.

4/5

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

So it's like a mix between gold and silver plated. Is it better or just different to other SPC cables like Whitecrane?

it's different in that this provides just a tad more space and air. The trebles come through better and the dimensional qualities seem to give more space. Definitely noticeable when A/B'ing between this and the SPC (which I have a overabundance of).

 

[baskingshark]

Helm Audio has released a hybrid Planar + DD IEM: the F2

Lots of headfiers were asking for a planar with DD bass, and it seems your wish is granted!

$110 USD. Ridiculously, at this price point, the cable is not detachable and looks quite thin. Might be a deal breaker for some.

6 mm planar + 10 mm DD


https://drop.com/buy/helm-f2-planar-magnetic-dual-driver-wired-headphones

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Helm Audio has released a hybrid Planar + DD IEM: the F2

Lots of headfiers were asking for a planar with DD bass, and it seems your wish is granted!





$110 USD. Ridiculously, at this price point, the cable is not detachable and looks quite thin. Might be a deal breaker for some.

6 mm planar + 10 mm DD


https://drop.com/buy/helm-f2-planar-magnetic-dual-driver-wired-headphones

Also the mic. I detest mics. I don't use my phone for listening to music except for rare occasions, so a no go for me.

 

[s2kphile]

I'm surprise Wagnus cables don't get that much love here. They are one of the few cable makers in Japan and all of their cables are handcrafted and dated when they are made.

 

[saldsald]

I'm surprise Wagnus cables don't get that much love here. They are one of the few cable makers in Japan and all of their cables are handcrafted and dated when they are made.

Very interesting cables as they all look ultra thin like 32AWG, wow actually so thin they don't even have a metal splitter but just some heat shrink tubes. Unfortunately no place for me to try them out locally.