The discovery thread!

[Carpet]

For budget set I also agree but for TOTL sets that came with high price, customers will be turned off with "too small and too simple" packaging.
Just curious, did you throw all your IEM boxes? because I keep all boxes and my cupboard is fully occupied with IEM boxes now and I dunno where to store later on. Buying new cupboard will trigger wife's suspect to me

Just stack them in cartons labeled "Classified Documents". Then you can store them anywhere, knowing no-one will look at the contents to check!

 

[552609]

LIKE ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), EU set deadline to 2035. No new horse powered German-engineered cars from there My another hobby will end at that point too. I have zero interest in driving toy-electric RC cars by myself without breathing horse.

We are lucky that no Government rules setting dead-locks for wired Headphones/IEMs

It’s just the personal taste thing, too gorgeous look for me I guess.

Thanks! And HS18 is exactly what I‘m paring with P5

Yeah, I hear you on the cars. Seems like quite a few electrics cars are pretty nice though. I really want to drive the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N when it comes out and the Mustang Mach-e GT is nice.

 

[552609]

The hexa is that good? Interesting. How is the soundstage depth and 3D imaging? Can it match the P5?

The HEXA is great, especially for the price - never heard the Titan though. Heck, th 7Hz Salnotes Zero is fantastic for $23 also.

 

[552609]

Yeah, I don’t sell review units. I remember a reviewer usually says that samples are long-term loaned units by manufacturers, not his possession. I take the same approach.

Boxes though. All of them to the recycle bin I only keep boxes of the samples that I haven’t reviewed as backlog.



Can confirm that P5 looks nearly identical to Monarch II in real life. The black part is not as shiny as the real one though. I find the lava faceplates so mesmerising to look at.

Photos do not show their 3D design clearly.



Btw, if you have HS18 tips from Fiio, use them with P5 to tighten up the bass. I love how these sound, but not the size of their soundstage.

I've never had anyone give me a free IEM before for a review haha. If I paid for it, I don't mind selling it.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

The combination of the Sony Walkman A306 + Fiio Q1 mk II amp has allowed me to re-evaluate some IEM's that have sat in the wooden box and werre collecting dust. One of those is the Moondrop Crescent. The little brass pill is musical, bassy, and fun. Really nice timbre and comfortable. Typical Moondrop tuning, but I find them a bit more fun than the KXXS, which I also dug out. The RE800 silver also got another go, and I actually used them quite a bit during my trip to Florida. I listened to the IE100 pro on the way back from Florida and the RE800 on my way there. Absolutely satisfied.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

So I'm going to part with the Tansio Mirai Sands. Are they great? Yes. What's wrong with them? Not much, I just don't use them as much as I do the Fearless Shangri-la, RE800 Silver, Tenore, Wu Zetian, and you can now add the IE100 pro to the list. So they aren't getting the ear time they deserve, so I figure they should go to someone who will make them a #1 or #2 go-to and give them the attention they need and deserve?

 

[552609]

So I'm going to part with the Tansio Mirai Sands. Are they great? Yes. What's wrong with them? Not much, I just don't use them as much as I do the Fearless Shangri-la, RE800 Silver, Tenore, Wu Zetian, and you can now add the IE100 pro to the list. So they aren't getting the ear time they deserve, so I figure they should go to someone who will make them a #1 or #2 go-to and give them the attention they need and deserve?

That's where I am at with my Mezzo LE - great IEMs, versatile tuning switches, gorgeous looks, and amazing build quality. But, I just never listen to them because I have a bunch of other stuff to listen to/review.

 

[Ferdinando1968]

There are a few still available on the official IMR ebay store. Just search for "IMR BC Bass Cannon", the seller name is prelovedaudio-1.

taken, this time !!
Thanks.

 

[552609]

The modern DAPs have amp that generally add extra bass weight on top of IEM-native FR, even for KBEAR Neon the Ety flat, gets some bass weight, not to mention already emphasized ones. If the dead flat bass goes without amps, I can agree that’s less than neutral and more of compensated approch

The Monarch II is too expensive and I don’t like the face plate (same applies to AFUL P5), It’s full of glitters in orange, not my taste. My friend got Monarch, then got Monarch II and bailed out from IEM rabbit hole since then, so I know that’s good, but ahhh I can’t take the faceplate design of it as an endgame material.

Sometime I bring IEMs to my office and letting them trying (and hoping to influence them into rabbit hole; of which many did). That glittering flame Lava, face plate, I’m gonna be hesitated to bring it to public place.. Just not my taste.

Agreed, the MMk2 is a fantastic IEM, but it's pretty ugly. Luckily, you can't see it when you're wearing it.

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://penonaudio.com/imr-elan.html

IMR Acoustics ELAN+

$795.00

1 DD, 2 BA Hybrid

 

[Sebatian99]

US $13.32 KZ LingLong In Ear
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtu4IZg

Thanks for the info. I waited with the purchase for more information as to how much they can be heard outside. But for the money, I can check it out for myself
I like the box too, it won't end up in the trash.

 

[Leonarfd]

https://penonaudio.com/imr-elan.html


IMR Acoustics ELAN+

$795.00

1 DD, 2 BA Hybrid

Two other models also coming, still it's weird as both the Elan+ and BC is limited run IEMs. Going away from its normal business, probably good to branch out to more customers.

 

[Carpet]

also most of the general public are also sheep too..they would never venture into wired IEMs because their whole world is centered on Bluetooth and hands-free life from the car, to their home soundbars to their earbuds. To me, people are less prone to go the hifi route than my father's generation it seems. When I too let relatives listen to my cans or items, they love the experience---but not enough to dive into the hobby. The closest the average Joes almost crossed into the audiophile sphere is when the Audio-Technica m50x was everywhere about 7-8 ears ago...then after awhile, some became audiophiles--while many crossed into the earbud life. It's a weird disconnect like that right now.

Tell them that these new high tech wired audio devices are safer because the aliens and deep state can't monitor their phone calls and music listening habits. On no account ever mention the mind control frequencies in digital music files and music streaming services!

 

[MVVp]

Just a short update about my experience with Hakugei customer service.
They found a repair set to fix my cable problem, consisting of two M2 screws and a small tool, which they offered to send me for a symbolic amount (€ 0.11 or something), except when ordering it they added € 4.52 shipping. I complained about having to pay extra for their bad QC and they promised to pay for shipping, but they keep sending the same link with the same added shipping cost.
I showed them a picture to prove this, they did not respond. Since then silence. Very disappointing.

 

[Nimweth]

CVJ Angel Wing: OOTB it’s mid centric with rolled off treble, bass is natural level. Burning in. Face plate is printed but looks nicely done 1BA + 1DD. 27USD.
▶︎60min burn-in session done. Hmm still not impressed. I will play around tuning.



US $24.86 KBEAR Hazy 6N Graphene+Copper-Silver Alloy
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKxElKq

Hmm!!! Looks niiice!
▶︎Very premium feeling, L/R indicator on pin connector by color
▶︎swapped PWA Ignis on Mangird Tea for KBEAR Hazy, immediately space opened up, a treble booster&bass tamer Hazy is! Extra fine upper registers, air refresher Hazy is. Works as Bleach for dark sounding IEMs!
▶︎I will probably pair with incoming TRI Star River, as for now Hazy is paired with KZ new ZS5. New ZS5 has good finesse skill, Hazy will enchant that finesse skills and lower sub-bass boost, ZS5 now has clairvoyant upper register.
▶︎Treble boost of Hazy works great with Crossfeed effect, when original tracks is recorded with binaural it most likely will have natural crossfed recording. There are hardware crossfeed functions which will add staging and imaging depth, Hazy matches well with wide open space type.




US $11 USD XINHS 8 Core Silver Red Mixed 5N Single Crystal Copper Silver Plated
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLApREI
hmm…looks OK.
▶︎Comes with Farm Land livestock scent for free
▶︎Pretty neutral, probably slight lower mid emphasis as well as mid-bass.
▶︎Gain level is lower than Hazy
▶︎Matches great with V-tuned IEMs due to its mid lift property, it nerf harsh V to milder ones. For me this cable with flipped starline (hand made S&S ear tip) saved TRN Xuanwu. A nice budget Planar now Xuanwu is, very enjoyable with Planar‘s speed x energy, Bellsing has done great job mass producing SPD in an affordable price range!



US $14.00 KZ Headsets Cable 498 Cores OCC Silver Plated
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMOGhtc

Wow!! Gorgeous looking!! It does use same cable materials with Linsouls Euphrosyne which costs $89 Good job KZ. I will pair with Lily /ZNA / ESX, and incoming AS16 Pro, ZES.


FloAudioLily x KZ’s Euphrosyne = seductively nice looking. Plus it’s Single End that Lily has good synergy with.

▶︎same impression for when I paired PW Audio Titan Series Ignis, Warm-neutral with full band gain floor increase. Nice synergy with Lily! This warm neutral sounding reminds me of tuning closest to UM MEST MKII’s tonal balance. Can’t believe this a performance of $24 single BA + $14 KZ cable + $3 H570 ear tips A total of $41 set up has great experience for warm-neutral when sourced with line out directly ( no amp).

Playing this rich sounding tracks from Icelandic artist, Olafur Arnalds‘s Epilogue with Lily.

YT:


TD

Very satisfying. 2023 is a year of single BA for me. I always thought single BA could only produce crumpled sound, even after Ety since Ety curve was far from my HRTF. Lily has 3khz gain peak that coincide with my 3.1khz HRTF spot. As far as you can tune Lily to your spot and optimum source matching, you‘d realize this full range driver is very capable in technicalities.

Lily is more rewarding gadget to audiophiles who can play around the tuning and various sources.

Angel Wings needs power, lots of it. Also a silver cable like the KBEAR Limpid Pro helps to enhance the top end and a bit of tip rolling is helpful as well.