[AmericanSpirit]

Nice troll. You want we should give you a cookie?

Must got bored of something.

I wish I don’t need to worry about my home and car mortgage and so I can buy as many as kilobuck IEMs I want every single month, which is not happening

Right now, I have a job authority to move more than $10M USD at my own discretion which doesn’t require additional approval, which of course I don’t risk myself to become Inter-pol wanted criminals, but hey get $15Mil and fly to Bahama sounds like an idea?

No…that FTX crypto exchange CEO got busted at Bahama

 

[AmericanSpirit]

I guess I was misunderstood. I mean you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile. The market is trying to fool you with all those reviewers and their frequency graphs. sound resolution is an objective phenomenon and it doesnt appear on the graphs. imo. And I'm strange that people wonder about the frequency curve rather than the technical performance of iems.

I respectfully disagree.

The amount of money doesn’t define one to be considered an audiophile. It looks like there is a conceptual mismatch from your definition of “audiophile“ versus what others think audiophiles are.

Performance & amount of money you pay for IEM isn’t like 5 years ago.

Things have changed.

I partially agree with you on Resolution part, it’s somewhat reflected in terms of detail articulating capabilities from 8-9khz as well as 10-15khz, however mid and bass also has its own independent texturing / the resolution which is hard to read from the graphs.

KZ ZEX, Lafitear LM1, KZ ZES, GK10 all has amazing resolving capabilities in outlining the sound image, for being sub$20 nowadays. And $79 Truthear HEXA has very high resolutions across all spectrum. See Audio Bravery $279 has amazing air/finesse and is better performing than my $1200 UERM, Sound Rhyme DTE500 for being $460 can now offer better upper registers resolution over Thieaudio Monarch.

 

[cqtek]

If you're an audiophile, hi-fi iems start at $600 at least. not worth talking about others. don't fool yourself.

I guess I was misunderstood. I mean you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile. The market is trying to fool you with all those reviewers and their frequency graphs. sound resolution is an objective phenomenon and it doesnt appear on the graphs. imo. And I'm strange that people wonder about the frequency curve rather than the technical performance of iems.

I'm a reviewer, but by a simplistic reduction of your comments, I'm $600 away from being an audiophile. And for now I'm not because I don't have any IEMs of that value or higher, either bought or given away.
I feel privileged, but $600 is an indecent amount of money. As much as I can review products of that value, I keep thinking that it really is a lot of money.
If to be an audiophile I have to spend $600, I'd rather be an asshole and deaf. Or think of other, cheaper vices.
Says a reviewer with existential problems...
But those who can spend that money or more, to be happy, are within their rights. I'd just like to think that they haven't stolen it and got it by the sweat of their brow. All in order, then.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Yeah, tuning is kinda boxy with the default tuning (alright with the treble tuning), but the tech was good. I used this one as EDC all the way until JD7 arrives. And then, like other IEMs, the JD7 kinda erased them from my memory. I am searching for an EDC so I have to pass this IEM because of the pressure build up. Same with Orchestra Lite. Now I’m torn between JD7 and AFUL P5.

Telling ya, U12T would ruin your experience listening with others

Edit: I gave MD4 4/5 in my review (https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hidizs-md4-4-balanced-armature-drivers.25921/reviews#review-29381). How easily impressed I was back then. Nowadays, I would probably give it 3.5/5 (and probably will never receive anything to review again )

Wow just noticed when did you get U12t?
Congratz on your endgame(of 2023)!

 

[ericw]

You must be rich in your country.

 

[laleeee]

Re-sharing an odd-ball, GS Audio ST10 since I finally found a good pairing cable to draw full potential out of it, after 30 cables try and error. Tried XINHS, Hakugei, PW Audio, TRI, Satin Audio, Linsoul, etc etc, some made sound utterly unbearable on ST10.

Also went thru a routine ear tip roll, ended up to fake SpinFit CP360.

Original

Remind you something?
ST10 is more mid-bass fat than Fatfreq Maestro Mini’s bass floor. You can imagine how it would end.


Original tuning is simply too boomy, it like this;


95% of who saw this will not recognize the existence of a hunter in wooden camouflage (look at the tree on top right)

It’s about same with ST10’s stock tuning. 95% bass, and you hardly could see anything else.

ST10’s driver info:
Sub-woofer: Sonion 38 AcuPass (2BA)
Bass-Mid: Sonion 37 (2BA)
Mid-Treble: Sonion 2389D (2BA)
Super Tweeter: Knowles SWFK (4BA)

After cable/tip rematch, ST10 ended up with following signature:
-UM MEST MKII like bass-head satisfying bass floor
-Proper Knowles SWFK x 4 tweeter backed high-density / well textured treble as you can expect from high-end models
-not overly recessed mid
-wide artificial diffusion field, it’s fun

My perception of recabled ST10 is closer to Softears RS10’s FR



How does it sound like?

It sounds like strip club at 3am.
Bass, sparkling lights & girls, night club BGM. You’re already deeply drunk but still having a tequila shot. That feeling.

EDM Electronica / Trance / Techno on ST10 is one of a kind.

Artificial Wide Diffusion Field x high layering x head knocking bass set up matches with EDM especially well.

It’s not necessarily a good IEM, but I don’t have any other IEM that sound like 3am strip club, so that’ll do it!

Some pic of ST10

Wow, it's really a good bassy cable

 

[ChrisLN]

I guess I was misunderstood. I mean you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile. The market is trying to fool you with all those reviewers and their frequency graphs. sound resolution is an objective phenomenon and it doesnt appear on the graphs. imo. And I'm strange that people wonder about the frequency curve rather than the technical performance of iems.

Frequency graphs can at least tell something about the tuning of the IEM/headphones. Of course it's not everything but it's not entirely useless either. To many people, myself included, the tonality of an IEM is one of the most important aspects. If it is too much off there is no way I will ever enjoy that IEM/headphone, no matter how detailed it is, or how wide the soundstage it has, etc., etc. And I don't like to EQ, period.

 

[Surf Monkey]

you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile.

LOL

So, for you “audiophile” means “has at least $600 in his/her pocket” and actually has little or nothing to do with the sound of the gear itself?

No. Just… no.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

LOL

So, for you “audiophile” means “has at least $600 in his/her pocket” and actually has little or nothing to do with the sound of the gear itself?

No. Just… no.

LOL So glad the Mofasest Trio and Dita Truth made me an audiophile. Even though they actually lacked resolution and air, at least I spent $600 on them, so I can earn my badge.

 

[Billyak]

An audiophile is someone that cares enough about audio that they put effort in to their listening set up.

Doesn't come down to money at all.

 

[Fat Larry]

That would be the most intelligent discourse about cables that one could encounter here for a long while
The thicker - the better!
The resistance is futile!

Lol, the resistance is everything....

 

[InvisibleInk]

LOL So glad the Mofasest Trio and Dita Truth made me an audiophile. Even though they actually lacked resolution and air, at least I spent $600 on them, so I can earn my badge.

Got my badge by buying the Audeze LCD-2F. Amazing, but so skull crushing I hardly ever listen to it any more.

 

[o0genesis0o]

I guess I was misunderstood. I mean you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile. The market is trying to fool you with all those reviewers and their frequency graphs. sound resolution is an objective phenomenon and it doesnt appear on the graphs. imo. And I'm strange that people wonder about the frequency curve rather than the technical performance of iems.

I don’t understand. If you wonder about frequency response primarily, then why do you need $600 IEMs? At that price, they start to take on “audiophile” tuning that is kind of wonky and colored. Pristinely correct tuning can be had at $50 nowadays. Look at the 7hz zero or the Crinacle one with 2 drivers.

If you talk about technical performance, then yeah. But whilst the gap between good and excellent is still there, many $200 are strictly in the “good” level, IMHO.

I'm a reviewer, but by a simplistic reduction of your comments, I'm $600 away from being an audiophile. And for now I'm not because I don't have any IEMs of that value or higher, either bought or given away.
I feel privileged, but $600 is an indecent amount of money. As much as I can review products of that value, I keep thinking that it really is a lot of money.
If to be an audiophile I have to spend $600, I'd rather be an asshole and deaf. Or think of other, cheaper vices.
Says a reviewer with existential problems...
But those who can spend that money or more, to be happy, are within their rights. I'd just like to think that they haven't stolen it and got it by the sweat of their brow. All in order, then.

Yeah, these ear toys are expensive. The thing that amaze me the most as a “reviewer” (If I am qualified for that) is the pace at which technology and skills trickle down. Easy to get high quality listening experience for not too outrageous costs nowadays.

Wow just noticed when did you get U12t?
Congratz on your endgame(of 2023)!

You congrats a few pages back, mate A fellow head-fier let his unit go with a good discount, so I figure I can be financially reckless for the last time before buckling down and fulfill adult responsibilities. Admire those who are financially successful (or reckless?) enough to stay on the kilobuck train. Too expensive.

Some impressions:

• Flat and transparent midrange. No, not Harman flat and also not the kind of flat with slight warmth of Orchestra Lite. Just flat and correct.
• Resolution is pristine. Every note pops up from the black background with crystalline outline and precise placement on the soundstage. Every note has a “snap” sensation. Imagine plucking a tightened string (U12T) vs loose string.
• Detail retrieval is top notch, not in the sense of showing off, but in realism. Listening to string quartet is sublime, it’s like you are really there next to the instruments.
• Same pinpoint 3D imagine as Andromeda, but with open back feeling of FiiO’s dynamic driver IEMs.
• The bass. U12T can slap on Monarch II head and say “this is how you do subbass focused shelf.”
• Macro dynamic is top notch, even higher than my JD7 with dynamic driver.
• Micro dynamic in the midrange is top notch. Works well with intimate classical recordings.
• Comfortable. No hurting, no pressure build up at all.
• LID technology: the FR of this IEM does not change between sources, unless the sources themselves are colored.

Some cons:

• 8kHz can be spicy.
• Some bad recordings from 90s sound disgusting with this IEM.
• It lacks the exciting big bold boomy dirty bass of dynamic drivers. Everything is tight.
• Monarch II slightly outperforms in micro detail retrieval.

After using APEX vents, I can’t go back to the Orchestra Lite (pressure build up). I’m not happy with JD7 either because it lacks the crystalline resolution and imaging. Not the Andro because of the pressure build up and bass. You get the point

I am hoping that a well performing, great value tribrid would catch up with this IEM. With this on my desk all the time, I can be very sure when that mythical bracket busting IEM arrives for review.

 

[Carpet]

Ever seen a very expensive car wrapped round a power pole by someone who had no clues how to drive?

Spending money on audio gear can be like that!

 

[Vonbuddy]

I guess I was misunderstood. I mean you can be happy with a $200 iem but you can't be an audiophile. The market is trying to fool you with all those reviewers and their frequency graphs. sound resolution is an objective phenomenon and it doesnt appear on the graphs. imo. And I'm strange that people wonder about the frequency curve rather than the technical performance of iems.

My whole career has been focused on graphing. I know frequencies of behavior and improvement in behavior through graphs. But when it comes to music I am somewhat open to a more subjective measure. My interests are in what I hear. I haven't been on this board long, but I know there are so many different tastes in sound. I have a set of Focal headphones, more expensive than the Meze 109 Pro. But I like the Meze better. Why? My taste. I understand the science thing. I understand the measure thing. But I understand my own taste, or I continue to learn it. You get into trouble when you say "you can't be an audiophile." I do understand what you are trying to say, but you are attacking only one side of this equation of sound.