[Surf Monkey]

Hexa in (out of the?) the house!

I’m listening to Hexa today too! Surprisingly capable set. So much detail.

 

[Jmop]

After weeks of thinking, I've come with these possible routes:

"Cheap" endgame:

- Symphonium Meteor or Sennheiser IE600 + Moondrop S8 or 7th Acoustics Supernova

Standard endgame:

- 64audio u12t
- Elysian Diva
- 64audio u4s + 7th Acoustics Supernova
- Three of the 600-700 dollar sets, I'd also consider the Xenns UP and DUNU SA6 MKII as viable options

Money no subject:

Anole VX + Maestro SE
u12t + Anole VX

The big boy route is probably not going to happen, I'd rather choose cheap or standard for the sake of not going super homeless

My budget is going to be at least $1,500 USD or so

The IE600 coulda had me in the ‘analytical’ tip position if it didn’t bump 6kHz. It’s not a big boost but still enough to throw off linearity compared to the rest of the treble which is done well.

 

[WAON303]

The IE600 coulda had me in the ‘analytical’ tip position if it didn’t bump 6kHz. It’s not a big boost but still enough to throw off linearity compared to the rest of the treble which is done well.

I've heard the IE600 is very sensitive to tip rolling, don't think this will be a problem after tip rolling, I'll be sure to have many tips on hand if I get the IE600.

The number one reason I'm considering the IE600 is fit, the other 600-700 dollar IEMs I'm considering are tuned more to my preference except maybe the Moondrop S8 which is probably a bit too hot in the mids but fits the bill of being highly technical.

 

[Leonarfd]

Been a fan of the XINHS silver plated copper for some time, decided to also get the pure copper version. Its a little thinner, softer and flexible.
As for sound its an very good copper cable for its price, not a cable that is going to hold back your IEM.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.59.5c221802jgi6nd

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.94.5c221802jgi6nd

 

[Jmop]

I've heard the IE600 is very sensitive to tip rolling, don't think this will be a problem after tip rolling, I'll be sure to have many tips on hand if I get the IE600.

The number one reason I'm considering the IE600 is fit, the other 600-700 dollar IEMs I'm considering are tuned more to my preference except maybe the Moondrop S8 which is probably a bit too hot in the mids but fits the bill of being highly technical.

My mistake, I was thinking of the 200, haven’t heard the 600 but maybe I’ll try some tip rolling on the 200. Thanks

 

[helloh3adfi]

Been a fan of the XINHS silver plated copper for along while, decided to also get the pure copper version. Its a little thinner, softer and flexible.
As for sound its an very good copper cable for its price, not a cable that is going to hold back your IEM.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.59.5c221802jgi6nd

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.94.5c221802jgi6nd

That Xinhs Whitecrane is so worth it! It's also flexible and not too heavy. Only my ISN S2 is considerably lighter. I still like to order cables with earhooks and customize them if necessary. That keeps my Variations and lot of other IEMs better in place.

 

[Descoberto]

Tin HiFi C2 with Oxygen filter mod.

I find the C2 with the mod very enjoyable, before inserting the Tanchjim Oxygen filter the sound had some hard edge(almost metallic) to the mids and treble.

Surprised by how well built it is, it feels very solid. Was a good choice as it will be an IEM I am not afraid of breaking when working.

Need more time but I prefer this to my Truthear HOLA, Blon 03 and KZ ESX. While I also own some more expensive IEMs this is where the true value for sound is. It's unbelievable that you can get this much for so little.

I love them, I prefer them over the kiwi ears cadenza (which I also have and was even more $$ than the c2), I was surprised when I saw that the c2 did even better than my akg k371, for me it feels like a more energized version of the akg k371, but i love akg too, I also bought some Nicehck 100% copper cables and also silver plated copper, to replace the stock one, and some tips that can reduce the sibilance (NF Audio MS42, Final Audio E Type).

 

[Leonarfd]

I love them, I prefer them over the kiwi ears cadenza (which I also have and was even more $$ than the c2), I was surprised when I saw that the c2 did even better than my akg k371, for me it feels like a more energized version of the akg k371, but i love akg too, I also bought some Nicehck 100% copper cables and also silver plated copper, to replace the stock one, and some tips that can reduce the sibilance (NF Audio MS42, Final Audio E Type).

The filter reduces the sibilance area, but it costs some. Inserted inside the metal filter.

 

[lisiringo]

Been a while since the last time I post on this thread guys. I hope you guys are well and even though this is not a discovery anymore from my side, hoping that it'll be a good one for you who haven't heard about this brand Aur Audio. Here is my only daily driver for this last one year, the Aur Neon Pro.

 

[gooberbm]

Been a while since the last time I post on this thread guys. I hope you guys are well and even though this is not a discovery anymore from my side, hoping that it'll be a good one for you who haven't heard about this brand Aur Audio. Here is my only daily driver for this last one year, the Aur Neon Pro.

The hype train has definitely left the station already. No worries there

 

[Ferdinando1968]

These D-Fi aren't bad at all.

The sound signature is quite different from all the other KZ I have.

They sound brighter than usual, more balanced.
They look airy to me.
The voices sound like a a bit backward.

I almost prefer them to the JOYODIO SHINE, which I think have a less open sound
(however, to be honest, I've used them very little, so I haven't broken them in at all).

Now I'm going to have fun with the switches.

 

[Leonarfd]

The hype train has definitely left the station already. No worries there

Not sure about that, AüR seem to get more and more of a loyal fanbase. With them starting 3D printing now they can maybe have more available soon, specially since its a time-consuming to make the IEMs by hand.

 

[Scubadevils]

I used to think that the Anole VX, Maestro SE and U12T were the peak of peaks at SummitFI level. Then I auditioned some bigger fish from these companies at the recent Singapore CanJam.

So in terms of technicalities:
Anole V14 > VX
Fatfreq Grand Maestro > Maestro SE
64 Audio U18T > U12T

Haha, so there always seems to be some higher unattainable mountain to scale. One cannot unhear a so-called "better" set, and this rabbit hole is never ending.

And even in SummitFI, TOTL IEMs are not perfect. For example, these pairs we mentioned above all suffer from glassy BA timbre of some form in the higher frequencies. The Grand Maestro is a Maestro SE on steroids, and it has 2 tuning switches. There is a vocal switch that makes the vocals a bit too forwards for my taste.

Honestly, MidFI is still where the sweet spot is, as TOTL brings about tremendous diminishing returns. Ballpark 10 - 20% improvement for 10x the price? And as alluded to, there will always be a shinier toy that comes out next week. Even if one gets a TOTL IEM, there are other areas in the audio chain that if not optimized - eg DAC, amp, source file - will also limit the TOTL IEM's performance.

And yeah there were quite a few "TOTL" IEMs I have tried that were stinkers. Won't mention names but price does not correlate with sonic quality sometimes.







Haha I'm just joking k, I respect both camps of cable detractors and cable believers.

I've seen some cable manufacturers also boast of using cyrotherapy (liquid nitrogen) to coat their cables. Does this cryotreatment bring snake oil to a new level? Instead of "burn in" we now have "freeze in"?

100% agree with regards to TOTL and diminishing returns, been there and back (Traillii, Jewel, Mentor, KR5 to name a few), and very unlikely to climb to the top again... the addiction / hobby is the same no matter what price level you are playing in, and the enjoyment factor absolutely only goes up in tiny increments beyond a certain price in my experience. My ladder climb to 'end game' was absolutely innocent and naive, and it was only when I hit the summit that I realised there is no end game! Only tonight I was listening to the SonicMemory SM2, a $200 single DD and the price to performance ratio of this IEM was so evident. My weak point is still single DDs, any new entrant in that segment no matter what price will always have me curious!

 

[Carpet]

Might get one of those "budget" effect audio cables for endgame sets, purely for da looks

Pairing cables with IEMs for da looks is very reminiscent of people who play Pokemon games and want Pokemon caught in super specific balls (IE: Tapu Lele caught with a Love Ball.)

I was one of those people 6 years ago when Sun & Moon came out, I got pretty much everything I wanted before my interest in the game fizzled out.

Shhhh, nobody is supposed to know that we buy fancy cables mainly as jewelry!

Regarding Audiosense DT200, that (and the FLO Audio Lily) pretty much make the DT100 redundant. In much the same way AQ0 is rendered redundant by the AQ4. In either case the jump up to the next model greatly outshines the difference in cost. DT200 was a very nice surprise and a no brainer when on special for 50% off. It fits in the same spot as the OH2 and P1Max with slightly warm, relaxed neutral tuning and great timbre.

Magaosi V3 and OH1 have also been nice surprises recently. Combined they cost me less than the Hexa and both are more enjoyable to listen to! YMMV, but scooped mid-bass leaves me cold!

Most recent arrival is ZEX which is a little harsh OOTB but is starting to grow on me after about 30 hours (guess what came up on sale?). Even hauled the ZEX Pro out. It will be interesting to compare them to EDX Ultra, CRA and EDA balanced.

I haven't tried the Wan'er or the Hola yet but might skip those and try SR1 after seeing Akros comparison with Penon Fan and ISN D10.

 

[FranQL]

100% agree with regards to TOTL and diminishing returns, been there and back (Traillii, Jewel, Mentor, KR5 to name a few), and very unlikely to climb to the top again... the addiction / hobby is the same no matter what price level you are playing in, and the enjoyment factor absolutely only goes up in tiny increments beyond a certain price in my experience. My ladder climb to 'end game' was absolutely innocent and naive, and it was only when I hit the summit that I realised there is no end game! Only tonight I was listening to the SonicMemory SM2, a $200 single DD and the price to performance ratio of this IEM was so evident. My weak point is still single DDs, any new entrant in that segment no matter what price will always have me curious!

Have you tried VE SIE? If so, what is your opinion about them?

on the other hand I really enjoy ibasso IT01s.