[Mr.HiAudio]

I think, that a KZ used a Zobel crossover in PR2. Also order, will compare with PR1/PR1 Hifi/PR1 Pro

 

[baskingshark]

Some new CHIFI:


1)
New See Audio Yume variant: the Yume Ultra

https://www.facebook.com/AngelearsA...6HRrjTLz3DAGe3dG4Xmjjed1KqxWvfyTfjj58GJ9ghTYl





2) CVJ Freedom

CVJ (AKA TRN's sister company) might be green with envy (no pun intended) with the switcheroos KZ D-FI and Joyodio Shine?

https://www.facebook.com/permalink....jjJ52iYpvxHEfP5vrTDuQyh3Fl&id=100058852149585

 

[Click]

Portable DAC/amp with battery represents great value, especially if the battery is user-replaceable. I'm curious about FiiO Q7 at the moment.

Except most portable DAC/amp don't have true desktop mode that bypasses the battery to use only USB power or can be powered exclusively from an AC outlet plug.

If the iFi xDSD Gryphon had real desktop mode, I would buy it in a heartbeat. FiiO Q7 is not very portable nor is it inexpensive.

 

[gooberbm]

Haha, how about the "apple dongle is all you need" groupthink? I've actually seen a few well-known reviewers say that the source doesn't matter, but well horses for courses!

I do think the US apple dongle has enough performance to drive most any earphone mere mortals would buy.

Can a $3000 dap beat it? I sure as heck would expect so. Should anybody sane buy that under normal circumstances? Absolutely not.

My sources are an apple dongle, a Q5K, and a V1 hip-dac. Anything I get after that is a complete splurge because those 3 do it all

 

[baskingshark]

I do think the US apple dongle has enough performance to drive most any earphone mere mortals would buy.

Driving to adequate loudness is not the same as driving something well IMHO. Most IEMs are adequately powered by the US apple dongle, no question about that. But take an outlier in the Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW). When not fed adequate juice, the E5000's bass is super nebulous and one-noted without texture. You can ask @o0genesis0o how much different the E5000 sounds when something powers it better.

Or another example in the Yinman 2.0 600 ohm earbuds, which are a crowd favourite over at the Headfi earbud thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/. Specs of Yinman 600 ohm: 600ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity.

Yes the US apple dongle drives the Yinman 600 ohm to adequate volume. But The apple dongle-Yinman combination lacks dynamics (it sounds boring), and the bass is flabby and not tight, bleeding all over.

I guess once you have heard what a higher powered source does with some of these outliers, you can't unhear that haha.

 

[Mr.HiAudio]

TRN MT1 Max. Good sount, much better than MT1 Pro. Toggles a strange: all off toggle == no sound, ahaha. 011 toggle - soft, muddy sound without bass. 110 - a bit warm sound, 111 - neutral, adds a highs

 

[gooberbm]

Driving to adequate loudness is not the same as driving something well IMHO. Most IEMs are adequately powered by the US apple dongle, no question about that. But take an outlier in the Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW). When not fed adequate juice, the E5000's bass is super nebulous and one-noted without texture. You can ask @o0genesis0o how much different the E5000 sounds when something powers it better.

Or another example in the Yinman 2.0 600 ohm earbuds, which are a crowd favourite over at the Headfi earbud thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/earbuds-round-up.441400/. Specs of Yinman 600 ohm: 600ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity.

Yes the US apple dongle drives the Yinman 600 ohm to adequate volume. But The apple dongle-Yinman combination lacks dynamics (it sounds boring), and the bass is flabby and not tight, bleeding all over.

I guess once you have heard what a higher powered source does with some of these outliers, you can't unhear that haha.

What you’re talking about is the needs of the 1% of the 1% even of us audio freaks here. Which is great that even those most extreme use cases are covered.

But you’re still not describing what is needed in the same way I am. You are describing what squeezes that extra last few drops of max performance out

 

[o0genesis0o]

What you’re talking about is the needs of the 1% of the 1% even of us audio freaks here. Which is great that even those most extreme use cases are covered.

But you’re still not describing what is needed in the same way I am. You are describing what squeezes that extra last few drops of max performance out

I don’t think one needs odd IEMs like E5000 to appreciate good sources.

Yes, something like Apple dongle is adequate (and I’m not sarcastic, it’s one of the best audio deals, IMHO). Something like M6U or G5 is the sweat spot. Does one “need” a TOTL source? Only if one desires that sound level regardless of costs, because you know it is not a logical purchase in terms of cost/benefit.

IMHO, if I don’t buy a standalone device, I would rather use Apple dongle than most dongles out there (maybe except RU6 and M15) because it does not drain battery nor gets crazy loud with sensitive IEMs. But if I chase the dragon with IEM, I will get high end standalone devices. I have heard how a lower-end source pulling the staging and dynamic of high-end IEMs down to pedestrian level many times that I think it’s a waste of money to go high-end IEM + low-end sources.

You know who grinds my gears? The arrogant ones on some forums who have used nothing but Apple dongle, parroting their measurbator gods, and going around bullying people who are just happy to finally be able to save up for a Chord Mojo2 or something of sorts.

 

[Jmop]

Plenty of reasonably priced iOS compatible dongles that are worth getting to upgrade from Apple’s. Are they better in value comparatively? No, but you aren’t exactly selling an arm and a leg for them either.

 

[Tzennn]

What you’re talking about is the needs of the 1% of the 1% even of us audio freaks here. Which is great that even those most extreme use cases are covered.

But you’re still not describing what is needed in the same way I am. You are describing what squeezes that extra last few drops of max performance out

Lol your 1% is like, 30% of us most of the time. I get amping doesn't change the sound that much, Frequency Respond that is, real life performance wise, life changing. You just can't unheard it after you tried it. I mean we all enter this hobby to chase that 1%, for some people, but for us it's like 100%, you can use Airpod for the sake of convenient, but you decide to use wired anyway. Well why even try to debate this, we all in this together

 

[carrots99]

Does anyone know this JQ (1DD+1BA+2EST)? I've been seeing some of these laying around being sold on Goofish, and they look quite nice: https://twitter.com/yuu0_9yuu/status/1407839787780694019

 

[WAON303]

Does anyone know this JQ (1DD+1BA+2EST)? I've been seeing some of these laying around being sold on Goofish, and they look quite nice: https://twitter.com/yuu0_9yuu/status/1407839787780694019

This is extremely obscure.

I've never seen this before, faceplate very reminiscent of the Thieaudio EST sets

I reckon this JQ was a domestic release only.

 

[tombrisbane]

KZ X Hbb Pr2 ordered and shipped. Really didn’t need it… will likely grab the Kiwiears Quartet as well. This thread is dangerous.

 

[lushmelody]

Volume loudness ≠ source power

More Vrms indeed do difference. Bass definition and decay, mids density and trebles note definition and separation. Most IEMs love power, but some do better with less (like Star River, which is a banshee if powered too much...)

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-pac480-iem-cable.25228/reviews#review-28808

Here is the Sands cable by itself.
https://penonaudio.com/tansio-mirai-sands-iem-cable.html

You may have good luck with this PAC480 cable and the Sands, as most of us have. The TSMR cable the Sands comes with is OK, but doesn't really enhance what needs to be enhanced with the Sands. The Penon Vocal Cable would probably be a heat fest with the Sands? I haven't even tried it, and don't need to.

I’ve been offered a review opportunity for a very rare IEM from Penon (with one unknown cable that was in the package maybe the cable called Vocal )

TSMR Sands.


As I still have SR8, Blessing3‘s review pending, this may go after that.. but so far OOTB, I find it sounds very close to my retuned See Audio Bravery for mid, upper-mid, very transparent IEM with low bass floor.

I didn’t know it comes with 3 tuning switches which I haven’t touched yet and stock setting is 020.

It’s very close to micro details lover’s dream of which I‘m seeing my retuned See Audio Bravery as the leading figure.

So far, this 1 knowles, 2 Sonion, 1 DD 3BA+1DD came with a bit of surprise that I wonder why not many mentioned Sands that often, of which I think the pricing maybe the major factor the pricing is competing with Blessing 2.

Here is the 020 setting FR, you can see it’s as bright as Gaea, with no “fake air” type emphasis and Yume-like less engaged bass floor.


I haven’t tried 1-0-0 setting yet, so still not sure how well Sands respond to switch, but so far it’s 80 detail : 20 dynamism ratio, of which that’s close to my female vocal preferred tuning (75:25).

[After listening to sands for half a day, I finally got it.

TSMR Sands is almost a fetish level of tuning that is tailored for vocals, especially for female vocals.

I was wondering,

“then why the heck TSMR turned off “sparkle lighting” that Gaea and many other have? “

The answer is “ those fake air presentation make female vocal to sound too husky and not realistic”

Wow, TSMR, you’ve done right thing there.
]

Maybe next weekend I will have my hands on the full review on Sands, by then the DD units shall be fully burned in too.
—————————————————
Also the big gamble on Night Oblivion VE8 Silver Oriole is under import agent’s processing They probably using recycled BA units from second hand market, so that they can make TOTL grade IEMs with almost impossible pricing. It was same for Lokahi as well, it says “used” as obviously the shells are brand new when arrived. Good practice for those DIY brands

I have extremely high hope on this set, the FR looks almost perfect.



I just google how would a “Silver Oriole” looks like,

Academic Name: Oriolus mellianus
…..
aha! It may be “the bird for rest of us”