carrots99
100+ Head-Fier
Wondering if this is a "rebadged" GK100...
Last edited:
The discovery thread!
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I know this thread is mostly talking about IEM-related stuff, but the HD660S2 is on sale for a good price ($379.95) right now if you have Amazon Prime.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRT1ZN7Q
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRT1ZN7Q
lucasbatista2408
Head-Fier
so, it's been a while and i'm not sure i should post it in here, but ...
i've revisited the LZ A6 Mini just today, and OMG i was having eargasms, it's GREAAT.
my question is, can anyone point me in the direction of something similar with piezos and all?
i've revisited the LZ A6 Mini just today, and OMG i was having eargasms, it's GREAAT.
my question is, can anyone point me in the direction of something similar with piezos and all?
CVJ Mei 1 DD + 2 BA Hybrid, small comparison and impression
I got the CVJ Mei for free in exchange for some impressions online, thanks to Anna from CVJ for this. Before this I also got the KE-S that is perhaps the cheapest fun sounding IEM out there, 10usd so for the price nothing to complain about. But this is not about the KE-S. I'm going to talk about the Mei here.
CVJ Mei is a hybrid with 1 DD and 2 BA. It's very special due to the tuning switch and how it works, instead of boosting or lowering frequency range it is used to deactivate the BAs.
Can read the rest in the spoiler under if this is of interest.
Position 00 use only the dynamic driver
Position 10 use DD and also the first BA
Position 02 use DD and also the second BA
Position 12 use DD and both BAs
Looking at the measurement it changes the sound quite much and my preference goes to 10 or 02.
Accessories and the package are okay but not very impressive, you get a set of tips and one cable. The tips are silicone and work, the cable is not the best and I advise you to get an upgrade cable. It should still give you a good sound to get going.
How does it sound
CVJ Mei has a fun and full sound, with good resolving capability when we look at the price range.
Bass is elevated and has great slam and resolution, it feels not slow or fast so just very correct in decay.
Mids are also detailed with some added thickness to vocal, female vocal can lack a little presence in the 10 position but is near perfect in 12. Problem with 12 is that there can come some sibilance in certain music.
Upper mids are very perfect to my liking, where it's not tiresome and shouty.
Treble is well extended in both switch positions I like, while the sibilance dip is slightly too big and takes away some detail on 10. While 02 is having more treble detail.
Soundstage is average in depth and with, and has quite good imaging capabilities.
Comfort is superb with a small shell with just the right nozzle diameter and length that should please most people. I have large ears and prefer bigger IEMs or longer nozzles than most people, I still think Mei is great. My wife also tested this one and said it's one of the most comfortable ones she has tried, she has small ears.
The metal shell is beautiful and screams quality, the only thing I don't like is the 2 pin socket being on the outside. And as mentioned the cable is thin and has quite much memory, used it for one photo and moved over to something else.
Comparison to Simgot EA500 and ISN H30
Simgot EA500
Just a single DD IEM, but it's similar price and looks almost the same. Comfort is top notch, same as Mei when looking at design and weight.
Maybe the most resolving IEM under 100usd, great tonality for most people. The midrange is a problem spot for me, that can make it sound shouty or metallic. Also the bass could have been bigger to meet my preference, but the bass is of superb quality. Simgot clearly has used a very good driver in EA500. It's very easy to mod the EA500 to get more bass, or use filters to change the upper range. But to make it fair I will use the stock config here.
ISN H30
1 DD 9.2mm beryllium and 2 BA (Sonion and Knowles) from Penons brand ISN, a very good hybrid in its price range. But recent releases are making it forgotten, and some had problems with bad fit due to long and angled nozzles.
Bass reaches deep with great slam and rumble, mid bass a little light. There Were complaints about bass, but I believe many had fit problems. Midrange is very correct for me, some types of music can be too tiresome due to forward upper midrange. Similar to EA500 but here I don't get the metallic tonality. The Treble has great detail and extension, and is at a level similar to EA500.
A spider Graph of how I position it, it's very roughly done. Neon Pro stays in there as a baseline. As I see it the Mei has more fun factor than the other two, even if it lacks some technical parts of the H30 and EA500.
Using Kbear 07 tips, cable on EA500 and Mei is XINHS 16 core copper and a pure copper from VE for H30. The Mei has been used in the 10 position, if I Had used the 02 setting the resolution would have been closer at the trade of sharper sound.
Both Simgot EA500 and CVJ Mei are free units, so my take should be neutral between those two. H30 I bought during a very small sale, it's also the most expensive of the 3.
I have mostly used my own files or Tidal, but I will provide a youtube link for you to test.
Very cool track from Emily King’s last album Special Occasion. Lots going on here and fun to keep playing track on repeat while comparing. Bass is really nice here and the extra Mei has given the track a more fun factor. Both instruments and vocals are very clear and present.
The resolution of the EA500 shows more here than Mei, but it doesn't sound better as the bass seems slightly fuzzy at times on EA500. Bass is also louder with Mei while the impact is very similar. Her voice lacks a little soul on EA500, that it just sounds leaner with less forwardness. Both do it great.
The H30 is leaner sounding than Mei, but has perhaps nicer vocals with more nuance. Bass is similar to EA500 in amount, and sounds slightly better than EA500 but I still put Mei bass better here.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 H30 and 3 EA500
First of that bass on Mei, wow. Terrace Martin has some great releases within the jazz or jazz hop genre, this is no exception and is a superb album and track. He has a nice voice and has an old school vibe, like a 90s hip hop sound blended with jazz. The track is very bass heavy with a thicker mid presentation.
Mei is almost too overpowering on the bass here compared to H30 and EA500, maybe a tad too much rumble drowning some of the instruments and vocals. It's a thick and fun sound on Mei, and it's less sharp on the cymbal compared to the other 2.
EA500 shows more detail in the drums with crisper sound, but I also need to turn volume down more since the high hat is slightly too forward. And the bass is better sounding than Mei as it's not as overpowering.
H30 does the bass best here of all 3, and has maybe the most pleasing vocal. But is behind the crisp detailed drumming on EA500. Also slightly less fatiguing than EA500, so it is my preferred sound for this one.
Ranking for me on this 1 H30 2 EA500 3 Mei
A true classic, must admit I forgot I was going to compare and listened through many times before starting. His singing is superb and the whole track is detailed and great.
H30 and Mei have similar resolution and dynamic range here, while EA500 does show more dynamic range with slightly more going on. Mei has the most full sounding vocal with great detail, and drums sound more real and impactful.
What I don't like on EA500 is a mix of cold dry sound, at the same time it's slightly metallic. I know I am very sensitive to how the midrange is done on EA500, which might be the reason here. His voice dont sound as natural and the instruments lack some fullness.
H30 sounds better compared to EA500 with more fullness, and better tonality that is instead on the neutral warm side.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 H30 3 EA500
Recently I found out about The Dark Side of the Moon, a cool album where they have covers of known songs. Here from Harry Potter with Double trouble, just in a metal version. Rusanda Panfili plays violin both beautifully and vigorously, while Melissa Bonny is great with her voice. All the players are great, superb recording in my opinion and maybe blasphemous for the Harry Potter fans out there.
Drums and guitars sound so full with life and great detail, violin is clear and airy. Melissa also sounds great on Mei.
EA500 has much more aggressive tonality here, and the violin is more airy. But at the cost of becoming slightly too much for me personally. It also lacks some note weight in the drums, guitar and bass. Vocal and Violin is great, just slightly too hot for me.
H30 is also more aggressive but not as much as EA500, H30 also has slight sibilance that is not on EA500 or Mei. Violin is equally impressive in detail and airyness as EA500, and her voice is also great except for some sibilance.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 EA500 3 H30
Electronic music in the Psy genre, don't ask which is exact as I don't know. It's a very cool release, with addictive bass and sounds. The beat is tight and digs deep, you can feel the bass. The sounds appearing throughout are very special and intoxicating when mixed together with the beat.
EA500 actually shows more bass than H30, make me guess most of the bass is mid bass range as H30 has great sub extension. And the detail is superb, like really superb on everything.
H30 does this like a master, the amount of bass and upper mid energy give great detail while never too much.I find the detail similar to Mei, while the amount of bass and impact is less. Its still very good bass, and it comes down to the amount that's less.
Since I am a basshead and prefer that I go for Mei first, but it's close here.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 EA500 3 H30
Tell Me is J-Pop by millet, I often use it to check female vocal, sibilance and overall energy. Also introduced by my friend Kenneth who is a big fan of J-pop.
Intense track, very in your face with the whole presentation. The more intense parts have lots going on, some sets get more congested make it a mess.
Mei has a nice tonality for this, just slightly thick sounding. My preference is to have this, but here it sounds slightly too dark. The switch position I use on Mei takes away sibilance but at same time takes away some of the vocal presence. It's the least fatiguing of the 3, with no sibilance whatever.
EA500 has a very bright tonality that is very correct for this, even if it makes me turn the volume down. The detailed nature makes it sound detailed and clear also on lower volume, and the amount of bass makes her voice have more cleanliness with more airyness. The sibilance is very borderline, but I find it okay.
H30 is more similar to EA500 with a more clear presentation with great airiness on millet's voice. Sibilance is maybe the most, when compared to the other two.
Ranking for me on this 1 EA500 2 H30 3 Mei
NewJeans has some great K-pop releases, here with Zero. Nice track with great female vocals, in general very catchy and fun. Maybe not the most technical music, but still great for testing K-pop.
Mei has really nice tonality here, some extra fullness in low range. Great vocals that are slightly forward, a slight amount of dark tonality compared to H30. Tried this also with the 02 position, since there is not really any sibilance present. I loved the 02 switch position on this track.
EA500 is also really good, but has a slight edginess on some of the vocal parts.
H30 is very good and clean sounding, with a neutral amount of bass when compared to the vocals being more forward.
Ranking for me on this 1 H30 2 Mei 3 EA500
Ranking with 02 switch 1 Mei 2 H30 3 EA500
Conclusion
I like Mei very much, I was impressed immediately when I got it. Has very much the amount of low end I prefer, with also some warmth in its midrange. Treble lacks a little energy for my taste, but this also makes it more pleasant to use for longer periods.
For me this tonality goes perfect with most music I listen to, also with the switch I can change the driver in the upper range for more energy.
So yes I do recommend this, one of the top dogs under 100usd. Can be a very good alternative to EA500 if you find it too energetic or cold sounding.
Position 10 use DD and also the first BA
Position 02 use DD and also the second BA
Position 12 use DD and both BAs
Looking at the measurement it changes the sound quite much and my preference goes to 10 or 02.
Accessories and the package are okay but not very impressive, you get a set of tips and one cable. The tips are silicone and work, the cable is not the best and I advise you to get an upgrade cable. It should still give you a good sound to get going.
How does it sound
CVJ Mei has a fun and full sound, with good resolving capability when we look at the price range.
Bass is elevated and has great slam and resolution, it feels not slow or fast so just very correct in decay.
Mids are also detailed with some added thickness to vocal, female vocal can lack a little presence in the 10 position but is near perfect in 12. Problem with 12 is that there can come some sibilance in certain music.
Upper mids are very perfect to my liking, where it's not tiresome and shouty.
Treble is well extended in both switch positions I like, while the sibilance dip is slightly too big and takes away some detail on 10. While 02 is having more treble detail.
Soundstage is average in depth and with, and has quite good imaging capabilities.
Comfort is superb with a small shell with just the right nozzle diameter and length that should please most people. I have large ears and prefer bigger IEMs or longer nozzles than most people, I still think Mei is great. My wife also tested this one and said it's one of the most comfortable ones she has tried, she has small ears.
The metal shell is beautiful and screams quality, the only thing I don't like is the 2 pin socket being on the outside. And as mentioned the cable is thin and has quite much memory, used it for one photo and moved over to something else.
Comparison to Simgot EA500 and ISN H30
Simgot EA500
Just a single DD IEM, but it's similar price and looks almost the same. Comfort is top notch, same as Mei when looking at design and weight.
Maybe the most resolving IEM under 100usd, great tonality for most people. The midrange is a problem spot for me, that can make it sound shouty or metallic. Also the bass could have been bigger to meet my preference, but the bass is of superb quality. Simgot clearly has used a very good driver in EA500. It's very easy to mod the EA500 to get more bass, or use filters to change the upper range. But to make it fair I will use the stock config here.
ISN H30
1 DD 9.2mm beryllium and 2 BA (Sonion and Knowles) from Penons brand ISN, a very good hybrid in its price range. But recent releases are making it forgotten, and some had problems with bad fit due to long and angled nozzles.
Bass reaches deep with great slam and rumble, mid bass a little light. There Were complaints about bass, but I believe many had fit problems. Midrange is very correct for me, some types of music can be too tiresome due to forward upper midrange. Similar to EA500 but here I don't get the metallic tonality. The Treble has great detail and extension, and is at a level similar to EA500.
A spider Graph of how I position it, it's very roughly done. Neon Pro stays in there as a baseline. As I see it the Mei has more fun factor than the other two, even if it lacks some technical parts of the H30 and EA500.
Using Kbear 07 tips, cable on EA500 and Mei is XINHS 16 core copper and a pure copper from VE for H30. The Mei has been used in the 10 position, if I Had used the 02 setting the resolution would have been closer at the trade of sharper sound.
Both Simgot EA500 and CVJ Mei are free units, so my take should be neutral between those two. H30 I bought during a very small sale, it's also the most expensive of the 3.
I have mostly used my own files or Tidal, but I will provide a youtube link for you to test.
Very cool track from Emily King’s last album Special Occasion. Lots going on here and fun to keep playing track on repeat while comparing. Bass is really nice here and the extra Mei has given the track a more fun factor. Both instruments and vocals are very clear and present.
The resolution of the EA500 shows more here than Mei, but it doesn't sound better as the bass seems slightly fuzzy at times on EA500. Bass is also louder with Mei while the impact is very similar. Her voice lacks a little soul on EA500, that it just sounds leaner with less forwardness. Both do it great.
The H30 is leaner sounding than Mei, but has perhaps nicer vocals with more nuance. Bass is similar to EA500 in amount, and sounds slightly better than EA500 but I still put Mei bass better here.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 H30 and 3 EA500
First of that bass on Mei, wow. Terrace Martin has some great releases within the jazz or jazz hop genre, this is no exception and is a superb album and track. He has a nice voice and has an old school vibe, like a 90s hip hop sound blended with jazz. The track is very bass heavy with a thicker mid presentation.
Mei is almost too overpowering on the bass here compared to H30 and EA500, maybe a tad too much rumble drowning some of the instruments and vocals. It's a thick and fun sound on Mei, and it's less sharp on the cymbal compared to the other 2.
EA500 shows more detail in the drums with crisper sound, but I also need to turn volume down more since the high hat is slightly too forward. And the bass is better sounding than Mei as it's not as overpowering.
H30 does the bass best here of all 3, and has maybe the most pleasing vocal. But is behind the crisp detailed drumming on EA500. Also slightly less fatiguing than EA500, so it is my preferred sound for this one.
Ranking for me on this 1 H30 2 EA500 3 Mei
A true classic, must admit I forgot I was going to compare and listened through many times before starting. His singing is superb and the whole track is detailed and great.
H30 and Mei have similar resolution and dynamic range here, while EA500 does show more dynamic range with slightly more going on. Mei has the most full sounding vocal with great detail, and drums sound more real and impactful.
What I don't like on EA500 is a mix of cold dry sound, at the same time it's slightly metallic. I know I am very sensitive to how the midrange is done on EA500, which might be the reason here. His voice dont sound as natural and the instruments lack some fullness.
H30 sounds better compared to EA500 with more fullness, and better tonality that is instead on the neutral warm side.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 H30 3 EA500
Recently I found out about The Dark Side of the Moon, a cool album where they have covers of known songs. Here from Harry Potter with Double trouble, just in a metal version. Rusanda Panfili plays violin both beautifully and vigorously, while Melissa Bonny is great with her voice. All the players are great, superb recording in my opinion and maybe blasphemous for the Harry Potter fans out there.
Drums and guitars sound so full with life and great detail, violin is clear and airy. Melissa also sounds great on Mei.
EA500 has much more aggressive tonality here, and the violin is more airy. But at the cost of becoming slightly too much for me personally. It also lacks some note weight in the drums, guitar and bass. Vocal and Violin is great, just slightly too hot for me.
H30 is also more aggressive but not as much as EA500, H30 also has slight sibilance that is not on EA500 or Mei. Violin is equally impressive in detail and airyness as EA500, and her voice is also great except for some sibilance.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 EA500 3 H30
Electronic music in the Psy genre, don't ask which is exact as I don't know. It's a very cool release, with addictive bass and sounds. The beat is tight and digs deep, you can feel the bass. The sounds appearing throughout are very special and intoxicating when mixed together with the beat.
EA500 actually shows more bass than H30, make me guess most of the bass is mid bass range as H30 has great sub extension. And the detail is superb, like really superb on everything.
H30 does this like a master, the amount of bass and upper mid energy give great detail while never too much.I find the detail similar to Mei, while the amount of bass and impact is less. Its still very good bass, and it comes down to the amount that's less.
Since I am a basshead and prefer that I go for Mei first, but it's close here.
Ranking for me on this 1 Mei 2 EA500 3 H30
Tell Me is J-Pop by millet, I often use it to check female vocal, sibilance and overall energy. Also introduced by my friend Kenneth who is a big fan of J-pop.
Intense track, very in your face with the whole presentation. The more intense parts have lots going on, some sets get more congested make it a mess.
Mei has a nice tonality for this, just slightly thick sounding. My preference is to have this, but here it sounds slightly too dark. The switch position I use on Mei takes away sibilance but at same time takes away some of the vocal presence. It's the least fatiguing of the 3, with no sibilance whatever.
EA500 has a very bright tonality that is very correct for this, even if it makes me turn the volume down. The detailed nature makes it sound detailed and clear also on lower volume, and the amount of bass makes her voice have more cleanliness with more airyness. The sibilance is very borderline, but I find it okay.
H30 is more similar to EA500 with a more clear presentation with great airiness on millet's voice. Sibilance is maybe the most, when compared to the other two.
Ranking for me on this 1 EA500 2 H30 3 Mei
NewJeans has some great K-pop releases, here with Zero. Nice track with great female vocals, in general very catchy and fun. Maybe not the most technical music, but still great for testing K-pop.
Mei has really nice tonality here, some extra fullness in low range. Great vocals that are slightly forward, a slight amount of dark tonality compared to H30. Tried this also with the 02 position, since there is not really any sibilance present. I loved the 02 switch position on this track.
EA500 is also really good, but has a slight edginess on some of the vocal parts.
H30 is very good and clean sounding, with a neutral amount of bass when compared to the vocals being more forward.
Ranking for me on this 1 H30 2 Mei 3 EA500
Ranking with 02 switch 1 Mei 2 H30 3 EA500
Conclusion
I like Mei very much, I was impressed immediately when I got it. Has very much the amount of low end I prefer, with also some warmth in its midrange. Treble lacks a little energy for my taste, but this also makes it more pleasant to use for longer periods.
For me this tonality goes perfect with most music I listen to, also with the switch I can change the driver in the upper range for more energy.
So yes I do recommend this, one of the top dogs under 100usd. Can be a very good alternative to EA500 if you find it too energetic or cold sounding.
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AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Ok this arrived.Just ordered this. DD hifi product so at least that’s for audio!
As Dac dongle sucks batteryso fast on already half-dead iphone that I’m using, and I recently got motivated from Cayin RU6 to invest further effort into a practical portable solution for dac dongle with portability.
1: I need an external battery to supplement
2: Maybe a better performance on DAC dongle than weak iphone BUS-power? I don’t know so I’m gonna try it myself.
for iphone folks(iphone is moving to USB-C as well maybe from next model?)
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLAIyeC
for android folks:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0mpxnq
Anyway, I ordered one for lightning.
Let‘s see a myth of “external power source mixed to DAC dongle” would do any job to the sound output.
That’s a hope, but at least half of my problem “ battery drain” shall be solved
I’m very impressed especially with L&P W2’s external power sourced performance aiding iphone’s BUS outlet.
The splitter has icon indicator which one is power socket and which one is OTG socket, so don’t make mistake.
My best surprise of this year
Properly amped W2 could perform like DAP!!
Solved
: USB dongle sucks power out of my already half dead smartphone battery Solved
: USB dongle is underpowered by weaker phone‘s BUS power and not fully performingHowever you may point
“ but that’s not portable and I don’t want swing those around to cause connection issues and kinda bothersome feeling”
Solved
: Portability and outlook of a messy set upI’m still waiting the mobile battery to fit into this carrying pouch, so I placed W2 to where I intend to put the powerbank.
A-B tested with same DD Hifi’s lightning to USB C interconnect
Sleek and geeky look of an audiophile’s smartphone hifi sound set up project: successful
I’m sourcing power from laptop so the noise sensitive dongle like Cayin RU6 will pick up laptop’s noise, hiccup-less mobile
battery maybe needed for those, but W2 had no issues, it simply got amped.
P.S.
Other stuff I ordered also arrived from the AE’s delivery package!
It looks like Floaudio is adding a bonus cable to those first pre-order batch.
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PhonoPhi
Headphoneus Supremus
Great that you could appreciate the power of independent power supplies with DACs.Ok this arrived.
I’m very impressed especially with L&P W2’s external power sourced performance aiding iphone’s BUS outlet.
The splitter has icon indicator which one is power socket and which one is OTG socket, so don’t make mistake.
My best surprise of this year
Properly amped W2 could perform like DAP!!
Solved
Solved
However you may point
“ but that’s not portable and I don’t want swing those around to cause connection issues and kinda bothersome feeling”
Solved
I’m still waiting the mobile battery to fit into this carrying pouch, so I placed W2 to where I intend to put the powerbank.
A-B tested with same DD Hifi’s lightning to USB C interconnect
Sleek and geeky look of an audiophile’s smartphone hifi sound set up project: successful
I’m sourcing power from laptop so the noise sensitive dongle like Cayin RU6 will pick up laptop’s noise, hiccup-less mobile
battery maybe needed for those, but W2 had no issues, it simply got amped.
P.S.
Other stuff I ordered also arrived from the AE’s delivery package!
It looks like Floaudio is adding a bonus cable to those first pre-order batch.
While DD products can be elegantly made, they are quite overpriced.
Most splitters from $5 to $15 work great:
The best out of USB splitters above is the one with the double high-res sticker - really mighty, better than any cables
Last edited:
AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Haha yea, I chose DD hifi’s due to its designGreat that you could appreciate the power of independent power supplies with DACs.
While DD products can be elegantly made, they are quite overpriced.
Most splitters from $5 to $15 work great:
The best out of USB splitters above is the one with the double high-res sticker - really mighty, better than any cables
Their interconnects are cool too.Added a macro shot:
you can clearly see this one is intended for USB dongle purpose
Last edited:
AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Floaudio Bluelover 6BA
It probably needs 30min or so initial run, right out of box, timbre was terribly mushy, it‘s clearing up. Very rare to see BA that clears up.
Audiosense DT600 is that you?
the 300hz “midbass bleed” maybe a dealbreaker for some, but I’m good with it, hey even Apple‘s AirPods Pro did the same warmth bump
Pretty neat 6BA that floaudio published, great job making an affordable and enjoyable IEM!
It probably needs 30min or so initial run, right out of box, timbre was terribly mushy, it‘s clearing up. Very rare to see BA that clears up.
Audiosense DT600 is that you?
the 300hz “midbass bleed” maybe a dealbreaker for some, but I’m good with it, hey even Apple‘s AirPods Pro did the same warmth bump
Pretty neat 6BA that floaudio published, great job making an affordable and enjoyable IEM!
saldsald
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Posts
- 2,284
- Likes
- 7,391
Wow the spec and the price are very ambitious.Wondering if this is a "rebadged" GK100...
2BAs, 4 Piezo, 3DDs
Oh and exactly same spec as the GK100
Last edited:
AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Found a good mobile battery sourceOk this arrived.
I’m very impressed especially with L&P W2’s external power sourced performance aiding iphone’s BUS outlet.
The splitter has icon indicator which one is power socket and which one is OTG socket, so don’t make mistake.
My best surprise of this year
Properly amped W2 could perform like DAP!!
Solved
Solved
However you may point
“ but that’s not portable and I don’t want swing those around to cause connection issues and kinda bothersome feeling”
Solved
I’m still waiting the mobile battery to fit into this carrying pouch, so I placed W2 to where I intend to put the powerbank.
A-B tested with same DD Hifi’s lightning to USB C interconnect
Sleek and geeky look of an audiophile’s smartphone hifi sound set up project: successful
I’m sourcing power from laptop so the noise sensitive dongle like Cayin RU6 will pick up laptop’s noise, hiccup-less mobile
battery maybe needed for those, but W2 had no issues, it simply got amped.
P.S.
Other stuff I ordered also arrived from the AE’s delivery package!
It looks like Floaudio is adding a bonus cable to those first pre-order batch.
just kidding
Using DAP to power USB dongle is a nice joke!Actually DAP was a terrible power source, constant hiss barely unusable.
Get a Kiwi Ears Quintet
saldsald
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2016
- Posts
- 2,284
- Likes
- 7,391
The sound of the A6 mini is achieved by its unconventional tuning instead of the driver IMHO so you can look for IEMs with similar graphs instead.
Last edited:
AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Haha, see Sound Rhyme thread post #1, that was the SR5 introduction
Unfortunately I don’t have Top, tribrids are very expensive and I don’t have budget to buy all tribrids available, nor fortunate enough to live in Asian cities where you have local audio shop to audition those
Undiscovered Hidden Gem
This Gem SR5 deserves an own thread
Disclaimer: I praised the shop owner and shared this thread as an gateway of introduction of Sound Rhyme, and the shop owner linked this thread URL on item description. It may be confusing so I can declare that I’m not affiliated with any store/brands nor getting any kick backs. It’s pure personal purchase and personal feel of obligation to publicize this hidden gem, as it’s very high performing.
Sound Rhyme just opened Official AE Store: you may find more up-to-date info on their Official store:
https://sl.aliexpress.ru/p?key=kYMqwXG
Based on my study, Sound Rhyme is not a new brand to Chinese Local audiophiles. They are like AFUL, a hidden gem, but with much longer history serving IEMs.
Navigation:
Here is link to SR5 initial impression post:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17410547
Here is link to DTE500 A-B test post:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17473402
Here is link to SR5 A-B test post:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17412148
Sound Rhyme uses ENVISIONTEC 3D printer for modeling, like AFUL did for their Performer 5, the unique bass range internal resonator chamber.
They are situated at Xiamen and probably one of less known IEM OEM to western market so far.
Sound Rhyme business registration and copyright registration. Formed back in 2017, copyright obtained 2019z
Lab and workshop pictures
They have several line ups as below:
SR-Q1S - 9.2mm Titanium coated single DD: $53USD
Formerly SR02(Now SR4 )- 4BA: Store Link (non affiliated)
Knowles 22955 + Knowles 29689
Belsing 31736 (2BA) : $96USD. U-tuned.
SR03 - 4BA + 1DD
1DD+Sonion 689x2(mid)+Knowles31736x2(mid to high) 760CNY = 120USD in local market, available thru Aliexpress distributor Yi Fan 4.4 (huo guang shu/huo guang store) around $139USD.
SR5 4way crossover! 1DD+Knowles ED29689x2(mid)+Knowles31736x2(mid to high) 750CNY = 109USD in local market, available thru Aliexpress distributor Yi Fan 4.4 (huo guang shu/huo guang store) around $139USD.
[3/14/2023: Penon is now serving SR5 too! https://penonaudio.com/sound-rhyme-sr5.html ]
This is my recommendation. Photo-luminescent like qdc Anole V14, sound like Thieaudio’s high-end class, with very affordable pricing.
Formerly SR04-144E(They renamed to DTE500/900) Tribrid 1DD 4BA 4EST? (4800CNY = 630USD) — basically qdc Anole VX ‘s tribrid version. I’m interested in this.
Information wanted.
Sound Rhyme actually discounted to $499USD.
Penon started to become Sound Rhyme official agent and they have DTE500 @ $459: https://penonaudio.com/sound-rhyme-dte500.html
DTE500 uses EIVEC voltage amplifier which was developed by Empire Ears for their EST models, and DTE500 uses EIVEC in powering Sonion EST.
SR-8: Full-BA Flagship 14BA with 2tuning switches (4300CNY = 618USD) — In Local Chinese Market only, likely full Sonion & Knowles. GS Audio ST10 is $430 with 10BA and full knowles and sonions, so this 14BA with this bare price is making a good sense)
Official store has it but the price is 1110USD
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMppOKK
[3/28/2023 Edit] Penon started to sell SR8 @$749, great job for not going highballing
https://penonaudio.com/sound-rhyme-sr8.html
I’ve purchased SR5 out of whim after watching a Russian IEM YT review channel’s video, the guy knows HEXA and had high praise for SR5, so I know that was a good starting point.
Here is initial impression.
It will be a great loss if this gem is kept in undiscovered dungeon‘s jewelry box.
From my experience of SR05, they make very solid offers that is comparable to well known companies such as Thieaudio.
Hope they have more access and distribution channels to overseas, but as for now it will be one of Niche that may intrigue your interest.
I find myself interested on in their line up as much I do for Truthear.
Last edited:
AmericanSpirit
Member of the Trade: Night Oblivion
Basslover may say nay, but if you don’t amp Bluelover, simply run thru line-out, Bluelover is quite technical and neutralFloaudio Bluelover 6BA
It probably needs 30min or so initial run, right out of box, timbre was terribly mushy, it‘s clearing up. Very rare to see BA that clears up.
Audiosense DT600 is that you?
the 300hz “midbass bleed” maybe a dealbreaker for some, but I’m good with it, hey even Apple‘s AirPods Pro did the same warmth bump
Pretty neat 6BA that floaudio published, great job making an affordable and enjoyable IEM!
