[cobrabucket]

The QUDELIX T71 is competing against devices such as the Sound BlasterX G6:

https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blasterx-g6

It appears that QUDELIX is aiming for higher quality hardware, amplification, and it looks like they are going to have a mode (like many of these USB sound cards) where their device can present itself to the computer as a 7.1 channel device, and they will be able to do processing in their device to create a binaural two-channel output to re-create the surround sound from all 7.1 channels on headphones. Here's some info on HRTFs and binaural audio in case you are not familiar:



What's worth noting here is that Windows 10/11 have built-in spatial audio support where the Windows OS can now present itself to games as having a 7.1 device when you plug in headphones and then create a binaural surround sound experience, it's called "Windows Sonic for Headphones". From the Microsoft App Store you can also download and install Atmos and DTS alternatives and choose those instead of Windows Sonic. Companies like Creative Labs also offer alternatives with their hardware as well. It will be interesting to see if QUDELIX can best any of those solutions. Personally I have the (now discontinued) Creative Labs Sound Blaster X7, which has all the features of the QUDELIX T71 and more (such as a built-in stereo speaker amplifier, surround/center/subwoofer outputs, BlueTooth, support for legacy Environmental Audio Extensions (EAX) games via Creative ALchemy, etc.) so I don't need a QUDELIX T71 but I think it fills a niche... while the form factor reminds me of the Sound BlasterX G6, some of the features such as the balanced headphone output put it up against the Sound Blaster X5:

https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-x5

Here's a bit of gaming surround sound trivia - the game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice from a few years back is one of the few games to "bake in" all the binaural positional audio so that the game only sounds right when played back on headphones via a stereo (two channel) setup:

https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/8bjg17/be_sure_to_play_hellblade_senuas_sacrifice_with/

Because the game doesn't use any multichannel game sound APIs at all, positional audio effects won't work on speakers (not stereo, not mulitchannel) and won't work if played back on headphones through a USB headphone amplifier when it is in 7.1 mode. Their entire game sound production pipeline was configured only for experiencing the game via two-channel headphones (which will sound great, because they used high quality binaural recordings and a good HRTF for positional effects).

Very cool write up! Thanks for your insight.

 

[awacs7n]

the music detail we can get from an average hifiman 400 se is approximately as much as we can hear from which iems? i love my ba driver models, but i have serious pressure problems. i don't want to spend $400-500 and order a mid-range earphone of a similar level when i have mid-range in-ear models. Does anyone have on-ear and in-ear models? Can we hear the detail we hear on an average $100 iems on a $100 on-ear model? pressure problem is cooling me off from iems. Models like the 400 se are in the $120 band, frankly, if they can give as much detail as an audiosense dt 300, i can order them without hesitation. i love models like dt 300, t 800, but i couldn't find a solution to the pressure problem. it makes more sense to ask the question here.

 

[o0genesis0o]

the music detail we can get from an average hifiman 400 se is approximately as much as we can hear from which iems? i love my ba driver models, but i have serious pressure problems. i don't want to spend $400-500 and order a mid-range earphone of a similar level when i have mid-range in-ear models. Does anyone have on-ear and in-ear models? Can we hear the detail we hear on an average $100 iems on a $100 on-ear model? pressure problem is cooling me off from iems. Models like the 400 se are in the $120 band, frankly, if they can give as much detail as an audiosense dt 300, i can order them without hesitation. i love models like dt 300, t 800, but i couldn't find a solution to the pressure problem. it makes more sense to ask the question here.

Interesting you asked. I dug out my Senny HD560S to listen yesterday after watching the video about headphone tuning by Senny. Yes, it is not HE400SE, but close enough in level. Here are some comparisons against IEMs:

• Macro and micro dynamic is naturally strong on HD560S without bass boost. IEM needs to rely on significant bass boost, and if you ask me, I would say they rarely gets that snappy dynamic swings right. Headphone with flat bass response? Snap like no problem.
• Different perception of stage. The stage is more stretched out than IEM, so less chance for congestion.
• When it comes to “real” resolution, the HD560s holds up to slightly above Aria, possibly close enough to Blessing 2. I did find myself getting annoyed by the smearing when instruments overlap.
• (Oh, the HD560S in so shouty. Needed a lot of brain burn in to tolerate)

So, yeah, the tech of HD560S is very good. I don’t think all A$300 IEM can outperform the A$300 HD560S. But something like P8, Variations, Andro, U12t certainly outresolve the HD560S.

Someone can repeat the test with Sundara (A$500)

 

[bschnell9]

Could someone provide me with their best example of what they listen to in order to decipher whether an iem has good or bad “detail retrieval?” I think it would be fun if people put up the songs they use and the instance(s) in the song they are listening for when they are looking for said detail retrieval. What is the difference in the sound when “it’s” there and when “it’s” not?

 

[o0genesis0o]

Could someone provide me with their best example of what they listen to in order to decipher whether an iem has good or bad “detail retrieval?” I think it would be fun if people put up the songs they use and the instance(s) in the song they are listening for when they are looking for said detail retrieval. What is the difference in the sound when “it’s” there and when “it’s” not?

Spoiler: My listening note template

Playlist:
- [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/au/playlist/ie-gems-headphone-test-tracks/pl.u-8aAVZAaFv0Eqy0)

**Pentatonix - Jolene (feat. dolly Parton):**
- Timbre and tonality correctness of vocals?
- Balance between male and female vocals?
- Sibilance?
- The overall placement of midrange?
- The separation between overlapping vocal lines?

**Bon Jovi - Livin’ On a Prayer**
- Any sibilance or sharpness problem?
- Is the music energetic?
- How is the balance between different instruments in the mix?
- How details are the instruments?
- Is there separation or the music is presented as a wall of sound?

**Michael Jackson - Beat It**
- Any sibilance or sharpness problem?
- Is the music energetic?
- How details are the instruments?
- Is there separation or the music is presented as a wall of sound?

**Polyphia - G.O.A.T.:**
- Do the drums and bass together create ”slams”?
- How loud is the cymbals and hi-hats?
- How detailed and textured are the cymbals and hi-hats?
- How detailed is the distant background sound?
- Is the overall stereo image large or small? 3D or wall of sound?

**Eagles - Hotel California (Live on MTV, 1994):**
- Are the cheers of the audience properly placed at a distance?
- Are the cheers crisp and detailed or blurry?
- How are the kick drums?
- How detailed are the guitar?
- What is the overall tonal colour and balance?
- Sibilance?
- Is the overall stereo image large or small? 3D or wall of sound?

**2CELLOS - Game of Thrones Medley:**
- Can the background strings cut through the cellos at the foreground?
- How easy it is to pin point and separate two cellos?
- Does the lower midrange gets muddy and congested from 1:30 onward?
- How are the timbre and tonality of the cellos?

**Square Enix Music & Nobuo Uematsu - Let the Battles Begin!**
- How strong is the dynamic swings / slam of the orchestra on the down beats?

**Yuki Hayashi - Battle Bar**
- How are the bass attacks?
- How are the bass decays?
- How is the imaging of the drums on the stage?

**Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra - Synchro (Bom-ba-ye)**
- How natural are the claps at the beginning?
- How is the sense of space of the orchestra?
- Can the IEM reproduce a sense of rhythm and dynamic “slam”?

**Quatuor Ebene & Antoine Tamestit - Mozart’s String Quintet No. 3 in C Major**
- How are the timbre and tonality of the string quintet?
- How are the details and texture of the instruments?
- Can the IEM reproduce a wide range of dynamic variations?
- How is the placement of instruments? Is there any sense of depth and layering?

**Emmanuel Pahud - Bach’s Flute Partita in A Minor, IV: Bourree Anglaise**
- How are the texture and micro detail of the flute?
- How is the reverb and decay of the flute in the venue?

When you are short on time (e.g., testing in an audio store), use the Jolene for macro separation and Bach's Flute Partita for detail retrieval. If I have a bit more time, I use the Let the Battles Begin! for testing the dynamic as well. Solid first impression in 3 songs.

Any IEM that I review would have 1 or 2 weeks of casual listening, and then I will go through the entire playlist with a notebook and relevant IEMs for comparison.

 

[Redcarmoose]

@bschnell9
Music to test IEMs with:
There is no exact best, but there are far lesser examples. This was recorded by one of Head-Fi’s members and holds significance for me. He was in charge of all audio for the film.

Just the way the pace works, the instrument timbre and deepness in detail? While much of this OST is sound effects, it has become known to me personally as one of the very best recordings I’ve found as there is still a lot of music too.



This in another I use for a plethora of reasons. Stage and detail inside that stage, but primarily how bass detail is done. Listen to “On Thin Ice”!



Below: vvvvvvvvvvvvvv
This helps me understand timbre when the rhythm guitar hits. It can be a number of ways correct, and a number of ways wrong. So the placement into the stage. Also the ways the drums sound and the separation found. This particular song is highly detailed just by the way the instruments are placed and sequenced. In fact this particular song I use with every IEM for a list, a whole list of things, but the first 2 minutes has so much critical detail to be discovered in an IEMs ability. It is almost endless as an IEM testing tool. How is her voice separated, how forward is it, how are the echos delayed and where are they placed, how do the echoes fall off? Then when they multi-track her voice, where is it placed into the stage and those echoes. Somehow every IEM plays this song slightly different and I can judge an IEM in seconds almost with this song, or at least get a strong idea as to its properties.

 

[PhonoPhi]

There are several Dr Chesky's CDs where competent and experienced professionals guide you through multiple aspects of the recordings and related relevant parameters to test and experience your transducers all throughout - just one example of the transients in Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale makes me take my hat off in deep respect.

 

[HPLovecraft]

BLON x Z Jojo available right now!​

https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/blon-x-z-reviews-jojo

 

[r31ya]

In a facebook chat, Tyvan Lam (KZ rep) noted that CCA Duo tuning was "TruthEarZero x CRN"
but when i look at it, its not quite CRN nor it have Zero signature tuck in bass.
and RetroE83 noted that its actually closer to,

While we're not sure how far CCA 2 x 7mm DD could bring in technicalities and timbre, but this is quite the moonshot.

---
official marketing blurb

Spoiler

---
Additional note, tyvan state the target was "Truthear Zero x crn"
I thought, it was a mix of zero and zex pro.
Nope, the og target for CCA Duo was Truthear Zero RED.
PaulWasabi who points it out and share this,

Spoiler

 

[Hustler]

BLON x Z Jojo available right now!​

https://www.linsoul.com/collections/all/products/blon-x-z-reviews-jojo

The appearance is unusual just like the BL-05S. The cable looks great, but they could have changed the connectors to standard 2-pin and used metal, as that plastic spoils the look or at least used QDC instead of that rectangular flange. The shape of these shells suited me really well and BL-05 were comfortable even with the included cable and tips. It would be interesting to know what was changed in the sound, as I consider the BL-05S to be BLON-s second best - right after the legendary BL-03. Judging by the graph, there is the expected bass boost and additionally a smoother transition from the mids, a more linear upper midrange, but what's that peak at 14 kHz? IMO Zeos wasn't involved in the tuning at all and BLON simply made a slightly different version of the Z300.

 

[r31ya]

new budget NiceHCK YD-520 ($12, 1DD bullet iem)
Ali

obligatory waifu,

 

[kazinova]

Having an embarrassingly good time adding 150ohms to the QKZxHBB Khan and just melting my brain with drum and bass. If this kind of ear-jarring bass is no longer fun to me then it's time to put me down.

 

[SynaestheticA]

Having an embarrassingly good time adding 150ohms to the QKZxHBB Khan and just melting my brain with drum and bass. If this kind of ear-jarring bass is no longer fun to me then it's time to put me down.

What tracks are you listening to? I've exhausted my limits with the Emily Makis, Sub-Focus Spotify humdrum and could use some new direction

 

[Redcarmoose]

SIMGOT EM6L slays the KZ Krila as well as they made a smoother EA500......same size, shape. SIMGOT moved forward to a 3.5 kHz Pinna also generating a new EW100 DSP model. Must have a DSP and a Type C USB amplifier in the cord? I gave the EW100 a crummy review, maybe they can salvage the tone with DSP magic? I can’t stop recommending the EA500 to people and the thought of SIMGOT even moving the EA500 forward (into a new model) is exciting, none the less.

 

[baskingshark]

In a facebook chat, Tyvan Lam (KZ rep) noted that CCA Duo tuning was "TruthEarZero x CRN"
but when i look at it, its not quite CRN nor it have Zero signature tuck in bass.
and RetroE83 noted that its actually closer to,



While we're not sure how far CCA 2 x 7mm DD could bring in technicalities and timbre, but this is quite the moonshot.

---
official marketing blurb

Spoiler

---
Additional note, tyvan state the target was "Truthear Zero x crn"
I thought, it was a mix of zero and zex pro.
Nope, the og target for CCA Duo was Truthear Zero RED.
PaulWasabi who points it out and share this,

Spoiler

haha at least this time they don't claim it beats all IEMs under $1000 USD?