[ToneDeafMonk]

OK this ECCI YST-02 went on the burn rack for about 4 days, then I took this set on a short camping trip.

This is a 1+1 DD&BA
https://penonaudio.com/ecci-yst-02.html

I listen to alot of IEM, and hardly ever get surprised anymore.

I was pleasant shocked and surprised by this one.
What a wonderfully well tuned IEM.

The graph lies!
Like the Simgot DD drivers has more low end than the graph would suggest.

Full Review will be warranted.
Bass hits super clean and detailed, full and complete texture, wonderful. One of the most musical bass replays I have heard has a maturity to the notes.

Mids are just slightly north of neutral in the mix but perfectly neutral in thier tonality.

Upper mids are fantastic great treble as well with excellent details but so tastefully done no splashiness or BA timbre.

Excellent dynamics and Attack done with a balance towards more fun and exciting rather than analytical.

Even stage is standout great with great depth, height and width.

Downside 1 Only: Loves
Power needs it , craves it, demands it.

This discovery is like EA500 Level awesome but only a better IEM.

Definitely worth checking out.

 

[baskingshark]

What's the right amount of EST for peak performance?

I thought everyone had moved over to a 4 EST design for better extension.

Are there some 2 EST implementations that are on par or beat a 4 stack?

There is no right amount IMHO.

Tuning and implementation trumps driver brand/number/count.

 

[JEHL]

I'd personally avoid ESTs... unless you're dead serious about a 6-way crossover just for the treble alone.

Expensive to buy, even more expensive to implement. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[o0genesis0o]

I'd personally avoid ESTs... unless you're dead serious about a 6-way crossover just for the treble alone.

Well, your loss. Well done EST treble sounds awesome. A “soft” requirement for kilobucks going forward for me is having Sonion ESTs (or magnostats or whatever those are technically called).

 

[Redcarmoose]

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r3-ii

 

[MudEnjoyer]

Well, your loss. Well done EST treble sounds awesome. A “soft” requirement for kilobucks going forward for me is having Sonion ESTs (or magnostats or whatever those are technically called).

What are examples of well done EST treble?

I only have listened to Variations, which sounds diffuse, weightless and ultimately too safe and boring. I consider it pure measurebait at this point.

I haven't listened to Anni 2023 that sounds like an interesting one.

 

[Redcarmoose]

What are examples of well done EST treble?

I only have listened to Variations, which sounds diffuse, weightless and ultimately too safe and boring. I consider it pure measurebait at this point.

I haven't listened to Anni 2023 that sounds like an interesting one.

You do understand that 80-90% of manufactures offer them right?

ISN EST50
Penon 10th Anniversary
TRN Bax
TSMR Land
Penon Volt

 

[PhonoPhi]

Well, your loss. Well done EST treble sounds awesome. A “soft” requirement for kilobucks going forward for me is having Sonion ESTs (or magnostats or whatever those are technically called).

Or the loss of kilobucks in a totally futile TOTL chase (as per what kilobuck cables one selects for multi-kilobuck IEMs - good luck on this path)).

High voltage (potentially dangerous, if leaking) and weak response of this technology adapted from old phone receivers, make EST "no go" for me.

I am not surprised that other companies, like Belsing, do not see much promise in this technology. Belsing actually does a nice job in making progressivly smaller BAs for higher treble, as well as shaping the resonators.

Well implemented piezos can do treble, and recently, square planar drives (SPD) started to be used as in Celest Phoenixcall - the published frequency response curve looks nicely flat to ca. 25-30 kHz.

 

[o0genesis0o]

What are examples of well done EST treble?

I only have listened to Variations, which sounds diffuse, weightless and ultimately too safe and boring. I consider it pure measurebait at this point.

I haven't listened to Anni 2023 that sounds like an interesting one.

The treble of Hiby zeta was quite nice. Reserved and pulled back, but just nicely resolving in general.

MEST III ESTs are also quite nice.

Monarch II can get away with boosted 10-12kHz likely due to the nature of sonion est drivers as well.

@baskingshark can comment ablut FiiO FX15

 

[saldsald]

Speaking of the TRN BAX and EST drivers, I have modded it by replacing the stock 0.43uF cap for the EST transformer with a 1.5uF tantalum capacitor. IMO the BAX was tuned such way to let you hear the EST driver but it's done quite aggressively and it's not for me. Anyway with the new replacement cap the mids are less scooped (and not nearly as scooped as the Variations even in stock tuning) and the treble is much more natural. Overall it sounds quite a bit smoother. Very easy mod and very much worth doing it.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Speaking of the TRN BAX and EST drivers, I have modded it by replacing the stock 0.43uF cap for the EST transformer with a 1.5uF tantalum capacitor. IMO the BAX was tuned such way to let you hear the EST driver but it's done quite aggressively and it's not for me. Anyway with the new replacement cap the mids are less scooped (and not nearly as scooped as the Variations even in stock tuning) and the treble is much more natural. Overall it sounds quite a bit smoother. Very easy mod and very much worth doing it.

Nice! I mean I’m not sure how the Bax was received on debut? It is intense, a little, or a lot intense by how you perceive things. I have always gone back to it to see if I still love it, and I truly do.

It is also kind of a precarious situation with price. Because as I see it you have the EST people that just want to spend more and are not 100% sold on TRN. Then you have the people who are stretching to get the Bax, and it may not be a guarantee for them to take a chance like other more popular (safe) models and name brands. Plus they are big. Ha

In the end I feel the BAX offered listeners a special value. And one of the best values last year.

 

[nikbr]

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r3-ii

Exciting news! I'm just in the market for something extremely portable, intuitive to use and, hopefully, well-sounding.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Exciting news! I'm just in the market for something extremely portable, intuitive to use and, hopefully, well-sounding.

I may be able to fill you in on this product? Maybe in a week? I’m not exactly sure, but I will post about HiBy products here.

 

[PROblemdetected]

The treble of Hiby zeta was quite nice. Reserved and pulled back, but just nicely resolving in general.

MEST III ESTs are also quite nice.

Monarch II can get away with boosted 10-12kHz likely due to the nature of sonion est drivers as well.

@baskingshark can comment ablut FiiO FX15

Zeta would be my example as well.

I dont like the price-segment, but for Est-treble its really nicely done.

Anyways, I dont get mad about tribird also, recently BA-DD hybrids like KOVABUNGA (okavango sorry ) are example of nice implementation of BA.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Actually the "XUANWU GATE INCIDENT" that this IEM is named after, is an infamous event in ancient China: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanwu_Gate_Incident

So Li Yuan (for which Tangzu/Tforce Audio's first IEM was named after as Yuan Li) assassinated his rivals to the throne at this gate, which was leading to the imperial palace. Thereafter, he ascended the throne to become the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

Haha, pretty dark stuff, like a Game of Thrones backdrop.





The Quartet is arguably the weakest in the Kiwi Ears lineup in terms of price-to-performance ratio, as it has sub-par resolution and technical chops compared to similarly priced rivals. No doubt it has tuning switches but it was retailing at $109 USD and at that price, it is not enough to have good tonality/timbre but inferior technicalities. Consumers expect at least above average scores in all departments once we hit $100ish USD and there's lots of big boys that are kind of gatekeepers (no pun intended with the above Xuanwu Gate incident).

You are the only member that researches every TANGZU release and always has the key to their naming. Cheers for that!