The discovery thread!

[Ferdinando1968]

Anyone already using the new Qudelix T71? https://www.qudelix.com/products/qudelix-t71-usb-dac

I've been using it for a few weeks.
What are you interested in knowing?

 

[SynaestheticA]

All this is why we at Twister6, I as well as Alex (@twister6 ), mostly try to write what we hear in our reviews and leave the decision on the readers to decide if something's for them or not.

You do this really well tbh. I was waiting for more enthusiasm and drum beating to tell me to go and get this. But it never came. Just calm descriptions of what was going on.

On the point of comparisons. Considering how many times I read that a '$15 iem beats other iems that are double the price' OR this '$62 iem competes with other models closer to $70'. OR 'this $110 iem is a giant killer rivaling TOTL's.' I think it's completely reasonable to compare any iem with any other iem, it helps paint a picture of where it fits. I personally don't like considering price in a review as the sound doesn't change just because the price does.

 

[helloh3adfi]

I've been using it for a few weeks.
What are you interested in knowing?

Is it worth to buy when I already got Cayin RU6 and Ibasso DC04 Pro and already using PEQ on my PC? Did you compare that Qudelix to several other amps? Will the sound improve even without its PEQ functions?

 

[Antihippy]

Anyone has experience with the divinus velvet tips?

 

[Ferdinando1968]

Is it worth to buy when I already got Cayin RU6 and Ibasso DC04 Pro and already using PEQ on my PC? Did you compare that Qudelix to several other amps? Will the sound improve even without its PEQ functions?

I also use the RU6 and RU7 (and many other dongles), as well as the 5K.
I don't feel like giving you a serious sound comparison between T71 and anything else;
I can tell you that compared to the RU6 it has a less analogue sound.

I'll tell you what I like about T71, then it'll be up to you to judge whether it's worth it or not for your case.

Its features that I like, and which are quite unique in a dongle, especially all together:

- despite not having BT, it has a built-in 1000mAh battery. For me it is a very useful feature, both because the smartphone feature is not downloaded, and because it overrides the current limits present on the iPhone and the related possible problems, which often force the use of particular, quality OTG cables.

- you can decide where it takes power from, whether only from battery or from battery and USB (hybrid mode)

- with the 4 buttons you have almost complete control of the device, even without having to use the app.

- has 3 stereo outputs 3.5, 2.5 and 4.4, in addition to multi-channel analog outputs

- it has excellent output power, capable of driving headphones as well as IEMs with dignity (it also drives the AKG K-712 PRO in unbalanced mode at a decent volume)

- the internal DSP allows you to manage the PEQ separately for input and output signals, whether they are 2.0 signals or multi-channel signals

- if your source is a multichannel signal, and your output is stereo, the downmix is performed by the internal DSP

- I managed to get the BT by pairing the T71 with the Shanling M0. The latter sees an audio interface.

If I had to point out a 'defect' of the T71, I would mention the lack of DSD support.
Regarding PCM, it is 'limited' to 96khz in multichannel and 384khz in stereo.

I consider the machine sophisticated, as is the 5K.
Both from a software point of view and from a technical point of view, I believe that QUDELIX has something to teach many.

Below is the link to the T71 manual:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zXtwc2wmOe_ArqTDASqQwQ7wcx0nwrl8/view?usp=drivesdk

I hope that what I have written is useful to you.

 

[W0lrince]

I thought Tanchjim Oxygen have forward vocals and sibilance treble, i was wrong, really really wrong it so smooth it make my brain melt, vocal go deep into the stage and midrange detail is just brilliant!

 

[nikbr]

I thought Tanchjim Oxygen have forward vocals and sibilance treble, i was wrong, really really wrong it so smooth it make my brain melt, vocal go deep into the stage and midrange detail is just brilliant!

Oxygen is one of those timeless legends. I've only got the Hana, and that's great too!

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

I thought Tanchjim Oxygen have forward vocals and sibilance treble, i was wrong, really really wrong it so smooth it make my brain melt, vocal go deep into the stage and midrange detail is just brilliant!

Thats not the case. I still value Oxy as one of the best single DD sets out there. Only the Softears Twilight and Turii Ti able to beat it.

 

[Animagus]

Thats not the case. I still value Oxy as one of the best single DD sets out there. Only the Softears Twilight and Turii Ti able to beat it.

Oh for tonal accuracy, I still like Oxygen more than Twilight. In fact even the New Hana 2021. Was just listening to Dave Mathews Band's 'Come Tomorrow' record with the Tanchjims just a few hours back.

 

[PROblemdetected]

Oxygen is one of those timeless legends. I've only got the Hana, and that's great too!

Thats not the case. I still value Oxy as one of the best single DD sets out there. Only the Softears Twilight and Turii Ti able to beat it.

Having HANA 2021 and OXYGEN V1 at home (also recently KARA) they are impressive DD. Maybe they got a safe harman-tuning, but its the same thing than AVIATION, If you want to enter on the "hi-fi" world, its a safe brand pick.

 

[Ichos]

Dear friends here is my Hidizs MP145 Review.

Good all-around earphones with a planar driver.

 

[kevinkar]

Quick update to my 1More Penta Driver impressions - I'm gonna say it's not *better* than the Triple Drivers but it does seem to reproduce a bit more of the spectrum (again, weighted to the highs just a bit) so they could be perceived as "better" if you like the sound more. But, to me, they are so similar as to not be a real upgrade. So, if you're a Triple Driver owner, I would not get these unless you want a bit more of the highs. Otherwise, a judicious adjustment of the EQ on your player will arrive at the same signature and your current IEMs will be fine.

These are a bit difficult to get into my ears comfortably too. Seems like they fit fine at initial insertion but, when draping the cables back over my ears, they seem to get out of adjustment and let in some air which I need to up the tip size to compensate. So that's a bit frustrating. Regular IEMs with cables that drop off the bottom are way easier to insert and adjust.

Lastly, the USB-C DAC dongle is not bad at all and sounds fine. Songs from my phone sound as good as those played from my HD player without dongle. BUT..... it's not well made and seems to have problems connecting to the 3.5mm plug with there being dropouts until I get the plug situated into the connector just right. So it's a bit disappointing. Not sure what's wrong with it. Just not well made I guess.

So, end result is the Penta Driver IEM is not substantially better than my favorite Triple Drivers.

 

[Tsukimi]

Recieved my Joker, very good soundstage & detail retrieval for the price.

Bit disheartened to see all the comments saying how terrible these are and how Moondrop dropped the ball when both the description and the massive waifu art on the box should make it clear that these are monitoring headphones designed for a specific use case and are tuned accordingly.

Out of the box these are very much not intended for casual listening.

However, as Super Review notes, with a bit of EQ these should be some pretty nice phones for that, and once I have a chance to put on my balanced cable and amp and EQ them I will post some impressions.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Its there any chance you can compare the EDA balance with Castor Standard, and EDA Bass with Caster bass ? Just wonder how far KZ can improve with the similar price range. Thanks !

Here is a brief comparison of Castors (bass and standard) and EDAs (bass and balanced), and few more IEMs - happened to be Fiio F5 and FD11, KZ D-fi and Blon03. I thought to make more comparisons, but run out of time figuring out sources and more.

My limitations and disclosure:
My favourite IEMs are all-BAs. I do appreciate Aria and HZ Mirror, as two good references, but I am not a DD expert by any means.
All IEMs were acquired with my own personal funds, no any special discounts - so just my purely subjective opinion.

Sources:
I currently greatly enjoy Kuang Pai Plus4 with its special spacious/acoustic option, but then with these two options and much more, I thought to choose a simpler source for this comparisons.
So I first chose JCally JM6-2, new Connexant-based balanced "tail-like" dongle for ca. $20. I also accidentally tested Sonata III (that did not work as great with DDs; its strength is in taming bright all-BAs).
Then I realized that Castors can scale noticeably better with more capable sources, so I ended up using largely Tempotec E44, a neutral-brightish DAC.

Tips:
I fitted TRI Clarion to Castors and D-Fi, other IEMs had close large-bore tips, e.g. Blon03 uses Spiral Dots.

Music:
I used Chesky Disk, and largely Correnteza by Ana Caram with its treble-rich percussions, cello and breathing voice.
I also tested Castors with Tabernacle organ recordings - sub-bass is very good in quantity, and no complaints about quality.

Switches in Castors - preference and comparison:
First, switches are very much functional, especially if changed in pairs (two bass and two treble ones), so four main options overall, while in-between options are there, when needed.
To my ears, Castor-S evolved to be best with "all on" switches.
For Castor-B, my preference is with two bass switches "off" and two treble ones "off" (as close to Standard, as possible).
Actually, Castor-S with two bass switches on, and two treble switches off comes very close to Castor-B with oppositely turned switches, so there is a nice continuum for wide preferences.

Comparison with EDAs:
First, two DDs of Castors clearly make for superior, more independent, more resolved treble, and similarly mids.
Second, likely due to less treble, EDAs feel more bassy in a relative comparison.
Lastly, to my ears bass quality did not differ drastically, compared to treble - a bit more tight and punchy on Castors.

Fiio F5
Old F5, single DD of Dunu heritage.
As per first impressions, too dark for me, midbass dominates, less treble (and less refined). EDAs feel better, and even more so Castors.


Fiio FD11
Clearly sad and disappointing with shabby shells and a semi-proprietary cable, FD11sound is made to please, and reasonably it does. By sound, FD11 offers close competition to Castors. I prefer Castor Standard for more linear bass and more refinement.
Also Castor build is just amazing by contrast.

KZ D-Fi
D-Fi is close to FD11 in being warmer, but then still enough treble for me is there. With preference for a warmer signature, D-Fi may be chosen over Castors.
For more neutral preference, Castor-S can be the choice; for more V over D-Fi - Castor-B may work better.

Blon03
While warmer and organic, I am either lucky with my Blon03, or wide tips work to bring enough sparkle in treble that Blon03 does not feel as dark as F5, but somewhat balanced to feel nice
Blon03 tuning is still special, while
Castors are more Harman.
All are good options, so the choice can depend on preferences, music and mood.

Lastly, to touch on Krila.
Krila are prominently V-shaped as a simple hybrid of a good DD and a simpler updated 30095, nicely improved on previous simple hybrids of KZ.
So Krila are drastically different with Castors, they cater to different preferences.
I really like Krila for engagement of its V (and understand how they are very polarizing). If mids are needed - Castors, and Castors Standard would be less polarizing by the nature of its tuning.

P. S. I may update with more comparisons and few pictures, while done for today/tonight.

 

[r31ya]

Here is a brief comparison of Castors (bass and standard) and EDAs (bass and balanced), and few more IEMs - happened to be Fiio F5 and FD11, KZ D-fi and Blon03. I thought to make more comparisons, but run out of time figuring out sources and more.

My limitations and disclosure:
My favourite IEMs are all-BAs. I do appreciate Aria and HZ Mirror, as two good references, but I am not a DD expert by any means.
All IEMs were acquired with my own personal funds, no any special discounts - so just my purely subjective opinion.

Sources:
I currently greatly enjoy Kuang Pai Plus4 with its special spacious/acoustic option, but then with these two options and much more, I thought to choose a simpler source for this comparisons.
So I first chose JCally JM6-2, new Connexant-based balanced "tail-like" dongle for ca. $20. I also accidentally tested Sonata III (that did not work as great with DDs; its strength is in taming bright all-BAs).
Then I realized that Castors can scale noticeably better with more capable sources, so I ended up using largely Tempotec E44, a neutral-brightish DAC.

Tips:
I fitted TRI Clarion to Castors and D-Fi, other IEMs had close large-bore tips, e.g. Blon03 uses Spiral Dots.

Music:
I used Chesky Disk, and largely Correnteza by Ana Caram with its treble-rich percussions, cello and breathing voice.
I also tested Castors with Tabernacle organ recordings - sub-bass is very good in quantity, and no complaints about quality.

Switches in Castors - preference and comparison:
First, switches are very much functional, especially if changed in pairs (two bass and two treble ones), so four main options overall, while in-between options are there, when needed.
To my ears, Castor-S evolved to be best with "all on" switches.
For Castor-B, my preference is with two bass switches "off" and two treble ones "off" (as close to Standard, as possible).
Actually, Castor-S with two bass switches on, and two treble switches off comes very close to Castor-B with oppositely turned switches, so there is a nice continuum for wide preferences.

Comparison with EDAs:
First, two DDs of Castors clearly make for superior, more independent, more resolved treble, and similarly mids.
Second, likely due to less treble, EDAs feel more bassy in a relative comparison.
Lastly, to my ears bass quality did not differ drastically, compared to treble - a bit more tight and punchy on Castors.

Fiio F5
Old F5, single DD of Dunu heritage.
As per first impressions, too dark for me, midbass dominates, less treble (and less refined). EDAs feel better, and even more so Castors.


Fiio FD11
Clearly sad and disappointing with shabby shells and a semi-proprietary cable, FD11sound is made to please, and reasonably it does. By sound, FD11 offers close competition to Castors. I prefer Castor Standard for more linear bass and more refinement.
Also Castor build is just amazing by contrast.

KZ D-Fi
D-Fi is close to FD11 in being warmer, but then still enough treble for me is there. With preference for a warmer signature, D-Fi may be chosen over Castors.
For more neutral preference, Castor-S can be the choice; for more V over D-Fi - Castor-B may work better.

Blon03
While warmer and organic, I am either lucky with my Blon03, or wide tips work to bring enough sparkle in treble that Blon03 does not feel as dark as F5, but somewhat balanced to feel nice
Blon03 tuning is still special, while
Castors are more Harman.
All are good options, so the choice can depend on preferences, music and mood.

Lastly, to touch on Krila.
Krila are prominently V-shaped as a simple hybrid of a good DD and a simpler updated 30095, nicely improved on previous simple hybrids of KZ.
So Krila are drastically different with Castors, they cater to different preferences.
I really like Krila for engagement of its V (and understand how they are very polarizing). If mids are needed - Castors, and Castors Standard would be less polarizing by the nature of its tuning.

P. S. I may update with more comparisons and few pictures, while done for today/tonight.

The unexpected purchase of the day,

During eshop scrolling, i found an ex-review unit that only few days old for $9.0
So its a no brainer take.

haven't listen much to it, so maybe need few days before i can say much.
but build quality is surprisingly nice for a $12 iem and the switch is smaller than i thought.
---
Its uuh, Ok-ish with stock cable and stock foam on my DFR. not bad not great either, reminds me of my Linglong with better seperation.
But when i switch the cable to PR1 Pro cable and use Final-E eartips, it comes alive. I can hear the hype now.

I wanna say, KZ need to upgrade their default accesories. but this is supposedly $12... so yeah.
---