[joydivisionnewdawnfades]

How on God's green Earth can you have small ears and get a perfect fit from the SR5? They are massive shells, and even with my massive and wonky ear canals and ears, they were so uncomfortable! I guess you have bigger ears than you think?

I must be lucky for the SR 5 But the fit is perfect for me and no pain this afternoon after 3 hours of music

 

[fidgeraldo]

I guess you have bigger ears than you think?

Hahahahaha, this is the good one!!!!

 

[fidgeraldo]

But the fit is perfect for me and no pain this afternoon after 3 hours of music

Do you know the saying: No pain...no gain! Man, this is not good...if you don't have pain...keep listening until you do, then you are free to go...happy

 

[Redcarmoose]

Air tight fit no matter the length of the nozzle, and makes some of the trickest fits fit. If you have an IEM that was bothering you with fit, these are the tips to remedy that situation. Now nothing is perfect, but these will MOST LIKELY (caveat) work for you?

Yes, it is the closest ear-tip the becomes a thick yet soft clump of of gell in your ear, changing shape to fit the structure. It is the perfect interface of human and IEM. I can imagine people finding fit and sound with an IEM that has probably never worked for them in their personal history. The results are that whatever the IEM is.....it now never moves and stays in place.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Yes, it is the closest ear-tip the becomes a thick yet soft clump of of gell in your ear, changing shape to fit the structure. It is the perfect interface of human and IEM. I can imagine people finding fit and sound with an IEM that has probably never worked for them in their personal history. The results are that whatever the IEM is.....it now never moves and stays in place.

Maybe there is IEM listening skill. I’m not talking about describing sound and listening for “technical performance” and other pretentious stuffs (that I like). I’m talking about how to wear IEM properly to get the true sound quality out of it, how to match it with right ear tips, etc. I notice some beginners don’t even let the ear tips getting inside the ear canal. Even the best measured IEM would not sound right if one does not wear it correctly (aka DEEP)

 

[fidgeraldo]

Are you talking tips in general or Penon Liqueur tips? If so, I am listening to music right now with them, and I don't know what kind of woodoo magic Penon did, but they are so perfect that it's hard to believe. You can move IEMs anywhere you want: push, pull, left, or right, and the sound is perfectly the same.
When you place IEMs...they stay!

Cheers!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Maybe there is IEM listening skill. I’m not talking about describing sound and listening for “technical performance” and other pretentious stuffs (that I like). I’m talking about how to wear IEM properly to get the true sound quality out of it, how to match it with right ear tips, etc. I notice some beginners don’t even let the ear tips getting inside the ear canal. Even the best measured IEM would not sound right if one does not wear it correctly (aka DEEP)

So true, they (those beginners) don't even know they have fitment or not, because they never heard the IEM in the first place. Both stage and bass are totally affected.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

Rtings is … interesting. They have the most objective approach to headphone and IEM review, exceeding the likes of ASR (Amir) and only exceeded by a few like Earfonia and another reviewer on ASR who is also an audio engineer. For example, Rtings (think that they) can quantify the soundstage by measuring how good the treble of headphones mimic what the HATS hear when facing a two channel setup (or maybe be more speakers, I’m not sure).

Despite all of that, their results and recommendations are all over the place. Maybe it is them who are consistent and we are the ones all over the place?

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Not sure if I have ever heard HD800S in all of its glory. I remember trying to use Apple dongle to demo it back in the day It’s the most comfortable headphone I have ever used. It’s wide alright, but maybe because of my poor choice of DAC/amp, I hear very little depth and layering.

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@fidgeraldo the brand Audio Technica gives me nightmares Folks on youtube (not audiophile, the techy ones) sang praises about the M50x line. I got myself M20x. It feels like a torture device. Sound is alright though.

Maybe the “real” ATH headphones would be better.

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It would be interesting if we take all the reviews published by a reviewer, and somehow generate a “signature”. We can see how that signature shifts with time as well. For example, @ToneDeafMonk seems to enjoy flatter sound signature more and more lately.

What would be my signature, in the opinion of lovely folks here?

That is a good observation Yes I found a few flatter tunings I am enjoying the SL41 SLIIVO and more and more less leaning towards the sound signature of a aggressive V like the Kinera Imperial Verdandi. Not sure if it's because I got some new sources or my tastes are changing.

For me I find I am also getting more picky on the correct pitch of voices and the tonality of instruments.

Funny thing and a good thing is I still find it enjoyable to listen to a $25 iem even though I have kilo buck ones.

I should have said I am enjoying the music not the gear.

 

[kaeswiss]

Bro if the loose MMCX is on the cable (male terminal of MMCX), and if you are adventerous, you can try prying the MMCX inner ring like in this video:



May or may not help, but worth a try.

I tried expanding that ring, but it's pretty tiny and it moves around so I'm not sure if I was able to actually do anything to it. I'm thinking the issue is on the IEM side since I'm also getting the same issue with a brand new MMCX cable that I've never used before. I'm just going to avoid cable rolling with MMCX IEMs

I had a question for the lovelies of this thread. Do you guys trust groups of reviewers like rtings for reviews or a single reviewer?

Depends on the type of product. Websites like rtings.com mostly have reviews of mainstream brands and they're written by technical writers and general testers who aren't exactly audiophile hobbyists. They're good for objectively written articles. The only time I use these type of sites for audio-related research is if I'm looking up tech specs or real-world usage (battery life, wireless range, etc.) for stuff like TWS or headsets for web meetings.

BTW, if anyone's looking for a good Consumer Reports or rtings type website for everyday items, check out theWirecutter. They were better before the NY Times acquired them, but they're still pretty good now.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter

As for headphones and IEMs, I usually read through impressions on this site and others to get a general idea of what's liked/disliked about a set so I don't really have a single reviewer that 100% aligns with my preferences. My favorite YT reviewer though is the Audio-In Reviews guy who sometimes shows up on Gizaudio. I think his videos have a good balance of objective details and subjective opinions, and he usually compares the product being reviewed to other similar products within that price range. The production value is also top-notch and even though it's shot POV-style like other YT reviewers, the camera is on a tripod so there's no motion sickness and the gear is always in focus.

 

[pk4425]

Rtings is … interesting. They have the most objective approach to headphone and IEM review, exceeding the likes of ASR (Amir) and only exceeded by a few like Earfonia and another reviewer on ASR who is also an audio engineer. For example, Rtings (think that they) can quantify the soundstage by measuring how good the treble of headphones mimic what the HATS hear when facing a two channel setup (or maybe be more speakers, I’m not sure).

Amir and his acolytes have created this cult of analytical objectivity at ASR when, in fact, Amir is about the furthest thing from objective in his opinion of sound.

Sure, he uses all the technical toys to measure headphones. That's valuable information. But his recommendations are all based on how that sound signature matches or can be EQ'd to his preferred signature, which is bassy as hell.

Have you ever used Amir's EQ profile for popular headphones he has reviewed at ASR and then tried profiles from Oratory, Jaako, Resolve and others on the same headphone? Amir's just boom compared to theirs.

"Objective Amir" is an oxymoron that ranks right up there with "jumbo shrimp."

 

[Redcarmoose]

Review: Sound Rhyme SR5
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sound-rhyme-sr5.26617/reviews#review-33286

 

[pk4425]

As for headphones and IEMs, I usually read through impressions on this site and others to get a general idea of what's liked/disliked about a set so I don't really have a single reviewer that 100% aligns with my preferences. My favorite YT reviewer though is the Audio-In Reviews guy who sometimes shows up on Gizaudio. I think his videos have a good balance of objective details and subjective opinions, and he usually compares the product being reviewed to other similar products within that price range. The production value is also top-notch and even though it's shot POV-style like other YT reviewers, the camera is on a tripod so there's no motion sickness and the gear is always in focus.

Dave's reviews are excellent. Great production values, and he strikes the perfect balance between "inside baseball" details and an overview of the model. Plus, he seems like a very cool guy with whom to have a beer and talk headphones.

 

[JrOcinthepark]

Amir and his acolytes have created this cult of analytical objectivity at ASR when, in fact, Amir is about the furthest thing from objective in his opinion of sound.

Sure, he uses all the technical toys to measure headphones. That's valuable information. But his recommendations are all based on how that sound signature matches or can be EQ'd to his preferred signature, which is bassy as hell.

Have you ever used Amir's EQ profile for popular headphones he has reviewed at ASR and then tried profiles from Oratory, Jaako, Resolve and others on the same headphone? Amir's just boom compared to theirs.

"Objective Amir" is an oxymoron that ranks right up there with "jumbo shrimp."

 

[JrOcinthepark]

Amir and his acolytes have created this cult of analytical objectivity at ASR when, in fact, Amir is about the furthest thing from objective in his opinion of sound.

Sure, he uses all the technical toys to measure headphones. That's valuable information. But his recommendations are all based on how that sound signature matches or can be EQ'd to his preferred signature, which is bassy as hell.

Have you ever used Amir's EQ profile for popular headphones he has reviewed at ASR and then tried profiles from Oratory, Jaako, Resolve and others on the same headphone? Amir's just boom compared to theirs.

"Objective Amir" is an oxymoron that ranks right up there with "jumbo shrimp."

I disagree. For the most part, headphone reviews are subjective. He attempts to measure based on whatever variation of harman he utilizes. Primarily, his review of DAC/AMPS are as solid as you can get. He provides accurate measurements without all the nonsense. Like many debates here, I think it can all be based on the user’s perception. However, he’s also been helpful in advising people that spending absurd amounts of money is not always the solution. For example, there is absolutely no reason to buy a Chord Dave DAC. Unless you want the honor of saying you have one.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Just discovered this article from a friend. The author did a spectacular job relating frequency response to the shape and depth of the stage, and why many Harman-like or VDSF IEMs sound “2D”. Worth a read.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/audeze-lcd-4-vs-lcd-5-yin-and-yang-r1105/

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@pk4425 yup, Dave is always diplomatic in approach and sometimes provides good insights from audio pro perspective.