FreeWheelinAudioLuv2
Headphoneus Supremus
There is absolutely in no way and in no form a comparison to the OL, my friend. The Cantor is like definitively 10 steps above the OL. Let's start with whatever mechanism magic the Cantor has where you have 14 BA's stuffed in that smallish shell (for 14 BA!!), and you get almost zero pressure build up. Yes. it's ever so slight due to the deep insertion, but it's hardly noticeable. The OL has major pressure build up, and yes, some folks are "immune" to it, but most normal folks feel it and feel it good. Secondly, there3's godly amounts of air, shimmer and texture in the treble region of the Cantor, vs a rolled off safe treble with the OL, and no, it's no peek a boo style treble like the Explorer. It's just safe and lacks air and sparkle. The mids are cleaner, clearer, and have miles more layering and spatial cues in the Cantor, and let me admit, the mids are very good on the OL. Forward, with a degree of incisiveness, but the Cantor take it a league or two beyond their capability, and then, the albatross in the room. most folks already admit the bass, and especially the sub bass of the OL is rolled off. The bass on the Cantor, while generally lacking energy and impact in the mid bass (but just in comparison to IEMs with DD bass), still produces a really nice, punchy, snappy, elastic bass with sufficient rumble when called upon, as well as incisiveness, speed, resolution, and punch. The bass on the OL is decent in the mid bass punch, but it's more of a lumbering Clydesdale vs a thoroughbred. Also, stage and imaging go to the Cantor all day and all night. Now keep in mind this is $800 vs $240, but it's not just a matter of price difference, put tuning and performance difference that's noticeable.
There's no tonal issues with the ST7, nor is there any bass deficiencies with the dual DD (ok, yes, there's a sub bass roll off, but it's not like it's severely rolled off, it's just rolled off, but if you throw Dominic Eulberg - Avichrom (my test album for bass (both sub and mid bass) and treble incisiveness, at the ST7, it acquits itself rather nicely in the bass region. Now is it boomy or pervasive? No, but the charm of the ST7 is it's balance and orbital stage. No excess across the board, with a nice warm tilt. I also have the XINHS S06 cable strapped to it and have for 6 months or so? I originally bought the cable for my Project M (I think? Went through so many IEMs and cables since this summer, it's hard to keep track), but it ended up being perfect synergy with my TRN ST7, which I just got done listening to yesterday right after the AFUL Cantor and the Elysian Pilgrim, and I didn't flinch at it. Speaks volumes.
Bass is very good on the Cantor. Now no self respecting basshead or bass connoisseur is gonna lay their hat on the Cantor, and that's real speak, but aside from that group of fiends, the bass on the Cantor is sufficient to keep you satisfied in the bass region, while delivering punch and rumble when it's present in the track, while letting you hear every individual note that's in the mix. It's not lacking, but there's no excess, if you follow? It's supremely balanced, clear, nuanced, layered, and tilted towards bright and detailed in the upper mids and treble, and detailed and punchy/snappy in the low end as far as overall sound IMHO.
This. It's so easy to forget when you're here and surrounded by other like-minded people that we are all absolutely not mainstream.
Through the Mist, Into the Starlight
