The discovery thread!

[jbfps116]

Now for some TWS time, I got the Moondrop Robin a month ago and the Hifiman Svanar Wireless LE last week. The Robin sounds pretty great for a $100 TWS and its other functions like ANC and call are acceptable, so overall it was a good purchase.
OTOH the Svanar LE which I got for $95 is really special, it does only one thing very well and that is sound, other stuffs like ANC and call are subpar but its sound is at least on par with $70-80 IEMs if not better, if I was blind tested I would even believe that it's a $100 IEM. The tuning is neutral bright with clean and detailed midrange/treble, bass quality is also good but quantity is modest. With the Robin I can still easily notice that I'm listening to Bluetooth sound but the Svanar LE sounds very close to wired IEMs even with AAC codec.

I've not been interested in any Chi-fi TWS because my AirPods Pro 2 are just THAT good. immaculate integration with my devices, [apple ones, at least!] and I DO love the detailed, clinical sound that gets VERY enhanced by the personalized audio settings and surround sound. I did the sound preference check, and they added "vocal booster" EQ which made them sound WAY better than they did out of the box. They are literally capable BEASTS when it comes to sound quality and EXTENSION. They might lack a LITTLE bit of mid-bass thump, but mostly are completely capable all-rounders, as long as you aren't looking for a warm, musical sound. [and there ARE ways to adjust the EQ, sort of, so maybe someone could make them sound warmer??]

 

[o0genesis0o]

As a Cantor stan, I can't believe I missed this post:

CanJam NYC is just around the corner, and we at Fosi Audio are thrilled to be making our debut at this prestigious event in New York! This time, we’re bringing an exciting lineup of headphone-related products, and one of the highlights will be our exclusive collaboration with AFUL.


At Booth E15, we invite you to experience the Fosi Audio K7 DAC/Amp paired with the AFUL Cantor IEMs—a combination designed to deliver an immersive and high-fidelity audio experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to audition this incredible setup and receive a special gift as a token of our appreciation.

Exclusive Giveaway Alert!
One more thing! Make sure to check out our K7 exclusive giveaway at the event—you won’t want to miss it!
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fos...al-giveaway-event-for-head-fi-members.975650/


Join us at CanJam NYC and be part of this amazing HiFi experience. We can’t wait to meet you there!

Booth E15 | CanJam NYC

February 22-23, 2025

Has any discoverer tested this combination?

 

[ListlessHeart]

Wow, nice tuning for a single DLC driver. Nice find, mate

How do you discover these? When I browse aliexpress, I mostly see usual branded stuffs, not hidden gems.

I was searching for the Pirole IEM that I saw in this thread and this showed up.

Here are coupons for some Tangzu IEMs if anyone is interested, monthly Choice sale starts tomorrow so we are looking at Xuanwu Gate and Bajie under $500 after tax. This AKHifi store is active on Twitter and seems to have solid reputation.

 

[BlankName]

This must be one of most intricate multi-DD design I have ever seen.

The geek side say yes but the audiophile side does not want to listen to VDSF

From the illustrations it is obvious that effort was put into make the air flow efficient for size reasons. If only they at least tuned to meta, vsdf sounds veiled in comparison.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

This must be one of most intricate multi-DD design I have ever seen.

The geek side say yes but the audiophile side does not want to listen to VDSF

---

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 same about Noir vs OG Pilgrim for me. The OG feels like it tries to give listeners splurging for the first mid-fi a taste of the neutral, high resolution sound of the Anni-class, but it couldn’t quite fully deliver for whatever reason. I mean, it’s indeed incisive and relatively detailed, but if you listen somewhat carefully beyond the initial impression, it does not resolve as well as, say, Effect Audio X Elysian Gaea. I mean, I don’t dislike the OG and I think it’s a worthy purchase based on my ranking and price/performance, but I just don’t fully “like” it.

The Noir, in the other hand, does its own thing, and it is rather pleasant to look at and listen to. No pretending to be something more than what is feasible here. Just a warm, rich, cozy, “technical enough” signature, with luxurious-feeling accessories.

100% on the Noir. Totally agree.

Hmm another unknown AliExpress find, to the bottom of my wish list it goes. Graph seems reasonable and price is also relatively affordable so I might PTT in a few months.

Wow, nice tuning for a single DLC driver. Nice find, mate

How do you discover these? When I browse aliexpress, I mostly see usual branded stuffs, not hidden gems.

That IEM popped up on my Alix rec list. I eyeballed it a few days ago, and said nope. Not for $72.00 I'm not trying some unknown out.

---

MAIL CALL!!!

Dethonray Clarinet arrived, but I got tempered enthusiasm, as it arrived lightning quick (less than a week), while my optical and coax cables are still floating across the pond from China. So the only thing I have is USB C, which everyone knows is the least desireable connection for this dac/amp. So that's what I've been using to test it out. I'll mess around with firmware after work, or at lunch, but so far so good with the sound. As far as the coax, none of my regular interconnects worked, so I'll have to wait for my coax and opticals to land next week.

 

[jbfps116]

I should really just write a real review of the Tiandirenhe TD20, but for now, here's a comparison between them and the famous Tangzu ZeTianWu:

Testing the TD20 against the ZTW on some tracks, including a specialized 5-track playlist I use for this purpose. It's a TOUGH call honestly to determine which is better. I think the TD20 might be even bassier/warmer than the ZeTianWu. I think the ZTW has more sparkle up top, but it's fairly close; yet they aren't tuned the same in the treble. On some songs, I literally can hardly pick a favorite. [from R4>DCE]. On "congested" songs, the TD20 I think fares a BIT better, but neither do so well, because they are both rather warm in the midrange. Like I said before, the TD20's treble can be a bit... unnatural, at times, but not so much to really distract too much from the music. You can certainly get used to, and enjoy the sound with "brain burn-in."
The TD20 is much easier to drive though... the ZTW takes three more DC-Elite volume clicks to be the same volume, which is a significant amount, and it's generally more comfortable. [the ZTW only works for me with like one kind of tip.]

In my short 5 song "showdown" playlist, the ZTW won 4/5 times, but each time, I didn't prefer it that much more than the TD20. The TD20 is smoother and warmer for sure. [I wonder how it would stack up against the S8?] I was won over by the TD20 by the wonderful bass, and have been overlooking its overall warmer tone, which isn't usually my preferred sound. And by warmer, I'm not talking super dull treble... I'm just comparing it to the more sparkly ZTW. The TD20 certainly has a respectable treble, but one that is a tad colored and not tuned like many other IEMs I've tried.

So ultimately, the ZeTianWu is a better IEM overall, with better treble extension for sure, but it's out of production. The TD20 is more for those who won't miss a [comparative] bit of sparkle.
~WAIT... switching from the Tripowin Altea cable [which I used for all the comparisons] to the TRN modular cable, wow... they sound different. Not exactly a lot more sparkly, but definitely brighter [almost thinner?] and the bass is definitely cleaner and maybe a tad reduced. Still think the ZTW wins in this case.
~Trying the OCC849 cable [which does NOT act like other pure copper cables!] improves the sound far better than the TRN cable, but sometimes, I think it worsens the "odd treble" issue. Still have NOT found a good use for this OCC849. It's so weird!
~The yellow XINHS cable [which is not even branded!] is ok... they sound sort of "normal" ie little cable-rolling change, but I think it's slightly better than the Altea. [further listening... it's clearly superior to the Altea in treble and detail ability.]
~Going back to the Altea... surprisingly, it seems to be the bassiest cable! Maybe it's not the best pairing?
~Conclusion here: Think I'm keeping the yellow XINHS cable on the TD20. I think it actually improves the treble a bit, maybe cleans up the warm mids a little, and looks good with the blue shells.

So is the TD20 a good pick if you can't find the OG ZTW? If you're a treble-head, NO. If you want RICH bass , musical/warm mids, and non-fatiguing treble [but not entirely boring] in an easy-to-drive IEM with comfortable shells? I definitely recommend.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I should really just write a real review of the Tiandirenhe TD20, but for now, here's a comparison between them and the famous Tangzu ZeTianWu:

Testing the TD20 against the ZTW on some tracks, including a specialized 5-track playlist I use for this purpose. It's a TOUGH call honestly to determine which is better. I think the TD20 might be even bassier/warmer than the ZeTianWu. I think the ZTW has more sparkle up top, but it's fairly close; yet they aren't tuned the same in the treble. On some songs, I literally can hardly pick a favorite. [from R4>DCE]. On "congested" songs, the TD20 I think fares a BIT better, but neither do so well, because they are both rather warm in the midrange. Like I said before, the TD20's treble can be a bit... unnatural, at times, but not so much to really distract too much from the music. You can certainly get used to, and enjoy the sound with "brain burn-in."
The TD20 is much easier to drive though... the ZTW takes three more DC-Elite volume clicks to be the same volume, which is a significant amount, and it's generally more comfortable. [the ZTW only works for me with like one kind of tip.]

In my short 5 song "showdown" playlist, the ZTW won 4/5 times, but each time, I didn't prefer it that much more than the TD20. The TD20 is smoother and warmer for sure. [I wonder how it would stack up against the S8?] I was won over by the TD20 by the wonderful bass, and have been overlooking its overall warmer tone, which isn't usually my preferred sound. And by warmer, I'm not talking super dull treble... I'm just comparing it to the more sparkly ZTW. The TD20 certainly has a respectable treble, but one that is a tad colored and not tuned like many other IEMs I've tried.

So ultimately, the ZeTianWu is a better IEM overall, with better treble extension for sure, but it's out of production. The TD20 is more for those who won't miss a [comparative] bit of sparkle.
~WAIT... switching from the Tripowin Altea cable [which I used for all the comparisons] to the TRN modular cable, wow... they sound different. Not exactly a lot more sparkly, but definitely brighter [almost thinner?] and the bass is definitely cleaner and maybe a tad reduced. Still think the ZTW wins in this case.
~Trying the OCC849 cable [which does NOT act like other pure copper cables!] improves the sound far better than the TRN cable, but sometimes, I think it worsens the "odd treble" issue. Still have NOT found a good use for this OCC849. It's so weird!
~The yellow XINHS cable [which is not even branded!] is ok... they sound sort of "normal" ie little cable-rolling change, but I think it's slightly better than the Altea. [further listening... it's clearly superior to the Altea in treble and detail ability.]
~Going back to the Altea... surprisingly, it seems to be the bassiest cable! Maybe it's not the best pairing?
~Conclusion here: Think I'm keeping the yellow XINHS cable on the TD20. I think it actually improves the treble a bit, maybe cleans up the warm mids a little, and looks good with the blue shells.

So is the TD20 a good pick if you can't find the OG ZTW? If you're a treble-head, NO. If you want RICH bass , musical/warm mids, and non-fatiguing treble [but not entirely boring] in an easy-to-drive IEM with comfortable shells? I definitely recommend.

Very reasonable comparo. Also the Altea is a pure monocrystalline copper cable, or what folks call single crystal copper, so it's not the best pairing with warm or warmish IEMs.

---

I got the stock firmware on the Clarinet (which I know for certain is the warmer more soft fw, so not my typical preference) thru the USB C, and well....I like it a lot! With the Sony NW-A306 as the transport, it sounds very voluminous! Bassy for sure. Wide and deep soundstage. Not the most transparent, but musical. I can see if these features stick, along with some more transparency and top end extension from the other firmware, I'm gonna love this dac amp big time. I'm getting more excited to try the other fw, as well as the coax/optical, for that extra special juice. Kinda reminds me a bit of the DCE in the way it presents dynamics and bass. Oh and treble too. But at the moment, it's warmer than the DCE, and not as transparent with the stock fw.

 

[ListlessHeart]

By chance does anyone have the DC Elite, DC07 Pro, and the Clarinet together? I just want to see a photo of them to compare sizes. I am currently happy with the DC07 but my long term plan is to put it in my portable setup while using either DCE or Clarinet for desktop setup.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Review up!
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/kiwi-ears-aether.27951/reviews#review-37221
So...........impressions of IEMs are a lot like singer impressions (to the judges) on the X Factor reality game show. The tone and ability to remain true to life with the winning results being even and consistent/correct as far as IEM tone. This style of completeness is what makes the singers on X Factor stars, as well as our humble IEM tone choices. XXXXX

Guess what? The Aether got 5 stars! Count them all five! This is due to becoming a Planar benchmark.........and no need to take my word on this, truly multiple YouTube videos say this, as well as a plethora of written reviews!

If you don't buy them, you are missing out on IEM history, simple.

 

[o0genesis0o]

By chance does anyone have the DC Elite, DC07 Pro, and the Clarinet together? I just want to see a photo of them to compare sizes. I am currently happy with the DC07 but my long term plan is to put it in my portable setup while using either DCE or Clarinet for desktop setup.

May I interest you in … a real desktop DAC + amp (kind of)

Why don’t you use DC07 directly for “desktop”? If you want more punch, you can add an amp like TAEI TAP2 which you can pack up and carry with the DC07. In my experience, very few DAPs do not sound better with a battery amp.

 

[MD Rohit]

no

Too big file size? Or maybe wrong file type?

(You have reached the maximum limit for attachment uploads. Please try again later.)

This has been showing up for the past few days when I try to upload pictures.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

May I interest you in … a real desktop DAC + amp (kind of)

Why don’t you use DC07 directly for “desktop”? If you want more punch, you can add an amp like TAEI TAP2 which you can pack up and carry with the DC07. In my experience, very few DAPs do not sound better with a battery amp.

Oh shoot! I totally forgot about this thing LOL I remember this was the present I asked my wife to get me last year, but then two things happened to derail it. One, TDM gave it a good review, but said it didn't have line outs, so no go for me, and then I bought the iFi ZEN Air CAN, for cheap, and then my wife ended up getting me the DCE. So I forgot this desktop unit.

 

[ListlessHeart]

May I interest you in … a real desktop DAC + amp (kind of)

Why don’t you use DC07 directly for “desktop”? If you want more punch, you can add an amp like TAEI TAP2 which you can pack up and carry with the DC07. In my experience, very few DAPs do not sound better with a battery amp.

That's a bit too big, my desk isn't spacious so I prefer to save space if possible. I'm currently using DC07 Pro for both desktop and portable but the DC Elite and Clarinet are really hyped up.

 

[GREQ]

no

(You have reached the maximum limit for attachment uploads. Please try again later.)

This has been showing up for the past few days when I try to upload pictures.

I would suggest posting about it here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-site-platform-bug-reports-and-feedback-thread.845502/

On the same topic, I've noticed they've increased the maximum file size for images, I no longer have to batch process them all smaller.

 

[mrsergey]

I was searching for the Pirole IEM that I saw in this thread and this showed up.

Here are coupons for some Tangzu IEMs if anyone is interested, monthly Choice sale starts tomorrow so we are looking at Xuanwu Gate and Bajie under $500 after tax. This AKHifi store is active on Twitter and seems to have solid reputation.

Thank you very much for the coupons.
I wonder why didn't i got the coupons, i guess they send it randomly.
Anyway, i did try the tangzu gate when i was meeting with my audiophile friends.
Those iems are nice but they didn't been comfortable for me and for this price point, the shock are much better option in my opinion (i also purchased them for less than $500).
Unfortunately, the only iems that I'm interested to buy and they are available in that store are the volume s that priced below $350.