The discovery thread!

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Ok, that explains it.. yes they went fast. And yes i got "lucky" once before and scored a deal on Aliexpress.

And then they could not even send the item properly it got returned to them. And did not even get to re order for the same price.

And missing out on this one is not a biggie, so many good Iems out there anyways

You need to order the CCA Trio. Add it to your new rotation. You won't regret it one bit.

The TRN Shell is also fantastic for the price sonically and the accessories, but if I was taking the bite first, I'd go for the Trio.

 

[alexandros a]

There's a BCD canon somewhere outhere tonight searching for my ears to land......

Paired with Penon OCC849 4.4 balanced terminated cable and ready to shake the bottom of my ears....nice to meet you Apevoix Grit ...

 

[Erkil]

I'm looking for a bit of a palette cleanser to add to my collection of mostly warm/bassy iems, think I've narrowed it down to either the Aether or the EPZ P50 just so I can see what all the hype's about.

At the same time I kinda want to buy an IEM with a waifu on it, amazingly I don't have one despite being a massive weeb...

Velkommen!

 

[GorGhast]

Velkommen!

Tusen takk!

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 Yeah, I've got some coupons ready for the Linsoul sale, so the Aether is looking the most likely at the moment!

 

[wazzupi]

a few sets I wish I tried at canjam

Um jet black
FlipEars Legion
Letshuoer Mystic 8
Dunu dk3001BD

Curious which would best fit my needs for gaming.

 

[nikbr]

Even my work drawer is looking crazy nowadays. Time to consider pausing this madness?

 

[wazzupi]

If you sold everything in your sig you could afford it especially a used unit going for less than $2k.

 

[Waqar]

CCA Trio can usually be had for $20 give or take on Ali and it's been so good for sooo long that I consider it a legendary IEM

They, sound like a good buy for sure. I am probably getting them.

And yes the trn shell is on the buy list.

But does the trn shells cause any listening Fatigue? Of course when you listen at reasonable

 

[wazzupi]

Kiwi Ears Aether Update.




Day 2 .

I’m still using Stock Cable and Tips. Will change to a 4.4mm upgrade Cable soon.

This set has really impressed me. I’d call these a Goldilocks Planar. They have the right amount of everything for me. Especially the price.

For me the Bass has just the right amount of texture and sub bass. Not as much bass as the TD20, but Aether has much more clarity in the mids , a notch above the TD20. The mids are just perfect for me (Goldilocks) , they aren’t veiled to me like the S12 2024. The treble is so airy and has the character of the Brain Dance. But something about the tonality of the Aether is addictive. (More Listening to come)

Also I find Soundstage is phenomenal for a planar. Aether really has the soundstage character of Bone Conduction IEM’s I own. Much wider soundstage than my MP145.




I have found Aether to be very source dependant . Aether really thrives with a quality source like the DC-Elite , Astell & Kern CA1000T , even my RME ADI 2 DAC. It’s also very nice with TOOBS - MUSE M5 Ultra or Fiio K11 R2R, where the differences in sound is subtle but noticeable. But even on the Hiby R3 II 2025 or the Snowsky Echo Mini these still sound amazing. Just be sure to use the right amount of Gain and volume as these take off with a bit of extra power.

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PS - Just a few Thoughts - will catch up on the thread soon. Hope everyone is well and Happy in life and listening to the tunes you love. Excited for the H20 to arrive soon also.

More comparison with dk3001BD would be appreciated I’m looking at both of these XD.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

a few sets I wish I tried at canjam

Um jet black
FlipEars Legion
Letshuoer Mystic 8
Dunu dk3001BD

Curious which would best fit my needs for gaming.

The Legion. It's the one with BCD.

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Did iFi "tune" the iFi Go Link Max with the Letshuoer S12 (2024)? Yeah, I know you don't necessarily tune a dac, but the sheer magnificence of this synergy between the two pretty much leapfrogs the S12 (2024) to the top of my planar heap with this rig. If you have the S12 (2024), you owe it to yourself to pick up the GLM, and put this combo to the test! Mine is in 4.4mm balanced.

@nikbr - Yes. Do it. Or....you end up like me.

@Waqar - The Shell's treble and upper mids are not fatiquing, and neither is the bass. It is bass boosted to a degree, but not overly so, considering it's 3DD!! The micro planar has crispness, air, and extension, but it's more in line with the Aurora Ultra air and extension than the Brain Dance.

 

[theintention]

a few sets I wish I tried at canjam

Um jet black
FlipEars Legion
Letshuoer Mystic 8
Dunu dk3001BD

Curious which would best fit my needs for gaming.

that Dunu was pretty nice for gaming IMO in the little time i had with it but could see it being a bit spicy up top depending on the game

 

[nikbr]

I'll be posting a comparison between Dunu Glacier, Letshuoer Cadenza 12, and CraftEars Omnium soon!

Very excited for that one.

DT600 were among their most popular IEM, warm bassy U shape...

The 600 are certainly the ones I preferred between the 300&600 upon first listen.

I enjoy forward vocal, bright treble, and thinner note weight

BQEYZ Frost is waving at you.

Hmmm. Sounds pretty good but, I can miss this one I think. Imagine that’s how most of this year’s releases will go for me and you know what? Sounds perfect, my wallet can finally have a rest.

I think I'm reaching that point too. I mean, even my latest acquiries are oldies goldies in the form of Isa and Aurum.

Don't think so, but who knows what will happen if he Abel can be sustainable without his co owner Nic from AuR.

Also, yeah, not sure Aur is gonna thrive when the main tuner is starting up his own boutique? Maybe Nicholas will find someone else, but who knows?

AüR is still a thing for now and soon releasing a new IEM I believe, but I'm holding on to my Aure's dearly, and perhaps they suddenly multiply tenfold in value if AüR is no more.

Haven't heard the DQ10. @nikbr has though.

The BQ10 was very mediocre and not worth it. Especially not the USB-C version. There's plenty others I prefer, like the Klean, Piccolo, Orca, Wan'er SG, ONE ...

My absolute favourite double DD iem The Lixian Silver Angel Year of the Snake Limited edition

Oh wow, I'm afraid my review will be one huge antidote to yours. Goes to show how different we are. But I'll give 'em a fair fighting chance by swapping through my best cables and all sources.

 

[theintention]

I think I'm reaching that point too. I mean, even my latest acquiries are oldies goldies in the form of Isa and Aurum.

I have almost bought the Isabellae so many times lmao, my love for the Szalayi runs deep so maybe I need to do it before they are gone.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Has anyone compared the Helios and Cantor because I want to have an idea where the new Symphonium, sort-of Helios mk2, prototype lands?

I have reviewed Helios, Crimson, and Cantor, though have never got a chance to put them side by side, so take this with a bucket of salt (vibe-based comparison here )

All three IEMs have that strong treble extension that will sound rather horrifying on the top end if you don't fit them as deep as intended by their designer. All have snappy bass transient and strong subbass extension (if the fit is tight enough).

IMHO, Cantor is the most "neutral" out of all three since it's even from top to bottom. Helios loses point due to the valley at 250Hz, leading to hollow kick drums and cellos, which I find rather disappointing vs the rest of the tuning. Crimson is more of a U-shaped sound signature as it is more exciting on both ends vs Cantor. None of these really colour the midrange.

Resolution-wise, Cantor = Crimson > Helios.

To put into larger context, here is how I "vibe" with the resolution of these IEMs: STORM > Anni2023 > (U12T = Cantor = Crimson = Terra) > (Gaea = Helios = Andromeda 2020 = Zeta) > (Performer5+2 = ANVIL114) > (Juzears 61T = NX8) > (3/5 rated IEMs in my list)

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Thru the iFi Go Link Max, the S12 (2024) does not have veiled mids. Actually, the detail retrieval in the mids is quite clean and focused. This comes into auditory view while listening to this track from Screaming Trees. In Butterfly, buried deeper in the mix, there's a piano accompaniment as well as what might be a China cymbal tap at approximately the same time, and with many lesser IEMs with not the best retrieval prowess, it hard to hear the piano and almost impossible to hear the China. But the S12 (2024) uncovers both quite clearly and it makes for a great facet of the song. Swing it on a warmer source though, and YMMV.

EDIT : R.i.P Mark Lanegan and Van Conner. I met Mark a couple times, including at a solo show in his hometown/my college town and I knew Van and the Conner family personally.