The discovery thread!

[Okcerg]

I'm actually not a super fan of the H20.
This is what I wrote about them:

ISN H20: Tuned a bit too bassy for me. Too bad, I hear that there's a GREAT iem underneath all that bass. Great stage. (50 hours burned in, might be some improvements from reports here.)

I love the ISN/Penon lushness, and H20 got that. And the stage is fantastic. It's just the bass that's too much for me. I feel it takes too much space from the rest. If they had lowered it just a bit I would have been happy.. Still on the burn rig, let's see if it improves.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I'm actually not a super fan of the H20.
This is what I wrote about them:

I love the ISN/Penon lushness, and H20 got that. And the stage is fantastic. It's just the bass that's too much for me. I feel it takes too much space from the rest. If they had lowered it just a bit I would have been happy.. Still on the burn rig, let's see if it improves.

After burn in, that massive bass driver does chill out a bit. It's never going to be linear, or polite, but it does line up with the midrange more as it gets broken in.

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Loving the Fengru's! My favorites are the BP, A-1, and EP50, with the CF3 and Spark creeping up right behind. A6S is a bright one, but I like it with warm sources, TOOBS!

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But now, it's late night with the Lime Ears Terra + Cayin N3 Ultra.

 

[nikbr]

Nik,

I know you are not my biggest fan but a request for consideration if I may.

I and I assume many others would be keen to understand what the first Ruviest Audio offering is like and the more reviews and comparisons the better.

I think the assessment you speak of would be more useful if it included IEM that others are more likely to relate to (especially in the AuR and Abel Hsu space) rather than the Aure that very few people have. I have never even heard of the last one let alone have any frame of reference with it.

Any chance you could swap out another IEM that might offer a wider frame of reference even if the driver configuration is different, I am not sure that matters to most people, certainly not as much as how well those drivers are tuned.

Pretty please ??

Not the biggest fan of some of your blabber, but you're alright for the most part.

Thanks, I'll definitely do others too, P7 is my benchmark that many have heard, but this trio I'm personally most interested in comparing due to obvious reasons - configuration, Abel, DD+BA playing the same frequencies.

Also, you have not heard of Phoenixia? It must have been mentioned here a 100 times in the past 48h and many headfiers have one coming their way.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Not the biggest fan of some of your blabber, but you're alright for the most part.

Thanks, I'll definitely do others too, P7 is my benchmark that many have heard, but this trio I'm personally most interested in comparing due to obvious reasons - configuration, Abel, DD+BA playing the same frequencies.

Also, you have not heard of Phoenixia? It must have been mentioned here a 100 times in the past 48h and many headfiers have one coming their way.

A game changer? A benchmark setter? The IEM that will put ivipQ on the map (for IEMs)? The BOSS KING at under $200.00?! The next.....Aether?!

EDIT : While pulling out the Terra, I glanced over to my Sennheiser IE900, and decided to give it a go. Tonight seems to be one of those nights where the left ear is actually behaving. Now, it won't last long, and it'll get channel imbalance again, but for the moment, this is blissful single DD land. Stomps the competition.

 

[ICYGENIUS]

Hello friends, hope you're having a good time, and as I promised, when my thoughts are fully formed, I'll share with you more detailed impressions of the sound of the Penon Quattro quad driver dynamic headphones I've been testing all these days, and here I am to do it!
Low Frequencies:
From the first seconds it's clear - these basses are no joke. Massive, very deep, with a dense body and natural weight, they create a real sound wave that you can not just hear, but literally feel. Even at low volume there is a clear sense of slight physical pressure, as if the sound is touching you lightly, penetrating under your skin and enveloping you. It's not a hollow thump, but a textured, resilient bass that manages to be both a pillow and a hammer when needed.
And the overall warmth of the delivery adds to the analog musicality in this range everything sounds rounded, comfortable, and yet doesn't lose drive. Especially impressive is the way the sub-bass goes deep, not washing out the rest of the range, but on the contrary, supporting it with a base and foundation. This is one of those rare cases where the bass is not just “there”, but it is exactly as it should be, powerful and substantial.

Mid frequencies:
This is where the real magic of this set begins. Penon Quattro midrange is a very lush, warm and smooth flow of sound that doesn't just deliver vocals and instruments, but literally drenches the entire space with them. It sounds like it's filled with air and velvet softness, but remains crisp, vibrant and rich.
Vocals sound emotional, natural and voluminous, as if the vocalists are standing in front of you, with perfectly captured nuances of breathing, intonation and microdynamics. But there is no dryness, no detachment. This middle is not monitory or analytical, it is musical and very involving.
And despite some softness, it has character and energy, guitars sound with a pleasant density, piano sounds with real body, and strings with a very expressive liveliness. Everything sounds as if you are inside the music itself, not just listening to it from the outside. And yet there is no harshness here, everything is very neat, delicate, with an impeccable balance between drive and comfort.

High frequencies:
Everything here is done with some remarkable precision. The treble doesn't bulge, scream, or fatigue, but there's just enough of it to make the music breathe, shine, and open up in detail. This is exactly the right balance when you get transparency, air and resolution, but with absolutely no hint of sibilants, dryness or excessive brightness.
To me, they are definitely not dark but not light either, but natural, transparent, as if they were tuned very precisely under a microscope and adjusted literally to the millimeter. Cymbals sound with a beautiful residual aftertouch, and various rustles, reverberations and microdetails in the high register are transmitted very clearly, voluminously, but softly, without tiring your ears. It's exactly the kind of thing that makes you want to listen to music for a very long time, because nothing annoys you and your ears literally rest, even when the track is technically very intense.

Soundstage:
Wow, the Penon Quattro stage is voluminous, deep and truly layered. The space isn't just built wide, but literally in three dimensions: excellent separation of the foreground, background and everything in between. The width of the stage does not seem artificially inflated, but naturally wide, the vocals are clearly in front of the construction in the soundstage, and the instruments around it, and the background reverberations very smoothly dissolve into space, and various atmospheric effects are accurately localized in different points of the scene.But what is especially catching is the separation of layers and plans. Even in complex arrangements, you can easily distinguish where the instruments are and how they interact with each other. All this gives the music liveliness, breath and realism, as if you are not just listening to the track, but are present at its performance.

To summarize: Penon Quattro is like expensive vinyl in the world of headphones. Warmth, depth, energy and sophistication in one bottle. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to re-listen to everything from your favorite old records that these headphones can handle perfectly, to new and modern genres, just to see how cool they sound in these headphones. I think the Quattro isn’t about a five-minute wow effect, but rather about long-lasting musical enjoyment where you're not analyzing the sound, you're just immersed in music and don't want to come back.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Aright alright! Don't get jelly because I didn't tag you! As far I know, you haven't heard them yet!

Probably for the best. I haven’t had much luck with ISN hype trains (Neo5, H60).

Penon Turbo was excellent though, so credit where credit dues.

 

[nikbr]

A game changer? A benchmark setter? The IEM that will put ivipQ on the map (for IEMs)? The BOSS KING at under $200.00?! The next.....Aether?!

Haha lol Aether is cooling off quickly, huh. Phoenixia might be much the same, but DD+BA hybrid tech should be well honed by now. Remains to be seen.

 

[MD Rohit]

AFUL Polar Night ​

AFUL is back again, and this time they’ve entered the earbuds game with something that feels truly refined.
With a smooth & warm tuning, rich vocal performance, and a surprisingly solid build — the AFUL Polar Night might just change how we look at earbuds.

In my full review, I’ve gone deep into sound analysis using tracks from artists like Michael Bublé, Gregory Porter, and TakéDaké — breaking down the tonality, staging, and technical side of things in simple, real-world terms.

If you’re into musical, relaxing sound with great character, this might be a set worth checking out.

Read the full review here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aful-polarnight.28063/reviews#review-37682

 

[r31ya]

Due to recent event in the corner of my world,

Ikanaide cover by Gawr Gura



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and smooth fun musical in sub $100?

i suppose, KZ Zenith, TRN Shell, Simgot EW300 for the $50+.

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i see some people here are trying out and loving toobs, here's some more
R2R DAC to Toobs AMP to be specific.

 

[AmenoUzume]

Seems like EPZ rename their new Flagship (1DD+8BA) K9 to… V9?
The faceplate is meh compare to the prototype I tried.
Price = 2599rmb = 355usd

V9





K9

 

[Okcerg]

Haha lol Aether is cooling off quickly, huh.

Lol maybe for us weirdos in this thread, where the half-life for a set is hours. (Over at Reddit Hexa, Cadenza and Waner still being discussed a lot)

The Honest Audiophile added a glowing review last week.
For me he's got the best description I heard of the Aether's sound so far:

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Hello friends, hope you're having a good time, and as I promised, when my thoughts are fully formed, I'll share with you more detailed impressions of the sound of the Penon Quattro quad driver dynamic headphones I've been testing all these days, and here I am to do it!
Low Frequencies:
From the first seconds it's clear - these basses are no joke. Massive, very deep, with a dense body and natural weight, they create a real sound wave that you can not just hear, but literally feel. Even at low volume there is a clear sense of slight physical pressure, as if the sound is touching you lightly, penetrating under your skin and enveloping you. It's not a hollow thump, but a textured, resilient bass that manages to be both a pillow and a hammer when needed.
And the overall warmth of the delivery adds to the analog musicality in this range everything sounds rounded, comfortable, and yet doesn't lose drive. Especially impressive is the way the sub-bass goes deep, not washing out the rest of the range, but on the contrary, supporting it with a base and foundation. This is one of those rare cases where the bass is not just “there”, but it is exactly as it should be, powerful and substantial.

Mid frequencies:
This is where the real magic of this set begins. Penon Quattro midrange is a very lush, warm and smooth flow of sound that doesn't just deliver vocals and instruments, but literally drenches the entire space with them. It sounds like it's filled with air and velvet softness, but remains crisp, vibrant and rich.
Vocals sound emotional, natural and voluminous, as if the vocalists are standing in front of you, with perfectly captured nuances of breathing, intonation and microdynamics. But there is no dryness, no detachment. This middle is not monitory or analytical, it is musical and very involving.
And despite some softness, it has character and energy, guitars sound with a pleasant density, piano sounds with real body, and strings with a very expressive liveliness. Everything sounds as if you are inside the music itself, not just listening to it from the outside. And yet there is no harshness here, everything is very neat, delicate, with an impeccable balance between drive and comfort.

High frequencies:
Everything here is done with some remarkable precision. The treble doesn't bulge, scream, or fatigue, but there's just enough of it to make the music breathe, shine, and open up in detail. This is exactly the right balance when you get transparency, air and resolution, but with absolutely no hint of sibilants, dryness or excessive brightness.
To me, they are definitely not dark but not light either, but natural, transparent, as if they were tuned very precisely under a microscope and adjusted literally to the millimeter. Cymbals sound with a beautiful residual aftertouch, and various rustles, reverberations and microdetails in the high register are transmitted very clearly, voluminously, but softly, without tiring your ears. It's exactly the kind of thing that makes you want to listen to music for a very long time, because nothing annoys you and your ears literally rest, even when the track is technically very intense.

Soundstage:
Wow, the Penon Quattro stage is voluminous, deep and truly layered. The space isn't just built wide, but literally in three dimensions: excellent separation of the foreground, background and everything in between. The width of the stage does not seem artificially inflated, but naturally wide, the vocals are clearly in front of the construction in the soundstage, and the instruments around it, and the background reverberations very smoothly dissolve into space, and various atmospheric effects are accurately localized in different points of the scene.But what is especially catching is the separation of layers and plans. Even in complex arrangements, you can easily distinguish where the instruments are and how they interact with each other. All this gives the music liveliness, breath and realism, as if you are not just listening to the track, but are present at its performance.

To summarize: Penon Quattro is like expensive vinyl in the world of headphones. Warmth, depth, energy and sophistication in one bottle. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to re-listen to everything from your favorite old records that these headphones can handle perfectly, to new and modern genres, just to see how cool they sound in these headphones. I think the Quattro isn’t about a five-minute wow effect, but rather about long-lasting musical enjoyment where you're not analyzing the sound, you're just immersed in music and don't want to come back.

The 7Hz FIVE is $150.00 vs $400.00 Has one extra DD. Balanced with warmth. Excellent bass texture and mid bass snap with sub bass rumble. Detailed but above all musical, with extended and crisp treble (w/pure silver cable + AZLA Crystal 1 tips). Excellent spatial cues and above average stage. Very underrated IEM. @pk4425 - The FIVE might be an IEM to seriously look at for your music library?

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I can see the future, and the future says...

Thanks @EnigmaFotos

 

[jghjkhfd]

I have a feeling I’ll be culling the H20… bass is a tad too thick for me.

Me too. H20 sounds too "slow & muddy" after Phoenixia. ((

 

[BS5711]

Not the biggest fan of some of your blabber, but you're alright for the most part.

Thanks, I'll definitely do others too, P7 is my benchmark that many have heard, but this trio I'm personally most interested in comparing due to obvious reasons - configuration, Abel, DD+BA playing the same frequencies.

Also, you have not heard of Phoenixia? It must have been mentioned here a 100 times in the past 48h and many headfiers have one coming their way.

Thanks Nik,

I don’t read most of the recommendations and reviews here or anywhere else because I’m not in the market for a new set until I see what Abel is offering via Ruviest.

I tend to skim through Discovery and read any nuggets that stand out like your post about Prelude

I am not into buying a pile of sets just to try them. I prioritise my audio budget for few and hopefully really good and therefore wait for something that resonates with me for some reason such as the AüR offerings. They have not let me down thus far even if the Aurora is a set that I need to acclimatise back into to a certain extent.

I look forward to reading what you and Leonard have to say about Prelude but will happily listen with Hermit in the meantime. The other AüR get a listen also but the Hermit dominates my listening time at the moment.

Thanks again and I will do my best not to fall further out of favour but “alright” is a start

 

[bithalver]

So you guys are arguing against ISN H20 as not that great for musicality and fun? I also, don't want too much bass.
More of a organic, musical smooth sound, with a balance bass.

it can be fun for sure... if you don't want too much bass, I'd back away... it sounds overdone for most music. The sub-bass is rumbly and effortlessly audible, the mid-bass is warm and punchy, but a bit too MUCH for some genres, and the treble can sound... one-dimensional at times. If you want smooth, musical sound and don't care if the bass isn't super snappy, the Fan 3 would be a good pick... or maybe the CK2V if you want more bass, smoother mids and extended treble detail. Also, the Aether might be a good pick if you don't want a ton of bass punch, but want smooth AND detailed sound.

For Dark Ambient, it is more than OK.

Quedelix 5k, , : good listening XP.