[IEMusic]

for those of you interested in the Tri Starlight EST flagship, which has gotten a lot of positive feedback, it's on sale with a huge price drop on this site...

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKIow1X

I was able to find it as low as $550 for 11/11, and I think at least one person purchased it for even less. It was so incredibly tempting. It would be great if even more people purchase it and could provide more impressions.

 

[Gee Simpson]

@audio123 @IEMusic

Thanks for the feedback. Hmm... I'm not usually one for neutral bass but this would certainly give me something different. Is it easy to drive?

 

[IEMusic]

@audio123 @IEMusic

Thanks for the feedback. Hmm... I'm not usually one for neutral bass but this would certainly give me something different. Is it easy to drive?

The NM2+ has a well balanced, uncolored, and neutral-ish tuning, but the bass is not strictly neutral. There is some boost in the bass. It is a little more mid bass biased to help counteract the prominent upper midrange. The sub bass is really well extended, and has good rumble. While it has the technical chops to be an analytical IEM, it is still really fun to listen to. It is easy to drive, and can work great even out of your phone.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Ok, I used my gift card early, which was supposed to be my birthday present from my twin children, and like in all previous years, i bought earphones i most certainly didn't need, but now that i used this gift card, i'm tapped. No more money for audio gear. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!! I'll be living vicariously through the rest of you for the time being! Spoil me with great reviews and make me jelly! lol

 

[jant71]

Tips came in today. Price was better at release. $14 instead of $22 which is reasonable enough.

Plain non-SD "SF", Spiral Dot SF, Spiral Dot, Earfit, and Hybrid. All medium.

No sound impression just yet but by looking you can see they are a slightly different silicone on the outside than the Spiral Dots and the thinner rim at the top edge of the bore. So, softer, a smidge shorter in overall length and the bottom 40% is just not there vs. normal Spiral Dots. So, the assumption would be less and softer should bring a bit less seal and shift toward the top end and some treble and crispness added to the standard Spiral Dot sound. We'll see.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Tips came in today. Price was better at release. $14 instead of $22 which is reasonable enough.



Plain non-SD "SF", Spiral Dot SF, Spiral Dot, Earfit, and Hybrid. All medium.

No sound impression just yet but by looking you can see they are a slightly different silicone on the outside than the Spiral Dots and the thinner rim at the top edge of the bore. So, softer, a smidge shorter in overall length and the bottom 40% is just not there vs. normal Spiral Dots. So, the assumption would be less and softer should bring a bit less seal and shift toward the top end and some treble and crispness added to the standard Spiral Dot sound. We'll see.

About 70% of my earphones are equipped with JVC Spiral Dots, and the other 30% are Azla, Spinfits, or UE silicones.

 

[baskingshark]

I’m still curious about See Audio, in particular, the Vantina V10. So far no one wants to risk over $900. I just would like to know if it really is the same as the Anole VX.

It does look suspiciously like an Anole VX, perhaps an OEM? But too risky to blind buy at $900 USD. Nevertheless, when it comes to such predicaments, we can always depend on @RikudouGoku to take one for the team to get it. Thank you @RikudouGoku for your services to headfi and audiophiledom!

The NM2+ has a well balanced, uncolored, and neutral-ish tuning, but the bass is not strictly neutral. There is some boost in the bass. It is a little more mid bass biased to help counteract the prominent upper midrange. The sub bass is really well extended, and has good rumble. While it has the technical chops to be an analytical IEM, it is still really fun to listen to. It is easy to drive, and can work great even out of your phone.

Seems like the NM2+ has better clarity and imaging with an analytical presentation. Thanks for sharing your impression @baskingshark. Strictly based off the impressions, I believe that I am not a fan of such sound profile and don't quite believe in the Believe. Shall try it soon to see if the Believe is believable.

I haven't listened to the NM2+ but would very much like to one day, read many good reviews about it. I do believe (no pun intended) that the BElieve will be a very differently tuned set, it is not analytical or that technical, more of a soothing laid back tuning. I read somewhere that NM2+ can perhaps compete with some multi drivers in technical performance!

BElieve is also rather difficult to drive as per the low sensitivity ratings. So this is also another factor to take into consideration if one doesn't have an amp, as it sounds congested with a slow bass on lower powered sources and smartphones.

 

[jant71]

About 70% of my earphones are equipped with JVC Spiral Dots, and the other 30% are Azla, Spinfits, or UE silicones.

Amongst my favorites outside of Spinfit which after the first version I never tried any subsequent types. UE old school translucent gray more than the newer clear UE though I have both. Thinking these are gonna sound like the UE gray esp since they both seal more on top and not below. UE gray is always a bit lighter brighter in sound. Can be a bit uncomfy after a while with the firmness up top which is a difference here. Spiral Dot SF should be better with that.

 

[IEMusic]

...we can always depend on @RikudouGoku to take one for the team to get it. Thank you @RikudouGoku for your services to headfi and audiophiledom!

Really?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Amongst my favorites outside of Spinfit which after the first version I never tried any subsequent types. UE old school translucent gray more than the newer clear UE though I have both. Thinking these are gonna sound like the UE gray esp since they both seal more on top and not below. UE gray is always a bit lighter brighter in sound. Can be a bit uncomfy after a while with the firmness up top which is a difference here. Spiral Dot SF should be better with that.

I only have the translucent gray because i recently bought a pair of Ue TF10's. Those are the only UE's i know of that have that type of tip. the others in my collection all came with the clear silicone tips that i really enjoy as well. I use those gray tips on another iem, as the Azla Xelastecs are much better for the funky fit UE TF10.

 

[audio123]

Can't say this enough. At the end of the day, we all just want gears that suit us for the music we are listening for personal enjoyment.

@audio123 @IEMusic

Thanks for the feedback. Hmm... I'm not usually one for neutral bass but this would certainly give me something different. Is it easy to drive?

What @IEMusic said earlier.

 

[twister6]

https://www.facebook.com/ddhifi/photos/a.301400943847422/666265710694275/

Interesting new IEM (Janus) that has both 2 pin and MMCX connectors. I dunno if this is a gimmick or not, but not sure it is worth the effort, since we can use 2 pin-MMCX adaptors and most of us will just stick a cable on it permanently.

It is named after Janus, and from googling, apparently Janus is the roman deity of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. Janus is usually depicted on statues and pictures as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past, so maybe this IEM is aptly named in view of the 2 different connectors. The 2 ways to wear it (cable down/over ear) isn't that unique but the 2 connectors sure is.

I do hope the tuning is as good as this innovative concept though.

Was searching HF to see if this has been mentioned anywhere else; seems like this post is the only one which is very appropriate for Discovery thread

@ddHiFi Janus is not a gimmick, and it was finalized and just released, single DD with a clever dual wiring of the shell to connect either 2pin or mmcx cable. Do we need IEM with both 2pin and mmcx? I guess it will depend on how many cables you have, which one is you favorite, and do you have it with either 2pin or mmcx connectors. It is definitely convenient and unique as hell, just like every accessory by DDHiFi. The same as some of the FiiO/Shanling DAPs that come with both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced jacks. Plus, if your cable doesn't have a pre-shaped heat-shrink earhooks, you can easily wear it up or down. It comes with a stock pure copper Forrest cable, and I actually enjoy wearing it with a wire down, while optional higher end spc Sky cable (in a picture below, 2pin/mmcx variants) is good for over the ear. Need to burn in, but I can hear this final production model to sound a whole lot better out of the box in comparison to early prototype from a few months ago.

While I personally more familiar with higher end IEMs, thus it will be hard for me to compare it to other popular chi-fi IEMs under $200, this one definitely stands out from a crowd with a rather original design concept.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

That Janus looks sweet!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

For you metal fans, a little defunct band called Dryll, featuring guitarist Mantas from Venom. Some chugging metalcore with really nice drums with cymbal strikes to test those mids and highs.

 

[kmmbd]

Completed the "Questyle" combo: QP1R for on-the-go listening and CMA-400i for the times when I'm tied to the desk. Frankly, the likes of Cayin and Questyle can hang with some of the best DAC/Amp manufacturers out there. The QP1R is a highly recommended DAP if all you want is solid playback capabilities. The class-A amp sounds different to most DAPs out there (in any price range) and gives an analogue-ish tone without sacrificing the minute details.