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The discovery thread!
Jul 7, 2022 at 3:31 AM Post #63,721 of 101,302
Jul 7, 2022 at 8:53 AM Post #63,722 of 101,302
Since writing my review of the Hidizs MD4 I have experimented with different cables. Fitted with the balanced cable from the Shuoer Tape Pro and with the switches set to "treble" (both switches down), the MD4 is sounding superb with a remarkable transparency and a much improved soundstage, with none of the treble issues mentioned in the review. It's a winner!
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 9:50 AM Post #63,723 of 101,302
7 Hz, hot on the heels of the Dioko, are releasing a budget single DD, the ZERO.

https://www.facebook.com/7hz8989/po...Y9EfEJUwTc5FcQLsANHybkubBifh7cJrgGPqJgD9VgoLl

292430776_131736406210348_3280879250984787678_n.png



Hope the QC won't be zero this time!
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 10:01 AM Post #63,724 of 101,302
Jul 7, 2022 at 10:30 AM Post #63,725 of 101,302
Received my Aria Snow Edition the other day. I was hoping for a decent step-up technically from the Chu but I'm finding it hard to get excited about this one. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm coming off the back of the Penon Vortex (an excellent, bright-neutral but 'fun' set), but the Aria Snow seems to suffer from the same lack of macrodynamic impact across the FR as the Chu. Also, the bass feels flat and soft at the edges. Both the Chu and Aria Snow share the same tuning but I don't think it's the tuning but Moondrops driver implementation/filters/shell. Vocals are subpar, male vocals are thin and female vocals are slightly strident and I'm getting frequent shout and sibilance. There was a similar lick of sibilance on the Chu - I'm more confident in putting this down to the tuning and my own personal sensitivities. Most disappointing are the technicalities. It's not the step up I was expecting...resolution is average, stage width is decent but the imaging is poor, as is soundstage depth and instrument separation.

If you liked the Chu but wanted more technically...I'm not sure I can recommend this one.


Edit: DAWN arrived in the same package and so far it's a nice little dongle with decent power output and tonal presentation. Still prefer the RU6 though.
 
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Jul 7, 2022 at 12:09 PM Post #63,726 of 101,302
ian91 said:
Received my Aria Snow Edition the other day. I was hoping for a decent step-up technically from the Chu but I'm finding it hard to get excited about this one. I'm not sure if it's just because I'm coming off the back of the Penon Vortex (an excellent, bright-neutral but 'fun' set), but the Aria Snow seems to suffer from the same lack of macrodynamic impact across the FR as the Chu. Also, the bass feels flat and soft at the edges. Both the Chu and Aria Snow share the same tuning but I don't think it's the tuning but Moondrops driver implementation/filters/shell. Vocals are subpar, male vocals are thin and female vocals are slightly strident and I'm getting frequent shout and sibilance. There was a similar lick of sibilance on the Chu - I'm more confident in putting this down to the tuning and my own personal sensitivities. Most disappointing are the technicalities. It's not the step up I was expecting...resolution is average, stage width is decent but the imaging is poor, as is soundstage depth and instrument separation.

If you liked the Chu but wanted more technically...I'm not sure I can recommend this one.


Edit: DAWN arrived in the same package and so far it's a nice little dongle with decent power output and tonal presentation. Still prefer the RU6 though.
Click to expand...
Your impressions seems consistent with the others I've seen online. :)
The Aria SE is allegedly using an older generation driver from the Kanas Pro, which may explain the disappointing technical performance. I've read that the original Aria has better technicalities, and even that one I would regard as unspectacular.

On a different note, how does the Vortex compare with Vernus?
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 12:42 PM Post #63,728 of 101,302
G777 said:
Your impressions seems consistent with the others I've seen online. :)
The Aria SE is allegedly using an older generation driver from the Kanas Pro, which may explain the disappointing technical performance. I've read that the original Aria has better technicalities, and even that one I would regard as unspectacular.

On a different note, how does the Vortex compare with Vernus?
Click to expand...

It's a shame, I enjoyed the Chu for what it was worth but felt it lacked the dynamics to make it musical enough for me. On the graph alone, apart from some possible upper mid emphasis that doesn't seem to suit, it really appeals to me.

The Vernus (Reference nozzle) and Vortex are in the same ballpark i.e. incredibly competent single DDs and offer alot for the cash. The Vernus is more exciting in the low end and the Vortex more exciting in the top end. Noteweight is heavier on the Vernus which makes it a more physical listen but for string reproduction the Vortex has the better uppermid/treble presentation that winds its way around any sibilance without losing fundamental and harmonic detail (some of which I feel is lost in the Vernus). Resolving power is quite similar but there's better clarity on the Vortex, this is especially apparent in the bass where the Vortex is much tighter with greater detail. I hear the Vernus as more 'organic' due to its low mid emphasis but the Vortex is not unnatural in its noteweight or tonality, it's just slightly lighter and brighter. Vernus has the wider stage and greater separation but it's not as tall as the Vortex and has less depth. The Vortex presents things closer to the head but with better dimensionality and imaging.

While the FR are quite different, the value they offer on paper is very similar. It's hard to say if one 'beats' the other, they just cater for different tastes. Given that the Vortex is not a limited run like the Vernus, it's obviously going to be easier to acquire for those interested in a very good single DD.
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 12:51 PM Post #63,729 of 101,302
Ichos said:
And I am not hearing any kind of shouting or strident vocals not any sibilance.
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That's interesting. I don't consider myself super sensitive to either shout or sibilance and prefer bright-neutral tunings. The stridency is a different issue, it's not a harsh texturing of vocals but there's a balance towards the high end that makes female vocals sound on the artificial side of things. What I consider 'neutral' and also 'natural' is probably different to yours, so maybe we can just agree to disagree? Either way, regardless of what I perceive to be its tonal shortcomings, technically it isn't up to much either.
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 12:59 PM Post #63,730 of 101,302
ian91 said:
That's interesting. I don't consider myself super sensitive to either shout or sibilance and prefer bright-neutral tunings. The stridency is a different issue, it's not a harsh texturing of vocals but there's a balance towards the high end that makes female vocals sound on the artificial side of things. What I consider 'neutral' and also 'natural' is probably different to yours, so maybe we can just agree to disagree? Either way, regardless of what I perceive to be its tonal shortcomings, technically it isn't up to much either.
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While I agree on the technicalities, I find tonal accuracy superb but we all hear differently.
Anyway in case that you are interested here is my opinion on the Aria Snow.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/moondrop-aria-snow-edition.25942/review/28821/
 
Jul 7, 2022 at 1:03 PM Post #63,731 of 101,302
Jul 7, 2022 at 4:40 PM Post #63,732 of 101,302
Jul 8, 2022 at 6:00 AM Post #63,733 of 101,302
Jul 8, 2022 at 10:41 AM Post #63,734 of 101,302
Thieaudio Elixir: A moderate-sized ramble
Still learning the lingo, apologies for the confusion. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable who also owns this set can clarify & correct what I'm trying to convey

EDIT: Just get KBear 07 eartips. Completely changed the game, all the complaints I have about the upper mids are resolved. Cleanest IEM I have experienced. Just Do It!

After a day, I appreciate Elixir for what it is & am impressed by the details it put forward. I think this is the only DD whose treble I don’t think sounds like it’s coming from a broken device. Not Olina, not Oxygen.

People has remarked that the bass is “tastefully done” and I’m inclined to take this IEM as a benchmark for that. It’s not overpowering and has good enough presence/warmth. Another thing that I appreciate is that male voices don’t sound like they have more “body” than they should (is that what “muddy” is)?

However I can’t help but feel like someone has applied a “sharpen” filter. Vocals almost always sound like the person has a dry throat/has a husky voice. I get the impression that the “air” has been artificially boosted. Is this what people meant when they say sparkly? Sizzle is another word that comes to mind. I’ve been playing with EQ to reduce the “sharpened” effect to no success.
All this led me to believe that I dislike emphasis on upper midrange. Precog’s pondering mentioned that he has a lower pinna gain than standard. Maybe I’m the same?
Cymbals/xylophone(?) have a very sharp attack but the decay lingers around a bit longer than I used to, which is a unique experience to me - I would describe the sound as damp. I previously described it as warm yet engaging but now I suspect that I mistook "warmth" with the weird decay. It's like when you put an ingredient on an oiled pan: the sharp "sizzle" after impact is obviously more obvious but you can still hear a hint of the boiling oil in the background, if it makes sense.

Overall, I think it’s a well done set. Definitely one that you can enjoy your music with, especially those featuring electric guitars. Man those sounded good - the plucking sensation, the distortion and all. But I can say it’s not for me who would be better served with a smoother set.

Addendum: a few technical definitions that I can’t still wrap my head around
  • Texture: I just don’t get it.
  • Extension: how much the frequency at the edge of normal hearing range that gets emphasized (I assume), but someone mentioned that it’s related to texture & dynamics?
  • Transients: I vaguely think it has to do with attack-decay, but how do I know if a set gets it right or wrong.
 
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Jul 8, 2022 at 11:48 AM Post #63,735 of 101,302
After a few days of (cerebral) burning, I must admit that my opinion of the TRN Kirin has improved. I still don't think that any of the 3 tunings achieved with the filters are close to my ideal. I don't really have a favourite curve, but the S12's would be among my favourites. The Kirin is not in that line. It has more mid-bass, the double peak in mid-high and first treble, plus classic control drop from 6kHz onwards. What I do like is that it has something the S12 lacks: a more analytical character. You can't have everything.
Another downside is that graphically the Reference and Transparency filters look the same. But in reality this is not the case. It turns out that the Transparency filters are the shortest and the Atmospheric filters the longest, so that by rolling with tips the proximity of the mouthpiece to the ear canal can offer a feeling of closeness in the mid and high notes, which compensates for the loss of treble in the Atmospheric filter. The opposite is true for the Transparency. But this may be due to a question of particular morphology.
In any case, I would have preferred a more homogeneous filter difference. I would ask TRN to offer more filter variations.
Still, the Kirins have a good technical level, without sounding too crisp, as well as a higher sense of separation and transparency.
They do, however, need more energy than S12s to perform at a similar level.

TRN Kirin 01.jpgTRN Kirin 02.jpgTRN Kirin 03.jpgTRN Kirin 04.jpg
 
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