[Carpet]

XUN-4? or second gen CRA superthin DD?
(Xun-1 is widely used in KZ/CCA line up, Xun-2 is on CCA Lyra, Xun-3 is on CCA HM20)
apparently there is a modified Xun-1 with Titanium Dome in DQ6s but they don't advertise it

second gen CRA superthin DD might be it, its named CXS
And recently Tyvan (KZ rep) is musing about what makes DD good and give pretty extensive musing on the materials, membrane materials or thinnes, coils, magnet, magnet distance, etc) so this Xun-4 or SuperThin2 is result on his musing

also on that DQ6s modified XUN DD

So porting IEMs like a sub-woofer is becoming the latest FOTM then?

And to think I discounted SGOR as being affiliated to KZ/CCA due to using TFZ rather than QDC connectors!

 

[pevinkarker]

Any feedback about jcally ap10?

Also anyone knows when tanchjim space will be released?

I'm looking for a new dongle with 4.4 mm entrance

 

[r31ya]

So porting IEMs like a sub-woofer is becoming the latest FOTM then?

And to think I discounted SGOR as being affiliated to KZ/CCA due to using TFZ rather than QDC connectors!

Seeing how QKZ can have access to KZ-like shell and faceplate despite they are not affliated with KZ, it seems the manufacturer that makes the faceplate is willing to sell it to other iem house

So porting IEMs like a sub-woofer is becoming the latest FOTM then?

And to think I discounted SGOR as being affiliated to KZ/CCA due to using TFZ rather than QDC connectors!

well, not sure about other iems
but since KZ have that "decorative" grill, kz discord filled with people clamoring for actual "functional" grill

it came with CCA HM20 and this CCA CXS

 

[baskingshark]

BQEYZ Winter

Interesting tech:
BQEYZ developed bone conduction unit + 12mm Dual cavity dynamic driver

https://www.facebook.com/bqeyzaudio...3HDypnM5XrSFUSTZxUeVLA5vKAjv8oLUHJX6DCdf5gLKl

 

[o0genesis0o]

BQEYZ Winter



Interesting tech:
BQEYZ developed bone conduction unit + 12mm Dual cavity dynamic driver

https://www.facebook.com/bqeyzaudio...3HDypnM5XrSFUSTZxUeVLA5vKAjv8oLUHJX6DCdf5gLKl

Hey, this one is fun. Any pricing info?

 

[baskingshark]

Hey, this one is fun. Any pricing info?

Nothing yet, but I sure am interested to know this too.

Bone conduction seems like a very interesting tech, other than a new driver type, it might help folks who have sensorineural hearing loss as it bypasses the nerves to transmit sound to the brain. I think this tech is still in its infancy in the audiophile world, some TOTL IEMs use it, but who knows, it might be the next hype after this planar craze dies down.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Bone conduction seems like a very interesting tech, other than a new driver type, it might help folks who have sensorineural hearing loss as it bypasses the nerves to transmit sound to the brain. I think this tech is still in its infancy in the audiophile world, some TOTL IEMs use it, but who knows, it might be the next hype after this planar craze dies down.

Its not really a fundamentally new tech, as it is using piezos.

Also, I suspect "Bone conduction" in iems are mostly a gimmicky marketing tool.

(Previous Dunu rep)

 

[nraymond]

Its not really a fundamentally new tech, as it is using piezos.

Also, I suspect "Bone conduction" in iems are mostly a gimmicky marketing tool.
(Previous Dunu rep)

Yes. There's a reason we've never seen defeat switches for the bone conduction drivers on IEMs and likely never will.

 

[jant71]

Also BC is old. CC, cartilage conduction is the new thing as it is supposed to do sound presentation better for a few reasons including reach the ears at different times for separation and L/R positioning improvements for individual sounds. Both are best for right outside in front of the ear. BC, in earphones, is the new wave of vibrators bass exciters we saw several years back going for some slight vibration feel effect thing. Not gonna do much at all inside the ear for actual SQ.

 

[Barndoor]

There are a lot of hype going on about a lot of products, whereas some products go totally under the radar, despite being from a fairly reputed brand, and performing pretty well also!

The brand I am referring to here is Hiby, rather well-known in the DAP as well as the dongle DAC-AMP segment. They have been releasing IEMs for a few years as well, but none of them seemed to come into the spotlight ever, may be just a passing interest now and then, and that's all.
Since primarily they were releasing sub $100 pure DD-based iems, like Seeds, and I could not find enough reviews of them online, I never gave them serious thought. Later they started to release pure BA IEMs in a higher tier, which again was not what I was looking for at that time. But nowadays, I have become a pure full-range DD connoisseur, as can be inferred from my signature readily, and just in time Hiby came out with single DD iems that caught my attention immediately.

The first IEM was Lasya, a $199 beauty, that I got from Hiby for review, which afterward became my benchmark for sub-$200 smooth single DD IEM. This time, they released a sub-$100 single DD, the Hela, which @HiByMusic graciously sent to me, along with the FC4, for review.



Even just out of the box, Hiby Hela proved to be such a refreshing pair of iem that I honestly got surprised! Quite frankly, I was not expecting such an open sound under $100 (at $89, to be precise). The tonality can be termed as somewhat balanced, with a neutral midrange and fair bit of sparkles in the high range. There is little to no colouration of the sound, and yet it is not very dry at all. The midrange is quite, and I mean quite open sounding, with a distinct sense of space among various notes - this trait is very reminiscent of the Lasya that I reviewed earlier. However, unlike Lasya, the notes are not smoothened, rather have a fair bit of sharpness, albeit controlled, that helps to produce the details more accurately. Point to note - the notes are definitely not thin, and feel acceptably natural. The treble has quite a nice amount of energy and sparkles, and a decent amount of extension also - the cymbal crashes and hi-hat rolls are all very much alive in the mix, without being piercing.
My only beef with it is the low end - while it has a nice quantity, the quality is not at par with the rest of the spectrum. The notes have a good amount of thickness and weight, but the midbass slams are slightly on the softer side, and subbas textures might get a little blurred. Overall, the low end is decent, plays a nice supporting role, and definitely stays out of the midrange.
But the most surprising part is the stage - in short, it is BIG! The stage has quite some good extension in all three directions, is quite airy, and imaging within it is quite precise. I cannot say I have heard another IEM with such a big well-articulated stage under $100. Loving it with every passing minute!



I really do think that Hiby should be given the respect they so rightfully deserve for the tuning prowess they are showing in the single DD segment. It is sad to see that they garner so very little interest in the IEM segment while being a stalwart in the DAP segment.

Completely agree that Hela deserves more recognition, have been really enjoying it. Much prefer it to the aria snow that I also received in the last couple of months.

 

[ChrisOc]

My review of the highly resolving Aür Audio Aure is up for anyone interested to read up on them:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aür-audio-aure-reviews.26139/

 

[Ace Bee]

Completely agree that Hela deserves more recognition, have been really enjoying it. Much prefer it to the aria snow that I also received in the last couple of months.

Sincerely speaking, more people need to know about them. I reviewed the Aria 2021, and even from memory, I can remember I was nowhere close to how much awed I now am by Hela. Tuning is really improving, and Hiby is a pioneer of that, just severely unnoticed.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

The Moondrop KXXS and Crescent really improve with the DX170. I was able to raise the mids and there's a little more life from the treble, which has been my beef with these IEM's from the day they arrived. They are just boring, but the DX170 kinda peps them up a little bit. They are most definitely better than the CCA CA16, which I also recently dusted off from deep in my wooden box. The soundstage is also improved, so the sonics and timbre were a much better listen than most of the other DAPS (The Moondrops were a terrible synergy with the Hiby's). The Crescent as always, are such a fun and warm but welcomed listen. The timbre is so spot on and the highs shimmer and extend without being offensive or shrill. Ever. They play so well with the DX170. But these brass pills are discontinued for a reason, and that's because the QC is abysmal. Driver imbalance. It's inevitable. Like the old budget champs, the Zero Audio Tenore, who shot themselves in the foot with this very same QC issue, the Crescent start off just fine and play a very sweet tune, but after about an hour of play time, and sometimes less than that, the channel imbalance rears it's head and you need to stop using them. Such a shame. I firmly believe these IEM's or an updated variation would have been the Kings of the budget sector had Moondrop simply paid attention to QC. What if's. Still, I won't sell either of my Mondrops. I don't know why? LOL I just don't want to part with either.

 

[TimmyVangtan]

My bet is that, if HBB is retuning the Hooke X , we will see more mid-bass! Crin would scoop mid-bass. Zeos would add sub-bass. Timmy or Super Review would boost mids. Akros, Vortex or Paul Wasabii, I would credit with not making excessive changes to screw up an already good tuning.

NEED coffee, my brain hurts!

If I were to retune the Hook-X I would.......yeah you right.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Penon OS133: A magical sound-transforming tool or just a connector?

Now that I have possibly got your attention, the shortcut to the truth (in the limits of my objective perception) is the latter.

$30 (purchased with my own funds) 2.5 mm to 2.5 mm balanced connector.
Very solid metal parts, Penon and OS133 are etched for the eternity on the gold-plated metal.
The cable is thick, nylon feels a bit budget, understandably, after all it is only $30, the budget line.
The resistivity of all 4 conductors is well below 0.1 Ohm that makes it a great connector that is not supposed to attenuate/alter the sound, and it does not. Period.

If you may wonder why did I get this connector then - my answer would be that 2.5 mm to 2.5 mm is rare, it needs to be custom ordered (I did it before), so that would be the main reason.

Then the curiousity to test the claims and to "experience" Penon's products (my first one and quite likely the last one).

The main reason, finally, is that thick 4-core cable will be the easiest to cut and to solder in variable resistors for the balanced impedance adapter:

Now comes my pitch: if Penon or other company would make a balanced variable impedance adapter (!) Ideally, two versions, 50-Ohm for fine tuning and 200-400 Ohm for more powerful amps - that qould be really a great product for the flexible sync/match between the source and IEMs.
The parts do not cost much (all passive elements), and the price of around $50 can work well both for the profit and the audiophile benefits/enjoyment