In trying out a balanced cable there were a few problems:
1. All of my cables have some sort of ear hook memory; which makes wearing the FW1800 down impossible. Wearing over ear requires flipping around the L/R sides and feels awkward.
2. & then this happened
Still it's mostly their hit songs that has had success playing on the radio over and over. Personally I have had all their albums on CD and listened to them from time to time.
In trying out a balanced cable there were a few problems:
1. All of my cables have some sort of ear hook memory; which makes wearing the FW1800 down impossible. Wearing over ear requires flipping around the L/R sides and feels awkward.
2. & then this happened
There are cables without the heat shrink tube in the shape of an ear, if you need links I'll send them to you.
What a bad luck the problem with the mmcx, try to get it changed for another unit. If you don't get it, I'll try to tell you how to install a new one (although it won't be embedded like the original)
In trying out a balanced cable there were a few problems:
1. All of my cables have some sort of ear hook memory; which makes wearing the FW1800 down impossible. Wearing over ear requires flipping around the L/R sides and feels awkward.
2. & then this happened
As usual, purchased with my own hobby budget. Truthear SHIO and HOLA.
I have meetings after meetings today, probably would report first impressions tonight.
Truthear may have heard me complaining about their ear tips and carrying pouch Now the pouch got rid of “golden” parts and ear tips has wide open bore.
Below is what I think Truthear should have paired to their HEXA (Latex H570 wide bore x clear silicone) and what Truthear HOLA’s latest ear tips
Proper bore size Truthear have paired as the stock ear tip!!
Notice something? Truthear paid an extra cost to paint the metal filter of HOLA to black. Wow.
30 sec on HOLA with wide bore stock ML size tip: Not something I’d expect from $19 IEM.
Smooth and delicately tuned even right out of the box.
▶︎Cables is upgraded from older generations (HEXA/ZERO), ear tips, carrying pouches as well.
▶︎Pouch is obviously a fake leather, and probably will peel away for couple of months use.
Truthear SHIO and Luxury & Precision W2 they both use same CS43198x2
SHIO close shot (PCM high gain)
▶︎simple gain change (press vol +/- together) indicator LED will change color (yellow = high, red = low for PCM)
Sadly SHIO only comes with USB-C to USB-cable, no lightning to USB-C.
The stock USB-C to USB-C cable is fabric laminated and feels pretty sturdy.
Left 2 cables are W2’s stock cables for comparison
Sound of SHIO; highly resolving, great compatibility with iphone.
—HOLA first impression
▶︎a sub $20 segment advanced to thus far…very impressive.
▶︎More natural / flat upper-mid accent when compared to moondrop‘s VDSF, somewhat Monarch /AFUL P5 style flat approach rather than spotlighting peak approach like Moondrop’s Dusk, or generally what Crin loves to do for a emphasis on female vocals.
▶︎This rather flat upper mid also leads to intimat diffusions
▶︎Surely HOLA’s tuning is very “safe” and inoffensive, which Aria OG’s tuning had very similar first impression on me, however! HOLA‘s less dampened when compared to Aria OG, which brings to a hypothesis that maybe HOLA is a better replacement kit for Moondrop’s Aria…? I need to verify this in a week or so..
—SHIO vs W2
SHIO has very basic functionality, low gain high gain, that’s it. No LPF or timbre tuning. Not as versatile as fullsize DAP or higher functional DAC dongles, but the sound quality is very satisfying.
▶︎more U-tuned than W2, I see some coloration on SHIO‘s sub-bass and treble when compared to more neutral W2
▶︎Technicality of W2 and SHIO, when directly A-B tested, is surely a different class one, W2 has higher imaging / dynamic range illustration/ spatial positioning and finesse rendering than SHIO. Yes even if they use sale DAC chipsets, they sound different. But the difference in technicality of W2 and SHIO isn‘t too far, for line out from iphone probably 10-15% if it definitely needs to be quantified. That means the performance gap between W2 and SHIO is forgivable considering $69 vs $309 gap in the cost. But I must admit when directly listened after W2, SHIO‘s output has defined imaging, and rather boring and straightforward dynamic range expressions.
▶︎SHIO is not USB dongle flagship replacement, but I find it very cost efficient for the sole purpose in getting “better sound output“ from daily use devices.
—SHIO vs M11Pro’s line-out mode (AK4497EQx2 only).
▶︎AK4497EQ x 2‘s line out coming out of FiiO’s M11 Pro is very natural and transparent maybe lacks dynamism in bass range but fairly good subject to compare to USB dongles’ output as it bypasses the amp of the DAP.
When compared SHIO to AK4497EQx2 line out, SHIO has warm coloration around bass range, there is also lower treble gain level when compared to pure flat AK4497EQ. Probably that’s the SHIO’s amp’s taste, as it certainly has more energy than pure DAC to line-out output.
—Overall for SHIO
I feel SHIO could use a bit more power to run dynamic drivers, when directly A-B tested. It is a very good DAC dongle option, as far as cost to performance is considered.
Now SHIO intrigues small DAC alternatives such as Shanling M0 Pro the review of IEM shop manager is up, Eng CC available
—Overall for HOLA & SHIO combination
I’ve done all A-B test of SHIO with HOLA, and HOLA is capable enough to render the DAP-native sound signature which is very high-performing considering it’s technicality as a reference monitor. SHIO is not 90+/100 type top performer, but it does close to 80/100, a very satisfactory one, so does HOLA, when combined SHIO and HOLA, this pair costing a total of $69+$19 = $88 is bare minimum entry point that you need to pay to get close to 80/100 performance out of daily used devices and phones. What a nice era we are living in!
Came across a Reddit post that mentioned the Droplet was being sold on Taobao. I'll probably EQ the bass out though, as fun as bass is, I'm mainly getting BA sets for clarity or something along the lines for critical listening(or basically details) over anything else. Another thing, according to the Reddit post, it's actually using a BA driver from a company that isn't well known by any means.
Edit: The Reddit post
A comment there mentioned it was using a BA called the Unicorn by Binary Acoustics, searched it up and I got some results from Taobao, although, not sure if any of them are genuine just yet, especially since of the results I've seen is a Sony.
Second edit: I apologise, I don't think the driver is related to the Sony. The driver might be related to the EP1 by Binary Acoustics, but I'm not fully sure. Either ways though, I hope they come out with something more neutral eventually. Then again, there's already decent options under 50 currently, like the Neon(some consider it mid-centric due to its poor extension in the Subbass and higher regions of treble, but this varies between people). Maybe eventually, someone will(or I'll just end up with an ER3SE lol).
The Truthears Hola is probably the budget killah of this week.
Tune in next week for more KZ reveals: ZS11, ZS12, ZS10 Pro Zeos Edition, PR2, PR2 Balanced edition, DQ8, DQ8 X HBB, KZ Single BA IEM and an overengineered 20 BA KZ so KZ can stay true to their driver fetish roots.
The Truthears Hola is probably the budget killah of this week.
Tune in next week for more KZ reveals: ZS11, ZS12, ZS10 Pro Zeos Edition, PR2, PR2 Balanced edition, DQ8, DQ8 X HBB, KZ Single BA IEM and an overengineered 20 BA KZ so KZ can stay true to their driver fetish roots.
So I really like the sound of the Sea-elf after burn-in, but the QC is indeed a problem as mentioned by @AmericanSpirit and others.
Thanks for the tip about cable polarity, I thought it didn't make a difference as long at both sides used the same polarity. But when I turned them around, one of the shields around the 2-pin end (with the L and R) came loose. It's not too much of a problem, as I could push it back and a drop of glue would probably solve it permanently if needed, but it's the first time that happened on a cable.
Also, after a second night I felt some discomfort in one ear. Not sure if it could be because of the resin used, as I have an extreme allergy for epoxy resins.
I went to the Anthrax, Black Label Society, and Exodus show last night, and due to some poorly picked out earplugs, I ended up using the Sea-Elf as ear protection. Worked like a charm, so isolation is pretty good, but aside from that and some really good bass, the funky tonality and recessed mids make it a no go for me.
New kz pokemon, KZ Ling Long
A new "budget friendly" Model...
When the already budget friendly kz specifically state its "budget friendly"... A sub $10 models?
The low end should be much more pronounced though, and there might be quite a sharp roll off in the treble, at least, according to Super Review's graphs, so just take note of that.
I went to the Anthrax, Black Label Society, and Exodus show last night, and due to some poorly picked out earplugs, I ended up using the Sea-Elf as ear protection. Worked like a charm, so isolation is pretty good, but aside from that and some really good bass, the funky tonality and recessed mids make it a no go for me.
I left the Sea-Elf burning in overnight, as I had no other thing to do but go to sleep after the concert, and I'm listening to them as I type, and @AmericanSpirit, I don't think i've ever come across an IEM which has gone through as steep a change in sound as this one after burn in? This is truly mystifying to me. It really is. It's like I'm listening to a new IEM. What happened to that bass bump? the recess has lessened. What?!
I left the Sea-Elf burning in overnight, as I had no other thing to do but go to sleep after the concert, and I'm listening to them as I type, and @AmericanSpirit, I don't think i've ever come across an IEM which has gone through as steep a change in sound as this one after burn in? This is truly mystifying to me. It really is. It's like I'm listening to a new IEM. What happened to that bass bump? the recess has lessened. What?!
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Now the pouch got rid of “golden” parts and ear tips has wide open bore.
Not something I’d expect from $19 IEM.
