[baskingshark]

New Discovery.


a new Japanese IEM review blog:

▶︎auto-scripted = English (and many other languages) CC available


▶︎it plays recording signature for many tracks among original / IEM being reviewed & benchmarks.


▶︎it has live spectrums charts and FR measurements

▶︎so far 285 IEM videos have been posted

▶︎it is “paid promotion” type but pretty informative, I suggest do not take the whole review comments as-is, however this channel does say “no” to the one that didn’t meet expectations of the reviewers. Also the recording signatures are purely objective and at least you can tell the tonal balance from that

What do you guys think of these sites that purport to put a recording signature of an IEM that you can listen to?
I mean we all use different sources and transducers while trying to listen to these site's recording signatures, so that in itself will skew the FR and give different colouration.

I guess the best that these recordings provide is perhaps to know the general tonality of the IEM on the site, and perhaps compare tonal balance against other IEMs in that site. If for example, one is using an IEM at home that has different transducers, it in itself may give different technicalities/timbre to the recording signature compared to someone using another IEM at home? These sites are similar to using EQ to see the tonal balance of an advertised IEM?

Here's my official review of the KBEAR Storm.

Yeah it's a Storm of a wacky hot mess of tuning!

Looks CHEAP feels CHEAP and is cheap. KZ made the same looking IEM but better

And that's the huge problem at $18 it is 200% outclassed by other IEM's

Don't waste your money on this IEM.

Truthear Hola is out. same price but waaaayyy better tuning , better no not better leaps and bounds better build quality, Better cable , better Case ( Actually includes a nice one.)

END OF REVIEW.

Thanks for taking one for the team! Definitely, the sub $20 budget has gems like the Truthear HOLA, Salnotes Zero and Tangzu Wan'er, and those are the gatekeepers.

 

[gooberbm]

Thanks for taking one for the team! Definitely, the sub $20 budget has gems like the Truthear HOLA, Salnotes Zero and Tangzu Wan'er, and those are the gatekeepers.

I actually disagree quite strongly (not about the crap build quality, that’s a fact). But don’t tell me that the Storm is a complete mess when I don’t know where else you can find an OH10-like tuned IEM at a price like this

Uploaded by Rikudou_goku for the comparison

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

I actually disagree quite strongly (not about the crap build quality, that’s a fact). But don’t tell me that the Storm is a complete mess when I don’t know where else you can find an OH10-like tuned IEM at a price like this


Uploaded by Rikudou_goku for the comparison

I have and love the Obsidian the two may graph similarly but that's where it stops. They sound miles apart the OH10 hits with authority and has special sauce because of the copper shell. The highs are extended but no siblance for me and I am trebble sensitive the Storm not so much. We all hear differently but I would not want to buy a Storm and think it going to do anything like the OH10.

I am happy if someone gets aural pleasure from the Storm and it turns thier crank!

 

[Fat Larry]

This $14 one does good job. It’s an LCP driver and I have it. Best performing dynamic bullet IEM among many others.
Astrotec Vesna
https://a.co/d/iRO4sdn

Thanks, I'll check then out. Have you tried either of Kbear's bullet offerings?

 

[baskingshark]

I actually disagree quite strongly (not about the crap build quality, that’s a fact). But don’t tell me that the Storm is a complete mess when I don’t know where else you can find an OH10-like tuned IEM at a price like this


Uploaded by Rikudou_goku for the comparison

I haven't heard the KBEAR Storm, so can't comment on the sonic fidelity, but I would defer to @TheDeafMonk and trust his review. Additionally, I actually have a few local friends who have the Storm, and they told me it was very meh.

Having said that, tonally based on graphs, the IKKO OH10 (non modded) isn't identical to the KBEAR Storm actually. Even though the upper frequencies appear to be similar, the KBEAR Storm has a much more marked sub-bass roll-off. As the ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole , decreased bass will make the treble/upper mids more prominent. So essentially, the KBEAR Storm should sound more bright (perhaps fatiguing) than the IKKO OH10, which I already thought was a bit hot in the lower treble/upper mids (despite the copious bass).

A standard FR graph also doesn't tell the full story, some elements like timbral accuracy, transients, soundstage, imaging, can't be fully gleaned from standard FR graphs.



If graphs told the full story, the KZ ZSN Pro should sound similar to the Final A8000, but they are miles apart in technicalities, timbre and tonality on actual listening:

 

[gooberbm]

I have and love the Obsidian the two may graph similarly but that's where it stops. They sound miles apart the OH10 hits with authority and has special sauce because of the copper shell. The highs are extended but no siblance for me and I am trebble sensitive the Storm not so much. We all hear differently but I would not want to buy a Storm and think it going to do anything like the OH10.

I am happy if someone gets aural pleasure from the Storm and it turns thier crank!

Right, that’s why I only said it shares a tuning style, not that it is better. But I have enjoyed it for a $17 set that at least tries to be different. I’m way more into that than the Hola, which is only slightly different than Wan’er, which is only slightly different than Cadenza, which is only slightly different than C2 or C3…and I could keep going.

 

[gooberbm]

I see no value in praising Truthear for releasing the something like 10th derivative of the same tuning we’ve gotta for a year. I’m done with all the copycats chasing a smaller and smaller piece of the same Harman-neutral pie. That’s all I’m saying.

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Thanks, I'll check then out. Have you tried either of Kbear's bullet offerings?

Only KBEAR Neon, single BA ,knowles ED29689 one, complete flat bass floor like Ety ER4S, and pretty much like Ety’s curve for the rest of spectrum too without high impedance which makes both ER4S and Neon to sound a completely different tonal impression.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

I haven't heard the KBEAR Storm, so can't comment on the sonic fidelity, but I would defer to @TheDeafMonk and trust his review. Additionally, I actually have a few local friends who have the Storm, and they told me it was very meh.

Having said that, tonally based on graphs, the IKKO OH10 (non modded) isn't identical to the KBEAR Storm actually. Even though the upper frequencies appear to be similar, the KBEAR Storm has a much more marked sub-bass roll-off. As the ears take the entire frequency spectrum as a whole , decreased bass will make the treble/upper mids more prominent. So essentially, the KBEAR Storm should sound more bright (perhaps fatiguing) than the IKKO OH10, which I already thought was a bit hot in the lower treble/upper mids (despite the copious bass).

A standard FR graph also doesn't tell the full story, some elements like timbral accuracy, transients, soundstage, imaging, can't be fully gleaned from standard FR graphs.



If graphs told the full story, the KZ ZSN Pro should sound similar to the Final A8000, but they are miles apart in technicalities, timbre and tonality on actual listening:

Perfectly said. Shark. But Goober my whole point buying and review of the C3 was to inform others of my findings. On my C3 review I compare to the Cadenza and Hola and as they may be "Tuned" the same and look similar on a graph they are 3 very different sounding IEM.

I was very much hoping the C3 was a better fitting Cadenza , but alas the C3 though was the perfect fit for me was far inferior tonally compared to the Cadenza and it's more expensive.

I hope my reviews are used to help others share similar tastes in music and sound signature to help spend our money wisely with best value.

Remember for some people $20 is a S ton of money.

 

[gmdb]

I have and love the Obsidian the two may graph similarly but that's where it stops. They sound miles apart the OH10 hits with authority and has special sauce because of the copper shell. The highs are extended but no siblance for me and I am trebble sensitive the Storm not so much. We all hear differently but I would not want to buy a Storm and think it going to do anything like the OH10.

I am happy if someone gets aural pleasure from the Storm and it turns thier crank!

Yes, I borrowed a friend's Obsidian for a couple of weeks. That copper shell does do something special. But they are quite heavy!

 

[InvisibleInk]

I see no value in praising Truthear for releasing the something like 10th derivative of the same tuning we’ve gotta for a year. I’m done with all the copycats chasing a smaller and smaller piece of the same Harman-neutral pie. That’s all I’m saying.

I wonder how many vocal naysayers it will take to slow the Truthear hype train?

 

[gmdb]

I see no value in praising Truthear for releasing the something like 10th derivative of the same tuning we’ve gotta for a year. I’m done with all the copycats chasing a smaller and smaller piece of the same Harman-neutral pie. That’s all I’m saying.

Yeah, it's been an interesting year for this but it does seem that as soon as a different tuning comes out it will get as much love as it gets critics saying "something wrong with the tuning". This is entirely reasonable and to be expected because people's hearing differs. But for companies who pay too much attention to more critical responses only, there is a risk that their products will start to trend towards an average that appeals widely but is unexciting. But, of course, I am stating nothing new; it simply seemed relevant to the KB Ear Storm (which I have not heard).

 

[AmericanSpirit]

What do you guys think of these sites that purport to put a recording signature of an IEM that you can listen to?
I mean we all use different sources and transducers while trying to listen to these site's recording signatures, so that in itself will skew the FR and give different colouration.

I guess the best that these recordings provide is perhaps to know the general tonality of the IEM on the site, and perhaps compare tonal balance against other IEMs in that site. If for example, one is using an IEM at home that has different transducers, it in itself may give different technicalities/timbre to the recording signature compared to someone using another IEM at home? These sites are similar to using EQ to see the tonal balance of an advertised IEM?







Thanks for taking one for the team! Definitely, the sub $20 budget has gems like the Truthear HOLA, Salnotes Zero and Tangzu Wan'er, and those are the gatekeepers.

Yea he mentioned that final product through each local environment will have their part of alternation. The purpose of that recording signature is “cross comparison“ among original source vs IEM in review vs other comparison target.

If one benchmarked references, like KZ ZAS for his ZAR review, or DQ6S for this DQS, I have the comparison reference IEM and pretty familiar with the sound, so it’s a good starting point to see how would the tonal balance could differ from the comparable benchmark.

It is helpful in a way of actually hearing a slight hint of final product of the sound, in a remote environment, especially followed up with FR comparisons and walk-thru of comparison notes by wordings.

That channel describes the review is composed of “actual sound“ x “ “fr measurements (including ear tip roll measurements) “ x “ words”, which I found pretty neat after watching 10-20 short reviews.

I see his review comments a year ago about TRN X7 were very implying

for something he doesn’t like

but starts to get very straightforward for the latest bass rolled terribly tuned IEM Earfun Air Pro 3


So that I can take as change in review style Pretty fun to see change in review style as I followed same path when I was young.

 

[gooberbm]

I wonder how many vocal naysayers it will take to slow the Truthear hype train?

It won’t stop it. It is a good, safe, easy to like tuning, with a great build quality in this bracket, so in a vacuum it’s going to deserve praise. But if you’ve bought Chu or Zero, or Wan’er, C2 or C3, or Cadenza, or a KZ/CCA like EDA, CXS, or FLA, or HBB, what is the point of this? What are doing here?

Both parts are true: Hola is a fine $20 set, but it is completely pointless, and 3+ months behind the trends

 

[gmdb]

I wonder how many vocal naysayers it will take to slow the Truthear hype train?

I think that perhaps the high construction quality of Truthear products may give them greater resilience.