The discovery thread!

[Ferdinando1968]

Can’t say this is a bad thing. MQA has always struck me as little more than a thinly disguised scam.

The 'scam' was touting the codec as lossless.
If they touted it as a high-quality lossy codec, which has advantages in terms of bandwidth required for streaming, and whose sound output may appeal to some, probably no dispute would have opened.

Personally, as a Tidal user, I don't mind.
(although my judgment is biased, because I'm a bass-head).

 

[Leonarfd]

@emdeevee
I'm sure you may know of the SHOZY B2? Both the B2 and the EST50 came alive. Where Penon originally offered the B2 with the ISN SC4 cable, and while that totally works, this Vocal Cable has more meat on it, while still making the B2 open-up and transcend the bass overload that some cables do with it. The EST50 has me in actual tears today. Probably the first tears I have shed in at least 60 days over an IEM. But I don't have chill bumps much any more, maybe once a year?

Also I don't know why the EST50 is better now than when I first tried it? It may be the Vocal Cable burn-in? I'm just finishing-up my review and the EST50 never ever sounded so good. It's exactly like using the ISN SC4 with the EST50, only now it's filled out and gloriously interactive?

Haha, making me almost want to wait with my review of EST50 until the Penon Vocal arrives. I can always edit in a part about it later, also need my Editor Chan(wife) to go trough my grammar.

I had almost 2 months now only using the Neon Pro, so the EST50 was a little soft sounding in treble at first going back. After a hour I remember why I liked the EST50 so much, I had almost finished the review when I got the NP. It just took all my head time since I were in shock of the quality of NP.

EST50 has this musical and fun sound that is never fatiguing with its gentle pina gain. I think many think of EST50 as a basshead IEM, its so much more than that. Not a IEM many talk about, I would put them in top 10 for me. And is a keeper.

 

[emdeevee]

@emdeevee
I'm sure you may know of the SHOZY B2? Both the B2 and the EST50 came alive. Where Penon originally offered the B2 with the ISN SC4 cable, and while that totally works, this Vocal Cable has more meat on it, while still making the B2 open-up and transcend the bass overload that some cables do with it. The EST50 has me in actual tears today. Probably the first tears I have shed in at least 60 days over an IEM. But I don't have chill bumps much any more, maybe once a year?

Also I don't know why the EST50 is better now than when I first tried it? It may be the Vocal Cable burn-in? I'm just finishing-up my review and the EST50 never ever sounded so good. It's exactly like using the ISN SC4 with the EST50, only now it's filled out and gloriously interactive?

You guys are going to make me buy EST-50!? This rabbit hole knows no ends!

 

[acygni]

That’s great to hear that affirmation from Chifi-expert

Any new findings on hidden gems other than YS Sword?

Do you have Sword’s taobao link again? I may try it someday.

There are really tons but here are a few.

One of the more established (relatively) shop that nobody talks about is Toneking:
https://m.tb.cn/h.UHoSMXv

mbquart was a supposedly an originally German audio brand that failed in China and got it's name(in China exclusively) bought out by these ppl that are now making a huge iem catalog:
https://m.tb.cn/h.UIBSmn1

few other DIY shops that offer what appears high spec sets at very friendly prices:
https://m.tb.cn/h.UI3UySz
https://m.tb.cn/h.UIB7dgc
https://m.tb.cn/h.UHoiqEn

BGVP and Fearless also got a bunch of new lineups that nobody look at anymore.

 

[cqtek]

Let it burn! J/k. I didn't hear any change after letting them run by themselves for a day.

One trick is to wear them with a shallow fit. I think you tried to fit the IEM deep into the coupler (that small peak at 8.5kHz). All issues about soundstage width would be resolved with shallow fit, and the treble peaks would be brought down to audible region to reduce the darkness.


He is not wrong though. The whole comment.

If we turn the cards upside down, I'm not a believer in burning....

To make my measurements more comparable with each other, I usually use the same foam tips in all IEMS, also the same insertion depth. Sometimes I even use the same foam tip in both channels to minimise possible variations. I know that this misses a universe of nuances that are provided by the included silicone tips. But I have noticed that measurements above 7kHz became very inconsistent with the silicone tips in my rig. So I was looking for a compromise solution and it is the one I am explaining here.
We all know that these microphones are not very reliable in those regions... But having such a huge database, thanks to Squiglink, I tried to adopt a method that would fit with the rest of the measurements.

So the insertion depth is determined by the size of the foam tip I use. It is clear that the deeper the mic, the more sound pressure there is, especially in bass and treble. That's why I always try to keep it the same.

It is not a question of getting it wrong or not. It's about the twists and turns of life. What was black yesterday can be white today and be the same person. Yesterday, I was a Penon reviewer and now I am not. I am not going to criticise Penon, not at all, quite the contrary, because the shop has helped me to become the reviewer I am today. I will always be grateful to him for supporting an unknown, a novice like me, back then.

I heeded what he wrote and it was a lesson learned.
I just wanted to remember that. And to let people know that things are different today than they were back then.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Haha, making me almost want to wait with my review of EST50 until the Penon Vocal arrives. I can always edit in a part about it later, also need my Editor Chan(wife) to go trough my grammar.

I had almost 2 months now only using the Neon Pro, so the EST50 was a little soft sounding in treble at first going back. After a hour I remember why I liked the EST50 so much, I had almost finished the review when I got the NP. It just took all my head time since I were in shock of the quality of NP.

EST50 has this musical and fun sound that is never fatiguing with its gentle pina gain. I think many think of EST50 as a basshead IEM, its so much more than that. Not a IEM many talk about, I would put them in top 10 for me. And is a keeper.

I would at least write about the Vocal Cable in a ISN EST50 review if you have both!

You guys are going to make me buy EST-50!? This rabbit hole knows no ends!

Truly the Vocal Cable gave me insight into a new level of involvement with the ISN EST50!




Here is my Vocal Cable Review!
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/penon-vocal-iem-cable.26417/reviews#review-30538

 

[FranQL]

Btw, @FranQL: I have just A/B Legato with my E5000. I don't know what to tell you, the E5000 driven from my Shanling M6Ultra is less bass and ironically, less warm and dark than the Legato. In any case, I think you can just stay away from this whole sound signature altogether. I have strange feeling that if you dislike E5000, you will dislike Legato too.

I'm really very attentive to Legato comments, I have absolutely nothing against bassy, as long as the mids and highs "exist" with dignity.

E5000 is an IEM that I hate, but not because I consider it bassy, it is in its entirety, it is not for me.

 

[AudioNewbie76]

@AmericanSpirit i think the SR5 that you found is actually real, i found one iem that graph similar to your SR8! It's only 1300yuan = 190usd with 6ba both side

Link
Also i found this Etymotic Inear style

Link 399 = around 60-70ish and even have private model if you want to!
I really need an isolate iem to gaming so i guess i might try to buy this etymotic with switches, still haven't figure out how yet

Looks interesting, wonder how it stacks up against actual Etymotics, both the ER3SE and ER4SR

 

[gooberbm]

Hmm, if you find EA500’s stock filter fine, 41T is less brighter than EA500 by 20% in my perceived treble energy.

It is less likely that you’d find a spiciness in brass and strings, or female vocal’s edgy notes.

That's the thing though: EA500 can be a LITTLE bit spicy if you prefer listening at moderate-high to high volumes. I'm not a "blast my ears out" type, but I do like to listen above moderate levels and so far on stock tips and cable, 41T has a hot spot for me when pushing the volume. Just want to say that for people

 

[W0lrince]

Another day, another discovery, 2ba + 2ba + 1ba + 2est config with module like 64audio
Link

Graph????

How can he make that graph?, but anyway price 2599yuan = 378usd

 

[W0lrince]

Another one since i'm bored
Qdc Anole VX clone for 1480yuan = 215$, 16 driver (1DD??? + 7BA) with tunning switch. Link

 

[Redcarmoose]

They are a totally different shell than DUNU SA6 original!

 

[Neithan]

Another one since i'm bored
Qdc Anole VX clone for 1480yuan = 215$, 16 driver (1DD??? + 7BA) with tunning switch. Link

They are pretty

 

[Redcarmoose]

These Penon cables seem to have something very special indeed. I have also just ordered a Vocal...the price is too low for it to compete with my Leo Plus, or Space for that matter. But reading its config and knowing the weird magic they get with exotic materials, I had to go for it.

You feel the Vocal doesn’t compete with the Space and Leo Plus, yet I have those cables too. And all I can say is the Vocal brings something new and really different that not to take away anything from both the Space and Leo Plus, but this is a slightly different direction. The Leo Plus has a more sophisticated edge, that it makes (you know) the mids something of a phenomenon, and truthfully I like the Space better with the Serial, but every cable has their uses.

Yes, it’s less than the Space and way way less than the Leo Plus, but regardless, both the Leo Plus and Space can’t make the SHOZY B2 or ISN EST50 sound this way. And frankly it’s really the best I have ever heard those two sound? I think you may be surprised and regardless of price hold the Vocal Cable as priceless?

 

[lushmelody]

Another day, another discovery, 2ba + 2ba + 1ba + 2est config with module like 64audio
Link

Graph????

How can he make that graph?, but anyway price 2599yuan = 378usd

I like how we just see a fraction of hundreds of actual new releases that arent on Ali