The discovery thread!

[Asakurai]

Will you graph it? Or let neptone graph it? Just want to know if it better or not

will let neptone graph it later, maybe i'll send to his city or he will come here lol

for now, just enjoy the graph from the builder with his own rig, it's the default one without any switch on

Spoiler: Graph

 

[baskingshark]

Talking about graphs, look what I am playing with today


Here is the graph of hexa from this coupler, I guess I am doing something wrong looking at its high-frequency band.



I am just trying to learn this, getting a coupler for myself as well, will surely help in describing the sound better. I guess i will find help here from people who are already using one.

Welcome to the MEASUREBATOR CLUB!!!

Here are some small tips for measuring IEMs:


1) Use a sound card that is neutral so that it doesn't colour the frequencies. I have seen some folks use a bass boosted sound card that skews the bass, so it always looks bassier on that person's graphs compared to most other measurers.

2) The seller of the coupler should have an individualized calibration file for your coupler. You should enable it on your measuring as each coupler has some tolerances that varies from others.

3) Try to use the same volume at 1 kHz to match it against other IEMs in your collection. As long as it is consistent, then at least you can compare it across your other graphs.

4) Try to insert the IEM as deep/shallow as until the coupler peak reflects at the 8kHz band. This will be a consistent landmark, as insertion depth affects the graph and resonances.

5) Some measurers use the same tips across all IEMs eg foam tips, some use the IEM's stock tips. Nothing right or wrong, just be consistent.

6) Take averages of both sides to rule out biases.

7) Would be good to place the coupler on a foam material in a quiet room. No fan blowing, no noisy kids shouting for example. The foam is important as some couplers are so sensitive that even a neighbour slamming a door can be picked up on the measurements.

8) Measurements above the 8 kHz coupler peak are generally not accurate.

ULTIMATE REDUCTION is a very apt name. It will ultimately reduce the coins in your wallet to zero.

 

[Asakurai]

ULTIMATE REDUCTION is a very apt name. It will ultimately reduce the coins in your wallet to zero.

well, you need to know lot of slank word on chinese forum lol
people who addict to buy audio would be called "have fever"
while good and stable product called as "fever reduction"

so yeah, "Ultimate Reduction" is relateable since i considered this IEM as my endgame to end this hobby (i spend lot on Audio, maybe $10k? i don't know, lost count, might stop it ASAP lol)

 

[Kaleb]

Saw this on Reddit, you can get the KZ PR2 for $24 per set now, absolute bargain! You'd have to buy two though and the use the old code CKIA4QEC16VF

 

[gadgetgod]

Welcome to the MEASUREBATOR CLUB!!!

Here are some small tips for measuring IEMs:


1) Use a sound card that is neutral so that it doesn't colour the frequencies. I have seen some folks use a bass boosted sound card that skews the bass, so it always looks bassier on that person's graphs compared to most other measurers.

2) The seller of the coupler should have an individualized calibration file for your coupler. You should enable it on your measuring as each coupler has some tolerances that varies from others.

3) Try to use the same volume at 1 kHz to match it against other IEMs in your collection. As long as it is consistent, then at least you can compare it across your other graphs.

4) Try to insert the IEM as deep/shallow as until the coupler peak reflects at the 8kHz band. This will be a consistent landmark, as insertion depth affects the graph and resonances.

5) Some measurers use the same tips across all IEMs eg foam tips, some use the IEM's stock tips. Nothing right or wrong, just be consistent.

6) Take averages of both sides to rule out biases.

7) Would be good to place the coupler on a foam material in a quiet room. No fan blowing, no noisy kids shouting for example. The foam is important as some couplers are so sensitive that even a neighbour slamming a door can be picked up on the measurements.

8) Measurements above the 8 kHz coupler peak are generally not accurate.

Thank you for your kind suggestions bro!! for sure I will keep all these things in mind when my coupler arrives(about 20 days away as of now). As of now, I was using Foam ear tips with the IEMs for measuring.

 

[activatorfly]

And oppoty. Never forget oppoty.

"There's lots of oppoty tune ities" !!

 

[bithalver]

I’ve many higher cables as Ares S 8W and 4W, HanSound Nyx, CEMA PS, Dunu Viridian and others but purple calls me even if looks I’ll waist money

So you put that on your belt ?
Seriously, if you like it, buy it.

 

[PhonoPhi]

In my use case the dongle does digital to analog and generates a pure single-ended line out signal to my external portable amplifiers from my digital transport, which has no built-in DAC or amp. So in this chain this simple dongle solution does pretty much all I want it to do. I wouldn't consider replacing this link, and simplistic form factor, with anything more capable or feature-rich than it already is. I can't help but think my amplifiers (Little Bear B4-X and iFi xCAN) are where all of the source magic is coming from when it comes to influencing the sound.

I have this (far-from-dogmatic) personal idea:

Transducer > amplifier > DAC > cable (or other negligible factors such as balanced vs. single-ended or lossless vs. lossy files).

So I might be willing to experiment with a different dongle in my portable source chain, but only if the possible alternatives have the exact same physical form factor, which excludes DAPs and fancy DAC/Amp dongles with multiple outputs and buttons, etc.

For me DAPs are another subject. One of these days I will have to consider upgrading my Shanling Q1. May it last forever...

If you think about it, there is no pure DAC operatiion without some amping (pre-amping) - a common pitfall of science forum purists that repeat the mantra of "all DACs sounding the same" ad nauseum.
Generating an analogue signal involves voltage modulation that can have different noise, distortions, etc.

As for the Apple dongle, it is less obvious but more imposing for 'audiophiles" limitation is to drive low-impedance loads. The Apple dongle was designed to work with earpods with ca. 40 Ohm impedance, and it does it very well. Old classic Etymotic was designed with a similar impedance. Then for the higher-impedance loads, it is just the limitation of power (voltage), plain obvious by not having enough volume.
With the low-impedance loads, especially highly variable with frequency, exemplified by Andromeda, higher currents need to be produced. Few portable sources can do it well (and, incidentally, have the specs for driving loads below 16 Ohm). The most pressing problem there is fast modulations of these relatively high currents needed to reproduce fast transients, with the limitations there leading to sounding "dull' and lifeless.

 

[lucanato]

Cables are one thing, but I’m more interested in dongles at the moment. I’m using this dirt cheap Apple dongle as a DAC out of my xDuoo digital transport and I have to wonder if any other dongle out there could sound different?

I sold the dc03pro and questyle M12, and returned moondroop Dawn and ordered ibasso dc04pro and Cayin ru6 to make a comparison . Dongles do have their sound! I let you know

 

[DynamicEars]

I sold the dc03pro and questyle M12, and returned moondroop Dawn and ordered ibasso dc04pro and Cayin ru6 to make a comparison . Dongles do have their sound! I let you know

Tell us more which one have best sound to you, grazie!

 

[AmericanSpirit]

so which one with clear shell and huge case? blessing 3?
anole vx still one of the best resolution, it's absolutely endgame for someone who seeks microdetail, it's all around you and smooth with sometimes glare around lower treble

and I just received my endgame 20BA with 3 switch IEM from my favorite builder, it cost 8000 RMB, but i think it's worth, it's much better than any TOTL i've tried (i tried a lot, including u18t /u12t/ext/phonix/z1r and many more)

Spoiler: Endgame IEM

now i'm waiting for your impression of W10

clear shell one is DT200.

Likewise to your 20BA impressions too!

 

[marklivia]

PW Audio’s Peter Wong says “it’s not material of the cable that matters, the structural components that matter to sound”

Do you know what he meant by that "structural components"? Does that mean the casing on the wire, the tips used, what?

 

[Nimweth]

This is a first. I have heard of lossless music files and lossless DAPs but now we have these:
https://m.vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005274700000.html
Lossless IEMs! Er, how does that work then? Looks a bit like a Kato rip-off to me!

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Do you know what he meant by that "structural components"? Does that mean the casing on the wire, the tips used, what?

I guess more of components of the cable itself, like the overall combination of plugs, cables / connectors

 

[nraymond]

Today

I just rent out many of my collections to a young prospective audiophile.

He is a trainee from Japan to my office.

Young Trainee:
”I love gadgets! In fact I’ve tried Sennheiser’s Momentum, AirPods Pro, Bose, and decided to buy Sony’s XM3 and running with LDAC“

AS:
“Good! Welcome to audio enthusiasts hobby, I will lend you some of my collections. Tell me which one did you feel that would cost few grants“

I rent out following without any pre-info or whatsoever:

-AuR Audio Neon Pro w/ NiceHCK flagship cable DragonScale (and stored in the leather case of Drafon Scale, it looks a lot more high-end than the stock round plain case of NP)

-SoundRhyme DTE500 w/Null Audio Ethos Mkv & SR8

for best EST tribrid and 14BA experience
-7Hz Timeless OG (obviously still the best technical planar)

-My PEQ’d Blessing 3 on LittleWhite (crazy air boost retuning)
For all rounder hybrid experience

-Truthear HEXA
for LCP bass and best cost performance experience

-Anole VX
for best resolution experience

-Audiosense DT200
for well tuned small composition simple 2BA exposure

-Mangird Tea OG
for highly dense mid-range

-L&P W2
for simple solution to get his song library to those IEMs

-Kato
For technical single DD experience


His feedback was
“I feel the blue box IEM has got the best resolution thus I feel that’s the most expensive one. “

“But all of them had different characters, and there was not single one that is clearly “inferior“ to another , well maybe if I had to chose one, the clear shell one in a huge carrying case.

I auditioned these IEMs with just one tracks, so I felt some IEMs could have a better match on other tracks”

”I actually liked the black round and flat IEMs a lot. It sounds lively”

”The square-ish one was not bad too, I was surprised to hear from you that IEM is one of the lowest priced among them“


I’m so happy that a young prospected audiophile can easily tell Anole VX over SR8 and Neon Pro, and was very accurate in telling DT200 is the lowest performing out of all.

Now my second audiophile growing batch will be niche ones. Only affordable range but all high performing.

SHIO, GK100, Lokahi, SR5, AQ4, 41T, P5, Aria, EA500, Wu, Rinko, and incoming PR2

What eartips were on these?