The discovery thread!

[Ferdinando1968]

Yeah, that's all well and good, but which one sounds better, Bro?

I am not able to hear the difference, certainly due to my technical incapacity.

 

[PhonoPhi]

Yes, the capacitance is that of the adjacent cables (distinguished between the closest cables, which power a specific IEM, and the other nearby cables, which power the other IEM).

Indeed, the parasitic capacitance is very low, and at 20kz it produces a capacitive reactance of tens of kohms (therefore it would be like inserting a 'resistance' between insulated cables of a few tens of kohms.)

This produces interference between adjacent channels, but very very low ).

The series inductance, on the other hand, produces more effect, producing (again at 20khz) an inductive reactance with more impact value compared to the pure resistance of the cable.

If you want you can have fun calculating the inductive reactance on this site:

https://www.digikey.it/it/resources/conversion-calculators/conversion-calculator-reactance

Naturally these are values that change with frequency, I considered 20kz, considered the upper range in audio.

Reactance can be a factor for power-speaker cables (with the high inductance of the transducer, the capacitance of the circuit can sensitively matter). With the very low voltage/power of IEM cables, the reactance has a negligible effect, no matter how you slice it from what I measured and seen published.
I really like to keep an open mind , so I would be happy to consider and discuss any reasonable evidence.

 

[F700]

Provided you do own many or just one very good mmcx-terminated cable(s) and you don’t have the cash or your worthy time to re-order those for your precious 2pin-terminated IEMs, then there is an easy solution. A mmcx-2pin adapter. You might say: « uhhh, nothing new mate… ». And you would be right. Still, it’s never too late to get some, if like me, you are a cable guy/girl.

 

[W0lrince]

Since we were talking about cable, here's some nice cable that i found, and of course on taobao

Spoiler: This is swap-able connector (bothside)

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Havi B3 Pro and the JVC FXT90. The OG dual dynamics, which I'm thinking, are still technically on the same level as the spate of dual dynamics released recently.

 

[kazinova]

I finally got around to messing with the EQ on the Quartet and it's a really flexible platform. It takes to adjustments better than some of the other IEMs I have on hand. Not sure if that's related to the basic tuning or having more drivers making it more flexible. I did kind of get addicted to a "basshead mode" juicing up the sub bass and bass really makes the dynamic drivers push your eardrums around.

 

[MVVp]

I still enjoy the Quartet every day. My main problem is that the nozzles are not great for holding on to tips. This morning I had to use tweezers to remove a HS18 tip from one ear and I had already used the narrowest variant of that set. Other tips have also come off.

 

[baskingshark]

Why earbuds do they manage to be better on soundstage?

Can you show me an image of a commercial product to help me understand?

If you see image A - earbuds - the transducer does not enter the external ear canal. Ie you do not get a seal.
In image B - traditional IEMs - the eartip blocks the ear canal and can generate a seal.

So in image A, when a earbud plays music, the sound waves are perceived to be obtained from outside the ear canal, in contrast to image B where the sound waves are contained inside the external ear canal.

There are pros and cons for both transducer types. Earbuds have superior soundstage in general, but they lack a seal, which also affects sub-bass frequencies. Earbuds thus have zero isolation, and most earbuds are weak in sub-bass for this reason. There are exceptions in some cases, like the Smabat earbuds, which have an acoustic labyrinth design to increase the sound tube lengths to give more sub-bass, but most IEMs will beat earbuds in sub-bass and isolation.

Some may desire the zero isolation in earbuds to get situational awareness and expansive soundstage, but some may want the IEM's isolation to protect hearing health or block out noise, so earbuds and IEMs are useful for different case scenarios. I won't wear earbuds in a noisy subway (not good for hearing health and can't hear details for nuts), but I use earbuds at home everyday!

What are the top picks for buds in the low, mid & top tier.

Budget earbuds ($1 - 10ish USD):
$1 USD can get you a VIDO earbud, which is a bit V-shaped. Not very technical but quite decent for 1 buck. Can 1 buck buy a MacDonalds meal nowadays, don't think so haha.

Other budget $10ish good budget pairs are the Yincrow X6 - which is kind of a BLON BL-03 of the earbud world. Lousy technicalities, but superb timbre and note weight and non fatiguing and smooth. RY4S Plus 32 ohm is a bassy V-shaped all-rounder.



MidFI earbuds ($20 - 50 USD):
The NiceHCK EB2S is quite a nice balanced midcentric earbud.
The FAAEAL Rosemary is an L-shaped bassy and warm earbud. Thick bass and hefty note weight. Needs amplification due to 150 ohm impedance.
SMABAT M2S Pro is a unique earbud that allows you to change drivers and tinker around with various sound signatures.



TOTL earbuds ($100ish):
SMABAT ST10S (Black Gold) is a V-shaped set. Slightly metallic timbre but big sub-bass due to the aforementioned labryinth design.
Yinman 2.0 600 Ohm - thick L-shaped pair, huge bass, very warm and smooth. Zero fatigue. Still retaining good details and technicalities. Unfortunately, has 600 ohm impedance and < 90dB/mW sensitivity, Apple dongle for sure cannot drive this behemoth.
Ourart QJ21 Selected Edition - warm midcentric set, very good for vocals.
NiceHCK EBX21 - neutral bright, very technical and analytical but lacks bass and can be fatiguing/sibilant.

 

[baskingshark]

New DUNU Falcon Ultra coming this summer.

Seems to have tunable screw on nozzles.

 

[Surf Monkey]

G

New DUNU Falcon Ultra coming this summer.

Seems to have tunable screw on nozzles.

Blue Vernus?

 

[chickenmoon]

Jackpot with the Fono Reference 01, it's a truly excellent single DD set. If you've got $500 to waste and are into dynamics, just get them, you won't regret it.

 

[baskingshark]

Jackpot with the Fono Reference 01, it's a truly excellent single DD set. If you've got $500 to waste and are into dynamics, just get them, you won't regret it.

Wow boss, do you have a store link or graphs?

 

[chickenmoon]

Wow boss, do you have a store link or graphs?

I bought them from some store on Aliexpress and there is a graph in a Chinese review which I posted in this thread before I bought them.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005015814425.html
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/577232315

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I still enjoy the Quartet every day. My main problem is that the nozzles are not great for holding on to tips. This morning I had to use tweezers to remove a HS18 tip from one ear and I had already used the narrowest variant of that set. Other tips have also come off.

Yep. Ditto. Happened with my favorite old school tips (UE silicones) and they were great synergy tips, but they kept popping out and in my ear, so I had to switch to Spring tips.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I finally got around to messing with the EQ on the Quartet and it's a really flexible platform. It takes to adjustments better than some of the other IEMs I have on hand. Not sure if that's related to the basic tuning or having more drivers making it more flexible. I did kind of get addicted to a "basshead mode" juicing up the sub bass and bass really makes the dynamic drivers push your eardrums around.

I told ya so! LOL I absolutely dig my Quartet, because they are extremely EQ pliable. They need EQ. They demand it!