The discovery thread!

[Vonbuddy]

This is a new source from an American company (likely built in China).
https://rslspeakers.com/products/rsl-ia255-1-integrated-amplifier/

I purchased this today.

 

[Vonbuddy]

 

[vafler86]

You have yourself a nice collection.
P8 I believe refers to Aful performer 8.
I had the Tangzu Wu Zetian, returned it, didn't out perform a hybrid 1 DD 1 BA set I have.
You enjoy FH3 more than Variations?

Thank you. I do like FH3 more, even tho i can hear that variations is "better" and more refined. Its something special with FH3. i first thought it was bass, so bought ikko oh10 but it isnt bass. I just cant describe what it is. For Electronic music, i just love FH3.

 

[psykanoc]

My goal is to tune Butastur to compete with Neon Pro with a lower offering, thus to break a new ground of true highly technical IEM at an affordable price, not for 1% of rich people, but for rest of us.

Wow that's awesome! Hoping you are able to reach your goal!

 

[requal]

To me, it does not play much above $20 compared to the competition - I like Hola much more. D Hi-Fi is also more fun to me and the built of Fiio is appaling with the poorly joint seams, scratchy. Accessories is on the level of KZ two years ago.
I only got my unit because I was "lucky" first 50. But then I was totally out of luck with deplorable NL post shipping of almost two months.
I thought to put a short review, but it is not worth my time.

The only way I can see people buying such IEMs is for the "name game", similar to Shure, but then out of $35 retail - about half may be for the name (and the free samples for the praising reviewers).

I had the same impressions with FD11 - but I don't like Fiio at all so it's a bias.

Everything raw and unrefined from the build to the sound.

 

[W0lrince]

- Mom, can i have 7hz Legato?
- But babe, we have 7hz Legato at home
7hz Legato at home:

---

Will post review on VE Master and Rikubuds GAS2 tomorrow

 

[Jaytiss]

I personally EQ the P8. Push the entire bass up 3dB, pull down the 1kHz by 1.5dB. It’s more fun and the stage opens up as the midrange is pulled away from the head. Still no MEST III though, so keep your hope in check

If you want to complement the P8, I recommend grabbing something that goes for obvious coloured sound. The “neutral-with-bass-boost”/U-shaped game is pretty much covered. Unfortunately I don’t have any good coloured IEM that I can recommend in your price range. You wouldn’t happen to have a mountain of cash laying around for a VE Phonix, aren’t you

Maybe a secondhand Andro 2020?

You need to review that P8 that you speak of. Are you getting a Kiwi Ears Quintet? I enjoy your reviews and opinions.

 

[o0genesis0o]

You need to review that P8 that you speak of. Are you getting a Kiwi Ears Quintet? I enjoy your reviews and opinions.

Yeah, the P8 review has been delayed a while I think I'll review the VE Phoenix, and then P8, and then Dunu Alpha 3, and then MEST III, and then possibly Kinera Phoenixcall.

Unfortunately, my timing and schedule do not work with the release of Quintet so I sat that one out.

TBH, too many decent IEMs nowadays. If it's not a train wreck, it's likely that one wouldn't regret buying any of these IEMs that manage to stay in the public attention for more than 1 week if you simply want something decent to use. If you buy and try IEM as a hobby, that's a different situation.

 

[baskingshark]

That build looks expensive. Any price?

Did u try any HISENIOR?

I bought a few Hisenior IEMs in the past, multi BA types. Most are tuned neutral/warm neutral or midcentric, good technical chops with good isolation. I think they are more meant to be for audio work/stage monitoring. The company is a customs maker and use Sonions and Knowles in their gear.
Sold them away though, to fund more purchases in this hobby.

But yeah for resolution you want a good all-BA IEM and unfortunately I can't think of a good all-BA under like $1000 lol

The Sony M9 is an older model, but it is warm netural with excellent imaging, soundstage and layering. Smooth and quite non-fatiguing. NO BA timbre, as Sony uses some special sponge in the nozzle to tame the BAs - that's their special tuning sauce.

Also got another delivery from CVJ, a free unit in return for some impressions online.

CVJ MEI, 1 DD 2 BA Hybrid. Energetic set that is resolving, great bass, mids and treble. Has what I consider a very good tuning for technical electronica or metal/rock.

Perhaps best hybrid under $100? depends on taste in tuning of course. For now just this first impression and more to come later, going to compare against ISN H30 and Simgot EA500(even if only single DD).

The CVJ Mei is a very interesting tunable IEM. It is a three driver hybrid: 1 x 10mm DD and 2 BAs (1 x Knowles and 1 x customized BA).

The tuning switches are designed within the crossovers, so toggling the switches will deactivate/activate various drivers inside the shell. The switches work and do change the sound signature as per the graphs.

With both switches up (black graph) - all 3 drivers (DD + 2BA) are in play
With both switches down (blue graph) - only the DD is in play (BAs are both turned off)
With switch 1 Up, switch 2 Down (green graph) - 1DD + 1 Knowles BA is in play (custom BA is off)
With switch 1 Down, switch 2 Up (red graph) - 1DD + 1 custom BA is in play (Knowles BA is off)

CVJ Mei graph via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

 

[baskingshark]

Final Audio and DITA seems to be releasing some new stuff on the horizon.

https://final-inc.com/blogs/top/news-81

1) Final Reb GRID01
https://reb-audio.com/blogs/news/04
https://reb-audio.com/blogs/news/05

This is a tunable IEM that Final claims has 100,000 tuning options!!!

At Can Jam Singapore, I tried the predecessor Final MAKE 4 (which was itself a highly customizable IEM where there were multiple tuning options via rear and front nozzles adjusted via variations in the screw depth, dampers at the vents, and different placement of the driver and chambers).

This Reb GRID01 does not have a back screw-on vent and looks to be less customizable, but maybe we can wait for further news on this interesting bullet-shaped IEM with myraid configurations.



2) Final VR2000 IEM

Seems to be a specialist gaming IEM.




3) DITA Navigator dongle DAC/AMP

This is an interesting dongle DAC/AMP I tried at Can Jam Singapore. The DAC chip is a dual ESS ES9219, the prototype I tried was quite smooth despite the ESS chip. Power specs of 340mW@32Ω with 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports.

I brought the notoriously low sensitivity Final E5000 to Can Jam, and was surprised that the Navigator dongle managed to decently drive this beast on 4.4mm.

This dongle has a little tail that can be extended to hold a DAP or phone while playing music, so that is quite a creative design. Some personal photos below from Can Jam.

Credit to Edric Li (https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fin...scussion-thread.613641/page-768#post-17632551) for the first 2 IEMs headsup.

 

[Spork67]

My "new" SRM-006tA arrived yesterday from Spritzer / Mjolnir audio.
It's been modded to drive the '007's (if they ever clear customs from country of origin...).
It replaces my beloved SRM-T1, which by all accounts don't have the grunt to do justice to the '007's.

I do like the silver finish and the overall aesthetic.

Sound is fantastic - I "think" I'm getting even better separation and bass than I did from the T1, or perhaps I'm just listening more intently, or suffering from some confirmation bias.
The T1 sounded amazing too.

Hopefully I'll be back here commenting on how it sounds with the new HP's soon.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Received these samples from the Aussie tour yesterday.

I know the W4 dongle from L&P has received a lot of hate for their price (I remember it is roughly the same price as a lower-end DAP). However, the sheer sound quality alone is very impressive. Coming from 3 days with only BTR5, I was almost ready to buy a W4 for myself immediately due to how much more spacious and dynamic it sounds. (And then I use the dongle as a dongle, with my phone, to do the house work. And I remember why I dislike dongles so much. Tangly cables, random disconnection, hard to change volume, no playback buttons).

Oh yeah, the MEST III is here as well. Not much to say besides "Yup, It's TOTL". Very straightforward U-shaped sound with that famous MEST imaging. It's not just larger, but the accuracy of the placement of instruments within that space, particularly the near-far placement is impressive. Noted that I have good fit, so the shells have a lot of contact with my ears. I imaging if you have no contact, the BCD might not work well. The cable is a pain in the backside though. I think the MEST III is a too expensive for my taste, particularly this special edition (red colour). I might save up for the discounted MEST II instead, which retails for nearly half the price of these.

 

[Nimweth]

Just nice, the KZ Krila has just arrived. Graphs via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.


This IEM retails at $16 USD. Unlike the recently well-received KZ D-FI (single DD), the Krila is a HYBRID (10mm XUN DD + 30095 BA). Like the D-FI, the Krila has 4 tuning switches to give a total of 16 possible permutations.

While the tunable version of the D-FI had a 4 dB change in sub-bass between the most extreme of tuning switches, the Krila has a 5 dB change in bass, but also on graphing, there are some small changes noted above 7 kHz, so the switches aren't gimmicks.




The recent CVJ TXS ($11ish USD) was quite gimmicky as 3 out of 4 tuning permutations were the same, and the last was very subtly different, so the KZ Krila is probably the cheapest tunable IEM (as of the time of writing) that has legit changes in tonality with the various switch settings.


Haha spent a migraine inducing 45 minutes to graph and average everything, but for the sake of science! Listening impressions to come later!

The different switch settings appear to make such minimal changes, are they actually audible?

 

[Ichos]

Something new and interesting is coming from Kinera Celeste.
The Phoenixcall

1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar drivers

I except to have one as soon as is ready.

 

[Carpet]

Something new and interesting is coming from Kinera Celeste.
The Phoenixcall

1DD+2BA+2 Micro Planar drivers

I except to have one as soon as is ready.

Funnily enough those bird motifs on the faceplates immediately bought PRS guitars to mind. Never owned one, but the inlays on some of those fretboards were beautiful.