The discovery thread!

[PeacockObscura]

I'll be more precise.. I like them aesthetically.. I have no idea how they might sound..
(I imagine they won't be in the slightest comparable to any IMR, but sometimes these products turn out to be surprising. I'm thinking of the 41t for example)

OK I like the 41T I love the EPZ 530 and appreciate the Kiwi ears Quintet I favour DD iems but I like to have a variety of signatures in my collection my only dislike is thin ultra neutral signatures with anemic bass response

 

[RikudouGoku]

@RikudouGoku might have written about this device before. I remember searching for review to buy this little amp, and I ran across some unfavourable impressions regarding loudness and noise floor. May or may not be from Riku, as my memory is fuzzy now.

No, I have the KAEI TAP 2 mini:
https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/rikudougokus-database-iems-earbuds-headphones-ranking-list/13552/8056

 

[Ferdinando1968]

my only dislike is thin ultra neutral signatures with anemic bass response

In this we are brothers..
because I also love sound signatures that are not anemic and have character, bordering on incorrectness (and even beyond, to be honest )

In recent times I have been surprised and appreciated the 41t, the BQEYZ Topaz, the RAPTGO Bridge, the SHOZY B2 and a few others (I would have to think hard to remember them all)

 

[Kumonomukou]

In this we are brothers..
because I also love sound signatures that are not anemic and have character, bordering on incorrectness (and even beyond, to be honest )

In recent times I have been surprised and appreciated the 41t, the BQEYZ Topaz, the RAPTGO Bridge, the SHOZY B2 and a few others (I would have to think hard to remember them all)

You think still worth getting Shozy B2 if already have IMR Edp & R2 Red? I've heard good things about them, and most likely will scoop them up on 11.11. Some claimed they're EXACTLY like Blon Bl-03. I liked Blon, but Their technicality was evidently lacking. That's my only concern. I expected it to be an old school dark L shape IEM, but definitely not something close to 'muddy mess' .

 

[Kumonomukou]

New iBasso EST IEM, the EDA.



https://www.facebook.com/iBassoAudi...cRyntwTBzo654mimURH89LQ5CQSyMEVFeCbsvegEN8Q4l

So the shell will be similar to their new DD release 3T-154. Interestingly iBasso claimed their DD will have EXTRA large diagram! Nearly twice of surface area as they said. Let's see how it turns out. So far good experience with iBasso! I always hate when manufacturers putting small *** drivers inside of a large cavity! Alright, at least TWS utilized the empty with batteries. What are They leaving space for? Um... ' acoustic channel ' for that small vent hole LOL?

 

[Uprox]

You think still worth getting Shozy B2 if already have IMR Edp & R2 Red? I've heard good things about them, and most likely will scoop them up on 11.11. Some claimed they're EXACTLY like Blon Bl-03. I liked Blon, but Their technicality was evidently lacking. That's my only concern. I expected it to be an old school dark L shape IEM, but definitely not something close to 'muddy mess' .

I never had BL03. As for me B2 with copper nozzle is much better version of iBasso IT01S. With two other nozzles B2 is more brighter and lighter. Technicalities are very very good as well as timbre.

 

[rawrj]

Brand, brand-new Tangzu ear-tips!
Same design as before, only wide-bore.

TANGZU Tang Sancai​

https://tangzu.net/products/tangzu-tang-sancai-wide-bore-version-eartips-for-earphones

MATTE TEXTURE STRAIGHT TOOTH GROOVES EARTIPS​

• Distinctive Matte Texture and Classic Tri-color Combination
• Straight Tooth Grooves
• Enhance Sound Aggregation
• Medical-Grade Silicone
• Filter Zone Design

$12.00 USD

Instant order, the regular sancai have been my favorite tips of late. Interestingly I never thought of them as being particularly narrow bored so I can't wait to hear what these sound like.

 

[brsdrgn]

So the shell will be similar to their new DD release 3T-154. Interestingly iBasso claimed their DD will have EXTRA large diagram! Nearly twice of surface area as they said. Let's see how it turns out. So far good experience with iBasso! I always hate when manufacturers putting small *** drivers inside of a large cavity! Alright, at least TWS utilized the empty with batteries. What are They leaving space for? Um... ' acoustic channel ' for that small vent hole LOL?

I remember I wrote my impressions about Sony MDR-EX1000 a few months ago.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17528949

Finishing it with " If any producer reading this forum, please consider implementing of a big single DD IEM. The size does not matter that's for sure. However, a good implementation and good quality driver might lead to a much better listening experience."


Looks like Ibasso either read that or sth was already going on. No matter what it's exciting! Great news!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Instant order, the regular sancai have been my favorite tips of late. Interestingly I never thought of them as being particularly narrow bored so I can't wait to hear what these sound like.

Yes, I use a single very specific ear-tip on pretty much everything. But the regular Sanci were very very nice. And being made into wide-bore............ they are wide-bore more in my direction. The shallow length and wide-bore enables the widest soundstage and tightest bass. The only time I change is if the nozzle length is too short and I need extra nozzle length added synthetically. Thus at times with my standard use “donuts” I will get sometimes slightly better fit and at times OK fit, but the overall sound advantage is still prevalent, and warrants the use of this single pair. I don’t know where mine came from but I own only two pairs of them. One is protected in a case for back-up and the other are near me and I know where they are at all times.

Such fetishes are simply the work of over emphasis on fit, but still hold relevance to actual sound replay as the ear-tip is one of the single most sound-altering devices we have access to.

That leads me to the saying “Fit is everything”......which means if correct and consistent fit is found the ear-phone has now the potential to sound the very best it can! And the joining of this “thing” is made that much better, as it seems to be (one-step) closer into being a part of our anatomy.

 

[PROblemdetected]

Ey guys, I know some of you already visit the KINERA/QOA Discussion thread, but I just share my first impressions of the latest release.

no*SOUND presenta…
TECHNICAL TRAVEL
QOA AVIATION

Driver Setup. 1DD 8mm – 2x Knowles 32873 (mid & high) - 1x Knowles 33518 (for high & ultrahigh)
Sen & Imp. 118dB/mW | 39Ω
Price. 140€ (discounted for review)

Impresionante construccion por 200€ / Incredible build for less than 200$
Sub-bass limpio y con pegada / Clean & punchy Sub-bass
Amplia escena, gran cantidad de aire entre los elementos / Airy-presentation with Good space between elements
Kinera madurando hacia tuning mas neutrales-tecnicos / Kinera growing to more mature technical tunings

Presentación sin demasiada altura / Lacks on scene-height
No perdona las malas grabaciones / Not forgiving bad recordings

El conector de 2.5mm se ha debido perder por el camino / 2.5mm connector is missing

EVALUATION A
For a bass-warm lover, this tuning could be a little dry, but have to recognise the the way that KINERA is trying to innovate. I could bet this Driver is the same that comes in the NORN, wich is one of the best Ive heard under 500€. But this time QOA is relaxed a little bit on the high frequencies, giving us the chances to turn up the volume to enjoy the punch-bass when the song has some.

From a technical perspective, it remember me so much to the BLESSING 2 OG, with tons of subbass (a technical one), but keeping the same voice presentation. For my perspective is a real all-rounder and beatiful pick that can show anyone that doesnt know about this hobby what is "hi-fi".

It "lands" on a really competitive market, the sub200 is right now a nightmare, but the complete package, makes this AVIATION a perfect gift for someone that wants something relaxed-technical and a beautiful package-build.

I hope KINERA still going on this way, Im already hyped for the next release. 2 of 2 on this year (MARGARITA and AVIATION)

 

[Ferdinando1968]

You think still worth getting Shozy B2 if already have IMR Edp & R2 Red? I've heard good things about them, and most likely will scoop them up on 11.11. Some claimed they're EXACTLY like Blon Bl-03. I liked Blon, but Their technicality was evidently lacking. That's my only concern. I expected it to be an old school dark L shape IEM, but definitely not something close to 'muddy mess' .

Unfortunately I only have the BC-2023 from IMR,
so I can't make comparisons.

Regarding B2, I had been looking at them for a while,
but the price pissed me off.

Then it happened that during one of the frequent discount campaigns of the usual shops, I saw them for 99USD, and I bought them immediately.

As soon as I put them on, I immediately realized I had something out of the ordinary in my hands, both from a sound point of view and from the point of view of wearability: they are tiny (you wonder where all that sound comes from), very comfortable (you can wear them for hours) and truly built like a little gem.

They have a warm tone, a really important amount of bass, but above all what is striking is the type of bass, clearly DD, but which sounds in a more unique than rare way, difficult to explain.

So if you're looking for sophisticated technicalities,
I don't think you'll find them.

If you are looking for listening pleasure and good tone, you will find them.

Probably not all types of music will be rendered at their best;
if you listen to certain music, and switch from a clear IEM to B2, your head will reject that sound.

But once your ear gets used to that sound, starting with the right music, then you'll want to listen to them all the time (the last time I made the mistake of listening to them too much, I was screwed for 1 month ).

I don't have the Blon Bl-03 (so no comparisons here either), I have the Z300 (which I find excellent), but not directly comparable.
The B2s are more refined and technical, both in the bass and in the other tones.

For example, tracks like these:





if you listen to them with the B2s, you hear the double bass as if it were right in front of you, and the vocals are also beautifully rendered.

In conclusion, the situation for me now is this:

today I would buy them again at full price.

 

[PhonoPhi]

The 1More Triple Driver are the best IEMs I've ever had. They sound incredibly neutral without overemphasizing bass or treble. They can get quite loud enough to damage my hearing without any noticeable distortion. Comparing them within the 1More family, they sound way more neutral than the Quad Drivers which are skewed towards the bass and are a bit more muffled and boomy. There's nothing wrong with them and they are definitely very good, especially for the price. My music sounds as good as it ever has with the Triple Drivers and compares favorably with my home stereo (Marantz processor).

That being said, I'd like to hear the new Penta Driver models to compare to the Triple Drivers.

I can't buy into the Triple Driver hate. They're surprisingly good.

I have similar very positive opinion about 1More Triple.
It is still an old "beater" IEM on my home desk (really looks like a beater, but managing to survive against many odds after 5+ years).
Can 1More Triple be recommended to "audiophiles", especially nowadays? Rather not.

It has been designed back then to offer quite a bit more to graduatung/advancing users of simple DDs, ans it does this job really nicely, IMO!
Triple offers gentle introduction to BAs, and I was lucky not to get them and something shrill instead
Since then, it is BAs all the way for me (including a shriling side, but introduced gradually).

1More Triple has very soft tuning to my ears, almost no subbass, treble is gentle, yet BAs are there, and the music us enjoyable. Also Triple dies not feel like "tuned by the curve", but by good ears.

Then, similarly, 1More Quad did not feel like adding something more substantial with its DLC DD and more extended "fun" U.
Though Quad happened to become my most used IEM during pandemic, its microphone worked the best for me for thousands of Zoom hours. Using much smaller tips, I had less bass and could hear things around.

That gave enough reasons for me to order 1More Penta. I am really curious about those BA-looking "planar dynamic drives" sound as well.

(Just in case, no any affiliation with 1More other than buying and liking few of their products).

 

[Redcarmoose]

Unfortunately I only have the BC-2023 from IMR,
so I can't make comparisons.

Regarding B2, I had been looking at them for a while,
but the price pissed me off.

Then it happened that during one of the frequent discount campaigns of the usual shops, I saw them for 99USD, and I bought them immediately.

As soon as I put them on, I immediately realized I had something out of the ordinary in my hands, both from a sound point of view and from the point of view of wearability: they are tiny (you wonder where all that sound comes from), very comfortable (you can wear them for hours) and truly built like a little gem.

They have a warm tone, a really important amount of bass, but above all what is striking is the type of bass, clearly DD, but which sounds in a more unique than rare way, difficult to explain.

So if you're looking for sophisticated technicalities,
I don't think you'll find them.

If you are looking for listening pleasure and good tone, you will find them.

Probably not all types of music will be rendered at their best;
if you listen to certain music, and switch from a clear IEM to B2, your head will reject that sound.

But once your ear gets used to that sound, starting with the right music, then you'll want to listen to them all the time (the last time I made the mistake of listening to them too much, I was screwed for 1 month ).

I don't have the Blon Bl-03 (so no comparisons here either), I have the Z300 (which I find excellent), but not directly comparable.
The B2s are more refined and technical, both in the bass and in the other tones.

For example, tracks like these:





if you listen to them with the B2s, you hear the double bass as if it were right in front of you, and the vocals are also beautifully rendered.

In conclusion, the situation for me now is this:

today I would buy them again at full price.

B2 bass, unique and rare......I love that description!

Great mini-review! It’s a little strange, but makes sense how the SHOZY B2 keeps getting the love. Reason being is good stuff eventually gets recognized for what it is. Ability.....of course that’s also always dependent on price. And there the B2 is all over the road. Meaning different retailers have found numerous ways to market the B2. Reason being is it needs a special cable to really shine. Penon used the SCB2 by combining the B2 with an ISN cable which helped balance the B2 and charged $299.00 for them. Another time Penon offered the B2 with a lower cost December Special cable, I forget the exact price, but that offer I think is over. Other companies have introduced the B2 for even more money combining it with even more elaborate cables. You did great on a buy. The B2 is especially smooth and cohesive and offers an incredible amount of musicality for what it is. It’s really is small, and at times I go with longer ear-tips in order to get fit due to the reduced nozzle length. But really if any IEM deserves to be brought back into the limelight...it’s the B2 with the correct cable! Cheers!

 

[Redcarmoose]

You think still worth getting Shozy B2 if already have IMR Edp & R2 Red? I've heard good things about them, and most likely will scoop them up on 11.11. Some claimed they're EXACTLY like Blon Bl-03. I liked Blon, but Their technicality was evidently lacking. That's my only concern. I expected it to be an old school dark L shape IEM, but definitely not something close to 'muddy mess' .

Not a muddy mess at all, but they require a specific cable to climb out of the fog. Really there are a number of cables (I have tried) that seemed to do the trick over this last year. The Penon Bass cable believe it or not. The ISN SC4 cable is $99.90 (by itself) yet the combo sounds to me almost exactly like the Penon Bass Cable? The difference is the ISN SC4 fits the IEM, because it’s super thin and never tugs on the little B2. This is why Penon supplies the SC4 with the B2 normally. But the B2 is way different than the IMR BC 2023 in that the BC 2023 has both a midrange DD and a low end DD. Both IEMs actually when you look at them have extended venting, with the BC 2023 being totally open back, but there are prominent vent styles hidden into the faceplate ends on the B2. The B2 doesn’t have the (forward) mids like the BC 2023, and offers a fantastic cohesive blend of how the sound travels into the mids and treble. Honestly the B2 ends sounding romantic and fluid in the bass department as well as showing a genuine balance at the end, and it truly is unique as far as how the bass is done, totally textured and paced as far as rhythm goes! The bass is integrated as well as imaged in its own 3D zone. The rest of the signature is very analog and holds note weight of the highest order. But they are probably slightly more musical than detailed, but definitely detailed enough to get the job done. Sorry I’ve never heard the BLON BL-03 so I can’t comment on if the B2 has better technical skills, still I would take a chance and say maybe it does? With the SC4 cable the B2 is more than 10X the price of the BL-03.....so I would hope the technicalities are better?

Cheers!

 

[PhonoPhi]

OK. Let's consider the case of changing the sound of an IEM by some cable, and in absence of scientific evidence (other than cable impedances), it needs to be done from a beleiver's perspective.

Believers clearly base their experience on subjective personal feelings, such as "I hear this way, and you may hear totally differently"(again, in absence of any factual evidence, everyone absolutely can hear differently and totally different things - as assumed and agreed in this frame of reference).

Now, how different cables can be suggested then (I put "peddled" in brackets for a milder message) to other different people to change the sound of IEMs the same way to their ears, given that "everyone can hear differently" - just totally eludes me based on simple facts and logic above.

My limited advice - if an IEM does not sound good to your ears, and you have rolled your tips and tested few sources - just cut your losses there.

Even, if in some cases cables can change the sound, functioning as impedance adapters - the impedance adapters are less expensive and sold with well-defined parameters, guaranteed to work as intended according to their properties, and for everyone.