[OrdinarySatire]

Hello mates, new member here from Athens GR!

Just wanted to share that I had a moment of pure musical bliss while listening to The Verve , Bittersweet Symphony on my Ziigaat Cinno, this set is really growing on me.

Got it mostly for classical, orchestral and jazz stuff but some vocals really work on it (for me at least).

 

[Uprox]

What was your hi-fi album of the year?

I'm kind of curious is everyone else has the same experience I have with listening to new music through the lens of being an audiophile. I always round up my favorite albums of the year, but I realized that in the last two years I've developed a secondary list of rankings for albums in terms of how much they satisfied my ears from a technical standpoint than a musical one. This year my favorite hi-fi album of the year is not the same as my favorite album of the year.

So selfishly I'm on the lookout for new music to test out gear against, let me know your go-to from this year, I'll go first:

Oneohtrix Point Never - Again

I wanted this album to be my favorite album of the year, but ultimately it isn't there. The lead single from the album contains in it all the content the rest of the album has, it's a great song, "A Barely Lit Path", but it's so good at getting the vibe of the album across at times I felt like the rest of the album was superfluous. But despite all of that the rest of the album has some of hte best production that I've heard this year. The mix is fantastic and the sounds span the entire range of my gear in a way that really satisfies and tests the limits of my hearing and my gear's reproduction capabilities.

You have to be interested in electronic-orchestral-ambience to listen to the whole album but several of the tracks will really span the frequency response of your favorite gear. Start with "A Barely Lit Path" then check out "Locrian Midwest" and "Nightmare Paint" to challenge your ears.

I can't to count up just album due to I use different DAPs and almost didn't listen to streaming services. My most listened bands of the year are 'Between the Buried and Me' and 'Snarky Puppy'.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Hello mates, new member here from Athens GR!

Just wanted to share that I had a moment of pure musical bliss while listening to The Verve , Bittersweet Symphony on my Ziigaat Cinno, this set is really growing on me.

Got it mostly for classical, orchestral and jazz stuff but some vocals really work on it (for me at least).

Just reviewed the Ziigaat Cinno a few hours ago, I agree surprisingly great set, the warmth and easy going ways of the SIMGOT EM6L, yet with slightly more forward vocals. Same driver configuration as the EM6L and comes in a 4 grams where the EM6L is 5 grams....just slightly smaller in form to the EM6L. Vocals are what it does! Vocals and really most everything else, even EDM! It’s well rounded. Cheers!

 

[philipus]

Hello everyone
I suppose this fits in this thread. I just received a pair of KZ HBB Pro 2 yesterday and enjoy them a lot. My daily driver since many years is a pair of Etymotic ER 4XRs which I really love, but for the price the Pro 2s are really good. I'm a planar fan when it comes to speakers and was eager to try that tech in IEMs. So far I haven't been disappointed.
cheers
Philip

 

[Vonbuddy]

Five albums that were amazing for me during 2023:
1. Ryuichi Sakamoto - "12"
2. Lana del Rey - "Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd"
3. Cat Power - "Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert"
4. Peter Gabriel - "I/O"
5. André 3000 - "New Blue Sun"

A nice diverse listening selection there.

 

[OrdinarySatire]

Just reviewed the Ziigaat Cinno a few hours ago, I agree surprisingly great set, the warmth and easy going ways of the SIMGOT EM6L, yet with slightly more forward vocals. Same driver configuration as the EM6L and comes in a 4 grams where the EM6L is 5 grams....just slightly smaller in form to the EM6L. Vocals are what it does! Vocals and really most everything else, even EDM! It’s well rounded. Cheers!

Interesting view, one thing I found is the signature is very tip dependant, I had better vocals male and female with Final E as well as a more coherent (but smaller) stage. Currently using Azla Sednafit Max which provide a bigger but not unnatural soundstage but for female vocals don't do much. For example I was listening to Fleetwood Mac, Dreams and Stevie Nicks 's voice sounded to me in the same intensity as the other singers. All these IMHO of course and much interested to read your view. If I may ask what tips are you using?

 

[Redcarmoose]

Interesting view, one thing I found is the signature is very tip dependant, I had better vocals male and female with Final E as well as a more coherent (but smaller) stage. Currently using Azla Sednafit Max which provide a bigger but not unnatural soundstage but for female vocals don't do much. For example I was listening to Fleetwood Mac, Dreams and Stevie Nicks 's voice sounded to me in the same intensity as the other singers. All these IMHO of course and much interested to read your view. If I may ask what tips are you using?

I actually don’t know what they are called or where you get them, but they have been in every review I done now for at least a year. I have 2 sets of them. They are clear silicone low profile wide bore tips. I also found out the Cinno is incredibly sensitive to cables. One night I used a different cable and it changed to sound stage to become bigger. I didn’t go into cables much in the review because people are probably going to experience different cables anyway, plus the 4.4mm cables enabled me to use balanced amplification from my DAPs which they responded to also!

A first is that the nozzle screens are farther out from the actual nozzle, I’ve never ever seen that before? Yet they truly are good at vocals and offer great bass, I think, which is rare to find, really it can be a reach at times, but they just barley do it all! But they do Classical well as violin music is always good with BAs, and there are four of them in action.....per side! That and a 10mm LCP which effectively controls great textured bass, and clean yet authoritative drums! IMO

 

[Vonbuddy]

Five albums that were amazing for me during 2023:
1. Ryuichi Sakamoto - "12"
2. Lana del Rey - "Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd"
3. Cat Power - "Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert"
4. Peter Gabriel - "I/O"
5. André 3000 - "New Blue Sun"

That Andre 3000 album was quite a surprise. Under the radar.

 

[Vonbuddy]

A brief rant about artists not putting music on cd. I realize the current state of cds and streaming/vinyl. But it disappointments me that I can't buy Andre 3000's new cd and others because they don't exist. Personally, I don't have vinyl. I know me enough to know i don't take care of it well enough plus the prices. I have had to bow down to streaming to get access. But I do get the shift in music. Just hanging on to the cd world.

 

[PhonoPhi]

do you have other sub$30 darlings (Chu 2 or Zero2) to compare?

I have Chu 2, so I diligently compared:

I was biased with the answer before the comparison - and it just confirmed.
Single DDs and a prominent hybrid V are a world of difference geared to very different preferences.
I was miighty surpised how great Chu 2 are - very good subbass and quite well extended treble, Moondrop treble (Aria, etc). ZSN pro 2 competes in bass very well, subbass is there, though single DD lovers will likely prefer Chu 2. Treble is different, the sparkles on ZSN pro 2 are close to artificial but very well done for 30095 in the nozzle. I also compared with ZSN pro, and 2 it is a direct successor, a good step above - with more refined treble that is even slightly more prominent in weight, but nicely compensated with the tight punchy bass. ZSN pro X with its overwhelming bass was not balanced to my ears, and became only KZ that went into parts (nice black nozzles to match my black ASX)

Then again pro 2 is still V - mids are overshadowed.
ZSN series is less for audiophiles and more for entering the hobby from a simple single DD or listening for fun and engagement or in a noisy environment (V works better there, IMO, - call it "Munson Fletcher" or else).

Lastly, I compared Chu 2 with CRA+ and Castor non-bass - and first of all - really (!) how amazingly this hobby progressed to have all of them under $20 (OK, CRA+ may be a touch more expensive)!

(I recently got ZST X out of curiousity, and it can't compete with the new IEMs. Period)

CRA is less in subbass and bass in general, IMO. Chu 2 bass is the best to me (the easiest), Castors are close. I do prefer the slightly muted but resolving treble of Castor the most (5-6 kHz is my problem area, and both CRA+ and Chu 2 dip less there, I guess, I did not compare curves).
Castor are surely more resolving with the orchestral music, a clear double DD advantage. Castors actually were more of $30 IEM but offered at $12-14 thanks to Crin and KZ deeply affectionate relationships

 

[OrdinarySatire]

I actually don’t know what they are called or where you get them, but they have been in every review I done now for at least a year. I have 2 sets of them. They are clear silicone low profile wide bore tips. I also found out the Cinno is incredibly sensitive to cables. One night I used a different cable and it changed to sound stage to become bigger. I didn’t go into cables much in the review because people are probably going to experience different cables anyway, plus the 4.4mm cables enabled me to use balanced amplification from my DAPs which they responded to also!

A first is that the nozzle screens are farther out from the actual nozzle, I’ve never ever seen that before? Yet they truly are good at vocals and offer great bass, I think, which is rare to find, really it can be a reach at times, but they just barley do it all! But they do Classical well as violin music is alw,ays good with BAs, and there are four of them in action.....per side! That and a 10mm LCP which effectively controls great textured bass, and clean yet authoritative drums! IMO

You know, if memory serves I saw a graph with an impedance adapter and what it did was, to add a couple dB after the pinna gain region, so maybe that explains the cable change difference?

 

[Tsukimi]

On my portable set up these impressed. Fully amped, however they did not.

I will give them another listen next weekend and confirm if my initial impressions still ring true.

I guess it could be impedance related. My SR 5s still sound best to me on my Bluetooth earhook amps.

Quick follow up. Yes, to my ears on my phone these sounded good, when amped, utterly awful. Also of note my Penon Totem adapter that usually enhances DD iems did not help here at all, if anything sounded even worse.

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

This $155 Set is probably the best purchase I have made in 2023

PULA PA02
1x 9.8mm DD
2x Knowles 29689 for mids
2d Knowles 31736 for highs

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0xIhpa 1

If your interested the seller will provide a $25 USD coupon

Incredibly linear and balanced
Neutral with a nice bass punch and fantastic highs .

Working on full review.

Because the frequency response is very flat the overall experience is one where the mids are not your typical forward sounding in your face set. The PA02 sounds more monitor like and more faithful to the source.

One of the most coherent IEM’s I have ever heard.

I really love the Oriveti OH700VB $700 but this set for a fraction of the price with more Mid Bass and extension rocks my world.

Not going to be for everyone who likes in your face upper mids.
But I am certainly enjoying this one.

 

[Daniel70928]

This $155 Set is probably the best purchase I have made in 2023

PULA PA02
1x 9.8mm DD
2x Knowles 29689 for mids
2d Knowles 31736 for highs

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0xIhpa 1

If your interested the seller will provide a $25 USD coupon

Incredibly linear and balanced
Neutral with a nice bass punch and fantastic highs .

Working on full review.

Because the frequency response is very flat the overall experience is one where the mids are not your typical forward sounding in your face set. The PA02 sounds more monitor like and more faithful to the source.

One of the most coherent IEM’s I have ever heard.

I really love the Oriveti OH700VB $700 but this set for a fraction of the price with more Mid Bass and extension rocks my world.

Not going to be for everyone who likes in your face upper mids.
But I am certainly enjoying this one.

Beautiful faceplate like the odins!

 

[bschnell9]

This $155 Set is probably the best purchase I have made in 2023

PULA PA02
1x 9.8mm DD
2x Knowles 29689 for mids
2d Knowles 31736 for highs

https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0xIhpa 1

If your interested the seller will provide a $25 USD coupon

Incredibly linear and balanced
Neutral with a nice bass punch and fantastic highs .

Working on full review.

Because the frequency response is very flat the overall experience is one where the mids are not your typical forward sounding in your face set. The PA02 sounds more monitor like and more faithful to the source.

One of the most coherent IEM’s I have ever heard.

I really love the Oriveti OH700VB $700 but this set for a fraction of the price with more Mid Bass and extension rocks my world.

Not going to be for everyone who likes in your face upper mids.
But I am certainly enjoying this one.

Damn you Monk!!