[OceanOfLight]

Thanks. Jennifer Galatis is definitely worth checking out. I agree with you about the Black Cat, I have tried it out on a whole group of IEMs and they all sound better. It's my favourite cable at the moment. I have just connected it to the ST7 and will report back tomorrow.

I’m happy to have "recommended" it to you, especially considering that you like it so much! I really think it’s an amazing cable, particularly given its price.

The TRN ST7 got here lightning fast for Ali. Literally a week. That's why I ordered again from TRN with the Medusa and Conch. See if history repeats itself? The KZ ZS10 pro 2 took one month to reach me. so it's always hit or miss shipping wise with Ali.

TRN is extremely fast on that front. Yesterday, they dispatched my Medusa in a matter of minutes after I ordered it.

I think it depends on the DAC. The RS6 sounds different, the DX300 sound different, most of my FiiO sounds the same, the R8II sound the same.

On DX300, you can circle between filters without looking at the screen. I did that multiple times and almost always land on the D2 (still have no idea what type that is), so I guess filter does make audible and practical difference with that one.

Personally, I don’t play with those filters. I mean reviewing DACs is annoying as is without having to AB all of those filters

Thank you for your feedback! Plus, now that you let me think of it, from the point of view of a reviewer, having to take into account and testing all the filters of a DAC it's nothing short of a nightmare!

Some short observations from my side:
The use of filters pretty much depends on the whole chain. The DAP or DAC, Amp, itself, the headphones and their drivability and overall sound signature, and to lesser but still applicable extents, the IEM tip, nozzle filter, cable, and last but not least, the music genre, resolution, and recording quality of the tracks you play. On top of all that there is a minor but sometimes also important (psycho)acoustical aspect, and that's your individual hearing constitution which can change on a daily basis and even can change intra day. That all given that you still have normal hearing... If not, and you typically already lost some higher FQs, the whole game changes and all hardware and software influences may vary and you have to take your individual type of hearing loss into account. Everyone hears different, physiologically, as well as psychologically.

The above is only a very incomplete and short list of factors which nevertheless play a crucial roll for your individual listening experience. In other words, there is no right or wrong, try yourself what suits you best. Jump around with settings or find your "lazy" middle ground and leave it as it is. Me for example, with my equipment and preferences, I mostly use fast roll off linear phase, the standard, basic FIR filter, and high gain... with nearly everything... because I'm also a bit lazy and want to primarily enjoy the music and not sit there and fiddle around 20 minutes before I start a listening session.

I know that was not the answer you hoped for, but for deep technicalities in what filters exactly do, you nearly have to study some books. Yes, it's actually so complicated if you wanna dig deep and you better have some decent physics and maths skills. I just use my ears and then I call it a day... even though I work in the hearing sciences and industry... Lol.

Thanks for the extremely in-depth reply! I’ve read almost everything I found on the web about Low Pass Filters in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the matter. However, there are still many aspects that elude me. I believe this speaks to the inherent complexity of the subject. I also fully understand your perspective. With the myriad variables already affecting our perception of music—such as tips, cables, and DACs, let alone the condition of the ears themself—it’s more than reasonable to seek "stability" by using the same filter and gain settings across all devices — as you do.

Also, in practice, I approached the matter in a very straightforward manner. After much reading, I did some "needed" practical tests and comparison of the filters, and the one I described above in my post are nothing less that my empiric observations and conclusions. The fact that they may be objectively wrong, right, or even personally "imagined" doesn't concern me much. They are what I personally perceived, and I think at the end of the day that's what matter the most. The fact that something may be objectively right or wrong on an absolute level, does not have the slightest effect on what I can actually hear and can't hear. And, for this same reason, I don't really feel the need to dig any further in the filter's argument since, ultimately, it will not have any effect on the way I perceive filters, and more broadly speaking, music as a whole.

EDIT: So, at the end of the day, I fully agree with you—I just use my ears and call it a day! Listening to music (and to gears) is a very pleasant hobby—no need to make it needlessly more complex than it has any right to be!

@OceanOfLight Regarding the digital DAC filter modes:

Someone posted this interesting background article about the filter settings a while ago:
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blogs/how-to/how-to-pick-the-best-filter-setting-for-your-dac

Most interesting for me were the facts about the NOS filter (which means no filter or no oversampling):
It will "diminished top frequencies" because without oversampling/filters these frequencies can not be restored from the digital audio data.
It also adds "ultrasonic artifacts"

(The article has a TLDR section which I recommend reading if you play with filters)

Thank you for posting it. I’ve already read it some time ago, but revisiting such a well-written article can’t be a bad idea after all!

 

[droid23]

I have Kefine Delci and Jialai Carat in my HiFiGo cart. After the Himalaya, which brought me sooo back to love 1DDs, I wanna have now a well performing 1DD budget IEM, since we gladly hear a lot about these lately.
Or would there be even a better recommendation sub 100$?
(I like more a relaxed tuning with good but not overwhelming bass, well presented mids, and smooth but detailed highs)
Please help me decide

Oh, I just saw the TRN Medusa is already good to order... Oh well...

 

[Jmop]

@Jmop Thanks for asking those questions about the OD200, because as a direct result, you have saved this IEM from the wooden box fate! Your questions got me thinking, and I started treating this like if it was the VSonic VS3 or the NF Audio NM2+. These are both notoriously bright IEMs that could use a little bass lift, so I decided to go back to the black filters, and the OD200 with the black filters are incredibly similar sonically to the NM2+ with upper mids similar to the VS3. So logically, I then switched from the Springs to the special Bass tip from the NM2+, which does wonders with smoothing out upper mids/treble, while providing a bit of a bass lift, and I switched to the NiceHCK BlackCat cable, which is essentially a copper cable with zinc, and I stuck with specific genres of music (jazz/r&b/soul/swing/reggae), and stayed away from busy complex music (technical metal/heavy metal/progressive rock/metal etc), and boy oh boy did it hit the spot for me musically! It started to move me, as in foot tapping/head bobbing and eyes closing and the such, and the air and extension really opened up more, not to mention the stage, which is a bit more intimate with the silver filter (not to mention the loss of air). So needless to say, the Oriveti OD200 is back in rotation, just with specific playlists only. Thanks!

Happy to help! I’m passing on the 200s but glad you’re making use of them.

 

[InvisibleInk]

We always try to cut down that “high res” info that modern gear is capable of producing.

Preach it Brother! Amen

 

[o0genesis0o]

I have Kefine Delci and Jialai Carat in my HiFiGo cart. After the Himalaya, which brought me sooo back to love 1DDs, I wanna have now a well performing 1DD budget IEM, since we gladly hear a lot about these lately.
Or would there be even a better recommendation sub 100$?
(I like more a relaxed tuning with good but not overwhelming bass, well presented mids, and smooth but detailed highs)
Please help me decide

Oh, I just saw the TRN Medusa is already good to order... Oh well...

Or, you can save the money I don’t see the point of either when you already have the himalaya.

How expensive is the Splendor II nowadays? It seems to fit your description.

 

[droid23]

Or, you can save the money I don’t see the point of either when you already have the himalaya.

How expensive is the Splendor II nowadays? It seems to fit your description.

Good and totally reasonable point, thanks for your objectivity!

Splendor II is 240€... maybe too close to the Himalaya. The thing why I wanted a cheaper 1DD is, that many are so impressed what the 50-100 € price range can offer, that I just was curious to hear for myself, but then again, owning a Himalaya makes these probably obsolete.

But man these new 1DD's are everywhere now and so damn interesting... the Kefine Delci, Jialai Carat, TRN Medusa, Tanchjim 4U, and the Splendor II...and probably much more. Hard to resist .

 

[Ineras]

Uhoh, just received notification that Hydro and SLT6 are now sitting in my mailbox...

 

[Ineras]

Good and totally reasonable point, thanks for your objectivity!

Splendor II is 240€... maybe too close to the Himalaya. The thing why I wanted a cheaper 1DD is, that many are so impressed what the 50-100 € price range can offer, that I just was curious to hear for myself, but then again, owning a Himalaya makes these probably obsolete.

But man these new 1DD's are everywhere now and so damn interesting... the Kefine Delci, Jialai Carat, TRN Medusa, Tanchjim 4U, and the Splendor II...and probably much more. Hard to resist .

If buying from AE, wait for beginning of the month sales at least. I managed to pick up the Delci for just under $38 during the spring sale with coins and coupons.

 

[Jmop]

Do DDs just have a tendency to boost the area around 4k due to resonances or something? Not sure why tuners think it’s ideal otherwise.

 

[Dsnuts]

I have Kefine Delci and Jialai Carat in my HiFiGo cart. After the Himalaya, which brought me sooo back to love 1DDs, I wanna have now a well performing 1DD budget IEM, since we gladly hear a lot about these lately.
Or would there be even a better recommendation sub 100$?
(I like more a relaxed tuning with good but not overwhelming bass, well presented mids, and smooth but detailed highs)
Please help me decide

Oh, I just saw the TRN Medusa is already good to order... Oh well...

I would skip on the Carat if I was you. No need for that set especially since you got the Himalayas. That will resort to collecting dust imo. Its no where near the refinement of the Himalaya. Its got detailed highs but resorts to fake forward highs for that detail and smoothness is another matter. Once you get acclimated to the V sound signature its not all that refined or are they engaging, especially when the mids are no where close to the refinement that is on the Himalaya. I know it is a tall task for a budget set to compete but in this case they sound like how much they cost imo. Its not a terrible set but not great either. It don't help it has one of the most narrow stages for IEMs as well. Its all in your head.

 

[MightyBalzaq]

How on God's green earth did my CCA Hydro end up getting shipped to the Netherlands? First time it's ever taken that route. It's gonna be awhile before I see those land in my mailbox. I bet the Project M get here quicker?

Maybe the courier is taking a detour to the Red Light District.

 

[hifisquirrel]

Uhoh, just received notification that Hydro and SLT6 are now sitting in my mailbox...

Looking forward to hearing your impressions on the SLT6!

 

[grogg]

I was thinking today how with all the great single DD sets recently in the $125-150 range it's a little sad to see the Tinhifi T5S get forgotten so quickly considering how nice it sounds.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

What I learned lately is that us “audiophile” do not like high fidelity that much class A, NOS, dark IEMs. We always try to cut down that “high res” info that modern gear is capable of producing.

Unlike myself, who is in the exception category, most people want warm and tube amp/vinyl warmth sounds vs hi res/hi fidelity sound. With big bass.

 

[Jmop]

It’s the year of the bass!