[Singaravelan]

@gadgetgod has been talking about this IEM since he arrived at CanJam. Start up boutique? That cable and IEM are GORGEOUS!

Yeah gadget has been on about it hyping ever since!

It's from here:
https://eminentears.com/ruby/

Over 2k, pricing iirc.

 

[r31ya]

The ST7 are in my ears at the moment, while I chill at lunchtime, and bro, it's just mindboggling to figure out how they did it? How did they get such high quality tuning out of dirt cheap tech, and then charge hardly anything for it (let's not discount the quality of the shell either).

KZ vs TRN competition, especially ZS10Pro segment is a gift that keep giving.
previously with KZ ZS10Pro vs TRN V90, later with KZ ZS10Pro X and TRN ST5, and now KZ ZS10Pro2 with TRN ST7
I think TRN is trying to one up KZ in driver count and undercut the price with TRN ST7.
Thankfully the tuning also works very well.

 

[theintention]

Yeah gadget has been on about it hyping ever since!

It's from here:
https://eminentears.com/ruby/

Over 2k, pricing iirc.

that Vortex Cable

 

[FastGecko5]

KZ Castor - Harman or Bass Improved? Anyone have both?

 

[r31ya]

KZ Castor - Harman or Bass Improved? Anyone have both?

i have both for awhile,

- Harman have cleaner sound, have bass with decent "thump" and a bit of texturing. but it can sound a bit thin.
- Bass have thumpy boomy bass that covers other freq (mids and all), but it also have better body in sound.

i don't particularly like the obnoxious bass, so i prefer harman more.
and after i got trio, i gave away my Castor Bass to a work friend.

tough now, for the near the OG price of castor you could buy KZ Vader balance instead, it was around $15 in my place.
but then again few days ago a redditor could get CastorBass for $9.5 or something

 

[Lexington99]

Sorry I haven't heard the Hype 4 but I have the DaVinci and the bass will definitely satisfy your basshead needs. It's not overtly bassy but it's very tasteful and voluptuous.

Trying to get a handle on the staging of Davinci - does it have that speaker like presentation where most of the music is happening inside and/or contained slightly in front of your head, or does it have that immersive wrap-around-your-head effect that only gets more pronounced with volume?

 

[atechreviews]

Looks very very nice, thanks! Your thoughts vs Explorer?

Hello there,

I A/B tested the AFUL Explorer and DUNU DaVinci for 30 minutes. Here’s what I found:

Bass
Both IEMs offer similar bass quantity, but the quality differs significantly. The Explorer's bass is excellent with a satisfying rumble, resembling high-quality 2-channel speakers with precise, clean bass. Enjoyable and honestly lacks nothing. You enjoy the bass as well as the vocals and instruments. The DaVinci, on the other hand, provides more texture, a more powerful slam, more separation, punch, and impact. It delivers a tactile experience, making bass-heavy tracks feel more tactile and in-your-face. It’s like adding a subwoofer to those 2-channel speakers, drawing attention to the clean, impactful bass in every song. I can feel the bass of the DaVinci in most songs with bass guitars (clean and separated) and bass heavy hip hop and EDM tracks. I found myself raising the volume (for a second or two) more when listening to the DaVinci because of the bass, same way you raise the volume to hear more of that enjoyable subwoofer bass. (Please use moderate volume to protect your hearing)

Upper Mids
The DaVinci presents more forward upper mids, enhancing instruments like cellos, violins, and higher-pitched vocals. While the Explorer offers balanced and clear vocals, the DaVinci makes them slightly more forward and pronounced. The Explorer compensates with an intimate, close-to-ear vocal presentation, making the difference less pronounced unless directly compared.

Treble
The DaVinci has more treble extension, offering more forward and defined cymbals and synths. On the Explorer, these elements sound clear and balanced without being fatiguing. A/B testing revealed that the DaVinci brings synths, and cymbal strikes closer to the ear, providing more definition and clarity.

Soundstage
The DaVinci has a wider soundstage with good sense of depth, while the Explorer has a more intimate presentation. Both are enjoyable in their own ways.

Resolution
Overall, the DaVinci offers higher resolution due to its forward upper mids and better treble extension. It provides greater clarity and instrument separation, making individual guitar strings and vocals more pronounced. The bass also has more detail and separation. Other than the bass, this is the other aspect that is easily audible to me when comparing them. More clarity, resolution, and instrument separation on the DaVinci.

Comparing the AFUL Explorer side by side with the DaVinci was revealing. Here are some key takeaways:

1. I spent more time than usual on this comparison, highlighting the Explorer's impressive performance.
2. The Explorer offers incredible value, especially considering it’s being compared to the more expensive DaVinci with twice the number of drivers.
3. In my opinion, owning both isn’t necessary since the DaVinci is an upgrade to the Explorer.

We live in an exciting time for audiophiles. Brands like DUNU, AFUL, and many others are constantly pushing boundaries, and we’re the ones benefiting from their innovations.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Yeah gadget has been on about it hyping ever since!

It's from here:
https://eminentears.com/ruby/

Over 2k, pricing iirc.

Just reading about the tech and the pics got me hyped. Lotto play!! LOL

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

KZ vs TRN competition, especially ZS10Pro segment is a gift that keep giving.
previously with KZ ZS10Pro vs TRN V90, later with KZ ZS10Pro X and TRN ST5, and now KZ ZS10Pro2 with TRN ST7
I think TRN is trying to one up KZ in driver count and undercut the price with TRN ST7.
Thankfully the tuning also works very well.

I want a equally or upgraded tuning with a ST9 (piezo??)!!

 

[atechreviews]

Here we go my FRC partisans, we finally have our first direct comparison of the Explorer and the DaVinci from one reviewer with one and the same technical measurement setup. This should give us now a better reliability of the curves (as always 60 dB @ 500 Hz):
In this context, big thanks @atechreviews, good job!

Thanks!

 

[Knale]

At that price, they are taking straight aim at the Delci and EA500LM.

More impressions to come, but the Delci is better.

 

[r31ya]

More impressions to come, but the Delci is better.

i keep hearing good thing about delci,
i'm currently looking for a better successor for one budget iem that i haven't give away.
seems its close enough,

there is one second hand for $45-ish, i'm currently negotiating,
tough that cash it might turn into Shadow of Erdree preorder

 

[JEHL]

Wonder what explorer vs supermix 4 looks like. And any other potential IEM in this same budget segment for that matter.

... Although knowing myself, I'm likely not buying any IEM until late 2025 at least.

 

[Okcerg]

Hello there,



I A/B tested the AFUL Explorer and DUNU DaVinci for 30 minutes. Here’s what I found:

Bass
Both IEMs offer similar bass quantity, but the quality differs significantly. The Explorer's bass is excellent with a satisfying rumble, resembling high-quality 2-channel speakers with precise, clean bass. Enjoyable and honestly lacks nothing. You enjoy the bass as well as the vocals and instruments. The DaVinci, on the other hand, provides more texture, a more powerful slam, more separation, punch, and impact. It delivers a tactile experience, making bass-heavy tracks feel more tactile and in-your-face. It’s like adding a subwoofer to those 2-channel speakers, drawing attention to the clean, impactful bass in every song. I can feel the bass of the DaVinci in most songs with bass guitars (clean and separated) and bass heavy hip hop and EDM tracks. I found myself raising the volume (for a second or two) more when listening to the DaVinci because of the bass, same way you raise the volume to hear more of that enjoyable subwoofer bass. (Please use moderate volume to protect your hearing)

Upper Mids
The DaVinci presents more forward upper mids, enhancing instruments like cellos, violins, and higher-pitched vocals. While the Explorer offers balanced and clear vocals, the DaVinci makes them slightly more forward and pronounced. The Explorer compensates with an intimate, close-to-ear vocal presentation, making the difference less pronounced unless directly compared.

Treble
The DaVinci has more treble extension, offering more forward and defined cymbals and synths. On the Explorer, these elements sound clear and balanced without being fatiguing. A/B testing revealed that the DaVinci brings synths, and cymbal strikes closer to the ear, providing more definition and clarity.

Soundstage
The DaVinci has a wider soundstage with good sense of depth, while the Explorer has a more intimate presentation. Both are enjoyable in their own ways.

Resolution
Overall, the DaVinci offers higher resolution due to its forward upper mids and better treble extension. It provides greater clarity and instrument separation, making individual guitar strings and vocals more pronounced. The bass also has more detail and separation. Other than the bass, this is the other aspect that is easily audible to me when comparing them. More clarity, resolution, and instrument separation on the DaVinci.

Comparing the AFUL Explorer side by side with the DaVinci was revealing. Here are some key takeaways:

1. I spent more time than usual on this comparison, highlighting the Explorer's impressive performance.
2. The Explorer offers incredible value, especially considering it’s being compared to the more expensive DaVinci with twice the number of drivers.
3. In my opinion, owning both isn’t necessary since the DaVinci is an upgrade to the Explorer.

We live in an exciting time for audiophiles. Brands like DUNU, AFUL, and many others are constantly pushing boundaries, and we’re the ones benefiting from their innovations.

Wow great comparison, thanks a lot!! Seems like both are great choices in their respective price point. So many great sets coming out now. Exciting times indeed!

 

[countryboyhk]

Imagine KZ has a waifu sound
The balanced version of Libra is more like an ungraded version of EW200 with better clarity, soundstage and bass to me, rather than the Aria 2. Btw, wish you are the lucky one to win a free iem.