The discovery thread!

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

How come CCA Trio is above Simgot EW300? Overall price/performance ratio or is there something else I'm missing? I do really enjoy the EW300 reco

Do take it all in, I was actually excited when I saw your video drop on YT yesterday night and it was a great listen without having to go back n forth in order to understand what you were trying to tell the audience. Crisp, clear, great comparisons, everything was there
My take on it was that Cantor knows best ) I do love the build quality & packaging of the Terra, but not its price to performance ratio

p2p is one thing. Also the CCA Trio is 3DD, so the timbre and tonality is top notch natural for me. Lastly, until very recently, it was the BOSS KING of metal music, and held off competition from foes priced at 10X it's own current sale price. So when you add it all up, and the fact you can get it for $25-$30, and it versatility, detail retrieval, and adjustable sound sigs from the switches, yeah, it's #1 of 2024.

 

[MakeItWain]

Fir audio: Neon 4 VS Krypton 5 (sound):


Bass:
The bass on kr5 is definitely better than on ne4.
It's less "funky" than on ne4 and more realistic with fuller body in the sub-bass and more impact in the mid-bass.
I would call the bass on the kr5 more natural than on the ne4.

Mids:
The mids on the kr5 are less forward and more emotional, richer with better detail retrieval and more texture.
Just like with the bass, the vocals feel more realistic with sweet timber and more weight.

Treble:
The treble on kr5 is smoother with more extension, better resolution, imaging and instrument speration.
The treble is more relaxed and lush on kr5, similar to what i get with the mest.
I could definitely hear more details in the treble region than with the ne4.

Soundstage:
The soundstage feels bigger on the kr5 because of the better bass, fuller mids, more extended treble and better instrument speration.
It had more space between the instruments.

Speaking about the soundstage, i purchased yesterday the Final Audio A4000.
I can't wait to check myself if the hype about their soundstage is justified.
Anyway, let's return to the topic.

So, it looks like the kr5 is better than ne4 in everything.
So why i picked the ne4 over the kr5? Just because it's cheaper?
If you recall, i said that I'm gonna pick whatever I'm gonna like more and not whatever gonna sound better.
So the answer is no. Even if both of them were the same price i would still pick up the ne4, and the reason is that the ne4 are more fun iems.
The ne4 has faster bass, much more energetic and airy treble.
The airy sound makes them sound very "unique".
With ne4 i want to dance and with kr5 i want to seat and relax.
I already have many iems with good details and rich sound.
I wanted something different, and this exactly what i got with the ne4.

Cheers.

Wait until you try the RN6

Do take it all in, I was actually excited when I saw your video drop on YT yesterday night and it was a great listen without having to go back n forth in order to understand what you were trying to tell the audience. Crisp, clear, great comparisons, everything was there
My take on it was that Cantor knows best ) I do love the build quality & packaging of the Terra, but not its price to performance ratio

Yeah, I wanted to make sure the biggest takeaway is that the Cantor is still a great IEM and price/performance would probably go that way but subjective sound only has me leaning towards the Terra a bit more. Thanks so much for watching/listening, sir!

I'm boarding that plane tomorrow evening and I'll be packing light. DX180, AFUL P5+2, Kotori Zephyr, & Sivga Robin. That should cover all bases. All with 3.5 cables, so I can plug them in on the flight as well.

Safe flight, sir! Enjoy!

Read a review of the QOA Adonis New that got me reinterested again… they said it has amazing elevated bass that’s clean and doesn’t obscure the mids, and that instrument separation is great because of that. I also heard the Hydro is better than Sonata if you’re looking for a basket set. Wonder how those two compare?

So, it's definitely clean but I will say that the bass also feels... Maybe not as bombastic or deep or thumpy as you'd expect. I think it's the way the DD was implemented that it comes off as less impactful. But, I haven't fully put the Adonis New in the full testing yet since I've got a substantial back log.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

I was thinking about selling my Effect Audio Griffin cable but then I fell in love with the packaging again. It looks soo nice and it is lightweight but prone roll up to a ball. Build quality is still top notch.

 

[thaslaya]

I was thinking about selling my Effect Audio Griffin cable but then I fell in love with the packaging again. It looks soo nice and it is lightweight but prone roll up to a ball. Build quality is still top notch.

This one always looked like a perfect match for the Zero Red to me, if only because of the red y-split. That's kind of ridiculous though since the cable is 5 times more expensive than the IEM

 

[Hypops]

I was thinking about selling my Effect Audio Griffin cable but then I fell in love with the packaging again. It looks soo nice and it is lightweight but prone roll up to a ball. Build quality is still top notch.

Speaking of Effect Audio cables, Mark Ryan just dropped his take on cables in a review of the latest line of Effect Audio products.

No surprises of course. Skeptics will remain skeptics. Believers will remain believers. Agnostics will probably find it interesting and worthwhile.

 

[Hypops]

Hificat has added the Questyle M18i Portable Bluetooth + USB DAC to their shop, including product specs.


Price: ~360 USD

Specs:

• Dual ES9219Q DAC + Patented Current Mode Amplification
• Dual-Mode Decoding: Bluetooth and USB DAC
• Bluetooth 5.4: AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC (lossless 24-bit/96kHz), and LE Audio
• USB Audio: PCM 44.1kHz to 384kHz (16/24/32bit), DSD64, DSD128, DSD256
• 500mAh battery + Built-in Microphone
• Output Power: 28mW @ 300Ω (4.4mm balanced output)
• THD+N: 0.0002%
• SNR: -130dB

https://thehificat.com/collections/mobile-hp-amplifier/products/questyle-m18i

I really want to try a Questyle dongle. Very curious how different a current amplifier (as opposed to typical voltage amplifiers) sounds/works with IEMs. Not interested in BT though, so I’d probably be better off with an M15 instead.

Had to share this with y'all. I reckon it's pretty cool.

This musical instrument is 400,000+ years old and still growing.

I love Veritasium. Always makes me feel like a super curious little kid again!

 

[ExTubeGamer]

This one always looked like a perfect match for the Zero Red to me, if only because of the red y-split. That's kind of ridiculous though since the cable is 5 times more expensive than the IEM

Hehe. My Griffin is now connected to my DTE500. A good match when it comes to weight distribution.

I noticed the Anvil 114 cable is looking so nice and now I connected it to my Quintet. Quintet is so juice hungry that you actually need the 4.4mm cable to run it with portable gear.

 

[pmichaelro]

p2p is one thing. Also the CCA Trio is 3DD, so the timbre and tonality is top notch natural for me. Lastly, until very recently, it was the BOSS KING of metal music, and held off competition from foes priced at 10X it's own current sale price. So when you add it all up, and the fact you can get it for $25-$30, and it versatility, detail retrieval, and adjustable sound sigs from the switches, yeah, it's #1 of 2024.

Gotcha! Makes sense, I actually felt like SW300 is a jack-in-the-box since it has 3 different types of drivers and you do feel you get a lot of something from every single one, unexpected lot of that is

Yeah, I wanted to make sure the biggest takeaway is that the Cantor is still a great IEM and price/performance would probably go that way but subjective sound only has me leaning towards the Terra a bit more. Thanks so much for watching/listening, sir!

Duly noted in a head-to-head I feel like it might be the GOAT at the moment, especially considering its price point in relationship with the current market.
Perhaps in a month/couple of months that won't be the case anymore, but as of right now, I'm not sure if there's anything else out there that can do all that Cantor does for the same price or less even. When it comes to build Q and potentially comfort, TERRA can make a dent but from sound perspective, I find it difficult to compare them, especially since I haven't heard the TERRA, but from all the reviews out there...Cantor all-the-way

Have also ran the Cantor via M5U and it does bring a slight + in the the low end, in comparison to directly connecting it to RS8, but a combo between RS8 and PB5...man oh man, I think that would be bliss.

 

[jbfps116]

Just gonna throw this out there... the TFZ Balance 1 is a single DD bullet baby brother [sonically] to the Simgot EW300. The overall sound is remarkably similar but the Balance 1 is not QUITE as dynamic, but is still so clear and melodic while maintaining almost as much bass punch as the EW300. But at the MSRP of $39, I think the EW300 is still the better choice. But if you want a bullet IEM with decent aluminum build and pristine sound, the Balance 1 is an easy recommendation. [I got it for free from the Penon BF sales] I have not heard the famous KZ bullet IEMs [I had the RX: a forgotten KZ bullet with a dated sound] but I would be SHOCKED if they were better than the Balance 1.

 

[pk4425]

5. TRN ST7

Nice call. Such an underrated budget IEM. Holographic soundstage you don't find at this price point.

1. AFUL Performer 5+2
2. Letshuoer Cadenza 4

Ooooh. Interesting ranking. I may buy P5+2 very soon.

Naw, man. It's wild that you've only done a handful of video reviews. You're already coming off as a total pro. Really glad to have you joining the chaotic conversation on YT.

Wayne is leading the pack as the Reviewer Rookie of the Year. Odds currently -150. Place your wagers here. Well done, Wayne!

In my opinion yes, sadly. I see this as happening in much of the western world actually. It’s for sure an interesting time to be alive, and look around the globe at things happening. Despite this I remain optimistic, and make an effort to enjoy life on a daily basis

Fantastic view on life, my sonic brother!

Hot take: isolation is the most important feature of an IEM.

Hotter take: The most important aspect of any headphone or IEM is fit. If it doesn't fit well, the sound quality and isolation don't mean dick.

I'm boarding that plane tomorrow evening and I'll be packing light. DX180, AFUL P5+2, Kotori Zephyr, & Sivga Robin. That should cover all bases. All with 3.5 cables, so I can plug them in on the flight as well.

Safe travels, Nik! Have a great trip to the land of the semi-free and sort of brave.

Anyone hear these? They have an EQ button inline that switches between “warm and bassy” sound to “brighter with an emphasis on mids and highs.”

Repeat after me: "You don't need to buy these, dude. That EQ button is a total gimmick. RESIST."

No surprises of course. Skeptics will remain skeptics. Believers will remain believers. Agnostics will probably find it interesting and worthwhile.

I need to watch this. I respect Mark's reviews and his ability to step outside his chosen lane to consider other viewpoints. I'm a cable agnostic at best, lean toward skeptic.

 

[Knale]

I need to watch this. I respect Mark's reviews and his ability to step outside his chosen lane to consider other viewpoints. I'm a cable agnostic at best, lean toward skeptic.

I'm an empiricist at heart, and seeing his measurement graph of all 3 EA cables did absolutely nothing to dissuade me from my opinion that short of some very unique cases of low-impedance* IEMs, cables should be purchased for purely aesthetic reasons, which is 100% fine by the way. As Mark mentions in his video, quality and aesthetics are more than appropriate reasons to buy a nice cable if that appeals to you.

*Meant low-impedance, not high.

 

[Hypops]

Hotter take: The most important aspect of any headphone or IEM is fit. If it doesn't fit well, the sound quality and isolation don't mean dick.

Could not possibly agree more. Fit reigns supreme. Hell, there's something to be said for certain tunings sounding better simply because they fit so well. It's also why I spend so much time tip rolling. I'm not hunting for adjustments to tuning. I'm hunting for better and better fits.

 

[pk4425]

It's also why I spend so much time tip rolling. I'm not hunting for adjustments to tuning. I'm hunting for better and better fits.

Well said, but I WANT IT ALL -- better tuning and fit. I'm an arrogant, greedy prick.

 

[nikbr]

No other information about the price or driver set-up as yet.
Sound Rhyme DTE264

Edit:
Found this too!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1718153588640764

Reminds me of the dentist's office which isn't the best, but I'll watch how it develops nonetheless and I've also not yet heard any Soundrhyme.

Hificat has added the Questyle M18i Portable Bluetooth + USB DAC to their shop, including product specs.


Price: ~360 USD

Specs:

• Dual ES9219Q DAC + Patented Current Mode Amplification
• Dual-Mode Decoding: Bluetooth and USB DAC
• Bluetooth 5.4: AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC (lossless 24-bit/96kHz), and LE Audio
• USB Audio: PCM 44.1kHz to 384kHz (16/24/32bit), DSD64, DSD128, DSD256
• 500mAh battery + Built-in Microphone
• Output Power: 28mW @ 300Ω (4.4mm balanced output)
• THD+N: 0.0002%
• SNR: -130dB

https://thehificat.com/collections/mobile-hp-amplifier/products/questyle-m18i

Hmmm the M5U still tickles me more in all the right spots with its TOOBIES. It's also cheaper. But I am awaiting some impressions of the M18i first before committing, unless I get lucky in Vegas, then I'm buying both that same day AND flexing on all of you.

You’ve sent me down a rabbit hole of researching Sivga headphones this morning… I never hear much about them.

The Luan and Robin (SV021) are both comfortable to wear and comfortable sounding. Just a joy. Much safer (as in appealing to more tastes) tuned than their Que and Nightingale IEMs. A great gift as well cause they also look impressive.

Safe flight, sir! Enjoy!

Safe travels, Nik! Have a great trip to the land of the semi-free and sort of brave.

Thanks, fellas! It will be a long haul. Perhaps I should have spent Annihilator money for Business class instead of Cantor money for Pleb class.

Ooooh. Interesting ranking. I may buy P5+2 very soon.

You'd like that one. It's so expertly done and sits right in that narrowest of unions between energetic yet smooth and non-fatiguing.

 

[Thieme]

Since my new Explorers will replace my SP01's on my @ work listening setup I decided to take off the SP01's and have a good listen to them. They still sound very good to my ears, better than the Explorers to be honest. I measured the Explorers and then I got curious and decided to measure the SP01's again to see if there was any change in them compared to when they were brand new. Well this change really surprised the *beep* out of me. See for yourself, how is it possible that they graph so messed up? I didn't really hear it but it is so strange. All the distortion in the sub bass and the channel imbalance. I guess the drivers got ****ed somehow? and that makes me wonder if all my sets I take to work are going to end up that way? I did have moisture problems with this set and I really hope that was mainly because of the metallic shell. We will see.