The discovery thread!

[wdelta06]

Goodbye Roberta... (tell Donny we miss him)

 

[avishifi]

So, it was not just marketing talk when Tanchjim said “flagship design”. Do you think the great performance comes from the physical design itself or some sorts of DSP



It’s only February, Red

I think that they took advantage of the DSP cable and used it to make adjustments, because the tuning of the DSP is different from the tuning of the 3.5mm version

So from your impressions, it sounds pretty much like the Tanchjim ZERO. It's a strong budget rec for metal and hard rock, and yes, for something under $20.00, it's got excellent technicalities and tonality. Very similar to the Libra X, but maybe just a hair more natural treble tone?

I don’t usually listen to metal and rock (only sometimes), but they kind of fall when it comes to play busy tracks, and that’s one of the reasons I didn’t like them for electronic music. It’s not bad, just not the best fit.

 

[4ceratops]

Headphone of the year!

Such statements happen to all of us from time to time. It is similar to ejaculatio praecox, only caused by a fit of enthusiasm when listening to new IEMs. I'm just concerned that this happened to you back in February. The following quality IEMs usually solve the problem

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Such statements happen to all of us from time to time. It is similar to ejaculatio praecox, only caused by a fit of enthusiasm when listening to new IEMs. I'm just concerned that this happened to you back in February. The following quality IEMs usually solve the problem

HAHAHA! Ejaculatio Praecox!

I guess I had a similar look when I heard the ISN H60 for the first time?!?! lol

red's ejaculatio praecox listening to Aether.

Let's just hope all these folks buying this thing based off this one hyperbolic review don't come back with this face...

 

[Cinder]

I second the enthusiasm for the Aether. It's a major winner, though I'm not firm on IEM of The Year(tm).

 

[Redcarmoose]

HAHAHA! Ejaculatio Praecox!

I guess I had a similar look when I heard the ISN H60 for the first time?!?! lol


red's ejaculatio praecox listening to Aether.

Let's just hope all these folks buying this thing based off this one hyperbolic review don't come back with this face...

Actually you can make fun of me all you want. But the look on your faces, both of your faces when you hear the Aether for the first time will be one of stern shock, like one of amazement, and disbelief, thus serious!

Any time something shows up to dismantle the general idea of value and questions the whole industry, it is met with hostility first, then later acceptance...................

 

[o0genesis0o]

HAHAHA! Ejaculatio Praecox!

I guess I had a similar look when I heard the ISN H60 for the first time?!?! lol


red's ejaculatio praecox listening to Aether.

Let's just hope all these folks buying this thing based off this one hyperbolic review don't come back with this face...

We have seen such strong releases in Q4 2024 after a so so Q2 and Q3, so any "best of" statement feels less safe than ever. Especially when those fancy drivers like ceramic-plate "BCD", BA-like and 6mm planar seem to have become commodity. Not to mention MEMS drivers looming on the horizon. There seems to be quite a bit of bull run left before the bubble pops. I wonder which direction the tuning would go this year. More "scientific" tuning aiming for "neutral" (whatever that means) or more experimental and fun tuning?

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Edit: I remember some of you wanted volume match via coupler for reviewing sources. Imma volume-matching with coupler for the upcoming review Can't say that I'm not curious about the results when everything matches down to 0.1dB level at 1kHz. It's quite tedious to set up though.

 

[pradiptacr7]

Detailed Review of the Dethonray Clarinet is live here now. Show some love.
- https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dethonray-clarinet.27782/reviews#review-37187

I personally could call it the Kingslayer. It punched way way above its price tag.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Anti-fart feature?
Sign me up!

1)
Well when the simple desktop fan is on in my room there are three levels where one is Transparency Mode, with the fan showing extra treble, I guess you want this mode when someone is talking and you don’t want to take the headphones off? The extra sound is coming from the 5 headphone microphones and piped into the mix. I’m guessing?

2)
Then you have ANC off which is using the actual cups to block a little sound.

3)
Then ANC on mode, being used to reduce around 32dB give or take 3dB. At this point the fan is now totally silent!

Oh boy... do i need another iem??? Lolol



Purchased..

You will thank me! You can’t lose with the Aether! I can’t wait to hear your box opening experience! It will be a memory, one of the best memories of 2025, be sure of that!

 

[Jaytiss]

Aether 15.3mm Planar by Kiwi ears.........................
This is the single most important post I have made in years, years! Here are my first impressions!

Timestamps only pertain to digital file, not video.
Gdanian
Induction
Shield Emitter (feat. Tineidae)
44.1kHz - 24bit

Ok, now wait till you get to the 00:10 mark on the digital file. There is a set of chimes, most IEMs never even get close to portraying them, only the Aether finds them and brings them to life! This is the single best Planar I have ever heard in my life. It is not for sale yet, but I may have seen a price of around $169.99? It’s worth $400.00……….I’m not kidding here. What?

And the bass and the overall stage……….it is huge, huge stage, But the bass while deep is more focused and pure, pure to the Planar style, being that it is fast, super fast. This is totally insane, I’m creaming in my jeans here? The best IEM I have heard this year regardless of price…………I’m 5 feet off the ground right now? I mean I just checked another track……….and I don’t need anymore IEMs………..maybe for the rest of the year, maybe for the rest of my life.

These are so good it is spooky, and makes me happy to be alive in 2025, just to witness what the heck they are doing now with this technology.

Song Two:

Ghost
Hunter’s Moon
From Halloween Kills OST
44.1khz - 24bit
Look I wasn’t totally sure, but this song solidified these ideas. I’m using the new SIMGOT AUDIO wide-bores and LC7 cable in 4.4mm. Sure these draw power like no tomorrow. My Sony WM1A is maxed out on high gain with MrWalkman’s firmware.

This is bigger than life, enormous in size…………honestly these are incredible, and don’t take my word for it, I mean you can, but just wait for more opinions to come……..more opinions will come by the day and by the week……………..

I mean I have zero burn-in hours and these sound absolutely perfect. It is just that you don't think they can get any better, then they do. At the 00:01 mark this song starts with electric guitar, only only you hear the single string resonate, then go under the picking…….there's so much detail that I’m not sure I can beat this at any price point………I know I sound crazy……but that is just how perfect the tone is and how very big the stage is, and how the whole stage is fully filled-in to the center?

At 00:04 the drums hit and they are very very well paced and clear. Not really deep, but fast and never clouding the mids. When I say not deep, they have this wicked planar punch that makes them super fast and physical. OH my GOD, then the vocals are so forward and in your face.

I should probably stop this set of first impressions? I have never ever heard anything like these since I got into headphones in 1975! Even if they were $400.00, even if they were $1000.00……….they would be totally worth the price of admission. I'm speechless at the moment? Check any of my first impressions, often they are placed in my reviews, I have never sounded like a 5150? I have never sounded like the guys in the white van are going to park out front and take me away in a straight-jacket! Bye…….for now………history, IEM history has just been made, the best Planar I have ever heard.

And I thought my collection of IEMs was always going to be worth money, this single IEM destroys the value of what pieces I have accumulated, it destroys the entire market of IEMs………………………………..no this is not April Fools Day, that comes later this year, the only thing foolish is if you don’t buy the Aether the very first chance you get, no matter what the price is going to be!

Timestamps only pertain to digital file, not video.

Headphone of the year!

It's a legendary set. Really impressed. I know a few guys who have it that are fans already as well.

Actually you can make fun of me all you want. But the look on your faces, both of your faces when you hear the Aether for the first time will be one of stern shock, like one of amazement, and disbelief, thus serious!

Any time something shows up to dismantle the general idea of value and questions the whole industry, it is met with hostility first, then later acceptance...................

It's pretty impressive. I can see how you'd like. I am fully impressed so far.

You can’t lose with the Aether! I can’t wait to hear your box opening experience! It will be a memory, one of the best memories of 2025, be sure of that!

For me it's one of the sub 500 set that have fully impressed me this year for sure. It's the upper air and trebble and micro details. Just lovely and dumb. It's a keeper.

 

[Cinder]

Full-length Aether review complete. Check it out folks: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/kiwi-ears-aether.27951/reviews#review-37188

I haven't had time to go through and do a proper comparison with some older TOTL IEMs, but it clearly outperforms big hitters like the Andromedas, Da Vinci X, and LSX.

 

[Redcarmoose]

It's a legendary set. Really impressed. I know a few guys who have it that are fans already as well.

It's pretty impressive. I can see how you'd like. I am fully impressed so far.

For me it's one of the sub 500 set that have fully impressed me this year for sure. It's the upper air and trebble and micro details. Just lovely and dumb. It's a keeper.

It is, I’m a pretty good judge of new IEMs. I have been comparing full-size headphones since 1975, and while I’m in no way infallible.......I will take hostilities for my opinion, it goes with the territory! Haha!

The Aether technicalities and tone justifies what direction the industry is going, providing ample goods for the 2025 buyer! Cheers!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Detailed Review of the Dethonray Clarinet is live here now. Show some love.
- https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/dethonray-clarinet.27782/reviews#review-37187

I personally could call it the Kingslayer. It punched way way above its price tag.

I'll show some love alright....when I get my unit in the mail!

Hopefully I'm making this face when I'm listening to it.....???

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@Redcarmoose - I'm counting on it. I hope you do, just like you did with the Sound Rhyme SP01. So if the hyperbole is spot on, then we all win!

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@o0genesis0o - fun tuning always wins out. Almost every popular IEM from this last CanJam got praised for being BASSY, fun, and strong midrange. I hardly heard of anyone praising neutral or analytical sets.

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I've said this several times before....one impression is just an isolated opinion, but two, three, four is a trend. @Jaytiss @Cinder and @Redcarmoose , this is a trend, so it seems the Aether is bringing some special sauce that the Timeless II didn't seem to have, or the FiiO FP3 (who remembers that one? No? I boomeranged that 3 years of research planar garbage in a couple days).

 

[Cinder]

fun tuning always wins out. Almost every popular IEM from this last CanJam got praised for being BASSY, fun, and strong midrange. I hardly heard of anyone praising neutral or analytical sets.

That's true, but the Aether isn't dry or anemic. It's got just enough bass to give weight to music without bloat or mess. That might be a powerful motivator for people to stick with it in spite of its more-reserved tuning.

 

[o0genesis0o]

fun tuning always wins out. Almost every popular IEM from this last CanJam got praised for being BASSY, fun, and strong midrange. I hardly heard of anyone praising neutral or analytical sets.

Fun, but within limit You can come up with something quite disgusting to listen when you butcher the midrange.

The other day I put together the graphs of all latest state of the art IEMs with some level of enduring success. Surprise surprise, the tonal signature of them distribute within a bound around common targets (I picked Harman IE2019 for my test). A bit of deliberate boost here, a bit of deliberate cut there, paired with real bass extension and treble extension, centered around a sensible midrange seems like the key. Which sensible midrange? Not surprisingly, it's something similar looking to Supernova's signature ("Meta"?), maybe a bit more or a bit less contrast depending on taste.

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Re: CanJam praise: I think folks going there have plenty of neutral, detail monsters IEMs in the past that it's no longer a big deal anymore. I mean, you can have all sorts of colouring, but how many ways to do neutral, detail monsters can you make Even I don't look for neutral with superb technical performance anymore due to having U12T and Cantor. Yes, STORM beats both of them by a large margin and thus a real "upgrade", but it's too expensive and rare, so it's more like an aspiration rather than something I actively try to get. Something different like Terra, or the plain old Sony IER-Z1R though? Yes please.

I'm more curious about DAC, DAP, and amplifier nowadays. It's fun to see how the neutral IEMs respond to different chains. Hopefully I can find affordable R2R and tube this year.