The discovery thread!

[pk4425]

whThe Iem world is out of control

thats why I move to a new hobby

While I agree the trend of "more drivers equals better sound" is total horse feces, I didn't realize companies stopped manufacturing single-DD, single-BA or 1+1 models. Maybe you're just joking about finding another hobby. Otherwise, that's a classic case of chopping your torso at the waist because you have a headache.

That right there is a hideous faceplate.

Absolutely. Looks like a fourth-grader's art project, part of a bad crushed-velvet blacklight poster at Spencer Gifts in the 80s or a hideous Affliction MMA T-shirt color scheme from 15 years ago.

Participation is key to vibrancy. You don't have to go overboard, or post just for the hell of it, that's not what I mean, but 1 1/2 pages in 9 hours? That's near neglect.

There's a fine line between the joy of participation and the madness of obsession. It's up to each of us where we draw our lines.

It looks like the A10000 will be the first ever IEM to use a pure diamond dome DD!

Is this a real, market-defining feature or just marketing BS?

Thanks, dudes. All congrats go to the lucky one on May 4th.
Nonono, Europe only is a strict rule

---

After a gorgeous day out exploring Slovenian nature with a few bros ...




... I'm enjoying my evening with the Oriolus Isabellae again, whose midrange is so spot on. Buttery smooth yet alive and captivating.

You live in a beautiful corner of the Big Blue Marble, Nik.

listening to the last song in this set with the Wan'er 2, Dunu S&S tips, and XINHS 089 Black Dragon cable... MIND BLOWING. Now maybe, it was because I heard it for the first time, but MAN that Wan'er 2 is up to some REAL good stuff... STUNNING faceplate [but cheap plastic design...] even on that "warmer" cable, the Wan'er 2 can SING in the treble, and is quite detailed with GOOD stage. The INSANE percussion and guitar playing at high speeds never felt congested or muddled. I think it might have better tonal character and dynamics than even the Trio... [both are nearing the end of my burn-in times, going mostly by feeling haha.] I have yet to A-B them with the older Wan'er sets, but I already know it's a cut above. Might even surpass the Zenith [HAHA] because of the treble extension.

You have excellent taste with Mdou Moctar, sir.

I'm almost 60. I've been a rock music fan for 45 years. There wasn't much new stuff exciting me a couple of years ago. Thought maybe I had heard it all in the rock genre. Then I discovered Mdou Moctar, and my mind was blown. Haven't heard anything this fresh or exciting from the rock genre in a LONG time.

new gaming focused Moondrop IEM, Moondrop Rays




if this turns to be multi driver with great focus on soundstaging like placement, clear imaging, and layered separation with proper air in between...
priced properly, it might be interesting,

Well, it's Moondrop, so it's probably a matter of throwing feces on the wall and hoping it sticks. But man, that is a very attractive color scheme. Penon, take note.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Awesome! Where did you buy your DX1? I don't see them available anywhere.

P.S: my H20 tracking got an update, finally I feel relieved "breathe out"

Can't buy it yet. Review units.

Very gaming in design with that neon green and purple, but done quite tastefully.

Chu II is good fun budget iem,
if they manage to step that up with greater soundstage and separation..

tough this is under assumption that this would be budget iem, if this ended being in premium Kiwi Ear pricing like Punch and other collab pricing...
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i forgot to post this few days ago when it was teased,
now its already sold in Taobao and others

AFUL Polar Night PN01
a premium ($175~200) EARBUD from Aful.
with uuh, 3D printed soundtube tuning and tuning foamies.




Still Aful with their soundtube tech to differentiate from other premium boutique earbuds that usually comes with slightly customized mass produced shell





tough rather unfortunately while understandable, it comes with MMCX connection




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i remember one discovery poster found his TotL in Rikubuds product and stated that he gonna retire for the chifi rat race
i wonder how he is now?

i remember that as he described his TotL, other poster begun tempting with iems that he might like.

Those tuning foams ain't schitt. Now throw a good old fashioned bass foam on them, and they sing! This is a fabulous earbud, with vibrant mids, but the treble is the true special sauce in this earbud. With the mids a very close second.

I got a chance to audition the LUA Synchronicity. It's a new brand from Taiwan with an amazing range of IEMs.

The Synchrnoicity retails for about $790, it packs a very musical sound response with amazing midrange, good bass response, and smooth treble region. The bass is more about quality than quantity here, with the main focus on sub-bass producing a solid rumble. Mid-bass is also good enough to satisfy my hunger, however, bassheads might need more volume to the mid-bass.

Midrange is where the magic of Synchronicity starts to unfold, and although it is recessed, the clarity and resolution for midrange are exceptional. I love the vocals on the pair, especially male vocals. They sound smooth, clear, and have a well-defined response. Similarly, female vocals also sound really good on the pair. Treble region packs a good amount of details, you won't feel it lacks in that regard.

Soundstage extends wide on the sides and has decent enough depth as well. However, the sound image is a bit close, and gives a sense of intimacy. I personally enjoy the musical nature, natural tone of this set.

Oh I just forgot to mention that the pair looks absolutely outstanding!!

Beauty. Reminds me of when we had @AmericanSpirit as a regular, and he was always scouring Taobao for the latest underground or overlooked gem.

Yeah, its easy to get distracted when in the presence of so many like minded hobbyists . This year I plan on doing more socializing and less critical listening. I'm excited to get to hang out with those that I've met over the last couple of years.

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Shoutout to our own @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 for making the front page again! I can't wait to demo the Legion for myself but I'm actually more excited about the Aegis

Thank you! Was a big surprise for me when i woke up this morning. This is the biggest one yet, and maybe apropos that it's the gorgeous Legion?!

You're confirmed?! Looking forward to finally meeting you in person then! We're gonna have one hell of a great party!

Which tips do you use? I got the IVIPQ cable for the Piroles and Im quite happy with the Bass. Try the Kill Jill Bass drop around 35sec

Snazzy cable!!! I got the spinfit CP100+ on the Spark. Currently my favorite tips (along with AZLA Crystal, OG Spiral dots, and Divinus Wild Bores right behind).

While I agree the trend of "more drivers equals better sound" is total horse feces, I didn't realize companies stopped manufacturing single-DD, single-BA or 1+1 models. Maybe you're just joking about finding another hobby. Otherwise, that's a classic case of chopping your torso at the waist because you have a headache.

Absolutely. Looks like a fourth-grader's art project, part of a bad crushed-velvet blacklight poster at Spencer Gifts in the 80s or a hideous Affliction MMA T-shirt color scheme from 15 years ago.

There's a fine line between the joy of participation and the madness of obsession. It's up to each of us where we draw our lines.

Is this a real, market-defining feature or just marketing BS?

You live in a beautiful corner of the Big Blue Marble, Nik.

You have excellent taste with Mdou Moctar, sir.

I'm almost 60. I've been a rock music fan for 45 years. There wasn't much new stuff exciting me a couple of years ago. Thought maybe I had heard it all in the rock genre. Then I discovered Mdou Moctar, and my mind was blown. Haven't heard anything this fresh or exciting from the rock genre in a LONG time.

Well, it's Moondrop, so it's probably a matter of throwing feces on the wall and hoping it sticks. But man, that is a very attractive color scheme. Penon, take note.

That's why I was so surprised by the H20. It's also why I had to really DIG for equal comparisons, because hardly anyone is making 1+1 anymore. Used to be a ton on the market, but that was several years ago now, and the 1+1 we've seen popping up here and there are actually 1 DD + 1 PD, which I feel isn't apples to apples, so I didn't include those in a comparo with the H20. Maybe the H20 will spurn the return of the 1+1 (1DD + 1BA)? Ok, the Project M didn't make that happen, so I doubt the H20 will?! LOL

 

[GorGhast]

I got these Juzear Clears and the Tanchjim Luna DAC today. Someone in this thread recommended these badboys during the last AliE sale, and I got them for around 27 bucks. Sharp V-shape with deep rumbly bass and lively, but low-budget highs, they're kinda memey, but so fun! More than worth it for that thick cable alone, the best stock cable of any IEM I own. A nice lil set to play with until my TRN Shell and Kiwi Aethers should arrive on Wednesday

 

[BlankName]

Is this a real, market-defining feature or just marketing BS?

Pure diamond is, in theory, the best diaphragm material, and can even surpass pure beryllium because it has a hardness of 10 mohs, vs 6 for beryllium (mohs scale non-linearly), despite being twice as dense.

 

[activatorfly]

OH SCHITT!! Letshuoer DX1 + Xduoo XD05T (4.4mm) = TEAR INDUCING JOY!!

Now, the DX1 almost requires 4.4mm. I was using 3.5mm and it was good. Really good. But when I switched to a 4.4mm balanced cable...POW!! Suddenly the bass came ALIVE and the treble wasn't as crispy. It became crisp! Bass started to hit harder, and the stage got even fuller and wider!! Then I introduced TOOBS, and *chef's kiss*

Letshuoer DX1 vs Sound Rhyme SP01 coming next...

Sounds like a great combo bro!

 

[GroovyAudio]

Can't buy it yet. Review units.

Got it! I would like to know how heavy are the shells? You reckon above 10g per shell or under?
I don't know what got into me but I really really like this DX1. When I hear delicious mids I get excited. Would you say it has more sub-bass emphasis then mid-bass?

 

[MD Rohit]

I got these Juzear Clears and the Tanchjim Luna DAC today. Someone in this thread recommended these badboys during the last AliE sale, and I got them for around 27 bucks. Sharp V-shape with deep rumbly bass and lively, but low-budget highs, they're kinda memey, but so fun! More than worth it for that thick cable alone, the best stock cable of any IEM I own. A nice lil set to play with until my TRN Shell and Kiwi Aethers should arrive on Wednesday

if possible try the myer audio sllivo sla3

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I got these Juzear Clears and the Tanchjim Luna DAC today. Someone in this thread recommended these badboys during the last AliE sale, and I got them for around 27 bucks. Sharp V-shape with deep rumbly bass and lively, but low-budget highs, they're kinda memey, but so fun! More than worth it for that thick cable alone, the best stock cable of any IEM I own. A nice lil set to play with until my TRN Shell and Kiwi Aethers should arrive on Wednesday

Just sold the Clear along with a couple other IEMs and a bunch of cables. Made the mistake of misremembering my time with the Clear when @thaslaya lent them to me, and got pulled in with a $23.00 price tag. The cable is worth more than the $23.00, but the IEM is extreme V, but the mids are scooped, have wonky tonality, and so does not have the tone or presence to overcome the v. Probably good for really bass heavy music, and that's about it. Not for me. Gone.

Got it! I would like to know how heavy are the shells? You reckon above 10g per shell or under?
I don't know what got into me but I really really like this DX1. When I hear delicious mids I get excited. Would you say it has more sub-bass emphasis then mid-bass?

It's still very early in my assessment, and I can't say too much yet, but for a small snippet, I'd say the bottom end is quite balanced, between sub bass, mid bass, and note resolution. That's the thing I'm realizing early, is there's excellent CLEAN balance between all the frequencies, with maybe just the ever so slight propensity for the crisp treble extension. But think like a single DD H60, as far as the balance, and especially bottom end balance (H60 is warmer and more analogue sounding).

 

[BS5711]

There's a fine line between the joy of participation and the madness of obsession. It's up to each of us where we draw our lines.

 

[perrew]

Snazzy cable!!! I got the spinfit CP100+ on the Spark. Currently my favorite tips (along with AZLA Crystal, OG Spiral dots, and Divinus Wild Bores right behind).

Don't have any of those, Div on order though, but I run the transparent ones with turquoise inners that come with Sound Rhyme.

 

[o0genesis0o]

AFUL PolarNight is releasing on April 10 at $175 (this price tag can be considered “upper midrange” or even “kilobuck class” in the world of earbuds).

Purchase Links:

• HiFiGo: https://hifigo.com/products/aful-polarnight
• Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F243X49T?th=1
• AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256808589095443.html

I think it is another project similar to MagicOne to test/show off R&D. Given the fact that earbuds have much more variation than IEMs, I can’t tell you “go and buy one!”. Personally, I have been looking for a good pair of buds for background music, and this one (finally) ticks the boxes. So far, I have been using my own DIY unit

Edit:

 

[activatorfly]

Just sold the Clear along with a couple other IEMs and a bunch of cables. Made the mistake of misremembering my time with the Clear when @thaslaya lent them to me, and got pulled in with a $23.00 price tag. The cable is worth more than the $23.00, but the IEM is extreme V, but the mids are scooped, have wonky tonality, and so does not have the tone or presence to overcome the v. Probably good for really bass heavy music, and that's about it. Not for me. Gone.

It's still very early in my assessment, and I can't say too much yet, but for a small snippet, I'd say the bottom end is quite balanced, between sub bass, mid bass, and note resolution. That's the thing I'm realizing early, is there's excellent CLEAN balance between all the frequencies, with maybe just the ever so slight propensity for the crisp treble extension. But think like a single DD H60, as far as the balance, and especially bottom end balance (H60 is warmer and more analogue sounding).

Can't beat a clean bottom end...or can you haha ?? !!

 

[janky]

I recently got my hands on the nanna 2.1 at a stellar used price of 300 USD... i am extremely impressed with it, kinera jumped up heavily on my brand list

 

[thaslaya]

So I know there's a lot of hype for the Kiwi Ears Aether and many fans here in this thread specifically, but I just published my review and they didn't really vibe well with me personally (Head-fi and blog). There's a treble peak around 8kHz that is quite noticeable for me, and I think a more even upper midrange emphasis would have helped a bit. I still love doing reviews even after 70+ because I feel like I learn more about myself and my own preferences with each one!

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Can't beat a clean bottom end...or can you haha ?? !!

Take everything good about the Kefine Klean, and crank it to 11.

So the Klean gets it's ass whipped by the DX1, or ass wiped? Clean spanking?