The discovery thread!

[perrew]

I have the Trusted NI1, great cable!, And a Trusted S1 incoming.

 

[nikbr]

I just got my Behringer wired IEM transmitter yesterday from Amazon, and I'm going to try it with the Kefine Klean at my band's practice/jam Sunday. I'll report my findings. Still, full disclosure: This is the first time I will use IEMs for vocals, so I'll be fumbling in the dark a bit to learn the system, etc.

Looking forward to your impressions on wired in-ear live performance. But, as with all things technological, be careful not to blow out your ears by mistake.
These things can go waaay too loud, there really should be a precautionary volume limiter of sorts that disallows any spikes above crazy volumes, I don't know, 120dB. *Loud listeners sighing in disgust*

 

[GroovyAudio]

Hello guys and girls(?).
Recently I acquired some new iems.
I want to rank them from my least favorite to my most favorite and say couple words about each of them.
Lets start:

7. Truthear X Crinacle Zero Blue 2:

nice iems. warm and bassy but they don't do anything outstanding.
They also feel kinda boring after some time of use.
Still not bad, i have much worse iems than those. 3/5 stars.

6. 64 Audio U4s:

They give detailed and airy sound with Great instrument separation.
But they also sound kinda thin and there's a little bit lack of bass even with the most bassy apex modules.
Overall, they give a unique experience but not for my taste. 3.5/5 stars.

5. Softears Studio 4:

Very technical iems with a lot of details, clarity and excellent imaging.
But i would like to have some more bass and more engaging sound.
They are good for high volume listening and i put them above the 64 audio because they have Richer mids. 3.5/5 stars.

4. Letshuoer EJ07:

Extremely smooth sound with beautiful mids.
They are detail monsters but just like with other iems that i already mentioned, they sound kinda boring.
I would say that they sound too smooth for me. I would like to have a more energetic sound and sparkle treble. More bass wouldn't hurt as well. 3.5/5 stars.

3. TRI I3 MK3:

Fantastic iems.
They also have an airy sound and smooth treble but they also have fun and engaging sound.
They are great for high volume as well.
I'm using them right now and i enjoy my time with them.
The only nitpick for me would be more sub and mid bass. 4/5 stars.

2. Moondrop Kadenz :

A big big surprise for me.
I would never imagine that i would put them in the 2nd place from all the iems that i recently got.
My previous experience with moondrop wasn't positive.
I didn't like the Aria and the Dusk at all.
The Kadenz are energetic monsters.
Amazing clarity, punchy bass, airy and fun sound.
They don't sound as detailed as studio 4 or the EJ07 and they don't have a huge soundstage but as i said before, for me it's more important to enjoy the iems than details in the sound.
I can't believe that I'm gonna give to moondrop iems 4.5/5 stars.
Good Job!

1. BGVP Phantom:

Amazing Bass, great soundstage, fun and immersive sound.
With those iems, i want to explore new music.
Treble heads may not find them appealing but for me they are perfect. 5/5 stars.

Thanks for sharing your impressions! Curious about BGVP Phantom, is it the normal version or special edition version?

 

[FastGecko5]

Jeez, 10,000 pages.

 

[nikbr]

Reviewing progress came to a halt with my laptop keyboard giving up. Well, only letters 'o', 't', and 'z' gave up, but yeah, I don't think I'll be writing a full review trying to avoid words that contain these letters

---

Still lots more burn-in to come and source + cable rolling, but Phoenixia is definitely not the bass monster I expected. It's got a satisfying midbass, but definitely lacks rumble. It's very polite. Quite well balanced. It's quite a vast sound. Not pinpoint, but still very good imaging.

I also got this cable alongside Phoenixia. ivipQ 67 I think it is. Feels solid. Not a fan of that basic ivipQ font on an otherwise beautiful plug.

 

[GroovyAudio]

Anyone try these new Divinus Prism wide bore tips yet? Expensive bastards.

I have ordered them. Maybe next week they will arrive and share my impressions.

 

[caryking]

Aren't tariffs tied to origin of manufacture? Buying from countries with lower tariff rates would be useless if everything made in China gets taxed 145%

There is no way 145% is going to be the final tariff rate, US businesses will melt faster than losing weight on a raw vegan diet if these nightmare tariff rate rates are final.

It’s really the de minimis tax exemption that mostly affects the Chinese goods. Essentially, if an order was purchased for less than $800, then, consumers and retailers could bypass the tariffs. So, the tariff could have been 1000% and if the order was lower than the $800, then no tax. That exemption was removed.

That is how sellers, in China, could sell into the US, and keep the prices down. With the upcoming change, the seller needs to look at the change in the expemption, and determine how much margin they are wanting to give up, in order to keep the business flowing into the US. It’s really on them, because the buyers still want the product, so do the sellers want the lower margin sales?

As a person that deals with factories, all over the world, I have had to move my factories to different countries, in order to keep my products cost low, because of previous tariffs. First and foremost, at one point, the US buyers had major issues, with Nike, because of the so-called slave labor, in China, manufacturing their shoes. Now, I haven’t seen this so-called slave labor; however, I have seen combines, whereas, the factory workers, would come into the China city, and live there, in massive bunk bed facilities, housing the employees. Not the greatest living environments. It’s a reason that the turn-over in these factories is so high. That said, these factories workers are making decisions to work there.

Regarding US companies, most have been moving more of the final assembly, out of China; however, the raw materials are still coming out of China. The tariff is currently based on the final origin, where the assembly is done, not where the raw materials are made. I think what you will see are the manufacturers start to change their supply chain based on, or part of it, in order to continue selling into the US market, provided it’s a major portion of their business. If the US is a major part of their business, then they will need to adjust, in order to stay alive, as a business.

Trumps opinion is that the US de-industrialized entirely too much, starting back in the 70’s, with a massive ramp-up in the early 2000’s. Whether one agrees with his effort to bring some of industrialization back to the US, well…. that’s just a difference in opinion. Also, where this all ends, is completely beyond my knowledge. Now, for the company I work for, we have been planning for this for several years. It’s no surprise that the US, regardless of President, has said that China is the #1 adversary. As I have done with the company I work for, and the Chinese factories I dealt with, we, including these Chinese factories, have been setting up new factories, in other parts of the world. Why? Because we knew this was coming.

This really hasn’t been a surprise.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Oh, THAT mail call: ISN EBC80 (2DD-2BA-2BCD-2EST-700$)
to say my expectation about those tribrid + bone conduction drivers is extremely high is an understatement. I own 11 IEM with bone conduction and this is the most engaging, bassy, fun and immersive of them all. Firstly, it have biggest soundstage since most other sound overly intimate, closed to the listener and in your head: this include the UM Mest MK3.
In fact, EBC80 is logical upgrade to my cherrished BGVP DMA which offer a similar W shape musicality but less crisp and snappy on top, less rich in multi layering and not has round and thick in mid bass punch.
I just receive these but i go from Hiatus Kaiyote to Kangding Ray to Amazondotcom to Big thief to Jessica Pratt to some random jazz and versatility is there for sure: BC foward mid range presence wich go loud and extra layered ''in your head'' then panoramic macro layering surround you in fascinating stereo multi stage, the vibrant chunky punchy bass add tactility-physicality to slightly warmed mids while treble is super speedy and snappy....when listening to sme electronic track from Patricia Taxxon....i go into somekind of Imax 3D experience....synth layers were so well define and position in etherealy wide spatiality....and those micro details get extra energy due to ESTs....
OK. I'll calm down and focus on those for a while, then share an exclusive video here. then final review in a week or so.
But it's up my alley, more so than UM Mext (big time) and BGVP Phantom, as for UM Mest Mk3 not in my hands right now...its more neutral and less big in soundstage, less lively and weighty in macro dynamic...
To note Bone conduction boost timbre and presence so the source will inflict alot on final result, as well, these are easiest to drive IEM with BC i own.
Cable is nice too, ISN S2 (80$) modular copper silver plated, no ear hook is a plus to me.
Far is the day where Unique Melody were only one doing TOTL tribrid with BC....and man, sound value with ISN is no doubt higher. Will share more soon.


-very big multi layered holographic soundstage-biggest one of all IEM with BC i’ve heard (11)

-round colorful dense and tactile mid bass, gently textured, very weighty, not sharpest bite

-wide dense vibrant rumble, fullfill with air and natural resonance (with right eartips, can go warmer with stock tips)

-heavy macro dynamic rendering

-highly immersive in and out of your head musical experience where listener is part of the music-very special and active in engagement

-clear and detailed mids, rich in texture details, more so than bass instrument yet with notch of warmth coloring-thickening-creaming the presence, making it more bodied in layers and natural and dense in timbre

-bone conduction sharpen presence envelop, forwards widen the brightness of it without making it more fatiguing, it add central dynamic peak completing a W balance that surrounding listener from everywhere Stereophonic way. it add fine micro details too, like subtle instrument texture, violin bow rubbing etc

-plenty of lower mid, piano note fall heavy and clear

-speedy shiny snappy upper treble with good brilliance, acoustic guitar have proper attack lead, delicately yet sharply biting and micro dynamic is enriched, adding even more plans to macro rendering

-both musical and technical, no thin mids, not bass less, very punch and engaging yet super focused on mid range due to bone conduction boosting presence of instrument and resolution of background sound info too

-hard to find cons right now but i will don’t worry….ill say air around instrument isn’t cleanest yet this happen with all IEM with BC i own….BC tend to boost resolution of silence….its very subtle though…and ESTs do add sens of cleaner space

-oh, ok, fit is very capricious for proper BC ‘’connection’’...driver port is near ear canal like at the base of it….this mean ear tips is very VERY important and surely different depending of people anatomy….oddly, for now its Tri Clarion….which i never use with other IEMs….




Will share more impressions....will be very wordy about those cause it might be my very fav IEM with BC until now...once out of honey moon period, i guess ill go more critical too...in 1 week review will be done....

 

[BlueA]

but I hope companies like Penon Audio & NiceHCK can survive this.

to be fair they already apply a much higher tariff on customers...
so cash flow can stay alive for a long time.

Wonder what's the repartition between asia/eu/us

 

[ahammedsojib]

Ear acoustic has recently created a lot of hype in the current market with their new offerings. I have been personally using their entry level set "sta high-end max" for about two weeks now. Apart from some minor drawbacks, I find this IEM quite good for the price. For the convenience of all of you, I have given the review link below

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earacoustic-sta-hi-end-max.28137/review/37805/

 

[carrots99]

Ear acoustic has recently created a lot of hype in the current market with their new offerings. I have been personally using their entry level set "sta high-end max" for about two weeks now. Apart from some minor drawbacks, I find this IEM quite good for the price. For the convenience of all of you, I have given the review link below

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earacoustic-sta-hi-end-max.28137/review/37805/

I just got mine moments ago!!! SO far I am liking it, although coming from a week on using the CK2V, it is a big of a difference

 

[Ineras]

Still lots more burn-in to come and source + cable rolling, but Phoenixia is definitely not the bass monster I expected. It's got a satisfying midbass, but definitely lacks rumble. It's very polite. Quite well balanced. It's quite a vast sound. Not pinpoint, but still very good imaging.

Try it with Starboy and those bassy Billie Eilish tracks. Tate McRae tracks like Sports car as well. You don't feel that deep physical sub-bass?

But yeah, as I mentioned before, it's not a basshead set. It's more focused on bass quality in a satisfying amount.

 

[jbfps116]

Slightly revised profile pic. Added two and took two away. It’s tough to get them to sit right at a good angle lol… I’m still not happy with the overall shape of the group but oh well…

 

[ahammedsojib]

I just got mine moments ago!!! SO far I am liking it, although coming from a week on using the CK2V, it is a big of a difference

Do you prefer ck2v over "sta high-end max"?

 

[pk4425]

It's arrogant for me to presume the magnitude, of the negative impact (being a U.S. consumer), but I hope companies like Penon Audio & NiceHCK can survive this.

Penon will be fine. The company sells nearly all of its new models at BIG discounts with VIP email codes and sells the Fan 3 at 50 percent off with its VIP email code. So, that proves its profit margins already are comfy. There should be enough padding, even with the tariffs.

Hey all. A break seems to have done me good. That, and some time away from stuffing tiny boom boxes in my ears all day. I've been on full-size headphones whenever I'm sitting down. That helps my ears quite a bit.

Glad you're back, mate. Take your time, but don't be a stranger!

If you like jazz, you need to fix that as soon as possible. It's a genre of music where the experience of a live performance is irreplaceable by any successful studio recording. I wish you all the best.

Absolutely. One of my fondest musical memories came in 1986, when I attended a college journalism conference in Washington, D.C., as the sports editor of my college paper along with our executive editor and assistant editor. We were there for two nights and went to a jazz club in Georgetown on the first night.

Killer trio was playing. Piano, upright bass, drums. Playing bop and hard bop, which I LOVE. It was the classic cliched jazz club scene -- dim lighting, round cabaret tables with candles, wood-paneled walls, everyone sipping drinks and absorbing all the beautiful music. An indelible memory for me, even 39 years later!

Go see some live jazz in a small club. It's magical.

Looking forward to your impressions on wired in-ear live performance. But, as with all things technological, be careful not to blow out your ears by mistake.
These things can go waaay too loud, there really should be a precautionary volume limiter of sorts that disallows any spikes above crazy volumes, I don't know, 120dB. *Loud listeners sighing in disgust*

Thanks, Nik. Yeah, one of our guitar players warned me of that. The Behringer supposedly has circuitry to prevent big volume spikes. I will explore and learn and will chime in with a quick review for you!