The Musicopia : A wonderous community for sharing and discussing music, audio gear, IEMs, headphones, and a cornucopia of experiences small & large.

[jbfps116]

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 you might be glad to hear I'm reevaluating the ZeTianWu and confirmed that I DO like it generally better than the TD20. Sometimes it's hard to compare two IEMs with different sound profiles... Some days I might like the bassy richness of the TD20, and sometimes, the clarity/treble extension of the ZTW is better to me. Now... compared to the YuXuanJi from the same company... that's a tighter battle. Both have detailed treble... the YXJ is certainly growing on me [using the H20's stock cable which is an EXCELLENT visual and sonic pairing.] That being said, I feel like the vocals on the ZTW are a bit dry... even compared to the YXJ. The main thing the ZTW has over the YXJ is bass performance. It's not as musically rich/warm as the TD20, but still warmer than the YXJ. On my 5-track comparison playlist, I preferred the YXJ 3/5 times, so it barely beat that classic planar beast. The ZTW is a better all-rounder, but I prefer the treble and stage on the YXJ, in general.

Now... further comparisons are on the way for the Aether, and if it renders both the TD20 and ZTW obsolete [and... PR3 on the way to shake things up further!]

EDIT: so this placed the ZTW at spot 19, with the Wan'er SE just above it... I did another comparison to see if the ZTW could move up past that set that I've had a lot of mixed feelings about over time. [but is going back UP in my estimation... it performs WELL under audio stress haha.]
result? well, on that short 5-song test playlist, I still preferred the Wan'er SE 3/5 times... so for now, the ZeTianWu is staying at spot 19, which is saying something considering it's survived two large culls!

---

TRN Jaws is in [along with some EXCELLENT ddHifi tips]
~lowkey upset there's not 4.4 option on the jaws... 3.5 and a usb-C audio cable that I won't use. oh well... for now I have the OCC849 on them.
~HOW IN TARNATION are these so tiny and have 3DD, 4BA, and a planar driver?!?!? a feat of miniaturization for sure.
~Sound isn't as instantly mesmerizing as the CK2V, but I'm liking what I hear. STAGE, detail, clarity [but not too dry, oh no] and decent clean bass that isn't boosted too much, but I think it's enough for some real fun. some hard burn-in, and trying a better source than my laptop, and I'm sure these will SING.
~CK2V is still creamier in the treble while at the same time being DETAILED. Jaws might not be that magical, but there's so much going on with those drivers.. the layering and detail and orbital stage is amazing. A-B tests seem to infer that the CK2V's upper treble is more emphasized than the Jaws... so if people think the Jaws is fatiguing, do NOT get the CK2V haha. Both sound perfectly fine to me though.
~There's no tuning options like on the incoming shell, but SO FAR, I don't feel the need to tune these... it sounds pretty GOOD out of the box.
~I'm glad I got these with the LEC coupon... but I think the sound will justify the retail price... just wish they had included a modular cable.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Flipears Legion


My 20th review is in the books!! So that's 19 since I started back up doing this in late August 2024, and 20th under my current nickname. Not bad for a lazy azz! LOL

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read, like, share, and comment. I appreciate all of it and all of you, and your precious time. Hope it helps you in any way?

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/flipears-legion.27892/reviews#review-37495

 

[jbfps116]

Almost done rating the QKZ ZXD... and comparing it to the ZXN, ZVX Pro, and White Snow...
Contrary to a certain big-name reviewer's first impressions, the ZXN and ZXD do NOT sound the same... the ZXD is warmer and lusher for sure. The mid-bass is a bit more intrusive into the lower mids, but that's not always a bad thing. [genre dependent] But the ZXD still has plenty of treble air to help the IEM not sound totally warm [more upper air than the ZXN according to graphs.]
The drivers of both are surprisingly competent under audio duress for such a cheap price... The ZXD seems even more detailed and powerfully capable with hard rock than the ZXN. That extra treble air really brings the music to life. [the QKZ ZX2 according to graphs has the ZXN's more elevated lower treble, and also the ZXD's elevated treble air so... fingers crossed it's the best QKZ to date!] The ZXD's powerful bass provides a solid backing for hard rock/metal that is just so satisfying.
Oh, and another thing, the ZXD passes my sibilance test... it has almost none, even on my very tough test track!
White snow... not my jam. They don't sound BAD, they just lack anything that stands out, and the tonality is a bit...unpolished. It's like a cheaper, worse ZVX Pro.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

Hello mates, here are my new product reviews for this month. I'm taking a slow down on publishing my review articles as I'm quite busy for the past few weeks.

BLON BL03 II:


https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/blon-bl03-ii-universal-iem-31-99-usd.27796/reviews#review-37502


APEVOIX GRIT:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/apevoix-grit.27794/reviews#review-37503

 

[Audioenophile]

Review of EarAcoustic Audio SPA Limited Edition is live now.

- https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/earacoustic-audio-silver-angel-series.28012/reviews#review-37473

Beautiful looking set irrespective of the prices. Soulful Mids, right tonal balance. But lacks in the upper mids and treble extension. Also, would be good if the cable is 4.4mm terminated. Read and share your feedback for the review.

Wow, looks a bit like Beyonce's Tiffany-diamond 64 Audio A18s...

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Hello mates, here are my new product reviews for this month. I'm taking a slow down on publishing my review articles as I'm quite busy for the past few weeks.

BLON BL03 II:


https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/blon-bl03-ii-universal-iem-31-99-usd.27796/reviews#review-37502


APEVOIX GRIT:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/apevoix-grit.27794/reviews#review-37503

@Jmop likes this one I think?

Apevoix Grit has also gotten some shine recently!

Wow, looks a bit like Beyonce's Tiffany-diamond 64 Audio A18s...

She got that look like "yeah, i'm so loaded, yes, I can afford this bling, and it's all 1000% REAL, boyyyyy."

---

 

[Jmop]

@Jmop likes this one I think?

It’s got the rec from me, like @Zerstorer_GOhren says the bass is more sub focused and they did a good job adding upper treble while keeping it non-fatiguing. The sub focus and higher pinna gain loses out in musicality to me when compared with the purple iteration of 03 though. Am currently looking at source options for that 03 cuz my RS2 is too warm for it..

Also @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 have you heard this shiii, holy..

 

[jbfps116]

going from the Jaws to the CK2V makes the latter sound almost dark ... they aren't, but that's how different the tonality is. the vocals are a bit set back on the CK2V compared to the Jaws. [but I know from graphs, the Jaws' vocals are more forward than many other IEMs] But the CK2V [dang I'm getting annoyed at typing that awkward name!!] is SO rich and creamy... luscious bass, and detailed treble... just a masterpiece. The Jaws, on the other hand, is a revealing, very detailed IEM... analytical I guess you could say. But it doesn't sound sterile like some can [AirPods Pro 2, for example] it just sounds HIFI.

 

[Zerstorer_GOhren]

It’s got the rec from me, like @Zerstorer_GOhren says the bass is more sub focused and they did a good job adding upper treble while keeping it non-fatiguing. The sub focus and higher pinna gain loses out in musicality to me when compared with the purple iteration of 03 though. Am currently looking at source options for that 03 cuz my RS2 is too warm for it..

Also @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 have you heard this shiii, holy..

I like Warbringer \m/. Especially their Combat Shock track.

 

[DaveStarWalker]

Well, let's gently delve into a mysterious and, for many, still unexplored land (given its complexity, but above all, its eccentricity: the resources and total dedication it requires): that of the piano works of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

Sorabji is a mystery, an enigma, as a man, and his work is among the most singular that art music has ever known. We begin gently with two works that provide a fairly faithful taste of the harmonic continent that was Sorabji's completely unique and personal language :



And now we move on to what, for me, is the benchmark recording of his first sonata:



Busoni (to whom the composer, then 27, played the work) commented that the piece resembled "a tropical forest." We can only agree with such luxuriance, mystery, powerful scents, colors, but also (pianistic ) dangers...

In short, a first introduction to the composer of the impossible, who could push the duration of a single solo piano work to almost 9 hours non-stop!

But that's for next time, if you don't mind

 

[jbfps116]

MUSICOPIA EXCLUSIVE first impressions!

Testing out the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2... ok so it's DEFINITELY not audiophile-quality, but compared to my Aiwa bone conduction set , the dual driver Shocks is clearly superior... There's ACTUALLY... some... bass. Nothing low really, but more than the Aiwa, for sure, and this helps prevent the music from sounding tinny. Also, the Shocks relegates only high frequencies to the BC driver, so the unit doesn't have to vibrate like a massager to get that faint semblance of bass like the BC-only Aiwa. Also, the Shokz app lets you EQ, to an extent, [you can adjust upper bass, mids, and highs, 5-band] The factory presets are fairly bad though. It was easy for an EQ-novice like me to make a better setting than the standard mode. Overall though, the sound is about like a bluetooth speaker. heavily rolled-off sub-bass, [still some punch though...more than pure BC sets] and not an audiophile level of layering, detail or separation. I think the Aiwa's treble might be slightly more airy and sweet, but I still want to play more with the Shokz EQ. But for any songs with a fun bassline, there's NO comparison... the Shokz are CLEARLY better, and no amount of EQ can make the Aiwa bassier. The Aiwa sounds flat out tinny, the Shokz sounds WAY meatier, despite lacking LOW bass.

The Shokz app now lets you switch off the air conduction speaker, and use only the BC... this brings back the familiar vibrations, but they aren't as rattling as the Aiwa set. Switching back the regular mode brings back a good helping of bass and warmth, so I doubt I'll use the BC-only mode ever. [that's the whole point I get them haha. Otherwise I'd be happy with my Aiwa set.]

Build quality and accessories: very good. Came in a recycled carboard box [always a win in my books!] with a nice zipper case, strap in case you want to hang them from your neck, and even some reflective stickers to stick on... who knows what. Shokz silicone-style coating material is finer and obviously higher-quality.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 you might be glad to hear I'm reevaluating the ZeTianWu and confirmed that I DO like it generally better than the TD20. Sometimes it's hard to compare two IEMs with different sound profiles... Some days I might like the bassy richness of the TD20, and sometimes, the clarity/treble extension of the ZTW is better to me. Now... compared to the YuXuanJi from the same company... that's a tighter battle. Both have detailed treble... the YXJ is certainly growing on me [using the H20's stock cable which is an EXCELLENT visual and sonic pairing.] That being said, I feel like the vocals on the ZTW are a bit dry... even compared to the YXJ. The main thing the ZTW has over the YXJ is bass performance. It's not as musically rich/warm as the TD20, but still warmer than the YXJ. On my 5-track comparison playlist, I preferred the YXJ 3/5 times, so it barely beat that classic planar beast. The ZTW is a better all-rounder, but I prefer the treble and stage on the YXJ, in general.

Now... further comparisons are on the way for the Aether, and if it renders both the TD20 and ZTW obsolete [and... PR3 on the way to shake things up further!]

EDIT: so this placed the ZTW at spot 19, with the Wan'er SE just above it... I did another comparison to see if the ZTW could move up past that set that I've had a lot of mixed feelings about over time. [but is going back UP in my estimation... it performs WELL under audio stress haha.]
result? well, on that short 5-song test playlist, I still preferred the Wan'er SE 3/5 times... so for now, the ZeTianWu is staying at spot 19, which is saying something considering it's survived two large culls!

---

TRN Jaws is in [along with some EXCELLENT ddHifi tips]
~lowkey upset there's not 4.4 option on the jaws... 3.5 and a usb-C audio cable that I won't use. oh well... for now I have the OCC849 on them.
~HOW IN TARNATION are these so tiny and have 3DD, 4BA, and a planar driver?!?!? a feat of miniaturization for sure.
~Sound isn't as instantly mesmerizing as the CK2V, but I'm liking what I hear. STAGE, detail, clarity [but not too dry, oh no] and decent clean bass that isn't boosted too much, but I think it's enough for some real fun. some hard burn-in, and trying a better source than my laptop, and I'm sure these will SING.
~CK2V is still creamier in the treble while at the same time being DETAILED. Jaws might not be that magical, but there's so much going on with those drivers.. the layering and detail and orbital stage is amazing. A-B tests seem to infer that the CK2V's upper treble is more emphasized than the Jaws... so if people think the Jaws is fatiguing, do NOT get the CK2V haha. Both sound perfectly fine to me though.
~There's no tuning options like on the incoming shell, but SO FAR, I don't feel the need to tune these... it sounds pretty GOOD out of the box.
~I'm glad I got these with the LEC coupon... but I think the sound will justify the retail price... just wish they had included a modular cable.

I love the Wu, but in the case of the Ji, it has to have a pure copper cable (and high quality/purity), and AZLA Crystal 2 tips, so that, like the Brain Dance, it can bring up that thin midrange with some added warmth.

It’s got the rec from me, like @Zerstorer_GOhren says the bass is more sub focused and they did a good job adding upper treble while keeping it non-fatiguing. The sub focus and higher pinna gain loses out in musicality to me when compared with the purple iteration of 03 though. Am currently looking at source options for that 03 cuz my RS2 is too warm for it..

Also @FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 have you heard this shiii, holy..

Yeah. I got the album. Big Warbringer fan. Not even so much the instrumentals (though I do like it), but the vocalist is one of my favorite raspers.

Well, let's gently delve into a mysterious and, for many, still unexplored land (given its complexity, but above all, its eccentricity: the resources and total dedication it requires): that of the piano works of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

Sorabji is a mystery, an enigma, as a man, and his work is among the most singular that art music has ever known. We begin gently with two works that provide a fairly faithful taste of the harmonic continent that was Sorabji's completely unique and personal language :



And now we move on to what, for me, is the benchmark recording of his first sonata:



Busoni (to whom the composer, then 27, played the work) commented that the piece resembled "a tropical forest." We can only agree with such luxuriance, mystery, powerful scents, colors, but also (pianistic ) dangers...

In short, a first introduction to the composer of the impossible, who could push the duration of a single solo piano work to almost 9 hours non-stop!

But that's for next time, if you don't mind

Stunning work. Thanks for the share. Used the TRN Shell to listen to this thru the Nunchaku. *chef's kiss*

MUSICOPIA EXCLUSIVE first impressions!

Testing out the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2... ok so it's DEFINITELY not audiophile-quality, but compared to my Aiwa bone conduction set , the dual driver Shocks is clearly superior... There's ACTUALLY... some... bass. Nothing low really, but more than the Aiwa, for sure, and this helps prevent the music from sounding tinny. Also, the Shocks relegates only high frequencies to the BC driver, so the unit doesn't have to vibrate like a massager to get that faint semblance of bass like the BC-only Aiwa. Also, the Shokz app lets you EQ, to an extent, [you can adjust upper bass, mids, and highs, 5-band] The factory presets are fairly bad though. It was easy for an EQ-novice like me to make a better setting than the standard mode. Overall though, the sound is about like a bluetooth speaker. heavily rolled-off sub-bass, [still some punch though...more than pure BC sets] and not an audiophile level of layering, detail or separation. I think the Aiwa's treble might be slightly more airy and sweet, but I still want to play more with the Shokz EQ. But for any songs with a fun bassline, there's NO comparison... the Shokz are CLEARLY better, and no amount of EQ can make the Aiwa bassier. The Aiwa sounds flat out tinny, the Shokz sounds WAY meatier, despite lacking LOW bass.

The Shokz app now lets you switch off the air conduction speaker, and use only the BC... this brings back the familiar vibrations, but they aren't as rattling as the Aiwa set. Switching back the regular mode brings back a good helping of bass and warmth, so I doubt I'll use the BC-only mode ever. [that's the whole point I get them haha. Otherwise I'd be happy with my Aiwa set.]

Build quality and accessories: very good. Came in a recycled carboard box [always a win in my books!] with a nice zipper case, strap in case you want to hang them from your neck, and even some reflective stickers to stick on... who knows what. Shokz silicone-style coating material is finer and obviously higher-quality.

My daughter has a pair of these Shoks. She let me listen to them. Not bad. The whole sensation to me was cool, but I wouldn't buy them, since I got the soundpeats capsule 3+, which are xMems, and bad azz wireless. Love them and that crisp extended xMems treble.

going from the Jaws to the CK2V makes the latter sound almost dark ... they aren't, but that's how different the tonality is. the vocals are a bit set back on the CK2V compared to the Jaws. [but I know from graphs, the Jaws' vocals are more forward than many other IEMs] But the CK2V [dang I'm getting annoyed at typing that awkward name!!] is SO rich and creamy... luscious bass, and detailed treble... just a masterpiece. The Jaws, on the other hand, is a revealing, very detailed IEM... analytical I guess you could say. But it doesn't sound sterile like some can [AirPods Pro 2, for example] it just sounds HIFI.

I get the same sensation when going from the ZVX to the Saga. The Saga isn't dark, but it sounds downright chocolate when compared the the ZVX and it's transparent midrange. I'd probably say the same with the Zenith or the Shell LOL

 

[jbfps116]

My daughter has a pair of these Shoks. She let me listen to them. Not bad. The whole sensation to me was cool, but I wouldn't buy them, since I got the soundpeats capsule 3+, which are xMems, and bad azz wireless. Love them and that crisp extended xMems treble.

yea, well I have the AirPods Pro 2... I want the Shokz for when I don't want anything in my ears, either outside on warm days, or when eating...

I get the same sensation when going from the ZVX to the Saga. The Saga isn't dark, but it sounds downright chocolate when compared the the ZVX and it's transparent midrange. I'd probably say the same with the Zenith or the Shell LOL

Maybe the original ZVX is more your style? the Pro sounds totally different.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

yea, well I have the AirPods Pro 2... I want the Shokz for when I don't want anything in my ears, either outside on warm days, or when eating...

Maybe the original ZVX is more your style? the Pro sounds totally different.

Nah. I dig the ZVX Pro. Especially with TOOBS. Played quite nciely thru the Nunchaku and the XD05T. Haven't tried them on the B4-X or the N3U, but I will. They are on the burn station atm.

---

Totally dig these Can Jam preview videos that @jude and @AxelCloris deliver! Gets me so psyched for my upcoming Can Jam experience (No! It's not Singapore! I WISH!). I'll be at SoCal. This one is 5 hours long! Can't wait for the SoCal vid to hit, and the preview thread and impressions thread. I'm gonna be neck deep in those.

 

[jbfps116]

Well, let's gently delve into a mysterious and, for many, still unexplored land (given its complexity, but above all, its eccentricity: the resources and total dedication it requires): that of the piano works of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

Sorabji is a mystery, an enigma, as a man, and his work is among the most singular that art music has ever known. We begin gently with two works that provide a fairly faithful taste of the harmonic continent that was Sorabji's completely unique and personal language :



And now we move on to what, for me, is the benchmark recording of his first sonata:



Busoni (to whom the composer, then 27, played the work) commented that the piece resembled "a tropical forest." We can only agree with such luxuriance, mystery, powerful scents, colors, but also (pianistic ) dangers...

In short, a first introduction to the composer of the impossible, who could push the duration of a single solo piano work to almost 9 hours non-stop!

But that's for next time, if you don't mind

iiiiiiinteresting... I listened to a bit. certainly very unique... not sure how I feel about those dissonant chords though...

---

Just started working on rating the H20 and Aether... H20's fit was giving me problems until I tried, you guessed it, the Spinfit CP100+. These are some really miraculous tips lol.
Compared to the Aether, the H20's timbre is a bit off... warmer in the lower mids, but a tad splashy* in the treble.. sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. But the Aether might lack some dynamic excitement, so I don't think either will get a SUPER high score... we'll see when I'm done listening to the test playlist.

@FreeWheelinAudioLuv2 described the ZXN's treble as splashy... but A-B-ing the sets on "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" by Karol G, the cymbal strikes sound overdone and splashy on the H20, but fairly normal on the ZXN. I'm VERY rarely annoyed by things like cymbals, but on the H20 it's just a tad...odd. More comparisons coming later, for sure, because I like the H20, but the more I listen to it, the more odd the timbre sounds to me.