[Wyville]

i am so surprised by why now this treble issue is coming out now all of a sudden

It is not so much an "issue" and, for me at least, it was clear quite quickly that the production units of the Fourté had a bit more energy in their treble. (I believe there were some prototypes floating around at one point that had more attenuated treble.) While I haven't been able to demo them, I always knew that the U18 were more towards the reference side with a bit of energy sprinkled on top and the Fourté seemed to me to take it a little bit further in the bass, with their dynamic driver, and treble, with further optimised Tia, to create a more fun signature. A bit like 64 Audio intended the U18 to be a tool for professionals and the Foutré to cater more towards audiophiles (just an impression, not sure if that was their intention).

At the end of the day, these were tuning choices that clearly have appealed to many, but for those of us who are sensitive to treble it can be on, or slightly over the edge in terms of fatigue. That's where the U12t and Trio now come in and offer a smoother alternative with all the benefits of the Tia technology. I think these combine to make four convincingly TOTL offerings to cater to the sensitivities of most people. I likely sit more towards the U12t, perhaps Trio. Pinky still absolutely adores his Fourté, which didn't surprise me at all.

Again, I haven't been able to demo them yet and this is therefore based on all the reviews and comments I have read since they were released. No surprises there as far as I am concerned.

 

[twister6]

i am so surprised by why now this treble issue is coming out now all of a sudden

Treble issue? There is none. Just a matter of a personal preference, and probably the reason why 64 Audio released 2 flagships a year ago and 2 more sub-flagships now, to target different audience. This is no different than discussions in IE800S or RE2000 threads where opinions/impressions tend to split, except in this case you have more options with a handful of models to choose from.

I consider a treble issue when you have a pronounced 6k peak which contributes to sibilance, or maybe a rolled off treble which kills the definition and airiness of the sound, etc. I wouldn't worry about any of these here. But I still strongly recommend trying to attend your local CanJam to listen and to compare for yourself.

 

[PinkyPowers]

i did not recall reading any one mention the tia to have issues with the highs, now that its being mentioned is kind of strange as it coincides with the release of 2 new models, how come that was not mentioned more before by more people

In both Twister6's and my review, we mention the treble being bright, and maybe not to everyone's taste.

You only heard what you wanted to hear.

 

[junix]

It is not so much an "issue" and, for me at least, it was clear quite quickly that the production units of the Fourté had a bit more energy in their treble. (I believe there were some prototypes floating around at one point that had more attenuated treble.) While I haven't been able to demo them, I always knew that the U18 were more towards the reference side with a bit of energy sprinkled on top and the Fourté seemed to me to take it a little bit further in the bass, with their dynamic driver, and treble, with further optimised Tia, to create a more fun signature. A bit like 64 Audio intended the U18 to be a tool for professionals and the Foutré to cater more towards audiophiles (just an impression, not sure if that was their intention).

At the end of the day, these were tuning choices that clearly have appealed to many, but for those of us who are sensitive to treble it can be on, or slightly over the edge in terms of fatigue. That's where the U12t and Trio now come in and offer a smoother alternative with all the benefits of the Tia technology. I think these combine to make four convincingly TOTL offerings to cater to the sensitivities of most people. I likely sit more towards the U12t, perhaps Trio. Pinky still absolutely adores his Fourté, which didn't surprise me at all.

Again, I haven't been able to demo them yet and this is therefore based on all the reviews and comments I have read since they were released. No surprises there as far as I am concerned.

I briefly tried both Fourté and Tzar.. and while Fourté is tremendously engaging and fun to listen to, I can understand it can be fatiguing to some people.
For my taste there was just a little bit too much energy up there in the treble so I decided to order the Tzar.

For a fun briefer session, Fourté .. but to enjoy some smooth Jazz longer session, Tzar all the way.

But.. in a money-no-object universe I would have blindly ordered both because I can see time/space for both if someone has the time/money.

 

[Wyville]

I briefly tried both Fourté and Tzar.. and while Fourté is tremendously engaging and fun to listen to, I can understand it can be fatiguing to some people.
For my taste there was just a little bit too much energy up there in the treble so I decided to order the Tzar.

For a fun briefer session, Fourté .. but to enjoy some smooth Jazz longer session, Tzar all the way.

But.. in a money-no-object universe I would have blindly ordered both because I can see time/space for both if someone has the time/money.

I can definitely see sense in getting both (money no object) because sometimes you just want that extra bit of energy and fun for a "session" (as one of my speakers-using neighbours once called it). Even for myself I can see a time where I will want IEMs like that alongside my main, much smoother IEMs. Just for fun.

 

[proedros]

@Wyville my friend , like young Icarus you are toying with the (totl iem) sun and you may end up burning your (wallet) wings

also , you will need an army of puppies if you go for one of the 64audio TOTL iems

 

[noplsestar]

For me, i don't think A18 has too much treble. Some in here know that im very sensitive with treble. But my A18 w/m15 and PW No.5 cable, the treble is fine to my ears. It isn't harsh or anything at all.
But right now i found out that that combo added to much bass to A18 which bothered me abit. I used to be a basshead, but don't know why now i hate too much bass. So i changed to M20 module and Gold Plated Hybrid cable from Plussound. So it added more sparkles, less bass and bigger soundstage .

But the M20 module is the one with more bass, isn´t it? So you should have more bass with M20 and less with M15. Or did you accidentally write the wrong module in your post? Also maybe it´s because of the different cables but I can´t imagine you can "tame" the M20 bass with another cable below the bass of the M15. But as I havent´t heard them (and just read about their module qualities) I´m just thinking ...

 

[hung031086]

But the M20 module is the one with more bass, isn´t it? So you should have more bass with M20 and less with M15. Or did you accidentally write the wrong module in your post? Also maybe it´s because of the different cables but I can´t imagine you can "tame" the M20 bass with another cable below the bass of the M15. But as I havent´t heard them (and just read about their module qualities) I´m just thinking ...

My bad, i meant changed from m20 to m15. M20 has more bass and PW no.5 can tame the treble a bit and make the soundstage bigger abit too.
Now im using m15 with gold plated hybrid cable which less bass, bigger soundstage and more sparkles.

 

[Barra]

Treble problem - I think not?

Personally, I thought the treble was the best part of the SQ as I am very treble sensitive and cannot tolerate sibilance. IMO, the tia tech offers very extended, smooth, and natural treble with air between instruments and blackness behind - no unpleasant sparkle or aggressiveness. Maybe it is just my 52-year-old ears, but that is what I hear when I listen to the Fourte' or my A18 - just the music like it is supposed to sound - up close and personal.

If I can hear treble rather than hearing music, then I have a problem with the HP. The tia tubeless design seems to integrate the treble into the bass/mids extremely well to offer a 3D integrated, high-resolution sound quality that is much better than I have heard before in a CIEM. I don't want to hear the bass, nor mids, nor treble as they are supposed to be stitched together, I want to hear coherent "being there" rich and euphonic music and forget that I am wearing a HP.

The other important point is that they produce full sized positioning across all frequency ranges so the players all sound like they are on the same stage and that you have a rich, front row experience. The musicians/instruments sound real sized and natural as if they are in front of you. Hot treble CIEMs usually do not sound so coherent. They are usually removed and incoherent with musicians/instruments that sound like they are playing from another room or are miniaturized while the rest of the band is at a far distance. Only neutral/natural tunings like the Fourte'/A18 can usually put everything together on the same soundstage.

Right now, the way I see it, the Fourte'/18 are in a class of their own - but we all see things differently.

 

[Gavin C4]

I can definitely see sense in getting both (money no object) because sometimes you just want that extra bit of energy and fun for a "session" (as one of my speakers-using neighbours once called it). Even for myself I can see a time where I will want IEMs like that alongside my main, much smoother IEMs. Just for fun.

Whether the treble is too energetic or not, I think it largely depends on the kind of music you are listening to. If you listen to Classical and Jazz all day, there will not be any problem.

 

[aaf evo]

The Fourté’s treble is what sold me on the purchase. I can’t get enough of it!

 

[Gavin C4]

The Fourté’s treble is what sold me on the purchase. I can’t get enough of it!

The amount of detail perceived especially in the treble when listening to the SP1000SS + Fourte combo beat the crap out of my HE1000 + Schiit Stack.
It is totally unbelievable that an IEM can reach so high in terms of detail

 

[aaf evo]

The amount of detail perceived especially in the treble when listening to the SP1000SS + Fourte combo beat the crap out of my HE1000 + Schiit Stack.
It is totally unbelievable that an IEM can reach so high in terms of detail

I should not have google'd "SP1000SS" XD

 

[Gavin C4]

I should not have google'd "SP1000SS" XD

All you need to ask yourself is, "Are you ready to live the rest of your live with 1 kidney left?" LOL

 

[doctorjazz]

Hey, 1 should do the trick (just be sure you never have trouble with that one...)