[xenithon]

@CL14715 thanks so much for your impressions. They’ve really got my brain working overtime.

I absolutely love my U12t’s. Their sense of space and three dimensionality is intoxicating. Recently got the Nio and it’s truly a brilliant IEM - especially the kick that’s been discussed over the past 24 hours. Though the smaller stage and perceivably (to my ears) difference in articulation, detail, and holigraphics against the U12t isn’t a compromise I’m willing to make.

If I could get the sub bass rumble / kick of a Nio with the detail retrieval and separation of a U12t it would be quite something. And your description of the Trio - in particular the comparison to the Nio - has me most intrigued!

edit - realistically I know I’d be sacrificing something else with the Trio. Need to read more impressions/ comparisons around what that is exactly.

 

[gnahra]

Well well well...

It didn't take long to notice the differences... it was pretty much immediate but for good measure I listened to a few genre's and songs I am familiar with.

I'll start this off by saying the Trio were not at all what I expected based on some of the reviews emphasizing the bass.. hell even resolve compared them in a head to head to the Legend X saying prior to he didn't think anything could slam as hard as the Trio. The bass is well and deeply extended but not over powering; quite nimble actually. It's by no means a bass cannon. Aside from that, I have to come out and say it... the clarity of the Trio is ridiculous. When you hear the Trio is V shaped one would assume recessed mids crowded by the bass and treble. Not the case. The mids, especially vocals, smack you in the face... they are very present and clear as ever. This is even more impressive to me after hearing the treble energy the Trio have... goodness. Some of the best treble, if not the best I have heard.

Compared to the Nio, the Trio are tricky... They are 2 different beasts. I like them both in their own right.

The Trio have a slightly deeper sub bass with a clearer and cleaner sound overall. I notice a more a holographic sound stage and loads of treble energy as well. I mean that treble... good lord. Well done 64 Audio.

The Nio in comparison are warmer with a bit more grunt in the mid bass but the mids don't suffer at all, very clear and centered in the mix. Only a smidgen pulled back in comparison to the Trio. The Nio also have a detailed but smoother treble presentation. I'd say pulled back a bit but in no way lacking any sizzle or zing.

I'm going to continue to listen to cement my thoughts but yea, the Trio impressed me just as much as the Nio. Only in a different way.

nice impressions, thank you
did you try the Trio with the premium silver cable, as well? if so, any differences?

 

[CL14715]

@CL14715 thanks so much for your impressions. They’ve really got my brain working overtime.

I absolutely love my U12t’s. Their sense of space and three dimensionality is intoxicating. Recently got the Nio and it’s truly a brilliant IEM - especially the kick that’s been discussed over the past 24 hours. Though the smaller stage and perceivably (to my ears) difference in articulation, detail, and holigraphics against the U12t isn’t a compromise I’m willing to make.

If I could get the sub bass rumble / kick of a Nio with the detail retrieval and separation of a U12t it would be quite something. And your description of the Trio - in particular the comparison to the Nio - has me most intrigued!

edit - realistically I know I’d be sacrificing something else with the Trio. Need to read more impressions/ comparisons around what that is exactly.

Honestly, I’m not sure you would be. Gather others conclusions of course though.

 

[CL14715]

nice impressions, thank you
did you try the Trio with the premium silver cable, as well? if so, any differences?

I tried it with a more premium silver cable. I don’t believe cables change the sound of 64 audio because of the linear impedance. If they do it’s very little.

 

[gLer]

I tried it with a more premium silver cable. I don’t believe cables change the sound of 64 audio because of the linear impedance. If they do it’s very little.

Great impressions and discussion. What are we going to do if you jump from Team Nio to Team Trio? Who's going to be the Nio mascot on this thread!?

Seriously though, look forward to more of your impressions, song choices, and comparisons between Nio, Trio, U12t, Z1R and Solaris (did I miss any)? Oh and the Andromedas that hitched a ride with your Trio...

PS. If you were to pick a 'genre master' or Goldilocks IEM between Nio, Trio and U12t, which would it be?

 

[mashuto]

Great impressions and discussion. What are we going to do if you jump from Team Nio to Team Trio? Who's going to be the Nio mascot on this thread!?

Seriously though, look forward to more of your impressions, song choices, and comparisons between Nio, Trio, U12t, Z1R and Solaris (did I miss any)? Oh and the Andromedas that hitched a ride with your Trio...

PS. If you were to pick a 'genre master' or Goldilocks IEM between Nio, Trio and U12t, which would it be?

Hah, Ill continue to be the nio mascot! I also have the trio, and while there are some things the trio does better, I think I prefer the nio. Personal preferences and all that. Bothy are excellent IEMs, but that warm smooth sound the nio puts out is just more to my liking than the etched, more technical sound of the trio. I personally havent listened to anything I dont like through the nio yet, with the rare exception that some tracks that already have pretty boomy bass can be a bit on the fatiguing side (though im sure the mx module would fix those right up).

 

[CL14715]

Great impressions and discussion. What are we going to do if you jump from Team Nio to Team Trio? Who's going to be the Nio mascot on this thread!?

Seriously though, look forward to more of your impressions, song choices, and comparisons between Nio, Trio, U12t, Z1R and Solaris (did I miss any)? Oh and the Andromedas that hitched a ride with your Trio...

PS. If you were to pick a 'genre master' or Goldilocks IEM between Nio, Trio and U12t, which would it be?

Now now! I’m still team Nio because it’s just so pleasant to listen to and really puts life into the music. As great and impressive as the Trio is, sometimes things that detailed or etched can lose a bit of life. That being said I think the Trio is the least sterile sounding of the hyper transparent IEM’s I have heard. I see why it’s more expensive and considered an upgrade from U12t. The Trios stage, detail and balance between clinical and fun really set them apart.

I’d say the Goldilocks would be the Trio ONLY because I could see the Nio getting muddy or boomy for poor recordings with too much mid bass elevation whereas the Trio would spit that out and make it sound just fine.

 

[gLer]

I’d say the Goldilocks would be the Trio ONLY because I could see the Nio getting muddy or boomy for poor recordings with too much mid bass elevation whereas the Trio would spit that out and make it sound just fine.

I see. Conversely would you say the Trip can become too much with brighter recordings and it's more forward treble? And how would you compare the kick of the Trio to the kick of the Nio?

Edit: would you consider Nio and Trio complementary or overlapping?

 

[Dionysus]

Purchased a Leonidas II upgrade cable for my A18T and it’s really fine tuned the sound. The background is the blackest I’ve encountered from this setup, very please with overall presentation I’m getting.
I’ve had the setup for a couple years and have been curious to what a top line upgrade cable might bring to the setup, been Listening for a few days now and I’m really enjoying the system so much.

 

[CL14715]

I see. Conversely would you say the Trip can become too much with brighter recordings and it's more forward treble? And how would you compare the kick of the Trio to the kick of the Nio?

Edit: would you consider Nio and Trio complementary or overlapping?

Great question. Since you asked, I tried to see if I could find something bright to over do it... nothing really got there for me.

As far as being complimentary or overlapping its interesting because they sound nothing alike yet they possess many of the same qualities that make them shine. Bass is good on both, mids are good on both and treble is good on both. Vocals are clean on both but cleaner on Trio. Bass punch exists for both but is heavier on Nio. The treble though is much more pronounced on the Trio but it sounds damn good. Head stage is larger on Trio. Warmth and impact are greater on Nio.

So as you can see you could own both but just as easily find a reason to keep one over the other.

 

[CL14715]

Great impressions and discussion. What are we going to do if you jump from Team Nio to Team Trio? Who's going to be the Nio mascot on this thread!?

Seriously though, look forward to more of your impressions, song choices, and comparisons between Nio, Trio, U12t, Z1R and Solaris (did I miss any)? Oh and the Andromedas that hitched a ride with your Trio...

PS. If you were to pick a 'genre master' or Goldilocks IEM between Nio, Trio and U12t, which would it be?

I missed the Andromeda comment lol... Yea, the 2020 version I believe fixed the slightly veiled vocals. They sound like a good improvement. It's just hard to appreciate them when I have all these heavy hitters around.

 

[macdonjh]

Nio is pretty much a Goldilocks IEM;

Funny, that's exactly the way I feel about my Trio...

Considering these are basically brand new in perfect condition for $1,799 I may not even break the seal. I do kind of want to hear them though.

You should hear them. The Trio are worth it.

This makes sense. When speaking on my desire for the kick drum to be palpable or produce the proper impact, this comes from wanting as close to life like performance as I can obtain. Many see reference tuning as an uncolored point of reproduction and I have seen many times conflicts about bass level, response or quality because of IEM's that produce bass as it would actually sound right in front of you. So, to me, that would be more correct of a reference point due to the mere fact that some drummers beat the snot out of their pedals and some don't. That alone would make something appear heavier than normal in the mid bass punch. That doesn't mean that an IEM or headphone recognizing and putting out this frequency is improper or out of reference.

That's why I typically judge the accuracy of an IEM by certain things I can easily reference in person, often with drums or guitars. I know how a china or high hat sounds in person... same with snares and heavier percussion drums. So when I hear an IEM that doesn't do this properly but everyone says it's reference, I raise an eyebrow. I am in no way saying they are wrong, I am saying my place of judgement differs for those reasons.

This quickly sums up why I preferred the Trio to the U12t.

There is a tendency to focus on frequency response when writing about audio gear these days. On another thread we've been discussing good recordings and bad recordings and that discussion has reminded me about dynamics and transient response as well. I need to remember to listen for those. I've gotten reacquainted with dynamic range and transient response listening carefully to some of my classical recordings again.

The term reference is an interesting one. Reference in relation to what? The actual recording? The instruments? Or some predetermined 'gold standard'? Ask 5 people what they consider 'reference' and you'll probably get 5 different answers.

When I first started listening to stereo gear, live classical performances were the gold standard for comparing reproduced music to "real" sound. I think that's lessened because so many people listen to electronica, EDM, and other genres which rely so heavily on synthesized sounds. Heck, several made the point earlier in this thread, when listening to electrically amplified instruments what do you consider the "real" sound for comparison purposes with reproduced sound? That argument gives some credence to the attitude "if it sounds right to me, it's right".

Well well well...

It didn't take long to notice the differences... it was pretty much immediate but for good measure I listened to a few genre's and songs I am familiar with.

I'll start this off by saying the Trio were not at all what I expected based on some of the reviews emphasizing the bass.. hell even resolve compared them in a head to head to the Legend X saying prior to he didn't think anything could slam as hard as the Trio. The bass is well and deeply extended but not over powering; quite nimble actually. It's by no means a bass cannon. Aside from that, I have to come out and say it... the clarity of the Trio is ridiculous. When you hear the Trio is V shaped one would assume recessed mids crowded by the bass and treble. Not the case. The mids, especially vocals, smack you in the face... they are very present and clear as ever. This is even more impressive to me after hearing the treble energy the Trio have... goodness. Some of the best treble, if not the best I have heard.

Compared to the Nio, the Trio are tricky... They are 2 different beasts. I like them both in their own right.

The Trio have a slightly deeper sub bass with a clearer and cleaner sound overall. I notice a more a holographic sound stage and loads of treble energy as well. I mean that treble... good lord. Well done 64 Audio.

The Nio in comparison are warmer with a bit more grunt in the mid bass but the mids don't suffer at all, very clear and centered in the mix. Only a smidgen pulled back in comparison to the Trio. The Nio also have a detailed but smoother treble presentation. I'd say pulled back a bit but in no way lacking any sizzle or zing.

I'm going to continue to listen to cement my thoughts but yea, the Trio impressed me just as much as the Nio. Only in a different way.

I like my Trio and have the same basic opinions you've expressed. I will say, my opinion of the Trio was formed with an Astell&Kern AK70 Mk II. I've come to decide, now that I also have a Questlye DAP, the AK70 is a bit soft sounding. My QP2R makes the Trio treble sharper and the bass drier. I generally prefer my Trio/ AK70 combination, but my QP2R sounds great with my Rai Penta.

Can't wait to hear more of your comparisons between the Trio and Nio, though. The Nio has gotten such a great welcome and I actually know what the Trio sounds like.

 

[Bootup22]

This is good to hear. How did you get it so quick? This is from Audio 46 in NY, right? I ordered Thursday as well , 2 business day shipping gets here Monday. Dammit, I don't want to have to move to Florida for fast shipping ...

Shipped the same day, a few hours apart, and my Nio is scheduled to arrive on Monday and Trio on Tuesday (Seattle).

 

[CL14715]

Funny, that's exactly the way I feel about my Trio...


You should hear them. The Trio are worth it.


This quickly sums up why I preferred the Trio to the U12t.

There is a tendency to focus on frequency response when writing about audio gear these days. On another thread we've been discussing good recordings and bad recordings and that discussion has reminded me about dynamics and transient response as well. I need to remember to listen for those. I've gotten reacquainted with dynamic range and transient response listening carefully to some of my classical recordings again.


When I first started listening to stereo gear, live classical performances were the gold standard for comparing reproduced music to "real" sound. I think that's lessened because so many people listen to electronica, EDM, and other genres which rely so heavily on synthesized sounds. Heck, several made the point earlier in this thread, when listening to electrically amplified instruments what do you consider the "real" sound for comparison purposes with reproduced sound? That argument gives some credence to the attitude "if it sounds right to me, it's right".


I like my Trio and have the same basic opinions you've expressed. I will say, my opinion of the Trio was formed with an Astell&Kern AK70 Mk II. I've come to decide, now that I also have a Questlye DAP, the AK70 is a bit soft sounding. My QP2R makes the Trio treble sharper and the bass drier. I generally prefer my Trio/ AK70 combination, but my QP2R sounds great with my Rai Penta.

Can't wait to hear more of your comparisons between the Trio and Nio, though. The Nio has gotten such a great welcome and I actually know what the Trio sounds like.

I decided that the Trio are going to be a keeper. Definitely smokes the U12t for me. These things are impressive.... overall, I am quite pleased with 64 Audio's offerings.

 

[Audiosolace]

Purchased a Leonidas II upgrade cable for my A18T and it’s really fine tuned the sound. The background is the blackest I’ve encountered from this setup, very please with overall presentation I’m getting.
I’ve had the setup for a couple years and have been curious to what a top line upgrade cable might bring to the setup, been Listening for a few days now and I’m really enjoying the system so much.

Great choice, the Leonidas II provides a stellar companion to the U/A18