[macdonjh]

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.

Agreed. I liked the U12t for the brief time I was able to borrow it, but the Trio bass provides more of what I want. Some day I'd like to hear a U18t and a Fourte, but I choose not to afford things like that. Sometimes I still can't believe I bought the Trio. Good purchase, though.

 

[CL14715]

I feel if you're happy with the tonality of the Trio, the Noir isn't something you should be too eager to get, necessarily. Although it's absolutely brilliant technically, it doesn't have quite the lush, lightly-warm charms of the Trio in its tone. It's a drier, brighter monitor that I feel only approaches the fluid musicality of the Trio with the foam TrueFidelity tips. But, with that said, if that's what you're looking for, the Noir is an option worth considering. I compare the two on my review of the Noir here, by the way: https://theheadphonelist.com/64-audio-tia-fourte-noir-tour-de-force/3/

If you are looking for a Trio upgrade, per se, I think VE's ELYSIUM is a more appropriate candidate. Though, we'll have to see whether or not that'll change with the release of in-ears like the Odin, among others.

I have seen a few descriptions of the Noir in which align with your statement. If that’s the case I want nothing to do with them. The clarity and tone of the Trio are as far as I’d venture into the clinical and bright presentation. Trio hits the cutoff for me right before it loses out on fun and musicality.

Thanks for the solid information. You saved me a lot of money, time and disappointment.

 

[gnahra]

I have seen a few descriptions of the Noir in which align with your statement. If that’s the case I want nothing to do with them. The clarity and tone of the Trio are as far as I’d venture into the clinical and bright presentation. Trio hits the cutoff for me right before it loses out on fun and musicality.

Thanks for the solid information. You saved me a lot of money, time and disappointment.

But you are going to cost me $1800
edit - i had the Noirs and for what it’s worth couldn’t stand the treble - too hot and sibilant. I don’t think that is a unique perspective, but I know a lot of folks who also love them.

 

[CL14715]

But you are going to cost me $1800
edit - i had the Noirs and for what it’s worth couldn’t stand the treble - too hot and sibilant. I don’t think that is a unique perspective, but I know a lot of folks who also love them.

Lmao.. the treble on the Trio is up there but not too hot and sibilant to me. I’d say it’s a bit brighter than the Solaris (OG and SE)

 

[Malevolint]

@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.

What you're sacrificing with the Trio is vocals. While they're nice and present, they can be sibilant. The Nio with the MX module is honestly fantastic technically. If you can deal with the trios treble, it's hard to not love it. If I had to describe it in one word, it would have to be finesse. Even though it's treble extends astronomically, it doesn't sound intense the way the VX does. Bass has presence but is tight and nuanced. Mids are impressive for a v-shaped IEM. It's hard to even classify it has v-shaped.

 

[Damz87]

The Noir treble is like extra hot chicken wings. Spicy, yet addictive but not something you can eat for every meal unless you have a stomach of steel (or in the Noir’s case, partially deaf ears)

Max I can listen to the Noir is about an hour without my ears hurting, and that’s at a moderate volume. But it’s a great hour.

 

[CL14715]

What you're sacrificing with the Trio is vocals. While they're nice and present, they can be sibilant. The Nio with the MX module is honestly fantastic technically. If you can deal with the trios treble, it's hard to not love it. If I had to describe it in one word, it would have to be finesse. Even though it's treble extends astronomically, it doesn't sound intense the way the VX does. Bass has presence but is tight and nuanced. Mids are impressive for a v-shaped IEM. It's hard to even classify it has v-shaped.

And by sacrificing you mean not really much at all. Trio has some of the cleanest vocals I have heard. They may not have the nuanced texture or fullness of some crazy $5k flagships but damn they sound amazing. The Trio remind me of the EE Valkyrie but with forward vocals and better mids.

I am still not sure how the Trio is considered V shaped. I get the bass and treble may be lifted but so are the vocals.

 

[CL14715]

The Noir treble is like extra hot chicken wings. Spicy, yet addictive but not something you can eat for every meal unless you have a stomach of steel (or in the Noir’s case, partially deaf ears)

Max I can listen to the Noir is about an hour without my ears hurting, and that’s at a moderate volume. But it’s a great hour.

If I am dropping near $4,000 I’m gonna need more than an hour at a time

 

[Damz87]

If I am dropping near $4,000 I’m gonna need more than an hour at a time

Yep agreed. For me it’s okay as I generally don’t listen to IEM’s for longer than an hour anyway, but for the times that I do, I’d need to use something else. Not ideal if it were my only IEM.

 

[CL14715]

Yep agreed. For me it’s okay as I generally don’t listen to IEM’s for longer than an hour anyway, but for the times that I do, I’d need to use something else. Not ideal if it were my only IEM.

Well good thing you only have a few!!

 

[Damz87]

Well good thing you only have a few!!

Lol, it is a nice luxury. Not for much longer though. Need to eat again at some point

 

[Frankie D]

As an amateur drummer myself, I completely agree with what you’re saying regarding DDs and kick drums. It’s that piston-like pump that I like to highlight in my reviews, and it’s also why I tend to recommend hybrid IEMs to drummers, even if there are slightly “better” BA options within the price bracket. I think it’s also no coincidence that - in a way - DDs are sorta like miniature kick drums in our ears. They’re large-diameter diaphragms that pump air and conduct bone at the same time, and I think that correlation is why our brains so easily accept it as the more life-like, realistic presentation.

I have seen a few descriptions of the Noir in which align with your statement. If that’s the case I want nothing to do with them. The clarity and tone of the Trio are as far as I’d venture into the clinical and bright presentation. Trio hits the cutoff for me right before it loses out on fun and musicality.

Thanks for the solid information. You saved me a lot of money, time and disappointment.

Well that’s not fair. You need to make the same mistakes we do....buy one anyway!

 

[CL14715]

Well that’s not fair. You need to make the same mistakes we do....buy one anyway!

but but....

 

[DavidS11]

That is interesting. I always thought the Elysium was a more detailed and brighter IEM whereas the Trio is more on the warmer fun side. Basically I thought their performance was in completely different areas. However, my impression was that the Noir was the bigger brother of the Trio. You have now peaked my interest in the Elysium.

While I like Elysium, I don’t think it can replace Trio as an upgrade (as complementary may be). It is very clear, and have more airer open stage but it doesn’t have the low end slam of Trio and it can be sibilance on bright source sometimes. Tonality balance and musicality is good but so is the Trio. I find Trio’s treble is amazing and better imo, it is never harsh no matter what i throw at it except when using a very low entry dap.

 

[Titienne]

I just wanted to share quick thoughts for the 64audio Nio, used mostly with the O module. Thanks to @dleblanc343 for letting me try his pair!

Overall, it's a very pleasant IEM, but it depends a lot on what volume you listen to. At low volumes, it sounds a bit too dark and resolution isn't so great. When you raise the volume though, the treble appears and that's when you get the more balanced experience. All my testing was done with the FiR module O, Azla Xelastec eartips and the Lotoo Paw S1 dac/amp (stock cable too, even though you guys probably already know I don't believe in cables). The music I used to test is mostly metal (Dream Theater, Haken, Trivium, Jinjer, Killswitch Engage, Gojira) and progressive rock (Genesis, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd). There also was a bit of rock (Chevelle, Soen) in there too.

A/Bing against the Z1R was very interesting to say the least. They both trade blows, but the Nio comes out on top for me. The mids feel a lot more real and full, but the treble is definitely more exciting on the Z1R. While I don't think you're missing detail or resolution in the treble with the Nio, it still sounds a bit further back and smooth. I feel like it blends a little better with the rest of the signature (not v shaped) though, which to me is a very good thing.

I guess the fit is another benefit of the Nio : it's a lot more manageable. I can easily fit the Z1R (deep fit), but you just can never forget it's there since it is so big and heavy. For the Nio, the nozzle is long, so it sits deep while remaining out of the way. Apex technology is another thing : you simply won't get any pressure buildup and you'll be able to wear them for the entire day, no problem.

To conclude this little faceoff, I'd say they're both great IEMs. You're simply trading a bit of treble excitement (Z1R) for thicker, fuller mids (Nio). I'm not sure I would own both at the same time, since they're just not different enough for me to want both.

In my opinion, if there's one IEM that complements the Nio really well, it's the Andromeda 2020. You're getting that awesome layering and that sparkle in the treble, so you're covering the weaknesses of the Nio (the layering isn't bad per se, it's just not a highlight). The BA bass is pretty good for more complicated / complex tracks (mostly for speed and accuracy) as well, so you can pick if you want a more impactful / realistic bass experience (Nio) , or the more reference one (Andro 2020).

All I can say now is that I'm really excited to receive my pair later this month! Worth the pickup if you're looking for a smooth and pleasant listening experience.