Not sure why there are past complaints about the original Fourte like incoherent sound, funny stage and wonky tonality... I just had it for a few days and even though it has been almost 4 years since it was initially released, it still sounded great to me. It is very musical and vocals have accurate tones true to real voices. Technicalities are at high level as well. Am I missing something?
I feel it’s because most of the Fourte’s liberties lie in the midrange, and the midrange is arguably where you have the most leeway in terms of colouration. A slight excess of bass or a misplaced treble spike can be enough to ruin a signature, while the mids tend to be more of a subjective area. As I mentioned on my Noir review, I personally found the 1kHz dip a tad noticeable. But, it can still be a fun, enjoyable listen, regardless. As always, it all comes down to taste.
Do you think listening to music from my phone with the a18s would be an issue? I read some reviews saying it doesn’t down scale very well compared to the a12t.
Have reviews said that about the A18s? Are you sure it wasn’t the A18t? One of the things 64’s added with the A18s is LID technology, which essentially preserves the signature of the IEM no matter what device you plug it into. I think it works flawlessly out of a phone, or even the noisy headphone output on my Yamaha CL5 at church. You’d definitely get stronger dynamics and more holographic imaging out of a high-end DAP, because its DAC is able to decode more of that information. But, I’d see it more as room to grow, rather than a necessity for the IEM to “sound good”.
Do these normally come with M15 or M20? I don’t see an option to choose when I go to purchase.
Both my A18t (retail purchase) and A18s (review sample) came with both M15 and M20 modules. I don’t know whether or not that’s changed with their new packaging and accessories set.
Interesting, most consider the Odin a 'reference' IEM and the Fourte a 'fun' IEM and you have that swapped around. Funny how people hear and describe the same IEMs so differently.
I’d tend to lean ever-so-slightly more towards what you’ve said, but the A18s is what I’d personally call my mixing reference. But, I also know of others who prefer the A18t for its brighter, crisper treble. So, yeah, we’re gonna have to settle for “funny” on this debate.
How does the sub bass of the a18s compare to the a12t?
They should be equal on extension. The A12t just has a bit more of an emphasis there.
I did a/b them vs noirs too. He also have Odin!
