[crinacle]

Prototype apex module ?!?

To be specific, it's not an M5 module but rather a solid core module.

 

[twister6]

To be specific, it's not an M5 module but rather a solid core module.

Gotcha! So, we are not talking about apex module, but rather a variation of carrot solid plug. I totally forgot to try that solid plug with N8, will do it tonight, that's -26dB of isolation there.

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

To be specific, it's not an M5 module but rather a solid core module.

M5 sounds like there would be a huge bass cut. How does it sound? Are you able to post more pics?

 

[want]

Is the u18t or a18t drivers good? Have any of you had a driver or 2 fail yet? There are at least 18 things that can go wrong. How reliable is it?

Perhaps a daft question but how can you tell when 1 of 18 drivers fails?

 

[davidmolliere]

Perhaps a daft question but how can you tell when 1 of 18 drivers fails?

I wondered too before it happened to me... It’s not 18 but 12 drivers but I had a DOA driver on my U12 when it was delivered and even with no previous listening time with them, channel imbalance was pretty obvious I felt like one ear was malfunctioning but no, that was a dead driver alright...

 

[tgrosu]

I wondered too before it happened to me... It’s not 18 but 12 drivers but I had a DOA driver on my U12 when it was delivered and even with no previous listening time with them, channel imbalance was pretty obvious I felt like one ear was malfunctioning but no, that was a dead driver alright...

Maybe Bogdan can share with us some rough statistics with respect to the driver failure in their IEM's. Personally, I consider such an event as very unlikely, based on the high price of these IEMs.

Are there any suggestions regarding the handling of these products and in principle are they more prone to such defects than the single drivers?

I am directly interested in any comments regarding this issue, because I just bought a U18 pair and I am interested in being a diligent owner. And I want to protect my investment

Thank you!

 

[NaiveSound]

Maybe Bogdan can share with us some rough statistics with respect to the driver failure in their IEM's. Personally, I consider such an event as very unlikely, based on the high price of these IEMs.

Are there any suggestions regarding the handling of these products and in principle are they more prone to such defects than the single drivers?

I am directly interested in any comments regarding this issue, because I just bought a U18 pair and I am interested in being a diligent owner. And I want to protect my investment

Thank you!

I too, would love bogdans insight.

 

[vitaliy belo]

As an IEM desner for about a decade now, I can tell you with great confidence that it’s very rare that “drivers just go bad”. Usually there is some kind of user inflicted damage like ear wax, shock or strong magnetic field that ruins them. We even couldn’t burn one up with very high voltage (4V) going into them. Also, the smaller the driver the more Gs of force they will take before something gets damaged. U18t has some of the smallest bass drivers available

So if you don’t drop them, clean your ears and not put them next to a magnet they will faithfully serve you for a long time.

Happy listening!
-Vitaliy B.

 

[NaiveSound]

As an IEM desner for about a decade now, I can tell you with great confidence that it’s very rare that “drivers just go bad”. Usually there is some kind of user inflicted damage like ear wax, shock or strong magnetic field that ruins them. We even couldn’t burn one up with very high voltage (4V) going into them. Also, the smaller the driver the more Gs of force they will take before something gets damaged. U18t has some of the smallest bass drivers available

So if you don’t drop them, clean your ears and not put them next to a magnet they will faithfully serve you for a long time.

Happy listening!
-Vitaliy B.

How about wiring and crossovers? I enjoy your replies

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

Maybe Bogdan can share with us some rough statistics with respect to the driver failure in their IEM's. Personally, I consider such an event as very unlikely, based on the high price of these IEMs.

Are there any suggestions regarding the handling of these products and in principle are they more prone to such defects than the single drivers?

I am directly interested in any comments regarding this issue, because I just bought a U18 pair and I am interested in being a diligent owner. And I want to protect my investment

Thank you!

I wouldn't be able to divulge statistics about 64 audio's products but I will share my personal experience with my personal set of A18's which I had since their unveiling in winter of 2016. I've had them for about a year and a half or so, I would consider myself a light user. Between family and work I wished I had more time to listen. Recently about 3 weeks ago I noticed my left side not as crisp, almost like when my a12's high bore would have a chunk of wax. Everything looked clear though on the 18's. I headed off to Nasvhille for summer NAMM and brought an ear simulator with me for the cleanings I was offering at a private event. I threw them up on the measurement and it was obvious to me between left and right that something funky was going on with the highs. There was a dip in the 5-10k range on the left side. I am getting them repaired right now so I will hopefully find out exactly what went wrong but my suspicion is that one of the high drivers went out completely. Out of all the years this is the only Issue i've had. I think the reliability is very high in general but that doesn't mean they are completely without any failure. Thats why the repair department's exist. That being said, I'm releasing a portable ear simulator very soon that will work with an ios/android app that will be very low cost. Testing regularly is kind of like your doctor doing blood work to see exactly what is going on. Had I not had a graph to show me I may have thought its just me it was that slight. In regards to the crossover components there is a lot going on with the Lid tech, But generally these components are pretty robust and the failure would most likely be a wire detaching vs a component going out. Keeping IEM's clean and not dropping them if you can is all you can really do.

 

[tgrosu]

I wouldn't be able to divulge statistics about 64 audio's products but I will share my personal experience with my personal set of A18's which I had since their unveiling in winter of 2016. I've had them for about a year and a half or so, I would consider myself a light user. Between family and work I wished I had more time to listen. Recently about 3 weeks ago I noticed my left side not as crisp, almost like when my a12's high bore would have a chunk of wax. Everything looked clear though on the 18's. I headed off to Nasvhille for summer NAMM and brought an ear simulator with me for the cleanings I was offering at a private event. I threw them up on the measurement and it was obvious to me between left and right that something funky was going on with the highs. There was a dip in the 5-10k range on the left side. I am getting them repaired right now so I will hopefully find out exactly what went wrong but my suspicion is that one of the high drivers went out completely. Out of all the years this is the only Issue i've had. I think the reliability is very high in general but that doesn't mean they are completely without any failure. Thats why the repair department's exist. That being said, I'm releasing a portable ear simulator very soon that will work with an ios/android app that will be very low cost. Testing regularly is kind of like your doctor doing blood work to see exactly what is going on. Had I not had a graph to show me I may have thought its just me it was that slight. In regards to the crossover components there is a lot going on with the Lid tech, But generally these components are pretty robust and the failure would most likely be a wire detaching vs a component going out. Keeping IEM's clean and not dropping them if you can is all you can really do.

Excelent ideea, Bogdan!

For us, the owners of 64audio products that live in Europe, such a tool would be like pure gold, given that it's kind of unfeasible to keep sending the IEM to be checked up every once in a while... Not to mention anything about the waiting time..it would be, I think, a total mess.

Thank you, Bogdan!

 

[crinacle]

M5 sounds like there would be a huge bass cut. How does it sound? Are you able to post more pics?

There is no M5 module. I would love to see it materialised though, seems like it'll benefit something like the N8 a lot.

That being said, I'm releasing a portable ear simulator very soon that will work with an ios/android app that will be very low cost.

There are already some solutions out there, there's Vibro Labs' Veritas coupler (though not friendly with smartphones) or my own solution with the IMM6 (that is friendly with smartphones). I'm interested in what you have in mind, do you have any additional details?

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

There is no M5 module. I would love to see it materialised though, seems like it'll benefit something like the N8 a lot.



There are already some solutions out there, there's Vibro Labs' Veritas coupler (though not friendly with smartphones) or my own solution with the IMM6 (that is friendly with smartphones). I'm interested in what you have in mind, do you have any additional details?

These solutions you mention are a great DIY way to get some freq response info. Using the simulators that the whole industry relies on for manufacturing i'm going to get a very good replication of how those microphones respond. Having a turn key solution for monitor engineers is the market target. Having an ipad and a simulator on the road is going to be tremendously helpful to maintain IEM's on the road. Being able to save and share traces with others is very useful. There's a good possibility that there will be a good collection of traces for people to reference on for various models from many manufacturers. If there is a standardized solution everyone is on the same page. Spending a lot of time in the monitor world really gave me great ideas over the years. With Fir Audio i'm able to bring all that to fruition. It's no secret that the price of audio gear by manufacturers has reached fever pitch. My hope is that there's something that can be done about that. It's definitely uncomfortable for manufacturers that have gotten comfortable. Its great for the consumer when an underdog shows to shake things up.

 

[491326]

There is no M5 module. I would love to see it materialised though, seems like it'll benefit something like the N8 a lot.

what about straight up putting the earphones on without modules in?

 

[crinacle]

what about straight up putting the earphones on without modules in?

Complete bass rolloff.