[491326]

I believe naga audio has a 3d printer now

 

[NaiveSound]

so who is doing the custom tips? I looked at ambient acoustics but didn't see them on their website.
I'd be willing to try that on my U4SEs before handing them over for a reshell.

Perfect seal

 

[tim0chan]

Dynamic drivers are versatile and very easy to adjust. When I owned a pair of Future Sonics they had user replaceable filters on the faceplate that would control the back venting of the driver. Back venting is the easiest way to control a dynamic driver, front venting is also possible but less common. The more you restrict the back vent the less bass response you will get. I also auditioned the lola a year ago at one of the can jams and it didn't have a back vent out to the atmosphere like most DD designs. They are used on the mids so it probably doesn't have as big of an impact. When trying to produce sub lows every little thing counts when I played with the future sonic filters.

If DD s are so easy to adjust then why aren't more manufacturers using them on lower tier models?

 

[Deezel177]

so who is doing the custom tips? I looked at ambient acoustics but didn't see them on their website.
I'd be willing to try that on my U4SEs before handing them over for a reshell.

Ambient Acoustics, Sensaphonics, Perfect Seal and Custom Art are the ones I'm aware of.

It sucks that 64 currently doesnt reshell universals into customs. But I'd rather sell universals and buy a pair of customs then let a Chinese outfit tinker with my IEMs. Apex and Tia factor in as well, I just dont feel comfortable letting someone other than the OEM mess with it.

But what if the Chinese outfit was really good at it?

If DD s are so easy to adjust then why aren't more manufacturers using them on lower tier models?

It's probably because they're easy to adjust, but not necessarily easy to tune (in terms of cross-over values, phase and what-not).

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

If DD s are so easy to adjust then why aren't more manufacturers using them on lower tier models?

I think the Vega kind of changed things in the market. People took notice that a single dynamic driver IEM was selling really well for $1000. I think the market was primed for hybrids and a huge opportunity to cash in on this. I have a feeling there will be affordable dynamic lineups at a much lower cost. The one thing I constantly get asked for a while now is why the prices are so high on iems lately. It’s like a runaway diesel, it will slow down eventually like everything does.

 

[tim0chan]

I think the Vega kind of changed things in the market. People took notice that a single dynamic driver IEM was selling really well for $1000. I think the market was primed for hybrids and a huge opportunity to cash in on this. I have a feeling there will be affordable dynamic lineups at a much lower cost. The one thing I constantly get asked for a while now is why the prices are so high on iems lately. It’s like a runaway diesel, it will slow down eventually like everything does.

Maybe prices will stagnate around !0000

 

[audiotherapist]

Hi all. Received a few requests to just post my thoughts about the N8, and seeing the lack of presence of the custom N8 I thought that maybe I should. I'm breaking my thoughts down into 3 sections:
1) Visible observations and how it correlates to what I feel about its sound
2) Comparisons with other hybrids in the market
3) cable rolling

Hope this helps

1) So for starters, build observation.

As mentioned earlier, the N8 seems to use a very unique build system reflective of their acoustic chamber design implemented in the Forte, Trio and N8 universal. First off, the shell is impeccable in its quality. For a 3D printed shell, i can see no print lines. People familiar with 3D printing will know the tell tale print lines that comes with low resolution printers, and this has none of it. So Kudos to 64 for achieving something rather impressive.
(Do forgive the poor resolution)

The little vent there leads directly to the dynamic driver. The dynamic driver shoots directly into the ciem body. This suggests that the entire interior of the CIEM is the acoustic chamber itself, and sound is channeled by resonating in the body chamber itself, through the bore and into the ear. This contrasts to the traditional design that utilises a tube to channel the sound.

Secondly, the apex vent seems to be build slightly differently.




As seen, the apex vent stops in the interior of the N8 body instead of extending all the way to the nozzle. This supports the notion that the interior chamber space of the N8 is crucial to the overall sonic properties of the ciem.

Overall, these differences in design philosophy leads to two apparent sonic properties. To cut a long story short
1) The bass of the N8 is lends itself towards being spacious, rather than impactful. To put things in perspective, its the difference feels akin to having a bass speaker directly blasting into your ear and feeling the full punch, while the N8 places you in a room in which you feel the bass filling the surrounding due to the slight decay/echo that comes from having it resonating in the hard acrylic shell.
2) Changes in the apex module used drastically changes the sound, particularly in the bass presence and sense of space. A full seal block tightens the bass impact at the cost of a smaller perceived staging as the bass seems to decay slower, and the m15 module gives the lowest bass impact but the largest sense of space.


Sound Impressions and Comparison with other hybrids in the market:

I've read through numerous reviews and though impressions, but one thing that I have not been able to understand is this lack of standardisation for there various terminologies when describing sound. I'm no expert myself, so for the sake of this test I've decided to use two tools deliberately designed for that purpose; 1)Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc and 2) Chesky Ultimate Headphone demonstration disc. Not only did they explain what the common terminology used meant, but also offered the specific soundtracks needed to evaluate said specific feature. That made more sense to me than using popular music or measurement frequencies, the former was reliant on the individual's opinion of how something should sound which would lead to a biased opinion and the latter, well, we listen by our ears and not graphs. In short, there is a difference between listening to the music using our gear, and using the music to listen to the gear. Testing equipment, relies on the latter.

I should also state that contrary to most, I strongly disagree with the notion that an item should sound 'true to life'. An analogy would be photography, in which a 'good photo' is more often than not one that has had its highlights and shadows manipulated to bring out details and colour contrasts. I believe the same goes for gears, and this approach to how a competent IEM should replicate sound will be made clearer as I describe its sound and comparison to other hybrids in the market.

Its getting late, so I'll prob do this tomorrow over a cup of coffee while having breakfast .

 

[KuroKitsu]

But what if the Chinese outfit was really good at it?
.

I took me getting CIEMs to even consider Fiio and Cayin as DAP choices, so maybe when i need to reshell and the OEM doesn't do it? I'd probably get Phantoms in universal before that though. That said, after some time with my new DAP, I'm thinking that I want to melt my brains with the vocals. Maybe I'll get a pair of Phantoms after the A6t

Its getting late, so I'll prob do this tomorrow over a cup of coffee while having breakfast

LOL this is probably something a lot of us do "Late, what you mean it's late? Only one more track on my new gear before I head to the sack"

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

Since my A18’s have gone to the repair department I’ve dusted off my A12’s from early 2015. One of the first few built, they still hold their own. I noticed that the fit is not good anymore, my ears have changed since then a lot. Seal is great but painful after 10 minutes. My 18’s from 1.5 years ago fit good. Anyone else experience such changes in 3 years time? My future Sonics from 2008 in 2012 we’re giving me similar grief.

 

[491326]

Since my A18’s have gone to the repair department I’ve dusted off my A12’s from early 2015. One of the first few built, they still hold their own. I noticed that the fit is not good anymore, my ears have changed since then a lot. Seal is great but painful after 10 minutes. My 18’s from 1.5 years ago fit good. Anyone else experience such changes in 3 years time? My future Sonics from 2008 in 2012 we’re giving me similar grief.

I lost 7 kg in a month and the seal on my iems disappeared, partially because I did sand them a little bit right after buying since they didn't fit well enough. I used nail polish to fatten them a little but will still pay for a refit in the long run

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

I lost 7 kg in a month and the seal on my iems disappeared, partially because I did sand them a little bit right after buying since they didn't fit well enough. I used nail polish to fatten them a little but will still pay for a refit in the long run

I’ve heard rapid weight loss or gain can have an effect on canals. Ears can be adaptive too. When I worked as an ear impression detailer in 2013 I wore iems for 8+ hours a day. I noticed that when I didn’t wear my monitors for a week or more, the next time I used them they felt tight compared to frequent use. There was a case of a guy who used a silicone sleeve for his Bluetooth on one ear frequently and when he used his ears after that he said that same ear felt lose. It happened that his silicone was a tad bit tighter than his acrylic ears from another brand. I recommended he send in his silicone for a reduction and in the mean time I told him not to use anything for a week. After a week he said that ear wasn’t breaking seal anymore and the reduced silicone was brought down to the same size as his IEM’s and he didn’t have any problems after that. Fit sizing between manufactures can be different slightly and it can cause seal issues when going back to a “less tight” of a fitted IEM. Played with this theory with my future Sonics vs 1964 V6-S. Detailing my own impression was actually a very grueling process. OCD kicked in since i found out how slight takeaways of material from areas of the ear give a different feel. after multiple try’s I was able to reach fit euphoria.

 

[491326]

OCD kicked in

starting for me too, i’ve wiped off and reapplied nail polish to my iems at least 10 times now and the results are different every time

 

[Marat Sar]

starting for me too, i’ve wiped off and reapplied nail polish to my iems at least 10 times now and the results are different every time

See! This here is why I don't go customs. I would never reach the end of this. I would search for that perfect fit and seal from an old master in Japan, or like... start a special seal diet.

 

[bogdan belonozhko]

See! This here is why I don't go customs. I would never reach the end of this. I would search for that perfect fit and seal from an old master in Japan, or like... start a special seal diet.

Haha, I had this idea of offering a true custom tailored fit where you would fly to the lab and spend a couple days with the master impression detailer 1 on 1 to achieve that precise fit that is almost unattainable. It would be a cool option for people like you, but it never caught on with the marketing team. They don’t understand the struggle is real.

 

[491326]

f

Haha, I had this idea of offering a true custom tailored fit where you would fly to the lab and spend a couple days with the master impression detailer 1 on 1 to achieve that precise fit that is almost unattainable. It would be a cool option for people like you, but it never caught on with marketing team. They don’t understand the struggle is real.

that is an amazing idea, I wish I was more ambitious and actually working in the audio industry. then we could make this a reality