[marklivia]

I was about to sell my Vortex for lack of bass, now I don't know what to do. Can one of you guys describe in detail the filter removal thing? Is it reversible ?

 

[drummguy26]

I was about to sell my Vortex for lack of bass, now I don't know what to do. Can one of you guys describe in detail the filter removal thing? Is it reversible ?

Right. Do NOT sell your Vortex until you at least try this mod! To me, the bass is just right and is quite impactful and textured. Beautiful bass for a single DD.

But all you gotta do is get a thumbtack or any kind of small needle and just go around the edges of the white filter inside the port until you’re able to pull it out. And that’s it. Be sure to save the filter so you can stick it back in if you don’t like the mod. But I don’t think you’ll need to.

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Right. Do NOT sell your Vortex until you at least try this mod! To me, the bass is just right and is quite impactful and textured. Beautiful bass for a single DD.

But all you gotta do is get a thumbtack or any kind of small needle and just go around the edges of the white filter inside the port until you’re able to pull it out. And that’s it. Be sure to save the filter so you can stick it back in if you don’t like the mod. But I don’t think you’ll need to.

Reluctant like as a hasty seller… haha!

I am very much in love with my Serial now. It’s come download to this comparison with the Up: I genuinely believe they are different equals. Yes more or less equals at the price.

The Up can win a little on stage width and layering, you would hope that would be the case for sheer driver count and tech variety.

After that, bass quality is equal but different. The beryllium is smoother and hair punchier, with faster attack. The biocellulose is a tad drier but such character in the texture.

Serial does win our for timbre in the end, it is the more natural if the two, even if the Up is a surprisingly natural tuning despite all the “bassy” label it gets.

Up is warmer in the low end, I find this supercharges some male vocals in forewarned and fullness (Thom Yorke, Alexander Veljanov) so it depends if you prefer a more natural take on those, which the Serial gives. At this exact moment I’m using the small size blue core silicones that vine with the Serial (I think? They’re definitely stock a Penon tips, if not from this set them from another).

So for close of an excellent experience they give, for me at least, when you compare the prices - I have fewer regrets holding onto the Serial. The more I hold onto the Serial, and try it with non ePro tips, the more it shows was a neutral/natural presentation it has on music.

Beautiful subtle but completely described bass in “living in a glass house” by Radiohead. Excellent listening to a song with a fairly quiet range of dynamics like “sad waters” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.


Where does the Volt fit into all this? I find the Volt engaging and entertaining, sometimes enthralling, but in my tip rolling so far I’d struggle to call it natural. So far in the shootout I’d been listening at very loud volumes, all three sets can take that. But I don’t know how well the Volt continues to shine at low volume listening like the other two have. I’ll have to listen to it more, but I’m reluctant to given the price hike over the Serials which are performing so well. Its technical abilities are a given, definitely higher ranked than the Serial in that regard.

If in the coming months I find a vortex cheap enough to try the mod, I will. But towards the end of listening to it, the 5k peak was apparent, and perhaps even with full bass I would find it too engaging in some tracks, it seems like I am more of a relaxed listener and the Serials cater to that while giving me as much details as my ears need.

In other news I might be passing on some DACs soon, I don’t want an expensive source to be a requirement for an already expensive IEM set if it ever comes to it. (Looking at over $300 sets that “require serious power to shine”. Not as a criticism, just as a budget restraint in my case.) I have an R3 Pro with only balanced working that can give me offline/no cell phone listening, and a Q5K for mobility and convenience, or SE listening.

R5 Saber might be on the market soon.

Edit: Due to some recent hype and how it very much plays into some of my preferences at a reasonable price - XBA-N3AP is incoming. I think I’ve scratched my itch for testing sets more expensive than the Serial and expecting much better. Even some of the best BA implementation usually sounds too smooth timbrally, and ESTs trying to add in texture or handle the super highs can achieve great tones but oddly float into the ear instead of breathing their way there like a DD does. Not against ESTs though, they achieve some neat non fatiguing highs.

 

[marklivia]

Did the mod. The filter is the most insubstantial little bit of plastic ever! Hard not to wreck them. BUT, the change in the sound is HUGE! Almost too much bass so I put on an excellent all silver cable to tighten the bottom and let the resolution flourish and put on a set of wide mouthed Sednas to also balance the new bass with the rest of the spectrum. Audio bliss! I'm keeping them.......

 

[szore]

My Vortex is out for delivery, I can't wait to hear this bass...

 

[drummguy26]

Did the mod. The filter is the most insubstantial little bit of plastic ever! Hard not to wreck them. BUT, the change in the sound is HUGE! Almost too much bass so I put on an excellent all silver cable to tighten the bottom and let the resolution flourish and put on a set of wide mouthed Sednas to also balance the new bass with the rest of the spectrum. Audio bliss! I'm keeping them.......

Awesome! Yea that was the reaction I had too when I did the mod.

My Vortex is out for delivery, I can't wait to hear this bass...

You might wanna try some double flanged tips or foam tips to get the most out of the bass. It’s quite immersive IMO.

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Awesome! Yea that was the reaction I had too when I did the mod.


You might wanna try some double flanged tips or foam tips to get the most out of the bass. It’s quite immersive IMO.

Well what on earth… if I buy a second set new from Penon don’t call me crazy…

Edit; if it’s all true, this is a huge milestone - a single DD with finesse in tuning and good technicalities that extends fully at both ends??? At that price too.

 

[ssantan2]

Did the mod. The filter is the most insubstantial little bit of plastic ever! Hard not to wreck them. BUT, the change in the sound is HUGE! Almost too much bass so I put on an excellent all silver cable to tighten the bottom and let the resolution flourish and put on a set of wide mouthed Sednas to also balance the new bass with the rest of the spectrum. Audio bliss! I'm keeping them.......

Awesome! I'm glad this mod has helped others experience what this little IEM can do! It's funny that you did the same thing I did. I was hunting for bass enhancing narrow bore tips before the mod and now Im trying out all my wide bore tips to tone it down. I think Sednas would be a great match as I have found wide bore opens up the sound a lot while the longer stem (compared to my TWS tips) smoothes the upper mids a bit to my ear.

 

[ssantan2]

Reluctant like as a hasty seller… haha!

I am very much in love with my Serial now. It’s come download to this comparison with the Up: I genuinely believe they are different equals. Yes more or less equals at the price.

The Up can win a little on stage width and layering, you would hope that would be the case for sheer driver count and tech variety.

After that, bass quality is equal but different. The beryllium is smoother and hair punchier, with faster attack. The biocellulose is a tad drier but such character in the texture.

Serial does win our for timbre in the end, it is the more natural if the two, even if the Up is a surprisingly natural tuning despite all the “bassy” label it gets.

Up is warmer in the low end, I find this supercharges some male vocals in forewarned and fullness (Thom Yorke, Alexander Veljanov) so it depends if you prefer a more natural take on those, which the Serial gives. At this exact moment I’m using the small size blue core silicones that vine with the Serial (I think? They’re definitely stock a Penon tips, if not from this set them from another).

So for close of an excellent experience they give, for me at least, when you compare the prices - I have fewer regrets holding onto the Serial. The more I hold onto the Serial, and try it with non ePro tips, the more it shows was a neutral/natural presentation it has on music.

Beautiful subtle but completely described bass in “living in a glass house” by Radiohead. Excellent listening to a song with a fairly quiet range of dynamics like “sad waters” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.


Where does the Volt fit into all this? I find the Volt engaging and entertaining, sometimes enthralling, but in my tip rolling so far I’d struggle to call it natural. So far in the shootout I’d been listening at very loud volumes, all three sets can take that. But I don’t know how well the Volt continues to shine at low volume listening like the other two have. I’ll have to listen to it more, but I’m reluctant to given the price hike over the Serials which are performing so well. Its technical abilities are a given, definitely higher ranked than the Serial in that regard.

If in the coming months I find a vortex cheap enough to try the mod, I will. But towards the end of listening to it, the 5k peak was apparent, and perhaps even with full bass I would find it too engaging in some tracks, it seems like I am more of a relaxed listener and the Serials cater to that while giving me as much details as my ears need.

In other news I might be passing on some DACs soon, I don’t want an expensive source to be a requirement for an already expensive IEM set if it ever comes to it. (Looking at over $300 sets that “require serious power to shine”. Not as a criticism, just as a budget restraint in my case.) I have an R3 Pro with only balanced working that can give me offline/no cell phone listening, and a Q5K for mobility and convenience, or SE listening.

R5 Saber might be on the market soon.

Edit: Due to some recent hype and how it very much plays into some of my preferences at a reasonable price - XBA-N3AP is incoming. I think I’ve scratched my itch for testing sets more expensive than the Serial and expecting much better. Even some of the best BA implementation usually sounds too smooth timbrally, and ESTs trying to add in texture or handle the super highs can achieve great tones but oddly float into the ear instead of breathing their way there like a DD does. Not against ESTs though, they achieve some neat non fatiguing highs.

btw the Serial has a filter on the rear vent too... I wonder how much bass you can get out of that dedicated Bio DD haha

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

btw the Serial has a filter on the rear vent too... I wonder how much bass you can get out of that dedicated Bio DD haha

 

[rattlingblanketwoman]

Oh Icarus… be careful!

 

[szore]

Oh Icarus… be careful!

Wait...What just happened here?

 

[ssantan2]

Oh Icarus… be careful!

Godspeed! If you haven't died from bass please let us know how it went!

 

[ssantan2]

Wait...What just happened here?

He took the dampening filter off of the bass back vent in order to increase the bass quantity. Its the same thing I did with the Vortex

 

[szore]

He took the dampening filter off of the bass back vent in order to increase the bass quantity. Its the same thing I did with the Vortex

But then covered it with round screen? How does that effect the sound, let us know when you can!