[RHA Team]

 

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RHA is currently preparing an article reflecting on the development of the personal audio market in recent history that will be featured on the RHA website and used in materials marking the company’s fifth anniversary later this year. The article will look at the emerging trends such as the growth in mainstream headphone popularity, the emergence of digital download and streaming services and the subsequent refocusing on high quality audio including the HRA movement and what it means for the future of the industry.
 
We also want to touch upon the importance of the audiophile community in the article, and that’s where we want your input! Head-Fi is the biggest audio community in the world and arguably more popular today than ever before, so we want to hear about what it means to you, its members.
 
Responses to this thread will be used to inform parts of the article and some might  even be selected to be used as direct quotes (with the commenters permission of course). AND everyone who contributes to the discussion will be entered into a random prize draw to win a brand new RHA T20i!
 
With that in mind, any responses to any of the questions below would be greatly appreciated - let’s hear what you think about this brilliant community and the industry it is based upon.
 

• What do you consider the biggest developments in personal/portable audio in the past 5-10 years and why?
• What role do you think audiophile communities, such as Head-Fi, have in the current portable audio market?
• Where do you see the portable audio market going in the next 5-10 years?

 
Thanks in advance for any feedback, we want this article to be as honest, accurate and authentic as possible and hopefully we’ll get a good discussion going in addition to some cool opinions.
 
Best,

RHA
 
[Mod Edit: Due to abuse, this competition is restricted to members who registered before the date this competition was posted.]

 

[cleg]

1. IMHO, main development of last ~5 years is wide availability of great DAPs, offering good sound for reasonable money and up to really outstanding models in top segment. We're seeing high competitive and quickly evolving market, which is always good for consumers. Also I'd like to give honorable mention to hybrid IEMs.

2. Audio communities is a best place for developers to communicate with real users of their product. Any other media can't do that. I won't tell exact names, but we all on Head-Fi know and love companies, actively communicating with users, and I think both sides benefits here.

3. Who knows... Actually, last years we've got extensive development: almost all technologies, used in personal audio are here for a long time, and I can't remember anything really new. So, may be in next 5-10 years we'll see some intensive development, some new technologies. I don't know what will it be, may be augmented reality (headphones that change sound, when you're moving head, allowing more realistic stage) or direct music transmission to brain...

 

[Feilong4]

1. I haven't been around in this "audio game" much but I think IEMs have gone a long way. I tried the Panasonic HJE900 and ATH-CKR10 and though they are not from the same audio company, I do think there must be some development in the technology in the drivers of IEMs for higher quality sound. That said I enjoyed the ATH-CKR10 WAY much more than the Panasonics because the treble in the ATH-CKR10 is much more realistic sounding than the Panasonics. Just a very small example. I also do think that focus on the portable headphone market has grown A LOT because it's pretty awesome to see that some people care about personal audio.
 
2. I think Head-Fi kind of keeps us updated, and also introduces fresh and interesting things. Of course this flavor of the month thing happens from time to time but it's pretty fun to jump in (though pricey). It's also a great way to exchange thoughts and experiences with new gear that will help with other's purchasing decisions.
 
3. Bit of a hard one as I haven't been in this hobby for long, but I guess maybe pushing the limits of bluetooth technology in headphones and in IEMs. Haven't really used a bluetooth headphone extensively so I haven't heard this difference in sound quality in wired and bluetooth technology, but yeah just pushing the limits of sound quality and signal strength of bluetooth.

 

[velvetx]

1)    I know a lot of people may disagree but the biggest developments in personal/portable audio are smartphones and to a more audio related specific extent the further development of the iPod.  People may not like Apple products but numbers don’t lie and in 2015 alone 2.3 billion iPhones were sold worldwide while in 2014 alone 390 million iPods were sold.  Apple’s closed system and acquisition of Beats has solidified their place in the audio world as one of the biggest if not the biggest individual supplier of portable audio.  The other thing of course is the obvious rise of streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music which would not have been made as popular as they are today without Apple products.  Tidal I didn’t list because due to bandwidth restrictions set by wireless carriers high quality music just isn’t viable without the use of WIFI.
 
2)    Communities such as Head-Fi are great for companies looking to pitch higher quality products that the average consumer may find off setting or too expensive.  I would say that you would more than likely not want the average consumer to be responsible for tuning your IEMs or headphones because of the fact they use it for different things.  Most average consumers are not concerned about quality but price, functionality, and comfort.  They don’t want to change filters to attain a certain sound profile all they want to do is listen to whatever is playing while happily working out, trudging through long days at work, or use it to hear someone on the other end of the phone while using a built in mic to talk with their friends.  Head-Fi and other audio communities are where people who really care about what they are listening to unite to discuss gear and music.  This goes beyond just going on a forum and posting but instead meeting in real life and creating real life bonds over audio just like any other hobby.  Communities such as the ones I mentioned also host meets where the vendors and members can interact with each other and you attain a solid sample of what we as audiophile s are looking for.  The best part about said audio communities is this is where almost everyone starts their deeper analysis of audio whether it portable or desktop.
 
3)    Whatever advancements in portable audio will most likely be guided by smartphone companies such as Apple.  Whether with advancement in Bluetooth audio, the development of high quality audio through their lightning connector, or something entirely new will come through innovation.  In the realm of the audiophile, companies such as A&K, Hifiman, and FiiO will continue coming out with innovative products which serve our purpose but don’t entirely translate into purchases made by the average consumer.  Companies which hold the power of sustainability are companies like RHA which makes high quality products at an average consumer price with comfort and functionality in mind.  Schiit built a whole business this way and as long as you can innovate while being price minded you shouldn’t have any issue building a business that will last a longtime while also being able to cater to the consumer market.
 
I know this isn't on here but most of the direction and data you might be looking for can be found here: 
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-2015-year-review#H6gI2LvJwZiGOLww.97
 
@Tyll Hertsens did a wonderful piece on the present state of audio and listed sales of the major players along with his comments regarding the future. 

 

[Sushi Ears]

1)
 
I think the fact that many new companies are coming into light with fast popularity is impressive. We have RHA, Meelectronics, Audiofly and other upcoming start-ups which I have seen gain some traction.  The simple fact is everyone is on the move and buying portable devices, therefore the demand for portable audio has had a direct benefit with that phenomenon.  As a whole, the consumers benefit with the introduction of new companies because we can see tightening competition and plenty of new products at many price ranges.  
 
Half a decade ago, the choices for high-quality portable audio was relatively limited. Shure's BA IEM line was one of the first to make the pro style IEM popular. It's certainly true that the quality in terms of sound and build quality have increased or at least hit the benchmark of the players who hit the market first.  RHA made metal IEM housing for their premium products which is a relatively new trend that other IEM makers are starting to undertake. Balanced armature and dynamic driver hybrids are catching the attention of mainstream producers like Xiaomi. Standards are constantly increasing and it's great to see what else is to come. Dynamic drivers are coming back and challenging the high-tech and high-cost BA IEMs.
 
The market still has plenty of room to grow because the idea that you purchase a high-quality earphone with your mobile device is becoming more and more popular.  Music streaming services are becoming the norm for listeners as mobile internet gets cheaper and faster. Public transportation is getting efficient and relatively affordable in the major cities around the world.  There are plenty of situations to target as a personal audio company such as flight travel, public transportation, or busy workplaces.  Personal audio needs to provide the option for a person to change their world and allow them to focus on their task or isolate themselves from a fast moving world.
 
The world is getting more globalised and regional economies are no longer isolated from each other.  People are beginning to behave in a similar way in some key areas.   Personal audio is becoming an increasing vital part of someone's daily behaviour and a good audio device can be make an incredible difference to one's day.
 
2)
 
I think Head-Fi and audio communities provide a voice and context for audio companies to use as a reference.  Typically, those who care, have interest and understand the situation the most will be the most vocal.  A strong opinion can be a driving force for the market to develop in certain directions.  The experience of enthusiastic can be a useful tool to use in future development.
 
Undoubtedly there will be varying degrees of success and failures in every product line out there that can be picked out and brought to light by audio communities.  An engineer or designer will attempt to meet every situation and challenge out there but without the experiences of those who live with their personal devices, it can be difficult to grow further and improve.  Of course, audio communities are one segment to listen to, while there is the mainstream market that will occasionally provide their experiences.  It's important to take a balance between the two voices.
 
3)
 
Areas that are constantly under battle are build quality, sound quality, convenience of use and price.  In a monopolistic competition market, it's important to constantly innovate and market your innovations so the buyer understands why you are different or better.  At the moment, the most popular audio products are the ones positioned correctly for convenience and marketing in high-street stores.  You pick up a new mobile phone and next to the mobile phone is a earphone slightly better than the stock ones provided. It's fast and easy.
 
On the other hand, some buyers do not respond to marketing as much and will put time into researching and understanding the product they buy.  Many companies don't have the budget to market their products widely so they will make the best possible product they can and the quality will speak for itself. I think that there are companies that will either produce for wide appeal or they will carve themselves are small market segment of fans and listeners. 
 
People will begin to consider personal audio as a normal purchase when they try to seek for a world of privacy as we get more urbanised.  The 'lifestyle' brands such as Beats, Skullkandy or JBL will continue to dominate as they control high-street stores. But in the future, their market share will erode as people seek better quality products.
 
On another side of things, internet shopping is gaining incredible traction.  Search engine optimisation could become the key to success for getting your product out there. The more people who talk about your products in key areas like head-fi, reddit, meet-ups or social media might be the key to placing or branding yourself in the correct places.  
 
Brand development is going to be absolutely crucial in the next 5-10 years and it's important to create the image you intend for your company to support your product line and vision.  
 
High-end audio companies are starting to move downwards into the market and create a 'luxury' or super product that is priced above the mid-range products.  Audeze are creating some mid-tier portable headphones for example.  HiFiMAN are concentrating or creating good value and well priced planars such as the HE-400S or HE-400i.  I also believe they have a portable headphone in development.  These products provide a sense of exclusivity. Although RHA may never touch this area of the market it's still something that can be seen growing in the audio market. 
 
There is an increase in DIY or custom headphone makers. Most notable ZMF audio who make modified Fostex headphones have made an impact in the audio community. Boutique and small-businesses have made some noise for the audio community. 

 

[glassmonkey]

• What do you consider the biggest developments in personal/portable audio in the past 5-10 years and why?
• What role do you think audiophile communities, such as Head-Fi, have in the current portable audio market?
• Where do you see the portable audio market going in the next 5-10 years?

 
Thanks for putting this up. I think it is really positive to consider the role of this community, and our history. RHA is one of many brilliant upstart companies that have really benefited the hi-res movement and benefited from the movement. I'm looking forward to seeing your article.
 
With regards to the questions (to be expanded later):
 
1. I think the biggest developments are the introduction of affordable, high quality, high capacity DAPs. This advancement has been coupled with an increasing price to performance ration of all audio gear. More headphone makers are getting more proficient. The aerie of the pinnacle of audio is not so high above the crowd of mid-fi offerings anymore.
 
2. HeadFi is a top search result because of the growth of the community, and it's influence will continue to drive resolution upwards and continue to promote small and large companies advancing portable audio.
 
3. In the next 5-10 years I see universal driver compatibility happening. I think Windows will finally allow DACs to just play, and Android and iDevices will also follow suit. I think DAPs will consistently function as stand-alone DACs and storage will no longer be a problem. I also think that the divide in price of devices will accelerate more than the divide in quality. I think the tendency to have multi-thousand pound offerings for portable players and for pinnacle headphones will not abate. However, the technical development at the top will fuel even better performing options below the pinnacle. Because this is where most consumers buy, the crowded £100 to £300 pound market is only going to get more crowded, and consumers will greatly benefit from this.
 
Now for some bold predictions:

1. In 2017, RHA will release their first over ear headphone. 
2. CanJams will be held in Berlin and Toronto.
3. Sennheiser will release a diamond edition of the new Orpheus. It will retail for €1 million and instantly be the top fashion accessory at climate change denier meetings. Astoundingly, 10 will be produced.
4. A crowdfunding campaign for the LH Labs Geek Air DAP will be be funded on IndieGoGo. In an ironic twist, the DAP will be delivered, but will actually just be a clear box of ionized air.
5. JPS labs will make an actual torture device, the Inferno. It will play music, but it will consist of the Jeopardy tune and sing-a-longs from Dora the Explorer. Also, Ring Ring Ring, Bananaphone.
6. Audeze will release the LCD-6, so called the six, because the magnets weigh a total of six pounds. A class action suit will be filed for neck injuries.
7. In 2025 headphone implants will be developed. They won't be as entertaining as other types of implants.

 

[ejong7]

   

• What do you consider the biggest developments in personal/portable audio in the past 5-10 years and why?
• What role do you think audiophile communities, such as Head-Fi, have in the current portable audio market?
• Where do you see the portable audio market going in the next 5-10 years?

 

1. I think the best development in recent years is actually the increase in overall quality for all items in portable audio including IEMs, headphones, DAPs and Amps across all price tiers. When I first entered the realm of portable audio, quality was rather top heavy in the sense that you can only get gear of quality at much higher prices. Of course, this still hold true and in general the pricier stuff do tend to sound better (not all of them though,mind you) but there is just a wide array of budget gear that could easily compete with the stuff sold at a higher price. It makes this hobby become more affordable, and thus make it more approachable. It used to be harder to introduce people to the hobby because, unless you have rather sensitive ears (or at least thats what I think mine are compared to my friends), it was harder to tell that the budget-fi stuff were much better than the stuff you already own, thus it was hard to persuade people to plunge into the world of audio, and while they may be impressed by the higher end stuff they are certainly not impressed by the price tag. Quite a few items now could easily be compared to the other stuff of a higher price tier, especially those that started selling at a high price last time and maintained that same price today. And with many companies vying for that high bar of value for performance, it creates a competitive environment that can only benefit us consumers even more.
 
2. One of the few things that I really appreciate about the market in general is that companies actually LISTEN to us. I love how the feedback of the community is actually deeply appreciated, and how its actually SHOWN to be taken into consideration. I think, at least in my experience, this is what is unique to our market. And this is how the audiophile community plays a role, by helping others create better products for us, and its as simple as posting a few sentences in a forum. Its also lovely that most of us are able to convey our opinion in a civil manner, and although we vary in our thoughts of gear we could still for the most part appreciate that others simply would enjoy the stuff that we don't because everyone is different. What's nice is also that it easier for us to get a general feel for the product before hand through the experience of others.
 
3. Cheaper, better of everything. The latest technology of the current age gets older, giving time for it to be more easily manufactured through research and development and thus reducing cost.  Technology simply doesn't sit still. One thing I personally hope that remains though are physical mechanisms on DAPs and Amps. Physical knobs and buttons for example. With everyone trying to go touchscreen nowadays I have much love for the old manual way. It just feels much better.

 

[Xymordos]

What do you consider the biggest developments in personal/portable audio in the past 5-10 years and why?
I think there are two biggest developments for portable audio: 1) Development and popularity of in-ear IEMs over ear buds; and 2) Increased development and number of Hi-Fi players and mobile phones on the market.
 
I think the development of actual in-ear IEMs increased the audio quality of portable audio in general. When people are using IEMs on the streets, the hugely increased isolation over earbuds can allow them to properly appreciate the quality of sound and music. This positively affected the sales of IEMs, and with increased marketing, the entire market managed to go expand quickly.
 
For Hi-Fi players, manufacturers like ESS developed DAC chips for mobiles. This allowed mobile phone manufacturers to develop and market more Hi-Fi sounding phones. As the general public would never buy a Hi-Fi music player, the increased quality in mobile phone music playback will allow general consumers to listen to higher quality music. Thus, they will be able to extract more of their IEM's potential, and appreciate higher quality music, even though they do not have a proper "rig" like the audiophiles to listen to. All of the above expands the market greatly and facilitate further expansion and product/technology development in the Hi-Fi world.
 
What role do you think audiophile communities, such as Head-Fi, have in the current portable audio market?
One part of me thinks that we are pushing the market forward. We are a large group of consumers and we heavily invest in the products in this market. This quickens the development of new technologies in the market - a result we can see today with hundreds and thousands of different IEMs being produced. However, we are still a small group compared to the general public, and our effects on the market is limited. Luckily, I do see the market expanding into the public through extensive marketing of new technologies. Some examples are the "Hi-Res" movement from Japan, DSD marketing, and the new mobile audio chips by ESS. These are all widely seen in the marketing of consumer products targeted at the general public.
 
Where do you see the portable audio market going in the next 5-10 years?
I believe the market will develop more "portable" audio i.e. blue tooth and wireless audio. The general public is a larger market than the audiophile market. Unfortunately they do not care so much about audio quality as we do - some can't even tell a flagship IEM apart from a entry level one! However, they stress on convenience. They will like weightless, wireless IEMs that will have the battery life of several days. The needs of the consumers will urge the market to develop such products.

 

[RHA Team]

Hello!
 
Sorry for the delay in responding to this - in the planning and actually doing of CJ SoCal, we neglected to swing back around here and update everyone!
 
Firstly, thanks to everyone for their responses so far - definitely some things we hadn't factored into our thinking in the drafting of the article. 
 
We're going to set a deadline of one week today - midday on 11/4/2016 (UK time), then draw a winner from those who have responded.
 
If anyone wants to get the word out to anyone they think will have some insight, please feel free to get more people involved (even though it might diminish your chances or winning - be kind!).

Thanks again.

 

[HiFiChris]

1. After a quick brainstorming, I have these things in mind: audio streaming, portable Bluetooth speakers, CIEM companies offering universal fit models for sale, the better awareness of impedance matching and high quality Bluetooth codecs.
Streaming: not much to explain here; many people get access to a plethora of music albums for a flat rate price and don't need much storage space. Probably not as good for the artists and labels as if people bought the CDs, but still better than many of those people who are illegally getting their music. Although I am a CD guy and buy new CDs for listening at home and to have a physical medium, I have a Spotify account (once premium for a few months but as I didn't use it much, I downgraded to the free version and haven't touched it since then) and will be having a 6 months Tidal premium account soon.
Bluetooth speakers: going on holiday, listening to music while ironing or in the garden plus at barbecues, portable Bluetooth speakers are handy and some are said to be decently sounding. Having tested the predecessors of portable Bluetooth speakers (sound docks) a few years ago, not even the companies' flagship models between €500 and 800 were able to convince me, so I bought nothing. I am not really up to date though, not having heard the recent products, and might take a look at portable wireless speakers again.
UIEMs from CIEM companies: let's face it - if one's ears are about perfect for universal fit in-ears, there is no major point to go for CIEMs unless there is one CIEM that offers just exactly the tonal attributes one is looking for. I have large auricles with wide, quite straight ear canals and honestly prefer the handling of UIEMs over my CIEMs as I have about never had problems with universal fit IEMs, therefore I would always go for the universal version of a model if a company is offering both custom as well as universal fit models of the same in-ear. Seeing more and more CIEM companies also offering universal fit models is a very welcome thing.
Better awareness of impedance matching: be it the different audio chips or the better awareness of it at the manufacturers' side, I don't know. Nonetheless, I have the feeling that especially in the past decade, manufacturers concentrate even more on making audio devices with really low output impedance. People like myself who have many multi-driver IEMs with varying impedance over the frequency range are very happy if a source has got a low resistance at the audio output (less than 1 Ohm), so that the frequency response output remains unaltered.
High Quality Bluetooth codecs: I remember about 10 to 14 years ago, I encountered Bluetooth for the first time. It was a cool thing transferring files from one device to another without using cables and without requiring both devices to stay extremely close to each other (cough cough, infrared data transmission as used in my Casio watch computer or PDAs). What wasn't so cool though was the audio quality over Bluetooth back in the days: full of artefacts, high audible compression plus flat sound. Bluetooth just wasn't audiophile in its early days. The development of AAC and aptX codecs for wireless audio transmission is a huge step forward in terms of audio quality, and even some devices without these codecs sound decent.
 
2. In my opinion, audiophile communities are a good way for the manufacturer to get aware of many peoples' desires, feedback and questions. It is also a good way to publicly get in touch with others (for the audiophiles to submit suggestions etc. to the manufacturer and for the manufacturer to make product announcements or assist owners of their products with theirs questions and needs). It is also a really good platform for marketing and placing ads, as audiophile online communities are one target audience with many people that will see the infos and ads.
 
3. My crystal ball is currently sent in for repair, so I can't say anything about that right now 

. All joking aside, I don't know. We've seen many hybrid IEMs being developed in the past years, so I think this might be a trend that will be continued.
Oh, and Bluetooth of course - aptX and AAC streaming are getting better and better, and so is audio quality over Bluetooth. Some stationary DACs with Bluetooth even sound as good as with wired connection, so I am assuming that at one point, we are going to see Bluetooth headphones that will sound just as good as wired models.
I also guess that with all of the popular music streaming companies, the market for streaming DAPs will be growing.
Disk space is becoming cheaper every year, and I am sure that we will be seeing reasonably priced 512 (or even 1024) GB micro SD cards in around 10 years.
Crowdfunding platforms will surely get more attention in the audiophile and consumer-audiophile world as well.
Surely there will also be negative things we are going to face: I fear that CDs will slowly disappear and that some labels (especially smaller ones) will only back on digital distribution, which is already a trend that can be seen.

 

[whitedragon551]

• What do you consider the biggest developments in personal/portable audio in the past 5-10 years and why?

The biggest development I think is the smart phone. There is a much wider selection and companies competing on a more global scale. So there is an increased race to 0 for features, while still maintaining reliability and battery life.

• What role do you think audiophile communities, such as Head-Fi, have in the current portable audio market?

I think audiophiles are such a small percentage of users that they really dont have much say. Audiophile grade equipment is definitely a niche market in the grand scheme of audio.

• Where do you see the portable audio market going in the next 5-10 years?

Things will continue to get smaller, more custom, and battery technology will be huge as people will require more of devices they wont necessarily be able to charge all the time. 

 

[Nemoona]

1.  I believe the largest developments in personal audio over the past 5-10 years to have been invested in DAP's.  While portable audio in general has been exploding with popularity recently, DAP's seem to be the one item which are being heavily invested in.  DAP's have advanced and grown exponentially in recent years and seem to be the only thing Head-fi'ers seem to be able to talk about, especially with companies like Fiio and Astell&Kern leading the portable audio industry.
 
2.  I believe forums such as Head-fi are leaders for pushing forward portable audio.  In recent years, many people have suddenly become attracted to "High-End" audio, and Head-fi is the first place they go.  When these masses join Head-fi, they have vast sources of information leading them to quality audio and audio players.  As well, Head-fi is an amazing place for audio companies because it is the one place where start-up's as well as leading brands stand to gain popularity on an unbiased scale, and where true audiophiles can judge the quality goods from the fakes.
 
3.  I see portable audio progressing exponentially in future years as it has in recent.  As high-end audio becomes increasingly popular, many people will be encouraged to purchase audiophile DAP's, Amps, and headphones, but it's not hard to see why many will be encouraged to buy portable audio equipment instead of non-portable equipment.  This vast source of interested consumers could potentially propel the portable audio market unlike ever before.

 

[pbui44]

There will be those disagreeing with my responses, but I am only referring to the questions at hand within the specific 5-10 year time frames.

1.) The acquisition of Beats Electronics by Apple Inc. Within 10 years, we saw a total sell-off of a rap celebrity name onto a product with a relatively high price and a very low planned obsolence time. When "Beats by Dre" headphones started selling at $400, everyone loved them...until they lasted for 2-3 years from the weak frame, ear cups breaking, drivers distorting, etc. Revised models did not fix these issues much, leaving Beats Electronics to allow themselves to be acquired by Apple Inc. for $3 billion. Did this product create a revolutionary sound? Many agree and many disagree, but the money made from the marketing cannot be disputed.

2.) Head-fi.org will allow specific demand for personal audio products to come into fruition much quicker than how companies used to run. According to many posts, there was a time when exclusive Grado models made specifically for the Head-fi community were sold to keep the website afloat. I am not to assume how the finances are for the website, but I can say that many personal audio companies are making a lot of money.

3.). I think that digital audio players, or DAPs, will have more software features that you currently see only in smart phones. These software features are already in demand by head-fi members and will only continue to grow in the coming years. The amps in these DAPs will get better as well, though not necessarily for cheaper.

I hope you guys found my responses interesting.

 

[eddiejung]

1. I think growth of IEM market has been the key in personal audio for a while. Today there are thousands of IEMs with fine quality and strong durability are available at affordable prices. It was not the case 10 years ago: there were decent IEMs but considering the quality and durability, their prices were almost twice of current ones. It's my mere appreciation, not that I can demonstrate objectively now - It will take too long to expand my thesis! Anyway, so now everyone seems to have at least one decent IEM and this is definitely the largest development in portable audio.

2. Head-fi is a space where nunerous audiophiles from all over the world share information and opinions. Recently I always check reviews and relevant posts before I purchase any audio devices. These communities also are perceived to be more relible than reviews from Amazon or other personal blogs.

3. Wireless IEM is a way to go. Current wireless IEMs are not so comfortable. They tend to have neck bands and wearing them is even bothersome time to time. More small and light wireless IEMs should be developed and released. Of course their connections should be stable. I used to have bluetooth IEM from Sennheiser and it kept disconnected in places with excessive communicative devices - Apple store, subway, etc.

Wish my post be helpful.

 

[Currawong]

Please note that due to attempts by someone to create multiple accounts to try and win a prize, this competition is now restricted to members who registered before it was first posted.