[ian91]

@Rockwell75 i think it’s what you were waiting for..
DD 9.2mm bass
DD 6mm mids
4EST

https://shop.musicteck.com/products/vision-ears-ext-universal

Looks great. Just need a lottery win now !

 

[claud W]

@Rockwell75 i think it’s what you were waiting for..
DD 9.2mm bass
DD 6mm mids
4EST

https://shop.musicteck.com/products/vision-ears-ext-universal

That looks like my Christmas present.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

In other news I may have a GK10, Holocene and N3 Pro in my hands by the end of the day. Postal service has been a$$ lately so who knows. Fingers crossed though!

My Isabelle has been delayed till Friday, USPO isn't any better

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Looks great. Just need a lottery win now !

Not cheap but not the most expensive…
PHöNIX cost almost 3600$

​

 

[Rockwell75]

Received another treat in the mail and couldn't wait to get it out of the box an into my hands. In the process I may have discovered another of the all time great synergistic pairings of my audio career. Ladies (as if there are any lol) and gentlemen the Cayin N3Pro (thanks to characteristic impeccable service from Andrew & @MusicTeck) and Oriolus Reborn...



First of all see that nice tubey glow in the bottom half of the player? That my friends is practically worth the price of admission alone. The Reborn, as you'll recall, is an IEM that I feel needs a little EQ through the M8 to tame the upper mids a wee bit and flesh out the midbass. Not so through the N3Pro in ultra linear tube mode...as soon as the first few bars were through I knew I was onto something special. The warm tubey goodness of the N3Pro is the perfect match for the occasionally strident tonality of the Reborn. The sound is naturally smoothed out and the bass given just a touch of added body. It's oh so enticing....

In the process this hammered home for me the utter importance of sources and synergy with IEMs-- and it's also made me think twice about my little rating schema from yesterday. The Reborn through the N3Pro is definitely a few points higher on my mid-bass, tonality & coherence scales than it is through the M8. In any case I'm a very happy camper right now and I can't wait to try the N3Pro through my other IEMs.

 

[marklivia]

N3Pro is an AMAZING player if you ask me. No extranious belony, just tunes off an SD card. An IEM owner's dream....

 

[blotmouse]

In the process this hammered home for me the utter importance of sources and synergy with IEMs--

 

[Rockwell75]

N3Pro is an AMAZING player if you ask me. No extranious belony, just tunes off an SD card. An IEM owner's dream....

Yup seriously smitten here...like this player plus the Reborn is literally giving me goosebumps right now.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Yup seriously smitten here...like this player plus the Reborn is literally giving me goosebumps right now.

How about Isabella, don't be neglecting the little lady (apologies for the 1960s misanthropic term)

 

[Rockwell75]

How about Isabella, don't be neglecting the little lady (apologies for the 1960s misanthropic term)

I sent my Isabella out on a tour so I won't be able to hear it through the N3PRo for a while unfortunately.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I sent my Isabella out on a tour so I won't be able to hear it through the N3PRo for a while unfortunately.

Darn, and mine is delayed until Saturday.

 

[Rockwell75]

Darn, and mine is delayed until Saturday.

I have a Campfire Holocene stuck in limbo somewhere too so I feel your pain...I'm just hoping. get it by tomorrow.

 

[Rockwell75]

GK10s sounds a bit rough out of the box but the good news on them is that they don't take long to smooth out, usually overnight is all it needs otherwise you should be able to hear what they are a bout. It should jive well with the Shanling M8.

When I ordered my Geek I had it sent to the wrong address-- it was delivered today to my condo and I'm not going to be there for two weeks. Oh well.

Can you elaborate a bit on why you feel the Isabellae ranks so much higher in your opinion than the MEST?

Certainly.

It's pretty well expressed in the following:



The highlighted columns are where the scores differ most significantly. In a word the MEST is the more technical of the two-- it's a technical powerhouse in fact. But the signature on the whole lacks a certain natural and organic quality that I need to see in IEMs before they make it to the uppermost reaches in my rankings. Conversely the Isabellae excels in those areas and its midrange tuning significantly trumps that of the MEST IMHO. The mids of the MEST sound outright synthetic to me at times and do not have at all the clarity, body, naturalness and openness that Isa's do. Also Isabellae has the benefit of single driver coherence that so far even the best hybrids have not yet fully mastered. Add all this up and Isa is a much more involving & engaging IEM for me. MEST is flash, pizazz & technical chops...but Isa is fundamentally about emotional connection & depth and, for lack of a better word in my head at this time...humanity. These latter qualities will always win the day for me.

If you're interested in more here is my Isabellae review (if you haven't seen it yet) and the Shootout which contains the bulk of my MEST impressions.

I get the impression from the reviews that the Isa is somewhat of a one trick pony, excellent for vocals and stringed instruments, but falls short elsewhere. Just from what I've read.

That's not my experience. She excels across the board in terms of midrange & mid-bass. Sub-bass is also excellent. As far as my library & tastes are concerned Isabellae takes the crown from the Andromeda as probably the single most engaging & effective reasonably priced "all rounder" IEM I've ever heard. As with everything in this hobby though, YMMV.

I never tried the Eletech Prudence on the Blon.. curious to hear if you think it makes any difference.

I'm looking forward to comparing the Prudence & the PW #10 on some IEMs

@Rockwell75 i think it’s what you were waiting for..
DD 9.2mm bass
DD 6mm mids
4EST

https://shop.musicteck.com/products/vision-ears-ext-universal

Yup. So thankful it appears not to be a limited release. This means I can play the long game and not rush into something I can't afford and possibly treat myself around Christmastime. Perhaps we can get at tour going in Canada in the meantime. I am already in preliminary talks with @Vision Ears about this.

That looks like my Christmas present.

My thoughts exactly.

Not cheap but not the most expensive…
PHöNIX cost almost 3600$

I'm sure she's an outright beast to. My heart belongs to Ely Ext tho.

 

[Rockwell75]

This song is absolutely breathtaking through the N3 Pro/Reborn...Skye Edwards' vocals have never sounded more full, husky or seductive and it feels like she's sitting on my lap whispering into my ears...wow.

Edit: This player in tube mode really has been a revelation for me in terms of how the right synergy than make so much difference. Through the M8 the Reborn comes off a bit strident up top at times and the BA timbre sticks out a bit. The n3Pro gives the whole sound a subtle tubey underglow that, like the dude's rug, sort of ties the whole signature together and gives it a more fundamental sense of coherence between the BA & DD drivers than was evident to my ears before.

 

[ranfan]

Shipping was 1/2 the value of of the Blon..

Is that one-way or both?