[14christ]

I believe the local dealer said can customise a universal, but I’m going to stick with the universal and that standard blue faceplate - I like it the best of all the avail faceplates at the moment

I like the Diva faceplate

 

[metaljem77]

I like the Diva faceplate

Me too! I’m not a fan of flecks in general but I thought the rendering and pinkish-red colour is wonderful; didn’t see something like that for Aroma, boo hoo

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

How is X with M9?

It's very good. I like the detail retrieval of the X, so I am preferring it with the more resolving DAP in the N8ii.

Now that I've spent a good two days with the X, I can say that I really love it and if I didn't already have Traillii, Red Halo FE and Jewel, I would probably want to buy it. But, I prefer Jewel by a significant margin for almost all genre of music I tested. I prefer the treble of the Jewel which I didn't expect. The X is a slight bit warmer and has better subbass extension. But, Jewel is better overall to my ear. And, they occupy similar spots in a collection.

 

[efftee]

Since the X is no longer available, is the Annihilator just better anyway, or will there be a new set coming to carry on where the X left off?

What does the Diva sound like?

Elysian IEMS are all highly technical and as well made/engineered as they come. Annihilator and X are similarly positioned but tuned differently; Annihilator is supposedly more mid-bass (though I have been hearing great sub-bass of late) and X is more sub+bass, but I don’t remember much of its sound anymore. It was a no brainer for me since I wanted a CIEM, which was not available for the X due to the size and impossibility of retaining the sound signature in a custom shell, but I am very pleased with the custom Annihilator, it has become my favorite IEM now, with the Venom cable, that is. They are very detailed, deliver great resolution and separation, and the 3D imaging is like I have never heard before.

The X was discontinued due to supply chain issues and also degree of difficulty, time needed to make. My understanding from Lee was the components he used were double, triple, sometimes more, than the industry's standard, and the construction technique not just requires more time and expertise but even more parts to make. These extra costs could not be factored into the retail price and still keep his IEMS competitively priced, so it was just not commercially viable to continue making X. A pity really.

The Diva is Lee's proof that an all BA IEM can sound as good, if not better, than a hybrid, ie BA-DD. Despite its fun label, perhaps due to the bass adjusting feature, I found it technically sound, or balanced if you will, without flaws that I could pick out, just a matter of taste and preference here and there. I’m a believer of DD bass and I was skeptical, though there have been good BA bass made, eg Traillii, I remain half convinced. At the max bass setting, the quantity was certainly adequate but not sure about the quality, or more correctly, the tone/timbre. Maybe I was just and still am DD-biased. I thought the Storm did a better job with the way they did their BA bass, but it’s again a matter of preference and also, the Diva, at around USD1500, cannot rightfully and fairly be compared with the Storm, which will probably cost double that or more.

There are rumors that Lee is working on the next TOTL, probably due to release next year, he’s quite secretive about things but the vague-ish ideas and directions that he sometimes let slip point to something that will be no less competent and exciting than his award winning Annihilator and the so-good-it-is-money-losing X.

 

[Blanchot]

Me too! I’m not a fan of flecks in general but I thought the rendering and pinkish-red colour is wonderful; didn’t see something like that for Aroma, boo hoo

I see that you are selling the stock Red Halo cable. What are you using instead?

 

[metaljem77]

I see that you are selling the stock Red Halo cable. What are you using instead?

FT, I’m quite sensitive to treble and mids when they are enhanced, and I couldn’t quite bear what Attila brought to the table. It’s not quite isolated to the pairing with Red, it happened with some of my other iems too. Prob just my personal issue

 

[Scubadevils]

My review is up for the M9 - surprisingly it's the first for this DAP on Head-Fi... also my first DAP review!

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/shanling-m9.25819/reviews#review-28419

 

[Neweymatt]

Food, travel, photography and music

I reckon that’s the Watercooler quadrella right there.

 

[gLer]

That’s one of the reasons why I’ve never really seriously looked at X or Annihilator, my set up mandate is IEM and DAP, nothing more I have too many things that I carry around, it’s like a Doraemon bagl

They’re fine from a DAP, synergy is really important I feel with either IEM. I wouldn’t let all the talk of amps with these IEMs turn you away from trying them.

You should never need more than a good DAP for a TOTL IEM. It's mostly about synergy, not power, as proven time and again by the Walkmans.

Sure, some IEMs scale, and are also transparent enough to take on the characteristics of beefier desktop components. But if portability is at the top of your priority list, it's easy enough to scratch off these 'must have' add-ons from your personal list.

All that said, if you have different use cases where a stack or desktop amp does fit, then why not. Doesn't make the DAP any less useful, but adds a different dimension to your setup, especially if you're also using headphones from time to time.

 

[Natesdailies]

Got this edited. My day 1 XE6 unboxing & music reactions ^^

 

[GiullianSN]

My share of the day for those classic and electronic guys. A bit of vocals, mostly experimental piano.

 

[Deezel177]

My share of the day for those classic and electronic guys. No vocal, just experimental piano.

Hey, it’s finally out! I’ve been holding off buying Anomalie’s latest singles, because I wanted them all compiled in a full record, so I’m glad I can finally stop waiting now. I’ve been sharing his music here for quite a while, and I truly think he’s created a genre (or, at least, a sound) that’s genuinely, wholly his own. I’ve literally never heard an artist like him, and I can’t wait to give this new record a go. Thanks for the share, man!

 

[GiullianSN]

Hey, it’s finally out! I’ve been holding off buying Anomalie’s latest singles, because I wanted them all compiled in a full record, so I’m glad I can finally stop waiting now. I’ve been sharing his music here for quite a while, and I truly think he’s created a genre (or, at least, a sound) that’s genuinely, wholly his own. I’ve literally never heard an artist like him, and I can’t wait to give this new record a go. Thanks for the share, man!

Hey Dan! I missed your share’s, but glad you like it as well. First time I’m hearing it and I’m freaking impressed. (Duo and it’s openness sound amazing here)

I gave this guy a try after seeing the Brazilian guitarist Mateus Asato sharing it.

 

[monduvo]

3 is indeed a magic number for IEMs. For me it amounts to one "perfect" TOTL at-home setup which for me right now is the EXT & M9. Add onto that a couple out and about IEMs in different flavours that I can choose between on a given day depending on my mood.

Hi Rockwell75,


As an overdue post to making a use case to cover all bases of listening and on-the-go activities with only three iems, I’d be satisfied enough in making/keeping a commitment to having up to three iems (including tws, if that counts as a wireless iem?).

The first set (with the only exception being selling a dap to buy a new model that has significant improvements in sound and improved ergonomics in accessibility and use) that I’d keep for a great long while would have to be VE8 + iBasso DX300 w/amp12 for easy/casual listening to jazz, classical music, vocals, folk/instrumental, and sometimes for old movies.

The next set would be Sony IER-Z1R + iBasso DX220 w/amp8 for listening/watching orchestral performances, instrumental music, movie soundtracks, some classic rock, and sometimes for action/adventure movies.

For the third set, although not a wired iem, it would be Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (tws) + iPhone (current model), as I find it convenient to not have to worry about wires getting caught and/or disconnected by something that’s in the way when I am streaming/listening to podcasts or music through Tidal on-the-go.

And, as mentioned from one of my previous posts, knowing that my IER-Z1R cannot be serviced nor replaced (when it breaks) with a new set past its warranty, I look forward to Vision Ear’s next release as a replacement.


If Vision Ears releases several new models from their premium and signature series line-up, I’d go for both. I’m hoping their next new premium model would be a more ergonomic shelled hybrid iem with dynamic driver for low end and with less intrusive fit to replace my HD800S headphones and desktop amp/dac setup.

I would also like to see a new model from their signature series, that I can customize with either something close to cherry-brown mahogany or purple heart wood faceplates and with translucent purple shells, and that it would be ‘different’ enough with some noticeable improvements to cover other genres of music I listen to at home and also for listening on-the-go during weekend outings.


For the rest of my iems that are still in rotation, yet are not used as often, as good as the U12t and MEST MK1 are in what they’re made to do, I just don’t find them being emotionally engaging and enjoyable as I do with VE8 from these sets. Often times, sets like these make me think and observe the music more in detail rather than simply going with the flow and feeling the music as it is for all-around fun and enjoyment.

Lastly, for source pairings with iems, I’d go for convenience of portability in compact size that is fairly lightweight and gives ease of accessibility on-the-go with some tradeoffs I’m willing to make in hardware specs versus the inconvenience of carrying around a hefty digital audio player in a transportable form factor with latest hardware specs that may give a snappier/responsive user interface with a more ‘lively’ feel of sound and presentation.

Hello Monduvo!

I’m so happy my posts resonated with you in such a profound way. Interesting that you found the Savant II to be suited for experiencing the outdoors as that is the IEM I listen to as I run or do yard work. Totally get where you’re coming from because the tonality and timber along with its diminutive size makes it disappear when I’m active. Interesting that I didn’t really think about how much aesthetics played in my purchases until the topic came up on the thread!

I did smile as I read your accounts of how important food is to your Sicilian friend. My mother is a wonderful cook and she is known for her bountiful feasts during the holidays. My wife who is not Italian loves to cook and we spend as much time cooking as we do analyzing what needs adjusting in the recipe for next time we make a dish.

And lastly, your beautiful photos helped tell such a wonderful story. I have not seen much of California other than a bit of San Francisco so experiencing it through those photos was wonderful.

Food, travel, photography and music are integral in differentiating just living from feeling alive. I think that’s why we love this hobby and why so many of us at the Cooler share photos and experiences that are vital in making us feel alive. It also provides a small window into who we are as human beings. So grateful for that as it’s given me a new sense of community despite us living thousands of miles from each other.

Hi Badlands,


Thank you again for your kind thoughts and sincere gratitude. I have some more photos and memories I’d like to share with you, along with some memories I remembered from the times spent with my other friend (who’s Korean) who was a roommate with my Sicilian friend, in the university days.


This brought some memories of the time when I brought in my father’s old Royal typewriter (he was an English major, and before computers were around, he bought a typewriter to practice typing in English at the time) to my friends’ place (as they rented a room in a single family house at the time, during university days) to see how it functioned/worked. I don’t recall if we were able to get the typewriter to work again, as it did need to have some parts replaced. But, all I remembered was how funny/ridiculous we thought it was to have a typewriter of this size, and with every press of a button that intensely flung forward with jabs of bits and blots of old black ink, from each metal tip embossed with a letter, number, character or a punctuation mark, making a peculiar repetition of industrial/mechanical sounds beating against a sheet of paper.
This photo was taken sometime around March 2009. Sicilian friend is in the white t-shirt on the left, and Korean friend (the one who regularly takes photos of us) is in the black t-shirt on the right.




Sometime in late 2008, not long after I got my first ‘mid-tier’ road bicycle which was a 2008 Felt Z65, I sold my 2007 Specialized Allez (which had entry-level Shimano 105 and Tiagra derailleurs) for around $100 to my other friend (who’s Korean, and we have known each other for a long time since fifth grade, and he was a roommate with my Sicilian friend at the time in university days).
In these two photos, you can see and almost feel the joy he felt when he got on a road bicycle (2007 Specialized Allez that I sold to him) for the very first time. From that point on, he got into cycling a little more, and he bought himself a new Trek mountain bicycle at the time, and he later ended up giving away the Specialized Allez to one of his other friends.
Sometime before that, in late 2007, my Sicilian friend bought a Lemond bicycle (entry-mid model, as I don't recall the name of the model) as his first road bicycle. Since then, he got more into road bicycles, and cycling in general, than I have. And, by now, I'd imagine he has a decent sized collection of bicycles for different use cases.



This pizza was made by my Sicilian friend, in the university days. Going by memory, the dough that he locally bought from a pizza place to make this pizza was not of ‘acceptable’ quality, at least by his ‘standards.’ Despite the high expectations he had for quality ingredients and food in general, I only remembered how consistently good the pizza tasted and felt, with a balance of subtly forward sweet-bitter, hearty-rich and tangy flavors, regardless of what he said about the disappointing quality of the dough.



Although ‘recent,’ I just found out about this posted photo of Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones, which I took a screenshot of from my friend’s Facebook page, as this photo was originally posted from 2018. Knowing how much he’s into Sony audio products, I should probably ask him through Facebook some time if he'd consider trying out some 'high-end' iems, such as Sony IER-Z1R, in which I’d be happy to lend him a pair to try out and listen. I should probably ask my Sicilian friend the same as well, and maybe have him join the Watercooler thread, when time permits from work, as I remember the times when Apple earbuds barely stayed in contact at two points from each side and would often fall out, due to his large earholes. xD

As I catch up this morning with the threads listening to music, I have a feeling of satisfaction and at the same time a building curiosity in the else.
Now I read that the Jewell I spent four hours with and than proceeded to watch people listen to at CJNY22 may have not been a true representative unit. The set sounded amazing to me, I was not looking for that kind of sound, now back to the drawing board, and need to revisit Jewell.

@monduvo post with all the images triggered memories for me, California Santa Cruz, the East coast closer to my home. The flatness of southern Maryland, and the long peninsulas of the coast Maine. Here are three studies done with gouache from those three places.

Hi RTodd,


Thanks again for sharing all the wonderfully done paintings of scenery in nature interpreted in different styles, techniques and perspectives with all the thinking and creative efforts that went into these beautiful works of art.

Here are some photos of other places I’ve been, and sightings I came across.


California Poppy (along one of the trails at Angeles National Forest, in Los Angeles, California).



Victoria Beach Tower (at Laguna Beach, California).



Lake Silverwood (at Hesperia, California).



At one of the peaks from Black Mountain Trail (Henderson, Nevada).


(First four photos from this post were taken with an Apple iPhone classic. The next four photos, excluding the screenshot picture of headphones, from this post were taken with a Samsung Galaxy S phone.)

 

[Deezel177]

Hey Dan! I missed your share’s, but glad you like it as well. First time I’m hearing it and I’m freaking impressed. (Duo and it’s openness sound amazing here)

I gave this guy a try after seeing the Brazilian guitarist Mateus Asato sharing it.

No worries, man! Check out his previous two albums if you haven’t. The first one’s more just-piano-and-the-beat, while the second one’s definitely the most chill or atmospheric. I’ve just given this latest one a listen, and it’s his most colourful or complex one yet. My favorite so far is Come Running to Me, simply because of that ridiculous vocoder performance. I was surprised to see no features at all on that track, which means Anomalie must’ve played it himself. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him play it, so I was absolutely gobsmacked at how good it turned out.

Mateus is an incredible talent as well. I actually got to see both Anomalie and Mateus perform live at the most recent Java Jazz here in Jakarta. They performed at different venues, but they played on the same night back to back. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they linked up there, and that’s how that first track came to fruition.