[Deferenz]

I sometimes feel that to participate in this thread you need to buy stuff all the time. With no chance of demoing gear it's the only way to experience the IEMs that are discussed here.

I thought I was done with the buying but have to admit that I couldn't resist the imaginary sirens calling me to buy the Jewel. And although I'm not a reviewer, I added the Oriolus switch box, so now I will have the opportunity to do A/B comparisons more easily. Hopefully I will get it by the ende of the week.

Do you have more information about this or a link? I tried doing a search for the Oriolus switch box but I didn’t find anything.

 

[DanielListening]

https://shop.musicteck.com/products...3&_sid=df526a4fa&_ss=r&variant=39707860271166

 

[twister6]

Do you have more information about this or a link? I tried doing a search for the Oriolus switch box but I didn’t find anything.

I covered Oriolus audio selector switch in more details in Nic's thread here. As it was pointed out above, Musicteck has it for sale, can choose from either 2.5mm, 3,5mm, or 4.4mm versions.

 

[Ojisan]

I still gotta try the Susvara… I wanna know how it compares to the AB1266. Among the open-back planars I’ve tried, the AB1266 sits on top followed by the D8000 Pro, Diana Phi, Elite, LCD-5. (With EQ though, I might put both the latter two over the Diana Phi)

I’m curious, to the other Coolereans here that are also into full-size open-back cans regardless of driver type (and price of course), what are your HP rankings? You can share however many HPs as you want that you think is relevant.

My top 10 would be the following:

- Senny HE-1 (Still the king overall, I’ve been visiting my local shop that has it for demo every week until it leaves them lmao)
- Audeze CRBN (With EQ this definitely sits just under the HE-1)
- Abyss AB1266 Phi TC (Crazy to think that when I compared these side by side with the HE-1 that it would be in the midrange that it would beat the HE-1. The vocals are just so detailed and pushed quite intimately. Really reminds me of a great IEM tuning but with the huge benefits of being an open-back)
- Final D8000 Pro (Build and design are just astonishing. I wish the comfort was better but hey, it fits my gigantic head pretty well. Sound wise, I’d say it’s like the AB1266 but tuned somewhat more neutrally)
- Diana Phi (It’s a very fun sound, I might even say it sound somewhat more “correct” than the unique tuning of the AB1266 so I understand why some people would prefer these over the AB1266 but the intimacy of the vocals on the AB1266 while still providing a spacious stage is what set these two siblings apart for me. Way more comfortable than the AB1266 though)
- Meze Elite (These cans with the foam pads are just absolute fun. I love my technicalities but man… that musicality that it has is just something else. If anything else, the design, build, and comfort are second to none!)
- Audeze LCD-5 (Without EQ, these are a mastering masterpiece. It’s pretty much flat across the board with a minor lift in the upper midrange and I love that. The tuning is somewhat similar to the CRBN where there’s definitely some more upper-mid bias and I thoroughly enjoy it. The main advantage of the CRBN to me was overall speed, vocal texture, and COMFORT)
- Focal Utopia (This is by far the best DD Open backs there are. Period. Well… until Focal decides to release a successor. Design, build, and comfort are huge pluses as well.)
- Meze Empyrean (An even more enjoyable Elite minus the added technical abilities of it. I still much prefer the copper/black colours of the Empy as well. I wonder how the Elite would look with a silver/copper colour combo )
- Senny HD800 OG (I still much prefer the OG even with its quirks. Up to this day, the staging is still quite untouchable. And it’s such a legend that it’s still being talked about now so many years after its release. This was also my end goal back when I was just starting in the hobby. Oh how naive was I? Lol)

HD800 OG and Utopia still in my collection and serves as baseline for me. I haven't tried LCD-5 which I'm most curious about. I'm spending more time studying STAX amp design to do my build as I still prefer STAX sound over others.

 

[DanielListening]

A great album worth listening to:



https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tomberlin-i-dont-know-who-needs-to-hear-this/

 

[ezekiel77]

I’m curious, to the other Coolereans here that are also into full-size open-back cans regardless of driver type (and price of course), what are your HP rankings? You can share however many HPs as you want that you think is relevant.

This is my list, based on what I've heard but not necessarily owned. I live away from a big city but have attended a few Canjams, so the sources might vary (and my selection is somewhat dated), but just assume they were driven using a best-case-scenario setup.

1. Abyss AB1266 Phi TC - The end of my search, essentially. Ungodly bass slam, detail and texture, balanced out by beautifully-extended treble and realistic mids timbre. Not to mention a vast soundstage that borders on the epic. Makes me smile every single time I put them on.
2. HiFiMan HE1000v1 - The best mids in the business. Euphonic, emotional, starkly detailed, goosebump city. Brilliant bass texture and sweet treble as well. I prefer this over the v2 and SE.
3. Stax SR-009S - The lord of resolution, speed and detail has no rival, but too unforgiving for mainstream music to be an effective all-rounder.
4. Stax SR-L700MK2 - My favourite Stax "compromise", with a pleasing, musical tuning and most of the speed, texture and air that e-stats are known for.
5. Audeze LCD-X - Despite their new direction, I love the old Audeze house sound. Warm, liquid, gooey and syrupy. Easy to sink into the music until you realise all dat weight on your head.
6. Focal Utopia - The final word in dynamics. Fun through and through, with speed and air for days. But dang, dat small stage... I'm lining up for the successor though.
7. Sennheiser HD800S - You know it, I know it, it's dat uncanny, jaw-dropping soundstage performance that works wonders for classical. A bit light on note weight and emotion, but I have other cans for that.
8. ZMF Auteur - ZMF equals musicality. For IEM enthusiasts I like to call this the Noble K10 of headphones. Fluid, timbre-accurate, organic and luscious. And also like Noble in general, aesthetically pleasing to no end. Gotta get dem woods!
9. ZMF Eikon - Like Auteur, but with less technical ability and treble extension.
10. HiFiMan Ananda - Like HEKv1, but smoother and less resolute. Some even say it's a better all-rounder. I'd say a majority of casual head-fiers can stop here and be happy for life. No need to scratch that FOMO itch.

 

[AnalogandDigital]

This is my list, based on what I've heard but not necessarily owned. I live away from a big city but have attended a few Canjams, so the sources might vary (and my selection is somewhat dated), but just assume they were driven using a best-case-scenario setup.

1. Abyss AB1266 Phi TC - The end of my search, essentially. Ungodly bass slam, detail and texture, balanced out by beautifully-extended treble and realistic mids timbre. Not to mention a vast soundstage that borders on the epic. Makes me smile every single time I put them on.
2. HiFiMan HE1000v1 - The best mids in the business. Euphonic, emotional, starkly detailed, goosebump city. Brilliant bass texture and sweet treble as well. I prefer this over the v2 and SE.
3. Stax SR-009S - The lord of resolution, speed and detail has no rival, but too unforgiving for mainstream music to be an effective all-rounder.
4. Stax SR-L700MK2 - My favourite Stax "compromise", with a pleasing, musical tuning and most of the speed, texture and air that e-stats are known for.
5. Audeze LCD-X - Despite their new direction, I love the old Audeze house sound. Warm, liquid, gooey and syrupy. Easy to sink into the music until you realise all dat weight on your head.
6. Focal Utopia - The final word in dynamics. Fun through and through, with speed and air for days. But dang, dat small stage... I'm lining up for the successor though.
7. Sennheiser HD800S - You know it, I know it, it's dat uncanny, jaw-dropping soundstage performance that works wonders for classical. A bit light on note weight and emotion, but I have other cans for that.
8. ZMF Auteur - ZMF equals musicality. For IEM enthusiasts I like to call this the Noble K10 of headphones. Fluid, timbre-accurate, organic and luscious. And also like Noble in general, aesthetically pleasing to no end. Gotta get dem woods!
9. ZMF Eikon - Like Auteur, but with less technical ability and treble extension.
10. HiFiMan Ananda - Like HEKv1, but smoother and less resolute. Some even say it's a better all-rounder. I'd say a majority of casual head-fiers can stop here and be happy for life. No need to scratch that FOMO itch.

HE1K V1 what amp do you use ?
And how hard to drive ?

 

[ranfan]

I haven't heard the Final but the JVC is one of the most singularly beautiful IEM experiences I've had. It's not really an all-rounder for my tastes and library but when it's on point it's unbeatable.

It is. The timbre has that wood-like organic character to it which I like. Not too dry, nor wet. Just sweet.. To my ears though, the upper-mids and treble sounded harsh/peakier on the FW-10000 than the A8000 which was surprising. Nevertheless, those two are among the best single-DD I've tried so far. Especially in the technical department

intime SORA Ti3 are also among my favourite, although it's a hybrid single DD + VST (Vertical Support Tweeter). Here's an exploded internal view I recently found

https://intime-acoustic.jp/?pid=158537988

The housing is titanium. And the tweeter is flat vertical like a planar made proprietary by intime. It's said to be laminated/layered with a ceramic material for extra hardness allowing higher reach, resolution and a lighter airy sound character, unlike if the DD is responsible for the treble which has a heavier treble note in general. The HDSS is some sort of dampener and pressure relief said to help reduce listening fatigue. Titanium coated 10mm DD which hits hard and deep

I know this thread is in the IEM forum but it’s the only “shoot the crap” thread on head fi where I feel like this question can be asked. I currently have a ZMF VC and Atrium that just came in. They are a fantastic combo that cover tons of ground! At the same time, I have an extra headphone stand that is lonely lol. What would folks fill in on this third headphone stand to really complete the stable?!

Or one of the RAD-0 headphone for that planar flavor and extra color! https://rossonaudiodesign.com/

Argh, been on my radar for over a year it seems. Slow to find any way to hear them though short of blind buying. I am getting closer. I have a possible invite to hear the SK (which is a better tuning on paper for me) and I have the A3000 in my possession. I am in the zip code of those models at least.

The SK is going to be darker and warmer than the A8000. Which may suit heavy metal more I think. But the A8000 has more clarity which may benefit cymbals, and it's one of the most resolving IEM I've heard in any configuration

 

[ezekiel77]

HE1K V1 what amp do you use ?
And how hard to drive ?

Driven well by Hugo TT2 alone, or with Auralic Taurus MK2. Amp not a big issue, unlike Susvara.

 

[G777]

It is. The timbre has that wood-like organic character to it which I like. Not too dry, nor wet. Just sweet.. To my ears though, the upper-mids and treble sounded harsh/peakier on the FW-10000 than the A8000 which was surprising. Nevertheless, those two are among the best single-DD I've tried so far. Especially in the technical department

intime SORA Ti3 are also among my favourite, although it's a hybrid single DD + VST (Vertical Support Tweeter). Here's an exploded internal view I recently found of this titanium gem:

https://intime-acoustic.jp/?pid=158537988

The housing is titanium coated, and the treble is flat vertical like a planar made proprietary by intime. It's said to be laminated/layered with a ceramic material for extra hard/toughness allowing higher frequency reach and a lighter airy sound character, unlike if the DD is responsible for the treble which has a heavier treble note and harsher sound character in general. The HDSS is some sort of dampener and pressure relief to balance the sound, and help reduce listening fatigue

That VST is simply a piezoelectric tweeter. They are quite good at producing high frequencies (i.e. >10kHz) and are relatively inexpensive and compact compared to the Sonion EST drivers, which play a similar role.

Piezoelectric drivers were somewhat popular in chi-fi, but are less common nowadays for some reason. I feel they are still quite effective options, especially for low-priced products, to improve treble extension.

 

[SBranson]

I’m curious, to the other Coolereans here that are also into full-size open-back cans regardless of driver type (and price of course), what are your HP rankings? You can share however many HPs as you want that you think is relevant.

My top 10 would be the following:

- Senny HE-1 (Still the king overall, I’ve been visiting my local shop that has it for demo every week until it leaves them lmao)
- Audeze CRBN (With EQ this definitely sits just under the HE-1)
- Abyss AB1266 Phi TC (Crazy to think that when I compared these side by side with the HE-1 that it would be in the midrange that it would beat the HE-1. The vocals are just so detailed and pushed quite intimately. Really reminds me of a great IEM tuning but with the huge benefits of being an open-back)
- Final D8000 Pro (Build and design are just astonishing. I wish the comfort was better but hey, it fits my gigantic head pretty well. Sound wise, I’d say it’s like the AB1266 but tuned somewhat more neutrally)
- Diana Phi (It’s a very fun sound, I might even say it sound somewhat more “correct” than the unique tuning of the AB1266 so I understand why some people would prefer these over the AB1266 but the intimacy of the vocals on the AB1266 while still providing a spacious stage is what set these two siblings apart for me. Way more comfortable than the AB1266 though)
- Meze Elite (These cans with the foam pads are just absolute fun. I love my technicalities but man… that musicality that it has is just something else. If anything else, the design, build, and comfort are second to none!)
- Audeze LCD-5 (Without EQ, these are a mastering masterpiece. It’s pretty much flat across the board with a minor lift in the upper midrange and I love that. The tuning is somewhat similar to the CRBN where there’s definitely some more upper-mid bias and I thoroughly enjoy it. The main advantage of the CRBN to me was overall speed, vocal texture, and COMFORT)
- Focal Utopia (This is by far the best DD Open backs there are. Period. Well… until Focal decides to release a successor. Design, build, and comfort are huge pluses as well.)
- Meze Empyrean (An even more enjoyable Elite minus the added technical abilities of it. I still much prefer the copper/black colours of the Empy as well. I wonder how the Elite would look with a silver/copper colour combo )
- Senny HD800 OG (I still much prefer the OG even with its quirks. Up to this day, the staging is still quite untouchable. And it’s such a legend that it’s still being talked about now so many years after its release. This was also my end goal back when I was just starting in the hobby. Oh how naive was I? Lol)

I’m on headphones now. Abyss Diana Phi and in a couple days the Burson Conductor 3XR.
Got to hear the ZMF Atrium and the Meze Empyrean.

My top ten from memory and maybe not exactly “best” but overall my favourite or maybe the most “wow” I’ve felt.

1. Stax 007 mk1 specifically with the SRM 717 amp. Revelatory rendering of Max Richter’s Vivaldi Recomposed. Never has that sonic soundscape ever been so magical. I first heard the 007 in about 1998-2000 and it utterly confounded me. I had heard headphones and was just getting into decent 2 channel but I could not fathom how headphones could create such an immense sense of space in my head. It was Dr.Who’s tardis in real life. That chance encounter sent me off on this crazy path.

2. Diana Phi… I think.. I’ve had some amazing evenings with these and hope for even better with the Burson.

3. ZMF Atrium - I think this would be an amazing headphone to explore with the proper amp/dac

4. Stax 404LE - I regret selling this. For something like Eva Cassidy, this is fantastic. Smaller stage but oh so sweet and much better than something like the 507 Or any other Lambda I’ve heard.

5. Hifiman Arya…. I never gave this the proper chance for source and amping but it‘s staging and imaging were very good.

6. Beyerdynamic T1.. had it when it came out. I preferred it to the HD800 I had at the same time. May not stack up to todays offerings though

7. Hifiman he560. I know this was often considered bright but with the right cable, the mesh mod and a warm amp these were very good. I owned them 3 times

8. Hifiman Edition X V2. Treble was a bit soft for my liking, kind of foggy but the soundstage was stunning.

9.HD800 - nice with the bottle head crack with speedball. I always find Sennheiser has some weird freq thing that is the “veil” and the HD800 wasn’t immune. But the soundstage was like floating in space if space were made of music. Wild.

10. So many others but I have to pay homage to the the Stax Lambda Signature. Not a great all around headphone as it lacked bass and not great for treble extension but the midrange was buttery smooth and for chamber music it was perfect. It was really my first foray into some of the more esoteric sides of this hobby

7.

 

[Frankie D]

Good point about the LCD5. I didn't recommend it because I didn't like it. But a lot of people do like it. It is super high resolution. I would like to try it again in my home system so that I can EQ them.

It does not have the thickness/note weignt of the 4 which is why many owners of the 4 dislike it. It is certainly more comfortable though.

 

[Frankie D]

He has a Ferrum Orr incoming. It can drive both Susvara and 1266TC. Not sure it can replicate that WA33 sound though.

I am pretty sure it cannot mimic the WA33.

 

[kevin638880]

 

[AnalogandDigital]

For a ...