Thanks @Xinlisupreme. This has given me a better idea! There are a lot of similarities and I will certainly have to hear one to determine for myself how much of a difference.take a look to M7 Headfonics review, Marcus compare M7 and M9
https://headfonics.com/shanling-m7-review/
I didn't think the Jewel's bass was anemic, so your minimum quantity is quite high! The Storm's bass is quite balanced throughout, definitely not splashy, resolution is good.
The bass on Wooten's U Can't Hold No Groove is tight on the Storm, a little lean for my taste, but details and separation are excellent. Decent transients, hmm even borderline good, I'd say. Comparing with the custom Annihilators (on Venom), the texture and weight of bass is certainly more impressive, also more edgy. It also goes deeper, but that's very likely due to the isolation of customs.
On Scanntec's Snova | Snova, best test for the whole spectrum of bass, the Storm is again showing good technicals in resolution and layering, imaging, and you can make out all the little sonic tidbits here and there, the sub-bass is obvious and not splashy. I must say I can feel a little pressure build up (cuz I am looking out for it since our last chat) but it doesn't bother me at all. Something to watch for when you get your unit. On the Annihilator, I am getting consistent comparative effects except on a larger scale with this track; much fuller bass across the lower freqs, the sub-bass is a lot more impressive, going deeper, with more rumble. Seriously don't get the flak on Annihilator's bass that I hear from others.
To put a better perspective on things, I am listening to these tracks off the 7AE amped by the Origa (never mind the IEM in the pic, that's another prototype I'm playing with), so you will probably not get the same effects just off your N8ii. Oh, my listening level is quite high; with the Annihilator, I got up close to 12 o'clock on this rig, with Storm, up to 2 o'clock. Current definitely needed to drive Storm well.
I can’t say for sure. It’s been a few months since my Trailli audition. From what I can remember, they’re on par as far as stage size and holography goes. Everything else is too different to compare. The Sharona’s much more laidback and nonchalant, while the Trailli has a fairly strong 8kHz peak, if I remember correctly. Instruments are a lot closer and further forward on the latter, and they have a brighter, more vibrant bite as well. The Sharona’s less aggressive there.
Funnily enough I picked up my third XBA-N3 a couple of weeks back. Sold my first unit ages ago but re-bought a used one late last year just to hear it again. Then this sealed unit came up on the classifieds so I sold off the used one.Lots of talk about the latest flavors of the month in this thread, but I wanted to make quick appreciation post about an older IEM. A 5+ year old IEM, to be more precise, that I think is still very much relevant despite not getting much attention these days:
The best way I can describe the XBA-N3's presentation is "sinfully addictive". It is an unabashedly colored IEM that exudes Sony's house sound - if you know, you know. Now, if you don't know, the XBA-N3's bass presentation is exemplary, and it's not hard at all to see where the Sony IER-Z1R took its inspiration from. It's the definition of what comes to mind when I think of "natural" DD bass. It can come across somewhat plodding, but I've heard few IEMs with bass transients as thick and saturated as the XBA-N3's. It shines with drum machines like those on Taeyeon's "Gravity", impactful drum kicks, and any sort of drum that pulls into the 300-400Hz range, really. Consistent with my ownership of a 64A Nio in the past, it's just the right amount of dirty bass for my musical preferences.
There's nothing dirty about the XBA-N3's singular BA tweeter, though. Sony's BA tweeters are just built different (literally, they're proprietary). For context, IEMs have made great strides in the last couple years, and its important to remember that 2017 was a time when many IEMs completely rolled-off of 10kHz. But even within the context of today's IEMs, the XBA-N3 is very much competitive for its treble response. It effortlessly extends from 10-15kHz with more air than even its successor, the IER-Z1R. Little sense of grittiness, little sense of compression from a BA tweeter, and little peaks (minus a tasteful one at 8kHz) to boot, what? Yeah, pretty remarkable.
I haven't really talked about the midrange and the technical performance of the XBA-N3. That's because they're mostly ordinary in a good way. The midrange is smooth and inoffensive; the technicalities aren't great, but they're good - certainly nothing to scoff at for what was a $300 IEM when it was sold. You can't win in every department even if you're Sony, but you can still put most of the competition to shame when most can't even meet the baseline of "good" much less "great" in these departments. In any case, I had a great listening session on the XBA-N3 tonight and just wanted to share my appreciation for this old gem!
Well ... if Sharona is a little more relaxed than Traillii, that's not a disadvantage for me. On the contrary ..... Sometimes I find that Traillii is slightly "analytical". With LP6 she Ti for example she sounds a little warmer than on LPGT. Does Sharona get close to Traillii on details and technicalities?
I don’t find Jewel bass anemic either. But I don’t think I’d want any less as well.
I think for me I’m just picky on sub bass. I find Annihilator to give nice sub bass presence but I almost get the feeling I’m hearing the same note constantly in the sub bass rather than something that’s more detailed.
On this track at 2:02, the Annihilator gives me the feeling in the sub bass that it plays the same note over but just changes the volume in the note without really being able to fully bring out the differences in the sub bass itself. It’s easier to identify on the Jewel or XE6.
On this one at 1:26, the same thing. This bass line has some consecutive mid bass hits with a constant sub bass line going on in the background. That sub bass line on Annihilator to me feels like it’s lacking detail outside of surface level.
I could provide more examples but I don't want to spam this thread with my music
Those are not your type of tracks but maybe they’ll help me explain what I am hearing better.
The way the Jewel and XE6 hit those sub bass notes sounds “better” to me, deeper extension as well as higher ability to articulate the differences within a sub bass passage itself. I am being picky, I don't really think its THAT big of a deal but it's something that I can notice/semi bugs me I guess.
What do you want to know, Fabio?
I wanted to know if anyone had the opportunity to hear them in an adequate and controlled way and any negative or positive impressions, of first impact. Thank you....
Taken from the N8ii thread
I don't know, there's no DB indicator I could refer to.
