[MatW]

Well old 'cooler - I have finally decided on my next TOTL IEM now that I have some money in the kitty from selling Traillii! And the winner is......Subtonic Storm!

Ok firstly it's a lot of money, but YOLO and all that! I also have to thank Elise Audio/ @SoundJedi for indulging me with a another listen. Frankly show conditions are just not great to hear any audio well. And my initial reactions were pretty non-committal. I needed some proper time in a non-crazy environment.

The track that clinched it for me was "Paper trails" by Darkside. It was simply another level with control, projection and how voice is handled. Instrument separation and the busy-ness of the track is expert level. Great imaging. This is the best iem I've tried to replicate a 2 channel speaker setup since the Z1R and I exceeds the Sony in this regards as well.

Bass is excellent - grunts really deep and well textured. Just enough mid bass for me. No tinnitus triggering either from the mid bass which is what kills the FIR lineup for me. The next best BA bass IEM I've tried is the Hiditon Violet, and that may go slightly deeper than the Storm, but it loses out in dynamics and texture. The Violet felt super soft.

This IEM also slams and whacks you with dynamics too - it's not a fatiguing listen, but it can be a little intense due to the dynamics. But there is a sense of realism to the whole listen and satisfaction. So I cannot wait! And hopefully those going SoCal CanJam can hear it then as well!

Congrats. What’s the lead time on those?

 

[snapandslide]

Congrats. What’s the lead time on those?

I'm hoping sometime in Sept after the initial batch gets shipped to dealers etc.

 

[AnalogandDigital]

Well old 'cooler - I have finally decided on my next TOTL IEM now that I have some money in the kitty from selling Traillii! And the winner is......Subtonic Storm!

Ok firstly it's a lot of money, but YOLO and all that! I also have to thank Elise Audio/ @SoundJedi for indulging me with a another listen. Frankly show conditions are just not great to hear any audio well. And my initial reactions were pretty non-committal. I needed some proper time in a non-crazy environment.

The track that clinched it for me was "Paper trails" by Darkside. It was simply another level with control, projection and how voice is handled. Instrument separation and the busy-ness of the track is expert level. Great imaging. This is the best iem I've tried to replicate a 2 channel speaker setup since the Z1R and I exceeds the Sony in this regards as well.

Bass is excellent - grunts really deep and well textured. Just enough mid bass for me. No tinnitus triggering either from the mid bass which is what kills the FIR lineup for me. The next best BA bass IEM I've tried is the Hiditon Violet, and that may go slightly deeper than the Storm, but it loses out in dynamics and texture. The Violet felt super soft.

This IEM also slams and whacks you with dynamics too - it's not a fatiguing listen, but it can be a little intense due to the dynamics. But there is a sense of realism to the whole listen and satisfaction. So I cannot wait! And hopefully those going SoCal CanJam can hear it then as well!

Well just picked up my Jewel
And still listening at 02:03 AM
Awesome song
Pics not out of focus but the sticker still is on my screen
And shall I say congrats on the Storm ?
Suppose the deal is closed ...
.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Well just picked up my Jewel
And still listening at 02:03 AM
Awesome song
Pics not out of focus but the sticker still is on my screen
And shall I say congrats on the Storm ?
Suppose the deal is closed ...
.

Great darkside album, i don’t listen it for a long time, maybe tonight with Dark Sky and Gryphon.
I decided for a minimal holidays setup, but DS match incredible well with iFi Gryphon so I’ll keep both, @Scuba Devils we are like brothers
@AnalogandDigital Thanks to remind me this fantastic album

 

[snapandslide]

Well just picked up my Jewel
And still listening at 02:03 AM
Awesome song
Pics not out of focus but the sticker still is on my screen
And shall I say congrats on the Storm ?
Suppose the deal is closed ...
.

Great album, jup the deed is done and I await the Storm!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

During my most recent trip to Japan, I got the opportunity to audition four of FitEar's IEMs. Here's an excerpt of my impressions from my e-earphone article on TheHeadphoneList.com:

FitEar EST

The FitEar EST was the first universal IEM to feature Sonion’s electrostatic drivers. Although they’ve now run rather rampant amongst manufacturers worldwide, I was interested to hear FitEar’s iteration of the new technology – especially given my experience with the Electro and Trinity. While the Electro adopts a more linear, reference profile, and Jomo’s Trinity endorses clarity, air and technical performance, the EST strikes a relatively healthy in-between. It’s a fun-sounding all-rounder very much in line with the Lime Ears Model X, Campfire Audio Andromeda and the 64Audio A18t.

It’s a jack-of-all-trades with balance between body and clarity; warmth and definition. On one hand, it deals every genre with equal musicality. It’s a forgiving monitor that – pardon the cliché – sounds good with everything. Its midrange in particular is highly linear and pristinely clear, even if it could’ve been more saturated. But, I get the feeling it doesn’t flex its electro-muscles very often. Now, that can be a good thing; it’s more effortless than the Trinity, for example. However, to those looking at it as a potentially eye-opening experience, you might be left nodding, “M-kay.” But, those simply eyeing a fun-sounding, clear, do-it-all that’s more a cheaper A18t than the Electro is, the EST is a very suitable candidate.



FitEar Titan

FitEar’s all-metal Titan is a dream for vocal clarity – female vocals especially. There’s an emphasis in the treble, which gives instruments a clear, clean-cut profile. This is particularly great with high-pitched balladeers, as well as woodwinds. Flutes in are filled with tension and force – realistically and confidently reproduced. However, a dip at 3kHz contradicts this somewhat, restraining instruments from unleashing their fullest strength. Belting balladeers may feel compressed at times. So despite high definition, the lead sits nicely – perhaps too nicely – with the rest of the ensemble.

Unfortunately, these characteristics don’t favour heavier instruments. Male vocals, trombones and cellos may lack body and gravitas. The chesty fundamental is less prominent than the transient, which leads to a presentation that’s not thin, but wispy in nature. The Titan’s DD punches with sufficient impact, imparting adequate warmth to bind the stage in a musical way. If the upper-mids were placed further forward, I think the Titan would sport better tonal balance. On the flip side, the stage may have been less clean and vast. Coherence is among the best I’ve heard from a hybrid config, resulting in high left-right separation and stage stability. Again, it’s a wonder for clarity, but with its fair share of quirks.



FitEar Air 2

The Air 2 sports a similar configuration as the Titan: One BA plus one DD in a hybrid config. And in sound, it’s essentially what the packet says: An open-sounding, airy, crisp monitor with emphases on the upper-treble and low-end decay. Instruments are articulate, quick-sounding and superbly clean. But, they assume a neutral tone, because of the dynamic driver’s radiant bass. The stage is similarly bonded by the bass, while the transients display great imaging.

As a result, you get both positional audio and a shared ground. The disadvantage here in coherence. Like the Titan, the Air 2 has a dipped lower-midrange. But, the crossover – spatially especially – is more obvious on the latter. The bass remains rooted to the centre, while the higher registers seem to display a greater sense of width. Shifting to the upper-mids, instruments again suffer from a lack of saturation. It could benefit immeasurably from vibrancy along 3-4kHz. But, if the priority was indeed definition, clarity and imaging precision, then this was most likely an intentional compromise.



FitEar MH335DW-SR

The MH335DW-SR is a revision of sorts of FitEar’s former 5-driver flagship. The SR postscript refers to the stainless steel tubes Suyama-san has installed to act as a waveguide. The MH335DW-SR carries what I’d consider to be the epitome of a Japanese sound: A warm, intimate, bass-driven presentation counteracted by an articulate upper-treble. Instruments on the SR are full-bodied and almost reverb-y as a result of lifts along the mid- and upper-bass. The lower-mids remain neutral though- instruments are still upper-midrange-dominant for a more vibrant, lively response.

The low-end lifts characteristically add warm, rich undertones that almost act as a shadow of the transient. It evokes the ambience of a coffee-club jazz performance, complete with reverbs, echoes and resonances bouncing off the brick walls. Additionally, despite peaks along 7 and 10kHz, an 8kHz dip grants instruments a light featheriness , rather than an ultra-crisp profile. Yet, transients strike with a very natural sense of speed, which completes those full-bodied, deeply-resonant instruments with an appropriate dose of clarity; neither overtly clean, nor compromised in detail. If you literally want to hear your music as if it were radiating from an intimate, smoky cafe, the MH335DW-SR deserves a solid shout.

@Deezel177 i found your post on Fitear IEMs impressions and EST looks so tempting to me

 

[Kiats]

@Deezel177 i found your post on Fitear IEMs impressions and EST looks so tempting to me

Hahah! I have the custom. And they still give me much joy.

 

[AnalogandDigital]

I think all the members here will burn one day in hell
Well you know what I mean and don't get it wrong
This thread is too good for life
A collective of the best sounds out there
Anyway thanks to all the Aroma Jewel owners
You just kept bugging me that much I had to try it ...
Actually no thanks to all members !
Impressive what we do here ...


.

 

[Scubadevils]

Hooked up Martini to Traillii last night and I must say I'm in love with this pairing - aesthetics, ergonomics, and sonics. I hadn't listened to Traillii for a few days so would need to flip back to the stock PWA cable and try determine if any difference in SQ, something I must admit to only ever finding very subtle changes, which I even question as to whether its all in my head... hence some cable exploration taking place, and a definite pause on new IEMs! But I definitely prefer the look and feel of Martini.

Anyway, what I think I perceive is a somewhat brighter tone, with more details evident - also notable is absolutely the still smoother, more emotive tuning vs the detailed, engaging tuning of Jewel - to my ears at least, and again this is why I love owning both. I do find a sense of fatigue kicks in with Jewel after a while, there is a lot for the brain to process, possibly music I'm choosing too as I'm tending to lean towards more complex music to really hear Jewel perform. Traillii on the other hand, I can go for longer sessions, especially having also switched back to my trusty Tanchjim T300.

 

[RTodd]

Taking a break from IEMs this morning sitting on my patio listening to two sets of Bowers & Wilkins AM2 under eve outside speakers. For such a smallish housing the amount of bass is inspiring, and the projection at moderate volume level is impressive. The building makes an L shape around the patio, with the land dropping off down to the creek and gazebo below. One set on each of the far sides of the L. This makes for a perfect audio spot at every location, and surprisingly distant though nice sounding at the Gazebo below 200 feet away.

Listening to Mathew Halsall Solute To The Sun, affraid no sun yet today a light rain instead. My companion Rosie sits with me, reminding me of @Rockwell75 cartoon post from a week ago.

 

[Whazzzup]

Taking a break from IEMs this morning sitting on my patio listening to two sets of Bowers & Wilkins AM2 under eve outside speakers. For such a smallish housing the amount of bass is inspiring, and the projection at moderate volume level is impressive. The building makes an L shape around the patio, with the land dropping off down to the creek and gazebo below. One set on each of the far sides of the L. This makes for a perfect audio spot at every location, and surprisingly distant though nice sounding at the Gazebo below 200 feet away.





Listening to Mathew Halsall Solute To The Sun, affraid no sun yet today a light rain instead. My companion Rosie sits with me, reminding me of @Rockwell75 cartoon post from a week ago.

Nice stoney… beautiful mortar job. I owned an 1845 old Stoney for more than a decade, but it was old school, built by a Scott imported to Canada to build it and got a free place to live in the stone coach house he built as well. Then he built Stoney’s up and down the st Lawrence ….

 

[Scubadevils]

Taking a break from IEMs this morning sitting on my patio listening to two sets of Bowers & Wilkins AM2 under eve outside speakers. For such a smallish housing the amount of bass is inspiring, and the projection at moderate volume level is impressive. The building makes an L shape around the patio, with the land dropping off down to the creek and gazebo below. One set on each of the far sides of the L. This makes for a perfect audio spot at every location, and surprisingly distant though nice sounding at the Gazebo below 200 feet away.





Listening to Mathew Halsall Solute To The Sun, affraid no sun yet today a light rain instead. My companion Rosie sits with me, reminding me of @Rockwell75 cartoon post from a week ago.

Such a beautiful home, and a wonderful album to listen to in the garden, perfect choice... Looks so idyllic!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Hahah! I have the custom. And they still give me much joy.

I’d buy EST UIEM hoping could work fine

 

[Dynamo5561]

Received the UM Mason FS today and wanted to share first impressions.

Out of the box it did not wow me. But I think that's not what these IEMs are about. Later more on that.

Generally it sounds quite neutral, definitely not warm. Many reviews mention them as the king of vocals. And I can definitely sign that. Vocals are superbly clear and very emotional. It's definitely the stand-out feature of these IEMs.

The bass is there when demanded. And can hit quit well. It is nicely textured and clean, but it comes with the typical BA timbre. It does not interfere with the mids at all.
8/10

The mids are highly detailed and well textured. But there are IEMs that have even more texture, e.g. Trailli, Odin or Phönix. As said, vocals are so good, you can hear every nuance, breath etc. It involves you quite emotionally, even it is a neutral oriented set.
9/10

The treble is more on the relaxed side, altought there seem to be some smaller peaks. But it is definitely not sibiliant. It does not have a sugar like or silky treble. It's more analytical but still enjoyable.
7/10

Regarding the technicalities: The soundstage is crazy wide. I believe it is the widest soundstage I have heared in any IEM. I don't have the Traillii here at the moment for comparion, but I think it is wider than the Traillii. It is very detailed, especially vocals and the bass has great texture too. But the treble is a bit lacking (maybe recessed is the better word). Instrument separation is very good. I don't find the general timbre very accurate. It's definitely lacking compared to the Traillii.

The more I hear it, the more I like it. I need to give it definitely more time. I am mainly searching for a complement for my Traillii, and I like the neutral sound of the Mason paired with it's great technicalities. But it is somehow not the best all-rounder, some songs on my playlists sound great and I seem to find things in tracks I haven't experienced before, but also many songs are just ok.

Songs like PANG! - Don't Speak sound incredible on the Mason FS.

 

[Rockwell75]

MMCX is available according to promotional materials. 4980HKD so ~$630.

On Let's Go Audio's website (my only source for HK releases like this) they only have 2-pin listed as an available option.

Yeah, the cable is pretty noisy.
If I end up keeping the TZ700, I'll look into an upgrade. I have very few MMCX cables to test atm, so I am using the stock and not moving around all that much. I don't really notice the cable noise unless I aggravate it on purpose. It isn't a show stopper for me atm.

fwiw, I still prefer Eden for my library. The timbre, note weight, that DD treble texture, and it's close to perfect neutral midrange. Nothing has beat it for the way I like my jazz. Small club, barely mic'd, au natural. Nothing juiced except some mid bass slam.

TZ700 has the sub depth rumble Eden doesn't, fleshing out the entirety of the music, instead of Eden's deeper bass suggestion That's mostly just the weight of the mid bass decaying. Ha! TZ is more extended. Not sure about the treble though. I haven't concentrated on TZ there (I know), but my impression is Eden is more detailed. Or at least, I like it better (Could be I just like her grain though, part of the appeal) The Athena cable cleans up the treble quite nicely and adds some character there.

The Technics reminds me of an EXT type tuning with a bit more reservation and control in the low end and slightly dipped mids (by memory though.) Piano was outstanding for me. Vocals were hit or miss depending on the artist and their range.

TZ700 imaging is better and soundstage is a little bit bigger, more spheric, also more separation, but I don't think the layering is as good as Eden is. Either way, large classical is better on the Technics. I prefered smaller quartet type stuff on Eden. Eden has better texture, detailing, and string clarity. But gets overwhelmed with the big orchestral stuff.

Really, it's a hard comparison for me to make as they are so different with the TZ being more extended and Eden doing all the heavy lifting almost entirely in the midrange. I wouldn't normally play the same stuff on them, They seem to have somewhat opposing personalities. They co-exist quite well.
I think you chose wisely. The TZ700 is a terrific single DD all rounder to start your journey back up with.

Though I must say the TZ700 and me have not bonded permanently. There is just something in the tuning that keeps me from listening for any extended period. I am still experimenting. Probably need to buy an upgraded cable, lol.

If you ever decide to let the Technics go hit me up

Taking a break from IEMs this morning sitting on my patio listening to two sets of Bowers & Wilkins AM2 under eve outside speakers. For such a smallish housing the amount of bass is inspiring, and the projection at moderate volume level is impressive. The building makes an L shape around the patio, with the land dropping off down to the creek and gazebo below. One set on each of the far sides of the L. This makes for a perfect audio spot at every location, and surprisingly distant though nice sounding at the Gazebo below 200 feet away.





Listening to Mathew Halsall Solute To The Sun, affraid no sun yet today a light rain instead. My companion Rosie sits with me, reminding me of @Rockwell75 cartoon post from a week ago.

You've got a beautiful home!