[Doug2507]

Any idea who is making this hybrid cable for A&K/Beyerdynamic? It's the supplied cable with the AK T9ie IEM.





The supplied cable is 2.5 mm with a 2.5mm to 3.5 mm interconnect



I'm looking for the same cable in 4.4 mm (or at least a cable with the same specs).
Thanks!

Something in the back of my mind tells me its Kimber, been a while since I owned these. The cable was about the only good thing.

 

[Frombauge]

Over the past few weeks, I have been spending some time with the Shanling M7. The journey started a few months back when I sold my A&K SE100 and was on the lookout for a DAP. Ended up buying the HiBy R5 Gen 2 even though that was a very decent player I always felt something was missing and was always on the lookout for a decent upgrade for myself. Then I got to audition the Sennheiser IE600 at the HPZ Connect event and also got to try it with the Shanling M7(via a friend), instantly knew that was everything I was craving for. So had to order one for me. And here I am writing this post after about 4 weeks of usage. I still have to finish a review for the same but I am facing problems back to back with my health(tennis elbow followed by Viral), soon a complete review will also be posted on the thread.

About my previous experiences:-

I have been quite an explorer who started with FiiO M6 about 3 to 4 years back and rode my horses up til the HiBy RS6(OG R6, Shanling M3X, Cayin N3 Pro, and Cayin N6ii, are just a few names to take here). But every time I was not getting satisfied always had some problem or the other. Even tried my friend’s A&K SP2K Cu and that felt something outstanding I can never make a budget so high for my source. So here I am with the M7, tried and tested.

Some Pros:-

>Smooth, Warm tonality: IDK it’s like all my IEMs just synergize well with this beauty. There’s the Fearless audio S8f(multi-BA), there’s the Senn IE600(Single DD), and there’s the BQEYZ Topaz(Single DD and Piezo hybrid), and I have tested more like U12T, Legends Evo, Shuoer S12, Shuoer D13, 7Hz Dioko, etc.

>Clean and precise output: The output is super clean, there’s no noticeable background noise, no noticeable distortion, just sheer output that you can enjoy. Even with sensitive IEMs like the CA Andromeda the output was damn clean. I tested my friend’s CA Andromeda via balanced 4.4mm output and trust me out of all the DAPs I have heard so far the M7 and Andros sounded phenomenal.

>Resolution and Clarity: Shanling M7 delivers crisp resolution. It doesn’t lack anywhere in terms of clarity or detail retrieval. Apart from other things, Stage Depth is also very good in the output.

>Powerhouse: IDK what Shanling has equipped on the M7’s amplification circuit but it's super powerful. I never had to go above mid-gain for any of my tested IEMs. S8f/Andros are loud even at 20/100 on the mid-gain level. I tested the M7 head to head against the A&K Kann Alpha(which is a beast in terms of power delivery) and they were pretty comparable with IEMs.(HPs I couldn’t test as I didn’t have a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter).

>Smooth Android OS: The UI is pretty smooth. Yeah, the Android isn’t bug-free(I had a no-reason restart on its own once so far) but it works perfectly smooth. Not iPhone or Flagship Android phone smooth but yeah better than mid-range smartphones.

>Exceptional Build: M7 feels like a rich and premium device to hold. It just has the perfect finish of a perfect device.

Some Cons:-

>Battery: Well, feels like complaining here about battery life. Man 10 hours is the most one can get from the M7 that too from single-ended only. You put your earphones on the Balanced output and it drops even down, maybe 8 hours or something at best. I could have lived with 10-12 hours of output via balanced.

>Like I mentioned a few Android bugs here and there, specifically that instant restart that happened once so far.

>Volume knob feels finicky. I mean it works fine so far, but it feels like it might go nuts anytime.

>MicroSD card slot cover is meh. Why, I mean why is it even there? One has to push it 4-5 times every time you reenter your memory card.

>It runs HOTTTTTT: Yes if you hear it for a while it might go nuts. Especially when it is put in a closed space like a pocket or bag, it gets so hot you can fry an egg over it.

Well, that’s it. Even with the above-mentioned cons, I still love the M7 purely for its sound performance. I would say for the price, a pretty phenomenal player.

Fully agree with impression. M7 is my first DAP after a plethora of USB/DAC dongles. The M7 is a huge step up - totally noise free, clear, neutral, detailed and dynamic sounding especially on mid gain with IEMs. Yeah battery time could be better, case could be thinner, head dissipation could be lower - but devices like this are intended solely for ”faithful reproduction” of music recordings and here the M7 excels IMO. Especially in my case where streaming from Tidal through UAPP is the MO, this is a really good device and extremely dapper looking on top of all other good traits.

Looking forward to the full review!

 

[Bosk]

Greetings Head-Fi watercooler.

Today I had the great pleasure to attend a mini-meetup in Melbourne with @Damz87, @lycos, @CrocodileDundee and @jaydoc1, all of whom I was delighted to meet. The joy of participation in online communities is truly taken to the next level with in-the-flesh reminders of others out there as nutty we are! How liberating to reveal how much we've pissed awa... uhh "invested wisely" in the hobby without the awkward glances, stunned silences or angry glares. Now I know why heroin addicts shoot up together.

I was extremely fortunate enough to hear a superb selection of IEMs, namely the Traiili, U12T, Fourte Noir, Aroma Jewel, IE900, Elysian X, and later at Addicted to Audio the A8000 and Supermoon. All are distinctively impressive in their own way, though none achieve perfection in every facet in which they can be compared. The critical difference is the magnitude and volume of faults each has, and how important those weaker areas happen to be to your particular listening taste & music collection.

Having only spent a very brief amount of time with each IEM I won't recount detailed impressions except to comment on two in particular - firstly the Supermoon, which significantly impressed (particularly for the asking price) and immediately demonstrated why I expect to hear a lot more about them in the Watercooler in the coming months.

Lastly, the Traiili. This is the best IEM I've heard. It is something special. The hype is real, and more justified than the price. There is a luxurious smoothness this IEM delivers without obscuring any detail that is magical and must be addictive. My IE600s sounded like they rolled out of a KZ factory after listening back-to-back with the Traiilis. The downsides are BA timbre and bass, although both faults are so marginal as to be scaling the heights of nitpickiness. Additionally, there's a correctness of sound which could lean towards politeness. Or perhaps we should blame recording engineers for producing overly polite recordings? Possibly a genre-dependent issue.

My biggest takeway from the afternoon was another timely reminder that the differences between IEMs, DAPs, amps & cables are much smaller than we often tell each other, and even tell ourselves. Which is not to say I'm in any way disillusioned with the hobby or regret my investment, not at all. However I don't think having the latest & greatest is necessarily the be all and end all we can easily fall into the trap of thinking. It is wonderful to own nice things of course, and certainly we can enhance our musical enjoyment significantly with better equipment, but real joy stems from the music itself. It's not what you've got, it's how you use it.


Right now I'm listening to the XRCD version of this remarkable performance, entranced by its' utter sweetness. (3:13 is when the magic starts)

 

[RTodd]

Greetings Head-Fi watercooler.

Today I had the great pleasure to attend a mini-meetup in Melbourne with @Damz87, @lycos, @CrocodileDundee and @jaydoc1, all of whom I was delighted to meet. The joy of participation in online communities is truly taken to the next level with in-the-flesh reminders of others out there as nutty we are! How liberating to reveal how much we've pissed awa... uhh "invested wisely" in the hobby without the awkward glances, stunned silences or angry glares. Now I know why heroin addicts shoot up together.

I was extremely fortunate enough to hear a superb selection of IEMs, namely the Traiili, U12T, Fourte Noir, Aroma Jewel, IE900, Elysian X, and later at Addicted to Audio the A8000 and Supermoon. All are distinctively impressive in their own way, though none achieve perfection in every facet in which they can be compared. The critical difference is the magnitude and volume of faults each has, and how important those weaker areas happen to be to your particular listening taste & music collection.

Having only spent a very brief amount of time with each IEM I won't recount detailed impressions except to comment on two in particular - firstly the Supermoon, which significantly impressed (particularly for the asking price) and immediately demonstrated why I expect to hear a lot more about them in the Watercooler in the coming months.

Lastly, the Traiili. This is the best IEM I've heard. It is something special. The hype is real, and more justified than the price. There is a luxurious smoothness this IEM delivers without obscuring any detail that is magical and must be addictive. My IE600s sounded like they rolled out of a KZ factory after listening back-to-back with the Traiilis. The downsides are BA timbre and bass, although both faults are so marginal as to be scaling the heights of nitpickiness. Additionally, there's a correctness of sound which could lean towards politeness. Or perhaps we should blame recording engineers for producing overly polite recordings? Possibly a genre-dependent issue.

My biggest takeway from the afternoon was another timely reminder that the differences between IEMs, DAPs, amps & cables are much smaller than we often tell each other, and even tell ourselves. Which is not to say I'm in any way disillusioned with the hobby or regret my investment, not at all. However I don't think having the latest & greatest is necessarily the be all and end all we can easily fall into the trap of thinking. It is wonderful to own nice things of course, and certainly we can enhance our musical enjoyment significantly with better equipment, but real joy stems from the music itself. It's not what you've got, it's how you use it.


Right now I'm listening to the XRCD version of this remarkable performance, entranced by its' utter sweetness. (3:13 is when the magic starts)

Well there is a group of people I would enjoy meeting someday, about as far away from me as you can be and still be on Mother Earth.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Agree with you on Traillii, and I would go as far as to say I do not need a better Traillii. That is the peak for me for BA musicality with reference detail. Close the door on that one and push the envelope on some other sonic style perfections.

 

[Damz87]

Greetings Head-Fi watercooler.

Today I had the great pleasure to attend a mini-meetup in Melbourne with @Damz87, @lycos, @CrocodileDundee and @jaydoc1, all of whom I was delighted to meet. The joy of participation in online communities is truly taken to the next level with in-the-flesh reminders of others out there as nutty we are! How liberating to reveal how much we've pissed awa... uhh "invested wisely" in the hobby without the awkward glances, stunned silences or angry glares. Now I know why heroin addicts shoot up together.

I was extremely fortunate enough to hear a superb selection of IEMs, namely the Traiili, U12T, Fourte Noir, Aroma Jewel, IE900, Elysian X, and later at Addicted to Audio the A8000 and Supermoon. All are distinctively impressive in their own way, though none achieve perfection in every facet in which they can be compared. The critical difference is the magnitude and volume of faults each has, and how important those weaker areas happen to be to your particular listening taste & music collection.

Having only spent a very brief amount of time with each IEM I won't recount detailed impressions except to comment on two in particular - firstly the Supermoon, which significantly impressed (particularly for the asking price) and immediately demonstrated why I expect to hear a lot more about them in the Watercooler in the coming months.

Lastly, the Traiili. This is the best IEM I've heard. It is something special. The hype is real, and more justified than the price. There is a luxurious smoothness this IEM delivers without obscuring any detail that is magical and must be addictive. My IE600s sounded like they rolled out of a KZ factory after listening back-to-back with the Traiilis. The downsides are BA timbre and bass, although both faults are so marginal as to be scaling the heights of nitpickiness. Additionally, there's a correctness of sound which could lean towards politeness. Or perhaps we should blame recording engineers for producing overly polite recordings? Possibly a genre-dependent issue.

My biggest takeway from the afternoon was another timely reminder that the differences between IEMs, DAPs, amps & cables are much smaller than we often tell each other, and even tell ourselves. Which is not to say I'm in any way disillusioned with the hobby or regret my investment, not at all. However I don't think having the latest & greatest is necessarily the be all and end all we can easily fall into the trap of thinking. It is wonderful to own nice things of course, and certainly we can enhance our musical enjoyment significantly with better equipment, but real joy stems from the music itself. It's not what you've got, it's how you use it.


Right now I'm listening to the XRCD version of this remarkable performance, entranced by its' utter sweetness. (3:13 is when the magic starts)

T’was a brilliant afternoon and great to catch up with all you guys in person! Time really flew.

For me the standout was hearing Susvara. Man, those mids are absolutely fantastic and the whole presentation is so engaging. Def need to try and hear that headphone again some time.

Enjoyed trying the JH Layla & Lola. Both took me by surprise with how nice their mids are.

The Supermoon demo at A2A sounded brilliant. Can’t wait to receive my own unit next week. Also got to try the A&K/CFA Pathfinder. Reminded me of the Solaris 2020 but with thicker bass and somewhat strange treble. Not bad, but not something I’d be willing to spend on.

UM Mason FS was decent. Nice mids, but didn’t like the bass or treble. Prefer MEST & MEXT. Not worth the price for my music library.

I got to revisit the MMR Thummim too. Let’s just say I have no regrets selling it
I still think it has some good traits, but the tonality just isn’t really my thing.

Oh and the oBravo Ra C Cu. Erm… I think the less I say about that one, the better.

 

[MatW]

For me the standout was hearing Susvara. Man, those mids are absolutely fantastic and the whole presentation is so engaging. Def need to try and hear that headphone again some time.

Fantastic headphone. Glad you liked it.

I got to revisit the MMR Thummim too. Let’s just say I have no regrets selling it.

Hey now… I can see why people don’t like it but it works so well with my library… And I love the unique design, esp when matched with the Iliad.

In other news, Jewel incoming. Traillii vs Jewel battle in the works, as I don’t intend to keep them both. At least, that is the idea now..

 

[Natesdailies]

T’was a brilliant afternoon and great to catch up with all you guys in person! Time really flew.

For me the standout was hearing Susvara. Man, those mids are absolutely fantastic and the whole presentation is so engaging. Def need to try and hear that headphone again some time.

Sounds like a fun meet up. How much of a difference did you hear between the Susvara and a summit tier IEM of your choice?

 

[RTodd]

Hey now… I can see why people don’t like it but it works so well with my library… And I love the unique design, esp when matched with the Iliad.

In other news, Jewel incoming. Traillii vs Jewel battle in the works, as I don’t intend to keep them both. At least, that is the idea now..

Thummim is like you say the most interesting and masculine design so far, by my taste for design. I have narrowed down the music I use him for to only trio acoustic jazz making sure he has ample power.

As for not keeping both “the Bird and the Jewell” (good title for a child’s book) good luck.
They really are quite different listens, so for me neither could replace the other.

 

[silvahr]

A recent post from @silvahr reminded me to revisit this stunning album by Ascendant - beautiful space ambient, closing your eyes while listening, it's easy to imagine a tour through the cosmos. Love the layers and layers of synths, a great example of an album that sounds fantastic on Jewel or Traillii.

Yes it is a great album. It's a great voyage inside my mind with so many thoughts and emotions. I love Campfire Ara and I think they are perfect with this type of music.

BTW, I'm listning to Susumu Yokota Sakura since last night and you nailed it again. Thank you!

 

[jaydoc1]

Fantastic headphone. Glad you liked it.

Hey now… I can see why people don’t like it but it works so well with my library… And I love the unique design, esp when matched with the Iliad.

In other news, Jewel incoming. Traillii vs Jewel battle in the works, as I don’t intend to keep them both. At least, that is the idea now..

Second that - the Thummim for me is for certain music only where its limitations not so obvious.
Standout for me today was the Elysian X paired through the SP2000T - such nice control right through the freq range, with the Trailli close behind (I can see why the love now for this one).
Great day !

 

[GiullianSN]

Greetings Head-Fi watercooler.

Today I had the great pleasure to attend a mini-meetup in Melbourne with @Damz87, @lycos, @CrocodileDundee and @jaydoc1, all of whom I was delighted to meet. The joy of participation in online communities is truly taken to the next level with in-the-flesh reminders of others out there as nutty we are! How liberating to reveal how much we've pissed awa... uhh "invested wisely" in the hobby without the awkward glances, stunned silences or angry glares. Now I know why heroin addicts shoot up together.

I was extremely fortunate enough to hear a superb selection of IEMs, namely the Traiili, U12T, Fourte Noir, Aroma Jewel, IE900, Elysian X, and later at Addicted to Audio the A8000 and Supermoon. All are distinctively impressive in their own way, though none achieve perfection in every facet in which they can be compared. The critical difference is the magnitude and volume of faults each has, and how important those weaker areas happen to be to your particular listening taste & music collection.

Having only spent a very brief amount of time with each IEM I won't recount detailed impressions except to comment on two in particular - firstly the Supermoon, which significantly impressed (particularly for the asking price) and immediately demonstrated why I expect to hear a lot more about them in the Watercooler in the coming months.

Lastly, the Traiili. This is the best IEM I've heard. It is something special. The hype is real, and more justified than the price. There is a luxurious smoothness this IEM delivers without obscuring any detail that is magical and must be addictive. My IE600s sounded like they rolled out of a KZ factory after listening back-to-back with the Traiilis. The downsides are BA timbre and bass, although both faults are so marginal as to be scaling the heights of nitpickiness. Additionally, there's a correctness of sound which could lean towards politeness. Or perhaps we should blame recording engineers for producing overly polite recordings? Possibly a genre-dependent issue.

My biggest takeway from the afternoon was another timely reminder that the differences between IEMs, DAPs, amps & cables are much smaller than we often tell each other, and even tell ourselves. Which is not to say I'm in any way disillusioned with the hobby or regret my investment, not at all. However I don't think having the latest & greatest is necessarily the be all and end all we can easily fall into the trap of thinking. It is wonderful to own nice things of course, and certainly we can enhance our musical enjoyment significantly with better equipment, but real joy stems from the music itself. It's not what you've got, it's how you use it.


Right now I'm listening to the XRCD version of this remarkable performance, entranced by its' utter sweetness. (3:13 is when the magic starts)

T’was a brilliant afternoon and great to catch up with all you guys in person! Time really flew.

For me the standout was hearing Susvara. Man, those mids are absolutely fantastic and the whole presentation is so engaging. Def need to try and hear that headphone again some time.

Enjoyed trying the JH Layla & Lola. Both took me by surprise with how nice their mids are.

The Supermoon demo at A2A sounded brilliant. Can’t wait to receive my own unit next week. Also got to try the A&K/CFA Pathfinder. Reminded me of the Solaris 2020 but with thicker bass and somewhat strange treble. Not bad, but not something I’d be willing to spend on.

UM Mason FS was decent. Nice mids, but didn’t like the bass or treble. Prefer MEST & MEXT. Not worth the price for my music library.

I got to revisit the MMR Thummim too. Let’s just say I have no regrets selling it
I still think it has some good traits, but the tonality just isn’t really my thing.

Oh and the oBravo Ra C Cu. Erm… I think the less I say about that one, the better.

Yeah. I agree on the great meet up. So much fun. Great to squeeze this in my rush time back home. Always good to meet great people.

Could also try a few of the these blokes stuff , but was more interested on the people, really.

Not much to say but my ranking for today would be:

Susvara + TT2 + Benchmark Amp
Elysian X + 1ZM2
Annihilator + 1ZM2
Supermoon + 1ZM2/RS6/GoBar
Fourte Noir (I heard the OV before and was ok)
.
.
.
Jewel (not much different from Traillii with a DD, still not my liking)
Traillii (not a good match for my tastes and library, sorry bird lovers)
Thummin (also a revisit to remember it’s “strange”)
.
.
.

So the pairing I would “happily” invest is Elysian X + 1ZM2

It was quite good to seen an oBravo in the wild, that this is a collectors gear, you buy and put on a shelf. Have some nice stuff, but in general. Just keep on the shelf.

 

[Scubadevils]

Yes it is a great album. It's a great voyage inside my mind with so many thoughts and emotions. I love Campfire Ara and I think they are perfect with this type of music.

BTW, I'm listning to Susumu Yokota Sakura since last night and you nailed it again. Thank you!

Sakura is fantastic - definitely check out 'The Boy and the Tree' and 'Grinning Cat' also.

 

[Amadeo Nospherathu]

The L&P interface is indeed very disappointing. You are right about this.

I think that in 2022 such an interface as in LP should finally disappear. Needless to say, only Hifiman R2R2k can compete with him on equal terms)

 

[lycos]

Yeah. I agree on the great meet up. So much fun. Great to squeeze this in my rush time back home. Always good to meet great people.

Could also try a few of the these blokes stuff , but was more interested on the people, really.

Not much to say but my ranking for today would be:

Susvara + TT2 + Benchmark Amp
Elysian X + 1ZM2
Annihilator + 1ZM2
Supermoon + 1ZM2/RS6/GoBar
Fourte Noir (I heard the OV before and was ok)
.
.
.
Jewel (not much different from Traillii with a DD, still not my liking)
Traillii (not a good match for my tastes and library, sorry bird lovers)
Thummin (also a revisit to remember it’s “strange”)
.
.
.

So the pairing I would “happily” invest is Elysian X + 1ZM2

It was quite good to seen an oBravo in the wild, that this is a collectors gear, you buy and put on a shelf. Have some nice stuff, but in general. Just keep on the shelf.

+1 Thanks for great meet up.

Too many gears to try - too little time!

Here are some of my quick impressions:
-Elysian X : hard to find flaw in this iem. I was very impressed with treble extension and control.

- UM Fusang: it sounds like UM Mest Mk2 that I enjoyed but better in every single way. Really enjoyed the punchy bass.

-Noble Kublai Khan: it does everything good but, weirdly nothing stands-out or feels special. Maybe its a good thing.

-Hiby RS6: how the heck I didnt read about this dap more in forum? Its very2 good - smooth without sacrificing details. Tonality wise, I prefer this over N8ii.

-Oriolus Traillii: I wasnt that impressed with this iem. I prefer Jewel in every way: better DD bass, clearer mid and smoother treble.

 

[GiullianSN]

prefer this over N8ii.

There's a reason I mentioned the 1Z a lot and not the N8II.