[CL14715]

In the interests of forum transparency would you mind at all if I asked what sort of relationship you have with Empire Ears?

I realise most of us have audio brands that are dear to our hearts, but you seem particularly keen on EE products leading me to wonder if perhaps you're involved with the company in some sort of unofficial capacity.

Apologies if I've offended, just curious to know how it is you've been given behind-the-scenes access to their upcoming IEM.

Hey no problem at all. Thanks for asking rather than assuming. Transparency is very important to me. So, Jack and I have developed a good relationship and he values my honest feedback about their endeavors. So I’m afforded the opportunity to demo and give feedback. I also keep my mouth shut about it so that helps lol. Trust is key.

Prior to that I was always drawn to the EE house sound so it somewhat just built from there.

 

[Bosk]

Hey no problem at all. Thanks for asking rather than assuming. Transparency is very important to me. So, Jack and I have developed a good relationship and he values my honest feedback about their endeavors. So I’m afforded the opportunity to demo and give feedback. I also keep my mouth shut about it so that helps lol. Trust is key.

Prior to that I was always drawn to the EE house sound so it somewhat just built from there.

Thank you for taking the time to answer, your honesty is appreciated.

Many of us value the Watercooler's collective integrity quite highly & wouldn't want to see it compromised by undeclared commercial relationships clouding impressions.

 

[aaf evo]

Hey no problem at all. Thanks for asking rather than assuming. Transparency is very important to me. So, Jack and I have developed a good relationship and he values my honest feedback about their endeavors. So I’m afforded the opportunity to demo and give feedback. I also keep my mouth shut about it so that helps lol. Trust is key.

Prior to that I was always drawn to the EE house sound so it somewhat just built from there.

Damn.. we must have different understandings of keeping “mouths shut”

I know you mean well, but around any empire ears IEM you create hype and claim it’s the next best thing. I hope whatever EE releases is as good as you’ve already painted it to be over the last few weeks, it’s not an easy task to outdo the Traillii.

 

[Sajid Amit]

I bought mine aftermarket. Immediately with the connectors I need. They are installed in Romi Audio.

What is that leather carrying case?

 

[stacey]

Damn.. we must have different understandings of keeping “mouths shut”

I know you mean well, but around any empire ears IEM you create hype and claim it’s the next best thing. I hope whatever EE releases is as good as you’ve already painted it to be over the last few weeks, it’s not an easy task to outdo the Traillii.

Someone is going to outdo the Traillii at some point, and for a cheaper price. For all I know Oriolus could be experimenting with BCDs.

 

[metaljem77]

Someone is going to outdo the Traillii at some point, and for a cheaper price. For all I know Oriolus could be experimenting with BCDs.

If there is an IEM which has more bass and the coherency of the Bird, with an added BCD, that will be the number 1 on my list to hear

 

[wolfstar76]

For those interested
Here's another budget planar pair with 6 more days to be released
Their first planar - TangZu Audio: Zetian Wu
.

Just watched HBB's video and he claimed that this is the best planar IEMs from ChiFi. I don't have any planar IEMs but given all of recent my headphones are planar, not sure I want to give it a try with IEMs.

 

[Ojisan]

So guys, which one would be your favorite among the following 3 - why and in which configuration?:
1. Fir Audio Xe6
2. Fir Audio Kr5
3. Noble Audio Kublai Khan

I was able to audition Fir IEMs with default filters installed and found out that for my preferences there was way too much bass which completely bloated the sound picture.
Kr5 was relaxing in a way that it was a bit dark but coherent. Xe6 had the sparkle which reminded me of Traillii and also more details.
KK was the best allrounder and provided the most interesting textured bass due to it huge BC driver probably but highs were piercing at times with it’s piezo driver.

Which one of those three would compliment Traillii best in your opinion?

I've owned 1 & 2, auditioned 3. My top pick would be KK. Kr5 doesn't extend like 1 & 3 and feels flat. Xe6 wows you but I value acoustic instrument timbre and Xe6 doesn't do it. KK had timbre, balance+extension, and dynamics. Should have one sooner or later

 

[Ojisan]

I have been using the new Noble Kublai Khan, which I will call KK hereafter, for a period of time. Overall I enjoy it very much, so coming to here and share some quick impressions.

Fit and size.

The KK is on the larger side for an iem, certainly larger than Traillii or MEST MKii. With this being said, it actually fits me very well. The shell is well made and can comfortably sit on my ears, and I have no problem to get a proper and firm insertion using either the stock tips or CP155.

Sound analysis

The good:

• I think this is a very well tuned iem. Very balanced overall, quite coherent, and extended on both ends. My only previous experience with Noble was the Sultan. While I enjoy its midrange texture, I found the lack of extension on the top end to sound “boring”. The KK has none of such issue, making it a great everyday iem. I have been using it for more than 2 months and I still enjoy picking it up now.
• The soundstage and separation is quite impressive: lots of nuanced details. It is on part with or slightly better than many other iems in thr 2K usd range. I think the midrange texture is similar to what Sultan used to deliver, and the extra details could come from the added BCD driver, which I will talk about below.
• KK’s BCD driver covers the bottom end of the sound, and this is how I hear it too, mainly in the bass region. This is very different from the BCD experience I get from UM’s Indigo or FS, both of which are full range BCD. I think KK’s bass-focused BCD tends to make the overall listening experience more fun, and will suit genres like heavy metal and rock quite well.

Areas of improvement:

• The sound to me is somewhat diffused with the stock tips or the Fidelity U tip. I ultimately use the CP155 to make the sound much more “focused”, especially for the vocal. I thank @Damz87 for his recommendation on this.
• The sound can be a bit “rough” from time to time. I do not always get this feeling. However, I can also say that the sound, while being very coherent overall, is not the smoothest I have had. I am probably spoiled by all the other flagships (FS, Traillii, Jewel, Ace…) out there. I don’t think this is an issue that bothers me, otherwise I would not be still using it a lot now, but I think this is something to bring up.

Where does KK differ from Jewel to your ears?

 

[Natesdailies]

I'm maybe an oddball with Orph, as much as I value it, I'm quite eager to hear FT. I'm not a treble head by any means but it's my only criticism of Orph, I'd like a little more up top.

You should audition the Ode to Laura. It "fixed" a few things for me on the XE6. I typically I used the XE6 for energetic genres like EDM and metal.

Going from stock to OTL:

- It added treble energy up top, sometimes to the point where I had to switch the settings on the N8ii from Tubes to SS, P+ to P.
- Brought the mids forward
-Tightened up the bass
- Added weight to notes. Its more filled in like the Traillii.
- Increased dynamics. Kickdrums felt more punchy and circular
- More texture 'grip'. It dried out the sound so synch rips revealed more information.

It still doesn't match Traillii's cohesion and effortless presentation but it made some genres mainly vocal ballads more competitive.

 

[drftr]

Spent my morning in the kraton, the palace of the sultan of Yogyakarta on Java island, Indonesia. I now understand where @Deezel177 got his inspiration from as the 4th most populated country on this rock is all about drumming.

I made it just in time for yet another a wonderful gamelan performance. For the uninitiated: Think a podium of about 20x5 meters with dozens of "pots and pans" and the 30-35 percussionists often performing as one gigantic instrument. The instruments mostly consist of metal parts but perhaps 10-15% is wood or leather. The performance includes singing and dancing as well but although that's what everyone else is coming for, for me it's the moment to sneek out through the back door. The stories are based on the Hindu Ramayana and Mahabharata and always start out very slow and repetitive, almost meditative. But somehow after 15-20 minutes you realize they play like 2-3 times faster than in the beginning and you can't recall how they got there. Surely Western minimalistic music lovers would feel right at home.

I wonder if there's a link with the ancient bronze drums that can be found in for instance China and Vietnam, but as the last pic shows they were using drums 1-2 millennia ago all the same.

drftr

 

[maegnificant]

If there is an IEM which has more bass and the coherency of the Bird, with an added BCD, that will be the number 1 on my list to hear

Try the Unique Melody Mason Red Halo/LeJardin. Super affordable, too!

 

[Natesdailies]

Try the Unique Melody Mason Red Halo/LeJardin. Super affordable, too!

I think she already has a Mason Red Halo. You should give it a try now

 

[maegnificant]

I think she already has a Mason Red Halo. You should give it a try now

Hahaha, damn if she lends it to me, I would be delighted to try them out.

@metaljem77 what do you think of them?

 

[FooFighter]

Hi chaps
Have got VE EXT and M9 (as it was praised for its synergy) but wondering why my current RS6 is so much more tighter in bass with less bleading into mids plus upfront vocals while these are often drowning in the mix with M9 (which isn't surprising as EXT signature is U shaped)
I personally assume it's a synergy topic.

Now question is if
- I should better swap M9 against C9 to improve the setup I yet like most.
- burn in M9 more and look for improvements

In general I am wondering how/if a mid tier DAP such as RS6 will reach the same level of TOTL DAPs with C9.

Thx for any feedback