It's VERY cable sensitive. CFA Super Litz (SPC) is my favourite pairing so far. If you have a 2-wire 1960s or 1950s, try those. I suspect they'll be excellent.
The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
- Thread starter Rockwell75
- Start date
armstrj2
1000+ Head-Fier
There are more universals coming. I've been asked not to share details about it just yet but will be able to shortly and I'll update then.
Wow looks super cool man <3In record time, Unique Melody, in collaboration with @metaljem77 and @HiFiHawaii808,
introducing Jade Mentor.
just awaiting Rose Gold ring and Custom Deep of Universe cable in green. Jade Mentor will be available as a custom faceplate option through Musicteck.
(note: this isn't really a product introduction. I presented it as such for fun. It is a true collab which is a testament to UM for their willingness to work with us on this project. I do believe it will be available as a custom faceplate option. If you are interested in it, contact Musicteck)
dmphile
500+ Head-Fier
Now this isIn record time, Unique Melody, in collaboration with @metaljem77 and @HiFiHawaii808,
introducing Jade Mentor.
just awaiting Rose Gold ring and Custom Deep of Universe cable in green. Jade Mentor will be available as a custom faceplate option through Musicteck.
(note: this isn't really a product introduction. I presented it as such for fun. It is a true collab which is a testament to UM for their willingness to work with us on this project. I do believe it will be available as a custom faceplate option. If you are interested in it, contact Musicteck)
https://www.beyerdynamic.de/xelento...f3baf5fb635&utm_source=awin&utm_medium=363911
Beyerdynamic released new IEMs!
Beyerdynamic released new IEMs!
Hello friends,
Today when I met @Ace Bee I auditioned his unit of Effect Audio Ares S. I happen to own the other 2 cables from the series, the Cadmus S and the Eros S. I gave the cable some time and tried it with different IEMs to come to a conclusion. IMO, Ares S is a good entry to the Upgrade cables for Premium IEMs. Here are my ratings between the three cables:-
Bass: Cadmus>ErosS>Ares.
Midrange:Eros>Cadmus>Ares.
Resolution: ErosS>Cadmus=Ares.
Spaciousness & Staging: Eros S>Cadmus=Ares.
Smoothens Treble: Cadmus>Ares>Eros.
Not saying that the Ares is a bad cable, it’s obviously an entry-level cable to the signature series. It brings noticeable improvements over the stock cable of my IE600. Personally used these cables with Softears RSV, IE600, 634Ears Loak-T(CL), CA Solaris, Thieaudio Monarch MK2. Yes the Thieaudio Monarch MK2 is with me now. Earlier I didn't like it much even after trying multiple times. Recently tried it with the Eros S upgrade cable and the bought the set hehe. Here's some eye candy for my friends
Today when I met @Ace Bee I auditioned his unit of Effect Audio Ares S. I happen to own the other 2 cables from the series, the Cadmus S and the Eros S. I gave the cable some time and tried it with different IEMs to come to a conclusion. IMO, Ares S is a good entry to the Upgrade cables for Premium IEMs. Here are my ratings between the three cables:-
Bass: Cadmus>ErosS>Ares.
Midrange:Eros>Cadmus>Ares.
Resolution: ErosS>Cadmus=Ares.
Spaciousness & Staging: Eros S>Cadmus=Ares.
Smoothens Treble: Cadmus>Ares>Eros.
Not saying that the Ares is a bad cable, it’s obviously an entry-level cable to the signature series. It brings noticeable improvements over the stock cable of my IE600. Personally used these cables with Softears RSV, IE600, 634Ears Loak-T(CL), CA Solaris, Thieaudio Monarch MK2. Yes the Thieaudio Monarch MK2 is with me now. Earlier I didn't like it much even after trying multiple times. Recently tried it with the Eros S upgrade cable and the bought the set hehe. Here's some eye candy for my friends
These are always have been on my list to try. Have read that they dont use traditional Beyerdynamic tuning so this has intrigued me. But for a single DD at $1000, I wonder if its not work going with Softears ???
blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
Happy Saturday all.
Fourte Noir - 1960s / N8ii - Md Gain, P+ AB, Tube, Slow Filter
So good.
Hooked on this cat. Ambient Experimental Jazz, that's a good name for it, sure.
Fourte Noir - 1960s / N8ii - Md Gain, P+ AB, Tube, Slow Filter
So good. Hooked on this cat. Ambient Experimental Jazz, that's a good name for it, sure.
In record time, Unique Melody, in collaboration with @metaljem77 and @HiFiHawaii808,
introducing Jade Mentor.
just awaiting Rose Gold ring and Custom Deep of Universe cable in green. Jade Mentor will be available as a custom faceplate option through Musicteck.
(note: this isn't really a product introduction. I presented it as such for fun. It is a true collab which is a testament to UM for their willingness to work with us on this project. I do believe it will be available as a custom faceplate option. If you are interested in it, contact Musicteck)
Absolute georgeous what you guys have “created”, georgeous in a decent way!
Before, UM Mentor sounds promising, now it looks promising as well.
Very much interested
jwilliamhurst
Headphoneus Supremus
Happy Saturday all.
Fourte Noir - 1960s / N8ii - Md Gain, P+ AB, Tube, Slow Filter
Hooked on this cat. Ambient Experimental Jazz, that's a good name for it, sure.
I love this album!!!
So, about today's short meet, I got to hear quite a number of gears and loved al of them to varying extents. Below are my short impressions. Please note all listening was done from Shanling M7, unless mentioned otherwise, and below are the 3 primary tracks I used for testing:
Hiby RS2
Warmish, smooth, with a very slight hint of peakiness in the upper mid region, RS2 guarantees a very very comfortable listen. It’s definitely not a neutral DAP, and has a distinct colouration of sound, but it’s one that was very welcome to my ears. Test iem was 634EARS LOAK-T(CL) paired with Effect Audio Ares S. The bass slam was wonderful, slightly on the fatter side, but very juicy. The organic touch it gives to the midrange, specifically to the male vocals, is something highly enticing. Despite the warmish tonality the treble region does not suffer from sounding off, rather, the brilliance is very much there, albeit slightly reduced, and the peakiness gets smoothened out. The upper treble air gets reduced slightly, but does not become highly detrimental to the overall sound.
The one field it lacks a bit is dynamics, RS2 does not sound very dynamic, which may or may not prove to be detrimental depending on the IEM it’s paired with. Stage depth also seems to have taken a hit, although width and height are quite good.
Sennheiser IE600 + EA Cadmus
This pair is something wonderful. What it does is it slightly attenuates the upper mid sizzle that was the foremost reason of discomfort to my ears. However, the sizzle, however much attenuated, never actually goes away, causing my dissatisfaction to stay the same.
Compared to LOAK-T(CL) paired with Ares S, the IE600 is a bit more holographic and notes seems a bit more real…however, LOAK-T(CL) has a bit more slam in the lower region, midrange sounds more natural, and stage height is a bit more compared to IE600. IE600 midrange sounds more striking but slightly thinner in comparison. Also, the treble of IE600 sounds more pushed forward than LOAK-T(CL).
Softears RSV + XINHS Hybrid cable
RSV did not impress me that much to be honest. Yeah, it is very, VERY organic, specially the midrange - the male vocals sound orgasmic very much…however, the edges of the notes felt a bit too smooth to my ears. Midrange notes are quite big, making the overall soundstage attain a respectable height. Due to the smooth notes, though, the textures lose their prominence, and overall sound becomes a bit dull. Treble has a noticeable roll off in energy, and does not provide enough excitement. Midbass slams are quite, quite nice, very much DD like…however, it’s the subbass where it shows that it is not a DD. It simply does not have that much body to exert that presence.
Compared to MIROAK-S, well, MIROAK-S wins in almost all fields except the organic nature of midrange and the note sizes. Bass is more authoritative, treble is more energetic and detailed, midrange is more textured, overall presentation is more transparent, stage has more depth. RSV stage is rather intimate due to the pushed forward midrange with bigger notes, although it wins over MIROAK-S in height, which is quite impressive on RSV.
Overall, RSV wasn’t for me, and I am pleased that I passed it when it came out despite a lot of very positive reviews. My preference solely lies in DD now, and in DD I will trust.
Tanchjim Hana 2021 vs Penon Vortex:
I had heard Hana 2021 before, but not as critically. Here, I was able to spend some more time for some in-depth understanding of its sound. Overall, Hana 2021 felt a bit on the smoother side, with a slightly pulled back midrange to incite a feeling of spaciousness inside the head. Although, the notes have not been made thin, so they still sound quite natural. However, the textures, due to the smooth notes, seem to be a bit masked. Another aspect I noticed is that the bass is a bit reserved - the midbass slams felt a bit on the softer side, and the subbass rumble did not have that distinct presence.
Vortex, on the other hand, has a very forward midrange, which makes the whole presentation a bit more intimate compared to Hana 2021, which, in initial listening, would make Hana 2021 sound better than Vortex. However, as I kept listening, I started to notice how much more defined the Vortex’s notes are, with more presence and textures, and ultimately that’s what gives me joy. Hana 2021 sounds very safe, but Vortex sounds more engaging. Hana 2021 lets you enjoy the music from a distance, Vortex reels you in the wonderful swirls of the notes and tunes.
Hiby RS2
Warmish, smooth, with a very slight hint of peakiness in the upper mid region, RS2 guarantees a very very comfortable listen. It’s definitely not a neutral DAP, and has a distinct colouration of sound, but it’s one that was very welcome to my ears. Test iem was 634EARS LOAK-T(CL) paired with Effect Audio Ares S. The bass slam was wonderful, slightly on the fatter side, but very juicy. The organic touch it gives to the midrange, specifically to the male vocals, is something highly enticing. Despite the warmish tonality the treble region does not suffer from sounding off, rather, the brilliance is very much there, albeit slightly reduced, and the peakiness gets smoothened out. The upper treble air gets reduced slightly, but does not become highly detrimental to the overall sound.
The one field it lacks a bit is dynamics, RS2 does not sound very dynamic, which may or may not prove to be detrimental depending on the IEM it’s paired with. Stage depth also seems to have taken a hit, although width and height are quite good.
Sennheiser IE600 + EA Cadmus
This pair is something wonderful. What it does is it slightly attenuates the upper mid sizzle that was the foremost reason of discomfort to my ears. However, the sizzle, however much attenuated, never actually goes away, causing my dissatisfaction to stay the same.
Compared to LOAK-T(CL) paired with Ares S, the IE600 is a bit more holographic and notes seems a bit more real…however, LOAK-T(CL) has a bit more slam in the lower region, midrange sounds more natural, and stage height is a bit more compared to IE600. IE600 midrange sounds more striking but slightly thinner in comparison. Also, the treble of IE600 sounds more pushed forward than LOAK-T(CL).
Softears RSV + XINHS Hybrid cable
RSV did not impress me that much to be honest. Yeah, it is very, VERY organic, specially the midrange - the male vocals sound orgasmic very much…however, the edges of the notes felt a bit too smooth to my ears. Midrange notes are quite big, making the overall soundstage attain a respectable height. Due to the smooth notes, though, the textures lose their prominence, and overall sound becomes a bit dull. Treble has a noticeable roll off in energy, and does not provide enough excitement. Midbass slams are quite, quite nice, very much DD like…however, it’s the subbass where it shows that it is not a DD. It simply does not have that much body to exert that presence.
Compared to MIROAK-S, well, MIROAK-S wins in almost all fields except the organic nature of midrange and the note sizes. Bass is more authoritative, treble is more energetic and detailed, midrange is more textured, overall presentation is more transparent, stage has more depth. RSV stage is rather intimate due to the pushed forward midrange with bigger notes, although it wins over MIROAK-S in height, which is quite impressive on RSV.
Overall, RSV wasn’t for me, and I am pleased that I passed it when it came out despite a lot of very positive reviews. My preference solely lies in DD now, and in DD I will trust.
Tanchjim Hana 2021 vs Penon Vortex:
I had heard Hana 2021 before, but not as critically. Here, I was able to spend some more time for some in-depth understanding of its sound. Overall, Hana 2021 felt a bit on the smoother side, with a slightly pulled back midrange to incite a feeling of spaciousness inside the head. Although, the notes have not been made thin, so they still sound quite natural. However, the textures, due to the smooth notes, seem to be a bit masked. Another aspect I noticed is that the bass is a bit reserved - the midbass slams felt a bit on the softer side, and the subbass rumble did not have that distinct presence.
Vortex, on the other hand, has a very forward midrange, which makes the whole presentation a bit more intimate compared to Hana 2021, which, in initial listening, would make Hana 2021 sound better than Vortex. However, as I kept listening, I started to notice how much more defined the Vortex’s notes are, with more presence and textures, and ultimately that’s what gives me joy. Hana 2021 sounds very safe, but Vortex sounds more engaging. Hana 2021 lets you enjoy the music from a distance, Vortex reels you in the wonderful swirls of the notes and tunes.
I don´t know about that.. would be interested to hear them for sure.
Scubadevils
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2011
- Posts
- 7,985
- Likes
- 48,179
Time for some early stage, but well-considered impressions on KR5.
The fit first of all is fantastic for me - incredibly comfortable for extended sessions with no pain, pressure, or fatigue - very much on my mind following my recent unfortunate experience with Kublai Khan.
I've been using the Effect Audio Eros S cable, and most listening via LPGT. I've tried quite a few tips, and landed now on the excellent SpinFit W1 - I already have two packs, and a 3rd ordered!
KR5 has a large, holographic soundstage with fantastic revealing tonality. While detail retrieval is excellent, it's by no means in-your-face or analytical, it has a smooth/refined/organic sounding presentation of music that is both highly engaging, and at the same time, offers a wonderful sense of technical prowess.
Bass is foopin fantastic
I hear a relatively even spread of sub to mid, probably leaning somewhat towards sub - with excellent distinction. Tracks with heavy sub emphasis present very much in the middle of my head, and radiate outwards in a wonderfully visceral way.
Mids are clear, articulate, detailed and with good body. Maybe my ears aren't sufficiently fine-tuned, but I'm not as yet missing out on upper mids - still a lot of testing to do though, and only really scratching the surface of my library.
Treble has excellent extension and a lovely 'zing' when called for. I find well executed treble like this is excellent for timbre realism, and percussion really stands out on KR5 - both timbre and positioning on the stage, absolutely fantastic. I've not yet found anything harsh or sibilant, the uppers definitely hitting a sweet spot for me.
It's difficult in my experience/opinion for a multi-driver to compete with a single DD when it comes to coherency, but KR5 does a mighty fine job - in spite of the large, holographic stage, KR5 sounds wonderfully connected, yet wows me with the seemingly endless layers of intricate micro, and macro detail... but again, in a sort of organic and smooth presentation.
Early days being only on day two, and a lot of listening still to do but I'm thoroughly enjoying. I'm more inclined to listen to the energetic segments of my library so far, albums that benefit from the fantastic bass and crisp/airy/detailed treble - still to properly test my much loved ambient, modern classical etc but I'll get there over the weekend.
Big thumbs up
The fit first of all is fantastic for me - incredibly comfortable for extended sessions with no pain, pressure, or fatigue - very much on my mind following my recent unfortunate experience with Kublai Khan.
I've been using the Effect Audio Eros S cable, and most listening via LPGT. I've tried quite a few tips, and landed now on the excellent SpinFit W1 - I already have two packs, and a 3rd ordered!
KR5 has a large, holographic soundstage with fantastic revealing tonality. While detail retrieval is excellent, it's by no means in-your-face or analytical, it has a smooth/refined/organic sounding presentation of music that is both highly engaging, and at the same time, offers a wonderful sense of technical prowess.
Bass is foopin fantastic
I hear a relatively even spread of sub to mid, probably leaning somewhat towards sub - with excellent distinction. Tracks with heavy sub emphasis present very much in the middle of my head, and radiate outwards in a wonderfully visceral way. Mids are clear, articulate, detailed and with good body. Maybe my ears aren't sufficiently fine-tuned, but I'm not as yet missing out on upper mids - still a lot of testing to do though, and only really scratching the surface of my library.
Treble has excellent extension and a lovely 'zing' when called for. I find well executed treble like this is excellent for timbre realism, and percussion really stands out on KR5 - both timbre and positioning on the stage, absolutely fantastic. I've not yet found anything harsh or sibilant, the uppers definitely hitting a sweet spot for me.
It's difficult in my experience/opinion for a multi-driver to compete with a single DD when it comes to coherency, but KR5 does a mighty fine job - in spite of the large, holographic stage, KR5 sounds wonderfully connected, yet wows me with the seemingly endless layers of intricate micro, and macro detail... but again, in a sort of organic and smooth presentation.
Early days being only on day two, and a lot of listening still to do but I'm thoroughly enjoying. I'm more inclined to listen to the energetic segments of my library so far, albums that benefit from the fantastic bass and crisp/airy/detailed treble - still to properly test my much loved ambient, modern classical etc but I'll get there over the weekend.
Big thumbs up
blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
Eros S looksTime for some early stage, but well-considered impressions on KR5.
The fit first of all is fantastic for me - incredibly comfortable for extended sessions with no pain, pressure, or fatigue - very much on my mind following my recent unfortunate experience with Kublai Khan.
I've been using the Effect Audio Eros S cable, and most listening via LPGT. I've tried quite a few tips, and landed now on the excellent SpinFit W1 - I already have two packs, and a 3rd ordered!
KR5 has a large, holographic soundstage with fantastic revealing tonality. While detail retrieval is excellent, it's by no means in-your-face or analytical, it has a smooth/refined/organic sounding presentation of music that is both highly engaging, and at the same time, offers a wonderful sense of technical prowess.
Bass is foopin fantastic
Mids are clear, articulate, detailed and with good body. Maybe my ears aren't sufficiently fine-tuned, but I'm not as yet missing out on upper mids - still a lot of testing to do though, and only really scratching the surface of my library.
Treble has excellent extension and a lovely 'zing' when called for. I find well executed treble like this is excellent for timbre realism, and percussion really stands out on KR5 - both timbre and positioning on the stage, absolutely fantastic. I've not yet found anything harsh or sibilant, the uppers definitely hitting a sweet spot for me.
It's difficult in my experience/opinion for a multi-driver to compete with a single DD when it comes to coherency, but KR5 does a mighty fine job - in spite of the large, holographic stage, KR5 sounds wonderfully connected, yet wows me with the seemingly endless layers of intricate micro, and macro detail... but again, in a sort of organic and smooth presentation.
Early days being only on day two, and a lot of listening still to do but I'm thoroughly enjoying. I'm more inclined to listen to the energetic segments of my library so far, albums that benefit from the fantastic bass and crisp/airy/detailed treble - still to properly test my much loved ambient, modern classical etc but I'll get there over the weekend.
Big thumbs up
with Kr5. I may have to give that pairing a whirl.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2009
- Posts
- 1,527
- Likes
- 3,275
Is this a color alternative for the multiverse mentor?In record time, Unique Melody, in collaboration with @metaljem77 and @HiFiHawaii808,
introducing Jade Mentor.
just awaiting Rose Gold ring and Custom Deep of Universe cable in green. Jade Mentor will be available as a custom faceplate option through Musicteck.
(note: this isn't really a product introduction. I presented it as such for fun. It is a true collab which is a testament to UM for their willingness to work with us on this project. I do believe it will be available as a custom faceplate option. If you are interested in it, contact Musicteck)
