[Ryokan]

Literally my most hated signature, thin light notes, bright. lol

Transformed with foamies though. Immersive soundstage and layering, instrument separation stands out, very clear mids/vocals, highs that soar without becoming sibilant, clear detailed bass - doesn't obviously have the impact of a dd. The closest music sounds like its coming from outside I've heard with an iem (though admittedly can't compare with much). Did I mention these are very clear.

 

[ranfan]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17


This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT



Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)



A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.



XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii




This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar



This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8




This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii



Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X


This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus


Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.

This is wonderful! Cheers from a fellow journeyman

 

[SteveK27]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17


This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT



Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)



A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.



XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii




This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar



This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8




This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii



Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X


This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus


Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.

This is such an epic post Nate
Thank you for sharing this!!

 

[GiullianSN]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17


This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT



Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)



A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.



XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii




This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar



This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8




This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii



Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X


This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus


Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.

What a journey for a single year, Nate. it's border lining insane to think that all that understanding of your linkings and discovery happened in just a year. Well done and hopes for many more.

 

[gLer]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17


This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT



Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)



A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.



XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii




This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar



This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8




This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii



Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X


This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus


Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.

Best way to win at the hobby - straight to the top!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

I expect N7 will be some type of R2R, and R6 Pro II will be more like M6U with the new AK4499 flagship delta Sigma DACs.

M6U use 4x AKM4493SEQ
M9 use 2x AKM4499EQ

 

[Rockwell75]

Today marks my 1 year anniversary on Headfi and as an audiophile. It was a memorable year discovering new gear and making friends along the way.

Where it started:

Monarch MK2 / Fiio M11/M17


This IEM was my gateway into Hifi IEMs. After a Google search, I compared ranking lists. I am a value oriented buyer. This stood out in terms of its price point. "$1000 vs others that cost $3300 in the same tier, easy choice...Right? . I found it to be a big step up over the consumer iem I was using at the time. Its conservative, neutral tuning made it a great all rounder but it lacked engagement for me when I compared it to the Odin.

Odin / SP2KT



Odin took things up a level from the Monarch MK2 with technicalities with its ethereal clarity and hifi bass performance. Ultimately, I decided to sell it because I was sensitive to its upper mids (2-3K region).

Traillii (Pictured with Magnus 4 cabls)



A month after Monarch 2 and Odin I found Trailliis thread on Headfi. I remember reading endless pages of nothing but praise for it. My curiosity grew but I had some doubts. This is a $6600 IEM (used motorcycle) we are talking about. How much better does it get? By chancs, a local Headfi member Sbranson was looking to sell his so I took a ferry over to buy it. That ended up being worthwhile. This was the IEM that made be realize what IEMs were capable of. It blew me away with it's super wide staging, rich mids, incredible tonality and speed. Traillii for me is one of the few IEMs that married musicality with technicalities.

Not long after, I attended a local meet up with Jeff, Jim, Daniel and Stuart which introduced me to XE6.



XE6 / Ode To Laura, Aeneid / N8ii




This just sounded different. XE6 is still my EDM king. It's bombastic, highly musical but not lacking highs. I bought it back recently to compare with the new prototype. Excited for it to arrive.

Supermoon / Ifi Go Bar



This was my introduction to single drivers. I bought a custom based off the hype it was getting on black friday. Overall, a highly resolving and fun set for its price. I had a persisting problem with its treble edginess but I found an answer to that recently which I'll post about in a few days.

Serratus / RS8




This earbud does a few things well for me. It has a speaker like staging and gorgeous timbre. Despite being priced a lot lower than my other sets this is my first pick for acoustics when I am home.

Ragnar / N8ii



Ragnar is possibly the most resolving set I've heard next to Mentor. It has this uncanny ability to extract the tiniest nuance from a track. But because it was treble emphasized, it was fatiguing for bright music. Since it became a specialist for classical, I sold it to fund other iems.

Elysian X


This is a set I recently let go of and the only one I still miss. X has class leading stage and treble.

Mentor / SP3K / PW Orpheus


Where I am now. Mentor ticks all the right boxes. It replaced Trailliis role as my daily all rounder. This is also the closest I've been able to walk away from this hobby.

A big thanks to people on this thread for pushing me in the right direction.

Epic post. That meetup at Jim's was almost a year ago...time flies!

 

[Rockwell75]

Dear Head-Fi'ers,

for the very first time we will attend a US Canjam - we are looking very much forward to it!
Our co-founder Marcel and our main sound engineer Oliver Marino will be there at our booth.
Feel free to drop by our booth and say hello They would love to meet you guys in person.

To let you know a little bit about our plans for the show...

Vision Ears is celebrating the 10th anniversary this year and we are very proud of what we achieved this far. As a special THANKS we are planning to launch an anniversary model. We designed an anniversary logo „ X „ (attached).



Visitors can ONLY listen to our 2 prototypes on the CanJam NYC for the first time, then we are going to present those two in Singapore again.
That’s it, only those 2 shows.

For all visitors who listen to them and would like to give us their feedback by writing a super short review on a card, will get the opportunity to win a brand new EVE20 by the end of each day.
Btw, a VE pen is a gift for each „super short reviewer“

FYI: both prototypes will be covered with a foil - it’s not the final design, of course

Here are the conditions for participation

• drop by the VE booth
• ask for the prototypes and review card
• give us your name on a separate card
• come back to our booth 30 min before the show ends
• we will shout out the winners name 2 times, if the winner isn’t available, we go for another one
• the price „EVE20“ will be given away directly at our booth, no waiting time

Please help us to spread the word! Again: we are doing this exclusive prototype test only in NYC and Singapore!

Let me know if you have any questions.
All the best from Cologne, Germany

Jonas

Jonas from VE just made the above post in the CanJam thread...exciting. Their first ever US show. I didn't think anything could have topped SoCal but this show is going to be spectacular.

 

[gLer]

M6U use 4x AKM4493SEQ
M9 use 2x AKM4499EQ

Ah...so it'll have the same DACs as M9...

 

[Xinlisupreme]

And new M9 plus would have AKM4499EX as SP3000

 

[gLer]

And new M9 plus would have AKM4499EX as SP3000

Ah, sorry, I meant R6 Pro will have AKM4499EX...

 

[Tex Irie]

Placed an order for my Aur Neon Pro, a little tired of any mainstream names and brands, after last Canjam UM was a totl disappointment.
Was looking at these sick Anima from Lime ears, but still want to have something more BA based and with nice shells. Didn’t quite enjoy any of Aroma audio offerings, and Trailli is a little bit outdated. Taking the price to account I am afraid this is going to be next big thing this year for me. Pairing with PW 1980s or Eros S (which proved to be great bang for the buck) should be sufficient,I’ve read tha DX320 (X) is a good match.
These look sick!
Photo taken from AüR Facebook account (user compared these to Anole Vx)

What disappointed you about UM?

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Ah, sorry, I meant R6 Pro will have AKM4499EX...

i'll wait your comparison with RS6 and R6 gen.3
The cheaper looks damned good for its price and more than enough for commuting or office use

 

[Auricon]

M6U use 4x AKM4493SEQ
M9 use 2x AKM4499EQ

The newer AKM4499SEQ are 2-channel, requiring 4 for 8 channels. The AKM4499EQ (EOL) in M9 are 4 channel each or 8 channel in Turbo.

For the flagship DACs, AKM went from a single chip 4499EQ to the new two chip AKM4499EX analog DAC + AK4191 Digital Filter and ΔΣ Modulator allowing for independent digital and analog circuitry.

I think the Cayin N7 is using [correction left over stocpile of AKM4497EQ (EOL)] ladder based. I was recalling someone mentioning 4497 in the thread but it was in regards to something diff.

 

[BobJS]

Interesting, I just did that in my Android phone, and there is no such choice to create App.

It is the option labeled "Desktop Site"