[aaf evo]

Latest demo from MusicTeck, I really need to stop doing this or I’m going to be living under a bridge soon.

Feels neutral with slight warmth to it, lovely sense of added body and realism. Not the most powerful amp but it’s excellent for IEMs. The Yatono IC makes quite a noticeable difference at least compared to my $30 Amazon one. The Tsuranagi + Yatono IC feels very similar in sound to what the ultimate 8 wire offers, except I guess you don’t have to wear it now? Hah. The price for the amp + IC imo is far too high but I can’t deny that it’s a very appealing addition if you’re into amps. I personally am not really an amp user, but this is the most portable amp from the bunch I’ve used (unless you remove the power supply from the Aroma stack). As far as adding this to the Max, I don’t feel any noticeable benefits as far as driving IEMs go, the Max by itself is just fine there. I’d actually argue as an individual amp the Max is superior as it has better dynamics and noise floor, but the tone the Tsuranagi adds to the Max LO is a really good combination.

 

[Sajid Amit]

Latest demo from MusicTeck, I really need to stop doing this or I’m going to be living under a bridge soon.

Feels neutral with slight warmth to it, lovely sense of added body and realism. Not the most powerful amp but it’s excellent for IEMs. The Yatono IC makes quite a noticeable difference at least compared to my $30 Amazon one. The Tsuranagi + Yatono IC feels very similar in sound to what the ultimate 8 wire offers, except I guess you don’t have to wear it now? Hah. The price for the amp + IC imo is far too high but I can’t deny that it’s a very appealing addition if you’re into amps. I personally am not really an amp user, but this is the most portable amp from the bunch I’ve used (unless you remove the power supply from the Aroma stack). As far as adding this to the Max, I don’t feel any noticeable benefits as far as driving IEMs go, the Max by itself is just fine there. I’d actually argue as an individual amp the Max is superior as it has better dynamics and noise floor, but the tone the Tsuranagi adds to the Max LO is a really good combination.

Thanks for the impressions!

I do wonder about adding the Tsuranagi to my WM1ZM2. I am also not much of an amp user but hey, these are all interesting sub-hobbies to explore.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed the Mass Kobo with the WM1ZM2.

I tested this chain for a while and I realized the while the external amp enhances the blackness of background, resolution, and bass impact on the Sony (it is not nearly as powerful as your iBasso 32MAX after all); it detracted marginally from the timbral cohesiveness of the standalone DAP.

Would love to hear opinions on how the Tsuranagi is working out though for WM1ZM2 users.

This photo from the @MusicTeck site is droolworthy, lol.

 

[aaf evo]

Thanks for the impressions!

I do wonder about adding the Tsuranagi to my WM1ZM2. I am also not much of an amp user but hey, these are all interesting sub-hobbies to explore.

Earlier this year, I enjoyed the Mass Kobo with the WM1ZM2.



I tested this chain for a while and I realized the while the external amp enhances the blackness of background, resolution, and bass impact on the Sony (it is not nearly as powerful as your iBasso 32MAX after all); it detracted marginally from the timbral cohesiveness of the standalone DAP.

Would love to hear opinions on how the Tsuranagi is working out though for WM1ZM2 users.

This photo from the @MusicTeck site is droolworthy, lol.

As far as timbre goes this is where I’m drawn to what the Tsuranagi does, it feels so natural and textured. It’s got that fullness to it in the mid range where everything just sounds.. right. Fwiw I rate the M2 mids amongst the best I’ve heard from a source, and for me the 320Max + Tsuranagi combo edges it out. I think @Tokpakorlo has that chain pictured above. For my non edm I prefer 320max + Tsuranagi, for edm I like the Max alone better as relative to it it’s slightly leaner and faster sounding which for me works better. They’re both awesome combinations, even the R6 Pro 2 into Tsuranagi is quite something. It’s just a very good example of diminishing returns here, but in a hobby where people pay thousands for the few extra % I guess it’s nothing surprising.

 

[phiemon]

I'm currently enjoying Annihilator 2023 a lot and Mentor is also a favorite.

They're actually quite similar to my ears through the low mids and most of the midrange until you hit the pinna region where the Mentor is quite a bit more relaxed.

Now how the Mentor graphs in the pinna region seem a bit more relaxed than I hear it, where I believe the BCD actually adds 2-3dB more energy that isn't captured by measurement. I still hear it as neutral/warm, but honestly the mids sound divine on Mentor where I'd say it's very natural but with smoothing. Annihlator upper mids are more forward giving guitars more bite, female vocals sound a bit more clean and vivid, but not shouty like Gaea or Odin for example.

The treble on both sets is also boosted, but so Hi-Res that it's not grating. The Mentors treble sounds hotter due to the relaxed upper mids accentuating the gap, but I do not find it problematic. The Annihilator however does execution of treble better, especially in the upper treble and trailing ends. It's incredible really.

The bass boost is very noticeable below 100Hz on Annihilator making it both more punch and slammy, and quite generously bassy whereas Mentor opts for a neutral/ warm tilt with thick midbass/ low mid weight.

All in all, two of the best tuned iem's I've heard to date, Mentor favoring a natural/ neutral warm tone with a bit of a treble boost to keep the dynamics alive & Annihilator 2023 being natural sounding with tilted bass & treble (U-shape), as if turning on Loudness or High Gain on your amplifier to make the sound more exciting.

Both iem's excel at anything you throw at it due to solid tuning, but Mentor wins in the midrange; Annihilator 2023 wins in engagement and dynamism. Both are amongst the best in terms of raw technical ability. Mentor is the most holograhpic iem I've heard to date (along with Red Halo FE but its tuning is not ideal to me).



Here's how they graph along HBB's Target which I kind of agree with for my preferences. I do listen to a lot of rock & various other genres. A lot of electronic stuff too. I do not listen to KPop, JPop or much country music. I am quite sensitive to forward upper mids, and have a lower tolerance than average in midbass-to-low mids sloping (midrange veil).


I wish they could! The costs on producing these units is indeed very high due to the wood crafting process, and the very fancy Zero Halliburton case also contributes to that (there doesn't seem to be any real-life photos of the packaging out in the wild, but it's next level stuff)... Perhaps we will have a trickle-down, non-anniversary model in the near future

Great impressions, thank you very much for that!

Any chance to compare Anni with Traillii?

 

[barrycro]

I always wonder, when it comes to upgrading do guys get more from upgrading IEM or your sources?
I personally feel upgrading IEM offers a new flavor, whereas DAP now days almost all sound very similar.

I believe the iem definitely provides the biggest variable in any given chain. That said if upgrading or improving the sound of a given system is the goal and you are mostly pleased with the character of your iems source is definitely a way to color the final sound produced.
My recent experience has revealed to me that even small changes can make a good experience great. Namely the ifi iematch which has allowed the very sensitive Campfire monitors I use to be maximized with amplification in a way not possible before. Now I can get to the middle of the amps power and it gives the andromeda dynamics throughout the sound spectrum instead of just the low end bloat I experienced before the impedance provided by the ifi device.
This has also helped me understand how cables in general can possibly change sound characteristics by changing impedance.

 

[Rockwell75]

I always wonder, when it comes to upgrading do guys get more from upgrading IEM or your sources?

In terms of influence on the chain transducers are far and away the most significant variable. Sources are definitely the next most important...not as significant as transducers but definitely not as negligible as audio nihilist types would have you believe. I heard significant differences just going from the Cayin N7 to the. P6 Pro to the LP6...all of which are somewhat similar in their basic sonic DNA. I think in times like this where there isn't much new in terms of IEMs hiting the market people tend to cycle through sources more quickly to keep experiencing variety or one more possible pathway to pure audio nirvana.

In other news I could not resist:



It's only $50 and double DDs for a DD afficianado such as myself I figured why not. The red will look good with my new Juggles cable and give a chance to flex the con-x connectors. If nothing else I can put it on tour for anyone else curious.

 

[kyorakun]

Only $50?! That's my weekly meal allowance, sir rockwell!

In terms of influence on the chain transducers are far and away the most significant variable. Sources are definitely the next most important...not as significant as transducers but definitely not as negligible as audio nihilist types would have you believe. I heard significant differences just going from the Cayin N7 to the. P6 Pro to the LP6...all of which are somewhat similar in their basic sonic DNA. I think in times like this where there isn't much new in terms of IEMs hiting the market people tend to cycle through sources more quickly to keep experiencing variety or one more possible pathway to pure audio nirvana.

In other news I could not resist:



It's only $50 and double DDs for a DD afficianado such as myself I figured why not. The red will look good with my new Juggles cable and give a chance to flex the con-x connectors. If nothing else I can put it on tour for anyone else curious.

 

[Rockwell75]

Only $50?! That's my weekly meal allowance, sir rockwell!

Budget, as with all things in this hobby, is subjective. That said this thread will likely be a torture chamber for you.

 

[552609]

Budget, as with all things in this hobby, is subjective. That said this thread will likely be a torture chamber for you.

Hahaha, yes. $5-10k worth of gear is commonplace here.

 

[kyorakun]

Budget, as with all things in this hobby, is subjective. That said this thread will likely be a torture chamber for you.

I shall listen vicariously through your magic ears, sir! Please let me know how the flagship project red sounds!

 

[Stu Paddasso]

In terms of influence on the chain transducers are far and away the most significant variable. Sources are definitely the next most important...not as significant as transducers but definitely not as negligible as audio nihilist types would have you believe. I heard significant differences just going from the Cayin N7 to the. P6 Pro to the LP6...all of which are somewhat similar in their basic sonic DNA. I think in times like this where there isn't much new in terms of IEMs hiting the market people tend to cycle through sources more quickly to keep experiencing variety or one more possible pathway to pure audio nirvana.

In other news I could not resist:



It's only $50 and double DDs for a DD afficianado such as myself I figured why not. The red will look good with my new Juggles cable and give a chance to flex the con-x connectors. If nothing else I can put it on tour for anyone else curious.

The shipping costs will be almost as high as the cost of iem RED.

 

[Rockwell75]

The shipping costs will be almost as high as the cost of iem RED.

Shipping was free, as you can see in the invoice above. I even tipped them $5.

 

[Stu Paddasso]

Shipping was free, as you can see in the invoice above. I even tipped them $5.

I mean if you put it on tour. Then the shipping costs add up to the cost of Red

 

[Rockwell75]

I mean if you put it on tour. Then the shipping costs add up to the cost of Red

lol yeah I would have to relax the express shipping requirement in this instance.

 

[RBYRER]

Hahaha, yes. $5-10k worth of gear is commonplace here.

Hey Wolfhawk46 , I noticed you have the Cayin 8Nii . Would you mind sharing some quick impressions like do you know if it would pair well with the rn6 and do you like it better then the AK SP3000 ? Maybe a line or 2 . Musicteck is having a sale on the 8Nii right now and I do value your opinions . Thanks if you can reply .