[jwilliamhurst]

Sadly they don’t scale much with the MK 475 but I’m currently listening to a Symphonium Helio SE with it which does scale and sounds pretty damn good!

That is one pretty stack!

And I’ve been curios about the Helios se. Love that teal faceplate.

 

[Damz87]

That is one pretty stack!

And I’ve been curios about the Helios se. Love that teal faceplate.

Thank you sir! Yeah, I'm also a fan of the teal faceplate and in terms of sound, definitely enjoying HSE's warmer mids and heavier bass compared to Helios OG worth checking out for sure

 

[jwilliamhurst]

Thank you sir! Yeah, I'm also a fan of the teal faceplate and in terms of sound, definitely enjoying HSE's warmer mids and heavier bass compared to Helios OG worth checking out for sure

How would you say it compares to Diva out of curiosity?

 

[Damz87]

How would you say it compares to Diva out of curiosity?

I listen to Diva with the max bass setting so using that as a frame of reference, I'd say Diva is overall more sub bass focused, with a bigger emphasis on upper mids compared to Helios SE's tamer sub bass, fuller mid bass and relatively balanced lower and upper mids. Helios SE still has a bias towards upper mids to my ears, but not as much as Diva. The treble on Helios SE also sounds a little less elevated in the low and mid treble compared to Diva, with a touch more upper treble airiness.

Technical performance between the two sounds pretty close IMHO, but to my ears Helios SE has the larger soundstage, particularly stage width. Diva sounds deeper, more in your face and a touch more resolving, perhaps due to the tuning and forward presentation more than anything else. Both have great dynamics and excellent BA bass texture. I feel Helios SE's timbre sounds a little more realistic compared to Diva which sounds somewhat "sweeter", smoother and more ethereal, but lacking a bit of note weight and body by comparison.

 

[jwilliamhurst]

I listen to Diva with the max bass setting so using that as a frame of reference, I'd say Diva is overall more sub bass focused, with a bigger emphasis on upper mids compared to Helios SE's tamer sub bass, fuller mid bass and relatively balanced lower and upper mids. Helios SE still has a bias towards upper mids to my ears, but not as much as Diva. The treble on Helios SE also sounds a little less elevated in the low and mid treble compared to Diva, with a touch more upper treble airiness.

Technical performance between the two sounds pretty close IMHO, but to my ears Helios SE has the larger soundstage, particularly stage width. Diva sounds deeper, more in your face and a touch more resolving, perhaps due to the tuning and forward presentation more than anything else. Both have great dynamics and excellent BA bass texture. I feel Helios SE's timbre sounds a little more realistic compared to DIva which sounds somewhat "sweeter", smoother and more ethereal, but lacking a bit of note weight and body by comparison.

Wow! Great impressions! Thanks @Damz87 they seem complimentary. Now I really want to hear the Helios se!!!

 

[Ojisan]

Link to part 1: " Yodobashi and e-earphone"
Link to part 2: "Van Nuys and Fujiya-Avic"
Link to part 3: "Potafes"

Now for the final part. I had a very nice show experience here so I wanted to share my thoughts and pics.

I wasn’t planning on attending this show but my schedule changed last minute and it allowed me to check out the show for just 2 hours. Fortunately, the venue is right next to Tokyo station so I only needed 10min to run to the bullet train station to catch my ride for my next appointment. Whew!

Here is the beautiful red brick Tokyo station built 1914. The headphone show was held in the small building peaking head behind the station.

Fujiya-Avic Headphone Festival Summer mini 2023
It's a lengthy name so I will abbreviate it to FAHF for brevity. Not an official acronym…

Compared to the Potafes which was a huge commercial event and free (no registration) entry, FAHF was free but registration required, 11 rooms + hallway, intimate gathering. Look at the exhibitors below. Many exhibitors only choose to come here (Mass-Kobo, Van Nuys, Utsusemi Works, Oji, etc) while some are exhibited at both.


I thought the vendors were a lot more friendly, open, and easier to talk to here. Maybe FAHF is known to draw different crowds… I’m not sure. The audience for FAHF seemed like there were more seasoned portable audio experts. There were more people with amp+dap stacks and big cases of IEMs and cameras. I personally thought that I had more productive time at FAHF despite the short stay.

Mr. Meze was at the show. Soundleverage in the foreground.

Hifiman/STAX/Oji Special room

New brand Layfic Tone. Audeze style builds with light neutral sound.

One of my long stops was 634 ears. They had a whole collection of improved MIROAK-II model prototypes with different tunings. Amazing to hear contrasting characters from various structural changes.

The three below were my favorites. I now see why some cooler friends are into this. There is a unique charm to how these little ones sound! I would generally characterize them as natural and musical, similar to JVC woodies. Not a bass head nor a high-res type.

Left: The semi-open design was my favorite. The titanium body, wood ring, and semi-open design had the right balance of bass-mids-treble balance with an expansive stage. I didn’t notice any significant issues with isolation.

Middle: This one is a titanium body with a cocobolo back. Cocobolo has a nice mix of upper harmonics without getting sibilant. It’s not as warm as mahogany/cedar. I thought it added nice transients and richness to acoustic instruments.

Right: This is the brass-back version. This one had a stronger treble but it had pinpoint precision to the sound which worked well with pop/EDM. Kind of reminded me of older Final Audio brass IEMs but tilting warmer and musical.

If I were collecting IEMs, I would definitely look to add these. I believe at just over US$300, these give safer, more refined, and more fun tuning for the price. Pretty cool!

This is the iBasso nutube amp PB5. This was a ticketed audition and the earliest I can get in was past my departure time so I had to give up the audition this time…

Now for Final Audio. I finally got to hear the D8000 Pro. To me, this was distinctly Final Audio tuning. Solid and punchy bass (seems leaner than my Utopia), clear and crisp mids, slightly bright but bodied spacious treble. Now that I think about it, I think there might be some similarity to Elysian's treble. They both have good body treble with a hint of sparkle to it.

The photos below are the “mock up” X8000 for display. Apparently, it doesn’t work (or don’t want us to hear it) so it wasn’t available for audition. X8000 has an interesting futuristic look. The driver and housing looks very fragile. It must be some kind of floating speaker over your ears type of concept. I hope they come out with a working demo soon! Design-wise, it’s too blingy for me though haha

Fitear was showing their new release TG224s. I guess the lower-cost version of the famous 334s. This one had nice natural mids with an airy top end. Bass was lacking. Not much extension at the bottom end. The vocals sounded nice popping out of the mix. I thought it got a little congested with busy tracks. Probably good with lighter rock/pop music (just as they recommend).

In the middle table to the right is the master Masuda-san of Mass Kobo. He had several amps with him on display but the table was too busy for me to audition. I did chat with him about the status of his 475 builds that eventually ended up in my hand as well as @Natesdailies. The good news is that he has signed up to come to Canjam SoCal!! I hope you talk amps with him and try! He is a former mixing console operator, DIY repair/modder, then ended up building broadcast amps/mics and most recently headphone amps. I definitely recommend talking to him as he has lots of interesting stories!

Saving the best for the last! Cyras booth! Cyras is the L&P, Hyla, PW, and Oriolus dealer in Japan. They carry all my favorites, so I had high hopes for them and they didn’t disappoint!

First up is the L&P E7 prototype. L&P wanted to release it Spring of 2023, but now it’s looking like a late 2023 to 2024 release. They have a new operating system in this model which they are planning to reuse for the highly anticipated LP7. According to Cyras though, L&P’s plan is to release E7, then wait for the software to mature with users feedback, then work on LP7 release. This means LP7 won’t come out until at least a few months after E7. LP7 remains an elusive DAP…

The E7 hardware looks and feels like Cayin to me and the build reminded me of N6ii (anodized aluminum?) but less chunky and lighter. The shape and size are roughly two iPhone X stacked, or a little bit thicker than iPhone 14. The size felt very comfortable to hold. The software interface had the familiar LP6-esque look. But the way the screen glides and respond were much smoother than my LP6. I would say closer to N6ii quality screen (note E7 is still proprietary Linux and not Android). They let me pop in my SD card for my music – worked fine. Great! They were watching to see if it crashes…

The sound of E7. It’s a baby LP6! This version has AK4497. It’s not as bodied and analog as my LP6Ti7AE. It’s a more neutral leaning, lighter, and airy sound. For its size, it had a good bass extension, resolution, imaging capability, and a grand presentation. I think it cuts down on dynamics from LP6, making for a smoother listen. Probably due to a smaller battery and an amp. There is a hint of analog emotional flavor to the mids, good detail retrieval… I’m inclined to say it's a bit like iBasso DX240 with added emotional mids. It just doesn’t quite sound like other brands though. I hope they get this to other Canjams so you can hear it too!

Last but not least, the big surprise was this guy. Oriolus 4DD. Yes Four dynamic drivers with a custom PW Audio cable. They said the color and design are not final yet. Upper mid-tier IEM. Fall release?

This to me sounded like Traillii balance (not resolution) with DD punch. It doesn’t extend super low or super high, but I thought it had a very nice musical touch, a cohesive sound like that coming out of a big cabinet JBLs. It was resolving enough with busy music, excellent timbre, and no weird treble (I didn’t like Isa upper mids – treble). Warmer and bodied than my Oriolus Mk2 (bass-mids have more physicality with 4DD). I also changed the cable to my PW Orpheus and oh my… it really scales well with cables. I really wanted to listen to this for a long time. Hopefully, the final product will retain the magic because I really wanted to take this home…

So this wraps up my journey this summer. I hope y’all didn’t mind me sharing. If you read this far, thanks! I got the bug for these shows now. I hope to see you sometime somewhere!

 

[Rockwell75]

Last but not least, the big surprise was this guy. Oriolus 4DD. Yes Four dynamic drivers with a custom PW Audio cable. They said the color and design are not final yet. Upper mid-tier IEM. Fall release?



This to me sounded like Traillii balance (not resolution) with DD punch. It doesn’t extend super low or super high, but I thought it had a very nice musical touch, a cohesive sound like that coming out of a big cabinet JBLs. It was resolving enough with busy music, excellent timbre, and no weird treble (I didn’t like Isa upper mids – treble). Warmer and bodied than my Oriolus Mk2 (bass-mids have more physicality with 4DD). I also changed the cable to my PW Orpheus and oh my… it really scales well with cables. I really wanted to listen to this for a long time. Hopefully, the final product will retain the magic because I really wanted to take this home…

What an epic finale to an epic series of posts. Oriolus 4DD??? I did not see that one coming and can hardly contain my excitement to hear it. "Upper mid tier" sounds like it won't pull a Traillii on my wallet either . Thank-you so much for this picturesque and informative journey you've taken us on

 

[Tex Irie]

Link to part 1: " Yodobashi and e-earphone"
Link to part 2: "Van Nuys and Fujiya-Avic"
Link to part 3: "Potafes"

Now for the final part. I had a very nice show experience here so I wanted to share my thoughts and pics.

I wasn’t planning on attending this show but my schedule changed last minute and it allowed me to check out the show for just 2 hours. Fortunately, the venue is right next to Tokyo station so I only needed 10min to run to the bullet train station to catch my ride for my next appointment. Whew!

Here is the beautiful red brick Tokyo station built 1914. The headphone show was held in the small building peaking head behind the station.


Fujiya-Avic Headphone Festival Summer mini 2023
It's a lengthy name so I will abbreviate it to FAHF for brevity. Not an official acronym…

Compared to the Potafes which was a huge commercial event and free (no registration) entry, FAHF was free but registration required, 11 rooms + hallway, intimate gathering. Look at the exhibitors below. Many exhibitors only choose to come here (Mass-Kobo, Van Nuys, Utsusemi Works, Oji, etc) while some are exhibited at both.


I thought the vendors were a lot more friendly, open, and easier to talk to here. Maybe FAHF is known to draw different crowds… I’m not sure. The audience for FAHF seemed like there were more seasoned portable audio experts. There were more people with amp+dap stacks and big cases of IEMs and cameras. I personally thought that I had more productive time at FAHF despite the short stay.


Mr. Meze was at the show. Soundleverage in the foreground.


Hifiman/STAX/Oji Special room


New brand Layfic Tone. Audeze style builds with light neutral sound.


One of my long stops was 634 ears. They had a whole collection of improved MIROAK-II model prototypes with different tunings. Amazing to hear contrasting characters from various structural changes.


The three below were my favorites. I now see why some cooler friends are into this. There is a unique charm to how these little ones sound! I would generally characterize them as natural and musical, similar to JVC woodies. Not a bass head nor a high-res type.


Left: The semi-open design was my favorite. The titanium body, wood ring, and semi-open design had the right balance of bass-mids-treble balance with an expansive stage. I didn’t notice any significant issues with isolation.

Middle: This one is a titanium body with a cocobolo back. Cocobolo has a nice mix of upper harmonics without getting sibilant. It’s not as warm as mahogany/cedar. I thought it added nice transients and richness to acoustic instruments.

Right: This is the brass-back version. This one had a stronger treble but it had pinpoint precision to the sound which worked well with pop/EDM. Kind of reminded me of older Final Audio brass IEMs but tilting warmer and musical.

If I were collecting IEMs, I would definitely look to add these. I believe at just over US$300, these give safer, more refined, and more fun tuning for the price. Pretty cool!

This is the iBasso nutube amp PB5. This was a ticketed audition and the earliest I can get in was past my departure time so I had to give up the audition this time…


Now for Final Audio. I finally got to hear the D8000 Pro. To me, this was distinctly Final Audio tuning. Solid and punchy bass (seems leaner than my Utopia), clear and crisp mids, slightly bright but bodied spacious treble. Now that I think about it, I think there might be some similarity to Elysian's treble. They both have good body treble with a hint of sparkle to it.


The photos below are the “mock up” X8000 for display. Apparently, it doesn’t work (or don’t want us to hear it) so it wasn’t available for audition. X8000 has an interesting futuristic look. The driver and housing looks very fragile. It must be some kind of floating speaker over your ears type of concept. I hope they come out with a working demo soon! Design-wise, it’s too blingy for me though haha



Fitear was showing their new release TG224s. I guess the lower-cost version of the famous 334s. This one had nice natural mids with an airy top end. Bass was lacking. Not much extension at the bottom end. The vocals sounded nice popping out of the mix. I thought it got a little congested with busy tracks. Probably good with lighter rock/pop music (just as they recommend).




In the middle table to the right is the master Masuda-san of Mass Kobo. He had several amps with him on display but the table was too busy for me to audition. I did chat with him about the status of his 475 builds that eventually ended up in my hand as well as @Natesdailies. The good news is that he has signed up to come to Canjam SoCal!! I hope you talk amps with him and try! He is a former mixing console operator, DIY repair/modder, then ended up building broadcast amps/mics and most recently headphone amps. I definitely recommend talking to him as he has lots of interesting stories!


Saving the best for the last! Cyras booth! Cyras is the L&P, Hyla, PW, and Oriolus dealer in Japan. They carry all my favorites, so I had high hopes for them and they didn’t disappoint!


First up is the L&P E7 prototype. L&P wanted to release it Spring of 2023, but now it’s looking like a late 2023 to 2024 release. They have a new operating system in this model which they are planning to reuse for the highly anticipated LP7. According to Cyras though, L&P’s plan is to release E7, then wait for the software to mature with users feedback, then work on LP7 release. This means LP7 won’t come out until at least a few months after E7. LP7 remains an elusive DAP…



The E7 hardware looks and feels like Cayin to me and the build reminded me of N6ii (anodized aluminum?) but less chunky and lighter. The shape and size are roughly two iPhone X stacked, or a little bit thicker than iPhone 14. The size felt very comfortable to hold. The software interface had the familiar LP6-esque look. But the way the screen glides and respond were much smoother than my LP6. I would say closer to N6ii quality screen (note E7 is still proprietary Linux and not Android). They let me pop in my SD card for my music – worked fine. Great! They were watching to see if it crashes…

The sound of E7. It’s a baby LP6! This version has AK4497. It’s not as bodied and analog as my LP6Ti7AE. It’s a more neutral leaning, lighter, and airy sound. For its size, it had a good bass extension, resolution, imaging capability, and a grand presentation. I think it cuts down on dynamics from LP6, making for a smoother listen. Probably due to a smaller battery and an amp. There is a hint of analog emotional flavor to the mids, good detail retrieval… I’m inclined to say it's a bit like iBasso DX240 with added emotional mids. It just doesn’t quite sound like other brands though. I hope they get this to other Canjams so you can hear it too!

Last but not least, the big surprise was this guy. Oriolus 4DD. Yes Four dynamic drivers with a custom PW Audio cable. They said the color and design are not final yet. Upper mid-tier IEM. Fall release?



This to me sounded like Traillii balance (not resolution) with DD punch. It doesn’t extend super low or super high, but I thought it had a very nice musical touch, a cohesive sound like that coming out of a big cabinet JBLs. It was resolving enough with busy music, excellent timbre, and no weird treble (I didn’t like Isa upper mids – treble). Warmer and bodied than my Oriolus Mk2 (bass-mids have more physicality with 4DD). I also changed the cable to my PW Orpheus and oh my… it really scales well with cables. I really wanted to listen to this for a long time. Hopefully, the final product will retain the magic because I really wanted to take this home…

So this wraps up my journey this summer. I hope y’all didn’t mind me sharing. If you read this far, thanks! I got the bug for these shows now. I hope to see you sometime somewhere!

Thank you for sharing @Ojisan! The Oriolus 4DD looks pretty cool to me. I hope this makes it's way to CanJam SoCal.

 

[stacey]

Either Canjam Socal or if Fujiya Avic does a show in the fall again I'll be there. Definitely interested in the E7 if it's not too expensive. And the Oriolus 4DD does sound like a cross between the Trifecta and the Trailii.

Also to note, Android is technically a fork of Linux. It wouldn't be that far of a stretch to run certain apps via an Android emulator of sorts. I'd doubt that they would do that for streaming though.

 

[leylandi]

the first player i used was sony nw-e505

 

[nihalsharma]

First up is the L&P E7 prototype. L&P wanted to release it Spring of 2023, but now it’s looking like a late 2023 to 2024 release. They have a new operating system in this model which they are planning to reuse for the highly anticipated LP7. According to Cyras though, L&P’s plan is to release E7, then wait for the software to mature with users feedback, then work on LP7 release. This means LP7 won’t come out until at least a few months after E7. LP7 remains an elusive DAP…

Great post, my friend.

This one is certainly very exciting. Just to know further, what’s the price range this is expected to go in? Any hint? Also, would it be comparable to other flagship daps? Price wise, L&P have a higher range, so just a bit curious.

 

[claud W]

Continuing the tip rolling with Singularity and getting fantastic results with Symbio W - another go-to tip for sets where I’ve a fit challenge. Excellent seal, very comfortable and nothing detrimental to sound.

Ordered some med and large yesterday . Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[MaxwellDemon]

Oh my! a fellow from the Miracle and Mentor v1 gen. I broke my Miracle years ago and could no longer recall how exactly it sounds, can you kindly give a short impression?

Yoooo! I see some of my old faves are also in your list, including the fantastic GR07. Loved that little earphone so much that I ended up opening a shop for an online shop for VSonic for a bit.

In terms of revisiting UM Miracle (for reference, I was listening to the Traillii earlier before I made the switch), I have to say it is surprisingly good even to this day and age, perhaps mid-tier instead of TOTL as it was back then. I also felt like the Miracle is a very very cable-sensitive IEM and it really shines if you give it a nice cable. So because I moved the stock Traillii cable to it, it has taken up a warmer and more enveloping sound signature than using the stock cables.

Of course, compared to the Traillii or any other TOTL, it really can't compare, period. It'll seem muddy and the treble energy that made the Miracle TOTL back then feels a bit lacking in comparison.

Still! I love using the UM Miracle for a very easy and relaxed listening session. Even after all these years, the fit still works very well for me and it is one of my most comfortable IEMs to wear and one that disappears in my ears after a track or two.

Link to part 1: " Yodobashi and e-earphone"
Link to part 2: "Van Nuys and Fujiya-Avic"
Link to part 3: "Potafes"

Now for the final part. I had a very nice show experience here so I wanted to share my thoughts and pics.

I wasn’t planning on attending this show but my schedule changed last minute and it allowed me to check out the show for just 2 hours. Fortunately, the venue is right next to Tokyo station so I only needed 10min to run to the bullet train station to catch my ride for my next appointment. Whew!

Here is the beautiful red brick Tokyo station built 1914. The headphone show was held in the small building peaking head behind the station.


Fujiya-Avic Headphone Festival Summer mini 2023
It's a lengthy name so I will abbreviate it to FAHF for brevity. Not an official acronym…

Compared to the Potafes which was a huge commercial event and free (no registration) entry, FAHF was free but registration required, 11 rooms + hallway, intimate gathering. Look at the exhibitors below. Many exhibitors only choose to come here (Mass-Kobo, Van Nuys, Utsusemi Works, Oji, etc) while some are exhibited at both.


I thought the vendors were a lot more friendly, open, and easier to talk to here. Maybe FAHF is known to draw different crowds… I’m not sure. The audience for FAHF seemed like there were more seasoned portable audio experts. There were more people with amp+dap stacks and big cases of IEMs and cameras. I personally thought that I had more productive time at FAHF despite the short stay.


Mr. Meze was at the show. Soundleverage in the foreground.


Hifiman/STAX/Oji Special room


New brand Layfic Tone. Audeze style builds with light neutral sound.


One of my long stops was 634 ears. They had a whole collection of improved MIROAK-II model prototypes with different tunings. Amazing to hear contrasting characters from various structural changes.


The three below were my favorites. I now see why some cooler friends are into this. There is a unique charm to how these little ones sound! I would generally characterize them as natural and musical, similar to JVC woodies. Not a bass head nor a high-res type.


Left: The semi-open design was my favorite. The titanium body, wood ring, and semi-open design had the right balance of bass-mids-treble balance with an expansive stage. I didn’t notice any significant issues with isolation.

Middle: This one is a titanium body with a cocobolo back. Cocobolo has a nice mix of upper harmonics without getting sibilant. It’s not as warm as mahogany/cedar. I thought it added nice transients and richness to acoustic instruments.

Right: This is the brass-back version. This one had a stronger treble but it had pinpoint precision to the sound which worked well with pop/EDM. Kind of reminded me of older Final Audio brass IEMs but tilting warmer and musical.

If I were collecting IEMs, I would definitely look to add these. I believe at just over US$300, these give safer, more refined, and more fun tuning for the price. Pretty cool!

This is the iBasso nutube amp PB5. This was a ticketed audition and the earliest I can get in was past my departure time so I had to give up the audition this time…


Now for Final Audio. I finally got to hear the D8000 Pro. To me, this was distinctly Final Audio tuning. Solid and punchy bass (seems leaner than my Utopia), clear and crisp mids, slightly bright but bodied spacious treble. Now that I think about it, I think there might be some similarity to Elysian's treble. They both have good body treble with a hint of sparkle to it.


The photos below are the “mock up” X8000 for display. Apparently, it doesn’t work (or don’t want us to hear it) so it wasn’t available for audition. X8000 has an interesting futuristic look. The driver and housing looks very fragile. It must be some kind of floating speaker over your ears type of concept. I hope they come out with a working demo soon! Design-wise, it’s too blingy for me though haha



Fitear was showing their new release TG224s. I guess the lower-cost version of the famous 334s. This one had nice natural mids with an airy top end. Bass was lacking. Not much extension at the bottom end. The vocals sounded nice popping out of the mix. I thought it got a little congested with busy tracks. Probably good with lighter rock/pop music (just as they recommend).




In the middle table to the right is the master Masuda-san of Mass Kobo. He had several amps with him on display but the table was too busy for me to audition. I did chat with him about the status of his 475 builds that eventually ended up in my hand as well as @Natesdailies. The good news is that he has signed up to come to Canjam SoCal!! I hope you talk amps with him and try! He is a former mixing console operator, DIY repair/modder, then ended up building broadcast amps/mics and most recently headphone amps. I definitely recommend talking to him as he has lots of interesting stories!


Saving the best for the last! Cyras booth! Cyras is the L&P, Hyla, PW, and Oriolus dealer in Japan. They carry all my favorites, so I had high hopes for them and they didn’t disappoint!


First up is the L&P E7 prototype. L&P wanted to release it Spring of 2023, but now it’s looking like a late 2023 to 2024 release. They have a new operating system in this model which they are planning to reuse for the highly anticipated LP7. According to Cyras though, L&P’s plan is to release E7, then wait for the software to mature with users feedback, then work on LP7 release. This means LP7 won’t come out until at least a few months after E7. LP7 remains an elusive DAP…



The E7 hardware looks and feels like Cayin to me and the build reminded me of N6ii (anodized aluminum?) but less chunky and lighter. The shape and size are roughly two iPhone X stacked, or a little bit thicker than iPhone 14. The size felt very comfortable to hold. The software interface had the familiar LP6-esque look. But the way the screen glides and respond were much smoother than my LP6. I would say closer to N6ii quality screen (note E7 is still proprietary Linux and not Android). They let me pop in my SD card for my music – worked fine. Great! They were watching to see if it crashes…

The sound of E7. It’s a baby LP6! This version has AK4497. It’s not as bodied and analog as my LP6Ti7AE. It’s a more neutral leaning, lighter, and airy sound. For its size, it had a good bass extension, resolution, imaging capability, and a grand presentation. I think it cuts down on dynamics from LP6, making for a smoother listen. Probably due to a smaller battery and an amp. There is a hint of analog emotional flavor to the mids, good detail retrieval… I’m inclined to say it's a bit like iBasso DX240 with added emotional mids. It just doesn’t quite sound like other brands though. I hope they get this to other Canjams so you can hear it too!

Last but not least, the big surprise was this guy. Oriolus 4DD. Yes Four dynamic drivers with a custom PW Audio cable. They said the color and design are not final yet. Upper mid-tier IEM. Fall release?



This to me sounded like Traillii balance (not resolution) with DD punch. It doesn’t extend super low or super high, but I thought it had a very nice musical touch, a cohesive sound like that coming out of a big cabinet JBLs. It was resolving enough with busy music, excellent timbre, and no weird treble (I didn’t like Isa upper mids – treble). Warmer and bodied than my Oriolus Mk2 (bass-mids have more physicality with 4DD). I also changed the cable to my PW Orpheus and oh my… it really scales well with cables. I really wanted to listen to this for a long time. Hopefully, the final product will retain the magic because I really wanted to take this home…

So this wraps up my journey this summer. I hope y’all didn’t mind me sharing. If you read this far, thanks! I got the bug for these shows now. I hope to see you sometime somewhere!

Oh ho damn, Oriolus 4DD........

 

[Tybot]

Yes very good point. All the marketing specs had to do with the functions of the cassette player - with the orange foam headset being a total trashable add-on (or later, the yellow plastic buds-on-a-band.) I had something similar to the one above, but that was a little later in life. In the mid to late 1980's, I used this one and loved it to death. The tape stuck out of the machine. I thought it was the height of cool. Now they're $1500 on Ebay!

Darn near exactly like my first,which I still have today. (Picture from an ebay listing)

 

[Ojisan]

What an epic finale to an epic series of posts. Oriolus 4DD??? I did not see that one coming and can hardly contain my excitement to hear it. "Upper mid tier" sounds like it won't pull a Traillii on my wallet either . Thank-you so much for this picturesque and informative journey you've taken us on

Thank you! I'd be curious to hear what you think! I'm hoping they don't kill my wallet. The master surprises sometimes...

Either Canjam Socal or if Fujiya Avic does a show in the fall again I'll be there. Definitely interested in the E7 if it's not too expensive. And the Oriolus 4DD does sound like a cross between the Trifecta and the Trailii.

Fujiya-Avic has a fall festival planned for Oct 28. The winter festival is Feb 10, 2024. You can almost count on trying these if you make it there. I can't comment versus Trifecta as I haven't heard it... We'll wait for Jeff and others impressions.

Also to note, Android is technically a fork of Linux. It wouldn't be that far of a stretch to run certain apps via an Android emulator of sorts. I'd doubt that they would do that for streaming though.

True, and agree if we had a complete OS running on it. I think you would have a better chance doing that on Samsung Android fridge than L&P devices...