[MatW]

I hafta vent...everytime I am on the classifieds and a good deal turns up it is always in Europe. Always. Ive seen this so many times, yet I fall for it over and over. I am sick. If only I was over there, I'd have most of the item on my wish list already. Sigh............

I live in Europe but I think there are more good deals in the USA… And on top of that it’s much easier to import stuff into the USA because there’s a high threshold for import duties. I have to pay duties on everything that comes from outside the EU, even a pair of eartips. Shipping cost from EU to USA are much lower than the other way around. So when you see a good deal in Europe, just go for it.

 

[Steranko]

Nice that you've shared your playlist. A man enjoys your reviews.

Thanks, Yes a playlist which shows my age, lol

 

[zikarus]

I live in Europe but I think there are more good deals in the USA… And on top of that it’s much easier to import stuff into the USA because there’s a high threshold for import duties. I have to pay duties on everything that comes from outside the EU, even a pair of eartips. Shipping cost from EU to USA are much lower than the other way around. So when you see a good deal in Europe, just go for it.

At least there seem to be more listings in the USA.
Shipping costs to the States are around 48 € in my country, so it depends on the item whether that makes for a good deal or not. Concerning the IEMs discussed in the Watercooler these costs usually are quite negligible...

 

[Kiats]

Ok I spent the whole night listening to it. Here is my conclusion.

As soon as I received the Ti99 connected with my new cable with the Traillii Ti. The first impression was the clarity of the sound and how precise it was. The background felt so quiet and clean. This is a sound I expect in a TOTL DAP. I like it in that it is not too over neutral and is closest to a faithful reproduction of the reality of the sound but in areas where it may not be too clear articulates it to be just noticeable. Another thing I always like about the LP is that they don’t oversample and compensate it with putting too much body on the sound. I always say sometimes you have to pay for the quality. Only when you compare it to a less capable DAP will you realize how good this is. The SQ on this is just amazing for the size. It is a very seasoned and precision sound. All this from the improvements with using better transistors, Op-Amp from 7AE and tuning from LP6 Platinum firmware.

• Bass: The bass on the P6PRo Ti99 is tight, punchy, and extended. It has excellent impact and rumble, without being overblown or boomy. The bass is also very well-controlled, and it never gets muddy or distorted, even at high volumes.
• Mids: The mids on the P6PRo Ti99 are clear, transparent, and natural. Vocals sound realistic and lifelike, and all of the instruments in the mix are well-defined and separated. The mids are also very revealing, and they can expose all of the flaws in a recording, both good and bad. Even the breathes in the vocals are revealed.
• Highs: The highs on the P6PRo Ti99 are extended and airy, without being harsh or fatiguing. They have excellent sparkle and detail, and they can reproduce even the most delicate sounds with ease. The highs are also very well-integrated with the rest of the frequency spectrum, and they never sound detached or out of place. I blasted it and no hint of distortion even at high volumes.
• Soundstage and imaging: It has a good soundstage and excellent imaging and will never go too wide since it’s Non oversampling. It can recreate the spatial cues in a recording with great accuracy, and it can place the listener in the middle of the music. The soundstage is also very well-defined, and it doesn't sound artificial or forced.

To get the best out of this you really need a good IEM. The Traillii Ti is just on another level. I tried a HK$10K IEM (which I will not name) but when compared to the Ti bird, you’ll realize how good the Trailli Ti is especially on the vocals. This IEM just sounds good on both the N30LE and Ti99. Consistency is just the quality of a good IEM.

I played a number of different variety of songs on this which I frequently listen to in my collection which really brought out the best in these songs and put it through its pace.

• Destiny’s Child – Stand up for love
• Prince – I feel for you (Acoustic)
• Queen – Crazy Little thing called Love
• Luther Vandross – I let you slide
• Randy Crawford – Rio De Janeiro Blue
• T-Square – Just like a Woman
• Earth, Wind and Fire - September
• Casiopea – Asayake
• Hideaki Tokunaga – Hanamizuki
• David Tao – Blink of the heart
• Jacky Cheung - 遙遠的她
• David Foster – St Elmo’s Fire
• Anzen Chitai – Masquerade
• Vivaldi Four Seasons: Concerto No. 4 in f minor, Op. 8, RV 297, 'Winter'
• Lang Lang Debussy - Clair de lune

I find most of the Cantonese Pop, JPop, KPop songs work so well on this DAP. Any heavier music with good beat and bass is more suited to the N30LE where you need a bit more colour to the sound and the power it can bring to the bass with wider sound stage brought on by the oversampling mode and slightly more harmonic distortion. And no I would not use this to drive any OTE headphones even though I tried it with a HD800s and it sounded decent at 58 on the volume. But if comparing to the N30LE, of course the N30LE with its size is more powerful. The sound is also different. The Ti99 is more towards neutral than the N30LE. I would use the N30LE for more heavy songs with strong bass and the rumble is bit more exaggerated in comparison. Also, I tried taking the N30LE out and it really is heavy. I never want to do it again. Saying this, the amp of the N30LE is just top notch. It’s very hard to choose one. It’s really a personal thing. Since I already have the LP6TI I would edge to have the N30LE.

In terms of the exterior design and luxury, I am loving it. It’s so small, light and very portable. As I said I like it very simple as long as the SQ is excellent.

Saying this the UI is the same as the old one and there’s a few things which could do with some improvements such as having playlist custom names, search and sort. Also, maybe a quick way to change volume without having to go back to the song. Overall, I like it since I needed the best SQ in a pocket size DAP with great battery life and LP provided it at less than 300g.

Thanks for getting the ball rolling @Steranko . Very much agree on your observations about the P6P TI.

What I will say is The P6P Ti does not try to be “better” than the 7AE or take it head on. What it does is it provides a very portable and pocketable form factor, quick UI. It does not challenge the grand soundstage and presentation that the 7AE brings to the table. However, the P6P Ti is more intimate (relative to the 7AE) with its mids more intimate and not as laid back as the 7AE. It has its own soundstage depending on the recording.

It should be noted that the P6P Ti is tuned for ACG which has now, despite its origins in JP action, comics and Gaming (which is an English translation of the original Japanese genre) now covers Mandopop, Cantopop and Chinese ACG (period drama soundtracks and this movement called 国风 which captures the big genre of period drama soundtracks and comics/animated shows which use traditional Chinese instruments and muscial arrangements). Those who the LP6 Platinum will recognise the similarities in tuning. Because this genre covers the whole gamut from ballads to quick temp action soundtracks, you can understand why the P6P Ti is tuned to be nimble and dynamic, yet impactful. The bass will surprise you because in the appropriate songs, the bass hits low and deep. You will not find gops of bass being pervasive however. It also explains why the mids are gorgeou and sumptuous. The trebles are also therefore sparkling yet with nary a hint of harshness. The one general description I would give to the P6P Ti is it is effortless and nimble.

I will say that what I did after listening to some of my usual playlist which includes Diana Krall, some Korean jazz singers, Chinese jazz singers, Damien Rice, Chinese singers like Sun Lu, Tong Li, Stefanie Sun, Karen Mok, I simply moved on QQ Music, selected 国风 and let the QQ Music AI run its playlist and just sat back and enjoyed. I ran this from dinner time to bed time. I will admit I had to drag myself to shower and finally to bed. The P6P Ti is incredibly addictive! I listened primarily with FitEar MH33ht paired with Eletech Aeneid. And finally with FitEar Titan paired with Eletech Sonnet of Adam. Another thing I noticed is that as compared to the black P6Pro and the obsdIan P6Pro, I listened a few notches lower in terms of volume. Not surprising because, as pointed out above, the P6P Ti did borrow some of the hardware improvements found in the 7AE.

Is this going to be a well loved addition to my portable audio set up? It is of course early days. But I harbour no doubt that this will be well loved.

 

[szore]

I hafta vent...everytime I am on the classifieds and a good deal turns up it is always in Europe. Always. Ive seen this so many times, yet I fall for it over and over. I am sick. If only I was over there, I'd have most of the item on my wish list already. Sigh............

I wish you could sort the classifieds by continent...

 

[Steranko]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling @Steranko . Very much agree on your observations about the P6P TI.

What I will say is The P6P Ti does not try to be “better” than the 7AE or take it head on. What it does is it provides a very portable and pocketable form factor, quick UI. It does not challenge the grand soundstage and presentation that the 7AE brings to the table. However, the P6P Ti is more intimate (relative to the 7AE) with its mids more intimate and not as laid back as the 7AE. It has its own soundstage depending on the recording.

It should be noted that the P6P Ti is tuned for ACG which has now, despite its origins in JP action, comics and Gaming (which is an English translation of the original Japanese genre) now covers Mandopop, Cantopop and Chinese ACG (period drama soundtracks and this movement called 国风 which captures the big genre of period drama soundtracks and comics/animated shows which use traditional Chinese instruments and muscial arrangements). Those who the LP6 Platinum will recognise the similarities in tuning. Because this genre covers the whole gamut from ballads to quick temp action soundtracks, you can understand why the P6P Ti is tuned to be nimble and dynamic, yet impactful. The bass will surprise you because in the appropriate songs, the bass hits low and deep. You will not find gops of bass being pervasive however. It also explains why the mids are gorgeou and sumptuous. The trebles are also therefore sparkling yet with nary a hint of harshness. The one general description I would give to the P6P Ti is it is effortless and nimble.

I will say that what I did after listening to some of my usual playlist which includes Diana Krall, some Korean jazz singers, Chinese jazz singers, Damien Rice, Chinese singers like Sun Lu, Tong Li, Stefanie Sun, Karen Mok, I simply moved on QQ Music, selected 国风 and let the QQ Music AI run its playlist and just sat back and enjoyed. I ran this from dinner time to bed time. I will admit I had to drag myself to shower and finally to bed. The P6P Ti is incredibly addictive! I listened primarily with FitEar MH33ht paired with Eletech Aeneid. And finally with FitEar Titan paired with Eletech Sonnet of Adam. Another thing I noticed is that as compared to the black P6Pro and the obsdIan P6Pro, I listened a few notches lower in terms of volume. Not surprising because, as pointed out above, the P6P Ti did borrow some of the hardware improvements found in the 7AE.

Is this going to be a well loved addition to my portable audio set up? It is of course early days. But I harbour no doubt that this will be well loved.

Cool, you received this unit a day earlier, congrats I couldn’t sleep listening to it for about 5-6 hours non stop last night as well. Pretty additive. Sun Nan‘s voice is also incredible on this. I don’t usually listen a lot to canto/Chinese music but this made me explore a lot more into this. You know the songs where they pop open a can of beer. And pour it into a glass Haha

 

[Kiats]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling @Steranko . Very much agree on your observations about the P6P TI.

What I will say is The P6P Ti does not try to be “better” than the 7AE or take it head on. What it does is it provides a very portable and pocketable form factor, quick UI. It does not challenge the grand soundstage and presentation that the 7AE brings to the table. However, the P6P Ti is more intimate (relative to the 7AE) with its mids more intimate and not as laid back as the 7AE. It has its own soundstage depending on the recording.

It should be noted that the P6P Ti is tuned for ACG which has now, despite its origins in JP action, comics and Gaming (which is an English translation of the original Japanese genre) now covers Mandopop, Cantopop and Chinese ACG (period drama soundtracks and this movement called 国风 which captures the big genre of period drama soundtracks and comics/animated shows which use traditional Chinese instruments and muscial arrangements). Those who the LP6 Platinum will recognise the similarities in tuning. Because this genre covers the whole gamut from ballads to quick temp action soundtracks, you can understand why the P6P Ti is tuned to be nimble and dynamic, yet impactful. The bass will surprise you because in the appropriate songs, the bass hits low and deep. You will not find gops of bass being pervasive however. It also explains why the mids are gorgeou and sumptuous. The trebles are also therefore sparkling yet with nary a hint of harshness. The one general description I would give to the P6P Ti is it is effortless and nimble.

I will say that what I did after listening to some of my usual playlist which includes Diana Krall, some Korean jazz singers, Chinese jazz singers, Damien Rice, Chinese singers like Sun Lu, Tong Li, Stefanie Sun, Karen Mok, I simply moved on QQ Music, selected 国风 and let the QQ Music AI run its playlist and just sat back and enjoyed. I ran this from dinner time to bed time. I will admit I had to drag myself to shower and finally to bed. The P6P Ti is incredibly addictive! I listened primarily with FitEar MH33ht paired with Eletech Aeneid. And finally with FitEar Titan paired with Eletech Sonnet of Adam. Another thing I noticed is that as compared to the black P6Pro and the obsdIan P6Pro, I listened a few notches lower in terms of volume. Not surprising because, as pointed out above, the P6P Ti did borrow some of the hardware improvements found in the 7AE.

Is this going to be a well loved addition to my portable audio set up? It is of course early days. But I harbour no doubt that this will be well loved.

This morning I have rotated to the FitEar DC paired with the Brise 8W SC cable. Still running QQ Music AI rotation through 国风tracks

 

[Valrhona]

Thanks, Yes a playlist which shows my age, lol

This is the first I've seen Anzen Chitai on Head-Fi. Koji may be old, but his voice is gold.

 

[Valrhona]

Oh sorry - it’s the Victor FW10000 in Japan, or JVC elsewhere in the world - the difference being the HMV logo of the dog is only on the Japanese version, JVC is printed elsewhere.

It looks like a collector's. A man misses the days of HMV.

 

[KuroKitsu]

I wish you could sort the classifieds by continent...

I wish they'd automatically convert the listed price to CAD.

Everytime I look at the price and think it's a steal, then I convert and whelp, guess I'm not.

 

[Stu Paddasso]

The one I hate in the ad title it states shipping to North America, then in the body of the ad it says shipping to CONUS only. It's like they can't figure out there are more countries in N.A. than just the U.S..

 

[Rockwell75]

Some truth and lots of weirdness in this wall of text, but this second to last sentence takes the cake.

I stand by everything I said. I have explored the length and breadth of the IEM market over the years and in my experience there is generally a steady increase in quality until you hit about the $1k mark, following which diminishing returns kick in large. There are, of course, many great. IEMs sub $1k, howver it's not until about that point and beyond that I find myself stopping to consistently seek further incremental improvements. This is just my opinion, hence the "IMHO" right before the section of my statement you bolded.

 

[bgillis]

I wish you could sort the classifieds by continent...

And by currency also (EUR, USD, ... ).

 

[gLer]

I stand by everything I said. I have explored the length and breadth of the IEM market over the years and in my experience there is generally a steady increase in quality until you hit about the $1k mark, following which diminishing returns kick in large. There are, of course, many great. IEMs sub $1k, howver it's not until about that point and beyond that I find myself stopping to consistently seek further incremental improvements. This is just my opinion, hence the "IMHO" right before the section of my statement you bolded.

I agree with this. Although price isn't always a correlator for quality, I've generally found IEMs priced at and above the $1K threshold have a combination of tuning and technical performance that elevates them above the sub-$1000 and definitely the sub-$500 IEMs.

That said, the Sony XM5 TWS (and XM4 before it) are my most used IEMs over the past two years, which goes to show that, for me at least, convenience and versatility often trumps absolute SQ, especially when travelling or listening casually.

 

[SteffSergeant]

Picture of the hat?

In unrelated news, my rebiased N30 LE reaches me today. It’s been one week without a DAP and only my iPhone and MacBook. To be honest it hasn’t been too bad!

Does anyone know, what happens here? New capacitors? New software?

And secondly, did you get a new unit or do you have still the same serial?