[KrólArtur]

On the subject of buying or trying audio while abroad, my work takes me to Vegas at the end of the month - I’m guessing probably not a location for IEM dealers etc, but asking just in case! I might even take the opportunity to purchase from a US dealer and ship to my hotel…

Just don't go to the casino because there won't be anything to collect

 

[Damz87]

What to you makes an IEM classic?

Earlier “hall of fame” has been mentioned as well. But this got me wondering what actual HOF IEM’s there are, and why they are a classic / HOF.

My list in no particular order(and I did not even hear them all) for now would be:

- Odin
- Traillii
- Trifecta
- IE900
- IER Z1R
- Erkoling
- Jewel
- Amber Pearl
- viking damascus
- Rn6

For me an IEM is HOF worthy when its constantly being discussed, generally received well, pushes boundaries, stands the test of time, can be controversial.

IEMs I’d consider HOF that come to my mind are:

64 Audio U12t
Sony IER-Z1R
Campfire Andromeda
Empire Ears Legend X
Unique Melody MEST OG/MK2
Oriolus Traillii

I think all those IEM’s have managed to stay pretty relevant or unique for an extended period of time and some of them probably continue to sell reasonably well even today.

 

[Rockwell75]

And I bet you have tested most of the current $20-999 offerings, right?

I don't even know why I'm asking this, you surely must have tried at least 70% of these sets and only then chose this exact number of $1000 as the absolute highpass filter of goodness.

No, but over the years I've managed to get my hands on a good number of the IEMs in those lower price brackets that attract the most attention. I have never denied there are quality IEMs sub $1k, it's just that when it comes to my own personal enjoyment and satisfaction (which is the only thing that matters to me, really) I have found that $1k and above-- in particular $1k - $2k - is the sweet spot. If you go to r/headphones a lot of the discussion there is focused on sub $100 sets. On the discovery thread here on Head Fi a lot of the discussion is focused around sub $1k sets. In both of those communities people seem very satisfied with the products they come across (and often they express the attitude that people who spend higher sums on IEMs are deluded or nuts). This thread is advertised as a "come one come all" thread, and originally I intended it to dwell more on the mid-low high-fi bracket I tend to focus on however it has evolved to be primarily focused on higher cost sets-- if for no other reason than there really isn't anywhere else in the English speaking world. Therefore it is not surprising that most of the user base who flocks here has a preference for, and an idea that they will find greater satisfaction, in sets at the higher price tiers.

Coming from Diva, the Anni felt missing in sub-bass. It had some rumble but not by much. I think Anni would benefit having fuller bass to balance its treble extension, viewing from someone who favors more natural tuning

+1

I think all those IEM’s have managed to stay pretty relevant or unique for an extended period of time and some of them probably continue to sell reasonably well even today.

That's a great definition of "classic" status. Based on our polls, I would nominate the following IEMs that have maintained popularit/relevance over a number of years:

Oriolus Traillii
Sony IER-Z1R
64 Audio u/a12t
64 Audio u/a18t
Empire Ears Legend X
Empire Ears Odin
Sennheiser ie900
Campfire Audio Andromeda
Campfire Audio Solaris
64 Audio Tia Fourte
64 Audio Tia Trio
Vision Ears Elysium
Vision Ears Elrkonig
Vision Ears VE8

 

[MatW]

IEMs I’d consider HOF that come to my mind are:

64 Audio U12t
Sony IER-Z1R
Campfire Andromeda
Empire Ears Legend X
Unique Melody MEST OG/MK2
Oriolus Traillii

I think all those IEM’s have managed to stay pretty relevant or unique for an extended period of time and some of them probably continue to sell reasonably well even today.

*checks collection*

I think the following are candidates as well:

- Annihilator (new-ish but on its way to the HoF)
- Fourte
- U18T
- Xe6 (also new-ish, but I would argue already in the HoF)

Several others in my collection probably don't make the cut, because their popularity was relatively short-lived and/or not broadly shared. But that doesn't mean they are no good... (After all, they are >1k --> kidding!)

Supermoon, EVO, Indigo, Mason FS, Turii Ti, Thummim, Kublai Khan, Singularity (too early, could make it?).

 

[Piotr Michalak]

Mom, Soranik's @nhat_thanh is teasing me by sending me eye candy's... ;-(



Should get them in a few days How you like them?

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

On the subject of buying or trying audio while abroad, my work takes me to Vegas at the end of the month - I’m guessing probably not a location for IEM dealers etc, but asking just in case! I might even take the opportunity to purchase from a US dealer and ship to my hotel…

Connect with John Marshall. He has an apartment full of desktop gear (amps, dacs, headphones) in Las Vegas and he is expanding into IEMs. He will be at CanJam Dallas with a private room full of gear.

 

[Rockwell75]

*checks collection*

I think the following are candidates as well:

- Annihilator (new-ish but on its way to the HoF)
- Fourte
- U18T
- Xe6 (also new-ish, but I would argue already in the HoF)

Several others in my collection probably don't make the cut, because their popularity was relatively short-lived and/or not broadly shared. But that doesn't mean they are no good... (After all, they are >1k --> kidding!)

Supermoon, EVO, Indigo, Mason FS, Turii Ti, Thummim, Kublai Khan, Singularity (too early, could make it?).

Agree on Ani, Indigo, Supermoon and Mason. Xe6 too. Singularity very likely has staying power. I am going to bet that, despite the nay saying, Trifecta will eventually earn classic status. Bonneville too, though that's really jumping the gun.

 

[NewEve]

Aune M1p x Fir Audio VxV

So good it's not even funny​

 

[NewEve]

Aune M1p x Fir Audio VxV

So good it's not even funny​

The usual write-ups will follow but I am floored by the M1p which I originally ordered in order to get a "relatively affordable" source which I believed would be closer to neutral for my reviews thinking I wouldn't like it. Boy was I in for a surprise… why does it sound better than my WM1AM2?

And these VxV hit just the sweet spot for me — truly an under-appreciated IEM which I cannot help but feel deserved more than the praises it already got (it also seems out of Fir's offering as of this writing)… Having recently fell in love with the Ara and Andromeda 2020 which I got three years after everyone else — it seems that these little bunnies just gave 'em the boot (and, from memory, it's not even a close contest with the Solaris 2020).

To be continued once the honeymoon phase wears off…

 

[deep2285]

I bet quite a few might find the sentence that all sets below $1k are crap a bigger bummer than my sulking. That's like saying cars get good at $100k and everything below that just causes traffic jams.

But let's not dwell on this for too long, I agree it's completely unproductive and I'm certainly representing a minority here.

Some people prefer flying in private jets and some are totally fine with economy. Why should the either criticize each other?

From what I am reading so far on your posts is a narrative which is just wanting acceptance to the fact that cheaper IEMs are the only way to enjoy the hobby. But why?

If someone has the money and the desire to spend $10 K on Storm + Cable Upgrade and write a few good lines about their experiences, why does it have to become an issue?

Do you have an entitled status over the business where what you say should be acceptable to everyone.

I don't touch anything below $500 as a matter of preference and I could not give a dam about the why of it.

 

[Auricon]

Some people prefer flying in private jets and some are totally fine with economy. Why should the either criticize each other?

They do for many social-economic-eco-douche reasons – even with first class vs biz vs eco, boarding priority reasons

 

[texx2818]

I plan on spending an exorbitant amount of money on things I don't need this weekend, lol.

 

[Smirk 24]

Had the pleasure of visiting Andrew and Leo at MusicTeck earlier this week where they kindly let me demo some IEMs including: Aroma Audio Fei Wan, UM Amber Pearl, and UM Multiverse Mentor.

Here are some impressions off my iBasso 320MAX Ti:

Aroma Audio Fei Wan (4.7k USD)

Forward, lush vocals. Midrange resolution was pretty good, maybe a tier under the Annihilator 23's. There was some shout on certain tracks.

The bass was a bit of a letdown. Ill-defined transient edges and lack of slam with average texture as well.

The treble was mostly okay on the tracks I listened to, but there's definitely some treble glare present on some tracks. There's a large peak somewhere that adds definition to the leading edge of guitar plucks but also adds harshness that I found unpleasant.

Stage width and height were decent, but stage depth felt crowded by the more forward vocals. Imaging was pretty good.

Lastly, I have some build concerns with the resin shells. I think Fei Wan could have benefitted from using a sturdier material for the shells.

UM Amber Pearl (8k USD)

Very well-tuned IEM with no obvious tuning flaws. The bass was visceral, well-textured, and very engaging.

AP as a whole had a warm-learning, slightly analogue timbre. Resolution was relative to Annihilator 23's but could be slightly higher or lower. From what I remember of my Storm demo, I think Storm was slightly more technical across the board.

The treble was fairly neutral, so neither dark nor boosted, and it sounded mostly even. I found the dynamics to be very good as well. Staging was decent, similar to Fei Wan's but with a deeper stage. Imaging was pretty good.

As a whole, I found AP to have a very engaging, gripping presentation. The tuning, timbre, and techs combined put it among the best IEMs I've heard to date.

UM Multiverse Mentor (4.5k USD)

Also a very well-tuned set. Neutral/warm timbre with decent bass overall. Resolution was pretty good, relative to Fei Wan's.

The midrange tuning sounded similar to AP's but with less of the warmth and analog timbre.

The treble was slightly more bright leaning than AP's with more sparkle present. Very tastefully done.

Staging was pretty good and felt evenly distributed. I'd consider MM a well-executed neutral monitor. MM was less engaging than Amber Pearl, but it was a very pleasant listen overall.

 

[deep2285]

What to you makes an IEM classic?

Earlier “hall of fame” has been mentioned as well. But this got me wondering what actual HOF IEM’s there are, and why they are a classic / HOF.

My list in no particular order(and I did not even hear them all) for now would be:

- Odin
- Traillii
- Trifecta
- IE900
- IER Z1R
- Erkoling
- Jewel
- Amber Pearl
- viking damascus
- Rn6

For me an IEM is HOF worthy when its constantly being discussed, generally received well, pushes boundaries, stands the test of time, can be controversial.

Storm should also have a place in the list.

I agree with the rest.

 

[texx2818]

No, but over the years I've managed to get my hands on a good number of the IEMs in those lower price brackets that attract the most attention. I have never denied there are quality IEMs sub $1k, it's just that when it comes to my own personal enjoyment and satisfaction (which is the only thing that matters to me, really) I have found that $1k and above-- in particular $1k - $2k - is the sweet spot. If you go to r/headphones a lot of the discussion there is focused on sub $100 sets. On the discovery thread here on Head Fi a lot of the discussion is focused around sub $1k sets. In both of those communities people seem very satisfied with the products they come across (and often they express the attitude that people who spend higher sums on IEMs are deluded or nuts). This thread is advertised as a "come one come all" thread, and originally I intended it to dwell more on the mid-low high-fi bracket I tend to focus on however it has evolved to be primarily focused on higher cost sets-- if for no other reason than there really isn't anywhere else in the English speaking world. Therefore it is not surprising that most of the user base who flocks here has a preference for, and an idea that they will find greater satisfaction, in sets at the higher price tiers.



+1



That's a great definition of "classic" status. Based on our polls, I would nominate the following IEMs that have maintained popularit/relevance over a number of years:

Oriolus Traillii
Sony IER-Z1R
64 Audio u/a12t
64 Audio u/a18t
Empire Ears Legend X
Empire Ears Odin
Sennheiser ie900
Campfire Audio Andromeda
Campfire Audio Solaris
64 Audio Tia Fourte
64 Audio Tia Trio
Vision Ears Elysium
Vision Ears Elrkonig
Vision Ears VE8

I really love my Odins and don't think there is much that would make me ever replace them.