Crossposting from over on the singularity thread:
So I received my singularly on Monday, launch edition #72, and have spent the last couple of days with it and wanted to share some impressions about them.
Summary: Endgame, for me.
Slightly longer summary: Endgame is a loaded term I know, but essentially as close to what I personally would consider endgame that I have heard in a long time. A sound signature that really resonates with my personal preferences. More than good enough technically for me. And most importantly, the fit for me is so far quite good, not perfect, but so far it seems to be better than many other IEMs I have tried. Admittedly my ears are picky and sensitive to fit, so this of course may be different for everyone else. So endgame at least in the sense that FOR NOW, I think I am going to happily go back to not buying more IEMs and instead just listen to this one.
The tuning is really working for me. I dont think I need to expand too too much on this since most of what I will say has probably already been said by others, but its definitely a bass heavy set with a nice offset gain in the upper mids to balance the bass nicely. Treble is quite smooth and is maybe the one area I could see a bit of improvement as there is just that last little bit of sparkly or air missing in the upper treble. That said, I dont think that really takes away from the listening experience. And I am finding these just a really smooth, warm listen, one that is non fatiguing and easy to listen for long periods. The bass presentation is easily up there with some of the best I have heard. Its neither too quick or loose, and it extends nice and deep to give a good sense of physicality that I really like and seek out in my IEMs. At least, as much as IEMs are capable of that. I like well done bass, and these definitely deliver. Overall I feel like they have managed a good balance across the frequency spectrum even with the large amount of coloration applied. Certainly not a neutral set.
Im never the one to talk too much about technicalities like sheer resolution or soundstage or any of that. I think the smooth treble may contribute a bit to these not feeling like the most ultra resolving IEMs out there. For me I dont think that matters. Soundstage has a nice sense of width and there is a decent sense of separation between instruments. Probably nothing earth shatteringly amazing here.
Fit has been quite good for me. Not perfect, but quite good. I had them in and out of my ears for a full work day yesterday, and while there was some slight discomfort after the full work day, that seems to be kind of expected. I was able to have them in my ears for multiple hours without any real issues. I did need some adjustments here and there. But none of the real pressure point issues I find with some others, so no major discomfort or pain. The shells are relatively small and pretty lightweight. The stem is short though so larger tips or tips with longer stems seem to be required here. I am still very early in the tip rolling process, but spent most of the day yesterday with large spinfit w1's. Today I am trying out azla sedna ear fit lights, for the longer stem and wide bore. Havent heard any huge sound differences from different tips yet, so I am mainly aiming for comfort. I personally have not had any difficulty getting a good seal with these, but the short stems definitely could prove tricky to some.
Along with fit and comfort, I have also experienced no pressure build up or any fatigue from listening, even though it is quite bassy. To contrast that for me. I have a pair of fatfreq maestro mini, which are another very bass heavy set. Those cause noticeable pressure buildup and some discomfort for me that is separate from the actual fit of the IEM.
I got the vanguard 2w with mine, and Its quite nice for a cable. Its got a small amount of heft I could do without that seems to tug on my ears a bit. But its a good looking cable, and the material is relatively microphonic free and doesnt seem to have any memory effect which is great. Looks also match the IEM quite nicely. Not usually a fan of anything gold plated or colored, but the black and gold color scheme is nice as the gold is really just for some accent. Not 100% on whether I would prefer earhooks or not. They might relieve a very small amount of pressure the IEMs put on my ear, but then again earhooks often create their own discomfort from digging into the top of my ear. I also dont really feel like earhooks are needed to keep the IEM stable.
The launch edition packaging was really nice too. The box was a real nice touch, though I dont actually see myself using the hard metal case for transporting the IEMs. So as nice at it is, most likely its just going to sit and collect dust for me. Still nice to have, and the box is nice enough that it could be displayed on a shelf somewhere.
Its hard to say if these are really truly worth the cost, as a single dynamic driver. But for what you get and the sound they put out, with the overall quality of them, in this hobby, seems like it may actually be kind of a bargain. Especially compared to how crazy pricing has gotten lately for some IEMs.
So to sum up. I am smitten by these. The sound they put out is really working to my preferences. Great bass without sacrificing much elsewhere, and a fit that actually amazingly works for me. And without a good fit, it doesnt really matter how good they sound. The Z1R for me was a wonderful sounding IEM, but I couldnt get past the fit. And more recently, same thing with the campfire bonneville.
