[RonaldS86]

#1 - FitEar and JH Audio, never heard an IEM from either brand.

#2 - PMG Audio APX, I should get to demo this within a few weeks. VE X, will also demo this. Then Craft Ears Omnium which I’ll be receiving my purchased unit on Monday. I’m looking forward to seeing how IEMs involving planar drivers are evolving, if any, over the last year.

Where will you demo the PMG Apx? IIRC Piotr said that it'll be available to demo on March CJ?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-17851682

 

[Neweymatt]

Weekend survey question 1: What is a brand or IEM or piece of gear that has continued to elude you through the years?

Survey question 2: What item is #1 on your radar as we close out 2023?

1. Oriolus.

2. Spartacus

 

[timeslip]

Question 1:
the brand Oriolus, for IEM the Trailli

Why Trailli? I haven't heard them myself, but I thought everyone loves them.

 

[RonaldS86]

I wanted to comment on this post again. You are quite right to point out that the prices of summit fi IEMs have gone off the rails in recent years. I also think you correctly point out that exclusivity is a motivation for some-- this is practically a truism and an intrinsic part of human nature. However the tone of your post here crosses a line and seems to strike a resentful tone towards those who, for whatever reason, choose to indulge themselves in the highest price tiers of IEMs. This is not the first time you have done this in this thread and I am respectfully asking you to stop it. There are inumerable audio communities out there where people love to cast aspersions at the cost and value of high end IEMs and stroke themselves into believing that those of us who partake in the same are deluded or lost in lala land. The fact is that the folks who comprise this community are by and large educated professionals who can keep their own council around how they spend their money, where they perceive value to be and where to invest their money in order to receive a proportional amount of joy and satisfaction. We don't need folks who don't see the value, or who are butt hurt they can't partake-- to come in here and stomp their feet, whine out loud, and tell us how we should or should not be spending our money. If that's your thing go to Reddit or one of the more budget oriented threads on Head Fi. This is a community where all are welcome but as in any community proper ettiquette demands that when visiting you use tact and respect established norms and values. I hope this post strikes you in the right spirit. I have appreciated your contributions in the past, and am prepared to do so in the future-- but kindly stop these resentful and dismissive posts around the perceived value of high end IEMs. The market can and will correct itself eventually-- and until it does we should all just be grateful that we're living through an era where there are endgame qulaity products on just about every conceivable price tier.

Well said my brother
To put it simply : Learn to keep your thoughts to yourself and if you can't, at least be smart enough to pick which one you should post on a general forum like this."
This words rings true nowadays

 

[aaf evo]

Where will you demo the PMG Apx? IIRC Piotr said that it'll be available to demo on March CJ?
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...n-first-page-all-welcome.957426/post-17851682

Musicteck will have a demo unit soon.

 

[Neweymatt]

we should all just be grateful that we're living through an era where there are endgame qulaity products on just about every conceivable price tier.

Too bloody right! My own journey has led me to focus on more of the TOTL stuff the last 12-18 months or so, but every time I dip down into the sub-1k space I seem to find something worthwhile.

Latest is the 7th Acoustics Supernova, as it follows a tour here in Australia, what a fantastic gem this is:

Lovely warm mid-bass, good stage depth, great dynamics, and no peaks or any harshness anywhere in the upper frequencies, I can listen to this all day.

 

[Deezel177]

Q1: +1 No doubt, FitEar! They make it hard to impossible to demo. They have their own dumb cable connection and mostly custom or you pay even more! Unless you want to make a $5000 hail mary, you may never hear one. They have the most barriers of entry of any IEM manufacturer. I assume they think they are creating exclusivity? But due to that, I care and I don't care. Elusive indeed.

They’re absolutely creating exclusivity, and you can’t blame them. They’re basically the JH Audio of Japan; serving the majority of artists there whilst having a huge audiophile clientele too. They’re keeping their own standards as high as possible by limiting international orders, which is admirable. That said, you don’t need a Japanese citizenship or mastery of the language to order from them. They have a number of trusted dealers around Asia, where you can easily place an order.

 

[Sifo]

Weekend survey question 1: What is a brand or IEM or piece of gear that has continued to elude you through the years?
Brand: Kumitate Lab, IEM: Elysian X, and to clarify it is the brand and the IEM that is eluding me, not me avoiding them

Survey question 2: What item is #1 on your radar as we close out 2023?
Unfortunately I think it's the Fei Wan

 

[RonaldS86]

Since you have detected a gap in the market, open up your own shop and compete. Follow in TGX Ear’s footsteps, offer superb sound quality at superb prices. As you know, it takes no skill to complain and whine.


But of course, you won’t actually contribute to the market. Virtue signaling is more your game.

 

[RonaldS86]

What is a brand or IEM or piece of gear that has continued to elude you through the years?
Chord products....not for not wanting to try them or being unable to...there's just something about the brand and their philosophies (and owner) that simply push the wrong buttons.

What item is #1 on your radar as we close out 2023?
The APX, I've wanted a planar for a long while now, maybe this is the first one not to suck and bring a very unique sound to the table? We'll see.

I thought the 7Hz Timeless are quite good? I don't know about Audeze's iSine series though...

 

[Sifo]

They’re absolutely creating exclusivity, and you can’t blame them. They’re basically the JH Audio of Japan; serving the majority of artists there whilst having a huge audiophile clientele too. They’re keeping their own standards as high as possible by limiting international orders, which is admirable. That said, you don’t need a Japanese citizenship or mastery of the language to order from them. They have a number of trusted dealers around Asia, where you can easily place an order.

I have no regrets going out of my way to fly across the world to pay a 30% foreigner tax to buy a custom FitEar. CanJam was a nice side event too

 

[RonaldS86]

I don’t really understand the Chord hate. My M scaler and Dave combo is insane in terms of audio quality. The best I’ve ever heard, and I feel blessed to be able to listen to it every day. But it’s great to have options. Plenty of alternatives if you don’t like Chord.

For me, I think it's not the brand that he hate (or maybe he's not hating it actually?) but more towards the attitude of Rob. But I can understand Rob too. As a designer, he must have a principle about the products that he design or else it'll end up as a market pleaser only and Chord won't be a unique brand that we know (I just don't understand those colored balls control). I used to have Hugo2 too and yes I like how it sounds, but I don't really like the quirky control. I don't mind is it a single ended or balanced as long as the sounds suits me well, but because most of my cable now is a balanced I rarely search a product with a single ended output

 

[Deezel177]

For me, I think it's not the brand that he hate (or maybe he's not hating it actually?) but more towards the attitude of Rob. But I can understand Rob too. As a designer, he must have a principle about the products that he design or else it'll end up as a market pleaser only and Chord won't be a unique brand that we know (I just don't understand those colored balls control). I used to have Hugo2 too and yes I like how it sounds, but I don't really like the quirky control. I don't mind is it a single ended or balanced as long as the sounds suits me well, but because most of my cable now is a balanced I rarely search a product with a single ended output

I’ll never forget my first audition of the OG Hugo, where I thought blue balls = quiet and red balls = loud. It’s safe to say I never made that mistake ever again.

 

[Garney]

Weekend survey question 1: What is a brand or IEM or piece of gear that has continued to elude you through the years?

CFA and Noble. I’ve unfortunately heard nothing from either brand. Ragnar, Spartacus, Andro 2020, Trifecta and Bonneville all on my “want to hear” list.

Survey question 2: What item is #1 on your radar as we close out 2023?

Feeling fairly content with my portable options at the moment… ZMF Atrium Open is the lone blip on my gear radar as we near year end.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Deserve a kidney

I like having my own kidneys for one

I’ll never forget my first audition of the OG Hugo, where I thought blue balls = quiet and red balls = loud. It’s safe to say I never made that mistake ever again.

No coloured balls and I still managed to blast my eardrums off the RME + Wraith