[dkar]

That is an awesome set up!! I see you went back to the stock tips with aura I keep going back to them as well haha so good

Yup. Nothing else sounds as good to me, but YMMV. I just wish you could buy these tips separately.

 

[emdeevee]

Thank you @phiemon ! I also appreciate your preferences and experience despite that we hear things so much differently!

I was listening to MM on hyper high gain SS on N30LE.
I find its pairing with DX320 MAX to be the best one, as the bass goes deeper, hits harder, not wooley. Mids are detailed, highs are highlighted but not to the extent to become too bright - but this was the issue with N8ii.

I enjoyed listening to most of these monsters at CanJam Socal and was duly impressed. N30LE is a next gen sort of beast and will be around for awhile as those 400 or so units trickle through the community.

I left Canjam determined to get one of these, the RS8 being the prime candidate. An almost LP6 in sound with all of the features LP6 doesn't have. At the show, a couple of guys lamented that the Shanling flagship wasn't there for demo.

In a rather blind move, and at Jeff's suggestion, I decided to buy the Shanling M9+ instead of these others that I'd already heard and liked. Now, this has turned out to be a great decision as this DAP delivers exactly what I was looking for - a warm, bass-pronounced powerhouse with a black, silent background, ability to stream (tho I use that almost never, but I like having it), and unlike that SP3000, open android system.

What is crazy is how under appreciated this DAP is and I can only think it's due to lack of access and no one has heard it. @Shanling , you should put this DAP on a tour. All of this talk around SP3000 (and no offense to it, it's a great player) and zero discussion of the, IMHO, superior M9+!? Your DAP deserves some notice!

Let me shill it for them. This DAP is lighter and more portable than all the aforementioned TOTL players, I believe. It has a very similar inside architecture as a DS player to the SP3000, but it's tuned a bit more to bass and mids, while still providing an entirely accurate and resolving, punchy sound profile. It has an awesome feature called Pure mode that turns off all Android features and locks you into Shanlings music player which is great (but lacks gapless ) and sounds, well, pure, and if you're playing from SD card, a spectacular sound. I actually use the Android app UAPP which also supposedly bypasses the Android sound limitations, and it's a phenomenal player app and gui.

I saw the diagram from our recent poll and the absence of this DAP was such a disappointment, and should be especially to Shanling. Did I mention this DAP is also much cheaper than all the competition??

Jeff, you will be impressed by it when you finally get the chance to hear it!

Oh yes, as I said in my post I don't pretend it's perfect or that there are not other factors to consider. I just found it interesting and since the data's there why not look at it.



Thanks for sharing. You've actually muted my interest in this somewhat...and perhaps relegated it to the "demo first" category. Eager for more impressions.




In the case of Perpetua, it 100% can IMHO. Though the major caveat is that it really depends on what you're after and what you prioritize. Along with the Bonneville the Perpetua was the major surprise of 2023 for me. Grateful for folks like @Sajid Amit , @jwilliamhurst, @drftr and others for putting me onto it and compelling me to go blind on an IEM for the first time since 2019.



Congrats my friend. I've really enjoyed watching you go from slowly and cautiously dipping your toes to hoovering up numerous TOTL IEMs at an alarming rate while still maintaining clear composure around what it is you're after. Looking forward to seeing what's next for you.



I got one of those too . I gotta say a definite highlight for me has been Campfire's return to the scene this past couple years. 2020/2021 weren't particularly kind to them and at one point I even wondered if the brand was finished. 2022/2023 has seen them return to form in a massive way with a string of top tier releases that sit comfortably among my very favorites. I've always had a special spot in my heart for this brand as they're somewhat local to me and were my first exposure to high end IEMs. I'm glad that they're still staying true to themselves, doing their own thing and succeeding marvelously in the high end space on their own terms. Here's to another great year and more to come.

Question: What's the first IEM you expect to buy in 2024?

It was going to be Project M, but based on the recent reviews, I may wait and demo.

I am afraid it could end up being a Kinera Loki Emerald, but the Elysian Pilgrim could be easier to swallow. Thankfully, I'm loaded with demos right now, so not feeling any immediate urges to buy any iems right now.

 

[aaf evo]

I enjoyed listening to most of these monsters at CanJam Socal and was duly impressed. N30LE is a next gen sort of beast and will be around for awhile as those 400 or so units trickle through the community.

I left Canjam determined to get one of these, the RS8 being the prime candidate. An almost LP6 in sound with all of the features LP6 doesn't have. At the show, a couple of guys lamented that the Shanling flagship wasn't there for demo.

In a rather blind move, and at Jeff's suggestion, I decided to buy the Shanling M9+ instead of these others that I'd already heard and liked. Now, this has turned out to be a great decision as this DAP delivers exactly what I was looking for - a warm, bass-pronounced powerhouse with a black, silent background, ability to stream (tho I use that almost never, but I like having it), and unlike that SP3000, open android system.

What is crazy is how under appreciated this DAP is and I can only think it's due to lack of access and no one has heard it. @Shanling , you should put this DAP on a tour. All of this talk around SP3000 (and no offense to it, it's a great player) and zero discussion of the, IMHO, superior M9+!? Your DAP deserves some notice!

Let me shill it for them. This DAP is lighter and more portable than all the aforementioned TOTL players, I believe. It has a very similar inside architecture as a DS player to the SP3000, but it's tuned a bit more to bass and mids, while still providing an entirely accurate and resolving, punchy sound profile. It has an awesome feature called Pure mode that turns off all Android features and locks you into Shanlings music player which is great (but lacks gapless ) and sounds, well, pure, and if you're playing from SD card, a spectacular sound. I actually use the Android app UAPP which also supposedly bypasses the Android sound limitations, and it's a phenomenal player app and gui.

I saw the diagram from our recent poll and the absence of this DAP was such a disappointment, and should be especially to Shanling. Did I mention this DAP is also much cheaper than all the competition??

Jeff, you will be impressed by it when you finally get the chance to hear it!

It was going to be Project M, but based on the recent reviews, I may wait and demo.

I am afraid it could end up being a Kinera Loki Emerald, but the Elysian Pilgrim could be easier to swallow. Thankfully, I'm loaded with demos right now, so not feeling any immediate urges to buy any iems right now.

It’s pretty crazy how under the radar the M9+ went. I think it’s because the M9 already existed for a bit and on paper the differences were small, it’s such a great DAP though. Shanling make amazing players.

 

[gLer]

Question: What's the first IEM you expect to buy in 2024?

Does it count if you bought it in 2023 but will only get delivery in 2024?

 

[Rockwell75]

I enjoyed listening to most of these monsters at CanJam Socal and was duly impressed. N30LE is a next gen sort of beast and will be around for awhile as those 400 or so units trickle through the community.

I left Canjam determined to get one of these, the RS8 being the prime candidate. An almost LP6 in sound with all of the features LP6 doesn't have. At the show, a couple of guys lamented that the Shanling flagship wasn't there for demo.

In a rather blind move, and at Jeff's suggestion, I decided to buy the Shanling M9+ instead of these others that I'd already heard and liked. Now, this has turned out to be a great decision as this DAP delivers exactly what I was looking for - a warm, bass-pronounced powerhouse with a black, silent background, ability to stream (tho I use that almost never, but I like having it), and unlike that SP3000, open android system.

What is crazy is how under appreciated this DAP is and I can only think it's due to lack of access and no one has heard it. @Shanling , you should put this DAP on a tour. All of this talk around SP3000 (and no offense to it, it's a great player) and zero discussion of the, IMHO, superior M9+!? Your DAP deserves some notice!

Let me shill it for them. This DAP is lighter and more portable than all the aforementioned TOTL players, I believe. It has a very similar inside architecture as a DS player to the SP3000, but it's tuned a bit more to bass and mids, while still providing an entirely accurate and resolving, punchy sound profile. It has an awesome feature called Pure mode that turns off all Android features and locks you into Shanlings music player which is great (but lacks gapless ) and sounds, well, pure, and if you're playing from SD card, a spectacular sound. I actually use the Android app UAPP which also supposedly bypasses the Android sound limitations, and it's a phenomenal player app and gui.

I saw the diagram from our recent poll and the absence of this DAP was such a disappointment, and should be especially to Shanling. Did I mention this DAP is also much cheaper than all the competition??

Jeff, you will be impressed by it when you finally get the chance to hear it!

It was going to be Project M, but based on the recent reviews, I may wait and demo.

I am afraid it could end up being a Kinera Loki Emerald, but the Elysian Pilgrim could be easier to swallow. Thankfully, I'm loaded with demos right now, so not feeling any immediate urges to buy any iems right now.

I agree about the Shanling sound and right now it, along with my giving the SE300 another go, is the top candidate for me if I'm looking for another source. At the very least I'd love to hear it. The M8 got me properly hooked on the Shanling sound and, after finding the M9 a bit of a disappointment, I decided to pass on the M9+ at first. By all accounts the M9+ seems like it's Shanling's best flagship yet.

FWIW its lack of appearance in that first tally of the survey was a glitch. Here is the final count, where the M9+ sits comfortably along with other greats of this era:

 

[emdeevee]

It’s pretty crazy how under the radar the M9+ went. I think it’s because the M9 already existed for a bit and on paper the differences were small, it’s such a great DAP though. Shanling make amazing players.

This M9+ is supposedly a big step up from M9, though like the plus, I never heard it either. People say this has more the sound of the M8, which I also never heard.

But knowing how well the M9+ does sound, and considering the sheer price to performance ratio, it's just crazy that no one talks about it.

 

[aaf evo]

This M9+ is supposedly a big step up from M9, though like the plus, I never heard it either. People say this has more the sound of the M8, which I also never heard.

But knowing how well the M9+ does sound, and considering the sheer price to performance ratio, it's just crazy that no one talks about it.

I thought SQ wise the M9+ was definitely an improvement, it had more of the M8 DNA but on a higher level.

 

[kumar402]

Looks like Sony and Shanling are equally popular and understandably so as both have long standing pedigree.
Any comparison between both DAP will be helpful.

 

[Simpeler]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays Cooler Friends
May it be a joyous, peaceful and cheerful time for all of you!
Thank you for making this my favorite place on the internet!

Happy holidays and the best of wishes to everyone.

Looking forward to an amazing 2024!
And sharing this hobby with this wonderful community.

 

[kevin638880]

Question: What's the first IEM you expect to buy in 2024?

Hopefully nothing. Realistically VE X / Elysian Dio and probably 5 more random things that I happen to like at the time of audition.

Same here. In addition I've learned to avoid sets that seem tuned for J and K Pop...not that there's anything wrong with that genre or IEMs tuned for it...but I've learned that it's generally outside my preferences. All of that said my #1 rule still applies and I'll suspend judgement until I hear it...I just probably won't go blind on it now. Perpetua is arguably IEM of the year for me, and I've heard some pretty great sets this year. Dita certainly has my undivided attention at the moment.

As an avid Jpop listener, I also actively avoid any "J/Kpop tuned" IEMs, and none of them got along with me as they are nearly universally thin and bright.

Gotta keep up man! No I sold the N30 LE a little after CanJam Dallas because I almost had a stroke that weekend trying to use it “on the go.” On top of that I didn’t find N30 + Fei Wan synergy to be that great so I sold it to basically put some $ towards the FW and BH 4 wire cable. I bought the HiBy R8 II, still a brick but there’s some QoL improvements over N30 LE that make it much more enjoyable for portable use, and the price/performance of it is fantastic.

Next month: N30LE AP incoming.

 

[aaf evo]

Next month: N30LE AP incoming.

Haha nah, my $4000+ source phase was very short lived. I can’t stomach the cost when there’s really good stuff around $2k ish.

N30 LE is the though, definitely the best thing I’ve heard from all the Android DAPs I’ve tried.

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Updates on some tours coming your way through Jeff or myself:

1. Two New Effect Audio Cables (Underway, multiple units)
2. PLUSSOUND cables and cases (underway)
3. Kinera Loki (One unit, this tour is run by Jeff)
4. FatFreq Scarlet Mini (multiple units, starting January 2023)
5. Rhaphsodio Supreme V3 / Fantasia Copper (Australians get this first - Sammy preference, February 2023)
6. Unannounced product (February 2023)
7. Unannounced products, new brands (March 2023, we love CANJAM!)

As always, things could be shuffled around and moved around! You never really know what's up coming down the line.

 

[stacey]

Question: What's the first IEM you expect to buy in 2024?

Shockingly I didn’t buy any IEMs after Odyssey in 2022. Probably Storm, but that probably won’t be until Canjam SG at the earliest.

There's always a story stats don't tell though. Like, Ronin being 3rd last most likely only means people being able to afford 4k for an IEM can also afford 6k (and find those better). While for U12t at 2k and the same score that may be very different.

drftr

IDK how most people work on here but 6k is 33% more than 4k. Generally I’d have to budget and save for a 2k, 4k, 6k, etc IEM. It’s not a purchase that I could swipe randomly on my credit card. If I’m that impressed and taken by an IEM , sure but it’s not the norm that I’d immediately like a 6k IEM so much that I’d buy it.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Gotta keep up man! No I sold the N30 LE a little after CanJam Dallas because I almost had a stroke that weekend trying to use it “on the go.” On top of that I didn’t find N30 + Fei Wan synergy to be that great so I sold it to basically put some $ towards the FW and BH 4 wire cable. I bought the HiBy R8 II, still a brick but there’s some QoL improvements over N30 LE that make it much more enjoyable for portable use, and the price/performance of it is fantastic.

Do you think FW matches better with R8.2 than RS8?

 

[aaf evo]

Do you think FW matches better with R8.2 than RS8?

I like how R8II is fairly neutral with a small hint of warmth to it that makes it sound quite natural, but FW to me had slightly better synergy with RS8 and WM1Z-M2. With that said I think it sounds great on R8 II also, there’s just very little coloration being done to the sound so I guess it depends what type of synergy you’re after! Realistically I’d be content with any of them for FW.