The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
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vladzakhar
1000+ Head-Fier
So, what is the closest IEM to Perpetua sound wise?
Scubadevils
Headphoneus Supremus
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On the subject of DDs, the TS-316 continues to grab a very fair share of my time - the set of choice again tonight after my first day back at work. As I said elsewhere, from a price to performance perspective, definitely my IEM of 2023 and falls more into that all-rounder category... a really wonderful IEM.
I can hear with both Perpetua and Turii Ti why some might dislike due to the difference in FR emphasis - I'm somewhat easy to please with DDs, I've yet to actually 'dislike' any set... the extent to which I love is another matter, but Perpetua already firmly in that love category alongside Turii Ti.
I can hear with both Perpetua and Turii Ti why some might dislike due to the difference in FR emphasis - I'm somewhat easy to please with DDs, I've yet to actually 'dislike' any set... the extent to which I love is another matter, but Perpetua already firmly in that love category alongside Turii Ti.
Scubadevils
Headphoneus Supremus
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It would probably be worth creating a dedicated thread, which we can then link to from our signatures too. Maybe some graphic designers among us who can knock together a logo of sorts?!
two footnotes I’d add:I thought of a few off the top of my head. This better not show up in a future video of yours without due credit.
1) Assume you hear the same way someone else does, and vice-versa: Audio is massively subjective. What’s perfect to someone else may not be perfect to you, and what’s trash to them might appeal to you. That’s not even mentioning the different music you may listen to, different sources you may have, etc.
2) Only read one or two reviews before making a purchase: Going off no. 1, it’s best to gather as many data points as you can before buying anything, so bias is as minimized as possible.
3) Think a brand’s flagship is the one you “have to” buy: This is a mistake I’ve even seen veterans make. Sometimes, the flagship may have better technical performance, but also a tone you may not agree with. So, never discount a brand’s cheaper offerings. They might happen to be the best ones for you.
4) Think reference sound is the ultimate sound: It’s not. Just like warm, bright, punchy or relaxed, it’s just one of many sounds. You might love it, you might hate it. Don’t let marketing fool you. A lot of the products that brands call reference would be laughed out of the studio by actual engineers anyway.
5) Base purchases off a specs sheet: More drivers does not mean better. More crossovers does not mean better. They just give the tuner more options to craft the IEM’s sound with. Whether or not they did a good job crafting is another matter entirely. Not all drivers and crossovers are made the same either. A single-driver IEM with 5 years of R&D can leave a slapped-together, 10-driver hybrid in the dust. So, don’t be shocked if the former turns out pricier and better.
6) Listen way too loud: Not only can this give you a bad impression of an IEM, but it’s bad for your long-term hearing as well. Train yourself to listen quieter, and I guarantee you’ll get more out of IEMs; even the ones you already have.
7) Settle for a lesser product, rather than save a bit more for the one you actually want: I’ve seen people do this countless times, and it only leads to disappointment. After a while, they end up selling off the IEM they settled for at a loss, then saving up again to get what they originally wanted anyway. Save yourself the hassle, just wait a bit longer for the next paycheck or two, and spend it on something you truly desire.
8) Overestimate the differences cables, burn-in, etc. can make: I’ve seen salespeople snake beginners into buying a product they don’t really want by telling them 100 hours of burn-in or swapping out the cable will fix all its problems. In reality, the changes those bring are completely situational, and they won’t turn an IEM into something it’s not. This is especially true if you’re a beginner and you can barely hear those differences anyway.
The last one’s the most situational, but I feel it’s the most crucial one too.
9) Buying without trying: I know, in 70-80% of the world, this is simply down to unavailability. Not everyone lives in SG, HK or JPN, where auditioning every IEM in the world is a car or subway ride away. But, rather than gambling, buying blind and potentially incurring massive losses, I’d always recommend spending the money to go to your nearest CanJam or audio meet, if possible. It’s money you’re likely to lose if you’re blind buying anyway, and you’re at least guaranteed the chance to meet fellow Head-Fi’ers, explore a new city and meet the people behind the products you love. The dozens of products you get to try are almost a bonus, and just those 2 days should be enough to give you a base vocabulary of IEMs that you can then interpret reviews or comparisons better with. For example, maybe you heard the Fei Wan at a CanJam and loved it, but wanted less treble. The next time a respected poster calls an IEM a “warmer Fei Wan,” you’ll know to look out for that IEM.
- demo same stuff at different moods and places. It does really impact what we hear.
- in addition to a good doctor, mechanic and lawyer.. find a good dealer, can really ease your life (cough @TomKorn )
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CharlyBrown
1000+ Head-Fier
Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Looks like you're also not convinced by the "more power = always better" equation?!
Great to see some love for the SP3000!
Scubadevils
Headphoneus Supremus
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The mood / place point is a great note - I've had many scenarios where I've had completely different experiences with music in general depending on mood etc. There have been many albums throughout my life where I've almost dismissed when listening to them the first time, only to try again (and maybe again etc) and ended up becoming some of my most cherished albums. This definitely applies to equipment too.
Probably anything with a subjective element is influenced by our mood. The first time I saw the movie The Other Guys I thought it was whack. But I was in a sour mood. Saw it again some years later when I was feeling better and found it hilarious.
We are fickle creatures lol.
It'll be interesting how Perpetua compares to another ~$3K DD (albeit 2DD) IEM later this year - Duality. I suspect Duality will be the bassier of the two, but the point here is that $3K is a big number for any single/double/triple DD to justify, and it therefore needs to be very different or unique in what it offers when compared to similarly-priced hybrids.
drftr
Headphoneus Supremus
It's absolutely totally diferent. No discussion.
For hybrid lovers it's 2k too expensive. For DD lovers it's a steal.
drftr
jwilliamhurst
Headphoneus Supremus
I think what Perpetua is doing is different from what the similarly priced Hybrids are doing. Perpetua isn’t trying to be relatively anything close to a hybrid. It wears its analogue heart on its sleeve and it’s a smooth musical listen at its best IMO. It’s also high quality custom built driver with high quality build, etc…to me; all of these traits are where the difference is. It’s going against the grain of the current market, the same way Trifecta has, although I would argue the build of Perpetua is higher quality than the trifecta!
It was the Robocop reboot for me. Hated it when I first watched it, has firmly grown on me with repeated viewings. There are nuances to it and a not unwarranted degree of 21st century cynicism that to me ranks it as a much smarter, more coherent film than it first appears.
Quit your frigging jeering, yes, I liked Robocop 2014, I know what I said.
Scubadevils
Headphoneus Supremus
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Yes the build and overall quality is possibly the best I’ve encountered in this hobby - the cable too, everything just oozes premium quality and a joy to behold.
blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
OK, twist my arm....
Plusses, nice big stage for a single DD. I was initially, "yes, this is what I'm talking about!" Especially if comparing to Singularity.
Great detail, not the undisputed champ for a single DD, but up there. I recall the dita s.k having more detailing overall and is probably the most detailed single DD I've heard. Not the most resolving or best resolution, but best direct micro detail. Audio memory being as worthless and vague as it is.
Perp is the flattest IEM I can recall encountering. That can be good or bad for you. I have a 2-channel system that is incredibly flat and just depends on the masters and what you feed it. In this case though and for me, unfortunately, pretty bad since I played everything I could think of through it with every source I had trying to find a good match. The lack of pinna gain and bass rise drives most mixes into an other worldly sonic experience with music you know well. I kept thinking material was no longer mixed properly. That got old fast. I doubted myself and my test tracks and had to grab my old stand by IEM's to verify why I even liked certain songs. It was the monitor, phew.
There is a nasty peak at 6k that makes percussion unbearable to my preferences and ear anatomy. It's the only real gain the IEM has. Flat with a 6k peak.
Bass is flat tight and mixes that would enjoy some mid-bass humpin' are thin as the upper atmosphere. It can dispense moderate bass with appropriate music though.
I enjoyed classical music with RS8 source the most and it worked well for that. I forgot that I was testing a new IEM and it faded into pure music. The experience you want. All the rock genre's and jazz was a hard pass though (trap kits). I rarely listen to vocal focused stuff and assume the treble peak enhances and doesn't detract from that "sweetness".
DD texture was only meh-OK (this is a 3k IEM, its gotta earn it) Turii Ti and Eden had more of that classic analog texture. Turii OG and Singularity had less. It sits in there.
All of my single DD's had better bass quality. Turii Ti was the only one that had less quantity, come to think of it. More than likely that experience is purely genre and recording dependent. Mid-bass vs. Bass vs. Sub-bass. I couldn't get any real slam out of the Perp. It was tight tight tight.
Rock music and Jazz need mid-bass more than deep extension as the only thing you end up shelf'ing is bass drum decay (if you care about accuracy) If you want a stereo with the bass knob juiced, then the more the merrier.
My takeaway was befuddlement as to why DITA would tune their flagship so awkwardly. It does have some top technical chops (for a single DD). As mentioned, class leading or matching stage and detail, but lacked for me in imaging (thanks to the flat tuning), dynamics, texture, timbre, and was probably built for music I don't listen to. If they ever make a retuned version or DITA moves to a tuning closer to s.k, I'd definitely revisit. I think the foundation is solid, this incarnation just didn't work for me.
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linux4ever
Headphoneus Supremus
Same symptoms with my wife. Usually it would be me. But I got spared this time around.
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