[Rockwell75]

Beautiful pair. If you had to choose only one between 1Z and RS8, which one you would choose?

The WM1Z absolutely no question. This is the player and the sound I've been searching for high and low for years-- and it's been right under my nose the whole time. For me the WM1Z is the absolute master of musicality and refinement and, purely in terms of sound quality, I don't think this player has been topped to this day. By "musicality" I mean something close to what is generally meant by "analogue" in that it in the ultimate sense it comes down to "feel" and a perception of the sound just flowing over you in a nautural, effortless and cohesive sort of way. In this way, while it is not R2R, the WM1Z to my ears manifests similarly to R2R players I've heard like the RS8 and LP6, one of which I presently own and the other I owned for a large part of this year. The RS8 is a great player don't get me wrong but in addition to my general affection for Sony aesthetics and the Sony sound the WM1Z also has the advantage of being more compact and portable and the RS8 is quite a brick and in many ways set up (with the cable jack on the bottom) as more of a transportable desktop device. For this reason alone the WM1Z would be my choice purely in practical terms.

The sound though...I just can't get enough of it. It's got that LP6 like quality where it injects a bit of its own magic through whatever transducers are plugged into it only I've come to believe that the latent tonality of the WM1Z is just slightly more to my liking than the LP6 Gold...or at least it's more synergistic with my IEMs. My recent revelation with the Fei Wan is the most recent example. On prior demos with the FW I referred to it as technically astounding but occasionally overwhelming-- it blew my mind in one instance and then I'd be skipping tracks due to too much energy up top in the next. By the time I'd gotten my hands on the WM1Z I'd long since sent the FW kit on but once I hearing it I wondered to myself if this player might be just the fix I needed for the FW-- so I made some arrangements and due to the boundles munificence and eminene of GOAT Andrew at @MusicTeck I was able to secure the kit for one more weekend...and I'm so glad I did. Yesterday I spent about 8 hours listening to the FW through the WM1Z and it was pure bliss the whole time. WM1Z takes every single element of the sound sig and polishes/refines it to perfection. Nothing sounded too energetic, everything was just right and the bass, while not the focus or star of the show at all with FW imho, was eminently satisfying. The thing about the FW for me is that it straddles the line in a couple areas--- which is just how I like it. I'm not personally interested in a really relaxed sound...I like energy, just properly balanced and not too much of it. Because of this as @MRT-Man indicated below FW is very sensitive to sources and other tweaks as just a nudge here or there in the wrong direction can push it over the line for some...which is just what had happened with me on earlier demos.

While I'm on the topic I thought I'd share a few more thoughts on the Fei Wan. To me and to my ears and mode of classifying things it's a masterpiece of what I'd call "Asian/eastern hifi tuning". By this type of tuning I just mean that it's the sort of set where my locus of attention is skewed upward on the FR. I'm more fixated on air & space between instruments and the bass is primarily in a supporting role. This doesn't imply weak bass or overly boosted highs (though this sometimes happens)-- it's more of a top down perspective of the sound. IEMs that I would put into this category include the Annihilator, Mentor, Grand Maestro and the Fei Wan...and imho, and according to my sensibilities the Fei Wan is master of them all...assuming you can get the synergy right for your tastes. The FW stands above the others for me in that it manages to bring together a number of tremendous factors without falling prey to any of the pitfalls which have written off other, simiilar IEMs for me elsewhere-- poor bass quality, lean lower mids, excess energy up top etc. Fei Wan's strong suit imho is in its amazing holographic presentation and imaging. Every element of the sound has its own mini 360 degree atmosphere , is beautifully transparent and fully resolving within that spance, and yet blends completely and cohesively with everything around it. This is a hard balance to pull off as just a bit more and the various elements of the sound would almost mainfest as disjoint from one another, like one of those plates of food you get as a child where the peas, meat and potatoes are all completely sectioned off in their own space. The Rn6 is an example of an IEM that I'm finding to go a bit too far in this direction and feel like that.

On the other side is what I'd call an "American/western hifi tuning". This latter is characterized by a more "bass first" or bottom up perspective. IEMs in this category for me would be the Trifecta, Xe6, Raven, Bonneville...and imho the Trifecta presently stands as the towering achievement of this sort of tuning in the IEM space right now, with no signs of being bettered any time soon. Of course, YMMV and all that fully applies here

Trifecta and Fei Wan, then, represent the ultimate yin/yang for me right now.

This treble peak is why I sold my Perpetua. After awhile I couldn't unhear it, try as I might with tip, cable, and source rolling. As good as the bass and timbre was, I moved on from Perpetua thanks to the tizzzzz.

I think, as with FW, sources and personal ear anatomy will come to bear here. The Perpetua (and the Trifecta for that matter) is another IEM that really came into its own for me with the WM1Z. It's polishes and refines the whole presentation and makes it all smooth as silk. Those 3 IEMs along with that player are my holy triumverate right now. Though I totally understand that this is an entirely YMMV situation and for some the Perp just might not work.

I just lost my dog 3 days ago, he froze to death when someone at the house let him out when I was on vacation. We had our time with them, we did our duty and now they return home. Sorry for your loss, it certainly is difficult.

Brother my heart goes out to you-- I can't imagine having to deal with such a sudden and unnecessary loss.

I do a lot of business with Tony and Audio46. Always treated me well.

I got to meet Tony on a trip to Manhattan in 2019. Great guy. He tried to sell me the Noble Khan ..which it turns out was not the ideal exposure to Noble for me as I avoided their IEMs for years afterwards.

I see a blind buy in my future

Now that's a really great idea, I'd use this a lot if it existed. Or a link straight to the merch.





FINALLY, I know the name of your avatar!

LOL

The Canpur CP622B keeps being pure bliss. The most shocking fact is that no matter how much you turn the volume down, it keeps the punch and tactility. It's like it's sending these slaps and ticks from the music right into your brain. It's by far the best IEM for listening on low volume. The midrange is just fantastic, it truly reminds me of the Susvara. The top end treble extension is lacking behind my personal preference (Annihilator). Thank god for that, because otherwise i would seriously think of selling my Anni.

I have that one here this weekend also...if I can only pry the FW out of my ears.

I am aware of the negative stereotypical perception that the Chinese language all sounds the same... but I am sure you mean the Aroma Audio FEI WAN in stead of ...
Apologies for being pedantic.

Sorry I didn't mean to come off as flippant or disrespectful. There was a piece of marketing for Fei Wan somewhere in the past few weeks that had the spelling mistake "Fei Wang"...ever since in my head I've said "Fay Wang" whenever thinking of the IEM.

Right Shop emailed me this morning to confirm my order. Just waiting on that shipping confirmation.
In the interim I've spent the morning eyeing Instagram photos on various monitors and color grading is throwing me off. Obviously I'm going to have to temper my impatience and wait until these are in-hand--I've only been eyeing them for the better part of a year now--but I'm determined to find a cable that's an exact color match. Just need to determine if these are a bright yellow gold as opposed to more of a copper-y tone. Thinking it'll be my mcguffin hunt for CanJam 2024.

Awesome. It's a great feeling when you land something you've been coveting for a while. I think you'll find it looks quite stunning in person, moreso thant the pictures will convey.

Hot stuff incomingg

Epic! Can't wait to read your thoughts.

Having talked with with a few members here and they’ve told me that I should really push to get the CFA Trifecta because it is in fact the “tallest” sounding IEM they’ve heard and ultimately “height” in sound presentation is what I’m looking for.

Coming from the Atlas I don't think there is a better place to land than the Trifecta-- it's a comprehensive upgrade across the board imho (Atlas was my first TOTL CFA IEM...gosh 5 years ago now.

 

[aaf evo]

The thing about the FW for me is that it straddles the line in a couple areas. Because of this as @MRT-Man indicated below it's very sensitive to sources and other tweaks as just a nudge here or there in the wrong direction can push it over the line for some...which is just what had happened with me on earlier demos.

While I'm not the topic I thought I'd share a few more thoughts on the Fei Wan. To me and to my ears and mode of classifying things it's a masterpiece of what I'd call "Asian/eastern hifi tuning". By this type of tuning I just mean that it's the sort of set where my locus of attention is skewed upward on the FR. I'm more fixated on air & space between instruments and the bass is primarily in a supporting role. This doesn't imply weak bass or overly boosted highs (though this sometimes happens)-- it's more of a top down perspective of the sound. IEMs that I would put into this category include the Annihilator, Mentor, Grand Maestro and the Fei Wan...and imho, and according to my sensibilities the Fei Wan is master of them all...assuming you can get the synergy right for your tastes. The FW stands above the others for me in that it manages to bring together a number of tremendous factors without falling prey to any of the pitfalls which have written off other, simiilar IEMs for me elsewhere-- poor bass quality, lean lower mids, excess energy up top etc. Fei Wan's strong suit imho is in its amazing holographic presentation and imaging. Every element of the sound has its own mini 360 degree atmosphere , is beautifully transparent and fully resolving within that spance, and yet blends completely and cohesively with everything around it. This is a hard balance to pull off as just a bit more and the various elements of the sound would almost mainfest as disjoint from one another, like one of those plates of food you get as a child where the peas, meat and potatoes are all completely sectioned off in their own space. The Rn6 is an example of an IEM that I'm finding to go a bit too far in this direction and feel like that.

Great points, I've mentioned some of these here before when I had the universal. The Fei Wan has a tuning that is very easy to let it get out of character and this makes it every sensitive to the entire chain. Tips, cable, and source can all impact the way it comes off and that's why I spent a good amount of time with my own universal before I committed to a CIEM. I wanted to put it under several different conditions to see how I would hear it as a CIEM based off my own experience in how to "mimic" a CIEM sound from a universal and for me it paid off heavily. The WM1Z-M2 was also an incredible pair up for me with the Fei Wan, I preferred that over the R8 II I have but this DAP works better for my entire collection.

I hear the Fei Wan similarly to how you describe it in your post here. The type of tuning it goes for it does it unbelievably well and the technicals it has just put it on an entirely different tier to what else I think is available with a similar sound signature.

Funny you mention RN6, I swore up and down since day one the Fei Wan was an "improved" RN6 and I still stand by that, so it makes me feel a little giddy inside to see someone else view it the same way.

I did some A/B'ing last night to the 622b and what strikes me the most is that the 622b has a "cleaner" and more reference sound relative to the more bombastic approach of the Fei Wan, but the Fei Wan manages to slightly out-resolve it which I can't explain.

While IEMs with a tuning like Fei Wan will always be more divisive, it's clear Aroma knows how to make some damn good IEMs.

 

[jwbrent]

My latest addition to my IEM collection. I’m burning in the cable as we speak, so I’ll have more to say in a few days about the performance, but my initial reaction is

 

[blotmouse]

Every PWAudio cable I owned fell apart...

Alas, I am watching this happen in slow motion and nauseating effect to my 1960s. It's the only PW that gets regular action.

My latest addition to my IEM collection. I’m burning in the cable as we speak, so I’ll have more to say in a few days about the performance, but my initial reaction is

LPGT Ti is my favorite designed DAP. Such perfection in form and function.

 

[monf3307]

(delete)

 

[wolfstar76]

The WM1Z absolutely no question. This is the player and the sound I've been searching for high and low for years-- and it's been right under my nose the whole time. For me the WM1Z is the absolute master of musicality and refinement and, purely in terms of sound quality, I don't think this player has been topped to this day. By "musicality" I mean something close to what is generally meant by "analogue" in that it in the ultimate sense it comes down to "feel" and a perception of the sound just flowing over you in a nautural, effortless and cohesive sort of way. In this way, while it is not R2R, the WM1Z to my ears manifests similarly to R2R players I've heard like the RS8 and LP6, one of which I presently own and the other I owned for a large part of this year. The RS8 is a great player don't get me wrong but in addition to my general affection for Sony aesthetics and the Sony sound the WM1Z also has the advantage of being more compact and portable and the RS8 is quite a brick and in many ways set up (with the cable jack on the bottom) as more of a transportable desktop device. For this reason alone the WM1Z would be my choice purely in practical terms.

The sound though...I just can't get enough of it. It's got that LP6 like quality where it injects a bit of its own magic through whatever transducers are plugged into it only I've come to believe that the latent tonality of the WM1Z is just slightly more to my liking than the LP6 Gold...or at least it's more synergistic with my IEMs. My recent revelation with the Fei Wan is the most recent example. On prior demos with the FW I referred to it as technically astounding but occasionally overwhelming-- it blew my mind in one instance and then I'd be skipping tracks due to too much energy up top in the next. By the time I'd gotten my hands on the WM1Z I'd long since sent the FW kit on but once I hearing it I wondered to myself if this player might be just the fix I needed for the FW-- so I made some arrangements and due to the boundles munificence and eminene of GOAT Andrew at @MusicTeck I was able to secure the kit for one more weekend...and I'm so glad I did. Yesterday I spent about 8 hours listening to the FW through the WM1Z and it was pure bliss the whole time. WM1Z takes every single element of the sound sig and polishes/refines it to perfection. Nothing sounded too energetic, everything was just right and the bass, while not the focus or star of the show at all with FW imho, was eminently satisfying. The thing about the FW for me is that it straddles the line in a couple areas--- which is just how I like it. I'm not personally interested in a really relaxed sound...I like energy, just properly balanced and not too much of it. Because of this as @MRT-Man indicated below FW is very sensitive to sources and other tweaks as just a nudge here or there in the wrong direction can push it over the line for some...which is just what had happened with me on earlier demos.

While I'm not the topic I thought I'd share a few more thoughts on the Fei Wan. To me and to my ears and mode of classifying things it's a masterpiece of what I'd call "Asian/eastern hifi tuning". By this type of tuning I just mean that it's the sort of set where my locus of attention is skewed upward on the FR. I'm more fixated on air & space between instruments and the bass is primarily in a supporting role. This doesn't imply weak bass or overly boosted highs (though this sometimes happens)-- it's more of a top down perspective of the sound. IEMs that I would put into this category include the Annihilator, Mentor, Grand Maestro and the Fei Wan...and imho, and according to my sensibilities the Fei Wan is master of them all...assuming you can get the synergy right for your tastes. The FW stands above the others for me in that it manages to bring together a number of tremendous factors without falling prey to any of the pitfalls which have written off other, simiilar IEMs for me elsewhere-- poor bass quality, lean lower mids, excess energy up top etc. Fei Wan's strong suit imho is in its amazing holographic presentation and imaging. Every element of the sound has its own mini 360 degree atmosphere , is beautifully transparent and fully resolving within that spance, and yet blends completely and cohesively with everything around it. This is a hard balance to pull off as just a bit more and the various elements of the sound would almost mainfest as disjoint from one another, like one of those plates of food you get as a child where the peas, meat and potatoes are all completely sectioned off in their own space. The Rn6 is an example of an IEM that I'm finding to go a bit too far in this direction and feel like that.

On the other side is what I'd call an "American/western hifi tuning". This latter is characterized by a more "bass first" or bottom up perspective. IEMs in this category for me would be the Trifecta, Xe6, Raven, Bonneville...and imho the Trifecta presently stands as the towering achievement of this sort of tuning in the IEM space right now, with no signs of being bettered any time soon. Of course, YMMV and all that fully applies here

Trifecta and Fei Wan, then, represent the ultimate yin/yang for me right now.



I think, as with FW, sources and personal ear anatomy will come to bear here. The Perpetua (and the Trifecta for that matter) is another IEM that really came into its own for me with the WM1Z. It's polishes and refines the whole presentation and makes it all smooth as silk. Those 3 IEMs along with that player are my holy triumverate right now. Though I totally understand that this is an entirely YMMV situation and for some the Perp just might not work.



Brother my heart goes out to you-- I can't imagine having to deal with such a sudden and unnecessary loss.



I got to meet Tony on a trip to Manhattan in 2019. Great guy. He tried to sell me the Noble Khan ..which it turns out was not the ideal exposure to Noble for me as I avoided their IEMs for years afterwards.



I see a blind buy in my future



LOL



I have that one here this weekend also...if I can only pry the FW out of my ears.



Sorry I didn't mean to come off as flippant or disrespectful. There was a piece of marketing for Fei Wan somewhere in the past few weeks that had the spelling mistake "Fei Wang"...ever since in my head I've said "Fay Wang" whenever thinking of the IEM.



Awesome. It's a great feeling when you land something you've been coveting for a while. I think you'll find it looks quite stunning in person, moreso thant the pictures will convey.



Epic! Can't wait to read your thoughts.



Coming from the Atlas I don't think there is a better place to land than the Trifecta-- it's a comprehensive upgrade across the board imho (Atlas was my first TOTL CFA IEM...gosh 5 years ago now.

Wow, thank you for this elaboration, did not expect such a detailed impression. You have successfully piqued my interest for my next DAP, I was repeated told by others that 1A and 1Z differs mostly by the firmware and I can just install the 1Z flavor of the MrWalman firmware. Now I will start to look for 1Z with good remaining battery.

 

[named name]

Sorry I didn't mean to come off as flippant or disrespectful. There was a piece of marketing for Fei Wan somewhere in the past few weeks that had the spelling mistake "Fei Wang"...ever since in my head I've said "Fay Wang" whenever thinking of the IEM.

I know for sure you didn't mean any disrespect of any sort. It is interesting to read about your impressions on how the FW has changed favorably with the pairing with the WM1Z, in similar vein I think you should give the Rn6 a go with gold brick. Would be interested with how you find that particular pairing, since the FW has repeated been compared to be similar to the Rn6 in tuning, though with more upper mid range and treble and less mid bass and overall bass physicality.

 

[Simpeler]

Alas, I am watching this happen in slow motion and nauseating effect to my 1960s. It's the only PW that gets regular action.

LPGT Ti is my favorite designed DAP. Such perfection in form and function.

Fully agree, wish more daps had same size and quality

 

[bigbeans]

I know for sure you didn't mean any disrespect of any sort. It is interesting to read about your impressions on how the FW has changed favorably with the pairing with the WM1Z, in similar vein I think you should give the Rn6 a go with gold brick. Would be interested with how you find that particular pairing, since the FW has repeated been compared to be similar to the Rn6 in tuning, though with more upper mid range and treble and less mid bass and overall bass physicality.

The Cooler often births not so flattering nicknames for prestigious gear, quite a few are minted by @aaf evo himself.

Some examples include:
DMP Z1 (DuMP)
Fei Wan (Fei Wang)
Canpur (Canpoor)
Trifecta (Ball sack, Ken's Balls, poop-fecta etc)
Indigo (IndiGOAT)
Storm (s**t storm)
Camelot (cum-a-lot)
Elysian- NEXT WEEK

 

[leylandi]

Great points, I've mentioned some of these here before when I had the universal. The Fei Wan has a tuning that is very easy to let it get out of character and this makes it every sensitive to the entire chain. Tips, cable, and source can all impact the way it comes off and that's why I spent a good amount of time with my own universal before I committed to a CIEM. I wanted to put it under several different conditions to see how I would hear it as a CIEM based off my own experience in how to "mimic" a CIEM sound from a universal and for me it paid off heavily. The WM1Z-M2 was also an incredible pair up for me with the Fei Wan, I preferred that over the R8 II I have but this DAP works better for my entire collection.

I hear the Fei Wan similarly to how you describe it in your post here. The type of tuning it goes for it does it unbelievably well and the technicals it has just put it on an entirely different tier to what else I think is available with a similar sound signature.

Funny you mention RN6, I swore up and down since day one the Fei Wan was an "improved" RN6 and I still stand by that, so it makes me feel a little giddy inside to see someone else view it the same way.

I did some A/B'ing last night to the 622b and what strikes me the most is that the 622b has a "cleaner" and more reference sound relative to the more bombastic approach of the Fei Wan, but the Fei Wan manages to slightly out-resolve it which I can't explain.

While IEMs with a tuning like Fei Wan will always be more divisive, it's clear Aroma knows how to make some damn good IEMs.

WM1Z M2 vs R8 II?

 

[Rockwell75]

The Cooler often births not so flattering nicknames for prestigious gear, quite a few are minted by @aaf evo himself.

Some examples include:
DMP Z1 (DuMP)
Fei Wan (Fei Wang)
Canpur (Canpoor)
Trifecta (Ball sack, Ken's Balls, poop-fecta etc)
Indigo (IndiGOAT)
Storm (s**t storm)
Camelot (cum-a-lot)
Elysian- NEXT WEEK

While those are all funny (except the Trifecta one of course :/ ) I think the issue here is that to someone without proper context it might appear that I was making fun of the Chinese language itself in my reference to the IEM...I think that's all @named name wanted to point out. Of course I wasn't doing that at all however I'm happy he brought that thought to my attention as it had not occurred to me.

 

[btwine]

I think, as with FW, sources and personal ear anatomy will come to bear here.

My ear anatomy is the biggest wild card in any IEM chain for me. I have “collapsed dog leg” ear canals which do unpredictable things to sound profiles. Perpetua has too much sizzle and Fei Wan hits my high end sweet spot, what?!?! My mileage varies, indeed.

Yesterday I spent about 8 hours listening to the FW through the WM1Z and it was pure bliss the whole time. WM1Z takes every single element of the sound sig and polishes/refines it to perfection. Nothing sounded too energetic, everything was just right and the bass, while not the focus or star of the show at all with FW imho, was eminently satisfying. The thing about the FW for me is that it straddles the line in a couple areas--- which is just how I like it. I'm not personally interested in a really relaxed sound...I like energy, just properly balanced and not too much of it.

I get similar results with the M9+ on the Fei Wan, along with the 1950s Shielding cable and Azla Sedna Max tips. In particular, M9+ adds warmth and tames the high end energy just a touch. I find M9+ also to be a bit less resolving than some other TOTL DAPs, and with a bit of a smaller stage. But Fei Wan can absorb those qualities and still show plenty of detail and spaciousness to spare.

Trifecta and Fei Wan, then, represent the ultimate yin/yang for me right now.

A helpful distinction between these two styles. They are really complementary parts of my roster right now. Tremendous bass on both, though with different centering principles. I really enjoy A/Bing them on the same medium to high-energy rock songs, separate but equal experiences.

 

[nikbr]

A/Bing Fiio M15S vs Venture Electronics Stack for AüR Aurora and Neon Pro

This one I just shared in The Discovery Thread. I welcome anyone who finds it interesting to have a look here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17904389

 

[KuroKitsu]

Wow, thank you for this elaboration, did not expect such a detailed impression. You have successfully piqued my interest for my next DAP, I was repeated told by others that 1A and 1Z differs mostly by the firmware and I can just install the 1Z flavor of the MrWalman firmware. Now I will start to look for 1Z with good remaining battery.

I've always felt those claims were hyperbole and I've stayed away from that.

I was able to try a stock fw 1A against one with the modded fw (both unmodded hardware wise and off Direct Sound) and heard what I deemed a miniscule difference, maybe around 1% (or less). So I highly doubt that is the case.

If anything, if would be the difference in wires (and some other components) between the 1A and 1Z. A more reasonable claim I've seen is that modded 1As and 1Zs are essentially the same with just the chassis being the difference.

TL-DR Save the money and get a modded 1A, FW differences are miniscule and if anything the hardware mods are what makes the difference.

 

[aaf evo]

WM1Z M2 vs R8 II?

I’ll keep it generic since I can’t A/B them anymore. The M2 has special sauce in the bass and mids. I don’t know what Sony does but their playback of bass and mids to me come off incredibly authentic. There’s something about how the ZM2 handles bass decay that just sounds so convincing to me. The mids on M2 also have really nice timbre and layering. The treble on M2 is where it’s not the most convincing, it sounds a little digital and uneven and this doesn’t work for some IEMs.

The R8 II feels neutral with a hint of warmth. It doesn’t do much to color your IEMs or try bring any sort of special sauce. What’s “special” about the R8 II is that it sounds neutral but not dry or sterile, most neutral DAPs to my ear come off as cold, bright, or slightly analytical. So I feel HiBy did really well here to avoid that. Whether or not it’s something you care for or appreciate is a different story.

In terms of DAP performance, it’s no contest. The M2 is sluggish and feels way outdated from a UI perspective and the R8 is running a newer android with a much faster processor. It’s also got much more juice to drive more power hungry IEMs and the battery life is pretty damn good on it.

For some of my IEMs the M2 brought some magic that was hard to unhear, but with others it’s a little lacklustre and lacking in power to push my IEMs to their full potential.

Hope that helps.