[Scubadevils]

really good list, kinda proud of how much i have heard on here lol but still a huge list with tons i haven't.

So many on the list I don't have - going to keep me busy!

 

[rantng]

DROP has the Campfire Audio Supermoon for $799 - https://drop.com/buy/campfire-audio-supermoon-iem?

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

DROP has the Campfire Audio Supermoon for $799 - https://drop.com/buy/campfire-audio-supermoon-iem?

That's a good value. I would recommend it at that price if the owner can handle it's aggressive tonality. I have the CIEM and that solved much of the aggressiveness problems for me that I had with the Universal. And, I like it with UTWS5 tws earhooks. Great set for pop music.

 

[Steranko]

Who still thinks LP6 TI is still one of the best DAPs out there?

 

[emdeevee]

Who still thinks LP6 TI is still one of the best DAPs out there?

Everybody on the LP7 waitlist!

 

[PassionForMusic]

Everybody on the LP7 waitlist!

Why does it look like it is out in the snow? Never mind it is on marble. Got worried there for a second.

 

[yaps66]

Allright! Sounds great to me!
I Should most likely be able to attend then! Especially if you do it in the Netherlands, that’s even manageable to go by car.

So there’s no thread on the forum yet for this meetup?



You mean like this ?



Here I tried them both with my Rosenkranz Silver HB since I’m planing on purchasing a cable for those cuties.
For the looks , I’d give a slight edge to Adam, the hardware just looks a tiny bit more intricate and the color scheme is a bit easier to match with different IEMs.
Laura looks super cool too, but I just wish it was a little brighter in color, especially the copper plating on the hardware is not “coppery” enough and sometimes tends a bit too much towards bronze color. Anyway… Just personal taste stuff…
Handling / ergonomics is a bit better on Adam. Laura is a pretty thick girl! I mean it’s not Code 23 or Yatono kind or ergonomics! Far from it, but the difference is none negligible compared to Adam.
Sound wise, they do share a a similar family trait, where they boast a nice analog sound with meaty but tight bass and mids, huge soundstage and superb detail retrieval.
Laura pushes the analog vibe and warmth a touch more with more rounded edges across the FR.
Adam is a bit tighter and dryer in comparison. Just in comparison, because it is in no way a dry sounding cable. It just feels ever so slightly brighter than Laura.

But honestly, if you want a more detailed and accurate comparison between the two, I’d highly recommend you to check out @twister6 review. He’s just spot on and way more reliable than I am!!!

I mean, just look at those earlobes :



Don’t they inspire trust and confidence?!!

As for me, I really like both of them equally, with maybe a slight edge towards Laura for the sound and everything else goes to Adam.
I’ll most likely be buying a Laura, just because it can be found significantly cheaper on the second hand market in China, due to the fact it’s been released since longer time.


I also got some pretty nice demo session.

I could compare briefly those two naughty boys side by side (BTW, forgive me for the horrendous pictures but this sop is darker than the Bat Cave so that’s not optimal…) :



The 2 beef beasts!! The sultans of swag!

I know Trifecta is a controversial one and so is Rosenkranz Silver HB with its crazy nuts pricing and a tuning that will no doubt not appeal to many.
I for one am not a Trifecta hater. Despite the fact that I’ll never buy it because of some aspect of its sound I’m not connecting enough with to warrant a purchase, I really do appreciate some of the thing it does incredibly and uniquely well!
I find the RK HB to share some philosophy with Trifecta, namely the bottom up kind of tuning, everything revolves around that bottom end meaty foundation. Secondly they both share that analog natural vibe and that huge spacious soundstage.
For the soundstage they do present it in a different way though. As best described by @Rockwell75 I believe, Trifecta feels like a wall of sound reminiscent of a 2 channel floor speaker setup. Really special and intense! It doesn’t feel that way with every tracks but when it does it’s really cool. I was just comparing the two on some Pink Floyd and they are both incredible on this kind of music. On Have a Cigar and Shine on you Crazy Diamond you really have that “wall of sound” effect with Trifecta! On the other hand this effect is really this, a wall of sound, meaning a 2D plane. It’s spacious but you really getting a lot depth separation between the different layers of instruments. It feels very tall though. It also feels very centered, HB feels much wider and envelopes you more with sound. HB doesn’t really have that same “wall” effect, it feels more layered and incredibly deep.
They are both dense, intense and fairly warm sounding sets. HB is more relaxed overall, it has less upper mids / lower treble intensity and harshness. Cymbals also feel less edgy and more natural to my taste.
The bass is the area where they both shine and they are fairly equivalent in the mid bass for the slam and the visceral impact. They both boast a somewhat rounded bass but HB feels definitely more nimble and fast when needed. It never felt bloated , muddy or sounded like it couldn’t keep the pace, even on very fast bass lines. That to me is one of the differences with Trifecta. Also, another major difference is on the sub bass, HB reaches a lot deeper. It’s sustaining the amount of bass well below Trifecta. That’s another area where I think Trifecta is a bit weak. It’s really visceral on the mid bass and early sub bass, but it does get outclassed by quite a few IEMs in the deep sub bass.

Anyways, these are just rough thoughts I had during my quick comparison. They both are great set with unique vibes.


I also tried few other cool stuff, the Noble Spartacus, the Madonna Type 800 something, The latest Acoustune MKIII and the CFA Black Star :



My favorite of the lot was by far the Spartacus! Absolutely amazing set, especially considering the price tag!! Our favorite Wizard, Dr John The White did an amazing job on this one! One of the most comfy universal I’ve ever tried and the sound is jut superb! It feels like a mid way between CP622B and Anni 2023. Really great bass and detail retrieval as well as soundstage size and positioning. It feels a bit brighter in the mids and trebles compared to my custom CP622B (which is warmer than the universal version). The tuning is masterfully executed, no harshness anywhere whatsoever yet, top notch detail retrieval. I absolutely recommend the demo on this one! Really worth the try and when factoring the price that’s a tremendous offering! I think I actually enjoyed it more than Ronin and Ragnar, FWIW.

The Madoo, was also quite excellent. The bass is great and detail retrieval outstanding. It just felt a bit unnatural in the treble. The timber had a bit of a digital edge. It was fantastic none the less.

The Acoustune MKIII was interesting , with nice DD timbre and big soundstage, but felt a bit too bright and lacking the bass foundation for my taste. Pretty good set for vocals though.

Lastly, the Black Star was supercool as well! Really liked this one! Great bass with good impact and extension, well tuned mids as well as pretty resolving trebles.
My only little complaint would be about the treble and upper mids who had a bit of a metallic timber. It felt a bit digital like the Madoo.


Alright, I’m done for today!

I hope it can be helpful to some, even though it’s always only rough impressions… No time to spend month on every sets and really connect with them… Maybe my perspective would be different if I had to do some brain burn in. Obviously the sets in this demo session were all quite remarkable, at any price point!


Cheers guy,

Julien

Those are really great impressions and comparisons. Thanks!

 

[Auricon]

FiRRy x EA CODE evening pileup – XE6 + C23, E12 + C24, RN6 + 24C

Both CODE 24 and 24C arrived this evening. The finished cables – hardware, upgraded cable storage case (magnetics for closure), and bonus 24C pin and full ConX set for owners of C23 who pre-ordered were nice touches.

Initial listen, I can immediately discern differences between both 24s and will spend more time this weekend running both in.

 

[RonaldS86]

All I see is just more grey hair

Should we call you Dr.Strange Twister now?

 

[wolfstar76]

DROP has the Campfire Audio Supermoon for $799 - https://drop.com/buy/campfire-audio-supermoon-iem?

Sometimes, drop version may have different sound signature, such as 8xx is totally different from HD800s. Hopefully this is purely CFA version.

 

[PassionForMusic]

Sometimes, drop version may have different sound signature, such as 8xx is totally different from HD800s. Hopefully this is purely CFA version.

Never heard the super moon.

 

[BlankName]

Sometimes, drop version may have different sound signature, such as 8xx is totally different from HD800s. Hopefully this is purely CFA version.

Drop collabs are denoted by "Drop x/+ [Insert Brand]"

 

[RonaldS86]

I've been a fan of Yann Tiersen for several years, an incredibly talented and diverse musician. I somehow missed this release from 2021 which really showcases his beautiful piano playing combined with electronic.



Anyone who has seen Amelie will likely know his work for the soundtrack - this in particular a real standout moment, incredibly beautiful piece of music. Not on Bandcamp unfortunately... oh and I've chosen the version with an unofficial animation that works really well, albeit could bring a few tears potentially!

Your recommendation is always spot on for me and I have to say thank you for that
What a beautiful song

 

[Steranko]

Everybody on the LP7 waitlist!

Tell me about it. No doubt it will be sold out like in 8 hours once the release is out. We had 6 years to save up for this DAP Hope the price is reasonable and around the same but even more luxurious

 

[RonaldS86]

Allow me to share something too here. Here's one of my favourite electronic artist and this album IMO is one of the best

Weird that I can't share a particular song from the album. My favourite track from that album is Gethsemane