[Stu Paddasso]

I am once again looking at IEM tips to add to the collection next...

Azla Vivid / Crystal / XELASTEC ?

Final Audio Type E clear/red ?

Tangzu Sancai wide bore ?

My top 3 are Divinus Velvet, Eletech Baroque and Final type E (Black). The longer I have spent with CORIER Brass, the more I dislike it, makes things very echoy. Curious to hear opinions, if so inclined Will mostly be in use on Szalayi so if you have that extra points.

I'm using Faudio black from Mtmt on my Szalayi's.

 

[Kiats]

Starting what promises to be another muggy Sunday on a desktop rig with the Hifiman HE-6 off the SAEQ Hyperion Ge with QQMusic streaming off the Shanling ET-3 into the Holo Sprng 3 KTE. Not quite a portable rig, but blissful music nonetheless.

 

[wolfstar76]

Impulse purchase, just ordered my first TGX buds, the Revelstoke. On a side note, I just remember last summer, when I was aboard an international flight of Japan Airlines, I was given a pair of on the ear headphone, which is one time use type. I brought my own IEMs, but I forgot that all of my IEM cables are terminated in 4.4mm, so I have to use those cheap set. However, when I put them on, Wow, the soundstage is unreal! It is absolutely theater like soundstage. I guess part of the magic is the headphones are designed to use with the movies that were adapted to onboard viewing experience. But it just reminds me that a cheap one time use headphone when well designed, can be that good.

 

[wolfstar76]

Starting what promises to be another muggy Sunday on a desktop rig with the Hifiman HE-6 off the SAEQ Hyperion Ge with QQMusic streaming off the Shanling ET-3 into the Holo Sprng 3 KTE. Not quite a portable rig, but blissful music nonetheless.

I know that HE6 OG is much better than HE6SE in the bass performance, but I am just wondering how much more difference is there. HE6 also has 4 vs 6 screw version.

 

[Kiats]

I know that HE6 OG is much better than HE6SE in the bass performance, but I am just wondering how much more difference is there. HE6 also has 4 vs 6 screw version.

I must confess I have yet to listen to the the HE-6SE. But that is what I hear from my local dealer. This one you see is a later 6 screw one. I have the early 4 screw version as well. I am fortunate.

 

[maegnificant]

Not only is he a master bassist and singer, no he also has to be a master songwriter. My god is this good

And of course Jaco gets his nod more than once

 

[Deezel177]

Is there something missing from the listening experience, or from the IEM performance, in that case?

Absolutely not. It just means you won’t have to pull your hair out looking for a source that drives it adequately.

 

[emdeevee]

That day will be tomorrow. I have @emdeevee ’s with me, along with the Sup 3, Aura, Xe6, Rn6, Perpetua, Mentor and Trifecta. Brace yourself lol

Epic fun right there! I should have sent you the BS, too.

Sounds like a hole UM has dug for themselves. Thankfully most other manufacturers are still back at ~$4K with their flagships.

I hear AP as a direct upgrade to MM. If you like MM, you will probably love AP. It is currently my favorite IEM. N30LE is my favorite pairing with it along with the 1950s Shielding cable. That said, if you love MM, keep listening to it. Just enjoy the music. You can pick up an AP a year from now for half the price.

All of this interesting reading, continuing since the release of these new flagship UMs. I don't get caught up in this debate, I see it the way Alex describes it...and his chart of the UM flagship releases is the most telling. We've just got the 2 year upgrade to the more expensive flagship (Mason) and inevitably with the less expensive flagship (Mentor) having released in 2022, we're going to see a new Mentor sometime this year.

This cycle seems to work perfectly for UM, and all the ballyhoo about pricing will happen again when new Mentor is also $499 more than MM. But a hypothetically improved MM will become an IEM of the year. And everyone who wanted but couldn't afford MM will start to score them in the classifieds for sub $2k.

And the band plays on!

 

[freeryder05]

I know that HE6 OG is much better than HE6SE in the bass performance, but I am just wondering how much more difference is there. HE6 also has 4 vs 6 screw version.

I must confess I have yet to listen to the the HE-6SE. But that is what I hear from my local dealer. This one you see is a later 6 screw one. I have the early 4 screw version as well. I am fortunate.

I had an HE6 for a while and an acquaintance wrote a good review of a ton of HE6

https://systematicsound.wordpress.c...e-6-early-4-screw-vs-late-4-screw-vs-6-screw/

 

[MaggotBrain]

“Kayaking in the sea is potentially much more damaging to your gears than a rainstorm, salty water can kill your electronic devices very quickly.”

I regret any confusion about the wording of my post - I meant the aquapacs (heavy duty packs you use to stow keys/phone when out on the sea) do a more than adequate job (hence saying they were seaworthy) should you encounter an unexpected heavy rainfall and you obviously put your gear in the packs and leave them well enough alone and don’t use them as that would involve breaking the seal of the pack meant to be watertight. I meant the phrase to imply a Boy Scout level of readiness, if nothing else.

So yes when you are out at sea - don’t bring your expensive gear. By all means, it is probably the only acceptable place outdoors to play music/podcasts/what have you on speakerphone. Sometimes the blowfish ask for Hootie.

 

[iDesign]

Annihilator on the violetric v550 is a resolution monster….my god (feat TRI Clarion tips)

The gold Annihilator is the GOAT in my opinion.

 

[Kiats]

I had an HE6 for a while and an acquaintance wrote a good review of a ton of HE6

https://systematicsound.wordpress.c...e-6-early-4-screw-vs-late-4-screw-vs-6-screw/

thanks! yeah... it is a great article!

 

[SoundFlow]

Cross post from EE. Sold my gold LE and went with the black satin… damn my impulses. Love the set. Definitely recommend giving them a try in your travels.

 

[tjzurlaaa]

The gold Annihilator is the GOAT in my opinion.

2021 annhilator over here

 

[SBranson]

Enjoying a nice visit with @SBranson.

The pleasure was all mine. It’s been too long so not much time for the gear with the catching up so I limited my listening to the “first impression” type.
I didn’t get to listen to everything and wish I had tried the Rn6 again as I really enjoyed that when I had the tour unit.
I tried: Mentor, Trifecta, Aura, Perpetua, Rhapsodio Supreme V3 (?)

Based on that I had a strong preference for the Aura followed by the Trifecta. The Aura suited my tastes beautifully with nice bass and realistic timbre. @Rockwell75 called it Elysium with DD bass and I guess that’s why I like them so much.
The Trifecta I tried with the WM1Z and the RS8 and preferred the warmth of the former whereas the latter kinda emphasized that unique “punch” that the Trifecta has. Something I’d have to physically get used to but a fun visceral experience of bass. Timbre too was excellent and overall a very dynamic sounding iem. Great stuff CFA.
Perpetua had great timbre, vocals sounding very real. The Mentor and Rhapsodio were very clean and detailed sounding but I found them a bit dryer in comparison to the others and coming from my buds and the Bonneville, they would take more time to adjust to the different timbre.

Having recently gone from having just the TGXEar Desolation Sound to adding the Revelstoke and Bonneville, I have been reminded of that visual illusion of chromatic adaptation where the mind fills in colour on a black and white image to keep things constant.
I got the greatest sense of “brain burn in” and realize that in the presence of so many great and varied iems, the true variation is in me. I’m sure they could all be “my favourite” after having a week.

Biggest and most satisfying audio take away was that none of them wow’ed me so much as to feel at a loss with what I have… except perhaps wanting a bit better source. One day I’ll get a another N7 or something like that.. but for now it was just fun to hear some of the cream of the crop in what is truly an amazing line up of iems available today.

Best was to reconnect with @Rockwell75 again. Would love to have an evening over a few drinks to just talk.