cottaudio
Head-Fier
I should also say that AME seems to be reasonably popular here as they regularly pop up on second hand sites.
The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
- Thread starter Rockwell75
- Start date
BlueA
100+ Head-Fier
I restrained myself long enough but the numbers of faulty design in our hobby is too important.
Noble is flawless while others pseudo 'luxury' wannabe just splash Comic Sans Ms on their products.
What are your favorites purveyors of good tastes coolers?
Well, if you simply judge by the artistic attribute, I agree with you. However, from a pure business perspective, I would argue otherwise.
For example, each year you have those best TV commercial compilations, many of them are from European countries. Yes, they are well made, funny, and creative. However, after watching most of those TV commercials, I may remember those funny videos forever, but I still have no clue what kind of advertisements are they, what products? what companies? On the other hand, I remember almost 20 years ago (well, the reason is I no longer watch TV for many years) there is this TV commercial in Austin, Texas where I used to live. It is cheaply made for a local furniture store, in which the owner of the store, a fat gentleman was throwing out cash and loudly announced the name of his furniture store, and said something like our furniture are so cheap we are throwing out money for free. It's not only cheap but badly made with a low taste, it will not won any best commercial award, but I remember the name of the store, what kind of the store, the location, the products, and presumably the low price.
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Pivoted today to the low(er) end of the price spectrum with this new TSMR X which has been steadily burning in and coming into its own. This one has switches (
) but they do in fact make some big differences. After going back and forth a bit, I've settled on its high bass setting. To my ears, this actually gives a super balanced sound with nice, tight low end punch with just enough touch of mid bass to really appeal to my tastes. Nicely resolving with a slight mid-forward making vocals shine. At $400, it's bizarrely good, and they're quite the lookers.
) but they do in fact make some big differences. After going back and forth a bit, I've settled on its high bass setting. To my ears, this actually gives a super balanced sound with nice, tight low end punch with just enough touch of mid bass to really appeal to my tastes. Nicely resolving with a slight mid-forward making vocals shine. At $400, it's bizarrely good, and they're quite the lookers.
BlueA
100+ Head-Fier
Well my point is about the values a brand convey. Attention to details.
When the physical presentation glows perfection, numerous iterations until it's perfected and inspired craftsmanship then we put the price on it.
It's like an hermes kelly bag.
Now if you put a flashy star -35% or put a bad french translation with a font from windows paint then no matters how it sound.
Taste is the is difficult to reach.
Canpur did a outstanding entry in this domain.
Vision Ears is very undefinable in this domain.
The last X looks like futurism from the 70s while EXT was futurism from 2030.
I found this also part of the adventures and cables brands knows how to do it.
When the physical presentation glows perfection, numerous iterations until it's perfected and inspired craftsmanship then we put the price on it.
It's like an hermes kelly bag.
Now if you put a flashy star -35% or put a bad french translation with a font from windows paint then no matters how it sound.
Taste is the is difficult to reach.
Canpur did a outstanding entry in this domain.
Vision Ears is very undefinable in this domain.
The last X looks like futurism from the 70s while EXT was futurism from 2030.
I found this also part of the adventures and cables brands knows how to do it.
Interesting discussion. But man I would not trade the packaging for the BLOM BL03 for anything in the world. One of the most creative uses of the English language ever put on a box...
Ike1985
Headphoneus Supremus
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The Traillii Ti, the legend, how I lusted over theeAfter wearing a friend down enough to convince him to sell, i bit the bullet and brought these beauties home. Having owned the JP Traillii for quite some time, I wanted to take extra time with the Ti before sharing impressions and comparisons. I can get overly excited day one, we all can, but I have to say I love them more and more. And more. They are simply mesmerizing. I may go out in a limb here and say that, for me, these might the best IEMs I’ve ever heard. Seriously.
After years and multitudes of new totl IEMs being released, the Traillii JP is still considered one of the best ever made. The tuning is phenomenal, stage size and space, nice balance of technicals and emotions. I wondered how it would be possible to make it better, and when I heard about the Ti version, and the price, I dismissed it as a money grab for yet another LE. I can tell you that is NOT the case here, it’s a big upgrade, and realistically I would call it the Traillii MK2, not just a cosmetic upgrade. There were a few things that I wised the JP had, and the Ti solves all of them, Oriolus was definitely paying attention to what it’s users were asking.
The shells are a gorgeous patina Ti, very soft and smooth with a matte finish. They are way lighter than I expected, hardly more than the resin, and they are totally redesigned, not just Ti. The inner structure is different shape, new wire and solder, and the drivers are placed differently inside. The outer shape has been improved, the back has a more ergo curve to it, and it actually feels smaller if you can believe it. The nozzle is a tad longer and better shaped, so finally I get a good fit, nice and snug, and far more comfortable and lower profile. Big upgrade there.
From a sonic standpoint the Ti is both a traditional Traillii tuning and a departure. All the emotions are there, the gorgeous sound that made the Bird so famous and lusted after, this is all there in spades. The Ti is just better, and not just by a little bit. It sounds a bit like the Bird, Storm and V3 had a baby, and took all the good parts of each. It’s more linearly tuned, but also more energetic. More passionate, powerful. I find it extremely balanced, with more forward mids, so gone is the distant vocals and guitars overly panned to the sides. But it’s even more grand, the stage is even bigger if you can imagine, it leaves the vocals right up front and then lets the details off in all directions. It’s more detailed, more clean. More micro detailed but also more macro, it’s huge sounding, massive. All aspects have been improved in SQ. Just the resolution is an upgrade, but never sacrificing the musicality.
The bass is insane now, much tighter and faster, punchy like hell and more textured. It’s more controlled and less boomy, and while maybe some people like the slower softer bass of JP the Ti bass is on another level. I’ve read that some people think there is less bass, I don’t find this to be true. I think it’s simply that the bass is so much tighter and taught that you miss the boom of the JP. The stock cable has a bit less bass presence but the IEMs themselves have a very similar amount of bass to me. They hit really hard and no one should be worried about lack of bass Mids are more forward, more detailed and more clear. The spatial positioning is off the charts, I can hear details with extreme precision with amazing depth, height and of course width. There is more room for everything to breathe, space between the layers, each aspect leaving the slightly smooth and smeariness of JP into a highly detailed yet vastly musical soundscape. Especially with heavy guitars I notice how much more cleanly
I can hear them, even on tracks that were previously a bit clustered and blurry. They stretch out in depth quite a bit, and the mids are faster too. Metal is mind blowing on these. Vocals are just as sublime as before, just bigger and with more body, and clarity. Treble is more refined, more revealing, more spacious. It’s crisper but not bright, slightly more analytical perhaps, but very balanced. The Ti isn’t brighter, it’s just more balanced. I found the mids of JP to be darker compared to the sparkle up top, making the sparkle more pronounced. Now the mids and treble are matching in clarity, brightness and details. Now I don’t hear the sparkle, I hear clarity and richness from the deepest bass to the airiest est floating trebles. If someone found the top end of JP to be bright, I feel this removes that feeling; and when your ears adjust the whole tuning is just more cohesive and balanced.
The stock cable is fantastic. It looks like the Bird PW, but this one is made by Oriolus, and uses Gold and Silver over the usual copper. It’s really a perfect match for the Ti. While it’s now burning in, and I am using the Orpheus, I may go back to stock. The Orphy makes things smoother, but there is something really special with the W89 cable that matches so well with the Ti. It’s also very pretty, the whole package is gorgeous.
It’s really easy to drive, but it does take a bit more power than the JP. As was the case with the JP, the LP6 AE is a match made in heaven. It sounds great with everything I’ve tried it with, but the LP6 is end game. Like stop searching, don’t pass go, and just listen to music forever. Yeah, it’s stupid expensive. This is the world we live in, and while I hate that; this is the first summit IEM I would say is actually worth its price. All my chain is insanely expensive, I’m sure many will dismiss all this. But I only have one setup, not tons of IEMs and towers of DAPs. That’s all I want, no need for more.
This isn’t some vanity project, or a mud in your eye limited edition bragging rights cosmetic “upgrade”. This is a whole new IEM, a full on successor. This is, without a doubt, the best portable audio setup I’ve ever heard. Game over.
So that’s where I’m at now. I’ve been searching for quite some time for a perfect IEM that handles all my vast library with ease. In fact the Ti has a way of sounding almost specialized for each genre I try it with, it’s certainly never boring. Start with the Traillii JP tuning and DNA, add the energy and clarity of the V3, plus the balance and technicalities of the Storm, and you might understand the Traillii Ti.
Sorry for the long rant, I just wanted to share
GREAT to see you back again and with your thoughts on the Trailli ti. I was one who found the trailli (original) to be overly stretched with regard to images, overly smoothed/veiled, vocals lacking body as they were distant. You nailed all my criticisms of trailli. I wanted to love it because I could hear it's special sauce, that natural smooth realism but it was the expense of technicalities to my ears. This new Trailli ti sounds exceptional.
MusicTeck Impressions
Paid another visit to @MusicTeck today where I was able to demo the new AME Raven as well as the following:
- Canpur CP54E
- Empire Ears Odin
- UM MEST MK3
- Liquid Links Venom + Singularity
- HiBy R8 II
IEMs were demoed on my Shanling M9+ DAP and SpinFit Omni eartips.
Here are some quick impressions of each:
AME Raven ($3300 USD)
AME Raven was one of the surprises of the day, partially because this was my first time being introduced to the brand, but also because I found its Raven to be an excellent iem.
The AME Raven's treble was probably my favorite aspect which was boosted yet linear.
On iems with boosted treble I usually find a troublesome peak and/or sizzle but AME Raven's treble was devoid of these flaws. String instruments had a beautiful timbre and weight, and I found the treble resolving as well.
AME Raven also has great techs. It had very good staging, imaging, and resolution. I didn't get the chance to A/B but for overall techs: VE X < AME Raven < Canpur 622B. I found the dynamics roughly the same across these three sets.
Some nitpicks: I found AME Raven's bass to be engaging if slightly lacking in mid-bass decay. Voicing is pretty good with decent note weight but this isn't a set for vocal lovers.
Overall, I found AME Raven to be a really good iem that I think competes pretty well at the 3k mark.
Canpur CP54E ($1999 USD)
I was urged to try the other Canpur by people that know my preferences and was told that it was a great generalist set.
Compared to the 622B from my previous visit, I found the 54E to have more mid-bass quantity which I thought was lacking on the 622B. The 54E has decent bass overall, with good texturing, weight, and overall quality.
54E has a neutral warm tone and sounded less dry than the 622B. I index heavily for vocals and I found the voicing on both of these sets to be superb.
I found the 54E's treble to have no bothersome peaks. The treble has a touch of softness and sounded a little polite at times but not as much as the 622B's.
54E has decent resolution, imaging, and dynamics that I think is fairly competitive at the 2k mark.
I prefer 54E's tuning and engagement factor but 622B's techs are a clear step up, particularly in the resolution and staging aspects.
Liquid Links Venom (paired with Nightjar Singularity)
I've been wanting to try Venom for some time so I was excited at the opportunity to give it a demo. These impressions are in comparison to the Nightjar Vanguard 4W cable (upgraded Singularity stock cable).
The Vanguard 4W is a cable I enjoy for its ability to balance great timbre + lushness with great technicalities.
Swapping out the Vanguard for Venom, the timbre and lushness immediately take a hit but not enough to turn me off to the cable. The Venom has more of a clarity-focused sound but it doesn't sound dry with the Singularity pairing.
On Venom, I hear increased sub-bass quantity and resolution, as well as improved slam and bass dynamics. Vocals sound more recessed, lose some lushness, and timbre takes a hit.
I hear slightly decreased lower to mid-treble quantity on Venom as well which makes the upper-treble sound more prominent. I think I hear more reverb on some tracks as well.
Overall, Venom makes Singularity sound more V-shaped compared to Vanguard. I think these are both great cables depending on what you index for.
Do you index harder for bass and sheer resolution? Go Venom. Do you index more for vocals and a great tone? Choose Vanguard.
HiBy R8 II (class A, stock Darwin filter, high gain)
Demoed with Singularity + Vanguard 4W and Annihilator 23 + LL Martini.
R8 II has a neutral-warm tone with a nice note weight, particularly in the bass and treble. R8 II has a slightly emphasized treble overall, adding some liveliness. I thought this paired well with Anni 23's treble which I've always thought could use more weight. String instruments sounded more lifelike and compelling on the R8 II + Anni 23 pairing. I didn't like the treble emphasis as much with the Singularity pairing and I can see it being a hit-or-miss depending on the iem pairing.
I found female vocals to sound slightly recessed and the R8 II to sound somewhat V-shaped as a result. The R8 II has great overall techs for 2k. I found it slightly less dynamic than my M9+ but I didn't find the difference to be that big.
R8 II has a similar tone to R6 Pro II but with a more extended + slightly emphasized treble, more note weight, better resolution, and better dynamics.
Now some nitpicks:
- The Alcantara back is prone to picking up lint and dust.
- The R8 II is heavy (approx. 528 grams compared to 320MAX Ti's 620 grams).
- Gets hot quickly.
- No double-tap to wake (maybe you can change this in the settings but I'm not sure).
Overall great DAP in both performance and value if you can handle the nitpicks I listed.
Empire Ears Odin
The former Empire Ears flagship is getting a bit long in the tooth but it's a set I've been curious about some time. A big thank you to Andrew + Leo for the generosity they displayed by opening a new box (despite my protests) so that I could give it a demo.
Odin is very resolving and has a really satisfying and defined sub-bass. Mid-bass quantity is slightly lacking but bass quality overall is very good.
Instruments have a well-defined transient attack and transient edges that aid with imaging precision. There's even some slightly backwards imaging. Staging is decent.
Treble tuning is inoffensive but the treble could benefit from more weight and decay and maybe more treble definition as well.
The vocals are generally good but female vocals sound a little forward. Vocal timbre is slightly off as well.
Overall decent iem, I liked it. I think Odin is still somewhat okay by today's standards but it's starting to show its age.
Subjectively, I think the Odin FPs are one of the most beautiful I've seen.
Unique Melody MEST MK III
Pleasing neutral-warm tone. Mid-bass could use a longer decay. As such, the bass can sound a little plasticky overall.
Mids have a pleasing fullness and a “UM feel” similar to the mids on Mentor. The upper mids on the MEST MK3 can border on shouty but it didn't cross the line on my test tracks. The MEST MK3 has a similar upper-mid to lower-treble rise that the Mentor does but I found it to be a little harsher on the Mentor. Both can be controlled with tips though.
The MEST MK3 images + stages pretty well but I think it would benefit from more resolution and dynamics to be more competitive in its price bracket. The stock cable could use an upgrade as well. I found it memory prone and a little cheap feeling.
The MEST MK3 is not a bad iem by any stretch but I found it just okay overall. I much prefer the CP54E at the 2k mark.
iBasso PB5 Osprey
Not my demo this time but Leo's. I brought along my PB5 for Leo to listen to, and I'll keep it short—he loves it.
Paid another visit to @MusicTeck today where I was able to demo the new AME Raven as well as the following:
- Canpur CP54E
- Empire Ears Odin
- UM MEST MK3
- Liquid Links Venom + Singularity
- HiBy R8 II
IEMs were demoed on my Shanling M9+ DAP and SpinFit Omni eartips.
Here are some quick impressions of each:
AME Raven ($3300 USD)
AME Raven was one of the surprises of the day, partially because this was my first time being introduced to the brand, but also because I found its Raven to be an excellent iem.
The AME Raven's treble was probably my favorite aspect which was boosted yet linear.
On iems with boosted treble I usually find a troublesome peak and/or sizzle but AME Raven's treble was devoid of these flaws. String instruments had a beautiful timbre and weight, and I found the treble resolving as well.
AME Raven also has great techs. It had very good staging, imaging, and resolution. I didn't get the chance to A/B but for overall techs: VE X < AME Raven < Canpur 622B. I found the dynamics roughly the same across these three sets.
Some nitpicks: I found AME Raven's bass to be engaging if slightly lacking in mid-bass decay. Voicing is pretty good with decent note weight but this isn't a set for vocal lovers.
Overall, I found AME Raven to be a really good iem that I think competes pretty well at the 3k mark.
Canpur CP54E ($1999 USD)
I was urged to try the other Canpur by people that know my preferences and was told that it was a great generalist set.
Compared to the 622B from my previous visit, I found the 54E to have more mid-bass quantity which I thought was lacking on the 622B. The 54E has decent bass overall, with good texturing, weight, and overall quality.
54E has a neutral warm tone and sounded less dry than the 622B. I index heavily for vocals and I found the voicing on both of these sets to be superb.
I found the 54E's treble to have no bothersome peaks. The treble has a touch of softness and sounded a little polite at times but not as much as the 622B's.
54E has decent resolution, imaging, and dynamics that I think is fairly competitive at the 2k mark.
I prefer 54E's tuning and engagement factor but 622B's techs are a clear step up, particularly in the resolution and staging aspects.
Liquid Links Venom (paired with Nightjar Singularity)
I've been wanting to try Venom for some time so I was excited at the opportunity to give it a demo. These impressions are in comparison to the Nightjar Vanguard 4W cable (upgraded Singularity stock cable).
The Vanguard 4W is a cable I enjoy for its ability to balance great timbre + lushness with great technicalities.
Swapping out the Vanguard for Venom, the timbre and lushness immediately take a hit but not enough to turn me off to the cable. The Venom has more of a clarity-focused sound but it doesn't sound dry with the Singularity pairing.
On Venom, I hear increased sub-bass quantity and resolution, as well as improved slam and bass dynamics. Vocals sound more recessed, lose some lushness, and timbre takes a hit.
I hear slightly decreased lower to mid-treble quantity on Venom as well which makes the upper-treble sound more prominent. I think I hear more reverb on some tracks as well.
Overall, Venom makes Singularity sound more V-shaped compared to Vanguard. I think these are both great cables depending on what you index for.
Do you index harder for bass and sheer resolution? Go Venom. Do you index more for vocals and a great tone? Choose Vanguard.
HiBy R8 II (class A, stock Darwin filter, high gain)
Demoed with Singularity + Vanguard 4W and Annihilator 23 + LL Martini.
R8 II has a neutral-warm tone with a nice note weight, particularly in the bass and treble. R8 II has a slightly emphasized treble overall, adding some liveliness. I thought this paired well with Anni 23's treble which I've always thought could use more weight. String instruments sounded more lifelike and compelling on the R8 II + Anni 23 pairing. I didn't like the treble emphasis as much with the Singularity pairing and I can see it being a hit-or-miss depending on the iem pairing.
I found female vocals to sound slightly recessed and the R8 II to sound somewhat V-shaped as a result. The R8 II has great overall techs for 2k. I found it slightly less dynamic than my M9+ but I didn't find the difference to be that big.
R8 II has a similar tone to R6 Pro II but with a more extended + slightly emphasized treble, more note weight, better resolution, and better dynamics.
Now some nitpicks:
- The Alcantara back is prone to picking up lint and dust.
- The R8 II is heavy (approx. 528 grams compared to 320MAX Ti's 620 grams).
- Gets hot quickly.
- No double-tap to wake (maybe you can change this in the settings but I'm not sure).
Overall great DAP in both performance and value if you can handle the nitpicks I listed.
Empire Ears Odin
The former Empire Ears flagship is getting a bit long in the tooth but it's a set I've been curious about some time. A big thank you to Andrew + Leo for the generosity they displayed by opening a new box (despite my protests) so that I could give it a demo.
Odin is very resolving and has a really satisfying and defined sub-bass. Mid-bass quantity is slightly lacking but bass quality overall is very good.
Instruments have a well-defined transient attack and transient edges that aid with imaging precision. There's even some slightly backwards imaging. Staging is decent.
Treble tuning is inoffensive but the treble could benefit from more weight and decay and maybe more treble definition as well.
The vocals are generally good but female vocals sound a little forward. Vocal timbre is slightly off as well.
Overall decent iem, I liked it. I think Odin is still somewhat okay by today's standards but it's starting to show its age.
Subjectively, I think the Odin FPs are one of the most beautiful I've seen.
Unique Melody MEST MK III
Pleasing neutral-warm tone. Mid-bass could use a longer decay. As such, the bass can sound a little plasticky overall.
Mids have a pleasing fullness and a “UM feel” similar to the mids on Mentor. The upper mids on the MEST MK3 can border on shouty but it didn't cross the line on my test tracks. The MEST MK3 has a similar upper-mid to lower-treble rise that the Mentor does but I found it to be a little harsher on the Mentor. Both can be controlled with tips though.
The MEST MK3 images + stages pretty well but I think it would benefit from more resolution and dynamics to be more competitive in its price bracket. The stock cable could use an upgrade as well. I found it memory prone and a little cheap feeling.
The MEST MK3 is not a bad iem by any stretch but I found it just okay overall. I much prefer the CP54E at the 2k mark.
iBasso PB5 Osprey
Not my demo this time but Leo's. I brought along my PB5 for Leo to listen to, and I'll keep it short—he loves it.
Attachments
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My favorite so far design wise.
I avoided this set for many months because I thought they would hurt my ears with the sharp edges but that is not the case. Such a bold statement. Taste is a very personal thing, and there are so many pretty sets, many follow a fairly standard design, where the faceplate is the differentiator, these beauties are a bottom up statement and to me the most interesting I have encountered thus far.
salwani8888
100+ Head-Fier
and one of my faves soundwise !My favorite so far design wise.
I avoided this set for many months because I thought they would hurt my ears with the sharp edges but that is not the case. Such a bold statement. Taste is a very personal thing, and there are so many pretty sets, many follow a fairly standard design, where the faceplate is the differentiator, these beauties are a bottom up statement and to me the most interesting I have encountered thus far.
bukumurah
100+ Head-Fier
I have heard people talk about one's back of neck stiffening when listening to a certain (intense?) audio setup..
I experienced it first hand last night when trying the Cayin N7 with my usual setup.. I could not pinpoint exactly what the problem was.. the sound was not particularly bright or peaky.. in fact it was a good upgrade from my N6ii(A02) in terms of resolution, clarity, staging width & depth, bass impact, etc.. but the whole thing made the back of my neck so stiff and tense that I thought I would get a stroke from it..
For the first time ever in my life, I consider 'low res' better than high resolution.. the moment I switched back to the N6ii(A02), I feel relaxed, happy, and sleepy again.. the way I like to feel when I listen to music..
Any idea what exactly was the 'unpleasantness' that I experienced with the N7?
I experienced it first hand last night when trying the Cayin N7 with my usual setup.. I could not pinpoint exactly what the problem was.. the sound was not particularly bright or peaky.. in fact it was a good upgrade from my N6ii(A02) in terms of resolution, clarity, staging width & depth, bass impact, etc.. but the whole thing made the back of my neck so stiff and tense that I thought I would get a stroke from it..
For the first time ever in my life, I consider 'low res' better than high resolution.. the moment I switched back to the N6ii(A02), I feel relaxed, happy, and sleepy again.. the way I like to feel when I listen to music..
Any idea what exactly was the 'unpleasantness' that I experienced with the N7?
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PixelSquish
Previously known as idiotekniques
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
- Posts
- 2,957
- Likes
- 2,699
Does CanJam NYC ever sell out before the actual weekend it is on?
Ya I’d get them now just to be safe
vikinguy
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2008
- Posts
- 562
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- 2,422
I just finished up a review on the Canpur CPBA7.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/canpur-cpba7.27043/reviews#review-33034
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/canpur-cpba7.27043/reviews#review-33034
I need to read twice to realize which Raven, can companies come up with the same name for their IEMs? What if GMC comes up with a car called Camry? Very nice impressions, BTW, have you asked Musicteck why they won't get iBasso stuff themselves?MusicTeck Impressions
Paid another visit to @MusicTeck today where I was able to demo the new AME Raven as well as the following:
- Canpur CP54E
- Empire Ears Odin
- UM MEST MK3
- Liquid Links Venom + Singularity
- HiBy R8ii
IEMs were demoed on my Shanling M9+ DAP and SpinFit Omni eartips.
Here are some quick impressions of each:
AME Raven ($3300 USD)
AME Raven was one of the surprises of the day, partially because this was my first time being introduced to the brand, but also because I found its Raven to be an excellent iem.
The AME Raven's treble was probably my favorite aspect which was boosted yet sounded linear.
On iems with boosted treble I usually find a troublesome peak and/or sizzle but AME Raven's treble had no such tuning flaws. The timbre of string instruments sounded really nice and I found the treble resolving as well.
Another strength of AME Raven is its techs. It had very good staging, imaging, and resolution. I didn't get the chance to A/B but for overall techs: VE X < AME Raven < Canpur 622B. I found the dynamics roughly the same across these three sets.
Some nitpicks: I found AME Raven's bass to be engaging if slightly lacking in mid-bass decay. Voicing is pretty good with decent note weight but this isn't a set for vocal lovers.
Overall, I found AME Raven to be a really good iem that I think competes pretty well at the 3k mark.
Canpur CP54E ($1999 USD)
I was urged to try the other Canpur by people that know my preferences and was told that it was a great generalist set.
Compared to the 622B from my previous visit, I found the 54E to have more mid-bass quantity which I thought was lacking on the 622B. The 54E has decent bass overall, with good texturing, weight, and overall quality.
54E has a neutral warm tone and sounded less dry than the 622B overall. I index heavily for vocals and I found the voicing on both these sets to be superb.
I found the 54E's treble to have no bothersome peaks. The treble has a touch of softness and sounded a little polite at times but not as much as the 622B's.
54E has decent resolution, imaging, and dynamics that I think is fairly competitive at the 2k mark.
I prefer 54E's tuning and engagement factor but 622B's techs are a clear step up, particularly in the resolution and staging aspects.
Liquid Links Venom (paired with Nightjar Singularity)
I've been wanting to try Venom for some time so I was excited at the opportunity to give it a demo. These impressions are in comparison to the Nightjar Vanguard 4W cable (upgraded Singularity stock cable).
The Vanguard 4W is a cable I enjoy for its ability to balance great timbre + lushness with great technicalities.
Swapping out the Vanguard for Venom, the timbre and lushness immediately take a hit but not enough to turn me off to the cable. The Venom has more of a clarity-focused sound but it doesn't sound dry with the Singularity pairing.
On Venom, I hear increased sub-bass quantity and resolution, as well as improved slam and bass dynamics. Vocals sound more recessed, lose some lushness, and timbre takes a hit.
I hear slightly decreased lower to mid-treble quantity on Venom as well which makes the upper-treble sound more prominent. I think I hear more reverb on some tracks as well.
Overall, Venom makes Singularity sound more V-shaped compared to Vanguard. I think these are both great cables depending on what you index for.
Do you index harder for bass and sheer resolution? Go Venom. Do you index more for vocals and a great tone? Choose Vanguard.
HiBy R8 II (class A, stock Darwin filter, high gain)
Demoed with Singularity + Vanguard 4W and Annihilator 23 + LL Martini.
R8 II has a neutral-warm tone with a nice note weight, particularly in the bass and treble. R8 II has a slightly emphasized treble overall, adding some liveliness. I thought this paired well with Anni 23's treble which I've always thought could use more weight. String instruments sounded more lifelike and compelling on the R8 II + Anni 23 pairing. I didn't like the treble emphasis as much with the Singularity pairing and I can see it being a hit-or-miss depending on the iem pairing.
I found female vocals to sound slightly recessed and the R8 II to sound somewhat V-shaped as a result. The R8 II has great overall techs for 2k. I found it slightly less dynamic than my M9+ but I didn't find the difference to be that big.
R8 II has a similar tone to R6 Pro II but with a more extended + slightly emphasized treble, more note weight, better resolution, and better dynamics.
Now some nitpicks:
- The Alcantara back is prone to picking up lint and dust.
- The R8 II is heavy (approx. 528 grams compared to 320MAX Ti's 620 grams).
- Gets hot quickly.
- No double-tap to wake (maybe you can change this in the settings but I'm not sure).
Overall great DAP in both performance and value if you can handle the nitpicks I listed.
Empire Ears Odin
The former Empire Ears flagship is getting a bit long in the tooth but it's a set I've been curious about some time. A big thank you to Andrew + Leo for the generosity they displayed by opening a new box (despite my protests) so that I could give it a demo.
Odin is very resolving and has a really nice and defined sub-bass. Mid-bass quantity is slightly lacking but bass quality overall is very good. Instruments have a well-defined transient attack and transient edges that aid with imaging precision. There's even some slightly backwards imaging. Staging is decent.
Treble tuning is inoffensive but the treble would benefit from more weight and decay, maybe more treble definition as well.
The vocals are generally good but female vocals sound a little forward. Vocal timbre is slightly off as well.
Overall decent iem, I liked it. I think Odin is still somewhat okay by today's standards but it's starting to show its age.
Subjectively, I think the Odin FPs are one of the most beautiful I've seen.
Unique Melody MEST MK III
Pleasing neutral-warm tone. Mid-bass could use a longer decay. As such, the bass can sound a little plasticky overall.
Mids have a pleasing fullness and an overall UM feel similar to the mids on the Mentor. The upper mids on the MEST MK3 can border on shouty but it didn't cross the line on my test tracks. The MEST MK3 has a similar upper-mid to lower-treble rise that the Mentor does but I found it to be a little harsher on the Mentor. Both can be controlled with tips though.
The MEST MK3 images + stages pretty well but I think it would benefit from more resolution and dynamics to be more competitive in its price bracket. The stock cable could use an upgrade as well. I found it memory prone and a little cheap feeling.
The MEST MK3 is not a bad iem by any stretch but I found it just okay overall. I much prefer the CP54E at the 2k mark.
iBasso PB5 Osprey
Not my demo this time but Leo's. I brought along my PB5 for Leo to listen to, and I'll keep it short—he loves it.
Are you sure it is not the music but the DAP? Unless you are wearing full-size headphones, there is no reason to suspect the DAPs or IEMs for your stiff neck.
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