[HiFiHawaii808]

Any idea if/when the Subtonic DD-based bass IEM is expected to release?

Not Subtonic, but it may as well be since Chang is also in Subtonic. NightJar Duality. Looks like it will be released in June/July timeframe. DDs bigger than Dolly Parton.

If this isn't a top 3 in IEM of the year, I would be surprised.

 

[Scubadevils]

NiceHCK ‘Himalaya’ single dynamic driver landed today, due for release soon at $329. Titanium shells of course first grabbed my attention… impressions to follow!

 

[MSwiss]

Hi all,

If you really liked detail and listened to a lot of acoustic, female vocals , guitar music etc what would be your pick of iem ?

I’m intrigued, appreciate one man’s treasure is another man’s poison but would like to see if there’s a trend.

 

[Deezel177]

Been there any news for regular Storm release during Canjam?

It’s currently set to be next month at a similar price. It’ll just have slightly less fancy faceplates.

Hi all,

If you really liked detail and listened to a lot of acoustic, female vocals , guitar music etc what would be your pick of iem ?

I’m intrigued, appreciate one man’s treasure is another man’s poison but would like to see if there’s a trend.

If you’re not allergic to treble, I’d say Viking Ragnar.

 

[Doug2507]

I doubt it. They may come out with a different IEM with DD, but it won't be Storm with DD just like there is still no Traillii with DD bass. Adding a DD would make it a different thing.

Storm > Sovereign Symphony > PB5 > N8ii is glorious. Heavy note weight, deep subbass, tremendous detail and clarity. Truly a unicorn sound.

That's an interesting one, N8ii vs 320MAX into PB5, both ROHM...

I really need to pull the finger out and give Paul a shout for a PB5 and see what the fuss is with Storm.

 

[weexisttocease]

PMG Audio Apx

I received the PMG Audio Apx (20/25) and I'm delighted with the design of the shells. They look outstanding. Build quality is perfect and the fit is comfortable. The shells are really small but due to the long nozzle it requires a deep insertion. It's amazing how compact the shells are, especially for an IEM with so many drivers and audio technology.

The unboxing is special with high quality materials and premium design. I honestly would have a preferred a smaller wooden box but that's just fine. The cable is light and has good ergonomics but it would have been better with dedicated hardware and a Pentaconn plug. It looks a little bit simple for such a premium design.

My first impressions of the Apx are extremely positive. I've been using it with the Mojo2/Poly combo and the Sound Tiger Sinfonia for now. It's a neutral sounding equipment but with rich transients and excellent details retrieval. My music library is mainly prog, rock, metal with some nu jazz, trip hop, film scores and contemporary classical.

In my opinion, I would consider the Apx to have a neutral sound signature with an slightly brighter tonality. It's extremely easy to drive but it scales really well with power. The presentation is energetic and lively without compromising the bass or treble frequency response. It just sounds natural, musical and with exceptional resolution and details retrieval (it rivals Subtonic STORM easily). The soundstage and imaging is just top-notch, TOTL.

The bass is dynamic with good texture and decay but always controlled. Apx also has a good punch with sub-bass boost but only when it's required. It's just tastefully done. STORM probably has more impact and speed but technically Apx has more definition. It's just a matter of taste but both IEMs have fantastic bass.

The midrange just sounds clean with an natural timbre. Instruments and vocals just sound right with great separation and air. It's a spacious sound where everything sounds real. STORM also has transparent mids.

Apx treble probably is the star of the show. It's amazingly resolving with a great amount of clarity and detail without being harsh or sibilant. It's an experience. STORM treble is more neutral while Apx is boosted. That's the major difference between this IEMs. Both are vibrant, yet non-fatiguing but Apx is brighter with a more engaging presentation.

The Apx technically is just out of this world. Fantastic resolution, speed and details retrieval. Excellent imaging and left to right separation. Staging is spacious and expansive with excellent depth. It just sounds effortless without missing a single beat. It rivals STORM for technicalities. I actually prefer Apx soundstage compared to the more intimate and rectangular STORM presentation. I think Apx probably has a more impactful center imaging that leads to a sensation of a speaker setup.

The PMG Audio Apx has an exotic and unique driver configuration. It's beautifully crafted and looks amazing. It sounds even better. It's effortless with excellent technical performance. It's musical, spacious and engaging to listen to any genre of music. The treble is an reference and it might be overemphasized but it's tastefully done. It sounds very natural and coherent, which is a fantastic achievement for an IEM with such amount of different drivers. The Apx is highly recommended, especially for those who seek for the best audio performance that an IEM can offer.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

That's an interesting one, N8ii vs 320MAX into PB5, both ROHM...

I really need to pull the finger out and give Paul a shout for a PB5 and see what the fuss is with Storm.

N8ii and 320Max sound nothing alike. The N8ii has a very weak tube implementation. To me, it is characterized by clarity and detail. That comes through with the PB5 and it gives more space by expanding the stage and enhancing the bass response.

IMHO, the PB5 is the best portable audio product under $1000.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

PMG Audio Apx

I received the PMG Audio Apx (20/25) and I'm delighted with the design of the shells. They look outstanding. Build quality is perfect and the fit is comfortable. The shells are really small but due to the long nozzle it requires a deep insertion. It's amazing how compact the shells are, especially for an IEM with so many drivers and audio technology.

The unboxing is special with high quality materials and premium design. I honestly would have a preferred a smaller wooden box but that's just fine. The cable is light and has good ergonomics but it would have been better with dedicated hardware and a Pentaconn plug. It looks a little bit simple for such a premium design.



My first impressions of the Apx are extremely positive. I've been using it with the Mojo2/Poly combo and the Sound Tiger Sinfonia for now. It's a neutral sounding equipment but with rich transients and excellent details retrieval. My music library is mainly prog, rock, metal with some nu jazz, trip hop, film scores and contemporary classical.

In my opinion, I would consider the Apx to have a neutral sound signature with an slightly brighter tonality. It's extremely easy to drive but it scales really well with power. The presentation is energetic and lively without compromising the bass or treble frequency response. It just sounds natural, musical and with exceptional resolution and details retrieval (it rivals Subtonic STORM easily). The soundstage and imaging is just top-notch, TOTL.

The bass is dynamic with good texture and decay but always controlled. Apx also has a good punch with sub-bass boost but only when it's required. It's just tastefully done. STORM probably has more impact and speed but technically Apx has more definition. It's just a matter of taste but both IEMs have fantastic bass.

The midrange just sounds clean with an natural timbre. Instruments and vocals just sound right with great separation and air. It's a spacious sound where everything sounds real. STORM also has transparent mids.



Apx treble probably is the star of the show. It's amazingly resolving with a great amount of clarity and detail without being harsh or sibilant. It's an experience. STORM treble is more neutral while Apx is boosted. That's the major difference between this IEMs. Both are vibrant, yet non-fatiguing but Apx is brighter with a more engaging presentation.

The Apx technically is just out of this world. Fantastic resolution, speed and details retrieval. Excellent imaging and left to right separation. Staging is spacious and expansive with excellent depth. It just sounds effortless without missing a single beat. It rivals STORM for technicalities. I actually prefer Apx soundstage compared to the more intimate and rectangular STORM presentation. I think Apx probably has a more impactful center imaging that leads to a sensation of a speaker setup.



The PMG Audio Apx has an exotic and unique driver configuration. It's beautifully crafted and looks amazing. It sounds even better. It's effortless with excellent technical performance. It's musical, spacious and engaging to listen to any genre of music. The treble is an reference and it might be overemphasized but it's tastefully done. It sounds very natural and coherent, which is a fantastic achievement for an IEM with such amount of different drivers. The Apx is highly recommended, especially for those who seek for the best audio performance that an IEM can offer.

Very beautiful IEM. I had a brief encounter with it at CanJam NYC. Initial impression is that it is too bright for me. However, I would need more time with it to roll daps, cables and tips.

 

[weexisttocease]

Very beautiful IEM. I had a brief encounter with it at CanJam NYC. Initial impression is that it is too bright for me. However, I would need more time with it to roll daps, cables and tips.

It's neutral-bright and it needs a neutral or warmer source. I also was a bit worried with the treble brightness but it actually works. I think it excels with film scores and classical.

 

[dmphile]

Aroma Jewel: Expansive, airy, wispy, floaty, albeit a bit lethargic - sleepy, unexcited - at times.
Aroma Fei Wan: Crisp, open, dynamic and textbook-TOTL, held together by a strong, substantial midrange.
FIR Radon6: Plain Jane with appropriately-placed doses of punch, but may suffer from mismatched textures or awkward humps in tone with the wrong pairing.
FIR Xenon6: An admirable distillation of a big, live venue's weighty, slam-y, arena-filling PA system.
64Audio Volur: Crisp and earthy, reminiscent of decently-sized near-fields with a solid, discrete woofer.
Campfire Bonneville: A thump-y play on neutrality with a colored, 2kHz-emphasized midrange compensating for said extra bass energy.
Campfire Trifecta: Grand, expansive and steeped in mushy, vintage, analog warmth with somewhat-disparate pokes of treble peeking through.
Canpur 54E: An in-ear tiramisu; as silky, smooth and refined as it is caffeinated-ly peppy (or energetic, or zingy).
Canpur 622B: Reference-adjacent (ranging from U12t-like to lightly, organically wet, depending on the chain) with class-leading BA lows and mids that genuinely move.
Subtonic STORM: A near-perfectly calibrated scalpel that only veers off to slight dryness in the treble; a leading tool in analyzing music, albeit perhaps not for making it.
Nightjar Singularity: A steady-eddy EDC with a downward-trending FR curve, satisfying DD lows and technique that can scale beyond what's expected of a single-DD.
Noble Viking Ragnar: An energizer bunny that almost force-feeds you detail with a clean, polished, metallic spoon.
Empire Ears Raven: Animals As Leaders in IEM form; punchy and exhilarating, but in a tight, controlled, almost-robotically-precise way.
VE Phonix LE: Clean and blasé; a blank slate; almost as if you're listening to music in black-and-white.
VE EXT: Earthy, muscly, sinewy, gravelly notes topped off with spritz and etch up top, placed in a rowdy, involving venue.
VE VE X: The personification of clear analog; full, meaty and warm, yet precisely etched, tactilely textured, effortlessly agile and addictively soulful.
Elysian Anni '23: The once-popular U18t, Andro, Jomo, AAW sorta sound, perfected; just the right amount of everything for a pleasing, clear and open-yet-meaty sound.
Sony Z1R: Like an important board meeting in a high-rise; huge, open space with prim, tidy, business-suit-wearing instruments; everyone sat far apart, only peripherally linked by their echoes.
Oriolus Traillii: Near-perfectly tuned for involved, emotive, yet technical listening, only slightly hampered by the familiar timbre of its off-the-shelf drivers.
UM Amber Pearl: An IEM directed by David Lynch; stylized, saturated and colorful with un-reference, cross-feed-y imaging and every instrument pushed to their expressive extremes, but belying outstanding technique underneath.

I don't feel like listing any more after writing all that.

Wow, awesome and precise. Well done man. @Deezel177

I'm also in the honey moon phase with VE X and agree with your assessment.

 

[maegnificant]

Aroma Jewel: Expansive, airy, wispy, floaty, albeit a bit lethargic - sleepy, unexcited - at times.
Aroma Fei Wan: Crisp, open, dynamic and textbook-TOTL, held together by a strong, substantial midrange.
FIR Radon6: Plain Jane with appropriately-placed doses of punch, but may suffer from mismatched textures or awkward humps in tone with the wrong pairing.
FIR Xenon6: An admirable distillation of a big, live venue's weighty, slam-y, arena-filling PA system.
64Audio Volur: Crisp and earthy, reminiscent of decently-sized near-fields with a solid, discrete woofer.
Campfire Bonneville: A thump-y play on neutrality with a colored, 2kHz-emphasized midrange compensating for said extra bass energy.
Campfire Trifecta: Grand, expansive and steeped in mushy, vintage, analog warmth with somewhat-disparate pokes of treble peeking through.
Canpur 54E: An in-ear tiramisu; as silky, smooth and refined as it is caffeinated-ly peppy (or energetic, or zingy).
Canpur 622B: Reference-adjacent (ranging from U12t-like to lightly, organically wet, depending on the chain) with class-leading BA lows and mids that genuinely move.
Subtonic STORM: A near-perfectly calibrated scalpel that only veers off to slight dryness in the treble; a leading tool in analyzing music, albeit perhaps not for making it.
Nightjar Singularity: A steady-eddy EDC with a downward-trending FR curve, satisfying DD lows and technique that can scale beyond what's expected of a single-DD.
Noble Viking Ragnar: An energizer bunny that almost force-feeds you detail with a clean, polished, metallic spoon.
Empire Ears Raven: Animals As Leaders in IEM form; punchy and exhilarating, but in a tight, controlled, almost-robotically-precise way.
VE Phonix LE: Clean and blasé; a blank slate; almost as if you're listening to music in black-and-white.
VE EXT: Earthy, muscly, sinewy, gravelly notes topped off with spritz and etch up top, placed in a rowdy, involving venue.
VE VE X: The personification of clear analog; full, meaty and warm, yet precisely etched, tactilely textured, effortlessly agile and addictively soulful.
Elysian Anni '23: The once-popular U18t, Andro, Jomo, AAW sorta sound, perfected; just the right amount of everything for a pleasing, clear and open-yet-meaty sound.
Sony Z1R: Like an important board meeting in a high-rise; huge, open space with prim, tidy, business-suit-wearing instruments; everyone sat far apart, only peripherally linked by their echoes.
Oriolus Traillii: Near-perfectly tuned for involved, emotive, yet technical listening, only slightly hampered by the familiar timbre of its off-the-shelf drivers.
UM Amber Pearl: An IEM directed by David Lynch; stylized, saturated and colorful with un-reference, cross-feed-y imaging and every instrument pushed to their expressive extremes, but belying outstanding technique underneath.

I don't feel like listing any more after writing all that.

Thank you.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Worked out a trade for Fei Wan.

I'm readyyyyyy

 

[gryphonos]

Hey, we haven’t interacted, but I know what you’re talking about. I have to take “mental breaks” from HeadFi every couple of years or so. Like you, I’ve had health issues, the “keeping up with Jones’s,” the fickle, new greatest, and the attitude that some take that they are the “cool kids,” and they resent the intrusion of a non-member. One thing I can say, after being on HeadFi for a long time is that for every two of these people you encounter, eight genuinely nice people earnestly want to share a hobby they love with like-minded people.

My unsolicited advice is to take that mental break, continue to communicate with those folks you know you are friends with and come back when it feels right to you. Yeah, that may be never, but it’s almost true, about time healing all wounds (there are some that are un-healable, but we adapt). The other thing, if there’s a particular thread that is causing you stress, kick it to the curb; there are an over abundance of interesting ones to be found.

Anyway, be well, I’m very sorry to read about your health issues, Dad’s problems and your cat. I have dogs that have been gone for decades that I still get misty eyed when I think about them. Take care of yourself and be well.

You expressed that very nicely! I very much feel similar.
Thanks.

 

[Alexzander]

NiceHCK ‘Himalaya’ single dynamic driver landed today, due for release soon at $329. Titanium shells of course first grabbed my attention… impressions to follow!

Hope it would be my poor’s man Traillii Ti

 

[jimboy0]

Campfire Audio Bonneville

Just finished my review on the Bonneville, feel free to read if of any interest:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/campfire-audio-bonneville.27106/review/33255/

A standout feature is the bassy and thick tonality that is surprisingly clean for such a tuning, paired with excellent technicalities.
Love it with most music genres out there, with metal and rock being just pure awesome. Bonneville is now one of my favorite IEMs overall.

Campfire Audio Bonneville

Just finished my review on the Bonneville, feel free to read if of any interest:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/campfire-audio-bonneville.27106/review/33255/

A standout feature is the bassy and thick tonality that is surprisingly clean for such a tuning, paired with excellent technicalities.
Love it with most music genres out there, with metal and rock being just pure awesome. Bonneville is now one of my favorite IEMs overall.

What a beautiful picture with the different hue's of pink. Even in the tea cup!