CanJam NYC IEM Impressions (Part 3):
Finally, I wanted to share the 3rd and final part of my IEM impressions from the CanJam weekend. I demoed all IEMs using iBasso 320MAX Ti and Azla Sedna Short tips.
Note: The showfloor is quite loud so its difficult to ascertain the finer nuances of an IEM. I tried my best to understand the general presentation and problem areas of each set.
Symphonium Titan Prototype (Under $1000 USD)
Photo courtesy of Symphonium from the
Symphonium thread.
Many of the show surprises at CanJam NYC this year were IEMs in the sub-$1000 bracket, and the Symphonium Titan was one of them.
The Titan has a huge sub-bass and mid-bass with a nice vocal tone and decent dynamics. It has a fun and generally inoffensive tuning.
Some nitpicks are that the mid-bass has a tiny amount of bloat and that the resolution is just okay. Otherwise, it was an addictive and fun listen and a great addition to the Symphonium line-up.
I may consider getting one myself.
Elysian Pilgrim ($400 to $500 USD)
Another sub-$1000 standout. Sounds like a baby Annihilator with slightly more bass weight and tactility.
Neutral/neutral-bright with good resolution and dynamics. Generally safe tuning but I hear some shout/upper-mid to lower treble sharpness.
Great techs for its proposed price point. Should be very competitive when it releases.
Nightjar Duality (~$3000 USD)
Enormous yet controlled and distortion-free bass with great tactility and decay. This is definitely bass-heads level of bass quantity.
Like its younger sibling Singularity, Duality has a wonderful timbre, note weight, and is tuned very well. A very satisfying set to listen to.
I think there was just a touch too much bass for me, and the resolution was just decent at its price point.
Otherwise, there's nothing on the IEM market that sounds like Duality. One of my show favorites. I'd highly recommend a listen.
Subtonic Storm ($6000 USD)
A week prior to the show, a good friend of mine loaned me their Subtonic Storm to demo. A big thank you to him for his generosity.
With Mira 4W cable:
Very dynamic and textured bass with great slam. Great resolution, likely the best, if not one of the top few on the market.
Large image with natural, bodied vocals. Very linear treble with no perceived peaks. I've heard over 50 IEMs and I'm fairly certain that this is the all-around most technical IEM I've heard so far.
Some nitpicks: The bass is great but could use some more "bounce" and the soundstage is good but could be even bigger. I also think some people may find the sound signature too dry or unexciting.
With Sovereign Symphony 8W + Mass-Kobo 475 amp:
There are significant improvements to the soundstage, and the entire frequency is more warm-tilted and bottom-heavy.
I'm not sure which chain I prefer. I do appreciate the soundstage improvements and the generally more analogue sound but I might preferred the more balanced sound without the Mass-Kobo 465.
I'd love to try Storm again on just the Sovereign cable and without the MK465.
Dunu x Precogvision Mirai ($1100 USD)
As many in this hobby know, well-executed treble is somewhat of a rarity.
I can count on one hand the sets that I think do treble exceptionally well: Annihilator, AME Raven (not to be confused with EE Raven), Symphonium Helios + Helios SE. Mirai is one of them.
It has a wonderfully extended and articulate treble with a nice treble timbre and weight, especially on these
"coffee" tips as recommended by Sam from the Headphones.com booth.
Mirai isn't just a treble set though. It has really clean and articulate bass, as well as a well-executed midrange tuning. Mirai's dynamics are good as well.
I think Mirai is an exceptional set. I'm just concerned Mirai may come off as a little too clean and slightly dry to some.
Ice Labs Prismatica + Prismatica Gold (~$900 to $1000 USD)
The Prismatica (top) has gained some popularity in the circles I run in, so I was excited to give it and its Gold edition (bottom) a demo.
Both the OG and Gold edition have healthy sub-bass and mid-bass quantities. I hear the OG has having a bit more mid-bass grunt and
slightly more slam.
Both have a nice vocal tone and note weight, and a nice treble tone as well. I found the treble tuning largely unproblematic.
Both have good dynamics, average resolution (for the price), and a little fuzziness in the
very initial stages of the transient attack.
I thought both Prismaticas were a fun, enjoyable listen. I can see people using it as an everyday carry type of IEM.
Letshuoer Cadenza 12 ($2300 USD)
The Cadenza 12 is an IEM that I think flies under the radar a bit. It's a set I think a lot of people would enjoy if they were to give it a demo.
The bass of the Cadenza 12 is really nicely bodied and very well-textured. It's very satisfying.
The Cadenza 12 as a whole has a nice note weight, so vocals sound full and natural. The midrange and treble tuning are very safely-tuned so I found no issues there.
Some nitpicks are that the resolution could be a bit better for its price range, and that the transient edges could use more definition.
Some might find the tuning a bit too safe. Otherwise, it's a superb set that does everything else well.
Letshuoer Prototype:
Letshuoer also had a prototype which I think is a different take/re-tune of the Cadenza 12.
It had all the strengths of the Cadenza 12 but sounded more W-shaped which gave it some of the excitement the Cadenza 12 was missing.
Soranik xMEMS Prototype (Rumored ~$2000 USD)
I was able to listen to Soranik's xMEMS prototype during a private demo. I don't know much about xMEMS technology but this IEM in particular used an energizer the size of a smartphone.
The bass on the prototype was pretty good, with some nice mid-bass quantity and texturing. The vocals had a slightly ethereal quality to it that I enjoyed and reminded me of the quality of electrostatic drivers.
The treble also had a pleasant electrostatic-like quality to it. It was enjoyable but I thought the treble could use a little more energy.
I was really grateful for this demo. It gave me a glimpse into what xMEMS technology can do and I'd be very interested to see more xMEMS IEMs in the market.
Fatfreq Grand Maestro ($3000 USD)
For the GM demo, I used the blue Noah module with the vocal switch both on and off.
GM has a huge, well-articulated sub-bass. The bass is sub-bass focused. I thought the vocals and treble were mostly fine, if unspectacular. Especially for a $3k set.
As expected, the vocals were pushed forward when flipping the vocal switch on. It was a little too forward for me so I preferred leaving the switch off.
I think GM is an okay set overall but I think it's technicalities could be better for its price point.
qdc 8PRO ($1500)
The 8PRO has a 3-way switch, H/S/L which stands for HiFi, Studio, and Live. I tried the S and L switches.
S switch:
Nice sub-bass quantity, could use a touch more mid-bass.
Good resolution and great staging. Very good dynamics with a well-defined transient attack. Nice treble presence, and a good sounding treble overall. Very good dynamics.
Vocals have a nice note weight but sound a touch cold. The 8PRO is very technical, among the best in its class.
L switch:
The L switch kicks up the bass quantity. Huge sub-bass and a large mid-bass which has some bloat. Possibly some male vocal bloom. Techs are the same, and everything above the lower-mids sound about the same.
Overall, I feel as though the 8PRO, while very technical, lacks some emotion. It checks all the boxes for the things I index for and yet it's not a set I'd reach for personally.
Eletech Prototype (Rumored ~$3k USD)
Apparently there were
two Eletech prototypes at CanJam, a Romeo, and a Juliet.
I'm not sure which one I heard but the photo is above, and here's what I heard:
Decent sub-bass quantity but could use more sub-bass and mid-bass. Nice vocal tone, slightly ethereal. Nice treble timbre as well. Decent transient attack, with okay dynamics and decent resolution.
I thought it was a decent set overall but I'm not convinced it's $3k good.
MusicTeck Leo's Prototype (Rumored $1.5k to $2k)
Nice sub-bass/mid-bass quantity and weight with a sub-bass tilt.
Very resolving set overall with a balanced vocal placement (neither recessed nor too forward). Nice transient attack with a hint of lower treble sharpness that toes the line. Good dynamics and a slightly colder timbre.
I think Leo's prototype did a lot of things well and shows promise. It kind of sounds like his open-back headphone prototype I heard a few months back.
I'm excited to hear more refinements to the prototype down the line.
Last but not least:
InTime Miyabi MKII ($230)
Chang brought over a bunch of IEMs that are difficult to find in the West, including the InTime Miyabi MKII.
The Miyabi MKII has a nice lush timbre with a pleasant thickness to notes, and a tuning without any problem areas. It's obviously priced as an entry level set and its techs reflect that, however it's a very pleasant and non-fussy set.
It was my only purchase during the CanJam weekend and I intend to use it during travel and on-the-go situations. Thanks to Chang for the demo!
they are barely a medium sized business.
