[DunkFealer]

My Volt still are one of my top airtime of all my IEMs, it's that good! I stand by everything I wrote in my review. Volt have a unique relaxed yet refined signature that is so soothing for late night listen well hard to find better although the Legend are growing on me these days...

The Elysium is a very different IEM, more vibrant and intense they command your attention! Volt is more grounded and powerful down low, no surprises there and the mids are fuller bodied and much less energetic in the upper range where the Elysium has a lot of bite. Treble wise, the Elysium is more energetic in the lower treble but Volt and its 4 EST provides a more refined and nuanced upper treble.

Thanks David! That's exactly what I hoped to hear. I wish I had the STL file instead of just the impressions. Shipping impressions overseas makes me nervous.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

+1. A highly rewarding experience that needs plenty of seasoning. It's a fluid platform that is already showing massive potential after two FW updates. Gotta love FPGA-controlled discrete R2R ladder DACs!

Yeah Holo, Rockna and MSB also killed me with long burnin

 

[Scubadevils]

Dark Magician put back on my radar today. Very similar shells to Dark Sky, clearly someone 'borrowed' the styling from the other, I'm guessing the Magician. I was in touch with a seller on Carousell and he sent some snips of impressions, quite a few so I've put them in a spoiler - I can't help but go on high alert when claims of 'better than Traillii' are presented but curious none the less to learn more, especially when they are just over $500. I've no idea either who these people are or from what forums but some discussion to consider anyway.

https://www.carousell.sg/p/mim-audio-dark-magician-1105425399/

Spoiler: Snips of Impressions!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

@Scuba Devils also Metalure Wave looks very interesting and doesn’t cost a lot…

http://www.aboutaudio.org/metalure-wave-review-more-than-another-option/

 

[Scubadevils]

@Scuba Devils also Metalure Wave looks very interesting and doesn’t cost a lot…

http://www.aboutaudio.org/metalure-wave-review-more-than-another-option/

Yeah they do look and sound interesting.

I think 2022 needs to be the year of "wow, these sound incredible for less than a yet-to-be-defined amount but let's call it $200-$300 for now..."

 

[Rockwell75]

I enjoyed the Timeless for the time I had it. But, I am going to send it back and wait for a higher end product.

This is my experience basically...though I'm going to keep mine for reference. It has moments of stunning brilliance but also moments of "What was that??"...at the end of the day it feels more like a prototype of something great than a finished and perfected product. Eagerly awaiting what the future brings on this front.

I have to keep reminding myself I'm waiting on a custom Jolene...

Nice looking forward to your thoughts on this one. A uni Jolene is a potential for me down the road.

Love this will have to save it for future reference.

Eagerly waiting to watch the new Boba Fett series in a couple days.

Defo so stoked!

Boba's theme is so good.

Different cable than the Asian market version as far as I'm aware.

Interested to hear your thoughts on the RU6 @Rockwell75

I second this curiosity.

I'm using my Zen Pro exclusively with the RU6 and I find the pairing great. Like I'm trying not to log on to HF and get tempted by FOTM great. The texture brought out by the R2R + the Zen Pros already great timbre makes for a super lively sounding listen. But somewhat paradoxically, the RU6 also tames some of the sharpness/metallic timbre I hear with the Zen Pro from other sources.

I'm not sure if it was RU6, Zen Pro and/or brain burn in, but I've found that the RU6 sound has gotten less bloomy and more clear over time. I don't find it wanting for details, but the details seem more natural and less upper mids/treble presence reliant than other sources. Details without etch? The bass is also excellent with the RU6. Textured, pretty tight but with enough phatness to please. I don't notice slight sub-bass roll off anymore, unless I try to hear it.

One thing that I'm finding with the RU6 is that it sounds better with more power. Laptop > DAP > phone. Off my phone it sounds a little soft.

Effortless and natural would be the best way to describe the RU6. I'm mostly a DAP guy and use the dongle at night before bed and early morning when I'm in front of my comp...as such I've spent most of my time so far with the RU6 with Isa and it's an absolutely divine pairing. RU6 is really nice with Zen Pro too however most of my attention with the Zen Pro has been on the SR25ii, a pairing that has impeccable synergy...like synergy so good that whenever I put them on I find myself thinking I could sell everything else I own and be totally content.

Source synergy, thinking more about it, is probably my top a-ha moment for 2021. I always knew it existed in the desktop world, in a big way, but never imagined it would be so important with IEMs. Just the fact that my IEMs sound so different out of two different DAPs, as you've discovered, makes 'endgame' far more source dependent. To be fair there are some IEMs that are far more source sensitive than others, and some that scale incredibly well too. As a reviewer I've had to be very upfront as to which sources, tips and cables I'm using, because all three can and do change the very nature of some of the IEMs we hype (or trash). It's all good and well to use one source and stock everything to keep IEM reviews 'balanced' with each other, but I no longer take at face value any reviews that don't factor in different sources, tips and cables, nevermind intangibles like music types and preferences.

Yup source is huge. Having gravitated almost completely to the DD realm now I've become even more fixated on source & power as DD IEMs in my experience tend to scale A LOT with more power. The right source synergy can add a kilobuck or two to the perceived value of your setup. As I've said above and elsewhere I'm totally floored by the synergy between the Zen Pro and AKSR25ii at the moment.

That's also why for me @twister6's reviews are the bar by which all others are measured.

I've always loved the robust "comparisons" sections of his reviewers.

Mest Indigo was bought a few days ago. Hahahaha.

Nice looking forward to your thoughts there.

Really want to hear EVO, EXT, and PHöNIX. And then hopefully get away from all caps spelled iems.

lol no more capitals or IEMs with "-ado" in their names.

Very much my experience too, apart from the source finding - it's actually softer from my Shanling M8 than it is my Samsung Note 9, unfortunately a little too soft for my taste.

It has a really clean sound with plenty of detail and texture and what surprised me the most, and something I think you touched on, was the how it seems to control the upper mids and treble. It doesn't dull this region but it does a excellent job of making things smoother. All my IEMs have actually taken a big jump in staging through the RU6 compared to the M8 so I'm very happy. The M8 still has its magic though and I often need the power it provides for higher impedance buds. I'm finding the RU6 can drive buds up to 64ohm (150ohm at a push).

Yup the RU6 is like a nice warm bath after a long busy day.

I’m still dozens of pages behind the latest posts but it seems as though your question went unanswered so I thought I’d offer a couple of observations. I hope they help.

First of all, I’ve not heard many Audeze headphones. I own the LCD-2 Classic. I’ve auditioned the LCD-XC at home, with my own gear (on a loaner tour), and I’ve heard the LCD-2 and the LCD-4 a few times at CanJam.

From having read extensively about Audeze on the forums, it seems as though they typically had a darker - or some might say warmer - sound signature until the latest releases, i.e. from the last year or so. The new headphones - the LCD-X (2021), the LCD-XC, and the LCD-5 - are supposed to have a more neutral, if not brighter sound signature.

Given your preference for bass and mids, I’d recommend that you consider the earlier Audeze headphones. Having said that, the latest LCD-X has been getting lots of praise and you might look into the impressions of it to get a sense of how it fits with your preferences. It sells for $1,200 US and it is reported to be less demanding when it comes to amplification. I’ve seen claims that it can be driven by portable sources (see here).

Most of the higher-end Audezes need plenty of power - and perhaps plenty of current, more specifically - to sound their best. The LCD-2 ($900 US) and my LCD-2 Classic ($800 US) both need a strong desktop amp, although I’ve not heard mine with the transportable iFi DAC/amps, which might do the headphones justice. One exception to the power-hungry headphones is the LCD-GX ($900 US), which is designed for gaming but has nevertheless been attractive to some audiophiles. I’m not sure, offhand, what the sound signature is supposed to be like.

The LCD-2 Classic is a great pair of headphones if you drive it with a powerful amp and if that amp is on the warmer side - for my preferences. The LCD 2-Classic is designed to have a darker tilt to its sound signature, and it is a great headphone for listening to modern pop, rock, and electronic music. That’s its forte. Ideally, it should make for a nice, immersive, rich listening experience - one that’s free of fatigue. Electric guitars sound wonderful with it; while they have a decent amount of bite, what stands out are their crunch and growl. The LCD-2 Classic does the textures of electric guitars beautifully. It also has excellent bass; it’s not particularly emphasized, nor is there a mid-bass hump - the bass is pretty linear down to the low sub-bass region - and it’s fast and, again, well textured. It may not be the tightest bass but it’s really satisfying. Where the LCD-2 Classic comes undone is its uneven upper midrange. There are a few slight peaks and recessions - this is why I advocate for warmer amp pairings - and there’s some grain as you move into the upper-mids and treble. I’m not sure these are great headphones for vocals, and they’re less than ideal for listening to acoustic instruments. By no means are these headphones "accurate" or "neutral" - they're not supposed to be. Look to the LCD-X for those qualities.

The LCD-2 has a different sound to the Classic, albeit one that bears a family resemblance. It likewise needs hefty amplification. I’m not sure if it rectifies the limitations of the LCD-2 Classic’s wonky mids. But it might be worth looking into.

As for amplification, it is commonly understood that Cavalli amps pair well with Audeze headphones. I've seen people praise the pairing of Audeze headphones with the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum, which is a tube hybrid, and even more so with the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Gold X, which is a solid-state amp. That amp's MSRP is close to a grand but if you're patient, it can be had for hundreds of dollars less during periodic sales. I've heard it and it's a great amp; it comes with a DAC in it, so it works as an all-in-one unit, although that DAC isn't the greatest. The slightly warm sounding Schiit Audio Jotunheim 2 is also excellent for planar headphones, and it can also serve as an all-in-one unit with an added DAC module (you can opt for ESS or Multibit). I've heard it and it was may favorite pairing with my LCD-2 Classic.

One last thought: if you’re looking into getting planar headphones, HiFiMan ones will be brighter, perhaps peakier with the Ananda, and HiFiMan is notorious for poor quality control. I won’t buy one that costs more than $500. If you get one, make sure it comes from an authorized dealer and with a decent warranty.

Very helpful post (another for the index ) thank-you for taking the time to write it. I'm not sure when or if I'll cross the rubicon into the land of desktop and full size gear but if/when that day comes planars will be one of the first things I look at. I figure an Audeze and a ZMF will be right up my alley.

 

[ian91]

like synergy so good that whenever I put them on I find myself thinking I could sell everything else I own and be totally content.

Even Isabellae & Dorado?!

 

[Rockwell75]

Even Isabellae & Dorado?!

Yup...though just because I feel I COULD do something doesn't mean I will

Dorado has a unique niche for me though in that it's the IEM I grab when I'm going to be out in a busy/noisy environment and want to drown out the world and rock out to great bass...on that front nothing comes close for me so I can't imagine I'll be parting with it any time soon.

 

[Scubadevils]

I'm still tempted on RU6 even though I have R2R in the R01... I feel it will offer a different slant. Listening to ZEN PRO with the W2 at the moment and sounds great.

 

[Rockwell75]

What I will say about the RU6 is that it has that same sort of effect as the Timeless where it doesn't quite hit you at first but the more you listen, the more you become immersed until you don't want to imagine having to go without this beautiful, natural and effortlessly detailed sound that is flowing through your consciousness. I'm definitely keen to hear a more robust R2R source in DAP form...hopefully this can be done effectively around the $1K mark.

 

[Scubadevils]

What I will say about the RU6 is that it has that same sort of effect as the Timeless where it doesn't quite hit you at first but the more you listen, the more you become immersed until you don't want to imagine having to go without this beautiful, natural and effortlessly detailed sound that is flowing through your consciousness. I'm definitely keen to hear a more robust R2R source in DAP form...hopefully this can be done effectively around the $1K mark.

It seems a bit of a no-brainer for the money. I held off due to R01 and enjoying W2 via my Mac for a number of months but the more I read on R01, the more I want to hear it for myself.

I must resist though - Gryphon due on Thursday!!!

 

[drftr]

In the dying days of 2021 what's in your cart?

I'm pretty much done after my U12t splurge.

I think DX300 and RU6 are pretty equivalent in sound quality. These are midfi DAPs. So, I think you need to go $1200 to get comparable sound quality

Wow! That's a lot of praise! That almost makes it a no-brainer for me as I don't need any functionality from a DAP. I'm not streaming or anything. I only use file management to copy from SD to internal memory, browse the album list, hit Play, and use volume. Rinse and repeat. Nothing else, not even Pause or Stop (although that changed when I got the XM4).

One thing that I'm finding with the RU6 is that it sounds better with more power. Laptop > DAP > phone. Off my phone it sounds a little soft.

Are you using the phone at 100% volume as suggested?

In the dying days of 2021 what's in your cart?

Huh? I swear there was nothing in it when I looked just minutes ago!

drftr

 

[Scubadevils]

Congrats @drftr !

I think RU6 would look better here than W2, stay R2R consistent

 

[drftr]

Congrats @drftr !

I think RU6 would look better here than W2, stay R2R consistent

I found myself some pretty good personal advisors around that big water bottle for sure! Big shout out to especially (though not restricted to) @Mehran and @HiFiHawaii808 for the RU6 plug and @RTodd for sharing his musings on the potential follow-up. But really, same as with the U12t decision it's really the dynamics within the group that makes me lean a bit more towards a certain side, while the other side wouldn't necessarily have been worse at all.

drftr

 

[Rockwell75]

Did some final touches on the opening page of the thread and re-organized the index. Have a look and tell me what you think-- open for suggestions/feedback.