Had the chance to put together the impressions from today on the train ride from London to Paris
I basically crammed two years worth of releases in two hours, so please take these impressions with a grain of salt. I would consider this more of a selection process for IEMs I’d like to revisit rather than final judgements
For the sake of simplicity, I used Eletech eartips (in two sizes) for all IEMs because they fit me extremely well, and it will provide some consistency for the impressions. I got a good seal and fit for all IEMs in these impressions
The SP3000M is the default source for all impressions in this list. I would describe it as mildly warm and very textured and smooth, if you’d like to correct for it.
Once again, a big big thank you to Elise for having me. Even more so considering today was a bank holiday in London
1. General impressions
IEMs have gotten really, really good. The sound quality on IEMs at all kinds of price points has gotten so high that I feel like differentiation is one of the main challenges for manufacturers.
A lot of IEMs sounded spectacular, and would be stone cold killers a few years ago, but competition is so high right now, it takes something extraordinary to really grab my attention.
That creates the opposite issue, where some IEMs work so hard to be distinctive, that they end up overdoing it in the wrong direction and end up sounding weird or wonky, and not in a good way
Unrelated, but I gravitated really well to the APX SE. The honeymoon has worn off, and I'd still take it over basically anything I heard today except maybe HEX.
2. Lee (Elysian and Mysticraft)
The HEX was the big star of the show for me. It is bold, with massive bass, incredible texture all around, exceptional treble tuning that manages to always sound clear and exciting, but never sibilant or unpleasant. I’ve never heard an IEM that sounded so distinctive, but manages to sound so good with literally anything I play on it
I guess I’d describe the sound as an L shape. It wasn’t forward enough in the midrange and treble to call it a W or a V shape, but the bass is also super clean so it never really interferes with the clarity and detail
In terms of chain modifications, I’d like to try some thinner and brighter cables (Euclid comes to mind), and maybe a more neutral source just to see what comes out of it
I loved how well it scales down. It sounds incredible off Apple dongle just as it does off my SP3000M, and a DACamp that Ahmed let me try. I really appreciate that it is easy to drive, and even more how unpretentious it is when it comes down to synergy
I knew I loved it in the first 2 minutes, told myself I wouldn’t listen to it any more to give time to other IEMs, but ended up trying it again and again.
Only gripe is the soundstage is a little narrower than I’d like. It’s not narrow, it’s just not flagship width like the Moses or APX SE.
I also tried the Annihilator 2023, which I liked a lot more than the 2021. It’s a bit like a less refined HEX, that edged on sibilance at times even though it had less treble overall. Amazing bass, great treble, slightly “Lee” mids with that upper midrange tilt. Not too bad though
Tried the Elise Elysian X, which is supposed to have more bass compared to the X I tried years ago. It has actual punch and mid bass presence. A hint too energetic in the upper midrange, but it’s a really respectable IEM, that had amazing clarity, detail and technicals. Would consider owning it to be honest, it’s one of the IEMs that positively surprised me the most, and is kind of sort of living in my head rent free right now
I will wait for Lee’s quadbrid and I might ask Elise to maybe let me spend like a week or whatever with the X to decide if I want to jump on one
The Mysticraft tribrid was just awful. HEX bass but didn’t achieve the same texture or separation, with a super scooped and upper-tilted upper midrange. Thin and shouty. I scrolled through a few songs really quickly, but it was just an instant pass for me
3. Storm with Sovereign 2w
This is one I was really excited to listen to, but was left very slightly underwhelmed.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great IEM, but it just didn’t do anything that was so crazy that would have me justify the cost over my custom A12t
I liked that the Storm was basically a “blank slate,” waiting for you to decide what you want it to sound like with your source.
I liked it with the Nipo N2, hated it off that huge modded iBasso (I found it extremely bright and clinical). I think people also exaggerate how hard it is to drive, because it sounded excellent off the SP3000M, and it wasn’t so far behind the Nipo N2 (which is supposed to be really powerful so I guess it can drive the Storm to most of its potential)
I understand the appeal of the IEM, especially for headphone audiophiles who already have crazy setups that are just waiting for a Storm, but it didn’t do anything so special for me to justify the cost, especially compared to other reference monitors (I consider the ability to be easily driven and scaling down advantages)
Purely subjective, but I would personally prefer IEMs that are a little more distinctive at that price range. I’m happy with the A12t sounding a little generic at 2000$, but not so much with something at the Storm’s price
I like the APX SE much better, it’s easier to drive and I feel like it has a more unique take on “reference”
Again though, I kinda get it and I respect the IEM. Can’t say anything truly negative about it. Will revisit
4. Macbeth
Not just the best BA bass I’ve heard, but some of the best bass quality I’ve heard out of any IEM.
I don’t want to say too much about the Macbeth, mostly because I want to try and create a specific chain around it to see how much I can fine tune the sound. It sounded weirdly thin, sibilant and metallic with some tracks, but like a completely different IEM with others
I don’t think I’ve experienced finding an IEM both too warm and pleasant, and too bright and harsh almost at the same time. I guess it has some really specific treble peaks that specific tracks hit
Definitely one to revisit and experiment with.
5. FiR Rn6 and Project K
Loved the Rn6, not so much the Project K. The Rn6 completely deserves all the praise it has gotten so far. It’s the most balanced FiR by a mile, with a clear but unobtrusive and textured midrange, exceptional kinetic bass and really well extended, gentle treble
Didn’t focus on technical ability too much cause I was running low on time and I already knew I wanted to give it another go. It’s excellent.
Project K… It’s a mess. It has the Xe6 bass, with fat and thick lower mids, but then it has this weird peak in the midrange that makes it sound dense, cold and harsh at the same time
I appreciate an IEM that sacrifices clarity for a thicker, more pleasant and inviting sound
I can also appreciate an IEM that sacrifices warmth and texture for clarity, detail and resolution
The Project K manages to sacrifice both clarity and warmth at the same time, without the advantages of either.
I’d like to hear it again, because I generally appreciate Belonozhko tuning, but it was so far away from something enjoyable for me, I don’t see what will reel it in.
All listening done on silver module.
6. Omnium Ti
Reserving impression on it until I hear final tuning. Heard two prototypes (kinda) today, and they show a lot of promise, but I generally don’t want to provide too much impressions without having a final unit in my hands.
Shared my feedback with Ahmed, very excited to see the final results
7. Fugaku
Please don’t light my a$$ on fire, but I hated it. You can always dismiss my impressions and if you need an excuse, I flat out can’t deal with this type of shrill, thin, cold and forward midrange regardless of note size.
If you do want to hear what I think, here it goes
First and foremost, I am not saying this in relation to price or portability (and I think that both are massive issues). I wouldn’t own the Fugaku at any price point
The bass is undoubtedly excellent in a vacuum. It’s big, it’s bold, and it has actual mid bass which I always appreciate
It is plagued by the same issues as the Moses though, it just can’t keep up with busy music.
The midrange on the Fugaku contributes to that, because there’s basically no lower mids coupled with an upper midrange that I’d describe as brutal on the ears (I exaggerate a little, but 17,000 euros makes me a little more demanding than usual). It all adds up to this artificial sense of clarity that makes vocals massive and kills any instrumental separation that the slow bass didn’t kill already
The treble is great, but with the rest of the FR who cares
Don’t kill me for these impressions, as I said earlier everything about the Fugaku’s tuning is something that I am “built” to dislike, and so is most of my library.
My more “objective” dislike for the Fugaku is the existence of the Elise Elysian X for example, which I think has a way more tasteful and mature approach to a similar mid-forward tuning with big bold bass.
8. Others
MMR Thummim - met with
@doctorjuggles for dinner and drinks last night, loved the Thum as much as I did when I first heard it. A lot of the Thummim’s DNA is in the HEX, and I dare say it does some things a little better, even though the overall tuning of the HEX is much more refined with better texture, dynamics and a lot more
Erl - still as bored as I was the first time listening to it. It just presents everything as too mild and pleasant, to me it completely fails to transmit any emotion that isn’t rainbows and butterflies and unicorns
Craft Ears Aurum - it slapped back then, it still slaps. Awesome value, and something I’d enjoy listening to frequently regardless of price. Would love to compare it to Omnium Ti when that’s out
PS I forgot to keep taking photos of the stuff I listened to after the first idk how many IEMs
. Excellent balance, could be a little more open sounding and have better timbre. Certainly not dull sounding but it does never spring to life for me and pull me into the music, which is really the very first hurdle in my book. Could use slightly more upfront vocals (just one step forward on the stage is enough) and a better physical bass / lower mids sensation. Probably needs a tube to really sing for me; not easy given the power demands so I give up - be it under protest as it's just so good overall.
