The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.

[Tristy]

From @Vision Ears IG page...hoping EXT & Phoenix will be shipping soon...can't wait to hear them both.

Honestly the wait is killing me .... WE NEED IMPRESSIONSSSS.

 

[claud W]

Its a disease . I am also waiting to find out how good the new VE IEMs are, but I can not stop spending money. Today I bought the Soft Ears RSV and the 7Hz Timeless as well as a Satin Audio Medussa cable . Do I need them---no.
Here is a pic of my ready to hear and those waiting for me to finish with cable and tips choice.

 

[holsen]

Its a disease . I am also waiting to find out how good the new VE IEMs are, but I can not stop spending money. Today I bought the Soft Ears RSV and the 7N Timeless as well as a Satin Audio Medussa cable . Do I need them---no.
Here is a pic of my ready to hear and those waiting for me to finish with cable and tips choice.

I hear you man, I also just bought the 7Hz Timeless which is now on the way and I've got the RSV in the cart - wresting with myself - over what I absolutely do not need, but I can't help wanting it. Yet, I've got the Fusions inserted and I've got to admit I am really so happy with them. What I really need is more will power to stop chasing the dragons tail.

 

[Neweymatt]

What I really need is more will power to stop chasing the dragons tail.

I think I may have found the way to do this. I just went and bought myself the most f-off piece of gear I could get away with, Meze Empyrean should be on my desk around Tuesday. And with the Jot2 arriving about a week later, that should just about do it.

3 DAC/DAP
3 amps
3 great-to-TOTL IEMs
3 great-to-TOTL Headphones

That's a lot of combinations to play with for quite a while I reckon. Anything else would be a side grade at that point. How long I can keep telling myself this will remain to be seen.

 

[sunnygsm]

Does anyone else feel that the Andro 2020s lack some body in the mid-range? I've enjoyed them but I feel like I'm missing something.

I may just not be accustomed to the presentation yet since I've mostly been using warmer headphones with more prominent mids.

 

[Neweymatt]

Does anyone else feel that the Andro 2020s lack some body in the mid-range? I've enjoyed them but I feel like I'm missing something.

I may just not be accustomed to the presentation yet since I've mostly been using warmer headphones with more prominent mids.

What source are you using? As you may have discovered, Anrdromeda is a kind of chameleon when it comes to source pairings.

My default response for something like this these days would be to try your Andro with some kind of tube-based source, whether desktop or portable. The change in timbre and body is quite remarkable.

 

[Rockwell75]

Does anyone else feel that the Andro 2020s lack some body in the mid-range? I've enjoyed them but I feel like I'm missing something.

In addition to source considerations that have been mentioned it kind of depends on what you're comparing it to. Relative to DD IEMs like Elysium or Isabellae, or IEMs with thick mids like the VE8 then perhaps Andro may lack some body. But compared to IEMs with really thin mids-- like the Nio or u12t then I would say no.

 

[sunnygsm]

I've mostly just been working with phone/MacBook pro, which I know are not ideal. I do have a Vali 2 at home that I suppose I could try, but I don't really plan to use these in a desktop setup.

Part of it is probably the Andros having a different tuning to what I'm used to (warmer, more prominent mids).

 

[endless402]

I think I may have found the way to do this. I just went and bought myself the most f-off piece of gear I could get away with, Meze Empyrean should be on my desk around Tuesday. And with the Jot2 arriving about a week later, that should just about do it.

3 DAC/DAP
3 amps
3 great-to-TOTL IEMs
3 great-to-TOTL Headphones

That's a lot of combinations to play with for quite a while I reckon. Anything else would be a side grade at that point. How long I can keep telling myself this will remain to be seen.

also getting antsy to try new products though I'm quite satisfied right now.

maybe a hugo 2 (already owned previously) or a focal clear MG or another oriolus

 

[claud W]

Just to get them both broken in, I have attached my Satin Zeus cable to a new pair of PMV PPs (yes, a planar IEM) . Right out of the box, this combo is interesting. the PP has a 14mm planer and that's it. Rock may like it because of the bass of which there is plenty. This is my prep for the 7 Hz which should have shipped along with the Soft Ears.

 

[tgx78]

Just to get them both broken in, I have attached my Satin Zeus cable to a new pair of PMV PPs (yes, a planar IEM) . Right out of the box, this combo is interesting. the PP has a 14mm planer and that's it. Rock may like it because of the bass of which there is plenty. This is my prep for the 7 Hz which should have shipped along with the Soft Ears.

He heard the PMV few months back

5) PMVPP - Nice sub-bass extension and impact but something about the rest of the sound seems undercooked for me...a weird combination of compressed, congested and veiled...will have to experiment some more.

My impression of the PMV PP

 

[jwilliamhurst]

Posted my Oriolus Isabellae Review with select comparisons to Soft Ears Turii and Rhapsodio Eden.
If anyone is interested you can find it here…
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/oriolus-isabellae.25209/reviews

 

[ranfan]

My new favourite set of tips Sony EP-EX11 -> amazon.co.jp/dp/B0086PXQT8/
Super comfortable and soft in texture, made from medical-grade silicone material. Soft to the touch and skin-friendly (doesn't irritate). I highly recommend them. They're affordable too ($5 for 2 pairs). I prefer these over the Sedna Light for their comfort

Also currently awaiting Sony XBA-Z5. The Z5 especially are a good solid pair for bass-heads. They have bigger (mid & sub) bass than the Z1R. The sound I feel blends together nicely in all frequency. Though they're slightly on the warmer side. High resolution, and with thicker-sized midrange notes. They may be a good complementary pair for the Reborn which also have a good solid sub-bass and 1DD + 2BA hybrid setup. The Reborn are slightly brighter and crisper in the upper end, the Z5 are clear enough with good treble and some extra richness/density in the lower-mids

 

[Rockwell75]

My new favourite set of tips Sony EP-EX11 -> amazon.co.jp/dp/B0086PXQT8/
Super comfortable and soft in texture, made from medical-grade silicone material. Soft to the touch and skin-friendly (doesn't irritate). I highly recommend them. They're affordable too ($5 for 2 pairs). I prefer these over the Sedna Light for their comfort

Also currently awaiting Sony XBA-Z5. The Z5 especially are a good solid pair for bass-heads. They have bigger (mid & sub) bass than the Z1R. The sound I feel blends together nicely in all frequency. Though they're slightly on the warmer side. High resolution, and with thicker-sized midrange notes. They may be a good complementary pair for the Reborn which also have a good solid sub-bass and 1DD + 2BA hybrid setup. The Reborn are slightly brighter and crisper in the upper end, the Z5 are clear enough with good treble and some extra richness/density in the lower-mids

The XBA-25 has long been on my short list!

In other news I've had the GS Audio SE12 on hand for a couple weeks thanks to the continued munificence & generosity of @tgx78 but between being back to work, starting back at university & most recently almost losing one of my kitties to a urinary tract blockage (he will be fine, thankfully!) I've had scant time to listen to it until recently. I simply don't have the time to do a substantial overview at this point but I'll drop a few impressions.



In a word: I really really like them through my Shanling M8. Standout features for me are: top knotch resolution & clarity, mid-bass presence is very satisfying, mid-range is forward, present clear & natural sounding. Vocals are clear and sweet-- I would give the edge slightly to male vocals. My bar is quite high for female vocals having experienced the likes of the Reborn & Elysium-- but these are by no means weak in that area. The SE12 are a nicely balanced monitor. While bordering on stridency up top it never quite gets there and I never find them fatiguing. Presentation is of the "in your face" variety, which being devout CFA fan I quite enjoy. Once again bass is present & authoritative but I did not notice any recession in the mids so I maybe I would describe them as very mildly v-shaped.

In terms of nitpicks-- I sometimes find myself wishing for just a touch more extension down low-- but this is probably because I'm spoiled by top tier DD bass in all my mains right now (Reborn, Dorado, Isa, Honeydew). As I said upper mids and highs push the envelop slighly for me but not to the point I feel need to EQ-- which is significant. Bass is great on the whole but BA timbre is noticable-- especially with sub-bass. Staging is on the intimate side and it falls well behind other IEMS (like the Tansio Spark, or even the Andromeda) on this note-- but the rest of what it does is good enough that I don't really care. Top end sparkle is a touch lacking for an e-stat IEM.

Those are nit-picks though these are great IEMs and I would not hesitate to rec them.

 

[Scubadevils]

Also currently awaiting Sony XBA-Z5. The Z5 especially are a good solid pair for bass-heads. They have bigger (mid & sub) bass than the Z1R. The sound I feel blends together nicely in all frequency. Though they're slightly on the warmer side. High resolution, and with thicker-sized midrange notes. They may be a good complementary pair for the Reborn which also have a good solid sub-bass and 1DD + 2BA hybrid setup. The Reborn are slightly brighter and crisper in the upper end, the Z5 are clear enough with good treble and some extra richness/density in the lower-mids

I spotted them listed again on AccessoryJack... tempting.

https://www.accessoryjack.com/colle...hi-res-in-ear-monitor-earphone-mmcx-connector