Agree on the Nio in terms of technicalities. I too really like the tonality and think it does bass very well. They’re quite smooth though and can leave something to be desired on the detail and technical front for its MSRP. At ~$1k on the secondhand market I think it’s still a great buy though.
Nio's greatest strength, for me, is its easy-listening tonality. I could listen to it for hours on end without fatigue, and it has incredibly organic vocals. For pure musical enjoyment, it's right near the top of the list. I think what ultimately made me move it on was my (misguided) belief that it would be a U12t with DD bass (I sold the U12t to buy Nio), and when it didn't live up to the 12t's technical strenghts I was a bit perturbed.
I still find it odd that people are willing to shell out these ever increasing multiples of $1K for musicality. Musicality should be fundamental property of the purpose of an iem regardless.
Perhaps all IEMs have some degree of musicality-- but many of them beyond a point eschew musicality in favour of a more technical performance.
In IEMs, I’ve noticed there is a key component of musicality that does tend to rise proportionally with MSRP, and that’s dynamic range. One of the main advantages pricey flagships have over less-expensive IEMs is their ability to sound big and open, which comes from dynamic range (or go from small to big). So, that’s the one contributor towards musicality that you do have to pay decent bucks for.
Ken, the chief architect at Subtonic, has an interesting view of reference and musicality, which is -- as they both scale upwards along the ladder of excellence, they will eventually converge at a single point where reference and musicality is the one and the same thing. That's his mission with the Storm IEM, I suppose.
Contrast in an IEM’s FR (bass against treble, bass against high-mids, low-mids against treble, etc.) is a great way to coax musicality out tonally. It’s like having a good blend of highlights and shadows in an image; immediately makes it look more impactful or dynamic.
I define musicality as my preferred presentation of music. Just because I like a sub-bass emphasis with some warmth and organic vocals and relaxed treble doesn't mean that's everyone's idea of how music should sound. I can also personally enjoy my idea of 'musicality' across all genres, meaning I don't need to switch to different IEMs with different presentations for different genres (or even sub-genres, or, in extreme cases, album by album). It's interesting to hear different presentations, sure, but I'm not the guy who orders different toppings on pizza at every outing just for the sake of variety.
All that said, I think as we move up the chain (and price points) in the IEM world, we should expect technical excellence to rise accordingly. Even the cheapest IEMs can deliver spot-on musicality with the right tuning, but very few can deliver that with an equivalent level of technical excellence. That's what sets TOTL IEMs apart from others, for me, and why I agree with both
@KuroKitsu's point about staying at a certain level of IEM once you're used to it, and also the Subtonic guy's point about the convergence of musicality and technicalities at a certain point. We'd all like to think that's possible at $500 or even $1000, and (depending on your 'good enough' threshold), I'd say you're probably looking at $2000 before you can consistently find IEMs that hit both marks most of the time.
Also,
@Deezel177's point about light and shade is so apt. It really is what brings the drama and 'story' out of an image, and can do the same with music. That's not all down to the IEM or audio chain, however. It's very much a factor of the
music itself, and what brings out the emotional connection with the music for each of us. Very often when I read about 'emotional engagement' from an IEM, I look to see what music is being used in that context, and equally often I can listen to the same music with IEMs that make me well up with tears with my own music, and yet feel
absolutely nothing with the music referenced by the reviewer (metal is a good example here, sorry guys).
Ultimately it's the
synergy between the music we listen to and the gear we listen to it with that appeals to us and makes us go all gooey. Without the music (and artistry behind it), IEMs are nothing more than a collection of metal and plastic parts.
With images were taken a few kilometres apart in a small town called George in South Africa's picturesque Garden Route. I've been visiting this area all my life, and could easily see myself retiring there one day. The Top image is from the banks of Garden Route Dam at sunrise, and the second from the famous gold course at Fancourt Estate, also at sunrise. Wind-free mornings are essential for the mirror-like finish on the water. As soon as the sun comes up, the breeze ripples the surface and the photo op is gone.
Fancourt:
https://goo.gl/maps/AHiivYZYREWjLkgn9
Garden Route Dam:
https://goo.gl/maps/AHiivYZYREWjLkgn9
Nice review on R5 Gen 2, is it a good pairing with Z1R (within ultra portable range DAP)?
It's early days, but I can say the R52 has plenty of driving power for the Z1R, even on low gain. I don't expect it to challenge the RS6 for synergy or SQ, and definitely not the WM1Z, but at this stage I have no qualms recommending it as a cheap and cheerful (and very versatile and powerful) ultraportable DAP.
This is a good book, unfortunately I don’t have the energy to read these days, with work and handling my dad’s and my own illness. I guess it’s also why I don’t want to spend time poring over nuances, technicalities and specs. I’ll defer to the experts and just read insights where possible. Re musicality and reference, my own selection of audio equipment is very much gut-based and visceral. It’s often love or at the very least super like at the get go, and because of that, the weaknesses in the IEMs I’ve decided to keep are pretty much out of my mind.
So sorry to hear about your troubles and glad you're able to connect with music and music gear to ease your pain somewhat. Wishing you much strength and warmth in your battles.
It reminded me how fun the journey is. Overflowing with creativity and self-expression, be it from the maker, musician, or listener. All is brimming with goodness. And what better it is than to share some of the joy 
