The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
May 7, 2022 at 12:19 PM Post #24,122 of 84,894
Would you say the Thunder is your best IEM? If you could only keep one, which one would it be?

I think I would choose the Isabellae.

Traillii still my best but I'd choose Thunder if I could only keep one - it can handle absolutely any genre I throw at it and sound great... lightweight and very comfortable shells. Other IEMs do things better, but Thunder sits in a fantastic sweet spot of being 'just right' for so much of my library where I can reach for it in any scenario.

I sold Isabellae a while back and miss it - will likely become the first IEM I've sold but will buy again!
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:25 PM Post #24,123 of 84,894
Traillii still my best but I'd choose Thunder if I could only keep one - it can handle absolutely any genre I throw at it and sound great... lightweight and very comfortable shells. Other IEMs do things better, but Thunder sits in a fantastic sweet spot of being 'just right' for so much of my library where I can reach for it in any scenario.

I sold Isabellae a while back and miss it - will likely become the first IEM I've sold but will buy again!

That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:30 PM Post #24,124 of 84,894
Lol so is wine the "upgrade cable" of the fine dining world?
Interestingly I’ve been to a few restaurants with non-alc pairings which I’ve probably enjoyed more than wine.

I’m not taking dealcoholised; but rather drinks of unique flavors which were outstanding and far more diverse than wine. An example below:

Apple and Fennel Cooler
Cucumber Lemonade
Wild Mushroom Consommé
Virgin Pomelo and Lime Margarita
Muscat Grape and Elderflower Water
Rooibos and Citrus Tea
Tomato and Lemongrass Elixir
Silver Moon Green Tea and Berry Infusion
Earl Grey and Lavender Soother
Dry Lemon, Sugar Syrup, Rosemary
Passion Fruit, Vanilla and Peach Extraction
Jasmine and Geranium Cocktail
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:30 PM Post #24,125 of 84,894
Traillii still my best but I'd choose Thunder if I could only keep one - it can handle absolutely any genre I throw at it and sound great... lightweight and very comfortable shells. Other IEMs do things better, but Thunder sits in a fantastic sweet spot of being 'just right' for so much of my library where I can reach for it in any scenario.

I sold Isabellae a while back and miss it - will likely become the first IEM I've sold but will buy again!
I know, and I know the person who bought it from you. He did it on my recommendation.
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:30 PM Post #24,126 of 84,894
That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.

Mason FS for me in both categories. ✌️
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:32 PM Post #24,127 of 84,894
Lol so is wine the "upgrade cable" of the fine dining world?
I'd say marinating is the upgrade cable of the fine-dining world. Its effectiveness is somewhat questioned by science, but those who've tried it swear by the difference it makes. :p
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:34 PM Post #24,128 of 84,894
That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.

I’m scared to answer this but I do think it would be the Aroma Jewel for both. Obviously this is all pertaining to my own individual tastes. It’s probably the best “balanced” IEM I have heard for electronic music and for my library I think it is the most versatile set I have heard. I really have not heard a single track in my collection that sounded average on it.
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:38 PM Post #24,129 of 84,894
That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.
Would be the Jewel for both for me.
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:41 PM Post #24,130 of 84,894
Interestingly I’ve been to a few restaurants with non-alc pairings which I’ve probably enjoyed more than wine.

I’m not taking dealcoholised; but rather drinks of unique flavors which were outstanding and far more diverse than wine. An example below:

Apple and Fennel Cooler
Cucumber Lemonade
Wild Mushroom Consommé
Virgin Pomelo and Lime Margarita
Muscat Grape and Elderflower Water
Rooibos and Citrus Tea
Tomato and Lemongrass Elixir
Silver Moon Green Tea and Berry Infusion
Earl Grey and Lavender Soother
Dry Lemon, Sugar Syrup, Rosemary
Passion Fruit, Vanilla and Peach Extraction
Jasmine and Geranium Cocktail
That’s awesome, haven’t found any in the US that do that yet.
 
May 7, 2022 at 12:49 PM Post #24,131 of 84,894
May 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM Post #24,132 of 84,894
I was torn between the two options so decided not to request and just see what arrived! What cable are you using? Good to see more Thunder here :)

I usually stick to black for IEMs... So the black w/ red accents was the only choice! Ha ha... Cable, answered in a post just prior! Swappable plug cable by ddHiFi. Super nice, soft and flexible ergonomics, no microphonics, the modular feature, plus a reasonable bump in sound (according to these ears).
 
May 7, 2022 at 1:02 PM Post #24,133 of 84,894
That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.
There is that question again, my own little nightmare scenario. Traillii if I could only have one. Urghhhh then no Trio Jazz with Thummim and C9, no Isabellae in bed, no XE6 working on projects, no Mason FS bringing strings to life.

As for favorite also Traillii. Really need to give Jewell another listen so many love it, need a version with no sparkles, and better cable for the same money.
 
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May 7, 2022 at 1:15 PM Post #24,134 of 84,894
That's an interesting question: what is the best IEM you've ever heard vs. if you could pick only one IEM what would it be? It would be interesting to see if and how many people chose the same IEM for both questions. I'm not sure I would.

Only one IEM? Not even in my worst nightmares… :scream::scream::scream:

However I think it would be the Traillii for both.
 
May 7, 2022 at 1:20 PM Post #24,135 of 84,894
Based purely on sonics I would take EXT, of everything I've heard...however a lot of my listening is done out and about and EXT isn't really practical for that because it needs a rather robust source to sound its best. Further I've never been able to get comfortable taking a $2K+ IEM out and about hiking, biking etc. which would be a huge factor for me to consider if I had to choose only one.
 

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