[efftee]

I wanted to know if anyone had the opportunity to hear them in an adequate and controlled way and any negative or positive impressions, of first impact. Thank you....

Fabio, I have been listening to the Storm for a few months now, very adequately in terms of time spent with it and as controlled as I could get in my office and home, on different DAPS, amped and standalone. The only caveats are (1) I am not accustomed to listening to universals, and tend to discount characteristics that I know would not be an issue on customs, which is my target; and (2) I have been listening on the Mira 4-wire, which is an upgrade to the stock Mira 2-wire, and expectedly my impressions would be skewed.

The Storm is designed to be (1) neutral (though I feel it is a tinged colored, which is preferred over something sterile), (2) based on what one would hear listening to studio monitors, specifically the Genelecs. I have not heard those, or studio monitors, which apparently are supposed to be listened up close, but I do get a bookshelf-ish sorta speaker-soundscape, and (3) possessing a flat impedance so you'd hear the same sound signature regardless of DAP. Since I've only heard it on a handful of DAPs, I don't think I could or would confirm that.

The short version of what I think/feel about Storm is, it is an IEM that resonates with me. It has the qualities that I look for -- good resolution, separation/layering and imaging. The soundstage depth is ok, could be wider, but sounds natural; tonality and timbre is accurate, and the most impressive trait is the seamless transition from band to band across the frequency spectrum, which I was told was down to its 7-way crossover tech and whatever mojo they've done there. Technically, it is as sound as an IEM can get.

The flaws. Quite source-fussy, and needs current to drive well. Although the LP6es (Ti and 7AE) and 3MaxTi are quite adequate, it really shines when amped, especially on the HM1K Quad - Aroma power stack. Can't say I've heard it sound poorly with any of my players, as long as you are willing to turn up the volume and I've never turned the volume knob higher with any other IEM. The BA bass is as good as any BA bass I've heard, but... it's still BA, and as I am DD-bass biased, well, 'nuff said. Finally, the price. I have an idea of its cost and Storm is probably the world's most expensive IEM to make! They use top notch components, build it the right way and housed in black Chromium-plated Titanium shells with 18K gold-plated laser-etched Storm-deco faceplates plus a quite luxe custom-made leather case.

Batch-1 had been completely sold and will likely ship in a couple weeks to the 10 lucky preorder owners and reviewers. Hope this gives you a fair idea of Storm, best hear it for yourself when commercial demos are available. I think they have a reseller in the UK, who probably is the one to speak with for demo arrangements in the Euro zone.

[Edit: The UK/Euro-zone reseller is Elise Audio, in case any one in Europe is interested to know.]

 

[Frankie D]

I can’t say for sure. It’s been a few months since my Trailli audition. From what I can remember, they’re on par as far as stage size and holography goes. Everything else is too different to compare. The Sharona’s much more laidback and nonchalant, while the Trailli has a fairly strong 8kHz peak, if I remember correctly. Instruments are a lot closer and further forward on the latter, and they have a brighter, more vibrant bite as well. The Sharona’s less aggressive there.

The one edge I’d give the Sharona would probably the low-end. It’s got a bigger (in surface area), more speaker-like presentation, compared to the Trailli’s very, very good, but less unique rendition. But, I also happen to like that speaker-like bass. Others might disagree. Whereas, the one edge I’d give the Trailli is that micro-details are further forward on that in-ear. The Sharona probably resolves just as much, but they’re further back in the mix, so you need to work harder to pick them out.

I might suggest that If the bass on the Sharona is like the Layla at 3:00, there really is no comparison. The Traillii is of higher quality. It is tight and detailed. The Lalya’s bass sounds a bit loose in comparison and not as impactful. Now if they tightened it up a bit on the Sharona and eliminated the “softness” then maybe it is a better comparison. This is not to say the bass on the Layla is bad, just not as good IMHO. I still like it overall.

My question would be this about the Sharona. For me the Layla’s super power is its ability to keep all sounds separate and distinct when you try to listen to a specific part of the mix. Not that I use it in a band, but I would think for the purposes of being on stage it is excellent. Does the Sharona still do that as well, or is JH moving to more of a speaker-like presentation where the mix is presented as a whole?

 

[Frankie D]

I don't know, there's no DB indicator I could refer to.

I just use my iPhone db app and play the output of the IEM into the microphone to get a reading. This allows me to adjust sound level pretty close when doing comparisons. It provides enough info to let you know if you are in the 70’s, 80’s etc. you can get it fairly accurate as well.

 

[efftee]

I just use my iPhone db app and play the output of the IEM into the microphone to get a reading. This allows me to adjust sound level pretty close when doing comparisons. It provides enough info to let you know if you are in the 70’s, 80’s etc. you can get it fairly accurate as well.

Sounds too pro for a casual impressions sharer like me, but I will look into that. Thanks Frankie!

Ps. I just did a search and seems there are quite a few, any recommendations?

 

[fabio19]

Fabio, I have been listening to the Storm for a few months now, very adequately in terms of time spent with it and as controlled as I could get in my office and home, on different DAPS, amped and standalone. The only caveats are (1) I am not accustomed to listening to universals, and tend to discount characteristics that I know would not be an issue on customs, which is my target; and (2) I have been listening on the Mira 4-wire, which is an upgrade to the stock Mira 2-wire, and expectedly my impressions would be skewed.

The Storm is designed to be (1) neutral (though I feel it is a tinged colored, which is preferred over something sterile), (2) based on what one would hear listening to studio monitors, specifically the Genelecs. I have not heard those, or studio monitors, which apparently are supposed to be listened up close, but I do get a bookshelf-ish sorta speaker-soundscape, and (3) possessing a flat impedance so you'd hear the same sound signature regardless of DAP. Since I've only heard it on a handful of DAPs, I don't think I could or would confirm that.

The short version of what I think/feel about Storm is, it is an IEM that resonates with me. It has the qualities that I look for -- good resolution, separation/layering and imaging. The soundstage depth is ok, could be wider, but sounds natural; tonality and timbre is accurate, and the most impressive trait is the seamless transition from band to band across the frequency spectrum, which I was told was down to its 7-way crossover tech and whatever mojo they've done there. Technically, it is as sound as an IEM can get.

The flaws. Quite source-fussy, and needs current to drive well. Although the LP6es (Ti and 7AE) and 3MaxTi are quite adequate, it really shines when amped, especially on the HM1K Quad - Aroma power stack. Can't say I've heard it sound poorly with any of my players, as long as you are willing to turn up the volume and I've never turned the volume knob higher with any other IEM. The BA bass is as good as any BA bass I've heard, but... it's still BA, and as I am DD-bass biased, well, 'nuff said. Finally, the price. I have an idea of its cost and Storm is probably the world's most expensive IEM to make! They use top notch components, build it the right way and housed in black Chromium-plated Titanium shells with 18K gold-plated laser-etched Storm-deco faceplates plus a quite luxe custom-made leather case.

Batch-1 had been completely sold and will likely ship in a couple weeks to the 10 lucky preorder owners and reviewers. Hope this gives you a fair idea of Storm, best hear it for yourself when commercial demos are available. I think they have a reseller in the UK, who probably is the one to speak with for demo arrangements in the Euro zone.

[Edit: The UK/Euro-zone reseller is Elise Audio, in case any one in Europe is interested to know.]

Thank you. You have been very kind and helpful. Having Traillii and having listened to Aroma Ace with the two daps I have (LPGT Ti and L&P LP6 Ti) I understand that the direction of Storm is that of Traillii and Ace. Low BA, therefore tight but powerful (even if NOT as much as a DD) clear, lush and slightly forward mids and precise and ringing high range just right. Iem therefore very technical and that aim at the recovery of details, separation and a good overall three-dimensionality. I recently bought the Mass Kobo amp so I don't think I have any power issues. It's just that ...... I was hoping it was something "different" from Traillii. Such as it could be Jewel who has a low DD. Aroma Ace is very similar to Traillii. Storm seems to me to have understood (if I have not translated wrongly) that it is on the typology of iem on the Traillii vein. Maybe with some differences but all in all a very technical iem, not analytical but still tending to exalt the BA. Did I get it right ? And thanks again for your opinion. Very valuable.

 

[Doug2507]

Just to chip in Fabio, I'm a BA fan and have found DD on a couple of occasions to be too dominating for my preference. Jewel DD (for me) gives just the right amount of DD flavour. Adds that extra kick to the bottom end without shoving it in your face. I'd say it's the perfect half way house between BA and DD, plus the quality of the bass on Jewel is superb. I've not heard the bird but form all accounts they're both technically at the top of the tree, just one being BA with super wide stage and the other with DD and more intimate stage. (FYI, I'm not a massive fan of super wide stage either so jewel wins in both accounts for me based on what ive read)

 

[Deezel177]

Well ... if Sharona is a little more relaxed than Traillii, that's not a disadvantage for me. On the contrary ..... Sometimes I find that Traillii is slightly "analytical". With LP6 she Ti for example she sounds a little warmer than on LPGT. Does Sharona get close to Traillii on details and technicalities?

Can Sharona somehow be along the lines of EXT, more than Traillii?

Well, I said on my original reply that the Sharona's definitely in league when it comes to imaging and stage expansion. I also said that it's probably capable of resolving the same amount of detail as the Trailli, and I say probably because I haven't heard the latter in months. It's just that the Sharona's shier treble doesn't push those details as far forward as the Trailli's will. So, the two resolve similar amounts of detail, but you have to reach in much further more on one than the other.

The Sharona isn't like the EXT at all, to my ears. The EXT as a whole is rowdier and more in-your-face; more bombastic. And, that's due to a lot of differences across the FR; drier low-mids, less-present high-mids, a much coarser mid-treble, etc. Plus, the EXT's smaller, more closed-in stage further exacerbates that roaring, instruments-coming-at-you sort-of sound. So, both tonally and presentationally, they're very different IEMs IMO.

I might suggest that If the bass on the Sharona is like the Layla at 3:00, there really is no comparison. The Traillii is of higher quality. It is tight and detailed. The Lalya’s bass sounds a bit loose in comparison and not as impactful. Now if they tightened it up a bit on the Sharona and eliminated the “softness” then maybe it is a better comparison. This is not to say the bass on the Layla is bad, just not as good IMHO. I still like it overall.

My question would be this about the Sharona. For me the Layla’s super power is its ability to keep all sounds separate and distinct when you try to listen to a specific part of the mix. Not that I use it in a band, but I would think for the purposes of being on stage it is excellent. Does the Sharona still do that as well, or is JH moving to more of a speaker-like presentation where the mix is presented as a whole?

That's exactly why I said the Sharona was comparable to a 3:00 Layla at the sub-bass. I clarified further on a recent post on the Sharona thread:

"Yeah, it’s important to note that, despite the Sharona hitting as hard as the Layla at 3 o’clock, it won’t sound as full as the latter at that setting. That’s partly because of the Sharona’s airier treble, but also because of that unique low-end response; how it hits the sides of the stage about as much as it hits the centre."

So, the Sharona hits as hard as a 3:00 Layla while being cleaner and tighter overall. And, that's down to the former's endless treble extension, as well as its unique way of presenting the bass. The Trailli, on the other hand, presents bass how most other IEMs would; hitting mostly around the centre of the image. The centre-image is also where your lead instruments are. So, there's a certain threshold of both bass quantity and bass decay that you can't cross if you don't want the lows to overshadow the lead. The Trailli tiptoes that line really well, as an example. Now, the Sharona is a bit of an exception to that rule, because its bass notes hit the periphery of the image almost as much as they do the centre. So, they're afforded a lot more leeway, and that's how such an impactful, yet still-clean low-end is achieved here.

And, to answer your last question, the Sharona absolutely bests the Layla in terms of separation and cleanliness. As I said on my initial impressions, the technical leap from the former to the latter is stark, and I said that after I said the Layla would sound a lot fuzzier by comparison; more-overlapping notes and warm air occupying the spaces in between. On the Sharona, you'll get more distance and sharper outlines between each instrument, and the air between them is cleaner and more defined too.

 

[Scubadevils]

My favourite email, great to get the heart beating and the preliminary dopamine trickle... P6K from Musicteck.

 

[Frankie D]

Sounds too pro for a casual impressions sharer like me, but I will look into that. Thanks Frankie!

Ps. I just did a search and seems there are quite a few, any recommendations?

You really need it for proper comparisons though. Any difference in loudness will skew your thoughts.

I use Decibel X. It is nice and easy. You open it, and it tells you the db level. All you have to do is place the IEMs next to the microphone. Enjoy.

 

[Ojisan]

Late as usual... my top3 by ear time ...

1. Zen Pro
2. Traillii
3. Oriolus Mk2

 

[Frankie D]

And, to answer your last question, the Sharona absolutely bests the Layla in terms of separation and cleanliness. As I said on my initial impressions, the technical leap from the former to the latter is stark, and I said that after I said the Layla would sound a lot fuzzier by comparison; more-overlapping notes and warm air occupying the spaces in between. On the Sharona, you'll get more distance and sharper outlines between each instrument, and the air between them is cleaner and more defined too.

So it will be an even better on stage tool. Would you agree? Tks.

 

[Rockwell75]

Late as usual... my top3 by ear time ...

1. Zen Pro
2. Traillii
3. Oriolus Mk2

Nice to see more Zen Pro love. I’m happy you were able to discover it through our little exchange.

Also, the poll is not closed so keep those votes coming if anyone else wants to participate.

 

[stacey]

The ascendance of Indigo is possibly the most interesting development in this poll for me. Annihilator is a beast. I hope I get a more extensive demo of a better unit someday. It speaks to how good it is that I felt compelled to vote for it despite the fact that I've yet to really hear one at its best.

Honestly I think it says a lot of Sony considering they haven’t released a high end IEM in a very long time. The Z1R predates a lot of stuff on the list.

And idk how you guys are wearing high end wares to the gym.

 

[Ojisan]

Nice to see more Zen Pro love. I’m happy you were able to discover it through our little exchange.

Also, the poll is not closed so keep those votes coming if anyone else wants to participate.

ZP was such a great discovery, I cannot thank you enough! Gives me hours and hours of simple joy every day with this setup. Acoustic instrument/voice timbre and coherence king for me. Listening to classical guitar by Andrew York, fingerstyle guitar by Michael Hedges & Pierre Bensusan, violin by Anne-Sophie Mutter / Midori, etc, they come through with incredible nuance and emotions I haven't heard with other multi-kilobuck sets. At the same time, toe tapping lively music for all my 70s-90s rock/heavy metal/fusion/jazz collections. Feel like end game to me, at least for this month

 

[blotmouse]

And idk how you guys are wearing high end wares to the gym.

Depends on what you do in the gym.
Folks that lift can get away with it, if they are training in a fairly abbreviated manner.
Folks sweating out the calories should use something they are fine with destroying.