[MaggotBrain]

A cool 61f in the Irish sea - chilly at first but get used to it quickly and once you keep moving!

Presented without comment.

 

[AnalogandDigital]

Good news and I'm ready for it ...
.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/thom-yorke-confirms-new-smile-music-is-in-the-works-3265763
.

 

[Scubadevils]

Presented without comment.

It's funny because it's true

 

[wolfstar76]

It's funny because it's true

It is funnier because all the women now know it shrinks.

 

[DanielListening]

Good news and I'm ready for it ...
.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/thom-yorke-confirms-new-smile-music-is-in-the-works-3265763
.

Thank you for the reminder. I think @Scuba Devils posted this album when it came out and I never gave it a proper listen.

Sony 507-> Chord Mojo -> -> XINHS Copper* Cable -> Unique Melody MEST MKI

*the copper cable is important as it really tames the upper midrange.

This is amazing.

 

[Progisus]

I won't go in the water if the temp is below 80F. I was curious this morning as to what temp was the water Scubi was going to swim in. That led to my curiosity about the Italian lake temp whose pic showed several swimmers.
As for your Ft. Myers pool, dive right in. Your body will acclimate itself in seconds.
Just think of Scubi and his 61F swim.

We keep our pool at 89F. I’m not sure what we’ll do if natural gas becomes a no no.

 

[Scarlets Eyes]

 

[Scarlets Eyes]

 

[tone.texture.soul]

Most assuredly. It’s a absolutely sublime paring.

+1 for Jewel and N8ii. Sublime. P+, high gain and tubes. Made even better with the addition of the C9. Better note weight, stage size and headroom.

+1 for the LP6 Ti AE also. Ridiculously good, more analog vibe. Also, doesn't need an amp IMHO. The way it renders drums and "real" instruments, with physicality so much so you can feel the actual hit, almost like a BCD.

 

[Scubadevils]

Thank you for the reminder. I think @Scuba Devils posted this album when it came out and I never gave it a proper listen.

Sony 507-> Chord Mojo -> -> XINHS Copper* Cable -> Unique Melody MEST MKI

*the copper cable is important as it really tames the upper midrange.

This is amazing.

Wasn't me but definitely one I'll be keen to hear so thank you!

 

[Ace Bee]

On 1st July, 2022 we had a small audiophile’s meet among @gadgetgod , @aakashk , and yours truly. The highlight of the meet, for me, was the Sennheiser IE600, QDC Anole VX (not in the picture), Letshuoer S12, and A&K Kann Alpha. @aakashk would say it was the Dark Sky for him, though.

The gears present were:

IEM:
QDC Anole VX
Custom Art FIBAE 4
Panther Audio Legend K8
Campfire Audio Andromda (2019) (X Satin Audio Theia II)
Unique Melody Mext
Letshuoer S12
FAudio Dark Sky (X PW Audio SE Ultra Copper)
IMR Dark Sky (X Nocturnal Audio Acrux)
IMR Elan
634EARS LOAK-T(CL) Cocobolo (X PW Audio Anniversary No.10 X Ear Audio 4.4 to 2.5 mm adaptor X DD DJ35A)
Shanling MG600
Azla Horizon (X Satin Audio Gaia II)
Hiby Lasya

DAP:
Shanling M7
Astell & Kern Kann Alpha
Hiby R5 Gen 2

I will get into small impressions of each of them as far as I can recall, but first of all, let me put down my comparative impressions of MG600, IE600, and LOAK-T(CL). I must say, I was quite looking forward to audition the IE600 for this very purpose, to determine whether I need this in my collection or not. My source was Shanling M7, medium gain, SE out.

First of all, the comfort. IE600 is the single most comfortable set I have ever worn, just like the IE300. It simply disappears inside the ears, without any kind of feeling that there is actually anything inside my ears. Although, the stiff cable and over the ear loop never let me forget its presence. The stock tips this time fit me well, however, I did not dare to swap it for anything else because I was not comfortable with the idea of not having the filtration effect of the sponge filter in the eartips…
...Because, the sound, following in the footsteps of IE300, is similarly SPICY! I must say this is not a tuning that sits right with me. While I admit that the transparency was top notch, the imaging was among the most accurate I have ever heard, and details were reproduced quite well - and yet, the sum ultimately did not sound pleasing to my ears.
Forgive me, I was getting out of my line into the bashing mode. Credit has to be given where it is due - I quite liked the extremely clean sound IE600 produced. The bass has a clear subbass emphasis with a slightly controlled midbass that really makes the overall presentation quite authoritative and yet clean. The physical presence of the subbass was clearly discernible, and the midbass slammed just hard enough to sound natural without gobbing up air. Highly transparent midrange and slightly edgy notes enhanced the clean experience even more, making the background quite black, enhancing the macro dynamics - it was like a Super AMOLED display, that’s how incredible the contrast was. Treble was very present throughout all the tracks I heard, and even the slightest shimmers were brought forward quite nicely.
However, that is where my positive impressions stopped. It looks like Senneheiser always aims for a rather spicy upper-mid and treble tuning, the way it did with IE300. And while that may suit some, I am not one of them. To my ears, the midrange sounded simply unnatural. While the lower midrange had an appropriate body, providing the male vocals quite a nice foundation, the added spiciness in the upper midrange made it sound more digital than organic…like something electronically enhanced. They sounded highly clear and detailed, but had less full bodied presentation compared to both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600. The edges of the notes felt jagged and sharp - which again enhanced the perceived details at the cost of listening comfort. Treble had an abundant amount of energy and air that made them sound quite sparkling and bright. However, there was enough tuning mastery involved that it did not have any piercing spikes in this region. Even then also, the general brightness present was a bit daunting, specifically because of the somewhat jagged edges of the notes. It pushes the background treble notes forward, which makes the listener go wow with all the sudden emergence, but it also lessens the perceived depth somewhat, giving rise to its somewhat intimate presentation. Despite the details and air, the spicy tuning makes the cymbal notes sound a bit thin and brittle - not very natural to my ears.

Compared to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, the one aspect where IE600 was notably behind was the stage. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 had a bigger stage than IE600, MG600 having the most grand one owing to its semi-open back construction. In fact, I believe its stage is similar to the FAudio Dark Sky. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 stages extended more in every direction. IE600 stage felt intimate and a bit compressed.
Apart from the stage, it was the notes where the difference seemed quite obvious yet again. IE600 notes felt a bit compressed, with sharper edges, and a bit thinner in body. LOAK-T(CL) had notes with more body and a fuller presence with similar details. MG600 notes had slightly more body and slightly smoother edges to provide a more comfortable listen, albeit with slightly less details than IE600. In comparison to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, IE600 midrange felt more dynamic and attacking compared to others for sure, with more contrast, but that did not exactly align with my preference. I also felt that the notes are a bit compressed on IE600.
IE600 really worked hard towards bringing the most minute details of treble forward, and achieved it, providing the most energetic treble out of all three. LOAK-T(CL), however, albeit being a tad less energetic, had plenty of energy and extension in the treble region. The treble notes also felt more bodied compared to IE600’s slightly thinner treble notes. MG600 had smoother treble than IE600 with a bit less extension than IE600, but it was very comfortable to listen to and the placement of the treble instruments in the stage was at a bit more depth. The same went for LOAK-T(CL) also. The way IE600 strived to push out the treble to the front had a somewhat detrimental effect on its overall soundstage, albeit reproducing an impressive amount of details.
Surprisingly, IE600 had the least amount of bass out of the three, but that does not mean it was lean. IE600 had more emphasis on its subbass compared to midbass. MG600 had a slightly stronger midbass and slightly weaker subbass. LOAK-T(CL) had more emphasis than IE600 in both sub and mid bass. None of them felt better than the other in the technicalities here though.

I know, I really am sounding heavily biased against the IE600, but that is exactly how I felt about it, and hence I cannot exactly stay neutral here. The spicy tonality that Sennheiser goes for does not really sit with me, but as I can see a lot of praises about the IE300, 600, and 900 around, I can understand that there are people who prefer it. Heck, my friend @gadgetgod does. He severely disagrees with me and to his ears the IE600 had a smoother treble while MG600 had slight sibilance. I believe him, and I believe my own ears as well - which proves the fact how much ear anatomy affects one’s perception of sound. So even though I do not like it, that is just for me and others should listen to them before making any purchase decision.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short impressions of the other gears:

• Astell & Kern Kann Alpha and Shanling M7 were very similar. M7 had a bit more open stage with more width, Kann Alpha had slightly more depth. M7 sounded slightly more neutral than Kann Alpha.
• Hiby R5 Gen II sounded quite good with Class-A mode on, but with Class-A mode off the sound felt a bit flat. The difference wasn’t night and day, but still quite distinct that my heart was not satisfied with the normal mode at all. However, the difference in the sound was not so much to justify the battery usage dropping almost 1/3rd from its Class-A off mode. However, I must insist again that at Class-A mode the R5 Gen II sounded incredibly good, and if the battery backup was about 15 hours in Class-A on mode, I would have gone for it as a portable DAP for walking in a heartbeat. It was very full and emotional sounding, with a hint of warmth and quite dynamic characteristics.
• Unique Melody Mext was a disappointment. The bass was quite strong, but it was totally not to my taste. The midrange was too pushed back, didn't have sufficient body - sounded weak, treble did not have that sparkle or energy…yeah the holographic imaging might be good, but it did not sound engaging and musical at all.
• QDC Anole VX was marvellous! The midrange and treble sounded so natural and effortlessly detailed. Low end hadthat BA timbre though, which will prevent me from going for it (good for me). The separation and imaging was quite grand, despite the stage being not as vast as I would have expected at this price point. It was still pretty great though.
• Panther Audio Legend K8 was a nice smooth sounding all BA set with nice technicalities. Even though smooth, it had good note definition and separation.
• Custom Art FIBAE 4 did not impress me. The low end seemed fat and forced to have DD like presence while not having that timbre at all. The treble had a slight peak to compensate for the bass emphasis maybe, but that just made the treble to have a hint of spiciness, and made the overall sound signature weird and not exactly balanced.
• Letshuoer S12 had a really surprising amount of bass that was juicy and impactful - loved it! Despite that, the midrange and treble were clear and sparkling with quite good separation. However, the absence of the DD timbre made it not very desirable to me. I will have it again this week to have an in depth comparison with Penon Vortex and Hiby Lasya.

 

[gadgetgod]

On 1st July, 2022 we had a small audiophile’s meet among @gadgetgod , @aakashk , and yours truly. The highlight of the meet, for me, was the Sennheiser IE600, QDC Anole VX (not in the picture), Letshuoer S12, and A&K Kann Alpha. @aakashk would say it was the Dark Sky for him, though.

The gears present were:

IEM:
QDC Anole VX
Custom Art FIBAE 4
Panther Audio Legend K8
Campfire Audio Andromda (2019) (X Satin Audio Theia II)
Unique Melody Mext
Letshuoer S12
FAudio Dark Sky (X PW Audio SE Ultra Copper)
IMR Dark Sky (X Nocturnal Audio Acrux)
IMR Elan
634EARS LOAK-T(CL) Cocobolo (X PW Audio Anniversary No.10 X Ear Audio 4.4 to 2.5 mm adaptor X DD DJ35A)
Shanling MG600
Azla Horizon (X Satin Audio Gaia II)
Hiby Lasya

DAP:
Shanling M7
Astell & Kern Kann Alpha
Hiby R5 Gen 2



I will get into small impressions of each of them as far as I can recall, but first of all, let me put down my comparative impressions of MG600, IE600, and LOAK-T(CL). I must say, I was quite looking forward to audition the IE600 for this very purpose, to determine whether I need this in my collection or not. My source was Shanling M7, medium gain, SE out.



First of all, the comfort. IE600 is the single most comfortable set I have ever worn, just like the IE300. It simply disappears inside the ears, without any kind of feeling that there is actually anything inside my ears. Although, the stiff cable and over the ear loop never let me forget its presence. The stock tips this time fit me well, however, I did not dare to swap it for anything else because I was not comfortable with the idea of not having the filtration effect of the sponge filter in the eartips…
...Because, the sound, following in the footsteps of IE300, is similarly SPICY! I must say this is not a tuning that sits right with me. While I admit that the transparency was top notch, the imaging was among the most accurate I have ever heard, and details were reproduced quite well - and yet, the sum ultimately did not sound pleasing to my ears.
Forgive me, I was getting out of my line into the bashing mode. Credit has to be given where it is due - I quite liked the extremely clean sound IE600 produced. The bass has a clear subbass emphasis with a slightly controlled midbass that really makes the overall presentation quite authoritative and yet clean. The physical presence of the subbass was clearly discernible, and the midbass slammed just hard enough to sound natural without gobbing up air. Highly transparent midrange and slightly edgy notes enhanced the clean experience even more, making the background quite black, enhancing the macro dynamics - it was like a Super AMOLED display, that’s how incredible the contrast was. Treble was very present throughout all the tracks I heard, and even the slightest shimmers were brought forward quite nicely.
However, that is where my positive impressions stopped. It looks like Senneheiser always aims for a rather spicy upper-mid and treble tuning, the way it did with IE300. And while that may suit some, I am not one of them. To my ears, the midrange sounded simply unnatural. While the lower midrange had an appropriate body, providing the male vocals quite a nice foundation, the added spiciness in the upper midrange made it sound more digital than organic…like something electronically enhanced. They sounded highly clear and detailed, but had less full bodied presentation compared to both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600. The edges of the notes felt jagged and sharp - which again enhanced the perceived details at the cost of listening comfort. Treble had an abundant amount of energy and air that made them sound quite sparkling and bright. However, there was enough tuning mastery involved that it did not have any piercing spikes in this region. Even then also, the general brightness present was a bit daunting, specifically because of the somewhat jagged edges of the notes. It pushes the background treble notes forward, which makes the listener go wow with all the sudden emergence, but it also lessens the perceived depth somewhat, giving rise to its somewhat intimate presentation. Despite the details and air, the spicy tuning makes the cymbal notes sound a bit thin and brittle - not very natural to my ears.

Compared to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, the one aspect where IE600 was notably behind was the stage. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 had a bigger stage than IE600, MG600 having the most grand one owing to its semi-open back construction. In fact, I believe its stage is similar to the FAudio Dark Sky. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 stages extended more in every direction. IE600 stage felt intimate and a bit compressed.
Apart from the stage, it was the notes where the difference seemed quite obvious yet again. IE600 notes felt a bit compressed, with sharper edges, and a bit thinner in body. LOAK-T(CL) had notes with more body and a fuller presence with similar details. MG600 notes had slightly more body and slightly smoother edges to provide a more comfortable listen, albeit with slightly less details than IE600. In comparison to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, IE600 midrange felt more dynamic and attacking compared to others for sure, with more contrast, but that did not exactly align with my preference. I also felt that the notes are a bit compressed on IE600.
IE600 really worked hard towards bringing the most minute details of treble forward, and achieved it, providing the most energetic treble out of all three. LOAK-T(CL), however, albeit being a tad less energetic, had plenty of energy and extension in the treble region. The treble notes also felt more bodied compared to IE600’s slightly thinner treble notes. MG600 had smoother treble than IE600 with a bit less extension than IE600, but it was very comfortable to listen to and the placement of the treble instruments in the stage was at a bit more depth. The same went for LOAK-T(CL) also. The way IE600 strived to push out the treble to the front had a somewhat detrimental effect on its overall soundstage, albeit reproducing an impressive amount of details.
Surprisingly, IE600 had the least amount of bass out of the three, but that does not mean it was lean. IE600 had more emphasis on its subbass compared to midbass. MG600 had a slightly stronger midbass and slightly weaker subbass. LOAK-T(CL) had more emphasis than IE600 in both sub and mid bass. None of them felt better than the other in the technicalities here though.

I know, I really am sounding heavily biased against the IE600, but that is exactly how I felt about it, and hence I cannot exactly stay neutral here. The spicy tonality that Sennheiser goes for does not really sit with me, but as I can see a lot of praises about the IE300, 600, and 900 around, I can understand that there are people who prefer it. Heck, my friend @gadgetgod does. He severely disagrees with me and to his ears the IE600 had a smoother treble while MG600 had slight sibilance. I believe him, and I believe my own ears as well - which proves the fact how much ear anatomy affects one’s perception of sound. So even though I do not like it, that is just for me and others should listen to them before making any purchase decision.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short impressions of the other gears:

• Astell & Kern Kann Alpha and Shanling M7 were very similar. M7 had a bit more open stage with more width, Kann Alpha had slightly more depth. M7 sounded slightly more neutral than Kann Alpha.
• Hiby R5 Gen II sounded quite good with Class-A mode on, but with Class-A mode off the sound felt a bit flat. The difference wasn’t night and day, but still quite distinct that my heart was not satisfied with the normal mode at all. However, the difference in the sound was not so much to justify the battery usage dropping almost 1/3rd from its Class-A off mode. However, I must insist again that at Class-A mode the R5 Gen II sounded incredibly good, and if the battery backup was about 15 hours in Class-A on mode, I would have gone for it as a portable DAP for walking in a heartbeat. It was very full and emotional sounding, with a hint of warmth and quite dynamic characteristics.
• Unique Melody Mext was a disappointment. The bass was quite strong, but it was totally not to my taste. The midrange was too pushed back, didn't have sufficient body - sounded weak, treble did not have that sparkle or energy…yeah the holographic imaging might be good, but it did not sound engaging and musical at all.
• QDC Anole VX was marvellous! The midrange and treble sounded so natural and effortlessly detailed. Low end hadthat BA timbre though, which will prevent me from going for it (good for me). The separation and imaging was quite grand, despite the stage being not as vast as I would have expected at this price point. It was still pretty great though.
• Panther Audio Legend K8 was a nice smooth sounding all BA set with nice technicalities. Even though smooth, it had good note definition and separation.
• Custom Art FIBAE 4 did not impress me. The low end seemed fat and forced to have DD like presence while not having that timbre at all. The treble had a slight peak to compensate for the bass emphasis maybe, but that just made the treble to have a hint of spiciness, and made the overall sound signature weird and not exactly balanced.
• Letshuoer S12 had a really surprising amount of bass that was juicy and impactful - loved it! Despite that, the midrange and treble were clear and sparkling with quite good separation. However, the absence of the DD timbre made it not very desirable to me. I will have it again this week to have an in depth comparison with Penon Vortex and Hiby Lasya.

great impressions bro, I will also share my impressions on this thread in a few days. I would agree with your thoughts on the Anole VX, Panther Audio Legend K8, S12, and more. But As you stated I prefer IE600 to the MG600 or the Loak one that you own. LOAK one I find bright for my taste while the MG600 sounds wonderful and pretty solid, I find IE600 to be more neutral. But as you said our ear anatomy might differ so But one day will get MG600 as a complementing set for the IE600.

 

[aakashk]

On 1st July, 2022 we had a small audiophile’s meet among @gadgetgod , @aakashk , and yours truly. The highlight of the meet, for me, was the Sennheiser IE600, QDC Anole VX (not in the picture), Letshuoer S12, and A&K Kann Alpha. @aakashk would say it was the Dark Sky for him, though.

The gears present were:

IEM:
QDC Anole VX
Custom Art FIBAE 4
Panther Audio Legend K8
Campfire Audio Andromda (2019) (X Satin Audio Theia II)
Unique Melody Mext
Letshuoer S12
FAudio Dark Sky (X PW Audio SE Ultra Copper)
IMR Dark Sky (X Nocturnal Audio Acrux)
IMR Elan
634EARS LOAK-T(CL) Cocobolo (X PW Audio Anniversary No.10 X Ear Audio 4.4 to 2.5 mm adaptor X DD DJ35A)
Shanling MG600
Azla Horizon (X Satin Audio Gaia II)
Hiby Lasya

DAP:
Shanling M7
Astell & Kern Kann Alpha
Hiby R5 Gen 2



I will get into small impressions of each of them as far as I can recall, but first of all, let me put down my comparative impressions of MG600, IE600, and LOAK-T(CL). I must say, I was quite looking forward to audition the IE600 for this very purpose, to determine whether I need this in my collection or not. My source was Shanling M7, medium gain, SE out.



First of all, the comfort. IE600 is the single most comfortable set I have ever worn, just like the IE300. It simply disappears inside the ears, without any kind of feeling that there is actually anything inside my ears. Although, the stiff cable and over the ear loop never let me forget its presence. The stock tips this time fit me well, however, I did not dare to swap it for anything else because I was not comfortable with the idea of not having the filtration effect of the sponge filter in the eartips…
...Because, the sound, following in the footsteps of IE300, is similarly SPICY! I must say this is not a tuning that sits right with me. While I admit that the transparency was top notch, the imaging was among the most accurate I have ever heard, and details were reproduced quite well - and yet, the sum ultimately did not sound pleasing to my ears.
Forgive me, I was getting out of my line into the bashing mode. Credit has to be given where it is due - I quite liked the extremely clean sound IE600 produced. The bass has a clear subbass emphasis with a slightly controlled midbass that really makes the overall presentation quite authoritative and yet clean. The physical presence of the subbass was clearly discernible, and the midbass slammed just hard enough to sound natural without gobbing up air. Highly transparent midrange and slightly edgy notes enhanced the clean experience even more, making the background quite black, enhancing the macro dynamics - it was like a Super AMOLED display, that’s how incredible the contrast was. Treble was very present throughout all the tracks I heard, and even the slightest shimmers were brought forward quite nicely.
However, that is where my positive impressions stopped. It looks like Senneheiser always aims for a rather spicy upper-mid and treble tuning, the way it did with IE300. And while that may suit some, I am not one of them. To my ears, the midrange sounded simply unnatural. While the lower midrange had an appropriate body, providing the male vocals quite a nice foundation, the added spiciness in the upper midrange made it sound more digital than organic…like something electronically enhanced. They sounded highly clear and detailed, but had less full bodied presentation compared to both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600. The edges of the notes felt jagged and sharp - which again enhanced the perceived details at the cost of listening comfort. Treble had an abundant amount of energy and air that made them sound quite sparkling and bright. However, there was enough tuning mastery involved that it did not have any piercing spikes in this region. Even then also, the general brightness present was a bit daunting, specifically because of the somewhat jagged edges of the notes. It pushes the background treble notes forward, which makes the listener go wow with all the sudden emergence, but it also lessens the perceived depth somewhat, giving rise to its somewhat intimate presentation. Despite the details and air, the spicy tuning makes the cymbal notes sound a bit thin and brittle - not very natural to my ears.

Compared to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, the one aspect where IE600 was notably behind was the stage. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 had a bigger stage than IE600, MG600 having the most grand one owing to its semi-open back construction. In fact, I believe its stage is similar to the FAudio Dark Sky. Both LOAK-T(CL) and MG600 stages extended more in every direction. IE600 stage felt intimate and a bit compressed.
Apart from the stage, it was the notes where the difference seemed quite obvious yet again. IE600 notes felt a bit compressed, with sharper edges, and a bit thinner in body. LOAK-T(CL) had notes with more body and a fuller presence with similar details. MG600 notes had slightly more body and slightly smoother edges to provide a more comfortable listen, albeit with slightly less details than IE600. In comparison to LOAK-T(CL) and MG600, IE600 midrange felt more dynamic and attacking compared to others for sure, with more contrast, but that did not exactly align with my preference. I also felt that the notes are a bit compressed on IE600.
IE600 really worked hard towards bringing the most minute details of treble forward, and achieved it, providing the most energetic treble out of all three. LOAK-T(CL), however, albeit being a tad less energetic, had plenty of energy and extension in the treble region. The treble notes also felt more bodied compared to IE600’s slightly thinner treble notes. MG600 had smoother treble than IE600 with a bit less extension than IE600, but it was very comfortable to listen to and the placement of the treble instruments in the stage was at a bit more depth. The same went for LOAK-T(CL) also. The way IE600 strived to push out the treble to the front had a somewhat detrimental effect on its overall soundstage, albeit reproducing an impressive amount of details.
Surprisingly, IE600 had the least amount of bass out of the three, but that does not mean it was lean. IE600 had more emphasis on its subbass compared to midbass. MG600 had a slightly stronger midbass and slightly weaker subbass. LOAK-T(CL) had more emphasis than IE600 in both sub and mid bass. None of them felt better than the other in the technicalities here though.

I know, I really am sounding heavily biased against the IE600, but that is exactly how I felt about it, and hence I cannot exactly stay neutral here. The spicy tonality that Sennheiser goes for does not really sit with me, but as I can see a lot of praises about the IE300, 600, and 900 around, I can understand that there are people who prefer it. Heck, my friend @gadgetgod does. He severely disagrees with me and to his ears the IE600 had a smoother treble while MG600 had slight sibilance. I believe him, and I believe my own ears as well - which proves the fact how much ear anatomy affects one’s perception of sound. So even though I do not like it, that is just for me and others should listen to them before making any purchase decision.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Short impressions of the other gears:

• Astell & Kern Kann Alpha and Shanling M7 were very similar. M7 had a bit more open stage with more width, Kann Alpha had slightly more depth. M7 sounded slightly more neutral than Kann Alpha.
• Hiby R5 Gen II sounded quite good with Class-A mode on, but with Class-A mode off the sound felt a bit flat. The difference wasn’t night and day, but still quite distinct that my heart was not satisfied with the normal mode at all. However, the difference in the sound was not so much to justify the battery usage dropping almost 1/3rd from its Class-A off mode. However, I must insist again that at Class-A mode the R5 Gen II sounded incredibly good, and if the battery backup was about 15 hours in Class-A on mode, I would have gone for it as a portable DAP for walking in a heartbeat. It was very full and emotional sounding, with a hint of warmth and quite dynamic characteristics.
• Unique Melody Mext was a disappointment. The bass was quite strong, but it was totally not to my taste. The midrange was too pushed back, didn't have sufficient body - sounded weak, treble did not have that sparkle or energy…yeah the holographic imaging might be good, but it did not sound engaging and musical at all.
• QDC Anole VX was marvellous! The midrange and treble sounded so natural and effortlessly detailed. Low end hadthat BA timbre though, which will prevent me from going for it (good for me). The separation and imaging was quite grand, despite the stage being not as vast as I would have expected at this price point. It was still pretty great though.
• Panther Audio Legend K8 was a nice smooth sounding all BA set with nice technicalities. Even though smooth, it had good note definition and separation.
• Custom Art FIBAE 4 did not impress me. The low end seemed fat and forced to have DD like presence while not having that timbre at all. The treble had a slight peak to compensate for the bass emphasis maybe, but that just made the treble to have a hint of spiciness, and made the overall sound signature weird and not exactly balanced.
• Letshuoer S12 had a really surprising amount of bass that was juicy and impactful - loved it! Despite that, the midrange and treble were clear and sparkling with quite good separation. However, the absence of the DD timbre made it not very desirable to me. I will have it again this week to have an in depth comparison with Penon Vortex and Hiby Lasya.

Lovely impressions bro. It was great meeting you and @gadgetgod the other day. And yes, I loved the Faudio Dark Sky

 

[RTodd]

This morning took my tea to the pool.
Glorious weather today, may get hot later but right now it is perfect. Rosie here with me. Listening to the XE6 again, and the recordings this morning which were Atmospheric Electronic, Indie, and Jazz, this set is great for all of these to me. Couple shots of my view on my second Monday after I retired from working.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Lovely impressions bro. It was great meeting you and @gadgetgod the other day. And yes, I loved the Faudio Dark Sky

@aakashk i listed mine for sale