The Watercooler -- Impressions, philosophical discussion and general banter. Index on first page. All welcome.
Jul 21, 2022 at 8:10 AM Post #29,791 of 89,370
Hi Natesdailies,


Started off Wednesday (7/20) morning with ginger cold brew coffee (w/ sparkling water), from Stumptown Coffee Roasters (Art District, Los Angeles, California).
StumptownCoffee-GingerColdBrewCoffee-ArtDistrictLA.jpg
First time having something like an espresso tonic with a ginger twist, but with a smooth mellow citric taste & feel and a hint of herbal-lemon & subtle toasted caramel notes fused with dark rich espresso. It’s a simple-casual take on a carbonated espresso drink for a light fare type of occasion, but it would've been nice to have a bit more espresso to balance out the sweet overtone from the fruit and herbal side. The taste is somewhat reminiscent of Sujeonggwa (Korean cinnamon punch), but without the heat of ginger and cinnamon, and with a smoother body and slight carbonated feel in a more mild form of Cascara shrub tonic.


On the way back to work, I’ve noticed some other murals along the way I haven’t seen before. There were some murals in an adjoined disarray that caught my eye.
Mural-ArtDistrictLA.jpg
Murals of characters and symbols (by various artists, including one at the very right by artist David Choe, at Santa Fe Avenue, Art District, Los Angeles, California, 7/20).


Following up to your response from the previous post, it's nice to know dongchimiguksu is a dish you’ve grown to be fond of and appreciate from your upbringing, much in the way I’ve had a strong craving and fondness for mohmilguksu (cold soba noodles), with chopped green onions, grated Korean radish, a small dab of wasabi, a half spoon of rice wine, with a half-cup of soba noodle soup base, topped with some ice, to cool down and replenish the senses on a hot day.

As for desktop audio gear, my current desktop setup is a Topping DX7 Pro (mostly used as an amp & dac w/ Supermoon ciem), and also a Violectric V280 (for use w/ HD800S headphones) which I don’t use as much nowadays. I’m curious to see if there’s any noticeable difference/improvement in sound with Supermoon ciem in xlr 4-pin balanced, as my Plus Sound xlr 4-pin to 4.4 8-wire spc interconnect adapter should arrive by the end of this week (at earliest). And, now that I think about the aesthetics of DX7 Pro from a quick glance, I can see how it kind of resembles a Burson Conductor amp & dac.
ToppingDX7Pro-SupermoonCIEM.jpg
Topping DX7 Pro desktop headphone amplifier & dac, w/ Campfire Audio Supermoon ciem + Plus Sound 4-wire spc in 4.4.


As good as Burson headphone amplifiers and dacs are in quality of build and sound, I think the Topping DX7 Pro is plentiful enough in power output and sound quality, and I feel it does the job just fine, especially for streaming movies and documentaries, and also for listening to music with my Supermoon ciem when I have a little more time at home after work.

Lastly, you’ve brought up an interesting point with sound being upsized rather than having it scale up as a whole on a particular amp & dac. I think part of the way we hear and feel sound scaling up in dynamics, imaging and staging, or increasing in perceived loudness on a more linear-like scale with more minimal changes, attributes more to iem synergy with amp & dac, and how certain iems interact with noticeable little differences from different materials and configuration of components in the source chain. This is one of the reasons why I’ve considered going for another custom-fit iem (for use at work) that doesn’t require as much power to sound near its best at relatively low impedance, rather than buying another expensive portable dap to rotate more with other daps.
iBassoDX300-iBassoDX220-iPhone13ProMax-SupermoonCIEM.jpg
From left to right:
iBasso DX300 w/ amp12, iBasso DX220 w/ amp8, iPhone 13 Pro Max w/ Adv Lite dongle to Plus Sound palladium-plated copper 3.5 to 4.4 interconnect adapter, w/ Campfire Audio Supermoon ciem (audiophile-fit) + Plus Sound 4-wire spc cable in 4.4.






Hi Rockwell75,


Here are some brief thoughts on the music I listen to (old and new/current).

1. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (in C Minor, Op. 18, by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra) is the track I listen to the most, as this was my first introduction to orchestral classical music. When my cousin visited me from Texas in summer of 1996, I was gifted a cd of Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (by New York Philharmonic) & Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini (by Philadelphia Orchestra), and I vividly remember playing this cd from start to finish on some cheap speakers hooked up to a desktop computer (Intel Pentium MMX 166 MHz, with a 'turbo' button on the front of the computer case, haha). This opened up a gateway of discovering a variety of classical music, and eventually led me with inspiration to learn how to play the violin.
Rachmaninoff-PianoConcertoNo2-Front.JPEG

Rachmaninoff-PianoConcertoNo2-Inside.JPEG


2. Bill Evans - Without A Song (Remastered 2022, from Jazz playlist on Tidal). Classic combination of piano and drums done in a mellow but lively fun way.
BillEvans-WithoutASong-Jazz-Tidal.jpg


3. I haven't really mentioned much about my preferences for electronic music in my previous posts. But, from time to time, when I'm in the mood for electronic music (and electronic dance music), I listen to mostly trance, from big room and uplifting trance to some techno-trance and vocal trance, as well as some dubstep, and also some electronic rock. From early to mid-late 2000's, back at a time when I was my younger self living on the edge for the thrill, I listened to a variety of edm bands and artists, most notably The Prodigy, some Armin van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold, Paul van Dyk, Deadmau5, Darude, and many more. Every once in a while, I listen to some old tracks from edm bands and artists I'm familiar with, or see what's fresh and new from current edm artists on Tidal or on YouTube.
TheProdigy-Breathe-Tidal.jpg
The Prodigy - Breathe (from Tidal)





Hi discord,


Based on photos of Supermoon ciem shells & nozzles (in audiophile-fit) from my previous post, the audiophile-fit nozzles are not as lacking in noise isolation as you may think they appear to be.

When I sent in my third set of ear impressions for my Supermoon ciems to be made, I sent in two notes of requests to Campfire Audio, which went in detail on how I preferred to have slightly shorter & less thick nozzles (to reach a bit further away from the first sharp bend) and inner shells with less rounded thickness for a more relaxed and snug fit.

By the time I picked up my order and tried on my Supermoon custom-fit iems for the first time (on July 11), I felt the nozzles had enough grip of contact about midway through the transitioning point towards the first sharp bend in my ear canals.

From recent memory, when I moved around with Supermoon ciem in my ears (rotated in pairing w/ iBasso DX220 and w/ iBasso DX300) at a fairly swift pace for the first two hours, I felt a slight give with subtle tilting movements of the inner shells and nozzles whenever I tilted my head side to side, or leaned my head towards one side at a time. However, making movements at tilt-angled positions to a less or greater degree did not lose nor break the seal, as I felt the curved end tip of the nozzle to cling and stay in place well onto the curved transitioning point towards the first sharp bend in my ears.

The only time I noticed the seal to loosen up a little and let sound come in is when I opened up my mouth more (whether it was yawning, or eating). For all other use cases in a residential environment, I think it does a reasonably adequate job in isolating and keeping out fairly loud noises from coming in at mid-distance and further around.

However, I still need to try Supermoon ciem sometime at work, to see how effectively it isolates loud ambient noise outside on the streets, as well as around stores and warehouses in business areas. When the time and day permits at work, I’ll post some updates on differences I hear in passive noise isolation with Supermoon ciem in different ambient settings outside and around stores for another time. =)


-Daniel.
Love all three of your music choices.

Boring me, Green Tea only unflavored in any way. Taste like dirty water, not sure why I do this, creature of habit, find it refreshing and as non inspiring as possible for a morning jolt.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 8:26 AM Post #29,792 of 89,370
I do believe that the shielding is doing something to the sound. It just sounds different.
On 2-channel gear there are some that feel the shielding is a huge part of how good the cable is. It makes some sense as multiple cables are near each other in that environment as well as Wi-Fi, etc. I would not have thought as much with an IEM as it is only one cable, but it will be interesting to see what @toaster thinks in his comparison.

At CanJam I felt the opposite of your take using Traillii. The Orpheus made more of a difference than First Times. Now you have me thinking was the First Times shielded or not? I would guess shielded, but I do not remember for certain. Tks.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 8:31 AM Post #29,793 of 89,370
On 2-channel gear there are some that feel the shielding is a huge part of how good the cable is. It makes some sense as multiple cables are near each other in that environment as well as Wi-Fi, etc. I would not have thought as much with an IEM as it is only one cable, but it will be interesting to see what @toaster thinks in his comparison.

At CanJam I felt the opposite of your take using Traillii. The Orpheus made more of a difference than First Times. Now you have me thinking was the First Times shielded or not? I would guess shielded, but I do not remember for certain. Tks.
Plus the IEM cable is short. Type of metals I get, shielding, shields the signal from what? Remember those relatively short pieces of wire antennas on clock radios, could that be it. Shielding between devices like preamps and amps I get.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:06 AM Post #29,794 of 89,370
I drink only high mountain Taiwan oolong or Japanese emperors gyrokuru tea .

one can always construct a massive faraday cage and listen in that for ultimate shielding.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:11 AM Post #29,795 of 89,370
It's a shame that it is so expensive really. That said, I know how much goes into making it, crazy high.

7EAD99EC-F77B-44CA-8480-E945AFD927AE.jpeg

This is the pre-production sample, of course. The final IEM, on true-recessed 2-pin connectors, will be Chromium-plated black with 18K Gold-plated faceplate, Storm-deco laser etching. I've seen the rendering -- it's quite impressive! The cable is a NightJar Mira, which is a neutral and pairs very well with Storm, imo better than the usual suspects of Orpheus (too imposing), Centurion (not as resolving), etc. Shown here is a 4-wire edition; it's a paid upgrade (better resolution and imaging) from the stock with Storm which is the 2-wire version. Some people prefer the stock, it is less heft but they're both really quite soft and pliant, ergonomics shouldn't be an issue. The case is made with a really nice leather from Todah (a handmade leather goods atelier), imo better quality than any I've seem come with an IEM. And then there is the matter of labor; apparently 1 unit per 2-man day!

USD5K+ is indeed hard to swallow but at least you know you're getting top quality stuff here.


Elise Audio is their UK/Euro-zone reseller. There should be a US/Head-fi tour, and I know on good authority that you're on the list. 😊 Be interesting to read your take on it!


Maybe now is a good time to rehash my previous impressions of the impending Storm... ⛈ ☔


The plan is 4 IEMS, each bearing the preference/tuning of each is based the founders. Storm's a reference, highly technical flat-impedance IEM based on @toranku's signature. The other three to come will each have its own special characteristics and tuning that would be equally interesting and unique, to say the least. Exciting brand!

Thank you for providing greater detail into what goes into producing the Storm. The 1 unit per 2-man production time is pretty crazy to think about. I'd love to see a production video of something so complex. Those incredible watch-making videos come to mind when you mentioned labor time.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:22 AM Post #29,796 of 89,370
I'm not stuck in one spot with my full size HPs, though...

D8000P_Cv5_DTR1.jpg
:innocent:

I just love using my inears the way some would use closed-back HPs when isolation is a must and I'm docked
I feel worse.
Here you post a photo of how the player fits perfectly on the amp, forming a perfect sandwich. And I already want to buy them.
But... I already have CDM))
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:25 AM Post #29,797 of 89,370
DTR1 > Penon Totem IC > Continental v5 with Raytheon 6832 valve > Meze SPC 8w upgrade cable > D8000 Pro

These HPs are not as difficult to drive as those other two, thank god
Oh, I have this dragon in my lamp collection. I rarely use it. I'm waiting for winter.
It heats my CDM so that I will definitely be able to save on heating)
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:25 AM Post #29,798 of 89,370
Are there any 64 Audio U6T or 64 Audio Duo owners? If so, how do they compare?
I have tried both, and instantly took U6T out of my ears. They sounded boxy to me maybe I didn't gave the pair enough time. Duo is something I liked instantly. Open, Spacious, good bass. I would go for Duo eyes closed.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:30 AM Post #29,799 of 89,370
Funny question, does there exist something for Mac similar to UAPP for Android? I am streaming out of my MBP into LP6 Ti AE using Tidal with exclusive mode, but not sure if this is "bit perfect" or similar. Is Mac natively USB C audio out perfectly, or do I need some special program?
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:35 AM Post #29,800 of 89,370
It's a shame that it is so expensive really. That said, I know how much goes into making it, crazy high.

7EAD99EC-F77B-44CA-8480-E945AFD927AE.jpeg

This is the pre-production sample, of course. The final IEM, on true-recessed 2-pin connectors, will be Chromium-plated black with 18K Gold-plated faceplate, Storm-deco laser etching. I've seen the rendering -- it's quite impressive! The cable is a NightJar Mira, which is a neutral and pairs very well with Storm, imo better than the usual suspects of Orpheus (too imposing), Centurion (not as resolving), etc. Shown here is a 4-wire edition; it's a paid upgrade (better resolution and imaging) from the stock with Storm which is the 2-wire version. Some people prefer the stock, it is less heft but they're both really quite soft and pliant, ergonomics shouldn't be an issue. The case is made with a really nice leather from Todah (a handmade leather goods atelier), imo better quality than any I've seem come with an IEM. And then there is the matter of labor; apparently 1 unit per 2-man day!
These things look very nice.
I actually feel a little safe at the height the Bird goes up to, but I still don't know how to stop buying cool cases. Especially leather)
I'm far away, so I don't have a chance to tour, but I'd love to read your impressions.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 9:51 AM Post #29,801 of 89,370
Just received a mail from @Questyle, Got their flagship M15 USB DAC/AMP. Just unboxed and I am literally awestruck with its outstanding build. I instantly connected it to my iPad Air and Senn IE600. This little baby sounds super clean, the background has no signs of hiss or noise. Bass feels tighter especially in the sub-bass section(which is actually the tuning of IE600), so I guess the M15 has a highly transparent sound presentation.

More impressions with time :) See how beautiful this baby looks <3

2.jpg
Looks like mini CDM. But without tubes.

IMG_20220719_125613_083.jpg
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 10:14 AM Post #29,802 of 89,370
On the topic of green tea, I'm a big fan and rotate through a few varieties - Gyokuro being a big favourite, and I love matcha in the morning - slow release caffeine, much better than coffee... YMMV 😎

I tend to go for ceremonial grade matcha and water around 80c.

20220720_162022.jpg


Afternoon pot prepared for Gyokuro. The water needs to be cooler, around 60-70c max. Wonderful smooth tea, love it. Nice with strong dark chocolate, above 80% ideally!

20220721_150809.jpg


Listening to Thunder most of today while trying the GPS cable from Dr Juggles, on loan from armstrj2.


20220721_122426.jpg
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 10:39 AM Post #29,804 of 89,370
UK is not part of the Euro-zone anymore. I wonder if there will be demo units within the EU as importing them from the UK will lead to customs fees (over 1000€ at this price point).
Not sure demos or a Euro tour is on the card, but my understanding is Elise Audio would cover the Euro-zone that the UK isn't part of anymore. 😉

Should've arrange for a better time to try it when I got the stormbreaker from you haha
Yeah, you missed a listen! But you're in SG, you'll be able to listen to a commercial demo soon enough. 😊

Thank you for providing greater detail into what goes into producing the Storm. The 1 unit per 2-man production time is pretty crazy to think about. I'd love to see a production video of something so complex. Those incredible watch-making videos come to mind when you mentioned labor time.
Oh no where close to the complexity of watch-making! I've not seen it done but my understanding is a lot of installing, testing, tweaking, trashing whatever didn't make a cut at each point, start over, PITA.
 
Jul 21, 2022 at 11:31 AM Post #29,805 of 89,370
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.]

It's a shame that it is so expensive really. That said, I know how much goes into making it, crazy high.

7EAD99EC-F77B-44CA-8480-E945AFD927AE.jpeg

This is the pre-production sample, of course. The final IEM, on true-recessed 2-pin connectors, will be Chromium-plated black with 18K Gold-plated faceplate, Storm-deco laser etching. I've seen the rendering -- it's quite impressive! The cable is a NightJar Mira, which is a neutral and pairs very well with Storm, imo better than the usual suspects of Orpheus (too imposing), Centurion (not as resolving), etc. Shown here is a 4-wire edition; it's a paid upgrade (better resolution and imaging) from the stock with Storm which is the 2-wire version. Some people prefer the stock, it is less heft but they're both really quite soft and pliant, ergonomics shouldn't be an issue. The case is made with a really nice leather from Todah (a handmade leather goods atelier), imo better quality than any I've seem come with an IEM. And then there is the matter of labor; apparently 1 unit per 2-man day!

USD5K+ is indeed hard to swallow but at least you know you're getting top quality stuff here.


Elise Audio is their UK/Euro-zone reseller. There should be a US/Head-fi tour, and I know on good authority that you're on the list. 😊 Be interesting to read your take on it!


Maybe now is a good time to rehash my previous impressions of the impending Storm... ⛈ ☔


The plan is 4 IEMS, each bearing the preference/tuning of each is based the founders. Storm's a reference, highly technical flat-impedance IEM based on @toranku's signature. The other three to come will each have its own special characteristics and tuning that would be equally interesting and unique, to say the least. Exciting brand!

Storm = hot!!!!!!

Looks like mini CDM. But without tubes.

IMG_20220719_125613_083.jpg

More universal Supermoons!!! Yay!
 

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