[AnalogandDigital]

Of course I would like to try the Supermoon, like so many others... But for me I think that's an impossible task.

And everything that I have bought completely blind has turned out to be a disaster, I have not liked almost any of them. I at least need charts to compare to to get an idea.
Tonality is very important to me, much more than any technicality, so having at least graphics with which to get an idea is essential to be able to make a "blind" purchase and not throw my money away.

Between the Trio and the Fourte I have always had doubts, but the Fourte is completely out of my budget, and the tonality is "weird" (both in the graphics and said by most reviewers), so my tastes and possibilities are they are much closer to the Trio than to the Fourte. Have you also had the Trio, and have you preferred to stay with the Fourte?

I haven't tried the CA Supermoon either but thinking to give CA a call and see if I can get a Universal pair to test drive
I have the TRN Kirin and 7Hz Dioko arriving to hear what everyone is talking about
Next might be Timeless, S12 and Hook-X

I never owned Duo or Trio but do have a few other pairs of 64 Audio
Now I really like the Fourté
Real nice soundstage and detail monsters let's call them
I'm using them at the moment with my new Brise Audio STR-7 Ref cable and seems a nice match
Now Naoki-san of Brise Audio told me about 200 hours for cable burn in (believer or non believers can only tell what he told me)
The Fourté have the 10K peak but it doesn't bother me at all and I hear no sibilance
So yes they're a keeper for me
I just would like to try the Fourté Noir one day
But I think hitting the NuTube button on my N8ii, the result in sound might be close ...
.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

What does xelastec improve on your jewel?
I never enjoy of xelastec in any iem i’ve tried. The sound is more detailed but at the expense of thinner and brighter.

I had similar experience, especially with Mest Mk2, but with Aroma's works fine!
Aroma iems have long stems so you can have deeper insertion and have better sealing without loose body

 

[efftee]

Lots of great info . If it takes 2 man days to assemble 1 unit that makes the price a little easier to digest. Lets put an hourly value of 50 USD per hour thats 50 x 2 x 8 = $800 + the cost of drivers / cable & 2 years of R&D.

Nevertheless, the pricing puts it in summit tier range. I wonder if the Storm will have enough firepower to compete with the likes of Traillii & Jewel.

The absolute cost is still a hurdle; if you cannot afford it, you cannot afford, regardless of the justification! But if you could, then perhaps it's good to know where your money is going to.

Well, on technicals, Storm exceeds Traillii and Jewel -- better resolution, more natural imaging and extension on both ends, the separation/layering is as good as I have heard on any IEM, I think due to the work they've done to the 7-way crossover. On scalability, Storm exceeds Jewel which exceeds Traillii; that is to say, the gap widens increasingly when you scale the source. That said, if you're listening off a phone or dongle, Traillii may well sound better than both the Storm and Jewel! So the choice of IEM is never so straightforward, your gear and material matter a lot to the transducers you pick. [Edit: Let me add that there are certain times when some may find Jewel to be the preferred IEM too, for me, those would be vocals, female, ballads. You don't need a lot of technicals for those to be engaging, especially at an emo level!]

Lastly, market acceptance and sales performance have little to do with product merits, you know that; on firepower, especially marketing and communications, I don't think Subtonic is in the same league as Oriolus and Aroma. I know all three intimately and think my choice is clear, but have a listen and judge for yourself... it'd be interesting to see how things pan out for Storm.

 

[AnalogandDigital]

Midnight here
Listening to this - N8ii - FT - Trailli - Qobuz
Never heard about the group Bear's Den to be honest but sounds good
Track is When you break
.

 

[Scubadevils]

I hooked up my (precious!) TZ700 to the M9 this morning, chose an album and lay back in a meditative audio bliss. This is my single DD endgame, I was debating trying Turii or Dita Perpetua, but I honestly wouldn't change anything about this work of art - it is perfection in every way. There is a possibility of course I'll be curious again in the future, but in my single DD journey so far, TZ700 is literally audio nirvana and will be tough to beat.

Which reminded me of how I first became aware of its existence - I mentioned to @Ace Bee how much I was enjoying the Hifiman RE800 a few weeks ago, especially for the low price tag, and he asked had I heard of the TZ700 - being a fan of Technics, I was immediately curious and off I went to do some research - while there weren't many reviews out there, it was immediately clear that there were some fans of this tiny single dynamic driver. In addition, this is Technics - a Panasonic company with several decades of premium audio engineering pedigree. I read about the technology used in the driver HERE and coupled with the few reviews, had my mind almost made up that I had to have one...

Then comes @ranfan - he goes and tries one, I'm still envious of the fact he can pop into a local store and sample these wonders of electronics! His feedback was not only was it to his preference vs IE900, but also Z1R and it was changing his plan to buy A8000. That sealed the deal for me, I absolutely had to track one down - and I was fortunate to do so from Hifi Team in Austria. I was on holidays at the time and they offered to put it aside until I was ready to order - an absolute pleasure to deal with, wonderful customer service, especially considering I was a random guy contacting by email, and never dealt with them before - not to mention holding it at the sale price they had on offer at the time.

So thank you to both @Ace Bee and @ranfan for playing a role in me discovering not only my favourite DD I've ever heard, but up there with my top earphones ever in terms of absolute audio bliss every time I pop them in my ears!

Scales beautifully with the M9 too.

 

[Bosk]

After 50 or more hours using the IE600, I am not disappointed at all, even quite surprised by the sound quality of the IE600.... and what a confort !!! IE900/IE600 are probably the kings of comfort and stability in the ear canals in any positions.

This is what makes the IE600 such a safe recommendation, along with the tuning that seems to handle every genre thrown at it. If they had 2pin connectors they'd be ergonomically perfect, and feel like they could survive all sorts of abuse if taken backpacking for instance.

 

[Natesdailies]

The absolute cost is still a hurdle; if you cannot afford it, you cannot afford, regardless of the justification!

In this case it is because Subtonic is asking for summit tier pricing for their first product (under that name). Would I order blind from Empire Ears? Yes because they have a proven track record.

But if you could, then perhaps it's good to know where your money is going to.

Everyone has a different approach to their buying journey. For me, it's a matter of principal. I was taught that just because I can afford something doesn't mean I should buy it. Even it's a $30 pack of ear tips, I like to do my research.

(Except for Costco: amazing return policies )

Well, on technicals, Storm exceeds Traillii and Jewel -- better resolution, more natural imaging and extension on both ends, the separation/layering is as good as I have heard on any IEM, I think due to the work they've done to the 7-way crossover. On scalability, Storm exceeds Jewel which exceeds Traillii; that is to say, the gap widens increasingly when you scale the source. That said, if you're listening off a phone or dongle, Traillii may well sound better than both the Storm and Jewel! So the choice of IEM is never so straightforward, your gear and material matter a lot to the transducers you pick. [Edit: Let me add that there are certain times when some may find Jewel to be the preferred IEM too, for me, those would be vocals, female, ballads. You don't need a lot of technicals for those to be engaging, especially at an emo level!]

Excited to hear it!

Lastly, market acceptance and sales performance have little to do with product merits, you know that;

I would normally agree with you when it comes to other luxury commodities (watches, fashion, cars). Those can be used as status symbols.

Completely different market here. I remember reading from the Cayin thread that because the unit numbers are so small, certain manufacturers won't issue mass orders on certain chips for DAPs.

The beautiful thing about audio is that it's so personal. Yes you'll have a few whales that buy anything but I feel that product authenticity (at least for the people I met) matters.

 

[Chronos]

This reminds me that I see a lot less music genre elitism on headfi these days compared to when I started. I remember when I first joined I’d more often see posters saying something along the lines of “if it’s not classical or jazz then it’s not real music” directed at other users.

Anyhow, back to my party music …

Totally agree with you. Not only was it the culture to put down music other than classical or jazz but bass heads were shunned. I was once ridiculed at a CanJam by a prominent member on here for asking if he had music with bass in it while testing out his modified Denon D7000s since he only had vocal music…

 

[firesign]

I haven't tried the CA Supermoon either but thinking to give CA a call and see if I can get a Universal pair to test drive
I have the TRN Kirin and 7Hz Dioko arriving to hear what everyone is talking about
Next might be Timeless, S12 and Hook-X

I never owned Duo or Trio but do have a few other pairs of 64 Audio
Now I really like the Fourté
Real nice soundstage and detail monsters let's call them
I'm using them at the moment with my new Brise Audio STR-7 Ref cable and seems a nice match
Now Naoki-san of Brise Audio told me about 200 hours for cable burn in (believer or non believers can only tell what he told me)
The Fourté have the 10K peak but it doesn't bother me at all and I hear no sibilance
So yes they're a keeper for me
I just would like to try the Fourté Noir one day
But I think hitting the NuTube button on my N8ii, the result in sound might be close ...

The Fourte must be spectacular technically, as you say. But I have a very definite taste in tonality, and it tends to be very close to the IEF Neutral profile of the Crinacle graphics tool, but with a bass boost of course. A crappy representation might look something like this:

Therefore, I think I was not going to adapt very well to him (Fourte).

Another thing that has a lot of influence is that I only listen to progressive rock and metal, so some IEMs that are very good with other styles I don't end up liking, because they don't get along very well with those styles of music. For example, I tried the Z1R for 1 hour and didn't like it at all, despite its impressive bass (mids were lost, and highs were quite punchy on many older records).

My favorite IEM is the Oriolus Isabellae, mainly because of its tonality. And I had noticed the Tia Trio because:
- is always at the top in all the rankings of the most well-known reviewers
- could pay for a second-hand unit in good condition
- its tonality / graph is not too far from my objective, being very fun according to everyone, and having a very good technical level as well

 

[Neweymatt]

There was great music in the 90s, there is great music in the 2020s and it just keeps going. We can listen to the past and musicians will quickly talk about their inspirations, all we have to do is give everything a chance.

Oh absolutely, my voracious appetite for music leaves me wide open to pretty much any genres from any decade/century, despite my focus on more modern stuff. I’m pretty sure 2022 itself will rate very highly.

This reminds me that I see a lot less music genre elitism on headfi these days compared to when I started. I remember when I first joined I’d more often see posters saying something along the lines of “if it’s not classical or jazz then it’s not real music” directed at other users.

Anyhow, back to my party music …

Uggh, I think such genre-snobbery is one thing that put me off getting into high-end gear for so long. Thankfully the hobby has progressed well beyond this with some brands and gear seemingly catering for stuff like your party music. Giving it a spin just now with the Xe6, f-ing epic!!

 

[TheRH]

Hello all, how much do or don't the 64 Audio Duos isolate?

 

[klyzon]

The Fourte must be spectacular technically, as you say. But I have a very definite taste in tonality, and it tends to be very close to the IEF Neutral profile of the Crinacle graphics tool, but with a bass boost of course. A crappy representation might look something like this:

Therefore, I think I was not going to adapt very well to him (Fourte).

Another thing that has a lot of influence is that I only listen to progressive rock and metal, so some IEMs that are very good with other styles I don't end up liking, because they don't get along very well with those styles of music. For example, I tried the Z1R for 1 hour and didn't like it at all, despite its impressive bass (mids were lost, and highs were quite punchy on many older records).

My favorite IEM is the Oriolus Isabellae, mainly because of its tonality. And I had noticed the Tia Trio because:
- is always at the top in all the rankings of the most well-known reviewers
- could pay for a second-hand unit in good condition
- its tonality / graph is not too far from my objective, being very fun according to everyone, and having a very good technical level as well

Looking at your ranking list and with your genres, I’m sure you will like the Tia trio more than the 12t. probably enough for you to purchase one

Oh absolutely, my voracious appetite for music leaves me wide open to pretty much any genres from any decade/century, despite my focus on more modern stuff. I’m pretty sure 2022 itself will rate very highly.

Uggh, I think such genre-snobbery is one thing that put me off getting into high-end gear for so long. Thankfully the hobby has progressed well beyond this with some brands and gear seemingly catering for stuff like your party music. Giving it a spin just now with the Xe6, f-ing epic!!

the genres I like will probably get me ban from here lol

 

[RTodd]

The absolute cost is still a hurdle; if you cannot afford it, you cannot afford, regardless of the justification! But if you could, then perhaps it's good to know where your money is going to.

Well, on technicals, Storm exceeds Traillii and Jewel -- better resolution, more natural imaging and extension on both ends, the separation/layering is as good as I have heard on any IEM, I think due to the work they've done to the 7-way crossover. On scalability, Storm exceeds Jewel which exceeds Traillii; that is to say, the gap widens increasingly when you scale the source. That said, if you're listening off a phone or dongle, Traillii may well sound better than both the Storm and Jewel! So the choice of IEM is never so straightforward, your gear and material matter a lot to the transducers you pick. [Edit: Let me add that there are certain times when some may find Jewel to be the preferred IEM too, for me, those would be vocals, female, ballads. You don't need a lot of technicals for those to be engaging, especially at an emo level!]

Lastly, market acceptance and sales performance have little to do with product merits, you know that; on firepower, especially marketing and communications, I don't think Subtonic is in the same league as Oriolus and Aroma. I know all three intimately and think my choice is clear, but have a listen and judge for yourself... it'd be interesting to see how things pan out for Storm.

Would love to hear Storm, though I think Jewell is the lesser IEM to Traillii, there are issues for me with Jewell mostly aesthetic and design, and sound wise hard to explain, I just prefer Traillii. If all Storm is - is a better Traillii I doubt I would buy one, it would not change anything for me. Now if it turns out to make a sound that nothing else does and inspire me to listen to more music that would make a difference.

 

[RTodd]

My favorite IEM is the Oriolus Isabellae, mainly because of its tonality.

Isabellae is really pretty to me, I like to see inside these things, so the design choices won me over. The fact that it sounds nice seals the deal, and on design great cable perfect match functionality.

 

[vladzakhar]

I hooked up my (precious!) TZ700 to the M9 this morning, chose an album and lay back in a meditative audio bliss. This is my single DD endgame, I was debating trying Turii or Dita Perpetua, but I honestly wouldn't change anything about this work of art - it is perfection in every way. There is a possibility of course I'll be curious again in the future, but in my single DD journey so far, TZ700 is literally audio nirvana and will be tough to beat.

Which reminded me of how I first became aware of its existence - I mentioned to @Ace Bee how much I was enjoying the Hifiman RE800 a few weeks ago, especially for the low price tag, and he asked had I heard of the TZ700 - being a fan of Technics, I was immediately curious and off I went to do some research - while there weren't many reviews out there, it was immediately clear that there were some fans of this tiny single dynamic driver. In addition, this is Technics - a Panasonic company with several decades of premium audio engineering pedigree. I read about the technology used in the driver HERE and coupled with the few reviews, had my mind almost made up that I had to have one...

Then comes @ranfan - he goes and tries one, I'm still envious of the fact he can pop into a local store and sample these wonders of electronics! His feedback was not only was it to his preference vs IE900, but also Z1R and it was changing his plan to buy A8000. That sealed the deal for me, I absolutely had to track one down - and I was fortunate to do so from Hifi Team in Austria. I was on holidays at the time and they offered to put it aside until I was ready to order - an absolute pleasure to deal with, wonderful customer service, especially considering I was a random guy contacting by email, and never dealt with them before - not to mention holding it at the sale price they had on offer at the time.

So thank you to both @Ace Bee and @ranfan for playing a role in me discovering not only my favourite DD I've ever heard, but up there with my top earphones ever in terms of absolute audio bliss every time I pop them in my ears!

Scales beautifully with the M9 too.

Agree 100% here. I think they deserve more attention amongst head-fiers. Having TZ700 for about 3 weeks now and honestly, never went back to my other IEMs including XE6. The TZ700 sound is so addictive.