[audio123]

Apologies to all who have PMed me the past month regarding IEM comparisons. Have been busy so did not reply. Will look at them soon when I am free.

 

[Ryokan]

I find that only stock tips properly reproduce details in each frequency bands.
I can recommend SpinFit CP100(+) if you prefer more narrow bore or Azla Crystal.

Thanks for replying. Used the supplied tips for about a month then moved on to Azla Crystals which are good, then Azla Max (which are my second choice after narrow bore -on this particular iem) but still felt the sound could be better so started using some narrow bore tips which have reduced the highs which could be slightly fatiguing especially with wide bore tips. Currently using Spin Fit C145 which I bought for other iem's but hadn't had much success with until now. Fit is good, highs are better controlled and the sound stage is more intimate. Surprised Oriolus don't supply different bore sizes as I can't see myself going back to using stock tips.

 

[Rockwell75]

I want to listen to the Soul of Music; not to the Sound of Music.

Love this. I'll have to remember this next time I'm explaining my love of DDs over BAs.

 

[Natesdailies]

Different shades of bass. Both electronic

 

[Rockwell75]

You're not crazy, and let me double down on this: alot of older music, analogue recordings, and also modern music mastered for car stereos and Bluetooth speakers, sound like on modern, high-end IEMs. So while some people chase the nth degree of technical performance, which on the whole (generalising) is fine with electronic and digital music, older and poorer instrumental and vocal recordings can be seriously exposed by modern gear, and leave you wondering why your music sounds horrid. Hi-res (both files and gear) rewards the highest quality digital recordings, but can be very unforgiving - an unmusical - with a large proportion of the music we enjoy.

I think this is one of the reasons that Trifecta resonates with me so much. In addition to its full bodied analogue timbre it has spectacular imaging and layering which, combined with its massive holographic stage, really brings life to older recordings...towards which my library is heavily skewed (older is taken to mean prior to the year 2000).

 

[goodvibes]

This has been a controversial topic since the first CD players and DACs were published. Musicality went out of the window with the introduction of CDs but that's not what I'm referring to. Because of my work I was first in line to hear all the "advantages" of first 18 bit, then 1 bit, X-uple oversampling, etcetera. Not for me. I want to listen to the Soul of Music; not to the Sound of Music. No doubt each and every new technique measures better and that's truly a great accomplishment. But I'm in zero hurry to "upgrade" my collection to high resolution versions and prefer to stick with R2R and/or tubes. Vinyl anyone?

drftr

I still don't care for CD quality if I have a choice but the music is what matters. Prefer a proper HiRes vinyl dig dub to CD. At this point a digital master at 24/192 will beat analog due to the noise and nonlinearities of the analog format. Add dolby for that and you've also added other dynamic etc anomalies. I've done direct compares with a Nagra IV-S vs Nagra VI both live and dubs. Problem is that there's plenty of deviation in the quality of dig boards, lots of upsampling going on, differences in A2Ds, dither etc etc. Generally a computer somewhere in a production chain but it's not the format. It's the care taken to produce and the quality of the creation/conversion chain.

I guarantee you that with my home kit, I can play a record and a dub of it in the same room and the dub will sound better, not just more correct but more involving. I know that sounds counter intuitive but the dub was done without speakers playing and causing vibrations in a TT (that has great isolation on a short light dedicated table). In this case a well setup LP12 with Aro arm etc. I also have an original master of a few of these so... For the record, I've heard this compare with top Clearaudio and Naim TTs as well.

All that said, some of my favorite classical recordings are simple mic technique Decca vinyl from the 60s.

 

[Scubadevils]

It must be about six years since I last mixed - my old Vestax mixer stopped working and with various things in life, I didn’t get around to fixing it or buying a new one. I spotted a cheap Numark mixer on Amazon the other day so thought I’d give it a shot - very enjoyable two hours listening, but I already want a better mixer!

Technics 1210s going strong since 1994.

 

[DanielListening]

It must be about six years since I last mixed - my old Vestax mixer stopped working and with various things in life, I didn’t get around to fixing it or buying a new one. I spotted a cheap Numark mixer on Amazon the other day so thought I’d give it a shot - very enjoyable two hours listening, but I already want a better mixer!

Technics 1210s going strong since 1994.

DJ Scuba in the house!

 

[552609]

I read good feedback about Mystique, any cooler’s impressions?
https://nobleaudio.com/products/fokus-mystique

Here ya go, Mystique review: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/noble-audio-fokus-mystique.26327/reviews

 

[Maxx134]

My reaction when someone tells me that everything we hear with an IEM is reflected in the FR:



Frequency response only gives part of the story-- it says nothing of timbre or technical capacity. To me it is akin to the reflection of a building on the ground which gives only the dimensions but says nothing about the substance of which the building is made.

Edit: #3200!

To me, that video is a bit infantile in thought pattern, totally confusing conductivity with wire Guage only, and then confusing resistance with "impedance". To me, I felt a sorry embarrassment (for him) , showing lack of technical knowledge.

And about the vibratory behaviours, the shape of the shells, the length and diameter of inner tubes, the correlated resonnances, the length and shapes of the nozzles, etc.

I believe those aspects really make a difference when using custom IEM which have bone conduction.

But a target curve is "just" the easiest and the more obvious part of a whole complexe sound equation.

Agree...
Mmmm target curves are for data geeks

Speaking of FR Graphs

I updated your photo:

to 2023 standards...

 

[northsider]

Fascinating last few pages..I went from AM /Shortwave radios to FM..Then record deck & systems.Vinyl then CD sold them to friends.Bought first I pod 2000 or thereabouts.Now lx exclusively to downloads..Couldn’t tell different bit rates etc.But quality of DAPs /Portable amps/IEMs is astounding since I was born in 1951.Just convenience of walking/gardening etc with TWS IEM’S it’s a magical feeling but everyone to there own! This blog is tremendous
John

 

[Scubadevils]

I hadn’t listened to KR5 for a while, and the idea to maybe sell it was creeping in. Popped them on tonight, nope - they get to stay! They are surprisingly great for indie, grunge etc which I don’t often listen to on IEMs.

 

[Xinlisupreme]

I hadn’t listened to KR5 for a while, and the idea to maybe sell it was creeping in. Popped them on tonight, nope - they get to stay! They are surprisingly great for indie, grunge etc which I don’t often listen to on IEMs.

Thanks for your test, you’re helping me a lot to know wich set grab for that music.
In my minds comes DXII too
https://majorhifi.com/noble-audio-dxii-review/

 

[Stu Paddasso]

I hadn’t listened to KR5 for a while, and the idea to maybe sell it was creeping in. Popped them on tonight, nope - they get to stay! They are surprisingly great for indie, grunge etc which I don’t often listen to on IEMs.

A Scubi even before you put it in the Classifieds!!!! Is that a new record????

 

[Scubadevils]

A Scubi even before you put it in the Classifieds!!!! Is that a new record????

Oh that happens often, I just don’t always share