[jwilliamhurst]

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I can totally relate to this!!

 

[fabio19]

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BIG TRUTH'

 

[CodenameBK201]

Actually, the drivers, in most cases, aren't mounted to the shell at all. They're glued to the tube (which is almost always a rubber-type material, for which I believe there's actually an industry standard), then the tube is glued to the nozzle at the end. So, the drivers are usually either free-floating in the shell, only held together by friction against the parts it's glued to and/or all the other parts it's packed in there with, or there may be a tiny dab of acrylic resin between the driver and the shell, which is also the material they use to glue drivers onto the tubes, as well as the crossover components to the drivers if need be, etc. In some cases, like VE, FitEar and Avara Custom's IEMs, they'll half-fill or fully-fill the entire shell cavity with silicone, so all the components are essentially encrusted inside.


I believe the Reactor and Reflector are made of SLA-printed acrylic resin. I believe the FiR VxV marketed its Sound Reactor as being 3D-printed, so it's very likely that material. It's important to remember that, aside from the rigidity and resonance of the material, the geometry (or shape, or texture) of it is crucial in how it reflects or refracts sound waves too. SLA-printing would give you that microscopic control, and it's why it's been used to make acoustic contraptions for brands like Dan Clark Audio as well. As far as the chassis material goes, I'd agree with others have said. It's all-around good physically, and it makes a ton of sense cost-wise too. The vendor CNC-ing their shells already have the design and tolerances on lock, so it's just easy.


I think the reason for this is simply durability, as well as the perception of premium-ness. You should've seen the amount of flack UM's IEMs and the Trailli were getting for their acrylic shells at the prices they were charging. "We have metal shells," is such an easy line to sell to consumers who still want a high-end product, but aren't as extreme about sound as some of us may be. There are audiophiles who put durability or a premium feel on par with sound quality, after all.

This. It feels premium, but then the downside is, of course, weight. To some degree I was disappointed by having the Trifecta in hand. Coming from the xe6, or even the solaris, the plastic shells felt cheap to me. At the same time, the weight reduction rendered them much more comfortable for longer listening sessions or even just for wearing while moving. This is a firm case of, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I opted for the sony am2 and not the zm2 primarily because of the weight factor, but yeah, side by side, the lighter model feels less premium, because, hey, less heft. But then the pendulum swings the other way too. Every manufacturer keeps pushing for thinner and lighter phones, and half the audio gear goes the other way with heavy materials that cost more and are more difficult to work with for luxury feel.

I can say in hand that the radon was a lot more comfortable to wear than the xe6, and yeah, I preferred the black color. Add to it being limited edition and a few hundred bucks cheaper and easier for Fir to manufacture and everyone's winning here.

 

[Tex Irie]

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Ahh to be 10 feet tall and bulletproof!

 

[CodenameBK201]

I don't think we need to twist ourselves into knots and grasping for reasons as to why FiR is using Alu shells for Rn6 which are also used on Ne4 and Kr5.

Alu shells are lighter in weight, they're already producing them, matte black finish is a popular colorway and more scratch resistant than polished shells – Xe6 is micro scratch prone – plus offer a refined tuning and limited edition for less compared to other brands charging more for LEs.

It's a win win for Firry owners.

I'll also add, I think it's genuinely funny that the gold IEMs are the standard release and the matte black are the limited version. Like, Fir looked at Sony and the other big manufacturers and thought, hey, we'll go the other way just for the fun of it. I dunno. Deus Ex: Human Revolution pretty much firmly swayed me on the whole carbon fiber black/gold accents/hard edges Italian neo-renaissance aesthetic.

 

[Tex Irie]

I'll also add, I think it's genuinely funny that the gold IEMs are the standard release and the matte black are the limited version. Like, Fir looked at Sony and the other big manufacturers and thought, hey, we'll go the other way just for the fun of it. I dunno. Deus Ex: Human Revolution pretty much firmly swayed me on the whole carbon fiber black/gold accents/hard edges Italian neo-renaissance aesthetic.

Carbon fiber and whatever plastic resin was used for the SNES... That would be lightweight and damn near indestructible... How it would sound... That I'm not qualified to speak on.

 

[Auricon]

I'll also add, I think it's genuinely funny that the gold IEMs are the standard release and the matte black are the limited version. Like, Fir looked at Sony and the other big manufacturers and thought, hey, we'll go the other way just for the fun of it. I dunno. Deus Ex: Human Revolution pretty much firmly swayed me on the whole carbon fiber black/gold accents/hard edges Italian neo-renaissance aesthetic.

Matte black customs are very popular for the Frontier Series and can imagine FiR responding to their market.

 

[552609]

Carbon fiber and whatever plastic resin was used for the SNES... That would be lightweight and damn near indestructible... How it would sound... That I'm not qualified to speak on.

It's ABS plastic. Mixed with Unicorn blood - that's why there are no longer any Unicorns.

 

[Auricon]

Wrong thread.

 

[Deezel177]

This. It feels premium, but then the downside is, of course, weight. To some degree I was disappointed by having the Trifecta in hand. Coming from the xe6, or even the solaris, the plastic shells felt cheap to me. At the same time, the weight reduction rendered them much more comfortable for longer listening sessions or even just for wearing while moving. This is a firm case of, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I opted for the sony am2 and not the zm2 primarily because of the weight factor, but yeah, side by side, the lighter model feels less premium, because, hey, less heft. But then the pendulum swings the other way too. Every manufacturer keeps pushing for thinner and lighter phones, and half the audio gear goes the other way with heavy materials that cost more and are more difficult to work with for luxury feel.

I can say in hand that the radon was a lot more comfortable to wear than the xe6, and yeah, I preferred the black color. Add to it being limited edition and a few hundred bucks cheaper and easier for Fir to manufacture and everyone's winning here.

That's true. For me, personally, IEMs are of a size that those differentials in weight rarely matter. That said, I haven't tried the Xe6, so it's possible that the shape may not be as conducive to the weight. A good example of that were the A&K x JH Full Metal Jacket IEMs, where the weight was tilted so far towards the outer ear, that the IEMs felt like they could fall out at any moment.

Carbon fiber and whatever plastic resin was used for the SNES... That would be lightweight and damn near indestructible... How it would sound... That I'm not qualified to speak on.

Carbon fiber is a great example of lightweight durability. They used to be a ridiculous luxury, given how difficult they were to work with. But, with CNC work getting cheaper now, we've seen UM and VE adopt it these past couple years alone, in addition to the brands who've already been working with it like JH and Noble.

 

[mikejazz]

I design and build cabinets for bass players. The type of plywood used affects the sound to a noticeable degree

 

[RTodd]

XE6 weight is the one thing I would change.
For me it ended up that I had to use XELASTEC tips to keep my right ear transducer from falling out. They sound fine and work, they do not hold up for very long for me a month or so of daily listening and I have to toss them and put on fresh tips. I prefer not to have to do that and also standardize tips across all sets as much as possible.

Shell material is more of a design and marketing choice in my opinion than one based on sound characteristics. Design as to how is the manufacturer going to make this and mass produce this at whatever the target quantity is, and marketing how does this fit with the overall design concept, targeted customers, and price point.

It has been fascinating watching this as it develops over time with new materials often used as a differentiator or as part of a brand identity.

 

[wolfstar76]

That's true. For me, personally, IEMs are of a size that those differentials in weight rarely matter. That said, I haven't tried the Xe6, so it's possible that the shape may not be as conducive to the weight. A good example of that were the A&K x JH Full Metal Jacket IEMs, where the weight was tilted so far towards the outer ear, that the IEMs felt like they could fall out at any moment.


Carbon fiber is a great example of lightweight durability. They used to be a ridiculous luxury, given how difficult they were to work with. But, with CNC work getting cheaper now, we've seen UM and VE adopt it these past couple years alone, in addition to the brands who've already been working with it like JH and Noble.

Full metal jacket always reminds me of Z1R first.

 

[Andricop]

I have about 12gb free on one and 5gb free on another 1TB microSD with no out of storage messages yet.

I have 8 MB free on a 1 TB microSD and no message either

 

[Andricop]

AZLA Sednaearfit MAX users are you using the TWS version on your IEMs or the Standard?

Asking because I've had good results with Sony CP360 eartips that are designed for TWS, so I wonder what the best liked one is before ordering. Tnx...

drftr

Standard for my TZ700