[twister6]

I asked for demo but I bought it before I tried it again(canjam NYC was first time) blame ups shipping ! Lol I'll receive mine today. I didn't order an IC yet still undecided on it tbh.

Some people dismiss the importance of interconnect (IC) cables, thinking, oh, it's very short, doesn't matter. Based on Tsuranagi description, and the same with some other portable amps and DAPs, if they implemented Pentaconn ground connection, it will provide shielding and a common reference ground for your amp to have the cleanest background.

 

[phiemon]

MQA is a proven scam. That's all what there is to say about it at this point and whoever chooses not to believe it, won't and doesn't have to.

Yes, if you read other posts of mine on this subject, you will see that I have posted something interesting about it.

The problem is that Tidal has for me much better playlists and recommendations than Qobuz. It's just fun to search for new music. It motivates me, and I've actually been able to discover a lot of new stuff so far. With Qobuz, I don't have all that. It's all very focused on what you already know.

 

[maegnificant]

Yes, if you read other posts of mine on this subject, you will see that I have posted something interesting about it.

The problem is that Tidal has for me much better playlists and recommendations than Qobuz. It's just fun to search for new music. It motivates me, and I've actually been able to discover a lot of new stuff so far. With Qobuz, I don't have all that. It's all very focused on what you already know.

I would suggest just switching to flac quality on tidal then. They do pay artists better than most other streaming services, even thought it's still abysmal, as is all streaming.

I sometimes use the Youtube algorithm to find out about music, then buy it somewhere else.

Or go to bandcamp. They have an excellent search and suggestion engine on their desktop homepage. Bandcamp is unrivaled in digital providers for music, that actually pays out for both the consumer and the producer (musician).

 

[phiemon]

I would suggest just switching to flac quality on tidal then. They do pay artists better than most other streaming services, even thought it's still abysmal, as is all streaming.

I sometimes use the Youtube algorithm to find out about music, then buy it somewhere else.

Or go to bandcamp. They have an excellent search and suggestion engine on their desktop homepage. Bandcamp is unrivaled in digital providers for music, that actually pays out for both the consumer and the producer (musician).

YouTube is too complex/complicated for me compared to Tidal. With Tidal, everything is there and in the foreground. It can be listened and saved immediately.

Bandcamp I did not know and I will look at it, thanks for the tip!

After the trial subscription of Tidal, I will definitely test Qobuz as well and then decide on a service.

 

[maegnificant]

YouTube is too complex/complicated for me compared to Tidal. With Tidal, everything is there and in the foreground. It can be listened and saved immediately.

Bandcamp I did not know and I will look at it, thanks for the tip!

After the trial subscription of Tidal, I will definitely test Qobuz as well and then decide on a service.

Bandcamp is not really streaming though, you buy and download every album or song you want. But artists get most of that money.

 

[maegnificant]

Interesting question besides opening the can of worms. If we were honest we would firstly have to admit, that the effect of a recordings mastering might be bigger soundwise than that of the gear used to listen to it (as long as it isn't total crap).

A good friend of mine is an enthusiastic vinyl collector and I remember endless listening sessions (mostly in the 90ies) when we heard his vinyls vs. my CDs (on equally good gear). The results were shocking since the differences were extremely different: sometimes the CD sounded quite similar to the vinyl, sometimes like total bs in comparison. Often that related to the age of the recordings (the newer the better/competitive the CDs sound).

Of special interest to me was the perceivable fact, that even different pressings of a record could sound totally different. My friend therefore seeked for first pressings of all his most beloved records, wherever he could get his hands on. He was convinced, that the first pressings especially of records being released in the 60ies, 70ies, and (early) 80ies - the times when music used to be released as records, cassettes and tapes only - sounded best and / or as close to the artists intention as possible. And remembering our listening impressions at the time being I could only second his view.

But it is 2023 nowadays and times have changed in many ways. Todays music is mostly produced and released in digital ways with streaming and dowloading files in mind. And the (re-)mastering tools for older releases have also - like the processing power of the computer hardware used for that - dramatically improved compared to the possibilities in the 80ies and 90ies.

But even that doesn't guarantee good /original sounding old stuff. I own various flac versions of Soltis/Wagners Ring der Nibelungen e.g., some heavily digitally treated and the best sounding by quite a margin is a vinyl rip...

To this whole topic I can add, that Rick Rubin has a whole lot of Interviews and Podcasts on Youtube for free. He is a living legend producer.

 

[Tristy]

I tried these at CanJam, and they were probably my favorite of the CFA bunch. Sound was super crispy (maybe a little lighter in the bass?) and really solid build quality. Tiny too, and not too heavy for a metal build. Honestly, if the Trifecta had had more of the shell style of the Solaris, I'd have probably been more swayed. These felt like the most expensive of the bunch in-hand, despite being mid-tier priced.

Been fairly tempted by them tbh but the price tag puts them in the realm of the XE6 and RN6 which I’ve also been eyeing up. Solaris holds a place in my heart being one of my first forays into the higher end and I often look to replicate that sense of awe I got when I first listened to them. The build alone is nearly enough to sway me, a big sucker for stainless steel

 

[wazzupi]

What cable do you think Ragnar would need???

Brise Yatono ultimate 8w save yourself some money vs Orpheus.

 

[Rockwell75]

Reviews of these are few and far between so thought I’d share.

https://www.headphonedungeon.com/campfire-audio-solaris-stellar-horizon-review/

That seems more like a promotional video than a review tbh. It always bugs me a little when there are no comparisons (or good comparisons) with other similar IEMs. That said if I hadn't already heard it for myself I'd probably be sorely tempted just based on how it looks.

 

[MatW]

Brise Yatono ultimate 8w save yourself some money vs Orpheus.

Stick to stock cables and save even more.

 

[drftr]

That last CJ show I was very fatigued at the end to the point that I could not tell much of anything.

Now imagine doing that for DAPs and cables. Totally impossible at a show I'd think, but I hope to be proven wrong in the not so distant future.

Le Jardin are my attempt to find true TOTL sound along with Trailli as people praised them like crazy and back then I found KK lack of something I can't explain like they sound so good but at the same time I felt lack of something. I ended up bought one Viking Ragnar and they sound like upgraded KK but still lack of something to my ears.

So fast forward I decided to blind buy Mason FS, and for the first time I heard Mason FS I was really disappointed SQ wise. They sound muddy and grainy compare to KK and Viking Ragnar.

So I read some thought of people about FS in this thread seem like people found them veil in mid which is exactly what I felt. And they said Red Halo, Le Jardin fixed that, So I blind buy Le Jardin and Trailli in additional just to hear true TOTL sound. But I was disappointed again because both didn't sound as realism as KK let alone Viking Ragnar.

Then I start to have a thought that maybe cable didn't do justice for them. So I opted in for Orpheus Shield. In the end it didn't help Mason and Trailli much (I even enjoy Trailli with Code 23 more.) But when I connected the Orpheus to my KK and Ragnar it's just OMG. Level of realism and details sweetness in sound basically everything I ever want. At first I think if IEMs can give me about 80% of what Susvara gave me will be miracle already. But now I really feel that these are even better than Susvara.

That my honest thought about all these earphones.

And I found I didn't touch or even want to touch Le Jardin at all. But MM is different definitely have something interesting in them. And now I try to trade Le Jardin with MM from my friend.

Fantastic write-up! Also, I can totally understand that the warmth, realism, and bodied sound of Orpheus fills in exactly that little bit of lack of those exact same things in KK and Ragnar, while taking away just enough of their edge. Well done!

drftr

 

[Rockwell75]

Are there any IEM cables that come stock with a 1/4" option? Or do I have to get one made specifically with that?

 

[wazzupi]

Stick to stock cables and save even more.

Sell all your audio gear and start up a small business be your own boss and make money.

 

[Tristy]

That seems more like a promotional video than a review tbh. It always bugs me a little when there are no comparisons (or good comparisons) with other similar IEMs. That said if I hadn't already heard it for myself I'd probably be sorely tempted just based on how it looks.

It gives you a broad overview of how it sounds at least, which is more than what can be said for the likes of Forbes etc but I agree, not much to go off of from a comparison point of view…. My main aim of posting is to get some water cooler members interested so we can get some meaningful comparisons who’s taking one for the team?

 

[Deezel177]

I would suggest just switching to flac quality on tidal then. They do pay artists better than most other streaming services, even thought it's still abysmal, as is all streaming.

I sometimes use the Youtube algorithm to find out about music, then buy it somewhere else.

Or go to bandcamp. They have an excellent search and suggestion engine on their desktop homepage. Bandcamp is unrivaled in digital providers for music, that actually pays out for both the consumer and the producer (musician).

YouTube is too complex/complicated for me compared to Tidal. With Tidal, everything is there and in the foreground. It can be listened and saved immediately.

Bandcamp I did not know and I will look at it, thanks for the tip!

After the trial subscription of Tidal, I will definitely test Qobuz as well and then decide on a service.

+1 on Bandcamp. Every artist I’ve heard talk about it says it’s the best way to support them monetarily. Not only do they got the largest percentage, but you can choose to pay/donate extra if you want to. We take it for granted, but it’s actually mind-boggling how a music album that requires $10,000’s of gear and 1000’s of hours of playing and developing your craft to make costs a mere $6-8 to purchase. Plus, once you purchase the record, you can choose to download it in whatever format you wish. They usually provide hi-res WAV and FLAC formats, and you can re-download those files as many times as you want.