[Frankie D]

Interesting about Erlk. Apparently one of the settings is closest to Phonix LE...that would be my personal favorite. @Frankie D what setting was yours on.

I tried a few times in both NYC and SoCal to get into Odyssey but it never really worked for me. Ultimately I found it to be incohesive-- it felt like two IEMS like there was the bass and then there was everything else. It almost felt like a prototype of something truly great...which would be a smart move in a sense for them to release the more polished product under their own name. At the same time I know a lot of folks who really love Ody so what do I know. Xe6, similarly, strikes a deep chord with some, but not others. And Lord knows the same is true of Trifecta. This conversation is interesting as it really shows how even very experienced and well established folks can hear or enjoy things very differently-- even if they tend to agree a lot of the time. I think this is healthy, personally. We are all individuals fundamentally and our tastes and preferences should reflect this on the whole.

When you listened to my LE ERLK it was set to position 2. This is my favorite position. Strong bass and great mids and treble. Superior even to Ely in my opinion. Position 1 is what may be called bass head mode. This is what @aaf evo said is closest to the XE6. I will check this position out again when I can. I have not used this position in years.

 

[Stu Paddasso]

Interesting, whole watercooler thread has only 2 mentions of Tralucent Audio, and only in regards to Uber Cable.

I have a Tralucent Audio ref 1 too, Sounds OK but don't use it much.

 

[Progisus]

I am not an EQ fan but after a year and a half fighting with EVO‘s and Odin’s mids this is making for an exciting listen. I never thought of adding the bass shelf but it is fun. Odin’s EQ is pretty close to this as well. I was also able to get the SP3000 EQ pretty close to this for when not using roon.

 

[Natesdailies]

Hard rock and metal especially. It's just muddy and too much.

I generally listen to Metalcore more than Metal which I prefer with iems with sharper transients like Mentor. XE6 with N8ii closes some of that gap though.

Classic rock can be ok. But something like Dream Theater is unlistenable on the Xe6. For that, I need to go to the other extreme and pull out the Ragnar.

I can see why you would like Ragnar with Dream Theatre. Their tracks have a lot of layering. Ragnar will unapologetically reveal everything going on.

But meanwhile, pop and EDM generally works very well on the Xe6. Daft Punk, the Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Miley, are all great... I'm very curious about the Rn6, but am concerned I'd lose some of the amazing warm bassy goodness with those genres vs. the Xe6.

I feel the same way with pop and EDM. It groove well with XE6. Bass lines are satisfying. While I say its my EDM king, I also dont mind alternating to an iem with a leaner, more textured presentation. It helps "reset" the brain confusion .

In other news, spending my last night with Diva.

It has been jiving well with my playlist. Lee's tuning magic is certainly at work here. Listening to Diva is a ride. The transients have this gritty hardness to it contrasted by its upper mids to create an exciting, saturated presentation. Bass lines are impactful and can take over with the Medium, Max switch. This might not be the set for someone who wants a relaxed presentation with accurate timbre. As far as the bass, this is my favourite BA next to Storm which might edge it out quality wise. I like the quantity here in accordance to its tuning. Diva is up there with other sets I would recommend trying under $2.5K: Impact, MSE, Mest 3.

 

[SteveKiwi]

I like the bass in F5 precisely because it's satisfying enough on its own terms but ultimately gets out of the way for the mids. Also perspective is important-- if you're coming from the likes of Duo, Maestro Mini or even Szalayi F5 will seem relatively subdued in the bass.

That's interesting, I have the Duo and the Szalayi, personally I don't think the F5 is lacking in bass compared to either of them.

I'm using the Spinfit W1 with the F5's btw

 

[metaljem77]

I’d recommend a listen. Rn6 with gold module has weighty, impactful bass goodness and detail.

Rn6 (gold) + stock silver cable + N7 are my favorite pairings so far.

Thanks for the recommendation Is there a good video on how to properly change these modules? My Rn6 came with the red module, would like to try gold later.

 

[Deezel177]

Great to see all of you watercolors at CanJam Singapore this weekend! Ft Lee of Elysian.

Thanks for the lovely photo, Sebastien! ‘Really loved talking and sharing with you at the show, and I hope you enjoyed your time at SG.

 

[Bret Halford]

Has anyone compared MSE with GM?

I own them both. I posted a comparison in this thread and the Fatfreq general, but the latter is easier to find!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fat...ad-bass-cannons-and-more.964743/post-17344756

 

[Frankie D]

Have you ever enjoyed Erlkonig on setting #1? It's the closest thing I've personally heard to XE6.

Irregardless, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Xenon 6 is definitely an "out there" tuning and it's one of those things that I feel just either clicks with you or it doesn't. I know several people who like similar IEMs to me but they absolutely do not like the XE6. I'm not sure I would have been able to grasp what it was about if I heard it in a demo environment, but I blind bought a universal so I had the privilege of listening to it at home and it literally took me about 5 hours of straight listening to finally "click" with what it was about. I've never had to give an IEM that much time before in my life.

I feel you on Annihilator, the bass is what let me down with it but apparently his current prototype "Dio" should address that as he's using a new DD. I'm also with you on Odyssey, I didn't really get the hype behind that one at all. It's definitely an impressive IEM, don't get me wrong. I'd argue it's the best thing EE has put out since the Legend X, but I couldn't help but find it incredibly plain and rather boring myself. The sub bass on it felt really underwhelming to me too which is not what I was expecting. I think I'd choose Legend Evo over it even with its inferior (to my ears) upper mid/treble tuning.

Okay, I tried my LE ERLK on Position 1 again. It has been a very long time since I used this position. The XE6 did not sound like this when I heard it at CanJam. Do I already own a better XE6! Anyway, I jotted down a few notes comparing position 2 (my normally preferred position) to position 1 (More Bass). Both positions possess the most bass on the ERLK vs Posions 3 and 4. I left them out of my brief comparison. I wrote a few notes while listening and they are below:

Dire Straits "So Far Away"
ERLK Position 2: Bass has good intro and drive throughout and the vocals sound spot on.
ERLK Position 1: A little heavier sounding. Maybe less attack so to speak, and warmer. It still had excellent drive and I liked it allot. The vocals still sounded about the same to me. The XE6 did not make as good an impression on me with this track.
Preferred: Position 2

Michale Jackson "Billie Jean"
ERLK Position 1: Very powerful intro. The bass bleeding slightly into the mids. Vocals sound good. A bit warmer sound than position 2.
ERLK Position 2: Less deep intro though still tight, no bass bleed. Vocals were a bit cleaner to me.
I did still like Position 1 allot.
Preferred: Position 2, though Position 1 was close and a nice alternative.

Per @gLer I listened to a few Neil Diamond Tracks. Mine are all 44.1 kHz or CD quality.

"Kentucky Woman"
ERLK Position 1: Bass sounds good with good drive to it. It does not sound like too much bass to me.
ERLK Position 2: A lighter presentation though I liked Neil's vocals slightly better.
Preferred: Position 1.

"Sweet Caroline" (Now did anyone really think I would listen to some Neil Diamond and not include this song?)
ERLK Position 2: Great vocals. The drum beat is good with realistic impact. The horns are bright as they should sound.
ERLK Position 1: More bass at opening. Neil's voice sounds great - maybe more body to it. The drum details are present and the brass is still bright as it should be.
Preferred Position 1.

"America"
ERLK Position 1: The bass hits are good and strong. The vocals sounded excellent and good drive to the drum beats. My foot was tapping the whole track. The guitar details were present, and at 2:30 in, the bass can pound. Bass Head Strong, but very good.
ERLK Position 2: A lighter presentation. It is immediately heard. The extra bass from position 1 was a welcome addition in comparison. At 2:30 in, the drive and drum hits are still very good, but my foot was not tapping as much as in position 1, and they did not possess the same power as 1.
Preferred: Position 1 as @gLer predicted.

I must also state, that at no time did the XE6 sound anything like this level of quality. So maybe I still have an issue with it. Who knows.

If anyone cares, for reference, My Traillii/Orpheus combo still sounded better even on "America." It had almost the depth of bass as the ERLK on Position 1 for this track, and better sounding mids. Neil's voice really had a nice quality to it. Its overall bass is in between positions 1 and 2 of the ERLK but closer to position 1 with better mids. All of this was from my N8 BB Dap.

@aaf evo, thanks for the tip. As I pretty much use my Traillii for most stuff, I will leave my ERLK in POS 1 to use as a pseudo XE6 alternative and save some cash!!!! Tks.

 

[phiemon]

Did you try it at a show environment? XE6 has an open back design that lets more sound in than Mentor. I also found that XE6 sounds cleaner the deeper the fit is (The cut out making physical contact)



The highs are actually one of the things I like about the XE6. It has the perfect amount of extension for me. Energetic music has enough sparkle but doesn't push it to the point of fatigue like Annihilator.



A few reasons I love the XE6:

- It has that thicker mid bass / lower mid tuning while having detailed highs.

-Unique staging and class leading dynamics.

I understand that some people might not resonate with this type of tuning. For me I've come to appreciate how different it sounds compared to the mild variations of what is out there already.

No, I was at FiR Audio in Berlin, sitting quite comfortably in a chair in complete silence and or haste. I spent about 30 minutes on it.

As I said, maybe my test music (mainly electronic and all derivatives such as electro house, etc.) is not suitable for this type of tuning. With Trifecta I loved King of Leons, Emeli Sandé or The Who for example and compared to Mentor less when it came to those music. On the other hand, what I really liked about Trifecta (not only, of course, but also) was the immense soundstage and extension of the treble. All in all, Trifecta was really special for me. I didn't get that impression with the Xe6. Maybe the time was too short, I don't know.

At all: out of curiosity, what music do you like best with the Xe6?

 

[MatW]

Nice initial impressions! “Engaging as hell” is what it’s all about IMO. Refreshing to see a brand putting out a set with unique tuning that’s well implemented and at a “reasonable” price point. I know @aaf evo and @Bret Halford have been singing it’s praises for a bit now… Good to see others jumping in and digging it.

Gonna be a little while but really looking forward to hearing these when they tour through the US.

Some of the private feedback I’ve been getting on the MSE is much less positive, mainly critical of the fit. The urge to try it is pretty much gone, so that helps the wallet.

Hard rock and metal especially. It's just muddy and too much.

Classic rock can be ok. But something like Dream Theater is unlistenable on the Xe6. For that, I need to go to the other extreme and pull out the Ragnar.

But meanwhile, pop and EDM generally works very well on the Xe6. Daft Punk, the Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Miley, are all great... I'm very curious about the Rn6, but am concerned I'd lose some of the amazing warm bassy goodness with those genres vs. the Xe6.

Pretty much in line with my experience.

 

[MatW]

Okay, I tried my LE ERLK on Position 1 again. It has been a very long time since I used this position. The XE6 did not sound like this when I heard it at CanJam. Do I already own a better XE6! Anyway, I jotted down a few notes comparing position 2 (my normally preferred position) to position 1 (More Bass). Both positions possess the most bass on the ERLK vs Posions 3 and 4. I left them out of my brief comparison. I wrote a few notes while listening and they are below:

Dire Straits "So Far Away"
ERLK Position 2: Bass has good intro and drive throughout and the vocals sound spot on.
ERLK Position 1: A little heavier sounding. Maybe less attack so to speak, and warmer. It still had excellent drive and I liked it allot. The vocals still sounded about the same to me. The XE6 did not make as good an impression on me with this track.
Preferred: Position 2

Michale Jackson "Billie Jean"
ERLK Position 1: Very powerful intro. The bass bleeding slightly into the mids. Vocals sound good. A bit warmer sound than position 2.
ERLK Position 2: Less deep intro though still tight, no bass bleed. Vocals were a bit cleaner to me.
I did still like Position 1 allot.
Preferred: Position 2, though Position 1 was close and a nice alternative.

Per @gLer I listened to a few Neil Diamond Tracks. Mine are all 44.1 kHz or CD quality.

"Kentucky Woman"
ERLK Position 1: Bass sounds good with good drive to it. It does not sound like too much bass to me.
ERLK Position 2: A lighter presentation though I liked Neil's vocals slightly better.
Preferred: Position 1.

"Sweet Caroline" (Now did anyone really think I would listen to some Neil Diamond and not include this song?)
ERLK Position 2: Great vocals. The drum beat is good with realistic impact. The horns are bright as they should sound.
ERLK Position 1: More bass at opening. Neil's voice sounds great - maybe more body to it. The drum details are present and the brass is still bright as it should be.
Preferred Position 1.

"America"
ERLK Position 1: The bass hits are good and strong. The vocals sounded excellent and good drive to the drum beats. My foot was tapping the whole track. The guitar details were present, and at 2:30 in, the bass can pound. Bass Head Strong, but very good.
ERLK Position 2: A lighter presentation. It is immediately heard. The extra bass from position 1 was a welcome addition in comparison. At 2:30 in, the drive and drum hits are still very good, but my foot was not tapping as much as in position 1, and they did not possess the same power as 1.
Preferred: Position 1 as @gLer predicted.

I must also state, that at no time did the XE6 sound anything like this level of quality. So maybe I still have an issue with it. Who knows.

If anyone cares, for reference, My Traillii/Orpheus combo still sounded better even on "America." It had almost the depth of bass as the ERLK on Position 1 for this track, and better sounding mids. Neil's voice really had a nice quality to it. Its overall bass is in between positions 1 and 2 of the ERLK but closer to position 1 with better mids. All of this was from my N8 BB Dap.

@aaf evo, thanks for the tip. As I pretty much use my Traillii for most stuff, I will leave my ERLK in POS 1 to use as a pseudo XE6 alternative and save some cash!!!! Tks.

Great impressions. I’ll give this a try as well. Haven’t changed from position 2 since some experimentation when I first got it.

 

[yaps66]

Such a great post. Thank you for taking us through the wonderful journey you guys had.

Masuda-San looks like a Karate sensei on the poster behind him and I love it . Would love to visit his Audio Dojo one day...

Thanks! It was a fun-filled, and meaningful event. I have updated the posting with a list of what I auditioned.

 

[gadgetgod]

Ok. This was my first CanJam event and what a high bar it has set for any future CanJam I attend!

I thought I would take the lazy way of sharing my experience in pictures instead of words so here goes! What this consists of are pre-show photos, show photos and post-show photos. Enjoy!

Pre-show photos


Vietnam eagle has landed! Met up at Pan Pacific for some Dim Sum lunch but @klyzon and I arrived early and so we got the chance to hear some things!


Lunch! Thanks @metaljem77 for hosting! An amazing start to the week's festivities!


Visiting Effect Audio. Thanks for the great hospitality @JordonEA and Heley!


No visit to Singapore is complete without chicken rice! Then in the evening we hung out at Tonic to have our minds and necks blown away by Brise Audio stuff!


Midnight satay anyone?


Hearing more Brise Audio stuff and @Sifo getting the ear treatment by Uncle Wilson for some fitears!


Pre-show dinner. Bak Kut Teh! Apparently has a more kinky name in Dutch!

Show photos


Lunch on the first day hosted by Eletech Eric followed by @HiFiHawaii808 singing the praises of the upcoming Dio.


DCA Corina, bunch of us finding a quiet spot at a food court in Orchard Road to hear more stuff (it was closed already!) and hearing the HE-1 with the Singapore financial district skyline backdrop.


Catching last minute auditions before having to return to Singapore. U4s, SP3000cu, MASS-Kobo model 465 (it really made the Susvara sing).

Post-show Photos


@HiFiHawaii808 visiting Vietnam for the first time. He is pictured here taking a night scooter food tour!

Edit:

I thought I would insert what audio stuff I heard in case anyone thought all I had was fun! Haha!

IEMS

Subtonic Storm
Campfire Audio Trifecta
Noble Audio Ronin and Ragnar
AuR Neon Pro
FiR Audio Rn6
Elysian Diva & Annihilator 2023
FatFreq Grand Maestro
Vision Ears Phonix LE and EXT
Empire Ears Odin
Sennheiser IE600
64Audio U4s
FitEar DC Ti and MH334SR


Pre-release IEMS

Subtonic/Nightjar (?) Singularity and PanAn
Elysian Dio
Vision Ears Blue and Pink
Effect Audio A, B & C
Empire Ears Raven
Soranik xMEMS (x2) + BA hybrid

Cables

Verus Truffle 8
Various Effect Audio Cables
Various Eletech Cables

Headphones

Sennheiser HE-1 and HD660s2
ZMF Atrium
Audeze CRBN
Dan Clark Audio Corina
Hifiman Susvara
Abyss AB1266 Phi TC
Stax SR009-S
Warwrick Acoustics Aperio Headphone System (Aperio Limited Edition Black + Sonoma Model One)

Overear

Grado Hemp

DAP/Amplifier

A&K SP3000cu
iFi Diablo X

Desktop

MASS-Kobo model 465
Chord Hugo TT2/Mscaler

Great impressions man!! I wish to join a CanJam event some day hehe. I am reading all the impressions posted by everyone, seems you guys had a blast!!

 

[Natesdailies]

No, I was at FiR Audio in Berlin, sitting quite comfortably in a chair in complete silence and or haste. I spent about 30 minutes on it.

All in all, Trifecta was really special for me. I didn't get that impression with the Xe6. Maybe the time was too short, I don't know.

At all: out of curiosity, what music do you like best with the Xe6?

I thought Trifecta was charming with Jazz but sounded sluggish for electronic. It lacked the speed to keep up with faster paced music.

I like the XE6 with Electronic (most sub genres but primarily EDM), Metalcore, Jazz, rock and small ensemble acoustic music. It sounds like Trifecta really spoke to you. That's probably the one. We may just have different preferences