[emdeevee]

great electronic album for detail hunting…



PS. Added Effect Audio Cadmus 8W to Ragnar. Much happier with it now!

I'm using the EA Cadmus 8w on softears tremolo and they have never sounded better! Just a spectacular cable upgrade! Now the weekend listen!

 

[Natesdailies]

EA Code 23 impressions with TSMR RGB (4 hours of testing):

I used RGB to test Code 23 as I found this iem sensitive to cable changes. With cables, sometimes the changes are subtle but this one was quite noticible.

Bass:

- C23 boosted both the sub and mid bass significantly. It made the normally tight punchy bass (with RGBs stock silver) more rounded. Kickdrums now had more slam and oompth to it even more than PW Orpheus. This combo made bass heavy music genres like EDM more satisfying to listen to.

Mids:

- Lower mids became fuller, making the elevated upper mids less prominent.

- Transients became more relaxed and smooth. This is a potential negative (or positive) depending on the iem. It introduced some bloom that bled into the mid frequencies. I think it works well here as RGB has resolution it can give up.

On the track "My Love" by Gummy, vocals sounded more soothing, natural but less detailed. In terms of the imaging, the mids sounded more on "one plane" vs the stock which mounts the vocals on a different layer.

Treble:

- On the stock silver cable, upper mids / treble is emphasized. The Code 23 rolls it off dialing some of that energy down.

Tourner Dans Le Vide by Indila is a song I recently tested for RGBs treble. During the first 20 seconds, xylophones are less stark and further back.

Staging / Imaging:
- No real complaints about the staging but with the Code 23, it loses some holographic imaging.

- Compared to the stock silver, there's more forward depth. This becomes a bit more of an intimate staging.

Adding the Code 23 to RGB makes it sound less analytical like Traillii with relaxed transients and a bigger bass.

PW Orpheus vs Code 23 ($600 vs $5000):

I sold my Orpheus a few days ago. Using my memory Code 23 seems to have a smaller stage width, less potent macro dynamics, less of a black background. What makes Orpheus also stand out is the best in class instrument separation while adding warmth. Micro details and treble extension was also better on Orphy. Sum of all parts, Code 23 RGB sounds warmer and less revealing.

Overall, I was impressed for the price. I am out of the cable game now but I'd take a closer look at this if I wanted to add a warmer tonality to an iem.

 

[emdeevee]

is made me think of a survey:

What are people's most common "instant deal breakers"? IE., those things that will immediately tell you that some IEM is not for you?

For me:

1) Weak or inadequate bass.
2) Harsh or excess energy up top (typically upper mids or lower treble).
3) Veiled mids.

I am no pro, so I'll just list those things I've actually experienced that made me put them down and never pick them up again:

1. Thin sound anywhere in the FR; thin note weight.
2. Overly exaggerated or bloated areas anywhere in the FR.
3. There's nothing exciting or special in the sound/tuning.

 

[Lumithium]

What are people's most common "instant deal breakers"? IE., those things that will immediately tell you that some IEM is not for you?

For me:

1) Weak or inadequate bass.
2) Harsh or excess energy up top (typically upper mids or lower treble).
3) Veiled mids.

1. Poor fit
2. Overly dark / warm / bright / cold
3. Sudden big dips / peaks in certain frequencies
4. Poor overall package - especially with multi kilobuck IEM. It is an instant no for me if it completely falls apart in certain areas, even if it really excels at others.
5. No tuning direction - not as a general house sound, but just the IEM itself. What is the IEM tuned for? NG Erebus is a pretty good example, it has 8EST, but the tuning really doesn't make good use of it. It sounded like it is trying a lot of different things, but at the end falls short in most of them.

 

[MRT-Man]

Indeed, interesting: "PWA First Times vs L – L adds more analog texture and body to the sound with fuller lower mids and smoother upper mids. The perception of the bass is very similar, the same weight of the sub-bass and impact of the mid-bass, except the decay is a touch longer with L, making the bass blend in smoother with lower mids. Treble has similar extension and airiness, just being a little smoother. The width of the soundstage is a touch narrower with L, I expected that due to fuller mids, but to my surprise, the imaging has more 3D depth, especially noticeable when you focus on vocals and how they expand in front and away from you." (https://twister6.com/2022/08/04/eletech-ode-to-laura/3/)

So, FT or OTL for Traillii. But since I already have FT, OTL might be a good alternative.

I don't think the OTL would be the best option for Traillii. The OTL colors the mids (makes them a little recessed, with a more analog flavor), and while I love the OTL with bassy IEMs like the Xe6, EVO, Odyssey--where the sound is colored anyway--I personally find that it sounds wrong with a more neutrally-tuned IEM like the Ronin.

And to be clear, it's a spectacular cable. I think it's my favorite cable for bass; the technical performance (detail/soundstage) is solid (better than FT I believe); the treble is lovely. But it's the coloration in the mids that dictates whether it's suitable or not for a specific IEM.

I don't own the Traillii but personally, given the type of IEM it is, I think it might work best with something like the Yatono (whether 4w or 8w) or the FTS. Basically something that will improve the detail and technicalities but without changing the tuning much.

 

[o0genesis0o]

This made me think of a survey:

What are people's most common "instant deal breakers"? IE., those things that will immediately tell you that some IEM is not for you?

For me:

1) Weak or inadequate bass.
2) Harsh or excess energy up top (typically upper mids or lower treble).
3) Veiled mids.

For me:

• Small, shallow, blurry soundstage
• Shouty vocals or significant sibilance
• Blurry note definition, poor separation

 

[Shecky504]

I don't think the OTL would be the best option for Traillii. The OTL colors the mids (makes them a little recessed, with a more analog flavor), and while I love the OTL with bassy IEMs like the Xe6, EVO, Odyssey--where the sound is colored anyway--I personally find that it sounds wrong with a more neutrally-tuned IEM like the Ronin.

And to be clear, it's a spectacular cable. I think it's my favorite cable for bass; the technical performance (detail/soundstage) is solid (better than FT I believe); the treble is lovely. But it's the coloration in the mids that dictates whether it's suitable or not for a specific IEM.

I don't own the Traillii but personally, given the type of IEM it is, I think it might work best with something like the Yatono (whether 4w or 8w) or the FTS. Basically something that will improve the detail and technicalities but without changing the tuning much.

Yatono 8w is my favorite pairing with Traillii. Previously I loved them with 1950s Shielding until I got the Yatono 8w which took the IEMs to the next level. I did not like the pair-up with OTL when I auditioned at SoCal CanJam, I remember it tamed the bass too much whereas the 1950s Shielding and Yatono 8w bring out the best in the lows with Traillii.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Of note, either I misplaced the PW 4.4 AK Adapter or the original owner misplaced it when I dropped the Sp2k off for them to repair.

Super dissapointed to have found out after I ordered a TPU case. But soon enough for me to cancel with no issues.

Overall, I've spent maybe a few hours at max with it and the price I listed it at warrants to a further loss (aka expensive demo)

Second AK dap, but I think I'm done with them for good. Between how it accumulates "patina" just from looking at it and the insanely long RMA process.

 

[phiemon]

I don't think the OTL would be the best option for Traillii. The OTL colors the mids (makes them a little recessed, with a more analog flavor), and while I love the OTL with bassy IEMs like the Xe6, EVO, Odyssey--where the sound is colored anyway--I personally find that it sounds wrong with a more neutrally-tuned IEM like the Ronin.

And to be clear, it's a spectacular cable. I think it's my favorite cable for bass; the technical performance (detail/soundstage) is solid (better than FT I believe); the treble is lovely. But it's the coloration in the mids that dictates whether it's suitable or not for a specific IEM.

I don't own the Traillii but personally, given the type of IEM it is, I think it might work best with something like the Yatono (whether 4w or 8w) or the FTS. Basically something that will improve the detail and technicalities but without changing the tuning much.

Yatono 8w is my favorite pairing with Traillii. Previously I loved them with 1950s Shielding until I got the Yatono 8w which took the IEMs to the next level. I did not like the pair-up with OTL when I auditioned at SoCal CanJam, I remember it tamed the bass too much whereas the 1950s Shielding and Yatono 8w bring out the best in the lows with Traillii.

+1 for Yatono (8w), thanks for the rec!

… but: how is the ergonomics? I mean, is the cable as thick and heavy as the Shielding version PWA or rather like FT?

EDIT: 8w is too much for me, looking at the comparison with Magnus.

So the question is how the 4w version compares to FT.

EDIT 2: I did a long and intensive research in the Traillii thread and FT seems to be generally the better (and safest) option. So a 2nd FT will be ordered for sure.

Thanks for the effort!

 

[boromcom]

Looks good krub! How is the weather in Bangkok these days. I recall there was such unbearably hot days. And then there were showers.

Bro sorry for late reply. Super hot lol. Temperature is about 38 but feel like 44-48.

 

[Neweymatt]

Well this turned out even better than I expected.

Yes, I went with unashamedly bold ear candy, which I reckon sums up Xe6 pretty damn well.

They fit great, perhaps just a fraction tighter than my A12t, so I’ll have to get some long sessions in just to be sure of hours-long comfort.

I’ll need to sit down with a universal at some stage to directly compare, but bass seems just a bit more controlled with the CIEM than I recall; I only ever heard the uni with the same stock 4.4 cable and silver module, and I’m using the same sources, so nothing there could account for this.

So now I’m just going to enjoy the honeymoon. I’m pretty sure it’s going to last a while as Xe6 is near perfect for 90%+ of my library. I don’t think I’m quite ready to declare end game, but with the rest of my collection this is damn close.

 

[phiemon]

Well the Trifecta is in...alongside the dx320 max.

Starting with the dx320 max, comparative to the sp3k SS:
Dx320 max definitely has a bit bigger sound stage however on the Ragnar it's mildly counter intuitive for it, as the extra bass of the dx320m over 3k takes away from the beneficial stage width and minimal additional depth.

The dx320m also does not have nearly the black background of the 3k, so quieter or set back portions of songs are not as clear or apparent, again, additional bass doesn't help this fact much.

As far as the mids go, the 3k takes the win easily, the max has great mids but it just doesn't have the timbre of the 3k. Which you prefer will be completely subjective. The max is clean and detailed but ever so slightly thinner than the 3k.

The treble is great on both and, like the mids, is going to be preference. Both extremely detailed and sparkly but the timbre on the 3k is much more natural comparatively.

Edit to add the 320max has the same audio circuit kick on and off click as the standard 320 while the sp3k is completely silent. This is more of a complete win for the 3k than a knock to the max as the 3k is the only dap I've heard that doesn't suffer from the click.

Now for the Trifecta...I'm still very torn here , my initial impression over the first hour was...oh my god I wasted thousands of dollars for this? After about 5 hours I still feel about the same, it's not a great iem for me and hoping the burn in fixes the absolutely abysmal treble.

The trifecta sounds amazing....until the treble or cymbals are introduced in a song and then there's this terrible tinny echoing sound which just bleeds behind all the other sounds. This causes the bass to be destroyed, the mids are muddled by it and then the tin can rattling cymbals just make you want to rip the trifectas out and walk away.

The bass is strong, punchy as expected but it actually doesn't bleed into the mids (with 320max) which surprised me. The mids are also quite detailed and natural. The only gripe with both is they are slow drivers, expected being 3 DD but just worth noting, there's not much feeling of separation due to this.

I'm hopeful that some burn in fixes the abysmal treble but my hopes remain low at the moment.

I'll briefly cover the eletech Victoria I paired with the trifecta which is a massive step up from the rather low quality time stream cables included. It definitely helped the treble become slightly less tinny, bumped the mid quality up a notch and ever so slight increased the quality and quantity of the bass. Great cable given the price but my gigantic gripe with it is why in the world does it not have a chin slider? Now I've gotta buy a pentaconn silver slider to put on just so it's not ungodly annoying to wear.

What music did you use Trifecta with? It's not (yet?) a good combination for me personally - simply too slow - for complex stuff with electronic ambient, but in general I find it sooo emotional and engaging and that's a nice feeling!

Brain burn in and the will to get involved in something new certainly plays a big role here, however. It is certainly a big change when you come from VK.

 

[Scubadevils]

I did my usual ‘I’ll have another listen’ to a set listed on classifieds… a schoolboy error! Within ten minutes, I closed the listing. They are incredibly specialist in my collection, but where they excel they truly are unique - that being mostly from a timbre perspective with minimal strings, piano etc, beautifully lifelike and can almost have me in tears - that’s a set worth keeping, and I’d say like IE900, a classic to cherish! Someone please remind me of this post if I happen to ever list again

 

[Delitia]

What music did you use Trifecta with? It's not (yet?) a good combination for me personally - simply too slow - for complex stuff with electronic ambient, but in general I find it sooo emotional and engaging and that's a nice feeling!

Brain burn in and the will to get involved in something new certainly plays a big role here, however. It is certainly a big change when you come from VK.

Used it for my standard mix, rock, metal, some classic rock. Honestly the more I listen to them my only description for the Trifecta is the bass sounds (on metal/rock) like the sound editing in a bad 80s action movie where the lead gets smacked unconscious and then that dumb "underwater" filter is applied to everything they hear. It's just....not coherent. The other description I can give it is like a juke box in a dive bar where you have to 'Fonz is like 5 times before it plays. Altogether it sounds like a 500-700 dollar IEM that tried to be good but just tripped over its own legs and failed everywhere. Regardless, I'll give it a chance for a while longer, the only saving grace for it at the moment is the 320max carrying it's soundstage since the separation/imaging is poor at best due to the wall of sound it creates with the slow transients. It also has the signature campfire audio hiss....so much for every claim i saw saying otherwise or maybe mine is busted, that or every review of these things has some real rose colored glasses for 80s speakers sound. Maybe it'll open up and become good, it still sounds good for classic rock (but so do my 3 other iems) but anything containing complex or forward treble areas (metal, hard rock) and the Trifecta just trips and flails around hopelessly trying to be coherent. All in all it's like 10% or so better than my rai pentas, which with my opinion of them lately is not good.

 

[marcus2704]

Sadly it appears I have been scammed to the tune of $1600, it looks to me like an established member account has been hacked and I was offered an XE6 at an attractive price which of course hasn't been sent and am being ghosted. Reported it to Head-Fi yesterday no response, made a thread about it also but no feedback yet. Not sure what else I can do to highlight this. My concern (other than feeling like a gullible idiot) is I can see that this person is actively messaging other members and although I have PayPal G&S protection it worries me others may fall foul.

Meanwhile my search for an XE6 continues :/