[bassheadnewbie]

We are still getting there, one more day to go , but I have noticed many replying with their simplified dongle/IEM setups. So, how about I post something completely opposite, especially for my usual portable comfort zone

Here is the burn-in setup I'm running with the latest iBasso toys, starting with DX260 DAP -> D16 (1bit discrete dac/amp) -> PB5 (dual NuTube amp) -> 3T-154 (15.4mm DD IEMs).

• Is this ibasso 3T-154 for bassheads?

 

[aaf evo]

thanks! really looking forward to your comparison impressions. What are some of the other IEM's you have to compare to them?

Fei Wan
Grand Maestro
Maestro SE
Craft Ears Omnium

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Probably HiBy, NightJar, and Elysian. I’m also torn between iBasso and Cayin DAPs but right now I think HiBy are putting out the best products overall.

I would go iBasso, NightJar and Noble

Strong runner up would be Hiby, PWA and Unique Melody.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

IEM:
Unique Melody, Campfire Audio, FIR Audio

DAP:
Luxury Precision, Sony, Cayin (N30LE/AP only)

Cable:
Eletech @Eric Chong , PW Audio, Viking Weave Cables @skedra


The holy trinity from this trinity... Unique Melody, Luxury Precision, Eletech

Dang, there are too many good vendors.

 

[PixelSquish]

Fei Wan
Grand Maestro
Maestro SE
Craft Ears Omnium

oh wow. that's great, love to hear them compared to some real heavy hitters!

 

[Neweymatt]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

Mine would be Sony, Eletech, Campfire.



Female vocals perhaps...I always found male vocals a touch nasal on the Elysium. The best vocals I've ever heard would probably be Amber Pearl. Traillii is up there too.

I've had nothing but consistent success with

Fir Audio, Elysian, and HiBy


Schiit and 64 Audio are very close....

 

[kaeswiss]

I understand this thread has become almost exclusively devoted to IEMs at this point, but I'm wondering if anyone here can weigh in on the actual sound quality of something like this:

https://hypebeast.com/2023/12/takahiromiyashitathesoloist-flatiron-speaker-release-info

Acknowledge that I know virtually nothing about home speaker wattages or the like. I'm considering eyeing one of these at discount for a family home entertainment setup for dual use for movies and music (general listening rather than clinical listening). My gut take is it's entirely overpriced gimmick based solely on aesthetic, but I'm wondering if there's anything out there at around half that list msrp that might be recommended as sounding decent while perhaps also doubling as visually interesting home decor. Not expecting a lot of replies to this but figured I'd put out feelers.

I haven't heard them, but since they've showed up on hypebeast, I'm sure you'd be paying more for fashion over function.

I'm a fan of KEF's wireless speakers. I think they look great, sound great, and they're easy to set up since they don't require any extra equipment like a DAC or amp. They also have a bunch of input options, both wired and wireless. I have their near-field LSX II speakers set up at my desk with the KC62 sub. They're a happy medium between the run-of-the-mill powered PC speakers and filling up my desk with more DACs, amps, and passive speakers.

If you're looking for speakers for a bigger room though, you'll probably have to move up to the LS50 or LS60 to better fill the room.
https://us.kef.com/collections/wireless-hifi-speakers

 

[wolfstar76]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

Mine would be Sony, Eletech, Campfire.

Unique Melody/Fir Audio, Effect Audio/Plussound (Though I have very few experience in cable), Cayin/Hiby. Sony is great but since they won't release Z2R they are disqualified by me.

BTW, why Musicteck does not carry Ibasso products?

 

[kaeswiss]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

Elysian, Effect Audio, Cayin

 

[Ike1985]

Aroma, NGAudio, Campfire.

Though rumor has it NGA is the developer for Aroma's IEMs (at the least, Fen Wei), in which case I only have a Holy Duality.

edit: if it's a duality, then I add Cayin to restore a trinity.

can anyone confirm this? That would explain the high praise I've seen for NGA's iems.

 

[Visceral]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

Mine would be Sony, Eletech, Campfire.



Female vocals perhaps...I always found male vocals a touch nasal on the Elysium. The best vocals I've ever heard would probably be Amber Pearl. Traillii is up there too.

Sony + Vortex + Elysian

 

[fiascogarcia]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

Mine would be Sony, Eletech, Campfire.

In the midst of so many new FOM's, I would go with some companies that have had fairly long term success:
Sony (plus I love the DMP and 1z)
Noble (how long ago did I buy my first ciems, the K10?)
PWA (synergy with some iems aside, Orphy is still the most unique cable I've heard)

 

[Bosk]

Interesting survey question...what is your personal holy trinity? It can be a combo of IEM makers, cable makers or DAP makers.

In the time I've been in the hobby Astell & Kern, Effect Audio & Unique Melody have consistently released impressive, high-end products.

As have many other brands, which is why I find the levels of brand loyalty I encounter at times eyebrow raising. This can be explained by the primitive nature of our tribal ancestry - people fuse brands they relate to positively with their own identity, and then feel obliged to defend them far beyond the realms of rational explanation.

If there were merely a handful of brands who were head & shoulders above the rest one could make a stronger argument for such behaviour, yet more & more I struggle to identify any brand in the portable audio space that consistently releases higher quality products than its' competitors simply because competition is too fierce to allow it.

Instead people choose brands largely on the basis of flavour and taste, so what they're really doing is advocating for their own preferences - and by extension worldview.

 

[KuroKitsu]

Gladiator Cables (IF that wasn't obvious)
Sony
FiR

 

[btwine]

can anyone confirm this? That would explain the high praise I've seen for NGA's iems.

This was a source of brief discussion here. Would be great to get confirmation on the truth/extent of the relationship.