[Scubadevils]

In other news (sorry for the triple post, will try to be more careful in the future)

I just saw Dune 1+2 in the cinema and I like it a lot. I trust Denis Villeneuve to create a Lord Of The Rings worthy trilogy here, even though it's based on the first book alone and starts to deviate a bit from the source material.
If that guy could have been in charge of Star Wars when the last trilogy came out, that would have been crazy good. But I am still glad he got the chance to make Dune a cinematic reality. He is doing a good job so far. Highly recommended.

I only watched the first Dune a few weeks ago and amazingly have not yet read the book!

I love the line ‘fear is the mind-killer’ and I’ve had this as my phone wallpaper since…

 

[audionewbi]

Rhapsodio Supreme MK3 First Impressions​

• Mid clarity, crisper presentation, many 'veils' lifted
• Tuned neutral, mids are the spotlight, you may discover new notes in your music
• Overall tuning profile is imbalanced as the sub bass and mid bass don't give 'meat' to the notes (polar opposite to XE6)
• Supreme MK3 focused on upscaling the recordings (Mason FS focused on replicating the note presence)
• Cable is very microphonic, old hardware, needs to be replaced
• Requires power (eg M9 Plus, DMP Z1, Cayin N30)
• Solid metal shell doesn't feel heavy in ear

Rhapsodio is a brand which eludes much of the Western Market, until recently when Musicteck began stocking their IEMs. My first experience with Rhapsodio was the Infinity Ultra, an IEM which took me by surprise with it's crystal clear presentation which would make even the most stringent detail fanatic swoon. Having auditioned Supreme MK3 for a few hours, this IEM reminds me of my brief time with Ultra in e-earphone. Supreme MK3 takes the Aroma Jewel 'shining midrange' to another level, an exercise of extracting every detail in the midrange, as if multiple veils are lifted. This IEM, like the finest hifi speakers ought to be used only with the finest recordings as Supreme MK3 can be downright unbearable with mediocre recordings. If you are a listener that carefully picks top shelf recordings or publishers, and has the gear to match the IEMs demands, Supreme 3 will reward you in spades.

The Supreme MK3 focuses on reproducing the midrange with detail and clarity you would expect from a hardware upsampler such as Chord Hugo 2 or DAVE. You will hear notes and subtle reflections in the recording that you may not have paid attention to before. For those who master or compose music, you may want to try Supreme MK3. With Supreme MK3 one could appreciate the subtle differences between a Bosendorfer and a Steinway, or the difference between Battery Recording Studio and Abbey Road Studio. The metal shell of Supreme 3 may contribute to the harder reflections of sound, almost brittle at times. When playing acid jazz, Supreme MK3 begins to falter and it's as if there are too many notes, competing for the ultra bright stage lights in the mid range. With this IEM, simpler passages such as jazz vocals, instrumentals, up to 4 piece ensembles are enjoyable. Beyond this, the notes shove elbows with each other, resulting in a cacophony of cold hard notes and brittle sound. If a singer is a tad sibilant, Supreme MK3 will replicate this and you will not be spared. Cymbals will splash unreservedly, not sparing the timid. The issue I see with Supreme MK3 is a lack of an anchor or stickiness in the notes. I would like to see a mid bass presence to ensure the mid performance doesn't become hard and congested when the music becomes complex. Compare with Mason FS, the Bone Conduction gives each instrument solid footing, so when the passage does become busy, each note still retains some body. While Mason FS lacks the mid bass presence for my preference, I feel the note body is retained with a more complex passage.

For those interested in Supreme MK3, I would recommend your library is mid focused, especially with vocals. For vocals alone, this set should be demo'd. I've never heard vocal recordings with such stunning clarity, each layer of the voice being pulled apart as if I were in Pro Tools. If Chord were to make a mid centric IEM, this would be a great blueprint. You will be uncovering many layers of your song...but mostly in the mids. At the same time I am aware I am listening to recordings, listening to vocals, aching for a bit more emotion, I didn't have this feeling with Mason FS or Trifecta.

Gear used: Sony DMP Z1 exclusively. WM1Z Special Edition used for photo purposes only.

I'm absolutely fallen for SP3. Sammy recommends single ended cable for SP3, and as a result, I'm in seach of a suitable amplifier and cable for it. I've yet to find the limit of it, as I find as I upscale the source, Sp3 also improves with it.

 

[CharlyBrown]

Sorry guys, but I don't think any of you have seen the video. I agree on the pushback because of the title, but that's not what the video was about.

drftr

Yes I was only referring to the title but I also made that clear.

After watching it, I think it was (again from Resolve) one of the best videos ever. Covering FR measurements vs what you actually hear and why. Makes totally sense and a excellent explanation why we hear so differently.

Btw in the video he even makes clear that he has even come to like IEMs better than headphones.

 

[Wyville]

Without a doubt I'm not who you meant personally nor am I a full time reviewer by any means, but I've had this photo for far too long and didn't really do anything with it, so here goes :
Better late than sorry they, say... I wanted to post it since I read today you're leaving the hobby! I'd like to thank you for sending me your private Thummim for some time in the end I didn't manage to formulate anything worthwhile about them (words are hard, moreso when it's the first time you hear something several levels beyond what I was used to at the time) but I'd like to let you know I'm thankful for your trust as it was a cornerstone of my enjoyment of the hobby! See you around, bud

Nice picture! I always enjoy seeing how creative people can get with photography of gear. I have been intending to buy a new camera for years now, but Barnie keeps eating my budget.

Very happy to hear you enjoyed the Thummim. I was glad I could step in and send them over so the tour could continue. Still think those were some of the most unique sounding IEMs I have heard, with tons of energy and fun. I do miss that sometimes (never got them back afterwards).

 

[Deezel177]

I just hope they actually commit to finishing the books with the movies, instead of leaving it mid-story or rebooting like so many other 'franchises'.

There are like 15 books, and they barely covered the first with 2 almost-3-hour films. Jokes aside, the main Paul Atriedes story should be finished by the third film, Dune: Messiah. Denis’s working on the script right now, and he plans on making it after taking a break and making 1-2 more non-Dune films.

 

[Alexzander]

I just hope they actually commit to finishing the books with the movies, instead of leaving it mid-story or rebooting like so many other 'franchises'.

Don’t think this will happen with the DUNE franchise as, without spoiling things, I would say that the pace and the focus of the story change drastically in the later books.
I just think it would be extremely hard to make a proper adaptation in the movies format, but maybe TV series could save it.

 

[maegnificant]

I only watched the first Dune a few weeks ago and amazingly have not yet read the book!

I love the line ‘fear is the mind-killer’ and I’ve had this as my phone wallpaper since…

Can only imagine Frank Herberts mind, thinking of the most powerful form of a human:
A woman in control of her emotions.

(until the ultra-chosen one appears, which has to be a man, of course. And yes, I know he has some subverting going on there, but still. )

 

[ian91]

My journey has been a back and forth between the novelty of highly technical hybrid IEMs and back to the cohesive and more natural single DD. My brain wants the stimulant effect of the former and my heart chases the essential sound of the latter. I recently acquired the JVC HA-FX1200 (11mm wood dome driver) that is almost 10 years old now. I haven't been able to put it down! It's open stage, deeply rooted lower frequencies and the impressive top end extension - it's delicious. It's true we're in a golden age of IEMs but this is making me wonder what we're leaving behind...

What sets are you guys still holding onto that are standing the test of time?

 

[Scubadevils]

My journey has been a back and forth between the novelty of highly technical hybrid IEMs and back to the cohesive and more natural single DD. My brain wants the stimulant effect of the former and my heart chases the essential sound of the latter. I recently acquired the JVC HA-FX1200 (11mm wood dome driver) that is almost 10 years old now. I haven't been able to put it down! It's open stage, deeply rooted lower frequencies and the impressive top end extension - it's delicious. It's true we're in a golden age of IEMs but this is making me wonder what we're leaving behind...

What sets are you guys still holding onto that are standing the test of time?

I’m a huge fan of the FW1500 and FW10000, not as old as your FX1200 but around a few years which makes them seem ‘old’ in this fast paced hobby!

I’ve been listening to the Craft Ears ‘Aurum’ a huge amount since it arrived a week or so ago and being a set originally launched in 2020, it is somewhat old now too - but from a sound perspective, it is truly fantastic and again demonstrates the at times fleeting nature of the hobby with so many new sets always grabbing our attention!

The tuning leans a touch bright but with some of the best EST treble I’ve heard - it’s that addictive, visceral, ear-tickling sensation which reminds me a bit of Traillii but more extended. Incredibly precise imaging in a large stage, wonderful detail retrieval, clear and smooth mids, and well balanced low-end with again good sub extension - but definitely not bass head levels. A cohesive and highly engaging overall presentation that has completely exceeded expectations for me… I was stupidly sceptical due to its ‘age’ but very happy to have been proven wrong!

Fantastic set and yet another that I’d have guessed as being a lot more €€€ than the actual €1,295 price tag! Another set to sit with the likes of Fibae5 and Verdandi at a price point that offers fantastic value before getting into the kilobuck levels.

 

[pkcpga]

From what I’ve heard, chapter 11 seems to be more of a reorganisation thing; a 2nd chance to kickstart the business back into gear. They still have a major stake in the pro business, and the Pearl DSP box should hopefully give them second wind. It’d be a shame to see a bonafide industry titan fall by the wayside. I really hope they make it through.

Chapter 11 is the first step in bankruptcy, gives the company an extended period to find loans or investors or if the debtors want to take over the company. Basically JHA owes a lot more money than they can afford to pay before debtors force the company to be sold for parts to get their money. This buys them extra time to figure out how they will pay or sell or sell parts or come up with deals to their debtors like part ownership. It doesn’t state how deep they are in the hole so who knows what will happen. Unfortunately like photography companies, they learned they can’t survive off of only pros since turn over rate of equipment is much slower in that crowd than enthusiasts.

 

[ian91]

I’m a huge fan of the FW1500 and FW10000, not as old as your FX1200 but around a few years which makes them seem ‘old’ in this fast paced hobby!

I’ve been listening to the Craft Ears ‘Aurum’ a huge amount since it arrived a week or so ago and being a set originally launched in 2020, it is somewhat old now too - but from a sound perspective, it is truly fantastic and again demonstrates the at times fleeting nature of the hobby with so many new sets always grabbing our attention!

The tuning leans a touch bright but with some of the best EST treble I’ve heard - it’s that addictive, visceral, ear-tickling sensation which reminds me a bit of Traillii but more extended. Incredibly precise imaging in a large stage, wonderful detail retrieval, clear and smooth mids, and well balanced low-end with again good sub extension - but definitely not bass head levels. A cohesive and highly engaging overall presentation that has completely exceeded expectations for me… I was stupidly sceptical due to its ‘age’ but very happy to have been proven wrong!

Fantastic set and yet another that I’d have guessed as being a lot more €€€ than the actual €1,295 price tag! Another set to sit with the likes of Fibae5 and Verdandi at a price point that offers fantastic value before getting into the kilobuck levels.

Lovely looking set and view (enjoy your break!). I immediately looked for preloved FW10k after hearing the magic in the 1200 but I was stopped in my tracks by not-so-flattering feedback from friends. Does it justify the price in your opinion?

 

[Scubadevils]

Lovely looking set and view (enjoy your break!). I immediately looked for preloved FW10k after hearing the magic in the 1200 but I was stopped in my tracks by not-so-flattering feedback from friends. Does it justify the price in your opinion?

Absolutely 100% for me but it has taken a reasonable amount of adjusting etc in terms of source, cables, tips and definitely not an all rounder by any means - beautiful timbre for more minimal modern classical compositions, vocals, acoustic etc.

I’ve found ultimately it’s best with stock 3.5mm cable via LPGT Ti. I debated selling a few times and thankfully it didn’t sell when I had listed, in spite of a very low price. Absolutely a keeper and what I’d consider a classic now.

Wish I had it with me for the weekend away now as craving a listen

 

[kevingzw]

Hi guys! I don't talk much in these parts, but I am a reviewer with the Headphone List and have been for a year and a half now. This is my latest review of the Dita Audio Project M, which I'm sure is of much interest in this thread! Feel free to send questions my way .

https://theheadphonelist.com/dita-audio-project-m-return-to-form/

 

[ian91]

Absolutely 100% for me but it has taken a reasonable amount of adjusting etc in terms of source, cables, tips and definitely not an all rounder by any means - beautiful timbre for more minimal modern classical compositions, vocals, acoustic etc.

I’ve found ultimately it’s best with stock 3.5mm cable via LPGT Ti. I debated selling a few times and thankfully it didn’t sell when I had listed, in spite of a very low price. Absolutely a keeper and what I’d consider a classic now.

Wish I had it with me for the weekend away now as craving a listen

Please bring it to a future Europe/cooler meet! It sounds right up my street.

 

[drftr]

Chapter 11 is the first step in bankruptcy, gives the company an extended period to find loans or investors or if the debtors want to take over the company. Basically JHA owes a lot more money than they can afford to pay before debtors force the company to be sold for parts to get their money. This buys them extra time to figure out how they will pay or sell or sell parts or come up with deals to their debtors like part ownership. It doesn’t state how deep they are in the hole so who knows what will happen. Unfortunately like photography companies, they learned they can’t survive off of only pros since turn over rate of equipment is much slower in that crowd than enthusiasts.

Perhaps we could buy the company, then create our own controversies to chat about on this thread.

drftr