Hey Cooler Friends, I am just dropping by to drop some impressions as I have had some cool gear come across my desk and felt its only right to share these with all of you for more data points. Enjoy and hope all of you are well and have a great weekend.
FitEar Creator
W/ silver creator 4wire
The first immediate sound that struck me when I put the Creator in my ears was the Full Grand Bass. It captivates with a romantic decay which I define as a slower more rounded definition to the bass notes as they fade away. The attack is big, bold and fat but similar to the decay it is more rounded with slower transients. This gives the music a more laid back feeling with the utmost realistic timbre radiating with depth and height. The sub bass is deep and nicely textured but the mid bass is more pronounced and very textured and provides a massive warmth across the frequency response. The movement of air is evident even at first listen, it allows space for the music to breathe.
Stage width is well above average but the depth and height is what I hear to be the focus. Giving a sense of layered space and beautiful reverbs. It’s almost 3D feeling but not quite as holographic as other sets with BCD drivers. But it’s also not a flat sounding in ear. Imaging is well done and where the Creator excels is in Macro Dynamics. From the light stroke of brushes on snare skins, to the snappy hit of a hand on a Bongo skin and the stick hits of toms is all very vivid and life-like with great contrasting tones and volume levels a.k.a dynamic swings. Creator is not a focused resolution sound nor does it want or try to be. This is a tuning to get lost in the feeling of the music. If ultra detailed fast micro dynamic sound is what you’re after or makes you feel your music this set will be very disappointing.
Piano sounds perfectly weighted on Creator. This is the best in ear I have heard with Piano playback. Note weight across the board is fantastic. Acoustic guitars sound like real strings against wooden bodies. Plasticky or toy-like sound does not exist here. Instruments sound large and life-like. This goes for male and female vocals alike. They resound with gravitas. They are centered and push outward in front of the head. The vocals and mid range are more intimate and this works well with Jazz, singer songwriter, small ensemble and rock. Music at higher speeds will suffer here as it will get cramped or smeared over by the bodacious Foster drivers.
The treble is nicely extended thanks to a single EST, that pushes through the swells of bass and warmth with great clarity and transparency. The EST was a good choice in my opinion as it keeps the weight and wetness that are usually associated with BA’s in the top end from blunting the signature. The EST’s lighter more ethereal notes balance out the boldness from the bottom end in a very convincing way that keeps the Creator from becoming too Dark and encapsulated feeling. I hear zero sibilance and I have not come across any annoying peaks or metallic sounds in the upper end.
I am often reminded of my meditations while listening with Creator. When I meditate, I am focused on my breathing; inhaling and exhaling and because my mind is calm I can hear sounds in-between breathes that I normally would take for granted. This is how I hear the creator. In between the attack and decays I can hear the emotional vibrato of the string, the skin of the drum, the emotion from the chest of a singer. I feel I am more at one with the music I am listening to.
The creator demands your attention with analog grandeur.
Rhapsodio Supreme V3
They sound wonky(hate this word, don’t mean it negatively) to me. Fun tuning that highlights some nuance and harmonics/reverbs I’ve not heard with other sets. Which I think is from the solid brass shell and faceplate. It doesn’t work with a lot of genres but still presents itself as its own thing unapologetically. Imaging and staging are spread very wide creating an immersive sound that is super fun at first but becomes fatiguing quickly. Timbre nor tonality is very good to my ear. Sounds great with electronic music and well produced singer songwriter music oddly enough but timbre is not natural and does not have an emotional pull, it’s mainly the imaging and staging that keeps the attention. Depth of stage is lacking in my opinion. There are some harsh peaks up top that make me wince. Layering is sub par and crowded music can sound thin and messy, but it’s a spacious sound and when it hits with the right song or music it is definitely a WOW moment. However due to the off putting timbre this is a pass for me.
TGXear Desolation Sound Steel Black Sand Earbud
I have had this bud by
@tgx78 for a few weeks now and I think it’s time for some impressions as it has totally blown me away.
This is an upgraded version of the Desolation Sound that Jim graciously offered to me and that I paid for. In my opinion this upgrade to Steel shell with black sand dampening really sets the DS apart from its original counterpart and also widens the gap in sound signature from Jim’s other buds in his lineup. I am using the focused full foams that Jim includes with purchase, these are the thinnest foams and my favorite by far for this tuning.
All listening done on Cayin N30LE Hyper mode with Tube classic mode engaged using UAPP to stream Qobuz bit-perfect. As well as, Venture Electronics Prime Dac + Runabout 2BFE amp via MacBook Air running Qobuz via Roon.
For me and my library which consists mainly of well recorded Jazz music and singer-songwriter, folk, world and Classical/OST’s this earbud really hits the spot. Jim has outdone himself and honestly the DS SBS has just about made all my other buds obsolete. I am still using and loving my 600ohm buds i.e. TGX Alpha, Yinman 600, Puresounds 100-600(s) and also my favorite V-shape bud to date Ksearphone 300 Samsara and my VE APWS for specialists.
Let’s get back to the DS SBS. This bud has impeccable imaging and staging. Instruments are well separated and sound authentic. Out of all Jim’s buds, this one has the least amount of mid bass heft, which clears up the midrange allowing the beautiful timbre of tones to come through with ease. I would call this earbud a really well done W shape.
The bass is working as a support and never the focus. Bass lines are well delineated and layered with precise definition and attack. Decay is natural, neither slow nor super fast. It is a perfect amount of warmth to keep in line for a reference tuning. The detail though is really quite captivating. Fingers slapping on the fretboard of an upright bass and hearing each reverberation of the strings and the body of the instrument is an astounding aural experience.
Mids are spacious and detailed with every nuance in the recording coming forth but still with an emotional weight and pulling of the heart strings, Jim’s calling card IMO. Vocals have great center imaging and escape the head. Male and Female vocals alike sound effortless and while they are not the heaviest note weight they are still grounded to the stage and not so transparent to sound like ghosts flying around your head. Guitar strums and drums have great attack and sound like the real deal. Violins, Cello, Viola are breathtaking in realism and emotion. For a reference tuning the “feeling” of the music is not lost. Dynamics are not lacking (this really shines through in classical selections) and this has a great 3-D feel to the staging with an incredible black background thanks to the black sand dampening.
The Treble here is probably the best I have ever heard in any earbud hands down. It is extended, clear and sparkling without peaks or harshness. Cymbal hits, piano strikes, harp plucks, all sound angelic as if they are coming down from heaven with perfect attack, sustain and decay. It’s marvelous to experience and very difficult to put into words.
I won’t say that the DS SBS is a high energy, in your face set, as it is not that. It is a delicate sound that will surprise and delight the longer you listen, a set that is very easy to listen to for hours on end and get lost in pure musical bliss. This is not a set for heavy, fast or RnB, hip hop music IMO. It can keep up with fast music don’t get me wrong as the resolution here is fantastic and totl. However for the above types of music, it does not have enough mid bass. A good V shape bud will work better in my opinion. However I do listen to a lot of indie rock with this earbud and it excels.
All in all this is my favorite earbud thus far in my time in the hobby. So much so that I am slowing down and thinning out my collection. I am quite content and I owe it all to the artistry and mastery of Mr. Jim Park, aka TGXear!! Thank you so much for your hard work, craftsmanship, and tuning genius.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.
Looking forward , will be fun 
