[linux4ever]

You also need a multi million dollar home to have the treated room to house this $0.56 million speaker.


PS, when I read the article closely, I found some potentially fishy crap: 28mm diamond-coated beryllium-diaphragm tweeter. Is this to justify the high price, or indeed diamond can improve DD performance?

To add to your question - how do they get a diamond that can be coated? do they crush the diamond and make it into a paste so that it can be coated on the beryllium diaphragm tweeter?

 

[baneand]

The headline is also click-bait-y but it was amusing to see the mad pricing and all those "cool" specs.

 

[DutchKarma]

To add to your question - how do they get a diamond that can be coated? do they crush the diamond and make it into a paste so that it can be coated on the beryllium diaphragm tweeter?

They "grow" a tiny diamond layer on top of in this case beryllium. The process is called CVD. Inject carbon gas in vacuum chamber with the to be coated object under high temp. The carbon rebonds into 100% crystaline diamond on the the surface of the object.

 

[Rockwell75]

They "grow" a tiny diamond layer on top of in this case beryllium. The process is called CVD. Inject carbon gas in vacuum chamber with the to be coated object under high temp. The carbon rebonds into 100% crystaline diamond on the the surface of the object.

I wonder if this is at all similar to the “Amorphous Diamond-Like Carbon” (A.D.L.C) tech that Campfire uses on some of their DDs.

 

[fidgeraldo]

You also need a multi million dollar home to have the treated room to house this $0.56 million speaker.

No, you don't. The only thing you need is $600k for the speakers, and I am speaking from experience.
Ok, you have to be also a bit crazy/weirdo (at least the majority of the world would consider you as one).
And that's it.

Cheers!

 

[Tristy]

Is there another graph of Bonneville knocking about? I know there’s a singular one on squiglink but wanted another to compare.

 

[mikaik]

I wonder if this is at all similar to the “Amorphous Diamond-Like Carbon” (A.D.L.C) tech that Campfire uses on some of their DS.

Didn't Bowers&Wilkins have a diamond dome tweeter? Made with e6...
There's an interesting article in hi-fi+, Feb 24 issue.

 

[Stu Paddasso]

I forgot I have a pair of these lying around.

Will definitely give them a listen today.

 

[Yarbles]

Thieaudio tuning for me at least with the Monarch MK2 is a generalist but not a specialist. Music sounds great but never goes beyond what's neutral/Harman. Gets boring after a short listen to me at least

I guess most of us did not have a chance to demo it. However, that being said, Thieaudio as a vendor turned IEM company, its reputation still need time to prove. I have the Monarch OG when I first entered in this hobby, and I have to say if Monarch is the example of Thieaudio, my impression is: their tuning is mostly good, not bad for beginners if their IEMs are priced very competitively. However, I found the issue with Thieaudio is: unlike most the established brands or new brands that are more discussed here, their tuning just lacks character. Overall good is not enough in this thread, you need to have something to grasp the attention, something unique, if not the best.

I thought the Monarch 2 (and 3) were extremely average - definitely not worth $1000. I actually went to the store on Xmas Eve with the potential intention of buying either one given people were harping on about them ... I don't collect IEMs... or audio gear... in fact I would not even say I am an audiophile whatsoever. The *only* reason I now buy any gear is if it replaces something in my collection - all my bases are covered for all use cases & genres I like. As I was leaving, the guy passed me the Prestige Ltd - they absolutely blew me away & now are my absolute favourite IEM's by a very long way, in a pretty solid artillery -

Prestige Ltd
< big gap & in no particular order >
Annihilator 2021 (selling - no need for them - fantastic at what they do but doesn't suit my taste & I've barely touched them)
FF Maestro SE
Anole VX
Mest MKII
Hype 4 (as my out of the house pair)

I also have s bunch if headphones, but I can't deny I mostly prefer IEM's these days (something if you'd told me ten years ago I would have told to *** off )

I've worked in music & sound for 25 years, mostly behind the scenes as an a&r, agent & events promoter, installed & tuned systems at many prolific venues - as my artist career got cut short around the time I finally had a hit record (2007). It's now at a point where I have been lying down for 90%+ of the last 4.5 years, can't do much of even the behind the scenes stuff as I need to be physically out there (have a totally different online business selling my other passion - vintage Japanese cinema art) and I listen to a lot of music & have a solid understanding of music & sound - there's no bragging here, but I think my credentials carry some weight in that I have some idea re what I'm talking about... of course it's all subjective, but every single one of my serious music friends (which is around a dozen) has tried mine & has either bought or is saving for them & the vast majority were Thieaudio sceptics. Personally, I think the value they offer is absolutely unbelievable. They use very high quality internals & there's obviously a very clear objective with the correlation between the driver combination & the tuning. Best value brand in the world right now... although I'd skip the bizarrely much lauded Monarch series

 

[wolfstar76]

I thought the Monarch 2 (and 3) were extremely average - definitely not worth $1000. I actually went to the store on Xmas Eve with the potential intention of buying either one given people were harping on about them ... I don't collect IEMs... or audio gear... in fact I would not even say I am an audiophile whatsoever. The *only* reason I now buy any gear is if it replaces something in my collection - all my bases are covered for all use cases & genres I like. As I was leaving, the guy passed me the Prestige Ltd - they absolutely blew me away & now are my absolute favourite IEM's by a very long way, in a pretty solid artillery -

Prestige Ltd
< big gap & in no particular order >
Annihilator 2021 (selling - no need for them - fantastic at what they do but doesn't suit my taste & I've barely touched them)
FF Maestro SE
Anole VX
Mest MKII
Hype 4 (as my out of the house pair)

I also have s bunch if headphones, but I can't deny I mostly prefer IEM's these days (something if you'd told me ten years ago I would have told to *** off )

I've worked in music & sound for 25 years, mostly behind the scenes as an a&r, agent & events promoter, installed & tuned systems at many prolific venues - as my artist career got cut short around the time I finally had a hit record (2007). It's now at a point where I have been lying down for 90%+ of the last 4.5 years, can't do much of even the behind the scenes stuff as I need to be physically out there (have a totally different online business selling my other passion - vintage Japanese cinema art) and I listen to a lot of music & have a solid understanding of music & sound - there's no bragging here, but I think my credentials carry some weight in that I have some idea re what I'm talking about... of course it's all subjective, but every single one of my serious music friends (which is around a dozen) has tried mine & has either bought or is saving for them & the vast majority were Thieaudio sceptics. Personally, I think the value they offer is absolutely unbelievable. They use very high quality internals & there's obviously a very clear objective with the correlation between the driver combination & the tuning. Best value brand in the world right now... although I'd skip the bizarrely much lauded Monarch series

You are a really good salesman, I need to demo it this coming CanJam if they carry the Prestige Ltd.

 

[armstrj2]

This was a very satisfying combo earlier today when I met with @armstrj2 for coffee, chats, and listening… Mass-Kobo 475 with the N3Ultra - smooth, addictive listening experience and truly fantastic with my precious DDs.







The N3Ultra was a lot more compact than I expected and comfortably pocketable - sounds fantastic even minus the additional amplification.





Very impressed also by the A&K SP3000T - beautifully built machine with a wonderful snappy and intuitive UI, plus sounded fantastic on dedicated tube mode.

Every time I meet this man he has another single DD iem that performs way beyond its price tag.

Today was no different. The NiceHCK Himalaya shocked me with its quality. Beautiful titanium shells that wouldn't look out of place in a totl set. A detailed and engaging mid range, nicely done high end and a low end that can bang. I'm not a fan of single DDs in general, but when you consider this set's price, I was very impressed. Crazy how the standard in this price bracket has risen over the last few years. Not every set is a hit, but Himalaya stood out for me.



Very enjoyable watching David experience what an epic combo the N3 Ultra and Mass Kobo 475 is too

 

[maegnificant]

I thought the Monarch 2 (and 3) were extremely average - definitely not worth $1000. I actually went to the store on Xmas Eve with the potential intention of buying either one given people were harping on about them ... I don't collect IEMs... or audio gear... in fact I would not even say I am an audiophile whatsoever. The *only* reason I now buy any gear is if it replaces something in my collection - all my bases are covered for all use cases & genres I like. As I was leaving, the guy passed me the Prestige Ltd - they absolutely blew me away & now are my absolute favourite IEM's by a very long way, in a pretty solid artillery -

Prestige Ltd
< big gap & in no particular order >
Annihilator 2021 (selling - no need for them - fantastic at what they do but doesn't suit my taste & I've barely touched them)
FF Maestro SE
Anole VX
Mest MKII
Hype 4 (as my out of the house pair)

I also have s bunch if headphones, but I can't deny I mostly prefer IEM's these days (something if you'd told me ten years ago I would have told to *** off )

I've worked in music & sound for 25 years, mostly behind the scenes as an a&r, agent & events promoter, installed & tuned systems at many prolific venues - as my artist career got cut short around the time I finally had a hit record (2007). It's now at a point where I have been lying down for 90%+ of the last 4.5 years, can't do much of even the behind the scenes stuff as I need to be physically out there (have a totally different online business selling my other passion - vintage Japanese cinema art) and I listen to a lot of music & have a solid understanding of music & sound - there's no bragging here, but I think my credentials carry some weight in that I have some idea re what I'm talking about... of course it's all subjective, but every single one of my serious music friends (which is around a dozen) has tried mine & has either bought or is saving for them & the vast majority were Thieaudio sceptics. Personally, I think the value they offer is absolutely unbelievable. They use very high quality internals & there's obviously a very clear objective with the correlation between the driver combination & the tuning. Best value brand in the world right now... although I'd skip the bizarrely much lauded Monarch series

What was your hit record though?

 

[Yarbles]

What was your hit record though?

It was technically a bootleg. But sampling is the root of the most popular dance music/hip hop beats (Daft Punk/The Prodigy/Fatboy slim are all masters of it & lifted as much of originals if not more of what we did). If you know what drum n bass is we were only outsold by Pendulum on vinyl that year (when you could still shift a decent amount of vinyl singles) & was A listed in the BBC Radio One dance chart, stayed in the BBC dnb (biggest electronic genre in the UK) top ten for nine months & it still gets played today.

Here you go - this link had lasted a surprisingly long time. The track was remastered & re-released on vinyl & digitally in 2020 & did well again. The vinyl sold out againx and I've never actually owned one, only a dubplate (acetate). I don't have many super proud moments like this...



The comments made an old man's day.

 

[aaf evo]

It's been an uneventful and boring Saturday so I figured I would spend some time typing this up although I didn't plan to. It was an exciting day for me yesterday... Thanks to a very generous head-fi'er I was able to demo the ZMF Caldera (through Mjolnir) and use it sort of as a test to see how well I would enjoy headphones. Long story short, they just won't work for me. The lack of any isolation on an open back means I have to turn them up way too loud to block out exterior noise and I'm not comfortable with that, and for whatever reason I just don't have interest in closed backs. I can't say I didn't try though! Tonality wise I heard the Caldera to have a warmer low mid with a more relaxed upper mid and slightly elevated treble response. This didn't quite work for me as I felt the treble cut through the mid range too aggressively and sounded rather unnatural. Regardless I am very appreciative to have been able to test this in my own home.

I also received the SP3000T demo from MusicTeck. Ever since I heard this at CanJam NYC and was quite impressed by the DAP and it has been something on my radar to spend more time with, so I've been testing it with the Storm and comparing against the Mjolnir. I'm looking to add a DAP for my occasional portable use but I'm conflicted on how much I want to spend on one since the Mjolnir is my primary source of listening. Here's some brief impressions so far:



As expected from an AK flagship, the build quality is outstanding. The device is quite heavy but feels very premium, I also think the volume knob is much better on this compared to the SP3000 as it's no longer functioning as a screen on/off button as well, there is a lock button on the top of the DAP now and a fourth button on the left side to take you to the AMP toggle screen, however if the screen is off this button is rendered useless as it doesn't actually swap the amp modes itself. It is essentially a shortcut.

The Mjolnir to me is my baseline neutral-reference sound and has very minimal coloration to its tonality. The SP3000T in comparison has a fuller and slower decaying mid bass, a warmer and more forward mid range, with a smoother but nicely detailed treble response. The balance between warmth and clarity is done rather well but I wouldn't suggest pairing this with already warmer tuned IEMs as it may be too much of a good thing. While the presentation is on the fuller and more punchy side compared to SP3000, it is still quite typical overall of what I am used to from AK-Ultima DAPs in giving a smoother, more relaxing feel to music as opposed to the more incisive dynamics and sharper transients from something like the MASSKobo 475 or DX320 Max. Soundstage is above average in size with a great sense of imaging, providing just enough separation between notes to stop things from sounding like they're too close together or congested. Background is "black" in OP amp mode as expected and has a very very faint "tape reel" background noise when using the tubes, but nothing worth making a big deal over at all.

As you scale through the modes I hear the overall tonality to remain fairly similar in being warm-tilted but the differences mostly lies in how I hear the mid bass decay and forwardness/fullness of the mid range. OP AMP mode has the tightest bass and slightly more revealing and pulled back mids compared to tube mode, with hybrid sitting somewhere in between. You can also toggle between 1-5 settings in the hybrid mode to give a tilt towards OP or Tube mode. There is also low, mid, and high current modes when you are using the hybrid or tube modes. I like hybrid 2 (leaning closer to OP amp mode) with lower current the most so far from all available settings as I like the balance between warmth and detail it provides. I have noticed when you are using the full tube mode and high current that the DAP is quite sensitive to bumps and the tubes will ring with a rather drawn out "eeeeeeeee" linger which I find quite off-putting and distracting. It's less noticeable on Storm but with easier to drive IEMs I can imagine this being very annoying, and borderline deal breaking. It's not as noticeable on medium or low current, or using the hybrid mode. One thing I do find a tad strange is that if I tap the back of the DAP to get it to ring but then cycle from tube to OP amp mode and back to tube, the ringing stops... I also occasionally hear this ringing even when the DAP is stationary but it has to be in tube mode and high current. Moving around the house with the DAP in my pocket doesn't seem to trigger it like tapping the back of the DAP does. I also did get to compare the SP3000T to the SP3000 Gold at NYC and between the OP mode of the T and the Gold I felt the SP3000 still has higher detail, resolution, clarity, and bigger staging, but I think the T is probably the better buy as you're getting more choices to tinker with without sacrificing too much.

WiFi is on the weaker side. I have some dead zones in my house where the signal gets quite weak and the SP3000T drops out completely there, whereas some other DAPs like the N30 LE or RS8 will stay connected but have a weaker signal. I would assume this is probably done on purpose to help shield the tubes from interference. The DAP can also get warm to the touch but nothing that I am finding problematic. Battery life also seems quite average at best but this hasn't really had any charging cycles and I think I am still spoiled from the RS8 and R8 II which have much larger capacity batteries in comparison. You also cannot lock the side buttons when the screen is off, why this isn't an option blows my mind. Also AK REALLY needs to let you scale the display here to take advantage of the screen resolution and real estate, because apps like Spotify are far too zoomed in for no reason as pictured below.




I think my biggest conflict here overall is that at $3000 MSRP it's quite a lot to ask mostly due to the depreciation of other DAPs that are available and offer "more" for less. Anywhere between $1500 and $2300 ish you can pick up an R8 II, RS8, DX320 Max, M9+, ZM2, etc... it makes shelling out for a brand new TOTL DAP in 2024 quite hard to swallow, at least in my mind it does. You can also add about $700 to the MSRP of the SP3000T and pick up a used N30 LE which is a different tier all together of performance. If this was priced around $1800 I think would have bought one already. As of right now I don't think I'll pick one up, but I will send this back to MT and see how much I miss it and go from there, regardless I am really enjoying spending my time with it and what I am hearing at home is definitely where I left off at with it in NYC.

 

[Scubadevils]

It was technically a bootleg. But sampling is the root of the most popular dance music/hip hop beats (Daft Punk/The Prodigy/Fatboy slim are all masters of it & lifted as much of originals if not more of what we did). If you know what drum n bass is we were only outsold by Pendulum on vinyl that year (when you could still shift a decent amount of vinyl singles) & was A listed in the BBC Radio One dance chart, stayed in the BBC dnb (biggest electronic genre in the UK) top ten for nine months & it still gets played today.

Here you go - this link had lasted a surprisingly long time. The track was remastered & re-released on vinyl & digitally in 2020 & did well again. The vinyl sold out againx and I've never actually owned one, only a dubplate (acetate). I don't have many super proud moments like this...



The comments made an old man's day.

Love discovering folks here with a music production background, especially in electronic music… we have the legend @Codename john on Head-Fi too - hope you don’t mind the tag mate