[Poimandres]

 

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Why on earth would you be telling us that but not showing us? We demand pics!

That Amboyna Burl truly is beautiful.  Let me know what you think.

 

[doublea71]

The wood inserts are very attractive - they have set the bar pretty high with their craftsmanship. Do any other manufacturers approach or equal the quality of work they are putting out as far as aesthetics go? Of course, sound is another story and most companies seem to have a 'signature sound' based on the reading I've done, so that's more of an apples and oranges debate. However, from what I'm seeing, Heir Audio is taking everyone to the woodshed (pun intended) as far as build quality and being pleasing to the eye is concerned.
 

 

[FullCircle]

I am biased but I will say this, there have been more and more "Woodies" being produced by other companies. What is amazing to me, is a little "start up" in remote China, influenced the industry so fast right out of the starting gates.
 
It makes one take pause and wonder.... What is next?

 

[sunneebear]

Metals!  Gold, silver, titanium...

 

[Sinocelt]

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Metals!  Gold, silver, titanium...

 
... blood diamonds!
 
(There's metal in blood. In my book, that counts.)

 

[Sorensiim]

Metals!  Gold, silver, titanium...

My 8.A has laser cut, brushed aluminum faceplates, does that count or does it have to be precious metals?

A purple shell with a pure gold faceplate would be PIMP!

 

[doublea71]

How about sculpted and polished exotic looking stones, polished to a high sheen? That would look cool, and like wood, no two would be exactly alike...I'll take a set of 8As with turquoise faceplates inlayed with onyx, please.
 

 

[ardgedee]

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What is next?

 
My 4.A compares well against my headphones that cost much more. So when I hear about new BA drivers being developed specifically for IEMs, it's hard not to get excited about what might come along in the next few years.
 
In terms of appearance, other companies have been doing faceplates in contrasting colors and other materials for a while, but for the most part their designs had been oriented towards performers' expectations: Brighter colors, printed faceplates, and a bias towards attention-getting materials like rhinestones. It's not necessarily bad (as I've remarked elsewhere, if I was a performing musician it's be neat to have IEMs with mother-of-pearl faceplates that matched my guitar) but these approaches don't look so great in the office or when traveling.
 
So it's obvious the wood faceplates are what Heir's competitors noticed first -- it's something they weren't offering -- but I don't think they've all caught on that the wood is part of an overall esthetic that's more subdued and intricate. There's craftsmanship and sensitivity than slapping a piece of wood on the hood (although at times they achieve an interesting textural contrast between the grain and glassiness, but still seems to lack a particular attention to detail). So far, although I've seen other companies try to emulate Heir's best work, nobody's equaled it yet. It's a signature quality that's going to go far even if it doesn't evolve rapidly.
 
So I don't really know what can be next. Fortunately I'm not the designer who has to top the best work so far; I can just watch and enjoy.

 

[OK-Guy]

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My 4.A compares well against my headphones that cost much more. So when I hear about new BA drivers being developed specifically for IEMs, it's hard not to get excited about what might come along in the next few years.

 
One question if I may... what is the bass extension like with Rock & R&B (+Soul) music?... cheers.

 

[ardgedee]

If the bass is there, you'll hear it fine. When the recording is bass-thin, the 4.A will not try to compensate. It manages to be faithful without being ruthless about it.
 
I haven't done any measuring or listening tests with mine to reliably report how deep it goes, but the low strings on electric and acoustic bass come through perfectly well. As an occasional bassist, I appreciate this.
 
If you want more emphasis in the low frequencies (which is reasonable, particularly if you listen at very low volumes), one of Heir's other offerings might be more suitable. I haven't tried any of the other models so I can't make any constructive recommendations, but there are plenty of reviews being posted of the 8.A, and the 6.A has gotten one or two writeups as well.

 

[OK-Guy]

thanks for that ardgedee, very appreciated indeedy... my only slight concern with the 4.A was that it's neutrality could lead to a slight bass-lite presentation, if the bass is in the recording I want to hear it to the full... I am leaning towards the 6.A but don't know if CIEM's are an option for me until Tuesday... a fellow Walkman Z-series owner has a pair and is over the moon with them, if I go for the Heir 4.A's it will be the IEM that I will chose... needless to say Tuesday is a big choice day for me hopefully.
 
Any views from other WM-Z owners would be mightily welcomed... cheers in advance.

 

[Poimandres]

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Why on earth would you be telling us that but not showing us? We demand pics!

Also my aplogies earlier when I posted that I only had my iphone and I am unable to figure out how to post photos with it.
 
My Heir Audio 4ai is the first 4ai to be built and also shipped out.  From what I can see it is also the one that was showcased for the 4ai line by Heir.  All of the markings and grain of the wood appear to be the same if you look at the photos that I posted above and this photo.
 

 

[project86]

Looks very nice!
 
If I remember correctly (and Wizard, I apologize if I'm messing this up) - the plan for the Ai "universals" is to have a standardized design that showcases the Heir craftsmanship while being somewhat "universal" in appeal. I think the pics so far show a unit that has achieved that goal. With the price being very competitive, it makes sense for them to streamline things on the production side by having a standard look, kind of like what UE did with their UE4pro and Westone did with their AC2. This will allow Heir to build a bunch of them ahead of time and maintain a "stock" so to speak, as has already been mentioned. 

 

[Swimsonny]

Okay my 4.Ai were shipped off a day ago and UPS will be getting them to me on Monday, so watch out for some impressions and a unboxing video.

Really impressed by the speedo of the postage from china. Just 3 days (predicted).

 

[Sinocelt]

Quote:

My Heir Audio 4ai is the first 4ai to be built and also shipped out.  From what I can see it is also the one that was showcased for the 4ai line by Heir.  All of the markings and grain of the wood appear to be the same if you look at the photos that I posted above and this photo.

 
Yup. Looks like you're right!