[Serpentari]

Quote:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/621602/heir-audio-4-ai-appreciation-impression-review-thread/525#post_8709761
 
was it that one?

No, sorry.
Quote:

 
Occam's razor: They're probably in another thread.

Perhaps, though I'm trying to figure out which other appreciation thread it could possibly in, or maybe if I imagined the whole thing...
Quote:

 
I have views on reviews... if a manufacturer gave the headphones to the reviewer (as keepers) expect a biased view... if they got sent to a reviewer just for a review expect a half-decent review but with a bias to that reviewers preferred brands... the reviews I am interested in are from the people who actually bought the headphones especially if they have the same 'source/s' as you/me.
 
I made my decision after reading Way's 4.A findings in the Walkman Z-Series thread (plus emails), the WM-Z has a huge soundstage & SQ to match so his findings were important to me... Sorensiim's findings with his DX100 also helped (I'm interested in getting one of those but I'll await the MK2-version)... what really sold me on Heir Audio was the in-depth emails I had with The Wizard over CIEM's & IEM's, when a founder goes out of his way to explain the SQ, Soundstage & the pro's and con's of 'customs' that for me is the biggest factor hence my purchase of the 3&4.Ai.
 
always remember... your ears are not someone else's.

Right, but by the time your ears hear the IEM's (if you didn't have a chance to audition it beforehand), you won't have a choice to return them even if you don't like them. Reviews only go so far, but the more reviews there are, the more they can be trusted. That's why objective determinations of SQ are important, like frequency plots. And if they are not being released...then you have to pose the question, why not?

 

[KraftD1]

Other than this appreciation thread, maybe you were looking at the world tour thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/625466/heir-audio-world-tour

 

[pspivak]

I posted that I ordered a set of 4a CIEM around the beginning of September.  It took a bit of time to get another set of impressions; the ones that I used for my TF10 re-shells were judged to not be acceptable,  A fresh set of impressions were judged to be acceptable and off they went to China.  The waiting began....
 
Have you ever had a decision gnaw at you like, "Did I make the right decision?", or "Why am I going with the mid level when I really want the top of the range?"  So, I contacted Brannan and asked if I could change my order from the 4a to the 8a.  He told me that Dr. Moulton said I could for the difference in price and a fee (It's $79.00).  So, I decided to take them up on it. 
 
I don't know where I will end up being in the queue, Will I move to the back of the line?  Will I be put in a different group for the 8a folks?  Maybe they will say, "Hey, that guy from SF is a real pain. Let's get him done so we can be rid of him!"  Time will tell.
 
I have never heard the Heir's.  All I have is the opinions that I read around here.  I like to make car analogies because I like cars.  To me the 4a appears that it might be like a well set up BMW or Porsche Carrera.  Accurate and business like in it's approach.  More road neutral.  The 8a appears like it might be like a Bentley Continental R or Mercedes 600CLS class.  Very capable and fun to see and be seen in but a bit more, what's the word, romantic?  You guys that have heard both, please let me know if you agree with this or if you have a better analogy. 
 
Anyway, the waiting continues.  Have you ever noticed that when you spend a lot of money on new headphones that the incumbents start sounding really good just so you can ask yourself, "Why am I spending so much money?".

 

[OK-Guy]

Quote:

Why am I spending so much money?".

 
because it made you feel good

 

[Poimandres]

Way to help jump start the economy. We all here have done our part.

 

[Summersky]

Think China is having a week long holiday starting today

 
That's gonna extend the waiting period...
 
Day 14th now!

 

[loxxrider]

I ordered my 3.Ai late last week. I am somewhat sensitive to sibilance, so I'm concerned about that. Hopefully they come soon so I can try them and maybe order a 4.Ai if necessary before I leave the country for a few months! I would have gone right for the 4.Ai, but I was concerned with the bass quantity. I am currently listening to some Panasonic HJE900s and that is the level of bass I desire in an IEM. I have some Shure SE215 as well and they are right at the minimum of what I like for most of my music choices. I have the Ultrasone Pro 900 also, but that is excessive (not that I'm complaining). In terms of treble and mids, the Pro 900s mids are far too recessed, highs too harsh (but nicely detailed). The HJE900s are about perfect in these areas for me (with foam tips... silicones made the treble way too funky for me). Shures are nice in the mids, but too rolled off in the highs (although they are very pleasantly not fatigue-inducing).
 
Can anyone compare the 3 and 4.Ai to any of these head/earphones? I'm just asking for a very basic comparison of the bass and how harsh the treble really is. Everyone seems to agree that the midrange is pretty decent on both, so I'm not too concerned there.

 

[psygeist]

Quote:

Way to help jump start the economy. We all here have done our part.

China is getting big share from that

 

[Sorensiim]

Quote:

  You guys that have heard both, please let me know if you agree with this or if you have a better analogy. 

The 4.A(i) is a very capable mid-range Mercedes, like an E320. The 8.A is more like an Audi RS6 or BMW M5. Very comfortable and enjoyable to drive every day, yet able to outperform just about any other road legal car - but only if you ask it to.
 
I'm loving the hell out of my 8.A. And have the 4.Ai as well 

 

[doublea71]

I'm thinking that customs are not for me; they just feel weird in my ears, kind of how I feel when I go scuba diving and begin descending....I'll probably part with mine later this year, and the 4Ai is a candidate to replace them. Has anybody owned both the GR07 and the 4Ai? I'm wondering if they share any qualities. I really like my banged up GR07s (that have served me well), so I'll probably wait to see what the GR08s are like before I pull the trigger. 

 

[Summersky]

Quote:

I'm thinking that customs are not for me; they just feel weird in my ears, kind of how I feel when I go scuba diving and begin descending....I'll probably part with mine later this year, and the 4Ai is a candidate to replace them. Has anybody owned both the GR07 and the 4Ai? I'm wondering if they share any qualities. I really like my banged up GR07s (that have served me well), so I'll probably wait to see what the GR08s are like before I pull the trigger. 

Then maybe scuba diving not for u too =O

 

[putente]

Quote:

The 4.A(i) is a very capable mid-range Mercedes, like an E320. The 8.A is more like an Audi RS6 or BMW M5. Very comfortable and enjoyable to drive every day, yet able to outperform just about any other road legal car - but only if you ask it to.
 
I'm loving the hell out of my 8.A. And have the 4.Ai as well 

 
 
You have to go with your 8A to the fuel pump more often then! And you spend a lot more in tires with them too... 

 

[Sorensiim]

Quote:

 
 
You have to go with your 8A to the fuel pump more often then! And you spend a lot more in tires with them too... 

They're rather costly in source material and dap, yeah... But the way I see it: Buy the best and only cry once.
 
I feed my 8.A with the marvelous Ibasso DX100, through a Magnus 1 cable. Not cheap. Worth it. 
 
But unlike other high-end kit, the 8.A will sound good out of just about anything. My Clip+ sounds fine, the J3 I just picked up for a friend is excellent with them and they even tolerate my cell phone and tablet! Plugging them into the DX100 is pure bliss, but not a requirement.

 

[Sorensiim]

Most of you have heard of the 20-drivers-per-side april fools joke that Head-Fi came up with - and that The Wizard took it as a challenge and just did it. A month or so ago I was joking that if I were to remake my 8.A (or get the ever-so-tempting 6.A) I'd go with a purple shell and real gold inlays or glitter. Haha, Pimp, very funny... Well it seems that The Wizard didn't get the joke:
 

 
 
So yeah, that's 24K gold, now a $120 option when ordering. Man I love that Dr. Moulton offers stuff like this! Most people I know are shocked when they learn what I've paid for my rig and now I sort of want to do a remold with the gold glitter just to piss them off. Oh and those obnoxious recruiters on the streets, trying to get you to sign up for Amnesty International, Save The Children or whatever? Imagine being stopped and answer "No, I can't donate to help the poor - you see, I just had my $1400 ciems redone with 24 carat gold inlays".*
 
*I do donate to charity and volunteered with the Danish Red Cross for seven years. But I love pissing people off. 

 

[OK-Guy]

Quote:

They're rather costly in source material and dap, yeah... But the way I see it: Buy the best and only cry once.

 
the car analogy can work in different ways... you may buy the best like a M5 (DX100) but if its complicated & buggy it becomes a hindrance... I prefer my Mitsubishi Evo (Walkman Z1070), it may not quite have the top-end speed but it's reliable as hell and will do what is required of it without any gripes.
 
try and get a listen with a Z1070 (any non-Euro WM-Z will suffice), I'd be well interested with your findings with the 8.A.