[Failed Engineer]

My ears are definitely very strange.  Kudos to Heir for a proper fit.  Was a little scared of sending them back across the pond.  The wood is spalted tamarind.
 
As far as the workmanship, I have to say the 8.A feels like a lot more luxurious item than the JH13.  Even just the acrylic quality difference is noticeable.  The Magnus cable is just awesome ergonomically.
Quote:

^ They look fantastic. I gotta say, though, you have a very interesting in-ear shape  
 
May I ask what kind of wood is that? 

 

[FullCircle]

Quote:

Dr Moulton, when you tune the drivers of the entire Heir line-up based around your sonic preference, do you perform it by ear, or does measuring come into play? And if measurements are required, do they serve as a final check to your initial tuning by ear or do you use measurements as the basic template and execute the minor tweaks by ear?

 
       The short anser is:
 
      I use measurements as a verification tool

 

[spkrs01]

I have had my 8A for a while now, and I think I have at last managed to crack open what they have to offer.
 
They are sounding very good to my ears in the last couple of weeks where I have spent more time experimenting with them in different set ups. One of the recent changes, and I think is the main reason, is that I am running the 8A balanced. This has been a revelation. It has open the sound up so much....
 

 
And attached to the above portable system, I find the 8A excelling.
 
The attributes each component brings to the table.
 
- The AK100, wide soundstaging, great portrayal of immediacy
 
- The ALO RX3, fast, clean, clear and crisp
 
All in all, I am enjoying the 8A very much, and definitely for me now, a true TOTL CIEM............But it was hard work, albeit thoroughly enjoyable

 

[lee730]

Quote:

I have had my 8A for a while now, and I think I have at last managed to crack open what they have to offer.
 
They are sounding very good to my ears in the last couple of weeks where I have spent more time experimenting with them in different set ups. One of the recent changes, and I think is the main reason, is that I am running the 8A balanced. This has been a revelation. It has open the sound up so much....
 

 
And attached to the above portable system, I find the 8A excelling.
 
The attributes each component brings to the table.
 
- The AK100, wide sound-staging, great portrayal of immediacy
 
- The ALO RX3, fast, clean, clear and crisp
 
All in all, I am enjoying the 8A very much, and definitely for me now, a true TOTL CIEM............But it was hard work, albeit thoroughly enjoyable

 
Do you pick up hiss on the ALO MKIII? I heard that as a regular complaint regarding the amp? Unless that was on earlier models? My 8As are extremely sensitive and pick up hiss like mad. I think the only IEM I've heard that is more sensitive is the 334.

 

[spkrs01]

Quote:

 
Do you pick up hiss on the ALO MKIII? I heard that as a regular complaint regarding the amp? Unless that was on earlier models? My 8As are extremely sensitive and pick up hiss like mad. I think the only IEM I've heard that is more sensitive is the 334.

A Tad.....but I am going in single ended and matching the input to output, rather than using a fixed output and overloading the inputs on the RX3

 

[lee730]

That's alien language to me lol. I've never tried balanced rigs before .
 

 

[spkrs01]

That's alien language to me lol. I've never tried balanced rigs before .

 

I am just double amping but AK100 's output is very good. Then using the intermal switching of the RX3 to convert to balance outpit, so in essense I am still not utilizing the full potentoal of the RX3.

Gonna spend sometime in the next month or so trying to optimize the sonics of the 6A

 

[elnero]

Quote:

That's alien language to me lol. I've never tried balanced rigs before .
 

Me neither but I'm near the top of the list for the HiFi-M8 when it comes out so I fear some experimenting may be in order.

 

[Tamashii]

Quote:

I have had my 8A for a while now, and I think I have at last managed to crack open what they have to offer.
 
They are sounding very good to my ears in the last couple of weeks where I have spent more time experimenting with them in different set ups. One of the recent changes, and I think is the main reason, is that I am running the 8A balanced. This has been a revelation. It has open the sound up so much....
 

 
And attached to the above portable system, I find the 8A excelling.
 
The attributes each component brings to the table.
 
- The AK100, wide soundstaging, great portrayal of immediacy
 
- The ALO RX3, fast, clean, clear and crisp
 
All in all, I am enjoying the 8A very much, and definitely for me now, a true TOTL CIEM............But it was hard work, albeit thoroughly enjoyable

Is there any particular reason why you are using the AK100 rather than the AK120??

 

[LFC_SL]

The AK120 is a new product announcement that's why...

 

[spkrs01]

 
 
Quote:

Is there any particular reason why you are using the AK100 rather than the AK120??

 
I use the AK120 as a standalone player and it sounds mighty fine with a few (C)IEMs, and outperforms both my mini stacks of the AK100/ RX3 or The AK100/ 71B for those particular IEMs. Having said that, I have not attempted to amp the AK120 yet, just in case it sounds really good

 
 

 
 

 
But like I said earlier, with the AK100/ RX3 and with balanced cables, The 8A is excels......................

 

[Tamashii]

Quote:

 
 
 
I use the AK120 as a standalone player and it sounds mighty fine with a few (C)IEMs, and outperforms both my mini stacks of the AK100/ RX3 or The AK100/ 71B for those particular IEMs. Having said that, I have not attempted to amp the AK120 yet, just in case it sounds really good

 
 

 
 

 
But like I said earlier, with the AK100/ RX3 and with balanced cables, The 8A is excels......................

Nice!! Are the 8.As included in the "few (C)IEMs" that pair well with the AK120?

 

[spkrs01]

Quote:

Nice!! Are the 8.As included in the "few (C)IEMs" that pair well with the AK120?

 
I have not tried actually..............
 
Since I went balanced on the 8A, I have not gone back to single ended, I may try in the weekend and will reply back. 

 

[Tamashii]

I hope they pair well.. Will be getting one when I go over to Japan

 

[uchihaitachi]

Quote:

 
       The short anser is:
 
      I use measurements as a verification tool

Wizard, I do not know how much you had classical music in mind when you tuned the 8A, but it gives me goosebumps all the time listening to late romantic orchestral works. To those who own the 8A, have a listen to below. It's sublime.
 
 
 
 
 
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