[toranku]

Re the Final Booth....
Try to listen to the over-ear D8000 if you have a chance. I think you will like the tuning

I dont really like the D8000 actually. Nice upper midrange from what I could remember but the treble was a bit too hot for me. I don't write headphone impressions since they are inconsistent to test. For open cans to shine, a quiet environment is needed which only 1 headphone store fulfills. Good closed cans I can count with 1 hand

 

[toranku]

My thoughts on: InEar PP8

The PP8 is often hailed as THE flat monitor within my local audiophile group. Neutral is subjective but the PP8 does carry a clean, perhaps too sterile sound that some would dislike. I would not venture as far as to say its clinical or analytical, because these words mean nothing to me and are also subjective. Mixing is often done with actual studio monitors (with subs) and perhaps certain groups of people use the PP8 to monitor for convenience.

The PP8 sounds more like a tool than something for enjoyment, somewhat like the MG5HX. The lack of emotions seem to be a problem for some of my friends. That isn't to say it's very specialized however - the versatility plays well for most of my music. The bass and treble switches are well implemented and my preference is to turn both on. To my ears, it still does have slightly too much 1-2kHz leading to slight honkiness but I think most people wont hear this problem (just how I hear it, it seems). Due to the way the mids are tuned, the PP8's midrange can sound a bit dry. Perhaps this dryness is due to a lack of treble extension, I don't exactly know.

With the bass switch on, I still find that I would like more subbass extension for a "flat presentation" but there is sufficient midbass punch. Punch is quick and tight. Treble on the other hand, has sufficient quantity on the lower treble to be present but not fatiguing. However, the extension can be improved. Cymbals are a bit hazy and lack definition. They could use more shine and shimmer. Imaging/attack is good overall but nothing special. Perhaps more extension on the highs is needed for a sharper and more defined attack. The PP8 has quite a noticeable "BA timbre" quality for me as well and is a bit grainy.

 

[MaxwellDot]

My thoughts on: InEar PP8

The PP8 is often hailed as THE flat monitor within my local audiophile group. Neutral is subjective but the PP8 does carry a clean, perhaps too sterile sound that some would dislike. I would not venture as far as to say its clinical or analytical, because these words mean nothing to me and are also subjective. Mixing is often done with actual studio monitors (with subs) and perhaps certain groups of people use the PP8 to monitor for convenience.

The PP8 sounds more like a tool than something for enjoyment, somewhat like the MG5HX. The lack of emotions seem to be a problem for some of my friends. That isn't to say it's very specialized however - the versatility plays well for most of my music. The bass and treble switches are well implemented and my preference is to turn both on. To my ears, it still does have slightly too much 1-2kHz leading to slight honkiness but I think most people wont hear this problem (just how I hear it, it seems). Due to the way the mids are tuned, the PP8's midrange can sound a bit dry. Perhaps this dryness is due to a lack of treble extension, I don't exactly know.

With the bass switch on, I still find that I would like more subbass extension for a "flat presentation" but there is sufficient midbass punch. Punch is quick and tight. Treble on the other hand, has sufficient quantity on the lower treble to be present but not fatiguing. However, the extension can be improved. Cymbals are a bit hazy and lack definition. They could use more shine and shimmer. Imaging/attack is good overall but nothing special. Perhaps more extension on the highs is needed for a sharper and more defined attack. The PP8 has quite a noticeable "BA timbre" quality for me as well and is a bit grainy.

Many thanks tornanku for your detailed and balanced thoughts on the PP8. Doesn't at all seem to be the type of IEM I should consider. I appreciate it may have "flat" qualities for the purists, but I do like my IEMs to be a bit more "fun" and "musical" as they say (but not too much either).

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: Moondrop A8, Blessing & KXXS

Today marks the first day of CanJam. Please remember that all impressions are in show conditions which means loud noise and lesser quality time with the iems. These are just FIRST IMPRESSIONS. I don't write reviews.

A8
Harman curve with ok-ish treble extension. Could use a bit more shimmer up top. Bass boost is well implemented here - this Harman curve doesnt hear too lower mid suppressed, but it's still there. Overall, v-shaped like signature that's exciting. Could use a bit more subbass for myself but the quantity is fine for most people.

Blessing
Compared to A8, it has better bass quality BUT subbass isn't as extended as A8. Mids are comparatively leaner. Lower mids have more suppression and treble isn't as extended. I prefer A8.

KXXS
According to the Moondrop rep, the KXXS is supposed to be the improved version of the Kanas Pro. I've never heard of the Kanas Pro so I cannot compare the KXXS to it directly. The KXXS doesn't sound very harman to me - the midbass punch has a big body but it leads itself to sounding uncontrolled and flabby. Congestion seems to be an issue with the KXXS. Tuning is on the warmer side of things which isn't what Harman is typically about. The midrange is on the leaner side of things like the Blessing. Lower mids do not hear suppression. Treble is a bit laid back. Lower treble is laidback vs Harman and extension is very poor. Seems to be quite a far deviation from the Harman curve.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: Softears Reference 10 & Cerberus

Reference 10
Slight A-shaped signature. Not enough extension into subbass. Midbass impact is a tad bloated, providing some warmth into the tuning. Mids have this feeling of dryness and graininess. Lower mids sound slightly suppressed. Treble is smooth and inoffensive - lacking extension up top. Meh.

Cerberus
The Cerberus is Softears' upcoming flagship tribrid. Flat bass tuning with great midbass snap and impact. Subbass is only a little bit extended - I want more. Mids are lean and have a hint of dryness and grain. Mids lean towards the uppermids and thus lowermids can sound recessed. This type of tuning leads to thin mids. Highs are smooth with decent extension. Overall meh.

 

[toranku]

[OUTDATED] First Impressions: FiR M2, M3, M4 & M5 Gen 0

edit: FiR has retuned their lineup after feedback from CanJam. These impressions are now outdated.

FiR Audio is a company that specialises with tubeless (!!!) custom IEMs. They made their debut in today's CanJam SG partnering with a local store here. House signature overall has a strong bass presence in the mix.

M2 (2BA)
Very warm, undefined, slight mushy and dark. Clearly bass heavy. Midrange is decently balanced but clarity overall is meh...sounds like mud. Hard pass.

M3 (DD + 2BA)
Intensely v-shaped. Mids are thin and lean. Lower mids are recessed. Bass is very bloated whilst having extension at the sub. Lower treble is potentially sibilant with okay-ish extension. Honestly, makes my future sonics mg5hx look to have a clean sounding and objectively better bass. The DD handling M3's bass have poor control and sounds sloppy. Can't even say it's thundering because it doesn't handle the snap and decay that well. Blunt attack/imaging on the bass. Literally incoherent - the tweeter sounds faster and different from the bass.

M4 (DD + 3BA)
Elevated bass, but nowhere monstrous as M3. Bass is still blunt. Vocal range is extremely nasal with a big centre image. Lower treble can be aggressive with meh extension. Incoherent like the M3.

M5 (DD + 3BA + Estat)
The most incoherent. Midbass is slightly boosted but it still carries all that slop all the way from the M3. Treble is a bit sharp but extension is alright. Midrange is nasal, but nowhere as nasal as M4's. Upper midrange is relatively subdued compared to the lower mids, resulting in thick mids. Blunted attack at the lows and mids. Rather precise highs. Incoherent mess.

Overall, not too thrilled with the brand. Dislike every single model. DD implementation is terrible and vocals have nasality issues on the two most expensive models.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: Custom Art FIBAE 4

Smooth, downslope signature with a rather big (and muddy) bass. Meaty feeling lower mids and midbass, leading towards quite a fair bit of warmth in it's tone. Generally blunt attack/imaging overall and lacking of definition. Highs are just...there and doesn't have much extension. Not sure how this is even marketed as a v-shape because it doesn't sound like one. Upper mids can sound butchy. In a sense it's like a mini Phantom. Overall poor clarity. Meh.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: Final B1, B2 and B3

Inquired with the Final reps and they asked how I knew about the A7000 and A8000! Definitely looked like I had some "insider" knowledge to them... Anyway, the B series shares the same shell with the MAKE series (which did not debut in SG). Some say it's lazy. I don't care anything about anything outside of the sound. Final in general is a bit hard to write about - they're really more about the midrange than the bass and treble. Final's willing to take compromises just to get the mids to sound great.

B2 (1 BA)
Downslope signature with poor subbass extension. Overall clarity is quite muddied. Imaging/attack is blunted and lacks snappiness. Takes a warm tilt due to it's signature. Lower treble is barely present. Upper treble rolls off quite badly.

B3 (2 BA)
I think what final did was to just add a tweeter into the already full range BA. More treble led to a sharper imaging with a slightly less warm tone due to tonal balance. Overall, still rather boring and uninspiring sound. Extension on both ends needs to be improved.

B1 (1DD + 1BA)
The B1 sounds a little different in timbre than both B3 and B2. Immediately, the DD characteristics can be heard in both the bass and the midrange. Asked if the DD handled the bass and mids while the BA with the highs. Turns out the B1 runs a full range DD along with a BA tweeter. Possibly the same tweeter added from the B3. The B1 has a warm, v-shaped tone. Nothing special about the DD driver nor the BA tweeter. Extension on the treble can be a bit better. The DD helped with subbass extension and a slightly bigger punch compared to the full range BA from B3. As such, mids are thicker and hold more authority. Very safe tuning but nothing special. I don't want to find out how much this is priced at.

 

[toranku]

I will not be covering the new acoustune 1690TI and 1650WH due to acoustune's nature of meh isolation coupled with noisy show environments. Will re-listen and rewrite my impressions after the event.

 

[FastAndClean]

I will not be covering the new acoustune 1690TI and 1650WH due to acoustune's nature of meh isolation coupled with noisy show environments. Will re-listen and rewrite my impressions after the event.

is there any earphone that you like?

 

[Ricky64]

is there any earphone that you like?

Ha. Thinking the same. Though, @toranku is a refreshing foil to the cloying plethora of rainbow and unicorn shills on other threads.

 

[Ricky64]

First Impressions: Final B1, B2 and B3

Inquired with the Final reps and they asked how I knew about the A7000 and A8000! Definitely looked like I had some "insider" knowledge to them... Anyway, the B series shares the same shell with the MAKE series (which did not debut in SG). Some say it's lazy. I don't care anything about anything outside of the sound. Final in general is a bit hard to write about - they're really more about the midrange than the bass and treble. Final's willing to take compromises just to get the mids to sound great.

B2 (1 BA)
Downslope signature with poor subbass extension. Overall clarity is quite muddied. Imaging/attack is blunted and lacks snappiness. Takes a warm tilt due to it's signature. Lower treble is barely present. Upper treble rolls off quite badly.

B3 (2 BA)
I think what final did was to just add a tweeter into the already full range BA. More treble led to a sharper imaging with a slightly less warm tone due to tonal balance. Overall, still rather boring and uninspiring sound. Extension on both ends needs to be improved.

B1 (1DD + 1BA)
The B1 sounds a little different in timbre than both B3 and B2. Immediately, the DD characteristics can be heard in both the bass and the midrange. Asked if the DD handled the bass and mids while the BA with the highs. Turns out the B1 runs a full range DD along with a BA tweeter. Possibly the same tweeter added from the B3. The B1 has a warm, v-shaped tone. Nothing special about the DD driver nor the BA tweeter. Extension on the treble can be a bit better. The DD helped with subbass extension and a slightly bigger punch compared to the full range BA from B3. As such, mids are thicker and hold more authority. Very safe tuning but nothing special. I don't want to find out how much this is priced at.

In spite of some muddled bass and rolled off treble, I love the midrange of the E5000, especially for acoustic recordings at bedtime. Any comparison between it and the B1?

 

[toranku]

is there any earphone that you like?

My impressions are written not for only myself but for the community. I tend to be more straightforward with my impressions by writing things like "lower mids are recessed" or "highs are not extended enough". Of course these things end up relative to an individual's ears. For example I find that the Harman curve can be a bit too imbalanced with the upper mids dominating the lower mids. If you have no problem with that, chances are you'll like the earphone. I actually quite enjoyed my time with the Moondrop A8 - it presents quite a full package. I will also be writing about my personal true star of the show at CanJam SG Day 1 soon enough.

 

[toranku]

Ha. Thinking the same. Though, @toranku is a refreshing foil to the cloying plethora of rainbow and unicorn shills on other threads.

Hope I've not been too negative! If a earphone is well executed I will mention it to the best of my extent. CanJam (for me) has unfortunately been a bit of a rush to hear as much things as possible so I tend to be quick with impressions. Hearing out the entire range? Write down impressions and move on. Unless a earphone is truly amazing to me personally, i don't really spend much time. Some earphones on the show like final b3 have nothing much to talk about since they're too generic and average. Always easier to write negative things because I pick that up quickly.

 

[FastAndClean]

My impressions are written not for only myself but for the community.

i understand, i was just curious what is for you a good earphone, like a reference point of view