[Mimouille]

Revisited: Sony IER-M9

The M9 is quite a uniquely tuned, laidback IEM. The way it presents things is quite different from a typical in ear. Sound signature wise the M9 has a boosted, warm bass that isnt too intense coupled with well extended yet not fatiguing highs. Mids take a step back positionally which creates a soundstage with depth and width. Tonally the iems leans towards a pleasant, warm sound with treble extension. I put emphasis on treble extension because it has a good bit of it, yet not fatiguing for me at all. I think most people would like a more forward sounding midrange but the M9 just isn't that. It's very balanced sounding. Yet the midrange is not supressed or anything - it just takes on a warm tone with a bit of body. Presentation wise the entire sound sits further away from you, rendering detailed high frequency instruments like hihats and cymbals. Yet these instruments are not fatiguing.

The boosted, warm bass has good rumble but does not overdo it. My only qualm with the bass is that it can be timbre-ly slower than the mids and highs. BAs tend to decay quickly but the woofers in M9 decay slower. Does feel like the mids and highs decay faster which creates a slight incoherency. The best part of the M9 is it's presentation combined with its imaging and separation. Instruments have an extreme pinpoint accuracy positionally in the track. Attack is decent - not too blunted despite the warmth. The distance from instrument to instrument can be quite staggering sometimes combined with its precise positional cues. However as said, M9 is laidback and presents things in such a way that the stage is far away from you. You hear all the details and extension on both ends. Exactly where the instruments are. It has not much of a "wow factor" when I tried it a few times prior to its release. The wow factor really hit me only after giving it time to understand how it presented things. Just. so. detailed.

Not trying to generate hype or anything, but it goes to show that biases and presumptions can affect the enjoyability of an iem. My first impressions with M9 was that it was dry and boring albeit detailed. People around my community where hyping it up like mad...until the Z1R dropped. Didn't believe in the hype. I understand it now - it is really more of a tool to hear recordings properly. Frankly still quite blown away as to how it positioned vocals and instruments.

I tried it twice, couldn't find anything wrong with it, but it seemed to lack some...excitement. Can't really place it frequency wise, maybe a bit overly smooth, or something.

 

[toranku]

I tried it twice, couldn't find anything wrong with it, but it seemed to lack some...excitement. Can't really place it frequency wise, maybe a bit overly smooth, or something.

Yup, this is going to be the dealbreaker for many. Laidback. Doesn't have the energetic highs nor a thunderous bass that captures the attention of people. Some call it low dynamics. Doesn't have the initial wow factor that invites people in to listen longer.

 

[Mimouille]

Yup, this is going to be the dealbreaker for many. Laidback. Doesn't have the energetic highs nor a thunderous bass that captures the attention of people. Some call it low dynamics. Doesn't have the initial wow factor that invites people in to listen longer.

It would pair better with a sharper sounding source than my WM1Z. Somehow reminds of the Earsonics Grace.

 

[toranku]

It would pair better with a sharper sounding source than my WM1Z. Somehow reminds of the Earsonics Grace.

Grace's tonality is straight up weird for me. Been trying out different tips on it. Doesn't really help. EM64 strikes me as the most tonally accurate Earsonics I've tried so far. I should get around to trying the 1A and 1Z. Damn Sony devices don't read unless you label the folders properly

 

[Mimouille]

Grace's tonality is straight up weird for me. Been trying out different tips on it. Doesn't really help. EM64 strikes me as the most tonally accurate Earsonics I've tried so far. I should get around to trying the 1A and 1Z. Damn Sony devices don't read unless you label the folders properly

Hum really? Grace sounded pretty natural to me. But a bit too smooth. What do you mean don't read? Are you using special characters? Because never had any issue.

 

[toranku]

Hum really? Grace sounded pretty natural to me. But a bit too smooth. What do you mean don't read? Are you using special characters? Because never had any issue.

After learning about how the Nuraphones calibrate the EQ, I'm convinced people just hear different. The EQ profiles on some people...

Sony only reads music in files labeled as "MUSIC" or something like that. Just changed the folder name. It should work now hopefully

 

[Mimouille]

After learning about how the Nuraphones calibrate the EQ, I'm convinced people just hear different. The EQ profiles on some people...

Sony only reads music in files labeled as "MUSIC" or something like that. Just changed the folder name. It should work now hopefully

All my music is in subfolders of the music folder indeed.

I am sure I hear correctly, because when I hear myself, I sound awesome, and many people comfirmed I was.

 

[Max Choiral]

So you're suggesting to use foam tips to dampen the treble to allow the bass to be more imbalanced? I really don't see the logic with this. Vega needs more treble if not anything

I believe you have read whole statement. Anyway, in this case foam tips are used to damp not only highs but lows too. More treble might destroy someone's ears. Mine, particularly
Since many people use foam tips which affect too much default sound and are OK with it I can't see why this can't be used as an recommendation.

 

[491326]

Not trying to generate hype or anything, but it goes to show that biases and presumptions can affect the enjoyability of an iem. My first impressions with M9 was that it was dry and boring albeit detailed.

lol, even the m7 sounded pretty nice for me, at its price, I would actually take it over the fibae 4. I thought it was warm and well textured even if it wasn't particularly detailed sounding.

 

[toranku]

I believe you have read whole statement. Anyway, in this case foam tips are used to damp not only highs but lows too. More treble might destroy someone's ears. Mine, particularly
Since many people use foam tips which affect too much default sound and are OK with it I can't see why this can't be used as an recommendation.

Most measurements with foam tips I've seen indicate that they dampen treble a little. Some even to a large extent (Onkyo E900). Stuff like Etymotics with their own foam doesn't seem to affect response. They shouldn't bring down bass levels. Do you have a measurement of silicon vs foam on Vega?

 

[Max Choiral]

Most measurements with foam tips I've seen indicate that they dampen treble a little. Some even to a large extent (Onkyo E900). Stuff like Etymotics with their own foam doesn't seem to affect response. They shouldn't bring down bass levels. Do you have a measurement of silicon vs foam on Vega?

Sorry, I can't provide you with measurements. Vega was unbearable for me on first try with silicone tips.
On the contrary, cocolinho might give a try to black Dita Truth Edition.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

@toranku Have you gotten a chance to try out the AAW Nightingale planar IEM?

 

[toranku]

Announcement: Just To Clear Things Up & Future Direction

I AM NOT A REVIEWER. I do wish that I have easier access to hearing iems. I clearly don't get as much ear time with an iem compared to a reviewer that receives the product to keep. At best I can only spend 2 hour tops. Reviewers can get to hear things longer, so they understand the IEM far better than someone who has tried it for 30 mins. These are just first impressions. I hear and I jolt down what I think. Hearing is inconsistent and there is nothing I can do about it. For example the Earsonics Purple was pretty nice when I first heard it. Subsequent hearings I soon saw the oddities in the signature. I sure can just spend more time and hear an IEM more, but the thing is that if they don't engage or leave a good impression on me, I am unlikely to go back to hearing them. That's why you see so much posts for "First Impressions" but not "Further Thoughts On".

The best scenario for me is that I can get IEMs on loan, but I doubt companies want to even loan me stuff because of the way I write. Most companies want positive reviews when they send units out. It's just how it is. Review units that I can get to keep are out of the question. Conflict of interest no matter who I am or how I write.

I want to also talk about what I derive with first impressions. First Impressions are important for me because in today's very saturated market, there are tons of IEMs that are average. Realistically speaking, new releases for the market today (even TOTL level) are mostly average or just slightly above average. Some even bad. As someone who has heard quite a number of iems, I filter through things fast. Quite a number of IEMs perform relatively well - it's no shocker that I stay unimpressed with an IEM when many of its peers perform just as well. Very few IEMs (like the qdc Gemini, M9, A12t etc) are at the top. IEMs that perform at the highest level leave me thinking "damn this is really nice. I stand by this product." You don't know what is better until you've heard what is better, and you don't know the best until you've heard everything. I go by this philosophy in audio. I am a snob at the very core because of the sheer number of products I am exposed to.

I usually don't talk about value with my comments or thoughts. A decently performing (in my book) iem that costs $100 would be fantastic value. But in the big picture, disregarding price, I would not rate that iem as high because there are many things that are simply better but also usually more expensive. It's either I throw in the "value" factor or I avoid it. In most cases (to stay consistent), I avoid the value proposition. Expectations are formed by value and price. Many people think I am too harsh which is true, because I will compare it to the best no matter the price range. This is where stuff like price tiers or ranking lists (ala Crinacle) would help, but I have decided to take a different direction and to only compare to what is very good or at the top. I admit, I am not balanced in my writing. People who do not have access to hear stuff will often look towards reviews or even things like impressions. I know that my impressions are often harsh and can scare someone off a product. People look for writing that states a product's value proposition. My content simply isn't that, which is why I do not include price. I try to analyse their signature and let people know what I am hearing.

I take constructive criticism seriously (and sometimes personally, unfortunately) and I look to improve the way I write. It's really always easier to talk about what a certain earphone can improve in rather than what it does well. I am working on expanding my writing as to what it can do well. Understanding what it can truly do takes time. It's contradictory to First Impressions because they are meant to be rather quick thoughts. People just put too much weight into my words. If I were to hear a earphone more often and for longer periods of time, I wouldn't be needing to post First Impressions anymore. As such, I will be adding a disclaimer before every post to state that they are just impressions and that my readers are free to form their own opinions and conclusions. What I write is just of my own opinion and you need not subscribe to it.

Writing flower language and mostly only good things about iems is not who I am and not what I want my content to be. Hope you guys understand.

 

[toranku]

@toranku Have you gotten a chance to try out the AAW Nightingale planar IEM?

I think so. #2. IIRC it was was too smooth and glossed over detail, lacking of impact and bite.

 

[Ricky64]

Announcement: Just To Clear Things Up & Future Direction

I AM NOT A REVIEWER. I do wish that I have easier access to hearing iems. I clearly don't get as much ear time with an iem compared to a reviewer that receives the product to keep. At best I can only spend 2 hour tops. Reviewers can get to hear things longer, so they understand the IEM far better than someone who has tried it for 30 mins. These are just first impressions. I hear and I jolt down what I think. Hearing is inconsistent and there is nothing I can do about it. For example the Earsonics Purple was pretty nice when I first heard it. Subsequent hearings I soon saw the oddities in the signature. I sure can just spend more time and hear an IEM more, but the thing is that if they don't engage or leave a good impression on me, I am unlikely to go back to hearing them. That's why you see so much posts for "First Impressions" but not "Further Thoughts On".

The best scenario for me is that I can get IEMs on loan, but I doubt companies want to even loan me stuff because of the way I write. Most companies want positive reviews when they send units out. It's just how it is. Review units that I can get to keep are out of the question. Conflict of interest no matter who I am or how I write.

I want to also talk about what I derive with first impressions. First Impressions are important for me because in today's very saturated market, there are tons of IEMs that are average. Realistically speaking, new releases for the market today (even TOTL level) are mostly average or just slightly above average. Some even bad. As someone who has heard quite a number of iems, I filter through things fast. Quite a number of IEMs perform relatively well - it's no shocker that I stay unimpressed with an IEM when many of its peers perform just as well. Very few IEMs (like the qdc Gemini, M9, A12t etc) are at the top. IEMs that perform at the highest level leave me thinking "damn this is really nice. I stand by this product." You don't know what is better until you've heard what is better, and you don't know the best until you've heard everything. I go by this philosophy in audio. I am a snob at the very core because of the sheer number of products I am exposed to.

I usually don't talk about value with my comments or thoughts. A decently performing (in my book) iem that costs $100 would be fantastic value. But in the big picture, disregarding price, I would not rate that iem as high because there are many things that are simply better but also usually more expensive. It's either I throw in the "value" factor or I avoid it. In most cases (to stay consistent), I avoid the value proposition. Expectations are formed by value and price. Many people think I am too harsh which is true, because I will compare it to the best no matter the price range. This is where stuff like price tiers or ranking lists (ala Crinacle) would help, but I have decided to take a different direction and to only compare to what is very good or at the top. I admit, I am not balanced in my writing. People who do not have access to hear stuff will often look towards reviews or even things like impressions. I know that my impressions are often harsh and can scare someone off a product. People look for writing that states a product's value proposition. My content simply isn't that, which is why I do not include price. I try to analyse their signature and let people know what I am hearing.

I take constructive criticism seriously (and sometimes personally, unfortunately) and I look to improve the way I write. It's really always easier to talk about what a certain earphone can improve in rather than what it does well. I am working on expanding my writing as to what it can do well. Understanding what it can truly do takes time. It's contradictory to First Impressions because they are meant to be rather quick thoughts. People just put too much weight into my words. If I were to hear a earphone more often and for longer periods of time, I wouldn't be needing to post First Impressions anymore. As such, I will be adding a disclaimer before every post to state that they are just impressions and that my readers are free to form their own opinions and conclusions. What I write is just of my own opinion and you need not subscribe to it.

Writing flower language and mostly only good things about iems is not who I am and not what I want my content to be. Hope you guys understand.

Does this mean we can’t do a video “review review” of you?