Toranku's Thoughts and Reviews (and target EQ filters!)
- Thread starter toranku
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BananaOoyoo
1000+ Head-Fier
Interested to see what you think of the Wavaya lineup. Quadra seems pretty well-liked.
Quadra is a great IEM for the price range (in my opinion - will be interested to see if @toranku agrees or not!). Interestingly, the universal demo shells will be sightly different to the final customs, as they are made from porcelain as well and are designed to be used without tips to replicate the"feel" in the ear, so they may not provide a full seal. Hoping to get a loaner of the Quadra demo from the guys at WavayaWav some point too compare to my Quadra CIEM to see what the difference actually is.
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FiR has gone through so many retunes that I'm not sure if the supposed "final tunings" are even final. And the customs are definitely going to sound different from the universals..
Thank you
I've a friend who tried them. The demos don't have tips and are shaped like a bu**plug. His canal bend was unsuited for the demos and caused him pain. To add salt, the demos didn't even seal. Hopefully I will have a better experience.
BananaOoyoo
1000+ Head-Fier
FiR has gone through so many retunes that I'm not sure if the supposed "final tunings" are even final. And the customs are definitely going to sound different from the universals..
Thank you
I've a friend who tried them. The demos don't have tips and are shaped like a bu**plug. His canal bend was unsuited for the demos and caused him pain. To add salt, the demos didn't even seal. Hopefully I will have a better experience.
Yeah I’ve tried their universal demos. It’s... interesting. Doesn’t hurt or anything, but I found myself just holding them in place after rotating them to get a decent fit.
TooPoorForHiFi
Previously known as MidNighTempest
FiR M3 too please 
FiR M3 too please
I dig the M3. If it had a little lesser bass (2-3dB lesser would be nice) I think I'd enjoy it even more. Will write up when I have the time. Sounds great for drumming tracks.
chungjun
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FiR recently launched "officially" their lineups at HK AV Show. Hope that's a sign of their commitment to a final tuning. I was informed that the M5 I auditioned @ Music Sanctuary is the final tuning they'll implement and I hope they'll consistently apply it to their orders post HK AV Show.
eldss
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I believe all demos come w/ their "neutral" atom option. You should be able to tame it if you went w/ the atom x option which has a "-" and "+" option.
First Impressions: FiR Universal Retuned Lineup (M2, M3 & M5) GEN 3
I left out the M4 since I did not manage to try the final version with the metal faceplates. However the rest of the line should already be final tuning. The good thing about FiR that strikes one immediately is that the IEMs dont cause any ear occlusion - meaning you cant hear yourself in your own head when the IEMs are in your ear. This is great for singers and in general, makes the iem experience a bit more enjoyable for audiophiles since the suction/occlusion effect can get a tad bit uncomfortable once in a while.
M2
The M2 is the most different out of all the current FiRs. The M2 has the most uppermids compared to the other models and since there is less lower mid presence, the M2s can come off a bit shrill next to the bunch. The lower mids of the M2 are recessed, following a v-shaped signature. As a result, vocals are thin sounding. Midbass response is highly responsive - has the best snap compared to all the other FiRs. However it rolls off in the subbass afterwards. Not sure why they would tune it like that.
Uppermids see quite an aggressive lift from the lower mids. Cymbals can be a bit intense but energetic. Treble extension is great but due to the uppermid and lower treble lift, it can get a bit too intense. Overall tonal balance I'd say leans on bright with a punchy midbass. A very different sounding FiR monitor.
M3
Big, blunted bass that is aggressive and dominates the stage. The bass (along with the lower mids) can be a little too strong if you ain't a basshead. Midrange is warm with not much of a pinna compensation (2-4k), but not overly blunted. I find that the vocals can sometimes be behind the bass which is not to my preference.
Treble response is definitely the highlight of the M3 - well extended, perhaps a bit thin/cold sounding. Has nice sharpness but not overly fatiguing. I suspect that's a dip somewhere in the lower treble but it does extend back up. Makes for an easy listen. Really enjoy the treble response personally.
Overall detail is there. The FR is rather balanced out outside of the big bass and plenty lower mids. Female vocals can get a behind in the mix and bass can be blunted sounding in contrast to the mids and highs. Too much bass for me (in balance with everything else) but all things considered, pretty darn good in my books. If FiR can tame down the bass response, I think this will be really solid. Tonal balance in the mids and treble is fantastic and I wouldn't mind a bit less bass since it could do with a little less warmth (I do like the current amount of warmth but not the bigggg bass.)
I like this the best.
M5
Hollow sound overall. I am not a fan of the bass response. Sounds hollowed and emptied out. Compared to M3, bass is definitely faster than M3's with less lower mids but the timbre of the bass is off. Lower mids strikes a nice balance (still on the thick side) with the upper mids. Uppermids are noticeably...hollow (sorry for repeating this point but it bugs me). Treble has a smooth extension (still think M3 extends better) with a perhaps a bit overwhelming lower treble for me. If not smooth textured treble overall. Overall, not a fan of the contrast of that somewhat aggressive treble response combined with the hollow bass and mids. The M5 actually sounds a bit low resolution next to M3 and the timbre is noticeably hazy.
Bonus: M4 PLASTIC SHELL (not final tuning)
The "neutral" monitor of the bunch. Has great vocal reproduction and sports great vocal separation from the rest of the track. Slight warmth in the mix with a clean subbass extension. Bass is tamed down as compared to M3 and M5 but still features nice subbass extension. A bit small in soundstage but layers everything well. Lower treble can be slightly intense for me but the extension is nice and smooth. Overall a cohesive sounding monitor with a neutral target. As per FiR usual - the uppermids are not Df/Harman but follow a greater balance in terms of low mid presence. Perhaps a bit held back in dynamics but has a nice tonal balance overall. Hope the final tuning which I am going to try in the coming weeks will not follow the final M5.
I left out the M4 since I did not manage to try the final version with the metal faceplates. However the rest of the line should already be final tuning. The good thing about FiR that strikes one immediately is that the IEMs dont cause any ear occlusion - meaning you cant hear yourself in your own head when the IEMs are in your ear. This is great for singers and in general, makes the iem experience a bit more enjoyable for audiophiles since the suction/occlusion effect can get a tad bit uncomfortable once in a while.
M2
The M2 is the most different out of all the current FiRs. The M2 has the most uppermids compared to the other models and since there is less lower mid presence, the M2s can come off a bit shrill next to the bunch. The lower mids of the M2 are recessed, following a v-shaped signature. As a result, vocals are thin sounding. Midbass response is highly responsive - has the best snap compared to all the other FiRs. However it rolls off in the subbass afterwards. Not sure why they would tune it like that.
Uppermids see quite an aggressive lift from the lower mids. Cymbals can be a bit intense but energetic. Treble extension is great but due to the uppermid and lower treble lift, it can get a bit too intense. Overall tonal balance I'd say leans on bright with a punchy midbass. A very different sounding FiR monitor.
M3
Big, blunted bass that is aggressive and dominates the stage. The bass (along with the lower mids) can be a little too strong if you ain't a basshead. Midrange is warm with not much of a pinna compensation (2-4k), but not overly blunted. I find that the vocals can sometimes be behind the bass which is not to my preference.
Treble response is definitely the highlight of the M3 - well extended, perhaps a bit thin/cold sounding. Has nice sharpness but not overly fatiguing. I suspect that's a dip somewhere in the lower treble but it does extend back up. Makes for an easy listen. Really enjoy the treble response personally.
Overall detail is there. The FR is rather balanced out outside of the big bass and plenty lower mids. Female vocals can get a behind in the mix and bass can be blunted sounding in contrast to the mids and highs. Too much bass for me (in balance with everything else) but all things considered, pretty darn good in my books. If FiR can tame down the bass response, I think this will be really solid. Tonal balance in the mids and treble is fantastic and I wouldn't mind a bit less bass since it could do with a little less warmth (I do like the current amount of warmth but not the bigggg bass.)
I like this the best.
M5
Hollow sound overall. I am not a fan of the bass response. Sounds hollowed and emptied out. Compared to M3, bass is definitely faster than M3's with less lower mids but the timbre of the bass is off. Lower mids strikes a nice balance (still on the thick side) with the upper mids. Uppermids are noticeably...hollow (sorry for repeating this point but it bugs me). Treble has a smooth extension (still think M3 extends better) with a perhaps a bit overwhelming lower treble for me. If not smooth textured treble overall. Overall, not a fan of the contrast of that somewhat aggressive treble response combined with the hollow bass and mids. The M5 actually sounds a bit low resolution next to M3 and the timbre is noticeably hazy.
Bonus: M4 PLASTIC SHELL (not final tuning)
The "neutral" monitor of the bunch. Has great vocal reproduction and sports great vocal separation from the rest of the track. Slight warmth in the mix with a clean subbass extension. Bass is tamed down as compared to M3 and M5 but still features nice subbass extension. A bit small in soundstage but layers everything well. Lower treble can be slightly intense for me but the extension is nice and smooth. Overall a cohesive sounding monitor with a neutral target. As per FiR usual - the uppermids are not Df/Harman but follow a greater balance in terms of low mid presence. Perhaps a bit held back in dynamics but has a nice tonal balance overall. Hope the final tuning which I am going to try in the coming weeks will not follow the final M5.
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First Impressions: Cayin YB04
The new Cayin iem is a n-shaped iem with the peak of the n at the uppermids. The overall sound is quite...polite with the exception of the punchy midbass. Ultra low fatigue with the very recessed lower treble. Sound profile is a bit..clinical and sterile for a lack of better descriptor. A bit cold sounding if that makes sense. Subbass rolls off after a "neutral" midbass. Nothing much to say here - typical BA bass that's punchy at the midbass. Has nice speed like typical BAs.
Mids are quite unique sounding. Vocals always stay forward in the mix, especially females. When I first heard the iem, the tonality reminded me of something perhaps radio like. It lacks the conventional warmth that adds a more realistic experience. Due to the uppermid boost, guitars are bitey but not aggressive due to the lower treble dip. As mentioned with the treble, it dips massively at the lower treble for me. All cymbals lack aggression and are polite sounding. The treble then picks back up at the mid treble and extends ok.
The dip in the lower treble as well as the lack of viseral impact due to its clinicalness will steer many away. Overall interesting take on an IEM for cayin but I think this is way too polite and lacks dynamics outside of the punchier midbass. The tone is far too odd in my opinion. Interesting concept but falls flat in execution.
The new Cayin iem is a n-shaped iem with the peak of the n at the uppermids. The overall sound is quite...polite with the exception of the punchy midbass. Ultra low fatigue with the very recessed lower treble. Sound profile is a bit..clinical and sterile for a lack of better descriptor. A bit cold sounding if that makes sense. Subbass rolls off after a "neutral" midbass. Nothing much to say here - typical BA bass that's punchy at the midbass. Has nice speed like typical BAs.
Mids are quite unique sounding. Vocals always stay forward in the mix, especially females. When I first heard the iem, the tonality reminded me of something perhaps radio like. It lacks the conventional warmth that adds a more realistic experience. Due to the uppermid boost, guitars are bitey but not aggressive due to the lower treble dip. As mentioned with the treble, it dips massively at the lower treble for me. All cymbals lack aggression and are polite sounding. The treble then picks back up at the mid treble and extends ok.
The dip in the lower treble as well as the lack of viseral impact due to its clinicalness will steer many away. Overall interesting take on an IEM for cayin but I think this is way too polite and lacks dynamics outside of the punchier midbass. The tone is far too odd in my opinion. Interesting concept but falls flat in execution.
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First Impressions: Wavaya Lineup
Let's get this straight first. It's very tiring to test Wavaya. They look like this:
I say it's tiring because I have to hold the demos in place. The demos do not have any ear tips and the chances of them creating a seal without holding it in with your hands is very slim. In addition, the nozzle size is quite large and may not fit everyone. Due to my quite intense second bend, they can't sit in my ear and I have to press them down. And when pressing it down, I had to make sure the seal is not too strong since it would not properly emulate the custom sound. I understand the rationale as to why their demos are shaped like this, but the demo-ing experience was so tiring and frustrating since whenever I wanted to change songs, I had to put them down. Wavaya if you are reading these, provide alternatives to these demos. Make an additional set of universally shaped demos with ear tips for your customers.
Moving on, Wavaya iems are actually made of porcelain. Wavaya avoids using tubes as much as possible and uses fillers to fill up the space within the porcelain. I've found that doing this affects the timbre of the resulting sound where it creates this "echo-y" effect. As if the sound is coming from a vase. Know what I mean? Anyway, on to the impressions.
Tria (3BA)
The Tria has a midforward tuning. It has very sweet uppermids with a nice balance of warmth. Female vocals have a fantastically warm and sweet tone. Male vocals are also nice too. Vocals are definitely the star of the show and I have to say that I really like the midrange. The uppermids are not boosted too much (like 334) so there is lower mid presence that lends it thickness. Subbass rolls off a bit after the boosted midbass like 334. Treble is quite dark here - there is barely any extension. Technicalities wise its nothing special and is a bit smeared with its transient response.
Great mids but otherwise pretty meh technicalities with transients a bit smeared.
Quadra (4BA)
The Quadra is has a slight v-shaped curve done in a unique way. The very bottom of the dip is at 500hz (instead of the typical 1000hz). It has a rather linear rise starting from 500hz all the way to the canal's resonance peak. The linear rise towards the mid treble results in a pretty splashy treble response where cymbals dominate the stage. Bass response is boosted but I don't hear anything special with the implementation of the bass boost. Has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies. Tonally I dont think this is that odd, but coming from the Tria it feels like the Quadra took a step back. Started to suspect that the smearing issues might not be FR related.
Penta (3BA & 2 Sonion Estat)
This has no bass. Not sure if the demo set is broken...but it has almost no bass on both sides. I'm talking like, way lesser bass than Etymotic ER4SR. Very upper frequencies forward. Vocals sound very shouty and sound like they are 1 pitch higher. Male vocals are soft and don't sound that male anymore. There is zero warmth and no feeling of the chest in vocals. This is like a reverse Phantom except that this is just terrible in every single way possible. To add salt, cymbals are way too present and are too fatiguing. Dynamics do not exist due to the very faint presence of the midbass. I sure hope this is broken. Like the Quadra, it has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies.
Octa (4BA & 4 Sonion Estat)
The Octa and Tria are the more normal sounding iems when compared to the rest of the lineup. It has a tuning where it emphasises vocals to be at the front as well as the uppermidrange. Bass takes a step back but is not completely limp. Still has decent midbass punch and rolls off a bit in the subbass. Uppermid tuning does in some ways remind me of the fearless s12 but with less warmth. The Octa has a dip somewhere at the mid treble which makes it a bit dark sounding (lower treble response is fine). Interestingly enough, it still has the smearing issues that every model faces. Perhaps it's due to the construction method with fillers being used to direct the sound? I don't know for sure.
Overall quite let down by Wavaya. The transients with the uppermids and treble are fuzzy and smeary. They definitely don't sound like your typical iems. Vocals can also sound like the sound is coming from a vase. The timbre is quite unique which I think is due to the implementation of the tubeless design. Tria is my favourite out of the bunch but its not the only iem in the market with good vocals.
Let's get this straight first. It's very tiring to test Wavaya. They look like this:
I say it's tiring because I have to hold the demos in place. The demos do not have any ear tips and the chances of them creating a seal without holding it in with your hands is very slim. In addition, the nozzle size is quite large and may not fit everyone. Due to my quite intense second bend, they can't sit in my ear and I have to press them down. And when pressing it down, I had to make sure the seal is not too strong since it would not properly emulate the custom sound. I understand the rationale as to why their demos are shaped like this, but the demo-ing experience was so tiring and frustrating since whenever I wanted to change songs, I had to put them down. Wavaya if you are reading these, provide alternatives to these demos. Make an additional set of universally shaped demos with ear tips for your customers.
Moving on, Wavaya iems are actually made of porcelain. Wavaya avoids using tubes as much as possible and uses fillers to fill up the space within the porcelain. I've found that doing this affects the timbre of the resulting sound where it creates this "echo-y" effect. As if the sound is coming from a vase. Know what I mean? Anyway, on to the impressions.
Tria (3BA)
The Tria has a midforward tuning. It has very sweet uppermids with a nice balance of warmth. Female vocals have a fantastically warm and sweet tone. Male vocals are also nice too. Vocals are definitely the star of the show and I have to say that I really like the midrange. The uppermids are not boosted too much (like 334) so there is lower mid presence that lends it thickness. Subbass rolls off a bit after the boosted midbass like 334. Treble is quite dark here - there is barely any extension. Technicalities wise its nothing special and is a bit smeared with its transient response.
Great mids but otherwise pretty meh technicalities with transients a bit smeared.
Quadra (4BA)
The Quadra is has a slight v-shaped curve done in a unique way. The very bottom of the dip is at 500hz (instead of the typical 1000hz). It has a rather linear rise starting from 500hz all the way to the canal's resonance peak. The linear rise towards the mid treble results in a pretty splashy treble response where cymbals dominate the stage. Bass response is boosted but I don't hear anything special with the implementation of the bass boost. Has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies. Tonally I dont think this is that odd, but coming from the Tria it feels like the Quadra took a step back. Started to suspect that the smearing issues might not be FR related.
Penta (3BA & 2 Sonion Estat)
This has no bass. Not sure if the demo set is broken...but it has almost no bass on both sides. I'm talking like, way lesser bass than Etymotic ER4SR. Very upper frequencies forward. Vocals sound very shouty and sound like they are 1 pitch higher. Male vocals are soft and don't sound that male anymore. There is zero warmth and no feeling of the chest in vocals. This is like a reverse Phantom except that this is just terrible in every single way possible. To add salt, cymbals are way too present and are too fatiguing. Dynamics do not exist due to the very faint presence of the midbass. I sure hope this is broken. Like the Quadra, it has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies.
Octa (4BA & 4 Sonion Estat)
The Octa and Tria are the more normal sounding iems when compared to the rest of the lineup. It has a tuning where it emphasises vocals to be at the front as well as the uppermidrange. Bass takes a step back but is not completely limp. Still has decent midbass punch and rolls off a bit in the subbass. Uppermid tuning does in some ways remind me of the fearless s12 but with less warmth. The Octa has a dip somewhere at the mid treble which makes it a bit dark sounding (lower treble response is fine). Interestingly enough, it still has the smearing issues that every model faces. Perhaps it's due to the construction method with fillers being used to direct the sound? I don't know for sure.
Overall quite let down by Wavaya. The transients with the uppermids and treble are fuzzy and smeary. They definitely don't sound like your typical iems. Vocals can also sound like the sound is coming from a vase. The timbre is quite unique which I think is due to the implementation of the tubeless design. Tria is my favourite out of the bunch but its not the only iem in the market with good vocals.
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Zenith Street
Head-Fier
First Impressions: Wavaya Lineup
Let's get this straight first. It's very tiring to test Wavaya. They look like this:
I say it's tiring because I have to hold the demos in place. The demos do not have any ear tips and the chances of them creating a seal without holding it in with your hands is very slim. In addition, the nozzle size is quite large and may not fit everyone. Due to my quite intense second bend, they can't sit in my ear and I have to press them down. And when pressing it down, I had to make sure the seal is not too strong since it would not properly emulate the custom sound. I understand the rationale as to why their demos are shaped like this, but the demo-ing experience was so tiring and frustrating since whenever I wanted to change songs, I had to put them down. Wavaya if you are reading these, provide alternatives to these demos. Make an additional set of universally shaped demos with ear tips for your customers.
Moving on, Wavaya iems are actually made of porcelain. Wavaya avoids using tubes as much as possible and uses fillers to fill up the space within the porcelain. I've found that doing this affects the timbre of the resulting sound where it creates this "echo-y" effect. As if the sound is coming from a vase. Know what I mean? Anyway, on to the impressions.
Tria (3BA)
The Tria has a midforward tuning. It has very sweet uppermids with a nice balance of warmth. Female vocals have a fantastically warm and sweet tone. Male vocals are also nice too. Vocals are definitely the star of the show and I have to say that I really like the midrange. The uppermids are not boosted too much (like 334) so there is lower mid presence that lends it thickness. Subbass rolls off a bit after the boosted midbass like 334. Treble is quite dark here - there is barely any extension. Technicalities wise its nothing special and is a bit smeared with its transient response.
Great mids but otherwise pretty meh technicalities with transients a bit smeared.
Quadra (4BA)
The Quadra is has a slight v-shaped curve done in a unique way. The very bottom of the dip is at 500hz (instead of the typical 1000hz). It has a rather linear rise starting from 500hz all the way to the canal's resonance peak. The linear rise towards the mid treble results in a pretty splashy treble response where cymbals dominate the stage. Bass response is boosted but I don't hear anything special with the implementation of the bass boost. Has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies. Tonally I dont think this is that odd, but coming from the Tria it feels like the Quadra took a step back. Started to suspect that the smearing issues might not be FR related.
Penta (3BA & 2 Sonion Estat)
This has no bass. Not sure if the demo set is broken...but it has almost no bass on both sides. I'm talking like, way lesser bass than Etymotic ER4SR. Very upper frequencies forward. Vocals sound very shouty and sound like they are 1 pitch higher. Male vocals are soft and don't sound that male anymore. There is zero warmth and no feeling of the chest in vocals. This is like a reverse Phantom except that this is just terrible in every single way possible. To add salt, cymbals are way too present and are too fatiguing. Dynamics do not exist due to the very faint presence of the midbass. I sure hope this is broken. Like the Quadra, it has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies.
Octa (4BA & 4 Sonion Estat)
The Octa and Tria are the more normal sounding iems when compared to the rest of the lineup. It has a tuning where it emphasises vocals to be at the front as well as the uppermidrange. Bass takes a step back but is not completely limp. Still has decent midbass punch and rolls off a bit in the subbass. Uppermid tuning does in some ways remind me of the fearless s12 but with less warmth. The Octa has a dip somewhere at the mid treble which makes it a bit dark sounding (lower treble response is fine). Interestingly enough, it still has the smearing issues that every model faces. Perhaps it's due to the construction method with fillers being used to direct the sound? I don't know for sure.
Overall quite let down by Wavaya. The transients with the uppermids and treble are fuzzy and smeary. They definitely don't sound like your typical iems. Vocals can also sound like the sound is coming from a vase. The timbre is quite unique which I think is due to the implementation of the tubeless design. Tria is my favourite out of the bunch but its not the only iem in the market with good vocals.
Great straight to the point impressions, as expected of my 2nd favourite reviewer
BananaOoyoo
1000+ Head-Fier
First Impressions: Wavaya Lineup
Let's get this straight first. It's very tiring to test Wavaya. They look like this:
I say it's tiring because I have to hold the demos in place. The demos do not have any ear tips and the chances of them creating a seal without holding it in with your hands is very slim. In addition, the nozzle size is quite large and may not fit everyone. Due to my quite intense second bend, they can't sit in my ear and I have to press them down. And when pressing it down, I had to make sure the seal is not too strong since it would not properly emulate the custom sound. I understand the rationale as to why their demos are shaped like this, but the demo-ing experience was so tiring and frustrating since whenever I wanted to change songs, I had to put them down. Wavaya if you are reading these, provide alternatives to these demos. Make an additional set of universally shaped demos with ear tips for your customers.
Moving on, Wavaya iems are actually made of porcelain. Wavaya avoids using tubes as much as possible and uses fillers to fill up the space within the porcelain. I've found that doing this affects the timbre of the resulting sound where it creates this "echo-y" effect. As if the sound is coming from a vase. Know what I mean? Anyway, on to the impressions.
Tria (3BA)
The Tria has a midforward tuning. It has very sweet uppermids with a nice balance of warmth. Female vocals have a fantastically warm and sweet tone. Male vocals are also nice too. Vocals are definitely the star of the show and I have to say that I really like the midrange. The uppermids are not boosted too much (like 334) so there is lower mid presence that lends it thickness. Subbass rolls off a bit after the boosted midbass like 334. Treble is quite dark here - there is barely any extension. Technicalities wise its nothing special and is a bit smeared with its transient response.
Great mids but otherwise pretty meh technicalities with transients a bit smeared.
Quadra (4BA)
The Quadra is has a slight v-shaped curve done in a unique way. The very bottom of the dip is at 500hz (instead of the typical 1000hz). It has a rather linear rise starting from 500hz all the way to the canal's resonance peak. The linear rise towards the mid treble results in a pretty splashy treble response where cymbals dominate the stage. Bass response is boosted but I don't hear anything special with the implementation of the bass boost. Has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies. Tonally I dont think this is that odd, but coming from the Tria it feels like the Quadra took a step back. Started to suspect that the smearing issues might not be FR related.
Penta (3BA & 2 Sonion Estat)
This has no bass. Not sure if the demo set is broken...but it has almost no bass on both sides. I'm talking like, way lesser bass than Etymotic ER4SR. Very upper frequencies forward. Vocals sound very shouty and sound like they are 1 pitch higher. Male vocals are soft and don't sound that male anymore. There is zero warmth and no feeling of the chest in vocals. This is like a reverse Phantom except that this is just terrible in every single way possible. To add salt, cymbals are way too present and are too fatiguing. Dynamics do not exist due to the very faint presence of the midbass. I sure hope this is broken. Like the Quadra, it has smearing issues especially with the upper frequencies.
Octa (4BA & 4 Sonion Estat)
The Octa and Tria are the more normal sounding iems when compared to the rest of the lineup. It has a tuning where it emphasises vocals to be at the front as well as the uppermidrange. Bass takes a step back but is not completely limp. Still has decent midbass punch and rolls off a bit in the subbass. Uppermid tuning does in some ways remind me of the fearless s12 but with less warmth. The Octa has a dip somewhere at the mid treble which makes it a bit dark sounding (lower treble response is fine). Interestingly enough, it still has the smearing issues that every model faces. Perhaps it's due to the construction method with fillers being used to direct the sound? I don't know for sure.
Overall quite let down by Wavaya. The transients with the uppermids and treble are fuzzy and smeary. They definitely don't sound like your typical iems. Vocals can also sound like the sound is coming from a vase. The timbre is quite unique which I think is due to the implementation of the tubeless design. Tria is my favourite out of the bunch but its not the only iem in the market with good vocals.
Wavaya is... interesting. I was looking forward to the Penta when I heard about their lineup, but I ended up being disappointed there.
I actually liked the Quadra the most I think, but precisely because it felt the most unique.
TooPoorForHiFi
Previously known as MidNighTempest
@toranku Do you know any IEM thats has the level of Technicalities, similiar/better sounding to the M9 with a Dynamic Driver in it? I'm gonna assume the Z1R is one of them? Any other?
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