Toranku's Thoughts and Reviews (and target EQ filters!)
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My thoughts on: P.EAR.S SH-3
The PEARS SH3 remains as one of the most interesting IEMs I have had the pleasure of owning. I have since sold it to @Speedstick , but I will relay my thoughts down below as I think I know all about it during my months of ownership.
In terms of signature, the SH3 remains on the line between neutral and natural, with a touch of warmth that helps the midrange sound more lifelike. In addition it's also not completely boring because it's treble is also rather aggressive and does not shy away from hurling details. Thus while it's created to be a neutral/reference earphone, some may find the treble to be a little strident, but nowhere crazy like the RHA CL1. I'd describe the treble as slightly bright when it comes to my tastes.
Do take note that the subbass has a roll off to it. Midbass is neutral/very slight boost to it. The midrange, especially with vocals, are very well articulated. Due to the slight tinge of warmth and coupled with the subbass roll off, I do find that its vocals are the main star of the show. Whether it's Stacey Kent or Hayley Williams, vocals are always well separated and stay slightly forward at the forefront of the mix. While the soundstage is somewhat small, it does layer and still provides enough distance from one instrument to one another.
It's only weaknesses are subbass roll off and perhaps the slightly bright treble. Its tone is excellent, and it is what I would consider as very well thought out. Perhaps in a sense it's like the more energetic brother of the 334, with slightly less bass and more highs. Clear and articulate is what I'd describe the SH3 with.
I'm honestly not sure if the SH3 will improve even further with a custom option. With a custom the treble may be perceived as more neutral-like and there will be more bass response as well.
In terms of build quality, the shell is also fully filled acrylic. Can't get that nowadays unless you buy HUM or Fitear. I'm stoked to see what PEARS can put out in the future. Perhaps an SH4 (or SH5) with even more bass to suit my preferences better!
The PEARS SH3 remains as one of the most interesting IEMs I have had the pleasure of owning. I have since sold it to @Speedstick , but I will relay my thoughts down below as I think I know all about it during my months of ownership.
In terms of signature, the SH3 remains on the line between neutral and natural, with a touch of warmth that helps the midrange sound more lifelike. In addition it's also not completely boring because it's treble is also rather aggressive and does not shy away from hurling details. Thus while it's created to be a neutral/reference earphone, some may find the treble to be a little strident, but nowhere crazy like the RHA CL1. I'd describe the treble as slightly bright when it comes to my tastes.
Do take note that the subbass has a roll off to it. Midbass is neutral/very slight boost to it. The midrange, especially with vocals, are very well articulated. Due to the slight tinge of warmth and coupled with the subbass roll off, I do find that its vocals are the main star of the show. Whether it's Stacey Kent or Hayley Williams, vocals are always well separated and stay slightly forward at the forefront of the mix. While the soundstage is somewhat small, it does layer and still provides enough distance from one instrument to one another.
It's only weaknesses are subbass roll off and perhaps the slightly bright treble. Its tone is excellent, and it is what I would consider as very well thought out. Perhaps in a sense it's like the more energetic brother of the 334, with slightly less bass and more highs. Clear and articulate is what I'd describe the SH3 with.
I'm honestly not sure if the SH3 will improve even further with a custom option. With a custom the treble may be perceived as more neutral-like and there will be more bass response as well.
In terms of build quality, the shell is also fully filled acrylic. Can't get that nowadays unless you buy HUM or Fitear. I'm stoked to see what PEARS can put out in the future. Perhaps an SH4 (or SH5) with even more bass to suit my preferences better!
Mimouille
Headphoneus Supremus
Well if you know someone who will reshell them I can sell you my VE8 at a very reasonable price. Love their sound but acrylic CIEMs don't agree with me anymore. To be transparent the VE8 customs sounds different than the demo to my ears. Much more coherent
IIRC VE8 is a fully filled shell...total pain to reshell. Interesting to see how your experience changed upon getting ciems. I guess accounting for every unique ear can really change how they sound.
I currently have a purchase with Future Sonics lined up...more to come in 1-2 months time
Been a while since I heard the flamenco. IIRC they had a retuning a while back. I'll pop by to see if the store has a trinity and a flamenco to compare though
First Impressions: Westone UM Pro Series
It's no secret that I love me a bean-shaped iem. My first pair of nice IEMs were Shure 215s. Instant classics - built like a tank, comfortable and isolated very well. I remember reading forums many many years back and I was recommended to try out the W40 from Westone - another bean shaped iem. That's where I discovered westone, but I've never really paid attention to westones since the tuning was very stage-like. I needed more treble.
Fast forward to today where I am gushing over my nostalgia of bean-shaped iems. IMO they are at the pinnacle of comfort and isolation for universals. I don't think there's a better shape. Hence why I said I liked the NuForce HEM1. My preferences line up with most of Westone's idea of what a non-fatiguing sound should be like. Westone quite recently refreshed and retuned the UM line up, which is what I'll be talking about below.
The UM PRO 10 is the entry level of the UM series for Westone. Sporting a single driver, I found that their transients were a little smeared and overall muddy. It is muffled perhaps due to the amount of warmth (and the lack of treble) it has. It is quite rolled-off at both ends, which makes it sound mid forward. Not a fan of this one - would rather buy the HEM1 at a lower price.
UM PRO 20 sports better extension at both ends compared to the 10. However I do find that it still needs more definition to its transients - they are somewhat muffled and blunt sounding. However treble is still very well controlled and non-fatiguing. It does have a considerably warmer tone than the 10 and more subbass can be heard. It needs more separation and resolve though.
UM PRO 30 has much much better resolution than the 10 and 20. It is a smooth listen and separation is noticeably better. Pretty coherent. Vocals are pushed forward. Typical Westone warmth. However, still too little subbass for my tastes. One thing though, it does somewhat remind me of the 334; albeit less colored.
UM PRO 50 is at the top of the lineup. The demo set actually had the cables on the wrong channels, so I can't comment about it too much. The cables are glued to the shells.... Regardless, it is of a more intimate presentation than the 30 but more engaging as well. Much more texture and extension than any other UM model. Stage is wider as well.
Final thoughts:
Eh, I find the UM lineup to only be ok. To be honest, I find them mediocre sounding for the price. Midbass needs to be tightened throughout all models. After I switched over to the W-series, I immediately liked the W series much better. The W series (40 & 60), has much much more refinement over the UM series, but also suffer from the price problem imo. Westone does make nice iems, but in today's considerably flooded iem market, many other brands can offer a better value in terms of sound. If you are to get a westone UIEM, you're probably a musician in need of a comfortable and durable bean-shape that does not fatigue you on stage.
It's no secret that I love me a bean-shaped iem. My first pair of nice IEMs were Shure 215s. Instant classics - built like a tank, comfortable and isolated very well. I remember reading forums many many years back and I was recommended to try out the W40 from Westone - another bean shaped iem. That's where I discovered westone, but I've never really paid attention to westones since the tuning was very stage-like. I needed more treble.
Fast forward to today where I am gushing over my nostalgia of bean-shaped iems. IMO they are at the pinnacle of comfort and isolation for universals. I don't think there's a better shape. Hence why I said I liked the NuForce HEM1. My preferences line up with most of Westone's idea of what a non-fatiguing sound should be like. Westone quite recently refreshed and retuned the UM line up, which is what I'll be talking about below.
The UM PRO 10 is the entry level of the UM series for Westone. Sporting a single driver, I found that their transients were a little smeared and overall muddy. It is muffled perhaps due to the amount of warmth (and the lack of treble) it has. It is quite rolled-off at both ends, which makes it sound mid forward. Not a fan of this one - would rather buy the HEM1 at a lower price.
UM PRO 20 sports better extension at both ends compared to the 10. However I do find that it still needs more definition to its transients - they are somewhat muffled and blunt sounding. However treble is still very well controlled and non-fatiguing. It does have a considerably warmer tone than the 10 and more subbass can be heard. It needs more separation and resolve though.
UM PRO 30 has much much better resolution than the 10 and 20. It is a smooth listen and separation is noticeably better. Pretty coherent. Vocals are pushed forward. Typical Westone warmth. However, still too little subbass for my tastes. One thing though, it does somewhat remind me of the 334; albeit less colored.
UM PRO 50 is at the top of the lineup. The demo set actually had the cables on the wrong channels, so I can't comment about it too much. The cables are glued to the shells.... Regardless, it is of a more intimate presentation than the 30 but more engaging as well. Much more texture and extension than any other UM model. Stage is wider as well.
Final thoughts:
Eh, I find the UM lineup to only be ok. To be honest, I find them mediocre sounding for the price. Midbass needs to be tightened throughout all models. After I switched over to the W-series, I immediately liked the W series much better. The W series (40 & 60), has much much more refinement over the UM series, but also suffer from the price problem imo. Westone does make nice iems, but in today's considerably flooded iem market, many other brands can offer a better value in terms of sound. If you are to get a westone UIEM, you're probably a musician in need of a comfortable and durable bean-shape that does not fatigue you on stage.
My thoughts on: qdc 8 driver series (8SS, 8SH, 8SL & Gemini)
qdc's 8 driver offerings are some of the industry's best if you ask me. I find most things from qdc to be very well tuned, especially their 8 driver models. If you're unaware of how their naming scheme works, they go by <number of drivers> <Custom or Standard (uni)> <Studio, Hifi or Live>. For example 8CL would be their 8 driver Live in custom form. There are differences in their 3 types of tuning - they are engineered for different parts of production.
8SS/8CS is the most different in terms of frequency response compared to the other 3 models. The 8SS boasts an airy and flat tone in the mix. That isn't to say it's not fatiguing however - I know some people who have gotten fatigue after 2-3 hours. I'd like to think of the 8SS as a UERR that is more linear in FR instead of being downslope and the slightly clinical tone still stays in the mix. However compared to it's brothers, the 8SS has the smallest stage and offers a more in-your-face experience.
8SL/8CL has an interesting tuning, and is the model I enjoy the most. It offers a bass boost needed for stage, slightly warm mids and the highs are very "tight" and controlled (opposite of splashy). Positional cues are fantastic as well - there's a pretty nice sense of depth, width and height. However I find that while it is bass boosted, the highs are also pushed slightly forward, leading to vocals being positioned slightly behind. If this one was more mid forward, it would been a no-brainer for me.
8SH/8CH is the 8SL/8CL but with more mids (1-2kHz region is higher). As such it does sound more balanced - but I do find the mids to be slightly off..perhaps nasal. It does sound similar to the Live tuning though. Also very technically competent too.
Gemini spots a similar tuning to the 8SL/8CL but now with more treble extension. As such I do think it sounds more splashy and pretty aggressive compared to the Live at times. It also comes with a bass boost switch which I really like.
qdc's 8 driver offerings are some of the industry's best if you ask me. I find most things from qdc to be very well tuned, especially their 8 driver models. If you're unaware of how their naming scheme works, they go by <number of drivers> <Custom or Standard (uni)> <Studio, Hifi or Live>. For example 8CL would be their 8 driver Live in custom form. There are differences in their 3 types of tuning - they are engineered for different parts of production.
8SS/8CS is the most different in terms of frequency response compared to the other 3 models. The 8SS boasts an airy and flat tone in the mix. That isn't to say it's not fatiguing however - I know some people who have gotten fatigue after 2-3 hours. I'd like to think of the 8SS as a UERR that is more linear in FR instead of being downslope and the slightly clinical tone still stays in the mix. However compared to it's brothers, the 8SS has the smallest stage and offers a more in-your-face experience.
8SL/8CL has an interesting tuning, and is the model I enjoy the most. It offers a bass boost needed for stage, slightly warm mids and the highs are very "tight" and controlled (opposite of splashy). Positional cues are fantastic as well - there's a pretty nice sense of depth, width and height. However I find that while it is bass boosted, the highs are also pushed slightly forward, leading to vocals being positioned slightly behind. If this one was more mid forward, it would been a no-brainer for me.
8SH/8CH is the 8SL/8CL but with more mids (1-2kHz region is higher). As such it does sound more balanced - but I do find the mids to be slightly off..perhaps nasal. It does sound similar to the Live tuning though. Also very technically competent too.
Gemini spots a similar tuning to the 8SL/8CL but now with more treble extension. As such I do think it sounds more splashy and pretty aggressive compared to the Live at times. It also comes with a bass boost switch which I really like.
OverlordRush
500+ Head-Fier
plz every1 knows 8SS is trash and Gemini is the best of both 8SL/8SH
My thoughts on: RHA CL2
I've demoed this one multiple times. E-earphones had this on display for a couple months, so burn in should be sufficient.
The CL2 is...odd sounding. It's not exactly smooth due to the midrange bump. Treble is not peaky sounding and is rather behind. CL2's tuning has a clear emphasis on the mids (especially upper mids) relative to the other frequencies. Bass is pretty decent, doesn't bleed and has rather good extension, slam and speed in songs. However the treble can use more definition in terms of attack and sustain. The treble is blurry sounding, just like the midrange.
I think the most jarring thing for people to accept is the midrange tone. The mids sound slightly muffled. This muffle for some reason, brings me nostalgia. It sounds somewhat vintage analogue, and it's colored in its own unique way.
In terms of technicalities this one has pretty good width. Height is ok but depth has room for improvement.
I feel that while the CL2 isn't as niche as the Phantom, it is still somewhat rich-sounding. Still, a much much better improvement from the CL1. CL2's bass is pretty darn decent. It's like a faster, better BA bass.
I've demoed this one multiple times. E-earphones had this on display for a couple months, so burn in should be sufficient.
The CL2 is...odd sounding. It's not exactly smooth due to the midrange bump. Treble is not peaky sounding and is rather behind. CL2's tuning has a clear emphasis on the mids (especially upper mids) relative to the other frequencies. Bass is pretty decent, doesn't bleed and has rather good extension, slam and speed in songs. However the treble can use more definition in terms of attack and sustain. The treble is blurry sounding, just like the midrange.
I think the most jarring thing for people to accept is the midrange tone. The mids sound slightly muffled. This muffle for some reason, brings me nostalgia. It sounds somewhat vintage analogue, and it's colored in its own unique way.
In terms of technicalities this one has pretty good width. Height is ok but depth has room for improvement.
I feel that while the CL2 isn't as niche as the Phantom, it is still somewhat rich-sounding. Still, a much much better improvement from the CL1. CL2's bass is pretty darn decent. It's like a faster, better BA bass.
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My thoughts on: Faudio Scale
The Faudio Scale is Faudio's entry level, cheapest CIEM option they offer. The Scale uses 1DD + 1BA configuration, and both drivers are full range without crossover.
The result is a smooth, low impact (not enough attack/bite) and inoffensive sounding model. It seems to have more of a BA sound than a DD. I'd describe it as slightly bass boosted + vocal range (presence) boost. The presentation has a "small" sound and things can be perceived as quite distant. Transients could use a little more definition and a stronger attack.
Vocal range leans on being forward and "presence" sounding, somewhat like the FH5. Way too much vocal boost imo. Still, not the worst ciem you can do at the price range.
The Faudio Scale is Faudio's entry level, cheapest CIEM option they offer. The Scale uses 1DD + 1BA configuration, and both drivers are full range without crossover.
The result is a smooth, low impact (not enough attack/bite) and inoffensive sounding model. It seems to have more of a BA sound than a DD. I'd describe it as slightly bass boosted + vocal range (presence) boost. The presentation has a "small" sound and things can be perceived as quite distant. Transients could use a little more definition and a stronger attack.
Vocal range leans on being forward and "presence" sounding, somewhat like the FH5. Way too much vocal boost imo. Still, not the worst ciem you can do at the price range.
E-earphone has just received the ikko OH1 and the new Hyla brothers. Will be demoing them in the next few days...
Also working on my writeup about some CW & JH models. Stay tuned.
Also working on my writeup about some CW & JH models. Stay tuned.
Focux
1000+ Head-Fier
tried OH1, sounds strange to me because of one particular aspect i can't recall but i think it's vocals..
cheap IEM tho
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