TooPoorForHiFi
Previously known as MidNighTempest
Thats awesome, Thank You very much.
1 More request? The AKG N5005. Interested in hearing your thoughts / opinion on that compared to the Xelento, M7.
Many Thanks!
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Toranku's Thoughts and Reviews (and target EQ filters!)
- Thread starter toranku
- Start date
Thats awesome, Thank You very much.
1 More request? The AKG N5005. Interested in hearing your thoughts / opinion on that compared to the Xelento, M7.
Many Thanks!
Thats awesome, Thank You very much.
1 More request? The AKG N5005. Interested in hearing your thoughts / opinion on that compared to the Xelento, M7.
Many Thanks!
I've heard it twice, I think. Never really took notes for it. Last I remembered the mids and highs were quite unimpressive next to its bass. Will try again. Curious about the filters too.
First Impressions: Earsonics Purple
The Purple is a 5BA setup with a bass switch. Max bass causes it to turn warmer while the lowest bass setting turns it more linear with the treble dominating the mix. I prefer the bass to be turned up 75% - it isn't too warm and there is healthy treble presence. Due to the switch, the sound signature is variable but mostly relaxed. On 75%, the bass is not muddy with an okay-ish punch and average subbass extension for a BA. It does have noticeable "BA timbre" though.
The midrange is rather tame and favours the lower mids slightly over the upper mids. However it does still retain adequate bite on electric guitars and female vocals are not suppressed. I'm guessing a very gentle, linear rise from 1k to 4k. The Purple's treble is where it truly shines - lower treble is not boosted but the extension is very well done. Cymbals have that great shimmer without being overpowering and is free of sibilance.
In terms of imaging, it's variable since lesser bass creates sharper attack patterns. Staging is very much average but it does layer OK. Great detail pickup. Overall, a beautifully tuned IEM from Earsonics. Sonically it deviates from the Earsonics house sound as Earsonics tends to have a nasal and odd midrange tone. Keep an eye on this one.
The Purple is a 5BA setup with a bass switch. Max bass causes it to turn warmer while the lowest bass setting turns it more linear with the treble dominating the mix. I prefer the bass to be turned up 75% - it isn't too warm and there is healthy treble presence. Due to the switch, the sound signature is variable but mostly relaxed. On 75%, the bass is not muddy with an okay-ish punch and average subbass extension for a BA. It does have noticeable "BA timbre" though.
The midrange is rather tame and favours the lower mids slightly over the upper mids. However it does still retain adequate bite on electric guitars and female vocals are not suppressed. I'm guessing a very gentle, linear rise from 1k to 4k. The Purple's treble is where it truly shines - lower treble is not boosted but the extension is very well done. Cymbals have that great shimmer without being overpowering and is free of sibilance.
In terms of imaging, it's variable since lesser bass creates sharper attack patterns. Staging is very much average but it does layer OK. Great detail pickup. Overall, a beautifully tuned IEM from Earsonics. Sonically it deviates from the Earsonics house sound as Earsonics tends to have a nasal and odd midrange tone. Keep an eye on this one.
My thoughts on: AKG N5005
@TooPoorForHiFi
The AKG N5005 was tested on the bass filter only. Has a slight v-shape signature to my ears on the bass filter. Bass is just a smidge bloated, but otherwise still have great snap and control. I do think it's one of those hybrids iems where I can hear the distinct timbre difference from the bass compared to the mids and highs. However due to the perceived contrast, it does highlight and separate the upper registers better.
Probably one of the biggest problems people will find from the N5005 is its midrange tone - they have a hollow feeling to it especially with the uppermidrange. Towards the lower treble, they see a slight boost which gives cymbals a healthy amount of presence. Extension of the treble is lacking though - cymbals have enough brilliance/shine but lack the shimmer.
In terms of technicalities I do think it performs pretty well. Imaging is generally quite precise and attacks are sharp especially with the upper midrange and treble. I like the way the N5005 does staging - everything is layered properly and have good distance from one another. Perhaps find the upper midrange a bit too aggressive and too prominent at times.
Compared to the Xelento, I think coherency comes to mind. Xelento is lean (but not shrill!) all around whereas the N5005 is suddenly turns lean in the midrange and treble. In terms of technicalities I think N5005 has the edge especially with soundstage. Xelento has a small stage. Sony M7 is a very different tuning all around compared to the N5005. M7 is warm, dark and laidback. N5005 is ahead in terms of technicalities and generally people will enjoy the tuning of the N5005 more than M7.
Overall the N5005 is tuned decently well but the coherency issues stand out for me. Still find Xelento overall more pleasing.
@TooPoorForHiFi
The AKG N5005 was tested on the bass filter only. Has a slight v-shape signature to my ears on the bass filter. Bass is just a smidge bloated, but otherwise still have great snap and control. I do think it's one of those hybrids iems where I can hear the distinct timbre difference from the bass compared to the mids and highs. However due to the perceived contrast, it does highlight and separate the upper registers better.
Probably one of the biggest problems people will find from the N5005 is its midrange tone - they have a hollow feeling to it especially with the uppermidrange. Towards the lower treble, they see a slight boost which gives cymbals a healthy amount of presence. Extension of the treble is lacking though - cymbals have enough brilliance/shine but lack the shimmer.
In terms of technicalities I do think it performs pretty well. Imaging is generally quite precise and attacks are sharp especially with the upper midrange and treble. I like the way the N5005 does staging - everything is layered properly and have good distance from one another. Perhaps find the upper midrange a bit too aggressive and too prominent at times.
Compared to the Xelento, I think coherency comes to mind. Xelento is lean (but not shrill!) all around whereas the N5005 is suddenly turns lean in the midrange and treble. In terms of technicalities I think N5005 has the edge especially with soundstage. Xelento has a small stage. Sony M7 is a very different tuning all around compared to the N5005. M7 is warm, dark and laidback. N5005 is ahead in terms of technicalities and generally people will enjoy the tuning of the N5005 more than M7.
Overall the N5005 is tuned decently well but the coherency issues stand out for me. Still find Xelento overall more pleasing.
Pretty tough question honestly. Different people have different FR preferences and music preferences. Some iems are tuned towards specific goals and genres in mind. IEMs I enjoy tend to sound good with rock, metal and solo female vocalists. As the overall most versatile IEM, I like qdc Gemini/8SL best. Provides decent (BA) bass and have a decent tone as well as remaining technical enough.
For the nicest vocals, I think 334 does still end up taking the cake after all these years. SH3, VE8 and Atlantis also have beautiful vocals as well. For EDM/pop, I think pretty much only DD and hybrids do them better than BAs since there's more bass synths being used. However I do still feel that hybrids of today need more tuning to sound coherent, especially with the new (and hyped) sonion estat tweeters being implemented. Most of the time the midrange and treble sounds detached and too different from its bass. Thus I tend to enjoy single DD setups better than hybrids - EX800ST, AK T8IE and Acoustune 1650/1551 comes to mind when I think of good DDs. My goal is to have an IEM mimic the tone of studio monitors. So far nothing has even come close and the search for my absolute favourite iem continues.
First Impressions: Azla Orto
Azla has had quite a decent run with the Horizon and 01R. The DD driver powering the lows extend deep and have great control/decay. The Orto is the newest entry model from Azla that has slight build improvements. Azla's previous iems felt cheap.
Sound signature wise, the Orto goes for a signature I can't even describe in letters. There's quite a huge bass boost that is bleedy, bloated and blunt. The midrange has an odd, radio-like tonality with emphasis on the upper midrange. The treble is peaky yet dark. The result is a muddy IEM with blunted transients. I don't know what's Azla objective with the Orto. No matter what genre of music I listened to, the Orto just sounded like crap.
Azla has had quite a decent run with the Horizon and 01R. The DD driver powering the lows extend deep and have great control/decay. The Orto is the newest entry model from Azla that has slight build improvements. Azla's previous iems felt cheap.
Sound signature wise, the Orto goes for a signature I can't even describe in letters. There's quite a huge bass boost that is bleedy, bloated and blunt. The midrange has an odd, radio-like tonality with emphasis on the upper midrange. The treble is peaky yet dark. The result is a muddy IEM with blunted transients. I don't know what's Azla objective with the Orto. No matter what genre of music I listened to, the Orto just sounded like crap.
Ricky64
100+ Head-Fier
So, how did you really feel about it?
First Impressions: Future Sonics MG5HX
These finally came in. The mg5hx is quite an interesting CIEM since it's a self made 1DD seated in a proprietary bubble. Buying this is a huge risk - Future Sonics will not do any ownership transfers and reshelling them is impossible with any third party. So if you happen to have blind bought them and do not enjoy them, they turn into paper weight.
That aside, the MG5HX has a warm, elevated bass but isn't too bloated with an emphasis on subbass. Bass control has good decay with basslines being very easily heard. There's a feeling of oomph and authority when bass synths/lines/drums are being played. The midrange of MG5HX is where it gets funky. There's quite an obvious slope towards the upper midrange which can cause vocals to be lean sounding. However this helps separate the vocals from the instruments, kinda like how the Harman curve does it. I have an idea of how much +dB the slope has but I'll get someone to graph it. Due to how much spike it has in the uppermidrange, instruments around that region can be too forward and sometimes intense to listen to. Treble wise it's a little dark and lacks extension. Smooth sounding and non-fatiguing cymbals. Unimpressive highs overall since cymbals can be too undefined.
EX800ST has a thicker midrange compared to MG5HX and in general has way better balance. However in terms of bass quantity, the MG5 definitely has way more especially around the subbass. I prefer the way EX800ST does the midrange since MG5 can be intense. EX800ST also has a bigger, more open stage since essentially it has no isolation. However MG5 does layer and separate instruments better which I suspect in part due to the boosted uppermidrange tuning.
Will graph it soon (why are there no graphs of FS despite their long history?!)
These finally came in. The mg5hx is quite an interesting CIEM since it's a self made 1DD seated in a proprietary bubble. Buying this is a huge risk - Future Sonics will not do any ownership transfers and reshelling them is impossible with any third party. So if you happen to have blind bought them and do not enjoy them, they turn into paper weight.
That aside, the MG5HX has a warm, elevated bass but isn't too bloated with an emphasis on subbass. Bass control has good decay with basslines being very easily heard. There's a feeling of oomph and authority when bass synths/lines/drums are being played. The midrange of MG5HX is where it gets funky. There's quite an obvious slope towards the upper midrange which can cause vocals to be lean sounding. However this helps separate the vocals from the instruments, kinda like how the Harman curve does it. I have an idea of how much +dB the slope has but I'll get someone to graph it. Due to how much spike it has in the uppermidrange, instruments around that region can be too forward and sometimes intense to listen to. Treble wise it's a little dark and lacks extension. Smooth sounding and non-fatiguing cymbals. Unimpressive highs overall since cymbals can be too undefined.
EX800ST has a thicker midrange compared to MG5HX and in general has way better balance. However in terms of bass quantity, the MG5 definitely has way more especially around the subbass. I prefer the way EX800ST does the midrange since MG5 can be intense. EX800ST also has a bigger, more open stage since essentially it has no isolation. However MG5 does layer and separate instruments better which I suspect in part due to the boosted uppermidrange tuning.
Will graph it soon (why are there no graphs of FS despite their long history?!)
My thoughts on: Future Sonics MG5HX
I think I've had enough time with this to drop some final thoughts. At its core, the MG5HX is a stage iem. I really don't think these were targeted towards audiophiles.
The MG5HX has a thunderous bass that will allow you to hear every single bassline and very deep bass synths you never knew were there with BA iems. The bass boost is justified - it's a stage monitor after all. Bass levels go down with noise, making this a very suitable iem for commute. Unfortunately, the bass is the only thing worth of praise. There's a huge slam with fantastic feeling of impact. Decay is well controlled causing fading basslines to be satisfying to hear. I think the amount of bass can be jarring for some.
The midrange of the MG5HX has a vocal boost that as I said, can be slightly fatiguing with instruments at the upper midrange. Vocals are always well separated from the bassline and the rest of the music. However the music does seem to have a distinct lack of emotions. It's just...a song for my ears. Nothing more than that. Highs are dark with a lack of extension. The laidback and uninspiring highs are not fatiguing. It's present. It's there. No magic.
Stage dimensions wise I do think it's slightly above average. The stage is quite in-your-head like with CIEMs. Imaging is average (highs can definitely be tightened up). Separation is decent though - it does layer and give adequate space between instruments.
Compared to EX800ST, I still find the EX800ST to be the superior 1DD. EX800ST doesnt have such an impressive bass response but the technicalities of the EX800ST cannot be denied. Timbre wise I think MG5HX fares better - instruments/vocals in the bass and midrange region can be felt. It's a little ridiculous comparing a $200 iem and a $900 iem but I'm very much in love with the EX800ST. The MG5HX sounds more like a tool than an iem meant for enjoyment purposes. Definitely will start using the MG5HX for practice. It's tough to recommend the MG5HX to audiophiles due to how unbalanced it can sound. It has obvious dips in the treble to reduce fatigue for musicians on stage.
I think I've had enough time with this to drop some final thoughts. At its core, the MG5HX is a stage iem. I really don't think these were targeted towards audiophiles.
The MG5HX has a thunderous bass that will allow you to hear every single bassline and very deep bass synths you never knew were there with BA iems. The bass boost is justified - it's a stage monitor after all. Bass levels go down with noise, making this a very suitable iem for commute. Unfortunately, the bass is the only thing worth of praise. There's a huge slam with fantastic feeling of impact. Decay is well controlled causing fading basslines to be satisfying to hear. I think the amount of bass can be jarring for some.
The midrange of the MG5HX has a vocal boost that as I said, can be slightly fatiguing with instruments at the upper midrange. Vocals are always well separated from the bassline and the rest of the music. However the music does seem to have a distinct lack of emotions. It's just...a song for my ears. Nothing more than that. Highs are dark with a lack of extension. The laidback and uninspiring highs are not fatiguing. It's present. It's there. No magic.
Stage dimensions wise I do think it's slightly above average. The stage is quite in-your-head like with CIEMs. Imaging is average (highs can definitely be tightened up). Separation is decent though - it does layer and give adequate space between instruments.
Compared to EX800ST, I still find the EX800ST to be the superior 1DD. EX800ST doesnt have such an impressive bass response but the technicalities of the EX800ST cannot be denied. Timbre wise I think MG5HX fares better - instruments/vocals in the bass and midrange region can be felt. It's a little ridiculous comparing a $200 iem and a $900 iem but I'm very much in love with the EX800ST. The MG5HX sounds more like a tool than an iem meant for enjoyment purposes. Definitely will start using the MG5HX for practice. It's tough to recommend the MG5HX to audiophiles due to how unbalanced it can sound. It has obvious dips in the treble to reduce fatigue for musicians on stage.
MaxwellDot
Head-Fier
Your reviews Toranku are among the most analytical, vivid, and thorough (yet succinct and to the point) I have see anywhere in the audiophile scene. Keep up the great work. You are my go-to guy for honest and informed reviews.
cocolinho
Headphoneus Supremus
+1
Just discovering your thread and I like it!
Honest, straight to the point & very understandable (more than reviewers writing thousands of words for... nothing). Keep up the good work!
@toranku For you what is the closest IEM to TG334? I owned these TG334 couple of times, I liked them a lot but they sticked far too much of my ears so I let them go each time , fit was ridiculous for me. Thanks
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Thank you both for your kind words 
Will be writing more content with the upcoming CanJam in Singapore. Hopefully I remember to try everything
Will be writing more content with the upcoming CanJam in Singapore. Hopefully I remember to try everything
334 is very unique in the sense there's a special type of warmth going on. People who come from "natural" or "reference" iems will be taken aback as to how colored and warm the 334 is. Flipears' house signature comes (loosely) close, but I am apprehensive to recommend Flipears until you have tried it. There isn't any IEM I've tried that mimics what the 334 does best. Perhaps you should consider a custom version if you like them a lot!
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