[deafdoorknob]

I share the same sentiments with the SD5. It has a strong 8k peak which I am sensitive to.

Have you tried the qdc gemini or 8sl/8cl?

no i haven’t, because i witnessed/overheard a rather unfortunate incident wrt a qdc owner at a local store last year (the owner only had it for 2 days before one of the shell cracked) so i, perhaps unfairly, wrote them off as “another” outfit with questionable QC, time to give it a go i suppose.

I see that you are getting a futuresonic ciem soon, i hope it is much better than the g10, which to me, is a great woofer in search of a tweeter lolsigh, it is so dark that it made the se846 sound bright lol.

 

[toranku]

no i haven’t, because i witnessed/overheard a rather unfortunate incident wrt a qdc owner at a local store last year (the owner only had it for 2 days before one of the shell cracked) so i, perhaps unfairly, wrote them off as “another” outfit with questionable QC, time to give it a go i suppose.

I see that you are getting a futuresonic ciem soon, i hope it is much better than the g10, which to me, is a great woofer in search of a tweeter lolsigh, it is so dark that it made the se846 sound bright lol.

Hahaha, trying not to have expectations really. A friend recommended his future sonics ciems to me and I'm intrigued about the technology. Trying not to expect too much! Hopefully I can get something slightly dark/dark with some great bass.

Yeah I dont know of any cases dealing with qdc so I cant comment about their CS at all. But definitely give them a shot - start with the 8 drivers, anole vx and perhaps the 4SS as well.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: HYLA TE5B & TE5T

The CE-5 from Hyla was an interesting release. It had one of the best bass responses I've ever heard but other than the bass, the IEM fails at having an odd, underwater timbre that doesn't sound natural at all. Perhaps there was just too much bass tuning. Let's see how the new twins perform...

From my memory, the TE5B does sound similar to the CE-5. Sporting a great bass, it reaches deep with masterful control and decay. When the bass drops, the sheer impact of the air can be felt within the ear. However like the CE-5, there's still an underwater tone on the mids. The highs are smooth sounding and forward. In terms of technicalities I'd say its above average with decent depth and width.

The TE5T is the one that sounds somewhat distinctly different. While the profile of the sound (deep bass & underwater mids) is similar, the TE5T sports a forward treble. Due to this, it does have less of an underwater tone on the mids.

In conclusion I'd say that I almost completely dislike the Hylas - the underwater tone does not sit right with me. It doesn't sound low res or anything, just that the unnaturalness bugs me in most of my songs, especially ones with forward vocals. Bass is their only point of redemption but personally I do think it's a bit overwhelming. The TE5T had less bass (which I think was why the mids did not sound as bad) which imo is the better of the two. Both iems are rather smooth (but v-shaped!) listens.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: JH Roxanne & JH 16v2

JH earns my respect because all their models have a distinct house sound to them. If I was given a JH in a blind test, I'd probably know what brand I'm hearing... Anyway, I also appreciate that JHs come with tune-able bass levels since in noisier environments, you can just turn up the bass to compensate. Really pro-musician.

Do note that the Roxanne demo had an issue with the bass tuning system and I was forced to run them at max bass.

The JH Roxanne is very warm and incredibly laid back at max bass. I think one issue with JH is that imaging tends to be hazy. The Roxanne is no exception. It needs more definition to its notes. If not, very dense, heavy and thick vocals. Relaxing, intimate and heavy with bassier overtones. It does male vocals and bassier instruments well but when it comes to female vocals and brighter instruments, the coloration is obvious and things start to turn warm and bassy. I have no issue with that. Very rich and thick at the expense of technicalities. It does have an intimate presentation with pretty decent width (wraps around the sides of my head) BUT depth can use more improvement. Vocals can blend into the instruments behind. Bass can be perceived as wooly for some (most JHs are like that).

The JH 16v2 on the other hand, is slow, warm, muffled and dead. There's almost no treble to speak. However it is one of JH's more coherent models. It's JH's house sound taken to the very extreme. Mids can feel musky and dead. Not a fan of this one at all - it needs more treble and a little energy.

 

[chips2481]

When it comes to the talk of clarity, I think it's important to talk about stage-tuning. Stage tuning usually implies a greater level of bass (as bass levels are reduced in loud environments), forward vocals and a non-fatiguing treble. This is NOT a balanced sounding FR. It's the opposite of what audiophiles usually look for. Classic stage iem manufacturers such as Westone have a house sound that has their treble created to be darker and non-fatiguing. As such the entirety of Westone's UM Pro series can be viewed as having a blunted and grainier transient and is not very clear generally.

I notice this too with westone the W40 and UM pro30/50 I have. Initially the mids/highs sound, well bad, and vocals are more drowned out. The few higher end multi ba/hybrid I have had sounded great at first then 30 minutes later it is too overwhelming. I go back to westone listen to the same stuff again and you can see why they sound the way they do, it does not get overwhelming. Is there any sets you tested that up westone's tuning, better vocals clearer highs yet not overpowering?

 

[toranku]

I notice this too with westone the W40 and UM pro30/50 I have. Initially the mids/highs sound, well bad, and vocals are more drowned out. The few higher end multi ba/hybrid I have had sounded great at first then 30 minutes later it is too overwhelming. I go back to westone listen to the same stuff again and you can see why they sound the way they do, it does not get overwhelming. Is there any sets you tested that up westone's tuning, better vocals clearer highs yet not overpowering?

Perhaps Westone W60 and ES60. Both have more treble. I like the ES60 quite a fair bit - it's like the western 334.

Perhaps 335 too but it's another flavour altogether.

 

[toranku]

Sorry for the slow stream of updates. Been down with an infection + exams are nearing.

First Impressions: Ikko OH-1

The Ikko OH-1 has a "Japanese" type of tuning where the upper mids are emphasized. There is a slight midbass bump and nice amount of subbass boost. I do like the bass tuning but I do find fault with the tonality of the iem.

Its midrange comes off as thin and shrill to me. Lower treble is also slightly boosted which can make some types of music fatiguing. The treble is quite smooth sounding (low peaks). In terms of technicalities it has a slightly small stage and at times I do find it getting slightly congested.

Overall, pretty "meh" in my book. I could see this one working if you're a fan of the "japanese" tonality though. Male vocals are recessed and don't hold much weight, which is what I usually look out for.

 

[Focux]

sorry to hear abt your health, gws

meanwhile, any impressions for TG334?

kinda keen on them but Jaben's price is ridiculous compared to Fujiya online store

 

[toranku]

sorry to hear abt your health, gws

meanwhile, any impressions for TG334?

kinda keen on them but Jaben's price is ridiculous compared to Fujiya online store

Thank you

334 represents one of my favorite takes on coloration for an iem. It's rather mid forward with a carefully boosted midbass for warmth and it's subbass rolls off. Treble is dark but never laidback - it does have some shine and sparkle if the music calls for it. Mids are the star of the show with 334s - its mids are very tastefully colored. It's really tough to describe the tone of the 334 especially with it's upper midrange. There's a unique type of warmth going on.

The whole FR is rather smooth sounding and it works very well with female vocals. Gives vocals some thickness and warmth but it's still somewhat BA-sounding in terms of weight/timbre in it's notes. In custom form I can listen to mine for hours on end, no problem. The darker tuning makes for a very non-fatiguing and smooth listen.

In terms of technicalities it's slightly above average I'd say. Aged well. However some details in the highs (and subbass areas) are muted due to its mid forward tuning, as such it's not detailed.

Not sure if the TG/universal version sounds the same though. Have only heard it once and I'll have to refresh my memory again.

 

[Focux]

Thank you

334 represents one of my favorite takes on coloration for an iem. It's rather mid forward with a carefully boosted midbass for warmth and it's subbass rolls off. Treble is dark but never laidback - it does have some shine and sparkle if the music calls for it. Mids are the star of the show with 334s - its mids are very tastefully colored. It's really tough to describe the tone of the 334 especially with it's upper midrange. There's a unique type of warmth going on.

The whole FR is rather smooth sounding and it works very well with female vocals. Gives vocals some thickness and warmth but it's still somewhat BA-sounding in terms of weight/timbre in it's notes. In custom form I can listen to mine for hours on end, no problem. The darker tuning makes for a very non-fatiguing and smooth listen.

Not sure if the TG/universal version sounds the same though. Have only heard it once and I'll have to refresh my memory again.

Oh wow u have the custom version

 

[toranku]

Ramblings: "BA Timbre", Tone & Coherency

When any IEM is described to have a "BA timbre", there is usually a negative connotation. For some people, they simply don't hear the BA timbre. Just exactly what it is it? First, let's define timbre...

timbre (tim·bre)
: the quality given to a sound by its overtones: such as
a : the resonance by which the ear recognizes and identifies a voiced speech sound
b : the quality of tone distinctive of a particular singing voice or musical instrument

Here we can infer that timbre is not just made up of tone, but by the resonance and quality of tone of the sound. Any multi-BA setup can be warm, having a lack of warmth, bright, dark, bassy etc. That change in frequency response will alter the tone of the IEM. In the same pitch and loudness, timbre would differentiate one sound from another, due to its inherent differences in character. Examples of real life application of timbre changes are effect pedals for guitars - the character of the sound changes.

There is quite a large difference in sound from a Balanced Armature driver compared to sound from a Dynamic driver. Balanced armatures vary in sound due to it's design - tubes are usually used and they do not push as much air as compared to dynamic drivers. Personally speaking, I find that balanced armatures have a weightless, thin (not shrill!) and perhaps a plastic-like timbre. BA tends to have quite a sharp attack of the transient, but lacks the body and decay. There needs to be more body and sustain in every note for it to feel like it's real! Take a strike to the skin of the drum for example. BAs have a tendency of conveying the initial "THUMP" but not the vibration and feeling of air after the thump. In a sense, BA tends to be one-dimensional since you hear the note but can't necessarily feel the note. Perhaps there isn't enough air pushed for it to stimulate that feeling of realism. I don't know for sure.

A good classic example of BA timbre would be Etymotics. Put it next to a DD like the Sony EX1000 and the differences are immediately apparent outside of tone. EX1000 can convey instruments such as bass drums, sax and violins very beautifully. That is not to say DDs are better however, BAs can be easily precision tuned and factors such as tubes can be kept consistent. I do personally believe that BAs tend to have more perceived detail as well, perhaps due to the sheer speed of BAs. The sustain and decay is faster which helps hear the attack of the multiple different notes better.

So, adding DD + BA in a setup? The setup with different types of drivers in a single unit is referred to as a hybrid. In terms of coherence, it is impossible to achieve coherence. The drivers are inherently different from one another. Multi-BAs can work together to achieve coherence (i.e VE8 is masterfully tuned) but when a DD is thrown into the mix, transients are entirely different as to how they sound. Thus this is why Jerry Harvey himself says that DD bass is too slow when paired with BA mids and highs...and I can see some truth in that. DDs tend to have a meatier sound and when paired together with BAs, coherence can be an audible issue.

In an age where we are also starting to see triple hybrids (DD + BA + Estats), perhaps coherency will surely take a toll. I'm quite excited to hear the Sony Z1R iem myself - surely having DD for bass and highs and BA for mids will cause audible incoherency? I'll find out soon enough...

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: 64 Audio U12t

The first feeling I got was: BA timbre. But it's not too bad at all, perhaps mids need to be a little more forward to fit my tastes. Highs have shimmer and shine, but sounds slightly blur/hazy. Perhaps needs more brilliance. It's not fatiguing at all though. The IEM's speed is surprisingly like a DD. Not the usual quick BA. Bass reaches deep and has great control. Not wooly/bloated and not that tight either. Vocals always feel like they are behind...it kinda bugs me in terms of my personal preference.

Stage is also rather wide with decent depth. Overall the IEM is on the "slower" side of things but it does bass well surprisingly given that it has BA bass. Even with a U-shaped type of response, the iem doesn't feel thin. Tonal accuracy is neutral-slightly warm. Well tuned...just not to my preferences.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: Jomo Flamenco SE Universal

The Jomo Flamenco received a recent update. It comes with 2 switches: 1 for bass and 1 for treble.

On bass boost, the signature is very pleasing. It sports non-fatiguing highs, decent bass quantity and vocals are on par with the bass. It has rather sharp transients and creates the feeling of precision and separates instruments well. Synths do very well - especially moving synths. On very complicated songs with 4-5 instruments and synths going on at the same time, it does separate and image everything rather well, despite the presentation being more intimate.

Very well tuned imo with the bass boost on. I did not use the treble switch at all though, so I can't comment what it does exactly. The Flamenco with bass boost on has a slightly mushy sound, but I'll give it a pass since the treble is very much non-fatiguing.

 

[deafdoorknob]

First Impressions: 64 Audio U12t

The first feeling I got was: BA timbre. But it's not too bad at all, perhaps mids need to be a little more forward to fit my tastes. Highs have shimmer and shine, but sounds slightly blur/hazy. Perhaps needs more brilliance. It's not fatiguing at all though. The IEM's speed is surprisingly like a DD. Not the usual quick BA. Bass reaches deep and has great control. Not wooly/bloated and not that tight either. Vocals always feel like they are behind...it kinda bugs me in terms of my personal preference.

Stage is also rather wide with decent depth. Overall the IEM is on the "slower" side of things but it does bass well surprisingly given that it has BA bass. Even with a U-shaped type of response, the iem doesn't feel thin. Tonal accuracy is neutral-slightly warm. Well tuned...just not to my preferences.

did you find the mids biased toward the uppermids or equally suppressed relative to the bass/treble? did you use foamies or sillicone, when i auditioned them the second time, using foamies, i liked it a bit more.

 

[toranku]

did you find the mids biased toward the uppermids or equally suppressed relative to the bass/treble? did you use foamies or sillicone, when i auditioned them the second time, using foamies, i liked it a bit more.

I ran the u12t on silicone. I find that the lower mids and upper mids are well balanced with each other. Just needs to have a little more mids to fit into my preference better. After all, I can appreciate a W-shape.