[surfgeorge]

Thank you. It is really heartwarming for me to know I still have readers. I had thought I would fade into oblivion

IMO, M9 is stronger on the imaging front. I've not heard anything image like M9, I think it works very well for my HRTF. Where the Variations trumps it is in the cleanliness of the forward subbass response and in the overall clearer tonality. They're both really very different in terms of signature and M9 lovers may not enjoy the much leaner tuning in the midrange of the Variations. Variations is perhaps one of the most cohesive IEMs - great tone (IMO of course), good technicalities and nothing I can seriously fault.

Re: Variations against B2 and B2 Dusk, I very much think its an upgrade in almost every way. The treble extension of the Variations eliminates that hazy/grainy tone found in the B2/d. The midbass is kept very much cleaner (perhaps too clean for some) and improves a lot on the bass texture rendered, especially in the subbass.

Thanks for the reply!
Nah, I don't forget those who's opinion has guided me on the crazy journey through the world of IEMs
You and the others you have mentioned above are experienced enough to shed light on strengths and weaknesses of the products you review.
Everyone can praise a product, but only the experts can clearly describe both sides of the medal.

Hmmmm...
I hadn't planned to get another IEM, now I have a Variations in my shopping basket and chances are high that I'll click that BUY button soon.
EDIT: Order placed.
I had been considering the Monarch as a potential future purchase, then the Variations caught my attention, @toranku put it in the spotlight and the Variations review by @SteveK27 putting them up against the Thieaudio twins sealed it for me. Thanks guys!

 

[himaraya]

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in...time to try some variations, then.

 

[Zasshuwu]

On the topic of Reviewers, I just thought I'd share some reviewers that I actively follow in the IEM space:

@Precogvision of hp.com, also has his own site. The hardest working reviewer I know.
@Resolve of hp.com, has written reviews and videos up on the hp.com website and youtube channel. Does a lot of headphone content as well.
@FcConstruct of Audio Discourse and hp.com
@antdroid of Audio Discourse. The friendliest and nicest person I know.
Bedrock Reviews
@Svstem of Systematic Sound. I wish you do more IEM and reviewing content.
@crinacle of In Ear Fidelity
Super Reviews. If you prefer video formats, he's your guy.
@aminus and his heavily critical review style. Not for the faint hearted.

+1 on the Precog recommendation, it's kinda wild to see how "big" he got as a reviewer in such a short amount of time

 

[surfgeorge]

Variations arrived today! That was really quick. Ordered from Amazon.de and sold by Shenzenaudio it took only 5 days to get them delivered in Europe! Stunning.

Also impressive is the performance of the Varations.
OK, I have maybe an hour of listening time on them and you should always take first impressions with a big pinch of salt, but the improvement over the Blessing 2 is quite substantial.
The tuning has been described consistently, so I pretty much knew what to expect. The big question was the technicalities, and I am really impressed. Definition, cleanliness, detail, imaging and soundstage are a big step up from the B2. Very defined and precise, very good timbre. Very coherent too, tight and controlled notes from bass to treble. Imaging is really good and the stage is wider but not as deep as the M9's stage.

I am using a Chord Hugo 2, so a rather high end source for IEMs, and I feel that the Variations are doing a very good job at revealing the definition, control and detail the Hugo 2 delivers. Yes, the Sony IER-M9 is still doing a better job as it should, but the Variations is not that far off and presents the music with a different tuning and flavor.
The Blessing 2 sounds muffled and compressed in comparison, the soundstage collapses too. Mid-focused, lacking both in bass and treble definition.

Comparing the B2 and the Variations on an iPhone SE (old version) the difference in technical performance shrinks quite a lot, showing that the Variations scales a lot better than the B2. The Variations is still better but honestly I'd have a much harder time justifying the price difference.

With the Hugo 2 or Mojo as a source the upgrade is definitely worth it to me.
Thanks to the community for sharing your experience and making these decisions possible!

 

[jenkinsontherun]

A pretty clear conflict of interest for IEM manufacturers to do reviews of other companies' products. And I guess its not good for business if you keep other brands in praise since there may be an implication their product is better than yours. Negative reviews aren't gonna happen either, it gives off that feeling of arrogance and putting others down even if the criticism truly honest and comes from the heart. I do intend to maintain my personal favourites list though. I think its important to give credit where its due. The industry needs strong support and good inter-company relationships right now, if not the popularity of IEMs are set to be on the trajectory of decline.

Re: reviewing your own products, it can be seen as tooting your own horn. As an IEM designer, I know the in-and-outs; the strengths and weaknesses of my own product. I do think it is better to leave the tuning up to the interpretations of reviewers and customers since it brings up new view points and hopefully constructive feedback to improve upon.

With regards to the price point, we are very much targeting the luxury and summit-fi segment of the market. We believe keeping production in Singapore as much as possible, having the cables and carrying cases also made in SG. We use very high end components (capacitors and resistors) with unconventional electrical & acoustical tuning solutions to get the sound quality we want.

Thank you! I am very excited about this project as well. It has been a hell of a journey since the initial conceptualisation of the product 1.5 years ago.


Thank you. It is really heartwarming for me to know I still have readers. I had thought I would fade into oblivion

IMO, M9 is stronger on the imaging front. I've not heard anything image like M9, I think it works very well for my HRTF. Where the Variations trumps it is in the cleanliness of the forward subbass response and in the overall clearer tonality. They're both really very different in terms of signature and M9 lovers may not enjoy the much leaner tuning in the midrange of the Variations. Variations is perhaps one of the most cohesive IEMs - great tone (IMO of course), good technicalities and nothing I can seriously fault.

Re: Variations against B2 and B2 Dusk, I very much think its an upgrade in almost every way. The treble extension of the Variations eliminates that hazy/grainy tone found in the B2/d. The midbass is kept very much cleaner (perhaps too clean for some) and improves a lot on the bass texture rendered, especially in the subbass.

I guess another natural question is:

When is the expected public release?

 

[surfgeorge]

The Variations looks really interesting but the comparisons against the Blessing 2 I have seen seem to suggest that the difference is rather small between the two technically.
To my ears the M9 is much cleaner and more resolving than the B2, with better layering and separation. Even the UM 3DT is quite a step up from the B2 in these aspects.

IMO, M9 is stronger on the imaging front. I've not heard anything image like M9, I think it works very well for my HRTF. Where the Variations trumps it is in the cleanliness of the forward subbass response and in the overall clearer tonality. They're both really very different in terms of signature and M9 lovers may not enjoy the much leaner tuning in the midrange of the Variations. Variations is perhaps one of the most cohesive IEMs - great tone (IMO of course), good technicalities and nothing I can seriously fault.

Re: Variations against B2 and B2 Dusk, I very much think its an upgrade in almost every way. The treble extension of the Variations eliminates that hazy/grainy tone found in the B2/d. The midbass is kept very much cleaner (perhaps too clean for some) and improves a lot on the bass texture rendered, especially in the subbass.

Just a quick feedback to your statements:

Variations vs M9:
I love both for different reasons, and the Variations is a nice, complementary IEM for the M9 lover IMO

Variations vs. Blessing 2:
The upgrade is frankly bigger than I had expected. I don't know if the PEQ emulation of the Dusk really sounds like the real Dusk, but the Variations is miles ahead in bass definition, speed, texture, and the mids are so clean and smooth that the B2 sounds really hazy in comparison. What's also interesting is that while the B2 does not improve that much with source change, the Variations scales extremely well. The bass definition and punch on the Chord Hugo 2 is really great.

 

[arjuna93]

Personal Favourites List Updated.​

Uh oh. I brought back the dead. Just wanted to update on my current preferences. I find myself liking unabashedly bassier sets. HOWEVER, the bass shelf has to be clean. Perhaps it's also a good thing the market has been shifting to proper bass shelves that start at 200-300hz. I think it's a nice change of pace. Things sound less muddy and bass tends to be more controlled, free of bloat yet fun.

I've removed a lot of things I stopped enjoying due to my new preferences. I think it's good to be critical and honest with myself with what I like.

I've gotten some questions over the months about where I've been and what I am doing. I left Audio Discourse as a content creator but I've still been keeping up with the market all this while. It's painfully obvious the market has slowed down the past two years. IEMs are not as popular as they were back in 2018-2019.

I've been working on my IEM company (which I will announce a little later in the future) that I co-found with 3 other close friends. For the sake of conflict of interest and potential bias, I cannot continue making the same critical content I was back in '17-19. My focus has to be on celebrating good sounding IEMs which I have done so on my Personal Favorites list.

To be honest, IEMs got stale and tiring for me these past 2 years. The industry slow down didn't help. It felt natural taking matters to my own hands and making something I can be proud of and loved listening. I hope to share these same feelings of excitement when I announce it to the world.

Have you tried latest hi-end Canal Works models?
(I haven’t, too expensive for my budget at the moment, but wondering how better they are compared to other.)

 

[Elite_Force]

@toranku Have you already had a chance to demo Evo? Would be really interesting to get accustomed with your impressions, especially compared to Odin. Thanks!

 

[corgifall]

Personal Favourites

I've been asked quite a number of times as to what I liked best. Thought I'd throw down some IEMs that I enjoy a fair bit. Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and this list can and will change over time. Some of the factors that help evaluate are "timbre", "tonal balance", "transient response/clarity" and "technicalities". The order is not a ranking.

Empire Ears Odin
Empire Ears' newest flagship strays away from their typical house sound that often lends itself to a lot of bass bloat. The bass shelf is kept cleaner which reduces a lot of midbass bloating and bleed. The character of the Odin is bass boosted but kept neutral in the entire midrange and treble. A slightly warm, bassier sound with tonally good mids. The dynamism of the Odin keeps itself sounding realistic and fun; and in particular finds itself incredibly suited for rendering mainstream modern pop (i.e Carly Rae Jepsen & Dua Lipa) music amazing. Big, audible bass lines with great impact without "dirtying" up the midrange too far.

However where the Odin does slightly stumble is with detail in sacrifice of a fun, bassier sound. The highs of the Odin are a tad dark too - I could definitely use more treble. Perhaps the relaxed treble tuning (in contrast to its forward bass) bottlenecks the detail behind its sound. Another qualm is that the upper midrange can get a bit too honky and forward at times. If not, an overall good tonal balance.

The technical ability of the Odin is really quite solid as well and I have no qualms with the soundstage and imaging. You'll get used to the tactile bass-first approach quickly. Naturally the Odin finds itself quickly on my personal favourites.

Etymotic ER2 Series
When the brand "Etymotic" is mentioned, some would associate the brand with terms such as "clinical" and "sterile". I personally think this holds true for the ER3 and ER4 series. The tuning on the 3 and 4 lacks warmth and exhibit what I refer to as "BA timbre". I find that BA lacks that natural body and decay of DDs and instead can sound grainier and leaner. However when it comes to the ER2, I think that Etymotic has done a great job to change this preconception. The DDs used in the ER2 have a very smooth and pleasing response, as if it was rid of any peaks. The ER2 has a much more natural timbre (and tone) to my ears with its elevated bass response and depth in the sound.

I've had chats and discussions with some audio friends of mine regarding what defines resolution. Some claim that ER4 still offers better "resolution" over the smoother ER2. Some say that the grain in the ER3/4 is texture and is what defines resolution. Yada yada. For me, the ER2 is able to reproduce transients as clean, if not cleaner than the ER4. It does so in a smooth, very natural way. Take for example, the resonance in the low keys of the piano. The ER2 presents those lines/resonances in a bodied expression whereas ER4 has greater emphasis on the initial attack. Which type of presentation is better is up to the individual to decide. I think resolution is quite an all-encompassing term. It's a mixture of factors such as transient response and timbre imo.

If not, the ER2 is not as bright in the 8-10k region which makes it a more relaxing and laid back listen. Makes the ER4 sound a bit peaky, heh. I do also feel that ER2 extends much better in the mid to upper treble region where it does cymbal decay very nicely. I do think that if the ER2 had more brightness in the 8-10k region like the ER4, it would be a very very good curve.

Last point about the ER2 is that the driver packs some serious speed. It doesn't sound congested despite the typical "etymotic soundstage". Everything layers properly as it should. I think it's the fastest DD I've heard to date in an IEM. Overall, just a very good IEM. XR or SE...I think I would suggest most to spring for SE as XR can be a bit too dark sounding with its bass boost. SE has better overall balance but XR's clean subbass lift helps the bass to roar.

I do think it can be a bit ridiculous to put the ER2 next to all the top dogs - but hey this is just a list of personal favourites. The ER2 excels in the areas it is supposed to. Which is why I like it.

qdc 8SL/Gemini
The reason why I didn't include the Anole VX is because the VX has a further lift in the lower-mid treble region which makes it a bit harsh and aggressive to listen to in an extended period of time. 8SL/Gemini strikes a better balance in the FR for me. Both of them offer a great soundstage, fantastic level of separation/layering, cleanly reproduced transients free of smearing and great extension on both ends. The 8SH has a further lift in the 1-2k region but I find that this lift made vocals a bit too shrill and unnatural sounding since 8SH's vocals are not as warm too. If not, the 8SL/Gemini sports decent bass - has the speed and attack to make it an engaging listen.

However in certain tracks, the bass of the 8SL/Gemini can sound a tad hollow and "BA-like". If not I feel that the both are very well tuned with solid technicalities and decent enough tonal balance.

64 Audio U12t
It took me a while to warm up to this one. Previously I did not include it due to the recession in the treble frequencies causing it to sound a bit restrained with hi instruments. It also has an annoying peak somewhere between 12-14khz that could randomly show up in some tracks and give off that relentlessly zingy sound when uncalled for.

Tip rolling does do this one well. There can be a specific tip that may reduce said peak for the u12t. Other than that, it's something of a set that you just put on and...enjoy. The bass response is good and perhaps due to the reduced treble, it makes for a more relaxed, sit-back-and-enjoy listen.

Moondrop Variations
The Variations is a simple, incredibly effective IEM design. Bass is well defined with a tiiiiiinge too much midbass but otherwise already very very very much ahead of most competition in terms of cleanliness and nuance in its bass. Midrange is thin. This may be a dealbreaker for some. Personally I am ok but I would second guess the tonal balance when outdoors. It sounds great in a quiet environment.

The upper treble is handled by ESTs which to my surprise..worked. It isn't the most exaggerated response but it's there, and it's well extended. In some sense it's done in a subtle but pretty refined way.

On a technical level due to the overall smoothness of the IEM (free of peaks and dips), the lack of peaks may come across as a bit technically held back compared to the top dogs. Other than that, a really effective design keeping things simple.

changelog:
22 Dec 19: Replaced PP8 with NT6.
29 Mar 20: Added Dawn.
20 August 20: Replaced IER-M9 & NT6 with Odin & CE6
19 July 21: Removed Fearless Dawn, Shure KSE1200/1500, Craft Ears CE6, PEARS SH3. Added: 64 U12t and Moondrop Variations

You have the Variations on the list. I’m happy lol

 

[Rocfort]

Agree: variations it's a great IEM.

 

[himaraya]

@toranku Have you heard the ThieAudio Monarch Mk2?

 

[Rocfort]

Yes
I have it

 

[himaraya]

Just curious whether Crinacle overrated it. Precogvision seems less impressed.

 

[Rocfort]

Really bad boy put Monarch mkII as one of the 4 best IEM of 2021. My Impressions are very posiitive and the Monarch is fun, rich perfectely tuned. For 1K just Andromeda 2020 have a similar complex sound.

 

[toranku]

For the fans interested:
Here's a link to the subtonic thread.

I stopped reviewing so I could make my own IEM. Met 3 other good people and we spent the last 2 years making the STORM.

Thank you for coming along with me on this journey.