If elysian had a stronger marketing and distribution strategy they'd be much more popular.
Toranku's Thoughts and Reviews (and target EQ filters!)
- Thread starter toranku
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If elysian had a stronger marketing and distribution strategy they'd be much more popular.
totally agree, i somewhat impressed with the imaging and its BA bass. It sounds energetic and really fun to listen to. And nothing overbearing to my liking. One of biggest soundstage in IEMs by far ive tried. Really like it.
First Impressions: Fearless S8Z
A very good release from Fearless. First impressions are that it's not as bassy or upperbass-bloated in bass compared to the S8F. However I'd have to warn that if you find the S8F intense, the S8Z may be even more forward with the sound. Hihats in One Ok Rock's Cry Out were aggressive but filled with air and shimmer. Crash and ride cymbals sound a bit uneven somewhere within the treble response (more of the lower treble side) but sport excellent extension into the upper treble.
It sounds less warm than the S8F and has a more energetic presentation. High resolution sound and would say this is the best from Fearless. Will definitely give this another go tomorrow and update what I think/hear.
A very good release from Fearless. First impressions are that it's not as bassy or upperbass-bloated in bass compared to the S8F. However I'd have to warn that if you find the S8F intense, the S8Z may be even more forward with the sound. Hihats in One Ok Rock's Cry Out were aggressive but filled with air and shimmer. Crash and ride cymbals sound a bit uneven somewhere within the treble response (more of the lower treble side) but sport excellent extension into the upper treble.
It sounds less warm than the S8F and has a more energetic presentation. High resolution sound and would say this is the best from Fearless. Will definitely give this another go tomorrow and update what I think/hear.
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thesheik137
1000+ Head-Fier
Haha, I pre-ordered the S8Z somewhat hoping that it would be a warmer version of the S8F, but it turns out its the complete opposite... oh well.
SBranson
Headphoneus Supremus
First Impressions: Fearless S8Z
It sounds less warm than the S8F and has a more energetic presentation. High resolution sound and would say this is the best from Fearless. Will definitely give this another go tomorrow and update what I think/hear.
Wow.. less warm and more intense than the S8F.. I’m surprised they went that route as I found the S8F pretty ntense and it was not what I would have called “warm”.
I would like to hear your take on the new ThieAudio Voyager series, Moreso the 3 for me but I’d like to hear what you think of the 14 as well.
I got the Moondrop S8 and I think your impressions are spot on to what I hear...
buonassi
Headphoneus Supremus
Is the Moondrop S8 as intense as Fearless S8F? I too thought it was just overly bright for my liking and sold it.
SBranson
Headphoneus Supremus
In a different way, yes. I think the S8 is more refined and clearer sounding, a little less artificial. I came from the Legend X and at one really liked the Phantoms and the S8 are very much not those.
I'm not sure exactly which part of the freq band to call it, lower treble/upper mids, what ever is the over tone of female vocals that gives them a bit more "throat" sound rather than "chest" sound is a little too emphasized for me to truly love these iems.
Some tracks it works for. I listen to a lot of baroque music and a lot of solo Lute music and the clarity and imaging of the S8 is really very nice. I recently went back to my Noble Savants, an iem I never found congested or thick, and I couldn't get over how it sounded muted in that very same region. On a podcast it was like the speaker was stuffed up with a cold in a way.. It's all about getting used to a sound because going back to the S8, there is a strange "hollow" ringing sense kind of like going to an EQ and boosting the 4k.. That's an exaggeration but the combination of that and the decrease in the lower mids (or is it upper bass) and you get the bite of the bow in a cello more than the bloom of the woody tone. Similarly, that bite of the bow is in the violins but the S8 manages to do it without sibilance.
I find a tendency to get the volume a bit loud sometimes because with this amount of clarity, I find it hard to judge just how loud they are. Then it gets a bit much and I turn them down a few notches and realize they were just a bit too loud.. That could be why there is the sense sometimes of them being intense.. It's not shouty though or too forward. It's all done very well.
I like them very much but they seem to be a bit too much of a "correction" of the A8. This is 100% opinion though for as much as I appreciate clarity and detail, I think I prefer a little more warmth.. It's tough though because every nuance is there with the S8, it's just that it is a bit "north" of neutral to my ears in the sense of the timbre.
Further, the S8 is quite susceptible to influence from the source. I find the WM1A to be quite a neutral sounding player and I think a warmer source might suit the S8 more to get what I want.
The S8 does not sound very good with the ES100 with the iPhone music app. The BTR5 is a more dynamic sound to the ES100 but again sounds not so great with the iPhone music app. However the BTR5 with the Fiio app on the iphone sounds much better..
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I'd definitely test the S8Z more tomorrow. 30 mins was barely enough time with it. I don't know if I will be able to test the ThieAudio, I can only get to try things when my local stores carry them.
I know this question was not directed at me but I am going to answer it from my POV. I find S8 brighter.
I'll see if I can get a graph out tomorrow if you're into that..
thesheik137
1000+ Head-Fier
Graph would be great. Interested in how it compares to S8 as well, since you mention both S8 and S8Z being brighter than S8F.
Further Thoughts: Fearless S8Z
I still stand by my words that this is the best release from Fearless yet. Has less bass/warmth than S8F which is surprising given that they implemented the new LPF for the bass woofers. ACME was a total flop and this sounds sonically closer to the S8F and S8P. Of the three, this is the brightest set as well. If you find S8F/P to be intolerable with its brightness (which I most definitely was; I've gotten used to brighter sets by now), give this one a pass.
With the S8Z having less bass and warmth in general, I find that the sound is less muddied and features harder bass transients. Midrange tonality is surprisingly fine for being a v-shape. I'd still like less treble since I find the treble response to be uneven (too much midtreble) and has cymbals that focus more on the brilliance aspect than shimmer.
On a technical level the S8Z is superior to the S8F/P as well with sligtly stronger separation. Great effort from Fearless; I enjoy this set.
I still stand by my words that this is the best release from Fearless yet. Has less bass/warmth than S8F which is surprising given that they implemented the new LPF for the bass woofers. ACME was a total flop and this sounds sonically closer to the S8F and S8P. Of the three, this is the brightest set as well. If you find S8F/P to be intolerable with its brightness (which I most definitely was; I've gotten used to brighter sets by now), give this one a pass.
With the S8Z having less bass and warmth in general, I find that the sound is less muddied and features harder bass transients. Midrange tonality is surprisingly fine for being a v-shape. I'd still like less treble since I find the treble response to be uneven (too much midtreble) and has cymbals that focus more on the brilliance aspect than shimmer.
On a technical level the S8Z is superior to the S8F/P as well with sligtly stronger separation. Great effort from Fearless; I enjoy this set.
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Probably gonna test this if the place carries this. Also, how's the resolution on this set?
edit: i also found s8p is a bit muddied. So with less bass/mid bass, s8z could be a perfect house sound from fearless
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thesheik137
1000+ Head-Fier
Yeah, I agree that the S8Z is a step above S8F/P in terms of technicalities, resolution, separation. While it has more treble than the older models I find it cleaner and less peaky, therefore an easier listen. Still quite an intense set, but I wouldn't call it too analytical or bass light.
My Thoughts On: Craft Ears Craft4
You've probably seen me talk about this on other platforms! Craft Ears is a new CIEM brand hailing from Poland. They've two existing models - Craft2 and Craft4.
The Craft4 has quite an interesting configuration with 4 drivers & 4 way xover. The midrange driver is bandpassed and the tweeter is a rarely-seen sonion BA.
Some of you may have saw that I had sibilance issues with the Craft4 CIEM right at the very start. The UIEM was fine in terms of treble intensity, but the CIEM had this metallic edge and harshness to it. Yes, the CIEM does sound like it has more air to it but it was a sibilance point of mine. Had a few friends try both the UIEM and CIEM and they reported no such sibilance/harshness issues. A few days later my brain burnt in to the sibilance and the treble intensity is drastically reduced by now. YMMW.
Sonically the Craft4 is tuned for a V-shape with the recession at the lower midrange (400-1000hz). As such midrange instruments like vocals and guitars are placed a bit further back relative to toms, snares, hihats, crash/ride cymbals etc. I'd say it's more bright than it is warm.
An apparent flaw in the resulting tonal balance is the tone of the midrange. It sounds veiled when put put next to reference monitors like the SH3 & NT6. Another criticism of mine would be the thinness of its treble - hihats and crash/ride cymbals can sound thin and too brilliant tonally.
The C4 trades tonal balance for its rather impressive soundstage and imaging. It handles panning synths and layers instruments/vocals very well. Furthermore, its transients are hard & its dynamics uncompromised. The C4s bass is well tuned here - midbass is well defined and impactful but doesn't feel like it's too overwhelming or intrudes into the music. Subbass does roll of a little after the midbass but honestly I'd classify the bass as well done in BA standards.
Overall I can't say I am a fan of its tonal balance but I do think it gets other things right - namely imaging and midbass definition.
Full review coming this weekend (with full comparisons to the Universal).
You've probably seen me talk about this on other platforms! Craft Ears is a new CIEM brand hailing from Poland. They've two existing models - Craft2 and Craft4.
The Craft4 has quite an interesting configuration with 4 drivers & 4 way xover. The midrange driver is bandpassed and the tweeter is a rarely-seen sonion BA.
Some of you may have saw that I had sibilance issues with the Craft4 CIEM right at the very start. The UIEM was fine in terms of treble intensity, but the CIEM had this metallic edge and harshness to it. Yes, the CIEM does sound like it has more air to it but it was a sibilance point of mine. Had a few friends try both the UIEM and CIEM and they reported no such sibilance/harshness issues. A few days later my brain burnt in to the sibilance and the treble intensity is drastically reduced by now. YMMW.
Sonically the Craft4 is tuned for a V-shape with the recession at the lower midrange (400-1000hz). As such midrange instruments like vocals and guitars are placed a bit further back relative to toms, snares, hihats, crash/ride cymbals etc. I'd say it's more bright than it is warm.
An apparent flaw in the resulting tonal balance is the tone of the midrange. It sounds veiled when put put next to reference monitors like the SH3 & NT6. Another criticism of mine would be the thinness of its treble - hihats and crash/ride cymbals can sound thin and too brilliant tonally.
The C4 trades tonal balance for its rather impressive soundstage and imaging. It handles panning synths and layers instruments/vocals very well. Furthermore, its transients are hard & its dynamics uncompromised. The C4s bass is well tuned here - midbass is well defined and impactful but doesn't feel like it's too overwhelming or intrudes into the music. Subbass does roll of a little after the midbass but honestly I'd classify the bass as well done in BA standards.
Overall I can't say I am a fan of its tonal balance but I do think it gets other things right - namely imaging and midbass definition.
Full review coming this weekend (with full comparisons to the Universal).
dhruvmeena96
Headphoneus Supremus
Craft 4 is legit HD800 kinda sounding without lower treble sibilance and nice bass in iem(not like HD800s)
Its large in stage and image
But tuning is more about taste
As its conventional old school V-shape and more stronger on instruments and bass notes
For vocal range boost and harshness damping, use amps with high impedance output
@Jedrula1 tuned it nice for a conventional V-shape
Agree with @toranku impression
Its brilliant at last top end
Sometimes making cymbals thin but also more apparent. Songs with lot of cymbals can feel like sibilant but never messed up. I feel like I can hear different cymbal crash and its sibilance
It reminds me of HD800 in the timbre without over sharpness and lower range sibilance. Just the thinness and last end mettalic air or airy sibilance...
Its large in stage and image
But tuning is more about taste
As its conventional old school V-shape and more stronger on instruments and bass notes
For vocal range boost and harshness damping, use amps with high impedance output
@Jedrula1 tuned it nice for a conventional V-shape
Agree with @toranku impression
Its brilliant at last top end
Sometimes making cymbals thin but also more apparent. Songs with lot of cymbals can feel like sibilant but never messed up. I feel like I can hear different cymbal crash and its sibilance
It reminds me of HD800 in the timbre without over sharpness and lower range sibilance. Just the thinness and last end mettalic air or airy sibilance...
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