[SleazyC]

Have mailed the headphones out to @shenshengkafei and PM'd him the tracking number.

 

[shenshengkafei]

Received tour kits from @SleazyC, did not have a chance to listen to them yet. They are in good shape.

 

[shenshengkafei]

Sent tour kits to @highwind2008 yesterday. PMed the tracking number.

Big thank to Barra for hosting this. Appreciate it!

 

[Barra]

Sent tour kits to @highwind2008 yesterday. PMed the tracking number.

Big thank to Barra for hosting this. Appreciate it!

No problem, glad everyone is enjoying these wonderful CIEMs.

 

[highwind2008]

Received tour kit from @shenshengkafei today. The tips would come in later from a separate package.
The two ciems seems to be in good shape.

 

[highwind2008]

Sent tour kit to @muffins And pmed tracking.
Impressions would come in later.

 

[muffins]

Package received, everything looks well and in order Time to listen. Hype!

 

[highwind2008]

Big thanks to CustomArt, really appreciate the opportunity to test the two great IEMs.

I spent more than 10 hours listening to a few pieces of music I loved with both earphones and using my old Fitear F111 (AK version) as a comparison. I used a Fiio X5ii, Coax digital output to Chord Mojo, and a Questyle QP1R direct PO. Here are my impressions (Not a native English speaker, therefore I am not able to use fancy words to describe all my feelings).

First off, these are the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. The designed contour is easy to fit into my ear canal. Harmony 8.2 and Ei.XX have similar sound signature, slightly to the darker side comparing to F111. They both have great bass and terrific sound stage, richer than the F111.

Harmony 8.2 is obviously a flagship, surpassed F111 in almost all aspects: sound stage, richness, bass and dynamics. It is very balanced and neutral, performs amazingly well for the hifi tracks of large orchestral work with wide range of dynamics (for example, Exotic Dances from Opera). I got the feeling of a large over the head headphone with this small IEM, very enjoyable. The only little thing I would love it to improve is the sharpness, or resolution at the mid and high end.

Ei.XX, like it should be, is most impressive on the richness of bass. At the same time, it does not lose the balanced performance on the mid and high. The sound signature is very similar to Harmony 8.2, although the sound stage feels slightly narrower. When playing large orchestral works with high dynamics, the speed is a little limited than Harmony 8.2. Comparing to F111, I feel the mid and high end is not as bright, a trades off due to the strong bass, I tried Ei.XX for the Antophone Blues (SACD) for the performance of bass, it feels better than F111.

 

[flashbak]

Hi Barra, I'm located in Phoenix, AZ and would like to participate in this tour. I promise to adhere to the rules specified.

 

[Barra]

Hi Barra, I'm located in Phoenix, AZ and would like to participate in this tour. I promise to adhere to the rules specified.

Added

 

[piotrus-g]

Big thanks to CustomArt, really appreciate the opportunity to test the two great IEMs.

I spent more than 10 hours listening to a few pieces of music I loved with both earphones and using my old Fitear F111 (AK version) as a comparison. I used a Fiio X5ii, Coax digital output to Chord Mojo, and a Questyle QP1R direct PO. Here are my impressions (Not a native English speaker, therefore I am not able to use fancy words to describe all my feelings).

First off, these are the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used. The designed contour is easy to fit into my ear canal. Harmony 8.2 and Ei.XX have similar sound signature, slightly to the darker side comparing to F111. They both have great bass and terrific sound stage, richer than the F111.

Harmony 8.2 is obviously a flagship, surpassed F111 in almost all aspects: sound stage, richness, bass and dynamics. It is very balanced and neutral, performs amazingly well for the hifi tracks of large orchestral work with wide range of dynamics (for example, Exotic Dances from Opera). I got the feeling of a large over the head headphone with this small IEM, very enjoyable. The only little thing I would love it to improve is the sharpness, or resolution at the mid and high end.

Ei.XX, like it should be, is most impressive on the richness of bass. At the same time, it does not lose the balanced performance on the mid and high. The sound signature is very similar to Harmony 8.2, although the sound stage feels slightly narrower. When playing large orchestral works with high dynamics, the speed is a little limited than Harmony 8.2. Comparing to F111, I feel the mid and high end is not as bright, a trades off due to the strong bass, I tried Ei.XX for the Antophone Blues (SACD) for the performance of bass, it feels better than F111.

Hey! Thank you for your listening impressions. Highly appreciate it and I'm super glad you enjoyed the IEMs!

PS: If you guys want to learn about our new technology - FIBAE - I encourage you to visit here: https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/customart-fibae-impressions-thread.854355/
We will be looking to start a FIBAE US tour soon, so stay tuned!

 

[ngoshawk]

Hi @Barra, I'm located in Warrensburg, MO and would like to participate in this tour. I adhere to the rules specified. Thank you!

 

[highwind2008]

Hey! Thank you for your listening impressions. Highly appreciate it and I'm super glad you enjoyed the IEMs!

PS: If you guys want to learn about our new technology - FIBAE - I encourage you to visit here: https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/customart-fibae-impressions-thread.854355/
We will be looking to start a FIBAE US tour soon, so stay tuned!

I'm excited!!!
I am in !

 

[muffins]

So after a few days, I gotta say, it's been an interesting relationship with these headphones. I will be honest, at first the degree to which the Harmonys were different from anything else I have heard (and being my first balanced armature headphones as well) was surprising. I didn't like them much at first, but I've grown to love them quickly. Though it was up and down getting to this point, I really really like the sound these give off. I haven't given the Ei.XX much time, but they'll get love in a little bit. Full impressions and semi review coming soon.

 

[muffins]

So, after much listening and writing, I finally present to you: my review! It's my first, so take that into consideration

Spoiler: Review

Loving Harmony


It really feels like a week is an inadequate amount of time to write a review, especially of something as subjective as sound. And it can take months or years to train your ears to discern all the nuances of audio, something I don't feel I've come close to achieving yet. But you know... music is wonderful. So wonderful that after hearing the flagship CIEM from CustomArt I felt compelled to write about what I heard, because these really are like nothing I've put in or on my ears, and that's something worth sharing.


So strap in, we're about to be buried 8.2 feet deep.


The First Date


I'll be straight with you, I'm a bit of a subjective objectivist. I like to be grounded in reality; but I won't be running through all kinds of measurements, number crunching, or comparing the specs and outputs of my gear trying to match what's best. Mostly because I don't understand any of that well enough to do it anyway, or have the equipment or software or money for it xD


But I digress. I've spent about 6 or so hours with the Harmonys, and it's been an interesting time. Overall impressions weren't great at first, and I wasn't blown away or even really happy with the sound. Naturally, this put a frown on my face. Surely something this well received and regarded had more to offer? I had read all the reviews on Head-Fi, read others thoughts and impressions, and agreed that it's signature in theory lined up with my tastes very well. So what was wrong? The details were there. Check. Smooth top end? Check. Sub bass that still makes me tingle? Check number three. Well, honestly I don't know exactly why I didn't immediately love them, but I think it was a few things. These are my first BA driver headphones, and I think I'm really used to a more V shaped signature. Plus, I'm familiar with the little nuances and differences in Bass, fairly acquainted with how Treble sounds, but I have a hard time with Mids. They seem to be the most delicate part of the frequency, and the hardest to pin down. To me, I feel like Mids are overshadowed by the Bass and Treble because those both grab your attention, but you can lose some mid presence and it not be the end of the world. So I’ve been conditioned to like a certain sound.

And perhaps it’s because of that that it was a bad idea to make the first music I listened to the Electronic kind, something I consider even now to be their only real weakness (more on this later). My first reference track is a favorite of mine, and it was missing something. It was missing warmth, I was missing it’s thickness that made it such a cozy and intimate song. I listened and listened, but no matter how I heard it, it was wrong. I know this song and exactly what it should sound like, and this concerned me. So after trying unsuccessfully to wrap my head around what I was hearing I moved on. To some more EDM. Yeah yeah I know, sue me. And you know what, I was struck by the power of the sub bass these otherwise polite headphones had. In fact, the tightness of the slam was reminiscent of Planar drivers, something which I found simply awesome. And as I went through my EDM, the tracks with more sub bass were a lovely listen that more than made up for the lack of a more traditional mid bass bump in the tuning. But there were still things that sounded off, a little sterile and lifeless. I mentioned earlier that surely these had to have more to offer. And boy oh boy did they truly have a surprise for me!


Being A Middle Child


So after becoming increasingly more confused, I realized that I needed to put on something that would cater to the Harmony’s strengths, not all the easy listening electronic music I find myself putting on. So I went straight to my FLAC rip of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (which I continue to find is a great reference album) and threw on Get Lucky and… And OH MY GOODNESS. There it was. The gentle caress of the guitar, Pharrell’s breathy vocals, and the clapping of hands accompanying the incredibly toe-tapping beat, in detail I hadn’t heard out of this song before. It was all there in spades, with a deep soundstage to top it off to boot. Sometimes we audiophiles like to get a little preachy and wax poetic about the liquid gold pouring into our ears from our equipment, and it often gets a little too over the top. But I am serious when I say I knew what I was hearing was special. I have never heard instruments rendered with such body and clarity, such detail and love. I could hear every breath coming from Pharrell, and even the spit in the back of his mouth as he began to sing. The claps of hands and the snaps of fingers were spatially on point, and sounded like they were in the room with me. I haven’t been this struck by a song in quite some time. And it got me excited! So onto Alison Kruass, and yup sweet and beautifully rendered. Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Raiders? Sure, Bluegrass never sounded so right. No Doubt? Depeche Mode? Sting? Dan Gibson? Even Linkin Park? Every song had something new to offer. And the more I listened the more the resolving nature of the Harmonys came to the fore. Their detail retrieval is top notch and rivals any headphone I have heard to date - In ear or otherwise.


Falling In Love


So it was about this point that I fell into a comfortable relationship with the headphones. Everything I listened to just sounded right and natural. Nothing ever felt missing, and I enjoyed my music experience more than I have in a while. So… I took them to lunch, just the two of us. And as I sat in a local Pizza restaurant/bar that I frequent, I got to see how they would fare in a crowded environment. Isolation was very good, and once the music was playing the talking and TV’s were barely audible. So, sitting there sipping on a lovely coffee porter and listening to some tracks, it occurred to me. “Man.. It’s going to be hard to give these up. They’re everything I’ve wanted in a portable listening experience. They’re kind of perfect.” And I think that’s what a headphone should try to be to the extent possible, something that makes you love your music even more. And I have nothing but praise for Piotr Granicki for making something so enjoyable. Hats off to you Because, as I’ve kind of alluded to, the 8.2 Harmonys remind me of a really good date. They’re never harsh and always happy to just be around with you. Oh, you wanna go listen to a classical concert? Sure, I’d love to. You’re into 80’s music? Me too! You have a guilty pleasure for Taylor swift? Don’t worry, I won’t judge you


Comparisons


I’m really only going to compare these to what came in the box - the Ei.XX. I just don’t have time to do more, so bear with me.


The XX have a V shaped signature to my ears, and coming from the Harmonys to the XX is a night and day difference, the most obvious one being their bump in bass. Extension is very good, but to my ears the 8.2 dig just a little bit deeper and have the slightest boost in sub bass over the XX, while the XX have more mid bass that sounds almost like a dynamic driver but faster. The 8.2 have less impact and immediate slam, but make up for this loss in the tightness of the bass that kicks a little better to me. However, drums on the XX have a slight edge in tone and realism due to this mid bass, as long as they aren’t too prominent which does tend to happen - the trade away some of that realism for fun. As far as mids go it’s no contest at all. The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids much per se, but they are too relaxed and recessed while the 8.2 are nothing but sweetness and candy. Point for the Harmonys. And yes, there is more treble but it’s still well behaved and was never fatiguing in any of my listening while still providing satisfying air and bite. The soundstage was wider than the 8.2 which could sound impressive on some tracks, but it lacks the depth to dig into, and falls short here as well; Whereas the 8.2 has depth and sounds more natural in its imaging. And as a final point, I will say the most surprising aspect of the XX is their detail retrieval. I didn’t expect them to be able to show off a more technical nature, but color more impressed. The problem is the bass kind of gets in the way, and I found the details there but almost hidden. It makes you go looking for all those little bits but the 8.2 are far more upfront in this category, showing off with their prowess.


I like the Ei.XX, and they are definitely the best V shaped IEM I have heard, bringing a bassy subtleness that I found likable and familiar. But to me, it’s not even close. The 8.2 Harmonys win in almost every department. There’s a reason they’re TOTL. But at half the price, I figured there would be some differences, and to my ears the Ei.XX deliver great sound worthy of a daily driver. But for those who want more, the 8.2 Harmony is easily the better of the two, and I will continue to save up my pennies so I can eventually purchase my own.


All You Need Is Love… Or Harmony


So, at the time of writing I only have a few more days to enjoy the demo units. Then let’s summarize shall we? Overall, I can’t recommend the 8.2 Harmony more. It has everything I wanted and little I didn’t. But this wouldn’t be a review (or Head-Fi for that matter) without a little nitpicking. EDM is still their only real weakness in my opinion. For those that enjoy the warmth and thickness that is often present in electronic music, I do offer a warning: You very well might lose some of this. Not on every song, but many of them. The added clarity and mid centric tuning might sound off to you like it did to me at first. In fact there was at least one time where the vocals were already mixed forward in the song, so the Harmonys pushed it even further forwards making for a disjointed listen. Also, despite the depth of the soundstage being very good in my opinion, and while I prefer depth over width, I prefer both depth and width if i can have it. The staging doesn’t stretch very far to the left or right, and once in awhile things can sound a little close. I did experience a hissing noise floor out of my HTC One M9 almost constantly, as well as my Magni 2 Uber at anything above more than 25-30 percent volume (my Ipod touch actually performed the best in this regard with virtually no hiss) And finally, there were a few times - not many - where I really did miss some of the bite of cymbals crashing or the intensity of higher pitched strings due to the rolled off treble.


But I don’t want to overemphasize the cons, because they really are very minor overall. The speed of BA drivers continues to impress me, dynamics were fantastic, sub bass is a delight, mids are wonderful and easily the best part of the headphone, it has details in spades, and the music sounds harmonious. And you know what? That’s exactly what I wanted ^_^