[OldDude04]

ABANDON ALL HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER INTO TRINITY OWNERSHIP!

 

[mbwilson111]

Well, there are new people getting into the hobby all the time and there are still some stores selling Trinity stock. Maybe this thread is still required to warn them off.

Should someone make a thread that is specifically for warning people?

 

[mbwilson111]

ABANDON ALL HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER INTO TRINITY OWNERSHIP!

I see you already made a thread title for that!

 

[bk123]

Elecom CB100 vs Artiste DC1

This is a comparison between the Elecom EPH-CB1000 and the Ariste DC1 IEMs. They are both hybrid earphones. The Elecom has a 10mm dynamic driver and a piezo (ceramic) tweeter. The Artiste DC1 has a larger 13mm dynamic driver and a 12mm ceramic HF unit. The diaphragm materials of the dynamic drivers are not specified. In each case, the dynamic and ceramic drivers are arranged coaxially. The Elecom uses detachable cables with an MMCX interface; the Artiste has a non-detachable cable. I changed the supplied cable on the Elecom for a 4-core braided silver cable from OKCSC. I used Spinfit tips (large, red bore) on the DC1 and the supplied silicone tips (medium) on the Elecom.

The comparison was carried out using the following gear: Hifiwalker H2 DAP via line out with Fiio L12 cable and a Fiio A5 amplifier. And of course, my ears! All the comments below are, of course, subjective and YMMV, as always.

To cover all aspects of the reproduction I chose three different pieces of music in different genres:

Britten: Simple Symphony 2nd Movement, “Playful Pizzicato” English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Britten. A classic Decca recording at The Maltings in Snape.

Prelude: “After the Goldrush”. A stunning a capella track with excellent sound quality perfect for evaluating vocals.

Mark Dwane: Ring of Fire” from the album “Archives”. MIDI guitarist Dwane in full flow in a track with audiophile quality and a huge dynamic range.

Bass:

The most noticeable difference between the two IEMs was in the bass. The DC1 has a powerful and extended bass with a definite lift in the sub-bass extending through to the mid-bass, leveling out before colouring the mids. The basses and cellos in the Britten piece had more impact and level, shifting the emphasis into the lower registers. The reverberation of the Snape Maltings hall was also emphasized but the sustain was shorter than on the Elecom. The CB1000 had a more natural response here, with the ambience having a more believable decay. The bass was not as lifted but more texture was discernible. The Mark Dwane track also showed up the difference between the two IEMs. The DC1 was extremely enjoyable on this track with the bass driving the music in entertaining fashion, with great depth and impact. I believe this is largely due to the larger diameter of the DC1’s bass driver. The Elecom sounded lighter on its feet with a more nimble performance, still entertaining and as before, revealing a little more detail and texture. As far as the bass goes, I would recommend the Elecom for classical music and the DC1 for electronic music.

Mids

There is less difference between the two here. Both have an open, clean and expressive midrange. On the Prelude track the separation of the different voices was excellent on the DC1. It had a slightly warmer tone which softened the transients slightly. The Elecom sounded brighter here, with the breath sounds being easier to discern and with the ability to hear the individual voices more clearly. The studio reverb was also clearer on the Elecom. On the Britten piece there was more sense of individual string instruments playing as a group, whereas the DC1 did tend to homogenise the sound here with the strings sounding a little less separated. Again, the resolution on the Elecom was superior but the DC1 was a little more forgiving or relaxing. The Mark Dwane track sounded equally good on both earphones, with all the elements of the production clear and expressive. Guitars had plenty of bite and attack and drums displayed impact very well. Honours here were more or less even, but the Elecom did reveal a few more subtle details.

Soundstage was very good on both models, with a little more width and height on the Elecom. The warmer balance of the DC1 seemed to enhance the depth of the soundstage.

Treble

With their ceramic HF units, both performed extremely well in this range, and was superior to any BA-equipped IEMs I have heard, being totally free of peaks or harshness, the sound climbing through the high frequencies to beyond audibility in a smooth linear fashion. The extension was excellent on both but once more, the Elecom was able to resolve a little more detail and texture. In the Britten piece, the harmonics on the string instruments were clearer and the texture of the bowing came over more naturally with a good reproduction of “rosin”. The treble was also a little more extended on the CB1000 with a brighter, more “live” effect and a little more “air”.


Conclusion

The overall feeling was that the Elecom has an audiophile, flatter tuning whereas the DC1 has a mild “V-shaped” signature, though not excessively so, and only really noticeable in tracks with a heavier bass. Both deserve a recommendation. I managed to get the Elecom for 49 GBP and the DC1 for 27 GBP so did very well. The DC1 certainly sounds good and is especially adept with electronic music whereas the Elecom really shows what it can do with classical music. It does have greater resolution and a more "hi-fi" sound and is, I feel, worth the extra money but it does have a lighter (or flatter) bass which may not appeal to all listeners .It also has detachable cables, enabling you to improve (or change) the sound. The DC1 is currently available on Amazon for 22.99 GBP so is a total bargain, in fact a no-brainer.

Thank you Nimweth for providing us beautifully summed up comparison of DC1 and CB1000.
I think I will pass CB1000. I like DC1; looking forward for more such value for money IEMs.

 

[Nimweth]

Thank you Nimweth for providing us beautifully summed up comparison of DC1 and CB1000.
I think I will pass CB1000. I like DC1; looking forward for more such value for money IEMs.

Thank you. I hope my piece was helpful. I feel the Elecom is a true monitor allowing you to look right into a recording whereas the DC1 is an excellent IEM with a powerful entertaining sound. I like both.

 

[hernandoco]

I think the thread is fine the way it is. If someone new were to pop in here, they're gonna wonder why there's no discussion on trinity. Surely they'll click on other pages and be blasted in the face with all that happened and nope out of here real quick.

 

[Nimweth]

Nice impression. Agree, esp. about liking the piezo's sound. Cable is good but there is more to be had there as far as clarity and transparency and even some air/space. $$ well spent for me.

I am finding the CB1000 quite fussy with regard to tips and cable. I have now fitted the largest tips supplied with the Elecom and have reverted to my 5N copper MMCX cable. The bass has improved with this combination. What are you using on yours and what would you recommend to get a bit more bass?

 

[rr12267]

My $0.02 is that this thread should be closed with a warning and discussion of iem’s taken to https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-iem-ear-bud-lounge.855661/

 

[N0he]

To those who have the PM6, what replacement cable do you recommend?

 

[Karendar]

To those who have the PM6, what replacement cable do you recommend?

Depends on if you have the PM2 or PM6... Honestly, avoid high silver content cables on the PM6, as it might increase brightness. On the PM2, might be fine. I recommend getting either an OKCSC off aliexpress if you want a cheap upgrade, otherwise EA Ares II cable is pretty nice, but a tad more expensive.

 

[bk123]

To those who have the PM6, what replacement cable do you recommend?

I would say just get an Artiste DC1 for under $50 from aliexpress and I'm sure you will forget PM6 or PM2 for forever.

 

[HungryPanda]

DC1 just over £22 on Amazon uk

 

[Nimweth]

I would say just get an Artiste DC1 for under $50 from aliexpress and I'm sure you will forget PM6 or PM2 for forever.

Ha ha! That's right. And I got my Elecom CB1000 for 50 GBP as well.

 

[dave9527]

Ha ha! That's right. And I got my Elecom CB1000 for 50 GBP as well.

I"ve got my CB1000 for JPY3990 from Amazom JP..

 

[Nimweth]

I"ve got my CB1000 for JPY3990 from Amazom JP..

Have you had a chance to try them out yet? I am using them with a different cable and Trinity Kombi tips (there, I haven't gone off thread lol). They reproduce so much detail and have a wonderful midrange. The treble is very clean and extended. The only thing I would say is they could do with a little more bass.