[HiFiHawaii808]

I tried to share here but Head-Fi was down, audio46 had received a stock of EXT available for online purchase but they seem to be on back order now.



Hmmm, for stuff like Metallica I'd say the EXT will pull ahead with its more natural and weighted instrument timbre as well as male vocal presentation. For EDM the X definitely shines there. If possible I'd do EXT, Evo, and X. I feel the X is just a "better" version of the Odin, the EXT will offer you the most realistic and weighted mid range of them all, imo, and then you'll get that awesome bass from the Evo.

On paper, I think EXT, EVO and X would be my TOTL trifecta.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I've settled on a one TOTL IEM policy. So if it betters what I have, cost isn't that much of a factor. Getting to listen to two at the same time - that's the challenge. I'm not into collecting IEMs.

I can't do that. It would be like having a one restaurant policy. You can only eat at one restaurant until you find one you like better. I can't do it. I need variety.

 

[armstrj2]

I can't do that. It would be like having a one restaurant policy. You can only eat at one restaurant until you find one you like better. I can't do it. I need variety.

Agreed but the 1 totl policy is probably more driven by affordability rather than a desire to only have one in your collection.

 

[jwbrent]

I can't do that. It would be like having a one restaurant policy. You can only eat at one restaurant until you find one you like better. I can't do it. I need variety.

I fully agree. No matter how good an iem is, I need to change it up with others in my collection so I can appreciate the nuances that separate them all.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Agreed but the 1 totl policy is probably more driven by affordability rather than a desire to only have one in your collection.

There are so many good midfi IEMs right now that if budget were an issue, I would rather have a collection of midfi than a single TOTL.

 

[Barra]

I'm quite curious about this part as I think electronic music really demands a high degree of speed, a quality that EXT doesn't possess. Do you notice any lagging when using EXT in fast-tempo tracks?

Remember, the EXT has two bass drivers, a 9.2mm for sub and a 6mm for mids. What I hear is the best of both worlds with a very fast mid-bass (6mm) and a nice natural-sounding decay on the way low rumble and it goes deep and powerful down low. I love EDM and the EXT sounds great on it. Much of the EDM is handled by the 6mm in the mid-bass, but when the sub-bass is called for it really kicks - otherwise it is dead silent. I consider the EXT very transparent become I am currently comparing to the Phonix which is more tube-like romantic. However, the EXT is not bright in any sense so I see how people can say it is warm. However, the EXT has a perceived space between instruments that feels transparent and studio. In the Phonix which has greater space, it is a smoke-filled room with lots of ambiance, almost a live feel.

 

[Barra]

I would like to ask you guys:
EXT's strengths obviously lie in the area of EDM (and hard rock/heavy metal?) due to the contributions in this thread.
how does the EXT perform with classical music, jazz and adjacent music genres?
Or might the A18s (an ciem I'm thinking about for quiet a long time) better suited to my preferred music genres?
Has someone of you an idea of how they compare to each other?

I love my custom a18 and it has great versatility with interchangeable modules, but the EXT is at another level. I don't think you can go wrong with either, but the price should reflect the performance gap.

 

[Barra]

I'd love to but I don't think @Barra or @Wildcatsare1 will entertain a South African AudioTiers side tour EVO vs EXT would make a for an epic Deathmatch review for the ages.

Whenever we discuss expanding outside the US, even Canada, we run into shipping/customs issues, sorry. Raz is working on Europe, perhaps....

 

[Barra]

I used to be a DD bass or bust type of person. But, over time, I have learned to love the coherence and big picture presentation that BAs provide. It manifests itself in monitors like U12t, VE8 and Traillii. They sound so good that their sound profile cannot be dismissed simply by one variable in bass speed. Whenever I A/B test DD drivers vs BA drivers, the DD always wins by a significant margin. But, when I A/B test the overall sound presentation, the DDs do not always win, in fact, it's pretty even.

I really like the Helios. I liked it better than the U12t.

Wait until you hear the EXT vs. the Phonix in the tour. I want to like the new tribrid tech more, but the BA-only Phonix is as good as the ERL and is certainly not beat by the EXT. I love them both and will miss the ERL now that it is discontinued.

 

[aaf evo]

Wait until you hear the EXT vs. the Phonix in the tour. I want to like the new tribrid tech more, but the BA-only Phonix is as good as the ERL and is certainly not beat by the EXT. I love them both and will miss the ERL now that it is discontinued.

I want a Phonix now too, Erlkonig on setting #2 was such an incredible listen. I don't think I'll be able to resist once they start becoming available. Lol.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Whenever we discuss expanding outside the US, even Canada, we run into shipping/customs issues, sorry. Raz is working on Europe, perhaps....

Yeah, shipping in the USA is so cheap relative to international. I just bought a cable from someone outside the USA and the shipping alone cost me $66. With the USPS flat rate shipping, you can ship a cable from anywhere in the USA to anywhere in the USA for under $10 USD and that comes with $50 insurance coverage and tracking. You can get a signature guarantee for delivery as well for a small fee.

Outside of the USA you have to deal with Customs declaration forms and the prospect of taxes due and there isn't a consistent way to ensure signatures to confirm delivery. That puts the seller or shipper at risk.

That's before you even deal with currency exchange rates, transaction fees by credit card companies and merchant processor fees.

It's great that we are a global business with global customers, but there are still significant barriers to trade.

 

[Tristy]

... I feel the X is just a "better" version of the Odin...

Blasphemy!!

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Wait until you hear the EXT vs. the Phonix in the tour. I want to like the new tribrid tech more, but the BA-only Phonix is as good as the ERL and is certainly not beat by the EXT. I love them both and will miss the ERL now that it is discontinued.

That's why I didn't preorder the EXT. I need to hear both the EXT and Phonix to decide which one to purchase. I really hope I don't need to buy both of them.

 

[gLer]

So much to unpack here!

what type of music do you listen to and what are you wanting from the iem exactly? You can’t go wrong with either but they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

What would you say are EXT's weaknesses? FWIW my main 'genres':

1. Female singer/songwriter (indie, pop, dream pop, synth pop, folk, alternative) by a large margin
2. 80s pop (synth-based mostly)
3. Classic progressive (Pink Floyd, Eagles, Jethro Tull)
4. Soundtracks and epic music
5. Classic 'rock' (Queen, Def Leppard)
6. Electronic (including EDM)
7. Female vocal jazz (occasionally)

On paper, I think EXT, EVO and X would be my TOTL trifecta.

Way too much overlap for me. That's many thousands of dollars getting very little ear time in rotation.

I can't do that. It would be like having a one restaurant policy. You can only eat at one restaurant until you find one you like better. I can't do it. I need variety.

Not quite, but then I'm not a big fan of variety when it comes to gear. The variety I get from the music. I don't need to hear Lana Del Rey with 10% variation in treble and bass, and a TOTL IEM should be able to play the majority of my library with TOTL SQ. I have a preferred sound and can happily stick to that forever. New music gets released weekly after all. Mind you I can also eat the same favourite food day in and out, so YMMV and all that.

Agreed but the 1 totl policy is probably more driven by affordability rather than a desire to only have one in your collection.

Very true, but even cost no object I would still personally consider it gratuitous to collect multiple kilobuck IEMs that are shades of each other, without begrudging anyone else the right and enjoyment to do so. I'd just much rather spread the spend on other stuff too, like vacations, AV gear and other interests. But you're right, I only have the budget for one TOTL, and it doesn't phase me at all because of the above.

There are so many good midfi IEMs right now that if budget were an issue, I would rather have a collection of midfi than a single TOTL.

Been there done that. Nothing worse than wallowing in mid-fi hell (with all due respect to the 'good' midrange IEMs out there). Once you've heard the best, just good isn't good enough.

Whenever we discuss expanding outside the US, even Canada, we run into shipping/customs issues, sorry. Raz is working on Europe, perhaps....

Customs isn't an issue, but shipping costs definitely are. Looking at $80-$100 one way via DHL, which is really the only way to get stuff here reliably.

 

[Shecky504]

For those of you looking for the elusive Erlkonig, I am letting go of my LE Erlkonig with 4 extra faceplate varieties. PM me if interested, I plan to list in the classifieds soon.