Low impedance just means they're easy to drive? No need for balanced, since you'd be getting all the necessary juice an d more through single ended? That's what my limited knowledge is deducing at least
Sensitivity also plays into it, but yes low impedance is generally easier to drive. However the output impedance of your source comes into play, generally the transducer impedance should be at least 8x the output impedance of the source otherwise the sound can be altered. Balanced OI is generally higher than SE on a given source so in that sense SE might be preferable to balanced in these cases, yes.
Low impedance just means they're easy to drive? No need for balanced, since you'd be getting all the necessary juice an d more through single ended? That's what my limited knowledge is deducing at least
Canon is extremely easy to drive, which may create a problem with some of the more powerful amps, regardless of their output impedance.
Most amps operate best in the middle range of their power (let's say between 20% and 80%). So if the earphone is too easy to drive, such powerful amp may produce suboptimal results.
Canon is extremely easy to drive, which may create a problem with some of the more powerful amps, regardless of their output impedance.
Most amps operate best in the middle range of their power (let's say between 20% and 80%). So if the earphone is too easy to drive, such powerful amp may produce suboptimal results.
Nope. The issue will be background (thermal) noise at low volume or clipping at high volume. Anything in between should be a nonissue. To know about that 8-1 ratio for response, you really need to see the entire impedance curve of a multi driver device since earphones are measured at a single frequency or even near DC. The # is generally not given as a minimum impedance. As an aside, single DDs do not suffer from frequency related impedance issues but can still exhibit less control due to lack of damping factor.
You could have a multi driver earphone with a flat impedance curve only be 4 times the output impedance and not have any significant response issues. Lots of variables to consider.
Nope. The issue will be background (thermal) noise at low volume or clipping at high volume. Anything in between should be a nonissue. To know about that 8-1 ratio for response, you really need to see the entire impedance curve of a multi driver device since earphones are measured at a single frequency or even near DC. The # is generally not given as a minimum impedance. As an aside, single DDs do not suffer from frequency related impedance issues but can still exhibit less control due to lack of damping factor.
You could have a multi driver earphone with a flat impedance curve only be 4 times the output impedance and not have any significant response issues. Lots of variables to consider.
"Nope"?
I didn't even mention the impedance match, don't know why you are trying to win an argument nobody started yet.
I was talking only about the ratio between amp's max power, and the power actually needed for Canon.
Canon only needs 2mW to reach extremely loud 130 dB SPL:
If you have an amp that can drive 200mW into 8Ohm, that would mean that it will have to operate within the first 1% of its range - not all amps will provide a high quality signal there. You wouldn't expect an amp to provide the best SQ at 99% volume - the extremes are usually problematic.
There are exceptions. O2 can drive 633mW into 33Ohm, so it can probably drive even more into 8Ohm.
And yet, it sounds wonderful in high gain even coming from a 2VRMS DAC like Khadas.
Sure, there isn't much wiggle room with volume, but I can leave with this.
Because of its extremely high sensitivity, Canon can be very amp-picky, not every amp will have synergy with it.
You can try working around this issue by using DACs with a variable output, or with lower than 2VRMS constant output (OPPO HA-2 has 1VRMS).
Impedance match won't be a big issue for Canon, most decent amps have an output impedance under 1Ohm (O2 is 0.5Ohm).
Yanyin Canon impressions (and comparisons with Tripowin x HBB Olina and LETSHUOER S12)
Context
I had been eyeing an "end-game" set for some time before taking the leap and purchasing the Canon (note: end-game for my budget). I really enjoyed the Aladdin, which is a 1 DD + 3 BA set, but felt it was time to upgrade. A shout-out to @rattlingblanketwoman and HBB who took the plunge before me and shared their impressions with the community. When I received the Canon, I had already sold my Aladdin, which is why I am only including comparisons to the Olina (with some against the S12 as a bonus).
- Yanyin Canon: 1DD (10 mm biocellulose vs 9.2 mm from Aladdin, according to Penon) + 4BA (presumed Knowles; different BA models to Aladdin, according to Penon). SE cable + stock tips.
- Tripowin x HBB Olina: modded with O2 filter + Y4 filter on front vent. SE cable + kbear07 tips.
- LETSHUOER S12: modded with Y4 filter on front vent. SE cable + Final E tips
- Sources: Qudelix & ifi Zen DAC. Using Y-splitter to A/B for comparisons. Spotify (highest resolution offered).
- Bought myself. RRP 349 USD at time of writing
- Ok, no one wants to start reading a review with a QC issue, and I'm being fairly nit-picky about this, but at 349 USD, it's not loose change, so I will critique Yanyin. My Canon shell faceplates have small bubbles (see example in image below, blue arrow). Minor, but also avoidable if they were careful with the resin moulding
- The stock cable is really nice, BUT the 2pin connector is very long and acts as big levers that add strain to the connection (red circle). I swapped to a **** cable with shorter 2pin connectors.
- Otherwise, the Canon fit me like a glove. I had the same with the Aladdin, so their shell shape must really jive with me. Passive isolation is very good.
General impressions
The Canon has 3 tuning switches per channel that actually do something (~2-3 dB increase; check out HBB or other people's graphs that I shared in this post: https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/yanyin-audio-canon/33973/2). This means there are 8 different combinations to choose from, which is a great feature but a nightmare for reviewing. For the sake of my time and simplicity, I have settled on 010 (so mids boosted) for the rest of the impressions and comparisons. Why? I found 000 to be fun but a little too much bass for me - female vocals like Adele and Agnes Noble were slightly recessed when the songs had drums/guitar tracks. It wasn't always an issue, but personally I prefer 010 for general listening, and 110 if I want a more fun bassy sound.
Overall, the Canon sounds amazing. Bass extends very deep, has excellent rumble and impact, and has a great organic sound. It's not fast like planars, but it adds musicality to the bass. Mids are forward with 010 tuning, no issues there. Treble is also well-extended without any sibilance. I wrote down two observations over and over again:
1. Cymbals sound delicious. So clear, so holographic.
2. Bass hits *hard*
The Canon has a decent stage, but the sounds are dense within that volume - good note-weight plus good imaging and layering bring out intimacy (from the vocalist) yet nice reverb/echo and placement of instruments. The Canon sounds like it has Oxygen-like bass (note: I sold my Oxygen prior to getting the Canon, but I do have the Olina and am basing my thoughts on the extensive A/Bing I did with the Olina and the Oxygen), and imaging that is better than the Olina.
I couldn't find any faults with the timbre apart from the upper registers of the violin, which sometimes sounded a bit plastic-y. I don't know how obvious this would be to others, so YMMV.
Detailed impressions with songs & comparisons with the Olina and S12
[Politely](https://open.spotify.com/track/2wYcFlIcbj0Aw1Jsek5jjS?si=9aeb2568337241b7)
Canon: good slam, **cymbals are delicious, clear, ringing / reverb**. Good slam on bass. 35 s with drums intro - very good bass extension
Olina: Cymbals less holographic, more deadpan; separation not as good (Canon very clear left for bass, right for piano until 1 min)
[Rosita](https://open.spotify.com/track/3tzOXO0tEqbI4SCrSDhZ4J?si=d3271db0ac3d4a52)
Canon vs Olina: Canon better depth in stage but Olina slightly wider. Better echo/reverb; more bass; timbre similar. Canon has more note-weight than the Olina, so the saxophone sounds more full
[Swashers](https://open.spotify.com/track/5IqjAH2ynF7320IVnqfjlT?si=38514caaa7f54b3e)
Canon: nicely holographic intro first 50 sec with female voice; deep bass at 1'10.
Olina: more pillowy bass; imaging of female voice not as good. Stage wide but less height.
[TAL](https://open.spotify.com/track/4fpga33olXbMMjZMkHFGrg?si=ceb1c6d57e0747d6)
Canon: heavier note-weight. As good timbre as Olina. Width about same, possibly narrower. Similar height. Canon bass slams harder.
[Winter 1](https://open.spotify.com/track/1jWQ4n73jdT7y9gR2VHu0g?si=33ab0b65782944b5)
Canon: more holographic; violins' upper register sounds a bit plastic; 1'33 double bass comes in with more slam.
Olina: good timbre (violins, harpsichord), good air
[My same](https://open.spotify.com/track/7pbQxZifd3jTQ2MJuAOoSh?si=d87d2e5ffdef4f96)
Canon: Finger snaps clearer; better layering 1' when drums kick in, it's behind Adele but still audible. Drums slam more. Guitar sounds nice. No sibilance
Olina: Thoughts based on comparisons to Canon 000 to illustrate recessed mids. Voice a bit more forward than Canon 000; guitar not overpowering Adele. 1': drums bit more interfering with Adele than Canon 000. These issues were mitigated with Canon 010.
[The curse](https://open.spotify.com/track/7hiY7fVxa0LEUeUP4F4ReR?si=1dfa323126944a5f)
Olina: Agnes voice wide, holographic. Good timbre on strings
Canon: Holographic voice; Good layering, voice nicely forward
[Nowicaresomemore](https://open.spotify.com/track/2gXYLIrLrHVViRCnbh8kCQ?si=cf4403786691463c)
Canon: Imaging is better than Olina. Holographic. Good depth
Olina: wide stage; good height; male vocals sounds lighter, less full-bodied
Brief comparison against the S12
[Cherry](https://open.spotify.com/track/5k44yc5bXO1XRedzjaugdQ?si=84d250dca59045f8)
Canon bass not as fast but more note-weight. Deeper extension. Stage taller and deeper. Male vocals more forward. Detail similar.
[The curse](https://open.spotify.com/track/7hiY7fVxa0LEUeUP4F4ReR?si=1dfa323126944a5f)
S12: good width and height. Bow tapping clear. Good cello timbre. Violin sounds a bit thin
Canon: deeper, more echo/reverb. Bow tapping clear. Timbre ok here.
Conclusion
It's difficult to find faults with the Canon because it is better than anything I've listened to until now. Sure, I could try to compare with my Sundara, but that will really be apples to oranges! So based on the IEMs I have and my music tastes, the Canon is excellent. The tuning switches make the Canon a great all-rounder - I can essentially apply a hardware-based EQ to fit my mood. More bass? 110. More mids? 010. More treble and air? 001. Yanyin knows how to tune, so you start with a solid foundation, then you can customise to your tastes - what more can you ask for? (I mean, you could upgrade the individual components and throw in more drivers maybe...but not sure I need to one-up the Canon for a good long time!)
As always, thanks for reading, and happy listening
If you have an amp that can drive 200mW into 8Ohm, that would mean that it will have to operate within the first 1% of its range - not all amps will provide a high quality signal there. You wouldn't expect an amp to provide the best SQ at 99% volume - the extremes are usually problematic.
There are exceptions. O2 can drive 633mW into 33Ohm, so it can probably drive even more into 8Ohm.
And yet, it sounds wonderful in high gain even coming from a 2VRMS DAC like Khadas.
Sure, there isn't much wiggle room with volume, but I can leave with this.
Because of its extremely high sensitivity, Canon can be very amp-picky, not every amp will have synergy with it.
You can try working around this issue by using DACs with a variable output, or with lower than 2VRMS constant output (OPPO HA-2 has 1VRMS).
Impedance match won't be a big issue for Canon, most decent amps have an output impedance under 1Ohm (O2 is 0.5Ohm).
Tell me one good reason why a stronger amp won't deliver good performance at low levels outside of potentially having a higher noise floor which I very clearly pointed out (thermal noise). Damping factor is the same and distortion will still be below audibility. Your tables are correct but don't address what I said at all. Ease of use is another issue but most amps do not "operate best in the middle range of their power (let's say between 20% and 80%)" They continue to show inaudible distortion at lower volumes until the noise floor becomes more dominant or higher volumes until their limits are exceeded. Since 'most' decent amps have an output impedance below one ohm, it's good for others to know there's still a number that don't, like tube or resistor coupled. Plenty of those still floating about in use or even for sale. For instance, a current AK320 DAP has a single ended output impedance of 2 ohms. Impedance was mentioned because it was in the post you responded to... that I responded to.
There's a reason DAPs have different gain settings. Unless the noise floor is too high for the efficiency of a transducer, there is absolutely no other detriment to using a higher power amp of equal quality. Period. Amps do not have poorer performance at low playback levels unless the noise floor is objectionable which is what I stated in the post you seem to be offended by. It's just correct information for others that read these threads. Don't take it personal. Not looking to 'win' anything and will not comment on this again to prove it. Not the contest you're making this.
Properly designed amps work well anywhere within their designed range of operation, from noise floor to clipping. Don't fall into either of those and you're good to go if you have fine enough control of volume level.
So I just got the Canon and while soundwise Im really enjoying it I cannot listen for more than 30 minutes without my ears feeling like they are going to pop. I'm not sure if it's lack of ventilation or my ear anatomy but the pressure build up is too great for me to actually enjoy these IEMs. If I use foam tips the issue goes away but then I have issues with sound quality.
Has anyone else experienced this and if so how did you resolve it? I'm thinking modding the vent cover but I would prefer not to do anything none reversible
So I just got the Canon and while soundwise Im really enjoying it I cannot listen for more than 30 minutes without my ears feeling like they are going to pop. I'm not sure if it's lack of ventilation or my ear anatomy but the pressure build up is too great for me to actually enjoy these IEMs. If I use foam tips the issue goes away but then I have issues with sound quality.
Has anyone else experienced this and if so how did you resolve it? I'm thinking modding the vent cover but I would prefer not to do anything none reversible
Hey, not sure if you're on hifiguides since someone asked a similar question there, but if that's not you, then here are some options:
1. Foamies: can help to reduce pressure build-up
2. Poking small holes at the top of your silicone tips using a needle
3. Getting shallower insertion using larger tips (you might be getting too good of a seal)
The Canon is vented and the vent mesh looks pretty coarse to me, so I don't think poking holes there would help.
Hey, not sure if you're on hifiguides since someone asked a similar question there, but if that's not you, then here are some options:
1. Foamies: can help to reduce pressure build-up
2. Poking small holes at the top of your silicone tips using a needle
3. Getting shallower insertion using larger tips (you might be getting too good of a seal)
The Canon is vented and the vent mesh looks pretty coarse to me, so I don't think poking holes there would help.
I can confirm, as a follower of Yaoyaotiger store, that there is a 16% discount on Canon, and that's before applying @BenF's coupon.
Just a word of caution with Yaoyaotiger - people here know my stance on this seller (it's been 28 days since they said they shipped and still haven't arrived), but I won't muddy the waters here. Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss.
I bought a timeless from Yaoyaotiger back before anyone had one, it took the LONGEST to arrive of any product I have ever bought from aliexpress, I mean like 54 days I think and im in the USA and I have placed like 60 orders with aliexpress in the past ( since I do reviews ) oh and it said DEMO UNIT on the side of it as well with a giant sticker, that is def not standard LOL. I ordered the 4.4 and they sent me a 3.5 also. Did I mention they forgot to include the KZ EDX I also ordered but was on the bill and receipt? now days , linsoul and hifigo and penon also carry Yanyin, ( I got my aladdin from penon but they have slow shipping ) linsoul and hifigo are super fast.
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