IEM general discussion thread

for tip rollers ... the "triple comfort" tips that sony recently launched along their new hybrid iems are really good, they use what they call silicone foam which is similar to the shure olives in texture ... can't really comment on the sound yet as i auditioned them as part of the hybrid N3AP, but the comfort level is remarkable compared to spiral dots, spin fits rivialing shure olives to me.

http://soundvalkyrie.net/?p=1015

 

Apologize if this has already been discussed here (did a search and didn't see anything) but looks like ADEL is now doing an Indiegogo campaign for their ADEL Drum (get this) "Bionic Earbuds".

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/adel-drum-bionic-earbuds-music-headphones#/

Comes in 10mm and 11mm DD versions as well as a hybrid with 11mm DD and BA.

I still wonder why existing companies really see the need to do something like an Indiegogo campaign and use hype like the "bionic" term to help sell their wares.

Sounds like the Drums are also more of an open design and not being isolating they'd leak a lot, which would be a deal-breaker for me for portable use.

Interested to see some real reviews.

Cheers

 

Unique melody is launching a Planar Magnetic IEM, both custom and universal with an ambient type vent.

https://www.facebook.com/1458246054...4421.145824605434429/1566433503373525/?type=3

 

Nice. 22mm driver... Very nice.

 

Looks like it uses ADEL's cousin, Margie.

 

High opinion of Unique Melody, here. The Martian turned out fantastic. Optimistic that they might be able to do something pretty cool with this tech.

 

They had some growing pains a few years ago but it seems they are now making a huge comeback, there v2 CIEM's are pretty compelling with the protruding sockets and metal bores, shell quality is still quite nice and they have always been very strong in the accessory game. Overall they seem to exude high quality.

 

I did hear UM went through a rough patch for a time. Glad that seems to be in the past. MusicTeck is a great retailer and doesn't seem to have any difficulty managing orders on their behalf in the States. And, as you say, the build/package quality is seriously impressive. Their (new) stock cable is the most ergonomically pleasant I've used, actually.

 

Hmm, new UE18+. Would like to go to Julie's office one of these days to try it out but I did not like the original UE18s much. The review seems to suggest that the UE18+ is still warm and rich sounding. As a big fan of the UERMs, I'd still like to one day hear another true reference/neutral model from UE.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/ultimate-ears-ue-18-pro-first-impressions/

 

Yeah, Julie Glick a great person to try UE and a few other things from. I think she's the best for ear impressions as well.

 

Sadly for some reason quite a few are moving from their 'reference' lines for more coloration and have yet to move back. FitEar's MH335DW is a far cry from C435, and the retirement is mourned.

 

I tried the RHA CL-1 today. Terrible.

Imagine Ultrasone. Extremely colored metallic highs, bright edgy voices with a tendency to emphasize S-sounds. The lower treble is overpronounced but in addition on the left side the earphones peaked at 3,5 kHz and at 5 kHz on the right. Never experienced such a strong imbalance before.
Add a slow and strong bass to the mix and tada, you disappointed all audiophiles.

Ceramic shell is nice, cable looks cool but doesn't fit the earphone design at all...

Weird product.

 

Sounds like severe issues with their ceramic plate consistency. Technically that's the dynamic driver's domain, but won't be surprised...

RHA always had nice design, but faff up on execution.

 

Aurisonics Rockets - Good resolution, dark lower mids, rolled off treble, some emphasis on lower treble, not the cleanest sounding,uncomfortable stock tips. $300, not worth it.

 

Thanks for the tip. Shallow fit certainly helped with the tone thickness issue. Although it keeps falling away from my ears. I'll experiment with other tips, stock ones are too rigid and slippery.

 

I didn't like them either, but mine had pretty good L/R balance. Did you try them with a DAC/amp? I found they only sounded good with high gain and in balanced mode. Even then, good is a relative term ---- it still tended to be bright, but was less sibilant than in single-ended mode.

 

I only tried iPhone 6S Plus, Chord Mojo and Hugo. I was not interested in the L1 DAC.

The balance issues were very significant. I slowly moved up the frequency range in 10 Hz steps and out of nowhere the left side jumps in in brutal volume at 3,5 kHz and later at 5 kHz on the right side. On both sides the volume pops in out of nowhere as if they were cut off below. I tried different tips, different sources and reconnected the cable.

This is an official review unit sent out from RHA directly but for obvious reasons I will not write a review. Actually the unit was not sent to me but to another hifi friend who also wrote a short German review. (A much to favorable one, but he never had expensive earphones and gets to keep them.)

Maybe my tolerance level is low because of the PP8 and Etymotics I am reviewing right now, but anyway I would be very surprised if an audiophile would buy these at MSRP.

 

Wait, what are the obvious reasons? Seems to me you should write a review, especially if that was your intention before hearing them anyway

 

Well if you still want to be on the review sample sending list...