IEM general discussion thread

No, it wasn't my intention. Marcus will be writing the review for Headfonics. I just happened to get my hands on it.

 

Did anyone ever manage to get a Campfire Nova in their ears? I remain curious as to how it compares against the rest of their BA lineup.

 

i planned on getting the Nova a while back, but after auditioning, preferred the orion. They sounded "blunted" to me, the good is that it's chunky and meaty in the mids and had good weight but at the cost, imho, of the nimbleness of the Orion, some male vocals came off as more resonant than Orion, Andro and the Jupiter.

Someone on headfi mentioned that it made everything sounded like vinyl via the Nova, i would say mid tier or vintage vinyl set ups would be more accurate.

 

I purchased Denon AH-C820 last week, impulse buy. They had interesting specs for bassheads. From Amazon:

"The range-topping AH-C820 incorporates Denon’s unique Double Air Compression Driver technology for powerful bass and ultimate clarity. It uses two 11.5 drivers, one in front of the other, to move more air and thus deliver powerful, low-distortion bass. This patented design also uses separate wires from the plug to each driver, for ultimate signal purity – another Denon world-first.

The drivers are mounted in housings combining die-cast aluminium and resin, designed for rigidity and vibration-damping, while dual Denon Acoustic Optimizer ports to the front and rear of the housing help equalize the air-pressure in front of and behind the drivers. It’s all part of making the sound as dynamic and distortion-free as possible."

Anyway... Having fit issues. Cable sucks too. Hard to get a good seal, but these are V shaped, extending well on both ends. I have to hold them in my ears for a proper seal, although I didn't tip roll much.

High's are very high. Too harsh for my liking. Mids slightly recessed. Bass is good, hits hard and extends well. Good clarity though.

Not worth the price. Thought I'd share in case anyone was interested in them. I was due to sentimental reasons. Enjoyed Denon growing up with my Dad, he was a huge fan of their AV receivers. Thought maybe I'd catch some of that magic. I didn't. Going back to Amazon.

 

The only time dual dynamic driver anything sounded ok to me was with the Radius TWF series (had the 11) but the fit and cable were potentially challengers for worst of the industry.

Less said about JVC the better.

 

i am an admitted gear slut who can't commit to any single piece of gear for more than a year, i have never seriously considered CIEMs, having said that, there are some, such as the AAW 005/009 that gets me curious, does anybody know if any ciem manufacturers are willing to sell universal (ie demo versions) to potential customers? fyi, sony just ears, fitear and kumitate labs all said no.

 

JH Audio, Noble, etc do sell universal models of their CIEMs.

 

guess i should have been more specific, customs only shops / models like AAW, Jomo, Custom Arts etc

 

It can be difficult to pull off, that's for sure. I have my Tralucent Ref 1,which is dual DD and dual BA, and I absolutely love it...but not everyone does. I'm trying to recall other dual dd's I've heard... But my memory fails me.

 

I fail to see the advantages of a multi-dynamic driver setup. It's all wasted R&D and simply marketing if you ask me.

 

Jomo also does universals: Go to their order page and there's a drop down between Custom and Universal for some models. For models without, you could WhatsApp/email them I guess. AAW might be more unlikely since they have universal and custom ranges.

 

got this back from AAW, hope it's of interest to others as well

"Thank you for your interest in our W500 and W900 in-ear monitors. They are our high-end models and are available in universal shape at no extra cost."

 

Many companies that have demo units don't sell universal versions. FitEar for one, for example.

I remember hearing the Ref 1, but that was quite some time ago when the owner swung by. Didn't really like the hollowness, and it was a wee bit too phat down low.

Pretty much anything is better than JVC triple dynamic at minimum though, even a SoundMAGIC E10 is better.

 

Yes, it's definitely bass heavy, but I'm a basshead... Hence why I absolutely love it.

 

Hahaha I love my bass too - which is why I only own dynamics, BA bass is a sore stickling point with me, and why I'm still using my MG6pro. Best bass I've ever heard.

Ref 1 was a bit more meaty and slow to me, I like my bass quick and nimble, and heavy. Float like a butterfly, sting like a sledgehammer!

 

Having that said, I am currently demoing the 小米 Xiaomi Hybrid Pro (2xDD + BA) and I am impressed. These sound amazing for a budget phone. Not the kind of bass boost you'd expect. Very mature tuning with a little softness. Mids are full, but a little fuzzy. Bass is impactful, but sub-bass can be a bit muddy and boomy. Treble is smooth and recessed but has great extension. Sometimes I notice some ringing of cymbals - like the BA driver is overlayed and plays the same as the slower dynamic?

Not a fan of the cable but comfort is great.

Recommended!

 

Probably a dual driver package + DD, and without crossover, just using a DD with roll off in the highs, using the driver responses as natural crossover. Saves a few ¢, and technically preserves more sound. :^)

Xiaomi has always done quite OK for budget stuff.

 

No, it's actually two dynamics and a single balanced armature receiver. Designed by 1More.

The 1More Dual-Driver EO323 and the Xiaomi Hybrid appear to be identical except for minimal differences in the housing, microphone and Y-split.

The 1More Triple-Driver E1001 and Xiaomi Hybrid Pro are less alike. I prefer the tuning of the Hybrid Pro.