shotgunshane’s IEM (custom and universal) recommendations, favorites and classics

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by shotgunshane, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,790
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Have you heard the VI? That's available for ~300.
     
  2. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    No I haven't heard it. Supposedly it is similar to the V, just bassier/warmer.
     
  3. econaut

    econaut Almost "Made"

    Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2017
    Likes Received:
    266
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    EU
    Can someone please explain the term "downward sloping signature" to a non-native speaker?

    I understand what it means literally, but not in terms of sound. I guess it either means:

    1. decreasing db from bass to treble
    2. decreasing db from treble to bass
    Thank you guys :)

    EDIT: I am pretty sure no. 1 is correct, but before I consider buying something I should better be sure ;)
     
  4. spoony

    spoony Spooky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    651
    Trophy Points:
    93
    1.
     
  5. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,790
    Trophy Points:
    113
    It depends if its written by a speaker of language using a Latin alphabet or a Hebrew or Arabic speaker. For the former it's 1. :)
     
  6. phillip

    phillip Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Malaysia
    I had the VI, FIBASS, Piano Forte 9 & 10, and whatnot lol. Super Final Audio fan but decided to give em up after all. I may still purchase them one day when I just want to settle down and not selling them for whatever reason. The Final Audios ARE EXTREMELY source and mood dependent. On the wrong combination they sound absolutely atrocious. On the wrong song they sound wtf that's awful. On a bad mood they'd sound boring, lifeless and piece of shit. On the right mood, when everything is in place and the stars align perfectly, you'll be crying tears to the music of heaven. I'm exaggerating, yeah. But that's what I found.

    Heaven II -> introductory (very basic, or lack of technicalities compared to the higher end) to Heaven 2-6 series house signature (which is airy, echo-ey and lush. May sound bright and harsh for some recordings. Bass is not one note but a slightly bloomy. Vocals sound echo-ey and seducing).
    Heaven IV -> Brighter. Livelier.
    Heaven V -> Somewhat darker.
    Heaven VI -> Warm. Lush. Sweetness in the vocals.

    Heaven VII and VIII have slightly different signature. Slightly and somewhat improved.
    Heaven VII -> Bright. Damn. Full of sibilance.
    Heaven VIII -> Warm. With the right source, the sound is out of your ears

    F7200 -> Some worthy consideration due to the tiny housing yet lush and airy signature.

    *Disclaimer - Regardless of what you get on the best days when you listened to it, Final Audio Heaven series may be very polarizing, like the drama queen as mentioned. They're both Angels and Demons in one iem.
     
  7. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    Hmm, that's not how my Heaven VII sound. Rather quite neutral and smooth, considerably less fickle than the FI-BA-SS.
     
  8. phillip

    phillip Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Malaysia
    Fibass is even worst. Downright harsh on some sources despite being relatively dark. Some sounds made my hair stood. Heaven VII is relatively harsh and bright compared to the VIII.

    Well, I must say I'm not a pro so take my impression (or memory) with a whatever metric of salt. Hah.

    Still, I must use this chance to profess my love for Final Audio. Really an unforgettable experience. I'd go back and keep one or two gears if my budget allows later.
     
  9. phillip

    phillip Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Malaysia
    I had a chance to listen to both AK Layla MK1 and UERR universal side by side. Source is smartphone usb out to Cayin C5 dac. I couldn't help but wondered, why is it that the UERR, on some tracks, sounds much clearer than the Layla? Anyone has experience comparing these two before?

    Besides, is the UERR better or lesser than the Andromeda in terms of overall score? Btw I read Andromeda has some treble issues to some people. For the record I'm totally enjoying the Beyer T1 and not bothered a bit by the treble.
     
  10. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,162
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Singapore
    I've heard both the UERR (universal demo) and own the Andromeda (although I may or may not have heard the Layla, can't quite remember as I don't like JH's house sound so I don't really bother with their products.) The UERR is a less fussy Andromeda, slightly more dark, smoother, with less 'air', and a slightly fatter low end with slightly less BA timbre. I quite liked the UERR, vs anything from JH. I'd say overall it's more what sort of sound you like, they're roughly on the same technical level as far as my ~8 min testing could say, so can't really talk about how it's like to live with it.

    I personally still use my MG6pro a lot more than the Andromeda, but your preferences vary. There's just that go-go I get better with dynamics - less audio, more music. Andromeda does spank it handily in terms of technicalities though.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2017
  11. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    Layla has a sizeable dip in the middle mids that can make it sound veiled, whereas the UERR is forward sounding here. This will definitely affect perceptions of clarity. However I would say Layla has more clarity in treble, as it isn't shelved down like the UERR.

    I personally would take (and did take) Andromeda over the UERR. I found Andromeda more resolving, airy and spacious. It's just simply more pleasing over all.

    Output impedances of the source will affect both but Andromeda is exceptionally sensitive to OI. Whereas the UERR will get darker with increased OI, Andromeda will become leaner and brighter. I personally have no issues with Andromeda treble and I'm pretty picky here.
     
  12. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,790
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Ended up ordering the Vs to scratch that long time FAD itch.

    One a side note, Japanese products are significantly cheaper on Amazon JP than US. These were 200 shipped compared 300 US. The JVC FW01s are 330 shipped from JP compared to 440 in the US.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2017
  13. phillip

    phillip Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    58
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    Malaysia
    May I know what songs you usually use or to try out the gears? Just wanna confirm if the song choice matches with mine. FYI, I'm listening to female vocals, Mandarin pop, J-pop (e.g. Utada Hikaru, Suara, Takako Matsu etc.). Btw, thanks for your impression. Oh ya, MG6pro, how's the mids? Is it distant?

    I saw from one unverified source saying the Cayin C5 amp OI is 2.2 ohm. I wonder if that affects much on the Layla and UERR I demoed. Thanks for your impression, SGS. If that's the case, I think I need to relisten to the Andromeda before I make up my mind.
     
  14. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,162
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Singapore
    I THINK (that SD card I used died) I tried it with a short symphonic metal clip (Nightwish), short "anime" clip (RADWIMPS), and epic rock (Globus). Mids are not distant and a core attraction to me, but MG6pro is not the last or second last or even the third last word in absolute resolution compared to current crop of BAs. Shane didn't like the MG6pro, YMMV.

    I like the Andromeda out of both low and high OI sources, but I did find it exceptionally tonefully beautiful out of a 5 OI Lehmann clone. While that clone was with me that was the only time the Andro got more playtime than my MG6pro.
     
  15. totoyuen

    totoyuen New

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    hong kong
    Hello Shotgunshane,

    Throughout this past month, I've auditioned over 12 iems.
    Among all, I find Andromeda the most suitable for me.
    It's got a fast and solid bass, forward and aggressive mids and extended highs.
    The soundstage is pretty spacious and the clarify is just about right.
    Gotta say it's one of the best iems made for rock, metal and aggressive genres.
    OMG! The distortion guitars though!!
    However, I find the sub-bass is a little weak(it lacks the slam in the kick drums) , the mids aren't thick enough (the vocals, screams and the cymbals are a bit shallow) and the 'sss' sounds in the high vocals are quite noticeable,
    Is there any iem recommendation that would fit the above criteria?

    Thanks so much! I really do appreciate it.
     
  16. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    What source and tips did you use with the Andromeda? A less than 1 ohm source will give you maximum deep bass and smoothest treble. Double flange tips from Mee Audio might help too for slightly deeper fit, which keeps extra sibilance at bay for me.

    Here is a list to audition if you can, in order of what I think might appeal to you:
    Campfire Audio Dorado
    Jerry Harvey JH13
    AKG K3003
    Aurisonics ASG 1Plus

    The Dorado will have similar treble to Andromeda but have a good deal more bass with its dynamic driver. It is also a good bit warmer sounding.

    The JH13 is a custom. It has elevated but even bass. It hits pretty hard for a multi-BA iem.

    The K3003 will be more V shaped than Andromeda, which means a good deal more sub bass and also a little brighter.

    The 1Plus is out of production, so used only. It's treble is less present than Andromeda and it has a little more bass presence with a hint of additional warmth.
     
  17. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

    Pyrate IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    5,729
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Meow Parlour
    The Noble K10 is bassier, warmer in the midrange, and less fatiguing in the treble than the andromeda. The price is higher, but it is much closer to what you are looking for in your description of sound.
     
  18. daytripper

    daytripper Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2015
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    43
    SGS, do you have any more impressions of the Prophile 8 to share and/or comparisons to other TOTL iems/ciems?
     
  19. totoyuen

    totoyuen New

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    hong kong
    I auditioned the iems with both my sony F-series and AK70.
    Not sure if these sources are good enough.
     
  20. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    I had a brief comparison to Andromeda but it got blown out by the server problem SBAF had a couple of weeks ago. I need to sit down and take some time to write up a comprehensive conpariaon of those two, as they're my two favorite iems.

    If I'm not mistaken, both of these daps have OI from 2 to 3 ohms, so Andromeda will be a hair leaner sounding with them over a less than 1 ohm source. Otherwise quality of those daps are just fine.
     

Share This Page