64 Audio's Tia IEM's (A18/U18, Fourte)

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by E_Schaaf, Jun 13, 2017.

  1. Crinacle

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    My condensed 2c on the new lineup. Can delve into specifics if people are interested.

    Fourte: Was initially very impressed on first listen but starting to hear some flaws as I got more ear time. Tone was off and there was a certain disjointed hollowness to the sound, so timbre takes quite a big hit. Bass response and headstage are excellent though, to its credit.

    Trio: Less "weird" compared to the Fourte but at the expense of stage size. Treble control was a being issue on the Fourte and the Trio was better in that regard. Midrange is still rather coloured and not exactly neutral in tone by any means. Considering everything, I think the Trio is an improvement to the Fourte.

    A18t: Somewhat of a general purpose signature, mildly V-shaped response. Good resolution but nothing really stands out to me as particularly unique or outstanding.

    A12t: More or less neutral with a sub-bass focus. Honestly I feel like there is no need to get the A18t when you can get 99.9% there with the A12t and with better bass control.

    N8: My favourite of the bunch. Word of warning, there is a lot of bass (~15dB) and those who are used to BA bass will definitely find this too much (hell, those who have tried the W900 and think it has too much bass will also be in for a rollercoaster ride). However despite the massive emphasis, the bass is very well controlled, only rising in the sub-bass frequencies which keeps the midrange clean and free from bloat. Though again, too much perceived bass for many members on this forum, though I'd argue that it's something that can easily be EQ'd down with the low distortion nature of the DD woofers and ideal EQ conditions.

    A6t: Pretty damned good for the "midrange" model. I believe it's the most laidback and warm of the lot, so to some it may be too veiled and/or muffled, but to me presents a sound that's more pleasant and "sweet". YMMV and all that of course.

    IEC measurements in the spoiler below.

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  2. deafdoorknob

    deafdoorknob Almost "Made"

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    how do you find N8 compared to EE Legend X?
     
  3. Crinacle

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    My biggest issues with the LX is that the bass is bloomy, bleeding into the midrange very easily and the positioning accuracy. The N8 has somewhat "normal" positioning but the LX seems to be lining up the instruments in one straight line towards my ears, with the bass always being at the front regardless of the track.

    I mean personally the LX isn't horrible, but these problems are pretty obvious when you put the two up against each other.
     
  4. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    I received my Legend X this morning. Haven't listened to it much yet to form any solid opinions, other than I like it so far. I've probably listened to 3 songs in their entirety at this point. I haven't heard the bloominess in bass yet.

    That being said, I've read a couple of people mention that as well (LA centric). Definitely want to hear the N8, sounds like it might be the better of the two iems.

    What source(s) are you using @La Cenric? Right now I'm using my Sony 1z, balanced.
     
  5. deafdoorknob

    deafdoorknob Almost "Made"

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    i definitely feel that unless they are using the 2nd DD for some type of isobaric configuration to counteract the excursion/resonance of the other DD, the EE line has 1 DD too many, that being said, the responsiveness and texturing of the driver are rather impressive.
     
  6. Crinacle

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    I mainly used the N8 with a Nano BL but I've used the LX the Nano BL, WM1A balanced and QP2R.
     
  7. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    I thought EE did use them in isobaric setup? I could be mistaken though. I'll have to read again. I do know of 2 companies that do use DD in an isobaric setup, although there probably are a few others. Tralucent is one, and the other is slipping my mind. I absolutely love the sound of DD in an isobaric setup, it's quite good. For car audio and iems. :)
     
  8. Crinacle

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    I remember seeing separate tubes for each dynamic driver. Don't think it's isobaric.
     
  9. Warrior

    Warrior RIP 2021

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    Thanks for saving me the trouble. I'm wrong, once again. :)
     
  10. Rayzilla

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    I had a similar experience when I tried the LX again after trying the N8.

    I have an N8 in production now. I hope it will pair well with my DX200.
     
  11. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    I have a Tia Fourte so I thought I'd post my thoughts real quick... I like silicone tips and man it makes something wrong with these things.

    Fourte sounds really impressive on a lot of tracks with great separation and phenomenal detail. But the treble is really hot. I often test Burn by Ellie Goulding and it was unlistenable. The chorus especially had this intense shrill scratchy noise which was a combination of her voice and the cymbals. The real problem is the cymbals. You hear them way too much. In rock tracks (which is one of my favorite genres) you hear them too prominently. I kept going back to my speakers to use as a reference and realizing there's way too much upper treble.

    It's a damn shame too because the rest of this iem is incredible. I absolutely love the low end detail on these things and songs that aren't cymbal heavy sound damn good.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2018
  12. E_Schaaf

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    Silicon tips suck with Fourte big time.

    To help with the treble, I use one tip size over my usual (foam of course), somewhat shallow insertion, and one or two layers of teabag between the nozzle and the tip. Definitely smooths things out a bit - give it a try!
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2018
  13. shotgunshane

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    @Galm, try deeper fitting tips. Treble peaks will slightly lower in amplitude and shift up the FR with deeper fit. I was able to enjoy them with dual flanges and slightly deep fit. Triple flange would help even more but they are itchy to me. Shallow fit the treble was just way too much but even with deeper fit, they are still a good bit brighter than say Andromeda.
     
  14. Galm

    Galm Still looking for Little Red Riding Hood

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    So I forgot to mention that I was aware the silicon tips had been mentioned here as messing with the treble. I had been planning on trying them again with the foam tips in the morning.

    And yeah... The change is actually amazing. I'd say with silicone they're an iem with aspects of a 10/10 but overall like a 7 or even lower in terms of the overall balance. With the foams tips it's much more understandable where the raving comes from. It's a massive improvement.

    While they're brighter than Andro their bass is also much more authoritative and clear which I'm really liking. The extension sounds effortless.

    Edit: Shane forgive me this is available elsewhere, but what is your favorite iem in terms of performance alone? And alone with that what's your signature preference? I tend to like neutral with a little sub bass elevation (a little, please don't bleed into the mids) and it's hard to find something I like more than Andro. Fourte is really good but the fit issues for me are probably a deal breaker. I also notice the W sound a bit more than I'd ideally like. But it's clearly ahead of Andro in terms of detail.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2018
  15. shotgunshane

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    My favorite iems are the PP8 and Andromeda. Zerodeefex and I were just opining that we'd like to find a single dynamic driver tuned with Andromeda like FR. That would probably be the holy grail of iems for me.
     
  16. ufospls2

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    Hey Guys,

    @taronlissimore from headphone.com was kind enough to let me stop by the headphone.com office this morning to give the 64 Audio Universal IEMs a try. I have been considering a pair of IEMs for a while, and this was a great chance to give them a listen and see what I think. I listened to the U18Tzar, Tia Trio, and Tia Fourte.

    I listened to the Tia Fourte first. I immediately noticed the amazing 3d like imaging and soundstage. Very impressive first impression. The Highs became a bit much on modern pop, brightly mastered stuff, and were a tiny bit sibilant with vocals…*however* with electronica and other genres, they really impressed me. The sub bass is lovely, and is more present than the Tia Trio. There is a *tiny* bit less mid bass than the U18Tzar. The mids are a bit pulled back, so if you like big lush mids these are not the IEMs for you. I value quality bass, and soundstage the most I think, so these were really up the alley. I tried doing a tiny bit EQ on the highs, and this improved them to my ears for the brightly mastered pop stuff. So, if you like big lush mids, don’t buy these, if you are particularly treble sensitive, don’t buy these.

    I listened to the Tia Trio next. Compared to the Fourte, the first thing I noticed was a lack of air and space around the notes. You lose the amazing 3d like imaging and soundstage. However, the highs are smoother than the highs on the Fourte. I think I actually preferred the highs in general on the Trio vs. The Fourte. The mids are a bit more present on the Trio, which makes it work better with acoustic music (IMO anyhow.) There is less sub bass and bass in general. If you can get a deal on these, they make an argument for being the best I have heard for the price. Definitely a recommended listen.

    I checked out the U18Tzar next and….man I was disappointed. My notes say “Kinda Boring, muffled sounding in comparison to the Fourte.” I could see these being the right IEMs for you if you like a more reference neutral tuning, but for me and my ears, combined with the astronomical price, I just couldn’t get on with these. They don’t have the 3d imaging and soundstage I mentioned, nor the airy treble. I don’t know, just not for me. Your mileage may vary.

    I forgot the mention comfort. These 64 Audio IEMs are immensely comfortable as they all share the same basic shell design :)

    So, to wrap up. This morning was an enlightening listening session. The Fourte was impressive enough for me to buy a pair, *however* I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a pair at retail price. I just can’t justify that much for an IEM, no matter how special they are. The Fourte really floated my boat, however, but I can see why people might not enjoy them at all and in fact, might actively *dislike* them. I think they are kinda like the Abyss, in that you will love them or hate them. The Trio is the most balanced, yet still involving sound signature out of the three. I would highly recommend them, especially if you can find a deal on them, bringing them into TOTL Campfire Audio type pricing. The U18Tzar….yeah not for me, but you might be different, so try to get your ears on a pair before purchasing, as they are *not* cheap IEMs.
     
  17. seamon

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    Would love to read @purr1n 's take on these IEMs if he has heard them.
     
  18. ufospls2

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    Hey Guys,

    I got my 64 Audio Tia Fourte’s in today. I’m been listening to them all day, so I hope I can offer some further initial impressions vs. The very short ones I posted of all the 64 Audio universals the other day.

    Pro’s: Amazing soundstage/imaging for a closed IEM. Very “3D.” Hyper Detailed top to bottom. Great Dynamics. Very comfortable.

    Con’s: PRICE. The overall coherency of the bass/mids/treble. Treble could be too much for those sensitive to treble. Included accessories.

    The packaging is pretty basic, but all that you need really. I guess they could have gone a bit more upmarket, but if that would have been reflected in the asking price, then I’m glad they kept it the way it is. The Hifiman RE2000 packaging (and this is Hifiman we are talking about) is more impressive, and even includes more tips. That is one thing I wish 64 Audio had done, more tips. Lots more. Included are single flange silicon tips in SML, and 64 Audios foam tips in SML. I’ve been going back and forth between the silicons and foam tips today, and the results have been pretty surprising. More on that later. The included cable is pretty bad in terms of ergonomics to be honest. I’d like to change to a different cable (currently using an LCDi4 cable I had lying around) at some point that is comfier and a bit less likely to get tangled. They also come with a neat little hard plastic case to keep them safe when you are travelling, which is great. So yeah, included accessories could be better, but there is enough to get you going.

    In terms of tips, I prefer the sound of the 64 Audio foam tips with the Fourte. They take a tiny bit of the edge off the highs, whereas the silicon tips make the highs more pronounced. The Foams also seem to bring up the bass a *tiny* little bit, but there isn’t much difference. I find the silicon tips more comfortable, but the foam tips do sound better, so I will try to get used to the foams.

    For my personal taste, the Fourte is a tiny bit bass light, but I mostly listen to electronica and do prefer a pretty robust bass response. I’ve tried bumping the bass up a couple db via EQ, and that brings the bass level more in line with my personal preferences. However, I could definitely listen to the Fourte without EQ, they aren’t bass light by any means. The bass on the Fourte seems really…textured? Lots of detail to it. Its certainly not a one note bass experience, and the sub bass is pleasant.

    I can see the mids of the Fourte being a problem for some people in that they aren’t super lush and warm like a pair of LCD-2 or something similar. However, the mids are very detailed, and not sucked out sounding. They don’t sound hollow.

    The Highs are both the Fourtes strongest point, and for some I would imagine their weakest point. There is a fair amount of treble. If you are treble sensitive, these would not be a good choice of earphone. There is so much air and space, and detail to the treble. It is really impressive.

    The soundstage is the widest I have heard from a pair of closed back earphones. Not as wide as the LCDi4, but close. A *tiny* bit wider than the Hifiman RE2000, but with more depth. Very precise imaging.

    I can see why some people don’t like these earphones, they definitely have some weaknesses. However, for my ears, their strong points are *very* strong. I definitely recommend giving Fourte a listen if you get the chance.
     
  19. Cellist88

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    They sounded better Canjam 2017, pre-production. I was blown away....but the loaner I got after sounded a bit different.....aka too much treble. Still way too expensive too pay for any iem or headphone. Esp Iems being used in an non-deal setting.
     
  20. seamon

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    Because they were re-tuned based on impressions 64 got from trade shows. The tia fourte prototype was this extremely natural rich sounding IEM. The current production model....well you know how it is.
    IMO, this what what happens when you listen to hundreds of random people, most of whom have never heard a high end IEM in their life.
     

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