Campfire Jupiter - AK T8ie - UERM 3-way Short Review

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Griffon, Jan 30, 2016.

  1. Griffon

    Griffon 2nd biggest asshole on SBAF

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    Preface: I bought UERM (of course) and Jupiter. AK T8ie is a generous review sample from Headphonebar in Vancouver. I have to return the T8ie by Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. My earlier rant that my UERM may have had another problem is a false statement.

    I don't really want to sound like a shill, but I think Jupiter can be considered the universal alternative to UERM. Short-ish review follows.

    Jupiter and T8ie are run balanced from AK100ii. UERM runs unbalanced.

    The Non-sound Part
    All three offers TOTL build quality. T8ie fits extremely well. Jupiter with Comply tips also fits good. Jupiter's accessories have a luxurious warm feeling, while T8ie's are more industrial and cold. Nontheless they are all good. Size: UERM>Jupiter>T8ie. T8ie is as comfortable as UERM.

    The Sound.

    Overall in tonality, UERM stays most neutral. I felt that Jupiter leans just slightly towards dark side. T8ie is just bassy - think popular club tuning.

    Jupiter has OMG soundstage for IEM. Think grand scale. Diffusive in size, but close to dead-lock when imaging. UERM is still in-your-face but Jupiter really takes it to a mid-fi open-back full-size level. T8ie actually has a similar soundstage than UERM, flatter but wider. All three have good imaging, but T8ie occasionally can be imprecise. Jupiter might have better layering due to its wide&deep soundstage.

    Bassheads may find T8ie pleasing or annoying. On the good side, when appropriate, T8ie can offer unrivaled bass impact, both in quantity and quality. On the bad side, bass sometimes does have intrusions&bleeding into mids. Some may also find a constantly booming bass offensive/annoying. UERM worshippers may find it lovely that Jupiter adds a touch more bass than the Old God. Jupiter and UERM "sink" deeper. Jupiter in general hits hardest among the three. Also Jupiter has better lowest-end clarity than UERM in this test.

    Comparatively T8ie has the driest and grainiest mids among the three. T8ie has the least mids energy. UERM and Jupiter are similar. Jupiter might be slightly more forward. T8ie is most laid-back.

    Jupiter has some treble sparking, and can be piercing, but less so than UERM. People with treble allergy should still stay away from Jupiter and look at T8ie, which smooths things out quite a bit, at the cost of rolling off quickly. UERM and Jupiter shares great extensions.

    Dear this Jupiter thing resolves. In the resolving department, think T8ie as Poland, while Jupiter being the Red Army and UERM being the Wehrmacht. You get the idea.

    Wrapping Up

    T8ie: Think a better done AQ NightHawk, with a somehow collapsed soundstage.
    Jupiter: It deserves a rival status against the Old God.
    UERM: still the most neutral and balanced, but in some individual departments, it starts to lose against newer competitors.

    Some tracks used:
    Sheffild Labs & LA Philharmonic - Die Walkure
    Eagles - Hotel California
    Pascal Roge - Arabesque No. 1, from Decca Piano Greatest Hits
    Sting - Shape of My Heart
    Chage&Aska - Say Yes
    The Clash - London Calling
    Billie Jean
    Layla - Unplugged
    Van Halen - Eruption
    Little Green Bag - from Reservoir Dogs OST.
    Shimizu Satoko - Shining Soul
    Onitsuka Chihiro - Moonshine
    Slam Dunk - ED1
    Counting Stars
    Caribou - Mars
     
  2. Griffon

    Griffon 2nd biggest asshole on SBAF

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  3. Kunlun

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

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    Good review, thanks!

    The Jupiter is more piercing than the uerm?
    Huh. I'm hoping the uerr is a bit better in that regard.
     

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