IEM general discussion thread

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by Griffon, Nov 1, 2015.

  1. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    does anyone know what this connector type is called? It's super annoying there's so many, though I must admit this connector is very comfy because it has a curve built in, and the cable goes right around your ear.

    it’s like a recessed 2 pin

    is this "QDC"?

    [​IMG]
     
  2. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

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    I only know that KZ call this type C-pin on their Bluetooth earhooks, in contrast to B-pin for the non-recessed version:

    https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Headphone-Headphones-Waterproof-Microphone/dp/B098B4GW3L

    [​IMG]
     
  3. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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    Yes this is QDC aka uncircumcised 2pin.
     
  4. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Effect Audio just replied and called it “recessed 2 pin”. Satin Audio apparently calls it QDC
     
  5. fastfwd

    fastfwd Friend

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    But "QDC" just means "quick disconnect" and is used across industries to describe all manner of quick-disconnect fittings and connectors. If you want to refer to these connectors specifically, you should use a more specific name.
     
  6. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    If I’m not mistaken, it’s called the QDC connector because QDC uses them across all their in-ears. Ultimate Ears used to use that connector back in the UERM days.
     
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  7. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Also, Effect Audio calling them recessed further confuses the issue, as historically these have been the flush and recessed 2 pin connector types:

    FLUSH
    73CC8FAD-2A0B-4EE2-9EF9-5721975E5779.jpeg

    RECESSED (as it fits recessed sockets like Unique Melody)
    9E4FC02E-61B5-49C0-8E3C-948AE0975F6E.jpeg
     
  8. fastfwd

    fastfwd Friend

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    Thanks, I'd never even heard of the QDC company.
     
  9. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    They are good folks. They do IEMs for artists/hi-fi as a side business to their Chinese military and secret agency stuff. I visited their main office few times, they have it on display there, some cool spy novel gear ;)
     
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  10. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    SOCKETS: Sometimes 2-pin sockets are referred to as non-recessed (flush), recessed, and extruded.

    DIFFERENT TOPIC but hopefully helpful to somebody:
    FYI, regarding pin diameter, most pins are 0.78mm but remember there is some manufacturing variance in the pins and the sockets. Unless you have pins and sockets made by same supplier, there can be a stacking of tolerances and also some stretching of the sockets with cable swaps. These connectors are not made for lots of swapping back and forth.
     
  11. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Are there any good accessories out there for cable management while stored? like some kind of winding stick or disc?
     
  12. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

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    Plenty of things like this around (which you could put inside a larger hard case):

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33033715220.html

    For storage/travel I always liked the old Shure hard cases, which had a central insert about which the cable could be wound. Their current cases, though, don't have this. You might be able to find something like this at a more reasonable price:

    https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115535955882
     
  13. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    that Shure case is great and I wish it still existed. I might 3D print something similar to the inner part to drop into cases I already have

    This reminds a bit of the packaging Apple had for their earphones which is really good. But also too specific

    EDD66994-E5D8-45FB-AE66-F0CA4E23F308.jpeg
     
  14. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    I forgot about those Shure cases. Those were good.
     
  15. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    Here's a very general question:

    Is there an obvious step-up, in the IEM world, from the Campfire Andromeda? I've got an OG pair, and I like their tonality and (esp) soundstage, but find the bass a bit wanting. A bit of forum hopping suggests that a lot of folks still rep the Andromeda as among the best options out there. The 2020 sounds like it's more resolving, but it also seems the OG can hang in there.

    It's possible that I just don't like the IEM experience. I find IEM listening a bit relentless, music being pumped straight into your skull sort of feeling, so the Andromeda's more spacious stage is a big plus. I'm also a fan of the Audeze iSine 20 for this reason (and they do bass well), so I might re-explore the LCD-i4 or possibly LCD-i3. (I need portability more than isolation, as I'm living out of a suitcase for the next several months and don't want to mess with full-size cans at the moment.) Anyway, I know a lot of folks on here don't like Audeze's weird IEMs. (Maybe the Euclid is worth exploring?)

    The rest of my rig is Roon through an iFi Nano Black Label. I'm also traveling with JVC HA FDX1, Drop X Noble X, and Aurisonic Rockets, all of which are fine, but the Andromeda and iSine 20 are better.

    Any thoughts welcomed. Have folks moved on from the OG Andromeda to an IEM they much prefer? Should I explore different amplification? Or am I just going to be finding variations on the smaller-scale listening I'm a little on the fence about already. Many thanks.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
  16. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    Please don't feel like I'm any bit of an authority on IEMs, but I'm in a similar space as you are regarding OG Andro. I haven't heard a ton of other IEMs, but I still spend time with OG Andro weekly. The only other IEMs I still reach for are OG (thicc boi housing) Solaris, and that's not because they're really a replacement for Andro; they're a different take on the bass, which sometimes fits my taste and sometimes it doesn't. This is perhaps a bad analogy, but it's similar to my speaker system, where I sometimes switch off the sub (i.e., Andro experience) and other times switch the sub on (i.e., Solaris experience). Though, I'm sure others who've spent far more time with CFA IEMs can obliterate my oversimplification of this distinction with much better feedback/opinions.
     
  17. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    I hear you. Sometimes you want some bass thump, sometimes you don't. I usually find elevated bass far more fatiguing than elevated treble.

    Trouble with IEMs is they're pretty hard to audition, and I feel a little funny doing loaners, etc. for things that go in your (or someone else's) ears. Fit and seal seems a perennial issue, too, even more so than regular HPs. IEMs are a really personal thing, it seems. So I'm hesitant to try to upgrade from things I already know to work (the Andromeda and the iSine 20). For me, anyway. On the other hand, I know that there's a better listen to be had, and I don't know if I want to be mid-fi-ish for the next 5-12 months or just hang in with what I got.
     
  18. CEE TEE

    CEE TEE MOT: NITSCH

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    ^I second what @yotacowboy said. I was thinking OG Solaris and I saw he posted it first!
     
  19. wbass

    wbass Friend

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    I should probably add that I'm not necessarily, or just, looking for Andromeda OG but with more or better bass. (Since I can go to the iSine 20 or Drop x JVC for bass.) Rather, I'm wondering, I think, if there's an IEM out there that's more complete in the frequency range and more resolving, without, perhaps, sacrificing soundstage spaciousness. An obvious step up in most categories, in other words. As, say, the Utopia is to the Elear/Elex.

    I like the OG Andromeda's tonality, and I find it also layers well, but I wonder about its level of resolution and the slightly wimpy BA texture. You see all of these mega-count/hybrid IEMs out there and wonder, What's the state of the art like? And then you look at various ranking lists and see the Andromeda still somewhere near the top.... And, so I'm wondering if it's worth exploring or if I should just stay put.

    As @yotacowboy suggests, the Solaris may be a side-grade from the OG Andromeda? I've seen similar thoughts in various ranking lists.

    In full-size headphones, I eventually realized that the Utopia did most things I wanted, and I waited for a good price, and it was totally worth it. But I'm a little at sea with IEMs, and if I'm gonna splash out some cash, I want to avoid a side-grade or very mild upgrade. There are so many damn IEM models and brands out there, it's kinda hard to know where to start.

    Glad to have @shotgunshane and his list. I need to explore that a bit more, to be sure.
     
  20. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    OG Andro/Solaris may be side-grading, but I'm still dumb enough to have settled with what I know, so that I can't imagine getting rid of either for the foreseeable future. These two threads reek of my own personal experience with Andro/Solaris and my own mental gymnastics to convince myself to not pursue much else in the 13BA-4DD-OMGWTFBBQ-PLAYNAR-PIEZO-IEM space. If they're all (seemingly) tuned to Harman, who the f**k cares?
     

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