DIRAC IEM.. a single DD from Korea

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by tgx78, May 2, 2017.

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  1. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    [​IMG]
    Red: RAW Black: Olive Welti Target Blue: Diffuse Field Target
    [​IMG]
    Distortion 0.2% THD @94db (500hz)

    So this DIRAC seems to be the very first IEM incorporating this new SF - Super Fidelity DD from Sonicast.
    This dynamic driver supposedly has near perfect control over surface split vibration. This enables driver to
    reproduce very high frequency over 10khz with low distortion.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG] test setup

    Driver Assembly:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    This IEM is not released yet and currently in pre-order stage. I believe they will be available later this month in Korea.
    Currently, I could not find any place that ships this to Canada, so I asked my friend in Korea to forward me few sets.
    So yeah.. I haven't heard it yet, but few credible source (reviewers at seeko and beta testers) told me they sound pretty
    amazing for any price, but at suggested retail price of US$42, staggeringly good.

    Just looking at frequency response, I wish they will release something with slightly tamed bass by around 4-5dbs in near future.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  2. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  3. d.b

    d.b New

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    Where are these available for pre-order / sale?
     
  4. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    http://english.11st.co.kr/product/S...6&xzone=cart^list&xfrom=cart^list&bcktType=01

    International shipping is not available here though. I will try to search other shopping sites where they might carry and ship them to CONUS.
    When I receive mine and if I feel if it's worth it, I will start a US-Canada tour and send another pair to james444 for him to try his usual modding fun.
     
  5. philipmorgan

    philipmorgan Member of the month

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  6. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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  7. Kunlun

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

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    Hmm, I think if you remove the words "quite" and "revolutionary" from the title then it'll be more accurate.
     
  8. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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  9. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    h̶o̶w̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶t̶l̶e̶?̶

    edit: done :)
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  10. Serious

    Serious Inquisitive Frequency Response Plot

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    What's low distortion and lack of driver resonances worth when you have such a screwy FR? Looks to me like yet another IEM voiced based on looking at graphs instead of listening to it.
     
  11. d.b

    d.b New

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    Thanks. I'm in South Korea so shipping isn't an issue, and for 47,000 KRW it's worth taking a chance on something interesting albeit not revolutionary.
     
  12. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    Cool. My bad on title, I got little carried away. Hope you can share some initial impressions with us when you receive yours.
     
  13. tgx78

    tgx78 MOT: TGXear

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    Ok It took long but finally received this IEM as they were immediately sold out in Korea (close to 5,000 units apparently) in their 1st / 2nd run and I missed out on both of those chances.

    Initial impression:

    Good:
    Sound quality is excellent. I was worried that bass might be too much, but it is not as bad as I thought.
    Bass is tight, snappy and linear in its delivery yet I still think about 3-4 dbs cut below 125hz would have been ideal for my taste.
    Good resolution across presence area, mids are quite neutral, clear and accurate sounding with a slight increase in energy beyond the 3-4k marker compared to the lower mids. Treble is clean, articulate and throwing out perceptibly pleasing levels of detail. Timbre is very good.
    Overall, I am enjoying this more than any other IEM at the moment (my current rotation includes: modded BW-ES1, Andromeda & Isine20)
    Isolation is really good too (near -25dbs) as there are no vents.

    Bad:
    Cable is prone to microphonics and sub-par in build quality. Y-split is made with a shrink wrap.
    Soundstage is about average for an IEM. Got too used to Andromeda and isine20s spacious staging I guess.
    Slight pressure build up in eardrum with certain eartips.
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2017
  14. Gleb Lev

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  15. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    Seems like buying them in USA is going to be a PITA...
     
  16. lukanov

    lukanov New

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    The new Dirac IEMs came out in Korea a few days ago. They’re called Dirac MK2 and cost around 40 000won.

    I’ll receive mine later today or tomorrow.
     
  17. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    Thanks for this. Cheapo IEMs just right to get my wife in the audio game in the right way.
     
  18. HAL9000

    HAL9000 Almost "Made"

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    Any listening impressions yet?
     
  19. lukanov

    lukanov New

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    I didn't have much time to listen to them properly. These are my first impressions.
    The built quality is ok but nothing to write home about. The IEMs themselves and parts of the Y-split are made aluminum, while the jack is rubber. I think that using aluminum for the Y-split wasn't the best idea because it adds unnecessary weight. Would've preferred if they made it out of plastic. Also, due to the heaviness of the Y-split and the terrible quality of the cables, there is a pretty big problem with microphonics. The thin cable wriggles from the smallest movement, making it almost impossible for me to wear them the way they were designed to be worn (with the cables hanging down). Instead, I have to loop them behind my ears. There are a few other minor annoyances like the fact that the sides of the IEMs stick together magnetically and there are rubber hairs that stick out.
    Soundwise, I was pretty impressed by the earphones. The bass is very fast, tight, and punchy but never overwhelming. I listen to a lot of drone and ambient, and while with some other headphones the bass might be a problem, it was never with the Dirac SF MK2. The mids are also very pleasant, although I found them to be boosted and sometimes overwhelming the highs, especially around 7-8 kHz. However, in no way does this mean that there's lack of clarity or detail. Quite the opposite, the earphones deliver a lot of detail.
    The soundstage is ok, I guess. It is pretty narrow, but I think that's to be expected from such type of IEM. The instrument separation is also ok.
    The imaging is ok as long as the sounds do not need to cross the center.
    Overall, I enjoy these IEMs and will give them a more thorough listen in the next couple of days.
     

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