Massdrop x NuForce EDC IEMs

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by RazrLeaf, Jun 1, 2017.

  1. RazrLeaf

    RazrLeaf New

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    They're $60 right now on Massdrop, and the drop is live for another month. Anyone here get a pre-production sample? Or informed speculation from prior experience with NuForce products?
     
  2. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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  3. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    I've had the EDC for the past couple of weeks and enjoy them. I've been rotating between the EDC, my Noble X, and an original JH13 on a ZX2 and iPhone.

    My very first impression of these were, and still are: "OMG, Massdrop made a more refined, more reliable Zero Audio Carbo Tenore with a removable cable." Win, win, win. If you like the Carbo Tenore and want a more durable version with removable cables, this guy might be for you.

    (My Carbo Tenore's cable broke some time ago, so I'm recalling the comparison from memory.)

    I passed these around in the office to my everyday music listeners. Occasionally a few of of my non-audio coworkers will listen to what comes my way and say, "hey, these sound nice, what do they cost?" And even when something is within the range of a Noble X, you'll see disinterest. With the EDC, a few of my coworkers are considering buying a pair given the IEM's extended bass second cable, and the price.

    On the sound, in simple terms: These have an emphasized bass, more than my JH13. There's also a hint of air in the treble. Certain aspects seem a little recessed to me in the lower mids, but vocals are nicely placed, they're not too in your face and not stuck in the back. These are, however, significantly less resolving than anything else in my arsenal, with an ER-4S and and Noble X being the least expensive options to compare to, so I don't have an apples to apples comparison here.

    These take a lot more juice than my Noble X and JH13 to drive. I usually listen to my No me. At about 20-25% iPhone volume and these require a little of 50% to hit the same levels. Even so, these are easy for me to drive way past comfortable levels on my iPhone.

    EDIT: Redacted comments on two pin connector. FG will have same spacing and OD as a standard two pin IEM connector.

    For the $60 that's being asked, it's a good entry level for those want want an emphasis on bass. It's not going to out resolve much above $100, but it' a solid choice to throw in your bag and take on the go if you're on a budget.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2017
  4. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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  5. Lingering Sentiment

    Lingering Sentiment Acquaintance

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    If I'm remembering correctly (it's been a while since I visited Head-Fi), Dsnuts was one of those guys constantly declaring every low-priced FotM a giant killer. For instance, the Monoprice 8320s. And then something else I can't remember. Maybe not completely unreliable, but pretty heavy on the hyperbole.
     
  6. Crinacle

    Crinacle Friend

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    I'd consider someone like him unreliable for that. If everything's a giant killer, nothing is.

    Back to the EDC, I have a friend who measured them with IMM6 + tube combo. Here's the results:

    [​IMG]

    Based off the graph (I haven't heard it personally) it looks pretty good on FR. Tasteful bass boost, good DF bump, somewhat neutral if not laid-back treble (the coupler de-emphasises upper frequencies). Friend says it's a pretty good buy for the $59 asking price.
     
  7. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    Interesting database of measurements. Seems like a dip around 7kHz and a huge spike at 10kHz. How does crinacle hear them (other than "pretty good buy")?
     
  8. Crinacle

    Crinacle Friend

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    FYI I'm still crinacle, I just go by a different username here for reasons :D

    He posted his thoughts on reddit since he doesn't frequent the common audio forums. Link here
     
  9. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    IC. I thought the link to My measurements in your sig was to your friend's database.
     
  10. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    Decent... if you like elevated levels of bass. If you want something more balanced, you might want to look elsewhere.
     
  11. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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  12. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    Ah... That's what EDC stands for. Not like we don't have enough TLAs already.
     
  13. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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  14. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Okay, so... lid's off.

    I have had the pleasure to listen to the EDC for a while now, and by "a while", I really mean like... I visited Massdrop a while back, and there I was listening to the pre-pre-production unit. I told the really generous Massdrop folks who let me in on the "secret" that I loved it, so they asked if I wanted to evaluate them at home, and I said... hell yes! They sent me a pair later. But then the pre-production unit (this is what I got) actually sounds different yet again, and... I gave feedbacks, Massdrop listened, then a production EDC was sent to me some weeks ago for evaluation yet again because I'm just that much of a picky bastard (note: my reference is Andromeda and if the tonal balance ain't close, I won't have it). Perfect or nothing! :p

    So the short of it is... there are wild variations at work here.

    1. Pre-pre-production (I call it the "alpha"): somewhat bright and lean, but excellent transient and speed, not much bass, somewhat too close to RE-00, which may not be a bad thing as I loved RE-00. So... this is the "goal post."

    2. Pre-production: holy molly bassy. Guilty pleasure for me. Some may say it's bassy, and guess what? I use it out of my iPhone 6+, which is notoriously thin-sounding compared to my ZX2 and AK120, so... it's actually doable (and enjoyable) there. But I'm guessing... too bassy for the general public, and I had to stuff this thing full of dynamat to make bass tighter, but it's always just a bit "phat" sounding. I'm guessing this is what Tyll measured above.

    3. Production unit: came in like... 3 weeks ago? Now closer to pre-pre-production, but not sharp, lean, or bright, more like... it kept the "guilty pleasure" warm midrange of the pre-production unit while bringing bass down to par (almost lacking a bit in sub bass response but that's fit and tips-dependent so you gotta find the right tips or they'll roll off) and at the same time refine on the treble. Very very cool.

    Guess what? Production unit resembles my Andromeda in tonality a lot when used with my iPhone. Yes, it's a bit "eh" when paired with the warmer DAPs I have (iPhone is brighter than AK120, which is brighter than ZX2), but when paired with a phone, it's surprisingly a very awesome setup. "It just works" comes to mind here.

    Yes, it's like resolution level 1 compared to resolution level 10 of Andromeda, but I'm just glad I'm not losing out in tonality while I'm using my phone. Andro on iPhone = death trap for me. I wouldn't let my worst enemy try Andromeda at stock on iPhone (though admittedly, some folks do like Andro that way, so to each their own, I guess).

    So... the bad: quite a bit of variations there. Hope that doesn't happen with production units, but I have high hopes as I know my friends at Massdrop have learned from past drops and are tightening their grips on QC. Not as detailed as megabucks IEMs, but then again... this is like less than Apple In-Ear price.

    The good: sound, which is all that should matter, and price, which is the only other thing that matters.

    Wish list: make it more sensitive so I can use it with my 3DS. Pretty please. :p

    Oh, and I have found that if the stock cable is too tame for ya, just swap it for some SPC. The cool thing about these is that the treble is laid back enough that you really can't make them sound harsh with a brighter cable.

    So yes, these get my recommendation simply on the merits of them pairing well with my iPhone. If you got a fancy DAP, I wouldn't recommend it (could be too dark!), but with the iPhone, they are really good for some dang reason! Not that I'd complain because I've always wanted something that would work with the phone. These do that, so... done deal. They are now married to my phone and I can make calls without having to plug/unplug my Andro. :)
     
  15. Vansen

    Vansen Gear Master (retiring)

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    As I sit here on the C-Line bus heading into downtown Seattle on my way to Queen Anne, I've got the latest, and hopefully final revision, of the EDC rocking music. The tonal signature of this new EDC is far better than the previous version I had. The main point of change I've noticed is a more balanced FR. The bass levels have been significantly reduced, but the IEM still maintains a healthy bump over neutral in this area, which makes for a more pleasant listen. You're still not going to be retrieving much plankton with the EDC and I really wish the resolution was a bit better, but considering the price it's still a nice value.


    I'd take Tyll's measurements that were linked earlier with and throw them out following this latest revision. Hopefully we'll see some new measurements from him on this soon.

    Tonal balance on this most closely reminds me of the Andro and the original JH13.
     
  16. gaspasser

    gaspasser Flatulence Maestro

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    I got these in a couple of days ago and they sound like the “production” units above: warm sound with treble being a little soft in the mix. I am an IEM noob, but specifically via iPhone 7 playing only Spotify, the sound (for me) is more enjoyable than more mid-centric IEMs I tried like Orion or RE400.

    The fit is comfortable for me with pretty shallow insertion only needed to get a good seal. This is the first IEM that I’ve owned with detachable cables. These feel way more sturdy than the RE400s they are replacing.
    For this price, they are definitely a good buy and are staying in my daily bag for commuting. Thanks to @Vansen and @Bill-P for the heads up on this one.
     
  17. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    According to the NuForce guy on the massdrop thread, the microphone cable should he warmer. Anyone noticed this or is this bs?
     
  18. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    So these are now on continuous drop. I can confirm the two cables sound different. My preference is the warmer Mic cable. It's a decent beater pair of IEMs with good isolation and a fun signature. Not going to win any prizes for clarity but I think it's priced right.
     
  19. Tekker

    Tekker Facebook Friend

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    How is the lower mids of these relative to the upper mids?
     
  20. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Neutral. Not exaggerated and rich or recessed and thin. Very natural balance. One of the most neutral iems on the market and they sound that way from an iPhone too.

    edit: this is in reference to the EDC3. Are you taking about the EDC or EDC3?
     

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