IEM general discussion thread

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

  1. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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    I can't decide whether to buy the new Fiio FD5 or just pay way way moar for the DUNU Luna :confused:.

    The new DUNU ZEN marketing didn't convince me, seems overpriced for an Aluminum/Magnesium/DLC driver.

    And I don't trust Moondrop engineers to have good ears and understand what technical performance is to buy into their $800 harmon ASR certified IEM.

    Sauce is the E1DA 9038SG3.
     
  2. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    I have the ES100 and it is very good. The engineers who created the ES100 moved on and formed a new company, Qudelix. The Qudelix 5K is like an enhanced ES100 and its app has a parametric equalizer. I might get one if I start commuting again after the pandemic.
     
  3. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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  4. nishan99

    nishan99 Friend

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    Here is my take on the Fiio FD5 after a month of having them.
    I am coming from the Fearless S8 pro (8BA $540 chifi). The source is E1DA 9038SG3 (silvery sabre sounding) from my phone playing lossless stuff. I don't know the name of the ear tips I am using but their bore size is slightly narrower than average.

    I am using the default FD5 nozzle which is shorter and wider than average, some ear tips won't fit them. Fit and comfort are okay, resin based shells do it much better. Isolation is good but still not resin shells good.

    The sound:
    The FD5 stage is wide but not as deep as the S8 pro.
    Resolution and imaging are a level down, bass quality is two levels up.

    Tuning wise they have a broad bass boost of ~2dB (not bleeding), lean in the lower mids (~2dB) , wide boost around 6khz (~3dB) and subdued air region (~3dB).

    To my ears they are not sibilant at all but they are hot for badly recorded cymbals and other sounds that occupy the lower treble.

    So they're fairly v-shaped which I don't like so I EQed that out (+air boost which they can do it), so my upcoming impressions are after EQ.

    Macro dynamics are great for lower mids and below, good in the upper mids and lower treble and okay above that.
    Micro dynamics are amazing!, "f**k BAs" I say every now and then after getting used to that level of micro dynamics from an IEM, really stunning shit.

    The overall timbre is really good but still not as natural as I would liked it to be and I am sure it's because my Sabre dongle not them. Transients are fast but not BA fast but the sustain and decay are two leagues better.

    The stage is wider and taller than average but the depth and imaging are just average.

    I can't use them without EQ as I really don't like any v shape tunings, you maybe different :).
     
  5. ufospls2

    ufospls2 Friend

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    I was really hoping the Moondrop Illumination would be a knockout at $800, but everyone who has reviewed it (that I've managed to find) has seemed to say "....its ok...but meh."

    I still am a huge fan of the Hifiman RE2000 for single DD, but even the Silver version is a tough ask at $800 (on sale) in the increasingly competitive IEM market space.
     
  6. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Illumination is aimed for those who have an Asian vocal feish. Even Moondrop if I read correctly said the target audience is the Asian market with that one.

    Thankfully not all of their stuff has 2k-4k emp.
     
  7. jaker782

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  8. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
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  9. Precogvision

    Precogvision MOT: Reviewer at Headphones.com

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    I have a loaner for the RSV on-hand right now. I would say Crin’s analysis is pretty close to how I’d describe it. The tonal balance is expectedly terrific; pretty much along the lines of neutral with bass boost. I do disagree some about the sparkle comment; I think it’s more than sufficient, but YMMV. I love how smooth the treble is on the RSV; it’s noticeably less thin and less uneven than the Moondrop S8’s. Extension is also terrific, so this might be the new $700 benchmark for treble.

    Transients are interesting. Cleaner decay - timbre - than most BA IEMs; however, there’s a sort of inflated, puffy quality to the way it rides macrodynamic swings not unlike the DUNU SA6 from memory. Timbre benefits extend to the bass, definitely some of the better BA bass I’ve heard. The biggest roadblock would probably be sheer detail. It’s a little too smeared over in macro-detail and sounds slightly congested as a result. Falls behind stuff like the S8 and Monarch in that regard.

    Overall a solid IEM - one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend - although not quite best-in-class for the technical department.
     
  10. grey_tomorrow

    grey_tomorrow New

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    Personally, I'd recommend to buy Dunu 17th Anniversary LE instead of Luna: resolution is a bit lower, but timbres and high frequencies extension are better :)

    I used it for almost half a year as second option for every day carry, but Dunu's style of fit is not my cup of tea.
     
  11. grey_tomorrow

    grey_tomorrow New

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    I adore RE2000 Gold too, but its metal grid inside of sound bores catch up condensate too easily. Especially, in winter.
     
  12. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    Pic of the new Ety multi-armature. Comments said pre-order starts end of next week.

    833856C9-B569-4623-AEB2-12B036E64FCB.jpeg
     
  13. GraveNoX

    GraveNoX New

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    Sennheiser IE900 review, measurements
    Measurements against IE800S, HD650, HD800S.
     
  14. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    Well that DD unicorn excitement was short lived

     
  15. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    Shotgun, what can you tell us about that new and different Ety?
     
  16. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

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    It’s a first for Ety in many ways:
    - first Ety multidriver
    - first Ety with over ear fit
    - first Ety with concha fit

    My understanding is that it is a triple driver with 2 armatures for bass and 1 for mids and treble. It will be tuned similar to the ER4XR, according to a comment from Ety Dave (Ety engineer). Also it will be using Estron Linum T2/IPX connectors, so new UE cables can be used on the Evo, who also use the same connector.
     
  17. Rockwell

    Rockwell Friend

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    [​IMG]

    I was fortunate to receive on loan from a friend the newly released Isabellae IEM from Japanese boutique IEM manufacturer Oriolus. The Isabellae is one of their entry level models and consists of a single DD.

    Specs:
    • Driver: Single 9.8mm DD
    • Impedance: 30 Ohm
    • Sensitivity: 113dB
    • Frequency response: 10Hz~40kHz
    • Weight: 13g

    Caveat: I'm running these through the Shanling M8 which in my experience seems to bring out the best of everything I plug into it.

    Following are some first day impressions after going through some of my main test tracks.

    TLDR: If you're someone who's always wanted a single DD with Andromeda like tuning these are worth a serious look.

    Initial thoughts: these are fantastic and my fear going in that they would veer towards ChiFi tuning has proven to be unfounded. I went straight to some Creedence Clearwater Revival upon plugging them in as their music is typically intolerable to me on IEMs with "Eastern" tuning-- suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised. There is a lot of clarity & definition up top as well as sufficient air and energy-- without ever veering into anything shouty, overly vibrant, piercing or otherwise fatiguing. I could see these being described as bright leaning but it's brighness done right imho-- silky smooth, airy and well extended. These are by no means a bass dominant signature but the bass is very present, thick, well defined and extended with a smooth, natural and clean timbre. Mid-bass oomph seems to dominate a little over sub-bass and lower mid presence is bang on as far as my preferences are concerned. Bass quantity seems about on par with something like the Solaris or Andromeda...so while it was great for me there will undoubtedly be people who want more bass than what these provide.

    The Isabellae are a wonderfully smooth, clear, balanced and engaging listen...I'm excitedly flipping through my library and liking what I find each time. Standouts for me are vocals and midrange timbre in general-- I'm not usually a "vocal" guy but the texture & delivery seems totally natural, full, seductive and organic. Staging, resolution, layering etc. is good to above average but all of that stuff is secondary to me if the IEM is able to muster that "je ne sais quoi" romantic factor and sweep me off my feet. And the coherence is off the charts good...which I guess is to be expected from a single DD IEM. And just to illustrate a point-- I plugged these in thinking I'd just get a quick sense of them but they impressed me so much I was sucked in and ended up wiling away my whole lunch hour without getting around to eating lunch. Consequently I spent the whole afternoon hungry, but it was worth it.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2021
  18. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    Unlike the "Bird", aren't these reasonably priced? Are you unhappy that you preordered a set for yourself?
     
  19. Rockwell

    Rockwell Friend

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    Yes quite reasonable, relatively speaking-- they are like $650 US. I actually cancelled my preorder due to some graphs and reports that suggested ChiFi tuning. It turns out those fears were unfounded and I just reactivated my pre-order.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
  20. Jeff Watts

    Jeff Watts New

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    Is it a successor to Turii? It was fantastic, although I tried it for a brief time.
     

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