Why Balanced Armature Drivers Suck

That's where I am at as well, this last go around with BA's just confirming what I already knew. Thing is I have not heard a DD IEM that resolves/microdetails well enough - HD6XX would be absolute minimum, ETA GenG level or above preferred. I can (mostly) deal with the wacky FR of DD IEM's through EQ, but the basic technacalities have to be there in the first place.

 

We need a good ortho iem.

 

Probably the most resolving DD IEM driver I’ve heard is in the CFA Vega but the tuning on that is stupid.

 

Sounds like one of the expensive beryllium driver IEMs would hit the spot then. Dunu Lunu or Final A8000? But hard for me at least to justify spending that much for wonky tuning when you could get say a ZMF Auteur SE for less.

 

You don't do IEMs for the same resolve and timbre as headphones. Sorry my friends, but size DOES matter when it comes to these things.

For me, I realized that the BA timbre and other weaknesses of IEMs don't brother me that much as all for musical enjoyment. Plastic timbre don't really bug me that much unless I'm paying this much for an IEM and an $700+ IEM sounds similar to a $100+ IEM.

 

This? I've got their DAC/Amp and like it.

https://www.dethonray.com/products/earphone/player-model-2/

Edit - looks like they're encouraging loaners. An option?

"Product listening-experience auditions are supported in the United States. Please send an email to [email protected] to learn the details of the listening-experience auditions."

 

I will reach out later today! Nice find!

 

You had me going back over my review of it, recalling how I could not fix the FR with EQ (too much bass to mid bleed, too much siblance, etc.), though it did improve upon the resolve/microdetail of the FDX1

I have thought about this as well, even seriously considering purchasing the Final A8000 cold...but it is as @YMO says size does matter, and when you through in the fact that FR on IEM's are often beyond "fixing" with EQ I have held back.

 

The Final A8000 was particularly disappointing because while it had so many great qualities - including decent resolution, speed, headstage, layering and separation, sub-bass extension, and strong macrodynamics - its bright and piercing treble was too fatiguing. (I write that as someone who can cope with the HD 800 SDR.)

If someone would (or could) produce an A8000 with the treble fixed, I suspect it'd make for a great IEM.

Nice to see some love for the MD Plus. I've had mine for 3 1/2 years now and it continues to offer a great deal of pleasure. These IEMs were an ideal, affordable introduction to BA IEMs, and I don't find their timbre to be problematic, either, although BA timbre doesn't bother me as much it does others.

 

I don't mind bass that's on the tighter and 'faster' side, so a lot of BAs are OK for me there. The part of BA timbre that bothers me most is plasticky cymbals. I'm also not keen on distortion in the mids, which is something I hear in my otherwise liked UE900s. If a BA can avoid those latter two things - and some I've heard lately mostly can - I'd like to have it around as an alternative to a good DD set for when I want more technicality-focused listening.

But my IEM use is largely portable - at home I'm listening mostly to speakers and headphones - and I'm cheap, so the HA-FDX1 will likely continue to be the 'split the difference' unit (fast transients and that 4k peak) until better BA units come up at lower prices.

 

I like almost all ba iems I have heard when it comes to treble range timbre. They sound sparkling and lovely. That isn't what I can say about the ba bass. I just feel it soft and fake after prolonged listening

 

There's a chifi ortho iem 7hz Timeless. @Crinacle likes it as per his video. Measurement looks good compared to other ortho iems.

 

Anyone have any idea how a planar driver iems like the timeless 7hz (since it's getting a lot of recent hype) would graph here in a 4.8kHz burst?