Zero Audio Carbo-i vs Tenore

Discussion in 'Audio Science' started by spoony, Apr 4, 2018.

  1. spoony

    spoony Spooky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    651
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Just got @shotgunshane's free Carbo-i that no one claimed, here's an initial assessment:

    Build:
    The Tenore cables are a knotty piece of overcooked spaghetti compared to the new ones. It's no contest: the Tenore broke all the time and new ones seem decent, flat cable tho.

    Comfort:
    I don't like the straight cable entry much, but otherwise pretty similar. The smallish housings are easy to fit.

    Sensitivity:
    About 11dB higher than the Tenore.

    Stock tips:
    Stiff POS, impossible to get a good seal for me.

    Subjectively:
    Better bass-to-mid balance and resolution on the new ones.
    Lower treble hot and distorted, kinda lo-fi at times.
    Highs more present but not as smooth, better ambient cues tho.

    Overall dunno, need more head time.

    Measurement rig:
    UMIK-1 with a makeshift latex coupler, around 25mm long and ~6mm inner diameter.

    Uncompensated measurements:
    Green: Tenore
    Yellow: Carbo-i

    Left channel @ same output level:
    carbos1.png

    Matched @ 500Hz:
    carbos2.png

    Observations:
    The new ones resonate @ 6 KHz on my rig, this peak will move around depending on insertion depth. Some people will be more bothered than others.
    2.5KHz too hot for me on both models, I usually EQ this down ~4dB on the Tenore, new ones will possibly require mods.
     
  2. spoony

    spoony Spooky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    651
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Reserved for mod results.
     

Share This Page