Good review, thanks for putting one out on this new drop by AFUL. So, I love my P8 and setting nozzle mods and fit comfort aside, would you say this is an upgrade or side-grade when comparing the two? Just curious if you (or others) have had a chance to compare them yet. 
2 Likes
I was not a huge fan of the P8 , I thought it was good but a bit boring. So for me the Cantor is a HUGE upgrade.
2 Likes
Cool, thanks for sharing your feedback comparing the two.
I wonder how long before someone just tries sawing off that brass nozzle 
1 Like
Wonât they take a BA with it? Isnât there at least one BA in the nozzle? How the hell else could AFUL fit 14 in each side?
1 Like
Like man I appreciate the hack but hacking an $800 IEM is WILD. I wonder if a v2 or SE version is along the way 
2 Likes
I dunno about this one but its not needed.
ambient acoustics mad24 has 24 BA on each side and doesnt have a weird nozzle like that.
4 Likes
You guys can check out my impression of the Cantor as well, I posted them here:-
3 Likes
It all depends on the configuration of the set, how many drivers there are and what types and sizes (DD,BA,PL,EST, etc.).
Different configurations and different sizes of IEMs and accordingly different design.
The manufacturer does everything to make the big people like the egronomics. From my experience I can say that for me the horizontal angle should be about 30 degrees and the vertical angle about -2 degrees.
2 Likes
My Review Unit is on the way.
Really interesting graphs showing up.
1 Like
What about this new AFUL P7 ?
Is it as same as the P5+2
1 Like
Aful 5 +2 is a new version of the P5. Iâve heard some things, but itâs basically the Aful P7, or a pro max version.
I wasnât able to articulate everything that I wanted to and now that Cantor has been out, I wanted to say a few things to augment my review and clarify my opinion after reading and watching a few other reviews.
Fit
The Cantor can require a deep fit. But this to me is nothing like Etomoymic iems where they go super deep. Certain reviewers have felt issues with the fit, I have not had an issue. First of all on fit, fit is always a potential issue with any iem. If you are worried about fit, itâs ok to not love an iem with interesting or challenging fit. Thatâs part of the hobby. But this iem doesnât have a poor fit and is fact very small and slender for holding 14 BAs. I enjoy how it sounds in ear and feel when you can, and if you can it is a special iem. To describe the fit, it would be a regular iem that is fact feeling somewhat slender, itâs odd to me that others find the fit poor.
It might require a nozzle mod, which ToneDeafMonk has recommended. I used multiple different tips but didnât have any issues using my normal tips or the stock tips provided. I was able to actually push on my ears and lie down for a nap with them on with no issues.
To summarize the the fit of the Cantor for me, it is actually small, I showed the size of the Canpurr in my video and find the Canpurr to be large and the Cantor to actually be fair in size, about the same size as something like the Truthear Nova, or the Truthear Red. Slightly larger but not bit. Its height is overall only 27.15 mm, which for comparison the Etymotic ER2XR is 22mm in total length and houses more drivers with a more standard shell. The inner nozzle is designed to fit snugly against the inner wall of the ear tip.
Cantor is on the right, Canpurr 6222B on the Left. Cantor has no issues fitting in my ear.
The nozzle sits flush with the end of the tip. You see the magic one on the right has some extra room at the end which could have a metal tubing there.
Nozzle looks longer here, but itâs also a little wider than the Magic one. Not as comfortable, but nothing to be concerned about in my humble opinion.
Cantor did create custom font specifically for Cantor. Having owned both, I find them both very unique and the comparison a little odd. Canpurr 622B is very expensive at 3500 and the Cantor is a lot more reasonable at 800. There was a copyright to their new font. It has a futuristic feel.
EQ
As far as headaches with this iem. It does have some higher 5-6k energy, than what I prefere. This range can provide headaches for some people. For those who want to use the Cantor for longer than 8 hours or more, you might like some slight eq, but you can say that about almost all iems that they need some eq. Sound is extremely preferential based. A universal iem that fits one person, can bother another person. And that is a valid concern. Iâm never trying to marginalize fit or confort for you, or the sound quality for an iem for, just talk about my preference. I hope that I clarified my feeling on Cantor.
6 Likes
Beautiful write-up
My unit is coming tomorrow. Kinda Pumped up.
Not worried about the nozzle after watching the comparison though. For godâs grace it is not thick. I have tiny ears and thick nozzles are the worst for me.
2 Likes
2 Likes
After watching online reviews I was sceptical about this product not because of the fit, but for the tuning they obtained. For obvious reasons, I donât trust any IEM manufacturers blindly these days even if they obtain records of successful releases in the past.
As I imagined fit was not even a problem. However, the impressive factor of this IEM was how well they tuned it. Yes! I found it more appealing than the technical aspects for which they are getting praised.
Initial Impressions after 20 Hours
20-300hz
You just canât expect BA to provide the quality of bass it is delivering. The amplitude and the quality both felt very authoritative and textured. Rumble is there, although not with a huge Physicality but Bass is there without being shy. The attack/decay is not too fast and very AFUL-like. The impact is real when songs call for it.
300hz-5Khz
Lower mids are a tiny bit more elevated than neutral and the bass gives it a husky tone and weighty definition when coupled with a big dip at the 10khz range. Thereâs a hump in 1khz that does add some special sauce to the midrange in terms of forwardness.
Now comes the impressive section of the FR, the upper mids sounded so smooth and detailed. It surpasses IEMs like Supernova in the 4Khz to 7Khz Range. Not just in the upper mids, the lower treble also feels very refined.
5-8Khz
This range was showing a bit of elevation in couplers like the Supernova, but it sounds way safer than what the graph is indicating. The lower treble is not harsh & it never tends to feel sibilant even on Orchestral tracks. I listened to Ecos - Coco Tomita ( https://shorturl.at/qiBrL ) and it was a super smooth listen, there was no point where I needed to lower my volume.
So they designed to use this IEM with a deep fit and the tips should be inserted to the rim. This is necessary since AFUL wanted to avoid any tip interference with the sound, I simply followed that and got the result. Improper fit/insertion will break the experience in this region.
I never got the fit of ER2SE and B2 right on my ears, and this one is way better for my ears even though it reaches deep. But I would have appreciated a resin extension instead of the steel one.
Not so impressive part
The 10-12 kHz range feels way too safe for my liking. A little more elevation through EQ fixed that but I wouldâve liked a more upfront presentation of the vocals in higher register. But it is understandable since I am a treble head and elevation might thin out some of the instruments that occupy the lower mids for someone who likes enriched presentation. But few instruments suffer a bit for this reason.
Why I am buying this IEM
I received this package from a friend for review purposes. In two days I must have listened to more than 20 hours on this. And I decided to buy it for my personal use after day 1. The reason behind that is the pinna, it makes my favourite genres shine, for which U12T is still my No. 1 choice and I am a fan of something like Supernova.
CANTOR FEELS LIKE IT COMPLETES THE MIDDLE GROUND AND HANDLES BOTH OF THE PINNA PHILOSOPHIES PROPERLY BY BRIDGING A GAP.
My full review will be uploaded on YouTube next week, stay tuned.
3 Likes
Take a look at my Cantor Review
4 Likes