Cool, thanks for your input!
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Curious how the Lava compares to the MEST and Monarch MK2. Which one do you prefer the best so far?
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I would take LAVA over Monarch MKII because of midbass. 
MEST MKII is another story though
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Looking forward to the Olinas. Im a huge fan of the Meles. Best budget set Ive ever tried.
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Thank you 
Itās a really good driver tuned to itās strong points (original tuning) and is a great companion to the Mele.
Both sets for $150 total. Chifi can do some great stuff when there is a plan 
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Absolutely. I have picked up some real gems over the last couple of years Gustard X16/H16 stack, Willsenton R8 amp the Mangird Teas and of course the Meles. They really are setting the bar high for what you can do on a budget.
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Sweet. Curious how the Lava compares to the Monarch MK2 clarity/resolution wise. Any first impressions?
Also, what amp/dac do you rec with the Lava?
Monarch MKII is one of the most resolving sets but sounds dry and lean with vocals (male) and it does the same with Bass guitar and drums.
EJ07 Lava fixes that issue for me and others who like a replay like I do.
I like both of the sets above but they are both innacurate with bass guitar.
What good is technical precision if it exposes a limitation in the
Kick drum (When the Levee Breaks)
Bass Guitar (Sultans of Swing)
Male Vocals (Friends - Led Zeppelin)
Iāll take The Elysian Acoustic and MEST MKII and now the Lava bassline.
If I were mixing and mastering I might take the tight mid bass sets
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EJ 07m OG doesnāt sound boring dry with male vocals and has my measured amount of bass. Mon MK2 has very close graphics, so I donāt believe there are dry male vocals and insufficient bass. Your test records are very old, try to bass it, even if it doesnāt match your library ---->
As the Resolution said - Mon MK2 is not for old albums and bands !!! 
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I express an opinion and do not interfere in the preferences of others, but if we are going to listen to old recordings, it is better to get IEMs for 50 dollars. After all, we live in 2022, not 1960 .
PS: I donāt like Nicholas Cage, a weak actor ā¦ 
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Not published but will post anyway and look for errors then post later
Olina vid will be Friday Maybe livestream as itās a interesting story
DQ6s may be earlier and Lava will be last of 3 vids. Hope to have a mock up of black version before vid
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I know we talked about this already, but since you use pretty much the same test tracks for checking bass/kick drums, I always wonder which release you use? Usually the differences in the different masterings that exist differ precisely in the midbass or otherwise the treble region.
Sultans of Swing is the perfect example. There are SO many different versions of the Dire Straits album and every single Sultans of Swing sounds slightly different because the track/recording is so complex.
For what itās worth, the absolute best version of Sultans of Swing is on the Mobile Fidelity SACD [you can find it onā¦certain sites (cough) ). Not a single thing is off on that Sultans of Swing, everything done just right and yet not at all sterile/flat (which is what they usually do with SACD releases)
(Not to say that the entire series is the best, CommuniquƩ, for instance, is not good, but the Dire Straits SACD is an absolute masterclass in remastering)
What Iām saying is, I always wonder if your impressions of IEMs would change if somebody secretly switched the specific releases you have in your library. Just the position of the bass guitar on Sultans of Swing is something that massively varies, imagine if you played it tomorrow and all of the sudden the bass moved somewhere else haha 
(since Iāve already typed up a whole novel on the importance of mastering, I recommend the 2014 24/96 remasters thatās available on qobuz and HDTracks for Led Zeppelin tracks, this release for Rumours, this one for Blind Faith, this one for Jim Croce from what test tracks I remember you use off the top of my head, I know thereās lots more. But hey thatās both the upside and downside of judging audio gear based on classic rock. You donāt have that problem when judging off of newer/digitally recorded music.)
Cheers, man, looking forward to the Lava 
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RUā¦serious (see what I did there) 
I have that exact ver of Sultans. I can fire up review station and show it. Cover options in J River Auto tag did not include OF except a 250 x 250 pix image which looks like crap
I can share all my stuff with you at some point. My 24/96 DSotM sounds cleaner than the DSD. Real DSD not a uprip to DSD
I agree, the version makes all the diff. Been building my library a long time. Labor of Love 
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My man! Agree with DSotM as well
Personally not a fan of vinyl rips, but thatās a personal choice, I get why people like it) but Iām glad you take care of your library. Iāve spent YEARS on mine and donāt intend to switch to streaming platforms anytime soon
Personally, itās as big a part of the hobby as buying gear. The musicās what counts in the end
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Agree, each to their own.
Out of curiosity HBB, do you review with different tips?
I only ask as Iāve just changed tips on my Monarch mkii and it made a big difference to the bass replay.
I think i have a handle on your preferred sound signature enough to know its very close to mine but you definitely prefer more midbass to me so I find your reviews super useful as I can read between the lines to make good choices.
I passed on the Mele but looking forward to getting the Molina in the hope itās a bit more resolving and has better top end extension.
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You are my target audience.
Extrapolate more than some vague āagreeā and port references or several into a kinda data point.
Agreeing with me is not a concern but understanding is.
āI donāt like classic rockā <<<<not a point that means much
beyond quality of Master as discussion above (which I love btw)
EADGā¦
Iām talking about a bass guitar within a mix not a mix with a bass guitar.
You thankfully get it. 
I always use CP100 L with yellow stem at 77dB . Variables freak my brain out.
I wish I could be more flexible 
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Yeah I can understand the need to standardise your reviews.
Worth experimenting "off camera " as Iāve been really surprised at how much difference a simple tip swap can make.
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Congrats on all the collabs! It must feel good to become a part of this community in a completely new way, eh?
Anyway, I just saw that the Olina will use the same shell as the Mele. One the one hand, thatās great because Mele fit very well. On the other, i had weird condensation issues on the mesh almost immediately and i have no idea whether itās the shell (only IEM that ever happened with) or something else. Too bad, really 
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Does anyone own both the midnight and the dusk? What are your opinion them both and is the dusk worth the mark up in price?