YES!! IN STOCK FTW 
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Looks ā¦ interesting? That treble region looks to have some extra spice.
Itās starting to look like a formula for clean neutral with sub-bass boost now. Definitely some blurred lines between the new Oracle and the Monarch, instead of being distinct releases/niches.
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In some ways, itās a logical progression since one complaint I did hear about Oracle was itās lack of sub-bass. But yes, it sure wouldāve made more sense to tune the bass more like Excalibur and less like Monarch. Oh wells
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I still donāt understand what ātechnicalā means in terms of audio, used to just be āmore/less detailedā
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Iām not a reviewer or some expert in anyway so take this with a grain of salt, but my understanding of the term ātechnicalā in terms of IEMs at least includes perimeters like - detail retrieval, soundstage performance, imaging performance, tuning balance and I guess how natural or unnatural the Timbre is. I could be wrong though.
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I can see that. Technical = killer presentation, noticable imaging/soundstage
But hearing ānatural timbreā is to my mind the opposite of technical. I imagine technical as the sound of (for example) BA bass - itās all there but thereās something off about it
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Interesting, I think itās important to develop your own interpretation of ātechnicalā for sure. What works for you, may not work for me and so on.
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A technical set is usually described when it presents high levels of technical capabilities, no matter the tuning. What he meant above was a closer tuning but with better technical capability, due to driver count/quality, etc. Example: A Zero with better stage and detail retrieval.
If that makes you simpler for you, think of it like tangibles and intangibles.
Tangibles can be measured, like a FR graph. The tonality is what it is and, if we rule out physical factores like fit and HRTF, itās measurable and agreable.
Intangibles are the ones that canāt be measured, and that goes into the techs territory. Stereoimaging, resolving power, dynamics, timbre, coherency, layering, separation, you name it. Itās completly subjective and one of those cases that if you ask 10 people about it, you will get 11 answers.
Timbre is a combination of so many things that some even donāt like to talk about it, donāt believe in that, or simple canāt distinguish it. It does generally go hand in hand with the Tonality, as people who care about it also look for a specific tuning for their library over any other tech.
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Well, oracle seems to be a monarch with a little more bass.
From my experience this kind of difference doesnāt seem much, but it can have a huge effect in bass quantity perception.
I donāt remember the reviews on og Mon and oracle, so canāt tell much about an inversion of approach or something.
So I removed the metal nozzle filters from my Hook X since one size broke and woah, the clarity boost that came from the removal was welcome. Iām figuring since it was kinda murky and slightly recessed in the 2-4kHz zone to begin with, it didnāt become too much (as in too shouty) to remove the filters.
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Iāll be watching for impressions of the Oracle MKII, for sure. I owned the Monarch MKII for a couple months (Dec-21 to Feb-22); ended up gifting them to my girlfriendās youngest brother as a sort of college graduation gift.
I actually loved the Monarch MKII tuning as I was specifically looking for a set that could be classified as āreferenceāish with bass boost.ā My only issue with it was that the more I used it, the more I noted that itās DD just didnāt seem up to the task; just not capable enough, I guess? Hard to articulate.
Anyway, a friend is in the market for an IEM in the $500 - $700 range, so Iāll be paying attention to the Oracle II fro him.
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So when is HBBās review of the Oracle MKII coming? 
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Nice, great news Any feedback on the Shanling ME800 yet?
Not yet. Too much switching between planars for last several hours
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I completely understand. Looking forward to your feedback on the Talos vs other planars
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New NICEHCK NX7 Mark IV is out!
7 Driver Tribrid!
x2 10mm Beryllium coated DDs
x4 BAs
x1 Piezo
Price ā $109 (or $89 when $20 coupon code is applied)
Getting mine close to November.
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They sure are pretty 
Thank you, HBB. Iāll be diving in tonight!
Edit: Iāve been able to go through a few tracks and I really dig these. First off, they do not look like a $20 set. I think the faceplate and nozzle design is actually really nice. Different flavor than the mele in terms of design, but these fit better for me. A little molded to my ear shape so Iām finding they stay in better, even when Iām chewing or talking on the phone.
They sound great, too. Really laid back sound, but surprisingly, they do not come off as congested as I expected. Iāll be carrying these around for sure.
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