I have my fair share of issues with my ears and I’m pretty familiar with ear drum issues, as Riku said already, it’s definitely due to pressure build up and that vacuum sensation you felt is pretty dangerous. Just monitor it and if you feel any throbbing pain, your ear drum is inflamed, which can cause build up of fluid behind the ear drum, which can cause a ruptured ear drum which can cause an infection… it’s a domino effect so definitely be careful!
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Grew up with CSNY 4 Way Street… is still in my top 10 desert island titles. Epic!
I would choose to hear a live set recording over a studio set nearly every time , it’s where the magic is.
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I have always assumed that the similarity in our tastes is why I like your tunings. I probably listen to less hiphop, and more prog rock, but that is probably the biggest difference.
I find the stage and imaging on Steely Dan to be top notch. Santana, Incident at Neshabur is another good pick for that, but there is something magic about the best of 70s era sound engineering.
I logged about an hour of time with the impedance adapter on the Deuce, and I like it even better with that, but it seems like it makes the stage a little smaller. That might need more experiments, and I have two bigger adapters ( 80 & 220 ohms ) that I might need to mess around with too.
While I am still in the honeymoon period, I would already put it in my top 5, and that includes Doscinco, Tea, Tea2, and Explorer.
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So thrilled with this setup. Love the details from this Astell CA1000 and S12 2024 combo. My favorite yet.
I’ve discovered shallow-fit IEMs like the S12 work much better for my ears. And I bought some Campfire Audio foam tips recently, and I really love them. They have some coating that allows them to stick well in my ear, and they are so soft and malleable and really comfortable.
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One of the only concerts I’ve been to was CSN (no Y) in the Carling Apollo in Hammersmith when I was probably 15 or 16. I listened mostly to bands from the 60s and there weren’t too many left still performing so I saved up for a ticket. Absolutely loved it. I still vividly remember “love the one you’re with” as a closing song.
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Chris, you use AudioTools for measurements?
I never could figure out REW😂
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Yup. I asked Crin about 5 years ago for help setting up and that was what was rec’d.
Works like a charm.
I have REW and it works but I like portable and got very used to it so until I spend 10k on a rig. That is my jam
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Sorry guys for long post ahead.
It is just a food for thought, if anyone is not interested in this pseudo-scientific bluberring then skip that post completely 
Legend for the pic below:
p1 - pressure in cavity in front of the driver (closer to the ear)
p2 - pressure in cavity behind the driver
delta x1 - deflection of the membrane of the driver caused by the increased pressure while inserting
I was always thinking that it was the back vent that makes the most difference in in-ear comfort, but on second thought that popped up in my head today while commuting it looks like it should be the front one. At least from the theoretical perspective.
Assuming the following (and correct me if I am wrong @Rikudou_Goku at any point as you have seen countlessly more bare drivers than I did):
- we are talking about DD IEMs
- there is a seal around the membrane of the driver (in driver itself)
- there is a seal in the housing between the front and back cavity around the driver, so there is no leakage between air. Not thinking about freefloating drivers in a shell, but one that is properly seated. If that is correct we can then evaluate the system as 2 separate air volumes with pressure p1 and p2 separated by common wall being the driver membrane.
- there is a perfect seal between the tip and the inner surface of the ear canal
If all is correct then we have 4 scenarios:
- a) completely non vented IEM - pressure p1 increases while insertion of the IEM to the canal but with dampening factor caused by non-infinitely compressable air in cavity behind the membrane. It would most likely sound like shit. p1 >> p2, deltax1 is small, you have very high in ear pressure causing discomfort
- b) we have driver vented from the front only. On insertion the extra pressure generated by the “push” of air is quickly leaked through the front vent. There is no static deflection of the driver as the pressure quickly comes back to atmospheric and p1 = p2
- c) we have driver vented from back only. On insertion the extra pressure generated by the push of air is increasing p1 significantly. There is no damping caused by the back end volume as the air can freely leave the cavity through back vent. Deflection x1 is the highest, the in ear pressure (and therefore comfort) is smaller than in scenario a) and larger than in scenario b). p2 = atmospheric, p1>p2.
- d) there is venting of both front and rear cavity. No static deflection of membrane, p1 = p2 = atmospheric. In ear comfort is same as in scenario b).
All in all heavily front vented DD IEMs should be the most comfortable. It aligns with my small sample size of experience where Twilight is the only IEM out of all I have tried that I can easily listen non-stop.
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Nah, I love these posts.
For future reference: fire away whenever you like
Moondrop illumination has a front vent like Twilight and it is an excellent listen. IMO
I think tuning may be why more sets are not done this way?
Mele shell was changed to Olina with a powder coat and 02 driver but it absolutely would not gt close to the 02 tuning. The diff was the angle of the “seat” and nozzle width.
imitated the 02 seat angle and changed Mele nozzle and nailed it. So the tuning of a single DD is very sensitive to changes in front volume (assuming rear brake is same). Probably why most engineers are not more creative because …they are often NOT… Acoustic engineers and or the marching orders are make it simple and make it fast…and make us money.
The people who said the Tanch 02 (Which had 2 definite stealth retunes) pics and graphs prove it. (People opening Olna and 02 to find drama and FAFO because they found different drivers in newer 02’s…lol) Anyway,
The folks that said an earphone, with an identical driver, in a metal shell (both) at identical angles and distance, outputting graphs that were within margin of error of measuring device.
You thought the identical replay from the same engine was worth 3x the other because of placebo?
That was fucking wild.
I don’t listen to any of you crack heads after that.
Science.
Material and Acoustic 
You played yourselves and it sold a shitton.
@pylaczynski you post stuff anytime you like.
There is so much company/brand glazing pole riding B.S. in the hobby…some Science centric stuff will ALWAYS be welcome here
Majority of single DD are right up against the body and very close to nozzle.
If is a hybrid/tribrid etc the will tube it to nozzle. The etymotic cylinder style is pretty rare actually (compared to the 2 types mentioned)
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This is a solid selection! The Chain is by far my favorite Fleetwood Mac tune!
Very true! Luckily I’ve been exposed to a diverse selection!
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New Zealand kids in the House
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cant remember did you review the Origin by them? or anybody listen to all three, olina se, oxy and ori?
any thoughts
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I never pulled the drivers on Origin but I am sure it was a newer driver. I like Origin. Tanch has always been kinda pricey. They had a DSP set plastic budget set that Ioved. Ghetto build like something that should come out of a kids toy machine but yeah…dope !!
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lol right on, still looking for that single DD set but would like to stay under 500, market just way flooded
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My favorite single DD, still in my collection after some years now, has been the Simgot EN1000 (not EA1000).
It has a slight mod that may actually not be doing much (a mesh on the inside vent). The 2-pin connectors are loose, so I don’t listen to it as much as it deserves, but when I do it has obviously good coherency, a very wide and textured low end, somehow it has incredible layering/separation and great imaging too (all a single driver) and above all it has my favorite vocal timbre/texture to date.
It’s discontinued and I don’t know how many people will click with it as perfectly as I have seemed to.
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I’ve heard great things about the Simgot EN1000! A single DD that offers such good coherency and layering sounds like a gem. It’s a shame it’s discontinued, but it’s cool to see how some IEMs stick around in our collections.The Sennheiser IE 300 has a similar reputation for good coherency and layering, but not sure if it comes close to this
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right on thank you, im all planars so im looking for a DD, seems i like coherency and that BA timbre or sharpness just gets to me, bad part is my library is so diverse sound wise its hard to balance an all arounder, just not sure i want to go up to twilight or illumination without hearing some solid sets under $500
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I have yet to listen to a more technical DD than the IE600.
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how is it for electronic? is it sharp at all?, narrow or wide or in the middle? Ive been following your ie900 and glacier thoughts but im hesitant to go hybrid again and still waiting for Deuce
IE600 isn’t like other DDs in that its treble is very upfront. If you’re trying to avoid sharpness that wouldn’t be the one for you imo. Might I suggest the Falcon Ultra? Honestly I don’t like the theoretical value proposition of a single DD over 300 USD let alone 500. I can’t imagine there’s a lot you can do with just one driver to justify that price. My 2c
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