Cal you getting the new HBB purple thing?
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Absolutely top notch write up, Cal! Fantastic work. I already know that from your assessment, the EA1000s wouldn’t be for me most likely.
Always appreciate your words, brother!
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Not stock, but Cal didn’t review my preferred modded nozzle 
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the Hades? I wasn’t planning on it, it looks super interesting and would probably be a banger for hip hop. I gotta slow my acquisitions for a few months but whatever I pick up next will be a DD so its definitely in the short list.
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yeah they got the magic in those drivers but I just don’t think Simgot house sound is for me which is fine. I appreciate a company that perfects a sound and sticks with it.
haha yeah I think it would have been unfair to do a review based on that nozzle but it definitely leans more towards my preferences. Even with that nozzle I would want maybe a 2-3db bump in the bass.
I used to hunt for the basshead IEMs but now I have found that a more well rounded but bass boosted set works best for me
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Rightfully so
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I owed @GooberBM an A/B between the Aure and the SR5 so I figured I would just it here for public consumption.
Aure vs SR5
Low volume
Rich Spirit - Kendrick Lamar
Aure
- Texture in Kendrick’s voice has a lot of depth and complexity
- Bass line is a little light but still has impact and is quite controlled
- Bass is from the sides and fills the space well while still keeping vocals separate
- Blocks cut through the mix and imagining is spot on. Everything is well placed
SR5
- Kendrick’s voice feels slightly flatter although tonality is pretty much 1:1 with Aure
- Bass is a litter looser to the point where the bass line lingers longer than on the Aure
- Bass has similar quantity and fills the space well while also keeping vocals separate
- Block cuts through the mix with similar emphasis as Aure, location is more center than lower right but imagining is not much different
All in all its splitting hairs on this track
How Does it Make You Feel - Victoria Monet
SR5
- Timbre of Monet’s voice is very natural and smooth
- Bass hits are very small bumps but they cushion the song well enough
- Good separation across all the different instrument tracks in the song
- Stage is narrow with some depth. Imagining is okay
Aure
- Timbre of Monet’s voice is very natural and smooth (same as SR5) but with a hair more energy that brightens up the vocals
- Bassh hits are also small bumps but they are ever so slightly more impactful and tighter
- Slightly better separation but could chalk it up to placebo
- Stage and imaging is similar to SR5
Splitting hairs but Im seeing a trend that the Aure’s bass is slightly more impactful and tight while the top end is a bit more energic which is more noticeable in vocals.
Turn up volume for next two
Should’ve wore a bonnet - 21 savage, Brent Faiyaz
Aure
- Definitely can get the underlying drones in this song although its faint
- Can turn it up well and vocals don’t get harsh or aggressive. They actually stay very engaging and energetic while staying smooth
- Vocals are pretty forward on this track
- Not a good track for assessing staging or imaging
SR5
- This got interesting cause when I turn up the volume the SR5 becomes much brighter than the Aure, not harsh or anything though
- Bass doesn’t scale the same way as the upper treble, bass hits feel almost similar to lower volume and don’t have as much definition as the Aure, might be due to the looseness I noticed previously
- Vocals aren’t as forward as the Aure but they lean thinner and brighter. Maybe due to the elevated treble?
Aure pulls a head a lot on this track. Im not sure if it’s just the track or that the Aure just scales “better” at higher volumes.
Mountain Song - Flatland Cavalry
SR5
- Vocals are very forward with good texture and balance, although slightly leaning brighter
- Violins have good timbre, imagining is a bit blobby though
- Acoustic guitar show good depth by being far in the back and to the right
- Not much impact from the drums
- Instrument separation is good, still not much stage though
Aure
- Vocals are a bit heavier with slightly better texture.
- Violins also have a smidge heavier note weight, imagining is still blobby on it although its further left
- Acoustic guitar is about the same as the SR5
- Drums maybe have a bit more impact. I think its just that there is less treble and not actually more bass
- Instrument separation is about the same as
More of splitting hairs here but I think overall I would say the Aure has better bass texture and tighter, punchier bass although the difference is pretty subtle. On top of the Aure scales better with volume due to the SR5s elevated treble
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Pretty cool to see how well the SR5 stacks up against the Aur. In terms of a value proposition, the SR5 is hard to beat.
its honestly a great set and if you listen and lower volumes it is a great set for those who like the SA6 but scoff at the price. I just wish it leaned more towards the low end than the high
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I feel that, there’s always room for more low end as far as I’m concerned lol
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@cal_lando I feel like your Corner Store is closed and needs to be reopened. With the reopening featuring the Titan.
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well I guess now I gotta do it haha. I’ll formulate my thoughts over the next few days but here’s my early ratings (spoiler alert: After over a day of listening the Syphonium Titans are my favorite IEMs to date)
Pop - 9/10
R&B - 9/10
Hip Hop - 10/10
Latin - 9/10
House/EDM - 10/10
Country - N/A
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Symphonium Titan - Euphoria
Sound Profile
Bass heavy V shape
My Preference
As the first post in this thread states I prefer bass boosted signatures that doesn’t impact vocal clarity. A lot of IEMs are a compromise for me because if the bass is boosted too much it messes with the timbre of vocals too much however too little bass and things aren’t exciting to me. I used to primarily prefer V shaped IEMs however recently I have been enjoying IEMs with smoother upper mids and treble. I find with good tuning you can have smooth, warm vocals that are still timbrally accurate and clear (enough for me anyway).
Overview
I’ll start by saying the Symhonium Titan may be the first kilobuck IEM that I would be okay paying full price for. They hit my preferences almost to a tee. The only thing I would tweak would be to bring down the upper mids just a tad. On certain tracks they can be bit pointed and a little thinned out however I do believe the amazing vocal clarity that the Titans have is due in part to how the upper mids are tuned so its a compromise, as with most things.
With that said, let’s get to the star of the show. I’ve never heard a more palpable, textured and impactful bass than on the Titans. While IEMs will never really be able to replicate a true sub woofer, the best way to describe the texture of the bass on the Titans is it reminds me of a car woofer bass hitting so hard that it starts to reverberate in the cabin and off the windows and gives you that “wub wub wub” experience. The bass is there and you can’t completely get away from it but on more acoustical tracks it’s subdued enough where things still sound accurate and not comically boomy like on other basshead IEMs.
One general thing I have noticed when testing IEMs. I find that the bass on an IEM usually resonates from the L/R and as quantity grows it fills the center, however I have also noticed that it usually occurs either from above (top of the head/forehead), at eye line, or from the jaw line. I find IEMs that keep the bass at or below the eye line ground the song and sound more “correct” to me whereas IEMs with bass above the eye line sound floaty and off. I have noticed the latter with the Yanyin Canon for instance. The Titan, on the other hand comes from the closer to the jawline and it really does a great job at rooting everything.
Genres
Below are my rankings for how this set plays each genre. These are based on my general enjoyment of the replay for some songs that fall in each category and is therefore very subjective and may not represent the category as a whole. If you have any questions as to what songs I listened to for each category feel free to ask!
Pop - 9/10
Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez
This track just works with the Titans. Selena’s vocals cut through with perfect clarity and detail. The backing bass line hits with the punchiness you would expect from a mid bass boosted set without interfering in any other part of the replay. I really don’t have much else to say about this song and most songs in my pop playlist.
Standing Next to You (Remix) - Jung Kook & Usher
On this track the bass is looser and elongated so it resonates throughout the entire track. Surprisingly, that doesn’t detract from the rest of the song. Vocals still cut right through the mix even though there are deeper in the stage and nothing sounds deadened or blocked out. Vocals can sound a bit thinned out in this song but the bass presence makes it harder to notice. I would say if you don’t like excessive bass you will likely not like this replay as it does seem to put itself front and center when it should be supplementary.
Hip Hop - 10/10
Brush (Remix) - JID w/ Denzel Curry
Sooooo this one is just dirty. I can’t help but turn it up cause even though the vocals are so clear they are dampened a bit from all the rumbly, delicious bass that just layers over everything. JID’s adlibs at the beginning of Curry’s verse showcase the imaging and broadness of the stage in an otherwise very center line song. If I had to knock anything I would say the vocals are missing a little bit of heft however I would take that over the losing clarity by boosted the lower mids and upper mid bass to add that back in.
Euphoria - Kendrick Lamar
The intro has this beautiful reverberated guitar tone that kind of just flows in the back and wraps you in a soulful embrace while the snare(?) hits are just sharp enough to cut through and keep the pace and then the song completely shifts and we are off to the races! That bass drop hits and while I would probably like a bit more bass on this song I know it’s not due to anything lacking from the Titan’s. This beat is super interesting as it changes subtly throughout the song with the only constant being the snare and bass line. Even through these changes everything stays crisp and open without pulling your attention from Kendrick’s lyrics.
R&B - 9/10
Is It a Crime - Sade
This is a great song to tests the Titans ability to replay a song that doesn’t have much bass and the Titans still deliver. Sade’s sultry voice echoes in the background with the constant swirl of brass and strings. The sharp percussions cut through the mix and yet still manage enough heft to properly group everything. If I had to nitpick I would say for this song, and a few others in my R&B library, the sharpness of the upper mids can get to be too much over time.
Needs - Tinashe
When I first put this song I had to check if X-Bass was on. The Titans hit like a truck on this song. I realize now I’m going to be repeating this statement a lot however even with the gobs of bass coming out of these, vocals also seem to cut through with a surprising amount of clarity without being sharp or otherwise harsh. Like with the other songs as well, vocals are smack dab center and deeper in the stage, which adds to the overall sense of space. The quality on the bass is a clear step up from other sets I have heard, regardless of the price range. There is a modulation to the rumble that really resonates with me. Other sets kind of sound like one big “wuuuuuuuuuub” . I don’t think there is a single thing I would ask to change for this song.
Latin - 9/10
Dame Beso // Muévete - Kali Uchis
The trumpets at the beginning have almost a delay effect that pops up in a different position in the track which I never noticed before. Idk if it’s just because of the trumpets cut through more or that the overall clarity of the set allows me to pinpoint that delay but its always cool to pick up new things on a set! I use this track to test the upper mids and treble since its a bit chaotic and every instrument is emphasizing those upper frequencies however the Titan comes through it with zero issue. Everything sounds tonally correct and honestly I can’t say it’s missing anything…. I know I sound like a broken record. Maybe a knock would be for those who like a really expansive wide stage, I have heard wider on this song.
TCQ - KAROL G, Shakira
Classic reggaeton beat which has a very percussive punch. I love testing against reggaeton songs because of the beat. It’s gotta have a good balance between mid and sub bass. Too much mid and punch is too percussive to the point where your ears are hurting, too much sub bass and you lose the punch all together. For this track the punch hits a perfect balance with a clear space between it and rest of the songs. Some may consider it detached but I appreciate the separation as it usually results in great clarity and space for the rest of the song and that is what we see here. Vocals are dead center along the eye line, bass hits L/R coming from the jaw resulting in a harmonious song. I will I could use a little dip in the upper mids because KG and Shakira’s vocals come off a bit too sharp for my ears.
House/EDM - 9/10
Heaven Takes You Home - SHM
So I was surprised by this one. Everything sounds great but not as great as some other IEMs and I honestly thought the Titans tuning would blow this track away. The biggest issue is that the sense of space seems both big and small. I think it’s because Connie Constances voice has a lot of presence in the upper registers and that cuts through to the point where I lose the normal expansiveness of this song. Obviously the bass drops are near perfect and I have zero complaints there. Width does become somewhat of an issue as everything is on the center line, even the piano which I usually hear coming in from L/R.
Lost Souls - Lee Jokes Feat Aquarius Heaven Remix
The Titans were made for songs like this. The bass is suffocating from the sheer quantity and it just builds and builds yet somehow things feel so open because of the how deep everything else is. The bass hits are extremely clean and tight on this set. The Titan is very impressive by the fact that it can do both tight punchy bass and loose rumbly bass extremely well.
Country - 8/10
Hey Driver - Zach Bryan, The War and Treaty
Another genre where the bass does a good job just giving support to the songs but otherwise gets out the way. The duet part at about 1 minute is a point which can get a little blended but on this set it separates the vocals really well and each can be heard on its own without losing the cohesiveness. I do sense a small lack of body on the guitars which be because I can’t turn up the volume more since the vocals will become a bit too unbearable. The piano can also get a bit boomy at times so maybe the bass doesn’t totally leave the room. #### If It Hadn’t Been For Love - The Steeldrivers
Guitars have more body in this one which is great. The banjos (and steel guitar?) are playing extremely wide, to the point where it’s behind my ears. Vocals and violin are dead center and cut through the mix beautifully. Sometimes the vocals in this song can be overly dull but it for this set it has the right balance of sharpness and heft.
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Symphnium Titan - Euphoria—>KDOT’s Euphoria
Based Review thank you Cal🫡
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Great review! I love the wub wub description for the bass texture. Never would I say the Titan is the bassist IEM I’ve heard. That would go to the the ASG however, it’s definitely the cleanest vocally and most textured basshead IEM I’ve heard. Maestro Mini takes a close second and probably the closest to the Titan to get an idea of the tuning.
Titan though is just more refined, dialed in and has a special sauce in the texture. It cleans up the mids a bit and slightly tones down the bite some might find in the Mini. The ASG and Legend Evo were like pulling up at red light and you can hear someone’s obnoxious bass but, only faintly make out the lyrics.
Titan is a beast if you’re in the market for a bass IEM. It’s like being in the car of an audiophile car who just so happens to enjoy bass and has a 2 12inch subs in the trunk. Of course you don’t the feel the sound waves but, it’s for sure the closet and most enjoyable experience to a well balanced bass car setup I’ve ever heard in an IEM.
When I pulled the trigger and bought on @domq422 rec I was hesitant. Definitely no regrets after hearing it. Glad I could help empty your wallet in the future 
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I do think the MM is pretty close although, from memory, the MM’s upper mids and treble have a grainy quality and the bass isn’t as textured as the Titans. I think sound sig wise they are super similar with the MM opting for more quantity in the bass. Titan’s would def be a direct upgrade to the MM for me
thats a bingo!
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Rikubuds Berserker 3: A refined experience
Overview
Let me preface this review by saying I am by no means an expert in buds (or IEMs for that matter) and my experience with buds has been limited to the following:
- TGXEar
- Serratus (owned)
- Ripples
- Rikubuds
- AR3
- Saber 3
- Berserker 1
- Grand Berserker 2
- GAS2
- Lancer 1
- Saber 1
- Assassin 2
- GR 1
- Penon
- PAC Buds
I won’t do a detailed comparison of the Berserker 3 to any of the above since I don’t have any on hand anymore but what I will say from my memory of the others, the Berserker 3 is my favorite of all the Rikubuds and combines some of the best aspects of his other offerings.
Vocals are natural and spacious without being overly bright or shrilly like the Serratus. They are more forward in the mix and clarity is top notch (unlike the GB2 which is just bass on bass on bass). If I had one critique on the vocals it would be that they can sound a bit thin (common for me on most buds) and depending on the mix, things like cymbals can come in a little sharp. As with most buds, they excel in stage and spacial cues. Everything is very wide however not particularly deep, which is good or bad depending on your preference. For me, it’s great. Bass never gets in the way of the mids and Hip Hop is very listenable on these, although they aren’t going to trump a good, bassy IEM for me. Mid bass hits are tasty and tight, similar to the Ripples but, unlike the Ripples, these still have a good sub bass presence. From memory, I don’t find these to be all that much bassier than the other Gen3 sets. Definitely a far leap from the GB2s but that, I believe, was intentional.
One genre where these rock is classic and hard rock (pun intended). Kick drums on Thunderstruck have both the mid bass punch and that sharp slap that sometimes gets overshadowed by the bass. Guitars have absolutely great tone, especially when distorted. Sometimes a distorted guitar can become kind of mushy if there is too much bass or can be shrill if the signature is too thin. The Berserker 3 gives a good balance between both, leaning more towards bass and body. Brian Johnson’s voice is extremely unique and can sometimes get a bit overbearing but the smoother treble of the Berserker 3 gives you some breathing room on the volume knob which is great cause the more you crank the better the bass gets. I should note I am using really thick Hiegi foams so if you use something thinner you might your experience with the treble will be different.
Last thing I want to talk about is fit. Fit is maybe the single most important thing for ear buds and what Riku did here with his shell is truly a work of art. It’s not the first time I have tried the gen 3’s but it is my first time talking about them and as someone who had no real problem with MX500 shells, the Gen3 shell really does stomp on them fit wise. Now, fit is a highly personal thing so your ears may not like the Gen3 shells. For me though, they just work. The fit and fact that the sound signature just works for my library is what prompted me to get rid of my Serratus. I knew I never was going to listen to those again.
All in all, the Berserkers get two big thumbs up from me and I don’t really see myself exploring more buds in the future. I am quite content with these as my go to.
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Yeah, I wanted to move away from that GIGA BASS GB2 which was a bit too niche IMO. B3 is still bassier than the other gen 3 but not by a huge amount but still enough to not have redundancy with the closest model the Saber 3.
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