Ahh wise you are . READ Head-Fi you do!
I actually hadn’t checked the discovery thread in a while. At least the cable he’s shilling today is only $150 lol!
AudioSense DT600
$285 usd retail.
6 BA. 2 Low, 2 Mids, 2 High
14 ohm impedance
106 +- dB sensitivity
20Hz-22kHz frequency response
Thanks go out to King Nubian for opportunity to experience the DT600.
AudioSense DT600 was released summer/fall of 2021 so it’s been around now for a little better than 2 years.
There are already numerous reviews on line.
But, here is my take on them.
- Stock, no impedance adapter
- 75 ohm adapter
- iFi iEMatch adapter by
I received only the earpieces. (and 75 ohm impedance adapter)
I’ve chosen Moondrop spring wide bore tips, and Campfire Audio Smokey Litz SPC mmcx cable terminated 4.4mm balanced.
Build is very good, nice smooth resin shells with a “wing”.
Faceplates are attractive (subjective).
The resin nozzles have a moderate flange on the end, so ear tips stay firmly in place.
Fit is very good for me.
They are comfortable in ear for extended sessions.
Nozzle depth and angle are good, I have no problems with seal or anchor using the Moondrop tips.
Fit is of course subjective, and personal. But I have larger ears and they fit very well for me.
Sound evaluation will be using my Astell & Kern SP2000T in OP amp mode.
- Without Impedance Adapter:
Good sub bass and extension, doesn’t pull extremely deep or have much rumble, but adequate. Sub bass has some bloat, it fills the head stage and subdues other frequencies.
I does have decent thump.
Mid bass and lower mids are recessed.
Sub bass just lurks here.
Mids recover, are moderately elevated, and have decent clarity and detail, they present well but sub bass veil prevents them from really standing out.
Vocals are only slightly more elevated but do present forward. Despite also being veiled to some degree, vocals do present accurately with an added hint of “smoky” husk.
Highs don’t elevate much above mids limiting the presentation of air.
Good macro detail but lacking in micro detail, cymbals have good “tssshh” but lack air and shine.
Highs are subdued and polite, certainly not harsh or sibilant.
Head Stage lacks openness but is overall good.
Width is slightly outside the head. Height is good, sub bass doesn’t pull it overly low, and lack of air prevents it lifting high. Limited top to bottom layering.
Depth is average vocals and mids do present somewhat forward, but overall it lacks a sense of front to rear dimension.
Imaging is decent left to right.
I critiqued kinda hard on the DT600 in its “raw” configuration.
In truth it sounds pretty good, all things considered.
I was expecting a higher resolving and detailed sound from an all BA IEM, but instead got a pretty laid back non energetic listening experience.
- With 75 ohm Impedance Adapter:
Still has good sub bass presence but tighter, more refined, and stays in its place. Instead of permeating the head stage it stays lower and instead of being “boomy” has some defined rumble to it.
Mid bass and lower mids remain recessed, maybe even more recessed. But they are more open and spacious, with less sub bass bloat.
Upper mids have considerably more clarity and detail and are elevated more in the head stage. They also present more forward.
Vocals have more clarity and are more articulate. They still have a mostly natural tonality. Opposite of the smoky veil, they can now be crisp and bright to the point of being a bit thin on the upper registers.
Highs really shine now. They are crisp clear and detailed with much better air.
Head stage is more open with improved spaciousness.
Width is the same, still slightly outside the head.
Height is better with improved air and sub bass extension.
Mids and Vocals present more forward adding some front to rear depth.
Separation is better providing more individuality for instruments.
Imaging is improved, accurate placement of instruments left to right, top to bottom, and front to rear is very good.
The proverbial “sounds like a completely different IEM” is applicable here.
Adding the impedance adapter transformed the DT600 from a bass veiled hazy presentation with subdued details and clarity, into a highly detailed and articulate presentation with fast tight bass.
- With iFi ieMatch, high sensitivity setting:
Sub bass gains back some prominence in the head stage, but also retains a somewhat tighter and refined extension.
Mid bass and lower mids carry more warmth but remain more open.
Upper mids, the “veil” is back, but to a lesser degree, detail and clarity are reduced a bit, but some warmth is added. A more natural tonality, but also less elevated and forward than with the 75 ohm, imo.
Vocals also somewhat veiled again. Trade off between clarity and articulation, and a warmer more natural tonality.
Highs loose some clarity and crispness, but are able to compete well against the added warmth in the sound signature.
Still have good air.
I’m slightly treble sensitive, and for me, these somewhat subdued but still very present highs are close to perfect.
Head stage doesn’t change a whole lot from that of the head stage with the 75 ohm adapter.
It is not quite as open and spacious, so separation and imaging are impacted to some degree.
Otherwise, still a very good head filling presentation.
Summary:
After spending several hours with the DT600 my personal preference lies with using the iFi ieMatch. As is often the case, the synergy can vary track by track, but overall I found the ieMatch to provide the best “all round” experience for my personal preference.
For those who prefer a more detailed “monitor” sound the 75 ohm, or similar, impedance adapter would be the ticket.
For those who prefer a warmer, thick and “bassy”presentation, straight out of the box is the option.
Great review Krusty , you have me thinking about what would happen if I used the iFi IEmatch on the GS Audio SE12 ?
If it is a high sensitivity iem. The ieMatch can work wonders.
I actually tried it on ultra sensitive after I finished my review. Should have gone there, it was even better.
PR1 PRO On its way in the Tour!
Sennheiser IE200 - A Ultimate Chill Fix.
February 10
Pros:
- Tiny & Solid Build
- Sub Bass Extension that nicely transitions into bass.
- Presents a nice stage with great depth and height. With all prerequires being met. Tips/Power/Source
- Vocals are nicely replayed* With Correct Tips
- Macro Dynamic are great in bass boosted profile, with correct tips and power.
Cons:
- Needs a cable out of the box that won’t strangle you or vice versa. If you wear glasses the plastic ear hoors makes all kinds of noise and is super distracting.
- Needs a mod to block the “Tuning hole and vent slot” Not a super big deal a 3mm x 15mm piece of black tape and a few minutes of time to fix a major design flaw.
- Needs Power to sound good. Just off of a phone is very bad.
- Sennheiser Proprietary MMCX connectors. Though a very good connection with benefits not easy/cheap or abundantly easy to source out new cables especially if you only have one product that needs this connection.
- Micro dynamics suffers with vents blocked a bit compared to the first position with the vent hole somewhat exposed with the chanel.
- Upgraded Tip Dependent.
- Source Sensitive. Warmer sources to me sound to not bring out the highs or micro dynamics
- Power Pig to get the correct dynamics out of the IE200
Now let’s get into it: The Techy Stuff
The single dynamic driver is an 7mm Dynamic Driver. Bla Bla Bla…
More information can be found here and non-affiliated link: IE 200 | Sennheiser
Subjective Part of my Audio Review - Sennheiser IE200
Purchased by me from Amazon.ca $199.95 CAD
Hello Ladies & Gents: Thanks for reading my feedback.
I share my impressions as I hear them with my ears.
As all our ears are different shapes & size so what I hear as bright or bass heavy -you might hear as dull and Vise-Versa; just something to be mindful of.
What makes my ears happy as a sound signature is a slightly more aggressive L shape. I love my Bass Sub and Mid Bass love it all actually; and in large quantity. With the Bass, I prefer a faster decay the faster the better so as to not bleed into the mids., I am treble sensitive and prefer a slightly darker warmer replay with good treble extension.
I prefer the fast speedy bass of the Beryllium Coated Driver of my Xenns Mangird UP and KiwiEars Cadenza. Of course, there are exceptions in the market - as I also find the bass of the Bio Diaphragm used in the Yanyin Canon special - has some special sauce like an 8" subwoofer that feels like a 12" Has the slam and some serious sub-bass! And the super cool Copper Alloy Shell IKKO Obsidian OH10 does some magic to the bass.
My music Library is widely varied and depends on my mood. See track list below.
Sources: E1DA SG3, Shanling UP5, Geshelli JNOG J2 with AKM4493 chip. Truthear SHIO (Dual Cirrus Logic 43198 DAC Chips)
DAP/TRASPORT: From Lenovo Laptop with Tidal, iBasso DX160 (Dual Cirrus Logic 43198 Dac Chips), Samsung S22 Ultra with DSD Files.
Amps: LoxjiP20 & XDUOO MT-604 tube hybrid amps and Topping A90D Amp 4.4 Pentagon Balanced Out - Unless stated
Tips Used for the IE200 after tip rolling. - I Found for me the DUNU S&S L tips for me were fantastic once you block the vent port with tape then all that was left was stage and comfort.
I always use Wide Bore Tips and the S&S tips are in there but because of their longer nature without taper you can get a deeper insertion works for the IE200 nicely.
My Format has changed with community feedback. So now I will list the music tracks I used & why with my musical impressions of the playback using that track. I hope this will give you some context for my library and give you some contexts to compare using the same tracks.
Let’s Begin:
Honestly first impression were less than favorable. Kind of funny , I normally use in a portable set up first but because the IE200 only comes with a Single Ended - Non balanced option and my sources and cables were very limited. I started off on the desk with the AKM J2 and Topping A90D.
That’s when I used the Shanling UP5 single ended output from my phone and listened to a ESS dac and knew we were going in the right direction
It was only after I went to my listening chair and just used the iBasso DX160 did I do a double take. So I had a suspicion the IE200 was really source sensitive.
After some more burn in the next day I swapped out the AKM j2 with the iBasso as the source with the CS chip strait to the A90D and two things became immediately clear.
THE IE200 NEEDS POWER AND ITS FUSSY ON SOURCES.
The CS source added in just a tad of the weight for male vocals and proper instrument tone while providing the more resolving clean nature needed to make female vocals sound right. Thanks Melissa Ethridge.
My observations were the AKM in the J2 was just too warm and the ESS 9219 in the UP5 a tad too clean and bright. Much as I preference with this IEM the ever slight weight the CS dacs was the perfect middle ground. I can’t speak for other reviewers but sometimes I wonder if they put in the time & effort to give whatever they are reviewing its due respect?
Since I didn’t have a balance IEM cable with Special Sennheiser MMCX ends, I again reached out to my Hakugei Ali express seller and he made me my favorite cloth cable for $25.
If you’re interested leave a comment and I post the link.
So final set up listening was done with the iBasso DX160 to the A90D and out single ended. DUNU S&S tips and a few Oktoberfest beers.
#1 “Bring Me Some Water” by Melissa Ethridge
(I like this track to hear Melissa’s voice and see if the transducers (speakers) reproduce her voice to how edgy I think it should be.)
Great I mean really nice depth and when I got the right tips and source her voice was perfect.
#2 “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones
(I use this track because I love hearing how well the IEM can give me a sense of stage and placement. At 28 Seconds you can hear Mic change his position and face towards the Mic on the left side with the overall stage outside of your head)
My notes have big Stage Height with a happy face and another note wicked 3D!
#4 & 5 “House Of Broken Love” & “Rock Me” Great White
(80’S Baby, Double Kick drums at the beginning of the first track I am listening to how fast it hits how solid is the bass and what’s the decay like. An ideal replay here would be fast, powerful bass with nice note weight to feel it in your chest so to speak if you were at a concert.) ( With “Rock Me” same thing but I am listening for the bass guitar drops on this track it should be quite low)
Ok for the rest of the these test tracks I started comparing to my EJ07M’s as I started to realize the cheaper ones I had and not even close in the same league as the IE200.
That being said my re-tuned sub boosted Ej’S didn’t and the IE200 were very close in texture and actually the IE200 had a tad more quality and texture.
#6 “Chemical Mentalist” The Crystal Method
(Bass, more bass fast and lots of it - How does it do end of the story - Huge Smile or poo emoji?)
SLAMS FULLSTOP!
#7 “Its Time” by Labrinth, Sia, Diplo
(3 very different singers and their voices come together. I use this because it’s a cool track and at higher volumes lesser IEM’s get sibilant.)
Vocals sound great by all 3 singers no sibilance at all with the IE200
#8 “All My Friends Are Here” Joe Satriani
(In this track you can hear Joe playing dead Center with the busy and very separated L & R licks added in and then he brings you back to center with some crazy and very hard-to-play Descending A Major rifts! As Joe described this song as “A rock guitarist trying to control a wild beast”
Great Snap, here I wish the Senny had more extension in the ultra-highs.
#9 “Blue Line” by Massive Attack
(16 seconds in someone taking a big hit of the Sticky Green Stuff - does it come through as a realistic effect? Also listing for how well the baritone vocals sound?) Such a soft vocal track here is hard to reproduce.
Wishing it has a bit more vocal energy on this track. A really great sense of depth with the way the vocals are presented
#10 “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” Annie Lennox
(A Bach-inspired Hammond Organ M102, I seriously love it and its unique sound with Annie’s voice this is so cool)
The IE200 did a great job on her voice , sounded natural well done
#11 “Yesterday’s Yesterday” Another song by Joe Satriani
(This is a cool track. Joe Eric & Jim whistling at the beginning with 1000 insect buzzing overlay is trippy. Then the three of them play a different guitar L C R Just a fun track to listen to how different IEM’s reproduce this song)
The IE200 made this a fun listen on a fun track.
#12 “Shape Of My Heart” Sting
(in this track I am listening to the sound of the guitar pulls and slides. How well does the IEM give an emotional presentation of the mix between the vocals and the bass.
Here I felt the guitar plucks couls have been snappier and more resolving showing its weakness on the driver.
#13 “Wishing You Would Stay” by The Tea Party with Holly McNarland
(Love this track. With this song and this band, it was the first time having a guest vocalist. Holly McNarland has a great voice and I have seen her live a few times front and center getting sweat on. Listening for Holly’s voice being forward in the mix and not sibilant.)
Both singers vocals were excellent with the correct tonality and weight. Sounded natural.
#14 “Avenue A” Tom Cochrane and Red Rider Live from the Symphony Sessions
(This track with more resolving IEM’S you can hear the guitar pulls and slides with a sense of open spaciousness and grandeur)
On this track its cool when you notice something in a song you never noticed before. In this track I could hear 2 Different mics on Tom. One on the Guitar lower and Left and the other higher on his head level. I guess that goes back to the IE200 really neat way it presents its stage.
#15 “Summertime” Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald
( This Track has both legendary artists Simply listening to Louis and Ella’s voices and of course, the Piano and trumpets how accurate and lifelike )
Again what a beautifully done stage presentation. I was wishing for more resolution with this song on the clarity and vocals but a bit of a trade-off with less high frequency energy
#16 “Eden” Hania Rani
( The way Hania has recorded this track with the mics on the strings in the body of the piano is incredibly unique and such a unique presentation you can hear the string’s tension at the beginning, Bass kicks in at 1:40 and goes low that’s what I am listening for )
Piano has nice note weight and I actually prefer the IE200 over the EJ’s on this one.
#17 “Blue Train” Poncho Sanchez
( Trumpets here are silky or should sound that way with good timbre, overall mix how does it present, and of course Poncho’s drums )
So Musical how the Senny replayed this track beautiful and special. Wicked stage high and wide.
#18 “ Wake Up “ Oliver Mtukudzi
(Oliver Mtukudzi is an African Musician and prolific guitarist and Vocalist. He sings with a mix of South African styles sometimes in English sometimes mixed like in this track and includes the traditional drumming styles of the Korekore. TUKU MUSIC at its finest – Listening for vocals, bass lines, and clarity – and because it is just fun! Right at the beginning you have some very cool snaps and instrumental )
Oliver’s voice is spot on nice & smooth, all female back up was very well done. This music and IEM you can listen to endlessly.
#19 “ My Girl “ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
(Listening for instrument placement and stage and this track gives a good sense of dynamics and excitement with lots of dynamics in the mix )
At 1:30 you can hear drums go from back right to center distinctively getting closer and then panning left ever closer with all that and a great width and 3D stage
#20" The Day That Never Comes" Metallica from S&M2
(Bonus track I throw in for the toe tapping impression;)
MY NOTES: - Kick Drums amazing this track the bass actually plays lower with more authority than the Ej"s like What! OH HELL YEAH! Play this one loud.
SUMMARY & FINAL THOUGHTS FOR: TruthEar Hola
The overall presentation of the IE200 was a fun sounding IEM. The bass is not lacking and not often I felt I was left with wanting more. A few tracks I wished the IE200 had two of the drivers per side but not often.
The Stage is the real most notable thing I liked on the IE200. Great width and fantastic depth and height. For me with these tips I really liked the way the Senny presented the stage in a really smooth way.
Overall the IE200 I found gives you a very natural organic presentation across the board when it comes to instruments as well as Vocals.
Now on the critical wish list. The IE200 is not the most resolving IEM and that also I think gives the Senny some of its special sauce. And the only thing I would change is giving it a bit more resolving power by boosting the ultra highs and giving the IE200 more treble extension.
I think the IE200 will develop a cult like the IE600 has done to audio enthusiasts the world over. IF AND BIG IF here people are willing to take the time to Tip Roll/Source Roll if possible and buy a cable hopefully balanced so you can pump juice into this thing.
If you put the effort in and know its quirks you going to end up with a super comfortable IEM you can listen to forever and have a big grin on your face.
The IE200 is simply inoffensive and is special in the way it serves you the music I think its worthy for your stable and worth the money.
Thanks so much, Cheers from the Tone Deaf Monk.
KBear Believe
9mm Beryllium Dynamic Driver
17 ohm resistance
98 dB sensitivity
20Hz-20kHz frequency response.
Pros:
⁃ Good build
⁃ Good fit
⁃ Great sounding
Cons:
⁃ Discontinued
Shout out to Kingnubian for loaning me the KBear Believe. I appreciate the opportunity to experience it.
The Believe was released late 2020 so it’s been around a couple years now and there are already plenty of on line reviews, so I’m just going to jot some quick thoughts.
I typically default to my AK SP2000T when listening to new ear gear because I’m very familiar with this DAP and it gives continuity to a baseline starting point.
I found the Believe benefits from extra power applied, so I chose to do the lengthy listening sessions with AK Kann Max set to high gain, and found the KBear most enjoyable on this source.
4.4 Balanced pure copper cable, Moondrop spring tips.
Sub bass is lean, it’s there, but even on bass heavy rap and hip hop tracks it remains subdued, and doesn’t extend low.
Mid bass carry’s the low end and does it well, it has good punch/impact. Decay is fairly fast, it encroaches on the mids enough to add warmth, but doesn’t overwhelm.
Mids elevate nicely above the bass and present forward. They are clean, clear and detailed.
Vocals also present forward, clear and well defined. both male and female vocals sound quite natural and accurate but with a hint of bright timbre.
Highs are bright and crisp with decent air. Good macro detail and decent micro detail. I’m somewhat treble sensitive in the 8-9kHZ region and I don’t find the Believe harsh or sibilant, but on certain tracks the highs can edge toward the hot zone. (For me)
Head Stage is very good.
Believe has a low noise floor that provides a nice clear and open head stage.
Width is fully between the ears, a touch outside the head.
Height is good, airy highs lift it high, but lack of sub bass fails to pull the very low.
Depth is good, vocals and some instruments present forward providing nice front to rear dimension.
The KBear is a strong all rounder and a very enjoyable listen imo.
I doesn’t want for much, other than a bit more sub bass presence.
My only regret with Believe is that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to listen to it back when it was a current offering.
⁃ Below is a bit about me, and the type of music used during my listening sessions. If you give a cats meow about that stuff……
** note: I try to be objective, but obviously I am biased somewhat by my personal preference for sound signature. I lean toward a more balanced sound with perhaps a slight mids forward bias, good bass, good mids, good treble.
I am somewhat treble sensitive in the 8-9K range.
I do NOT consider myself a professional/career reviewer as I have no formal training as a sound engineer or musician.
- i.e. the thoughts presented here are strictly personal opinion based on my hearing, your mileage may vary.
** My hearing taps out at around 12.5 kHz, I can hear 12.5 but it’s more a background sound. I think it is fair to note this.
“Air” is typically a reference to treble that is present above 12.5 kHz, it is therefore beyond my hearing capability. When I reference “air” in a sound evaluation I’m referring to where I perceive the positioning of the upper treble ranges, ie. where they present themselves within the sound stage/head stage.
*** I have large ear canals, and typically the stock tips included with most IEM don’t fit well for me. I have a selection of third party ear tips that fit well in most cases so I default to these. I will identify my tips of choice, but unfortunately, seldom can I comment on the stock offerings.
- Music:
varied selection of tracks from my playlists played from SD card. FLAC 44 through 192 and DSD 2.8 (64) through 22.4 (512)
My mainstay are Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical.
I also streamed Apple lossless for electronic, R&B, Death Metal, etc. to get a well rounded experience of how well this IEM handles a variety of genres.
Celest (Kinera) RUYI
Mic Cable for IEM.
$30.00
Kinera provided this sample in exchange for my unbiased thoughts.
Mic cables are useful for on line gaming or answering calls while listening to music. I don’t game, so I won’t be able to provide much insight on how well adapted the RUYI is to that purpose.
I can tell you the RUYI is fully compatible with my iPhone when connected with a lightning to 3.5mm adapter.
There are 4 buttons on the in line control.
⁃ A toggle style for muting the mic. Located on one side
⁃ A wide function button for answering calls, pause, and track skip. Located on the opposing side
⁃ Separate smaller buttons on either end of the function button for volume up/down.
All function as they should on my phone.
The pure copper cable is long, close to 150 cm in length so it is suitable for connection to a laptop or desktop amp that is further away from the user than a phone typically might be.
It is supple, and has little or no memory. I don’t find it particularly tangle prone.
My experience:
Since I don’t game I just took a few phone calls to test the functionality and voice transmission quality.
Voice, music, and gaming audio quality will be determined more by the IEM than the cable itself.
Initiating and receiving calls was flawless and simple.
Incoming call quality was excellent.
And those I spoke to said the quality of my voice was better and clearer than when I call them straight through the phone.
The fit is good for me. The Y splitter for the mic adds a minimal amount of bulk to the connector. I don’t notice any comfort difference while wearing, but it changed how the IEM sat in my ear just enough that short nozzle IEM were difficult to keep anchored. (Short nozzle IEM are a challenge for me at all times, so this will vary by individual)
There was one other thing I noted.
My voice isn’t routed back to the earphones when speaking.
This is not a huge issue, but with IEM’s in both ears the natural volume of my speaking voice was muted.
I had to be aware of my speaking volume to ensure I wasn’t speaking louder than usual. Something to be aware of if using in public.
Overall I’m pleased with the quality and functionality of the RUYI and feel it is worthy of consideration if you are looking for an IEM mic cable for your needs.
That’s too bad if doesn’t have a feedback loop to hear your voice that would have been nice.
Thanks Krusty for bringing this piece to us in your review!
Did a quick video to help with upgrading the ThuthEar SHIO
Big thing to remember is uninstall the driver if you already had it installed and reboot. Then install driver and restart that’s what was causing all the grief for me. Cheers TDM
I’m not sure voice feedback is doable while staying on analog like that: afaik the mic signal has to be amplified to be listened to.
With a desktop pc, you can add that functionality (and control the volume of feedback) with voicemeeter.
On the qudelix 5k, you have the option too.
I guess many voicechat apps allow to hear what you say.
On apple products, I don’t know though.
I am always amazed that the feedback options are always so hard to find: it is a basic need of voice chat/meeting as soon as you have a closed product (iem or headphone).