Your memory is wild… I can’t believe you remembered that haha
I most definitely do still have my demolished BTR7 and I plan on doing some very un-scientific A/B tests this coming week to see if my mind and ears are just playing tricks on me or not
I just stopped my 3 hour listening session with the BTR17 and I can confirm it’s a banger little device for $200. Layering is fantastic. The overall sound is just more incisive compared to the BTR7 (from memory). I listened to the BTR7, non-stop, for over a year and for a long time, that was my only source so I feel like I am so familiar with the sound, to the point where I do kind of trust my auditory memory and I usually don’t.
But hold on, let me get back to this thread with actual results asap.
But yes, you should definitely try skateboarding, brother just make sure you don’t get on a board for over 2 years and decide to try it randomly on a chilly April day without a single stretch in mind, on a board that isn’t even yours and oh yeah, wear your best non-skateboarding shoes to create the perfect storm
Of course i remember that, i consider it a HFGF classic moment just as my stoned ass throwing my BTR15 in the trash where i found it a couple of days later and @apricotblossome dumping his Mext in the trash…shit happens i guess
Don’t ask me about anything from school though
Sounds interesting, may i ask If you saw that bespoken early review of BTR17? Pretty sure you did, just like 90% of the other addicts here
Take your time brother, looking forward to your comparison!
Holy shit… that’s amazing I remember that day like it was a yesterday… what a beast the BTR7 is. I can’t believe it survived and not only that, still works to this day. Unreal build quality on that thing. Those are all such legendary moments in HiFiGuides history, I’m glad you’re keeping track, brother haha
I can’t say that I saw that review, brother, the only 2 reviews I’ve watched/read so far is from @ATechReviews which was fantastic as per usual and the one from Headphonia which was just, not very detailed or informative at all so I felt as though I went into this with a somewhat clear mind but I’m only human… after all so of close bias is there.
Can you link me to that review? I tried to find it via google but nothing comes up
It was ATech. I loved the review itself, just Not too Sure about that claim
Another guy, not reviewer, did not hear any difference when compairing them side by side.
Whatever, I’m probably just a bit cautious because it’s a huge industry and it needs to keep on moving therefore the new stuff needs to be miles ahead of the old stuff…of course!
Man losing my Mext was so traumatic I switched hobbies after getting my Deuce, I was supposed to upgrade my PC but I just went “fuck it” and did the opposite of when I built my first PC. Now I’m abandoning gaming
I just spent like 1k on guitars and I’m back to relearning it for good. I even convinced my sister to start playing and she chose bass lmao
I hope someone’s having fun with my Ukraine Mext at least :')
I understand the reservation from your point of view, brother. It is a huge industry that runs off of claims and snake oil in a lot of cases.
Just look at cables and tips. It’s crazy. Cables, in my opinion, don’t make a measurable difference for the most part in most cases and don’t cost too much to make at all but you have some companies charging hundreds and even sometimes thousands of dollars for cables that cost the same to make as a $20 cable you can find on AliX and ya know why? People buy them. It’s hyperbole but in this hobby, we’re all chasing that extra 2% of performance and a company can claim that, some people will flock to it. Similar case with tips - there’s no shot a set of the Velvet tips or any of the tips from Azla should cost anywhere near $20 for a couple of pairs. Those are literally made for pennys but again, we buy them because we hope it makes a discernible difference in the sound.
DACs and amps, to a certain point at least, are two things I do believe make a difference in the sound. I don’t think spending $5000 on an amp makes any sense at all, I think the diminishing returns on sources (DACs and amps) happens a lot sooner and hits harder compared to IEMs or Headphones but I still do believe they make a difference in the sound. Whether it’s positive or not is to be determined in testing.
All I know, is that the BTR17 has a different DAC ship and different amps inside compared to the BTR7. That, coupled with the new design and features helps justify the purchase, honestly. The one feature I’m very excited for is that desktop mode. For listening at CanJam and what not.
I agree especially the tips and cable parts. Considering that I’m very new to this hobby it’s ridiculous seeing eartips with pricing higher than an actual iem itself (looking at you divinus, pentaconn and azla). It’s not like they are using super high grade or rare materials. We as customer mostly pay for the innovation in their design, which ofc can be subjective but at the same time as seller they have to be realistic about the pricing. Can’t say anything about cable but in all the iems I have so far I really can’t differentiate sound, but ofc comfort and cable memory is noticeable.
Kinda sad that if you look at reddit and see all the people who owns budget iems (for me sub 30$) asking for advice on buying dac, cable replacement, tips etc but they are working on a very tight budget already. Mostly they got influenced by other people saying “oh you need this this this to elevate your music listening experience”. I used a cheap iems and dongle for a long time and happy with it even now that I could start buying more expensive sets. Also sometimes people can’t manage their expectations and compare their experience with other peoples which imo takes out all the fun from the hobby itself. If you enjoy the tuning and are satisfied with it then who cares what other people think. Some people can notice differences and if you cant then thats also fine! Means you dont need to spend much more chasing for something that you cant really notice anyway.
each to their own, but for my ears and my library the Triphonium Septre Maximus cable made from gold & unicorn penis really elevates the slam on my blon’s (opotty4lyfe).
Totally agree with you! It can definitely feel overwhelming when you’re just starting out and people make it seem like you need to spend a ton on accessories to enjoy the experience. In the end, it’s all about what works for you. If you’re happy with your setup, that’s what matters most. Everyone’s hearing and preferences are different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. I’ve also noticed that comfort and personal tuning preference make more of a difference for me than chasing the latest cables or tips!
To a certain point you do pay for the innovation but in an ear tip where so many are already made and can be had for literally next to no money on AliX I am very skeptical about Azla charging $10 for 1 pair of tips, or divinus charging $20 for 3 pairs of their tips… I’ll be fair and say those are great tips that for the most part enhance the comfort and alter the sound in a way where if you use them on the right IEM, could be beneficial.
But be careful falling into those hyperbole pits of death, you’ll hear a lot of crap from A lot of people claiming to know the secrets and how to unlock them in the audiophile landscape, only for them to just have too much time on their hands and too much desire to be popular in the forums and the discords. They’ll say whatever they think sounds exciting and sounds intelligent but in reality, the secret to enjoying your time here and not draining your wallet is to just stick to what you know and trust your ears and enjoy your music. If you ever need any help, this place is a great resource filled with a lot of amazing people. Not everybody is gonna tell you the truth and not everybody is gonna be as objective as possible on this website, but you’ll know when you find someone that just wants to help
Yeah I think it’s very easy to lose sight of whats important when all you see are reviews of people saying this iem is top tier, endgame etc etc. Especially nowadays we got so much new releases pumped into the market. Also I see it as people have different level of hobbies. Some are more invested and hence willing to spend more, some not. And thats also ok!
True, also Pentaconn man 30-45$ for 3 pairs is absurd as hell. I myself study and work in field with materials so I know damn well the material price aint worth that much, even if you factor in the production cost they can easily gain profit just by the amount sold.
Agreed. I find that the community here is full of nice and helpful people for the most part which makes it easier to get into the hobby. It’s just can be kinda annoying to see some people (mostly on reddit) kept asking a question that has been asked like thousand times and also can’t seem to manage their expectations regarding their purchase. What do you mean you expect your 20$ iem will make you hear everything including God’s voice? But other than that the reddit has some nice contributors finally making a list of nice iems with respective price and tunings which imo should be put into a wiki or smthg.
Also that BTR17 looks dope. I have been getting tons of mileage from the KA17, which is a great device, but doesn’t have the multi point Bluetooth that made the BTR5 a must have WFH source.
I only ever tried the Ka17 at CanJam so there’s no way I could reliably compare the BTR17 to it just from memory, but the one thing that certainly stands out to me on the BTR17 is the bass performance. It’s significantly more punchy and impactful compared to the 7, and I remember the KA17 having a very punchy bass performance as well so there’s some similarities there for sure.
I’ve read a few articles saying the BTR17 is essentially a KA17 with all the extra features (BT and all that) so for an extra $50, for me, it’s a no-brainer.
I get that, and it shows how we have our own use cases. I almost never use the built in EQ on dongles and other portable devices. I use Wavelet on my phone, and Peace/APO at my desk. That is probably a carry over from none of them doing it, so I learned a work around, and that is my goto today.
That makes a ton of sense, and yes the KA17 delivers impactful bass better than my other sources.
Yep, that is an easy pick.
If I wasn’t back in the office, I would have this on my Christmas list already. I can’t bring much gear into my current office. Long story, but DoD work has restrictions on USB and wireless. My other desk won’t even let me take anything into the room, and it has the worst headsets.
But other than that the reddit has some nice contributors finally making a list of nice iems with respective price and tunings which imo should be put into a wiki or smthg.