You hit the nail, I think some clarity is missing in the treble area. Snare drums and cymbals sounds off imo.
1 Like
Here is the best explanation I can make for why I’m in love with Rosefinch. It’s got a monstrous bass shelf, and has a boost at the exact spot my treble sensitivities need it for extra clarity.
I hope this makes more sense of it for you all, because this is illuminating for me
3 Likes
When I read your “category 2” title, I thought about my s12pro: it may be good, but doesn’t move me. And then I read your text and realised we have the same experience (but a different interpretation of it: I still believe in planar; I think tuners need to think differently and try a little harder than the easy “v-shaped like timeless” style. In the sense, all the P1 family seems interesting), even regarding the p1Max.
Fwiw, I felt this absence of immersion with timeless, too: these sets may be good, but I feel more it of the music than inside it. And it’s boring to me.
The fact we share this impression makes me value your reviews even more 
And that makes me even more curious about the fan 2.
About the lack of variety on tunings, I do agree: brands tend to rely too much on what have been successful, lately: we saw that with planars, now with “cheap neutral”. Let’s hope there will be a brand that will make something different and good enough it makes others steer direction, because this uniformity is tiring. I would go even further and say that neutral tuning makes lack of technicalities even more noticeable. That’s why I will go higher in price segments.
1 Like
MIM Dark Magician or How I Got Humbled By the Gods
Welcome to 2023, and the first review of the new year. I have been taking my time with this one, wanting to make sure I’m dotting all of my I’s and crossing all of my T’s because this is a review I want to make sure I get as right as possible. This is my first brush with true, lasting greatness. I’m going to spoil the whole thing for you: The MIM Dark Magician is everything you’ve heard it is. Not only is it an extremely good IEM on the merits, because it is, but it is truly special in a way that makes using the word special to describe IEMs feel overused.
Okay, yeah but what’s the catch?
If you’ll indulge me, I will try to explain this more fully. Because there is a pretty huge catch, as far as my journey and what I’ve been able to listen to are concerned. As fantastic as this IEM is, and as much as I recommend it, there’s a lot more to say than just that. So let’s get to discussing the Dark Magician.
Songs to Listen to and Follow Along:
As usual, I’m going to write my thoughts in generalities, but I’ll give you a sample of songs that I listen to, that will relate to the concepts I write about. Feel free to ask for specifics, if you don’t keep up with my thought processes.
I’m Your Bass Creator - Basshunter (For treble response and imagining…come on seriously, it’s IN THE NAME)
Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For Female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)
DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)
The Curse - Agnes Obel (For violin tonality, layering and separation From 1:45)
When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre)
And I’m Afraid of That Which I Do Not Know; So Why Don’t I Just Ask Your Fucking Name
There are too many people to thank for this opportunity to get to try out this set. Okay, that’s a lie, but @MMag05 @domq422 and the Mysterious Silent Benefactor that helped these sets find their way to Dom are all the reason I’m getting to listen to the DMs and I’m grateful and humbled by the generosity of the community. So I want to do justice here and tell you about my experience.
The moment I put these in my ears and pressed play on The Speedwalker, I knew this set was deserving of the reputation it’s garnered. I’ll get to that, but I have to wax a little poetic for a moment. I’m a cynical asshole, when it comes to spending big ticket money on items. I know a large part of this isn’t about paying for “better”. A lot of it is paying for an experience, it’s paying for a brand or reputation. And we all know that in the IEM hobby, the law of diminishing returns is fucking real. There tend to be jumps in quality at certain points: $20 has caught up to $50 but $100 should be a jump from there. $200-300 is another level jump, and then you kinda have to go to $500+ to get another big jump and really it’s $500-1000. And each jump up is incremental, not exponential. There honestly is not a huge amount between a $100 and $600 1DD IEM (this is not hyperbole, I will get to Olina vs. Dark Magician later).
I don’t think the Dark Magician substantively changed my thinking on this, but I do believe I have to leave some of my assumptions at the door nonetheless.
Your Cynicism Buys Me No More Time Here; Imagine My Relief to Hit the Walls; Running From the Weight of Ancient Labels; Believing What Identity There Was
So, about that experience with Dark Magician; starting in the bass, I’d say this is a set that only does just enough in the sub-bass to get by. It’s not as lacking as I’ve found (and complained about) in the neutrally-tuned budget sets, but I will not be picking up DM to listen to Basshunter. But that’s not what we came to listen to this set for. The mid-bass is fantastic. It is warm and full-bodied, with great texture and feel. This is truly elite-level mid-bass. And that bass is outdone by the midrange performance. I’ve had three sets that gave me midrange performance that has not just impressed me, but made me outwardly say “these are superior”. These, the Tinhifi P1 Max, and the Rikubuds Grand Rider are the sets that have actually blown me away with their midrange execution. The lower mids are near perfect. They are forward, weighty, and authoritative, but always under control. Vocals sound exceptional, and the mids have a near unparalleled (in my experience) mix with the bass. The upper-midrange performance doesn’t miss either; they hold their own with the lower-mids, being energetic but always smooth. There is never any shout or unpleasant tonality and they are tuned perfectly to match the low-end performance. The treble deserves all the reverence it receives. It is well-suited to the neutral nature of the frequency, and gives you the absolute best tonality possible with a slightly warm tilt. For me personally, I could use a little bit more treble in my favored spot for some more resolution and clarity, but it is not missing anything I feel like we need to punish it for. In terms of some of the technicalities, DM mostly knocks it out of the park as a 1DD performer, but I do have a nitpick to note: On “When I Fall”, in the first 7 seconds, you get a gust of wind that starts in the right ear, pans to the left and continues to swirl as the song starts. The effect is present on DM, but it is not strong, and as the wind swirls in both ears it becomes a little bit of a blob. I’ve heard sets that can’t get the swirl at all and it all sounds like a blob, but at $600, I’m not going to give it a full pass for not pulling it off completely. That said, I don’t think it’s a shock for me to say that this is the best 1DD I’ve heard. But since that’s not really saying much, let’s explain what this means.
But Why Aren’t You as Good as…?
With all of the sweet words I’ve said for Dark Magician, do you think I can’t actually ask this question? Well if you thought I couldn’t, you’d be wrong. Because while the Dark Magician is amazing, it’s still not perfect. This is where the Penon Fan 2 slides into the chat. These two have a lot more in common than not, both being very controlled, warm-to-bassy neutral signatures that are lower-end focused. I honestly think these sets compliment each other: DM is a midrange-focused IEM, Fan 2 is a mid-bass focused IEM. Fan 2 pushes it’s bass elements more forward and does so to great effect. Drums are more satisfying and visceral on the F2 and are easily better at replication of drum its and bass guitar for me. One notable thing about this forward placement of the drums is the depth of the soundstage: DM sounds more traditional in it’s soundstage, F2 sounds more like you’re hearing the rest of the music from the drummer’s space, at times. DM can have an advantage in tonality if you prefer/require cleaner, drier mids. It has a “lighter” touch in it’s tonality, where F2 is all about a weightier, heavy (but not muddy) replay. DM’s emphasis in the midrange pushes the stage forward here and while sometimes F2 can sound a little smooth (in an overproduced way), the DM midrange is near perfect. F2 has a treble I prefer, where it hints at better resolution in full-range, busier genres like rock, but DM is no slouch. It reaches for a slightly more analogue sound, F2 goes for a cleaner, more processed sound.
Versus Tripowin Olina SE - Dark Magician is better, I’m not beating around that bush, but I think there are some things to note in a comparison of these two. Both sets feel like they live in a “I’m going to be accurate’’ space. The vast majority of times, this is beneficial, but holy crap does this not play as well in a genre like EDM. “I’m Your Bass Creator” is just sad on these sets, because they’re busy being accurate, but don’t have the fun factor. DM does better with this, having a bit better mid-bass replay so it is the one closer to pulling a head bob out of me, but these just don’t do it. That aside, tonally they feel pretty similar: Olina tends to have a little bit more upper-midrange energy. Vocals are close, especially in female vocals. Both do well to play female singers forward and present with equal timbre and tonality. Male vocals have a little more husk on DM, that I prefer. DM is an easy and smooth listen though, because it lacks the pinna gain the Olina has, but because everything is more balanced, you’re not lacking any forwardness. You just avoid any risk of the upper-mids or treble affecting you negatively. It’s a masterful tuning job.
What Does This All Mean?
What it means is that the audio hobby is complicated. Multiple things can be true at the same time; the Dark Magician is a wonderful achievement of an IEM; a 1DD that can compete in technicalities with hybrid and multi-driver sets, that has gorgeous tonality and timbre that’s elite for IEMs in general, and some of the warmest meatiest mids that are nearly without peer in my experience. It has been an honor and pleasure to get to spend this time with them, and if the Mysterious Benefactor wants to find a second DM out in the wild to gift me, I’ll take them with open arms. If I had the money and caught a DM on the secondhand market, the bias of having already heard them may push me to try something else. Because now that I have had them, and got my time with them (and some of the other sets I’ve tried around them), I see and hear what is special in the Dark Magician, but I don’t think that it’s endgame in a way that I’d commit $600 and stick with it. After a while, I’d want a different flavor, and I can get close enough to replicating this sound, that I will be okay to return them to Dom (How’s that a teaser for sets down the pipeline?) but every once in a while, I may long for that taste, enough to see if I can get another run with them. But at any rate, that’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!
Rank: A
Rank With Personal Bias: A
Rank As a Food: Homemade Mac n’ Cheese
12 Likes
What makes DM better than Olina SE (except that DM’s FR may appeal to more people): soundstage, layering, resolution, timbre, midrange, transients, separation, bass texture, bass dynamics, macro dynamics, micro dynamics, coherence, images, overall performance (for the price and beyond)? I ask because I’m curious $79 vs $600 and how far does the diminishing return extend in 1DD? Thanks! 
2 Likes
The places I think I would say DM is a step up and upgrade on Olina SE are midrange and how they interact with the bass elements, resolution (in some ways), and overall performance.
The midrange on Olina is clean, clear, accurate. They produce exactly what you should get in the playback. Dark Magician is a little forward in the lower-mids and while it’s not a BIG difference in timbre or tonality, the extra warmth in the upper-bass/lower mids is more satisfying. Like I said, there’s almost nothing I’ve experienced that is on the same level as the DM’s mids, let alone better.
I don’t think Olina SE is lacking much in resolution but because the Dark Magician’s entire frequency is tighter, the treble doesn’t have to be boosted to give more clarity and be present. It’s a little more effortless there.
In the end, this comparison cleared up somethings about Olina SE for me. It’s a fantastic IEM in it’s price point and it is still an easy recommendation overall. It’s a very clean, safe playback and I do prefer it over the OG still. But as I’ve listened to more things (in it’s price range and above), I reach for Olina less and less often, not because it’s bad but because it’s dull. As a person who gravitates to jack-of-all-trades but master-of-none sets, this is my jack-of-all-trades of the jack-of-all-trades.
It’s a very good benchmark IEM, that doesn’t stand out as much to me anymore, because I’m getting my hands on things that replay my whole library too, but bring some special sauce to the table.
That’s where the jump up from Olina makes sense; Olina is great when being good enough at almost everything is satisfying. If you want anything more than that, you have to step up in class.
3 Likes
Was looking forward to this review and I’m not disappointed one bit. Very well written and you add a unique and humorous flair to it that is refreshing and different. Can’t wait to see you get up there with the other reviewers. Hopefully 2023 brings some big things for you in your review journey.
I’d like to take a moment to also tag @nymz on this as it was his set before. I’m curious at this point how many hands it’s been in. Not sure if he was the original owner.
Happy New Year!
5 Likes
I was the first and only owner, bought directly from Ethan 
Glad people are loving such gem!
3 Likes
Extremely well written, and concise. Nicely done, dude! Your opinion seems to line up nearly identical to mine. The mids are creme de la creme. Like I said in my initial impressions article last month, the only set that matches the DM happens to be the MMKII and those will set you back $400 more. Now the Monarchs are more of a well rounded set in my opinion, the boost in the bass helps with the EDM and Disco part of my library, along with having a wonderful and unparalleled level of detail in the mid-range. However, from what I remember, the DMs have this unbelievable texture with vocals that the Monarchs don’t even touch. I used to think, before I tried the DMs, that the Monarchs were the benchmark for vocals at or under $1000 - but nah, the DM is (Considering the sets that I’ve tried of course).
Mac and Cheese, let’s goooooooo! Completely agree with that comparison btw!
2 Likes
The Rikubuds Collection or The Time I Caught ‘Em All
Amongst my holiday bounty, I came across two situations that have come together to make for a very special opportunity. @vividici_111 was selling his Grand Rider, and I have very publicly stated that the pair of @Rikudou_Goku’s Rikubuds I was most likely to want to buy was going to be in the Rider class, so I decided to snatch them up. The second situation wasn’t a me-thing but I get to take advantage: @MMag05 loaned @domq422 his Rikubuds collection and as a part of the deal, I get to have time with them too. So now I went from zero Rikubuds to having Berserker 1 and 2, Lancer 1, Saber 1, and Assassin 1 in my possession, as well as Grand Rider 1 and a prototype Berserker-class earbud that I now own. So we have seven buds to talk about. Let’s get after it!
Songs to Listen to and Follow Along:
As usual, I’m going to write my thoughts in generalities, but I’ll give you a sample of songs that I listen to, that will relate to the concepts I write about. Feel free to ask for specifics, if you don’t keep up with my thought processes.
I’m Your Bass Creator - Basshunter (For the bass)
Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)
DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)
The Curse - Agnes Obel (For violin tonality, layering and separation From 1:45)
When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre)
We Want It So Much, We’re Getting In Your Head; Nothing Can Stop Us, We’ll Make It To the End
One thing that has made this review a little bit of a struggle to write is the simple fact that there are so many sets to go through, and in a lot of ways, there is not a whole lot between them. The first conclusion I can come to is that there isn’t a bad Rikubud, even if not all the sets are not my cup of tea. In that vein, I’m going to work my way through the minutia in order to give you my opinion on how each set does, and why you may want them.
Starting out, I’ll go with Assassin. In my time with Assassin, I found them to be a vocal specialist. The overall signature sounds like it de-emphasizes the bass and treble regions, in order to put the midrange on full display. Doing this creates a larger sense of soundstage; there is quite a depth to be found there. This is accomplished by moving the vocals so forward, but the consequence of that is instruments (especially instruments with more bite like brass) step back and can get lost in the track. I’m willing to bet that pulling back the bass and treble plays a part in creating the larger soundstage I hear, but the tonality is off for me. These are very good for what they do best, but they’re not a set I would be drawn to as I look more to all-arounders.
Next up, we will go to the Berserker class and the three different variants I have; the B1, B2, and B-Prototype. In terms of the B1 and B2, I know they are marketed as bassy earbuds, but I’m not hearing them quite that way. They certainly bring bass presence, but it’s a more neutral bass overall. B1 is a very clean, punchy bass that trades blows with Saber 1, while B2 is boomier and a little more sub-bass emphasized. They both have solid soundstages and good technicalities; vocal tonality is close to Assassin but not quite as good. They are both better in instrument tonality. B1 has a bit of an advantage here in have a better treble response for me, as B2 is absolutely tuned to be darker and smoother, but it takes a little too much off for my taste. B-P was tuned as a step up to the normal Berserker class, as an attempt at a Grand Berserker, and that tracks to my listening experience. This is the bud that best exemplifies the Berserker class to me, as it has a punchy mid-bass like B1 and a sub-bass closer to B2. When I put xBass on my hip-dac with the B-P, I finally feel like I’m getting what the vision for the Berserker class is. It lacks a little bit of treble for my ideal clarity, but I’d say it’s the best of the trio here, and a fine representation for what is available in the Grand Berserker 2. I liked it well enough, but it’s not my favorite tuning in the Rikubud family. I’d say across the board that these are perfectly serviceable earbuds for the right circumstances, but none of which are main courses for me. But a meal with a satisfactory appetizer that prepares you for the next courses is never a bad thing. I’m going to end this review there, so next time I will go over what I think are the cream of the crop in the Rikubuds selection I have: The Grand Archer 1, Saber 1, and Lancer 1. Which Rikubud will stand above them all? Find out in part two. That’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!
Ranks: Assassin (B-), Berserker 1 (B-), Berserker 2 (B-), Berserker Prototype (B)
Ranks With Personal Bias: Assassin (B-), Berserker 1 (B-), Berserker 2 (B-), Berserker Prototype (B)
Combined Rank As a Food: Quiche hors d’oeuvres
10 Likes
Listening to both the KBear Storm and HBB Khan within 6 hours of each other makes me love and hate the budget bracket at the same damn time.
God fucking dammit, man!
1 Like
Day One Impressions of QKZ x HBB Khan & KBear Storm
I’m going to go with a Pro/Con approach to this, rather than going into a ton of detail. I’m certainly going to give these two more time to get a good handle on them.
(credit to Ian Fann and his squig)
QKZ x HBB Khan (2DD - $39)
PROS
- Implements the “Variations”-style tuning better than Truthear Zero with better note-weight presentation
- Can actually tip-roll unlike TE Zero
- Strong bass response from 20-100something Hz
- Clean, open midrange allows for good details and replay
- Can have good male or female vocals (but not both concurrently, see cons)
- Has good treble extension overall
CONS
- Upper-mids perceive VERY forward. Intimate soundstage, can be intense sounding
- Still can find the note-weight thin with clearer/treble tips. Still mandatory to use bassy tips
- Mid-bass tuck is still too present for my taste
- Bassy tips are better for male vocal tonality, treble tips better for female, haven’t found middle ground yet
- Vocals pushed forward, can lead to sibilance, instruments can be fatiguing
- Lacks treble bump in clarity region for my preference
KBear Storm (1 DD - $15-19)
PROS
- Tip-rolled to Tri Clarion tips, shifts emphasis slightly off of mid-bass towards upper-mids/treble. Treble clarity is highlight for me
- Mid-bass focused lower end for mid-bass fans
- Upper-mids have high amplitude, but good slope in pinna gain. Gives presence but not as much shout as graph may indicate. Highly beneficial for vocals
- Soundstage is superior in the budget range: Width and depth are very good, actually shows some height. Bass/lower mids and upper mids/treble elements have room to play and interact with each other
CONS
- Lacks sub-bass emphasis due to mid-bass focus
- Upper-mids/treble could still have some shout/sibilance issues with increased volume
- Some recession in lower-mids, can be muddy if you are looking for forward, clean mids
- Technicalities are average, not standout overall
- Build quality sucks. Shell is unnecessarily big, VERY plasticky feeling
- Yet another side grade in $20 price bracket
Got questions? Ask away!
6 Likes
What kind of music do you think works well with Khan?
1 Like
Khan especially good with EDM?
Are technicalities boosted compared to single DD around the same price?
Seems like some Khan’s cons are pros to me lol.
Although I’m getting mine tomorrow, how is Khan vs QKZ HBB? thanks
Absolutely looking forward to seeing what this tuning is all about. I’ve yet to try an IEM with such an emphasis on tucking the mid-bass, even the MMKIIs don’t dare tuck the mid-bass this heavily.
I’m also just sat here wondering what kind of music this works for? I’m a man who likes his warmth in the lower mids, balances female vocals out for me.
1 Like
It works with most things. It’s fine for pop, r&b, jazz, classical, blah blah blah etc. etc. It’s bright-leaning (it’s not cold and analytical, it’s got warmth) but it’s lean without notable mid-bass heft. That’s not something I’m going to enjoy in a bassy set.
They play EDM fine enough. Sub-bass is very good, the tracks play clean, but (recurring theme) I miss the mid-bass. It’s not there.
I don’t have QKZ HBB to compare them to, but from memory HBB is going to be warmer, thicker, and darker than Khan. You’ll hear the thinness in the mid bass, more perceived upper-midrange, and brighter treble (unless I’m just nuts).
I can already tell you the hype train is going to leave the station for the Khans, but I’d rather listen to the Storms. But that’s because I want more mid-bass, and while the Storm has more upper-midrange energy than Khan, it is less emphasized in the mix and sounds less aggressive and fatiguing.
If you liked Truthear Zero, Khan tweaks a few things (more bass, a little less upper-midrange energy) and balances the tuning better, so it’s more of a good thing. If you didn’t like Truthear Zero, this is not magically solving the problems that those sets had. They’re still there, it’s just more tolerable. I don’t think these are more technical than Truthear Zero either, and I thought they were average overall. Decent resolution, bass separation from the rest of the signature is a highlight, I wouldn’t say imaging is night and day better; they’re closer to average than above average. Good drivers like CRA or Rosefinch are as capable as the full range driver in Khan.
4 Likes
Your not nutz 
tighter midbass pulls upper mids at you.
I’ll send a HBB to compare with and have in your stable
4 Likes
That would be clutch, because I do feel like I need to give HBB another shot and feel it out some more.
I tried xBass on my hip-dac just now with Khan, and that would clean up a LOT of the balance issues I’m having on them. If they had that extra bass boost that went into the mid-bass, I’d grade them a lot different. When I test them on Q5K, they’re going to not grade as well.
I’m going to need someone to go $100ish, put a REALLY good DD in for the full range, stop trying to be the Variations and put some stank in the bass, and just own it. Then I might fuck with this more
3 Likes
Sounds like VE SIE
1 Like