Foie gras 
The more you speak about that set, the more I think it would be for me (I don’t really know about the size, though).
It’s always a meme!!!
4 Likes
Well. I got some thoughts for sure. I’ll be writing a full breakdown tomorrow morning for sure, but I can say this much:
I’ll most likely be buying a pair of OG Monarch’s in the near future.
And I’ll definitely, 100% be buying a pair of big Pandas sooner rather than later. They’re as amazing as I first remembered them and it only took 30 seconds to confirm that - I simply need them in my collection.
More thoughts to come no doubt 
Oh, and the lighting absolutely sucks in the library so getting a half decent photo was challenging 
Here’s the only shot that’s acceptable anyways 
8 Likes
What you two have is quite precious - no one I know is remotely into IEMs/earbuds, and afaik no one on here is close to where I live. Very happy for you folks!
4 Likes
My Impressions of Softears RSV or Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Warmer
HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: I re-listened to Yanyin x HBB Mahina and it actually got a downgrade from my initial impressions. I make quick thoughts about it in the Meteor Impressions a few posts up. Thank you for checking that out there
So remember how in my Monarch impressions I said the next set would have a very similar mission statement in how it wants to present music, but do it from a different perspective. Well here we go. I think Monarch and RSV are traveling down the same highway but just different lanes, so lets get into one of my more interesting A/Bs of the tour.
THE SOUND
So to just put RSV directly into perspective it is a pretty well rounded IEM but it’s emphasis is nailing the pinna gain and upper midrange to give you a fantastic listening experience in that area, particularly with vocals. But I’ll get to that.
First, in the bass department: These trade blows with Meteor in bass. RSV has way better sub-bass, which is a sore spot for me with BA bass. RSV has sub-bass that is less noticeably BA than Meteor, but Meteor has quality that makes the midbass pop impressively. @MMag05 described how Meteor makes his toes tap when focusing on bassists and drums with Meteor and that midbass response makes complete sense with that. RSV can’t match that for me.
RSV’s two places of excellence to me come in that upper-midrange and treble. Giving up a little bit in the midbass lets the midrange have the space to be the star, but it does it from a warmer listening experience than Monarch. Monarch cuts out all of the late midbass to make the midrange the cleanest it can be. RSV doesn’t sacrifice the warmth I expect songs to have but has a midrange that can compete in clarity and vocals that compete with Monarch. If you needed a vocal IEM and couldn’t get along with Monarch’s thin midbass, I could easily point you to RSV.
A nitpick for me is the lack of soundstage: One on hand it’s a benefit because it puts the singer right in front of you for that intimate experience, but as an all-rounder it can put other music a little too right in your face. That takes a little bit away from the potential versatility for me.
THE GOOD
- Vocals, man. The vocals!
- Good BA Sub-bass
- Warmer tuning than OG Monarch, more affordable than Mk II
- Good treble response
THE BAD
- Average BA midbass
- Can be a little forward/intimate in soundstage
- Fit is a little big. This is not fully bad, but it’s not the most comfortable either on me. Worth noting for others
- I never notice the overall techncalities unless I’m nitpicking: General competence is great but I often don’t notice much about these
WHO IS THIS SET FOR?
- Vocal lovers that want more warmth than Thieaudio Monarch will provide
- People who find/found Meteor too dark and found Mahina too dry
- People who want an intimate “artist is playing just for you” experience
WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?
- People who want any of the above but don’t want to spend RSV money for it
- People who might have fit issues with larger shells, tread with caution
- People who need to be careful with harshness, have certain midrange sensitivities, tread with a little caution
What Does It All Mean?
I think the person who is interested in RSV knows what they want already, and this is not an impression to move you off or on the fence. This isn’t about selling you why something is good or bad, this one is more about if you know it’s something that should just be, then it has to just be and you go with it. The only consideration I really have about RSV is price, but that’s because I’m cheap and look for the best values. I wouldn’t call RSV value, but if you are a vocal aficionado, then you very well may disagree with me. And if you do then RSV is hard to beat. And with that we’re done for now, so see you next time!
Grade for Softears RSV: B+
Grade With Personal Bias: B+
Grade As a Food: Gefilte Fish at Passover
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6 Likes
Have you tried the Xenns UP yet?
I have, as I have already gone through all the tour IEMs. Will it be the next impressions?
Well I dunno…you’ll just have to wait and see
3 Likes
Trust me, that will be addressed. The bigger problem is BA bass, but I will get to that too
3 Likes
My Impressions of Elysian Diva or The Time I Asked the Question “Should You Meet Your (Endgame) Heroes?”
So thanks to a perfect storm of circumstances:
- @VIVIDICI_111, that hero, bought an Elysian Diva
- He then wanted Diva graphed, and was going to have them shipped to @MMag05
- Since I am holding some of @MMag05 sets on tour and have to send a package to him anyway, I “offered” to accept the Divas and then send them on to @MMag05
I got an opportunity to listen to a $1500 IEM in my own home, instead of on a loud CanJam floor. That’s a freaking win! So how are the Divas, you ask?
THE SOUND
These are VERY good but we are going to have to speak about a few caveats to that.
- BA sub-bass is really bad. There’s no way around that for me. I do not like BA sub-bass, so I do not like the bass on all-BA sets, as a whole. The short decay and lack of lingering impact that is great in the midbass is the exact wrong thing for me in the sub-bass.
- I found the upper midrange (the 2-4k region in particular) to be a little too much. It was a little harsh and masked the treble too much. I put one 2mm 250 filter on one BA tube on each nozzle and was off to the races.
- If you believe in the relationship between low-impedance IEMs and sources, this will be picky in that way when choosing SE vs. Balanced.
Caveats aside, if you’re still with me on this then lets get to brass tax: I’m going to compare Diva mostly just to Monarch and RSV because that’s what this set is: unapologetically midcentric with emphasis on vocals. I needed the max bass setting and iFi bass boost to reach “acceptably sufficient” bass performance. This is NOT an all-arounder in my opinion.
Now where RSV is a warmer, thicker vocal-centric and Monarch is thinner, clean and fluid vocal-centric, Diva is the most balanced vocal-centric. It has enough weight to not feel as thin as Monarch, but has a bass tuck that plays less emphatic than Monarch. Diva plays warmer than Monarch and it is appreciated.
Without any modifications to Diva, Monarch would be better, but once I dialed Diva in to where I was satisfied, I’d say Diva outclasses Monarch. I get why @domq422 is having a love affair in his mind with Diva.
All of that said: the sound signature isn’t what I’m most enthralled with Diva for. If the vocals AREN’T the best thing about Diva, what is?
THE GOOD
- The vocal/midrange performance. This may be the best midrange I’ve heard in an IEM. @domq422, you’ll get to have some fun DM/Panda/Diva three-way to figure that one out
- The intangibles: soundstage and technicalities are top-shelf for IEMs that I’ve heard. If I were going to fall in love with Diva it would be because the imaging/layering/staging/detail retrieval etc. made me. These aren’t quite to Ripples level, but it’s near the closest I’ve gotten in an IEM. Fan 2 is the only IEM to make me feel this way but Diva digs deeper and pulls the most subtle of the subtle details to be found in a track.
- Treble that’s smooth enough to be detailed but not fatiguing.
THE BAD
- The chance that you’d buy Diva and it not feel amazing on first listen and you have to either sell it or put work into getting the sound where you want it
- I think at $100, this is forgivable and understandable. At $800 (used) or $1500 (new)? I should be paying for a buttoned up product, especially from Elysian with their reputation.
- Bass performance is lackluster to my sensibilities. Without bass boost, this is not a functional set for large parts of my library
- Treble that’s smooth enough to avoid fatigue but is missing some sparkles
WHO IS THIS SET FOR?
- Someone desiring a vocal/instrumental set, who didn’t think the Monarch was meaty enough, but thought RSV could stand to lose a little thickness
- Technicalities freaks
- Details chasers
- Someone who knows exactly what they want for $1500 and wants the best version of this kind of specialized IEM for the price
WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?
- Someone looking for a TOTL-level all-arounder. This isn’t it
- The bass is sad, and if that matters to you it may be a hard dealbreaker
- Someone that doesn’t jive with this sound and doesn’t want to mod
- Someone who just wants to try a new set for the sake of trying a new set
- I think this is a “You buy this because you’ve heard it before and you know you want it” set. I’d never recommend anyone blind buy this
What Does It All Mean?
Demoing a set like this at a CanJam doesn’t do this set justice. I absolutely had to spend time with it and listen to what I didn’t like about it, and then tweak it to my ear, to get the best out of it. THIS IEM is the poster child for why people get CIEMs and custom tips. If I had just listened to 3 songs on a loud showroom floor, I never would’ve gotten to understand this set and appreciate what makes it a fantastic set or why Elysian is as regarded. I would’ve blown them off as overrated. But they’re not.
Would I pay this much for this? Ehhhhh. But that’s a me-thing. Diva is a great IEM, you just have to know about this before you pull the trigger. So…good luck if that’s you. And with that, next review will get back to the final three sets I need to talk about for the tour. We’re done for now, so see you next time!
Grade for Elysian Diva (max bass setting): B+
Grade for Modded Diva: A
Grade With Personal Bias: A
Grade As a Food: Potlikker
11 Likes
My Impressions of Xenns Mangird Up or The Law of Diminishing Returns Is the Karen That Would Like a Word With Your Manager
Number 3 on my list, in the tour set is the Xenns Up. Lets pretend I did the whole “These are good but…” caveat thing and just jump right into it.
THE SOUND
These sound like a Penon Serial or Juzear 41T. Similar family of tuning, though each would have their own little twists on the flavor: Serial is sub-bass king, 41T is midbass dominant, Up has the best upper midrange/treble. Up has a beryllium driver, which has some of the fastest bass you’ll find in a DD, so you get closer to the benefits of BA midbass with none of the penalties of the sub-bass. That said, Up isn’t tuned to have the most aggressive sub-bass rumble so it never overwhelms the mix. I’d just call it very well tuned bass.
The midrange is very good on Up as well. I know some people (hi @VIVIDICI_111) have said Up is not the cleanest midrange, with some masking. Sure, in the most technical sense, if you compare Up with a Blessing 3, Monarch, or Diva you will absolutely not be able to argue that. But for a set with the bass profile Up has, it’s hard to find a cleaner midrange. If you want body in the sound, this is as clean as it gets, much like the Serial and 41T. Vocals are not the star of the show but they are in no way a slouch either. They are presented well, just not as the absolute focus. They are a part of the mix, and for many that will be welcomed.
The upper range and treble is both the strength and potential weakness of this set. Up is a rather atmospheric set. It does not have the full technical chops of a Diva, and when I test it out with songs like Bubbles/Swashers or If I Fall it doesn’t show itself to have the biggest soundstage in width or depth, but it does have quality imaging and detail retrieval. I think this has to do with the EST drivers pushing that extra air in the deep treble. But sometimes, at higher volumes that can produce some exaggeration and a little bit of harshness, that I almost wanted to attribute to the upper mids. The other thing that could factor into this is the purposeful 6-8k cut in the treble. This produces Up’s smooth signature but it takes away a touch of clarity that might smooth out that harsh spot. Besides that, I don’t think there’s a misstep in the tuning on Up.
THE GOOD
- Very well tuned bass region
- Quality midrange for this style of tuning
- Airy treble makes for some atmospheric listening
- Good technicalities, use of driver count
- Balanced all-arounder IEM
THE BAD
- Jack of all trades, master of none set
- Smooth treble but has 6-8k cut which is bad to my preference
- Treble air region can be a little overdone/embellished
- Poor price to performance
WHO IS THIS SET FOR?
- The person who likes the Penon Serial but wants more treble energy and can give up the sub-bass special sauce of Serial
- Someone looking for a high quality all-arounder that doesn’t sacrifice the bass
- Someone looking for an easy listening tribrid set
WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?
- Price/performance nuts: This is $700. We can do this for cheaper
- People with odd treble sensitivities. This could either be harsh, dull, or both if you have the wrong ear anatomy
- Someone looking for a set with any kind of specialty
- If you don’t hunt for all-arounder IEMs, this is going to be a disappointment
- Clarity freaks: If bass masking the mids at all is a sin to you, this is a no-go
What Does It All Mean?
Xenns Up is a very good IEM, but it’s not a set to recommend at all. I don’t know what the price of Up is on the secondhand market, but:
- It’s not worth it’s MSRP with sets like Penon Serial and Juzear 41T existing
- I don’t think it can compete on the secondhand market with those sets either
I adore @MMag05 for the opportunity to hear his beloved Up, and I don’t think he’s wrong in his affection for Up at all. I’d just take the $700 on Up and buy 3-5 good IEMs that can fit different moods. Great IEM though! And we’re done here so I’ll see you next time!
Grade for Xenns Mangird Up: B+
Grade With Personal Bias: B+
Grade as a Food: $10 Ice Cream Shop Milkshake/Frappe
11 Likes
So far, everything IEM is a B+. Let’s see further, a gem may pop out from somewhere 
…
1 Like
My Impressions of Sennheiser IE600 or Jingle Your Damn Balls Somewhere Else Because You’re Getting On My Damned Nerves
THE SOUND
Yeah, I’m just not doing a whole preamble because these were my number two IEM for the whole tour so they’re really freaking good. The amount of bass you see on the graph says it’s sub-bass over mid, but because of the size of the micro driver in the 600 it’s really midbass over sub and I am okay with that. But (and this might be shocking) but 600 could use a little more sub-bass. There’s enough slam for most genres but anything with deeper bass is not really satisfying. I think the overall bass balance is good, but it could dig a little deeper.
The midrange and treble rule, for a 1DD. These have great mids, awesome vocals, and are extremely airy. In a 1DD IEM, this treble performance is reminiscent of earbud treble performance. But this does come at a cost: the elevated air region is REALLY distracting. It produces great detail retrieval but it’s also exaggerated and overdoing those details. In songs with cymbals, the overly long decay where they are shimmering too much can be excessive.
Soundstage is wider than it is deep, but I really do mean wide. It’s good IEM width, which is hard to find. You get good imaging/layering within that depth and as previously stated, earbud-like detail retrieval is as good as you can get for this configuration so that is impressive.
THE GOOD
- Well executed treble-emphasized sound signature
- Top-shelf detail retrieval and general technicalities
- Clean midrange with pleasantly produced vocals
- IEM shell size is about as small as you can get, for the small ear people
THE BAD
- Bass is not very impactful, nor a highlight
- Treble is distracting, may be too much for sensitive people
- Small shell size a deterrent for people with fit issues
- Tips can come off unintentionally
WHO IS THIS SET FOR?
- The person who wants a very different sound
- This is a treblehead set, through and through
- But what that sound to still be balanced
- People with smaller ears that needs a small fit IEM
WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?
- Most people, honestly
- This is a particuarly niche set, at a higher price, that doesn’t fit in a simple reccomend or not box
What Does It All Mean?
Sennheiser IE600 is a delicacy: It is built, unapologetically, to do one thing really well. It pushes all the details into your face and lets you dig deep into the music. This is a set that plays this role extremely well, but I don’t see the use case that makes this set more than a rotation piece of any collection, honestly. It is too fatiguing for me to use this as more than a change of pace/mood IEM, so while I absolutely found it to be a shockingly good IEM compared to my nonexistent expectations, I would not go out of my way to make this a part of my collection. But if this sounds like something you’d be into, this does it better than I think you’ll find anywhere remotely affordable. Next time, we close out with the number one. Dunu SA6 Ultra. See you next time!
Grade For Sennheiser IE600: A
Grade With Personal Bias: A
Grade As a Food: Raw Oyster Bar
12 Likes
Only Monarch on have been B+, everything before that was a B.
But yes, there you go. Welcome to the cream of the crop
1 Like
Yep. I would also add exceptional speed of this 7mm DD, stunning technicality.It is also a very versatile IEM. It’s A+++ for me. 
3 Likes
Hell yeah man you crushed it with this review just as @VIVIDICI_111. Well like all your reviews. Guess I just favor this more because UP is the first IEM I feel in love with and my first child 
It was my honor to include this in the tour and finally get some thoughts out there that aren’t over audiophiled with tech talk. You and @VIVIDICI_111 did well to my baby.
Obviously you didn’t rave about it but, I think you’ve given the UP the best representation of what I hear and why I love it.
100% how I feel. I’ve noticed as my journey continues a lot if the sets I gravitate towards don’t place the vocalist forward a lot. The U4s is about the most forward set I have and anymore than that would probably be a turnoff. I adore that UP just pays balanced tribute to the whole band and doesn’t really make any particular thing highlighted. Even the bass that by the chart would seem more presented has just enough salt on it to help drive the bassist and drummer but, not let them steal the show.
4 Likes