Goober's Journey Into the IEM Game or "Why Are You Not As Good As....?"

[GooberBM]

GS Audio ST8B and GT12X or The Last Stand For All-BA IEMs…No Pressure Though

Thanks to another @RattlingBlanketWoman special, I got the opportunity to hear a couple of sets from what was a fabled company to me: GS Audio. I’ve heard a lot about this company, through reviews done by Akros, amongst other places, and so it is a treat to get an opportunity to try out the ST8B and GT12X. The ST8 is in their line of high-performance all-BA IEMs while the GT12 is in their cost-effective line of all-BA IEMs. We’re going to answer the question of whether or not you’re getting more for your money, and if BA sets are redeemable to me, without spending gobs of money, so let’s get to 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.

Playlist

Swashers/Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (For imaging/detail retrieval (:00-1:00 Swashers), general technicalities check (both), soundstage depth/dynamics/layering/separation (:00-:30 Bubbles))

The Speedwalker (Live at Madison Square Garden) - The Fearless Flyers (For bass elements, particularly sub-bass/mid-bass interplay, drum kits, soundstage/layering)

DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)

When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre, male/female vocal interplay)

Fundamental Elements of Madness - Dax Johnson (For soundstage width 1:10-1:26, piano tonality)

Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)

THE SOUND

You’re at the wrong place, you’re on the back page; You’re in the getaway car
Placebo - You Don’t Care About Us
(IEM Tuning Style: Midcentric For Both)

In terms of the ST8, it does alright in the bass region because it doesn’t really try to mimic or compete with DDs and how they reproduce bass. ST8 doesn’t have a satisfying sub-bass rumble but it puts its efforts into producing a solid midbass pop. That emphasis is a plus to me. By contrast, the GT12 has a more balanced bass; it plays like it has a little more sub-bass and has a little looser bass than ST8. It isn’t done to DD levels but it doesn’t completely throw me off with the too-fast decay feeling I’ve gotten from other sets. Overall both sets have okay bass, not great or standout, but it’s not a deterrent. I think that’s good enough.

GT12 has a weightier midrange, with better note-weight to my taste. I found ST8 to be a touch cleaner, which will be a preference to many out there, so they clearly trade blows depending on what you’re looking for. Neither has an advantage or great difference in the vocals and upper-midrange; both do a solid job of putting things where they’re supposed to be, and avoid any kind of harshness by reducing the pinna gain and recessing the upper-midrange region. The next biggest divergence between the two comes in the treble. While they share the element of having relaxed, non-obtrusive treble, I found that the GT12 popped just a little bit more, where the ST8 could have moments of being too dark and veiled. GT12 strikes a better balance, to me.

In terms of soundstage, ST8 has the advantage: It has a decently wide stage but I took to the depth of the stage. It had a very good sense of space. GT12 was a bit more intimate and forward for me. If you want to feel like you’re right in front row of the performance, GT12 could get the nod instead. Where I do give GT12 a win is in technical performance: ST8 does an adequate job with imaging, separation and the like, considering the staging it has to work with. I think GT12 is in the same ballpark but it plays a little bit better considering it doesn’t have the soundstage to work with. I think both sets’ tuning left them lacking in dynamic range and the ability to make details pop, like the different weights and tones of bouncing balls in Bubbles.

THE GOOD

• Acceptable BA bass on both sets (G12 more balanced, ST8 more midbass focused)
• Price-to-Performance:
  • For the configurations, you don’t find much available (Orchestra Lite aside)
• Good contrasts between the sets:
• G12 is a little cleaner, flowier sound. ST8 has a little more heft and thickness

THE BAD

• Neither set has a standout, defining feature
• They’re generally competent but neither set inspired me that much
• Price-to-Performance:
  • For their prices, and having to go through Ali Express to get them, you can find plenty of options that require fewer hoops to jump through to get them
• ST8: Could’ve used better treble to pop technicalities; G12: Could’ve done with more low-end emphasis

WHO ARE THESE SETS FOR?

• Absolute beginners with no experience in all-BA sets
  • These are an inoffensive introduction to how the configuration performs
• Someone who might watch classifieds listings and catches a sweet deal
• Anybody who understands their own preferences and knows if they want a warmer or cleaner replay

WHO ARE THESE SETS NOT FOR?

• Most people looking for the best bang for their buck
• Someone who wants sets that have something special or inspiring to them
• Someone who wants their purchases to be easy and straightforward
  • Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite is an safer, easier recommendation if you want to dip your toes into the all-BA world

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

What this means is that these GS Audio IEMs are fine…but they don’t do much more than fine. To pull a Perd Hapley: “These are IEMs, and they play music. That’s what they do.” I don’t think they’re bad and I don’t think they’re great. They kinda exist and if you have them, you can get by, but when you get the really good stuff you won’t really miss them at all. But they will do a job when you need them to. If I had to pick between the two, I’d probably lean towards the GT12, even though the ST8 has that bit more of body, I think the GT12’s better treble helps it play everything a little better. But in all honesty, I probably would stick to lower budgets to accomplish the goal of “just getting some music in”. Now I kinda feel like I need to give Orchestra Lite another shot…maybe at some point, but that’s for another day. And that’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!

Rank for GS Audio ST8B: B
Rank for GS Audio GT12X: B
Rank With Personal Bias For Both: B
Recommendation Level: ST8B: Not Recommended Relative to Other Options (Midcentric)
GT12X: Lukewarm Recommendation Relative to Other Options (Midcentric)
Rank As a Food: Vegan, Non-Dairy Cream Cheese

[MMag05]

Nice write up. My preference actually leaned towards the ST8B for the extra body. Though as you sort of mentioned nothing really stuck out on either that would make them rememberable sets.

[domq422]

Great write up, brother

That scratches that itch

[GooberBM]

@MMag05

My preference actually leaned towards the ST8B for the extra body.

My usual preference would’ve been more in line with you, but there are SO MANY sets that do it better than ST8, I’d rather have the G12 if I had to pick one of them

[VIVIDICI_111]

Non-dairy cream cheese nice write up

[GooberBM]

The epitome of “it’s a thing” LMAO

[GooberBM]

Sound Rhyme SR5 or The Time I Finally Got Around to the Hype-iest Hype Train

When we got the hyped up sub-$200 1 + 4 Hybrid revolution off and running earlier this year, it was spearheaded by two particular IEMs: The Sound Rhyme SR5 and the Juzear 41T. They came out at around the same time and were priced in direct competition with each other, but couldn’t have more disparate sound signatures. I spoke with my buying power by buying the 41T and I don’t regret that choice in the slightest. But when I was offered the opportunity to see the other side by @MMag05 I simply couldn’t pass it up. So thanks to him, I got the opportunity to hear the SR5 and compare it directly with the 41T…and these are my impressions of the SR5 with that comparison in mind.

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.

Playlist

Swashers/Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (For imaging/detail retrieval (:00-1:00 Swashers), general technicalities check (both), soundstage depth/dynamics/layering/separation (:00-:30 Bubbles))

The Speedwalker (Live at Madison Square Garden) - The Fearless Flyers (For bass elements, particularly sub-bass/mid-bass interplay, drum kits, soundstage/layering)

DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)

When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre, male/female vocal interplay)

Fundamental Elements of Madness - Dax Johnson (For soundstage width 1:10-1:26, piano tonality)

Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)

THE SOUND

If I was just a lie to you, well you were less than that to me; Never loved you a little, loved you a little
Loved You a Little - The Maine
(IEM Tuning Style: QDC-Style)

So the Sound Rhyme SR5 certainly fits in the QDC-style of tuning without a doubt. It has a sub-bass over midbass emphasis into a clean lower-midrange. It lends itself to a clean midrange but it has a proper amount of body to the tonality. I wouldn’t call it out and out warm, but it absolutely is not a lean or cold sound. The midrange warmth is aided by the early rise in the pinna gain, which also project vocals forward. While there isn’t a lack of warmth, that isn’t to say SR5 isn’t bright or lacking in the treble performance because it certainly is energetic there, to the point that if you either have a direct preference or simply have been listening to smoother/darker sets you could get a bit of harshness to the amount of energy present. It isn’t actually too much, once you settle in and brain burn-in gets you used to the sound signature, but if it’s not your usual thing it can be too much.

In terms of the technicalities and soundstage, of the two SR5’s strengths are in its soundstage: It is a pleasantly wide presentation, with a good amount of depth to it as well. While I enjoyed the amount of space SR5 provided in the mix, I wasn’t as blown away with the technical chops: When playing my usual Bubbles/Swashers tests I didn’t get a sense of impressive dynamic range. The various balls bouncing in Bubbles did not have any great change in the tonality/weight even when I know they have different thuds in their bounces. SR5 did better with Swashers because of its imaging and separation. It didn’t fully kill the test that makes me feel like I’m hearing the waves crashing all the way from left ear to right, but it did a passable enough job at it.

THE GOOD

• Competent QDC-tuning
  • Good bass and forward, emphasized mids
• Vocals are main focus of this set
• Decent imaging/separation
• Brighter tonality if that’s to your taste

THE BAD

• Could be lean to some who expect/appreciate more body in their sound
• Soundstage performance is okay but not great
• Chunkier fit than Juzear 41T, using the same configuration
• Brightness can lead to some fatigue at higher volumes or for long-listening sessions

WHO IS THIS SET FOR?

• People who want those clean, watery mids
• Someone that prioritizes emphasized vocals
• Someone that likes more treble for a resolving high-end of the signature
• Price-to-Performance fans
  • While not my exact preference, I can appreciate this is a value for the brighter-minded listener

WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?

• People that want more body or a more relaxed treble in their sound
• Anyone who wants the best soundstage/technicalities performance in the price range (IMO)
  • If soundstage/technicals are your top priority, I’d send you to a Simgot IEM over these, on an under $200 budget (or just get a planar)

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Okay, direct comparison time: Sound Rhyme SR5 vs. Juzear 41T. First thing first, they’re not in direct competition, besides the fact that they’re 1+4 hybrids in the same price bracket. These sets can exist together in a collection because they have varied strengths. 41T is smoother and a much easier listen at high volume and for longer sessions. SR5 is a brighter, sharper listen and I find it to be more incisive. Which one works best for you, on tonality and tuning is up to preference. For me, the game changes in the soundstage/technicality realm. 41T has an incredible soundstage that stacks up favorably against most any IEM I’ve heard. It has something special for me in how I can perceive the width and depth in a track that has those details to hear. SR5 is a more traditionally laid-out IEM in these areas. It’s strong but not ground-breaking, even amongst similarly tuned IEMs in this price range: Tri Starsea is better in soundstage and technicalities, whilst being a mere 1+2 hybrid, and coming in at a cheaper price. The biggest thing against Starsea is the possibility that you could have pressure build-up issues with it which would render the set ultimately unusable. SR5 would be a fine alternative if you’ve ever run into that issue, or if you might be afraid of that problem. On pure sound, I’d suggest Starsea over SR5. But if you want piece of mind that you can just live with your set and not worry about quality of life issues, SR5 is the safer, easier recommendation. And that’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!

Rank for Sound Rhyme SR5: B
Rank With Personal Bias: B
Recommendation Level: Highly Recommended (QDC-Style)
Rank As a Food: Wendy’s, when you really wanted Five Guys

[domq422]

Great article, brother. That god damned Starsea is winning the war against the test of time, I’m surprised it is such a benchmark IEM even to this day - but like the old saying goes, good audio stays good.

Awaiting your next write up, thanks for your thoughts

[GooberBM]

@domq422

but like the old saying goes, good audio stays good.

This is the truth. Like I said, the only reason I don’t recommend it over SR5 is fit and potential comfort. But if you’re willing to try it, and they work out for you on the quality of life issues, they’re a great $110 IEM

[GooberBM]

Sound Rhyme DTE500 vs. ISN EST50 or How the Cult of Personality Met Its Match

So it’s been quite a while that I’ve been listening to hype about the ISN EST50 being a very good entry level tribrid that brings a lot to the table at a lower price than you see for the EST technology. As far as I know, it was the default recommendation for an EST tribrid under $500 until Sound Rhyme’s profile blew up with the SR5. Along with the hype on that set, multiple others came along for the ride. Among them was the DTE500, their own tribrid offering, at the same $450 price point as the EST50. Once again, many thanks to @MMag05 who gave me the opportunity to try both of these sets out so that I could come up with thoughts and opinions to share with you all. So with that in mind, let’s get into 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.

Playlist

Swashers/Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (For imaging/detail retrieval (:00-1:00 Swashers), general technicalities check (both), soundstage depth/dynamics/layering/separation (:00-:30 Bubbles))

The Speedwalker (Live at Madison Square Garden) - The Fearless Flyers (For bass elements, particularly sub-bass/mid-bass interplay, drum kits, soundstage/layering)

DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)

When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre, male/female vocal interplay)

Fundamental Elements of Madness - Dax Johnson (For soundstage width 1:10-1:26, piano tonality)

Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)

THE SOUND

All I want is you I don’t care, What I have to do I swear; I’ll stay wrapped around your finger, I’ll follow you anywhere
Poison - Slumberjack (feat. Sydnee Carter)
(IEM Tuning Style: DTE500: Neutral-Warm; EST50: Bassy-Dark)

Both sets have the same foundational bones, but there are critical differences between them. As for what they share; Neither has the greatest bass, though I found the EST50 had a bit more impact (particularly in the midbass). They both have good, warm tonality and note-weight which is appreciated. Midrange performance on both are in line with each other as well. The balance between lower and upper mids is to my expectations and I didn’t feel there were any peaks or excess energy in either set. You can absolutely crank both sets up if you so wish to.

The first major point of divergence for these sets is in the treble. Long story short, it’s a bloodbath in favor of the DTE500. The EST50 barely has good enough treble for me to not take points away because of it. It’s cloudy, with low-resolution and I (quite frankly) can’t tell where the EST drivers are doing anything to aid the performance of the EST50s. By contrast, within the first couple of songs on DTE500 I could hear exactly why people get so excited about EST drivers: the extra air and airy sound I was getting from the Sound Rhyme was impressive. It reminded me of the performance level I heard in the the Sennheiser IE600s treble, but without the over-exaggeration that you get in the boosted upper-treble range. The DTE500 does it so much more effortlessly. It gets big bonus credit for that.

The second big mark in favor of the DTE500 is in the soundstage and technicalities department. The DTE500 has surprisingly average soundstage for me, considering the advantages I hear in the treble. I didn’t get any grander impression of width or depth on it. So why would I say it has the advantage? Because EST50’s soundstage was tragic; it has a shalow, narrow, intimate stage, almost leaving you feel like you’re in a tiny fishbowl of sound. It was not a positive experience. Then while EST50’s technicalities were pretty bang-average, I found the DTE500 outdid it in resolution/detail retrieval/imaging/dynamics. The only saving grace for EST50 is in overall tonality; I found DTE500 to have an okay tonality but it came off much more like you know you’re listening to recordings, particularly when hearing the production values therein. EST50 gives off a more analogue and “live performance” feel in how it plays, which I generally prefer.

THE GOOD

• EST50: Preferably analogue tonality
• DTE500: Standout treble tuning and performance
• DTE500: Technicalities that befit what I expect from a tribrid
• Both: Good note-weight and upper-mid tuning
  • They are capable of decent-to-good volume scaling

THE BAD

• Both: “Eh” bass performance
• DTE500: Not totally feeling how clean and “overly produced” the sound can come off at times
• DTE500: Only average soundstage which is disappointing for what I’d be paying for
• EST50: Tragic soundstage that’s worse than DTE500 and lacking technicalities
• EST50: Nearly terrible treble leaves sound cloudy and low-res

WHO IS THIS SET FOR?

• EST50: For someone with “analogue” over “digital” listening preferences
• EST50: For an ISN-acolyte, I guess
• DTE500: Someone who wants an actually good tribrid and a solid-to-above average musical experience

WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?

• Both: Someone who doesn’t feel the need to pay the EST driver premium to get a pleasant music experience
• Both: Someone who wants a better bass experience

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

This one is an easy one. If you are so inclined to get an entry-level tribrid, absolutely pass on the ISN EST50 and get the Sound Rhyme DTE500. You will have a better experience with a clear, inviting sound, that has fluffy and airy treble that gives you a different experience than you might be used to in just a 1DD or other cheaper types of configurations, or less mature tuning. Outside of it being a cheap tribrid (emphasis on the “cheap”), I do not understand the appeal of the EST50. I simply found it to be a pretty bad IEM for what was being asked from it (and certainly for the price). In no way could I recommend that set. So to reiterate, my current recommendation for a cheap tribrid (with ESTs) at the moment is the DTE500, but get back to me once I get the Penon 10th Anniversary Edition into my earholes.

So with all of that out of the way, tighten up your belts kiddos. Because next time out, I utter Voldermort’s name, and things get spicy around here. And that’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!

Rank for Sound Rhyme DTE500: B+
Rank for ISN EST50: B-
Rank With Personal Bias: DTE500: B+; EST50: B-
Recommendation Level: DTE500: Highly Recommended (Warm-Neutral); EST50: Not Recommended Relative to Other Options (Bassy-Dark)
Ranks As a Food:

• EST50: Overly roasted and shriveled up Cabbage

• DTE500: Lemon Meringue Pie

[cal_lando]

I gotta ask. How is overly roasted cabbage anything more than a C! (Love the reviews!)

[MMag05]

@GooberBM

at the moment is the DTE500, but get back to me once I get the Penon 10th Anniversary Edition into my earholes.

Bring it! Agreed the DTE500 is the better recommendation. Personally I’d take it over the 10th Anniversary too. 10th Anniversary just has a bit to much upper energy for me and it also seems the Penon house sound I have yet to be a fan of. Still excited to see hear your thoughts on them.

[GooberBM]

It is a functionally passable IEM, in the way burnt cabbage is still edible. If EST50 was $100 it’d be a great entry-level tribrid even with the obvious flaws or I suppose when it was the only real tribrid priced at $500 (yes I’m reaching).

Now, we don’t have to pretend it’s something it’s not. And I also might have been nicer to it if I didn’t have a direct comparison that blew it out at the same time. Lol

@MMag05

Still excited to see hear your thoughts on them.

Looking forward to it, myself!

[GooberBM]

The Rorschach Test That is the IMR Ozar or Maybe Next Time, Don’t Fall in Love With a Dumpster Fire

Deep Breath…

Deeper Breath…

Okay. Let’s do this!

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.

Playlist

Swashers/Bubbles - Yosi Horikawa (For imaging/detail retrieval (:00-1:00 Swashers), general technicalities check (both), soundstage depth/dynamics/layering/separation (:00-:30 Bubbles))

The Speedwalker (Live at Madison Square Garden) - The Fearless Flyers (For bass elements, particularly sub-bass/mid-bass interplay, drum kits, soundstage/layering)

DISINTER MY HEART - TRAILS (For treble response and resolution, male vocals, midrange response)

When I Fall (Outta Love) - Kevin Olusola (For Imaging/detail retrieval :00-:07, tonality, timbre, male/female vocal interplay)

Fundamental Elements of Madness - Dax Johnson (For soundstage width 1:10-1:26, piano tonality)

Holding On (Rome In Silver Remix) - Dabin (For female vocals, tonality, mid-bass response within mix From 1:12-1:36)

THE SOUND

Brace yourself for the main event, Y’all impatiently waiting; Like an AIDS test, what’s the results? Not Positive; Who’s the best? Pac, Nas and Big, Ain’t no best, East, West, North, South, flossed out greedy
Ether - Nas
(IEM Tuning Style: Chameleon)

Because there is so much to get into that has nothing to do with the sound, before we dive all the way into EVERYTHING about the IMR Ozar, we’re just going to spend some time talking about the IEM itself. In terms of the sound, there’s a simple unassailable truth about Ozar: Its sound is as complicated as the history surrounding it (though very much not a negative in the same way).

The basic foundation of the tuning for the driver is a warmer tonality. Even with the most neutral base nozzle, there’s a warmth in the sound that I would place at or above Simgot EA500 level. The only time you would go into Moondrop “very lean” territory is if you use the rolled-off bass nozzle. Which nobody should do. Almost ever.

Other than that very basic and “doesn’t really tell you much” exposition, I really cannot describe the sound in a simple way. That is because Ozar comes with an expansive customization system that means the sound signature you’ll listen to is pretty much only limited by your imagination. The filter system IMR provides comes with 8 bottom base nozzles and 6 top filters that you can mix and match to your preference. The base nozzles go from rolled-off bass to the dirtiest, boomy, muddy bass, while the top filters affect the characteristics of the pinna gain/upper-mids, early treble, and 10k boost predominantly. There are 42 combinations worth entertaining (again, forget the rolled-off bass), and putting the time in to actually experiment with them, you could easily come away with a preferred combination for each base nozzle, and I probably found 12-18 combinations that I could go with depending on mood (there’s likely some overlap with the frequency graphs on many of them, but having backup options doesn’t hurt for me).

Where this becomes impossible to judge or comment on is the fact that if this IEM was tuned to one target and did that well, this would be an easy B+/A ranked IEM for me, but I don’t know if I would call it the best IEM at any of the sound signatures it does at a high level. But the fact that it can be truly versatile enough to go from fat bass to Moondrop lean and bright, and do them all well when you find the right treble combination makes this the single most special IEM I’ve ever heard. I’ve barely been able to stop listening to Ozar for the last week and change, and it has already made itself indispensable. This is a forever IEM for me. I didn’t have expectations when I bought this set secondhand, and now I’m in love and can’t imagine not having it in my collection. I’m ruined and spoiled, as a listener of music, because these are an IEM as perfect for me as I could’ve made up in my own head. And yet, I dunno if any of what I just said matters because even mentioning the name IMR Acoustics leaves a dumpster fire trail around everything it touches. So…time to address all the other stuff.

THE GOOD

• This set is the epitome of versatile sound, done well:
• There is no switch or filter system that remotely touches this in terms of customization options
  • You can produce just about any sound signature you want: This IEM is the sole reason I added the Chameleon category to my IEM Upgrade Matrix
• The driver produced for this IEM can handle everything thrown at it, and that is impressive enough for a single dynamic driver. That it borders on exceptional speaks to the skill of tuning here
• Fit for me is like a glove. I can wear these all day

THE BAD

• In a sea of shitshow companies and behavior, IMR Acoustics is at or near the top of the list of the shittiest of shows:

For those that don’t know the full history behind Bob, the owner of IMR Acoustics, I start you off with a short cliff notes of the story, via Crinacle: History of Trinity Audio The TL;DR version: Bob worked at Trinity as a lead designer/tuner; Trinity was a company that took funds on Kickstarter for projects they never completed and never returned the money. Bob then created IMR Acoustics, and there is (at the very least credible claims, if not outright evidence of) the possibility that Bob used that stolen money to fund IMR getting off the ground floor. This by itself is egregious and can be rightly disqualifying for someone, but wait, it gets even better…

Within IMR’s own history, Bob has a pattern of being notoriously slow about finishing and shipping his promised IEM releases. IMR sells primarily through their own website and on multiple IEMs the lead times have stretched out for months (closing in on year+ in some cases) where mass cancellations have occured. As a point of emphasis, IMR does also sell its IEMs on Penon’s website, and those sets that Penon gets to sell are usually leftover stock of their limited IEM production runs (50-100ish sets per run) from those cancellations. The main difference between what happened at Trinity and what happens at IMR is that the history of customer service at IMR seems to be much more impeccable than that of Trinity. On Head-Fi’s IMR thread, while there are copious discussions about Bob’s inability to set and maintain a deadline or lamenting the interminable wait times for IEMs from last year that haven’t been finished and shipped, as far as I can tell when going through the threads there hasn’t been a single cancellation that wasn’t honored and money was promptly returned.

The complexity of the histories here leave much room for interpretation. One end of the spectrum would say that Bob was a part of Trinity and that money taken by that company (and was never returned for goods/services not rendered) was used to fund IMR’s creation, and anything done by IMR is done by a criminal so nothing created by IMR should be touched at any cost. The other end of the spectrum might say that Bob worked at Trinity and while the company did awful things there’s no real way to know the extent to which Bob was involved or that Trinity funds definitely did help fund IMR’s creation; furthermore, while Bob is not good at many of the business administrative parts of the business, he handles issues with customer’s money and cancellations in a more honorable way than Trinity, so maybe some benefit of the doubt is in order.

It’s probable (like in most things) that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but that leaves a large elephant in the room, and a question every person in the hobby has to answer for themselves: How much does someone’s work justify giving the benefit of the doubt or a pass to terrible behavior (or in the worst case, crimes), and how long does one suffer under that until they’ve paid penance?

WHO IS THIS SET FOR?

• Anybody who searches for “one set that does it all”
• Someone who wants to take one trip into the mid-fi (or beyond) price point and then be done
• Someone who prefers a warmer tonality
  • Even at its leanest, this set skews warm

WHO IS THIS SET NOT FOR?

• If after reading everything above, your personal code feels that dealing with IMR is a non-starter
• Even if after reading that and IMR isn’t dead to you, this is a $500 IEM on IMRs website and they don’t often pop up on the secondhand markets that I follow

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Putting aside the IEM itself, I am appreciative of the opportunity this purchase has brought me (and hopefully the community as a whole). IMR Acoustics has been a dirty word to say out loud: I’ve seen them whispered about positively in some dark corners, but until I did my own research towards this purchase, I didn’t even know that people I talk to regularly had tried IMR out and could give me thoughts and advice about going about this purchase. I think it’s very important to have these conversations out in the open, be mature adults about this, and be able to come up with our own conclusions about the whole situation and what we feel comfortable with endorsing and supporting.

For an example in my own personal context, before the flame war broke out on my thread surrounding IMR, I wouldn’t have thought much more about this than my own personal opinion; that I don’t think I’d buy an IMR IEM direct from IMR new or from Penon, but that I think buying an IMR set secondhand is fair game (duh, because I did). The fight that broke out doesn’t change my mind but it makes me take a greater pause when discussing Ozar.

I started to think about it from a different angle, in terms of other alleged terrible/criminal behavior. My mind went to people like Woody Allen or Roman Polanski and their alleged behavior, which is beyond the pale for me and I would never support their art (regardless of how “genius” it is). That said, I cannot tell someone who doesn’t see it the way I do to change their mind and not love or appreciate their films. I don’t have to like it but that choice is theirs to make.

I feel like discussions about IMR end up in that kind of category. At the end, it comes down to whether you as an individual consumer know the story and the history and decide you can look beyond that history if you value the work at hand. Even though I’ve laid out my journey and given as much context and information as I can, it’s not for me to even suggest that someone should or should not give an IMR IEM the time of day. But what I do hope is that if purchasing an IMR set isn’t a bridge too far, the ability to have open dialogue can be encouraged for those persons. And if there is anybody that is in disagreement with me on this point, and this entire practice in general, I hope that we can agree to disagree, respectfully. And that’s going to be it for this review. Enjoy your days, and take care till next time!

Rank for IMR Ozar: N/A
Rank With Personal Bias: N/A (Will not give a grade that encourages or discourages someone from making their own choice)
Recommendation Level: Not Recommended Relative to Other Options, but a Personal Favorite (Chameleon-type)
Rank As a Food: The Entire Buffet

[Andy_Pickard]

Without being too disruptive, China has some problemsome human rights records all companies in China pay to the system ergo if you buy chifi you are sponsoring human rights violations.

This or that company is morally bankrupt discussion is just as unreasonable as my statement above.

A great product is a great product doesn’t matter who makes it

Remember Adolf Hitler commissioned the Volkswagen Beatle and Porsche designed it for him. A very popular set of cars that people of many different views bought happily.

[Erokh]

Good write UP, man. I think you did the right thing with this review: the iem is one part, the company’s history is another, and both have to be taken into account to make your choice. At the end of the day, each potential buyer has to draw his own line.

[MMag05]

Can’t wait to get a chart up of this buffet. Great food comparison by the way. It really is a shame, if your enjoying so much, that IMR is so stirred up in the mess of its previous company. It’s weird though have you noticed the influx of used IMR sets for sale? Wonder what it’s all about.

[GooberBM]

I would say this is a little bit why the community getting some more experience with IMR and its sets is kinda important, for the health of the community.

Only having experience with Ozar, I have no idea why so many other IMR sets are on the market, but the guy I bought Ozar from is the only one selling this set IIRC. And in our chatting, he had 3 IMR sets and was keeping one (and admitted privately to me, he probably should’ve kept Ozar because the IMR EDP Ace was better to him, but that Ozar was close enough that he should’ve kept it for the value play.

Another part of it is that from looking at graphs of older models to what I hear, anything from the past that doesn’t have the ADLC driver he uses is probably passable, because apparently it came with a change in the tuning philosophy to have more present lower-mids. I don’t know if I’d be as taken by this set if it was a giant V-shape.

Without going too crazy, I’d probably keep my eye out for a few more of their sets if they pop up secondhand:

• BC 2023 (2 ADLC DD; a Maestro Mini challenger)
• Avalon (ADLC DD + EST + Bone Conduction tribrid)
• Dark Matter (ADLC + Bone Conduction hybrid)
• EDP Ace (ADLC DD + Planar hybrid)
• Seraph+ (ADLC DD + BA + MEMS + EST Quadbrid)

[Leonarfd]

IMR BC 2023 graph, IMO I was expecting more bass from this set. This is with the black filter as I understood from Bob. Also for me it sounds hollow with metallic timbre, wife tested it also and big time hated it. Called it metallic and harsh, and that with the combination that gives the most bass and least treble.

[GooberBM]

LMAO…duly noted. That doesn’t look very appealing at all. I’d just stick to Simgot for that