Yeah I willl keep that in mind, and no not all of my friends said or even the reviews of each IEMs said I agree with, for there is still that lingering argument of me saying “I need to hear it to believe it, if it’s true.”
It’s a shame there isn’t any audio store here for me to go to and try those IEMs they have mentioned just to hear which one I prefer. more. But overall, based on the polls I did, the Airships are winning.
Ok so far, based on the poll that I posted back then, I am seeing a lot of folks wanted me to choose the Airships than the Elixirs. Man, it looks those are the preferred choice by the majority here. I do need some reasons on why the Airships are better though like a bit of this and that explanation, like summarized details on why it is the better deal overall. Yeah so far, the Airships are a bit overlooked.
Guys the deed is done, and a decision has been made today via coin toss and ordered an IEM replacing my Kato.
Since it is a coin toss, let me fill you up what IEM in the end I will get depending whether the majority of the tosses were heads or tails…
If it’s Heads = Thieaudio Elixir, if it’s Tails = Seek Real Audio Airship. 3 of the coin tosses as shown follows, 1st toss, tails, 2nd toss, heads, 3rd toss finally, tails.
In the end the Airships won and ordered for it today since it’s 7.7 sale today here. Either IEM is a win-win, but I guess it is a sign to try a new upcomer like Seek Real Audio, signifies a new beginning for me from Moondrop.
I come here to finish my feedback on the Sony xba n3ap.
With the default tips, it sounds weird: the low end doesn’t seem that boosted but the percussive portion of the guitar/bass guitar/bass is overdone and too forward. The treble is good, quite subdued so you won’t get many sibilance. The stage is on the smaller size.
So I tip rolled and played with 2 tips that was recommended to me: spinfit cp360 and whizzer et100.
The et100 tames the bass and brings more treble, but the nature of the iem stays the same: percussive part is too forward. The M size is a little bit too small so the seal is not 100%. The L size is a little bit too big, and given the rigidity of the parts, it is uncomfortable for me.
The cp360 extends the low-end, so you get more physicality to your music. As a by-product, the percussive part of the instruments is less obvious, giving a more natural listen. The low end is still boosted, and I consider this a proper basshead set.
Another note: I tried the set with default tips and the crinacle EQ (on qudelix 5k). The set transforms to a different animal entirely, and is way more balanced. So if you don’t like the set and won’t/can’t sell it , don’t despair: it takes EQ like a champ and you can modify it to your liking.
IEMs make my ear canals itch like crazy. sometimes it settles but sometimes it doesn’t.
what’s with that? what’s going on?
Likely irritation of the canals since they’re not supposed to have anything in them long term, and/or differences in moisture conditions (i.e. skin too dry, too much humidity, slight presence of wax vs none); I find that I can get an itch if I don’t use them for a couple of days, but it goes away with normal use. It could also be the tips, if you are using different types then something might be setting them off outside of a straight-up allergy (between silicone, foam or TPE). I also find that if I don’t have a solid fit (i.e. maximal contact between surface areas) that can aggravate it as well (only ever had this issue with SS and S Spinfit CP100 and Spiral Dots, in the respective sizes). I suppose that all you can do is grin and bear it, otherwise experiment with different variables of those mentioned above to eliminate potential causes.
Thieaudio Elixir
Still learning the lingo, apologies for confusion
After a day, I appreciate Elixir for what it is & am impressed by the details it put forward. I think this is the only DD whose treble I don’t think sounds like it’s coming from a broken device. Not Olina, not Oxygen.
People has remarked that the bass is “tastefully done” and I’m inclined to take this IEM as a benchmark for that. It’s not overpowering and has good enough presence/warmth. Another thing that I appreciate is that male voices don’t sound like they have more “body” than they should. Is this what “muddy” is?
However I can’t help but feel like someone has applied a “sharpen” filter. Vocals almost always sound like the person has a dry throat/has a husky voice. I get the impression that the “air” has been artificially boosted. Is this what people meant when they say sparkly? Sizzle is another word that comes to mind. I’ve been playing with EQ to reduce the “sharpened” effect to no success.
All this led me to believe that I dislike emphasis on upper midrange. Precog’s pondering mentioned that he has a lower pinna gain than standard. Maybe I’m the same?
Cymbals/xylophone(?) have a very sharp attack but the decay lingers around, which is a unique experience to me - I would describe the sound as damp.
Overall, I quite like this IEM. I think it’s well done. Definitely a set that you can enjoy your music with, especially those featuring electric guitars. Man those sounded good - the plucking sensation, the distortion and all. But I can say it’s not for me who would be better served with a smoother set.
EDIT: added what I like and reorganized what I dislike
Addendum: a few technical definitions that I can’t still wrap my head around
Texture: I just don’t get it.
Extension: how much the frequency at the edge of normal hearing range that gets emphasized (I assume), but someone mentioned that it’s related to texture & dynamics?
Transients: I vaguely think it has to do with attack-decay, but how do I know if a set gets it right or wrong.
Texture , for me, is linked to the details you can detect in the bass: you don’t just have a thump, but you also get variations of thump.
Extension is how much the extreme part is not rolled off. Bass extension is easy to see on graphs, treble extension is more difficult. It is also more difficult to tune, because too much treble extension can be tiring/too harsh.
Transients, to me, is exactly that: attack and decay. No more no less.
Has anyone here messed with Custom IEMs (Campfire Audio, Jerry Harvey, Ultimate Ears, et al)?
I attended my first audio show, had my ears mapped with lasers by Ultimate Ears, should I ever want to order a pair down the road. Listened to their two TOTL IEMs (UE Live, UE 18+Pro), but still kicking myself for not listening to their entire lineup.
UE’s supple, thin, strong cable and proprietary connector tech seemed to kick the crap out of two-pin and MMCX.
Wondering what the skinny is for customs. I like the idea of never dealing with tips sometimes, but would still own and buy universal IEMs too. This is a golden age for universals, after all.
wondering if anyone here has listened to the the “AXS Audio Pro Earbuds” TWS yet? (i’d guess just a few reviewers really)
I got it through amazon about a week ago, but my best IEM before this is FH3 and this has much better technicalities so I have no real frame of reference other than @paulwasabii graph and my ears
I’m wondering how this stacks up to any other known IEMs.
Looks like they cut a lot of TWS features down (eg: ANC is about $50 tws quality) at the price and maybe put a more expensive driver in it based on my A/B with what I have for comparison
I think right now it is limited to a few reviewers and not much talk about it. I like it from a hobbyist perspective. I listened to it for a while and had to see what the graph looked like. I think the gist of it goes along with his production background, focus on the parts that are important to him, reduce fatiguing parts for long sessions, and a long battery life to go along with long sessions. I do think they spent some time on driver selection and tuning as you are right, it presents very well and I think part is the mids tuning and part is a decent driver. Even with SBC codec, I am kinda surprised how well it does.
Aside from Dioko’s elevated sub bass, would it be wild and crazy to suggest that the Dioko would up the alley of someone who loves the Blessing 2? All for $99.
thanks for the reply
yeah, i was surprised by this after hearing the 1more Evo at $180 or so, and didn’t expect much here
looks like i’ll be keeping an eye out so i can see what an upgrade after this might be
I think some of you folks already know this, but I just discovered this today. Apparently Xinhs not only has their own cables, but also their very own IEMs. I hope it is at least a solid performer to those who have it.
My Unique Melody MEXT just arrived today. It’s too early to give my impressions yet but I enjoy it. Not perfect/endgame yet though (if you wonder why I didn’t go for MEST MK2 it’s because the treble is spicier). My Elixir still has a place and won’t be sold anytime soon.
I think I need to experience the best that EST has to offer? What’s the best EST implementation right now? It used to be Variations (& Annihilator) based on reviewers but I’m sure times have changed
My personal vote for best EST implementation I’ve heard goes to Yanyin Moonlight.
Woah even vs kilobucks like Monarch MK2 or MEST MK2? I’m considering either Moonlight or EJ07M
Monarch has “wonky”/uneven treble, and Mest has spicy treble. If you want more natural treble and like more bass then go 07M/Lava, and if you want more neutral-warm then moonlight. Best Treble I’ve heard so far are the U12T and Z1R.
After a sufficient time spent with my MEXT, I think it’s a very fun & engaging set, not relaxing as per a Head-Fier. Still not perfect, too much bass impact & too spicy treble even with KBear 07. I think I can’t handle UM treble so no MEST for me. Midrange/vocals I’d rate it below Elixir frankly speaking. One thing that’s sorely missing in Elixir is the vocal reverb/decay (with the same eartips), which is so much more enjoyable when I can hear it on my MEXT.
I guess what I look for is that slightly warm, lush tonality and a teeny bit dark (Elixir does both a bit too much). Elixir does come close but I wouldn’t count MEXT as a failure even if it strays from that description, because it makes me wanna jump & headbang like crazy.
Looks like EJ07M might not fit my preference, and maybe Moonlight as well but this could be a closer match
