Thanks, I’ll check it out!
Results!
The balanced cable came and it makes the Blessing2 sound much better on the Qudelix! These things scale. Again, I’m surprised because I didn’t notice this kind of difference with the FD5, but here we are.
Problems with this solution:
- There’s no such thing as a balanced cable with a microphone, so when I get a call using these things I’m either going to have to use the (bad) mic on the Qudelix or just take an IEM out and put my phone to my ear.
- I can’t use the B2 with my RebelAmp anymore without switching the cable.
- It means if in the future if I wanted try a TWS add-on like the Fiio UTWS5, I can’t because those things don’t have that much power.
That might all not be deal-breakers, I could probably deal with this solution. I’m also now regretting selling off my Teas, since maybe a balanced cable would have fixed my issues with those too. (Any of the Tea-heads around here notice them scaling a lot?)
Ironically, I think I got a seal finally on the JVC HA-FDX1, because I’m hearing bass! I’m not 100% sure though because they still feel funny in my ears and I like to turn the bass up a little bit still even though I don’t have to on the B2 when the FR graph for the B2 shows less bass. But they sound pretty good. This might also be something I can deal with.
Anyway, I still have the Katos arriving on Wednesday so we’ll have a proper showdown between the three solutions. I’ll report back my results!
Also on a lark I bough the ~$25 TWS solution that KZ sells for the DQ6 and its relatives, which should also be arriving on Wednesday, strangely enough. Looking forward to trying that and seeing how it stacks up against my AirPods Pro as a TWS solution. (If it’s a good one, it’ll be one that costs significantly less.)
I did also put in an order for UTWS5 from AliExpress, but as that’s AliExpress I don’t expect it to arrive until some time next century.
5 Likes
It has gain control. I have been able to make it work really well for me.
2 Likes
Good tip! I’ll give that a try!
1 Like
I don’t think the UTWS5 would have problems driving the Blessing, Eric. It’s designed to drive more difficult IEMs like FiiO’s FD7 which has a 50 Ohm impedance (about double the impedance of the Blessing) albeit with a higher sensitivity.
drftr
1 Like
The Qudelix delivers 80mw/32 ohms unbalanced and 250mw/32 ohms balanced
The UTWS5 delivers 33mw/32 ohms.
So the Qudelix unbalanced is significantly more powerful than the UTWS5, and the unbalanced connection is where the sound sounded weak to me on the B2. Therefore I don’t have much hope for the UTWS5 (though I’ll try it).
FD5 didn’t scale the way the B2 does in my own personal experience, and I’d assume the FD7 would be similar.
Of course, this might all be some kind of placebo effect/Eric’s brain and ears are weird kind of thing, I donno. I can only speak to my experience.
Edit: I put the numbers for the UTWS3 instead of the UTWS5 originally, I’ve corrected it.
1 Like
After my experience with the dx3 pro+ I will not take bets on this. I can’t imagine it would have the same issue, but every dongle I tried with less power than the btr5 or Qudelix didn’t work that well with my dusk. The apple dongle worked better than some of them.
1 Like
There comes a moment though that you have to scratch your head whether you have bigger sonical differences scaling up your IEMs instead of putting that money into DACs and amps. For sure with a 2 grand DAC/amp combination the Blessing sounds better still. But is there a point doing so? I would say Yes in the case you think you have found your best IEM possible at a still and it breathes you, but otherwise I personally would look for a different price/value setup. Last note or maybe question: The better the IEM the more it can be scaled up?
drftr
If your asking if I think iems that scale are better than iems that don’t scale, I think the answer is no. I would much prefer to be able to run an iem off of an Apple dongle. I preferred the Blessing 2 to the FD5 but it was because I didn’t like the FR of the FD5 and the way the vocals were recessed and the treble was up in your face. But that has nothing to do with scaling, and someone else might prefer something else.
I’m just trying to find an IEM I can use every day when I’m not at my desk, no more no less. (At my desk I have a RebelAmp and an HD660S and so I don’t need an IEM there.)
1 Like
Man, listening is such a weird phenomenon.
On a whim, I put the FD5s back on and with a little EQ… I kind of love them now? Like I can still hear the recessed vocals and in-your-face treble but it’s kind of not bothering me now for some reason when I couldn’t stand it before, and God the detail and energy and separation and soundstage on these things… I guess it was just my mood at the time or whatever.
It’s funny because I was just thinking how good the FDX1s sound to me now too. I guess I’m just in a music-loving mood. Comparing the FDX1 to the FD5s is kind of fascinating because they’re just doing such different things. The FDX1 is mellow and I don’t know I guess I’d say soulful? Like a soaring guitar solo on them really SOARS. While the FD5 makes you want to get up and dance, the FDX1 makes you want to lay back and chill. Also the fit on the FD5 is just much better than the FDX1 which I still find finicky and frustrating. The “feature” that you can rotate the nozzles to use them either over-ear or hanging down isn’t really a feature because it means you’re always checking to make sure they’re rotated right before you put them in your ears, or sticking them in there and having them not fit because they got rotated in the case or something. Still, it’s fascinating comparing them and really emphasizes why people would keep more than one IEM around depending on their mood.
I think I like them both better than the B2 overall on the Qudelix even with the balanced cable, honestly, though the B2 can still have some magically sparkly treble, though not as much as on the RebelAmp. I really feel the BA timbre and impact can’t compare to the DD timbre and impact personally. (Oh, another funny thing I discovered: the B2 tips make the FDX1 fit better, and the FDX1 tips make the B2 fit better! However, while the B2 tips seem to make the FDX1 sound better, the FDX1 tips make the B2 sound worse.)
Anyway, this is really going to be a really interesting competition now on Wednesday when the Kato arrives. Four IEMs enter, who will win?
5 Likes
The one you’ll buy when you sell the 4 of them 
3 Likes
Looks like that’ll depend on the day of the week!
drftr
1 Like
Looks like that’ll depend on the day of the week!
You’re… not wrong…
Let’s hope Wednesday is a good day.
1 Like
I admit both the Aune Jasper and the Dunu Zen (on sale now) are tempting to me, but I’m really hoping I can tamp down the itch to buy more and be satisfied with one of these four. Certainly, my wallet hopes so…
3 Likes
Whatever you do, don’t ever tell @Dynamic that you’re thinking about the Zen as he has sold his soul to the devil and will kindly ask you to do the same. So not all is lost just yet!
drftr
1 Like
hmmm I wonder if they learned with the kaguya to bloat the est phase to make more treble body. Honestly thats the biggest issue I have with it. Kaguya was the biggest culprit of good treble on sine sweep doesnt translate to good treble when listening to music.
New toys arrived.
First impressions:
The Reechos are really no bass cannons as some reviewers suggested. They seem rather mid/low treble focused tinny sounding. What a pity.
The Meteors have a more punchy satisfying beryllium bass. Also my brain needs to attune to these two after listening mostly to the Moondrop Variations and 7Hz Timeless the last weeks. I’m curious how they perform after a few hours burn-in time.
2 Likes
Disappointing that the Grell IEM looks like a bust.