Keep in mind that aac will sound better than aptx with the same bitrate, aac has better fidelity due to a (imo) better compression algorithm than aptx, so aptx needs higher bitrate to match the same quality as aac, I’d personally prefer aac over base aptx, but aptx hd is better than aac for sure. Of course also depends on implementation as well
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Maybe this is what I am experiencing. Both are streaming Spotify at the same settings as far as I can tell
I’d just use whatever one sounds best to your ears, personally I’d not be surprised if aac wins out for you over aptx especially on apple stuff (since apple products tend to have great aac implementation). I would try out different players on android since they can be hit or miss, uapp is a big one, so is hiby player, as is poweramp or neutron and see if that changes anything for you as well, but don’t know if that will really change anything in the case of bluetooth (imo these players matter more if you use something like a usb dac because some of them will bypass the android audio system and have bit perfect connections to your dac, but I don’t think any do this for bluetooth)
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actually they matter…! when I use poweramp on hi res output, my phone’s dolby atmos and EQ wont work and this shows the player bypasses syst-wide modifications applied
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looking forward to this comparison. btw wdym by olina being much closer? do you mean narrower?
Trust your own ears especially in personal audio such as iems, buds or cans. I use reviewers as a tool since Ohio is like an audio wasteland compared to even 15 years ago.
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Yep same mindset as this one and I do agree I use reviewers as a tool or a guide on what to expect, not the end all, be all result as a factor of me getting a particular set of IEMs or Headphones. I’d rather hear it for myself and have my own conclusion, because not all reviewers would be able to convince you to get this or avoid this particular item.
I’m talking about a smaller (closer? narrower?) soundstage. Sorry to be vague, but my ears still struggle to distinguish narrow vs. wide, or God help me when people talk about the height or depth of a soundstage. So far, all I can do is close my eyes and imagine where I am in relation to the exact source of the music. And then, if there’s more than one instrument being played (or if there’s a vocalist in the mix), where those individual sounds are coming from - which I realize is now getting more into imaging and separation.
After decades of never thinking about listening to music this way, I’m still trying to catch up!
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Very interesting - we all hear differently! I find Olina stage to be super wide, and not bad in depth and height. You can get a sense of depth by A/Bing with a planar IEM - I only really noticed the lack of depth in my S12 when I compared with the Olina
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I’m going to go back and listen again! I was comparing the Olina soundstage only to the FDX1, but I do have a few other chi-fi sets I can also compare. It’s possible that the Olina will be more in the middle when I take the time to go through those. OR it may just be a matter of individual fit, right? All of us having different ears, and maybe that front vent happens to be more obstructed on me than on someone else, etc.
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I think source also matters.
I recently got Olina and still in testing phase. but I can’t say it’s “super” wide. honestly -talking about stage/imaging - I can’t hear much difference to my CCA CRA (the only other IEM I own). I’d say both are average to me. (though I’ve never heard something better)
so I was thinking maybe this set needs a better source to show it’s true stage. I’m waiting for my 2.5 balance cable to arrive and will test it on my BTR3K. because on 3.5 output, I feel It’s not as wide as my Xumee dongle.
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Yeah absolutely could be YMMV! It’s all psychology when it comes to staging, right. Or what people call psychoacoustics.
It helps me a lot to A/B between different sets. When I did Oxygen vs Olina impressions, I could definitely say that Olina was wider and taller. I’m now working on my review for the Canon, and I’m A/Bing against the Olina, and it is harder to pick a clear winner, but what is clear is imaging (Canon wins hands down, but it is a hybrid).
Btw, you might want to give this track a spin: Spotify. I can hear the “height” of the room with the reverb of the strings and the stick slap, and L/R width with the two different instruments. I guess it helps that I heard this piece live so I know the physical layout of the two players.
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thanks for sharing this track. just heard it on Olina and I have to say I didn’t feel the stage being notably wide or tall it was average to me (I don’t have the best source though)… but the thing that caught my attention the most was how natural and organic it was… Olina sounds super natural !!
(sorry for stealing the conversation 
)
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Here is a stage tester 0:00-0:30:
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You did not at all! Glad to have another set of ears to compare notes with.
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just A/B ed Olina and CRA (which I saw you said in its review having huge holographic stage!)
both are comparable to my ear … maybe Olina slightly deeper and taller (more 3D) and CRA sliiightly wider. or maybe its placebo and reviews are affecting my judgment… but both seemed above average to me in this track…
but then again the thing that caught my attention was Olina being more organic and natural. I could hear singer’s hand hitting percussion instrument more natural with proper weight. CRA had more subbass and boom. but I couldn’t hear percussion attack as natural as Olina
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ok I just found this song which is amazing!! both CRA and Olina sound super 3d & holographic!! I felt Olina bigger in every aspect…! maybe width was close -still better on Olina- but height and depth definitely better on Olina and most obvious in about 2:50 which the voice comes from far upper right
I don’t know if this song is special and makes every IEM sound huge and I don’t have other set to compare. but both Olina and CRA was amazing here
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I see Kingdom I click like. Sawano’s (legend) work (including Attack on Titan) is excellent for testing space.
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WOW. I just pulled out my old IE80 to listen to this. It is at least a foot outside of my head. Crazy.
Edit: Some parts of this feel like they are coming from another room.
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