Thank you for the awesome comparison man. So Prestige is more atmospheric, and the MMK2 is more intimate. How does the separation compare? Seems like the MK2 is my preference, but unfortunately the fit… is the fit better on the prestige?
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Cool! After comparing the graphs on HBB’s squig I was thinking that the Prestige looked like it could be what I’m looking for so it’s good to see some of your comments and impressions kinda confirming that for me. Thanks again!
As for the tips, I have too many to count in all shapes and and sizes with multiple double flange options at the ready for when I get to try the Prestige. I haven’t had trouble finding the right tips for a given IEM for quite a while lol! 
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The fit is better on the Prestige, it’s lost a decent bit of weight compared to the MKII. Doesn’t jut out of the bottom as much as the MKII. The Prestige also tapers a lot more to the nozzle (nozzles are the exact same diameter), where the MKII is generally a bit chonky.
Clarity in picking up different instruments is better on the MKII, but imaging and instrument placement is improved on the Prestige.
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How do you feel about the upgrade from Timeless to Monarch? Was it a significant improvement?
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Cheers my friend! My current Long Island Iced Tea is raised high to you. You have been an integral part of my journey. I look forward every morning to seeing your contributions to the forum. While I may be a more silent speaker here you my friend are not and that is a tremendous compliment. For your contributions are humble, insightful and wholesome. And while it may not be that of a reviewer they hold a tremendous amount of weight to my IEM journey and my personal thoughts and approach to life. You’re a true scholar and gentleman. Best regards to you in 2023! May your personal life and IEM journey be merry.
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Have not received my C3 yet so I gave the Cadenza more play time and started playing with cables and tips.
Wide bore 100% for me the AZLA longer stem tips mine are ML grey ones.
Also found this $15 cable fantastic,not only incredible soft and flexible but ear hooks were done nicely for good comfort and it’s the perfect mix of SPC (Silver Plated) to add mix metal into the mix instead a just a pure OFCC (Oxygen Free Copper Cable), a slightly better tickle of sparkle with adding much.
I am not a cable Shiller but I find by putting in a little effort, that I can fine tune the best out of each IEM’s I Own by swapping cables and tips to figuring out the best combination to maximize thier potential regardless of it is just a cheap $15 IEM.
I compared this Cable to a $100 Hakugei Healer cable and on the Cadenza I could here a difference and preferred the cheaper cable.
Here’s the link for the cable if your interested.
Have a great and safe New year’s.
J.
C$ 21.21 83%OFF | NiceHCK JIALAI JLY2 HiFi Earphone IEM Upgrade Cable PP Yarn Silver Plated OCC 3.5/2.5/4.4mm MMCX/QDC/0.78mm 2Pin For NRA DQ6
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOjsm26
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Anyone buying from AliExpress check out this app checks the credentials and ratings of the seller. Seems to work. Love the quick synapses
It’s called AliHelper easy to use in conjunction with the AliExpress app on your mobile devices.
Step 1 : Surf find your iteam
Step 2 : At the top hit the share button
Step 3 : Share to AliHelpwr App
DONE : Report shows up.
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Good stuff! I’ll give it a shot for sure! Also, I bought two of the black OCC version of this cable and two of the blue SPC versions you linked to because they’re just so damn nice. The store I purchased from had a $15 off every $30 purchase when I bought so I got all four cables for about $30 plus tax. When I have some more time I’ll check to see which stoee it was and if they still have that coupon/deal.
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Okay, so my fiance got basically everything set up for our party without me and people started showing up about half an hour ago, but I ducked out to have a quick listen to the Prestige (this audio thing is like an addiction lol 
). I obviously have a ton more listening and tip rolling to do, but I was actually VERY impressed with my first listen. These definitely have the potential to be exactly what I had hoped and imagined which is SO SICK! They sounded great on Muse’s Absolution album which happened to be at the top of my queue. I’m so stoked to get these dialed in and see how they really do.
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Ahhh shucks, man - ya killin me! It’d be cool to have a podcast with some of you guys, talking audio, shooting the shit generally, sipping some beer or whiskey - it’d be dope I feel like - just a bunch of homies hanging out.
Your 2023 seems incredibly busy and it looks like you actually planned ahead in 2022 which is something I can envy as I usually leave things for last minute, completely on purpose - I like that spontaneity aspect of life (even though it doesn’t always work out 
).
I’m absolutely looking forward to what 2023 has in store for us because 2022 was so jam packed with so many amazing advances in the audio world and I think 2023 will be the year where the under $100 bracket is going to get so cut through and a lot of brands will want a piece of that action. I can see a lot of brands trying to dominate the entire spectrum from budget, to mid-fi and I’m for it.
Also, wanted to shout out @comfylife for his comparisons on the MMKII v. Prestige - I had my doubts and my reservations but after reading your words, I think they’re literally exactly what I’m looking for. Hopefully I’ll be able to join that club in a few months time 
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Hmmm. Interesting question, honestly.
TL;DR - It is an upgrade when you focus in and understand what’s better, but it isn’t a mind blowing experience.
I would say, initially the things that stand out when you first go from the Timeless to the Monarch’s comes in the form of the pure resolving power of both sets. I found my self disappointed at first, I have to be honest. The Timeless is truly an amazing set for that engaging listen - it’s in your face, it’s bassy, the resolution is genuinely off the charts and when you’re coming from pretty much any budget set, it will blow your mind. To me, that’s what usually stands out first - the clarity of the track - and the Monarch’s are maybe a 5%-10% upgrade in that regard. It’s really not much. In fact, if you’re like me, with a similar HRTF, you’ll probably find that the Timeless sounds more resolving on some tracks and I believe this comes down to the more aggressive treble tuning on the Timeless. The Monarch’s are more laid back in the treble, and I mean, really laid back - to me at least. It’s a very smooth presentation and when you don’t have the proper fit or seal, it could almost come off a bit veiled. However - finding the right tip, the right cable as well helps tremendously and when you actually do some critical listening, you quickly find out that the Mid range performance of be Monarch’s is really where you’re justifying that price tag. It’s textured, absolutely stunningly life like (I mean really, it sounds like the vocalist is in the room with you, reverb, texture, all of that, it’s an amazing but almost off putting effect in the best way possible) and it’s the set I pick up when I really want to enjoy a vocal performance. The Timeless to me also has a more softer, blunted bass response which is kind of nice with some EDM tracks, it’s more lush in a way - the Monarch’s are more dry in the mid bass and I find that this is better for most of my library. It’s a matter of preference really.
The monarch’s don’t have the most textured or tactile bass which is probably my biggest gripe. They also don’t have the widest stage if you can believe it. It’s very well separated and layered, but vocals are right in front of you - there’s very little depth to the sound which again, is a matter of personal preference. I don’t dislike it but I do hope one day I get to try an IEM with a wide stage (Andromeda maybe?).
I will say, the one thing I noticed with the Monarch’s that I’ve never experienced before is stage height - there are sounds that populate above me and none of my other sets do this for me personally. It’s a seriously cool phenomenon that I thoroughly enjoy.
In conclusion, would I spend the $1000 again? Hmmm yes I would but I don’t think I’ll ever get that excitement back, unfortunately. It’s just a product of the hobby. Once you cross that threshold, it’s difficult to find something special again.
That’s it, sorry for going on for too long - thanks for reading 
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You’re far too kind, my friend - thank you so much! Even though you may be more of a silent speaker as you put it, every time you post I know it’s going to be a thought out, meaningful write up. I try not to miss too many!
You, along with all the others I’ve come to know on here absolutely have been a pivotal plot point that is my audio journey, so thank you.
I hope you enjoyed that Long Island Iced Tea and I hope your new years was a special one! 
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The first part of this was most likely my issue. Especially about understanding what’s better. I literally went straight to the top, with the U12T, after just a few cheap choices that were instant turn offs. The excitement was real and definitely present when I first heard the U12T but, I was somewhat left disappointed. Looking back sometimes I often wonder if it’s just because I didn’t have a good basis of what to look for. My advice to anyone new to the hobby is don’t go high on your first purchases. Spent a good while with cheaper sets and in the forums learning all the terms and what they are. Then take the plunge if your really interested.
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I did the same thing as you recently, but safer: I went to an audio shop a tested out some of their headphones, just to get a taste of what I can expect from the higher tiers in price.
I tested AKG K702, Senn HD660s, Focal Clear MG and Sendy Ayva. I must admit that none of these headphones wowed me as I was wowed by my DT770 or my Hifiman HE400i at the time.
One could argue that it is due to the environment (standing up in an audio shop) or the source (Fiio M11 pro IIRC), and I admit the conditions weren’t ideal. but I would rather point to my lack of experience; I focused on the FR, where I should have focused on technicalities.
One thing though: the Ayva stood out by its stage capability; that was immediately noticeable to me.
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100% agreed. One thing I want to add however, don’t spend too much time in the budget section. Dip your toes with 3-4 sets, really nail down what kind of Fr you enjoy and figure out which configuration you enjoy the most and then take the plunge in the mid-fi $ range. I don’t think there’s really much of an improvement when you go from say around $500 up to $1000. I reckon if I want to see anything of an ‘improvement’ in sound quality, it’ll be above $2k and I don’t ever foresee my self spending that kind of cash on an IEM unless I hit the lottery.
Diminishing returns hits like a freight train passed $250 in my opinion. I can see most people being absolutely satisfied with 3-4 sets ranging from $20-$35 up to around that $250 mark. The market is healthy right now and it’s the absolute best time if you’re just getting in.
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On another note, I have to share my feedback on a source I just recieved recently: the jcally AP10.
this little thing is said to output 380mW in balanced mode, and has a clickable wheel that allows play/pause, fwd and bck functionnalities on top of the volume adjustement.
On the bad things, I noted:
- the volume isn’t of the dongle: the wheel controls the host’s volume. It’s not a no-go thing for me, but it comes with some drawbacks (lack of adjustement levels on android among other things)
- the dongle activates itself only if a set is plugged in (as with the apple dongle); not a bad thing in itself, I spent half an hour wondering why this thing didn’t seem to work at all… it can be very upseting when you use it on wondows and the sound switches from one source to anther each time you plug/unplug a set
- the wheel feel could be a little better
- the plugs are upside down for my logic: the usb-c plus is up, and the jacks are down; I would have prefered the other way around
On the good side:
- the thing can drive my Hifiman HE400i with no problem whatsoever. I don’t mean ‘oh the volume can be up there’, because any dongle can do that, as for example my Q5K; but where the q5k loses its authority and makes bass loose and treble too harsh and forward, the AP10 keeps its composure; of course, the precision isn’t on par with my desktop amp (SMSL HO100), but that’s more down to implementation/dac/chip quality than real current limitation.
- the dongle doesn’t draw much battery life from the host. Not only for the output power, but already in itself. I don’t know how jcally managed that, but the AP10 is as thirsty as a camel
- there are Fwd/Bck functionnalities!! a rarity in USB dongles
- background seems to be dead silent, even on balanced
- oh yeah, I forgot : it has a balanced output
- it’s only $50 !!!
So all in all , this little thing is a real gem. I would advice it to anyone who is looking for a powerful and clean dongle.
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Cheers, great write up. 
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Happy new year everybody!
New year, new target. The last 2 days I went underground into a secret research facility and developed a new target curve. Inspired by by the Freebuds Pro 2, the Moondrop Quarks DSP and the Fatfreq Maestro I landed at this
https://harpo.squig.link/index.html?share=Harpo_v2_Target
What is it good for? I recommend to use it with the Squig AutoEQ function in order to apply the resulting peq settings. I find this target is particular well suited to safe mediocre IEMs from the trash bin.
Applied to the TFZ T2 Pro, Tanchjim Ola etc. they now sound very good.
Applied to the S12, holy cow fantastic.
It think this is universal well applicable profile. Let’s see what Devialet did to the Freebuds Pro 2
High Sub bass shelf then rapid slope down making way for a clean, spacious mid floor followed by a medium steep ascending pinna gain to 3kHz and finally the dip down at 5 to 6 kHz.
The dip down between 5 kHz to 6 kHz is extremely important, it can and will break a set if it not tuned properly. You can check this yourself when playing around in this band range.
Maybe this is all already written and well known, however the last 2 days where very enlightening diving deep into AutoEQ, PEQ, compensations and target curves.
I wish you all a fantastic 2023.
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Being careful with 4-6k certainly is critical when utilizing a pinna gain going up close to 8+ dB. If you emphasize the early part of the upper-midrange, you have to control the back end
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