Your photos are always so great. <3
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Since you reviewed it lately, what about Quintet?
Debating on Quintet vs Hype 2.
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Just had some ear time with p1 max pandas and remembered why I love them so much. Perfect blend of musicality and resolution imo. Makes everything so smooth and easy to listen to, especially with a Tanya filter right on top to subdue that treble peak and boost the mid bass. That small mod put this into overdrive!
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Havenāt heard Hype 2 so I canāt say. But Quintet is a fine choice if you want max resolution
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Great tracks. Could you share some more please 
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Dunu SA6 vs Kiwi Ears Quintet
Disclaimer: one set is mine bought by my own money (SA6, 2nd handed for like 250$, which was on my list forever now), second is borrowed from fellow audio lover. All cross comparison listening was done on volume matched sets (based on pink noise plus Android SPL meter, but still better than nothing). All sets were driven from single ended out of Hiby R3 Saber, files were mostly CD ripped flacs.
Intro:
It is maybe unusual comparison since one is a fading full-BA star originally sold for >500$ on its release more than 2 years ago and second is a new hype train crazy quadbrid in <250$ price range tier, but here I am trying to get something back for the community.
What those sets have in common is relatively flat pinna gain, similar bass glide and are quite well extended to the high frequencies. What they not have in common is generally everything about how you would perceive the music with one in ear versus with another.
Main content:
SA6 is ultra safely tuned, working good for all types of recordings (bad mastered tracks from Modest mouse, Led Zeppelin, Arcade fire were finally a pleasurable listen for me after long time of hiatus) with no occurrence of harshness or sibilance in the playback whatsoever. I can feel why it gathered all the hype back in the days! 
It is perfect for casual listening in the background. It is not very engaging on the other hand on moderate listening levels. Guitar based tracks (even acoustic) that usually catch me and take me on some mind trips just do not work with this set well if I want to just listen to music not doing stuff. SA6 has some counterargument for that - you could push the volume up in this set to the level it is definitely not healthy without significant distortion nor high amplitude peaks on cymbal hits to get envelope in music. But I personally donāt like to get my music too loud due to common sense/health related reasons.
Another problem is the bass. It IS there. But it feels more like a silhouette of a bass line, there is no slam nor meat behind the low end sounds. I guess this is this famous BA bass then, never had experienced that before.
On the other end we have Quintet. It is ultra detailed, airy and engaging set for when I want to listen to music not in the background, but consciously with eyes closed. It reminds me of my baby Unique Melody MEST to the level I am wondering if it is really worth to keep the first one in possession. They both share quite energetic treble and sometimes they just slightly cross the painful side on particular percussion hits, some female vocals or particularly energetically recorded songs. Vocals on Quintet are a bit more forward though than in MEST (which is good for my taste), mid range is a bit less clean and bass is not hitting so hard and physical (which is bad). The mid bass also is not that pronounced - though infinitely more engaging than in Dunus.
Quintet does not work well with bad recorded tracks. It rewards the ones that are well recorded though, you just float in the ocean of beautiful details. It does not allow for very high listening volumes as it starts to fall apart and pierce. I read @VIVIDICI_111 comparing it next tier version of Olina and I think this is a very accurate comparison
Summaryā¦ and more
I prepared cross comparison table on what does what better SA6 vs Quintet and wanted to finish with a punchline that 2 years ago 500$ is probably todays 250$ or even less, but then out of a sudden Huawei Freebuds Pro 2 popped up. I even felt asleep with them in the middle of the day with random playlist on shuffle, they sounded so good and soothing. Wow, what a mature tuning for a TWS!
If you look at the graphs it is somewhere in between the Dunu SA6 and Quintet and it feels exactly like this. It is less engaging than Quintet, but more engaging than SA6. It has less slam than Quintet, but more than SA6. It has very similarly positioned vocals to Quintet, which is a bit more forward than SA6. It is less detailed in the mid range (though it is clean). It has darker treble. It is quite detailed in treble, but it can get distorted and fall apart with technical tracks on high volumes.
It is generally fantastic TWS for the price though. Wish it had not this abomination of a nozzle, as I cannot really get perfect seal with the tips attached and there is no alternative ones I can try, but bass hits good anyway.
- Bass slam (physicalness): Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2 > Dunu SA6
- Bass quantity: Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2 > Dunu SA6
- Bass details: Dunu SA6 == Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2
- Instruments (guitars, strings, pianos) cleanliness: Dunu SA6 > Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2
- Instruments details: Dunu SA6 == Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2
- Vocal cleanliness: Dunu SA6 == Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2
- Vocal forwardness: Quintet == Freebuds Pro 2 > Dunu SA6
- Treble details: Quintet >> Dunu SA6 > Freebuds Pro 2
- Soundstage size: Quintet > Dunu SA6 > Freebuds Pro 2
- Imaging: Quintet > Dunu SA6 > Xinhs Erasmus
- Fun factor (ability to engage): Quintet > Freebuds Pro 2 > Dunu SA6
- Casual listening factor: Dunu SA6 > Freebuds Pro 2 > Quintet
- Build quality: Dunu SA6 >> Qunitet > Freebuds Pro 2
- Accessories: Dunu SA6 >> Quintet = Freebuds Pro 2
Final words
What I learned from the past few weeks is that I need to make a decision on the end goal, value to be kept in audio equipment and to revise my IEM lineup
- What I know for sure is that Xinhs Erasmus which was my backup IEM is not fulfilling my expectations anymore and I need to get rid of that. It is not better sounding on the go than Freebuds 2 in my opinion, even not considering one is wired and another is wireless. It would be listed, though it probably does not hold any value right now
- Freebuds 2 or any other TWS would stay 100% as an utility tool. Honestly you may argue they could work as a main driver for audio experiences for most listeners in the hobby. This is how I came all the way round to the starting point of my high end audio journey. I originally expected TWS to be the way to go (with Sony WF series), then stopped using them completely (as wired world ruled) and now I am asking for forgiveness and MAAYBE they would be the one to stay in my ears the most.
- Quintet Iād need to give back to original owner (thanks again mate @heartless ) and would get MEST in replacement. While I know MEST work for me slightly better (even though I had no chance of doing proper A/B and MEST are more uncomfortable) they are definitely not THAT superior to justify even the quarter of the price difference. Based on that the rational thing to do would be to sell it while it still has some value in the community and buy Quintet for half the money. I donāt know if I have guts to do so though
- SA6 would not replace me neither MEST nor Quintet if I would go with either of them. It can live alongside, but not as a only IEM for me. I donāt know if I can justify having them in collection considering the relatively high cost they have and relatively low time I would be able to spend with them. The one thing that says that it may be worth to keep them in the possession is that they allow me to listen to the shitty mastered part of the library, so if common sense would loose I would keep them along just for that and background listening at work (where buds rule the world anyway)
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Yes of course! Have you previously been into PsyTrance? It rages so hard and the Glam is an absolute beast for it. My favorite thing to do with Glam is pair a song that really plays with imaging and stage depth and PsyTrance is perfect for it. Then I just lay back on the couch, close my eyes and breath long deep breathes. I know it might sound crazy but, it puts in this meditative state and itās like Iām just floating weightless. My key is to let the song sort of just be absorbed as whole. Throw a few cocktails or beers in me before hand and itās bliss on journey through space. Iāll drop a few more tracks in a PM and leave one of my new favorites here for others.
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Today I got to try the Elysian Diva (2023) edition for about an hour and I can see why they call it that. Female vocals are just intoxicating on those things. Listening to Whitney Houston belting out I Will Always Love You was a spiritual experience. Florence + The Machine had me forgetting all about the machine because Florence kept whispering sweet nothingās in my ear. And donāt even get me started on Norah Jones and Diana Krallā¦they sounded as good as I have heard them sound on an IEM. Period.
That said, the Divas have a few pretty striking flaws or issues depending on how you look at it. Male vocals take an obvious back seat and come off sounding either nasally or hollow, with no body or emotion. Instruments like the guitar and sax that cover the whole mid range from low to high sometimes sound very off in the lower third of the mids and then they can have some extra bite at the top of the mids and transition into the treble, leaving them sounding almost like two separate players are playing. The low end is decent, but pretty one notey and obviously tuned to have enough thump to give you the best, but be reserved enough that the female vocals are never compromised and always taking center stage.
With all that in mind, if you are looking for a specialist IEM specifically for listening to solo female vocal acts or small ensembles with a strong female lead, the 2023 Divas would be hard to beat, but if you need anything more versatile than that, then Iād look elsewhere. That said, the female vocals I heard were so good I keep thinking if I see these hit the used market or a good sale I just might pick them up. I listened to several tracks of Patti Smithās album entitled Horses and got chills listening to the grit, emotion, and power in her voice. Truly an IEM that is exceptional at one thing and one thing only. Iāve never experienced specialization to that degree before in a transducer.
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Canāt wait to read more in-depth thoughts seeing the Serial is something like your 10x World Champion.
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Itās not that it hasnāt been beat before (Clairvoyance, Up) but the areas beaten in are splitting hairs, and the successful competitors are always in such a different price bracket thatās itās still a winner on value.
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Itās like Ric Flair in the territory days: heād come into a new town as champ, drop the strap, hang around while the other guy gets some shine, then wins the title back and leaves town
Go to the next town, rinse, repeat. Serial is on that level.
Like a boss
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The definition of a workhorse lol. I bet Serial never dropped the strap so it wouldnāt get stabbed or shot to death on its way out of Puerto Rico though hahaha.
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Quick question for you guys:
I used my Letshuoer z12 and TeaĀ“s from a bit more on my pc lately. I enjoy it, but i donĀ“t like, that my own voice is muffled when talking.
Can i hear my voice somewhat normally with open back IEMĀ“s?
If yes, what are some recommendation in the lower price segment ( max 150ā¬) that are ok, if these even exist?
Sounds like Earbuds are what you need, provided that you donāt have a history of comfort issues with them. Open back/poorly isolating IEMs are a bit of a rarity, especially at lower price points. You may also have luck with the old Audeze iSine line (which can be had within your budget if you shop around or go used), but they are really only recommended if you want to EQ them.
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You either need to switch to Earbuds (check Rikubuds wink wink), Open-back headphones OR the extremely rare open-back IEMs (Audeze Isine 10 & Sony MDR-EX800st).
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@Sonofholhorse @Rikudou_Goku
I havenĀ“t used earbuds in 20 years i think
The iSine donĀ“t pop up often in the german used market (and if, they are 250-350 from what iĀ“ve seen)ā¦ And i prefer to not EQ.
I use open back headphones all the time, but i want to switch it up because of comfort. My daily drivers are Beyerdynamic T1.2 and Hifiman Edition XS, sometimes the Koss ESP950X.
I actually have thought about earbuds before, but i was happy with what i have and didnĀ“t research more.
IĀ“ve checked your Rikubuds before, they look interesting.
I would be interested to check them out.
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Then scratch the whole isine lineup. (and to a degree the EX800st, although some enjoy it in stock, not me, it is my nr 1 iem with peq though.)
Well, you know what to do. 
(pm me if interested.)
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Or TWS with talk-thru function so that you get more lively self voice reverb.
The issue with voice muffle is that, when you speak without anything covering your ear, you hear a fraction of your own voice through your ears, the feedback loop, while IEMs are generally designed to isolate surrounding noises, so you got your own voice feedback loop muted. Resulting a āmuffledā perception.
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Kinera Celest Wyvern Impressions
I recently acquired the Pro version of the Kinera Celest Wyvern, complete with a microphone headset. Although I havenāt put the mic through its paces yet, its construction feels durable and robust. The Wyvern package even includes two windscreen foams and a set of KBear 07 tips. The included cable isnāt a showstopper, but at $25, itās more than adequate.
Straight out of the box, the sound signature didnāt offer any groundbreaking features. It leans towards a warm profile with noticeably rolled-off treble. However, the bass and mids are where this IEM shines. Vocals, guitar plucks, and similar elements exhibit a lively presence, although they do lack upper harmonic richness, as confirmed by the frequency response graph.
Initially underwhelmed, I decided to delve into PEQ to unlock the full potential of the Wyvernās LCP drivers. After some adjustments, I was pleased to uncover a whole new experience. Initially, I had assumed that the warm tuning would allow for aggressive volume levels without causing discomfort. However, the mids were still a bit overwhelming. By cutting the ear gain around 2300 Hz, I found the balance I was looking for, enabling a louder playback without fatigue. Astonishingly, even with bass-heavy tracks, the Wyvern showed no signs of distortion or clipping. Adding a low-shelf filter only accentuated this prowess.
In the end I landed at these peq settings:
LS Fc 55 Hz Gain 5 dB
PK Fc 2300 Hz Gain -4 dB Q 1.5
PK Fc 3800 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 1.41
So, whatās the verdict? Imagine if Fatfreq Mini and Rosefinch decided to collaborateāthatās the Wyvern for you. The unit effortlessly handled over 4 hours of bass-centric tracks, from artists like OutKast, Project Pat, Massive Attack, Wu-Tang to Bob Marley, without showing signs of fatigue or excessive bass. At the 1:33 mark on the following track that I used for a bass test, the Wyvern navigated it flawlessly with zero perceivable distortionāeven at high volume levels.
(456) Getunte Autos (feat. Mr. Long) - YouTube
Overall, the Kinera Celest Wyvern is a solid choice for those looking to delve into sound customization. With some PEQ tweaks, it transforms from an average IEM into a budget basshead top performer.
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