In the house (boat) thanks Jon will drop them back off to you Monday 
…
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The technical performance is impressive on both, with each having different strengths. The Mystic 8 presents a wider soundstage, while the Cadenza 12 excels in creating a more holographic presentation. The Mystic 8’s tuning allows it to outperform Cadenza 12 in resolution for everything outside bass texture, this is more due to tuning than the drivers. Since the mystic 8 has more up top, and also a cleaner low midrange.
While both IEMs being lovely, for me the Cadenza 12 leans more into the musical description with its warmer tuning. The Mystic 8 excels with more clarity and open sound, with more brightness than Cadenza 12. None of them have an intense upper midrange, this is just about warmth and upper clarity.
Cadenza 12 having some sweet bloom of the bass with more mid bass weight that is instead more clean on Mystic 8, the DD of Cadenza 12 gives it more elasticity and realistic bass performance. Cadenza 12 can sound a little slow after having listened to Mystic 8, and this is due to both the tuning and use of a dynamic driver for the lows.
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I have more work to do tomorrow but M8 on hybrid tubes is a thing of beauty 
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I never had the fortune to listen to the Cadenza 12, wish to review it someday. So far enjoying the reviews from the tour
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Fascinating… Douk seems to make decent stuff. I have been using this U2 Pro DDC for years now and it’s been a solid performer.
From what I saw their older stuff doesnt measure that good. But seems to have improved a lot recently to the point where they look like a great budget option.
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I continue to learn and be amazed. I have embraced the art of tip rolling! This morning I replaced the Spinfits that have been on the Da Vinci for a while now with Divinus Velvet Wide Bores. This has created fascinating changes in the sound presentation.
The tip has a different shape, so the human interface is slightly different. I think depth of insertion has changed, because I have to get into the gain a little deeper on the amp, which is fine by me, the TA-20 has more than enough to give. Comfort and fit is very good. But the sonic changes are the most interesting.
The Bass plume has been reduced a little but it’s now tighter and bit more controlled. The mids into the treble is a bit different as well, a bit more distinctive and more present. When the drummer does a nice roll through the kit I can detect the tom hits at the point of attack better - amazing! Like flying, these tips have trimmed out the set beautifully. I see it now, having the right tip is really a huge thing…
5 Likes
Thanks a lot for the comparisson! Pretty sure I would like M8 from how you are describing it…maybe not for my whole library but as a specialist 
C12 really does not project the widest stage but also does not disappoint, its size is decent and above average. What counts more to me is what it is able to do within that space.
I really do like both, i love to be wowed by super technical sets and enjoy them for a while with specific music but when it comes to longer listening sessions i value musicality more.
C12 is balancing somewhere in the middle, technicalities and musicality go hand in hand, which makes it a perfect allrounder for me 
Another prime example for that is Penon Impact, hope I´ll be able to listen to it again one day.
4 Likes
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Mega5est. They arrived this afternoon.
Not my image, but mine look just like that! 
These fucking things rock, man. Right out of the box, they rock. I saw a vid where the reviewer called these boring. Not to me, man. I’m no expert, but I do know what I like and what I don’t. And I am extremely impressed with how this set sounds. I’ll post up some impressions in the appropriate place, but man. Wow. Right out of the box, too…
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You seem to have great connections in the IEM industry by delivering great content on weekly basis. Even most of the famous reviewers in the youtube universe can’t catch up with that “motion” you got. Ever thought about doing that on professional but less “influencing” level? 
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I am just happy to to write about gear and get the dopamine meter filled up with new stuff, only times I get fed up if to much arrive at same time. I dont feel that I keep up with the most active ones out there as my evaluation progress take many weeks per set, its a limit to what I have time for since this is passionate hobby of mine and I have a full time job and also the family that need time.
I have thought about if writing for an established website, would be nice being more of a journalist/reviewer. But then I also will loose some of the freedom I have now, it is nice being more of a freelancer and work on reviews without any demands or rules. I love that I can be subjective when I evaluate, as I find it hard to be objective with so many things that can influence my opinion.
I have also burnt a few bridges with brands since I have been honest, and this would often never work if you write for an established audio website.
10 Likes
Carpe Diem and stay authentic! I really like your attitude!
To me it seems that many popular reviewers strive for the next hype and to generate as many clicks & likes as possible with brand new stuff before official launching… well it’s their job so it’s all right I guess. It’s all about the connections in this oversaturated industry 
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puts a bit of meat on it’s slightly lean sound…together 
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Being able to stay true to your opinions while maintaining that freedom is definitely a rare and valuable thing. Appreciate your attitude man!
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Yea man thats definitely a drawback that can be a dealbreaker. You might get stability and some assurances but the freedom of thought and expression is one that true Journalists cannot compromise on. Its great to see your passion and dedication to this, defo appreciate the effort! 
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I agree that M8 is more resolving but that can be a double edged sword, yes I found it to be more detailed but it can get fatiguing on longer sessions or at higher listening levels and that’s coming from an old guys ears.
It’s sound stage is wider too if that’s a thing for you?, where it does not feel natural though, is it’s bass, don’t get me wrong it’s there for sure but it’s ‘BA’ fast, which lacks note weight and that natural full bodied DD decay I yearn for. Where it does shine 
however is it’s mids, vocals are the star of the show, both male and female 
…A lot of my gripes above can be some what resolved by using a Korg new tube or hybrid tube source, this smooths the treble and add meat the lean low end…Two other observations I’m not really a fan of the faceplate, kinda messy with a wee gemstone in the middle 
the cable is cool, very thin, rubbery but prone to tangle after the y-split…All in all a set for folk that love their mids, detail, soundstage and fast bass
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I agree very much with you sir 
I have finished the review, just editing some stuff today before I publish it.
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The bigger question: How many people are truly making a living by just reviewing headphones? There probably are less than 20 YouTubers in the world who just focus on headphones/earphones (not general tech people like Marques Brownlee or Linus) and make a full-time, decent living doing it.
Z, HBB, the guys at Headphones.com and a few others. But even some of those guys are doing collabs for more income, and no true journalistic reviewer should ever do a collab. Blatant conflict of interest.
Are there ANY full-time audiophile websites or blogs left with a dedicated headphone reviewer on staff, like Tyll?
Looking forward to it buddy I’m no reviewer they were just my random observations while I was lucky enough to borrow the set for the weekend 
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Is the implication here that reviewers like Tyll or others at publications like Stereophile were somehow less biased? The pro reviewing game has for a loooong time been a service paid for by the manufacturers. It’s all biased. It is today. It was 20 years ago too.
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