I’ve listened to quite a few sets now with 4x sonion ESTs, as well as the SA6est and Punch with 2x sonion ESTs.
As usual, I think it mainly comes down to implementation. I don’t think I’d be able to pick out EST sets blind. That said, with the 4x EST sets (always >1k USD msrp), I have gotten the impression of something special in the treble detail… could be placebo though. All three sets do detail retrieval in the highs very nicely (two are BA, one EST).
As Riku’s pointing out, since ESTs play in the treble/high-treble range the competition is really: EST, BA, micro planar, peizo.
The sonion “ESTs” mainly operate in the upper-treble (10k+) so to narrow it down more they would be classified as super-tweeters. In which case they would compete with piezos and BAs more.
Interesting…there are a few IEM’s out there that talk about BA drivers and then custom BA ?? How do you custom BA or more like, what part of it can be customized to make it different than any other IEM using a BA? I always found the custom BA to be BS
If I were to compare the Tanzu Bajie which I think has several set of diff drivers, would you still be able to tell the diff in EST driver ? Its crazy that they manage to fit in so many drivers. I havent tried these, they could even sound ass comapred to a normal DD drivers But as you mentioned earlier, its all about implementation…
From what I gather, piezo drivers use piezoelectric materials to create sound by vibrating at high frequencies. BCD, on the other hand, transmit vibrations directly through the skull to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum.
When companies say custom BA, it is usually used for BAs that arent from Knowles/Sonion. As for what they can customise, probably small stuff like impedance and/or if its vented or not.
Like @GregTheEgg and @ErKil said, BC drivers can be made from piezo tweeters but the other type of BC (IMO the “true” ones) are known as bass shakers, they handle mid-bass usually (150-400hz area). That Bajie you linked is piezo based BC, a bass shaker type would be for example what Empire Ears uses in the legend evo.
Bass shakers = BCD, 2 versions of this, either its a “full range” type such as the ones used with aftershokz type “headphones” and then the other type is more similar to a LRA (linear resonant actuators) which tends to operate in the 150-400hz area.
(the other type, the other BCD type is piezo based.)
Crazy so assuming that these generally would have really good mids and from what I understand, BC aka bass shakers are usually implemented to improvise the 150-400hz range ?
Am I the only one who gets literal chills anytime I see this kind of dongles (large center of mass very close to the USB-C port)? Like those are completely a no-go for on-the go use if you ask me. Or you just want to get your phone replaced.
Speaking of that kind of act - funny story -1,5 wk ago I was doing carbonara at home and because I had slippery greasy hand I dropped glass tupperware on a screen of my phone and needed to spend 250$ for screen replacement
