They’re the ones that came with the RSV and some other sets, so I’m not sure maybe someone else knows
@Merhumblegrumble Haven’t heard sorry
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Have you guys ever wondered - what does a better Nova sound like? Me neither, but if you did, well, here’s the chopin. (I’m calling it chopin because it’s halloween - you know chop chop, and because Timmy has been COOKING)
Starting with the low-end the chopin’s sub-bass is pronounced, rumbly, but not quite on that sub-woofer like level you’re looking for. It fills in the scoop of the Variations, but doesn’t overdo it or turn it into a warmer signature. The good news is - it’s not vanilla like the Nova anymore, with more authority, more slam, and weight behind each bass note. Similar to the Nova, the chopin’s low-end is inbetween a filled in mid-bass, and scoop, however, it actually works this time because there’s just more bass, and doesn’t make the low-end feel anaemic. Even though the texture and physicality isn’t unique or game changing like the EA1000 for example, the low-end does its job, and has enough mid-bass to satisfy non-bassheads as well as not affecting the mid-range.
You can think of the chopin as a more filled in Variations, not mid-bass focused, with the low-end slightly in the background. For example I can hear the bass guitars and kick drums cleanly with rock tracks, but it just doesn’t have the same physicality in the slam as EA1000, or in other words it’s not as musical. Mid-range wise you can expect all the benefits of a harman target, clear, uncolored, well-separated and correct in its tonal timbre. Like the Nova, the chopin is a clean listen with no bias towards male or female vocals, however, it does sound fuller than the Nova because of the extra mid-bass. Midrange wise it’s your typical Harman mids with a little masking in the 1.5K region, but with a slight twist in the uppermids and treble - The Chopin to me is a more engaging and lively version of the Nova with similar technical performance and coherency.
The uppermid’s on the chopin is similar to the IEF target, and the treble is nicely extended like the Nova, however, there are some little peaks in the 5K and 10K regions which adds a little more excitement and liveliness to the sound, which I find more engaging combined with the low-end. The 5k peak is similar to the Blessing 3, but more palatable because there’s actual bass to balance it out . Likewise, the stage is more open and airier versus the Nova because of the 10K boost, and reminds me of the EA1000, but not as energetic, and smoother overall. It scales fairly well with volume as well.
Versus the EA1000 the chopin is smoother, with less mid-bass and treble energy. Timbre, vocals, low-end texture and physicality still goes to the Fermat - I don’t think anything touches it in that area unless you move to something like the Maestro Mini for bass, and RSV, or Twilight for tonal timbre. Resolution wise the Fermats are also slightly more resolving because of the extra note sharpness, but separation and everything else is fairly similar. So it really depends on your library, if you have a lot of energetic tracks or a mix of genres you’re better off with the chopin as a smoother all-rounder - it’s basically harman if it wasn’t boring and had a few drinks. For my library which is more indie, slow-rock/r&b, ballads, and acoustics I would go for the EA1000 with the filters because the low-end, vocals, and timbre is a standout at its price, as well as the extra energy actually helps with those genres, giving more musicality combined with the Fermat’s low-end and timbre ( the build and cable are also much better on the Fermats).
As for the EM6L and Performer 5 - it’s an overall small upgrade in-terms of resolution, clarity, and treble extension without sacrificing the low-end, unlike the Nova. So although the P5 and EM6L may have had a place versus the Nova because of their more engaging and filled in mid-bass, versus the Chopin, they now no longer have that advantage because the low-end on the chopin is satisfying enough, and combined with its better resolution and treble it makes the chopin the better overall pick.
Versus the HeyDay the Chopin is smoother and more weighted, whereas the HeyDay has more treble detail and sizzle to the end notes, but has that light planar timbre even though the mid-bass graphs a lot more. And compared to the Quintet the Chopin is overall smoother and not metallic in its treble timbre, but the Quintet does have a little more details from its drivers, and more thump to the mid-bass. The better analogy would be that the Chopin is a mini-variations with less gain, no sub-woofer bass, and not as detailed and resolving, but honestly I’d take it as it’s more than half the price for like 85%. Likewise, you can also say it’s a mini EJ07M and XENNS TOP. The EJ07M will still have better sub-bass texture, and more holographic with smoother vocals, and the TOP is going to have more treble detail and resolution, BUT, with that said the Chopin is very competitive being a fraction of their price.
However, the most interesting comparison would actually be to the Hype 2 as it’s closer in price. Although the Hype 2 isn’t as resolving as the Variations, I actually prefer it more because it fixes the vocal masking in the 1.5-2K region, as well as filling in the scoop while retaining that sub-woofer like texture. With that said, the chopin overall still sounds cleaner because the bass is less in the way and less pronounced which allows it to highlight the mid-range and vocals better, and it’s also $100 cheaper and comes with divinus tips. However, the Hype 2 does have better bass texture and is more engaging if you have a lot of hiphop, KPOP/JPOP, or EDM, and the decreased vocal gain also helps it scale better in those genres, so again, it’s more library dependent.
Of course, if you want to support timmy then the obvious choice would be the CHOPIN - congrats on the collab my man it’s a very well-tuned IEM. Overall rank:
Tonality: A/A+
Tech: A/A+
Overall: A
Thanks for reading 
13 Likes
Dag, VIVIDICI_111 - ur gonna make me break my new personal wait&see policy and run to buy the EA1K @ the earliest… 
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Yessir (but you should REALLY wait for my Melody review 
)
Oh just realized EA1K is EA1000 LOL - ok well back to your other comment about the foam tips, my ears do not like foam tips soooo 
try asking someone with better fit, sorry! (again)
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lol - no problemo - coulda sworn I saw something about foamies in yer tierlist…
I like 'em alright, except for the added replacement costs …
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Are you guys tired of Harman? Or turned off by the Hola and waner clones? Of course you are, we all are. Well, the Melody is the opposite of that - it’s colored as hell, but in the best way possible.
If we look at the Melody’s low-end and how it graphs - you’re probably thinking, yup Jay’s gone deaf, because that’s ALOT of mid-bass. To be more specific, that’s almost 5db+ more than the Fermats, and a whooping 7dbs more versus the Chopin, but, it doesn’t sound like it. It’s colored for sure, however, it sounds more like a 2-3db boost when I compared it to my EA1000s. Maybe it’s because Kiwiears are using their own in-house planar, but the low-end does not feel bloated or muddy, warm, yes, but the vocals aren’t wonky.
For example when I EQ the EA1000s to the same bass level as the Melody, the vocals and low-end are evidently more bloated and congested, and it becomes pretty much unlistenable with the timbre taking a huge hit. This does not happen with the Melody - the vocals and midrange is again, warmer, but never so ruining the overall experience, in-fact I would argue it makes the listening experience better with the extra treble air and sparkle combined. Because if I EQ down the mid-bass on the Melody to the Fermat’s level the sound becomes too thin, clinical, and the noteweight is far too light. That combined with the 2 peaks at 7 and 15K makes the Melody shrill sounding, however, with the added mid-bass the sound becomes musical, inviting, comforting, but still sparkly.
I’m convinced this has to to with Melody’s planar driver, and could only be pulled off with something like a planar since if you tried to replicate the same graph onto the Chopin or Fermat that has a DD or BA setup it will just not work - the sound becomes wonky and unnatural. Now, bass texture is obviously not as physical and tactical versus the EA1000s, not as resolving and impactful, but it doesn’t feel as light as the other planars and is still overall engaging and not boring like the Nova or Hexa. Even though it’s got a good amount of mid-bass, I wouldn’t call this a bass set as the sound is more even because of the air and sizzle, and not solely focused on the low-end, so the Melody is more of a V.
Lower mids are again, a bit colored, the mid-bass does affect vocal timbre as they are fuller and warmer which some of you may or may not like, so it’s not going to be as clear, open, or “correct” as the Nova, Chopin or the EA1000s. With that said, female vocals are still sparkly and airy because of the 2 peaks at 7 and 15K, and combined with the warmer low-end the Melody strikes a comforting but lively listen. Cymbal crashes are airy and the decay is prolonged making the stage feel more open and gives enough room for the low-end to breathe, however, scaling wise the Melody does struggle at higher volumes as it gets fatiguing with the extra sizzle and energy, and normally I would just put on a filter but in this case it’s not really recommended because there’s already a lot of mid-bass and anymore would tip the balance to being too warm.
Technical performance wise it sits around the Hexa and EM6L level - even though it’s got a good amount of treble detail the Melody does take a hit in the separation and resolution because of the mid-bass masking the lowermids and vocals. Versus some harman sets like the Nova, Hexa, and Sonus the Melody is more musical, engaging, coloured, and much livelier. The low-end especially, although again, colored, slams harder, is more pronounced, and overall more enjoyable with genres like hiphop and kpop. The treble is also much airier, female vocals are sparklier, and male vocals have more body and power behind them. Although the Harman sets will have better separation and overall smoother treble and better timbre, but, a bit too safe and boring imo, if you’re gonna go harman just grab the Sonus.
A better comparison would be to the Performer 5, SIMGOT EM6L and the Olina SE, where all 3 are also slightly warm but not as airy and energetic in the treble vs the Melody. Very similar technical performance, where the other 2 scales a lot smoother as well as the timbre being more natural, especially the Olina SE as notes are more grounded, with the holographic stage going to the Olina SE as well. However, if I could only keep 1 out of the 4 mentioned I would still take the Melody as it’s got the most personality with its sparkly vocals bathed in the warmness - it reminds me of a more exciting Panda or P1 MAX. If you’re looking for something cleaner with less energy the HeyDay or Chopin would still be the better choice with better separation and clarity - it’s not worth 2x the price, hell, I would still take the Melody over those two for enjoyment alone, but ya, they are technically better.
I would also take the Melody over the Quintet because it’s very rare you get a well-tuned, fun, warm, musical set that’s not bloated and still sparkly with no treble roll-off - very rare, especially under $100… But even with that said the EA1000 is still at the top for me under $450, the timbre, bass texture is just something else, but I already talked enough about the Fermat so I won’t bother again. Now, if you want something cleaner under $100 the Crin Red and Sonus are still great choices, but again, kinda anaemic, and the opposite of having a personality. My picks would be the EA500, or Tanchjim One for under $100 if you want less mid-bass, cleanish, but still a relatively engaging sound. Bass wise you’re still better off with the Quartet, LEGATO, or Rosefinch as they just slam harder with more focus on the low-end, but that aside - the Melody has become my new favourite under $200, highly recommended at mid-volume with genres like hiphop, r&b, and pop/kpop/jpop all the pops all the bops.
With that said, here are the rankings:
Tuning: A+
Tech: A-
Overall: A
Thanks for reading
15 Likes
Great review, and I wasn’t expecting you to like Melody that much, mostly because of the extra mid-bass. It graphs a lot like the HBBxQKZ set, but with less sub-bass.
Also I finally jumped on the Rosefinch, and wow that is a fun set, and sounds way better than the $20 price tag.
3 Likes
I’m A/Bing it right now with some EPZ stuff, and based off the graph you’d think it’s bloated as hell compared to the G10 and K5, but the bass is actually so well controlled + together with the lighter planar timbre and treble makes it work somehow:
Definitely colored, but nicely done… the power of planar tech 
And so far I’d rank the EPZ stuff in this order:
- G10
- K5
- Q5/620
- Q1
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Probably helped because of the planar speed (faster and tighter) than the DDs in the other 2 I guess?
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Planar tech baby
Also a smaller driver than the regular 14.5mm, not sure how that translates in planar, but smaller DDs are usually faster and often used as tweeters no?
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12mm, im guessing its one of these.
(same planar type as the OG Tin Hifi P1.)
In DDs, yes. I am not certain about Planars though but I would assume it is the same.
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Either G10 and K5 are awesome or Q5 not hitting you like others. Interesting!
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I’ll give it another listen - the uppermids were a bit bright on some songs
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And you said that Quartet is still bass head, so Melody is not for bass head?
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Melody is more v shape than basshead, too much treble and uppermids to be low-end emphasis imo. Quartet, Legato still better as bassheads.
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Holy shit guys I think the Gaea also has an imbalance LMAO
Tried 3 different tips… Going to bed for now and praying it’s just my ears - hopefully when I wake up it’ll be gone 
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I hope so too, sending balanced vibes your way. Cheers TDM
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Everyone, I present you, GAEA:
(Measure experts please let me know if I’m doing something wrong because this seems a little extreme)
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Lmao goddamn Elysian really hates you huh.
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