Keep whichever you already have.
If donāt have either, S12.
Reasons are abundant in this thread 
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That seems like sound advice. I will probably keep both, but I love planar sound and timber.
I recognize that they are very similar. Based on the reviews, it seems like a trade off, Timeless resolves better, where S12 has better staging. My S12 just shipped two days ago.
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How much (if any) of an improvement is the Variations over the S12?
Assuming you didnāt own the Variations right now, but the S12: would you still spend 500$ to get the Variations in addition?
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I sold my Variationsā¦ 
Variations will have more resolving power and boomier sub bass compared to S12, but in terms of resolving power S12ās planar driver is already giving you more than anything can offer in itās price range.
Variations as a tribrid loses to S12 in coherency, Iāll give you that.
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No way for me
S12 sounds not any more coherent to my ears than the Variations 
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Ear variations, I assume LOL
I know Iām in the marginal when coming to Variations impression 
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Yeah, ears differ, but itās good that way; would be pretty boring If we all heard things the same 
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Donāt worry, I still own my Variations and I will never sell them in the foreseeable future. I love them way too much, they are my personal golden standard. 
Yeah, even if I had heard the S12 before, I would still have gotten the Variations. They are even more resolving, female vocals are unmatched on any other set yet and the Bass texture is something else.
The S12 is definitely excellent. But the Variations is still a considerable step up in my opinion.
Treble is better managed on the Variations and has that sparkly OCD-detail character without being fatiguing 
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in that case I will pray for a chinese new year deal. thanks for your input!
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Just took my S12 out of the box! Will post impressions during the weekend. Aiming to compare against the Oxygen, the Aladdin, and, just for fun, the Sundara (2021 revision).
Edit: So far, with 0 burn-in time lol:
- SE Qudelix, 2vrms. Plenty loud, but I will also listen on my ifi Zen DAC over the weekend
- Not too bassy
- Very resolving
- Fast note decay (planar characteristic)
- I hear a peak in the treble that comes across as glaring in some tracks (e.g., some trumpet overtones), but I have yet to tip roll. The stock white silicone tips are wide bore, so might try a narrower bore
Wonāt give a yae or nae until Iāve spent enough time with them. Nice pics to follow 
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Vs timeless?
Donāt have it, sorry
I received my S12 yesterday and got some early impressions.
Unboxing experience was nice. The box was way smaller than I expected and felt nice to hold. Everything was packed with care and easy to access. Very nice.
The accessories are nice too. A selection of two sets of silicone tips and a set of foam tips. I used my own tips however (Moondrop Spring Tips M).
The Cable the S12 comes with is one of the nicest stock cables Iāve come across (only something like ThieAudios EST Cable is even better). Sturdy, has a nice weight to it, no microphonics, flexible and does not really stay in any shape. Looks great as well in my Opinion.
Build quality is excellent. These are smaller than expected and feel really nice in my hands. The machined aluminum shell is lightweight and should be very good for day-to-day use.
Fit was excellent with my ears. Using Moondrop Spring Tips (Size M), these sink into my ears and disappear. I barely notice them while wearing and have yet to come across any discomfort. The Nozzle is very short though, so Tip rolling might be needed for some.
As for drivability , these get plenty of volume and dynamics out of my Apple Lightning to 3.5mm Dongle. I will try them later on my Hidizs S9 Pro and Atom Amp+ as well.
As for sound . Early impressions. Spend yesterday using them as much as I could. Immediately they stand out as being very resolving. Micro- and Macrodetails get presented beautifully. Especially the vibrations of vocals or bass strings shine here. Tonality is either a mild V-shape or energetic neutral reference to my ears. Treble is a bit elevated which makes the set sound more energetic, but can sometimes border on or cross sibilance. Bass has great texture and speed. Both the attack and decay of the sound are very pleasant. Bass is neither āpillowyā in its attack like on the Timeless but does not hit hard like on a very good dynamic either; itās fine for me. Vocals can sometimes sound a bit more in the Back than I would like to, but this is nitpicking on a high level.
Overall I am already happy with my purchase and can only recommend this set if someone is in search of a good planar. For the price the S12 goes for, itās a steal in my opinion.
More in-depth sound review and comparisons once I have spent more time with the Set.
Cheers
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This is in line with what I imagined (and also why I donāt think it would be well suited to me). I look forward to hearing more.
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When I my S12 got to the USPS it was assigned the tracking number in Compton, CA.
I suppose when arrive, I may be obliged to do a photo using this somehow.
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do you have other competitors in thus price range to compare?
like Kato or Hana 2021
No sorry. Closest will be the Oxygen
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Iām looking forward to your comparison between the two
Ok I started burning in S12. First impression is pretty good, you can hear everything but midrange sounds kinda thin/veiled and in one song cymbals were a bit too loud. But they probably will get better. Source Asgard3 with low gain. GL2000 sounds better so far, with way bigger stage and more exciting sound.
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