thank you and yes very true, i do try to be cognizant of volume
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I get EDM is a broad genre, trust me, just not entirely sure how to classify the specific music I listen to most of the time because it’s all over the place. It ranges from daft punk, Justice and other ED Banger musicians, Eric Prydz is another example, Deadmau5… those are some off my head
Can you rec some artists and I can give them a listen and get back to you? Happy to do so. Just so you know, the Explorers don’t have that tuck sound, they’re a very full-sounding IEM with fairly heavy mid-bass energy. The only downside to these, in my opinion, is the sub-bass performance. It’s not as textured as I’d like, but I think that’s more a product of the tuning rather than the driver quality, or a mix of both perhaps!
@Rikudou_Goku no sir, just one on the side that would touch your tragus
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The search for my oh10 upgrade continues…
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Spot on. As another Explorer owner, Dom’s description of the sound signature is a bull’s-eye!
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I am using a modded version of the OH10. this
It is the modded version I am comparing with.
That Margarita wont do anyway as it doesnt have proper venting I need.
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ohkay
understood…btw can u share ur views on s08 vs hidizs145…ur personal take
i had s12 pro hated it
i had simgot hated their sound profile.
love my EJ07Ms
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Yeah the Explorer is pretty much 10x better than the OG Starfield, but despite that, I am missing that IEM even today for I have sold it along with the OG Arias. Also if you’re gonna ask me if I am going to pick the original or the Starfield 2? I am still taking the original for the Starfield 2 has been a disappointment overall for most people, and I am one of those for I was hoping a new version of the Starfield that has many improvements from its predecessor.
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I never heard the Starfield 2 or considered it because there was rare unanimity in the IEM world that it was a considerable step backward from the OG.
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Yeah same here, because I don’t want to risk myself getting an IEM that I am not so sure about, especially when most reviewers have been saying that the Starfield 2 is just shouty and deviated away from the Original’s sound. Also buyer’s remorse is a hard thing to overcome at times, and I had been in that situation. But yeah, when it comes to the opposite of that feeling, the S08 is one of the IEMs I never regret purchasing. I would probably feel the same towards to any AFUL IEM that I will get when I have the funds eventually.
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The AFUL MagicOne joins the over-ear HD 6XX as models I’ll probably never sell.
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I liked the Magic One, gave to my bro tho. He loves them for movies and audio. They are a good set, i just dont want to buy them again.
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Add me in the Aful Explorer group. It also works great for classic and prog rock, the bass is just amazing. I blind bought them on the graph, but I am a low pinna guy. Also good lord Dom you take fantastic photos.
lol, that is awesome
Agreed, the Aria was sort of the more fun replacement for Starfield, but it has a grainy quality at times. I always thought the OG Starfield was too bright, but it was a clearer more detailed sound than most of the mid-priced sets in that time frame ( 4 years ago ).
Too Bright is something nobody would say about the Explorer, if anything the people that bounce off them are because they are too dark, or the vocals are too recessed, at least until they are cranked. There is a smooth quality that is hard to explain, and the timber still seems very natural despite that darkness.
So far my favorite two sets that came out this year are the Aful Explorer and the Ziigaat Doscinco, which is a bit more traditional tuning with some legit isobaric bass ( many thanks to @thoohil for that rec ). The Explorer is the best value set right now, it will fit anyone, has good accessories, and has treble with the right tips.
Letshuoer S08 is pretty impressive too, but doesn’t suck me in the same as the others, likely because I own the P1 Max, which is tuned similarly, and is in that “too natural to be a planar” camp. The S08 fits me a bit better.
I have a feeling that the incoming collabs are going to make it tougher for folks to pick their best of 2024. Overall it has been a good year with an absurd number of good sets, Aful, Simgot, and Ziigaat have found their stride. KZ/CCA has even managed to release a few good sets at a couple price points.
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Oh my god, now I remember. The freaking cable of that Starfield OG was at the time for me visually at least looks cool, but as time goes on, it wasn’t really an exact decent cable for it was for me janky at best at that time and pretty much have gotten stiff making it unusable for me anymore. Also yeah I did replaced its cable eventually, with a Yinyoo one, though that one also became stiff and unusable at some point.
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You’re far too kind, John, thanks so much brother! Editing does some wonderful things sometimes, trust me! 
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+1 Explorer
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Is that the key to your secret? (I never edit, only mess around with the camera settings beforehand.)
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Of course! Editing is its own art form. I shoot the images with the editing vision already prepped, this way once I get into Lightroom and photoshop I can apply that vision pretty easily.
But all professional photographers from the beginning of photography have editing their images either digitally or in the dark room. It’s part of the process!
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I see editing as the PEQ of that world, which is one reason I dont touch it since i have no clue what I would be doing lol.
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Lmao it kind of is - when I shoot my photos, I always shoot in a RAW format though so think of it more like the “Mastering” of the photography world, rather than the PEQ.
The product that comes out of the camera or in a music sense, the recording booth, just needs to be enhanced a bit before it’s fully mastered/produced. Whether that’s more bass in a song or deeper contrast in an image. You should dive into it, man. It’ll enhance your images and take them to the next level!
I’m always here to help, too - my DMs are always open and I’m super stoked to help anyone that needs help with photo work.
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