$95 USD for these barely used mofos (ZiiGaat Odyssey) kinda makes them rival CrinEar Daybreak for 'best sub $100 set to find on used market ' title
Definitely more exciting and airy than Daybreaks from the first listen. Seems to work best with DUNU S&S tips so far. Will compile full impressions with Daybreak comparison in another post in a week or so, so stay tuned!!!
Finally, Tachjim Ola II (analog, 3.5mm version) has arrived. So here are my first impressions (eartips used - SpinFit CP100+ size M).
Gotta start with the fact that I find Ola II to be the best V-shaped IEM under $100 with the best full-range dynamic driver in its' price category.
The bass is simply superb - the midbass may be perceived as bloated, but to a fun degree, while the subbass is approximately level with the midbass or slightly lower, which for me is better than if the sub were more elevated than the midbass.
A huge plus is that Ola II doesn't produce the typical parasitic resonances inherent to other in-ears where the dynamic driver handles the highs. The highs themselves are pleasant, not piercing to the ear, though with a dip at 8kHz.
To be honest, to me Ola II sounds exactly like if ZiiGaat happened to make Lush, but V-shaped - warm, with drums and guitars in the foreground and vocals (especially male vocals) somewhat further back than usual.
Overall, preliminary rating (taking cost into account) - 9.7/10 for tonality (the 8k dip on my ears is the only real downside of this iem) and 8/10 for detail (planars in this price category do be sounding more resolving with better separation).
Since I finally found my ideally flat U-shaped iem (CrinEar Daybreak), now I need to feed my curiosity the other way - through exploring esoteric tunings. One thing though, L-shaped out of question - I don't like overwhelming amounts of bass in my metal and punk. Anything else is welcome.
Well, the legendary CrinEar Daybreak has finally arrived. First impressions after the first five days - absolute delight. Let me go over the key aspects of this model.
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(1) Packaging
Packaging is, frankly, average. Could have been much better than just a minimalistic black box below the minimalistic black foam inside of a minimalistic black box inside of a minimalistic black box.
The cable is good, but not quite Tripowin Zonie level. The fairly thick strands in a thick braid make the cable not the most flexible, but it's perfectly usable.
It comes with interchangeable 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs. The locking mechanism is solid - the plug is secured by screwing a metal ring. The only thing I'd like to see is not just L-shaped, but also I-shaped plugs, since the L-shape isn't convenient in all situations.
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(2) Comfort (highly subjective)
10/10 no discussion. The Daybreaks are the most comfortable IEMs I've ever used. It feels like the shell was molded specifically to my ear something I haven't felt with the ZiiGaat Lush, Ikko OH10S, or any other shells trying to replicate the anatomy of the human ear so far.
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(3) Tonality (averagely subjective)
The sound is generally neutral, but with an attempt to emulate a wideband subwoofer down to 105Hz. Did Crinacle succeed? Partially. In my subjective opinion, the mid-bass on the Daybreaks could be a bit more present, and the sub-bass should either stay at the same level or be slightly reduced. The bass quality itself is top-notch. It's not as musical as the ZiiGaat Lush - I'd even call the Daybreaks' bass close to analytical, and I'd rate it 9/10.
The lower mids on the Daybreaks are surprisingly very flat - exactly as they should be in theory. They don't protrude like on the ZiiGaat Lush and Moondrop Pudding, but they're also not recessed like on the Artti T10 and Simgot EM6L. On some tracks, though, you do want a bit more lower mids to add "weight" and "texture" to instruments, so I'd say the lower mids on these IEMs are executed at 9.3/10.
The upper mids have an interesting characteristic that AFUL and Elysian Acoustic love to use - a bump around 1.5kHz (though not as big as on AFUL and Elysian iems). This adds a bit of perceived clarity, definition, and even aggressiveness to vocals. The ear gain bump (3kHz) is a traditional - 10dB. Thanks to this tuning, vocals never push forward over the rest of the mix, yet remain dominant and maximally clear. However, since I prefer slightly less ear gain (around 5-7dB) for listening at higher volumes, so I'd rate the upper mids at 9/10.
The treble on these IEMs is simply excellent. These are perhaps the only IEMs where I don't hear a peak at 6kHz, so even bright and aggressive recordings sound "as intended" rather than "overly aggressive". Sibilance is present, but it's not brain-piercing compared to the Simgot EM6L or, God forbid, the "best IEM ever" - GK Kunten. Additionally, the elevated region between 10 and 16kHz adds a lot of airiness and lightness to the sound. Overall, the treble is practically exemplary though if the airiness were just a bit more, these would be priceless so 9.5/10.
Overall, the arithmetic average tonal rating is 9.2/10, which is very-very solid.
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(4) Eartips and Tip-rolling
You can pretty much leave the stock eartips untouched - only the foam ones are worth attention in my opinion, but foam tips are a matter of personal preference in general, so can't 100% recommend them either. The silicone on the stock tips is very similar to KBEAR 07 - just as non-grippy, slippery, and consequently, not sealing my ear canal well.
From the dozens of tips I've tested, here are the best options (from best to least best):
> TRI Clarion - cheap and effective ($3-4 USD for a pack of S/M/L). The silicone sits deep and securely, and the drivers sit farther from the eardrum than on other popular tips. This results in a smoother response above 10kHz with no peaks at 6-8kHz.
> SpinFit CP100+ - expensive and effective (roughly $5 USD per pair). Pleasant silicone, deep fit, the same distance from drivers to eardrum as the Clarions. The difference is a more flexible and narrower nozzle, which improves fit security and bass quantity. Great for those who want touch more bass.
> DUNU S&S - legendary mid-tier tips ($5-7 USD for a pack of S/M/L). Thick, grippy silicone that seals any ear canal but the price is comfort; listening longer than an hour with DUNU S&S is physically uncomfortable.
> Moondrop Spring Tips - high tier ($6 USD per pair), thin, flexible, grippy silicone. The downside is the driver sits closer to the eardrum, which kills the airiness above 11kHz. Good for those who don’t like airiness.
> TANGZU HE Sonic Eartips Song of the Long River - mid-tier ($5-7 USD for a pack of S/M/L). Wavy design with not-so-grippy silicone, relatively shallow fit, and drivers placed close to the eardrum. Result the magical airiness fades a bit. Some might consider that a plus, for me not so much.
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(5) Individual Instruments
Male vocals on the Daybreaks sound incredibly organic, natural, and textured whether tenor, baritone, or bass - 10/10.
Female vocals are very good, but not perfect. They often sound a bit more "nasal" and "distant" compared to male vocals, though still organic and enveloping - 8.5/10.
Strings sound very natural and pleasant, with crisp attack and slightly extended decay, but lack the texture of my beloved atmospheric ZiiGaat Lush - 9.5/10.
Drums sound different depending on the recording. Those with energy concentrated in the mid-bass region slightly lack attack, rating 9/10. Those with energy concentrated in the "air" region sound phenomenal - a solid 10/10.
Brass and keys sound very pleasant, regardless of instrument or pitch, but slightly lack texture almost sounding "too precise and analytical" - 9/10.
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Final verdict - if you get these like I did ($100 USD on sale), they have no direct competitors. Yes, they have rivals like the more atmospheric and textured ZiiGaat Lush and AFUL Explorer, or the Harman-tuned and lively Simgot EM6L and EPZ P40 but all of them offer a sound that's distinctly different from the Daybreaks' neutral-esque signature.
The closest direct upgrade with a similar tonality, judging by frequency response graphs, seems to be the Binary Acoustic EP321-MEMS, which has an almost identical tonal balance but more airiness thanks to the xMEMS driver, but they are nearly three times more expensive (since I got Daybreaks for $100 USD) so I don't really know if they're worth going for. But if I do, I'll definitely make a comparison review.
Who are the Daybreaks for? For those looking for a hybrid of analytical and fun IEMs that performs well across all genres and well-mastered recordings. And if you're a fan of male vocals and crystal-clear, aggressive-sounding cymbals - the Daybreaks are an absolute must-have.
So I've received WHIYO Hybrid pads for my beloved R50x today. Cost me 10USD on AliExpress.
First things first looks:
Sewed very well, pretty symmetrical, especially compared to some noname Chinese pad manufacturers.
Pads fit the headphone like a glove, despite being designed for R70x, since the mount is pretty much the same.
Now in terms of sound and comfort they did pretty much what I expected from them:
Overall, judging on the first couple of hours of listening, I can definitely recommend these pads, if you're looking for a slight tonal adjustment for your R50x.
A week passed since I've gotten my pair of Edition XVs, and, to be honest, I'm clearly not getting the hype about these. They're just good, but not exceptional all around, like some of the reviewers claim.
First thing that stands out is the bright-ish tint that these headphones have. A good chunk of my library sounds straight up sharp and sibilant, while being overall warm in terms of timbre on Edition XV, and this just throws me off. And don't get me wrong, they sound sublime on certain recordings, but, out of nowhere, you hit that 'screechy' one, and you just want to take the headphones off. I don't know, whether it was a strategical decision or not, but this is definitely a downside to the headphone.
Second thing is they're usually inoffensive and chill, but they're also inoffensive and chill, and this shows whenever you wear a brighter headphone (like ATH-R50x). I always found myself comparing between the two, wearing my R50x, and forgetting about XV completely. It basically feels like a breath of fresh air after the sound that XV presents. Some would even call the XV dull, but I'd rather say inoffensive - in a good and a bad way.
The only thing that makes me think about keeping these headphones is its' bass to lower mids response, which is like perfect. The bass on this headphone is extremely good and refined, though I miss the midbass punch the dynamic drivers usually make an emphasis on. With a bass shelf XV is basically the best open-back I've heard in terms of bass - period, which makes you wonder - maybe keep it and EQ the treble to something like raw diffuse field (which I usually prefer)...
Anyway, what is your experience with Edition XV if you have/had/heard one? Do you also find it having a dark-bright identity crisis, or is it just warm all across the range on your head? And what headphone would you potentially take over the Edition XV in the same or lower price range?
Received Puddings, sound is good, ANC/Transparency mode too, but that STOOPID APP doesn't even connect to the earphones. Space Travels connect fine, though. Guess, half the functionality is not going to be available for a while. I tried installing the app from the website, the app from the play market, rebooting the phone, rebooting bluetooth, factory resetting the earphones - nothing helps. Literally. Anybody else had the same problem, and if you solved it, how?
Received Puddings, sound is good, ANC/Transparency mode too, but that STOOPID APP doesn't even connect to the earphones. Space Travels connect fine, though. Guess, half the functionality is not going to be available for a while. I tried installing the app from the website, the app from the play market, rebooting the phone, rebooting bluetooth, factory resetting the earphones - nothing helps. Literally. Anybody else had the same problem, and if you solved it, how?
Received Puddings, sound is good, ANC/Transparency mode too, but that STOOPID APP doesn't even connect to the earphones. Space Travels connect fine, though. Guess, half the functionality is not going to be available for a while. I tried installing the app from the website, the app from the play market, rebooting the phone, rebooting bluetooth, factory resetting the earphones - nothing helps. Literally. Anybody else had the same problem, and if you solved it, how?
Today, I decided to revisit some of the 'starter IEMs' that I've accumulated so far and noticed a very strange thing.
Every single one of them (KZ EDC Pro, KZ Castor Pro Bass, 7Hz Zero:2, 7Hz Elua Ultra, Tangzu Waner SG2, Roseselsa Ceramics X) had that sandy grating character to their treble reproduction. This treble behaviour also seemed unfixable with EQ without killing the so-called 'technicalities'. The one that had the least amount of 'sandiness' is Elua Ultra (probably, because it has 2 DDs with a crossover), but, nevertheless, it also had some of that vibe.
Thing is, people always talk about how planar and BA driver IEMs sound bright, harsh, and sandy, when I actually find it the other way. I never found Artti T10, 7Hz Dioko, KZ PRX, ZiiGaat Lush, ZiiGaat Odyssey, EPZ P40, iKKO OH10s, Elysian Pilgrim, etc. harsh and grating, which makes me think I'm either crazy or vastly different in terms of ear anatomy and perception than the majority out there.
Now the question is, what is your experience with full-range DD IEMs? How would you describe their character, compared to planar, BA, MEMS, PZT or EST hybrids?
Step 1 - love Harman because everybody says it's cool
Step 2 - hate Harman because people's presets are too weird, veiled and sharp at the same time
Step 3 - turn into Sharur's follower, instead of listening to veiled and sharp, make everything bright and sharp
Step 4 - grind abx tests and Harman's 'How to Listen' to prove you don't have skill issue
Step 5 - EQ everything by ear to what feels natural and pleasant on favorite music, kill peaks with the help of sine sweep, add a sprinkle of air
Step 6 - realize that somehow your preset almost overlaps Harman 2013
Step 7 - love Harman once again
