u/acrastt

We’ve even got lore now

It’s amazing how far a shared thing can bond random people like us…

The dry down of black afgano is so good for me but I really didn’t like the dominant cannabis top note! Just something ideally very similar in the dry down but with a less allusive top, does anyone know?

I broke my OG Cadenza. I wanted to try something slightly different in tuning, and after reading reviews and graphs, I sort of knew what I was expecting. But I was not prepared for the scale of which it presented music in a more transparent and better way to me, and frankly I stopped hearing the gear and instead heard the music when I put in these. Below, I will be talking about some things including comparisons to the OG cadenza, and specific repertoire that worked well for me or caused problems.

For the accessories, the cables are very nice and don’t cause problems, though the braiding pattern causes it to be slightly wider than the OG Cadenza. It’s not really a problem though. The shell contains a custom-like shell on the back which contains a protrusion. The protrusion doesn’t fit me very well because I don’t seem to have such a mechanism on my ear. So far I have not found it to cause any problems with seal and comfort.

I am just using the stock ear tips (narrow bore). The wide bore ear tips was a bit sibilant for me which might be due to something with my HRTF. But the narrow bore tips has no problems.

Pieces that felt good to me:

Adam Fischer Brahms and Beethoven with DCO (Naxos) or just any recording by Naxos. I always adored this recording: the treble is delightful yet not harsh, the instruments have great separation, the bass is wonderfully balanced, and the DR Symfoniorkestret gives it a nice, clean sound. The Kiwi Ears Cadenza II are much closer to what I hear on my speakers than the OG Cadenza, and it just feels more engaging. It preserves everything the recording is good at, and it has no random obscuration, whereas the OG Cadenza sort of pushes the soundstage too wide, the treble too immersive. The Cadenza II also has a more natural sound that makes small treble details less distracting. It sounds more monitor-like and less warm than the OG Cadenza, which might cause the cellos to be overemphasised, muddying the sound.

Paul Paray Suppe overtures with Detroit symphony (Classical Music Reference Recording). Very energetic track where the treble needs to shine, and that is what the IEM does. The higher instruments are all natural and you can hear the joyful emotions in the pieces via the clearly conveyed transient. You will notice I will describe this IEM as natural and clear many times because it just doesn’t cause any distractions or problem points anywhere. The driver also feels faster (not literally though, I don’t know why it feels faster). The bass is just right, and they have a very cohesive and energetic and interesting sound. I have always thought the recording is a bit towards the brighter side when I listen on my speakers, and here neutral-ish IEMs have an advantage since it makes the treble natural and don’t over-brighten in tracks that are already bright.

A recording of Bruckner 5 by Adam Fischer with the OAE. Adam Fischer is my favourite conductor, Bruckner is my favourite composer, and the OAE is one of my favourite orchestras, so I really tried to make this live recording work. But the OG cadenza just makes it… boring. There’s nothing particular that catches your attention. But interestingly, the cadenza II doesn’t do this either, but it is just more interesting somehow. It’s just better by a little bit in every single regard and it turns the quality of the recording from distracting to tolerable. Interestingly, this IEM has a habit of making bad recordings sound better; Furtwaengler also sounded good with these.

Schnittke Gogol Suite conducted by Lev Markiz with the Malmo symphony (BIS). A wonderful piece, so many things happening at once, and the dynamic range is crazy. It’s a piece where all the frequencies sometimes really has its time to shine. While the bass such as the very strong timpani, kick drum, and guitar that Schnittke uses and are very loud in the recording can turn a bit bloaty in the OG cadenza, this IEM manages to make them much cleaner while preserving around the same massive volume and sound. When many instruments are playing at once, it can become cramming at times, which does hurt my ear a bit because I am a bit sensitive to that. But it still sounds natural in that the treble doesn’t feel artificial or thin or boosted.

A more specific anecdote, but I find that this IEM handles dynamic better than the OG cadenza. In Gogol Suite, some places you have the entire string section basically going up against a harpsichord that is not as loud or strong. On this IEM, it has less of a tendency where you cannot hear the quieter instrument because the louder instruments gets too energetic.

Chamber works such as solo piano and violin works well because it’s a very clean IEM, and the notes are balanced well. I do find that in some recordings of chamber works, the solo instrument gets a bit “in your face”.

Pros summarised:
Cleaner bass that causes less bloat, not as warm
Nothing that really “stands out”; no distractions
Fast, transient sound
Makes bad recordings sound better
More relaxed treble without sacrificing detail

Pieces that felt bad to me:

It is a bit difficult to find recordings that I specifically did not like, though I will list a few. However there are some quirks with this IEM that are a bit annoying at times. For example, there is a very small “safe window” for volume of this IEM. If you get too loud, the upper midrange will jump at you too much. Usually it’s not noticeable at normal volumes and enhances the instrument’s clarity. And at lower volumes, the treble area becomes too underemphasised. If you have multiple audio files with different sound levels, be prepared to change sound often.

Another thing is with vocal works such as lieder where the vocals are intimate and some modern pop music which I did listen to some due to curiosity, the quality of the vocals isn’t too great. The volume is too large and often requires turning the volume down, and sometimes it also becomes thin. I think this is due to a boost in the treble region but a lack of sufficient boost in the treble to match. So, if your primary concern is vocals, this might not be for you. Anyways, here are specific tracks that are not as good as I want them to be.

Bruckner symphonies conducted by Mario Venzago, various orchestras (CPO). One type of recordings this IEM struggles with is recordings that are already very clear, light, and transparent. While Fischer’s Brahms or Paray’s Suppe can be described as such, their recording provides colourations that enhance the recording itself. But on light or uncoloured recordings, this IEM will sound boring because it is not warm/heavy nor coloured, so it will not help, unlike the OG Cadenza.

Ginastera string quartets, Miro Quartet, don’t know the name of the label. This is a very aggressive piece that often needs some intentional warmth, merging of the instruments, and and treble magic. This IEM does not do that. It will not make you ascend to heaven because of the treble nor does it merge the instruments very well. The clarity works against the recording here because the IEM just doesn’t provide the aggression. The OG Cadenza has a more attacking sound both in the bass and treble.

Alan Berg Wozzeck (various recordings). I don’t think this IEM works for this type of opera. I don’t know why, it just fails in terms of emotion and cohesion. These two are things I don’t really understand how to describe, when something that isn’t really good like the MDR-E888 gives me ridiculous amounts of cohesion. You would just have to try it yourself, and this IEM isn’t one where you would expect to cry or ascend to heaven from.

Anything very intimate, not just vocals, will not be the best on this IEM as it gets crammed and harsh at times. But for more acoustic or relaxed music such as classical or jazz, it provides a sufficiently natural sound.

Cons summarised:
Difficult to control optimal volume.
Intimate vocals don’t work very well.
Does not provide meaningful colouration.
Lack of warmth and cohesion.
Lack of resolving “oomph” factor.

Overall:
This is a pretty nice set for classical music and what I listen to, and I won’t be looking to upgrade anytime soon. This is a great set for people who prefer a not distracting sound experience that still makes you interested and want to listen more, and a set that is less warm, faster, and less treble intense than the OG Cadenza. This is not for bass heads, people who prefer bright or coloured sound profiles, or people who listens to vocal and intimate music. It’s an IEM that makes you stop thinking about what you like about the IEM but what you like about the music.

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

This is because she is a human, and humans sing monophonically with their voice. Additionally, while it is possible to add a second voice via extended vocal technique, two voices are not enough to form functioning harmonies.

Bruckner is my favourite composer by a mile, and so is Adam Fischer my favourite conductor (he as conducted, with the DCO, the two greatest ever Beethoven and Brahms cycles in my opinion), so when I heard about this performance I was so excited! BUT unfortunately it's only a live performance so I don't think there are any official recordings. Are there decent quality archival or audience recordings of this performance that someone can point me towards, or does someone know if Adam Fischer is planning to record any Bruckner symphonies in the future? I would kill (not literally) for this recording! Thanks in advance.

With the popularity of comprehensible input (CI) these days, especially here on Reddit, many beginners fall into a trap that I like to call the “Robert Haas problem” (see footnote).

When newcomers ask about the most efficient ways to learn a language, the common response is “just get a ton of input.” This is often good advice, but it can be misleading if taken too literally. Many interpret it as “cram as much varied input as possible right away” (videos, music, podcasts, shows, books from different eras, etc.). Purist CI advocates often emphasize massive input over explicit grammar, which works great for some *with a single, consistent source* (e.g. fans learning Japanese by watching anime). But it creates issues when done indiscriminately as a beginner.

The core problem is that, early on, sources rarely share standardized vocabulary, dialects, formality levels, pronunciation, or structures. You end up internalizing a hybrid idiolect that feels fluent but doesn’t fully match native speech from any single time, place, or social context. Advanced learners sometimes notice their output sounds off-putting or patchwork to natives due to this problem earlier on with their learning.

What beginners often need (that gets downplayed) is a structured foundation first: a textbook series, consistent graded readers, or one focused series (like a single anime genre or podcast style). This becomes your internalized “default style.” After you have solid intuition, branch out into variety. At that point, differences will stand out naturally (“Huh, I’d usually say it this way instead”), helping you build register awareness on top of a strong base.

I suspect this also explains some struggles with things like Latin word order. Flexible syntax in poetry or authors from different time periods (word order, periods, ellipsis, old Latin , neo Latin, etc.) can overwhelm beginners. But structured texts like LLPSI or simplified Caesar (usually 70%+ SOV) emphasize consistent patterns. Exposing yourself to too much variation too soon destabilizes that foundation unnecessarily.

If multiple sources motivate you as a beginner—great, do what works! Motivation matters most. But don’t expect raw “immersion” (a term I dislike unless you’re actually living abroad because otherwise it does not help) or cramming 20 different inputs to magically outperform a focused start + deliberate practice. Translate to/from English or read English explanations if it helps.

Footnote: I call it the “Robert Haas problem” after the musicologist who edited Bruckner’s symphonies. Bruckner obsessively revised his works across multiple versions. Haas created composite editions by mashing elements together based on what he thought best represented the composer’s intent or sounded strongest. These editions are often beautiful and effective, but they don’t correspond to any single version Bruckner himself would have fully recognized or authorized.

Since the consonant j is geminated in this case (maj.jor, where a is not actually a long vowel and is only marked so for purposes of scansion), the spelling majjor seems to make sense if we were to take the modern convention of using j for the consonant i. I do read somewhere that maiior is attested in classical Latin, but I do not see the spelling majjor listed on dictionaries such as Wiktionary. Same problem with eiius -> ejjus, etc.

View Poll