u/hayashikin

https://preview.redd.it/a7yclztrgzhh1.png?width=638&format=png&auto=webp&s=4be3d4452c629629d487cac12cb42724fe79ff77

The Shure 846 was my 2nd real set of IEMs, and while I have been buying other headphones along the way, nothing else seemed to be as good as it was, and I didn't bother trying any of the other IEMs for years.

Just last week, I decided to head down and just give the CrinEar Reference a try since I thought I would like neutral sounding IEMs, and my first impression was really puzzling.

Everything else was great, but the bass didn't seem clearly separated and I thought it was muddy?

And so there I was snug in my end-game Shure 846 superiority. Assuming since all others had heavier bass which I don't appreciate anyway, that I'd keep to them for longer, until I was told the Shures were actually tuned to be very warm.

Intrigued enough, I continued experimenting with the other IEMs in the shop, which I felt had louder and more impactful but blunt bass. I only finally understood what the issue was when I was presented with a pair of the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite.

These were the IEMs I was looking for! I would consider the bass weak in comparison to the rest, but they were precise in the same way my Shures were. The highs also avoided the sibilance I disliked from the others (which I now know is a matter of preference).

But why the difference? They are using Balanced Armatures instead of Dynamic Drivers. BAs can't give as strong a bass as DDs, and based on my limited research, BAs don't have a longer natural decay as DDs, but the cleanliness was exactly what I have been used to all along.

I have to thank the shopkeep for without his recommendation I would have been ignorant that I just need to consider only BAs for future IEMs. I did buy the Orchestra Lite btw, and I do like them better than the Shures now.

For those who are unaware, Chisa Yokoyama (the VA for Sakura) hosts a summer concert every year, and this time the special guests are the VA for Reni and Ogami.

The theme for this year seems to be a "105 song live concert" and they just made online tickets available available to fans outside of Japan, so do show your support if you can!

My favorite comment from the video is how fan merchandise and games can be likened to crops and soil, and you can't keep harvesting on barren soil.

I also loved how the video addresses the desire from fans to just be able to play the games on modern consoles, and why it may not be that simple on Sega's side to fulfill that.