Dear friends, here is my Kiwi Ears Quintet review.
This is a really good one if you are after a reference kind of tuning and strict tonal accuracy. Excellent for classical music.
Diminishing returns, and it applies to just about any products/hobbies. Exotic cars, watches, handbags, designer stuffs just to name a few. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Tuning switches not a big deal to many of us in the community. Tunning preference is all personal. I literally switched from a treble appreciator to a bass lover in like 7 years.
I started from Vsonic GR07 Classic(Maroon) & Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD. We all have buds hold significance in our audio journey! Then quietly piles up. I didn't realize I spent close to 10k on IEMs until I checked the selling history on eBay. And that's not a lot compare to bigger players! IMO The best way is to get as few pairs of buds as possible while enjoying your music. That's all there's is, all relative.
This IEM is making my review of Project ACE more complicated.
Maybe it’s the passive driver or something else but the imaging of this IEM is quite interesting. As most Harman-ish, the center of the stage is quite focused and concentrate at a point in the head. The Hiby ACE sounds noticeably more spread out and grander in comparison, no doubt.
However, the outer layer of the stage is where EA1000 shines. It has that uncanny illusion with some track as if some sound comes from somewhere outside the head. It’s not in your face like some DSP, but it’s interesting when I notice it. Very reminiscent of the MEST III.
I have a deep fit and have the PR driver rest directly against the concha. The effect might be worse with worse fit.
I'm so happy to read about the Quintet still gaining popularity, as people know I think it is class leading and innovative. In fact some may say it was the first to have the imagination that we are now living through with the 7Hz Aurora and Simgot SuperMix 4. I mean I haven't heard those two yet, but on paper there is a resemblance in trying more driver varieties all together.
Dear friends, here is my Kiwi Ears Quintet review.
This is a really good one if you are after a reference kind of tuning and strict tonal accuracy. Excellent for classical music.
I mean, you should try it out sometime. Sorry it doesn’t have the KZ name on it to convince you but, personally? not a single budget set in my collection matches the sonic quality of my 2 most expensive headphones, and I have tried a few sets from pretty much every budget tier up to 1k. ymmv but hey, that’s my view.
I, but especially my wallet, would really love if KZ was all I ever needed. Progressing deeper into this rabbit hole proves that while budget offerings are an absolutely incredible value for money, midfi is where it's at to satisfy 98% of us weird folks.
Dear friends, here is my Kiwi Ears Quintet review.
This is a really good one if you are after a reference kind of tuning and strict tonal accuracy. Excellent for classical music.
I'm so happy to read about the Quintet still gaining popularity, as people know I think it is class leading and innovative. In fact some may say it was the first to have the imagination that we are now living through with the 7Hz Aurora and Simgot SuperMix 4. I mean I haven't heard those two yet, but on paper their is a resemblance in trying more driver varieties all together.
See there a couple of dongles which do sound differently without any doubt. THe R2R ones like FC6 abd Cayin RU7 etc
but if you want warm analoguish, then the budget AKM chip Colorfly - CDA-M1P is one of em . @Leonarfd has it, and can attest. I heard it once; it was indeed analoguish - warm and luscious . So that could be an option if you looking for something cheaper.
The PULA has a denser and fuller sound but is much less extreme in performance as well as in the demands it makes on you (right tips/correct position in the ear canal/high level source/high level recording). Then there is the SLIIVO SL-41 which represents a middle ground between this and the PULA, more technical and refined than the PULA but still not as demanding as this. Then there is the SL-T6 with a definition that beats both but is more demanding and less permissive for what I wrote above. From a timbral and tone correctness point of view, all three are an absolute reference even when compared with the IEMs that I own and which cost several times their price. That said, if you want to have a bit of everything, with just over 600 euros in the Myer Audio store on Aliexpress (taking advantage of the discount code) you can take home all three: CKLVX D41 (Pula PA02), SLIIVO SL-41 and SLIIVO SL-T6. I liked them so much that I got the CKLVX D41 and the SLIIVO SL-41 in double copies. lol
In my opinion they are perfectly complementary... the D-41 more forgiving and full in its relaxed but very engaging sound. The SL-41, on the other hand, is much more revealing and technical as well as extensive. The D-41 expresses itself at its best with male voices thanks to its deeper and fuller tone while the SL-41 finds its peak in female voices due to its extension and definition. The soundstage as well as all the technical aspects are in favor of the SL-41, while for the more musical and visceral ones the D-41 is more suitable. They share some things, the first of which is the tuning and therefore the simply stellar tone and the cost which in relation to what they offer is really, really low (personal opinion). If our finances allow it, we should take both and consider them as a single 300 euro iem... an iem for all seasons, for all DACs, for all types of music. Both really excellent... if I had to choose, I would choose not to choose. In my opinion, the amount requested for both is very far from what each of them can offer.
The Alpha Omega Ra has been a delightful surprise for me. Priced at under $600, it packs a considerable number of drivers and is tuned very well. The bass performance on the Ra is particularly noteworthy, exhibiting excellent quality and almost setting a benchmark. Moreover, the design of the shell brings a refreshing change. This makes it an ideal companion for long, relaxed listening sessions, especially for those who enjoy a bit of fun in their audio experience. Ra is surely fun and pleasant to listen to. I must commend Alpha Omega for successfully executing a tribrid IEM design. It’s truly impressive, especially considering the relatively young age of the brand.
I just picked a set up for twenty greenbacks on Amazon USA. The first few tips I tried smothered the treble, turning high hats into tamborines and cymbals into shakers. Once I mounted AZLA Sedna EarFits, with their wider bore, the trebles revealed themselves.
I quite like these now. Kick drum blast beats strike with apt authority and it is a fun set. I'm going to keep these.
Threw a 2.5mm on the Tigerism Octave and now being driven by the original H3 Pro Saber and now I see why it comes with a balanced cable only, albeit 4.4mm. Upper mids are less edgy, and your general better separation that comes with balanced, but also the pacing is improved. The Allure on the same 2.5mm cable feels a half step too fast with it’s pacing. Of course the mid bass focus of the R3 isn’t the best for these already bassy earphones but aside from that I like what balanced can do for the Octave.
The Alpha Omega Ra has been a delightful surprise for me. Priced at under $600, it packs a considerable number of drivers and is tuned very well. The bass performance on the Ra is particularly noteworthy, exhibiting excellent quality and almost setting a benchmark. Moreover, the design of the shell brings a refreshing change. This makes it an ideal companion for long, relaxed listening sessions, especially for those who enjoy a bit of fun in their audio experience. Ra is surely fun and pleasant to listen to. I must commend Alpha Omega for successfully executing a tribrid IEM design. It’s truly impressive, especially considering the relatively young age of the brand.
Not the biggest fan of this colouring scheme (at least on pics), but a stunner nonetheless. With money to burn this would be a no questions asked purchase.
The Elysian Pilgrim is a hybrid which contains 1 x Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) DD and 3 x Sonion BAs.
Do take note this is the original Pilgrim, not the Noir Pilgrim version, which is more basshead (with some loss in resolution). The Noir variant is also pricier but comes with some kilobuck cable in the packaging.
So this OG Pilgrim is very light-weight and comfortable, shells are fashioned from stainless steel.
The OG Pilgrim has a U-shaped tonality, and is very clean sounding. Superb technicalities, expansive stage and solid layering. Fast, punchy and tight bass with a transparent midrange and resolving treble. Nimble transients with smooth upper mids.
8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
There's a whiff of BA timbre but not the biggest offender in this department. It also uses a Pentacon cable connector, which does limit aftermarket cable pairing.
Otherwise, the Pilgrim has a thicker lower midrange than the measurebator's gold-standard Moondrop Variations (Pilgrim doesn't sound so anemic there), with less upper mids glare than the Variations. The Pilgrim also has better staging and micro-details than the Variations.
This is a solid IEM from OOTB listening. Will do more A/B testing and burn-in and report back.
I had been looking for a full ba iem for a long time with a reasonable cost but with remarkable performance and thanks @ToneDeafMonk I found it.
The Myer Audio SLIIVO SL-T6 is a masterpiece of truly excellent tuning and technicality and for how it sounds it costs very little. Great!!!
I'm totally agree. Excellent sound for the price. Now after burning-in and with Penon Totem adapter SLT6 sounds without extra brightness, more warm and very coherently.
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