On a sidenote, how do you rate MUB1 compared to WM1A. That little powerhouse is building up quite a reputation for itself.

Meanwhile the weight of the 1Z is one of its best features for me. Feels like a mini gold brick, literally.

For me it's simple. Yes the 1Z costs more. And even if the modded 1A comes close or even matches it sound-wise, that pride of ownership for the iconic gold brick Walkman is priceless. Just my 0.02 and general philosophy in life, not just this hobby.

Ooh, do tell us more about Aristotle. How are you liking it?

That's a great line, and completely agree when it comes to DD bass 😎

Initially it was to reach 'endgame' on the desktop. When I got as close to that as possible I realised I didn't want to sit at a desk for the rest of my life, so it switched to reaching 'endgame' portable. I got about as close to that as I'd imagined I could about two years ago, and ever since...

You and I agree on this, as you know. That was a bit of obscure sarcasm on my part 🫣 The social part is 80% of the hobby for me now, if not more.

Oh yes, I'm not saying there are no new advances at all. Just few and far between, and getting spread out more and more. Xe6 was released in 2021, that's like 10 years ago in hobby years! 🤭 If we get one or two 'better' IEMs at the top end of the tree every year going forward, I'd say that's a...

Haha, I knew you'd say that. I don't mean high-end, I mean 'quit the hobby, I'm done' type of endgame. The minute I heard my first TOTL IEM I lost interest in entry level. Snobbish as it sounds, we've all done our time in 'Mid-fi Hell', and if you haven't yet, it's a rite of passage in the...

One of the greatest contradictions in the hobby for me. Many of us start out chasing endgame, and when we get there we don't want to be there. Rinse, repeat. 😅

I see your point, but I don't think any of these new things are 'revolutionary' or even necessarily 'better'. Yes they might move the dial a bit, but they're not really changing the landscape. I can blindly guarantee you I'd still prefer the sound of my 6-year-old IEMs to some of these...

In my experience, this is the truth. We're already at such a high technical level that the differentiators between TOTL IEMs generally comes down to tonal preferences. The same with high-end cables and how they tweak the sound closer to our preferences. When I say we're at 'the last 5%', we...

I suspect the days of IEMs being 'revolutionary' are over. Or, at least, will be few and far between going forward. That's a good thing, it means we're hit a high enough level for the industry to mature.

No, I said it's the best synergy of the cables in your budget (~$600). OTL is better, but also costs 5x as much.

Hey guys, my full review of the nifty N3 Ultra is now online here. Enjoy!

Hey guys, my full review of the nifty N3 Ultra is now online here. Enjoy!

Something like the upcoming Aristotle or Euclid, assuming they have a smoother treble rendering. I haven't heard either, by the way, but hope to soon.

As a corollary to this, there's also huge variance in how each of us perceives differences. For example, I can also make the case that for casual listening to streaming (especially compressed bitrate streaming like Spotify), I don't hear 'that much' difference between a certain level of IEM...

I wasn't a fan. Trifecta needs a cable that smoothens its treble imo.

Raphael for your budget, OTL.as one of the greatest cost-no-object cable synergies I've heard with Xe6.

It's excatly that. If you can't hear or appreciate the nuances from a high-end player, good for you, money saved. Just don't call yourself an audiophile 😉

Oh you'll be surprised. I've seen people trying to shove most of the shell into their ears!

Apologies in advance for the ear shot (hopefully not too gory, but I've put it inside a spoiler anyway). Just wanted to share how Z1R fits me as I think this demonstrates why I think it's perfectly shaped (at least to my ears). This is a relatively deep fit for me too compared to many other...

I don't know why but this brought a smile to my face...or was it an evil grin? 🤭 Either way I look forward to the carnage your write-up.

Generally speaking it doesn't have to cost $10,000 either (IEM+cable), but hey, it's only numbers right? 😅