[drftr]

Why did they have to go with that design choice of the Alter Ego. There will be dirt collecting in each of the sharp corners inside.

Great point! Hadn't thought about it but in my case (well...) they would permanently collect dust as I just leave them on the couch.

Just a mental block I suppose? If I’m using closed backs I’d rather just use IEMs and be able to take them on the go with me as well. Also I find the clamp of headphones a little annoying but I’m sure that’s something I would get used to over time.

You don't like the immersive experience over-ears have, no matter the system they use? With over-ears I love the fact that I'm in the music, while with in-ears it feels like the music is in me, if that makes any sense.

If we are doing a School of Rock thing I'll be one of the roadies since I don't have musical talent

We're up for an interesting concept so far: One vocalist, one drummer, and one percussionist.

Tainan Headphone Show

Crikey! I spent about 9 months in Tainan but never knew there was a headphone show . Over-ears only?

drftr

 

[gLer]

You don't like the immersive experience over-ears have, no matter the system they use? With over-ears I love the fact that I'm in the music, while with in-ears it feels like the music is in me, if that makes any sense.

Likewise I find it difficult to compare IEMs to headphones. I love your analogy above - that's a great way to describe the fundamental difference between the two formats. With IEMs you have to imagine yourself in the space (which is not hard to do with good IEMs), whereas with (good) headphones it just comes naturally. Stage, for example, is not even something you can compare like-for-like, even with closed headphones, because it's naturally out-of-head, whereas with most IEMs, it's much harder to simulate that effect. Both formats have their place, and are mutually exclusive in terms of enjoyment. It's when people start to compare like-for-like between them that the knives come out.

 

[raylu]

Great point! Hadn't thought about it but in my case (well...) they would permanently collect dust as I just leave them on the couch.


You don't like the immersive experience over-ears have, no matter the system they use? With over-ears I love the fact that I'm in the music, while with in-ears it feels like the music is in me, if that makes any sense.


We're up for an interesting concept so far: One vocalist, one drummer, and one percussionist.


Crikey! I spent about 9 months in Tainan but never knew there was a headphone show . Over-ears only?

drftr

Both iem and headphones, they haven’t launch a show for almost 2 years, usually the events happened in Taipei

 

[Yarbles]

Can you share more on why the Prestige Ltd. sits above others including the Anni for you?

I'll certainly try! I don't & won't ever call myself an audiophile. I find talking in a lot of jargon very unnatural but I think I can articulate my thoughts just as well without doing so. Of course I am interested in gear as it's part of one of my biggest passions - music - which I think is the real hobby, although I think it's far more than that. It's one of the biggest parts of my life & it always has been. And my enthusiasm for gear purely stems from the want to experience the music in the best way possible. I like telling a story to give background - to me it's important. Pardon my long response & just skip to the bottom if you want the bare bones.

I personally love the sound of well implemented EST drivers... Mest MKII was my first experience with them & my jaw hit the floor when I first listened to them. I didn't know what EST drivers were at that point, but I couldn't believe my ears. I'm relatively new to personal audio as my main way of listening. I used Sennheiser's for professional audio work, but I always used speakers for home listening if I wasn't in a club or studio working.

I decided that with my change of lifestyle (leaving my music career behind, partly as I'm now disabled & can barely walk), personal audio was really appealing, especially with my partner moving in - who isn't big on music & certainly not what I like... and she won't want a big speaker centric hifi set up in my house - but I wanted my music so decided to dive deep, skip the cheapies & go for things I really loved that would last . Fortunately I can try almost anything here and after listening to dozens & dozens of IEMs I found the one correlation was that the vast majority of stuff I loved had very well implemented EST drivers. The only pair I bought that didn't were the Anole VX.

The overall makeup of the Prestige Ltd is absolutely perfect to me. I listen to a lot of (mostly modern/less freeform/zero scat) jazz, which tends to benefit especially well from
imaging/spatial qualities, clarity of details & excellent separation. The PL handles this all so well, the tuning is perfect - they're the only pair of IEM's I own where I don't feel anything is lacking at all when used to present the most compatible music

I wouldn't call the PL's a limited use pair... they're a reasonably good all rounder as an all day long (non fatiguing) listen - especially when I pair them with a Chord Mojo 2 (this is an amazing combination, period - the most impressive synergy between a dac/amp & pair of IEM's... they genuinely sound like they are made for each other.

If you have a chance to check them out properly, the album below is an especially good representation of what they can do (even if not to your personal taste - it's certainly mine). I will say that although I've said I can use them all day, I do rotate heavily ad I like to keep things fresh... if I really want to relax & become immersed in music... I'll be amazed if hear better.

https://tidal.com/album/298087041?u

PS vs Annis. Spectacular treble. Not much else to say about them. I thought they paled in comparison to the PL's. I only got them the other day & it was only because I was desperate to trade an A&K SP3000 DAP that I wanted rid of, and the Anni's are & will remain better 'currency'. Where's the sub!?!

 

[raylu]

Luminox Audio's flagship cable, the 4.4 version,

Actually, I was in the US before and didn't have the opportunity to come into contact with or hear about their cables. I used to be interested in the 2.5 mm cable that could change three kinds of sounds but never had the chance to try it. This time, I happened to see the 4.4 version, which was also an improved version with tuned sound. During this listening process, I could feel the charm and dedication of Luminox's tuning. It's well tuned with a balanced sound , without overly emphasizing any particular frequency ,overall, it sounds quite comfortable and relaxed than the previous 2.5mm version . Although I haven't listened to it for a long time, I can feel the changes of Luminox's three kinds of tuning. Another reason is that the cable's software appearance is very beautiful, the simplistic but elegant design of the splitter is especially well-proportioned, and I really like the shell-shaped design. The 4.4 connector doesn't look as strange as the 2.5 and is easier to switch to different tuning mode . Moreover, in today's market, a price of 1900 USD for a flagship cable has become less common. I think, considering its appearance, versatility, and the universally adaptable sound, it is an excellent product worth seriously considering.View attachment IMG_1178.jpeg

 

[Valrhona]

Luminox Audio's flagship cable, the 4.4 version,

Actually, I was in the US before and didn't have the opportunity to come into contact with or hear about their cables. I used to be interested in the 2.5 mm cable that could change three kinds of sounds but never had the chance to try it. This time, I happened to see the 4.4 version, which was also an improved version with tuned sound. During this listening process, I could feel the charm and dedication of Luminox's tuning. It's well tuned with a balanced sound , without overly emphasizing any particular frequency ,overall, it sounds quite comfortable and relaxed than the previous 2.5mm version . Although I haven't listened to it for a long time, I can feel the changes of Luminox's three kinds of tuning. Another reason is that the cable's software appearance is very beautiful, the simplistic but elegant design of the splitter is especially well-proportioned, and I really like the shell-shaped design. The 4.4 connector doesn't look as strange as the 2.5 and is easier to switch to different tuning mode . Moreover, in today's market, a price of 1900 USD for a flagship cable has become less common. I think, considering its appearance, versatility, and the universally adaptable sound, it is an excellent product worth seriously considering.

May I ask how does one switch between the 3 tunings?

 

[aaf evo]

You don't like the immersive experience over-ears have, no matter the system they use? With over-ears I love the fact that I'm in the music, while with in-ears it feels like the music is in me, if that makes any sense.

drftr

When I can hear the noise of the environment I am listening in the immersion aspect is completely gone.

 

[drftr]

When I can hear the noise of the environment I am listening in the immersion aspect is completely gone.

I exclusively listen to music when specifically sitting down for it in a quiet environment but I do see your point. I have always considered over-ears to be desktop gear (coming from Stax electrostats) but I know it's different for most.

drftr

 

[MatW]

The Annihilator may have the reputation of being hard to drive, but as I’m traveling with my smallest DAP, the Shanling M6 Ultra, I think it sounds excellent nonetheless.

The Annihilator is such a great allrounder for me. Everything I listen to just sounds great with these. Now listening to the Smooth Vibes playlist on Tidal. Sounding smooth indeed, natural, organic. The guitar plucks on this song are simply exquisite.

Happy Sunday to you all, and enjoy the music.

 

[CharlyBrown]

The Annihilator may have the reputation of being hard to drive, but as I’m traveling with my smallest DAP, the Shanling M6 Ultra, I think it sounds excellent nonetheless.

The Annihilator is such a great allrounder for me. Everything I listen to just sounds great with these. Now listening to the Smooth Vibes playlist on Tidal. Sounding smooth indeed, natural, organic. The guitar plucks on this song are simply exquisite.

Happy Sunday to you all, and enjoy the music.

But keep in mind that the M6u is pretty powerful at 720mW@32Ω(4.4mm). By the numbers (probably not all of what’s important…) that’s more than 2x the SP3000 and nearly 3x the Sony WM1ZM2.

How do you like the Fusion cable with the Anni? Are there obvious improvements with it?

 

[MatW]

But keep in mind that the M6u is pretty powerful at 720mW@32Ω(4.4mm). By the numbers (probably not all of what’s important…) that’s more than 2x the SP3000 and nearly 3x the Sony WM1ZM2.

That’s a good point, I didn’t know the little guy packed so much punch! What a great player for the price.

Curious to see how the Annihilator fares with the Sony then, which is waiting for me back home..

How do you like the Fusion cable with the Anni? Are there obvious improvements with it?

I got it mainly for the esthetics.

 

[drftr]

We're up for an interesting concept so far: One vocalist, one drummer, and one percussionist.

There's a bunch of groupies hanging around here but they say they're coming for the guitar player. Which, alas, we don't seem to have.

drftr

 

[Scubadevils]

Listening to Hidden Orchestra ‘Dawn Chorus’ on Perpetua and sounds wonderful.

 

[Steranko]

I’ll share further thoughts tomorrow as I’ve had a few beers tonight

However…

1. It is relatively neutral, yet the tonality is musical and incredibly engaging
2. The power rating of around 710mW balanced isn’t the most powerful, yet it packs an incredibly keen punch with anything I’ve plugged in with absolute ease
3. Fast UI
4. Beautiful build with excellent ergonomics in spite of the size
5. Stunning large screen with excellent resolution

While the likes of RS8 is highly intoxicating with R2R, I think overall I personally lean towards the more pristine laser-sharp yet musical tuning of the R8 II… in an ideal world I’d own both for two flavours but alas not possible for now. Honeymoon phase of course but loving it more with each session.

Thanks for the comparison. I've also read Twister6's review. It's weird the price of R2R RS8 is considerably more expensive to the Delta-sigma RS8ii. Therefore I am wondering why such a difference. It would be good to see how RS8ii compares with SP3000. I do like the RS8ii price though.

 

[maegnificant]

Three totally related music recs' for today:


Cheeky, sassy post-punk. Makes me grin. A short burst of fun.


Very intricate modular synth music, emulating a band context. Super cool sounds and interesting to follow.





Last and very much least, zynical, sarcastical music made with prompted AI, including deep lore about the "artists", the "record" itself and intertwining connections in the "scene" in the comments. I liked following the rabbit hole for a while. It is, of course, already almost never ending, because they can just keep poopin' out songs based on funny one-liners. Some of these AI lyrics are genuinely funny though.

Have a great sunday!