[toranku]

First Impressions: AAW x Shozy POLA & AAW AXH Holiday Edition (Retuned)

Spoiler: Picture

AAW seems to enjoy a pretty good reputation in Japan. While I wasn't a fan of their new releases, I decided to give these 2 new releases a shot. The AXH Holiday isn't a new release, it was first released in 2017 but are only for sale during special occasions. Not sure if it's meant for only Christmas! Anyway, here are some of my thoughts.

The AAW x Shozy POLA is one of the oddest signatures I've tried so far. I do think that the type of sound the POLA is going for is interesting - a sophisticated warmth with forward vocals. It does remind me of the Empire Ears Phantom a little bit. Concept is one thing but the execution is another - the POLA uses a graphine driver + an estat driver. Estats are still relatively new in the market in terms of using it in a hybrid setup.

I would describe the sound as warm, veiled, muddy and slightly dark. Yet the treble seems to peak quite a lot - I'm not sure whether to describe it as dark anymore. Vocals sound "off" (cant quite place my finger on it, but it might be presence). The bass is pretty decent through, with a slightly boosted midbass and some subbass extension. Yet when you hear the laidback low end of its driver, you are greeted with its energetic highs...things don't seem to meld. The treble does sound disjointed to me. EE's Phantom on the other hand, takes a more refined approach where the treble is as laid back as it's bass.

Do note that the POLA is quite a tough nut to drive. My impressions may change when I use a more powerful source, preferably an external amp.

Now on to the AAW AXH Holiday Edition. Some of you might be familiar with the standard AAW AXH. The standard AXH features the use of a DD + 4 BAs and is pretty darn bright (not sure if they have been retuned as well, AAW makes silent revisions). It has a very tall 7k peak which gives it a ton of clarity but it makes brighter instruments piercing. Cymbals are very tough to listen to.

I initially thought that the AXH Holiday Edition is the standard AXH with a different shell, but it is in fact a retuning. The Holiday has a warmer tone with more bass and perhaps lesser highs (not sure if they balanced it out with more bass or reduced the highs, maybe both). It turned into a v-shaped monitor that is pretty darn nice for rock. It does remind me of the Canal Works U77, but with better lows since it uses a DD. The U77 has more of a japanese tuning with its sweet upper midrange while the Holiday carries a more warm tone and its upper midrange isnt quite as sweet. I'd say the Holiday is better suited for english rock. That said, it does lack a bit of stage depth and height. Width is ok for me. Imaging is sharp like the standard AXH.

Vocals might also be sibilant for some. A lot of pronounced "s" and "t" with higher pitched vocalists. I don't get that with the U77. As such I recommend trying this one out before purchase - the sibilance may not sit right with you.

 

[Focux]

Tried the Pola, Solaris & Trinity. More or less agree with your impressions; however, Trinity is my fav TOTL of 2018. Am a Singaporean too but living in the land down under, Merry Christmas

Curious to try the Diana, sold off my Billie Jean’s lol

 

[toranku]

Tried the Pola, Solaris & Trinity. More or less agree with your impressions; however, Trinity is my fav TOTL of 2018. Am a Singaporean too but living in the land down under, Merry Christmas

Curious to try the Diana, sold off my Billie Jean’s lol

Merry Christmas to you too. I'm itching to try the Jomo Trinity in SS. Despite the flaws I see in Brass, I think it's still quite an interesting monitor given the greater potential incoherency with 3 different type of drivers.

Billie Jean was quite a hit in Japan too. Was on the top sellers ranking for quite a couple weeks. Very inoffensive and overall pleasant signature. I usually desire something with more je ne sais qoui though.

 

[Focux]

Merry Christmas to you too. I'm itching to try the Jomo Trinity in SS. Despite the flaws I see in Brass, I think it's still quite an interesting monitor given the greater potential incoherency with 3 different type of drivers.

Billie Jean was quite a hit in Japan too. Was on the top sellers ranking for quite a couple weeks. Very inoffensive and overall pleasant signature. I usually desire something with more je ne sais qoui though.

Only managed to try the brass Trinity, thought it sounded fantastic w a Mojo hahaha

 

[toranku]

My thoughts on: Yamaha EPH-200

Spoiler: picture

Next up is the Yamaha EPH-200. Really weird tips on these IEMs. Surprisingly they seal pretty well, and are generally quite comfortable too.

The EPH-200's signature is an intense v-shape. One flaw that stuck out immediately was that vocals were recessed to the point that they felt "sucked out". The treble is the star of the show and rightfully so - the treble is very detailed. Lots of texture and shimmer on instruments such as cymbals. It does have quite a fair bit of extension at the upper end as well, which is why it feels airy. Tonality wise I think it leans on the brighter side due to the treble tuning. Male vocals are recessed.

The bass has pretty good punch and extension as well - something I look for in a v-shape. Basslines can be improved however - it needs more control and could be tighter in general, but I dont see a problem with its bass.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: FAudio Passion & Comparison against FAudio Major

Spoiler: picture

FAudio Minor is probably a bad name for the younger brother to the Major....

The FAudio Passion sounds rather mid forward with a neutral-ish tone to my ears. Compared to the Major, it was less warmth (with less midbass) but has more treble to make up for it. The Passion tends to favor female vocals over male vocals, but with Major there's more warmth to both genders which makes it an easier listen.

Like the Major, Passion is tuned to be very smooth. Imaging is very slightly behind but the stage size is smaller. However the treble has more shimmer and more air. When it comes to its tonality, I am not sure whether this one would be a crowd pleaser - its rather neutral but something just feels slightly off about it...perhaps too much air on the vocals? Vocals feel floaty.

At 4 times the price cheaper than the Major, I think it's really hard for me to justify paying so much more for an upgrade. The Passion has a rather good value proposition, but I think it's tone can be rather offensive as its slightly off compared to the Major.

The more I hear Major, I find it to have quite a dark treble. So perhaps I'd say Major just has a subbass boost to it. Or perhaps a slightly boosted mid-high treble as well. Both of the brothers have a light attack (lacking snap and impact) to its transients as well as being quite smoothed out. Not very suitable for pop genres perhaps.

 

[toranku]

Further thoughts on: JVC/Victor FW10000

What I feel about the JVC still stands in my previous post about it. It has a lot of "edge" since the tone is skewed towards the upper frequencies. It does have an impressive stage (especially width!) with sharp imaging and good bite to it.

I find that it's potential (especially at the bass) is hindered by the tonality. Perhaps good for jpop music like AKB but for most western music...I'll pass.

 

[toranku]

First Impressions: iBasso IT01S

Spoiler: picture

The IT01S is the more balanced sounding brother of the IT01. I find that the signature is a slight V.

Honestly, there's nothing much to say about it. I dont see a problem with the imaging or stage. Presentation is a little intimate and vocals are not very far back and don't have the feeling of being sucked out unlike the EPH-200. Vocals have a slightly warm tone.

 

[Focux]

Further thoughts on: JVC/Victor FW10000

What I feel about the JVC still stands in my previous post about it. It has a lot of "edge" since the tone is skewed towards the upper frequencies. It does have an impressive stage (especially width!) with sharp imaging and good bite to it.

I find that it's potential (especially at the bass) is hindered by the tonality. Perhaps good for jpop music like AKB but for most western music...I'll pass.

Did u manage to try Acoustune since u r in JP?

Interested to know your thoughts regarding 1670 & 1650

 

[toranku]

Did u manage to try Acoustune since u r in JP?

Interested to know your thoughts regarding 1670 & 1650

Back in SG we seem to have quite a lot of Acoustune fans, especially around the 1551. The 1670 is more sparkly than 1650 but it does tend to sound metallic at the upper midrange.

I prefer 1650 although the tuning isnt for me...there's just too much lower treble going on and I start to fatigue 20 mins in. Perhaps because the shape of acoustunes tend to be very big and they dont sit deeply inside. My favourite acoustune has to be 1551 though, really unique round-shaped soundstage with very rounded notes. Interesting sound but it does get congested. 1650 fares better with the congestion but doesnt quite have the same type of rounded notes.

 

[Focux]

Back in SG we seem to have quite a lot of Acoustune fans, especially around the 1551. The 1670 is more sparkly than 1650 but it does tend to sound metallic at the upper midrange.

I prefer 1650 although the tuning isnt for me...there's just too much lower treble going on and I start to fatigue 20 mins in. Perhaps because the shape of acoustunes tend to be very big and they dont sit deeply inside. My favourite acoustune has to be 1551 though, really unique round-shaped soundstage with very rounded notes. Interesting sound but it does get congested. 1650 fares better with the congestion but doesnt quite have the same type of rounded notes.

For some reason the 1650 sounded more sparkly than the 1670 to me. The 1670 is very smooth but perhaps too refined/polished in a sense. Testing was done w Mojo & Apple Music.

Initially intended to find a replacement for my IE80 after 5 years of use. IT01S pretty much checked my boxes but I decided to give Acoustunes another shot now that I had purchased a Mojo.

1551 opened up a lot and overall sounded much better than when I first listened with a lightning to 3.5mm adaptor. Tried the 1670 and 1650 following that but brought home the 1650 in the end. Mojo + 1650 seem to make a great pair

 

[toranku]

For some reason the 1650 sounded more sparkly than the 1670 to me. The 1670 is very smooth but perhaps too refined/polished in a sense. Testing was done w Mojo & Apple Music.

Initially intended to find a replacement for my IE80 after 5 years of use. IT01S pretty much checked my boxes but I decided to give Acoustunes another shot now that I had purchased a Mojo.

1551 opened up a lot and overall sounded much better than when I first listened with a lightning to 3.5mm adaptor. Tried the 1670 and 1650 following that but brought home the 1650 in the end. Mojo + 1650 seem to make a great pair

iirc the 1650 and 1670 measure very similarly outside of a few db at the treble

Lucky you...I almost cant get acoustune to sit in my ear properly. The shell always rubs against some part of my ear. Acoustunes definitely look damn good though, I'm a fan of the red+gold 1551 and your black+gold 1650. Enjoy them!

 

[toranku]

My thoughts on: Onkyo IEC-3

Spoiler: Onkyo Synergy!

Onkyo is an interesting CIEM brand. Their CIEM line remains very much for the domestic market in Japan, and people outside of Japan cannot get their hands on onkyo ciems. The first thing you may have noticed is their irregular shape. Onkyo ciems are shaped in such a way that it minimizes the shell space. They can also be ordered in full shell too.

Spoiler: Example of how they fit

As the name of the IEC-3 suggests, the Onkyo uses 3 BA drivers to shape it's sound. What's amazing is that their lead time is around 1-2 weeks, which is the fastest I've ever heard.

The IEC-3 takes a bassy, warm and dark signature. It IS a stage iem, and I don't think this one will sit right with the audiophile crowd due to the muted treble. Presentation is also highly intimate as if it is slapped right in front of your face. However in terms of bass quality (what you will hear the most other than vocals), the bass is only alright. It is considerably slower than BAs, taking a more DD approach to decay and body. As a result, it sounds bassy, congested and muted in treble. The design of the FR makes me think the IEC3 is more meant for stage where the crowd is noisy, reducing bass levels whilst providing a truly fatigue free treble response (there isnt much treble to start so you cant possibly get fatigued). The sound is overall warm and thick. Vocals are intimate and warm.

But I think most will find it overly thick, congested and muddy. Coupled with it being created for JDM market and it being used by some Japanese artists, there's zero reason why someone outside of Japan should buy Onkyo ciems. If you are looking for a stage monitor, there are many brands out there that serve the pro market.

 

[toranku]

My thoughts on: Empire Ears Phantom

Spoiler: Picture

The Phantom is an odd-sounding beast. There are many reviews out there highlighting what it does best and what flaws it has. Most people in my local community say that the tone of the Phantom is very jarring and is very odd. I agree.

The Phantom is extremely rich in tone and its preference of lower frequencies can throw people off. The treble is rather laidback and lets the bass and the midrange do their thing...which is coloration. I find that the Phantom is highly colored if I compared it to something like the Ultimate Ears Reference Remastered (UERR). Nothing wrong with coloration, in fact my preferences usually skew to more colored iems. They are much more fun and provide a new way to hear my favorite music which I have heard thousands of times with more uncolored/reference stuff.

The Phantom has a sophisticated type of warmth. The more I demo it, the more I like it. In a sense it's a little like peaty whiskies. It's an acquired taste for sure. A real love-it-or-hate-it iem since the tone is so unique.

 

[Mimouille]

Some very interesting thoughts thank you. I will try the Fw10000 for sure as feedbacks are so different.