[JrOcinthepark]

Last purchase before a three week seminar in New Mexico is the CCA Hydro. After extended listening while slaving away at work to afford this hobby, I can confirm it is everything I liked about the rhapsody and Trio rolled into one.

 

[Hypops]

I'm probably looking to spend up to $250, and I'm mainly concerned with sound and Bluetooth (size as well for non Bluetooth devices)

Would you mind suggesting a couple of decent BT devices, and non NY devices in that price range?

If bluetooth, price, and size matter, I'd suck it up and just go with the Qudelix 5K. With bluetooth, you're already making a major compromise to sound quality, so you may as well just go with the 5K and get the amazing DSP feature set. I have yet to try anything over bluetooth that is worth spending more than the 5K costs, plus you get the best PEQ interface in the business. And Qudelix still regularly updates the firmware with worthwhile improvements.

Only reason I'd recommend spending more on something else is if you didn't want/need bluetooth. It's a five-year-old device at this point with a very old and inexpensive DAC/amp/DSP combo-chip, so just about anything else will sound better wired. But bluetooth still sucks for audio applications, so its age doesn't matter if you're just going to use bluetooth anyway.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

BAD discovery today: the Tangzu Xuan Nv just came in and they were intended on being a gift for a friend of mine. But I could not resist opening them up to see if the sound quality was good enough for a gift. Imagine my horror when I saw that the left bud was cracking and peeling!
At risk of flakes falling into my ear, I did try them out for a few songs… there’s more bass here than I got the impression of from some reviews. Definitely sufficient and low-reaching. The mids are warm and very present and the highs are extended enough for me to really enjoy what I was hearing. But I got these packed up for a return and replacement! Some of the eartips looked like they had flecks of stuff on them. Quality control needs to wait up and smell the coffee!

I have the Trio coming in which is a quarter of the price so once I hear that I might decide not to girt a copy for myself but I can’t deny that these are leaks and bounds more attractive than the gunmetal KZ releases lately.

I love the Trio. Love the Trio for my metal and harder and more complex music, but I must admit, haven't given them much eartime lately, as I've been seduced quite strongly by the ST7 and now by the Polaris (when listening to jazz and swing).

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Last purchase before a three week seminar in New Mexico is the CCA Hydro. After extended listening while slaving away at work to afford this hobby, I can confirm it is everything I liked about the rhapsody and Trio rolled into one.

Thanks for getting my hopes and yearns all jacked up will waiting for them to stop sitting in Compton, CA sorting center LOL

 

[saldsald]

I couldn't possibly guess what each individual manufacturer/designer does, but the reason for any changes to FR with cables is due to impedance matching (or mismatching). IEM impedances can get very low, which means that even subtle shifts in impedances of cables, connectors, and amps all matter. Also worth remembering that not all IEMs have a flat impedance, so the impedance ratings that manufacturers give us are just averages across a narrow (and often unstated) frequency range--say, 500Hz-5kHz.

If impedance graphs of IEMs were as commonly shared as frequency response graphs and if impedance measurements of cables were similarly shared (and accurate and consistent), we'd have a much better sense for how/why cables affect different sets differently. But these responses also change with power, gain, etc. from amps, so it quickly becomes complicated. The best answer IMO would be if cables were all spec'ed and manufactured the same, then we could just focus on the IEMs themselves. Alas. For me, rather than taking shots in the dark with cables, I try to keep my cables as similar in build, length, and connections as possible. It at least takes one major variable out of the equation. It's also quite easy to measure the impedance of a cable without any fancy equipment. A basic multimeter is all you need. Not the most accurate measurement, but good enough.

Let's keep this topic more open rather than jumping to conclusion that it's all about impedance matching. At least, you are only measuring the DC resistance with a multimeter and the AC resistance is frequency dependent, meaning you have a different resistance at different frequencies. And I don't think even that's enough to explain the variation in sound.

Also, the impedance of an IEM given by the manufacturers is not an average. It is either measured with a multimeter giving the DC resistance or the AC resistance at 1khz, measured with software such as LIMP and an impedance box.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Just went and bought me the TRN Conch. $22.00 with free shipping with the discounts, and these things come with 3 tuning nozzles and MODULAR CABLE! I pretty much bought it for the cable, so now, if they sound good, like the ST7, and I might get some use out of those nozzles with other IEMs, like the Simgots with the Himalaya, then I will be more than satisfied with this purchase. TRN ships fast too. Now I patiently wait for my Hydro.

 

[Hypops]

Let's keep this topic more open rather than jumping to conclusion that it's all about impedance matching. At least, you are only measuring the DC resistance with a multimeter and the AC resistance is frequency dependent, meaning you have a different resistance at different frequencies. And I don't think even that's enough to explain the variation in sound.

Also, the impedance of an IEM giving by the manufacturers is not an average. It is either measured with a multimeter giving the DC resistance or the AC resistance at 1khz, measured with software such as LIMP and an impedance box.

I'm not a "cables matter" person, so I was just giving a best-case scenario for why cables might affect FR. I buy cables purely for aesthetics and build-quality. But I don't judge others for their audio kinks. Whatever sounds good to someone else is awesome by me.

As for IEM impedance specs from manufacturers, I'll just have to take your word for it. I'm not in the industry. But the only time I've seen details into these figures has indeed been averages over limited frequency ranges, but I couldn't say if this is common practice or not. Because it's not typical for reviewers to measure anything other than FR, again, I'll just have to take your word for it.

 

[Lycans]

If bluetooth, price, and size matter, I'd suck it up and just go with the Qudelix 5K. With bluetooth, you're already making a major compromise to sound quality, so you may as well just go with the 5K and get the amazing DSP feature set. I have yet to try anything over bluetooth that is worth spending more than the 5K costs, plus you get the best PEQ interface in the business. And Qudelix still regularly updates the firmware with worthwhile improvements.

Only reason I'd recommend spending more on something else is if you didn't want/need bluetooth. It's a five-year-old device at this point with a very old and inexpensive DAC/amp/DSP combo-chip, so just about anything else will sound better wired. But bluetooth still sucks for audio applications, so its age doesn't matter if you're just going to use bluetooth anyway.

Cheers for the advice, and apologies for all the questions. If I were to go down the wired route for sound (I do often at times use the usbc-usbc with the up5) would you have any suggestions for portable dac/amp? I've seen the fiio q11 which seems decent, then again I'm totally new to them.

 

[o0genesis0o]

I'm probably looking to spend up to $250, and I'm mainly concerned with sound and Bluetooth (size as well for non Bluetooth devices)

Would you mind suggesting a couple of decent BT devices, and non NY devices in that price range?

FiiO BTR7 no doubt, IMHO

 

[DynamicEars]

Just went and bought me the TRN Conch. $22.00 with free shipping with the discounts, and these things come with 3 tuning nozzles and MODULAR CABLE! I pretty much bought it for the cable, so now, if they sound good, like the ST7, and I might get some use out of those nozzles with other IEMs, like the Simgots with the Himalaya, then I will be more than satisfied with this purchase. TRN ships fast too. Now I patiently wait for my Hydro.

The conch is tizzy on upper extension on 12khz ish with any of the filter (because the nylon on the filter is affecting on 2-8khz the most), but if you're to mod it, they are will be killer single driver. The driver is very good. Mine is Kato, simgot EW200, EA500, even EA500LM or Oxygen killer

 

[Hypops]

Cheers for the advice, and apologies for all the questions. If I were to go down the wired route for sound (I do often at times use the usbc-usbc with the up5) would you have any suggestions for portable dac/amp? I've seen the fiio q11 which seems decent, then again I'm totally new to them.

No problem at all. Once sound quality becomes a concern more than features, then you have a lot more options. I personally prefer a more "analog" sound and gravitate toward R2R, tubes, or non-ESS chipsets. I've worked my way up the dongle ladder and arrived currently at the Mojo 2. But that's above your stated price limit. For a wired dongle at around $250, my preference is for a Cayin RU6 or RU7.

 

[o0genesis0o]

No problem at all. Once sound quality becomes a concern more than features, then you have a lot more options. I personally prefer a more "analog" sound and gravitate toward R2R, tubes, or non-ESS chipsets. I've worked my way up the dongle ladder and arrived currently at the Mojo 2. But that's above your stated price limit. For a wired dongle at around $250, my preference is for a Cayin RU6 or RU7.

You are pretty much done with the source game with Mojo 2. Maybe add a pure amp later if you want. I had excellent experience pairing Mojo2 with G5 in pure amp mode. However, the DX300 by itself sound the same as this Frankenstein creation, so I decided to skip the Mojo 2.

Another kickass dongle is L&P W4. Yes, at the core of it is just two CL DAC chips, but L&P has done something great with these so that they consume little battery and sound closer to DX300 and R6 Pro2 than, say, R3II and R4.

If you can find a discount one, it’s pretty much the end of the source game, IMHO: excellent sound, low battery consumption, stable connection. The KA17 might be as good, but you need to turn on the desktop mode to match the sound of W4, which kills battery. The M15 is also as good, but very loud for IEM use, so not convenient. The list goes on.

If one can’t/ don’t want to afford the W4, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Aful SnowyNight. Slightly less resolving than W4 at a big discount. The stock USB cable is so good that I bought extra from Hifigo for future uses.

 

[Hypops]

You are pretty much done with the source game with Mojo 2. Maybe add a pure amp later if you want. I had excellent experience pairing Mojo2 with G5 in pure amp mode. However, the DX300 by itself sound the same as this Frankenstein creation, so I decided to skip the Mojo 2.

Another kickass dongle is L&P W4. Yes, at the core of it is just two CL DAC chips, but L&P has done something great with these so that they consume little battery and sound closer to DX300 and R6 Pro2 than, say, R3II and R4.

If you can find a discount one, it’s pretty much the end of the source game, IMHO: excellent sound, low battery consumption, stable connection. The KA17 might be as good, but you need to turn on the desktop mode to match the sound of W4, which kills battery. The M15 is also as good, but very loud for IEM use, so not convenient. The list goes on.

If one can’t/ don’t want to afford the W4, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Aful SnowyNight. Slightly less resolving than W4 at a big discount. The stock USB cable is so good that I bought extra from Hifigo for future uses.

What's funny is that through my various dongle upgrades, I held onto the Qudelix 5K (mostly for its PEQ). I got the Mojo 2 as its ultimate replacement. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the Mojo 2 is so good that I ended up using it as my primary desktop DAC. Now I'm back to the 5K as my primary mobile dongle, and I'm starting to think all over again about dongle upgrades. I think I know how this ends...

 

[Lycans]

Thanks for all the suggestions, it's definitely giving me a lot of food for thought, and no doubt countless more nights spent researching The aful Snowynight does sound quite intriguing to say the least. I've seen reviews of the sound stage not being great on it, is there anything similar say up to $250 which is similar that has an improved soundstage?

I did consider the fa17 however, I was concerned about the battery drain regarding it, seeing as I'm going to be using my s23 ultra the majority of the time.

Ua5 was another device I came across that seemed relatively decent with a built in battery, not too sure we'll it holds up in todays market. The ifi hip was another option, but it's a bit too bulky for my needs.

 

[OceanOfLight]

Just went and bought me the TRN Conch. $22.00 with free shipping with the discounts, and these things come with 3 tuning nozzles and MODULAR CABLE! I pretty much bought it for the cable, so now, if they sound good, like the ST7, and I might get some use out of those nozzles with other IEMs, like the Simgots with the Himalaya, then I will be more than satisfied with this purchase. TRN ships fast too. Now I patiently wait for my Hydro.

The Conch is an incredible IEM. Personally, I believe it’s still the best value IEM you can get in 2024. I would even go so far as to say it’s probably the first IEM I’d recommend if someone asked me for a recommendation on their first earphone purchase in this hobby. It comes with a really solid modular cable (which, when bought alone, costs $15—I know this because I’ve purchased more than 5 of them), a high-quality metal case (sold separately for $8), a set of TRN T-Tips (one of my favorite tips, priced at $5), and 3 tuning nozzles (not sold separately, so I’m unsure of their individual cost, but I guess around $10).

When you add it all up, we’re already way above $35. And that’s without even considering the jewel that is the Conch itself. With its crystal-clear, dry, and lively presentation. It boasts one of the best trebles I’ve heard in this price bracket, and its precise and punchy bass, reminiscent of the ST7, further adds to its appeal.

Just to emphasize how much I value it; I’m currently replying to you while enjoying music with my Conch.