[samandhi]

I only got the DB1... just took a financial hit paying my property taxes.

According to the specs, these are right in the middle between than Yuin PK (16.09mm) and the Yincrow RW-3000 (16.83mm) and MX500 (16.82mm).

Sorry to hear about your wallet...

That is very interesting about the size because the Yincrow models (especially the RW3000, which are a tad bit smaller than the RW2000) seem smaller to my ears than most others I have. Maybe it is the fitment?!

Off Topic: How is that new amplifier project coming? I am still very much interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

 

[mt877]

Sorry to hear about your wallet...

That is very interesting about the size because the Yincrow models (especially the RW3000, which are a tad bit smaller than the RW2000) seem smaller to my ears than most others I have. Maybe it is the fitment?!

Off Topic: How is that new amplifier project coming? I am still very much interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

Yeah, the RW-3000 is very comfortable to me, so it seems smaller, but it's the same size as an MX500 shell.

The amp project is dead right now. The secondary winding for the tube B+ voltage is open on the power toroidal transformer. I had a single email exchange with the kit provider. They ask me to make some measurements of the transformer resistance and voltage of the secondary winding. I replied to them with the info and now dead silence from them. At this point I wouldn't recommend buying anything from them anymore.

After some time searching I did find a company that I could order a custom toroidal transformer at reasonable cost without a minimum order. So I ordered a custom transformer, which has to be made and shipped. No ETA when it will arrive, so it's just the waiting game for now.

Here's the company I found: Audiophonics - Hi-Fi Audio, Electronic and DIY Products, they are in France. Fortunately they have a very reasonable international shipping rate as well. Here's the link to their page for ordering a custom toroidal transformer. For the guys doing any DIY, save the links now, you'll never know when you need such a service. I emailed Hammond Manufacturing as well and they said minimum order is 25 for anything custom.

If I had to rewind that secondary winding I could do it, but it's very tedious because that secodary has very fine wire and is a lot of wraps around the core. I would have to unwind and count the wraps. Measure the length or weigh the entire unwound winding and order new transformer wire of the same wire gauge. And rewind it. It's just better to order a new transformer.

 

[samandhi]

Yeah, the RW-3000 is very comfortable to me, so it seems smaller, but it's the same size as an MX500 shell.

The amp project is dead right now. The secondary winding for the tube B+ voltage is open on the power toroidal transformer. I had a single email exchange with the kit provider. They ask me to make some measurements of the transformer resistance and voltage of the secondary winding. I replied to them with the info and now dead silence from them. At this point I wouldn't recommend buying anything from them anymore.

After some time searching I did find a company that I could order a custom toroidal transformer at reasonable cost without a minimum order. So I ordered a custom transformer, which has to be made and shipped. No ETA when it will arrive, so it's just the waiting game for now.

Here's the company I found: Audiophonics - Hi-Fi Audio, Electronic and DIY Products, they are in France. Fortunately they have a very reasonable international shipping rate as well. Here's the link to their page for ordering a custom toroidal transformer. For the guys doing any DIY, save the links now, you'll never know when you need such a service. I emailed Hammond Manufacturing as well and they said minimum order is 25 for anything custom.

That is a shame, and I'm sorry to hear that, but also glad you found a (potential) replacement site for parts. I still have hope that this will be a fantastic amplifier. What was the name of the company that "ghosted" you again? I don't remember off the top of my head. And it sucks that they won't own up to issues with their equipment, or try and fix it. Heck, even an email response apologizing would have been nice IMHO.

Bookmarked for if I decide to give it a try.... Thanks again.

 

[mt877]

That is a shame, and I'm sorry to hear that, but also glad you found a (potential) replacement site for parts. I still have hope that this will be a fantastic amplifier. What was the name of the company that "ghosted" you again? I don't remember off the top of my head. And it sucks that they won't own up to issues with their equipment, or try and fix it. Heck, even an email response apologizing would have been nice IMHO.

Bookmarked for if I decide to give it a try.... Thanks again.

Oatley Electronics. This amp is so simple it could be built with point to point wiring. The only catch is that the power and the audio output transformers were custom made for this amp. There could be a chance the output transformers could be sourced from off the shelf parts or custom built. Don't want to go there though.

 

[mt877]

That is a shame, and I'm sorry to hear that, but also glad you found a (potential) replacement site for parts. I still have hope that this will be a fantastic amplifier. What was the name of the company that "ghosted" you again? I don't remember off the top of my head. And it sucks that they won't own up to issues with their equipment, or try and fix it. Heck, even an email response apologizing would have been nice IMHO.

Bookmarked for if I decide to give it a try.... Thanks again.

I just finished reading (FR to EN translation) the reviews about the custom toroidal transformer service at Audiophonics. Many people are happy with their custom transformers. There were a few people that complained that the physical dimensions of the transformer they got was a bit bigger then the online calculator (on transformer build page). One other thing of note is that it could take 1 to 2 months before you receive your transformer and some people waited for 3 months, but the 3 month wait could have been caused be Covid related delays. Most were domestic (French) reviews with some foreign (English) reviews thrown in.

So I guess the transformer will take some time getting to me. I will have to trust it will ship. In the mean time I can work on getting a chassis together for the build and when the transformer comes, pop it in and fire the amp up for testing.

 

[samandhi]

I just finished reading (FR to EN translation) the reviews about the custom toroidal transformer service at Audiophonics. Many people are happy with their custom transformers. There were a few people that complained that the physical dimensions of the transformer they got was a bit bigger then the online calculator (on transformer build page). One other thing of note is that it could take 1 to 2 months before you receive your transformer and some people waited for 3 months, but the 3 month wait could have been caused be Covid related delays. Most were domestic (French) reviews with some foreign (English) reviews thrown in.

So I guess the transformer will take some time getting to me. I will have to trust it will ship. In the mean time I can work on getting a chassis together for the build and when the transformer comes, pop it in and fire the amp up for testing.

Sounds like a fine plan (B) to me...

 

[mt877]

Sounds like a fine plan (B) to me...

There are US companies that will do custom work, and if I could have found one that didn't have a minimum order and quick turn around time it would be great. I emailed several companies and only Hammond Manufacturing replied. There are some companies within 50 miles of my house, but their websites mainly mention custom work / prototyping with batch orders afterwards. There's probably several companies in the US / Canada that would do custom work, but finding that needle in the hay stack can be tough. I don't plan on having any other custom transformers made, so this one time having that company as my plan A is perfectly ok.

I'm sure you've heard of Edcor Transformers, they are known for making quality audio related transformers. You order a standard audio output transformer from them and they state that it will ship in 4 to 6 weeks because they have to build the "standard" transformer. I ordered one from them a long time ago for a project and it really took that long to get. When I got it, the blue paint on the end caps was dry, but still smelled fresh like it was painted the day before they shipped it out.

Sorry folks for the off topic discussion. Wait... earbuds, now not off topic. LOL

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Thanks! The review by @fogside is already very positive for the DB1E, so if it's any indication of how the DB1 will perform then I think this may be an excellent bud, but we won't know until they're in hand.

We already have a small first hand account of the DB1 by @omerad here which was pretty promising.

Spoiler: What omerad said

I spent some time with K's products because, a) respect for showing up to the expo with only flathead earbud products in a sea of IEMs (where the heck are Yincrow and Toneking!?), and b) they just need maximum love and support for what they do. They had three main buds that I could tell. Bell-Ti and Bell-Ti Plus, I heard the Plus and it's their flagship, it is a very analytical earphone. Not overly bright but very precise and analytical, also mid forward and good midbass but not a lot of sub-bass. Next is the db1 product which is mid-tier for them, its a more balanced and warmish sounding bud. I liked the design of the db1 which has a unique shell design and removable 2 pin cables. The shell has a machined design that enhances the acoustics supposedly, instead of the typical K's bell shaped products. I first tried the db1 cable down but the rep insisted it would sound better hooked over the ear, and he was right it did sound better, no idea why that would be. Anyway the buds apparently come with both straight and over ear hooked cables. The third product is a new "dbX" which is launching in April or May. In photos its the db1 style design but with a shiny silver or gold shell. The dbX is pretty much the same as db1 but flashier design and it did indeed sound similar. Price is supposed to be a little higher than db1.

If I only had one I'd probably go for db1 or dbX. I prefer a warmer and balanced tuning, maybe a little extra bass. I like the shell design of the db1 or dbX over the bell shape with a stem, and of course the versatility of removable cable and multiple wear position is good too. I imagine it would complement my other current favs like Yinman, FF5 and the Nobunaga

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Okay, so I just went ahead and ordered both. I probably won't get to try them until I'm home again in June, but if folks are still interested in impressions then I'll be happy to post mine after I've had some time with the DB1 and DB1e. I'll have to keep my eye out for the DBX he mentioned too.

If the DB1 adds a hint of musicality to the otherwise great balance that most K's buds have, it sounds like a winner. The only reason I never pulled the trigger on the Ti Plus us because when I listened to it it came across unnaturally sterile, but the detail retrieval was absolutely top notch.

 

[mt877]

Okay, so I just went ahead and ordered both. I probably won't get to try them until I'm home again in June, but if folks are still interested in impressions then I'll be happy to post mine after I've had some time with the DB1 and DB1e. I'll have to keep my eye out for the DBX he mentioned too.

If the DB1 adds a hint of musicality to the otherwise great balance that most K's buds have, it sounds like a winner. The only reason I never pulled the trigger on the Ti Plus us because when I listened to it it came across unnaturally sterile, but the detail retrieval was absolutely top notch.

Hey Bro, your impressions are always welcome. I can't wait to get my DB1 and hope they'll be outstanding performers.

 

[Carpet]

There are US companies that will do custom work, and if I could have found one that didn't have a minimum order and quick turn around time it would be great. I emailed several companies and only Hammond Manufacturing replied. There are some companies within 50 miles of my house, but their websites mainly mention custom work / prototyping with batch orders afterwards. There's probably several companies in the US / Canada that would do custom work, but finding that needle in the hay stack can be tough. I don't plan on having any other custom transformers made, so this one time having that company as my plan A is perfectly ok.

I'm sure you've heard of Edcor Transformers, they are known for making quality audio related transformers. You order a standard audio output transformer from them and they state that it will ship in 4 to 6 weeks because they have to build the "standard" transformer. I ordered one from them a long time ago for a project and it really took that long to get. When I got it, the blue paint on the end caps was dry, but still smelled fresh like it was painted the day before they shipped it out.

Sorry folks for the off topic discussion. Wait... earbuds, now not off topic. LOL

I saw what you did...
...
...
Earbuds!

 

[mt877]

I saw what you did...
...
...
Earbuds!

Earbuds! for the win!

 

[JAnonymous5150]

Earbuds! for the win!

Funny story, when I first saw people putting FTW at the end of sentences about audio gear on here and other forums I was so confused. When people in my daily life say or text FTW they mean F-word The World so when I saw it here I kept wondering why people hated the world so much or what the inside joke was. Then one day it occurred to me to google FTW for other meanings...

 

[o0genesis0o]

Hi folks, anyone use FF5 with the silicone ring? I got bored with my IEMs and took the FF5 out for a spin. And then I remembered that FiiO ships FF5 with silicone rings and mentioned the ring in their marketing materials.

In short, instead of a pretend-FF3, FF5 with the ring assumes its full “female poison” persona. No, it’s not smabat M4 ice pick. It’s more like Elysian Acoustic Labs GAEA IEM. Smooth but upper focus for high clarity and detail retrieval, subbass focus. Whether you like that signature is another question, but it is interesting nevertheless.

 

[baskingshark]

Earbud fans! Today at Singapore Can Jam, I was pleasantly surprised to see a booth just specializing in earbuds. As you know, earbuds are very niche, and the whole Can Jam floor was inundated by hackneyed IEMs and headphones. So a earbud booth is really as rare as a blue moon.



So apparently this company is called PISLO, and according to their rep, they have very brisk sales in China. They only sell their stuff on Taobao currently, but are open to selling in Aliexpress in the near future. Their reps unfortunately didn't speak a single word of English, and tried their best to communicate to the showroom participants, but sadly, they couldn't get most of their ideas across to the international speaking visitors. They couldn't provide a store website too unfortunately.

To my pleasant surprise, there were quite a number of visitors who stopped by to try their earbuds, so it seems our earbud hobby is picking up good traction. I actually spent 30 min here, and this was one of my favourite booths today at Can Jam.

There were 3 models on display. Granted, using earbuds on a noisy showroom floor isn't the most ideal of listening conditions. Apparently these earbuds use piezoelectric drivers? I'm not certain 100% as they were using very technical Chinese terms, but I don't think it is a standard DD.


1) Pislo PXVV - $674 USD

So this is their lowest priced model. Wooden shells. Midcentric, good technicalities, neutral bass with sub-bass roll-off as per usual. Bass is very textured and fast, upper mids are forward without being too shouty.


2) Pislo PXTI - $1200 USD

Their current flagship. This set is also midcentric, but much cleaner and more technical than the above PXVV. Also has a damn huge soundstage. Excellent timbre and very good technicalities. Once more, neutral bass with some sub-bass roll-off.


3) Protoype model - due to release in next 2 - 3 months.

They said the tuning wasn't ready so it has no soldered drivers inside. So unfortunately I couldn't take a listen. Estimated retail price is ~ $1K USD.


I would grade these Pislo earbuds as TOTL for sure. Though the price tag is a bit eyewatering. Hope to find out more about this brand!

I went back to the Pislo earbud booth today during Can Jam to take better photos and of course, to have another listen.


1) Pislo PXVV - $674 USD

Their erstwhile entry level earbud, made of wood shells, with a piezo driver. It comes with a DSP dongle thingy. In stock form it is quite midcentric. But with the DSP dongle, wow the soundstage increases a lot and becomes "holographic". It can be used with or without the dongle.




2) Pislo PXTI - $1200 USD

Comes in a purple or silver coloured variant. Piezo driver, their current flagship. More technical than the above PXVV.




3) Pislo Totem - not released yet, perhaps in 2 - 3 months, single DD. Planned price $486 USD

Shells seem similar to the Faaeal Datura Pro type of housing. As this was a prototype, the drivers were not soldered yet, so it could not be tested for listening purposes. But the Pislo rep says this will be their cheapest earbud (still at $400ish USD!).

 

[samandhi]

Hi folks, anyone use FF5 with the silicone ring? I got bored with my IEMs and took the FF5 out for a spin. And then I remembered that FiiO ships FF5 with silicone rings and mentioned the ring in their marketing materials.

In short, instead of a pretend-FF3, FF5 with the ring assumes its full “female poison” persona. No, it’s not smabat M4 ice pick. It’s more like Elysian Acoustic Labs GAEA IEM. Smooth but upper focus for high clarity and detail retrieval, subbass focus. Whether you like that signature is another question, but it is interesting nevertheless.

I tried the rings when I first got them, and while I don't remember 100% how they sounded with just rings, I didn't like them simply because those rings have never done it for me. They don't grab in my ears nearly as much and as well as do foams. And if you remember, I have a slight issue with the right one eventually wiggling out of my ear even with foams on due (possibly) to cable weight and/or the shape of the bud.

However, there really isn't much of an excuse why I didn't try the donut foams... After trying the rings, I went straight to the bass foams, didn't like what it did to the treble for me, and then put on the balanced, and they have been there ever since...

What made you revisit the rings for these? Just curious?

I went back to the Pislo earbud booth today during Can Jam to take better photos and of course, to have another listen.


1) Pislo PXVV - $674 USD

Their erstwhile entry level earbud, made of wood shells, with a piezo driver. It comes with a DSP dongle thingy. In stock form it is quite midcentric. But with the DSP dongle, wow the soundstage increases a lot and becomes "holographic". It can be used with or without the dongle.




2) Pislo PXTI - $1200 USD


Comes in a purple or silver coloured variant. Piezo driver, their current flagship. More technical than the above PXVV.




3) Pislo Totem - not released yet, perhaps in 2 - 3 months, single DD. Planned price $486 USD

Shells seem similar to the Faaeal Datura Pro type of housing. As this was a prototype, the drivers were not soldered yet, so it could not be tested for listening purposes. But the Pislo rep says this will be their cheapest earbud (still at $400ish USD!).

I like how their DAP matches the color of the PXVV (in your first picture).

Will you be buying a set of any of these?