Are you getting the i4 soon Eagle? How does it sound with LPG? Or what do you like about it?Did it work?
flinkenick's 17 Flagship IEM Shootout Thread (and general high-end portable audio discussion)
First a demo on Thursday and then we shall see if VE will end up on my "will need a whole lot of puppies for this"-list.Did it work?
EagleWings
Headphoneus Supremus
I think I most probably will end up buying. But the only issue I have so far is the comfort. It tends to get uncomfortable after 60mins or so. I still have the review loaner on me and it has been getting the most head time for the past few weeks. LPG is one of the ideal devices for the i4 because it has a Parametric EQ that allows you to EQ the i4 based on your preference. One of the myths about the i4 is that it needs a powerful source. But it ran perfectly fine even on WM1Z's SE. In fact I actually liked the 1Z+i4 pairing as much as the LPG because the 1Z allowed for a more spacious soundstage. It basically needs a transparent source and so the Opus 2 should work great as well.
There are a couple of things that I adore on the i4. First is that very natural presentation, almost resembling a full size headphone that is very captivating. The stage is very spacious and airy and the imaging of instruments are so precise and reveals so many layers that instruments reside in. With EQ, I am able to get close to a headphone target curve which results in very accurate timbre. It responds to EQ well and I can shave down any treble peaks. It is unfair to compare the i4 to IEMs as this belongs to a different segment (probably on-ear headphones).
EagleWings
Headphoneus Supremus
First a demo on Thursday and then we shall see if VE will end up on my "will need a whole lot of puppies for this"-list.
Good luck bud.. I hope you find the one that rocks your boat..
Same opinion here. The lack of isolation and its need for EQ has always been a deal-breaker for me.
How do you guys normally assess timbre? By memory? Comparing with a live performance? I have an old piano at home so that's the only instrument I can compare with recordings. Do audiophile junkies regularly attend concerts to remember what real instruments sound like?
I play piano in my spare time. The college where I teach actually has a studio with great recording equipment as well as an auditorium with some nice speaker setups. Goes to college-sponsored performances fairly often. Also goes to the bars after work and partake in some live scenes, mostly folk, blues and jazz.
I've lived around instruments my whole life, so natural timbre has more-or-less been engrained in my head. I attend church - and work on their live recordings through my IEMs - three times a week, so I have the fortune of hearing pretty much every main instrument (i.e. piano, drums, electric and acoustic guitars, upright bass, bass guitar, etc.) both live and reproduced. But, if you don't necessarily have actual points of reference to work with, I'd assess timbre by how correct it sounds to your ears. When you hear instruments and think, "That's how that should sound!" then the IEM and the recording have successfully produced a natural tone. But, of course, that varies from person-to-person to some degree. Maybe consider spending time with a mastering EQ; boosting and dipping specific frequency ranges on a track may help you understand how different parameters affect a track's colour. All in all, at the end of the day, don't forget to have a little bit of fun.
For me it is much like @Deezel177 said, a matter of listening if it sounds "correct". Classical music, and especially classical symphonies, are very good for this because it will only sound "correct" if the timbre is accurate, as so much of the emotion of the piece is presented by individual instruments. So, for instance, symphonies play with the harmony between instruments and how similar, yet distinct, they sound. A flute and a clarinet have a very distinct difference in their tone, with the clarinet sounding fuller compared to the ethereal sound of a flute, yet if they play the same note at different positions in the orchestra it is absolutely essential that the timbre is accurate or you will simply hear an echo rather than two distinct tones.
The more I listen to classical symphonies with better gear, the more I notice how much the composers (and conductors) play with the individual instruments, their positioning and the overal image it creates. It also becomes easier to distinguish between what sounds fun and exciting, like a prominent rumbling tympani, and what sounds "correct", like a tightly controlled tympani rumble behind the rest of the orchestra, only moving forward when the piece needs to become darker.
This is what I enjoy learning about through my demoes and reviews.
I've lived around instruments my whole life, so natural timbre has more-or-less been engrained in my head. I attend church - and work on their live recordings through my IEMs - three times a week, so I have the fortune of hearing pretty much every main instrument (i.e. piano, drums, electric and acoustic guitars, upright bass, bass guitar, etc.) both live and reproduced. But, if you don't necessarily have actual points of reference to work with, I'd assess timbre by how correct it sounds to your ears. When you hear instruments and think, "That's how that should sound!" then the IEM and the recording have successfully produced a natural tone. But, of course, that varies from person-to-person to some degree. Maybe consider spending time with a mastering EQ; boosting and dipping specific frequency ranges on a track may help you understand how different parameters affect a track's colour. All in all, at the end of the day, don't forget to have a little bit of fun.
Thanks guys, very much value your input. So constant exposure is a big plus, to discern the instruments' ability to maintain their distinct tone, and evoke emotion. TLDR if it's correct it's correct
When my piano gets tuned/serviced every year (or 5 if I forget), I'm fascinated by how different the same note can sound when the master tuner tweaks the tensile strength of the strings. So even an improperly-tuned piano can play tricks on me. I might've had a wrong benchmark for years and wouldn't know!
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seedubchris
100+ Head-Fier
I am really in to my AK Michells with moon audio black dragon cables. I just ordered the UE 18+ pro but think i will keep the michell's because they perform very well for the price and i can see myself taking them out more because i wont be out a fortune if they get lost or stolen.
Mimouille
Headphoneus Supremus
It's funny how these days 400$ iems are the cheap ones. When I started I had to mortgage my house to buy a pair from Shure at 300$.
So true...I hate to think of the money spent, when I look at my profile I cringe. My first major purchase made me feel so guilty. Even now I guess I have around 8-9K in IEMs
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