My last post. I just wanted to post the Reddit thread and photos before it disappeared from the Internet, not stick around. Bye.
I'm not asking for much. UE already has the formula, but adding legroom for the lows and super tweeter legroom for the highs via upgraded technicalities would be a step in the right direction instead of exaggerated wonky anything just because of the extra drivers. Just keep the same formula but with extra legroom for dynamic swings. UE already has the perfect custom fit locked down.
UE has the know how and the resources, but they seem to lose the formula for whatever reason (Management?).
The accurate tone, excellent timbre, most natural CIEM, neutral with a hint of warm / neutral can still be replicated with extra drivers. Just something along the lines of UERM/UE18+Gen2 with technicality upgrades. Some of the top5 reviewers seem to agree on the tone and timbre consistently.
Anyways, I've been browsing some old posts that got bumped up recently and it finally hit me that "True Tone" drivers == accurate tone. I just passed it off as Marketing and never really thought twice about the naming until now.
Nic:
Excellent timbre:
So it depends on how you interpret the term reference. In the case of UE18+, it has a warmer than neutral and very natural signature, with excellent timbre; which arises as a result of a lower treble dip. So this would fit the traditional perspective, but clash with the latter, which would be my interpretation of 'reference'.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fli...ortable-audio-discussion.826876/post-13549942
Crinacle:
The UERM has been my reference (replacing the ER4, with itself being replaced by the UE18+ soon). It has also become my benchmark for midrange timbre, with tone accuracy surpassing even my TOTL IEMs.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/nocturnal-atlantis.22510/reviews#review-18843
Yeah UE18+! Easily in the top 10 IEMs. Also my benchmark for tonal accuracy.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fli...ortable-audio-discussion.826876/post-13230109
Reference is good. Don't replicate the UE LIVE please.
Now, I loved the 18+ and it remains as my reference to this day.
Who knew that one of the OGs of the CIEM world would be jumping on the hybrid bandwagon? Paired with the glorious TrueTone drivers that provided the ridiculous extension of the UERR and the UE18+, this should be a competitive hybrid that plays with all the top dogs, shouldn't it?
Oh, how I wanted to love this so much. "A UE18+ with dynamic bass!" the hopefuls cried, not knowing of the horrors that the Live truly possessed. A monster that looms around in mud, fat on its diet of bass from the river, wailing out "I'm for musicians, not audiophiles!"
Okay, a little bit of storytelling hyperbole but I really did feel a sense of betrayal of sorts when I heard the Live. It was low resolution, extremely bloomy and had an odd tuning that I'm certain few audiophiles can really appreciate. It's kind of a low quality everything, especially when you have a wealth of other TOTL IEMs to compare it with directly. Now, I loved the 18+ and it remains as my reference to this day. The Live on the other hand... I guess it's better for it to be forgotten, lost to the history books like the original UE18 was.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/crinacles-iem-ranking-list.857498/page-34#post-14318342
Here's a Youtube video I noticed on the Countour thread. The Youtuber mentions the UE18+ measures / is flat a few times and it's his reference too to compare against other IEMs for this professional. I believe it's his GOTO IEM:
the UE18+ are definitely deserving of the S grade
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/crinacles-iem-ranking-list.857498/page-18#post-13895861
Perfect CIEM potential just by keeping the same formula but improving the technicalities:
More specifically, True Tone drivers are drivers that have its spout at the roof (diaphragm side) of the enclosure. Kind of like a proto-Tia driver if you will, first implemented on the UERR. UE's implementation of top-firing BAs seem to create the best treble extension on paper, surpassing even 64's Tia stuff.
I'm intrigued by the new UE Live. I've said that my perfect IEM would be a UERM/UE18+ with dynamic bass. Keeping my expectations low for now.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fli...ortable-audio-discussion.826876/post-14165467
There's "magic", just replicate the formula of UERM+UE18Gen2 w/ upgraded technicalities:
The UE18+ on the other hand was a complete 180 in tuning direction. Rather than filling the signature with bass and bloat to overcome the stage environment, the UE18+ was warm, smooth and characterised by a highly pleasant midrange. It wasn’t exactly neutral due to its warmth and relative slowness but its main draw was its presentation. Vocals sounded right, strings sounded right, winds sound right… it was essentially a midrange master. Sure, the drop in midtreble killed off quite a bit of snap and definition to plucked strings and percussions, but if that wasn’t a dealbreaker then one would be hard-pressed to find another monitor that did timbre like it.
In short, the UE18+ was something really unique in the audiophile game. It had, as my friends would call it, a certain “magic” or “special sauce” that made it such a joy to listen to. Make no mistake, to some it may still be reference monitor, but it was a monitor that sounded a lot more real than the typical sterility and dryness commonly associated with the studio sound.
[External Link] Crin's Site
These impressions are of course dated, but UE was on the right track. There's more, but I'll stop here. Just hoping it gets back on track and apply it to the Premier 1st Gen or 2nd Gen. That's all, out.
Last Note:
This seems interesting as it's the tracks used by UE to test CIEMs. But personally, I only use the finest well-mastered tracks, so I don't know if I would get around to trying these tracks but it seems like a worthwhile project one day:
[External Link] UE Test Tracks
I made a unrelated post here with some example well-mastered tracks but this is just tip of the iceberg. I'm a Big Believer in GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) and have a immaculate super tight CIEM chain. The only chain possible to do super fast transient attacks for Music that requires. Also soundstage, imaging, accuracy, layering of bass and spatial information are out of this world due to optimal chain improvements before it even hits the DAC. It's sort of like having fast twitch muscles. It's only possible with zero cut corners and full measures. To do UE Reference CIEMs right, you have to have the Perfect Super Neutral chain and cabling imo. Otherwise, it's not that Referency if the source and cable are out of sync like 99.9% of the source/cabling out there.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rec...cds-to-flac-for-newbies.968205/#post-17572106