General purchase advice: Ask your questions/for advice here!

I need advice!
1717

Well— I took a look at your Elysium review and LOVED your comments. Thanks for leading me to it. After reading it and then researching further only to find even MORE multitudes of glowing highly complimentary reviews, I think I’m sold! Still, it IS a bit over my budget.

Not that I couldn’t make it happen; it’s more a philosophical barrier than a financial hardship but I was still hoping to land south of $1,500 (in a perfect world) as I also had the cost of the DAP to reckon with and I missed out on buying massive amounts of GME when it was at $10.

Of course, your review painted such a compelling picture that anything I’d get at this point would now be forever tainted by what-am-I-missing-itis so umm, thanks for that. :smirk:

All that said, if I DID stick to budget, what would your alternative choice be using that ~sub $1,500 parameter and now that you’ve seen the light, how much would you be missing the Elysium vs. that secondary choice? I guess what I’m trying to uncover is that I’m speculating that you drew a line in the sand somewhere, which might (or might not) be why we’re talking about the Elysium and not extolling the virtues of a $4,500 MMR Thumimm. There is always that unicorn out there at a price point higher than what we have. In the spirit of educating myself, I just want to draw out whether the divide between an Andro or MEST is worth jumping across it to get to the Elysium, or if it’s 30-50% more cost to get from 98% great to 99% great?

One final question, I read that you are using the N6ii E02 as your DAP and I have heard good things about the unit but wasn’t thrilled about BT4.1 instead of 5 and Droid 8.1 instead of 9. For the same price, the newly released DX300 seems to be much more powerful (~1200mw balanced output at 32), has 6gb RAM, faster Snapdragon, BT 5 - you know, all the goodies and future Amp upgrades but do you know how this might pair with the Elysium?

Thanks and appreciate the counsel!!

RobbW

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1718

Lol I totally understand that sentiment.

In terms of a sub-$1500 IEM that best does what I love most about Ely, namely its ability to draw me in emotionally to the music and to sound good with pretty much everything well my #1 rec right now is the Andromeda 2020. Andromeda is all BA and some take issue with its bass response. An alternate rec if you’re the sort of person who’s willing to sacrifice a bit of the midrange presence for a more robust bass response without sacrificing too many “audiophile sensibilities” I would say consider the 64 Audio Nio or perhaps the Campfire Solaris if 3 d-holographic stage is also a priority.

I don’t have the n6ii anymore-- I’m now using a Shanling M8 which is easily the best DAP I’ve ever owned from a SQ perspective. I’ve heard the DX300 pairs well with Elysium.

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1719

I’ll echo @jrockwell and endorse the Andro 2020 as a lovely IEM. I got mine in July and have been meaning to post impressions. My music taste overlaps with yours quite a lot - I need to check out Steven Wilson now, thanks! - and I’d add a couple of quick caveats about the Andro. First, it’s a bit dark and you may not get the full zing of the cymbals, if that’s important to you with jazz or other genres. You might prefer the original Andromeda, i.e. the 2019 version CA sells now, as it has that top-end sparkle. If my listening leaned more towards acoustic instruments I’d recommend the original.

Second, be aware that source pairings with the Andros (both of them) are important; these IEMs are not only highly susceptible to hiss, as you note, but also to different output impedances. The higher the Zout, the brighter both are (ideally you’d want something in the 1.0 - 2.0 ohm range); conversely, the lower the Zout, say under 1.0 ohm, and the bassier the Andro becomes.

I found the Solaris 2020 a bit bright, more so than the original, and several folks have found the 2020’s tuning to be slightly aggressive. Others haven’t experienced this, though, so it’s largely a matter of personal preference. You might want to triangulate your preferences with others’.

The Final A8000 is a wonderful IEM - clean, fast, highly resolving - if you can get past its treble brightness. It’s got quite a crystalline hardness to the treble and it really is quite fatiguing. I say this as someone who likes neutral-bright headphones. For my tastes, the original Andromeda, at half the price, is not only much better value but it’s also a better IEM.

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1720

Not to derail your purchase thoughts but have you considered the ThieAudio Monarch or Clairvoyance? Big value for what you get.

Only basing this on review I have read and watched. They would be what I would first try for higher end IEMs. I dont really IEM so thumbs down freely if you wish.

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1721

I’ve never spent a lot of time with the OG Andromeda but would like to some day. Even with it’s quirks it’s still one of the easiest general recs in portable audio…and probably the easiest at the sub $2k price tier.

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1722

I am going to chime in on the dap front and say the streaming experience on the ones I have tried is not great. (I have unreasonably high standards apparently)

With most IEMs, the power is not going to matter at all. The overall sound may mesh well with some IEMs but not others. That’s something you need to try.

As a streamer, powering from a phone with a connected dac/amp can be very functional. (Wired or bluetooth). There are tons of small dac/amps that drive IEMs very well.

I can’t comment on IEMs in that price range, but it seems like your are really looking for a generalist IEM. I would honestly buy a few cheaper models to find sound you like first and then extrapolate. How important is bass texture? Do you get overwhelmed by any particular aspect of sound?

Then other people on here who have heard those things can help you. I am obsessed with my Dunu Zen and have zero interest in anything else. :wink:

Welcome to the forums!

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1723

It’s easy to overstate the differences between the original and the Andromeda 2020. But the lack of treble sparkle on the latter does have an appreciable impact on the overall tuning. I’d say that if you have one it’s not worth getting the other. But then if I won the lottery, I’d get both. For that matter, I’d get all of the special and limited editions to boot!

I absolutely agree about the Andro being one of the easiest general recs. I picked up the 2020 expecting to sell it after a few months and moving on to the original, which had been the one I’d wanted to get all along. But the darker tonality - not usually my thing - won me over, and the 2020 has the added advantage of being the least fatiguing IEM I’ve ever heard.

Maybe the way forward is having the 2020 and then saving up for the Ely… you’ve got me wondering about it now…

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1724

I get asked questions like this all the time via PM on Head Fi. Imho Andro does two things very very well-- the first is present music within a holographic, highly coherent 3-d like stage. The second thing it does is draw the listener into the midrange, or emotional centre of the music-- this is why I feel it moves and touches people like few other IEMs seem to. If someone’s fascination with Andromeda is rooted in its staging and technicalities (the first thing) then they might want to move on to something like the u12t. On the other hand if someone likes the Andromeda for the second reason above then the u12t would not be an upgrade in that case as it much more on the analytic side of the spectrum and is not as emotionally involving as Andro. The true appeal of the Elysium for me is that it’s the first IEM I’ve tried that comprehensively bests the Andromeda in terms of intimacy and engagement with the music one is listening to. If this sounds like your tastes then I would encourage you to do your best to track down a demo of Elysium to see if it is for you.

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1725

Now there’s a thought, false bottom drawers. Lol. It can be frightening when after spending on gear you start to add up just what you’ve spent. Though I don’t regret anything. :grin:

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1726

Best advice I can give you really is to nail down exactly what sound profile you like. Then try your best to hear as many iem’s as you can. But to be honest any of the iem’s that have been talked about are all excellent. It’s just finding out which one you prefer. The catch is getting somewhere that stocks all of them so that you can audition them. Good luck with that. :slightly_smiling_face:.

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1727

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster trying to crowd-source some recommendation for my next set of headphones if I could please.

The type of headphone/amp/DAC I am looking for is (Closed-back, open-back, in-ear, wireless, etc):
Headphones - over-ear, high-end. Agnostic as to open / closed back.

My price range is:
Within reason (i.e. not Sennheiser Orpheus money) not a major factor. I can probably go to $3k now, but if I need to save up, I need to save up…

I like to listen to:
60s / 70s Soul & Funk (think classic Stax, Motown, PIR)
Electric blues (think Albert Collins, Albert King, Bo Diddley)
60s / 70s classic rock (more the early Stones / Cream / Bluesbreakers end of town)

I will be using them for: (Travel, commuting, home, gym, etc…):
Home use

Additional Information:
Long time music fan but getting back into the hobby over the last year or two following a long layoff. I tend to prefer to use gear to listen to music rather than music to listen to gear if the distinction makes sense.

My current headphone collection is:

  • Focal Clear
  • Hifiman Arya
  • Denon 7200
  • Beyerdynamic Amiron Home

I listen to exclusively digital sources, all CD quality or better via Roon from a local library supplemented with Tidal and Qobuz. DAC / Amp setup is a Limetree Network feeding into a Limetree Headphone. The chain is pretty clean and neutral - it’s not overly analytic but poorer recordings sometimes struggle to find anywhere to hide. I’d like to get a tube amp to throw into the mix at some point in the future but not currently an option for space reasons - the only place I could put it would be a disaster from a heat management perspective…

I’ve got some headphones I like a lot at the moment, but I’m finding myself looking for something that’s missing. Ideally I’m after something that - for want of a better term - I’d describe as “TOTL / Fun”. The Clear’s are great and extremely revealing, and the Arya’s have the soundstage covered for live stuff, but I’m increasingly finding myself turning to the Amiron’s at the end of the day when I pour myself a drink and sit down to listen to some music. Basically I’m trying to find something which is trending to the warmer (as opposed to analytical) end of the scale, but with better detail and resolution than the Amiron’s.

In terms of sound signature, bass is obviously importance, but I’m not after bass-cannons. I’m a little sensitive to sibilance on treble, but given the music I tend to listen to it’s very much about the mids for me.

Any ideas gratefully received.

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1728

LCD X, ZMF Aeolus, Dan Clark Audio Aeon Noire, Focal Stellia can be good options for the kind of headphones you’re looking for.
First two are open, last closed.

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1729

Sennehiser HD 800S
Dan Clark Ether 2
ZMF Aeolus

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1730

I want to get everyone’s thoughts on this one. Thinking about one higher end, not too high before my journey down the rabbit hold ends.

I’ve really discovered I like planars, audeze lcd-x is my new go to, like the bass, previous was the hifiman arya. Even with the lcd-x being a tank, I find it comfortable. Tried the focal clear a couple times, just don’t like the fit. The unforgiving metal headband, one size fish bowl that fits all and when you put it on your head, you can feel that thunk like a 50 dollar gaming console headset. I prefer the separate headband and strap, just fits better.

I like the warm, bass’y, not too sharp. I don’t need to analyze my music, just need to enjoy it. I’ve seen some used floating around of the audeze lcd-4z (600gram sounds better than 700 plus) but is it really that much better than the lcd-x? Meze empyrean or zmf verite.

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1731

ZMF Aeolus might fit the bill.

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1732

I have an Aeolus coming Thursday, guess I’ll find out.

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1733

Thanks @monochromios.

Aeolus wasn’t on my radar at all - ZMF are pretty lightly distributed in the UK - but it looks like it may fit the bill.

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1734

I just wanted to add a couple caveats if you really are considering Elysium.

1) Its bass response is not for everyone-- however if you’re happy with Andro this shouldn’t be a problem as quantity-wise it is about the same (but much better in terms of quantity, timbre, technicalities and supporting cast etc.).

2) Elysium is very tip dependent. I have noticed with IEMs (like Elysium and VX) that were originally designed as customs that in some cases they seem more dependent on the right sort of pressure and seal balance between both sides to sound right. If one side has more of a seal or more pressure build up then it sounds more noticeably off than with universal IEMs like Andro, Z1R, Solaris etc. What this means is that with both Ely and VX I had to spend a more-than-usual amount of time tip rolling before getting it just right…but for me the effort was very worth it.

3) Elysium seems to really benefit from having more power thrown at it and as such the near-universal sentiment I’ve seen is that it doesn’t pair well with (typically underpowered) Sony DAPs.

4) While I have no problem with its staging some have found it narrow so if you come from Andro wowed by its staging and expecting a big upgrade there you may be disappointed. IMHO Ely is about natural, organic, and real instrumental timbre above all and in this regard it wipes the floor with everything else I have heard.

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1735

No problem. There’s a store in Netherland that sells ZMF for Europe but if you’re in UK you’d better buy directly from ZMF.

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1736

I agree with @monochromios , I have the Aeolus and it really shines with the type of music you like.

One thing to be aware of is how warm you want it to sound. According to the ZMF pad chart, the stock Aeolus pads are the warmest. When I bought mine, @ProfFalkin recommended the suede universal perforated pads, which reel in the warmth a little, and that was a great suggestion, for my taste at least.

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