Head Position and IEM Frequency Response

Technical Discussion
1

I made an accidental discovery today.

For several months I’ve used Moondrop Kanas Pro IEMs for mobile listening and always sitting up. Today – for the first time ever – I used them while laying down.

They are slightly undersized when resting in my ears; they lost most bass and became bright and thin. When sitting upright the bass tends to be full and even boomy, so I use them with the factory silicone tips for a bit of venting. Gravity holds them in close and tight. However, when laying down they were weak even with my fingers holding them in place.

Everyone knows that IEMs are tip dependent, but now I’m wondering if there’s been any research on orientation dependence. The Kanas Pro allow about 20-30 degrees of rotational adjustment in my ears, so the bass apparently follows from allowing the top to fall forward.

Just another consideration for IEM reviews and differences of opinion.

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2

Perhaps . . .
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you need to experiment a bit more. The sound graph might invert.

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3

yea seal may change because of gravity and cable and other factors. Foam is less of any issue with this, but for me, i use Final Audio tips and they work well for me with Moondrop Kanas Pro even laying down.

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4

Yes, I had foam on and there weren’t any positioning issues. However, I needed smaller silicone tips to control the bass. As such, I wonder about under appreciated measurement complications and different perceptions.

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5

When I lay down, my ears get pushed forward by my pillow, changing the way IEMs sound. Comfort is changed because of this and the weight pushing on different parts of my ears. Usually, I get a warmer, bass-emphasized sound, which is nice because it helps me relax vs a brighter sound.

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