the TLD;DR is I’m wondering about the mental causes somebody might have to hear something from amazing one day and alright the next day.
I recently tried the Status X Goldensound IEM’s and I was blown away by how amazing basic songs sounded. Seriously there were songs I heard since I was like 8 that just had a whole new level of detail to appreciate. I could hear the timbre in voices and instruments, the effort being used to wield them. This IEM reacted PERFECTLY for my head - this was the one audio gear I would absolutely keep stock and not touch EQ at all cause it was so far better than anything I’ve done WITH EQ. Seriously the experience was like an ULTRA-refined U12T, and I wasn’t even in a good mood when I tried them until I tried them.
The problem is, that impression was the very first time I wore the IEM’s, and ever since then it’s only been alright. I’ve tried cleaning the eartips and and I’m pretty sure I didn’t get wax in it… But I’m wondering is it e with this much of a difference to assume I got wax in my set or is that a possible difference mental thing?
Your mental state can greatly affect your perception of things. This is part of the reason why IMO reviews need to be done over the course of a few days to essentially “average out” the experience. Anything else is just an impression. It’s not uncommon where I’ll be listening to something at like 1 am and think “Wow all is right in the world and music is such a beautiful thing and I’m so glad this headphone/IEM is taking it to greater heights” and then the next day try that same headphone/IEM in the afternoon and feel a lot less enthusiastic.
Our impressions are subjective, based on expectations and comparisons.
With IEMs, every small variation in the fit of the eartips, can have a significant impact on the sonics, especially the bass, and change our impressions of the product. For me this fit can change from one part of the day to another. Is like our ear canals are not fixed in size, mine seem to change over the course of the day for whatever the reason. And that affects the fit.
Someone else has already mentioned that its good to make impressions over a period.
I would add, improvements are always in comparison. Each IEM leaves its own impression, as a comparison with some other device, IEM or other kind of listening device. I’d suggest always compare with another known reference. What we notice the most is the difference. So if listening to only one device, we may lose that “sense of improvement”. I try to recalibrate my ears by listening to a little bit of another IEM, at least every day or two, so I can enjoy and re-notice the improvement in my preferred IEM.
So it is not just me!!! I have had the experience in both directions: great first listen and then meh, and meh (I should return this immediately!!) and then much better. For me, it seems to depend on my mental and physical condition. My best results come when relaxed and rested. My best / most repeatable analytical listening sessions tend to happen shortly after I wake up in the morning - if I like the IEM (or headphone) then, or hate it then, the impression tends to be repeatable (under similar conditions). For the record, I think that it is more than just familiarity (i.e., everything does not necessarily start sounding better with repeated listening) but rather attentiveness. All that said, don’t ignore tips or source as a possible reason for meh (or good) results (though generally one should assume that a new IEM as packaged by the manufacturer has reasonably optimized the tips and cable).
