Dimitri Trush invited me and my newly discovered extra chin to talk Earsonics Velvet, which I recently reviewed at Headfonia. If you're a DJ, you might be able to keep up with Dimitri's cuts.
Thank you Musica Acoustics.
A little more about the Ultrasone IQ and IQ Pro
Thanks to me finally knocking out a review of the Ultrasone IQ and IQ Pro, the time is right to call out reviews of the IQ, mine included, that both nailed it and failed it. The other review that I would like to point out was written by the almost-always-trustworthy Ljokerl of The Headphone List.
Read morePoor Man Reviews: Final Audio Shootout
Egads, back in 2009, had I been in competition with today's headfiers, TouchMyApps would have sunk. One such awesome reviewer is thatonenoob, host of Poor Man Reviews of various headphones and related equipment.
His reviews are easy to follow and to the point. His photography is above average. Well done.
Be sure to check out his Final Audio Heaven VII, VIII, and Lab 1 shootout and tell me what you think.
Headfonics: Final Audio Heaven VIII review
Headfonics's review of the Final Audio Heaven VIII, about which I left a Brazilian strip of commentary, is a pretty good read, with which I mostly agree. That is, apart from the following:
“The treble of the Heaven VIII renders very well and typically has the great levels of extension and detail a balanced-armature driver provides. In drum and bass tracks, high hats decay fast and efficiently without being laidback in nature. In this sense, there is no spatial disconnect from the upper mids to the lower trebles which both share a sense of brightness in character. The sparkly clear highs make for an engaging presentation and truly satisfy those seeking extended highs without the compromise of rolled-off frequencies.”
Heaven VIII lacks the upper mid heat that has made a number of hi-end Final Audio earphones hard to listen to for long periods of time. VIII is smoother, and comparison to hitherto news-making balanced armature earphones from Final Audio, rolled off. It's got none of the dirty decay that accented some of the other mid-top end earphones. For that, I'm glad.
The Headfonics review is a good, pithy review of a good, pithy earphone.
The Final Audio Heaven VIII
Disclaimer: Heaven VIII came through my studio for a few days thanks to a Headphone Book shoot.
Or, Lady Gaga's Final Heartbeats, whichever is easier to say, is Final's newest high-tier universal BAM! It sounds good. Very good. Strong, but linear bass, very slightly muted highs, and a detailed, but lush midrange. It is, in my opinion, their best-sounding balanced armature earphone.
Unfortunately, it looks the way it does: like a smaller Beats by Dre Lady Gaga Heartbeats. The good news is that it is cool, heavy, and luxurious whereas the Beats isn't. Even Heaven VIII's flat cable is supple, soft, and resilient against microphonic noise. And I've never liked flat cables.
This is a nice earphone.
But the packaging: fake snake skin on the outside, fake beaver on the inside, is hideous. We Canadians love our beaver, but where there's muff, it's got to be real. Not that killing things in order to make an earphone is something I condone. I do not. But putting so much effort into faux materials, especially it at this price is, well... a little bit too Japanese for me. And, the fur shed all over my pine wood flooring. I'm still picking it out of the cracks.
Heaven VIII goes for just north of 70.000¥, and despite its horrible packaging, it is an earphone that weighs heavy on my mind.
NOTE: click images below to advance to the next frame.
Aya: FitEar's first 3D-printed production earphone
Aya is FitEar's latest custom earphone. It was released just yesterday. It's got balanced armature drivers inside, and it comes in black, with a black cable, and all that comes in a black Penguin box.
You can find out more information about it here (Japanese).
The big news is that it is the company's first 3D-printed earphone.
Why has it taken FitEar so long to release a 3D-printed earphone? Put simply, FitEar release products, and technologies at their own pace, when they feel they are ready. And the process by which they arrived at today's fully 3D-printed custom earphones was fraught with hardware and software issues.
Mr. Suyama's lengthy Facebook harangue on the subject of German-made, German-engineered printers and support is worth the read, even in machine translation. And if you're a fan of anime, well, so, too, is Mr. Suyama. And he's got some leggy anime renditions of Aya in a China Dress. there's also a panda.
Otukaresama deshita FitEar!
Read moreCymbacavum giving away an RHA T10i earphone
The RHA T10i, by all accounts, is a worthy earphone. If you aren't currently a T10i owner, but think you've got what it takes, hit up Cymbacavum's RHA T10i review. Then, observe the following:
1. You must be 18 years of age or older. (International participants are eligible.)
2. Leave a comment at the bottom of Cymbacavum's review of the T10i describing what you like about it or what you wish RHA would change about it.
3. ‘Like’ Cymbacavum's Facebook page, and/or ‘Follow’ them on Twitter, and publicly share this giveaway post.
PLUG: Cymbacavum is one of the best resources for all your sick and geeky earphone needs. And Mr. T's a frequent guest of OHM AIR.
Read moreLachlan's Holiday Earphone Buying Guide 2014
Lachlan compares/contrasts nine different earphones. He also almost manages to hang himself. Hang in, Lach!
Be sure to subscribe to Lachlan Likes a Thing for more great videos.
DIY 0,40 calibre earphone
While the stress relief is probably inadequate, this DIY 0,40 calibre earphone is awesome.
Resetting the expectations for the mini-review: FitEar fitear at AV Watch
Poring over nutritional information won't tell you what your favourite hamburger will taste like. Neither will reading AV Watch (Japanese) give you a real idea of a product's sound, or worth.
That said, yesterday's AV Watch "mini review" of the FitEar fitear (about which I jingled early this year) makes my longest reviews at ohm read like jingles. In fact, it makes my Headfonia reviews read like 'mini reviews'.
Still, AV Watch use a lot of space to say very little:
1. FitEar fitear's driver count is a secret (like Parterre)
2. new, compact design and fit
3. strong, direct sound with sharp transients
4. fitear helps you rediscover your music
The rest of the review is basic audiophile jargon and memes. As useless as it may be as an audio review of the earphone, it's a long wind up that re-imagines the word 'mini'.