Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by hongrui

UberMuzik Tiny Tube DAC/Amp (TTD) reviews

hongrui — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:19:47 +0800

the first loan period will be up this friday so i thought i should create this thread first for all the reviews and impressions so that it won't clutter up the other thread.

Those who have heard / auditioned the TTD are welcomed to share their impressions too!

this review is from a previous "loanee".

QUOTE

So, i plug in my headphones, dt990, to my laptop as my source. I like the design of ttd, it looks pretty nice. The sounding is warm, background is slightly dim, improve the song details and soundstage too, the sound is forward.
love to use it with rock songs, totaly wonderful like greendays and skillet

looking forward to reading more reviews!

Tiny Tube DAC / AMP Loaner Program

hongrui — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:59:42 +0800

Hi all,

I have received several requests for such a program and after discussions, i have decided to give this program a try. I believe it is the first of its kind here?

The rules are:

1. Loan duration of 7 days, starting from the day after receipt of the TTD.

2. You will have to pack it up nicely and ship it with tracking onwards to the next person, of course last person have to mail back to me in SG.

3. You have to write a review on the TTD and post it here on the forum. When the time comes i will start a thread for all the reviews. i may also take your review and duplicate on Audiohub MY Facebook account.

All i ask for is a honest review. if you think it's not good, do say so. I don't need a lengthy review, even just a couple of simple lines will do.

Please PM me with your interest and your rough location. I have 3 more slots to fill and my priority will be to those out of KL/Selangor area. This is not a first come first serve event.

I will be taking entries until 2359 17/6 Sunday. Participants will be announced and notified when i wake up on monday 18/6.

If there is sufficient interest and responses, i will open up another round after the TTD has been shipped back to me.

the two guys whom i have already confirmed for this loaner program need not PM again.

interested?

mods: if this is deemed unsuitable here, please kindly assist to move to the correct section. thanks!

The Flagship Thread

hongrui — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:25 +0800

Since there's been several discussions on the different flagships in several different threads, I thought it would be better if we could have them all together in one thread.

QUOTE(ryder_78 @ May 13 2012, 09:29 AM)

Don't know why quite a few folks who listened to both T1 and HD800 chose the latter. As a matter of fact the seller of the T1 with the invoice above is moving to the HD800 it seems. The HD800 is described as being closest to Stax-like quality. Perhaps this is the reason why the soundstage is big and wide, sounding airier with higher level of detail than the T1.

The price difference between T1 and HD800 isn't that huge anyway(on Meier's site) but it seems that the T1 may suit my listening patterns more than the HD800. Mediocre to poor recordings, mainly mainstream pop and rock are said to sound worse on the HD800 than the T1. This rules the HD800 out for me, not to mention it looks like a toy with its weird styling in comparison to the minimalist clean and elegant look of the T1. To each his own I guess. [right][snapback]51331781[/snapback][/right]

The HD800 is of reference quality that one is of no doubt, another thing is that it scales much better with better setups than T1. My friend who has the hd800 listens primarily to classicals and operas. He likes the futuristic design of the hd800 though I share your opinion that the T1 looks more classy.

IC: First Can Jam in Malaysia

hongrui — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:32:43 +0800

Would you guys in interested in taking part in a Canjam if we somehow manage to organize it in KL? i wouldn't mind taking time to organise and co-ordinate but some questions first:

1. would you be willing to pay for entrance fees? something like RM10-20?

2. who would be willing to bring their setups out? i refer to the desktop setups.

3. anyone with suggestions where we can have a room / space for maybe 5 desktops setup and fits 50ish people? i know hotel ballrooms but that would mean entrance fees being waaayyy higher. i was thinking of function rooms in clubs / apartments and stuff where hopefully we can be revenue neutral.

maybe it wouldn't be entirely like the Can Jam in the states but more like a mega TT with desktop rigs.

let's see if we can get anything concrete out of this.

AH MY TT - 26/5/12 (Penang)

hongrui — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:03:53 +0800

heyo! I will be in Penang at the end of this month and thought i could have another TT session there.

date / time / location: 26/5

tentatively i will have with me:

LCD-3 with DHC's macromolecule
TTD Amp / DAC
Predator Amp
DUNU: Trident, Ares, Hephades, EX-150 (earbuds) & CX60ii (clip ons)
se530x6 + DHC Cable & FS MG6pro + ALO Cable
Ipod Classic + HP-P1

and if i can get my hands on them:
ALO Continental v2
C&C XO2

Guys, some updates, I've checked the place out and unfortunately we have to make a change in the location.

New location: Straits Quay Charlie Brown Cafe, Room is reserved from 1-3 pm, probably can stay a little more, after which we can head to Jaben where Neo is treating us sandwiches.

Impressions of RSA DarkStar.

hongrui — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:54:54 +0800

I saw the RSA DarkStar at an Audio store a couple of weeks ago and so today i finally got off my lazy ass and brought my LCD-3 down to audition the DarkStar. my impressions are as follows but unfortunately i will be referring to my tube amp alot as i am most familiar with the signature paired with the LCD-3.

Impressions:
the setup tested was iPod -> HP-P1 -> DarkStar -> LCD-3 (DHC cable). cable used between the DarkStar and HP-P1 was provided by them, my own cable was too short to reach. DarkStar used in High Gain mode with the LCD-3.

when the first beat kicked in, i knew it was gonna be fun. the DarkStar has power, loads of power. Driving something like the LCD-3 wasn't an issue at all. the volume control is in steps, and i found my comfortably loud listening level at 10 o'clock, i possibly can go 2 steps up to 11, but i didn't for reasons that i will explain later. you get the feeling that there's loads of power coming but yet music is still flowing without the feeling of rushness. there's fantastic bass control however the amp feels to be slightly bass emphasized, this is the main reason why i didn't push the volume up any further, any higher and i start getting the feeling that the mids are getting obscured by the big bass hits. Mids were smooth, treble nicely extended and not rolled off.

Stage of the amp is deep, slightly deeper than my big tube amp, but height and width feels to be about the same. PRAT of the amp is good, faster than my tube amp, just not as laid back on the slower, acoustic pieces but still good. one thing i want to add is that coming back home and listening again to some of the same tracks again, i feel that i got better separation on the DarkStar than on my home amp, but that would also mean that my desktop DAC is not as good as the HP-P1. =.="

To me personally, pairing the LCD-3 with the DarkStar seems to be just slightly off. A big strength of the LCD-3 is how natural it sounds, however with the DarkStar, tonality seems to be just off, especially on orchestral and jazz pieces. that slight bass boost and a slightly longer bass decay just doesn't sound right to me. Also on certain pieces, with a crescendo, you just get the feeling that it feels dynamically restricted. however to be fair, i doubt the DarkStar is very burnt in and i also can understand from another point of view that the DarkStar is actually neutral and its my tube amp that is bass light.

the shop didn't have the HE-6 so i have no idea how it would drive the HE-6 but i have the feeling that it *shouldn't* be a problem. signature matching wise, i think it possibly goes with headphones like the MS-Pro (overkill, but still), T1 and HE-500/HE-6, especially if you listen to lots of Pop and Rock. if you listen to orchestra, instrumentals and jazz pieces, i'd say to look else where. No go for LCD-2/LCD-3, IMO but some people might like the bass kick from the DarkStar.

At the end of the audition i switched the DarkStar to low gain and tried it with my SE530x6 (DHC cable) customs. With the customs, the 'V' sonic signature becomes apparent, slightly recessed mids with boosted bass. i was also surprised to hear that the mids are actually grainy on my customs although it wasn't so on the LCD-3.

all in all, i spent about an hour with the DarkStar switching between songs and taking notes. Would i recommend this amp? If you can afford it and you like a slightly boosted bass, its certainly a very good amp and very impressive. for me personally, the bass is a turn off and the mids, while smooth with the LCD-3, it still lacks the tube lushness.

just a footnote that the DarkStar is still a very proficient amp and in a lot of my comments i'm actually nit-picking. however with a pricetag of USD3500 before shipping, i feel that i'm entitled to nit-pick more than usual. now if only i can find a Liquid Fire to audition...

AH MY TT - 7/1/12 (KL)

hongrui — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:09:18 +0800

hey guys!

Audiohub Malaysia is kicking off our A.I.M. TT sessions in 2012 and hopefully we'll gather enough sustained interest to have regular meets all over MY.

TT Date:
7/1/12 at Starbucks, Amcorp Mall PJ. 2pm till late.
those who ordered the x19hd and Dunu IEMs should be able to COD with me then, but only if MY customs don't hold up the parcel.

no worries if you're not bringing anything, just add your names to the respective list and i'll see you guys then!

KL:
1. Hongrui - TTD v2, LCD-3, DUNU Trident, Ares, Hephades, EX-150, x19hd, Letebo R29 Woodie IEM, HP-P1, RSA Predator.
2. George Low - DT880/600, HD650 maybe.
3. Iqbal_kakashi - portables only
4. BelBel68
5. El-Prodigy - UM Miracle
6. Quazacolt - (Possible) AT-AD900, Peak amp
7. g3n0c|d3 - (possible, don't know what to bring)
8. studwo - dt880 + laptop with flac
9. techmy
10. slevinsent - ?
11. mclee - HE500

NB: I've called off the JB TT session, if anyone in JB is interested in listening to the LCD-3 this week or next week, drop me a PM / SMS.

The new Teclast X19HD DAP

hongrui — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:40:29 +0800

The Teclast X19HD is a new addition to the Teclast line of DAP Products.

very interesting lipstick / gumstick form factor
[attachmentid=2538221]

Specs:
8GB internal memory
MAX9723 OPAMP
Output Power of 50mw (THD distortion at 1%, 32-ohm load case) [compared to Clip+'s 15mw, ref: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/sansa-clip-measured.html]
FM radio
MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, and FLAC supported
SRS Audio Support
Support TTS voice reading function

and the part i find most interesting other than the high output power is:
[attachmentid=2538222]
^Hardware Bass Boost

a nicer picture:
[attachmentid=2538224]

Head-fi discussion thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/578330/teclast-x19hd-now-available

one of the first review, from the headfi thread:

QUOTE

I'm still burning it in..

Playing around with the settings -
High gain / mid volume - don't get the dynamics
High gain/ high volume - the sibliance gets alittle to spicy.
EQ is quite pathetic but i made it flat..

SRS/Bassboost effect sounds.. natural not too artifical and flat.
Clarity is better than Clip+ and leaning towards the more neutral side.

The low gain, no EQ, no bassboost with a C&C XO2 is quite nice though..
Its very clean and non grainy and i believe given some time it'll open up after some burning in.

this player has potential!

It edges out the clip+ in terms of power, I thought the Clip had loads of power, this little guy on high gain can really drive dynamics iems really well
you can immediately feel the extra juice with the dynamics it presents.
Sound character wise, it gave more depth (from the power) and also more texture (from a newer SOC DAC chip thingamajik ) with the added resolution.

Played Adele's album in flac and listened to it, and you can relax and get into the music.. something strangely the clip+ was lacking - clip+ was rather blend in a way.
To say that it is colored won't be accurate but to say that it's extremely neutral isn't correct.

I can't really put my finger on it cept that it just sounded good out of the box.
Allowed my friend to test some Kpop stuff on it, he was pleasantly suprized it can sound quite good.
Played some rave music too, and you get a good punch from the bass if you added the bass boost on it - tight can clean not bass farts.

UI wise I won't say it's the best but well for the price I'm not expecting much, in fact this is my throw around ultra portable rig for gym, commuting and general usage.
I pair it with my stock samsung IEM that came with my SGS2 - so I'm not really bothered if it spoils within a year.

Clip+ has the advantage of rockbox and a expandable memory slot but battery life isn't fantastic.
I'm wondering if this will give me a better battery life because I travel around quite a bit and do back packing, i don't have the luxury of lugging around a tiny novel.
I did a full charge at 10 pm.. and i'll keep it running till it goes flat.

This will fit well in my pocket for on the go listening and airplane rides..did i mention how small it is?
Just the size of 2 finger width..

Audiohub / Über Muzik / G-Customs

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Audiohub / Über Muzik / G-Customs

hongrui — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:01:38 +0800

Audiohub /Über Muzik / G- Customs Products & Services

The Audiohub was officially founded in 2010 to go into business with the spirit of sharing and to further push our creativity in product development but the end goal was not for profit only but to foster a community of people who loves good music have an expectation of good sound. We work for a fair wage and we often give more than what people pay for, as we do not measure our hobby with time or how much money we are getting but focusing on sharing our knowledge with others and seeing the happy faces when they enjoy your recommendation.

Our philosophy and our promise to our customers with our business is very simple -
• We sell premium audio equipment at affordable prices with the customer in mind.
• We only sell items that we would buy ourselves as a customer.
• We offer unique products and brands are non mainstream but offer unparalleled performance for a fraction of the price.
• We want to offer the best sales and after sales service that is to the customer’s satisfactions.
• We give personal experience with the products after extensive testing to suit the needs of the customers rather than our profit margins!

As enthusiast ourselves, we do not push boxes nor try to be pushy because we understand that everyone’s audio journey is unique and personal and getting to know other like-minded enthusiast is rewarding enough.

We only would want to offer the best value for our customer and enhance their hobby and also share our hobby as a community.

In short here at the Audiohub, we are a store by enthusiasts for enthusiasts!

[addedon]October 31, 2011, 12:04 am[/addedon]Feel free to ask if you have any queries about our products and / or services!

AudioHub MY is currently made up of us 4 guys. Me in JB/SG, Shaun and George all in KL. if you like to audition any item, just let us know and we will try to arrange for you, of course we're somewhat geographically restricted.

Current Product Listing (as of 01 Nov 2011):
Tiny Tube DAC/AMP (TTD)
Big Tube Amp (Eargasm)
Dunu IEMs (Ares, Trident, Hades, Cirus, Hephaes)
IEM Cable v5f (fits Westone/JH/UE/UM sockets)
IEM Reshelling Services
Custom IEM (2-8 drivers)

WTS – Audiohub / Über Muzik / G- Customs

hongrui — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:55 +0800

Teclast

X19HD - RM140, inquire for bundle price with IEMs

Teclast X19HD driving LCD-3: http://t.co/N2PxKGBj

DUNU

Trident - DN12 - RM130 (including shipping) [Dynamic IEM]
[attachmentid=2593256]
[attachmentid=2593257]

Ares - DN11 - RM290 (including shipping) [Single BA IEM]
[attachmentid=2593263]
[attachmentid=2593264]

Hephaes - DN16 - RM330 (including shipping) [Dynamic IEM]
C60II - RM 160 (including shipping) [Dual Dynamic Clip On]
[attachmentid=2593265]
[attachmentid=2593269]

Hades - Inquire, on order basis [Single BA]
Crius - DN13 - Inquire, on order basis [Single BA]

Reviews:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/571931/review-dun...ent-and-hephaes
http://www.head-fi.org/t/556984/dunu-tride...-hephaes-review
http://www.head-fi.org/t/553400/review-dunu-ares-and-crius
http://www.head-fi.org/t/563623/dunu-hepha...-tons-of-photos

Tiny Tube DAC (TTD) v2 - RM700

Specs:
Head Amp: Texas Instrument TPA6120 chip
USB Receive: Tenor TE7022L
DAC Chip: Cirrus Logic CS4398
Tube: Shugang Psvane Series 12AT7-T

Together, TTD v2 offer superior resolution and great separation for your music with great bass depth and bigger soundstage. The new DAC Chip combo provides a ton of upgrade in terms of sound presentation as it now accepts 24bit 96kHz via USB, over the old Micronas Dac chip of the version 1, which only did 24 bit 48 kHz. It is able to drive 32-300ohms Headphones and IEMs without any hiss and with relative and satisfaction – We have personally tried a Beyerdynamic DT880/600 and a Beyerdynamic T1 but unfortunately it is just not able to fully showcase the headphones.

Reviews:
http://www.headfonia.com/uber-muzik-tiny-tube-dac/
http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/04/impres...y-tube-dac.html
http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/10/impression-fiio-e10.html
http://www.audiophile-id.com/index.php/top....html#msg383844 - Need to register to view

Big Tube Amp (Eargasm) - Please enquire.

This handcrafted amp comes with point to point wiring andis housed in a high quality brush aluminium housing. It has dual 100 watts audiophile-grade transformer, uses Cardas GRFAS RCA binding posts. Uses high quality Japan-made ALPS volume pot, premium German audio-grade Mudorf M-Caps and Medical grade Nova caps. It uses solid core high purity copper internal wires for minimal signal loss.

It comes with classic NOS (new old stock) tubes cherry picked, matched pair, original issued German made Telefunken EF800 and original issued Soviet-Russian made Svetlana 6H13C tubes.

Bitten by the LCD-2 rev2 bug. Help!

hongrui — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:34:54 +0800

went jaben happily yesterday just to meet up with some fellow forumers. everything was going fine even when yuheng took out the new LCD-2 rev2.
tested it with concerto, and i thought " ya sounds like the rev1 that i heard sometime back. smooth but my T1 still sounds much better and balanced." walked over and listened to my T1 to confirm.

wasn't until about 5.30ish(?) when the store was emptying out and jkwanness was trying out some headphones, when i got bored and thought "hey why not try driving the LCD-2 with my ttd just to see how much power there is."

song i stupidly chose: roll tide from the OST of crimson tide.

put on my the lcd 2 and pressed play. from the first blow of the trumpet and the first slam of the drums, i got bitten. Badly. by the LCD-2 bug. the impact and texture of the slams while the smoothness of the music is just too much. and i had the impulse to just put down the cans and tell yuheng that i want it. thankfully i still had somewhat the presence of mind to pass the cans to jkwanness and stopped my impulse cold, although i could still feel my year end bonus flowing away.

and now i seek everybody's help to tell me why i shouldn't buy the LCD-2 rev2!

TT in SG on 11/11/2011

hongrui — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:25:50 +0800

in conjunction with the AFA event that is being held in SG, i'm hosting a mini TT on 11/11 in SG at my home. because i will have to travel back to singapore from malaysia, this TT can only start at about 8pm, 8+ until as late as you like. and since it's at my SG home, you'll get to listen to everything that is listed in my signature.

if you are around in SG and would like to drop during that weekend (or any other weekend for that matter(, you're welcome to drop me a note and we can try work something out.

do list your interest here and i'll PM out my address and contact details nearer to the date.

1. hongrui (everything)

headfi inspired fashion Tees

hongrui — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:35:56 +0800

quoting the designer:

"Just sharing, don't ask where to buy... yet.
I'll design more when inspiration strikes!"

"Shut up! I'm listening to music"

Audioholics Anonymous

Le Headphone geek

Old Skool

Small JB Gathering on 23/10 (Sun)

hongrui — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:05:56 +0800

hi all, i am open to hosting a small group of people for an audioholic session in JB (Taman Molek) this sunday 23/10. Timing preferably 6pm till 10pm. not sure if will hit the number of people but i'm hoping to limit the number of guests to less than 10. i'm fine even if it's just one person.

do register your interest here with your gear. its totally cool with me if you are not bringing any gear. think it'll be a great chance for us JB audiophiles to just get together and chat.

1. hongrui - Beyer T1, TTD, Fostex HP-P1, Mg6Pros with ALO, SE530x6 with AH v5f & some misc custom ICs

[Review] SE530x6

hongrui — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:38:38 +0800

I've received my SE530x6 a couple of weeks ago, but only recently received the cables to go along with them, hence delaying this review for a while.

The SE530 are reshelled by G Customs via Audiohub. The original BAs were retained and used as a single High and dual Mids, while an additional High driver and 2 Low drivers were added for a total of 6 drivers.

I got the SE530s fitted with UE sockets so that i can use Audiohub's v5f cables. the v5fs were initially designed to pair with UE's TF10, but with its transparency and musicality, it goes along pretty well with several other IEMs.

This entire review is based on the SE530x6 with the AH v5f cables.

Treble: you'd be hard pressed to hear where it rolls off, as far as i'm concerned, there's no roll off whatsoever. the highs are clear, detailed but sibilant. the sibilance really gets on my nerves initially, but now i'm getting used to it.

Mids: It still retains a bit of the Shure's mids signature, but comparing directly to what i remembered of the SE530's mids, its thinner and not as lush. when taking the entire signature as a whole, there's definitely still a slight mids emphasis. I'd describe the mids as being flat and neutral without being boring.

Bass: The bass is fast and punchy, lacking in depth as compared to a Dynamic driver. You do not get much of the sub-bass but there's still very nice reverb and decay on the bass notes.

Overall, i'd describe it as being a flat, neutral and detailed IEM. Accurate, pinpoint positioning with nice separation. Very slight mids emphasis, very good treble extension. Nice bass punch when called for but lacks depth. The sibilance is gnawing on me, but with my budget waaayyy blown for the year, I’m holding back from sending it back for re-tuning and possibly adding a super lower driver to increase the bass depth.

Putting my 2 customs head to head, Mg6Pro vs SE530x6, a 13mm dynamic driver custom against 6 BA custom, I very much prefer the Mg6Pro over the SE530x6 for the timbre reproduction as well as the lushness.

1. Treble – Mg6Pro - while the SE530x6 is clearer, more detailed, the sibilance is a major turnoff.
2. Mids – Mg6Pro - lush & musical
3. Bass – Mg6Pro - punch, depth and sub bass
4. Isolation – SE530x6 - totally closed while Mg6Pro is vented
5. Fit – SE530x6 - smaller in size and lighter compared to Mg6Pro
6. Details – SE530x6 - neutral and detailed, Mg6Pro blurs out the finer details
7. Soundstaging – Mg6Pro - more realistic and expansive while SE530x6 has finer pinpoint positioning

knowing what i know now, i would have happily sold off my SE530 instead of reshelling it and keep just the Mg6Pros around.

Mini Meet at KK on 15/9

hongrui — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:33:39 +0800

I will be at Kota Kinabalu from 11/9 to 16/9. I will have some audio toys with me and am wondering if there is any interest for a mini meet in KK on the evening / night of 15/9.

[Edit]
Meet is a GO!
15/9 @ 7pm

since it's just a small number of us, perhaps we can just meet up in my hotel room? no hanky panky, i promise.
Further details will be provided once i arrive in KK via PM.

Attendees:
Me
noobandroid
Alpoyoz
Ask_Yip

Audio Gear
Beyer T1
Mg6Pro + ALO Copper
SE530x6 + AH v5f
Uber Muzik TTD
Audio-Gd NFB 2
Fostex HP-P1

Ortofon EQ7
Fiio E11
Cube C30
SRH440 (maybe)

Iphone + LOD
Cheap Interconnect
Hippo Amp
Dacport
HD650 + Symphonica
Studio 1515

Audiohub Singapore Meet - 20Aug2011

hongrui — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:57:47 +0800

Just got back home from a meet up here in SG, had fun putting the 4 best dynamics and ortho headphones to a head to head clash.

Transports & Sources used includes:

Audio-Gd Digital Interface & NFB2
Uber Music Tiny Tube DAC/Amp (TTD)
Mac Mini
Acer Laptop
Various PMP

Some pictures, i didn't take much as i was blissfully engaged.

uber muzik tube amp

setting up I :

4 custom iems & Beyer T5p (still in its pouch) at the top, 2 fostex T50rp on the left, a naked TTD on the yellow cloth, MS1000 & a TF10 right at the bottom.

setting up II:

T1, T5p, HE-6 & fostex T50rp tossed onto the table. at one point there was over SGD10k worth of audio gear dumped on the table.

ATH-W1000 & HD800:

T1 taking a rest:

MS1000:

HE-6:

HD800 with DHC cable:

Audez'e LCD-2:

the Beyer siblings - T1 & T5p

putting up the 4 titans to a head to head clash was very enjoyable and at the end of the day, i'm glad to say that i still love my T1 over the other 3!

Fostex HP-P1 Fan Club

hongrui — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:29:02 +0800

Has anyone got or heard the Fostex HP-P1?

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/HP-P1.shtml

i'm considering getting this over the CLAS...

Future Sonics MG6Pro Unboxing & Review

hongrui — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:54:31 +0800

i sent in my impressions to FS from singapore on 4th June and the customs arrived at my home on 23/6. Including shipping times, all in all, took less than 3 weeks which i think is very fast work! i was hoping it'd arrive this week but am really expecting them next week.

the fedex box:

opening up and removing all the packaging material, i'm left with:

even the outer box is personalized:

first peep of the otterbox:

and packed inside the otterbox:

the package comes with a set of the LFV vents, a cleaning tool, a user's manual, a soft leather pouch, customs and what seems like the westone ES2 cables.

and finally, the star attraction:

the fit for me is perfect, i don't think i'll be needing any refittings but i intend to wear them as often as i can for the next 2 weeks or so to be absolutely certain. first 10 mins impressions are just simply: Wow! what strikes me immediately is the natural-ness of the customs, how natural everything seems to sound, instruments and vocals. its definitely not a balanced / neutral sq but natural. nice deep bass but not that tight yet and highs seems to be a little off currently. will update its review at a later date after i've clocked 100-200hours first.

barely 1hour after opening the box, i'm already looking for aftermarket cables!

[addedon]June 30, 2011, 9:17 am[/addedon]
100hrs burn-in update: i find that the SQ has opened up, with better treble and bass extension. Bass is more focused and impactful and the mids just a teeny weeny bit warmer (but might be because of the bass improvement tho). the treble has brightened but without shrillness nor sibilance.

Coming from DT880, T1 and SE530, i was never much of a fan of (excessive) bass but now i think my bass appreciation has increased much over the past couple of days!

[addedon]July 11, 2011, 12:31 pm[/addedon]
Review is up!