IEMs, have you tried them, and what do you think?

[tesseract]

The GoodHertz Canopener sounds good to me. Credible. Pure, nothing fancy, just creates a comforting shift of the image to the front. Try it!

I've tried headphone/speaker DSP once, Sonnie and Wayne heard it, too. Was very convincing and even more impressive was that the focus was surround sound.

First we listened to a speaker array, some type of measurement was done that is specific to the individual listening, then the headphones were popped on.

I listen a lot at work, with a newer pair of AKGs that closely match the Harman curve, recommended to me by Sean Olive. I use many other eargears, including IEMs. To have the stereo SS&I pulled properly forward would be the bees knees.

This is worth the price of admission, eh?

 

[DanDan]

I've tried headphone/speaker DSP once, Sonnie and Wayne heard it, too. Was very convincing and even more impressive was that the focus was surround sound.

First we listened to a speaker array, some type of measurement was done that is specific to the individual listening, then the headphones were popped on.

I listen a lot at work, with a newer pair of AKGs that closely match the Harman curve, recommended to me by Sean Olive. I use many other eargears, including IEMs. To have the stereo SS&I pulled properly forward would be the bees knees.

This is worth the price of admission, eh?

Which DSP impressed you? I have tried the Waves, truly awful, Acoustics, kinda real but nothing that I really preferred over nada. There is a simple plug in Monitor 112 or something like that, I liked. But Canopener seems very pure but also very tweakable. Every time I go back to it.... ah, something likeable.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Interesting IEM news...

Thread 'iFi's GO Pod Air: Wireless Freedom for Your Favorite IEMs—Now Lighter, More Affordable'

May 21, 2025

(May 21, 2025) For fans of great sound on the go—or just anyone who’s ever wished they could untether their favorite in-ear monitors—iFi Audio has launched the GO Pod Air, a more compact and accessible version of its original GO Pod system. Think of it as a miniaturized passport to audiophile-grade Bluetooth: same sonic DNA, less pocket bulk, and easier on the wallet at $249.

True to its name, the GO Pod Air is designed to bring high-end wireless audio to any pair of IEMs. The premise is simple but powerful: snap your favorite monitors into the included 2-pin or...

• Todd Anderson
• Replies: 0
• Forum: AV Industry News

• 

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Here's a clip from one of my reviews:

Unique Melody Mest MKII. The Mest has 7 Traditional Drivers + Dual Sides Bone Conduction System, consisting of a 4-way Quadbrid with 1 Dynamic Bass Driver + 2 BA Mid Drivers+ 2 BA Treble Drivers +2 EST (Electrostatic) Ultra High Drivers + 1 Full Range B2 Bone Conduction Driver. A rather complicated driver system. How could the bass be any better than the IER-Z1Rs? With the Mest, I thought I might be moving a little on those sub-bass notes on Bass I Love You Too. I could certainly feel the bass in my ears. Incredible! Swapping back and forth, the Z1Rs sounded more reserved in the mids and highs, although the bass was still good. It almost made me wonder if these were the IEMs I was listening to the day before, when I thought they would be the best I’d hear. They are still better than any others I’d heard, and they are superb IEMs, but the Mest bettered them in midrange clarity and had even smoother treble detail. I was scratching my head at how I had not previously missed that clarity and detail in the Z1R, but now I miss it. However, I understand it can take comparisons like this to help notice differences and shortcomings. And the Mest bass… wow… maybe not as boosted as the Z1R, but slightly deeper and more defined, blending in with the other drivers to form perfection and absolutely the best IEM I’ve listened to. These are keepers!

The Mest also has the best mini-soundstage of any I’ve heard, surpassing some of my headphones. These made me want to spend the day listening to every song in my reference playlist. They are also very comfortable, which makes a huge difference when listening for extended periods. So the Z1Rs can no longer be rated 10/10 on my list of IEMs… I’ll have to back them up to 9/10 to make room for the Mest being 10/10. If the Z1Rs are fabulous sounding to my ears, then the Mest have to be even more fabulous sounding. Why am I enjoying these IEMs as much as I am? This is fun listening, even if it’s not as good as my better headphones or my AV room.