Yesterday, the Noble Audio K10 arrived, at long last, to my doorstep. The balding postman that carried them in walked away with a sizeable chunk of money for tariffs, bless his heart. UPS, the company he represents, took 7 days to deliver the package from China to Japan. EMS would have taken three. Thank god for private business and competition and all that.
Read moreLachlan likes the Sony XBA-H3
Poor Lachy filmed this excellent 10:25 review with a cold. Nevertheless, his work is as clear and concise as it is free of distractions. It is also the first review of the XBA-H3 that I personally endorse.
Check out Lachlan's YouTube channel, and his webpage.
Noble Audio B-Day sale: 20% for 24 hours
Wish Wizard a happy 42nd Happy Birthday by hitting up Noble Audio for a 20% savings on their high-end custom and universal inner ear monitors. Sale ends in ~21 hours from this post. (Sorry, I found out about this a bit late.)
You can keep up with the sale at Noble Audio's Facebook page.
And while you're waiting for your customs, be sure to check out Ω's take on the earphone that launched their brand, the awesome IEM 5,0.
Headfonics: Westone W50 review
Headfonics's MarcusD serves up a well-organised review of Westone's new W50.
“The Westone W50 is perhaps one of the hardest hitting bass signatures I have yet to hear from a universal BA IEM. It is leaps and bounds ahead of the older UM3X, perhaps even a little snappier and more forward than my UM Merlin’s and leaves the UE900 in it’s rear view mirror. Gone are the days when BA IEM’s are avoided when matching with beat heavy genres. Westone nailed this one and the W50 is anything but boring. Yet at the same time the slightly recessed mids and highs suffer with that kind of focus on the bass and it’s inherently dark tonality. It lacks dynamic headroom and top end articulation to really compete with some of the similarly priced heavyweight audiophile customs and IEM’s from AKG and Sennheiser.”
Headfonia: FitEar MH335DW & Private 435
FitEar's MH335DW and Private 435 are excellent earphones, each with a completely different person in mind. Check out Headfonia for my full review of them.
Fujiya Avic Spring 2014 - headphones
Tokyo: an essay in headphones
Fujiya Avic's Spring 2014 show was great. But being the Disneyland of headphone events, no one person can capture it all in one go. In retrospect, I didn't really get around all that well. For better coverage, check out Headfonia's pictorial essay and the official Headfi Fujiya Avic 2014 thread.
Read moreHeadfi: Estron Linum BAX IEM cables
A great read by, tomscy2000, one of the industry's sanest, and most trustworthy voices. Tom's brand of sanity pushes him toward cables with the least resistance first, ease of use second. Ω's happy with something that feels good. As it happens, Estron's Linum BAX IEM cables appear to bridge the gap.
“The bottom line is that if you are happy with the stock sound of your IEM, but desire a cable that is much lighter and much lower profile, consider the Linum BaX. If you are a stage musician and need a thin, light cable that can blend invisibly with your performance attire, strongly consider the Linum BaX —- this cable really is made for you. It’s strong, it’s featherlight, and it’s nearly invisible.”
How to balance your Ocharaku Flat4
Headfi's CosmicHolyGhost gets credit for finding this article explaining how to balance your Ocharaku Flat4. Ω is a BIG fan of the Flat4 series, especially KURO and KAEDE.
NOTE: the article is in Chinese. All hardware modifications to the Flat4 will void your guarantee.
ansible ohmage: ortofon e-Q8
Back in 2012 I had rip-roaring time with the ortofon e-Q5. And in 2010, its older brother, the e-Q7, did me well. Since then another two years have passed. Naturally, it is time to get my ortofon on. The e-Q8, which costs around 400$ USD, is a good upgrade. On the outside, it’s a white e-Q7. But on the inside, it’s got a love-for-rock-thing going on in a new way.
UPDATE: I since have written a full review of the ortofon e-Q8 at headfonia.
Read moreDita Audio's Fujiya Avic 2014 Spring Headphone Festival surprise
In roughly 44 hours, Fujiya Avic's Spring Headphone show will kick off. In the midst of it, Dita Audio will inherit a bit more awesomeness. That awesomeness will show itself in two super secret items:
1. The Answer (Truth Edition) in gold for Fujiya Avic
- it is limited to 18 sets
- It rings in at 99.999¥ apiece
2. a 3,5mm to 3,5mm interconnect that connects your favourite to your favourite amp. Rest assured that this cable employs all the Van Den Hul goodness you've come to love in your Truth Edition earphones.
- you will be able to test it at Dita Audio's booth
- in light of the headphone festival, Dita Audio will be giving away a very limited number of its interconnects!
- giveaway interconnects will come in waterproof carrying cases
NOTE: Gold Truth Editions are special editions sold only at Fujiya Avic. Gold editions will be available for display at Dita Audio's Fujiya booth (if you are lucky enough to be in Tokyo at the time).
Reference: I reviewed both Dita Audio earphones at Headfonia earlier this year. I am a firm fan of their sound and am totally stoked to see/hear what they have on display this time around.
EDIT: certain number was changed to very limited in regard to Dita's interconnects
