Massdrop x Noble Kaiser 10 Universal IEMs Discussions | Drop

Feb 8, 2019

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Nobody here can tell me any pair of earbuds is worth $900.

Feb 8, 2019

CptNoHandsAnd yet you pour money into building PC's that you constantly have to update because no matter what, it's always outdated ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Now talk about throwing money away as you can't really sell PC components at the same rate you could sell headphones or any audio gear. This is one of the few hobbies you can buy something, enjoy it, sell it used and recoup most if not all of what you paid and be out nothing. Hell, sometimes you can make a profit due to rarity. But, I guess you knew that the moment you called these "earbuds."

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Feb 8, 2019

jaydunndidditA computer that has thousands of uses and won't need updating for easily 6 years > a pair of $900 EARBUDS I'll end up accidentally washing and also sound like dogshit compared to any headsets of the same price. There's a huge difference between a hobbyist and someone who just wants to blow money, and this is something the latter type of person would buy. Anyone can justify buying a pair for $1500 headphones or a $5000 audio setup, but not $900 EARBUDS. Buying a pair of $900 earbuds is the most retarded idea on the face of the planet, next to buying a pair of $50,000 pair of Sennheiser HE-1's. You're buying them to say you have them, not for the music quality. Unlike you, I purchase good computer components and headphones to be able to get the stuff I want done done and to hear the audio I want to hear. Also you can easily resell computer parts if you don't overclock, hunny. I've done it with my previous 2 GPUs. That always went into the predecessor.

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Feb 8, 2019

CptNoHandsWell, bless your heart. You just really keep telling yourself that, pumpkin. You're gonna tell us how bad these sound yet, you've never heard them. You're going to talk about you having "better" gear yet don't know what I own nor have shared what you have. Your reading comprehension must be low as I clearly said you can't sell PC parts at the same rate as earphones or headphones. But, that should be expected from someone that thinks these are earbuds. By definition, these are earphones as they're inserted into your ear canal. Pretty simple, really. Same with the difference of a headphone and a headset. Enlighten me to these audiophile "headsets" that sound better than a TOTL earphone. I'm sure with your vast level of experience, that should be an easy task. Or is it worse that you haven't listened to a TOTL headphone to compare with this type of in-ear? Thankfully, unlike you, I'm not an ignorant toolbag that throws around so many subjective, baseless claims while having no experience with the product, or any other similar products, in question. Oddly enough, there are plenty of IEMs that sound better than headphones nowadays. The Andromeda is a prime example and well loved for good reason.

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Feb 8, 2019

CptNoHandsLooking at your profile, no wonder IEMs sound like shit to you. Your amp has an output impedance of 10 ohms. That's going to make any of them sound bad as they prefer an OI under 1 ohm. Guess your attitude makes more since in context now. Your gear is to blame.

Feb 8, 2019

jaydunndidditNever said IEMs sounded bad. I said they have a hard cap in quality which you can get with any $200 - $300 pair. Also I don't use that DAC/Amp with my plugs. I will never use anything other than my cans on my PC. No point when openback cans sound way better and work well in an office environment.

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Feb 8, 2019

jaydunndidditEarbuds, earphones, kiss my arse. I generally call them plugs because they're best used to just get some peace and quiet. Any name-brand $250+ audiophile cans push better audio. I can guarantee you the general masses will agree that even the Sennheiser 6XX will slay these $900 plugs. It's no contest that cans are better than buds, just like a sound system can easily outperform cans. Put a pair of Sennheiser 700's or beyerdynamic DT 1990 on your head and compare. Like I said, buying $900 plugs would be like buying Sennheiser HE-1s. You're buying it to say you own an extremely expensive product, not for the quality. You've literally convinced yourself your purchase was justified and the product is so much better than a $300 pair because you spent so much money on them. It's a natural thing to seek self confirmation on big purchases, even if they're extremely stupid purchases. I can't blame you. I did the same thing buying my GPU. At the price I paid, I swore up and down it was a godsent product, yet it's really not and I accepted that over time.

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Feb 8, 2019

jaydunndidditAlso I never said they sounded bad, I said they aren't worth $900. No way in heaven or hell a pair of earbuds can push $900 worth of audio out of them, it's just not a possibility with current technology.

Feb 8, 2019

CptNoHandsHa, of course you wouldn't care about proper nomenclature when referring to audio gear you know nothing about, pumpkin. Just because you don't like it, doesn't change the definition of word. That's some high level cognitive dissonance right there. You also never said there was a hard cap in cost in your initial rant. Context is helpful. You also seem to be forgetting they are made out of CNC machined aluminum by hand. They are also fitted with advanced crossovers (which must be tuned and matched L/R) for the 10 drivers per ear and soldered by hand. It's mostly, a handmade and assembled item on top of having a high tier of sonic ability. They also have a nice bundle of accessories and a well sorted (very strong tensile strength) cable. Again, you must already know this from sampling them. How else would you be able to come to a conclusion on the merits of an item you have no experience with? I mean, what type of individual would spout nonsense about a manufacturer and item they have never heard? Hmm 🤔🤔🤔 Also, the 6XX are very mid-fi. And I'm being polite. They're not even that great. I am going to assume you also haven't sampled the HD 800/s or even the 700's. I've owned damn near every Sennheiser headphone and IEM except for the 660s and the 820. Admittedly, they are not a sound sig I enjoy much anymore as they lack the dynamics I get from other brands. The 800's are well build and super comfy with an absurdly large soundstage but their treble is far too aggressive stock. This is well documented and a common shared thought. They fortunately respond well to a PEQ as long as your rig/gear has that capability. But hey, you know all this already so I'm sure I'm just rehashing for you. And no, no one would agree with the 6XX besting even the K10U. Many of us here have original 650/600s as well as the 6XX/58X and sensibly agree they are good "for their cost." Superior by no means, but amongst all the other budget crap out there, they're above average. Even their pads and build quality are mediocre. The Senns have this issue with rolled off bass, being very mid centric, and nor having a large soundstage or having excellent resolution. Same with the 700's. They are quite flawed sonically although they are one of the other comfiest headphones I owned for a spell. People buy gear like this because it sounds good. I sampled the original version when they first debuted at $1,650. That isn't even that expensive when we start talking about CIEMs and some of the more exotic manufacturers who use new and proprietary tech. The same sort of thing we're seeing with planar and electrostat tech in IEMs these days. Hell, we now have IEMs that utilize BA, electrostat, and dynamic drivers. But, again I must be rehashing everything since you're hip to all the "current technology" in this space, obviously 🙄 And you constantly mentioning the HE-1 is just flatout ignorant. That's a low production item that was made to showcase the merits of the brand. It's equivalent to a Bugatti in that it was created to show the pinnacle of engineering and a VERY small amount were made for production. Your argument is so ignorant as you;re essentially saying, "Why would anyone buy a 911 when a Toyota Corolla is all the car you need?!" And with that, shows you've completely missed the point and begs the question, why are you even here in this community beyond to be negative and talk about shit you know nothing about or have experience with? If your goal was to pop-in and show your high level of ignorance then congratulations, you've shown that in spades. Because who uses an open back headphone in an office setting except an asshole that doesn't care about their tunes leaking and pestering others.

Feb 9, 2019

CptNoHandsAnd you're completely irredeemable wearing ignorance on your sleeve. If the definition of HiFI hasn't changed, then how does the 650/6XX compare to the 800/s? The HD 800 is true HiFi and the 6XX isn't. Just because you're too ignorant to understand that doesn't change the actual truth. And please, stop being stupid. Distortion above 1% is audible and the 650/6XX is above that in spots especially for 2nd order harmonics: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-s-se/hd650/ and https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf. I've never claimed to be an "audio god," just using objective science as measurements. You're just being a subjective fool that lacks any experience but thinks your opinion matters more than actual science. You're what's wrong with people. You link to an article about mid-fi, from 2011 to prove your baseless point, and it focuses on speakers. Kudos for being ignorant and still lacking the basic knowledge of objective measurements which we have plenty of. From someone that builds PC's, I would think you would care about the science of your components and not blithering idiots spouting wild subjective claims. Better yet, here's the HD 800 vs the HD 650, both of which have distortion and ringing characteristics that you seemingly don't believe exist: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-s-se/hd800/. Thankfully in this hobby, we have proof of performance not total dipshits like yourself that don't know up from down unless it's keycaps and GPU's. I don't claim to know everything but I at least know the history of this headphone and the brand, and have owned almost everything they make because I was a huge fan. Another claim you yourself can't make.

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Feb 10, 2019

CptNoHandsI know my Campfire Audio Atlas were worth every penny. To each their own.

Feb 10, 2019

TacoHerderI thoroughly enjoy mine as well. They're my dailies and still seem to get all my ear time over the Solaris. I also just picked up some Cascades after your recommendation (pretty sure it was you). 2 days in and they remind me of a closed back Lyra II. Which for me, is a good thing. Also shocked at how well built and constructed. The pictures don't do them justice. Really my only gripe is with the case and somewhat kinky cable. I wish the case was flat/slim or larger so I could fit the cloth pads in there and leave the cables attached. Minor gripes as I have to nitpick about something.

Feb 10, 2019

jaydunndidditThat's awesome! I agree with the cable, it definitely is the weakest link. I ended up snagging a new balanced cable on Massdrop and boy is it so much better. If I was forced to just own one iem and one headphone, those two would be it. Might not be cheap, but well worth it.

Dr. John Moulton (The Wizard) of Noble Audio

Feb 10, 2019

CptNoHandsI would argue now days iem's have improved so much. They sound better than headphones. No hd600 is going to give you the clarity along with clean and lively bass that doesn't get muffled. From what I have heard, the only HD series can that might compete with something like my CA Atlas is the most expensive model no one can afford. The technology is better. You should expect to pay more for a better sounding, more travel friendly, and more versatile iem. Without listening to the options you can't just make an empty claim that all $300 iem's sound just as good as $900+ iem's. I won't argue that some expensive iem's appeared to be too flat and bland for my taste. Yet there is some other classical nut or audiophile that loves those iem's because they are flat. BGVP BM6 will never compete with my Empire Ears Bravados series iem's. They may sound really good, doesn't mean they are better. The more expensive iem's are usually made of better material, better packaging(yes it matters to some), and more balanced/tuned. FiiO will never compete with 64 audio when it comes to who has the better iem. It just isn't going to happen.

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Hefe

183

Feb 12, 2019

CptNoHandsOk.... Please explain The pros and cons of balanced armature drivers compared to the "current technology" found in other portable earphones, ear plugs etc. Please list and explain how or why current technology rivals that used in balanced armature drivers and also explain what variant designs are found in balanced armature drivers along with its rivals.... Thanks in advance....

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FOBean

125

Feb 12, 2019

TacoHerderSound is subjective and I used to think that headphones were better. Until I actually bought some high-end IEM's and listened for myself. They're extremely detailed, have huge soundstage and imaging, are cheaper than headphones, easier to drive with a DAP or DAC/HP Amp, and are WAY smaller and more portable taboot. I haven't listened to my headphones in well over a year, and plan on selling them eventually. So if you prefer headphones, then stick with those. But don't say that $900 IEM's are just a waste of money and aren't worth it, until you've actually listened to them. Hell, I consider $900 IEM's a rather bargain if they're that good. My CA Andromeda IEM's we're $1,100 and worth every penny to me 😎👍🎧

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Feb 12, 2019

FOBeanI think you hit reply to the wrong person :) I agree though. And $900 is cheap compared to 64 Audio new Tia iem's.

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Dr. John Moulton (The Wizard) of Noble Audio

Feb 13, 2019

HefeYou clearly didn't read and comprehend anything I had to say. I said the technology found in modern day plugs still can't push as good as audio as a pair of cans can. Comparing a pair of $1000 plugs to a pair of $1000 cans will show there's no contest and that cans from well-known HiFi companies are better in terms of audio. Portability is the only thing the plugs have over cans, but that doesn't warrant a price hike. The price hike between highly-priced plugs such as these is unwarranted, as diminishing returns start as early as around the $300 price bracket (which is why not even a thousand people on this planet have bought these plugs). There's no point until technology advances further and companies are able to improve drivers as small as the ones inside of plugs. Not replying to this thread anymore.

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Hefe

183

Feb 13, 2019

CptNoHandsWell over a 1000 have been purchased. Considering the k10 was on the market for 2 years, taken off for two years, and then placed on the market through massdrop. The 890 sets sold by massdrop only shows the k10 universal sales through massdrop and does not include the sales numbers for CIEMs and IEMS for the first 2 years the product was in production for the general public.

Feb 13, 2019

HefeThere's no use arguing with an idiot that hasn't even used this product or any other TOTL product for that matter. @CptNoHands is an ignorant a troll from the keycap community that has done nothing more than come over here to bitch about the pricing of a product that he knows nothing about. It sounds to me that he is bitter and spent way too much money on worthless PC parts and feels the need to be a douche on the internet about his poor personal decisions.