Szabb27 , Author at Mikaik-audio

New toys Sunday #24 – Fir Audio Xenon 6

Fir Audio occupies a pretty important space in the high-end IEM market. While I haven’t been particularly impressed by some of their more recent releases, there are a few Fir Audio sets that left a very positive impression on me when I had the opportunity to spend time with them.

The Xe6, RN6 and M5 are probably the ones that stayed with me the most, each offering something rather distinctive and very much in line with what I associate with Fir Audio.

After posting my impressions of the Xe6 on Head-Fi, it became pretty clear that Fir still has plenty of fans who appreciate what the company does, and after spending more time with the Xe6, I can certainly understand why.

In my opinion, the Xe6 represents the pinnacle of the Fir Audio sound.

So, what is Xenon 6 and makes the Xe6 so special?

Fir Audio Xenon 6 — Technical Specifications

Driver configuration: 6 drivers per side
- 1 × 10mm Kinetic Bass Dynamic Driver
- 2 × OpenDriver BA for mids
- 1 × OpenDriver BA for high-mids
- 1 × OpenDriver BA for highs with Sound Reflector
- 1 × OpenDriver electrostatic driver for ultra-highs
Frequency range: 20Hz–20kHz
Impedance: 28Ω
Technology: Kinetic Bass, ATOM Venting, Open Acoustics
Fit: Universal and Custom
Universal shell: Machined stainless steel with sapphire glass faceplates
Modules: ATOM XS interchangeable modules (UIEM)
Connector: 2 Pin
Price: US$3,899

What makes Xe6 special ?! For me, it starts with the bass.

The Xe6 has one of those bass presentations that is difficult to properly describe with measurements or frequency-response graphs alone, attached a recent graph nonetheless

It is huge, deep, physical and heavily textured. This is not simply bass that you hear, but depending on the track and the seal, it is bass that you can actually feel. There is a particular physicality to the Xe6 that makes the entire presentation feel bigger and more immersive. The bass has plenty of weight and presence, it carries an impressive amount of texture As well, which prevents it from becoming just a sheer of low-frequency block.

Is a spacious, almost spherical presentation that can be incredibly soothing and immersive, which is probably where the Xe6 separates itself from many other bass-heavy sets I have heard.

One of the more interesting aspects for me is the BCD-like effect, particularly around the mid-bass and lower vocal region. It gives certain instruments and vocals an additional sense of physicality and texture, almost as if there is more information being transmitted through the shell rather than simply reproduced acoustically.

It is relatively easy to pick up on this effect with the Xe6. The stage feels grander, imaging and layering benefit from it, and the bass, especially the mid-bass, becomes more organic and integrated into the overall presentation and contributes to the character of the Xe6 rather than becoming a gimmick.

The mid-bass can occasionally become dominant enough to overlap with the lower vocal region. Depending on the recording, this can introduce a slight graininess or make the lower mids feel a little less clean than they otherwise could be.

For someone who prefers a leaner, cleaner presentation, or simply wants a bass which is bold, but it maintains a more pristine lower region, the Xe6 will probably be quite the opposite of what they are looking for.

Fir’s gold IEM is unapologetically a bass-heavy and there is no cable or source to take that mid-bass presence away.

The good news is that the bass is so well integrated into the overall character that I rarely feel it is simply there for the sake of quantity. But there are moments where I would have preferred slightly more separation between the mid-bass and lower vocals.

Chain – cable pairing, ATOM modules , source and eartips

Source, cable, tips and, perhaps most importantly, fit and seal can make a surprisingly noticeable difference with the Xenon 6. Getting the right fit is essential if you want to experience the full depth, physicality and overall presentation this set is capable of.

When it comes to cable pairing, I would also be somewhat mindful of what you choose.

Starting with the stock cable, which is easily one of the most comfortable cables I have used, it does a very good job of letting the Xenon 6 perform as intended. There is really very little to fault here, and I could easily see someone sticking with the stock cable and being perfectly happy with the result.

That said, a more serious upgrade cable can still take the Xenon 6 a few notches further, particularly when it comes to refinement, control and overall presentation.

The Xe6 already has plenty of warmth and low-end authority, so pairing it with an excessively bass-forward or warm cable can push the presentation further in a wrong direction. Ulan 8w , and. Although i love this cable, did exactly this. With a more balanced chain, I find the Xe6 easier to appreciate for what it does rather than simply for how much bass it produces. Eletech The Fifth Ode and the Plussound Copper Fusion Hybrid 6w are both very nice and i would highly recommend each with Xe6

The ATOM modules also provide some additional flexibility, allowing the tuning to be adjusted to a certain degree. They are useful, although I have to admit that changing them is somewhat fiddly. It is certainly not something I would want to do constantly depending on the music I am listening to.

Packaging and accessories

For an IEM at this level, I found the packaging somewhat underwhelming. It doesn’t really give the same impression of occasion that the Xe6 itself manages to create once you start listening, but ultimately, the packaging is probably the least important part of the experience.

Final toughs

Huge, physical and textured bass.
An expansive and immersive stage.
A surprisingly effective and pleasant BCD-like sense of physicality.
A rich and soothing presentation.
A tuning that is unmistakably Fir.

There are compromises, of course, but Xenon offers something pretty unique which i think no other IEM can. It is certainly not a “one size fits all” IEM, but if it does, it is truly unique and you will feel like you discovered something special which is difficult to replicate.

For me, after having spent time with quite a few Fir Audio sets, the Xe6 remains the one that best represents what I personally associate with the Fir sound.

New toys Sunday #22 – Cayin Edition

One of the biggest mistakes I made after getting drawn into the Head-Fi rabbit hole was not paying enough attention to the source devices I was using!

When I started getting into the hobby, I was mainly experimenting with more moderately priced gear, especially IEMs. DAPs were much more of an afterthought. Whenever I was looking for the next thing to try, most of my attention went towards the IEM itself, while the source was often treated as something that would simply “do the job”.

I know better now and I suspect that some of my dissatisfaction over the years was simply down to not having a source that was good enough to make my ears happy.

Even just a few days ago, the Watercooler community ran a small poll around source devices – the importance of the full chain when evaluating audio quality – and it was a good reminder of something I have gradually come to appreciate: the source plays a much bigger role in how we experience an IEM and ultimately the music itself than I used to give it credit for.

One of the most impressive DAPs I have owned in this regard was the N30LE, Cayin’s 30th Anniversary edition. Leaving the sound aside for a moment, which I will come back to shortly, the build quality of that thing is simply exceptional. Whether something like the EvoAria Ti or CU comes close is probably debatable, but for me, they don’t quite reach that same level.

The newest release from Cayin very clearly follows in the footsteps of its predecessor. N8iii carries quite a bit of that N30LE DNA, particularly when it comes to the ambition behind its sound and architecture, but Cayin has also made some compromises along the way, fortunately not in sound

Compared directly with the N30LE, the build and perhaps even more noticeably the packaging and accessories feel a little less extravagant. That is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, some of what made the N30LE so special was also what made it such a beast of a device and at the same time, not exactly the best all rounder.

The N30LE has a very particular architecture and, importantly, its analogue and tube implementation is a big part of its sonic identity. So much so that, even though I absolutely loved it for what it did, I eventually ended up selling it for pretty much the same reason.

As a side note , I tend to prefer bass elevated, denser and fuller lower mids with a richer overall presentation and N30LE definitely delivers on that front. It was one of those DAPs where the character of the source was always very apparent … maybe even too apparent in many cases

Before deciding to give the N8iii a chance, I also had the SP4000 for a short while, which Luc already shared his impressions of here: Mikaik Audio – Astell&Kern Edition.

The reviews, combined with a few days of listening when I had the SP4000 at home from a friend, eventually made me want to give it a try myself.

I have always liked Astell&Kern, and the SP4000 is, in my opinion, one of their best DAPs to date. It has a more potent amp section than the SP3000, a fuller yet still very much reference-oriented tuning, and, as you would expect from A&K, an outstanding level of build quality.

What made me sell it relatively quickly had very little to do with its sound performance or the lack thereof. In fact, I really liked what it did with mainly any IEM I listened to with it. The main issue for me was the battery life, combined with the fact that I felt I was missing part of the sound I knew the DAP was capable of delivering when DAR was disabled. Why would I disable DAR, you ask?! Well… mostly because I like my freedom. 😄

I don’t really want to own a DAP that needs to be hooked up to a charger on a constant basis just to get the performance I am looking for. For a portable device, battery life and being able to actually use it without constantly worrying about the next charge matter quite a bit to me.

Coming back to N8iii, and yes – the battery performance issue experienced with the SP4000 is fully addressed – I initially had a bit of a bias. I honestly expected the N8iii to be more or less “the same old thing”, just with a few new tricks and some gimmicks added here and there. To my surprise, I was wrong and I am very happy I was.

The biggest difference between the N8iii and some of the other DAPs I have owned would be that it doesn’t feel like a source that is simply trying to impose its own character on whatever IEM is connected to it. It has a character, absolutely, but there is enough resolution, control and transparency underneath it that the IEM still gets to speak for itself.

N30 LE – elegance and beauty in the flesh

Cayin N8iii – the understated newcomer

So, where does the Cayin N8iii improve on the N30LE, and what exactly has Cayin done differently this time?

Cayin N8iii vs N30LE — technical specifications:

	Cayin N8iii	Cayin N30LE
DAC	2 × AK4191EQ + 4 × AK4499EX	2 × AK4499EQ
DAC architecture	4-channel fully balanced, parallel/mono	Dual mono, 8-channel differential
Tube	2 × Korg 6P1 Nutube, 6th gen	2 × Korg 6P1 Nutube
Tube implementation	Fully balanced	Fully balanced
Tube modes	Classic / Modern	Classic / Modern
Solid-state mode	Yes	Yes
Amplifier	Fully balanced 4-channel discrete	Fully balanced discrete
Amp modes	Class A+ / Class A / Class AB	Class A / Class AB
Power modes	P / P+ + Hyper	P / P+ + Hyper
Max balanced output	1,285 mW	~1,100 mW*
Max SE output	900 mW	~500 mW*
PCM	Up to 32-bit / 768 kHz	Up to 32-bit / 768 kHz
DSD	Up to DSD512	Up to DSD512
Internal storage	256 GB	256 GB
microSD	Up to 2 TB	Up to 1 TB
RAM	8 GB	8 GB
SoC	Snapdragon 665	Snapdragon 665
OS	Customized Android	Customized Android 12
Display	6″ FHD	6″ 2160×1080
Battery	13,500 mAh	12,570 mAh
Weight	~580 g	~650 g
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Wi-Fi	Dual-band	2.4/5 GHz
3.5 mm	SE / LO / PO	Dedicated SE PO + shared LO/PO
4.4 mm	Balanced / LO / PO	Dedicated balanced PO + shared LO/PO
Digital out	USB / S/PDIF / I²S	USB / S/PDIF / I²S
Launch price	$3,999	$4,999
Production	Limited to 500	Limited to 300

The connectivity is also very well thought out, and pretty much everything I could want from a DAP is here:

3.5 mm PO — single-ended headphone output
4.4 mm PO — balanced headphone output
3.5 mm LO / Pre-Out — single-ended analogue output
4.4 mm LO / Pre-Out — balanced analogue output
USB-C — charging, data, USB Audio, and digital output
I²S — digital output
microSD — music storage
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity

The N8iii has quite a few tuning options, which is obviously a good thing, although I generally prefer a more “one and done” approach rather than constantly tinkering with sound settings. This is also one area where the N8iii genuinely surprised me. I have never really been a tube guy, and I always thought a good quality solid-state implementation was all I needed. Well… apparently not.

Cayin has managed to improve the N8iii in quite a few areas compared to it’s predecessor and the DAPs solid-state performance is definitely one of them.

With the N30LE, the presentation was so full and authoritative that I often had the feeling that every IEM sounded good with it. Not necessarily because every set was actually better, but because the flavour the N30LE injected into the sound was so strong that, at times, the DAP and the IEM almost started to blend together. It became harder to tell which qualities were coming from the IEM and which were coming from the source.

With the N8iii, Cayin manages to retain that musicality while pushing the resolution and detail further. There is excellent clarity, plenty of detail, powerful and well controlled bass, very good treble extension, and the mids have a really nice quality to them with a touch of warmth. It is one of those presentations where I can simply listen and enjoy the music rather than thinking about what the DAP is doing.

The stage is already impressive in solid state, but this is where the tube modes add another layer to the presentation. Everything seems to open up a little more, with more width, depth and overall atmosphere. The mids, in particular, become a little less weighty and more transparent. Maybe this is what people mean by “tube magic”.

On the N8iii in Tube Timbre Classic, while the overall presentation becomes denser, the mids themselves feel a little less weighty and more transparent to me. It’s as if the additional tube density comes more from the space and atmosphere around the notes rather than simply adding more body to the mids. The trade-off is that the bass loses some of its grip, punch and authority compared with solid-state, becoming softer and slightly more diffuse.

“Diffuse” is probably the best word I can think of to describe the difference I hear when switching from SS to tubes. It is not necessarily worse, just different. Everything becomes a little more relaxed and spread out.

Tube Timbre Modern is probably the middle ground for me. It keeps some of the density and spaciousness of Classic, while retaining more of the control and punch of solid state.

So, in very simple terms:

Solid-state: tighter, punchier, cleaner, more dynamic, with excellent bass authority and a special sense of density.

Tube – Classic: richer, wider, more spacious and atmospheric, but slightly softer and more diffuse, particularly in the bass.

Tube – Modern: somewhere in between.

Interestingly, I have actually started to enjoy tubes more since getting the N8iii. That wider stage and rich, three-dimensional, atmospheric presentation can be quite addictive, especially considering that the trade-offs are relatively small for what you gain in return.

Solid state remains the more technically precise option, with greater bass authority and a more controlled presentation. On the other hand, the tube modes bring something that SS simply doesn’t have: a more expansive stage, greater atmosphere and that little bit of “tube magic” we all love.

Having the ability to switch between the two with the press of a “button” is simply fantastic. It gives the N8iii a level of versatility that few DAPs can match, and, to me, it is also a great demonstration of Cayin’s experience and the amount of work that went into creating a device like the N8iii.

New Toys Sunday #21 – Grand Oriveti Eminency

A good few months ago, I was a proud owner of Oriveti’s first real dip into the high-end market, the Grand Oriveti Supremacy, which launched around the beginning of 2025 at an asking price of $1,999.

Almost two years later, Oriveti decided that all the work invested into the Supremacy was worth a follow-up and here we are just after the official release of another beautiful set from Grand Oriveti, this time in the form of the Eminency.

Eminency maintains the beautiful shell design of the Supremacy and, if that is even possible, takes the shell design a step further.

So, what is the Grand Oriveti Eminency?

A beautifully crafted, tri-brid IEM, now at a considerably lower asking price compared to the Supremacy , at $1,299. Price is one of the biggest surprises Eminency came with , a very pleasant one for sure. One can rarely see any company decreasing prices for newer products , especially if those products come with new technology and work being invested in making them better along the line.

Driver configuration: 4 Planar + 8 BA + 1 DD (tri-brid · 13 Drivers per side), featuring:

10mm complex dynamic driver — composed, full-bodied low end
8 custom balanced armature drivers — rich midrange and refined high frequencies
4 planar drivers — precise, low-distortion mid-treble resolution
Stabilized wood shell — every unit a unique acoustic fingerprint
Grand Affinity Cable: OCC copper + silver-plated OCC with 4.4mm balanced plug
Two genuine leather carrying cases — compact and 4-partition travel

Further technical specifications:

Impedance: 11 Ω
Sensitivity: 109 ±3 dB/mW @ 1kHz
Frequency response range: 5 – 50000Hz
THD: 0.08%
Cable: Grand Affinity — OCC + Silver-plated
Connector: 0.78mm 2pin Connector
Cases included: 2 × Genuine Leather
Price: US$1,299

I bought the Eminency completely blind, without knowing anything about it´s tuning philosophy, driver config or even packaging. The only thing I knew was, I liked Supremacy, and was hoping Eminency will maintain the legacy and eventually even further elevate what Supremacy came with.

To my surprise, and I certainly cannot fault Oriveti for this, they didn’t really change anything when it comes to the packaging: same cable, same high-end leather carry-case and larger leather box which could fit the IEM as well as a DAP. The changes seems to come where it matters most: the IEMs themselves, with improved internals and an even more beautiful shell design, upgraded wood material with a more interesting color pattern and a tuning that appears to target a somewhat different audience.

The Supremacy was a 1DD + 4BA + 4EST configuration, whereas Eminency moves to a 1DD + 8BA + 4 micro-planar setup.

So, how does Eminency actually sound and who is it for?

In short, I would describe it as a vocal-forward, slightly bass-shy set, with excellent highs and a capable technical performance

What Oriveti is advertising , are 3 main aspects on which Eminency´s tuning is built on: authority, texture and depth

Quoting from Oriveti homepage, “The Eminency does not announce itself. It draws you in — and the further you go, the more you find. Thirteen drivers, one intention: to reveal the music as it was made.”

I somewhat agree with this and in my opinion Eminency has a clean and rather vocal-forward presentation, with a particular focus on the upper mids favoring female vocals. This gives Eminency a very transparent and expressive character, especially for well-recorded female vocals. What I hear is actually not too far from what Oriveti themselves claim.

Bass is probably where I find it falling a little short in my book. The sub-bass is somewhat rolled-off, while the bass itself is more about being clean, fast and controlled than particularly engaging or physical. It is certainly not a slow or bloated presentation, but if you are looking for that deep, visceral bass impact, Eminency probably isn’t the set I would reach for.

This character also carries somewhat into the lower vocal region. Male vocals in particular can come across a little leaner and less weighted than I would personally prefer, lacking some of that chesty fullness and density that can make vocals more engaging.

This cleaner bass response gives Eminency a very controlled and composed presentation. Nothing feels bloated or sluggish, and the overall sound is precise and clean. It is more of a refined and technically capable presentation than one that tries to impress with sheer bass impact or warmth, which I prefer overall.

The highs are another real highlight for me. They are fast, clean and highly resolving, without sounding splashy. It is probably the best implementation of micro-planar highs I have had the opportunity to hear so far. Eminency brings plenty of details and energy to the presentation, while maintaining a very clean character. Eminency has a rather distinctive tuning. It combines a full and vocal-forward presentation with a relatively restrained bass response and exceptionally well-executed highs. It is not necessarily a set I would pick for its bass performance, but there is plenty to appreciate in the way it handles vocals, treble and overall technical performance.

Before closing, and to give you some perspective, I would like to quickly compare Eminency with Virtus Audio APEX

Other than the very similar asking price , these 2 sets cannot be more different from each other than they are.

You can find plenty of details about Eminency above, but what about Virtus Audio APEX ?!

Apex is a 2DD set with a smaller shell and a more understated design. The 2DD driver config might give the impression that there is not much going on with APEX from a technical point of view, but you would be surprised.

Co-axial driver configuration
Tubeless “Venturi” canal
Acoustic tangent waveguard
Helmholtz resonator

If this made you curious, read my friends full review of APEX here: https://mikaik-audio.com/virtus-audio-apex-review/

How do the 2 compare when it comes to sound:

Eminency: cleaner, more vocal-focused, leaner bass with a seemingly faster decay, excellent micro-planar treble, particularly strong with female vocals.
Apex: considerably fuller and more physical, deeper and more textured bass, richer lower mids, stronger male vocals, more note weight and a more organic presentation.

Eminency’s strength: precision, cleanliness, vocal focus and overall technicalities.
Apex’s strength: texture, note weight, bass quality, lower-mid richness and musicality.

If I had to put it into one sentence: Eminency is more about cleanliness and precision, while Apex is more about weight, texture and musical engagement.

Midweek madness with B&O Beoplay H100 “Untethered madness” edition

Probably the first Bluetooth headphones I’ve tried lately that actually sound good … good enough that I don’t feel the need to switch to IEMs and a DAP.

Bang & Olufsen took a pretty interesting approach with the Beoplay H100, especially codecs wise, as the only ones available are SBC and AAC. That alone tells me how little codecs sometimes matter, and how much difference a proper implementation can make.

I owned the Beoplay H95 (it’s predecessor) a while back and that was already a high-quality pair of bluetooth headphones, both in build and sound, but what about H100

Getting rid of the obvious. The Beoplay H100 is a luxury product and, priced at 1700€, with an impressive build quality, packaging and sound

What’s in the box:

Beoplay H100 Headphones
Leder carry case
Fabric USB-C-zu-USB-C-Kabel, 1,25 m
Fabric USB-C-zu-3,5-mm-Audio cabel, 1,25 m
Paperwork

Features:

Advanced Sound Features
Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation
(Total: 10 microphones 2 dedicated Mics for ANC/Transparency function Wind Guard)
True Transparency™
34 hours battery life

Driver Type & Size

Electro-dynamic Titanium Driver, 40 mm diameter
Frequency Range
10–20,000 Hz
10–40,000 Hz (hi-res mode)
Customizable Sound EQ
Presets available and fully customisable through the Bang & Olufsen App
Earsense

After it’s predecessor , H100 takes things a clear step further (imo). I’d describe them as rich, neutral-warm tuned with a detailed, enjoyable presentation that prioritizes musicality, engagement rather than pure technical performance. To be expected, especially for a wireless HP

One minor downside is the app’s integrated EQ. They used the same approach as for every previous Beoplay HP I used in the past. It’s not a traditional * band equalizer, but rather more of a “wheel” with a dot in the middle which can be moved from the center to the sides, tuning the sound towards being warm / energetic / bright / relaxed.

The presets are usable and well thought out, though I’ve mostly stuck with the default tuning, which is just right for my ears out of the box.

They’re very expensive, and arguably too expensive, but the sound quality is top-notch.

Beyond the audio, the build quality is stunning, with many parts being removable and replaceable (including the real leather ear cups and headband). Modularity is the word and is clear that B&O did not only want to create a good sounding product, but they did all they can to make it long lasting and durable

Last but not least, the microphones are good, though not quite on par with the overall sound quality. I use them for work calls, and the feedback I get is that my voice sounds natural and that they handle standard background noise effectively. My voice comes across as slightly distant, but not excessively so.

When I’m out and about, the ANC shifts a little, and my footsteps transmit through the ear pads slightly more than they do with headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony XM6.

Midweek madness with Canpur CP752B – “new blood” edition

Let me start with mentioning that is a pleasure and an honor to be a co-writer on this blog.

We were chatting on the watercooler with the boys about “what is a good all-rounder set” ?

The question to me should have been rather , what do we even mean when we say “all-rounder” , “reference” ?!

For me, a good “all-rounder” is an IEM that plays any type of music at a high standard and doing this, it doesn’t need to be boring.

In my book, tuning and creating a good “all-rounder” that comes just shy of being the best at everything is not an easy job and I think it’s actually harder than creating a specialist set which shines in some particular aspects, but not in most or all.

The newest set I had the pleasure to own is Canpur CP752B. Canpur´s TOTL is a 14-driver configuration , 7-way crossover, multi kilobuck IEM which plays at the upper echelon of summit-fi with a masterful tuning and sound quality.

The model name, CP752B, refers to the driver config, which consists of 7BA drivers, 4EST + 1PMD drivers, and 2BCD drivers – follows a similar naming convention as Canpur´s other models: CP54E, CP74E, CP622B

Driver config and technical details:

Canpur seems to have a close collaboration with Sonion and is the first IEM to ever use their new G90 mid-high frequency BA drivers

2 BAs: Sonion 38D2XJ007Mi-8c
1 Knowles: 32873 (for bass)
2 Dual Sonion: G9ODA016/9 (for mids / highs)
2 Sonion: ESODTO005/D
4 ESTs: Sonion EST650B02
1 Planarmagnetic: CP-PM-015
2 BCDs: Sonion 37AAX007/A
Further technical details on Canpur´s homepage

The packaging is quite impressive, though I’m less enthusiastic about the included cable. It is comfortable and ergonomic, but it falls short (only a little bit) in sound quality, and the 752B deserves something better to fully showcase what it’s capable of.

The shell design is rather understated, and the form factor feels slightly improved compared with Canpur’s previous TOTL model, the 622B.

Sound and a few notes about comparing CP752B with Storm and UM Pentara

Why Storm and UM Pentara?

They are direct peers in the ultra/summit-fi IEM category, priced roughly in the same price range with a complex multi-driver hybrid configuration , top of the line technical performance and a similar tuning philosophy.

The CP752B ranks among the very best all-rounder IEMs available today.

That doesn’t make it safe or boring, quite the opposite. It carries just the right amount of “color” to keep the listener engaged and focused.

The bass and especially the mids have a slight warm coloration that makes the presentation inviting rather than clinical. Although it is a highly technical set, it never forces you to dissect every note, instead it simply lets you sit back and enjoy the music.

The stage is probably the star of the show. While the 752B pours detail into your ears, its spatial presentation is what truly steals my heart. It places the music in a 3D, amphitheater-like venue with large, well-defined images and spectacular layering.

I would risk saying this is largely thanks to the BCD drivers, which, when implemented well, can work magic in creating a truly holographic stage.

Outside of Canpur, only a handful of brands manage this level of BCD performance. The two that come to mind are Mysticraft and Unique Melody (especially the Mason series from UM).

The bass was one of the pleasant surprises when I first tried the 752B in London a few weeks ago and outperformed basically all other sets I tried employing BA bass. It delivers a deeply textured sub-bass rumble paired with fast, punchy mid-bass. On Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise”, the low end provides a solid, natural foundation, so convincing that it’s hard to believe you’re listening to BA drivers rather than a high-quality DD, even though the low end relies primarily on BAs (with the BCD also contributing to the mids and lows). Tt does an excellent job of replicating the natural texture and atmospheric reverb , fullness normally associated with good DD drivers.

Compared with the UM Pentara, the 2DD configuration produces a slightly more nimble, elastic, and organic bass – nothing outperforms DD imo , but things can get close and BAs have their own clear advantages.

The 752B is faster and leans more toward a technical presentation.

Switching to the Storm, bass presence is reduced just a little. Tactile and fast, but the mid-bass in particular becomes less “ever-present”.

The midrange is transparent and highly resolving, yet carries a gentle hint of warmth. Quite lovely, I have to add.

On Tarja Turunen’s “Anteroom of Death,” vocals come through impressively clear, articulate, and natural. The midrange and mid-bass area share the same warm coloration, giving the overall signature a subtle U-shaped (or perhaps V-shaped) tilt that remains inviting and engaging.

Mids sit slightly forward while the bass provides a stable “ground floor” beneath them.

Storm’s mids are a touch airier , placed deeper in the large stage presented by the GOAT , and slightly more recessed by comparison. The difference in spatial presentation isn’t huge, but it’s easily audible.

On David Gilmour’s “A Pocketful of Stones,” the Storm renders his voice with remarkable clarity and an enveloping quality.

Switching to the CP752B provides with a different experience: the stage contracts a little and the voice becomes less enveloping, yet warmer and more engaging.

It would not be an easy job choosing between the two when we are talking about vocals – one is warmer and engaging, the other presents voices better in space and has an edge in clarity.

752B’s treble is highly extended and airy, offering exceptional clarity and sparkle while remaining smooth at all times. From memory (I no longer have the 622B for a direct comparison), the 752B’s high end is smoother and carries slightly more body.

In comparison, the Pentara is airier, clearer, and more incisive.

Storm sits closer in tonality to the Pentara but elevates detail just a fraction further. All three sets are highly detailed and technical, yet the Storm extracts an extra tiny bit of information that can feel missing on the Pentara or CP752B. Cymbal edges, for instance, carry a little more air, like a subtle hue only visible through special glasses, which Storm equips the listener with.