64 Audio - U18s

64audio u18s, it's quite hard to find warm but technical iem

After moving to IEM from Apple AIrpods… true i cant go back to AirPods except for quick phone calls. Mine is 64 Audio U18S as everyday carry.

Over the past few days, I did some auditioning of several earphones. As a reference, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 : to check the state where many instruments are sounding simultaneously from the lowest to the highest notes. (It is a scene where a choir of about 150 people and an orchestra of about 120 people, plus an organ playing the lowest notes and exploding metallic percussion, are sounding at ffff.) Robert Glasper : to check modern resolution and bass recording. Cornelius : to check sound images that are filled with fine, sparkly sounds like pointillism. (Where minute sounds are scattered in the space, flying around left, right, front, and back with panning and effects.) James Blake : for checking vocals and sub-bass. My orchestral studio recordings. This experience is completely my subjectivity and is a result suited to my ears and needs, so there are no specific claims. It would be helpful if you could keep that in mind. The earphones I tried were: Ultimate Ears / UE Reference Remastered Plus Pro, UE LIVE, UE Premiere 64 Audio / U18s, U18t, U12t ZiiGaat / Luna Etymotic / ER4SR And so on. Writing my impressions one by one would become too long, so I will omit that, but simply summarized, it was like this: UE Reference Remastered Plus Pro The volume difference between instruments, positioning of each instrument, localization, and layering are understood quite well. Especially with my self-made recordings, the materials of the recording itself and the not-good parts of the mix are easy to understand. However, a very big problem—which I suppose is a problem of having 3 drivers—is that there is no separation of instruments. The sound comes heard gathered together in highs, mids, and lows, and in parts where many instruments ring, it was saturated. I thought it might be quite good for mixing with a small number of instruments. UE LIVE, UE Premiere Information of many sounds comes in indiscriminately. The tuning is not neutral at all. A sensation that the sound is raging. And a "clumped" sensation (dumpling-like feeling). My own recordings somehow sound good. It was not for mixing purposes. 64 Audio / U18s, U18t, U12t U18t The resolution was amazing. It is transparency. And the airiness. It is an image where things like particles are visible. However, the sound changes quite a bit depending on the impedance and the environment of the playback device. And the bass is quite quiet, so I predicted that if I perform mixing with this, there is a possibility that the mix will become boomy. I thought that if it is a fixed, high-quality, stable playback environment where the characteristics are firmly understood, this would be the best. U18s Overall, the mids are lifted a little, and it was a sensation that the highs are rolled off. As a result, the resolution and transparency that were in the 18t were lost, and instead, it was a feeling of putting out a musical ringing and stable mids and lows. Also, the connection between sounds is mellow and—shall I say—silky... Because of that, it is very easy to listen to, but I felt that the separation of sound is lost. I felt it would be easy to use as a stage monitor. But not for mixing. U12t This one fit me the best. Not to the extent of the 18t, but I felt the balance of resolution, transparency, separation, localization, grasp of depth, etc., was very good. Also, even when I performed playback tests from several devices, there was no change in the sound the most. (I use earphones and headphones in diverse environments, from smartphones to laptops, studio earphone amps to DACs, and various types of audio interfaces.) Etymotic / ER4SR It was the flattest among what I heard. Flat to anywhere. However, the sound field was quite narrow, and the placement of the orchestra was hard to see. ZiiGaat / Luna It was quite good. It was a sensation like a lower-compatible version (lite version) of the U12t. A common point regarding the problems of the ER4SR and UE Reference Remastered Plus Pro was that I somehow understood that ones with few drivers do not match my use. Of course, there are probably many good things even for single drivers, but this is regarding my hearing. Also, the IE900 did not have the flatness I imagined; the bass and treble were lifted, and I felt it is for listening, not a monitor. Sony / IER-M9 Alclair / Electro Six Driver FiR Audio / Xenon 6 I wanted to try these, but I did not have the opportunity.

I tried multiple 64 Audio IEMs at the February CanJam in NYC (my first) when I was looking for IEMs. I spoke with the 64 Audio guy at the table and talked a bit about the various models. He gave some impressions of the u4 (excellent) and u18 (great for an analytic presentation), but said the u12t was his personal preference. That recommendation came before I actually tried them, so it wasn't just reinforcing what I already said. After trying multiple 64A IEMs, I agreed that the u12t sounded the best. All of them sounded great, but the u12t was the winner. They fit reasonably well in my ear with the smallest tips in the little sample box the 64A guy gave me, which was a bonus as I have issues with IEM fit. Ultimately, and with the extra motivation of a discount at the show, I ordered the a12t customs. They were very picky about the molds, which I do appreciate. I had to have them done three times before they were satisfied with the pictures I sent. It was for the best. When they say "custom", they are not kidding. The fit is *perfect*. There are no tips to worry about. The seal is perfect, and the sound is fantastic. To compare and contrast your environment, my main headphones are the Focal Clear MG, and for room listening I use the Revel 126Be or 228Be. I've had maybe 20 hours with the IEMs so far, mostly with ambient, electronic, classical, and some jazz fusion. Everything I put through them sounds good, provided it's a reasonably well done master. EDIT: I should add that I tried a lot of IEMs at the show, not just the 64A stuff, across the spectrum of pricing.

I didn't try the Nio. I did try the u18, but to be honest I didn't hear that much of a difference. It may have been a bit more treble. I'm happy with my choice. I went in wanting the IEMs I liked the most, whether they were $50 or $3000. In the end, the u12t were what I liked and I'm happy with my choice. If I had bought the u12t at the show, I'm not so sure. I think I would try to sell the u12t if I were going to go custom. I don't really go in to collect audio gear. I want whatever I get to be what I reach for when I want to listen. In your case, I would consider picking up some different tips and try to get the best fit possible before buying a whole new IEM, unless you have a buyer ready to give you a reasonable price for the ones you have.

Still outstanding. In terms of isolation, they aren't noise cancelling obviously, but they do a great job of limiting outside noise. I haven't used them in any particularly loud environments, but I get a feeling of separation (from the surrounding environment) while still being able to hear something if I need to. While music is playing, though, the outside world may as well not exist. No issues with sweat. The fit and comfort is excellent, though after a while I do feel like I need to pull them out for a few. The fit is exact. I experience that with any IEM, however, and to be honest I like a bit of a rest no matter what I put on/in my ears. One weird thing is talking. I use them sometimes playing games when I don't want to put my full headphones on. If I'm in a game and, say, also in voice chat, the the seal amplifies my own voice substantially and it sounds kind of weird. Again, same with any IEM. Overall, still no regrets whatsoever, and I feel no motivation/interest at all in looking at other options. Definitely feels like a one and done for me.

That’s 64 audio’s whole thing. They built a port with filters into their iems. Essentially acts like having a molded earplug with set db filters (believe they have 12, 15, 20, and solid) that passes signal through it.

If you don't practice with IEMs, it would be better to not play with them either. The difference in volume perception, cue mix, and dealing with human interactions is pretty significant compared to the relative ease of sliding down your 'phones. Side note: most people see the visual cue of 'headphones on' and hold back on coming up to the booth - not so with IEMs. They just don't see them! I'm fortunate to have universal ear holes ?!!! so my set of 64Audio are great. Tried the Sennheiser HD-25 and they're good, also but actually did hurt my ears after a long gig. They also seemed to be tuned to clip certain frequencies but that could have just been my perception, Found that the bass was almost always too rich, when I really needed the mids to be in my sweet spot. The other gotcha with wearing IEMs, whether you get a custom fit or get away with the universal fits, is that you have to absolutely know, trust and believe in your FOH music management. You obviously don't need a booming booth monitor but if you're also controlling your own FOH on the fly, IEMs are not good for keeping your overall volume balanced. If you have to manage your own sound, I wouldn't trust my IEMs to not get in the way.