Meze's Rai Penta put a pair of Harbeths in your pocket!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2020
- This video sponsored by dCS: www.dcsltd.co.uk/
Camera: Olaf von Voss | Editor: John Darko | Motion graphics: João Comazzi
Meze's flagship IEM sounds markedly different from other flagship IEMs. Viva variety!
Meze Rai Penta (€1099):
mezeaudio.com/products/rai-penta
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Also featured in this video…
Campfire Audio Polaris II (US$499)
Campfire Audio Andromeda (US$1099)
Campfire Audio Solaris (US$1499):
darko.audio/2020/01/a-short-f...
LG V40:
darko.audio/2019/10/a-journey...
AudioQuest DragonFly Red (€199):
darko.audio/2016/04/audioques...
iBasso DC-01 and DC-02 (€50 each):
darko.audio/2019/08/the-dap-d...
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Music playlists…
Spotify:
open.spotify.com/playlist/0GM...
Tidal:
tidal.com/browse/playlist/29b...
Qobuz:
open.qobuz.com/playlist/2738824
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Americans get a special version of the aluminium....I'm in stitches!
In stiches? how, that sounds really uncomfortable
@@iaxable Your pretence of incomprehension is just a bit obvious. Either that or WHOOOOOSH!
... called ullumunum.
Ohhhh my God! I was waiting for this review by you for like ages!!
Thank you very much!
The speaker analogies are incredibly helpful. Nice idea!
Your videos always a bright part of my day. Thanks!
I really appreciated the ending thought; about how flagship and ‘best’ is more often than not different in sound and philosophy.
Best reviewer in the game! Production value and content. Love the interspersed music recommendations!
Hi JD, i fell in love with the look of those polaris 2's, and you're last video's praise (and others) so i crumbled and ordered them! Keep up the great videos!
“Americans get a special version of aluminium called aluminum.” 🤣
Superb effects and production as usual. Oh, a good review too.
Excellent descriptions of the different headphones. Love your work, John. Thank you. Roger in Wisconsin
This was just awesome video. Lots of music and funner ☕️ segment
Thanks for the music rec's !
Totally agree John; as a Rai Penta owner for about a year, you have summed up what I have learned and felt about them completely!
Lee, since you have owned them for a while, do you know if you can make phone calls when using them with an iPhone?
@@miguelplaza327 you'll need a cable with an in line mic for that, otherwise you'll be using the mic through your phone
John you are a legend... great review as always, keep up good work.
“Enough philosophizing” no, we want more of it. I agreed with your take about the absolute sound and would love to hear more commentary about that and other more general topics.
Great, as always.
Alright!! Coffee and IEMS at John’s place! 😎
Fantastic video! John, I’ve been a bit obsessed with IEM’s lately, especially after upgrading my Campfire IO’s to the Atlas’s. Now I’m getting a sense of just how good IEMS can be. 😊🎶
Thanks again. Love to try the Penta’s.
Fantastic review. Thank you
As always very informative and well presented. Glad we here in America are getting the special "aluminum".🤣🤣Again thanks for sharing your thoughts and impressions 👍👍
I really enjoy your vids!!!
I owned the Solaris & Andromeda & currently own the Rai Penta... This review is spot on. Very well done!
Cheers John! Since listening to this video's playlist I have been hooked on Craig Finn. Picked up a signed record of 'I Need a New War.' Getting stoked on new music is what being an audiophile is about.
Thank you for introducing "Kaputt", I adore this album!
Great video John. Very excited to see your thoughts reg. IEM cable, fit, comfort, ambient noise isolation etc.
Yup, the coffee was a terrible pour. Such are the impracticalities of filming the pour process under time constraints and having it go cold between pour and 'serve'.
Could be the source rather than the downstream implementation!
Mmmm, funny but I was thinking that exact same thing as I watched that clip - then I thought to myself, hey maybe that’s the way he likes it (Ha, ha)
Glad you covered this. I was worried I’d have a sleepless night. Phew.
John, I really appreciate the finer use of language you employ which really resonates with your global audience, keep up the good work!! I recently came across Audiofly IEMs, would be great of you could could get your hands on a set or two from this Australian company and benchmark against Campfire/your other IEMs.
Nice to hear Antonio Meze's confirmation of a comment I made in the Campfire IEM comparo about the need for more low end when IEMS are used outdoors or in higher ambient noise environments. One of the challenges when it comes to reading or watching reviews is having a frame of reference so your use of specific music and hardware helps to establish a point of comparison. But ideally for anyone who is not experienced with high end audio it really helps to find a friendly hifi dealer or a friend with high end gear to at least get a sense of what it sounds like.
Another little gem of a film.
Great review as always John.
I’m enjoying the DCA Aeon 2s, wonderfully easy to travel with. Have been looking for a complementary set of IEMs, these may just do the trick.
Cheers from California
Sehr hilfreich, danke. Have a nice Sunday.
John, audiophiles have been funneled into what music they should be listening to by the media, stores and other audiophiles until it is a vicious circle of stagnation. You have opened the eyes and ears of your viewers to a different world of listening. Instead of a cookie cutter idealistic mentality of what people are told they must listen to, you have opened a hole in the universal fabric that some would not even consider. I am glad because people need to broaden themselves and try things they would not ordinarily do and open their minds to this. I’m an old guy. I grew up listening to many kinds of music. Most people I have spoken with have a narrow band, if you will, of genres they listen to. I am glad that you are opening up your audience to exploring other music they may not otherwise try. In the streaming realm, there is no obligation to keep what one doesn’t want. This streaming world is flexible in that! Bravo John!
Sweet. Kaputt is very nice 👍🏻
I am really expanding my already eclectic library 🤓
Probably due to the new Klipsch on my work desk 😁
Thanks John
Thank u for reminding me about Robert Leiner. I had that album back in like '96 and it was stolen in '99 and I forgot all about it.
Damn, I thought they were wireless when I saw the thumbnail. Too good to be true. They're still IEMs to die for though.
prolétaire just put a BT 5.0 MMCX cable on them.
Oh man, that Robert Leiner is so good! Can't believe I've never heard that before. Solid recommendation. Released in 93 as well! Sounds way ahead of it's time to me.
Introducing track: Midwest Diner, by Frook from the album Insider Lines, 2019, Epidemic Sound, also available as casette!
Great review! There is a second 2-disc Apollo compilation, "Apollo 2: The Divine Compilation" which has some nice tracks - including one from Robert Leiner. It continues with the cheezy cover art theme from the first set.
Really cool that they are using acoustic tuning. A lot of earphones are just dynamic drivers in tubes. The first time I saw acoustic tuning was on an Etymotic MC5.
About 10 x listenings in of Kaputt by Destroyer since the last vid. Great tip, thanks you for that and also these awesome videos with very authentic comments and opinions. Love it! Best regards from Australia!
The new album is great too
I remember that Positiva compilation. It had a couple tracks I couldn't get otherwise, but too many overlaps with stuff I had. It was a great snapshot compilation.
Another excellent review, John. I’d love a review of 64 Audio gear.
Thank you!
Thanks for the new music! More of that in the future? Nice manicure :)
Momus?! Momus! You got me!!! Great mention
My son told me tonight that he likes Destroyer which I moved to my playlist having seen your precious video!
I'd recommend using a short extension cable to trigger the aux mode for more power out of the V40, and then plug in the earphones. It can make quite a difference.
Things under 50 ohms keep the LGs at their weakest power output. I recommend the LG Hifi Status app to see what you're getting.
A great review,I did enjoy Holovr-Anterior Space,great music.Thank you.
You’ll have your own tv show on mtv soon - top class
13:43 Excavating! 😳 Think you mean evacuating. The former is something else entirely 😬 Nice video btw 👍
It appears my job may be changing in the near future and I'll be flying quite a bit. For years, I've used pair of Sony WH1000XM2s for flights. But, now that I have a Dragonfly Cobalt and a Pair of Quad ERA-1s, the Sony's won't cut it anymore. And, I'm sure my neighbors won't appreciate the open back Quads on the plane. So, some high quality in-ears are on my RADAR. Thanks for another great review.
i don't have much experience with audio equipment yet, i have a couple sets of headphones, the 99 classic and an aeon 2 and the rai solo. i LOVE meze's soundstage and feel. tempted to get the penta. i wonder if an ifi gryphon with bass boost on would go nuts with these.
I'm so curious to try one of these IEMs, although I'm a fan of over the ears big 🎧 . 👍
*Highly* rate that Positiva album if anyone’s wanting to embark on an introduction to Ambient music :)
Pity we can’t get the special version of aluminium in UK 😋 Great vid again John, Sunday morning coffee would be the same without one 👍
I for one appreciate the sarcasm :)
I have had Solaris Amdros Polaris and Shure SE946s . The Rai Pentas are so much more listenable than all of the others. The Solaris were just too much like being forced to eat a whole can of evaporated milk. The Andros were the best sounding but I could only stand them for half an hour comfort wise. The Pentas seem like ones that you forget you are wearing, which for me is the thing that never gets talked about. I used the SE535s for years and they were like a lovely girl/boyfriend but when I changed to the 846s, it felt like going out with a porn star. I thought the Polaris were okay. Anyway I will keep the Pentas as my main iems for some time I think. They also have brilliant separation of instruments. Using with Sony NW WM1Z
When you evaluate the LG as a source do you pay attention to the gain mode that the headphone triggers?
(A 50 ohms or more triggers high gain and utilizes the dac inside to a fuller extent) @John Darko
Bring on those genelecs!
Pro tip...use a narrow bore tip to retain more bass slam.
I just listened to Vortex Special Request track 2 SP4NN3R3D on my Sony MDR-Z7 and there was so much bass, with so much intensity that I had to take a break. lol, It was wow levels of BASS.
I want this album johnny boy!
Interesting comments about the red versus cobalt: I find the red more relaxed and bass heavy and is currently in my hifi system. The cobalt is more forward and precise which complements my budget AKG 450s.....
Really liking the speaker comparisons. For some time I've been trying to find a headphone, over ear or IEM, that shares qualities with my Dynaudio Special 40s. To my ear with my Naim DAC, I'm looking for fast highs, nicely textured mids, tight and authoritative lows and neutral overal presentation. Thoughts appreciated!
This the one I've been waiting for you to reveal
ACCESSORIES
• MMCX braided cables made of silver plated copper
custom wires ending in high quality 3.5mm
• Hard Case: protective EVA case with Meze Audio metal logo
• 4 pairs of soft silicone eartips XS, S, M, L
• 1 double flanged eartips
• 2 deep insertion double flanged eartips
• 1 pair of comply foam eartips
• 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter
• airplane 2 pin adapter
• cleaning tool
UPGRADE CABLES
MMCX braided cables made of silver plated copper
custom wires ending in balanced 2.5 mm TRRS balanced
and 4.4 balanced as extra accessories sold separately.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Driver: PENTA-HYBRID DRIVER
(4 x Customized Balanced Armature and 1 x Dynamic
Driver working harmoniously together)
Frequency Range: 4Hz - 45kHz
Impedance: 20Ω
Sensitivity: 110dB SPL/1mW Sensitivity
Max Input Power: 30mW
Distortion:
I've olny got lil'bear B4-X,audioquest qobalt maybe in the next 4 months LOL, but all this amzing IEM Definitely need a bloody good records, even solaris sound cheap if your files sucks, hope your channels grow even better, good bless you
Great video very informative John.a couple of questions, what would you recommend around the 500 dollar price tag? Did you try the Rai Penta with any prog rock which is my preferred genre.
Those Fitears hopefully go lower than the Dirty Weekends?
One of the things I like about my JH Audio Lola is that it goes lower than most speakers... Took a year to find something with a similar amount of extension.
Thanks for the music tips John! I associated Positiva with trance but will definitely give your recommendations a listen. :) A special version of aluminium called aluminum. Gold.
"I don't measure gear. I will never measure gear".
Amen! 👍👍
As a romanian myself it's nice to finally see autochthonous HiFi hit the global market . If you're using tidal on Android I have to point you towards UAPP as a mobile tidal client solution. it works especially wonderful with LG phones, and you can make the BT connection use the custom audio driver; it's quite wonderful
Works very well via Earmen Sparrow in balanced config..
Empire ears Valkyrie next !!
aw man love your taste in music can you do a video on some music you like and the story behind why they are cool.
The English (or maybe just John) get a special version of this IEM called the "Ray" Penta...the rest of the world gets the "Rye" Penta!
amazing album Kaputt
Just compared cobalt vs red, and yes, the red is better! Also, please make sure you play enough with different tips to get a proper seal - your bass will surprise you. Thanks for the great review 😊☝️
Leiner album=awesome (streamable on Spotify here in the US btw), Apollo comp=fantastic and Apollo 2 is just as great. I know you said not to push jazz or classical on you, but I wish you'd let me suggest some stuff coming from a long-time electronic/ambient listener, producer and collector.
John, I hope this finds you well. I am loving these IEM videos and they raise two questions for me which others may have and with which you could help. I use and LG G8 as a phone to stream Tidal to my ears. Of course, the information that goes with that Quad DAC is that it takes high impedance "speakers" to really get the best sound. But I don't see that any of the "premium" IEMs are more than about 30-something Ohms. So, does that mean that, if I want the best sound I have to spring for a set of "cans" or are there high impedance (60 ohm +) IEMs? Thanks!
i have one question @john so, for dynamic and punch would you prefer the rai penta with dragon fly red or DC01 balanced???
An album that i think you might love is Hempton Manor by the Shamen, just epic 25 years on. The reason why i mention it is theres a track thats structured around a water drop. *Indica
Nice pair of genelec on your intro.
Im more interested in your glasses!!! Where is it from? Looks like gentle monster to me ???
Are you still listening to music or just Sound?
Nice video. Keep up the Good work.
‘Evacuating’. 🤔👍
Interesting suggestion I found out while using my LG V30. It doesn't turn on its amplifier with every headphones, cause it requires at least 50 Ohm impedance to get triggered. This may be one of the solutions to solve lack of power you mentioned in this video. You can connect your headphones through extension jack cable by connecting cable first to let apm get triggered and then you can enjoy the full power of this LG phone sound
Yes, I'm aware of this - including the app - but as far as I know and as you illustrate, the low power cannot be fixed with software alone. One must trick the phone with a cable/adapter. That's not an elegant solution in my book.
Hi John, really appreciate your content here! I have some kind of dilemma... I have daily calls and also like to listen to my FLAC files in between. I’m not the kind of person to change headsets daily. Is there any wired in-ear headset with a mic that you can recommend?
“Contains bowel evacuating bangers” wow
John, there is an app called USB Audio Player Pro that is purported to bypass all D to A functionality of the phone when you are using the USB-C plug instead of the 3.5mm and ESS DAC. Are you using that app? Oh! Wonderful, wonderful video, by the way!
Brother you MUST get your hands on the Sony IER-M9 to compare with these 3 IEMs.
Maybe we can get that special Aluminum as part of the future trade deal with the US!
Really interesting content (as usual) John - thanks. However just thinking; when you kept mentioning the comparative lack of ‘heft’ in the bass department you also mentioned (not quite as much) that you did not have as good a tight snug fit from the tips as you did with the Campfire Solaris. Now I know you’re a well informed chap, but I’ve heard it said many times (and experienced it myself with IEM’s) that insufficiently tight fit causes problems with bass particularly. I happen to have really quite small ears, but seemingly massive ear canal entrances (oh er!) so I resort to using the same type/brand of foam tips on all my IEM’s as they give a perfect fit for my ‘big lug holes’. So you might find this ‘weak spot’ drastically improves if you try tips other than the ones supplied. Worth a try?
Personally I go for ‘InAirs Air2’ Large fit (try Amazon) - and they’re like memory foam, so snug tight but still comfortable, and this gives me the best possible sound out of any IEM’s
John what brand is your espresso machine and grinder? Very much obliged God bless you are my mentor. 😇
You may start reviewing some cables and DAPs, they definitely improve the performance of earphones. But these are another deep water......
What type of software, for ripping audio CD? Thanks
Hi John,
Been a follower for around two years now and I’m always intrigued and enlightened by your delivery and photogenic video-making capabilities.
As far as I know, you don’t review PMP’s like A&K SR15 (mk 2) or similar, is there a reason or do you not rate them V your V40 phone?
Would a Dragonfly DAC enhance a £700 A&K player?
Thanks and keep your excellent channel so informative.👏🏴🔉
100% Agree!
I wondered the same thing, putting a Dragonfly Red onto a Shanling M6:
This may sound silly, but I've been wearing my Tin T2s for about six months. I just popped them into my ears and let the wires dangle down. I tried hanging them in the way I saw on your video, and that adjustment makes all the difference in the world. It's like driving a car in second gear and thinking that it's all there is until you shift into fourth gear. Thank you for being here.
Special request dominated 2019 with his 4 albums
So, if the Rai Penta are roughly half the price of Harbeth P3ESRs, what IEMs could you recommend at half the price of the ELAC Debut 6.2s that grace my listening room? I’ve got a pair of 1MORE Triple Drivers, now, that set me back about 1/4 of the price of the ELACs.
Great review. Would the Apple dongle DAC drive these IEM’s adequately? Thanks!
I DC I suspect you’d need something with more oomph. I bet the NextDrive Spectra X, which has a ESS 9018Q2C chip in it.
John, who makes the equipment stand? Is that a Kallax?
hi... really hooked into Destroyer Kaputt... nice sound very experimental...could you recommend some more of this type genre music...appreciate your work. And as always a good review. keep it up.
P.S. I am from India. do you listen to any Indian Music.
What’s the first song?!
Yeah the LG phones detect iems the same way if they're below a certain impedance the dac won't go in to high impedance mode. Which is kinda wonky when I use my Sennheiser hd 650s with my LG V60 and have no issues but have to do a minor workaround when I want to listen to say my tin p1s my shuouer tapes have no issues though lol.