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Panasonic RP-TCM125 Review (Budget IEM)

markanini

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Anyone here knows Sony MH1 or MH1C ? I managed to buy some which are definitely not fake (tips delivered in a cotton bag, not plastic bags). Are they better than Sony MH750 ???
Why don't you share your impressions?
 
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Lunafag

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QKZ VK4 has a treble overshoot and the tips are subpar. I'm awaiting delivery of a Blon BL-01, but Sony MH750 remains the leader of the price range for the foreseeable time IMO.
Can't say about 750 but 755 definitely has more treble than vk4. And I prefer IEMs that are designed to be worn cable over ear.
 

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Ata

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This is the equivalent without mic of the one IEM tested here and these are the EQ settings according to AutoEQ (a bit more sophisticated than those from Amir):

https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq/tree/master/results/oratory1990/harman_in-ear_2019v2/Panasonic RP-HJE120

Panasonic RP-HJE120E1S

Thank you, I asked this question earlier, it is good to confirm the drivers of HJE120 and TCM125 are the same. I have shared the settings generated by AutoEQ for TCM125 earlier in this thread.
 

Earfonia

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I am still not clear on the testing you all want on different tips. To the extent they change the fit, I don't know how relevant any testing I do is as that varies from person to person. If you mean that the fit stays the same but they are different in other ways, can you post some examples?

IMHO practically it is not worth your precious time to measure IEMs with many different ear tips, unless the IEM comes with it. Some IEM come with several different ear tip. There are many type or ear tips, each modify the treble region a little bit. Sometime audible, sometime not. Sometime the differences from different ear tip is smaller than the differences between Left channel and Right channel frequency response. I suggest just stick with the stock medium ear tip that comes with the IEM, and use the precious time to measure more IEMs. Unless we found a certain ear tips that radically change the FR of the IEM, than it is worth a separate measurement for it.

Below is example of the Panasonic RP-TCM125 right channel measurement with 4 different ear tips. Stock ear tip, smaller bore ear tip, foam, and SpinFit CP100. As you can see I tried to match the 9 kHz resonance peak to match the depth of insertion, so we can observe how those ear tips change the treble response.

Panasonic RP-TCM125 Ear Tips Comparisons 01.png


Panasonic RP-TCM125 Ear Tips Comparisons 02.png


But when looking at the different FR between Left and Right channels:
Panasonic RP-TCM125 Stock Ear Tip.png


Left - Right channel differences outweigh the differences made by different ear tip.

Once and a while it is interesting to see how different ear tips cause changes in the treble region, but IMHO not worth your time to measure every IEM with different ear tips.

20210605_210756a.jpg


20210605_211238a.jpg20210605_211121a.jpg
 
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phoenixsong

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IMHO practically it is not worth your precious time to measure IEMs with many different ear tips, unless the IEM comes with it. Some IEM come with several different ear tip. There are many type or ear tips, each modify the treble region a little bit. Sometime audible, sometime not. Sometime the differences from different ear tip is smaller than the differences between Left channel and Right channel frequency response. I suggest just stick with the stock medium ear tip that comes with the IEM, and use the precious time to measure more IEMs. Unless we found a certain ear tips that radically change the FR of the IEM, than it is worth a separate measurement for it.

Below is example of the Panasonic RP-TCM125 right channel measurement with 4 different ear tips. Stock ear tip, smaller bore ear tip, foam, and SpinFit CP100. As you can see I tried to match the 9 kHz resonance peak to match the depth of insertion, so we can observe how those ear tips change the treble response.

View attachment 133925

View attachment 133924

But when looking at the different FR between Left and Right channels:
View attachment 133926

Left - Right channel differences outweigh the differences made by different ear tip.

Once and a while it is interesting to see how different ear tips cause changes in the treble region, but IMHO not worth your time to measure every IEM with different ear tips.

View attachment 133927

View attachment 133929View attachment 133928
Ear tips alter the sound less than IEM left-right variation? That is very unlikely unless the ear tips were intentionally made to imitate another (Acoustune series for instance with their Chinese imitations), or if the IEMs themselves have crappy QC. Even the Moondrop Aria, a budget IEM from a Chinese company, has tight channel matching
 

Earfonia

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Ear tips alter the sound less than IEM left-right variation? That is very unlikely unless the ear tips were intentionally made to imitate another (Acoustune series for instance with their Chinese imitations), or if the IEMs themselves have crappy QC. Even the Moondrop Aria, a budget IEM from a Chinese company, has tight channel matching

Well that's the fact with my copy of Panasonic RP-TCM125. I provided proof in my post above. In fact many 3-4 digits caliber IEMs also in the range of 2 dB matching between Left and Right channels. Yes sometime ear tip like CP100 may cause audible changes, I use SpinFit as well, but 3 pairs of AK T8iE Mk2 (around $1k IEM per pair) that I tested have audible differences between different pair, more than the audible differences that cause by ear tip. Just use any ear tip that is most comfortable for us and sounds best. The variations are endless, different ear tips, different insertion depth, variation of the left and right channels... it won't be practical to try to measure all of them.
 

phoenixsong

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Well that's the fact with my copy of Panasonic RP-TCM125. I provided proof in my post above. In fact many 3-4 digits caliber IEMs also in the range of 2 dB matching between Left and Right channels. Yes sometime ear tip like CP100 may cause audible changes, I use SpinFit as well, but 3 pairs of AK T8iE Mk2 (around $1k IEM per pair) that I tested have audible differences between different pair, more than the audible differences that cause by ear tip. Just use any ear tip that is most comfortable for us and sounds best. The variations are endless, different ear tips, different insertion depth, variation of the left and right channels... it won't be practical to try to measure all of them.
My point is that maybe using a dirt cheap pair of IEMs to use as a reference basis for generalising the rest with such a description isn't fair
 

Earfonia

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My point is that maybe using a dirt cheap pair of IEMs to use as a reference basis for generalising the rest with such a description isn't fair

Oh yea agree on that. I've measured many IEMs, it is not uncommon to have around 2 dB differences between Left and Right, even more.
 

phoenixsong

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Well that's the fact with my copy of Panasonic RP-TCM125. I provided proof in my post above. In fact many 3-4 digits caliber IEMs also in the range of 2 dB matching between Left and Right channels. Yes sometime ear tip like CP100 may cause audible changes, I use SpinFit as well, but 3 pairs of AK T8iE Mk2 (around $1k IEM per pair) that I tested have audible differences between different pair, more than the audible differences that cause by ear tip. Just use any ear tip that is most comfortable for us and sounds best. The variations are endless, different ear tips, different insertion depth, variation of the left and right channels... it won't be practical to try to measure all of them.
Not discrediting the work behind your measurements though, seeing as you're from Singapore I'm particularly interested as I'm from there too. It will be much easier to get in touch with you than Amir after all, if you're ever open to measuring stuff :D
On another note, do you think the differences perceived between tips exist more prominently in measurements other than the frequency response? For most of my tips (not the Acoustune imitations) I'm confident in distinguishing between them in blind tests
 

Earfonia

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Not discrediting the work behind your measurements though, seeing as you're from Singapore I'm particularly interested as I'm from there too. It will be much easier to get in touch with you than Amir after all, if you're ever open to measuring stuff :D
On another note, do you think the differences perceived between tips exist more prominently in measurements other than the frequency response? For most of my tips (not the Acoustune imitations) I'm confident in distinguishing between them in blind tests

Nice! Probably we can meet after the Covid restriction is lifted.
I'm not saying ear tip rolling is useless, I myself use Acoustune ear tip, SpinFit, etc. Yes I can hear the difference. It is also shown in measurement.
But to ask Amir to measure IEMs with all that different type of ear tips I think it is probably too much for him. Instead we as forum members can add to his reviews our finding with different ear tips if we found any particular ear tip that suitable for a certain IEM.

Yes, I love IEM measurement, still learning about it, and this is a short story of my journey and my current 14 kg setup:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...c-60318-4-clone-coupler-is-it-worth-it.23865/
 

phoenixsong

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Nice! Probably we can meet after the Covid restriction is lifted.
I'm not saying ear tip rolling is useless, I myself use Acoustune ear tip, SpinFit, etc. Yes I can hear the difference. It is also shown in measurement.
But to ask Amir to measure IEMs with all that different type of ear tips I think it is probably too much for him. Instead we as forum members can add to his reviews our finding with different ear tips if we found any particular ear tip that suitable for a certain IEM.

Yes, I love IEM measurement, still learning about it, and this is a short story of my journey and my current 14 kg setup:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...c-60318-4-clone-coupler-is-it-worth-it.23865/
Agree, I was also thinking about the trouble it would give Amir measuring every set of IEMs with like 7 pairs of tips. Even comparing a few for what IEMs I have is annoying enough. Maybe it will be good in a separate article though just to see what tips can do and if the differences are consistent across different IEMs and such. Yknow, to address some of the queries raised so far.
Still, I think there will be some interesting differences when it comes to measuring IEMs in comparison with headphones. The conducting of vibrations for instance may play a bigger role in this case
 

phoenixsong

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He could do with 1-2 pair just to verify that it is nonsense.
Are treble attenuation switches on active speakers nonsense then? And those do not even shift the peaks like some tips do
 

phoenixsong

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Really though, saying IEM tips are nonsense is just like saying headphone pads are nonsense
 

markanini

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Really though, saying IEM tips are nonsense is just like saying headphone pads are nonsense
No, it makes as much sense as saying you should by a headphone in order to mod it. It gives me flashback that one guy that defended the Beyerdynamic DT990 claiming it was a superior headphone once the pads have flattened out from long term wearing.
 

phoenixsong

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No, it makes as much sense as saying you should by a headphone in order to mod it. It gives me flashback that one guy that defended the Beyerdynamic DT990 claiming it was a superior headphone once the pads have flattened out from long term wearing.
Not one guy, go check all the headphone measurement sites out there and see for yourself how aging pads, not even different pads, affect the sound of headphones. You don't even have to listen to find out, how great is that. Start from the Sennheiser HD650
 
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