Truthear Gate

[mc.god]

There is no hole on the faceplate of the Gate. I’m not understanding what you are saying here. The Gate and Hola housings are essential the same design, just differing materials and production methods. Both venting holes are in the same spots and same size on both. Both faceplates are sealed with no exterior venting. You just can’t see inside the Hola’s opaque faceplate to have known how obviously open the larger back vent hole is.

It's precisely what I said, Hola are sealed on the outside. Where i probably went wrong is that from @staticV3 comment and misleaded by the transparency I thought Gate has a corresponding hole also on external faceplate. Still awaiting my unit so I went on assumption, if external face is sealed then yes, they are exactly the same.

 

[staticV3]

It's precisely what I said, Hola are sealed on the outside. Where i probably went wrong is that from @staticV3 comment and misleaded by the transparency I thought Gate has a corresponding hole also on external faceplate. Still awaiting my unit so I went on assumption, if external face is sealed then yes, they are exactly the same.

Both Hola and GATE have a solid, outward-facing face plate with no holes.

Both Hola and GATE have an unusually large hole on the inward-facing part of the housing, venting the back volume.

Both Hola and GATE have an additional, smaller hole on the inward-facing part of the housing, venting the front volume.

 

[mc.god]

My white unit delivered... oh my how cheap they feel Quick random listening to web radio, very satisfactory as expected from their FR, very resembling my beloved 7Hz Zero if I have to say, with just a hint of smoothness.

 

[Rayman30]

What is the point of endless IEM iterations? what is it that they seek to solve that they have not solved?

 

[Curupira]

What is the point of endless IEM iterations? what is it that they seek to solve that they have not solved?

Capitalism.

While there are definite marginal improvements in each new iteration, with SOTA getting cheaper and cheaper, the chinese iem scene has extrapolated the FOMO that is intrinsic to the audiophile world to a monthly release schedule, something their old western competitors wouldn't dream of pulling off.

Now about sound quality and technical aspects, there are a few ways in which new iems can improve on their SOTA predecessors: construction and fit, primarily when ear impedance and interactions are concerned; accessories, like the modular cables and better eartips to improve the former quality; distortion profile, as BA's tend to have still not so utopic standards as single DDs; and different tunings, to cater to different taste and preference niches.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Damn just when I was done buying cheapo Chinese IEMs

 

[markanini]

I've been listening to Gate to half a day now. Truthear nailed the tuning, balanced and pleasing. I was looking for a 1DD that didn't need EQ for use in a band, finally I have one. EDIT: BTW I swapped the stock tips for KZ starline. This solved a sight treble overshoot that the stock tips gave me.

 

[mc.god]

Gate transparency let you see the slight reduction in driver size and it's ratio with internal volume against Hola:

Hola internal volume appears a bit more filled, that would explain the decrease in weight together with plastic vs metal face-plate.

 

[staticV3]

I really can't get behind the boosted upper mids/lower treble of the GATE:


EQing that area back down to Hola levels gives me instant relief.

The harshness/sibilance goes away and things start sounding "right" again.

Example song:

 

[mc.god]

I really can't get behind the boosted upper mids/lower treble of the GATE:
View attachment 374663

EQing that area back down to Hola levels gives me instant relief.

The harshness/sibilance goes away and things start sounding "right" again.

Example song:

Did you like the og 7Hz Zero?

 

[markanini]

I really can't get behind the boosted upper mids/lower treble of the GATE:
View attachment 374663

EQing that area back down to Hola levels gives me instant relief.

The harshness/sibilance goes away and things start sounding "right" again.

Example song:

Are you evaluating based on applying EQ to Hola? Do you know what tips were used to each measurement?

EDIT: If anyone is interested, EQ matching can be successfully achieved on a artificial ear, but no guarantees for individual ears. After that there's the unknown factors of unit variation and tip selection. Altogether it makes EQ matching an unreliable evaluation tool.

 

[staticV3]

Did you like the og 7Hz Zero?

I've got one here, though haven't A/Bed it yet.

 

[staticV3]

Are you evaluating based on applying EQ to Hola? Do you know what tips were used to each measurement?

I'm evaluating by both physically switching between Hola and Gate, and by applying EQ to the Gate to match Hola.

Same ear tips are used on both, though not the stock ones used for Crin's measurements, as I can't get a good seal with them.

Though as my issues with the Gate are between 1 and 8kHz, I don't expect the eartips to affect things significantly.

I'm using MH755 tips in S, so nothing extravagant.

A/Bing Gate vs Hola virtually via EQ, has the advantage of instant switching and perfect volume matching.

Usually, I'd be somewhat wary of that approach due to potential acoustic impedance-related issues, but with the two being so similar in design and construction, it's probably fine™.

In any case, switching from Gate to Hola physically, gives the same relief as EQing Gate down to Hola levels.

 

[beeface]

Clicked on the thread hoping for some Truthear controversy. Not the best name

 

[mc.god]

I've got one here, though haven't A/Bed it yet.

Just asking because i find them very close, as one could predict from Crinacle measurements, and got them precisely for this reason, since I like Zero a lot. But I can understand your point since my preference is tilted to neutral-bright tuning.

 

[mc.god]

Clicked on the thread hoping for some Truthear controversy. Not the best name

The worst issue with the name is the logo since many folks read it GATO

 

[mc.god]

Just asking because i find them very close, as one could predict from Crinacle measurements, and got them precisely for this reason, since I like Zero a lot. But I can understand your point since my preference is tilted to neutral-bright tuning.
View attachment 374679

Having listened a bit more to Gate a can say I somewhat agree with @staticV3 , not to the extent of it being annoying but that little more emphasis at 4.5Khz is enough to bring it on the verge of shoutiness and coarseness, that i don't feel with Zero.
Taking into account that i can bear without problem even to my TRN MT1 without eq

i can see how for someone Gate can result fatiguing.

 

[staticV3]

Having listened a bit more to Gate a can say I somewhat agree with @staticV3 , not to the extent of it being annoying but that little more emphasis at 4.5Khz is enough to bring it on the verge of shoutiness and coarseness, that i don't feel with Zero.
Taking into account that i can bear without problem even to my TRN MT1 without eq
View attachment 375318
i can see how for someone Gate can result fatiguing.

If you're feeling experimental, try applying the PEQ preset attached below and toggling it on/off as you listen to music.

Maybe give my sample track above a try

The preset brings the Gate's mids back down to Hola levels, would love to know which one you prefer!

 

[markanini]

Having listened a bit more to Gate a can say I somewhat agree with @staticV3 , not to the extent of it being annoying but that little more emphasis at 4.5Khz is enough to bring it on the verge of shoutiness and coarseness, that i don't feel with Zero.
Taking into account that i can bear without problem even to my TRN MT1 without eq
View attachment 375318
i can see how for someone Gate can result fatiguing.

I added some 250 acoustic mesh to the nozzles to knock down the upper-mids just a bit myself. I can recommend this mod because after it might be one of my most enjoyable tuned set I've owned. But I understand if the stock tuning is not perfect. I don't know of anything in this price range that can be at least be moded non-reversibly to sound this nice. On Hola the upper mids are permanently recessed, and my attempts of EQ Hola to be more balanced revealed some grainy treble which Gate doesn't have.

I like the Gate tuning for how the mids have a good coverage from low-mids to high-mids. Drums are muscular, and voices have a good presence. Gate has no cheesy emphasis on bass and treble, and still lower and upper ends extended nicely as you expect from a 2024 set. Switching to Truthear Red I can hear a recessed upper bass which is less pleasing to me. I'll let others focus on what they don't like. To me Gate is an overall winner after going through dozens of budget sets that came out in the last few years.

 

[mc.god]

If you're feeling experimental, try applying the PEQ preset attached below and toggling it on/off as you listen to music.

Maybe give my sample track above a try

The preset brings the Gate's mids back down to Hola levels, would love to know which one you prefer!

I'll happily try your preset, but I already predict I'll prefer it since I like Hola very much and always thought it would be nearly perfect with a tiny bit less bass.

I added some 250 acoustic mesh to the nozzles to knock down the upper-mids just a bit myself. I can recommend this mod because after it might be one of my most enjoyable tuned set I've owned. But I understand if the stock tuning is not perfect. I don't know of anything in this price range that can be at least be moded non-reversibly to sound this nice.

Intriguing idea, I really should get some mesh filters to play with sooner or later.

On Hola the upper mids are permanently recessed, and my attempts of EQ Hola to be more balanced revealed some grainy treble which Gate doesn't have.

You tried also just applying a shelf reduction to bass? Same result?