Versatile IEM target

[markanini]

Related to this thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ems-moved-away-from-harmans-pinna-gain.54909/ I made a target by averaging the IEMs in this video.

If more than one of the "Harman style" IEMs were available I averaged them as one first. I repeated this for every squig.link source, if four or more IEMs from Gizaudios list were available as measurements. Lastly I averaged the the graphs of all sources.

It's not the most scientific process but this might just do as an alternative to Harman In-ear target v2019. Because, it turns out this target relates closely to the Soundguys BK5128 target which received the highest preference score in Sean Olives formal listning test presented on Canjam 2024. Also relates popular reviewer Criancles personal target. I'll expand on this in a following post.

IEMs like Hisenior Mega 5EST and Subtonic Storm mentioned in @InfiniteJester 's thread are a good fit. Likewise a number of newer and older IEMs are a close fit to the target, in different price ranges. To mention some cheapies: Truthear Hola/Gate, 7Hz Zero 2, Tanchjim One DSP balanced preset, Moondrop Chu 2 DSP, Truthear Red, Moondrop May, Truthear Hexa.

A sidenote regarding BK5128 and JM-1/Delta targets, I can't find the quote but IIRC Crinacle did comment on some older sets that fit the (implied) target and commended that they were ambitious efforts that achieved comparable results using 711 couplers and subjective evaluation. It's think good that tools can evolve, but I take issue with the variable bass and tilt controls that were introduced with it's adoption. Such controls are better part of the users setup IMO, for a useful target any variability that can be defeated, should be.

 

[InfiniteJester]

Cool project. Thank you for sharing this. But are you sure that the bumb at 8 KHz is not just an artifact of people inserting the IEM to get there the resonance peak for comparison among sets and that getting into your average?

 

[markanini]

Showcasing some points of convergence.

Crinacle IEF 2020

Normative target, a product of averaging numerous formal, manufacturer and reviewer targets:

Relating to Soundguys-BK5128 the highest rated IEM target among trained listeners in formal testing.

Spoiler: Some more points of convergence

Cool project. Thank you for sharing this. But are you sure that the bump at 8 KHz is not just an artifact of people inserting the IEM to get there the resonance peak for comparison among sets and that getting into your average?

Yes it's a one of the natural resonances of the ear canal that gets expressed on 711 couplers and varies with insertion depth. Most operators chose to standardize at 8khz. Generally measurements above 4-5kHz are no better than subjective evaluation for determining if the tuning is problematic or not.

 

[InfiniteJester]

Showcasing some evidence of convergence.

Crinacle IEF 2020
View attachment 375298

Normative target, a product of averaging numerous formal, manufacturer and reviewer targets:
View attachment 375305

Relating to Soundguys-BK5128 the highest rated IEM target among trained listeners in formal testing.

View attachment 375301
View attachment 375302


Yes it's a one of the natural resonances of an ear canal that gets expressed on 711 couplers and varies with insertion depth. Most operators chose to standardize at 8khz. Generally measurements above 4-5kHz are no better than subjective evaluation for determining if the tuning is problematic or not.

View attachment 375303

But, should it be in the target? Harman, for example, excludes the peaks for the ideal target. Should we aim to preserve this peak in our tuning, should we not EQ around 8KHz? I really don't know.

Thank you for doing this, I think that it is fascinating. The similitude with previous targets is extraordinary.

 

[markanini]

But, should it be in the target? Harman, for example, excludes the peaks for the ideal target. Should we aim to preserve this peak in our tuning, should we not EQ around 8KHz? I really don't know.

Thank you for doing this, I think that it is fascinating. The similitude with previous targets is extraordinary.

I would like to know myself a good reason for smoothing the 8kHz peak and features around it. I'm just presenting the average as it came out.

 

[InfiniteJester]

I was listening to the CCA Hydro tuned to your target and I thought... This sounds like something I know.

Your target is basically the tuning of the Kiwi Ears Quintet.

 

[markanini]

Here is the BK5128 version:

I was listening to the CCA Hydro tuned to your target and I thought... This sounds like something I know.

View attachment 375504

Your target is basically the tuning of the Kiwi Ears Quintet.

It's similar although there are overshoots in the treble on starting from approximately 7kHz depending on the rig. This might sounds less preferred than overshoot higher in the treble, past 13kHz or so.

 

[Chromatischism]

Very interesting. For my own personal curiosity, I compared this to my Truthear Zero EQ. This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be because I had to first find someone who had a reasonable measurement of this IEM (I'm not a paid member of Crinacle so I can't use his site like this). I spent at least 30 minutes rolling through various measurements on Squiglink before I settled on one I felt best represented the Zero. So here it is.

In my EQ I have a preamp of +2.0 which I can't find a way to implement with Squig, so keep that in mind.

 

[zachary80]

Older thread, and maybe I missed a follower, but how would we try out the "versatile target"? Squig a known IEM to the Mega5EST or Subtonic Storm? Is this essentially the same as what people now call "the new meta" (the worst possible naming scheme)?

 

[markanini]

Older thread, and maybe I missed a follower, but how would we try out the "versatile target"? Squig a known IEM to the Mega5EST or Subtonic Storm? Is this essentially the same as what people now call "the new meta" (the worst possible naming scheme)?

Probably closest IEM is Kiwi Quintet. I'm not convinced that this is the best tuning for everyone, its not my personal favorite tuning. But it can represent a well liked tuning of IEMs that exist.

 

[muza_1]

Probably closest IEM is Kiwi Quintet. I'm not convinced that this is the best tuning for everyone, its not my personal favorite tuning. But it can represent a well liked tuning of IEMs that exist.

I think the KZ Zenith might be even closer.

Mine arrive in a few days, I guess I'll find out then how I like the tuning (other "meta" I've tried I didn't like but the pinna gain was lower).